Happy Honeymoon to You!

 

The Westin was a great place to stay while waiting to board the Carnival Pride.  We found out the next morning that there was a fabulous indoor pool and now I wish that I would have jumped in it.  After we got on the road, we stopped at Dick's to pick out our snorkel sets (mine is pink!!!).  While we were in Dick's, we found the best shirt ever.... "The Birds"!!  These shirts almost made the trip, but Dave Ramsey would probably not have approved so we kept it moving.

I have sailed on this ship before back in 2009, but I was so excited to share the experience this time with my husband!!  The ship sailed under the Key Bridge and Bay Bridge.  We sailed all the way out of the Chesapeake Bay and down towards our first port of call, Grand Turk!

 

Picture courtesy of:  http://www.baltimorecruiseguide.com/carnival-pride-baltimore.jpg

The picture above is the Pride sailing under the Key Bridge.  We didn't take the picture, but I thought it was pretty cool.  The picture below was taken by Eli after we went under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

  

We didn't have this cake (pictured below), but saw it in the window in one of the stores on the ship.  This will be a great time to tell you about the title, "Happy Honeymoon to You".  Say this one more time and sing it to the tune of "Happy Birthday".  This is something we heard nightly (mostly the birthday version).  Now for those of you who have never cruised before, most of the crew are from countries such as Peru, India, South Africa, etc.  So imagine this song sung with an accent.  So funny.  We have the video of them singing to us, so I'll have to figure out how to put that on here!

 

The ship was a lot of fun.  We spent a lot of time reading and sitting by the pool watching all of the kids play.  They were having a blast and we got a kick out of watching the "care free" attitudes that children possess.  Who can squirt people with a water gun, jump in the hot tub with goggles and a life jacket, run from the outdoor shower to the pool to the hot tub over and over and over again and not even care who you bump into, get wet or annoy???  KIDS!!  They are so much fun.  Makes me love being a teacher.

 




Grand Turk.  Grand Turk is a really small Caribbean island.  I believe it is fourteen square miles total (did I say that right??).  We got there on Wednesday and snorkeled during the first part of the day and then spent the rest of the day by the pool in Margaritaville.  I believe our waiter at Margaritaville was native to the island but of course he had a connection to some places in the states including Duval county.  Only Eli can go out of the country and have someone know something about Jacksonville!  Eli enjoyed a huge burger and fries while catching a nap on the lounge chair while I swam around the enormous pool.

 

Half Moon Cay, Bahamas.  Half Moon Cay (pronounced "key") is my FAVORITE beach that I have ever been to.  We got to HMC on Thursday.  This was my third or fourth time to Carnival's private island and it was still just as fabulous.  However, it did rain but even the rain can't ruin a good time on the island.  We got off the boat pretty early to an overcast sky.  We swam in the ocean for a good while.  We snorkeled and saw some pretty cool fish.  A lot of them appeared to be just as clear and white as the sand and water so it was hard to see.  After a few hours passed, the storm clouds really rolled in and it POURED while we were having a picnic lunch.  I insisted we wait out the rain, but after an hour or so and no relief, I gave up and we walked back to the tender to get on the ship.  It's all good, because we'll be back!!!!!!!!  :)  I only took this one picture there because I was just so happy to be on the beach and I guess I forgot about pictures at that point.

Freeport, Bahamas. The pictures below were taken in Freeport, Bahamas.  Freeport is an industry based port in the Bahamas so when you dock there, it isn't much to see.  You really have to do an excursion or take a cab out of town and to the beaches to see the island.  Eli and I decided to take our time that morning and not rush off the boat.  We were only in this port for about six hours so by the time we got off, there wasn't time for a cab ride to explore.  So we got off and walked around the straw market and saw some local Bahama mama's.  
 

We sailed back to Baltimore all day Saturday to arrive bright and early Sunday morning.  The trip was relaxing and enjoyable.  The food was delicious and the sun was fabulous.  I got good use out of my straw hat (thanks Mari!!!) pictured below.

I praise God every day for giving me my husband.  Eli is such a kind, compassionate and loving man and I can't wait to see what God has in store for us. 

