Day 58: Christen Haaland

Last night I called my dear friend Marianne Haaland. As she and I were chatting, her hubby called Drew and they talked. It was almost like we were on a double date again!

Marianne and Christen have been dear friends of ours since we started college at PBA. They were a few years older than us, and have a few more years of marriage experience, so they have really been great guides to us on our own personal love journey!

Christen is a great guy, first off. He is jovial, funny, and has a really kind heart. He and Drew hit it off from  the get-go! Christen is a dreamer and I can't wait to see what becomes of those dreams some day.

Something else you should know about Christen is that he is a board game Nazi. Seriously. One of our favorite things to do with the Haalands is get together for dinner and games at their house. We have played several different games with them, but our favorite being Monopoly. It is bad when we all play together. Man, it can get ugly! We all take this game very seriously and Christen is really, really good at it. As much as it breaks my heart to admit defeat, I must. He beat me. And Drew. And Marianne. Yuck. But, I suppose that is why he will be a good entrepreneur.

We have so many fun memories with Marianne and Christen. Here are some of my favorites:

1. Our Beach Trips
2. Game Nights
3. Dinner/Movie Nights
4. Our Trip to Universal Studios for Rock the Universe
5. Marianne & Christen's trip to Orlando when we had to break into their car in the middle of the night because they locked their keys in the trunk!
6. Having them share our wedding festivities with us!
7. The summer Drew & Christen sold steaks together!

As you can see, this couple has provided quite a bit of fun in our lives and we are so thankful for that!

Christen is a really nice guy and he has been such a great friend to both Drew and I. He and Marianne have both been there for us through thick and thin. Even though hundreds of miles physically separate us, we keep in touch often and I know we will always be friends. Even if we go years without seeing each other, I know we would pick right back up where we left off! They are such a treasure to us!

Christen,

Thank you for being a such a dear friend to us! Thank you for being a great husband to my girl Marianne! Your zest for life and sense of humor is such a refreshing trait! You have a huge heart and a passion for the Lord. Thank you for all the ways you and your lovely wife have blessed us over the years!

Love you both!!

MB (and Drew too!)

The first official picture of the Darrs and the Haalands! 

Day 57: Ty Schenzel

Let me start off by apologizing for not writing for the last 2 weeks. I was very lazy and I am sorry. However, I think I am going to restructure this a little so that I don't get burned out as much. I think my goal is going to be 365 people, but maybe not in 365 days. It can become tedious to crank out a blog every single night, and I really don't want my thank you's to become a chore or insincere. I like to be inspired for each blog rather than force a writing.

Tonight I am writing to you about Ty Schenzel, Drew's uncle. Uncle Ty is awesome, to put it simply. I met him a few years ago when I joined the Darr clan in Nebraska for Emily's (Ty's Oldest Daughter) wedding. I will never forget how funny he was! He kept introducing me to everyone as "Drew's girlfriend Felina" which was obviously, not my name. It was funny to me though how many people probably thought that was my name for a while!

I loved the whole Schenzel family the second I met them! They are all so warm, welcoming and fun! I thought it was pretty cool that Ty actually tried to get to know me over that trip. He sat down next to me and basically asked for my story. Although, a bit intimidating, I really appreciated that he took the time to hear my story. It's so rare that men in our society actually take initiative in getting to know others. It seems like they are only interested in things that, well, interest them, like sports. It was so refreshing to see such a huge level of depth in Uncle Ty.

Uncle Ty has had a huge impact on Drew. Quite frankly I think Drew is the spitting image of Ty! Ty is an amazing father. It brought tears to my eyes several times watching his beautiful relationships with his children, but specifically with his daughters. I know that Drew will be an equally wonderful father someday....WAY, WAY, WAY down the line. Ty has a huge amount of compassion in his heart and in general is one of the kindest people I have ever met. He is selfless, loving, and generous. He started a foundation called The Hope Center for Kids which is located in Omaha, Nebraska. It is a very cool organization that is inspiring so many people.

 To learn more about this program go here: The Hope Center for Kids

Drew and I thought it would be really neat if we both had our uncles who are both pastors, collaborate on our wedding ceremony. We loved how it turned out. Ty welcomed everybody and then spoke a little bit about Drew. Later he led us in taking Communion which was a very cool thing to do in our ceremony. It was so special to us to have both of our uncles marry us!

Ty is a role model in countless ways, but the best being his relationship with the Lord. You can tell that Ty seeks God's wisdom and plan for his life and for those around him. Ty has his faith in the Lord and he relies on God for everything. That is so awesome. I love to see strong Christian men and fathers.

Uncle Ty,

Thank you for you influence in Drew's life and in mine. You are a very awesome uncle and we love you very much! You are so kind, witty, and compassionate. Your role in our wedding meant so much to us and we are incredibly grateful for all of your help. You are an inspiration to us in the way you live your life and the care you have for others. Thank you for leading by example. We are hoping to plan a trip out to Omaha this summer!

