Happy Mardi Gras!

Jaiden Claire, February 21. 2007

Well, we ventured to New Iberia, Louisiana yet again to visit Granny and Pappy Keeter! We had intended to go for the weekend, yet stayed for a week! As we always discuss during these visits, we realize it is not normal for a daughter/mother-in-law to actually want to prolong each visit, but we sure do! I am so blessed!

We were able to spend every day with Granny because her boss at work (Pappy) was very lenient with her schedule. He he he. We had bbq's, played outside with the dogs, created some wonderful artwork with sidewalk chalk on the driveway, got to play with Aunt Kristin, Uncle Scott, and Cousins Chloe and Emma, and also chased Snowball (cat) around the yard.

Granny also brought us to a (family oriented) Mardi Gras parade. Jaiden really enjoyed the drums and the beads (which she exclaims they are "BEANS! BEANS!"). We didn't indulge in crawfish and spicy sausage like some of the family, but we did enjoy our first Louisiana Mardi Gras! Please note: Jaiden did not lift her shirt for her accumulated beads, nor did Granny or Mama!

Just a few family updates:

Aden, Jaiden, and I are rightful owners of our Montana property!!! We closed on it this past Tuesday. Now the fun preparations and planning to build will follow (yahoo!!!) ---in due time, of course. Pops Kent has offered to build us a tepee for our living quarters. Although we will carefully consider all ideas, I think we are going to have to decline on that one. Sorry Pops!

My sister Jessy and nephew Landon will be coming to visit in March. We haven't anything planned yet, but will be greatly looking forward to that! Please pray for their safe travels!

Jenny and her girls (Jennah and Abby) have found their new apartment and will be moving in March! She is very excited and hopefully she will share pictures later! Please pray for them, as sometimes moving can get very hectic! And pray for the girls' comfort in their new home!

Pops Kent and Leslie will be traveling to Spain this summer for a mission trip through their church in Mc Kinney. Please continue to pray for them as they prepare themselves physically, spiritually, and financially for this trip.

Scott, Kristin, Chloe, and Emma are in the last 6 weeks before welcoming their new baby Elizabeth Clare Keeter. Please pray for them as they enter the final month and a half and all that goes on during this busy time. She looks SO GREAT by the way!

Shortly after Miss Elizabeth's birth, we will be having Jaiden's Birthday #2 Party here in Coppell. We will be very busy getting the house and yard in shape for the BBQ-style Celebration. I'm getting the invites made up by this fabulous company (www.cocoandems.com). Ok, it's Kristin's company, but like I said, it's FABULOUS! Just keep your eye out for one and we hope you all can join us for Jaiden's special day!

I think that about does it for immediate family updates... I'm so glad everyone seems to be doing so well! Please continue to pray for each other~

We are excited to see the warmer weather just around the corner. We are hoping to plan another little vacation here shortly and we'll be excited to share that with you as it develops. We aren't sure if it is going to be a family vacation or a romantic getaway for Aden and me. We'll see!

Well, that's it for now! Thank you for visiting our blog and we look forward to keeping you in touch with the latest news!

Love to All~

Jods

Love Is In the Air

Ahh, the Meaning of Love...

The American Heritage Dictionary defines (Saint) Valentine's Day like this: "February 14, celebrated in various American and European countries by the exchange of valentines or love tokens. Also called Valentine's Day." ---Factual and succinct, I would say.

For Charlie Brown, this day marks an endless need for the attention and affection of the Pretty Little Redhead. ---Sweet and adorable, Charlie Brown.

In an online romance class, they described what most of of have heard the meaning of Valentine's Day to be: "Saint Valentine was a Roman who was killed for his faith on February 14, 269 A.D. He had refused to worship pagan gods, and some stories say he was a priest who would marry young couples in secret who loved each other but who did not have parental permission. In 496, his 'saint day' was established. He is associated with love because he fell in love with the daughter of his jailer, and would pass notes to her. His final note, before he was executed, read 'from your Valentine'."--- Sad, classic, and inspiring to me.

Ahh, love. These are all wonderful concepts to read about and share with others. But there is a love out there that surpasses these all to an immeasurable level. The love of our sovereign God. The love of our Savior Christ.

To think on a daily basis all of the ways that I fail myself, my daughter, my husband, my family; it is almost depressing. But to take it even further and realize that even more than my family, I am failing our God each and every day. Sure, I am trying not to. I try every minute to remain strong in my Walk and faithful to my Father. But even so, even though I am constantly failing, and constantly will get back up and fail again, my Father, your Father, our God still loves me. It truly amazes me.

I love to hear all of the love stories during this time of year. The couple that have been faithfully married for 75+ years and still holding hands. The couple that met by chance just weeks ago and cannot take their eyes off of each other. Love is almost euphoric in nature and it's something we all crave and long to experience.

I am blessed. I get to experience love every day. I have a husband who loves me. I have a daughter who loves me. I have a family that loves me. I live in a country that fights for me. But most of all, I have the Holy Lord, our God, that loves me.

I have zero doubt that 50 years from now if my life is unfinished here on earth, I will be in a wooden rocking chair with my loving husband rocking right beside me. ---I have no doubt that 25 years from now, I will be blessed to see Jaiden look into her own husband's eyes and experience love for herself. ---I have no doubt that 5 years from now, I will experience a new love for God's creation as we move ourselves to Montana and breathe in mountain air each morning. And I am so happy that I can be confident in that right now, my Father in Heaven is looking down on me with the only the Love that He can give.

Love is a wonderful thing. It is a gift given by our Ultimate Valentine. There is no one that will ever love you more. There is no way He could ever want to love us less.

I hope that Valentine's Day 2007 can mark as a reminder of all of the love you have in your life. Whether it is the love tokens, chasing a red-haired little girl, or dying for a cause, that makes you think of Valentine's Day...they are all so sweet and we will continue to be intrigued by the stories... Remember the One Who defines love: God, the Maker, the Beloved, Everlasting Life....our Lord.

I pray that He has his loving arms wrapped around you today... Happy Valentine's Day 2007.

Jods