purely beautiful

1-{oncewed} 2-{heyzee} 3-{letteredcottage} 4-{myhomeideas} 5- {unknown} 6-{southernaccents}

in the morning

"But I will sing of your strength,  
   in the morning I will sing of your love;
   for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble."

Psalm 59:16

Summer BBQ

This GORGEOUS weather has me ready to grill out and have a party!
Today was 80 and tomorrow is supposed to be 85!!
Anyone else ready for a summer barbeque??

Pick up cheap glasses (dollar store!) and paint

a strip of chalkboard paint to personalize drinks

{southern living}

I love these condiment jars from {potterybarn}

you must have a food tent to keep the bugs away

{crateandbarrel}

place your indoor plants into your favorite teapot, 

snip your favorite flower from your garden and place in a simple bud vase

or even place a bowl inside of a bird's nest and fill with gorgeous blooms
Move them from in to outdoors as the centerpiece

{marthastewart}

and don't forget the grill :)

{crateandbarrel}

I will never forget

Here are some pictures from our Chicago marriage retreat before Easter.  I am so glad we received this little binder when we arrived so we could take notes during the sessions, jot down quotes and reminders for the future, and work through the activities together.  I'll share some things in this post, but I know there will be more to come. 

"Every marriage is either moving toward oneness or drifting toward isolation.  Oneness in marriage involves complete unity with each other.  It's more than a mere mingling of two humans- it's a tender merger of body, soul, and spirit"- Dennis Rainey

"Our selfish nature focuses on and becomes critical of our spouse's weaknesses, mistakes or failures to meet our expectations.  Our disappointment and disapproval of our spouse can lead him or her to feel rejection, discouragement, anger, and bitterness, resulting in even lower performance."

"The fact that I am a woman does not make me a different kind of Christian, but the fact that I am a Christian does make me a different kind of a woman.  For I have accepted God's idea of me, and my whole life is an offering back to Him of all that I am, and all that He wants me to be." Elisabeth Elliot

P.S. (When we got home Vali had another allergic reaction.  Her face puffed up again and we still don't know if she ate something or was stung by a bee?  ...

She is doing fine now, but she sure loved the extra attention :)

kites, curls, and Easter eggs

hello, my name is Savannah

I figured we needed a little introduction.  Sorry it has been FOREVER.  Every day has been packed full of busy adventures that I have wanted to share, but honestly I just couldn't find the words or the time.  And any extra bit of time was spent in the sun trying to erase this paleness from my skin, but my pasty color will prove I had little extra time.  Don't feel bad about my busyness because lately we have had a lot to celebrate.  At the top of our list of celebrations: Our Risen Savior and the new life He freely gives to all believers!  This should be celebrated everyday, but we offered special thanksgiving and remembrance on Easter weekend.  The weekend before Patrick and I celebrated our marriage.  No anniversary or specific landmark, just a celebration of our marriage in general.   We went on our Marriage Retreat! (remember {here}) to Chicago to learn how to love extravagantly and sacrificially.  I could tell you word for word what the speakers shared at the conference, some I had even heard before, but there is something special about getting away for yourself and studying God's magnificent design for marriage.  Just like the previous ones, this last celebration is something I remember daily and will always give praise to the Lord.  Patrick has been in remission one year!  ONE YEAR!!!  At times, I feel like the chemo and doctor's appointments just happened yesterday.  Other times, it seems like a journey, a distant memory, we went through so long ago.  I am amazed by how God has worked through Patrick and I feel so blessed to look back at our first year of marriage and see where we have come.  You can read a little more about our journey {here}  I promise I will return soon with pictures and stories, but until then I have to do a little Crisis Counseling homework :)

Oh, I almost forgot, someone asked what we are studying at Cincinnati Christian University.  I am working on a Bachelor's Degree in Biblical Studies with a minor in Psychology.  My sweet cancer-free hubby is working on a Biblical studies degree with an emphasis in Preaching.  Lord willing (as my Nana would say) we will graduate in December 2010!!!  Patrick wants to preach the Word.  I want to be a listening ear to someone who needs counsel, have children entertain me and share Christ's love with them, work at Anthropology, be a mother, encourage the broken and the hurting, offer support and love to cancer patients and their families, work at a coffee shop, decorate a coffee shop or school classrooms, and so many other random things that would take all day to list.  Now can anyone help me find a job that fits that perfectly? :)