Love,

Mary Beth

This is a picture of Uncle Ty and his two beautiful daughter's Annie and Emily. Love this crew!

Day 56: Gwen Latham

Gwen is a dear family friend of mine. She is a wonderful lady and I consider her one of my aunts even though we are not biologically related.

I got to know Gwen from my brother's baseball games! One of her sons and my brother used to play baseball together for years. They were on traveling teams together and local teams, and it always seemed that I found myself at a baseball game. Baseball is not my favorite sport, but because I am a supportive sister, I choose to go. Regardless, after spending a lot of time with with the family of the players we all became very close. We used to go out to eat and to the beach together on all of the traveling games (those were my personal favorites).

Gwen is many things. She is fabulous, southern, creative, funny, and kind. She has an amazing heart and loves the Lord. She always throws really great themed parties that I love going to! Gwen was a wonderful help to us during our wedding! She was always out shopping for items we needed (like candy for our candy buffet), brainstorming ideas with me, setting up/decorating on the actual day, as well as tearing everything down in the evening. Only true friends are kind enough to help you THAT much on your wedding day. I have not even seen her since then, which makes me so sad! But we stay in touch through facebook.

Gwen,

Thank you for your fun spirit! Thank you for your kind and thoughtful heart. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate you looking after my family when I was not physically present to do so myself. Your kind words and actions have deeply influenced my life. I love your zest for life and how funny you are! Thank you for including my family and me in your zany parties! They are awesome! I hope to see you very soon! Love you!

MB

P.S. This picture is B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!!! 

Day 55: Miranda Stapel

Forgive me for not writing for several days. I have had a wonky work schedule since I put in my 2 weeks notice at my current job so I have slacked on the writing. :(

Tonight I had some much needed "girl talk" with a friend of mine from Carbondale, Miranda. It is quite clear that God placed Rick and Miranda in our life when we moved to Carbondale.

Our 2nd day in town Drew met Rick at work. He and Rick are both grad. assistants in the english dept. Rick noticed that Drew's wedding band had Hebrew on it. He asked Drew what it meant and when Drew said "my beloved is mine and I am hers" from Song of Solomon, Rick asked Drew if he was a Christian. Drew said yes, and then Rick invited us to his church. Needless to say we went, loved the church, and joined Rick and Miranda's small group. The rest is history.

Rick and Miranda have been a huge blessing to us. They have invited us to their home for dinner, out to coffee many times, we have gone out for dinner, and hung out at many work related events for Rick and Drew. They have gone out of their way to make us feel welcomed to Carbondale, and we have been blessed ten-fold because of it.

Tonight Rick and Drew were out socializing with the English crowd and Miranda invited me over for coffee. It was such a nice evening. We had coffee and some awesome banana-blueberry bread that she made. I am always really impressed when people make bread. I don't know why, but the idea of baking bread intimidates me! So I was super impressed. It was a delight.

It was so nice to chat to a member of the same sex, for a significant amount of time, in person, without a husband around. There is just something about girl talk that is good for the soul. We talked about our marriages, families, shopping, work, etc. I really needed that. I sort of re-energized me in a sense.

Miranda,

Thank you for inviting me over tonight! Thank you for all that you and Rick have done to bless Drew and I and make us feel welcomed to C-dale! You guys were put in our lives by the Lord and we are so thankful for that. I have enjoyed getting to know you more over these past months and look forward to getting even closer as the year continues! You are such a strong woman. You are a Godly wife and mother and that is so inspirational. Thank you for the great girl talk!

Love,

Mary Beth

Day 54: Kalyn Rushing

Let me tell you something...Kalyn is a wonder woman. Never in my life have I met someone with so many skills. Kalyn is outstanding at everything! Literally. Here are just a few of her amazing talents:

1. Math
2. Fashion Design
3. Sewing
4. Make-Up Artistry
5. Soccer
6. Roller-Derby
7. Swing Dancing
8. Organic/Natural Food Cooking
9. Oh! And she does a great "Lolly" dance! (It's the Cuban in her...)
10. Super cute hair-dos!

I would like to do ONE of these things really well, heaven forbid master ALL of them. Seriously Kay! Share your talents with the rest of us! ;)

Kay is a friend of mine whom I met while in college. She was roommates with Meg, which is how I met her, then she lived with a bunch of us girls the following year, and last year she, Shick, and myself all lived in 324.5....aka....La Crystal Palace. We have a lot of fun memories. Kay, Shick, and I shared a 3 person bunk bed last year. Crazy right? Yes, but it was fun. It was like a slumber party every night. I have a lot of fun memories from last year.

I love going shopping with Kay. She and I would often make trips out to malls together or even Target and amuse ourselves for hours. She introduced me to Lush products and many other wonderful goodies at Sephora. She showed me the ropes, so to say.