I will write about the wedding soon, but for now, I'll leave you with a few photos by none other than Nathan Bell of Richard Bell Photography (AMAZING).

 

Our Story

So... my sister Mari told me one thing I need to do is to copy the information from our wedding website somewhere because after awhile the site closes.  Which makes sense.  Who would go on a wedding website after the wedding?  Anyway, I really wanted to put this somewhere and thought the say it like you mean it blog would be the perfect spot to share the perfect story leading to the perfect day!!!!  (more to come on that)

Julie's Version of "Our Story"
Eli would just say, "she showed me her cards during a game," but there was really more to it than that!!

The first time I really got to meet Eli was when we worked together on a project for church during Easter.  He was painting murals and I was ordering the paint.  I had seen him around the church before, heard his name mentioned (since he works with my brother-in-laws), but didn't know much about him.  As we had the opportunity to talk more and more, I began to notice his love for the Lord and that is what initially attracted me.  Then I quickly noticed his sense of humor, his good looks and charm.  We spent a few weeks getting to know each other over the phone, random events and through game nights (yes, I showed him my cards).  On May 21, 2011, Eli took me out on our first official date to Sesame where we talked through our relationship and he prepared to talk to my dad the next evening!  We spent the next months traveling here and there...meeting his family in Jacksonville, my family in Maryland, etc.  Everything since that day in May had been leading up to February 10, 2012, where on his birthday, my surprise party for him turned out to be the surprise of my lifetime...Eli asked me to marry him and I gladly said, "yes".
  
I am beyond excited to be Mrs. Eli Byrd. 

Eli's Version of "Our Story"

Good day everyone. So let me tell you the real story of how all this went down.....

It was during the spring break of 2011 that I finally hung out with Julie. That spring break I stayed in Charleston to do some work on CSU's campus with a good friend of mine, Joel Walton. Cleaning up trash, a little pressure washing here and there, some COD Black Ops for breaks, and a lot of joking around was the consistency of our days. Our sister, Tam Odam, made mention of how we all needed to spend some time together because of how goofy Joel is... lol and that we were going to spend this time at the "Party House". Now I cannot spill the beans on the location and reason why this house is called the "Party House", but we are all followers of Christ and there was nothing wild going on, my nerves were calmed after finding that out.

When Joel and I arrived at the house it was a little late and the only ones there were Julie Lynn Kellenbenz a.k.a. PT, which by the way stands for "Party Time", go figure at the "Party House", and Tam. They wanted to play this fun game called Sequence since we were there to make the most of the time. I sat to the right of "PT", directly across from Joel, and Tam was diagonally across from me to my left. The object of the game is to get 2 sequences of 5 on the board. It is a card game, so we are all dealt cards that you normally keep to yourself, but in Ms. Party Time's case she had another agenda... Ever so cutely she proceeds to show me her cards as we were playing and that is how it all began.

We attend Summit Church on CSU's campus as well and are a part of the creative team. Our pastor, Jon Davis, let us know that soon he would be preaching in Cleveland, NC for a revival. All present at the meeting was Tam, Mike Brown, Pat Jackson, Maddy Jackson, Julie Kellenbenz, and myself. All of us and I say ALL of us agreed that it would be legit to sneak up on Jon and surprise him in Cleveland. Little did we know that more fire would be kindled on this trip...

May 15, 2011 arrives and we are ready to head up north. We all decided to take Julie's car and another for spacious reasons. When time came for us all to meet, there were only 4 of us; Maddy and Pat Jackson, a MARRIED couple, Julie, and myself. Everyone else dropped out, but the Lord knew what He was doing. Ms. Kellenbenz allows me to drive, which she apparently does not normally do, she sat passenger while Pat and Maddy rode in the back. I feed off of energy and PT has a lot of that. Her name is Party Time for crying out loud and trust me the party began. We immediately clicked and I guess it seemed to Pat and Maddy that we were flirting the entire time. When we got to the church and Jon saw us he was surprised and happy. He preached and I was maybe the only one that came up during the invitation, because it seemed that he was talking directly to me. He said that we needed to go out to dinner with them to the famous Cracker Barrel. This was when the "relationship" became verbal. We, of course, were talking about food places in Charleston while we were in a restaurant and Breck's had been brought up. I mentioned how there is this 64oz. steak there and the older gentleman said, "Oh, is that where you had your first date?" talking about Julie and myself. I attempted to correct him, but he proceeded to say again that that place was the location of our first date...

