Colonial Beach, VA

Theron researched and found a wonderful Bed & Breakfast Inn for us to stay at this year. We stayed at The Bell House in Colonial Beach, VA. It was owned at one time by Alexander Graham Bell's father, then it was willed to Alexander, AND the builder was the Federal Commander Burnside's son. So, lots of history connected to the house! The innkeeper is a lady named Anne, and she is a very gifted innkeeper. She was a great hostess & super cook. We will be going back there again for sure.
The following are some of the pictures we took...we forgot to take one of the outside, but will do that soon, and post it when we do. We highly recommend this inn to anyone who wants to get away for a bit, but doesn't want to travel far. Prices were very reasonable, too. There's a restaurant we loved, too, called The Dockside. It's only about 30 or 40 minutes from our church so we hope to head that way soon some Sunday after church with friends.

This is in the hall right outside our door...it is a window in the ceiling so you can see the copula. There is a light installed so you can see way up to the top. Really neat!
There is a libray across the hall from the room we stayed in. We were in the only guest room on the top floor. There was also a widow's walk right outside our door. This picture was taken in the library...we just set the timer on the camera and then posed.
These are some views of "our" room. It was so nice and quiet!
All the guest rooms in this inn have their own private bath. That is something we always look for in a B&B!! The door here opens to the bathroom for our room.
Theron is waiting for me to finish taking pictures so we can go out to lunch! He's sitting on a very comfortable couch in our room.
This is the library. All guests have access to it, but that night there was only one other couple in the house, and they never came upstairs, so we had the whole floor to ourselves.
Another view of the library.

Happy 22nd Anniversary!!

Theron and I have been married for 22 years as of yesterday! I was going to post this on our anniversary, but the pictures I had scanned were not in the correct format, so I needed to rescan them. However, Theron had planned to take me to a wonderful B&B in Colonial Beach yesterday, so rather than make him wait while I fixed the post, I decided to go with him and do this when we got home. I think I made the right choice!! haha We got back earlier today, and I'll post those pictures later after I finish my SS lesson for tomorrow!! Anyway, it has been a wonderful 22 years, and we are looking forward to another 102 years together!! Wouldn't THOSE be some beautiful pictures!

Theron is the most generous and tenderhearted man in the world, and I am so thankful God brought us together. Theron is my best friend as well as the greatest husband a girl could dream of. Here are some pictures of us through the last 22 years. I love you, Theron, even more with each day that passes! I love sharing life with you.

Here we are at my brother and SanDee's wedding...September 4, 1982. I caught the bouquet and he caught the garter. When the photographer was setting up this picture he told Theron to put his arm aound me....the rest is history! We had known each other since I was 14 and he was 17...we met at a church fellowship at the Salters' home. Theron used to hang out with Rod and my brother. (Rod ended up being our best man at our wedding) Theron was just one of my big brother's friends until that wedding!! We began dating officially on Dec. 21st of that year...Theron came home from Ft. Sill for Christmas to see what would happen with us, as we had been writing ever since he left for the Army earlier in the fall. Ain't love grand?

Here we are on our first Christmas together at my parents' house in Sarasota

Here we are going to church, I think. Theron's mom liked him to wear his uniform to church on Sunday mornings when he came home. He is so cute!!

Theron had to go to Korea for a year tour almost exactly a year after we started dating. When he was coming home, I tied 100 yellow ribbons around the "old oak tree" in my parents' front yard, so he could see I'd waited for him. For those of you who have never heard of that...it is from a song by Tony Orlando and Dawn about a guy who is getting out of prison, and he doesn't know if his girl had waited for him. So he asks her to tie a yellow ribbon around the old oak tree if she still loves him. When he gets off the bus, he finds 100 yellow ribbons around the tree. :) Theron loved my gesture.

We were married on Dec. 21st, 1985 at our home church in Sarasota, FL. To show how old we are....the ring bearer is my nephew, and he is now a married father of two beautiful kids and he's a cop in Bradenton, FL!! Time really does fly when you are having fun.

Here we are after the reception, getting into the red Model T Ford his parents rented for us to be chauffered to the hotel in.

