Happy Blog Anniversary!


Happy Four Year Anniversary of what, you may wonder?  Well today, dear readers, is the four year anniversary of this very blog. 

I honestly can not recall how I heard about blogs or how I knew to create one.  I knew I loved to write and that was all I needed to know.  I remember trying so many blog titles and so many of my ideas where already taken. I was sitting at my little kitchen table in my very first apartment in MN.  It was late at night but I found myself with not a lot to do at the time.  From somewhere the idea of "Full of Joy" came into existence and it has helped shaped my view of God and my life ever since.

The funny thing about the day I started my blog is that my friend Tara started her blog on the very same day!  We didn't plan that, in fact, we both kept it a secret.  It was hilarious when we both confessed we had started blogs!

This has been an outlet for me to express my thoughts far and wide.  It has been a place to share my fears, my adventures, my outlook on life, and many cries for prayer.  Of all the things that have taken place in my life in the last four years, it's hard to fathom being where I am today.  I'm so thankful to God for that.  It truly has been a journey full of JOY

I'm always amazed when someone leaves a comment and somehow connects with what I wrote.  I'm honored that someone would take the time to read my thoughts and respond.  So thank you to those of you who have followed me from the beginning, and to those of you who check in once in awhile, and to those of you who faithfully read and leave comments, and to those of you who secretly read and never leave comments.  ;)  It means so much to me to share my passion for writing in this blog world and to have such faithful blog friends!

Lastly, thank you to my dear husband who has so thoughtfully pointed out this special day and created a pretty graphic to celebrate my love for writing!

Contra

Welcome to Friday Night Dance at Glen Echo Park!  It is a whole other world here, so be prepared to leap out of the box.  And I mean leap.

So last Friday Chuck and I decided that we would finally go dancing somewhere.  We had been talking about it for well over a year and it was time to just do it.  Sometime during the course of the day Chuck told me he found the perfect place to go and that he was so excited.  He sent me the link above and I have to admit I didn't share his same enthusiasm.

For those of you who don't know this husband of mine very well, let me enlighten you.  He loves trying new things!  He is one crazy kid who will do almost anything and everything.  He actually does not like staying in any type of box that he may ever be placed in.  It has been suggested to him that a person should try something completely new once a month to have a broader range of experiences and conversation pieces.  He loves this idea!

As for me, oh how I love my comfortable box.  I do not like change, I get scared to start new things, and am quite satisfied with my life experiences already, thank you very much.  This is just one of the many reasons why Chuck is such an incredible fit for me. 

Back to last Friday.  We arrive right on time for the beginner Contra Dance lessons.  Ahead of me I see a girl wearing a darling pink dress and perfectly matched dance shoes.  I, of course, was wearing my jeans and brown winter Mary Janes.  I am feeling quite nervous and out of place.  Thankfully the lady at the table gave us buttons to wear that proclaim to all it's our first night so watch out! 

As our lesson begins I look around the circle of people and realize that we fit right in.  A wide variety of people, outfits, ages, and races surrounded us.  For the next 45 minutes we learn all the baby basics of the dance that is the Contra.  Before we knew it, Chuck and I were "dosey doeing", "bounce and swinging", "connecting four", and so on.  Huge grins were plastered across our faces as we practiced our new moves.

Once the "real" dance started, the heat really began to pick up.  It was time to start dancing in huge lines like we were in a Jane Austin film.  Off we went spinning, bouncing, stepping, and stomping trying desperately to figure out what the heck was going on.  The thing with Contra Dancing is that you end up dancing with tons of other partners and holding tons of other hands.  Watch out for those hard core Contras.  They'll spin you so fast into the next step your head will spin.  Trust me, it happened. 

Chuck and I had a blast!  A complete blast!  We danced and spun the night away leaving with grimy fingers, sweaty bodies, blistered feet and full souls.  We're going back and we can't wait! (Oh, and yes, men wore skirts.)










 

Bouquets!

With the temperature nearing 70 degrees today and these two beautiful bouquets around me I can't help but proclaim that SPRING IS HERE!

My love tank is full and overflowing this week. We had a wonderful couple over for dinner the other night and they showed up with tulips! I have never had tulips before and I am just adoring them. Aren't they just the cheeriest things?


My friend Laura likes to tease me that Chuck and I are "always" getting gift cards for restaurants. I keep telling her it's not true, but then the other day I heard someone knocking on my door. I figured maintenance was stopping by to do some work or something. I peeked out our little peep hole, not recognizing the man but he was holding something. Well I opened the door and he said, "Abby?" I saw that he was holding one of those glorious fruit baskets and I thought, "This can't be for me..." Sure enough! The card said "Chuck and Abby"! Wow! I was so shocked! 

When I read the sweet card I was even more shocked! Chuck and I have been studying the fruits of the Spirit with our teen SG! Chuck has been preparing to teach about "goodness" and what did the card say? "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." (Galations 5:22-23)   I'm beginning to think maybe Laura is right after all.


 We are truly blessed, blessed, BLESSED! Happy Spring!

1 Year

Before...


After...



Saturday was our 1 year anniversary of getting engaged!  I knew the date was approaching, but on Saturday it didn't even cross my mind.  Ironically, Katie came over for pancakes that morning.  At one point I looked at my phone, saw the date, and proclaimed, "Aw!  One year ago we got engaged!"  

Shortly after that Chuck returned home and much to my surprise he was holding a dozen red roses!  Then he announced to both of us, "Happy getting engaged one year ago!"  I was truly touched.  I hadn't even thought to get him a card, a written a note, or anything! Later, as I was breathing in the scent of the perfect dozen, I looked up at my adoring husband and sighed, "I'd say yes all over again!" 

* On a side note, I have never had roses that SMELLED so sweet and so incredible!  Whenever I walk by I get a breeze of the heavenly rose scent and I want them to last forever... *