Christmas Greetings from our house to yours!

This is our

Christmas card

this year.

Actually,

this is the

card I put 

online.

Here are a 

few more

favorites

from that

day.

My beautiful

children

and our

sweet puppies!

Dave

and

me.

Not too

bad 

for

two

old

people!

Dave,

the children,

Chloe

and

Charlie!

 Such a beautiful fall this year!
Hope you enjoyed it! We did!

We also hope

your Christmas season

is filled with 

rejoicing in our

Savior and 

His birth!

Sydney Paige

So finally this weekend

I was able 

to photograph

my cousin's

sweet baby girl.

This is Sydney.

She is two plus

and we enjoyed

 her bringing 

 her mommy

by our house.

 She loved our puppies.        

Charlie was very docile

and let her

pull his ears.

Chloe was a

little more frisky - 

she is just

a puppy.

Sydney was not 

so sure

about Chloe's kisses.

I am thankful

for many things

this season.

Today I am 

thankful

I was able

to capture the

laughter

and

beauty

of this 

sweet girl.

A Good Day

Believing that God 

has brought us

together,

David Lee Worlund

and 

Mona Renae Strange

along with our parents

invite you to 

worship with us

as we become one

in Christ

on

Saturday afternoon,

the twenty-first of July

nineteen hundred ninety

at

2:00pm.

Fairfield Highlands Baptist Church

910 9th Avenue

Midfield, Alabama.

Reception following

in the fellowship hall.

And so it was

that Dave and I 

were married...

for better, for worse,

for richer, for poorer,

in sickness, and in health,

until death parts us.

And thereto,

we pledged our troth's

to each other.

That was a good day,

an exhausting one, 

but a good day.

A day that

I married a man

I thought I knew

but who I had

dated only

one month

before committing 

my life 

to him.

Dave and I met through

a mutual friend

three year before

our first date 

which was January 8, 1990.

Dave was headed for

the Niger Republic

and I was waiting to begin

training with Wycliffe Bible Translators

to be a linguist.

I was headed to

Africa, as well,

by way of

Texas for 2-3 years.

So it was we talked about

marriage on our first date

(a great adventure in itself...

for a later blog).

We were 27 years old

and headed to do 

different ministries

but really felt

strong affection for one another.

Dave's friend suggested that 

we see a marriage counselor.

We went to our session

and the pastor said

he wouldn't be surprised

if we called him 

two weeks later to 

say we were engaged.

We did.

February 11, 1990

Dave asked

and I accepted...

after awhile.

(Again, a great story

but for a later blog).

My mom made and remade my dress. 

we bought everything

and my bridesmaids helped with 

the reception in the 

church's fellowship hall.

                                                  One of my favorite photos from that day...

                                                    made with natural light which 

                                                 I mostly use today in my photography.

We waited until July 21, 1990

to be married because

Dave's best friend, David Jamieson,

was in Morocco as a Journeyman.

Dave wanted him to be

a part of our day.

We wanted to elope

in April (after tax season)

but Dave's parents knew

his sisters would be hurt.

So a small family wedding

turned into a larger

church wedding.

Almost six hundred

friends and family

(we both have big families)

were there to witness

our vows,

some great music,

an awesome ceremony

by my pastor, 

Brother Buck Duke,

and see us

united as man and wife.

It was a good day

While we have had

many bad and good days 

in our 22 years,

it was truly

one of the best.

It was a good day.

I married the man

who would be

my best friend

and the love of my life.

More Pics of E

This is my

most precious

niece...

E.

She is my 

favorite

right now...

because she is

the newest

little one

in our family.

This is my

sister-in-law.

She is a 

great mommy.

This is my

brother-in-law.

He is Dave's brother.

He is notorious

for aggravating

his nieces and nephews.

We love his two

little ones

(and their mommy)

too much to 

pay him back!

I mean, really,

could you ever

aggravate

this sweet face?

I think not!!!

It took

a while

for sleep 

to come.

When it did,

however,

there was

sweet peace.

She is

eight days old

in these

images.

Sweet, sweet

E!

Your Aunt Renae

loves you

very much!!

Our Newest Addition

This is the newest addition to

our family...

our extended family, 

that is.

She was born

Friday,

June 15, 2012

at 10:21 am.

She weighed

7 pounds

and measured 

18 inches long.

It has been quite some time

since we have had a

little one 

at our house.

Sweet Little Feet

Sweet Little Fingers

              This sweet girl has a big brother
                  you may have seen earlier
                           in my blog.
                     T was very excited
                   to see his little sister, E,
                   and we were and are
             very happy she arrived safely.

                 

        E is the eighth little

        girl in our family

        and the fourteenth

        grandchild.

        We now have a

        great grandchild

        and another one

        on the way.

        Our family is

        growing

        by leaps

        and bounds.

 I know it
will be awhile
(I pray it will be)
until mine
and Dave's family
grows more.

Grandchildren
will be
welcomed
but not hurried.

We are excited for all God has in store 

for each of four children.

We pray it includes 

four sweet mates,

grandchildren,

and four happy homes.

Someday maybe I will be 

posting pictures

of our own grandchildren here

...but not too soon.

My brother, Barry Wayne Strange

I have just finished a feat I have been trying to accomplish for the last five years - since my brother died. I wanted to make a book of his life and give it to his children so they and their children can remember him. It was truly one of the hardest things I have ever done. I could barely get through one page without tears. I wonder if it will ever get easier - will I ever not cry - as I am doing now just thinking about him and how his life was shortened way too soon?

He was 40 years old when he died on March 6, 2006. I had not always been close to him but near the end, I tried to reconnect and let him know how much I loved him and how much he was loved by the Lord. I believe he knew this. I believe this is part of the reason he had cancer - so he would recount his life and know God's faithfulness. I also believe this is why he was free from cancer when he died. God wanted to show him over and over that he is and was very precious to His heavenly Father.

I will miss him until I see him in heaven - I have to believe that even with all his bad decisions in life his one decision to follow Christ changed his destiny forever. I have to believe that he is waiting for us with Jesus. I have to believe that he is not in pain anymore and worshipping the Lord - something I long to do with him someday. I believe. I believe God is strong enough to hold him even through his bad decisions here on earth - even through his turning away to other things. My heavenly Father is faithful and AWESOME. He is mighty to save - forever.

"Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God and there is none like me; declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done; saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure; calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country; yea, I have spoken, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed, I will also do it." Isaiah 46:9-11