Kay is a daredevil too. She has many tattoos that are all very artsy and cool. I personally like her Peter Pan themed ones. I am too much of a wimp to ever get a tattoo, but I liked seeing Kay's and watching her go through the process.

Kay and I would sometimes spend our entire Saturday watching America's Next Top Model. One time we even did our own shoot! It was a blast!

Kay,

I miss seeing you every day! I miss hearing about what tattoos you are going to get, what happened at roller-derby/swing dance, and what mathematical phenomenon you solved that day! You are such a kind person with a huge heart. You love people and that is a great thing! You are incredibly talented and always fun to hang out with! I miss laughing with you and having roommate dates. Hope all is going well with you! Let's catch up soon!

Love,

MB

Day 53: Austin Goins-McCree

Hello my faithful readers! I am sorry I have not blogged in a few days. As much as I try to write one blog a day, sometimes I am simply too tired, too busy, or too cranky! And no one wants a "cranky thank you"!

Today I am writing about a wonderful girl I have met through our church: Austin. I met Austin probably towards the end of August at one of our small group meetings. She invited me out for coffee a few days later. I remember thinking how nice that was of her to invite me, the new girl, out to coffee. I really enjoyed talking with her that day and I came home and told Drew that I felt like she and I would have a lot in common.

Here are some things that I have noticed we both have in common:

1. We both wear similar Tiffany necklaces.
2. Our husbands are both loons! (Very lovable, but also a bit crazy!)
3. We both have a younger brother.
4. We both love to shop and wish there was better shopping in C-dale.
5. We both love Sushi! (which we still need to go out for!)
6. We both liked to have our nails painted pretty much all the time.
7. We both love cats and spoil our own.
8. And now, thanks to Austin, we both work at Walker's Bluff!

Austin is an executive at Walker's Bluff, which is a local vineyard and winery, and informed me last week that they were looking for a second event coordinator. She asked if I was interested (which of course I was!) and basically hooked me up! She was an excellent point of reference for me to have to get my foot in the door. Yesterday, after an application and a few interviews last week,  I was offered the job and I am so excited about it! I am incredibly thankful to Austin for even thinking of me for this position.

Austin,

It has been so nice getting to know you over the past few months! You and Quentin are a hoot and we love spending time with you guys! Drew and I were just talking last night about how we need to all go out to dinner some night in the near future! I am so thankful for your kindness in making me feel welcomed to the small group and Carbondale in general. Thank you for thinking of me as I was job searching and giving me the chance of an awesome opportunity! I am so excited to be working with you and getting to know you better! You have been a wonderful blessing in my life!

Sincerely,

Mary Beth

This is a picture of Austin and her hubby at the Walker's Bluff New Year's Eve Event! 

Day 52: Uncle Rick

Tonight I am writing to you about my awesome Uncle Rick! Rick has walked through many stages of life with my family, and I have become super close to him during the past years we lived in Atlanta.

Rick is my "funny" uncle. Do you ever compartmentalize family members? For instance, Uncle George is my "firefighter and strong" uncle, Uncle Dwight is my "pharmacist and who I go to for medical advice" uncle. Simply put, Rick always makes me laugh. He is witty and has a lot of jokes on hand. He always knows how to cheer me up!

Rick is also a Pastor. He married pretty much everyone in my family, including Drew and me this past summer. He was also the Pastor that baptized me when I was 13 years old. I have been given the privilege of sharing many life defining moments with him and I am very thankful for that.

Rick is also super compassionate. He is tender-hearted and has a supreme understanding for people's situations. Maybe that comes with the Pastor territory, but I think it is specifically how the Lord designed his heart. He feels what others are feeling and is empathetic. He has been there for my family countless times. Over and over again he has prayed with us, cried with us, and joked with us and that is what family is for! We are there for each other, to carry each other when we are too weak to carry ourselves. And that is exactly what Rick has done for us.

Uncle Rick has experienced too many pains in life. He and his family have had to endure more tragic life circumstances than any one should ever have to go through. He has somehow kept his faith in the Lord and joy in life. I certainly know I do not have the strength that he has to endure so many things. It has to be a God-given strength. I respect him so much and look up to him for the way he has survived the curveballs of life. He and his whole family are inspirational.

Uncle Rick,

Thank you for setting a Godly example for Hank and me. You are such a blast to be around and we love you so much. You have always been so funny and such a joy. Your compassion and care for us has been incredible and I am so thankful for it and blessed by it. Thank you for all you have done for you. You are an amazing man with excellent character. I miss you! Hope you are doing well!

Love you,

Mary Beth

This is a picture of Rick marrying us this past June! 

Day 51: Leeann Denham

Leeann Denham has been many things to me over the years I have known her. She has been the mom of my friends Kirk and Laurel, a friend and coworker of my mom's, the carpool mom, and most recently the floral designer for my wedding. Leeann is talented at an incredible amount of things! If it involves creativity and skill, she has mastered it!

