2015 Magical Moments

Happy New Year's Eve!  I know I'm not the only one saying, "I can't believe how quickly this year has gone."  2015 was the year of travel for us - Les traveled 25 weeks - 22 were for business.  Thankfully, I was able to tag along for 14 of those weeks - 13 were for business, our only vacation together this year was our trip to Florida for Thanksgiving.  Les took two cycling trips with Lance - I'm glad they can do that together and I'm happy to stay home during those trips!  Along with traveling, it's been a great year.  I thought I'd highlight one thing from each month:

January:
On January 1st, I embarked upon a new Bible Study - Women of the Word.  While I didn't reach my goal to study one woman a week, I did study 33 women and learned SO much.  My life has definitely been enriched with this study.

February:
Our first of four trips to Oahu this year.  We celebrated a delayed Valentine's Day on the North Shore.

March:
Les was gone 16 days during the month of March.  He was in four states and I didn't go at all.  Brianna Miranda and I were twins one Sunday, so there's my highlight!

April:
I turned 51 and we took our second trip to Hawaii.  This time we celebrated my birthday at Sea Life Park.  I also got to hang out with Levi Bentz for a while.

May:
We celebrated our 24th anniversary at Disney's California Adventure.

June:
Les was home almost the entire month of June!  We took one short trip to Las Vegas for a business conference, but it was nice to stay home for a while.  The only highlight about Vegas was when it was in our rear view mirror!  Funniest picture was this "compare at" price...

July:
July was looking like another stay at home month until about the 15th.  We got word that Les needed to be in O'Fallon, Missouri for two weeks!  I found a cheap ticket and was able to go along.  I saw the Gateway Arch in Saint Louis for the first time.  Truly spectacular!  I also started training for marathon #4 while in Missouri.  Extreme heat and humidity didn't kill me, so I knew it was going to be a good training cycle.

August:
Les traveled to Utah for a week long bike adventure with Lance.  While he was gone, Kim, Krysten and Lauren came for a short visit.  We enjoyed a quick trip to Santa Barbara.

September:
We took our third trip to Hawaii.  Guava chiffon pancakes.  That's all.

October:
Early October we were still on Oahu and I ran the Brio Ice Cream 25k race as part of my marathon training.  Les had another busy travel month.  We flew home on a red eye on October 9th, getting home on Saturday morning.  Les flew to Philadelphia on Sunday morning - a six hour time difference!  He was home for a week then flew to Scottsdale, AZ.

November:
November was a big month!  I ran the Revel Canyon City Marathon and had a 7 minute PR!

At the end of the month, we traveled to Florida for the McElhaney family reunion.  Seven of us ran the Mexico Beach Community Garden Turkey Trot 5k.

December:
We took our final trip to Hawaii.  Les was one of the wheelchair cycling escorts for the Honolulu Marathon.

We had a super mellow Christmas at home, just the two of us.  My final picture is from a mountain bike ride a couple days before Christmas.  We have had a busy, but healthy and blessed year!  God's favor has shined on us.

Merry Christmas!

Bathsheba (Lineage of Christ) ~ Woman of the Week

In my many weeks of studying the lineage of Christ, I have read many commentaries regarding the ancestry listed in Matthew chapter 1 verses that listed in Luke chapter 3.  Matthew begins with Abraham and ends with Jesus.  Luke begins with Jesus and ends with Adam.  Both lists are the same from Abraham to David, but two of David's sons are named - Solomon and Nathan.  Most commentaries agree that this is not a mistake, but that Matthew traced Joseph's family, while Luke traced Mary's. "Matthew's list of the forefathers of Jesus showed that Christ was the son of Abraham, in whom all the families of the earth are blessed, and heir to the throne of David; but Luke shows that Jesus was the Seed of the woman that should break the serpent's head, and traces the line up to Adam, beginning with Eli, or Heli, the father, not of Joseph, but of Mary." (Matthew Henry)  I'm pointing this out in today's post because both sons of David where the genealogy changes were also sons of Bathsheba.  David had sons by six other wives, but both Mary and Joseph were both descended from David and Bathsheba.

Verses:   2 Samuel 11:1-27, 2 Samuel 12:15-24, 1 Kings 1:11-31, 1 Kings 2:13-23, Psalm 51

Background – parents, husband, children, siblings
Bathsheba was the daughter of Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite.  She is later called "Bathshua," which appears to be a variation of her name.  Giloh was a town in the hill country of Judah, so as far as I've been able to discover, Bathsheba was an Israelite.  Her first husband, Uriah, was called a Hittite - "who either was of that nation originally, and became a proselyte; or had sojourned there for a while, and took the name or had it given him, for some exploit he had performed against that people." (John Gill)
Bathsheba is listed in Matthew's genealogy as "her that had been the wife of Urias."  Later, Bathsheba was married to King David and gave birth to five sons, including Solomon and Nathan. 

