Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I know this is a little early...but I have a feeling this may be the last chance I have to write a blog this year! I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and to challenge everyone to remember the reason for the season...and to read Luke 2 before any presents are opened to help remember that reason. I will definitely miss all my family and friends that are far away this Christmas...and wish we could celebrate together...hopefully next year! Anyway, know that I miss and love you all.

Also...Happy New Year! Again, I will deeply miss everyone that I cannot celebrate with...especially since I will be celebrating as Dani Marin! I cannot wait...and so excited for all those family and friends that will be with Bobby and I. Of course, there are many that can't be with us, so we are sad for those that cannot make it. It's been a crazy time for family and friends - lots of unforseen circumstances that have changed plans for coming to our wedding unexpectedly. Please know for all of those family and friends that couldn't be here that I pray for each of you daily with all the good and bad happening in your lives....and Bobby and I will deeply miss you on our big day.

An especially big shout out to my sister, Ryan, Kiara.....and (drum roll please!) Vera!!!! I just got to see Vera via webcam this morning with her new family....she is so CUTE! She can do SO BIG (I got to see that on the webcam)...and it's SO CUTE! She is officially with her new family now and not in the orphanage...and it's so weird to see her on the webcam while they are in Russia...usually it's just videos on Nikki's blog. So weird...but so wonderful! But...they will not be here for the wedding after all. As much as I was praying for that miracle to happen, it's not what God wants....and Dani's okay with that. =) I am so happy that Nikki and Ryan have their whole family together for Christmas....and at least they have their plane tickets they were supposed to use for the wedding to use later in the year to come and see us! Oh...and I booked a flight to IL at the end of January too....so I will officially meet Vera then. Can't wait!

Also, I wanted to make note that my cousin Lori is due any day, and we will miss her at the wedding....my best friend Jen is prego as well and too prego to travel...she will be deeply missed....and Jamie, another great friend, won't be able to come in the end either...so please know that we miss you here! Please pray for all of these three for health, comfort and peace.

I'll leave you with a couple pics that Bobby, the girls and I took for Christmas.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!

Merry Christmas from the Marins!

One of my favorites!

I love this picture!

Cuties!

Talk to you next year! =) I'll have PLENTY of pics to share then!

Phillipians 4:6 when you're in a fix!

For whatever reason, this morning I remembered back to college and one of the church services. A girl was sharing that her dad used to remind her..."Phillipians 4:6 when you're in a fix!". Somehow, after all these years, this is one thing I have never forgotten....and it came to mind again today when I was reading the Bible. I've been reading about Paul...and he is the king of always being in fixes! Not because he deserved it...but for God's glory.

Phillipians 4:6-7
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

This verse applies to so much happening around me right now. My sister, bro-in-law and neice are in a far off country....for weeks to pick up their little one. Travel, foreign country, long time away...all of that makes the situation nerve wrecking to begin with. Then, on top of that...they are gone for the holidays...and...most likely, my wedding. And I think one of the reasons I am okay with this situation (although majorly disappointed and sad) is the verse above. I have presented my requests to God (He definitely knows that I want a miracle to happen so they can make it!)...and I wholeheartedly trust Him with this. I know the decision to work magic in this situation and bring them back sooner so they can be here for Bobby and I's big day isn't mine...it's God's. There is some reason for this if they have to miss it. And I may never know the reason...and that's HARD for me! But...you know, I've got the peace from God right now that it will all work out. Will it work out to what I humanly want? Who knows...but it will be what God wants...and that's, in the end, truly my want as well. I have one millimeter of a perspective compared to my Lord's perspective....and one tenth of an iota of the knowledge and power...so why should it be what I want? It shouldn't. So, I keep praying EVERY DAY for the miracle to happen because God is so capable of making that happen...but I trust if it doesn't there is some wonderful reason as well.

Then, of course...just getting down to the details of the wedding...the last three weeks are inevitable with details, something that I wanted to avoid as much as possible so I don't get lost in them...but guess what...sometimes (especially now!) you just have to get engrossed in them and major stress comes with details. So...the verse above definitely applies here too...I am giving this new marriage (notice I didn't say wedding!) to God...actually, Bobby and I gave it to God a long time ago. Once that happens, you release soooo much of the pressure that you have on yourself to get it all to happen just perfectly. Perfect is God's perfect, not mine. I don't care if my dress gets lost, my hair all falls out and I trip down the aisle...if I get to say "I do " to Bobby...that's what matters. This reminds me of what Bobby always tells me...he always says that he'd marry me in a burlap sack (what the heck is that anyway?) on top of a garbage dumpster, as long as we get married. That focus is so important to me...the bigger, significant picture...although easy to get lost the closer the wedding gets. God's definitely helped me with this...the peace that passes all understanding is amazing...and the fact that it guards your heart and mind in Christ Jesus is so spot on too. Since I have chosen (with God's help) to always focus on the marriage and not the wedding in all of this...my heart and mind follow.

