The Wilderness

Last week we loaded up the car and headed to Creede, Colorado to enjoy YL's Wilderness Ranch. Although it was technically a work trip for Larry, we were surrounded by tons of fun and forever friends. This was the first time either of us had been to Wilderness, and my first time to ever go to a Young Life camp period, and I can easily say that my experience was indescribable. Joy, excellence, amazing food, smiles and cheer-offs abound. If you ever get the chance, check it out and if you have teenagers - SEND THEM HERE for the summer.  They will be changed.

Here are just a few pictures from our road trip.

Goodnight, y'all. So excited to sleep in my own bed tonight!

Our First

On Saturday, Larry and I celebrated our first trip around the sun as a married couple! This last year has flown by and I am ridiculously grateful for the Lord's (and Larry's) mercies in my life. We enjoyed dinner at Rick's Chophouse that evening, but it was just an interesting day with many twists and turns along the way.  It would take me way too long describe our day - you would be reading for days, and laughing and crying all along the way.  Nonetheless, year one is under our belt and I count my husband as a precious gift.  If you haven't checked out Larry's beautiful editing of our wedding, enjoy it now!


California Love Before the Wedding from Larry Ray Causey II on Vimeo.



California Love, The Ceremony from Larry Ray Causey II on Vimeo.



California Love III from Larry Ray Causey II on Vimeo.

Lovely Day

Yesterday I spent the day with my love and it was oh.so.lovely. The day was filled with church, grocery shopping, honey-dos, reading, flowers and a wonderful meal at home. I prepared pan-seared filet mignon with kosher salt and fresh black cracked pepper (thanks for the tips Raising Fig), garlic parmesan mashed potatoes, warm rolls and blueberries...because well, my husband just loves blueberries.

I am so grateful for this season in our lives, where we can enjoy one another before our family grows. What a sacred time.

Our Wedding

Hi everyone,

I hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We sure did.  Will and David made our Thanksgiving so very special this year. I hope to share more soon. But....

Our wedding video is here!

My sweet husband has been extremely patient in downloading our wedding video to Vimeo. I wish that I could share it with you in one peice but we had to break the video into three segments. Larry did most of the video work (special thanks to Jen and Ken) and he did all of the editing himself.  He did a brillant job and I am so thankful to have this as a lasting reminder of our incredible time spent in California.

Enjoy our special time and we would love your comments!

Part 1 - prewedding fun

California Love part 1 from Larry Ray Causey II on Vimeo.

Part 2 - wedding
California Love part 2 from Larry Ray Causey II on Vimeo.

Part 3 - honeymoon

California Love (The Moon Honey) from Larry Ray Causey II on Vimeo.

P.S. Larry, thank you so, so much for doing this.  I appreciate your patience and love more than you know. I love you, friend.

Signed,

California Dreamin'

All media was purchased and is being used for personal use to share with family and friends. Acknowledgements are give to: Bottle Shock (2008), Barry Louise Polisar, The Weepies, Tristan Prettyman, Jourdan Burks, Danyew, Shane and Shane, Kari Jobe, Jack Johnson, Phantom Planet, LL Cool J, Tom T. Hall, Deneice Williams, Taylor Swift and C.S. Lewis.

He's home...

Tired but home. And my heart could just burst. Swoon.

Morning Pillow Talk

Good morning! It's bright and early and I could be sleeping (my only day of the week to) but instead I am surfing the internet. What is wrong with me? I blame my morning distractions on Crystal for posting pictures of my "nephew" Ghirin. I was so excited I wanted to jump out of bed and dance a little. But I didn't. You can check out Matt and Callie's prized possession here. Couldn't you just eat.him.up?

Good news! Great news! Larry is coming home a whole week early! He should be home either tonight or early tomorrow. I have only gotten to talk to him once since he's been in British Colombia but it sounded like he was having a great trip. He spent 9 hours going up a mountain horseback and then back down all day yesterday, but he was loving every minute...you know him. I will post a few pictures for you when he gets home.

I took the residents to ride go-carts last night and then we enjoyed a sonic run after. They all did great and even though I still miss my friends back home every weekend, I could not be more blessed to spend my nights with such special friends. They are so good to me.

Okay, well, since I am up before 7:00 maybe I should get out of bed and do one of the seven loads of laundry I have sitting in the floor. I swear, Larry leaves for a week and the house is destroyed...laundry everywhere, dishes to be done, messy bathroom...messy everything! But by tonight the house will be in order, groceries stocked, and smelling divine with candles and food. Larry will think that I never missed a beat while he was away. Shhh...this is our little secret, okay?