What is she most known for? Victories? Defeats? How can I be like her? How can I avoid being like her?
When I did my study on the Wives of King David, I posted a Timeline of the Life of King David.  A review of this shows that David had been the king of Israel for approximately 20 years when he encountered Bathsheba.  Seven and a half years, he reigned in Hebron, then moved to Jerusalem. The key sentence in the story of David and Bathsheba is found in 2 Samuel 12:1, "But David tarried still at Jerusalem."  The kings had gone out to battle, but David was idle, which lead to his sin.

I searched the commentaries regarding Bathsheba "washing herself."  None had a negative comment about that act.  John Gill said she could have been "in her garden, or in an apartment in her house, the window being open," but none accused her of putting herself there so David would see her.  The start of the sin began with David as he saw her.  When he inquired, he was told, "Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?"

Knowing that Bathsheba was married didn't stop David's lust.  "David sent messengers, and took her..."

Did she reach a place when she needed to reset?  If so, did she?  For good or evil?
"... and she came in unto him, and he lay with her."  John Gill said, "she consenting to it, being prevailed upon, and drawn into it through the greatness and goodness of the man, which might make the sin appear the lesser to her."  

Whether she was afraid to say no to the king or not, I don't know.  I do know that Bathsheba had a choice.  "We hear nothing of her reluctance, and there is no evidence that she was taken by force."  (Adam Clarke)  She may have been intimidated, but she still had a choice.  We all have the choice to sin or not.

Now things changed from David's lust to David and Bathsheba's sin.  When she realized she was with child, she immediately sent word to David.  "Some immediate measures of concealing their sin were necessary, as well for the king’s honor as for her safety, for death was the punishment of an adulteress."  (A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments by Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown)

When David's plot to bring Uriah back to his wife failed, David had Uriah murdered.  "When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband."  "The news of which were soon sent her by David, though it is very probable she knew nothing of the plot to take away his life; and, besides, David chose to have his death published abroad as soon as possible, the more to hide his sin."  (John Gill)

"And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son."  "Bathsheba’s mourning, like that of Abigail, was probably limited to the customary time of seven days." (Albert Barnes)

Of course the story doesn't end there.  "But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD."  "It seems to have been a great while after David had been guilty of adultery with Bathsheba before he was brought to repentance for it. For, when Nathan was sent to him, the child was born."  (Matthew Henry)  Much is written about David's sin, guilt and repentance, but nothing is said of Bathsheba's.  They were both punished though, as the child conceived in their sin died.  Seven days after the prophet Nathan faced David with his sin, this unnamed son died.

2 Samuel 12:24 says, "And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him."  This is the first time she is called David's wife.  "Bathsheba no doubt was very much distressed, and greatly disconsolate, on account of the sin she had committed, and because of the wrath and displeasure of God, and because of the death of the child, which was a token of it; and she might have some scruples in her mind whether it was lawful to continue cohabiting with David. Now David comforted her, by telling her that God had pardoned that iniquity they had been guilty of, and that he would give them another son, who should succeed him in the throne, and build an house for his name."  (John Gill)

Psalm 51 is called "A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba."  The beautiful phrase "blot out all mine iniquities" in verse 9 was surely answered, as God forgave David and Bathsheba, allowing them to have four more sons, two of them named in the lineage of our Savior.

The final mention of Bathsheba is found in 1 Chronicles 3:5 as the sons of David are listed.  "Shimea, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, four, of Bathshua the daughter of Ammiel."  There is a lot written about Solomon, but Matthew Henry's commentary about Nathan is insightful, "One of them, which Bathsheba bore to him, he called Nathan, probably in honour of Nathan the prophet, who reproved him for his sin in that matter and was instrumental to bring him to repentance. It seems he loved him the better for it as long as he lived. It is wisdom to esteem those our best friends that deal faithfully with us. From this son of David our Lord Jesus descended, as appears Luke 3:31."

Woman of the Week ~ Mary (Lineage of Christ)

Continuing my studying of the women named in Matthew chapter 1.

Verses:  Matthew 1:16-25, Matthew 2:11-21, Luke 1:26-56, Luke 2:1-52

Background – parents, husband, children, siblings

What is she most known for?

Victories? Defeats?

How can I be like her?

How can I avoid being like her?

Did she reach a place when she needed to reset?  If so, did she?  For good or evil?

