March Showers bring April Showers?!?!

As some of you know, yesterday was the first of two showers. I am so grateful to be showered with such a wonderful party full of gifts in celebration of the upcoming wedding of Thomas and I. Even though Thomas was unable to venture back to MI for the festivities, we are both very appreciative of the tangible items people have blessed us with, but more importantly, we would like to continue to express our thanks for the love, prayers, guidance, and other support we have received thus far. God is so Great!
So - THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL THAT YOU DO!!!

As March rainfall comes to an end, I am excited for the shower in April (this next weekend). I will post a couple pictures from the Bradley shower here later this week.

Family Government - Does it exist anymore?

Have you ever wondered about word evolution, etymology? Well, as the structure of family government continues to break down in society, transcending national boundaries, it is no wonder that the definition of government has followed suit. Or, did the definition change and influence our society? Regardless, this point was first brought to my attention when listening to the Christian radio station in Rochester, MN - KFSI. There is a daily ~one minute program called The Legal Alert put out by the Christian Law Association. Back in January, they had a broadcast on government, and this is what they said:

What is Government?

If you graduated from high school after World War II, you probably don’t really know what government is.

Most Americans today equate government only with local, state and national authority.  Historically, that aspect of government was known as “Civics.”  The term government itself was much more expansive.  In 1828, Noah Webster defined government as “Control or restraint”, which started with personal self-control, expanded to family and church control, and only then to state or civil government control.  By 1972 , Webster’s Dictionary was defining government only as “The exercise of authority by the state.”  As many Americans have abandoned self-government, family government and church government as legitimate controls on society, the civil government has assumed greater power and authority over our lives.  That was not the original intent of America’s founders.  If you think the government is doing too much, maybe it’s time to look back at self-government, family government and church government as part of the solution.

Since I'm a bit inquisitive (when it comes to certain things at least), I decided to take full advantage of seeking out the Webster's Dictionary owned by the Mayo brothers.

Here I am holding the Mayo brothers' copy of Webster's Dictionary in the Mayo Foundation House.

Mayo brothers' Webster's Dictionary, published ~1920.
"Act or fact of governing; exercise of authority in regulating the action of something; control;...as church government; family government; specif., the direction of affairs of state; the ruling and administration of the political body."

Webster's Dictionary 2011: 1.the act or process of governing; specifically : authoritative direction or control 2. obsolete : moral conduct or behavior.

Surprisingly, the definition of government pertaining to self-control and family have become obsolete.   

Thomas and I were fortunate to receive a gift to attend a Weekend to Remember Marriage Conference for both pre-married and married couples in Rochester this past weekend. It was an incredible experience, and I (and Thomas) would recommend it for the entire gambit of marriages - engaged couples, newlyweds, divorced couples, couples with kids, and empty nesters. Of the topics discussed, one of the issues was the importance of family government and what it should look like.

As the March draws to a close, Thomas and I are marching forward and proactively adding to our foundation in Christ. Officially, the wedding date is now nearing FOUR MONTHS away (exactly on Wednesday). Please continue to pray for us, our relationship with the other, and our relationships with God.

Finally February - Thee Final February

Wow....so there are FIVE MONTHS until Ever After! This means that come next February, I will be a married woman (...which give me plenty of time to get used to that description, "married woman").

Thomas and I are growing closer together and closer with Christ. In the process, we are trying to pick a church, start doing devotions together, and perhaps embark on a few "marriage" books before our union, among many other tasks, hobbies, and pursuits. 

Mayo Foundation House

I decided I should do some personal soul-searching and search for guidance on how to best fulfill my role as a wife (maybe if I keep saying "wife" and "married woman" I'll get used to it faster). Well, it is a good thing I had my eyes pealed because when I was in the library at the Mayo Foundation House (first owned and built by Dr. Will Mayo, the older of the two brothers) my friend and I stumbled upon this book.

"The Wise Wife" by Arthur Somers Roche, published 1928

Since I am a product of the feminist movement, I'll be honest - this book is NOT for me (or really anyone for that matter). With that said, I still appreciate chivalry like having the door opened for me and other conservative and traditional roles for men and women. Concerning the role of a wife, it is laid out with great detail in the Holy Book even though there are obvious cultural differences. In many ways, the Bible speaks against equality in the marriage setting ("All men are created equal" as stated in the Declaration of Independence, but man and woman were created unequally but for each other) . Thomas and I have read many of God's commands given by Jesus and the Apostle Paul in the New Testament, but I wanted to start at the beginning. especially the end of Genesis 2 (...hence my reference to created for each other). A puzzle many struggle with is how to maintain the unity as one flesh. In Proverbs 31, there is a Hebrew poem written by either King Lemuel (symbolic for King Solomon, meaning devoted or belonging to God) or Bathsheba, King David's wife. Each verse starts with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet, equivalent to A-Z in English. Although it does not state it directly, I believe if this describes a wife, the unity of her marriage is likely to be preserved. I'm continuing to meditate on the message and application of this poetic Proverb for me. In the meantime, one Proverb that has a very clear message is Proverbs 14:1.