Her help with my wedding was immeasurable. She was like my own personal David Tutera! (If you know me, you know my obsession with wedding designer David Tutera). Throughout the planning process I would email her different ideas of flower arrangements and bouquets that I liked. We discussed color pallets, types of flowers, and of course, budgets. Leeann performed miracles. Let me show you!

Can you believe she ordered all of these flowers online from Sam's Club??? She ordered them wholesale and arranged them for us! This saved us an incredible amount of money which was a huge blessing! When I saw the bouquets and boutonnieres on the wedding day I started crying because she created arrangements that were more beautiful than I ever imagined! My breath was literally taken away at how amazing they looked. I have yet to see flowers in a magazine or wedding show that I liked as much as my bouquet or my bridesmaids! 

Leeann is a blessing to so many people. She is so kind, sensitive, and sweet. She is creative, intelligent, and a great friend! She is a faithful follower of the Lord with a true servant's heart. 

Mrs. Denham,

Thank you for all that you have done for me and my family over the years. You are a blessing to my family, but especially to me. You were a huge part of my wedding dreams becoming a reality and I can never thank you enough for that. You are a beautiful woman on the inside and out. You have impacted my life in such a positive way. Thank you for all you do, but mostly for who you are.

Love,

Mary Beth 

This is Leeann with her 2 daughters who were also a huge help at the wedding! 

Day 50: Kelly Lang

Kelly Lang is the mother of one of my dearest friends Meg Lang. I have only been able to spend quality time with Momma Lang a handful of times, but I have had a blast each time!

Momma Lang is an inspiration to me in many ways. She is a great wife and mother. She and her husband seem so in love! I adore looking at pictures of the two of them together! They are so cute and look like they have a blast together! They are a couple that I sincerely look up to as a great example of marriage. Momma Lang home schools 2 of her kids (the other two are in college) and has a beautiful home! She fights for her children and is definitely their biggest fan! She is very maternal and I have always felt very comfortable with her. I include her on my list of "other mothers".

She is also hysterical. Seriously! This lady is so funny! She is quick and witty and it is no surprise that Meg has the same gifts! I love hanging out with the Lang family. They blessed so many of Meg's PBA friends with a trip to stay with them in Chi-town one season! That was the best trip! They were so hospitable and welcoming. I can't wait to go back and see them soon!

Momma Lang is also an inspiration to me because of the family she has now. She has an amazing husband and great children. She has dealt with life's pains and chosen the path of happiness. How many other women would have let pain in life disrupt God's plans for their future! Not Kelly! She fought for peace, love, and happiness and God has blessed her because of that! She was faithful to Him and He has been faithful to her. I hope to have an equally big and loving family!

Momma Lang,

Thank you for being another mother to me when ever you came to visit in Palm Beach! I always looked forward to your visits because of the life, energy, and joy you brought to all the people around! Thank you for being a great role-model for women. Thank you for setting a Godly example for your family and others. You are an inspiration to me in the way you have lived your life! Drew and I are still hoping to come see you Langs soon! Love you all!

Love,

MB

Day 49: Travis

Drew and I just finished watching Slumdog Millionaire for the first time tonight. Wow. What an amazing movie! I knew people were crazy about it when it first came out, but usually I ignore hype and watch things on my own time, like tonight. I loved the story though. The character of Jamal (the good kid) made me think of Travis, a kid from Belle Glade, FL.

For those of you who are not from FL or are unfamiliar with Belle Glade I need to explain it to you. This is a picture of what would be considered an average house in Belle Glade:

The homes in Belle Glade get much worse than this sadly. Belle Glade was known in the 1980s as the most AIDS infected area in our nation and in the early 2000s it had the 2nd highest crime rate in America. BG (Belle Glade) is heartbreaking. I never knew conditions like these existed in America, let alone 40 miles from Palm Beach, one of the wealthiest cities in America. I became involved with Revolution Ministries through Grace Fellowship Church in Royal Palm Beach, FL during my junior year of college. It completely changed my life. I worked with the drama team that went out on a specific day of the week and met with anywhere from 5-25 kids ages 4-15. We would do a Bible Study, homework help, drama games, a snack and then the kids would leave. The main thing was relationships. Most of these kids (most were boys) were living in below poverty situations without fathers. Most of the men in Belle Glade are in prison for gang related crimes. Sadly, many of our kid's mothers were involved in drugs or prostitution. It was so important to us to build relationships with these kids and teach them that through education they can have a different life. Anyway, now that you have a little bit of an understanding...