Ruth (Lineage of Christ) ~ Woman of the Week

I went back and reread my post about Naomi before working on this post.  Ruth and Naomi's lives are hard to separate.  Without Naomi's desire to return home, we would have never heard of Ruth.

Verses:   The Book of Ruth
Background – parents, husband, children, siblings

According to John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible, "Ruth, the Targum adds,"the daughter of Eglon, king of Moab;''and that she was his daughter, or the daughter of his son, is a notion commonly received with the Jews though without any just foundation; she was married to Mahlon, one Philo asserts these two women to be own sisters."  Of course she was the daughter-in-law to Naomi.  Interestingly, if what I learned about Rahab being the mother of Boaz is correct, then Ruth was also a daughter-in-law to Rahab.  It makes me wonder if the two women ever met!  What a conversation that would have been.  John Gill's commentary on Ruth 2:1 says of Boaz, "his father's name was Salmon, and his mother was Rahab, the harlot of Jericho."

What is she most known for? Victories? Defeats? How can I be like her? How can I avoid being like her?
Of course Ruth is most known for her words to Naomi.  This was a turning point in her life, one that eventually placed her in the lineage of King David and finally the King of Kings, Jesus Christ.  "And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:  Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me."

I found Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible to be the most thorough of explanations on Ruth 1:16-17:

"The Targum adds several things to this conversation between Naomi and Ruth. I shall subjoin them: “And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee,” for I desire to become a proselyte. And Naomi said, We are commanded to keep the Sabbath and other holy days; and on it not to travel more than two thousand cubits. And Ruth said, “Whither thou goest, I will go.” And Naomi said, We are commanded not to lodge with the Gentiles. Ruth answered, “Where thou lodgest, I will lodge.” And Naomi said, We are commanded to observe the one hundred and thirteen precepts. Ruth answered, What thy people observe, that will I observe; as if they had been my people of old. And Naomi said, We are commanded not to worship with any strange worship. Ruth answered, “Thy God shall be my God.” Naomi said, We have four kinds of capital punishment for criminals; stoning, burning, beheading, and hanging. Ruth answered, “In whatsoever manner thou diest, I will die.” Naomi said, We have a house of burial. Ruth answered, “And there will I be buried.”  It is very likely that some such conversation as this took place between the elders and those who were becoming proselytes."

Naomi and Ruth returned to Bethlehem.  Very quickly, of her own initiative, Ruth went to work.  They had arrived at the beginning of the harvest and it was still going on.  It was no accident that she worked in the field of Boaz, "it was according to the purpose, and by the providence and direction of God that she came to the reapers in that part of the field Boaz, a near kinsman of her father-in-law." (John Gill)

Boaz noticed Ruth and learned who she was.  He told her to continue gleaning in his field and offered his protection while there.  "Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?"  Ruth still knew who she was, but Boaz knew more than just her nationality, "It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust." (Ruth 2:11-12)

Did she reach a place when she needed to reset?  If so, did she?  For good or evil?
Of course Ruth returning to Bethlehem with Naomi was a reset for Ruth, but she was given further opportunity.  When Naomi said, "My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?" (Ruth 3:1) she was referring to finding a husband for Ruth so she wouldn't need to work so hard.  Ruth may have not known the laws regarding the near kinsman, but Naomi did.

Naomi's advice in verse 4 may seem a bit odd to us, "And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do."  Matthew Henry's commentary said, "The course Naomi advised appears strange to us; but it was according to the laws and usages of Israel. If the proposed measure had borne the appearance of evil, Naomi would not have advised it. Law and custom gave Ruth, who was now proselyted to the true religion, a legal claim upon Boaz. It was customary for widows to assert this claim."

Ruth followed Naomi's plans.  Boaz was a bit startled to find a woman at his feet at midnight!  "The conduct of Boaz calls for the highest praise. He attempted not to take advantage of Ruth; he did not disdain her as a poor, destitute stranger, nor suspect her of any ill intentions. He spoke honourably of her as a virtuous woman, made her a promise, and as soon as the morning arrived, sent her away."  (Matthew Henry)

The next day Boaz was at the gate to speak to the one who was the nearest kinsman.  When it was all said and done, Boaz was able to redeem Ruth.  Interestingly, the people said, "And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young woman."  Just as Tamar was a stranger in Israel, so was Ruth.  Both were brought into the family of Israel and are named in the lineage of Christ.

Matthew Henry wraps it all up very beautifully, "Ruth bore a son, through whom thousands and myriads were born to God; and in being the lineal ancestor of Christ, she was instrumental in the happiness of all that shall be saved by him; even of us Gentiles, as well as those of Jewish descent. She was a witness for God to the Gentile world, that he had not utterly forsaken them, but that in due time they should become one with his chosen people, and partake of his salvation."

