Wow I can not believe a month has gone by! We had a WONDERFUL TIME in Berlin, Ohio, Cancun, Mexico City, and even the drive home from mexico city was GREAT!
We are now home, and getting into life here in Ashland. Trying not to fall into the ROUTINE of life. James has started summer Quarter and LOVES IT! I have been helping out at or churches National office. This week is Conference so things are a little busy. But it is great to see soooooo many people.

I am still looking for a job. So Pray I find the RIGHT one soon.

OK.... I cry at everything today!!
Watch out!
The Dress looks GREAT! thank you Martha & David's Bridal Mansfield
Everything looks beautiful for the reception! SPEACIAL THANK YOU TO KATHY, MADELON, HILDA, JAIME, & THE STRICKLAND FAMILY for all your hard WORK! And thank you to my sister ALISA for being by SUPPORT TODAY! I can't wait to see it all tomorrow!
James' Surprise is giving me troubles.... I hope you all can see it at the service!
I finally got to sleep at 2am! well must get my beauty rest.....

well things were going well.... but now, my dress does not fit,ugh
We had a flat tire on the way home which neither James nor I knew how to change it.....
But GOD is good! He loves us sooooo much that he sent a family the recognized us from TV (church services are televised) so they stopped to help! THANK YOU!!
then.... got home to clean up and my nails are a mess! stained & grease every where!
LORD help!

Wow!! I can not believe we are half way through May already! The details of the wedding are coming together! Thanks to wonderful friends and family! We got our marriage license, mentoring classes are completed! (WE PASSED!) The Church has been paid, cake is ordered and paid, Getting together with family Memorial Day weekend to work on the little details. (Alisa thank you for remembering a few details I was leaving out!) Final fitting is in 2 weeks. Ohhhhh hope it still fits! We just finalized our Honeymoon reservations!! Cancun Here we come! My Passport finally arrived PRAISE GOD! So we can now buy the plane tickets. GOD HAS BEEN SO GOOD AT TAKING CARE OF EVERY DETAIL. The only small "glich" has been my rings. But looks like it will be taken care of soon and probably be even MORE BEAUTIFUL than before! Amazing how God takes care of even the rings....after we were "taken advantage of" by the Jeweler in Florida. And now will be even more beautiful!!!
If you still have not sent me your response card don't worry..... PLEASE JUST RSVP on THIS SITE. So I can get a good count for the wedding. I want to make sure we have enough "munchies" & cake for everyone. SEE YOU ALL SOON!!

Oh my!! I can not believe that the last few days of April are upon us! Time is going so quickly! Looks like we have survived Ohio winter! I got major Spring fever and started planting flowers. The front yard looks great! The youth had a work day and came over to help me do a little painting on the house. Oh it looks so much better! Thank you girls!
We are going to taste cakes May 1st for the wedding cake. Yummy! I finally got someone who can take pictures for us! yea! Thank you Stephanie! place settings, table clothes have been rented. Everything seems to be moving along quite well!
James has been doing well in Seminary! He loves it! The piano has been tuned and sounds great! He now has 3 voice students that are improving every week! great job girls! keep up the good work. And has one Spanish student who is brushing up on his Spanish before his 5 week mission trip to Honduras this summer. We are praying for 20 voice, piano, or spanish students.
I had my first interview for a job. I was called back for a second interview! I made the top two! hope to find out next week if I got the job.
We both continue to be on 2 worship teams at church. We were invited this past week to a small church in Mohicanville. We were so blessed by them and they loved James' music.
Still trying to finalize a few details for the honeymoon in Cancun. We have met once with our marriage mentors they are wonderful! and we met with Pastor Arden to start planning the actual Service. It made both of us a little nervous to read the vows, but a nervous excitement!
James has his citizenship test this Friday!!! We will be getting the marriage license next week!
whewwwww it is all coming together!