The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

Besides my personal devotions, here are some other areas of recent headway:

Hair stylist
I am in the process of seeking someone to do my hair on the day of Ever After. Right now, I have a solid lead, and I am certain everything will pan out.

Music
I am in the process of nailing down scores for the ceremony with the assistance of my dulcet-gifted comrades.

Wedding Cake
 I have a couple ideas for the cake. Now, I have to do is discuss them with Thomas to see if he likes my ideas. Once we reach an agreement, our request will be sent to his Aunt.

The Princess Bride

Thomas loves the movie Princess Bride, and it seemed fitting for the National Love Day. In case you forgot, today is Valentine's Day, and what better way to celebrate it than to reflect on the establishment of the now Hallmark Holiday.
Here's a little bit on the history:

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men -- his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.

According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl -- who may have been his jailor's daughter -- who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

While some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial -- which probably occurred around 270 A.D -- others claim that the Christian church may have decided to celebrate Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to 'christianize' celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia festival. In ancient Rome, February was the official beginning of spring and was considered a time for purification. Houses were ritually cleansed by sweeping them out and then sprinkling salt and a type of wheat called spelt throughout their interiors. Lupercalia, which began at the ides of February, February 15, was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.

(Source = Unknown)

Here are some factoids for you:

Looking for Love

- 188 million Valentine's Day cards are exchanged annually, making Valentine's Day the second-most popular greeting-card-giving occasion. (This total excludes packaged kids valentines for classroom exchanges.) (Source: Hallmark research)

- Over 50 percent of all Valentine's Day cards are purchased in the six days prior to the observance, making Valentine's Day a procrastinator's delight. (Source: Hallmark research)

- Research reveals that more than half of the U.S. population celebrates Valentine's Day by purchasing a greeting card. (Source: Hallmark research)

- There are 119 single men (i.e., never married, widowed or divorced) who are in their 20s for every 100 single women of the same ages.

- There are 34 single men (i.e., never married, widowed or divorced) age 65 or older for every 100 single women of the same ages.

- 904: The number of dating service establishments nationwide as of 2002. These establishments, which include Internet dating services, employed nearly 4,300 people and pulled in $489 million in revenues.

Be Mine

- 2.2 million marriages take place in the United States annually. That breaks down to more than 6,000 a day.

- 147,300 marriages are performed in Nevada during 2005. So many couples "tie the knot" in the Silver State that it ranked fourth nationally in marriages, even though it's total population that year among states was 35th.

- The estimated U.S. median ages at first marriage for women and men are 25.3 and 27.1 respectively, in 2005. The age for women rose 4.2 years in the last three decades. The age for men at first marriage is up 3.6 years.

- Men and women in northeastern states generally have a higher median age at first marriage than the national average. In Massachusetts, for example, women were a median of 27.4 years old and men 29.1 years of age at first marriage. States where people typically marry young include Utah, where women were a median of 21.9 years and men, 23.9 years.

- 57% and 60% of American women and men, respectively, are 15 or older and currently married (includes those who are separated).

- 72%: The percentage of men and women ages 30 to 34 in 2005 who had been married at some point in their lives - either currently or formerly.

- 4.9 million opposite-sex cohabitating couples maintained households in 2005. These couples comprised 4.3 percent of all households.

Candy is Dandy!

- 1,241: The number of locations producing chocolate and cocoa products in 2004. These establishments employed 43,322 people. California led the nation in the number of such establishments with 136, followed by Pennsylvania with 122. (Source:http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/cbptotal.html)

- 515 locations produced nonchocolate confectionary products in 2004. These establishments employed 22,234 people.

- The total value of shipments in 2004 for firms producing chocolate and cocoa products was $13.9 billion. Nonchocolate confectionery product manufacturing, meanwhile, was a $5.7 billion industry.

- 3,467 Number of confectionery and nut stores in the United States in 2004. Often referred to as candy stores, they are among the best sources of sweets for Valentine's Day.

- The per capita consumption of candy by Americans in 2005 was 25.7 pounds. Candy consumption has actually declined over the last few years; in 1997, each American gobbled or savored more than 27 pounds of candy a year.

Flowers

- The combined wholesale value of domestically produced cut flowers in 2005 for all flower-producing operations with $100,000 or more in sales was $397 million. Among states, California was the leading producer, alone accounting for nearly three-quarters of this amount ($289 million).

- The combined wholesale value of domestically produced cut roses in 2005 for all operations with $100,000 or more in sales was $39 million. Among all types of cut flowers, roses were third in receipts ($39 million)to lilies ($76.9 million) and tulips ($39.1 million).

- There were 21,667 florists nationwide in 2004. These businesses employed 109,915 people.

Jewelry

- There were 28,772 jewelry stores in the United States in 2004. Jewelry stores offer engagement, wedding and other rings to lovers of all ages. In February 2006, these stores sold $2.6 billion worth of merchandise. (This figure has not been adjusted for seasonal variation, holiday or trading day differences or price changes).
The merchandise at these locations could well have been produced at one of the nation's 1,864 jewelry manufacturing establishments. The manufacture of jewelry was an $9 billion industry in 2004.

