The wedding rehearsal last Friday night.....

"the rehearsal"

beautiful bridesmaids

The sentimental groomsman!

parents: Bob and Nancy

David and Debbie

Groomsmen

Jason, ELizabeth and Brock

Rachel and Brock

Practicing the vows

Grandparents and bride's mother

Daniel checking things out with his best man

Ben, Rebekah and Brock

One week ago...

It was one week ago that Jason, Elizabeth, Bob and I were on a plane flying to Georgia and the wedding of Daniel and Candice! Thursday night we had that wonderful southern hospitality when we arrived at the home of David and Debbie Whitley (Candice's parents). What a great meal we had! We were able to meet Candice's parents, grandparents, brother and his girlfriend, and several in the wedding party. Rebekah, Ben and Brock also were there - and what a joy to see little Brock again. Has he ever grown!!! Rachel and Matt had just flown in from Taiwan, so they were trying to get their "jet lag" under control.

I'm drinking from my saucer, 'cause my cup has overflowed!

I've never made a fortune,And it's probably too late now.
But I don't worry about that much,I'm happy anyhow.
And I go along life's way,I'm reaping better than I sowed.
I'm drinking from my saucer,'Cause my cup has overflowed.
Haven't got a lot of riches,And sometimes the going's tough
But I've got loving ones all around me,And that makes me rich enough.
I thank God for his blessings,And the mercies He's bestowed.
I'm drinking from my saucer,'Cause my cup has overflowed.
I remember times when things went wrong,My faith wore somewhat thin.
But all at once the dark clouds broke,And the sun peeped through again.

So Lord, help me not to gripe, About the tough rows I have hoed.
I'm drinking from my saucer, 'Cause my cup has overflowed.
If God gives me strength and courage, When the way grows steep and rough.
I'll not ask for other blessings, I'm already blessed enough.
And may I never be too busy, To help others bear their loads.
Then I'll keep drinking from my saucer, 'Cause my cup has overflowed.

Love never gives up,Never loses faith,Is always hopeful,And endures.
Have a great Day!

I'm 6 months old today!!!

Happy 6th month birthday, Brock!

Wedding Bells will ring this weekend....

Yes, the wedding of Daniel and Candice is this week...Satuarday, March 24th! What a wonderful day that will be for both of them - they have been "waiting" for this day to come ... and it's almost here!!!

Another daughter will be added to the Lanning family - and we couldn't be more excited that the Lord (and Daniel) chose Candice! The Lord has sure blessed us with now with 4 sons and 4 daughters! Welcome to the family, Candice!

Two Happy Birthdays!

What a fun day Deb, Beckie, Sharon and I had as we all met at Herman's for a birthday celebration lunch. Beckie and Sharon both had March birthdays, and we try to meet and celebrate together when one of us has a birthday. Deb and Sharon live in Grand Rapids, and Beckie and I live in Manton, so it's not always easy for the four of us to get together often with our work schedules....but we've been doing this for about 8 years! What a fun time we had. Sharon made sure that we all got into the "spring" mood with these adorable Easter bunnies. Thanks, Sharon!

Daniel had a job!!!!

The Lord has opened up a great job for Daniel in North Carolina! He will be working as Director of Maintainence for the Michael Wiltrip Nascar organization. There are new visitor centers and museums going up - some will be opening in May, and Daniel will oversee all of these.

One blessing is that Michael and his family are Christians...here is part of his testimony....

"Be anxious for nothing, but in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God", Philippians 4:6 has been Michael's favorite verse all those years of growing up and racing. Michael asked the Lord to come into his heart as a young man. Knowing he can talk to God anytime, he often whispers prayers to Him during the race. There have been lots of days and nights with reason for thanksgiving. There have been, also, many times of prayer and supplication. Perhaps the two were never needed more than at that eventful Daytona 500 in February 2001. During a short lived time of thanksgiving following Michael's long awaited win that day, he received word that his friend and car owner had died in that same race. Prayers and supplications for the family of Dale Earnhardt became priority at that point. Faith is what got Michael and wife, Buffy, through that most extraordinarily difficult year.Today, because of the many prayers said by family, friends, and race fans around the world, Michael still climbs into those racecars 36 weeks out of the year and shows us the real race driver he has become. For many, Michael is the driver they scream and clap for as he flies around the track each week.

Is SPRING Coming Soon????

According to the calendar, this is the month that spring is to arrive! Unfortunately in Michigan, it doesn't matter what the calendar dates are - we still have winter here! The temps are getting better - we're to be in the high 30's low 40's this coming weekend - so hopefully, some of our snow will melt. This morning I went and measured our snow - we have 34" on the ground - but the drifts and piles are much higher - in fact, some of our piles that have been plowed from the parking lot could be great for skiing down hill! One of these days, spring will arrive - and we will rejoice and be glad!

