Hello-Goodbye TV show

Remember the interview at the airport when Russell came to visit in me in January? The one I knew they would never air? Well...I take it back---they actually aired it! They cut out some of the good parts, but it was still nice. My family told me a lot of our neighbors and an older lady from our first church in the country saw it and were shocked and impressed. It is kinda neat being on TV! Some guy even wants to meet my family after seeing it.

You have to watch it for a bit before they get to the part where we are in it, and it is in Dutch.

Here is the link if you would like to watch it. CLICK HERE

Russell's Visit ~ Day 8

We drove to the area near where Dad was born to show Russell this castle, which dates back to 1710. The place is magnificent!

"Two are better than one;

because they have a good reward for their labour.

For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow:

but woe to him that is alone when he falleth;

for he hath not another to help him up."
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

A happy marriage is a long conversation which always seems too short.

~Andre Maurois

"Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame."

Song of Solomon 8:6

Russell loves planes, and he loves flying. The Lord opened a door in a very special way and he is now registered with the Civil Air Patrol and taking flying lessons at a base nearby. He should be finished with ground school just before our wedding and will be doing his solo flight in this plane--an N-144--soon after our honeymoon. After our marriage I'll finally be getting settled in one place after being a missionary's daughter for 14 years. You know--a home, a husband...safe and settled!...And he has to go flying away from me. =( I guess I'm learning already what it's like to be a wife. I want him to be happy, and I'm thrilled that his boyhood dream is seemingly becoming a reality...but I just want to keep him safe and close to me. I told him that I'm not going to be happy if he kills himself...so, he promised to be careful. I don't want to be a widow just weeks after becoming a bride. It's okay...God has been in this so far; He's not going to desert us now. =)

Can you tell he's in his glory? =D

Russell's Visit ~ Day 6

Our backyard under a beautiful blanket of white snow!

"...I found him whom my soul loveth..."

Song of Solomon 3:4

Baby Jonathan is getting bigger and bigger. Russell was amazed at how much he's changed since July. Why do babies have to grow so fast? Russell taught Jonathan how to high-5. Don't tell me babies can't learn and can't understand, because that baby learned how to high-5 within 5 minutes. Babies are smart little people...you just gotta be smarter than them and know when they are trying to outsmart you. Jonathan rode the "Russell roller coaster"; he looooooooooved getting tossed in the air and swooshed around. What giggles and excited screams! So cute! =D

Yup...we're a just little engaged and a little goo goo-eyed. What fun!

A year ago today...

...Something very special happened to me. Actually, it started several years back.
Let me tell you the story...

I was 17, and the date was May 12, 2005. In response to my heart's desire for a husband, God gave me a promise in Psalm 84:11. "For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." Marriage is a good thing, as it says many times in the Bible. I knew God would reward me if I did right.

The Lord confirmed His promise to me once again in Romans 11:4 on December 18, 2006, when my heart was broken and I was convinced that not a single godly young man existed. "But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal."

In January 2008 my parents gave me this painting for my 20th birthday. I call it my "Waiting Painting," because the girl looks like she's waiting expectantly for the fulfillment of her dreams...a special someone.

In October 2008 I met the young man of my dreams. Russell. Even before I met him face-to-face I knew I could love him my whole life long. After a week's visit with his family he went home, and I never expected to see him again, though in my heart I wished it to be otherwise.

All through November and December I desperately tried to fight off and ignore the feelings I had for Russell. God hadn't said yes, and I had already learned a hard lesson about leaning on my own understanding regarding such matters. Our hearts often lead us astray, so I knew I needed a definite answer from the Lord. What I didn't realize is that Russell had been praying about me for months. On November 7, 2008, the Lord told him I was going to be his wife.

Meanwhile, I was still searching for answers. Mom saw the tug-of-war going on in my heart. She encouraged me to pray and get an answer from God. So, on the night of December 27, 2008, I prayed and asked the Lord to show me if Russell was meant for me. I prayed 3 specific things:
1.) That God would give me a verse in the next couple of days.
2.) That it would be in my daily Bible reading.
3.) And that it would jump off the page and practically knock me over with its clarity. I wanted a yes or no. No maybe stuff.
Then I went to bed with perfect peace. It was all in God's hands. I let go.

Very early in the morning, on December 28, the Lord spoke to me in Isaiah 66:9. "Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God." I knew from that verse that God was preparing me...He was going to do something. The answer was coming.

What beautiful rays of cheerful morning sunshine warmed me on the morning of December 29, 2008, as I lay on my bed and began to read my Bible! The answer came that day in 1 Samuel 9:24. "...Behold that which is left! set it before thee, and eat: for unto this time hath it been kept for thee..." Those words seemed to stand 2 inches off the page. Those words were just for me. Those words were a "YES!" Those words...and the only person to fit them was...Russell. God told me that Russell was going to be my husband.

Now, one year later, I have an engagement ring on my finger. Those words spoken to me last year surely came to pass, as all of God's promises have come to pass and will come to pass.