This was taken at the first B&B we ever stayed in. We were in Savannah, GA, and my boss paid for us and he and his wife to stay in a great B&B in downtown Savannah. I believe this was taken in 1994.

Here we all are in Lorton, VA in Dec. of 1996. That's Chrissy, Theron, me, and Mary, & Samantha and TJ on Theron's lap.

This is the most horrible picture of us, but I had to include it because it makes me laugh! It was taken on Dec. 24th in Florida, but I'm not sure which year. If I ever try to do my hair that way again, please stop me!! haha

Johnny Update

Hey, just had to let you know that Johnny is doing well. He did his treatment this week, and cleared in time to come home for Christmas!! The bloodcot he had is gone, gone, gone!! Praise the Lord!!

Mary & Chrissy Get Home

Heather took this for us on Sunday morning in front of the set for the kids' Christmas program. Sam was in the play and did a great job. The program was awesome thanks to Heather and Amanda's leadership. It was really well done! Anyway, this is me, Theron, Samantha, TJ and Chrissy and Mary.
This is Johnny, TJ, Joey, Mary & Nina in the church waiting for the play to begin. Johnny was trying to mess up my picture by making his flash at the same time, but I got the shot anyway. Pray for him this week as he is in the hospital for one of the tougher treatments. He is such a trooper, though, and never complains.
Here is Darlene and Bill Bryan in the church foyer.

Mary and Chrissy arrived at the airport in Richmond on Friday night. We were so excited! The Bryans surprised them and came with us to the airport. It was such a neat night! Of course, I forgot my camera that night, but did get some pictures on Sunday at church. We were going to take our family picture on Saturday evening before we went to see Beauty and the Beast and Riverside Dinner Theater, but seemed to run out of time. We did have a good time, although TJ was not too thrilled. It was a great weekend, and we are SO thankful to have all 4 kids home together again.

Flat Mary and Flat Chrissy Have a Party

Flat Mary and Flat Chrissy Get Cupcakes...do you like their party hats?

Thanks for the idea, Hope!!

Close Up
Loren, Jeff, Lindsay, Joey, Sam, TJ, Darlene (singing Happy Birthday) & Johnny

Can you tell that the 3 teenage boys don't really want to be in this picture? I think I scare them.

Mom with the Flat Twins

Ok, I know it is bad when my friends are in on my delusions!! Since Mom can't go to Mary and Chrissy, Mom gives Flat Mary and Flat Chrissy their own party. :) Thanks to Hope and Phil Blue for the idea of cupcakes and hats, and to the Bryans for opening up their home to us. :)

HAPPY 19th BIRTHDAY, MARY AND CHRISSY

Here they are on their first birthday. We all look so much the same now as we did then, right? haha This was taken at Ft. Huachuca, AZ. We had lots of friends from church over to celebrate.

Here is my mom with Chrissy and my dad with Mary. They never missed one of the girls' birthdays. They flew or drove to wherever we were to help us celebrate each year.

Here are Chrissy and Mary blowing out their candles on their 2nd birthday while Daddy holds heir cake. Chrissy is sure tyring to get those candles out!!
Here they are singing a song for everyone at Grandma Stone's house. They were probably singing Victory in Jesus, as that was their favorite one to sing.Here they are getting ready to blow out the candles on their third birthday...this one at Aunt Jo's in Sarasota, FL.



Today is Mary and Chrissy's 19th birthday. It is the first time I've been away from them on their big day. Theron is making a stopover in Pensacola on his way to GA for a business trip to spend some time with the girls and take them to dinner. He is SUCH a great dad! He took their presents and will buy a cake and flowers for them once he gets there. They don't know about the cake and flowers, so that will be neat!
These are a few pictures from their first 3 birthdays. Seems like yesterday!! Enjoy your kids when they are young...time goes way to quickly. I enjoy each stage of my kids' lives, but remember you can never get those times back, so have fun at every stage!!

We love you, Chrissy and Mary!! We are so proud of you. We are thankful to God for letting us have such wonderful girls as you are. You truly are a blessing from the Lord. I can't wait to see you next week!! We'll have so much fun while you are home.