Thankful

Ps. 50:14 "Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High"


I been doing the same thing that everyone on the other side of the world has been doing this last week, reflecting on everything that I am thankful for in my life. The list this year for me has expanded from years past. I've never been more thankful for the living word, the ever present help of my Father, and the call that He has placed on my life to make his fame great among this nation! The expanded version also included imported goods, packages, and skype!

Thank you everyone who sent holiday packages to us. We are so appreciative!
We even had a volunteer team carry on a 16 lb. turkey (named Chasity) to complete the holiday dinner. They said they got some pretty funny looks as "she" went through the x-ray machine at the airport.

For our Thanksgiving this year, we traveled up into the mountains to spend it was great friends.

We spent quite a while prepping the meal considering we were using those tiny convection ovens. But we did it! Our menu consisted of : Turkey, ham, fried chicken, casserole city, cranberry sauce, pecan pie, and pumpkin pie. It was super yummy.

At one point during the day I even felt like I was back in the states. We were watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!! (technology is really amazing)

Thanksgiving is never complete without football, so we did what any American would do..we found the only flat ground in the whole city and spent the afternoon playing.

Happy Thanksgiving 2009

happy.3.year.anniversary

November 18, 2009- Our 3 year anniversary
Really wishing that I had my beautiful wedding album to look through today, but I know that it was probably for the best that I left it back in America. I tried to find some wedding/anniversary pictures on our computer and of course I don't have any of us on the actual day. Plus I was given this really neat anniversary book as a wedding present. It's a super cool concept...just wish that I had remembered to take photos from the anniversaries. I found these pictures that were super close to our day each year...

Pre engagement... just had to share it! We just got bored one day and decided to go take some pictures at the park. Look how little we were. I guess that's what you get when you start dating at the age of 15.

Decorating the day before the wedding. Nov 17, 2006

Honeymoon in Mexico.

1 year anniversary. November 2007. (pic from Christmas cards with Kinley Sue)
Our anniversary trip went from talk of a getaway to Chicago to actually going to Hot Springs. I'm very grateful in hindsight. Joe got the flu and stayed in bed the whole time, while I spent my evening on the treadmill in the workout room at the hotel listening to the lady beside me talk about weight watchers. Romantic huh?!

2 year anniversary. November 2008. (pic from sometime that month)
We had just gotten back from our interviews in Virginia. Knowing what was to come we decided to keep it pretty low key. Dinner in Conway...

3 year anniversary. November 12, 2009. (pic from our trip to Mumbai last week)
We celebrated today by eating apple streusel pancakes and shopping for a charcoal grill (the grill was my gift to Joe this year but it should have been a new wedding ring since his is somewhere in the Ganges!) My gift from Joe....magazines to plan and get excited for... drum roll please

4 year anniversary.... November 2010. (pic to come....)
AUSTRALIA!!!

Daily I am reminded of the Father's love for me through my husband. As I continue to fall deeper in love with the Lord, I fall more in love with my man. Get's me super excited for all the things in store for the future!

Ps. 32:8 "The Lord says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you."

I are so thankful for how the Lord continues to guide us and direct our paths daily...

holiday's.are.here

Where did October go? And it's already time for Thanksgiving? Time is really flying by...
In the past month and a half, I've had the opportunity to travel to 6 different parts of this beautiful country. I  promise a blog will be coming soon with reflections from each.

But I had to go ahead and blog my pictures from today.

Today it finally felt like the holidays. We went to a mala at the US Embassy today. I think I might have experienced a little bit of culture shock. Culture shock from the cleanliness, white faces, English spoken, Christmas stockings, BEEF burgers, gingerbread people, and pumpkin pie!

It's beginning to look a lot like the holidays....and our Father is providing a peace that passes all understanding! It's difficult to not be with family during this time celebrating in our traditional ways. But we are counting our blessings for the new opportunities we have been given to share God's love with others during this time. (and the fun day at the mala!)

Chicken Pot Pie

One of my favorite things about using skype is to check in with our two year old nephew, Owen. He is really talking a lot these days. We normally just smile and agree with whatever he says...not knowing half the time what he is talking about. The other day, though, he so clearly was telling us about Rachel Ray. (Apparently he's been watching a little cooking on tv) Joe and I both looked at each other and said, "Did he just say 'Rachel Ray'?"
 Katy then began quizzing our sweet nephew... "Owen, what does Rachel Ray do?"
 Owen says "cook"
 Katy asks, "Owen, who else likes to cook?"
 Owen replys, "Ams" (that's me in case you were confused!)
 Katy asks, "What does Ams like to cook?"
 Owen grins while saying, "cookies!!!!"
*you must check out that boys adorable chef costume for Halloween! (All About Owen)


Auntie Ams was is the kitchen again tonight. Cookies? Nope! Not this time... Tonight's feature was Chicken Pot Pie.

I had a good friend come over and help me cook. I asked her if she was up for an American meal. She's such a trooper! She loved helping me in the kitchen. We even successfully used a pressure cooker for the first time. (I'm definitely going to be using that thing more now that I can cook chicken in 10 minutes instead of 30) 

I was a little worried that she might not think it was spicy enough. So I made sure to put a little pack of Domino's chili flakes at her place setting. 

She loved the prep work/cooking and the food. She didn't even add the chili flakes I provided. 
I call tonight a cooking success!