Christmastime at the Varner home

Christmas Time is Here...

How was your Thanksgiving? You can see the pics below for our Thanksgiving/Christmas with the Varners. We had such a wonderful and relaxing time with the family. Our little apartment was quite full as you can see, but we loved being able to host all of them - even more so considering this may have been our last year for awhile for us all to be together.
Christmas Time is indeed here...I think it's been here for a few weeks if you walk through the stores. Today I officially pulled out most of the decor for the season although I'll wait for John to put up our big (not being really that big) Christmas tree together. When I was getting ready for Thanksgiving a few weeks ago I was busy just like everyone else running through the Grocery Stores. I couldn't help but think about all these people hurrying through the stores in prep for a holiday celebrating thankfulness with their carts filled high and yet their faces devoid of any joy. A good reminder to myself that even if we celebrated a Christmas like my parents did for their first Christmas (no job for my mom who was expecting and my dad was going to school and working and money was tight so they made their Christmas ornaments out of cardboard and tinfoil which they shaped into little stars- I have one hanging on our little Christmas tree as a reminder of their first Christmas and the goodness of the Lord to them) if that was the case for us- what joy to celebrate the coming of a Savior. I heard recently of a school where the children would not be allowed to sing the verses to 'Joy to the World' in their Christmas Concert. All they could sing was 'Joy to the World' over and over again to the tune. My thought was, "Joy to the World the Lord has come...." if not for His coming, what would there be to be joyful about? New games and gear under a tree that will satisfy for a short month or two? I love this time of year and the decorations and ornaments and the warm colors and magnificent foods we enjoy during this Holiday. But it is all quite empty without the Joy of the Lord. I hope it reigns in your heart this Season.

Holiday with the Varners!

How Sweet it is...

In a society where marriage is down played and bad mouthed a lot I would like to give testimony of a young, happily married woman. I would be lost without my husband, John. One of my greatest joys in life has become to be John's wife. I used to fear losing my own identity with being married and being so absorbed into my husband I would lose who I was. If anything, John has helped me define who I am and who I want to be. Seminary is hard for any couple- especially newlywed couples. Long weeks of work and different schedules can often make me feel like I am single again. John goes to school in the morning when I go to work and then we meet for a quick lunch and he starts his work day when I'm halfway through mine. He works a long day and we have some time together before he studies but never long enough. Our weekends are always great- Saturday night to Sunday night it's the two of us for the whole time! I hate to see those weekends end. It brings me again to a new, full week of what we have been doing for a little over a year now. And I have to remember- why. Why do we go through the separation and my husband spends long evenings studying and we invest our money into books and schooling...because the Lord has called us to the Gospel. No greater calling. This will resonate within me as long as I live and we serve Him.
Lately, I have been struggling consistently with some issues and my husband has been my encourager, the one to talk me straight to the point and turn me to the truth of the Scriptures, and the one to help me start over and get up and face it again. With him, it's easy to put so many fears aside. John is so many things I am not and I benefit greatly from his wisdom and consistency. I am so thankful to the Lord for giving him to me. I could not have chosen anything so good on my own. And after a year of marriage I love him more- I'm so comfortable with him, more trusting towards him, the best of friends with him, and so in love with him I can't help walking away from his desk after he tells me he loves me (with that impish grin, dimples, and his headset still on) with a big, toothy grin- all the way to my car. This is not merely a testament to my husband's good character and the love he shows me, but to the goodness of the Lord and what His love can bring to two mortals marriage. He binds us together to stand together during the difficult times and gives us joy to exhibit to our unsaved co-workers in the midst of overtime and long evenings apart. I have missed him much lately if you can't tell.

Happy Holidays....

