John graduated Summa Cum Laude with his Th.M. from seminary Saturday (120 graduate credit hours!).  I am so proud of him; not only did he graduate with high honors (his wonderful thesis advisor, Dr. Horrell, raved about his A+ work!), he also contributed greatly to the seminary during his time as a student, directing the web development department & building the online education program from 0 to over 1,000 students.  With JD's awesome coding & management skills (about which you probably don't know because of his humility), Chinese pastors are now able to take theology courses in Chinese!  But that isn't the best part.  JD has also been an incredible husband, son, brother, friend, and encourager to others over the years that he's directed a seminary department full-time, studied in grad school full-time, and ran his own business full-time.  John has served his wife, his church, and his community with everything from playing Mr. Fix-It around the house, to leading our small group Bible study, to teaching 3 year olds at church, to leading retreats, to teaching Church History, to mentoring college guys, to helping his wife throw huge parties for friends, to loving our neighbors, to enabling his wife to work on her Ph.D. and soon-to-be motherhood by providing for us financially, to loving his family well as the oldest son, to making every person in his presence feel like he/she is the most important person in the room.  Yes, JD is "that guy"-- the one who always makes you laugh and feel good.  Only Shakespeare's Sonnet #29 describes what it is to be married to this amazing human being:

For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings,
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

Here we are with Dr. Horrell, JD's Thesis Advisor, at Graduation Chapel

With the Family After Graduation

Our good friends, John and Kristina, who are one trimester ahead of us!

"May heaven grant you in all things your heart's desire--husband, house, and a happy, peaceful home; for there is nothing better in this world than that man and wife should be of one mind in a house. It discomfits their enemies, makes the hearts of their friends glad, and they themselves know more about it than any one."  -Odysseus, Homer's Odyssey   

We went to the Northeast in June. We spent our first evening in Philadelphia.  We explored downtown and ate at a sidewalk jazz cafe' under the stars-- such a fun city!

Then we headed to Princeton University to see our friend, Blake, who works there.

The Princeton campus is just glorious.

Aunt Cathy showed us around the town of Princeton; she's a great hostess!

We met up with the rest of our family at the beautiful Chauncey Inn Retreat Center.

We awarded Uncle Dick the prize for the best hot pink pants EVAR!

We had a lovely dinner and made a family toast to Grammy Ruth. 

We'll miss you, Grammy Ruth!

JD has some great-looking cousins with some great-thinking minds!

And they are some great singers, too: "I can only imagine. .  . yeah. . . yeah."

When I watched The Love Boat as a child, I dreamed about going on a cruise. . . I wanted my name to be Diane, and I wanted to be thirteen years old, and I wanted my hair to feather like Julie (the Activities Director), and I really wanted to be an entertainer on the ship, like a magician or dancer. . . But celebrating my birthday with the most handsome, witty, funny, intelligent, Christ-like man I know was much better than my original dream!

"Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be, the last of life, for which the first was made. Our times are in his hand who saith, 'A whole I planned, youth shows but half; Trust God: See all, nor be afraid!'” -Robert Browning

The water in Cozumel was the bluest I've seen. . .

We didn't really play the slot machines on the cruise ship, but they make excellent photo props! Our ship was 15 stories high and the length of 3 football fields. It was like a floating Hilton-- or a small city.

We took pics in the stage area one night so I could be the star of the show (below, left). The cuisine offered during the formal, black-tie dinners on the ship was magnifiscent-- lobster, escargot, crab, filet mignon, roasted duck, delicious! We also enjoyed the exquisite delicacies served at afternoon tea during our days at sea.  A four-piece orchestra played Beethoven & other favorites in the background while JD & I spoke in British accents; I felt like I was in a Jane Austen novel with my dear Mr. Knightley.

My husband has Caribbean Sea-Blue Eyes.

We went four-wheeling in the jungles of Jamaica. . .

We went swimming with the stingrays in the Grand Cayman Islands.

And we were almost taken hostage by pirates!

Coming Soon From the People at JohnandAmber.com

"Jonah and the Pirates of the Caribbean"

Fall 2007