A Promise

Sometimes we can get so caught up in day-to-day life that we get disconnected from the promises of God that are all around us.  A little while back, Brett and I arrived home and saw this breathtaking view as we stood in our driveway. As far as our eyes could see there was a beautiful double rainbow.  We watched it until it faded... about 5 minutes later.  So sad to see it go...

Erin's Wedding

Here are a couple of pictures from Erin's wedding.  It was the perfect night for a wedding!  The ceremony took place by the lake and then the reception was in a beautiful building overlooking the lake.  This is a group shot right after the wedding.  

A quick picture with the gorgeous bride! 

I love this one...Brett and I were busting a move on the dance floor and the photographer captured it.  It was so much fun!  

It was such a special wedding we were honored to be a part of it!

24th Annual Hospice Auction and BBQ

Last night was the 24th Annual Auction and BBQ fundraiser for Hospice of Randolph County.  We sell thousands of BBQ plates, have a huge silent auction, and have 300+ items in a fun, fast paced live auction.  Above is a picture of our Palliative Care Education team.... we've never had a group picture before, so this was a perfect occasion!  (middle - Susan, Director of PCE; right - Dawn, Facility Liaison)  We're a tight knit team and we enjoy working on the professional level and enjoying each other's company outside of work too.  We're such great friends!  
"The Calm Before the Storm" - that's what I like to call this picture.  We took over a local high school gym for the silent and live auction.  This is just before they let people come in and begin bidding on the items.  This place was literally swamped with people anxious to bid... and we are so glad to have the support!  
As part of the live auction, some Christmas items were donated... we want to get everyone in the holiday spirit.  Above is a beautiful wreath made by my Mom.  I'm so proud!  This picture doesn't do it justice... she has a magic touch with floral arrangements!  It went for a lot of money at the live auction!  
It was a fun night!  Dawn and I worked in the kitchen for the first part of things, and then our CEO said there was a personel vacancy at the live auction and she urgently needed my help.  So, I received a two minute lesson on how to run the computer that records the live auction data (who knew this even involved a computer?) and then it was time to move... the auctioneers spent about 15-30 seconds on each item and this continued for 4 hours.  There was a lot of great stuff.  I had never been to an auction before, but I definitely want to go and bid next year!  Everyone got some amazing deals on house items, new electronics, furniture, and of course a huge selection of pottery from many different local potters from Seagrove, NC.  One of the most beautiful pieces was a large red vase (about 2.5 feet tall and pretty wide) that was made by Ben Owen III and it went for about $850.  Lots of serious pottery collectors come to this event.  So, I won't be bidding on any pottery in the future... but that's ok.  It was a great event and we raised about $20,000 at the live auction.  This is Hospice of Randolph County's main fundraiser, so every donation helps!  

I failed to mention this earlier, but the BBQ is outstanding! I didn't get a chance to eat any until I came home about 10:30 last night.  It was well worth the wait!  Then, Brett and I had BBQ for lunch today too!  Yum!!! 

Cali's 2nd Birthday

So, she's two now!  We've had a wonderful 20 months with her so far! It's hard to believe that we've had her for so long. She's become a delightful part of our life... and it doesn't hurt that she looks like an adorable sheep! 
 No, she didn't like the birthday decor... but she got a wonderful birthday treat for letting us take a few pictures!  We made it worth her while!   

Hong Kong Pictures

We're heading to the beach this weekend with some great friends for one last trip before Fall kicks into full swing, but before we left we wanted to share pictures from our Hong Kong trip.

We posted them all on Facebook, so you can view them by clicking on the following links (We had so many pictures we had to split it into three albums):

Album 1

Album 2

Album 3

Here are a few to wet your appetite...

Back from Hong Kong and Random Thoughts from Brett

We've returned from our week-long trip to visit Amanda and Nate in Hong Kong.  We had a blast and enjoyed spending time with family, seeing some sights and enjoying time together!  We'll post some pictures soon, until then, here's some Random Thoughts from Brett:

Immigration and Customs were much easier, cleaner and faster in Hong Kong than here in the US!  We were amazed by how organized and efficient everything was in Hong Kong.  For example, on escalators, it is an understood rule that if you just want to ride the escalator you stand to the right so that those who want to continue walking can do so on the left.  Also, the MTR (rail system) was very easy to navigate and use throughout the city.  Even though there are over 7 million people living in HK, everyone moves quickly and in an organized fashion so it's extremely easy to get around - even for international travel newbies like us!

Look for more on our trip AND pictures later this week!

2 years strong and growing....

On your wedding day, you have your wedding cake at the reception....on your one year anniversary, you eat the previously frozen top layer from your wedding cake... what about the second  year?  That's right, no cake.  How disappointing.  Who doesn't love an excuse to eat celebratory cake? So, for our 2 year anniversary, I (Jes) worked with a baker at Creative Cakes in Asheboro, NC for a special cake for this special occasion.  Here's the final product: 

It was so good! The design was based on a combination of the top layer of our wedding cake and our party favors.  I thought they did a great job!  Brett had no idea, and I kept this secret for 2 weeks... Usually I have a hard time keeping exciting things from him.  
Our anniversary fell on a Tuesday night, so we had a bite of cake before we went out for dinner.  We enjoyed a nice meal at Outback...where they gave us a free dessert sampler! Yum!  
Over Labor Day weekend we went up to VA to see David and Des.  They took us out to eat at a nice seafood restaurant!  At this restaurant, they started the meal by bringing out homemade relishes (kidney bean and onion, corn, and sauerkraut) that were really good.  Then they brought out homemade breads (including zucchini, apple/cheddar, pumpkin).  They had the best She-Crab Soup that I have ever had.  Then it was time for the entrees.  We were stuffed by the time we left!  The whole idea of the place is that they have kept the same traditions as the lady who originally made this food.  She would serve in this order.  It's kind of a neat concept for a restaurant.  We had a great time!  
That's all for now...more to come soon!