MR. & MRS. MARC S. JOYCE

We are so very proud to welcome Deann as our new daughter-in-love

and wife of our younger son, Marc.

They were married February 12, 2010 in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

They have known each other and been dating for 16 months. You have see Deann, and her sons, in a lot of our family celebrations over the past year.

We not only add Deann to our family but her 3 wonderful sons:

Mason - 13, Aaron - 11, & Cody -9.

With Aric - 11 & Oksana - 15.

That gives them one 9 year old, two 11 year olds, & one 13 year old sons

& 1 -15 year old daughter.

Pray for all 7 of them as they make the adjustment of bending these two families into one. It won't be easy, and both Marc & Deann are fully aware of the challenges ahead of them and have given much thought and consideration to this union.

Marc and his two are moving into Deann's home in Owasso. Marc's home will then be put up for sale. When it sells they will put Deann'a home up for sale and purchase a bigger new home in Owasso.

Marc deserves a wife like Deann and Deann deserves a husband like Marc.

This is truly a win-win and we could not be happier or more delighted.

ANSWERING BLOGOVERSARY QUESTIONS #8

and MORE!!!!!!

Michelle, Franzenfam, asked........If you could be a color what color would you be and why?(I work with kids can you tell :-))........This is an easy one.....blue has been my favorite color for as long as I can remember. NOW, Michelle, you must tell me what that means?

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Jewelgirl, Jewelgirl Loves Jewelry, asked......Have you ever put togetheryour family history?.....Short and sweet answer, no. I really do not know very much about my family past my own mother and father. I wish I did and it is one reason that I am using this blog to document things for my children and grandchildren.

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LAST but certainly not least, Sarah, Short Stop, asked.....Can you share a trial in your life where you saw God's grace SO clearly as He brought you through?

Yes, I sure can. After 25 years of marriage Mickey & I went through a very difficult time. It was wholely and entirely God's grace, and standing on His WORD and His commandments, that brought us through. At 30 years of marriage we renewed our vows. You can read about it here. The fact that we will celebrate our Golden Anniversary on October 4th of this year is testimony alone to God's grace and His faithfulness to restore to us what we had lost. God has blessed us above and beyond what we could have hoped or dreamed. Just as His word proclaims: Delight thy self also in the Lord and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Psalms 37:4

He does - He has!!!!!

30 YEAR VOW RENEWAL OCTOBER 1, 1988

These are the pictures from our 30th Wedding Anniversary Vow Renewal that took place on October 1, 1988.

Our youngest son, Marc, and our son-in-law, Terry, were Best Men

Our daughters, Suzette and Jacque, were the Brides Attendants

Our 2 year old grand daughter, Jessica, was the flower girl (she would not walk down the isle by herself so her mother, Jacque, walked with her)

My forever friends, Bev & Joan were candle lighters

The pastor was Terry Matthews

The church was Oasis of Love, Albuquerque, NM

RECIPE FOR A GREAT MARRIAGE

Listen more, talk less,
"Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." James 1:19

Season your words with grace.
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Ephesians 4:29

Deal righteously with your anger.
"In your anger do not sin; Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold." Ephesians 4:26-27

Don't keep score.
"love is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." I Corinthians 13:5

Help each other out.
"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2

Be a good husband. (The man, of course!)
"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word." Ephesians 5:25-26

Be a good wife. (The woman, of course!)
"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies...She is clothed with strength and dignity." Proverts 31:10,25

Give each other time to grow.
"It was he who gave...to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become Mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."" Ephesians 4:11-13


Do not neglect to keep the fire burning towards each other.
"Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.: Song of Solomon 8:6

Stay committed. Do not entertain thoughts of separation.
"So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore, what God has joined together, let men not separate." Matthew 19:6

Adapted from an article in Focus on the Family, written by Tom Neven and inspired by John Gaus

MAN AT WORK

My sweet husband, Mickey, has been painting the exterior trim on our house this week while I've been in the nice, air conditioned comfort of our home BLOGGING!

How blessed am I.

Blessed beyond measure & don't think I don't know it.

Oh, how I know it.

Isn't he the cutest thing? He still is in my eyes. Always has been. I LOVE YOU HONEY, SOOOOOO MUCH!!

SHOW AND TELL #1 - Pocket Watch

Well today is Show and Tell Friday. If you aren't familiar with it yet, go over to Kelli and check it out! It's such great FUN.

Mickey and I have been married 47 years. In 1988 we Renewed our Wedding Vows. We had not had a formal wedding and decided to do this with our children, and one granddaughter (at the time) as our attendants and flower girl.

It was such fun for all of us and truthfully I was surprised when Mickey agreed to it!



I wanted to get him a very special gift and hunted high and low during the months of preparation. I worked right next door to a jeweler and had been in there several times looking but never saw just the right item. One day the jeweler came over, to where I was working, and asked me to come over. He had acquired what he thought was the perfect gift I was looking for. (click on pictures to enlarge)

When I walked in this OLD
pocket watch was what he had. It was perfect!!!

The upper picture shows it with the glass cover in place. The lower picture shows it with the glass cover opened. You can see it also has the gold chain and the gold key is used to wind the watch from the back.










These two pictures show the back side which is Mother of Pearl. The one on the right is with the back closed. The one on the left with the back opened where you wind it.

This picture is the inside view of the back. He has a very small picture of us standing before the Pastor repeating our vows.

You cannot read the inscription, although you can faintly see it on the gold back to the side of the winding post.

The inscription reads simply:

I Love You

Susan

1958-1988

Works-For-Me-Wednesday Love Sweet Love Edition

This is a first for me and I am attempting to participate in Works-For-Me-Wednesday from http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com site.

Since I have celebrated my 48th anniversary and since I have a wonderful marriage I feel I know a little bit about what it takes to write about Love-Sweet Love.

The secret is really so simple......Your husband should be your best friend! I would rather spend my time with my husband than anyone else in the world. My husband is the first person I want to share each and every thought with, each and every happy moment, each and every experience and even each and every sad time.

It is really important to LIKE each other. I have known people who love each other, but don't really like each other. I have also know people who have grown so far apart during their marriage that by the time they retire the wife doesn't truly even like having the husband around on a full-time basis. How sad.

The other success secret is not to keep a laundry list of "faults" or "past mistakes". Yes, when something bad happens that disappoints or hurts you (and trust me it will!) speak your mind and let him know that you didn't like it and why. BUT then forget it and never speak of it again. God throws our sins into the sea of His forgetfulness "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us."Ps 103:12 We need to do the same with those hurts, shortcomings and disappointments. A good saying to remember is "Put a zip on your lip". We had a pastor that said that and it is such good advise.

Of course the main thing is build your love and your lives around Jesus. "And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken". Ecclesiastes 4:12 With the 2 of you and the Lord you cannot fail.

Happy Valentines and MANY happy anniversaries!