On the way back to good ol Charleston we stopped at a gas station and Julie went inside to pay the gas while I pumped it. Maddy stuck her head out of the SUV and said, "So when are you going to start dating?" I looked at Maddy like she was crazy, because that just was not on my radar...Six days later we became Facebook official lol at Sesame, the location of our first date and I was suppose to meet her parents the next day.

Everything happened very quickly and I admit that I did not even see it coming. So, Sunday May 22, 2011 was the day that I officially met her rents. In my mind Julie was going to be there with me, but the Lord saw fit for something else... SHE HAD A SOFTBALL GAME!!! and the meeting would have to happen solo dolo. This is where the things that happen in movies began. I pull up in the drive way and her dad comes out with a rake and a hoe and asks me if I knew anything about ant piles. "No sir" was my reply and in my head I'm thinking, what is going on? After flattening an ant pile we proceeded to the backyard where we would have the introduction ceremony lol (that is just extra for us talking, but it felt that serious BY MYSELF). We had a great time and it was not as bad as I thought it would be. Mr. Glenn closed us out by praying for Julie and my relationship, while I'm thinking that is cool, by the way who told them that we were dating.

 

 

A series of unfortunate events took place over the span of our relationship between her father and I. The exposure of my clumsiness came to light as well as the exposure of "G Funk's" grace. G Funk is Mr. Glenn's nickname. To list them there was; me dropping the mast pole on his head while trying to come in on a sailboat that he just got, breaking his fence to the backyard because I thought it needed some WD-40, dropping the makeshift sailboat rack on his car and scratching the paint, and driving into the garage of which I do not know if he is aware. Boy oh Boy was that the times or what. There has been a clean slate for some time and hopefully that stays that way. I now know how Gaylord Focker felt.

 

 

After all of this, he decided that he still was ok with me marrying his daughter and June 16, 2012 will be an amazing time that our families can become one!!! We are excited that you will possibly be joining us as we worship our Father because of the astounding grace that he has shown us by giving His Son in spite of our many mishaps and hiccups.

 

Grace and Peace,

Eli

Video from the engagement can be found here:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAwfKtmL2wY

wedding

So my sister Mari has been ON IT, and I mean ON IT with the blogging (http://ourscottlandyard.blogspot.com/).  I am now inspired to try to be ON IT as well, especially during the wedding planning process.  I think because I don't have a great phone to take cool pictures along the way, that is why I don't update as often.  Maybe it's because there is literally something going on all the time.  No, that can't be it.  I think it's that I just don't set aside the time to type.

So, here I go!  Eli and I have been talking a lot about scheduling.  He said something last night (or the other night - I can't keep up anymore!) about how God's peace can be seen in "order".  When things are in order, doesn't it feel so peaceful??  There isn't much on your mind because things are "in order".  Well I wish I could say everything is in order for the wedding!  We're getting there.  It's coming together.  The big things are paid for and booked - honeymoon, dress, photographer, hotels, rings,  - in no particular order.  Seriously.  Everything else is either in the works or about to be finalized.  We need to get all of the little details in order, so that we can feel peace.

Thank God for this weekend!!  We have a dinner party to go to tomorrow evening; a fundraising event that Eli is emceeing.  After that, we are putting our "married" finances and wedding things in order.  Speaking of finances.....DAVE RAMSEY'S FINANCIAL PEACE.  Peace?????  Yes!!!  PEACE.  I will have to write a separate post about the peace from that class.  If you haven't been through it or don't know anything about it,  DO IT.  More to come on that.  Back to this weekend.  Finalizing the flower girls dress, centerpieces, bridesmaids shoes, gifts, addressing invitations, etc.  

Romans 8:28 states that "we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose."  I know that this wedding is ON purpose and for HIS purpose, so I have confidence and faith that He will be glorified and honored.  We are so excited to plan a worship service, not just celebrating the love that Eli and I have for one another, but the love from our Heavenly Father.  As I have said many times before, I can't wait to be Mrs. Eli Byrd.  God has blessed us beyond measure.