By the way, the verses that precede Phillipians 4:6-7 are neat to look at too.

Phillipians 4:4-5
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near."

Remember...these verses are BEFORE the first set. So...prior to the worry, anxiousness verses in 6-7 there is a focus on rejoicing and praising in the Lord and extending gentleness to others. That to me means that's our first priority in God. That's part of the package deal that God gives us. Even AS you have worry and axiousness consuming your mind, you still are to be rejoicing in God and being gentle to all. Now...picture yourself in a highly stressed, worrisome situation right now...how often do you or I rejoice in those times....and then are gentle to everyone around us? Probably not. So...rejoice in him...be gentle to all...and then you get to pray and petition your requests to God. The result? The peace that passes all understanding! That one of the best gifts God gives us, as His children.

This got me to thinking...how often do I praise and thank God first and foremost? Then on top of that...how often am I gentle to all (even when I don't want to be or they don't deserve it)? I got the praying thing down pretty darn good (sometimes for selfish reasons)...to ask for whatever I want...but there are two steps before the praying that I often overlook and miss. Therefore, my goal is to work on those two things from this point on....praising God and gentleness...shouldn't be too hard, right?! =)

Surprise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last night I actually pulled off a big surprise party for Bobby's 40th b-day (not til this Saturday, the 13th, but that made it an even better surprise!). I had MAJOR help from the neighbors setting up, decorating and bring food. It was great, he was completely caught off guard...it was perfect.

So here's how it went down....Bobby and I had decided to go to dinner last night with another couple, Mike and Wendy. They are a blast to hang around, by the way. So a couple weeks ago, this was set up, and I had been thinking of a surprise party for Bobby, but wasn't sure if I wanted add another thing to the month of December for us...but after a while I just decided to anyway....and I am so glad I did! Although somewhere along the way Bobby (not knowing I had just told everyone in the neighborhood, his brother, and other friends that we would be having a surprise party) decided to invite everyone over and create his own party! I couldn't believe it, but went for Plan B and told everyone to just say they had stuff going on when Bobby talked about it to them. So...everyone invited had fake plans and Bobby in the end thought we would just go back to his house after dinner with Wendy and Mike to hang out and sing some karaoke. So, the gang was waiting inside Bobby's house for us....and as Bobby opened the door to go inside, Mike (a next door neighbor) was dressed in a black robe with a black hood and was holding a candle in the dark house, and said...."IT'S TIME ROBERT......" Completely looked like the grim reaper and freaked Bobby out! It was amazing....finally the lights came on, and everyone was there...it was perfect and more so because Bobby truly had no idea at all.

So, the night was filled with darts and karaoke and just a bunch of fun times with friends. Bobby had a perma-smile on his face the entire night. It was all so worth it....glad I ended up deciding to have it!

Here's some initial pictures from the night. Unfortunately, there aren't any pics (yet...haven't seen all of people's pics) of the initial surprise...but there are still plenty of good ones to share.

Post surprise with all his "I'm 40" garb on

Nice Bobby (Brenda and me)

Bobby and Mike (1/2 of the couple we went to dinner with)

Such a poser....

Wendy (the other 1/2 of the couple), Mike, Brenda and Ray (Bobby's sister-in-law and brother)

Ray and Brenda

Murphy (friend we karaoke with), Krista (next door neighbor that helped pull off the surprise) and Rocky (friend we karaoke and play Rock Band with)

Wendy and Bobby

Wendy and me sitting by the fire outside

Happy Birthday Bobby! Wow...look at the major fire that ALL of Bobby's candle made in the background! =)

Love Bobby's finger to his mouth!

Love this picture! Mike (the grim reaper) made Bobby's favorite cake - german chocolate - and it was YUMMMM-MY!


The karaoke begins!

Typical Bobby karaoke face! =)

Great night! Thanks to all that made it happen!