Travis is an amazing kid. He was one of the older boys who came to Revolution. When I first met Travis he was really quiet and rarely came to the program. Most of the time he would linger outside in the parking lot with a rough crowd. Travis grew up watching his brother kill his mom's boyfriend in her protection. His brother is in prison as is his father I believe. Travis was recruited by many gangs in adolescence and even became involved with one of them for his own protection from his mother's ex-boyfriend's gang who was out for revenge. We all saw Travis going down a very dark path. However, we started noticing a change in him during year 2 of my time with Revolution. He started coming to group more often. He slowly began participating in games and talking with the leaders. He even asked questions about God. He was getting it and it was incredibly obvious that God was pursuing his heart. It was a beautiful thing to watch Travis respond to God's calling. He became a leader among the kids and even tried to talk other kids out of gangs. He was a really intelligent guy, super protective, and had a kind heart. I never felt unsafe when Travis was around because of how protective he was. Thankfully, we never had to deal with a supremely scary incident. One of my favorite memories with Travis was when we discovered his "Mickey Mouse" voice. Here was this big guy, potential gang member, talking like a cartoon mouse. It was glorious! It was funny and humbling all at the same time. I got so much encouragement and hope from that mouse voice.

I hated leaving West Palm Beach because I knew my time with the kiddos in Belle Glade was over. My heart was so sad. I think of them all the time. I think of them when I see a slum. I think of them when I hear a success story. I think of them when I hear their favorite rap music. I miss them so much. I pray for them often. Will you join me in those prayers?

If I could say something to Travis I would say:

Travis,

You are such an intelligent guy. You are talented and kind. You have a really good heart. The Lord loves you and wants you to live your life for him. Get out of Belle Glade! Leave! Do well in high school so you can get a scholarship to college! Do well in college so you can come back and change Belle Glade. Change will only come from within this town and you have what is necessary to do it. I believe in you. I am praying for you. Thank you for teaching me about God's endless pursuit of humanity. Jer. 29:11.

I don't know what is going on with Travis right now, but I pray God is surrounding him.

-MB

Day 48: Carleen Newsome

My husband and I love watching Frasier. We watch the re-runs on TV nearly every night. If they are not on TV, we of course pop in our Frasier DVDs. Anyway, on tonight's episode Roz was crying to Frasier and he was giving her wise counsel. For some reason, my own therapy sessions with the fabulous Carleen Newsome popped into my head tonight. I am really thankful for all of the help she gave to me a few years ago!

In my early teen years my family made me go see a counselor as a part of "family counseling". I could not stand the person they made me see. She was rude, degrading, and judgmental, so I refused to even talk to her during our sessions. Yes, I am sure part of this was my own stubbornness, but she was also a horrible counselor. I developed a prejudice against counselors because of this experience and refused to see them in my later teen years when I could have most definitely benefited from counseling!

Needless to say 2 years ago when my father left, as much as I did not want to go to therapy, I knew I needed to deal with my emotions through counseling. I am so glad I was blessed with the amazing counsel of Carleen.

I knew I would like meeting with Carleen from the moment I met her! She is stylish, sassy, and compassionate. She was an amazing listener and asked me questions that made me think about my reactions and emotions. She saw my weaknesses and my strengths and taught me how to use those in life. She taught me stress-reducing strategies, which I still use. I tend to be a very anxious, stressed out person and she gave me many beneficial techniques to deal with my anxiety. I am sure I looked like the biggest train wreck, but she never made me feel that way. I loved going to sessions with her. I wish I lived closer to The Summit because I would probably still go once a week at least!

Carleen is so intelligent and talented. She is an amazing counselor and helped me in countless ways. She is an inspiration too! She has experienced pain in life and is easily able to relate to her clients which makes her very successful. I think she is simply fabulous in every way!

Carleen,

Thank you for taking the time to work with me when I needed it most! Thank you for seeing hope and potential in me when I felt overwhelmed and completely broken. You helped me get through the most difficult situation in my life. I cannot  thank you enough for that! You are an amazing person with great style, an awesome sense of humor, a kind heart, and a love for the Lord. Thank you for all the help you provide to people daily.

Love,

Mary Beth Darr

Day 47: Greg Karabensh

Gregory Karabensh.....Happy Birthday!

Greg is many things. Here are some of them:

-Funny
-Witty
-Anna's Husband
-Drew's former Roommate
-Musically Gifted
-An Evil Internet/Computer Genius
-A Spectacular Tour Guide
-Zaney
-A Cello Master
-A Gamer
-A Great Engagement Photographer

Greg has been a great companion to Drew through college. He and Anna were awesome "couple" friends of ours and we loved going out together or even staying in together! Some of my favorite couple date memories include:

-The night we re-arranged Greg and Anna's house until about 2am
-The night we made homemade Pina Coladas and Shark Nipples (I think that is what they were called?)
-Our infamous Safari-Venture to Vero Beach
-Going out for Irish Food
-And of course, our typical cookies and tea date at the Karabensh Cottage

Greg is a blast to hang out with! He and I agree that in many ways we are basically the same person. It is pretty weird! He and I agree on almost 100% of life and Anna and Drew agree on everything! Too funny!