Now, for some sleep.  I need to rest up for my weekend of "peace" and "order"!!!

xoxo

pt

ps

did you see our engagement photo by our photographer??? WHAT????  That's not even the half.

Nathan Bell

www.charlestonwedding.com

my filth to the cross

Passed to me by my beautiful spiritual mentor and friend.  Thought I would share.  Thank you Jesus for carrying my filth to the cross.

The Spit of the Soldiers
by: Max Lucado

The whipping was the first deed of the soldiers.
The crucifixion was the third. (No, I didn’t skip the second. We’ll get to that in a moment.) Though his back was ribboned with wounds, the soldiers loaded the crossbeam on Jesus’ shoulders and marched him to the Place of a Skull and executed him.

We don’t fault the soldiers for these two actions. After all, they were just following orders. But what’s hard to understand is what they did in between. Here is Matthew’s description:

Jesus was beaten with whips and handed over to the soldiers to be crucified. The governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the governor’s palace, and they all gathered around him. They took off his clothes and put a red robe on him. Using thorny branches, they made a crown, put it on his head, and put a stick in his right hand. Then the soldiers bowed before Jesus and made fun of him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They spat on Jesus. Then they took his stick and began to beat him on the head. After they finished, the soldiers took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified. (Matt. 27:26–31 NCV)

The soldiers’ assignment was simple: Take the Nazarene to the hill and kill him. But they had another idea. They wanted to have some fun first. Strong, rested, armed soldiers encircled an exhausted, nearly dead, Galilean carpenter and beat up on him. The scourging was commanded. The crucifixion was ordered. But who would draw pleasure out of spitting on a half-dead man?

Spitting isn’t intended to hurt the body—it can’t. Spitting is intended to degrade the soul, and it does. What were the soldiers doing? Were they not elevating themselves at the expense of another? They felt big by making Christ look small.

Allow the spit of the soldiers to symbolize the filth in our hearts. And then observe what Jesus does with our filth. He carries it to the cross.

Through the prophet he said, “I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting” (Isa. 50:6 NIV). Mingled with his blood and sweat was the essence of our sin.

God could have deemed otherwise. In God’s plan, Jesus was offered wine for his throat, so why not a towel for his face? Simon carried the cross of Jesus, but he didn’t mop the cheek of Jesus. Angels were a prayer away. Couldn’t they have taken the spittle away?

They could have, but Jesus never commanded them to. For some reason, the One who chose the nails also chose the saliva. Along with the spear and the sponge of man, he bore the spit of man.

The sinless One took on the face of a sinner so that we sinners could take on the face of a saint.

This hit me.  Two reasons.  First. God's plan.  He has a plan.  And He is in charge, so I can LET GO of anything I think I need to be in control of.  He has it all mapped out.  Submit to Him and let Him take over.  Secondly, I was just reminded of His love for me and everyone else that I come in contact with.  Because of His love for me, I can love everyone else.

How about you, do you believe?  Do you know that Jesus loves you SO MUCH that he died to save you?  Do you know that He desires to know you and for you to receive Him?  As we celebrate the Easter season, remember that it was Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of this world and it is the picture of TRUE LOVE.  Thank you Jesus.

You can find me on the beach.

Back from a quick camping trip.  Eli, Mark, Rachel, Kadie, Josh and I went to Huntington Beach State Park located in Murrells Inlet, SC.  Eli and I got there late Friday night and joined the other campers.  We quickly unloaded and enjoyed some time around the fire.  Saturday was spent relaxing around the fire, riding bikes around the campground and naps.  For me, my favorite part of the day was when I walked out to the beach (steps away from site T5) and took a nap right on the beach.

The weather was PERFECT until.... Eli checked the forecast, Aunt Amy sent me a text and then a final call to the CSU weatherman confirmed.... time to go.  We thought at first we would be fine, so we packed everything up except for the essentials.  The guys tied down the remaining fort and we got ready to brave it.  Glad we didn't!!  It rained all the way home and all through the night!

 Rachel and Kadie picked out our campsite theme.