March into March with new pictures of Brock

This month, Brock will be 6 months old! Here are the latest pictures from South Carolina!

A WONDERUL FRIDAY........

What a wonderful day Friday, March 2nd was!

Rebekah celebrated her 27th birthday - Happy, happy birthday to you!!! It was such an exciting day for us when you were born, and how we praise the Lord for these 27 years! You have matured and developed into a beautiful wife , mother and woman of God, Rebekah!

Daniel completed his last day of work at the Best Western in Grandville and is packed and ready to move to North Carolina! Daniel has 2 job interviews on Tuesday and Wednesday - and we're praying that the right job will open up! We are looking forward to the wedding in just 21 days! What a beautiful couple you both are, and we are so thankful to the Lord for such a wonderful companion and wife you will soon have!

Heard the forecast????

And the weather in Manton today will be....

"early morning will be partly sunny, turning to snow - about 2". Then look for a change as the snow turns to freezing rain, and tonight more snow and rain mixed, with thunder! "

Talk about getting it all in one day!!! Whew!

I sure miss the warm sunshine of Hawaii and sandy beaches - I'm a "summer girl" at heart!

Happy March 1st everyone...our weather is coming in like a LION, and hopefully we'll go out like a LAMB.

More fun pictures from Hawaii

The skyline of Oahu

Beautiful Diamond Head.... Rachel and Matt at lunch

On the beautiful beach

Beautiful Maui

Beautiful Maui... this is the ocean view from the Paki Maui where we stayed. We took the road to Hana - it was 600 curves one way! The scenery was worth the long trip - seeing the beauty of Maui - waterfalls, black sand beach, and the seven pools.

This was the black sand beach....

Hawaii Adventure Trip - First Stop: San Francisco!

Tuesday, February 13th we flew out of Grand Rapids to Chicago, where we changed planes for San Francisco. A huge snowstorm was coming, and we were so thankful that we were one of the last planes to take off from Chicago- we heard later that 600 flights were cancelled due to weather!
We arrived in beautiful San Francisco, and had two wonderful, fun-packed days there.

Our first stop was at the Muir Woods...where we saw the most majestic redwoods! We took the walk through the forest. The redwoods were just awsome in their height and beauty!

We also got to see Alcatraz from a distance....

We also have fun walking through Chinatown....

What a fun "trolley car" ride we had at Fisherman's Wharf! We LOVED walking all over and having a "fresh clam chowder" right on the boardwalk at an outdoor stand!

Here we are at the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge

AWANA Regional Quizzing

Today our church hosts the Regional AWANA Quizzing and Grand Prix. The morning is for quizzing, the afternoon for the Grand Prix. We have a great group of 3-6th graders competing...it consists of speed, multiple choice and a written section.

WILD GAME DINNER

The friendly bear!
Anyone for a taste of Mountain Lion???
We had a great group of men...there were around 220 there!

Here are some of the animals that our men got on hunting trips! Glad we didn't have eat this meat!
This was the "welcoming committtee"!!!!

Fun Groundhog facts......

Happy Groundhog Day!!!

How Did the Groundhog Get a Day of His Own?

The lowly groundhog, often called a woodchuck, is the only mammal to have a day named in his honor. The groundhog's day is February 2. Granted, it’s not a federal holiday; nobody gets off work. But still, to have a day named after you is quite a feat.
How did the groundhog come by this honor?
It stems from the ancient belief that hibernating creatures were able to predict the arrival of springtime by their emergence.

The German immigrants known as Pennsylvania Dutch brought the tradition to America in the 18th century. They had once regarded the badger as the winter-spring barometer.

Traditionally, the groundhog is supposed to awaken on February 2, Groundhog Day, and come up out of his burrow. If he sees his shadow, he will return to the burrow for six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t see his shadow, he remains outside and starts his year, because he knows that spring has arrived early.

In the U.S., the “official” groundhog is kept in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Every February 2, amid a raucous celebration early in the morning, “Punxsutawney Phil” as the groundhog is called, is pulled from his den by his keepers, who are dressed in tuxedos. Phil then whispers his weather prediction into the ear of his keeper, who then announces it to the anxiously-awaiting crowd.

Of course, this is for show. It’s a fun celebration and a great tradition. But Phil's keepers secretly decide upon the "forecast" in advance of the groundhog's arousal.

Besides, spring always arrives on or near March 21, so whether the groundhog decides to return to his den or remain above ground. The fact is- spring is always at least six more weeks - especially here in Michigan!!!

Weekend visit

Daniel flew to see Candice for a few days this past weekend....and they were able to stay with Rebekah, Ben and Brock on Saturday night! What fun! Here are some fun pictures from that weekend....enjoy!