Woman of the Week ~ Bathsheba (Lineage of Christ)

Continuing my studying of the women named in Matthew chapter 1.

Verses:   2 Samuel 11:1-27, 2 Samuel 2:15-24, 1 Kings 1:11-31, 1 Kings 2:13-23, Psalm 51

Background – parents, husband, children, siblings

What is she most known for?

Victories? Defeats?

How can I be like her?

How can I avoid being like her?

Did she reach a place when she needed to reset?  If so, did she?  For good or evil?

Saturday Morning Photo Dump

I haven't even started working on my Woman of the Week!  I've spent a lot of time on my feet, out and about in Honolulu this week and very little time in front of the laptop.  I will finish this series before the end of the year, hopefully before Christmas, but I WILL finish it!

Here are some of the sites I've been enjoying.  We bring a little bit of luggage...

Our traditional first morning breakfast at Cinnamon's.  They had gingerbread pancakes but our server didn't tell us!

Serving Love and Aloha since 1985...

The Bus decked out for Christmas!

The Honolulu Marathon is tomorrow.  I won't be running it, but I visited the expo anyway!

I spotted these elite runners from my room yesterday morning:

Friday night the sailboats head out for a sunset cruise...

While we head to Round Table Pizza and Lappert's Ice Cream...

Lots of boats in the Ala Wai Harbor are decked out for Christmas...

We were back in our room by 7:45 to watch the fireworks.  Love the reflection on the water!

I was up early for a run this morning.

I never get tired of the view of Diamond Head...

While I working on this post, I received a text from Les who is out on a bike ride.  "Caught in Waimanalo parade again."

Hope you're having a wonderful week!  Christmas is almost here and I haven't bought a single gift or sent a single card!

Rahab (Lineage of Christ) ~ Woman of the Week

I took a little side journey during my study of Rahab trying to figure out if she was truly the mother of Boaz.  While that didn't seem possible at first, I turned to my chronological Bible and it has the book of Ruth occurring during the book of Judges.  Several sources confirmed that Boaz was the son of Rahab and Salmon.  What caught my attention was this statement about Matthew's genealogy: "In it none of the holy women are included, only those whom the Scriptures blame, in order that He who came in behalf of sinners, Himself being born of sinners, might destroy the sins of all."  Sarah, Rebekkah, and Leah, among others, were left out of the list, written by Matthew the publican.

Of the women named in the lineage of Christ, Rahab has the distinction of also being named in two epistles - Hebrews and James.

Verses:   Joshua 2:1-21, Joshua 6:17-25, Hebrews 11:31, James 2:25

Background – parents, husband, children, siblings
We don't know how many siblings Rahab had, but Joshua 2:13 says, "ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters."  After Jericho was defeated Rahab married Salmon, said to be a prince of Israel.  "Her name was Rahab, of whom the Jews have this tradition, that she was ten years of age when Israel came out of Egypt; that she played the harlot the forty years they were in the wilderness."  (John Gill)

What is she most known for? Victories? Defeats? How can I be like her? How can I avoid being like her?
We are introduced to Rahab when two spies go to Jericho.  "And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there." Many commentaries talked about the use of the word harlot.  "Many expositors, desirous of removing the stigma of this name from an ancestress of the Savior, have called her a hostess or tavern keeper. "  (A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments by Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown {JFB})  "Three times over Rahab is referred to as “the harlot,” and the Hebrew term zoonah and the Greek word porne have at no time meant anything else but “harlot”—a woman who yields herself indiscriminately to every man approaching her. Rahab indulged in wantonness as traveling merchants came her way and were housed in her ill famed abode. Evidently Rahab had her own house and lived apart from her parents and family. Although she never lost her concern for her dear ones, perhaps she was treated as a moral leper. We are told that prostitution was not regarded with the same horror then, as now, but the Bible with one voice speaks of harlotry with moral revulsion and social ostracism." (All the Women of the Bible by Herbert Lockyer)

Before the spies arrived, Rahab had a plan and was ready for them.  She said, "I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.  And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.  Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token:  And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death." (Joshua 2:9-13)  "Rahab’s dialogue is full of interest, as showing the universal panic and consternation of the Canaanites on the one hand, and her strong convictions on the other, founded on a knowledge of the divine promise, and the stupendous miracles that had opened the way of the Israelites to the confines of the promised land. She was convinced of the supremacy of Jehovah, and her earnest stipulations for the preservation of her relatives amid the perils of the approaching invasion, attest the sincerity and strength of her faith." (JFB)