Mark securing the Eckert's Abode

the foyer

this is how we roll

the bear box and the "rip curl" (Eli's birthday present!!)

ready for rain

this is how you pack a tent "Christmas style"

Eli being goofy.

Until next time!!

xoxo

pt

I'm ENGAGED!!!!

WHAT?!!?!?  Yes!  So, my master plan of surprising Eli on his birthday was totally flipped on me! 

Here's what happened:

I planned a small party for him on his birthday, February 10th.  Everyone was going to meet at Becky's house at 8 and we were going to show up not long after.  All systems go!  Leading up to the party, Eli kept mentioning that he doesn't want a lot of attention put on him and that he hoped I didn't have anything major planned.  The day of his birthday he was acting super strange.  He was doing things out of the ordinary, but I just attributed it to him knowing that I had planned him something.  Well, we were en route to Fonduely Yours when Mt. Pleasant traffic was in full effect.  Plan B quickly went into action and we had dinner at Sesame.  At dinner, he was acting a weird again, but I didn't think anything of it.  We killed some time at Runnaway Bay listening to some reggae music and then made our way to Becky's.  

As soon as we pulled up, he saw his present from me..... a shiny new bike with a big red bow!  He was freaking out at this point (again, I thought it was because he knew everyone was inside).  We went in the house after him fighting it (I need to ask him if that was an act or not) and everyone yelled, "SURPRISE!!!"  He walked around and greeted everyone, checked out mom's "Cupcake Wars" cupcake display (close up below) and then quickly went outside with some of the guys to "check out his bike".  

At this point, I looked at my sister Rachel and I think she read my mind.... "everyone needs to leave."  It was like he couldn't even handle all the people there for him!!!  As soon as he came back in the door Rachel told everyone to come sing "Happy Birthday" and blow out the candles.  

So we sang.  (Cake is to the side of Eli in this picture).  Before he blew out the candles, he told everyone that he had something to say.  I thought for sure that he was going to tell everyone that he appreciates me planning this party, is glad everyone was all there, doesn't like surprises, etc., etc.  But instead, he asks me to come around to his side and proceeds to say......

"Julie, I love you......will you marry me..."   I have no idea what he said between "I love you" and "will you marry me"!!!!! But....

...I replied, "YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!"

So his surprise turned in to my surprise.

I love this man and I cannot wait to marry him. 

xoxo

PT

CRASH

My mentor passed an email along to me about circumstances and a hopeful future.  It was so moving that I decided to post it as a "note" on facebook.  I obviously don't do that very much since I realized that what I am writing below was from November of 2010!  

I thought since it was the New Year, I would share with you things I so quickly forget.  I worked very hard to get out of major debt many years ago prior to moving to South Carolina.  I am so close to paying off my truck, but just beginning to pay back student loans.  It seems that it will never end, but there are ways to be smart and frugal so that I can live the life that God wants me to live.  Save more. Spend less.  That is what I strive for in 2012.  My pastor shared something that he felt the Holy Spirit gave him and that is this is the year of increase...however, along with that comes three things:  suffering, faith and submission.  I'm ready for what is to come and expecting to submit, suffer and increase my faith.  Thank you JESUS for saving me and living as my ONE and ONLY Savior!!!

Now, take yourself back to the Great Depression and learn from our past!

While doing some research for a project, I came across some great advice on a website that I thought I would share.  These are lessons that have taken me awhile to learn and understand, but aren't we all a work in progress!? 

Lessons Learned - The Great Depression

• Credit mentality instead of paying cash. “Don’t spend money you don’t already have in your pocket.”
• Rich grew richer at the expense of others. “Don’t pay someone else to provide something that you can learn to do or to make yourself.”
• Abandonment of traditional values and frugality. “Never buy anything you can use – only what you can’t live without.”
• Self-Indulgence and self-gratification by immediate acquisition of possessions. “Don’t buy anything until you have twice the purchase amount.”
• High Expectations by gambling in the stock market. “It’s doesn’t matter how much money you can make, but how much money you can save!”

Luke 12:15  “Then he [Jesus] said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions’” 

http://www.allabouthistory.org/life-during-the-great-depression.htm

Next post will be an update from my birthday, Christmas and New Years!

xoxo

pt