Oh, and a very happy 3 month anniversary to us today! I can't even believe how fast the time is going. I love you so much, Larry and you become a greater gift to me every day. Thank you!

Happy weekend, friends!

Signed,

Get out there and get the stink blown off ya
-Hope Floats

From the Beginning

Posted originally on March 4, 2009

Hello blog world! I sure have missed you.As most of you already know, I am soon to be Mrs. Larry Ray Causey II. Still a crazy thought! Our wedding is May 8th in Healdsburg, CA. Larry and I decided on a small family wedding for many reasons. And we can't wait to share that sacred moment in time with you through pictures and storytelling. We are also planning to have a reception in Texas this summer, but no details have been finalized, so more information to come on that little shindig. I am definitely in the countdown phase of this crazy season. Only 65 days, 9.3 weeks or just a couple months to go...however you prefer to look at it (Ahem...Matt and Geof). I am so excited to step forward and do life with Larry Ray. He proves to be more than I ever deserved over and over again. And it leaves me only able to cry mercy. He is merciful, isn't He?!

Well, enough wedding talk for now. Like I said, most of you already now all that any way. But, Larry and I do have some very exciting news to announce. It's kind of a big deal because this is one of the first decisions that Larry and I were asked to make together as a couple. I know that this is just one of many "first" for him and I. Okay, okay...I am sure that you are sitting on the edge of your seat in suspense, right?

When Larry and I return from our honeymoon we will begin packing (our very, very new home) and heading up to our new home in McKinney. And we are not talking booming city McKinney but rather country, out in the middle of nowhere McKinney. Larry and I have accepted a part-time position at Cornerstone Ranch, which is a group home for special needs residents. Larry volunteered with the staff and several of the residents all through college while at SMU. He was involved in YL Capernanum which is an organization that brings the Good News of Christ to high school kids/adults with disabilities. Early on in our relationship I was privileged enough to join Larry at a couple of events where I was able to engage with these young adults. And my heart melted. All fears that I carried about feeling uncomfortable with special needs just subsided. For the first time I knew that these amazingly transparent people could teach me so much about myself and this God that I only want to love more.

Back in August, Larry and I made our first visit to Cornerstone. I (surprisingly) felt at home. I had such a quiet peace and life felt "slower" there to me. I secretly tucked a prayer inside my heart that one day Larry and I would be more involved in Cornertsone. Little did I now that the Lord would, in His grace, answer that silent prayer. Last month we were asked to consider moving to Cornerstone to work part-time three nights a week with the residents. And over the last month Larry and I have prayed, visited Cornerstone, and talked a lot about the what the gain would be over the loss. And we just keep coming to this place of feeling like the losses presented were worth losing for the chance to engage this opportunity.

So, we will be packing up the new townhome, moving to McKinney, saying goodbye to the convenience of our friends and family, leaving a new church that we love and throwing ourselves into this community called Cornertsone. Did I mention it's out.in.the.middle.of.nowhere?

Larry and I will still be keeping our full-time jobs. MBF has been gracious enough to support us in this opportunity and they are providing some flexibility with my schedule. Thank you, Kim and Jim! And Larry will still be able to travel the world with Buck and edit from home. Larry will work one day/week with the residents while I am at MBF and then three nights/week we will help the residents with dinner, evening activities and bed time routine. Really we are there to help provide structure for the residents. They are all pretty self sufficient. I can't wait to be sitting at the dinner table with them, admiring their most perfect faces and listening to their stories!

I would love for you to join us in prayer. We know that many people think you should take your first year of marriage kind of easy and "get to know each other". And Larry and I both desire that deeply. But we also desire to do something together that will bond us in a beautiful way. And I pray that this will happen through serving the precious residents at Cornerstone. Please pray for Larry and I's marriage and that it will be an easy transition, pray that we will be able to balance all that life requires (MBF, Buck, Cornertsone, time with family and friends, marriage, church, etc). Pray that we will find a healthy church in McKinney to attend. And pray for Cornerstone, that we are the right fit for this job, pray for the rest of the staff (by name: David, Cynthia, Doug and Miranda) and the residents (by name: Amanda, Laura, Will, David and Jason). Please just covers us in your sweet words lifted up to heaven.

Lastly, should your heart be moved towards Cornerstone or our efforts there, then please feel free to donate to the ranch by clicking here.

We love you!