Greg,

Thanks for being a great friend to Drew and me. Thank you for being a part of our wedding and our life! We love hanging out with you and Anna and I know Drew loves gaming with you! Thanks for all the laughs and fun memories over the year! We need another Safari-Venture soon! Maybe in Carbondale???

Love,

Mary Beth

I love this picture of Greg and Anna on their wedding day! So Beautiful!

Day 46: Scott Bowles

Allow me to introduce you to Scott Bowles:

Scott is my cousin Jessica's husband. I have known him now for over 5 years and I can say that he is spectacular! There are so many amazing things about Scott I simply cannot write about all of them, but let me at least write about a few!

Scott is stinking hilarious. Holy Cow he is funny! He has an amazing sense of wit and an awesome dry humor. Oh I love it! Drew, Hank and I all love hanging out with him because he keeps us in a constant roar of laughter.

Scott is also really intelligent. He is an engineer so he is great at things involving math and science which is definitely not my specialty. He has taught us so much about budgeting and how to handle money. He and Jessica are a huge inspiration to us in many ways, one of them being financially! Scott is super responsible and is a wonderful provider and husband for Jessica and an excellent daddy to Reagan.

If you have seen Scott and Reagan together there would be no denial that they are related. Reagan is the spitting image of Scott. It is adorable! Scott is such a good father. He is gentle, loving, protective, and fun. Reagan loves it when Scott comes home from work. She cries when he leaves the room. It broke my heart when I saw this happen! I started crying too! It was so sweet.

Scott has been an amazing cousin and family member to my family. He has helped us set up budgets, organize attics, repair household items and has filled the role of "the man of the house" in various situations! Some of which I am sure were most unpleasant! He was also a huge help during my wedding.

Scott,

You are such a great addition to our family! Hank, Drew, and I look at you as if you were our brother-in-law rather than a cousin. You are so kind and so much fun to be around. Your relationship with the Lord and your faith is a huge inspiration to all of us, but especially the men in our family. You are an amazing father and husband and I could not have hand picked someone better for Jessica and Reagan. You are a blessing to all of us and we love you very much! We hope to see you all soon! Thank you for everything you are to so many people!

Love,
Mary Beth

Day 45: Angel

This week I have been continuing my training at NeuroRestorative. I have worked with many different people, but one coworker has specifically stood out to me. Her name is Angel, and she is just as sweet as an Angel.

She has been incredibly helpful to me. She has made me feel welcomed and taken the time to get to know me. She is super friendly, nice, and open. She is one of those people who not only answers my questions about her, but also asks questions about me. I think that is refreshing and polite!

Angel is so sweet to all of the participants in our programs at work. Seriously, she treats them like they are family members. She hugs them, tells them she loves them, jokes with them, and is go gentle. I have never seen her lose her cool or be rough with a participant. Sadly, I have seen that from some other co-workers. She is an inspiration to me at work and I love it when I work with her. She is just so helpful and I want to treat other people the same way she treats them.

Angel,

Thank you for all of your help thus far! You have truly been a blessing in my life. You are so kind and have such a big heart. Your compassion for others is incredibly obvious. I hope for the best for you! Thank you for encouraging me and being an inspiration!

Sincerely,

Mary

Day 44: Patrick Locke

Patrick has to be one of the best men on the entire planet. He is my cousin-in-law. He was married to my fabulous cousin Gigi until she passed away last year. I don't know if I know a stronger man.

Patrick is a wonderful father to 4 adorable and awesome kids. He works full time, home schools his kids, manages his household, and is somehow still sane. He has been blessed with help of course, but the quality of your family is directly related to the parents. Patrick is all quality. Seriously, he has a huge heart. He is such a kind person.

He was an amazing help to my family when my parents divorced. He was supportive and was kind enough to escort my mother to various events including my wedding. He was a friend to us, which sometimes offers even more than family. Not to mention, he understood the difficulties of being a single parent.

Patrick is an amazing father. He is so strong and a great support for his kids. He is there for them and loves them so much. I have seen him in some stressful situations, but I have never seen him lose his temper or yell. That is so refreshing. He is a great role-model for all of his kids, but especially his sons. I cannot think of a better example of a father.

Patrick,

Thank you for being such a kind person. Thank you for being an awesome example of a Godly man. Your love for the Lord is so evident in your life! It is revealed in your kindness and giving nature toward others, your love for your children, the love you had and still have for Gigi, and your spirit in general. I have loved getting to know you more over the years. I love spending time with you and your family. You guys are so wonderful and I love you all so much! Thank you for your example.

Love,
Mary Beth

This is a picture of Patrick and his beautiful family!

Day 43: Alice Schenzel

Today Drew and I were having a great conversation and somehow the topic of his grandma (Alice Schenzel) came up. I just stopped and said "I miss not knowing her. I think I would have really liked her". Grandma Schenzel passed away about 10 years ago to cancer. Her death was way too sudden and entirely too early. I know her death left a huge hole in all of the Darr's and Schenzel's hearts. A hole in my heart grew after meeting their sweet family and hearing all the amazing stories of Grandma Schenzel. I miss her and I have never formally known her. Her influence on Drew and his family though is incredibly obvious.

