Flashback Friday: Five festive years!

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I have loved holding hands with and looking into the eyes of my husband since June 18, 2005.




And, of course, battling it out when necessary,


climbing over obstacles together,


and smooching (both in tradition wedding-style


and not-so-traditional Dinglefest-style).


Yes, all of these pictures were taken at our wedding and reception.

What?!? There wasn't a dunk tank, climbing wall, or jousting ring at your wedding?!? Dude, you missed out. As it says on the sidebar of our blog, "Dinglefest was the name of our carnival wedding reception, complete with a dunk tank, rock climbing wall, moon jump, bungee run, jousting ring, foosball and air hockey and pool tables, video game systems, Dippin' Dots, and t-shirts. A wedding reception is basically a celebration of the union of marriage that God created through that wedding. While our lives aren't always a carnival, we do celebrate our marriage each day."

Our celebration of Dinglefest isn't about us, though. While I do love being united as two who became one with Lee, it is the first strand - our Lord and Savior - who makes our intertwining meaningful and strong:

Two are better than one,
       because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down,
       his friend can help him up.
       But pity the man who falls
       and has no one to help him up!
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
       But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered,
       two can defend themselves.
       A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Praise be to God for five sweet years of learning and failing and succeeding and serving and celebrating and grieving and loving and growing together!

Sticks and stuff at the church playground

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What happens when you beat the rest of the group to the church playground?

You get a little photo shoot in before the crowd comes!








































I would have had more of Jocelyn, but she wasn't as cooperative as her little brother! We love hanging out at the church playground on Friday mornings, and we're so thankful that they open it up to us in the spring and fall. I'm a little bummed that this Friday is the last one until the fall, but I'm sure we'll find other fun things to do!

No longer a fan

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I used to be a fan of The Arthritis Foundation on Facebook (and I can say that honestly because my fan-dom predates the switch to "like"). But that ends today.

You see, I have no problem with the organization. I am still on their mailing list, and I still think it's a cause worth investing in. Because, you know, I don't like pain. And I don't like having to ask strangers to unbuckle my kid from his car seat or unscrew the cap on my gas tank (both happened this week due to stiff, swollen joints in my hands and arms). And I don't like the possible implications for heart and lung problems that RA can cause. And I wish there were a treatment (or cure!) that didn't involve yucky side effects.

(However, once again I must proclaim as loudly as I can that God has been indescribably GOOD to us in all this. I wouldn't take back the health trials of the past three years because He has taught us so much through them. That said, I wouldn't mind if I woke up tomorrow completely healed from my health issues. I know He is able to do that, but I also know that His plan is much greater than my present circumstances, so we're submitting to His perfect will in all this.)

But, as much as I support what they do, I am clicking "unlike" for The Arthritis Foundation. Because if I have their posts - which are informative - in my feed, I also see the comments left there. Here's a sampling:
  • My beloved son was diagnosed with gout yesterday and I could just spit! When will a cure be found? Husband has SEVERE RA and OA and now this. BOOOO, hissssss, I hate arthritis and all it's many facets!
  • it's about d*** time someone started paying attention to how a chronic illness affects the mind and attitude of a person.
  • I've been "blessed" (haha) with both RA & fibromyalgia ... so lucky...
  • This disease makes me hate everything. I hate the disease. I hate people who think they know what I'm dealing with. I hate getting up in pain every day. I hate it all.
  • [In response to someone else's posting:] That's great, Ellen; I mean it's great you CAN get in the tub. I haven't been able to do that in several years!
And those are the ones that hadn't been deleted by the time I went back to find examples, so be glad that I couldn't find the truly negative ones. The amount of vitriol and bitterness and anger in the postings has gotten ugly enough for me that it cancels out any benefit of information posted by the organization itself. Plus there's a general spirit of one-upmanship. For example, if someone says he has RA and it's tough, someone else usually tries to raise the stakes by saying that she has severe RA or that her young daughter has the juvenile form. If someone says she's had it for four years, someone else has to pipe up with something like, "Four years? That's nothing. I've had it for 24. And my labradoodle Fluffy has had it for 17 years, and she's only 8 years old. Take that!" (Okay, perhaps the last one is an exaggeration. But it's almost that bad!)

True, The Arthritis Foundation seems to moderate and delete nasty comments, but not before I see some of them. And while reading that junk, I have trouble heeding these words from Philippians 4:6-8:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
There's not much to like in the majority (or at least a significant minority) of the comments left for The Arthritis Foundation. But there sure is plenty to like in the passage above, isn't there?