HOME at last...

On March 15, 2010, the world lost one of it's finest...but Heaven gained a precious jewel. My grandpa, Marvin Good, 91, went home to be with his heavenly Father around 3:40 PM.

God's timing couldn't have been more perfect. My family was given a week's notice, and my aunt and uncle were able to make it home from Cambodia with enough time to spend a couple final days with my Grandpa. On Saturday we shared a "Good Family Picnic" as a complete family for the last time. We set the table with white tablecloths and red plates and enjoyed our time together around the table and listened to my Grandpa pray, as he always did at family get-togethers.

Saturday night, his health began to decline quickly and we requested 24 hour care by a hospice nurse. On Sunday we shared a sweet worship service together...praying for this man who had prayed for us for so many years. On Monday afternoon, my aunt and uncle were sitting by grandpa's bedside and singing these words: "Oh Jesus, Thou hast promised to all who follow Thee, that where Thou art in glory, there shall thy servant be. And, Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end; O give me grace to follow, my Master and my Friend." During that verse, he breathed his last breath and jumped into his Master's loving arms in Heaven.

It was a sad and difficult time, but we were so blessed to be able to be together as a family...to give Grandpa a complete send off to his new home. It is such a joy to KNOW that he is with Jesus forever now. I am so thankful for the hope that we have in Christ. 

We had a memorial service on Sunday, March 21, in honor of my grandpa and more importantly, in honor of his Master. It was such a sweet time...seeing pictures, hearing testimonies from SO many of the lives on which he made an impact. He was a true servant to friends and strangers alike, he loved and cherished his wife and his family, and he followed Christ with all that he was. And now I must carry on the legacy that he has left behind...so I am so thankful for such an incredible example to follow.

Love you, Grandpa.

Ready for a GOOD weekend :)

Post-marriage...there are no more "last name" jokes! How sad!! Seriously--if you can make Bedenbaugh into a funny one-liner...PLEASE let me know. I digress.

Anyway--prayers are much appreciated for my family. This past Monday, my sweet grandpa (dad's dad) was given about a week to live, according to his hospice nurse. he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure in January 2009 and has been a fighter ever since! It's hard to tell if it's really the end for him or not...but according to the nurse, it looks like the day is approaching. :(

My aunt and uncle (who live in Cambodia) came home, and praise the Lord, were able to make it in time to see him. They plan to stay home for a month. We are excited to see them...but sad for the circumstances that bring us together again.

Gabe and I made a trip to Sebring to visit on Wednesday and had a nice afternoon/evening with my grandma and grandpa. Grandpa is definitely having trouble breathing...but he's still very alert and cracking jokes like always. We were glad to see them and spend some quality time together...especially not knowing when our last chance like that will be. :/

So tomorrow morning we are heading to Sebring for a very GOOD weekend. The whole Good family will be there (all NINE of us!) and we're having a family picnic! :) I'm excited to be all together to support my grandpa and just remind him how much he is loved.

We are so sad to see his 91 years possibly coming to a close...but he has lived such an amazing life honoring the Lord. He is truly a picture of servanthood and is such a wonderful example of a godly man. Gabe and I have been so honored to follow in my grandparents footsteps and learn from them what a marriage should look like. And they should know--they've been married nearly 67 years. <3

So...I hope to post next week with good news. It could be that my grandpa is still hanging in there and making us all laugh...or it could be that he is dancing in Heaven with Jesus.

Prayers are appreciated for my family during this challenging time. Thanks in advance.

The first 6 months of Marriage...

...have been AMAZING! Blessed beyond measure is all I can say to describe this experience.

It's hard to believe 6 months has already passed...but we celebrated in style on February 15th! I was off work (thank you for Bank Holidays!) so I had all day to prepare something special for my sweetheart while he was at work.

I cleaned the house, did some grocery shopping and designed a 4-course meal for dinner. It was a challenge because I tried to pick foods I could prepare ahead of time so I wouldnt be standing at the stove cooking while he was eating appetizers. So...here's the final product! It was a big hit and Gabe was so impressed with all the work I put into making the evening special! :)

First...I got all dolled up to make the evening extra special. I knew Gabe would be coming home from work in his shirt and tie so I figured I ought to fit the part as his date. :)

Next...the table settings! I used the roses Gabe bought me for Vday (and some candlelight of course...we just left the bright lights on for the pictures!). I also pulled out our goooorgeous toasting flutes from our wedding to use for our drinks. (and just to look at them again because I LOVE them!!) This is as fancy as it gets at the Bedenbaugh house, folks!

First Course--Appetizers: Shrimp Cocktails! The perfect way to start a meal!

Second course--Salads: Caesar Salad. Always a favorite at our house.

Third Course--Entrees: Mahi Mahi (Maui Style) with Asparagus (served with balsamic butter sauce) and Garlic Mashed Potatoes. My secret to saving time here: marinate the fish in the fridge early, then bake in the oven to avoid standing over the stove. I also used *shhhh* BOXED mashed potatoes. Thank you, Betty Crocker. I thought they were delicious!! And wow...so much easier than homemade potatoes. You've gotta try this at least once just to watch the instant transformation of powder, water and milk to *BAM!* steamy garlic mashed potatoes. Incredible.