I know...I grew up not listening to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving- it was wrong- well not really, but we were pretty serious about it. But I don't care- I'm listening to a Christmas cd tonight and getting out all my Christmas stuff to look at it...because this year with Thanksgiving we will be celebrating Christmas with the Varners since we will all be together. Since the holiday is at our house I have been doing planning with the menu and finding some deals on a table cloth and napkins and trying to decide on my centerpiece. Since we are celebrating Christmas too I have been on the hunt for a 3 foot tall Christmas tree for a few weeks. All the ones I found were about $30- $40.00! I knew I didn't want to spend that much on one and I had been to Garden Ridge and Michaels ane even with a coupon I didn't want to pay that much! I randomly checked Target and found a perfect one- only catch, it had no tags, so I kept checking thinking they had to put the tags on it soon. Well, today was my third time to check and all their trees were decorated- except one- you guessed it- the one I wanted. It was sitting by it's cold and lonesome self. So, I decided, "Forget this..." and began rummaging through the boxes and found my three-foot Fir tree for ....$9.99. I was soooooo happy. I picked that thing up and almost tripped up to the register with excitement (that and the fact I was wearing heels and Target really waxes their floors- yeesh!)
So, now I'm going to go rummage through all the clearance Christmas stuff we picked up last year on the day after Christmas sales and see what we have to decorate with for Thanksgiving.
I really feel so blessed to be the one to be able to host our family for Thanksgiving. I grew up in a home where half the fun was preparing the food and setting a table with beautiful flatware and glassware and freshly pressed napkins and a crisp tablecloth underneath it all. My sisters and I shared so many great memories with my mom during setting the table and preparing the food from menus we had all planned weeks in advance (while we cleaned out the relish tray and the special breads that Steph made- no wonder Dad was the only one to really eat when we all sat down!) All that to say to be able to carry on those same traditions in my own home means so much to me! So thanks to my sisters in law for letting me be so compulsive about the whole thing and nail you down to a menu item four weeks before the date. We are so excited to have you all come and celebrate with us- and we have so much to celebrate this year too!! Two Marriages, a new life, a highschool graduate turned College student and a loving family together once again! I'll miss my little Gordon Thanksgiving, but I have a feeling the love and spirit of gratefulness will still be present with my -sometimes still new- family.

That's Life

I have been among the bloggers that have taken a 'hiatus' according to my cousin, Missy. Things have been pretty busy, but even more so I got tired of trying to blog without internet connection- which we have. And I know most of you are thinking, 'Big Deal'- precisely- when you've lived without it for over a year it is a big deal.
In August James and Laura got married, we had grandparents, parents and friends in town. The next weekend I went home...to where I used to live. It wasn't where I belonged anymore and it was the strangest thing. I have always belonged where my mom and dad are and now I belong where John is. It took me over a year to get there and some days I'm still getting there. I loved getting to spend time with Steph too- she spoiled me with an Alterra tea when she picked me up at the airport- it was such a cool, rainy day too- it was perfect. We went shoe shopping and hung out with Danielle and Lafe and out to Maggiano's with Mom and Dad - and even more special my Grandpa came up to see me too- I hadn't seen him since our wedding and he is doing so well health wise. It was such a special treat. When I came home John had a beautiful bouquet of flowers for me- I am blessed to have such a loving family!
September was full of getting into the school year and visiting with Randy and Jenn in Richmond and getting ready for my parents to come for a visit. We had a wonderful time together and soooooo much fun. We went shopping and sightseeing and out to eat and sat around and talked and laughed- my folks are awesome to hang out with.
And now it's October. Work has been crazy since October came and a lot of evenings have been full also. Krista Joy (Dan and Karis' new baby) should be here any day and we are anxiously awaiting our chance to meet her.
So much for the updates, let me just take this opportunity to blog a little about nonsense... I have new pumpkin coffee that I am loving- makes my mornings so much more enjoyable. If you have a washer and dryer in your house be very thankful. We are having John's family here for Thanksgiving when we will also celebrate Christmas so I'm looking for a mini Christmas tree...It was a wonderful rainy day today...I'm learning to love my Pilates dvd again...Greased Lightning cleaner really is the thing to use on a scummy shower- wow!

August Updates