We rented a mini-van in Florida and moved James. Upon arriving in Ohio we rented a U-haul to get my things out of storage (after 10 years). The U-haul was loaded and we moved to Ashland, Ohio on the coldest day of the year! -22 degrees! Brrrrrr
James was a good sport handeling the cold! I on the other hand.... was not sure about this decision. heheheeh With my Half frost bitten legs. We definately need to buy winter clothes and REAL WINTER COATS.
James learned how to shovel snow, bundle up for REAL Winter! (We aren't in Florida anymore!) and learned how to drive in a BLIZZARD all in one week! I am sooooo PROUD of my husband to be!
I am in our new home! Lot's of painting to do! but it is fun getting our new home ready!

WE RETURNED TO FLORIDA, SPENT TIME WITH FRIENDS AND BEGIN PLANNING OUR LIFES TOGETHER FOR THE FUTURE. AND CELEBRATED WITH SOME FRIENDS.

WE WERE IN ALASKA 2 WEEKS! (ANCHORAGE & FAIRBANKS) HELPING A CHURCH REACH OUT TO LATIN AMERICANS. WE HAD A GREAT TIME! THE SUN WAS OUT 20 HOURS SO NOT MUCH SLEEP! BUT THERE WERE TOO MANY BEAUTIFUL THINGS TO SEE TO SLEEP!

GREAT TIME WITH UNCLE BOB AND SASH ON THE LAKE! HOLD ON TO YOUR HATS!

JAMES AND I PLAYING HILLBILLY GOLF AT MY AUNTS HOUSE.

WE DECIDED TO GO TO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER HERE IN MEXICO CITY. THERE IS A RESTRUANT THAT ROTATES WITH A BREATH TAKING VIEW OF THE ENTIRE CITY. ABSOLUTLY BEAUTIFUL!!! THERE JAMES SURPRISED ME GOT DOWN ON HIS KNEE AND PRESENTED ME WITH A BEAUTIFUL RING AND ASKED ME TO MARRY HIM!!! AS JAMES REPORTS "MY REACTION WAS NOTHING LIKE THE MOVIES" hehe I WAS LITTERALLY SPEACHLESS! I HAD GASPED SO HARD I COULD NOT BREATH OR SPEAK! I JUST SHOOK MY HEAD NO AND POINTED TO MY MOUTH (MEANING I CAN'T BREATH OR SPEAK). JAMES RESPONDED, "SO NO? YOU DON'T WANT TO MARRY ME?!" I THEN SHOOK MY HEAD YES! BUT JAMES RESPONDED, "YES? YOUR ANSWER IS NO???" AFTER I FINALLY GOT MY BREATH AGAIN I ASKED HIM TO GET UP! AND WE FINALLY GOT OUR ACTS TOGETHER HE CAREFULLY AND VERY SKILLFULLY PLACED THE RING ON MY FINGER! (the picture is taken before our dinner date at the World Trade Center Mexico City.)

LETS JUST SAY THING DID NOT GO AS I HAD HOPED! IT WAS CRAZY! FROM THE MOMENT JAMES ARRIVED IN MEXICO WE WERE SUROUNDED BY PEOPLE! (WHY DID I THINK IT WOULD BE ANY DIFFERENT BEING IN THE LARGEST POPULATED CITY IN THE WORLD! Hehehee) EVERYONE WANTED TO MEET JAMES! ...WELL ME TOO! WE WERE VERY LIMITED ON OUR TIME ALONE TOGETHER. AND JAMES WAS ALSO PROMOTING HIS NEW CD "BETWEEN TWO WORLDS".
I HONESTLY AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS THOUGHT THIS RELATIONSHIP WAS NEVER GOING TO WORK! BUT JAMES DID NOT GIVE UP SO EASY!
I LEARNED HE IS, A TRUE SERVANT OF GOD, VERY PATIENT, KIND, LOVING, AND DOES NOT GIVE UP EASILY ....
(this picture was taken at a seminary graduation where James was asked to sing for the event.)