Backyard Anniversary Celebration

June 26, 2026June 22, 2026 RefreshHerLeave a comment

Our 45th anniversary was last Saturday. What a blessing to have this milestone to celebrate! We both consider our marriage a true grace gift from the Lord. Oh, how He kept each of us from foolish decisions that obviously would have changed the whole trajectory of our lives! I know that Dale is the one the Lord had for me. He completes me so well, making up for all my weakness, leading me spiritually and also helping to equip me to serve God. I am a blessed woman!

As we considered how we would celebrate, we knew we wanted a date night with just the two of us (which we thoroughly enjoyed on the 21st). I also suggested to my husband that we have a family dinner celebration on our back patio on the day of our anniversary. He was in agreement, so we planned together for a wonderful night.

A young woman in our church is a culinary arts major. Dale asked her to make two charcuterie boards for appetizers. He also had her make a celebration cake!

We had the dinner catered by Olive Garden and they did a fantastic job! Everything was provided for the meal, including serving utensils, tea and even Andes mints!

Their salad and breadsticks
were so good!

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Refreshing Tennessee Fruity Tea

June 22, 2026June 22, 2026 RefreshHer2 Comments

I can’t think of a better summer beverage than a glass of sweet iced tea. It’s quintessential of the south, in my book. How can you be southern and not serve/drink sweet tea?! It’s cold. It’s refreshing. It delicious.

There is one thing that makes sweet tea even better, and that is of course, fruit flavors. I love a lemon floating in my glass. I also enjoy my Dunkin Tea with a shot of raspberry flavoring!

I recently found a recipe for Tennessee Fruity Tea that has to be the most simple recipe ever, and makes sweet tea a little more special – especially for a hot summer day.

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Godly Influence · Uncategorized

A Different Kind of Influencer

June 19, 2026June 19, 2026 RefreshHer2 Comments

Influencers are everywhere on social media. They make it their business to sell others whatever they love. But I’m thinking there’s another kind of influencer that Christians must be.

Each week at The Wilds I watch young men counselors and operational summer staff flock around my husband. They call his name from a distance and then they come to share their heart that might be full of joy, or it may be a heavy burden for which they’re seeking counsel and prayer. Dale will stop and listen, share wisdom, and pray with them. Then before they leave, they give him a huge bear hug. It warms my heart and I smile as I watch him pour his life into theirs. He’s influencing them to love the Christ he loves.

Proverbs 2:20 says,

That thou mayest walk in the way of good men,

and keep the paths of the righteous.

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dessert

Refreshing Frozen Pies

June 15, 2026June 14, 2026 RefreshHer5 Comments

I’m re-posting a recipe today from many years ago, simply because these pies are perfect for summer meals! They’ve gotten hidden in my blog, so I wanted to share once again and make sure they’re listed on my recipe page as well. Enjoy!

Summer days call for cool treats, and one of my favorite things to serve (and eat!) is a frozen pie. They don’t cause the kitchen to get heated up, and they’re so refreshing to enjoy on a hot day!

The two recipes I’m sharing today are Strawberry and Peanut Butter. They are creamy, cool, and delicious!

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Celebrations · Marriage

Sentimental Anniversary Celebration

June 12, 2026June 11, 2026 RefreshHer2 Comments

With the upcoming of our 45th anniversary on June 20th, we decided that we would try to do something each day of the month of June that would “celebrate us!” Dale’s taking the odd days, and I am taking the even to create a tiny remembrance. These have been very ordinary events, but we’re trying to use our celebrations to reminisce over the early days of our relationship and marriage. It’s been fun – both to create the ideas for each day, and then do them! How about a little peek into a few of our “celebrations” so far?

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