From what I have heard she loved to spoil her grandchildren. That is awesome. That is exactly the kind of grandma I want to be and every child deserves to have. I have seen pictures of Drew growing up and he had amazing outfits thanks to his grandma. I am not even gonna go into how many outfits Ali was blessed with, but you can imagine....a TON. She was a princess in the eyes of Grandma Schenzel, as I am sure Annie and Emily were too.

Over Thanksgiving I got to watch some home videos with her in them. It was really neat. I felt like I got to know her so much better through the videos. I got a feel for her style, her mannerisms, her character, and her reactions with her family. Wow. It made me cry like a baby. Julie and I were sitting on the couch with our hands stuffed with tissues out crying each other. It made me so sad to have not known Grandma.

Julie has told me that her mom loved bling. I love that. I think she and I would have gotten along well because I also love bling. The louder and more sparkly the better! In all seriousness though, I feel a strange connection to Grandma Alice despite never meeting her. I love her for who she was to her family. I know they are unique because of her love. I wish I would have known her. I would have loved to have gone shopping with her! I would have loved being spoiled by her I am sure! I would have loved sharing traditions that revolved around Grandma and Grandpa Schenzel's home. I bet it was magical, especially around Christmas. In general I love grandmothers, but Alice was special. She was Drew's grandmother.

Grandma Schenzel,

I know you are looking down on all of the Schenzel and Darr clan. I know you are so proud of who your children and grandbabies have become and are excited to watch in joy as their futures continue. I just wanted to say thank you for your influence on them, and thus on me. You raised a remarkable daughter who is a great wife, mother, and mother-in-law. Thank you for spoiling Drew and loving on him so much. He is such a sweet and sensitive guy and I am sure that has to do with you. He talks about you all the time. He misses you. We all do. I am so glad I get to know you even if it is through their memories and stories. Thank you for your legacy.

Love,

Mary Beth

Day 42: Lois Parks

Lois, or "Muffy" as her family and friends call her, is one of my favorite women ever. She is a dear family friend of ours and I consider her to be basically another aunt of mine.

Lois is so many things. She is very intelligent, incredibly beautiful, funny, sweet, hospitable, graceful, and kind. She always has me in stitches laughing. She has a million hysterical stories that I love hearing! If you don't know the spray tan story, please stop whatever you are doing and ask her to tell it to you. You will never be the same after hearing/seeing her reenactment.

She has been such a fun part of my life the past years I have known her. The night Drew and I got engaged she came over and saw my ring and told us congratulations. I loved telling her all of my wedding planning tales. She is a great listener. She is also a great host! She hosted a Texan themed shower for Drew and I before we got married (when we were still moving to Dallas) which was a blast! I love going to her parties.

She and some other incredible women (who will be on here shortly) were a great help to our wedding. They made about a million (or that's what it seemed like) Oreo Truffles and other delights for the reception. She was at our wedding way early in the day setting everything up. What a blessing she was to our wedding.

Lois has the faith of a warrior. She is an excellent role-model. She encourages and inspires me in so many ways. She is just as sweet as she could be, but she is also a strong woman. She relies fully on God and never hesitates to intercede for others. She has been a constant friend to my family through the mountains and valleys of life and has helped us remain faithful. I am so thankful for her friendship to not only me, but my whole family. This woman knows how to pray and I love that.

Lois,

Thank you for everything you have done for me and my family. Thank you for being a shoulder to cry on, having a comforting embrace, an intelligent wit, and a heart that belongs to Jesus. You have been such a blessing to me. You are an amazing woman and I hope to someday be like you in many ways. You always know how to make people happy and make them crack a smile. You are one of the kindest people I know. I miss you terribly. It was so nice to see you on Christmas Eve. Thank you for being a great role model for so many young women! I love you!

Love,

Mary Beth

Day 41: Elizabeth Kerns

It was like a 911 response to an emergency- urgent, ugly, and in desperate need of professional help. This was my hair appointment with Elizabeth Kerns last week. She saved my hair. For real.

Maybe that sounds a bit dramatic, but in all seriousness my hair needed her. I gave myself a "homemade hairstyle" back in September because I was too poor to get it cut and highlighted. So I dyed it brown and cut it myself. Now, it was not horrible, but I hated it. So when I went home for Christmas I knew I had to call Elizabeth.

Elizabeth recently got her hairstylist license and a new fancy salon job too! Congratulations!

I have known Elizabeth for probably 3 or 4 years through family friends, but we have never really been all that close. She was always super sweet, but during our little hair get-together we talked about a ton of stuff and I felt like I got a great insight into Elizabeth. I had so much fun! She was so kind, funny, interesting, and not to mention extremely talented. She gave me awesome blonde highlights and a haircut that has easily become one of my favorites! She listened to exactly what I told her I liked and did an amazing job. I love it!

