What's my favorite jewelry?

Dear family and friends,

If you asked me what my favorite jewelry is I would be able to quickly tell you:

1. Hands down, my favorite piece of jewelry are my wedding and engagement ring. A promise from my man! Ed worked hard in order to pay for my engagement ring so many years ago. His grandmother bought them for him and he finished paying her off right before we married. My wedding ring is exactly like my mothers. We had it made a few years later when I was pregnant with Wyatt. The diamonds are small, but they go all the way around, a full circle. The jeweler conitinued to insist that they would be bigger if we'd just stick to the ones on top, but they defintely needed to go all the way around, just like my mothers. I cherish them both and wouldn't trade them for the world.

2. My second favorite is a necklace with twelve strands of small pearls that twist and are worn as a choker. I bought them on a huge clearance in Dallas while we lived in Italy. They were purchased from a well respected clothing company that was closing down. I tried to call Ed (before cell phones) to double check with him and then just had to make the decision myself. At that point in our lives they were a tremendous amount of money for us. I struggled, but knew my Ed would understand. He was so wonderfully supportive and I'll never forget how precious he was in stating that he just trusted my judgement. I wear them all the time and am so grateful to have them. We've spent very little money on jewelry, a mutual decision.

3. I absolutely adore my baby Jesus jewelry! Who needs expensive jewelry when they've received baby Jesus jewelry from their children? I normally start wearing it regularly right after Thanksgiving up until Christmas day. Wyatt made me the necklace many years ago in Sunday School and Jefferson made me a bracelet. They are very inexpensive, one being of wood and the other made of cheap metal and a plastic string that I'm so grateful has not broken so far. They are so valuable in my heart, made by our boys, given with love and wild abandon. They picture my God and how He came because I need to have a restored relationship with God the Father. Tonight we went to a Christmas party and I was choosing to not panic as I couldn't find them. I don't have a large jewelry box but little bags with odds and ends. All of my jewelry was in a small bag that I carried on the plane when we moved to Hawaii. My baby Jesus jewelry in tow, placed carefully with my pearls, wedding ring on my hand and ready to follow my man wherever God sends us.

Yet they are all things of this world and not near as valuable as the people who Christ values...

Love in Christ,
Dinah for The Troops

P.S.-I keep forgetting to mention that Caroline and I will be traveling to Thailand on the 9th of January. I'll have to save the details for another day.