Fourth Course--Dessert: Mini Cheesecakes! This was easily the best part of dinner. My sister bought me these cute red ramekins I've been dying to use but not sure how to use them. After some research and combining a few recipes...I ended up with these yummmmmy little cheesecakes. The crust is cinnamon graham crackers and the whole thing was just to die for. Definitely making these again!

That was the end of the [very filling] meal. Success!! There's nothing like a happy [and full] husband! The stomach is definitely the way to his heart, ladies! :)

Celebrating LOVE.

Today at church, Pastor Matt spoke about LOVE. Following a comical karaoke version of "What's love got to do with it?" he shared a really great message about how Christ loved us...and we in turn should love others as we love ourselves. That's quite a commandment. Definitely challenged me to not only serve others and be kind...but to seek out what it means to really love others like I love myself. Because of the great love Christ showed us by dying in our place...that same love ought to flow out of our lives to everyone we meet. Not just the people we like, or the people that are "easy" to love...everyone.

He also shared an awesome story that brought a smile to my face. A pastor in Atlanta challenged his congregation to show love to everyone...even as a "random act of kindness" for a stranger. Later that week the pastor walked into a Starbucks and the barista stopped him and asked if he was the pastor of this particular church. She told him that earlier that morning, someone had come through the drive thru, paid for the person's coffee in the car behind them, and left this little card with the church information with the barista. When the person in the next car was told that their coffee had been paid for by the previous customer...that person paid for the coffee for the car behind them! The love started by one man continued through THIRTY cars of people who were selfless enough to do something kind for a stranger.

What an awesome reminder that there is still good in the world. There's still hope, and we can still make a difference. It starts with one. Will you be that one?

As for celebrating this "national day of Love"...my sweet husband blew my mind yet again. On Friday, Gabe got off work early and showed up at the bank where I was working in a tshirt that says "I love my wife" with a dozen roses, chocolates and a card in his hands. <3

I (naturally) turned to mush. I wish I could have taken a photo--but I didnt have a camera so I took one when I got home. Isn't he adorable??

I am just one blessed bride. Gabe loves me so selflessly...I am so undeserving.

He also surprised me later with a brand new ESV Bible with my new name printed on the cover! I have been wanting one since we got married and hadn't gotten around to it...so that was super special.

What did I do for him? Well...he's not a big cards and flowers kinda guy...so I've got something special planned for tomorrow (our 6th month of marriage!!). More to come! :)

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

January showers bring...February Flowers!

I'm pretty sure I'm the most blessed woman in the world. Gabe is seriously the most thoughtful person I know...and I'm beyond thrilled to spend the rest of my days with him. On February 15th we will have already been married for 6 months! Time sure does fly when you're having fun.

In recent news...Gabe surprised me with flowers at work last Friday on his lunch break. :) One of the ladies in the branch added some ribbons and palm fronds and turned it into a masterpeice. I LoVe seeing my flowers at my station all day. Just reminds me how much I am loved. <3

I also found out today that Gabe was tied for 2nd in the NATION in student enrollments last week!! I'm SO proud of him. That's not half bad for a month into a new job! That's my husband.

Out with the OLD...

I've found that being a bank teller is especially rough on the shoes...standing/walking around all day can really put some strain on your feet. I knew my feet were taking a beating...but check out what I did to my shoes.

Shoes BEFORE (please notice the heel is in its normal position, allowing one to stand normally)...

*

Shoes AFTER 4 months of being a teller and undergoing continuous wear....

*

Seriously. This is what I'm walking around in today.

Guess that means its time to buy new shoes. :)

My week in a nutshell...

I picked Gabe up from the airport on Friday night! Finally we will be starting our new "normal" life together!! Since he's home I'm certainly not wasting more than 5 minutes sitting at my computer...so here's how I fared on my to do list:

*Thoroughly clean the condo...check!

*Pack up all Christmas decorations...check!

*Experiment and cook a new dish...no check here. I made soups and ate leftovers all week. It was nice to take a little break from all the cooking and cleaning required. :)

*Call Gabe....check check check!

*Finish the last 2 Twilight books...half check. I finished the 3rd book but had I started on the last one (800+ pages) there's no way I would have accomplished anything else this week. :)

*Catch up the blog with Christmas and New Years posts....check!

*Miss Gabe....BIG check!

*Complete at least one wedding scrapbook page....no check here either. I didn't feel like creating another mess to clean up lol.

*Write a letter to Sara in Madagascar...check! Just gotta put it in the mail.

*Phone dates with some girlfriends to catch up on life...sadly no check here. I called and texted...but no calls back. Do I smell funny?

*Get back to P90X and BRING IT...quasi-check. I did a little....but I just wasn't feeling so motivated this week.

*Call Gabe and tell him I miss him....again...a BIG CHECK! I missed that man like CrAzY!

So...after the first day or two when I quit mourning over missing Gabe I actually got some stuff done and the week passed much more quickly. Now he's home and I'm going to spend the rest of the evening cuddled right up next to him! See you later!