When she said, "The Lord your God, he is God" ... "From the rumour of God’s miraculous interpositions Rahab believed, and makes the self-same confession to which Moses endeavors to bring Israel by rehearsing similar arguments. Rahab had only heard of what Israel had experienced. Her faith then was ready. It is noteworthy, too, that the same reports which work faith and conversion in the harlot, cause only terror and astonishment among her countrymen." (Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible)

Rahab was willing to hide the spies and send the king's men on a wild goose chase.  Yes, she lied, there's no way to sugar coat that.  Matthew Henry's commentary said, "Though excuses may be offered for the guilt of Rahab's falsehood, it seems best to admit nothing which tends to explain it away. Her views of the Divine law must have been very dim: a falsehood like this, told by those who enjoy the light of revelation, whatever the motive, would deserve heavy censure."

Before sending the spies away, she bound the scarlet line in her window.  She didn't wait until the Israelites were marching around the wall.  "Immediately, as Abarbinel thinks, and in the sight of the spies, that they might see that she conformed to their direction, and that they might take notice where she fastened it; and that she herself might, at the sight of it, be put in mind of the design of it, and be an encouragement to her faith as to the safety of her and her father's house." (John Gill)

Did she reach a place when she needed to reset?  If so, did she?  For good or evil?
Rahab, and the inhabitants of Jericho, didn't have long to wait.  According to the timelines I could find, Jericho was destroyed the same year that the spies had visited her.  There are times when the order of verses makes the story not seem believable.  The Bible is clear that the walls of Jericho fell and the city was destroyed.  How could Rahab and her family have survived?  I think the placement of verses 22 and 23 (Joshua's instruction to the spies) could have easily taken place before the actual fall of the city.  Verse 22 says "Joshua had said..."

When the walls of Jericho fell, Rahab was given a new start. Her entire family was saved because of her. They were not allowed to dwell in the camp of Israel for a time. "They were considered as persons unclean, and consequently left without the camp." (Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible) They were eventually allowed in to the camp, "she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho." (Joshua 6:25)

Hebrews chapter 11, the great faith chapter, reminds us, "By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace."

Woman of the Week ~ Ruth (Lineage of Christ)

I realize I have not posted Rahab's story yet.  We flew to Hawaii yesterday so I was extra busy at the end of last week preparing for our trip.  I am working on the post and plan to have it up later today or tomorrow.  I really want to finish these ladies by the end of the year, so I plan to study Ruth this week as well.

Verses:   The Book of Ruth

Background – parents, husband, children, siblings

What is she most known for?

Victories? Defeats?

How can I be like her?

How can I avoid being like her?

Did she reach a place when she needed to reset?  If so, did she?  For good or evil?

Kids from One to Ninety-Two

No, this post isn't about Christmas - it's about our Thanksgiving week!  Les and I made the trek to Panama City, Florida for the annual DOE Thanksgiving Reunion.  DOE is what we call ourselves - Descendants of Earl.  Earl and Marie McElhaney were Les' grandparents and their offspring, four generations worth, get together every year at Thanksgiving.  Les and I share the holiday with my family, so we usually go every other year. I blogged about the gathering that took place in Gatlinburg in 2008 and those that took place in Florida in 2011 and in 2013.

The original DOE - Bobbie, Mary, Betty, Bill and Jim

Aunt Bobbie was the oldest in attendance - she is now 92 and still going strong.  Aunt Betty's great grandson was the youngest at one.  A total of 59 people were there this year - some weren't able to be there on Wednesday, others spent Thursday with in-laws, and Les and I were the first to fly home on Friday, but it was the largest Thanksgiving gathering I've ever been to.

"Some" of the grandkids and great grandkids - every picture had at least one blur

A highlight for me was running the Mexico Beach Community Garden Turkey Trot 5k.  Les, his 83 year old dad, his brother-in-law, one nephew and two nieces joined in the fun.  I ran/walked most of it with 10 year old Leksi (who turned 11 yesterday!)

Galina, Rick, Reese, Les, Bill, Kathy, Leksi

 

They finished strong!

As the "sisters" (Les' aunts) have gotten older (92, 90 and 88!) it was decided that we would meet and eat the church in Panama City that Les' cousin, Allen Crabtree, pastors.  There was plenty of delicious food!

There was also time at the campground in Wewahitchka.  There's always fish to be caught...

Wood to be chopped...

Post turkey trot naps to be taken...

Bikes to be ridden...

and photos to be bombed!

I didn't take nearly as many pictures as usual - there were too many people to get caught up with to worry about taking pictures!  This was also the best year weather wise that I've been to - lows in the 40s and highs in the 70s.  Picture perfect!