Not only does God fulfill His promises, but He also gives us the desires of our heart...when we delight in Him. As a little girl I remember my mom telling me how Dad gave her a Bible when they met and fell in love. I always wanted my future husband to give me a Bible. The very morning God told me Russell would be my husband is the morning a package arrived in the mail. It was a late Christmas gift...a Bible from Russell to me.

On July 14, 2009, Russell asked to court me. We got engaged on October 23, 2009. Our wedding date is set ~ April 17, 2010!

God still speaks. God still answers prayer. God still reveals His will to those who earnestly seek His direction for their lives. Praise God! All the glory for this love story belongs to Him alone!

Read the full-length version of our story here: A Love Story Written in Heaven

Christmas Collages 2009

I hope you all enjoy these pictures. It took a lot of time, but I had a blast putting them together. I've never done scrap-booking before, but this is how I would imagine it to be...only I did it on my laptop. Each picture opens up large enough for you to see details nicely, so click away if you like...

A typical day at our house, I thought this was too cute not to put up.

Who ever said sisters aren't mommies?

The MAC kid...

The web cam couple...

UGH! We are trying to make the best of this long-distance engagement.

Mom's creativity is amazing!!!

Merry Christmas!!! 2009...

It was the last one I'll ever spend with my family while living at home. It was a memory-maker for sure. God is good! I hope yours was a blessing as well.

Special Memories

I miss making him breakfast in the morning.

I miss listening to his voice as he read the Bible and prayed with me.

I miss sitting on the couch and messing around on our laptops, sharing pictures, talking, or just looking at each other.

I miss walking around the property and the good conversations we had regarding our family and future.

I miss cheering him on.

I miss his cute attempts to show off--watching him throw a basket and miss, which only gave me another chance to tell him that it doesn't matter...cause I'm already very impressed.

I miss running errands with him. (And having folks refer to us and our chaperone/s as a family. (chuckle)

I miss having him insist on opening and closing my car door every time we made a stop.

I miss him joining my family for dinner every night and seeing the faces of my dearest ones around one table.

I miss watching him "reload" a little boy's cap gun and turn a baby's cry to gurgling laughter.

I miss the long drive to my doctor appointments...when I would wake up from a short nap and find him smiling at me as he drove.

I miss shopping together at Target for our house supplies...having him teasingly "scan" me with the registry "gun" and tell me I'm priceless when no amount of $ showed on the screen.

I miss the time he tickled my face with a cluster of artificial flowers as we bought things for our wedding.

I miss texting him during the times we were apart.

I miss hearing his heavy footsteps on the front porch as he came to say goodnight to me after he got off work.

I miss him handing me his "cool shades" when the bright Florida sunshine was hurting my eyes.

I miss play fighting about the temperature in the car, because he likes it cold and I like it warm and we both want it set to please the other.

I miss him suddenly stopping during our walk to write "Russell Y Hannah" in the soft white sand.

I miss having him ask me if I need a cold drink during the hot, humid camp meeting week and fanning his flushed, moisture-covered face during the hours of singing and preaching.

I miss sitting by his side in church and hearing him "amen" and emphatically shout "Sure!" in agreement during the preaching.

I miss dishing out the last scoop of peanut butter fudge ice cream for him and having him feed me a big chunk of chocolate off his spoon just cause he knows I love it.

I miss walking on the beach and gazing off into a brilliant sunset with him standing by my side.

I miss the times he gave me his jacket because I was cold.

I miss a lot of things...but I'm glad that I had them to miss, because some people never get a chance to miss what I had.

If I never did have those special moments with Russell I wouldn't know what I am now missing out on...but I also wouldn't have the precious memories we made together!

I'd rather hurt from missing than miss the hurting because I never had anything to miss in the first place.

God is good!

Wedding Shower

Mrs. Faye and Big Daddy (Russell's grandparents) hosted a wedding shower for Russell & me at their home. We enjoyed it so much! Mrs. Faye is a classy lady. She reminds me so much of Oma, which makes me miss her terribly. But how good that God has placed someone so much like her in my life!

Mom ordered this banner several months ago. I love it!

Enjoying each other's company...

The food was delicious and so colorful!

Mrs. Faye made this flower arrangement. Isn't it gorgeous?!

And guess who is digging in? =D

The cake topper was Bro. Buddy and Mrs. Chris's, and we bought the 'M' napkins in NY.

Russell & Hannah Maynard. Doesn't it have a nice ring to it?

Aaron and Russell.

We got so many nice gifts.

What a cute little purse decoration!

I love all the red stuff we got! It's going to look so nice in my cherry kitchen.

Russell and I chose our favorite pictures and we used those for decorations. Speaking of bears...we have had a bear roaming around the property here. A mother bear was shot several days ago, but Russell saw the bear cubs in the woods the other day. Wow! This is wild country! Bears, crocodiles, snakes, cockroaches, bugs galore... Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! =D

Aaron gave Russell and me this quesadilla maker...with motives. =D Aaron loooooooooooves quesadillas, so he's going to benefit from his gift. =D

Fellowshipping...

And here are the gifts we received. We got some nice stuff. We have a good start on kitchen supplies! =)