Looking for Love? Try looking here...

Names of some romantic-sounding places:
Valentine, NE Valentine, TX Loveland, CO Lovejoy, GA Lovelock, NE Love Valley, NC Loveland, OH Loveland Park, OH Loveland, OK Lovelady, TX	Loves Park, IL Loving County, TX Lovington, NM Loving, NM Love County, OK Lovington, IL Romeo, CO Romeo, MI Romeoville, IL Sacred Heart, MN Heart Butte, MT South Heart, ND

- 21: Number of places named "rose". The red rose has long been a symbol of romantic love. Rose Hill, VA., is the most populous, with more than 15,000 residents.
(Source = US Census Bureau)

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

As you wish, Thomas, as you wish...!

Bestowing us with blessings!

Wedding Registry
With the wedding less than six months away and other festivities on the horizon, many of you have made inquiries as to how you can bless Thomas and I with your love. Thomas and I are officially registered in three locations:

• Bed, Bath, and Beyond
• Heifer International
• Target

Please prayerfully consider the above options, and take some time to visit Heifer International if you are unaware of the gifts they offer.
In case you want another random site to stop at, feel free to check out: http://www.mywedding.com/thomasandshirley/. Honestly, I am not doing a lot with this website; however, it does have more resources for those of you looking to do something creative.

A few other things to note:

• Thomas likes chickens, and I like wolves (and goats). My apartment (which Thomas will be moving into) has taken on a wolf-tone.
• Thomas and I will be living in a two-bedroom apartment in Minnesota for the next ~five years. After which time, we will probably move 2-3 more times, before settling in a house (aka- we will buy a house in ~10 years).
• Thomas and I like "blues" and "greens" in all of our rooms.
• We like the outdoors, but unfortunately it was difficult to register for lots of hunting/camping/fishing stuff at the above listed locations. Feel free to branch out in that direction.
• We are very practical people (in case you didn't realize that). 

Although we did register for quite a few items, Thomas and I are already appreciative for all of the gifts of support and love we have received thus far. Thank you for helping us establish a marriage in Christ.

The Third Trimester...

Trimester #3
Many of you are aware that the time of our engagement to marriage is approximately 18 months (18 months + 1 week to be exact). Consequently, it can be broken down into three trimesters, with each lasting 6 months (or 2x the length of a pregnancy trimester or academic trimester), For those of you who have experienced the child-bearing and birthing process or are currently at a high school that uses that calendar, you'll know that this is the last hoo-rah. Using that terminology, Thomas and I are officially in our last trimester of our engagement. With that said, we are working to put the finishing touches on both wedding and marriage details (not that the marriage details won't be constant work-in-progress, but still...).

A little romance...
    A few weeks back, I received a couple voicemails on my cell. The first was regarding a flower delivery. So, I was thinking, how in the world would a Rochester flower shop get my cell number and know my name. Meanwhile, I listened to the second voicemail which said there was a mistake and that they didn't have a flower delivery to make.
   Seeing as I was driving at the time, I had plenty of time to ponder the meaning behind the messages. First, I was pretty sure Thomas was up to something (either that or I had a secret admirer who also happened to know my address and cell number), but I had no clue what day he picked out as significant. My ensuing thoughts led me to believe I should expect flowers either the next day (Monday, Jan 10) or on our engagement anniversary (Sunday, Jan 16). Or, Thomas was really on the ball for Valentine's Day or even for my birthday in JULY!
    Yeah...needless to say, I really had absolutely no clue what was going on...(I did opt to share the story of the voicemails with Thomas, and he managed to leave me in the dark [good job Thomas! I like surprises]).
    Today after church, I received a phone call about a flower delivery. Thomas overheard my conversation, but he didn't know what the phone call was about. To appease his curiosity, he asked me "so what's going on?" I simply retorted back, "I don't know Thomas. Why don't you tell me what's going on?"
    Leaving it at that, Thomas and I had our Sunday dinner together before going to continue working on our wedding registry details. Before heading out to complete that task, Thomas opted to do the dishes (yes, he loves doing dishes :-)), so I meandered into my living room. As I looked out the window, there was a flower delivery vehicle pulling in my driveway. Me, myself, and I knew who that was for...and I was really excited to see what Thomas (or my secret admirer) got for me. I left my apartment and answered the outer door as the gentleman was approaching. He proceeded to give me the flowers, and I went back up to my apartment and tried to sneak in without Thomas noticing (I failed!...although he pretended not to notice).
   Sure enough, Thomas got me flowers!

Thomas knows I like to support local businesses (especially produce) as much as possible, and so you can see he made sure to get these from a Rochester-based shop opposed to the online flower deliveries (through the mail/UPS).

As Thomas drives back to New Prague, I want to give a shout out: THANKS THOMAS!
 I love you!!!

Cold Feet!!!

No, I'm not getting cold feet for my wedding...but I am getting cold feet from the weather.

Check out these temperatures (remember I'm in MN)! When I got up this morning (~5 am) and went outside, the thermometer read -26 F + windchill = [chatter teeth and say] "BUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!"