Elizabeth was so sweet to me when I lost my cat Lucy. She wrote me some really encouraging words on facebook that meant so much to me. I was incredibly blessed by her kindness and concern for me.

Elizabeth,

Thank you for saving my hair!! Thank you for being so sweet and kind to so many people. You are a great listener and a compassionate person. I loved getting to know you better last week! I look forward to seeing you again soon. I hope you had a fabulous Christmas! Thanks again for an amazing haircut!

Love,

Mary Beth

Day 40: Betsy Newton

Tonight's blog is about my oh-so-fabulous Aunt Betsy. She is my mother's other sister and if you read my post about Jessica, she is Jess's mom. 

I grew up with Aunt Betsy always being really close by. I would see her several times a week so she basically was like a second mother to me growing up. Betsy cracks me up. She always has. She has a ridiculous sense of humor and a great sense of sarcasm! I love it. She always has me in stitches when we visit. 

I refer to Betsy as the "fireball". You see, she is a petite little woman but don't you dare underestimate her physical or emotional strength. She is the sister in the family who gets stuff done! She puts people in line and makes them straighten up. I think it is glorious! When Nancy and Gaye can't get the job done, bring in the big guns Betsy! 

Betsy is one the best cooks I have ever met. She knows how to cook just about anything and it all tastes so amazing. We love going to visit she and George simply because we always get amazing meals! She is so hospitable and always makes everyone feel at home. As soon as you walk in the door she wants to know if you are hungry or thirsty, and she is not satisfied until you are. True Southern Hospitality. I love it. Drew gains like 5 pounds every time we visit. He does not complain though! 

Betsy is such a giver. She was an incredible help at my wedding. She organized, purchased, and set up so many details and items of the day (the week really). She hosted an incredible Bridesmaids Brunch for me. It was beautiful and delicious. My Bridesmaids loved it. I remember I was freaking out about not having any concealer and she just whipped some out of her makeup bag and said "here, have this one". She has always been like that. I hesitate to even compliment her on anything because she is likely to give it to me. Not that I don't want it, but she should keep it! 

Betsy has been an incredible help to my family. She has always had a plan or creative way of dealing with life's difficulties. She takes care of everybody. I love that about her. I know I can always call her and cry if I need to. 

Betsy, 

Thank you for being an amazing Aunt to me. You have always been so close to me and I love that. Thank you for spoiling me. Thank you for always helping me and my family. Thank you for your incredible helpfulness at our wedding! I don't know what we would have done without you! Thank you for being so funny and so much fun to be with! Thank you for keeping me in stitches laughing. I love coming to visit you and hopefully we will head that way again very soon. 

Love you!

Mary Beth 

This is a picture from my Bridesmaid Brunch! My mom, me, Jessica, and Aunt Betsy.

Day 39: Brett Gardner

Dearest friends,

I was incredibly blessed this past weekend by a wonderful visit from friends. My wonderful friend Megan Gomperts and her awesome boyfriend Brett came to visit us! Brett bought plane tickets for them to come visit as part of Megan's Christmas present. Well, it was also an amazing Christmas present for me! I loved having them stay with us. It was such a pleasure getting to know Brett.

Now of course I have only officially known Brett for about 3 days, but I can tell you that he is a genuine person. He is very kind. He has a genuine heart and spirit and truly wants to do nice things for people. What a rare find in today's society! He was just as sweet as could be.

He spoils Megan. I mean SPOILS her. He treats her like a princess and that is pretty awesome. I am extremely picky when it comes the the guys my friends date so for me to give this guy 2 thumbs up, you have to know how well he treats Megan. He was constantly checking on her to make sure she was comfortable, not too cold or too hot, full, happy, you name it. It was really sweet. He doted on her the whole weekend and was just so sweet to her. I loved it. It is so nice to see a friend treated so well. It is also great to see her date such a quality guy.

Brett is a really intelligent guy and a super hard worker. He is an engineer and is also going to be starting his Master's degree soon. I am not sure how he manages all he does, but he seems to be a "pro" at life! He has a good head on his shoulders which is also such a GREAT thing to see on a guy.

Well, if you could not tell, I am a Brett fan.

Brett,

Thank you for blessing both Megan and me by the trip to Carbondale. It was so kind of you and it meant so much to me to have you guys here. We had such a blast with you guys! Thank you for being such a nice boyfriend to Megan. Thank you for treating her with the respect and admiration that she deserves. I know how thankful she is for you and how happy you have made her. It is rare for me to really like one of my friend's boyfriends, but you are so kind, it would be really hard for me not to like you. Thanks for all the fun this weekend! We hope to make it up to Boston to see you guys soon!

Sincerely,

Mary Beth