Goodbye 2010....Hello 2011!

Well, it has come and gone. I feel like it was just yesterday that I was ringing in 2010! I mentioned last year that I really didn't do the "new years resolutions" but that there were things that I saw in 2009 that I wanted to change or new things that I wanted to try during 2010. I have been looking through that list lately. Let's just see how we did with those resolutions:

*I will write letters or an encouraging note to someone once every couple of months....not emails or facebook messages. Snail mail!

(This resolution=FAIL. I mean I won't even try to sugarcoat it. It was just a fail! )

*I want to remember that my role towards Brett is first and most importantly, his sister in Christ.

(I have to say, this is a struggle for me. If you know me, you know I am ready to get married and you know that I struggle with my patience in this area. For the most part, I feel that I was encouraging to Brett but I do have to remind myself that he is never going to satisfy me even when we do get married and that I am his sister in Christ!)

*I want to cook more and learn more about it from the best, mom!

(I think this is one that will be continued in 2011...I call myself a "stay-at-home-daughter right now and I am thinking I will take advantage of this role. However, for 2010, I believe I was somewhat successful, particularly with baking. haha.)

*Save money. Give it to those who are in need.

(This is something I want to continue in 2011 and of course throughout the rest of my life!)

*Blog more consistently...haha. Lets not be too specific. :)

(This was a success! I mean, I am on the blog train and honestly, I should probably get off a little bit. I really do enjoy this blogging business. I love writing on mine and also reading others! I also like to pretend that I have many faithful readers! :) haha)

*Be intentional with all that I do and not waste time.

(This is certainly a day by day thing that honestly cannot truly be measured. I'm sure I had great days and I'm sure there were weeks that I was terrible...)

*I want to be more faithful with my prayer life. I want to be consistent in praying for my family and friends and ask them specific ways that I can pray!

(This actually was better this year! I am so thankful! The Lord truly showed me the power of prayer and I tried to be more faithful in my prayer life.)

*I want to be more consistent with my time in the Word and with memorizing Scripture!

"I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You."-Psalm 119:11

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." -Matthew 24:35

(Again, not so great with this. I think it is because I had no plan to help me with being consistent)

*I want to read one book a month...I saw this on someone else's resolutions and I think that this is such a great idea and although school is overwhelming and crazy...I believe that this is completely reasonable and beneficial.

(I really did okay with this. Towards the end it was a struggle. I think once student teaching started it became more and more difficult to find time to read. I'm like a grandma...so once I get into bed....it's over. But, I want to do this again, because, I definitely read more than I would have and this blog kept me accountable for most of the months.)

*I want to take better care of my body as far as what I put into it with the things that I watch, listen to, read, and eat!

(Umm....I can't really measure this one either. It wasn't perfect but definitely a day by day thing.)

And now...for 2011:

I think I had maybe a few too many things I wanted to work on last year. I am going to try and focus on a few things this time.

1.) Back to memorizing more Scripture...Making a plan that is simple and doable.

2.) Plain and simple: Serving. Serving more and in unique ways.

3.) Being consistent. Being purposeful. (No, I don't know exactly what that will look like but I pray that I will be obedient and truly listen for what the Lord wants me to do.)

Well, that is all for now! There are plenty more things I should work on and hope to work on throughout this next year but for now, this is what I have!

I am CERTAIN that 2011 will be just as great as 2010!

Happy New Year and Come Lord Jesus! :)

Traditions...Old and New

Happy Christmas Eve!! While it was not a "typical" Christmas Eve, it has certainly been a great one with a few traditions and some new ones.

The day started out with breakfast with Julie at Spot of Tea. We didn't decide that this would be a tradition but I think it should be. Christmas Eve breakfast every year at Spot of Tea? What do you think Jules? :) This is one precious friend I have and I am so thankful for her!

The day was kinda crazy but we ended with our Christmas Eve tradition. Waffle House. No, we are not normal! haha. Not quite the same this year cause we were missing a big chunk of our family! But, it happens and we will all be together THURSDAY!!! So excited!!

Our special friends....

Love that Waffle House....haha.

Also, I was playing around with my camera last night. I had seen this tutorial and have wanted to try it for a while. I thought it was so cool!

My pictures weren't perfect but then again I didn't really take my time when creating the covering for my lens...But, I thought they still turned out pretty sweet.

Little Christmas trees!

And a few more of our tree....

I have thought a lot about this time of year and although I have learned that Jesus was not REALLY born during this month, it is the time that we celebrate His birth. I am so thankful for my Savior and that He came to this horrible world out of obedience to His Father. He lived His entire life in obedience until death on the cross. He was born to die for me. I also think a lot about Mary during this time of year. How incredibly brave and obedient she was as well....

"But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.' 'How will this be,' Mary asked the angel, 'since I am a virgin?' The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.......For nothing is impossible with God.' 'I am the Lord's servant,' Mary answered. 'May it be to me as you have said.'" -Luke 1:30-38

I cannot imagine hearing that. I think about all of the emotions she must have felt. I know she was probably excited and scared and was probably looked down upon by many around her. I hope that I am always obedient to what the Lord calls me to and never question Him because His ways are not my ways.

Now, to leave you with a little something adorable this Christmas Eve..

Sounds more like, "Happy Day Daisy...." but you get the idea! :)

Happy Christmas!

Because...I love her!

After spending those few days in Phenix City with Brett's family, we headed to LaGrange to spend some time with Virginia! Eric and Linds had gone off for a short weekend trip to celebrate 5 years of marriage so LiLi, JimPa, Sam, Brett, and I got to hang with Miss Priss. I know, I blog about this child as if she is mine. I'm just trying to help her momma out by capturing every second of her life that I am with her. Enjoy the pictures of this beautiful, brilliant child. Seriously, she can spell her name, count, say her colors, and is basically a parrot and says anything we say! Yes, I might be slightly partial...

We really liked Santa from a distance....a little more nervous the closer we got...

 She loves to beat on her "pups" as she calls them!

 Pretty girl...

Lookin' at her LiLi

Don't worry Linds! I'll get these pictures to you soon!! I promise to document all of your children just like I document this one! :)

I will be back later with a recipe and early Christmas presents! :)

Where Are You Christmas?

Christmas break = So far....so good. :) I am loving relaxing and not having any responsibilities. It has been so great being with Brett and his parents for the last couple of days! Last night we went to Callaway Garden's, Fantasy in Lights. It was a little rainy but cleared up just for us! It was a perfect night, just cool enough to let us know it was winter! :)

Beautiful sky....

Pretty nativity...

 Twas the night before Christmas....

Loved those twinkling lights.....

Looking a little tired and windblown but it really was such a fun night!

Today we headed to do a little Christmas shopping in the Auburn area. I remembered Linds telling me about a cupcake shop in Auburn and well, nothing more needed to be said. :) We headed to Gigi's cupcakes. 

 I mean...I had no doubt they would be delicious and they did not disappoint!! 

 Naturally, I chose the one with the most chocolate. It was so incredibly good.

 They were all decorated so pretty!

 If you are in the Auburn area you should definitely check it out. It is one of the few perks of Auburn. Sorry Auburn friends....a small dig. :)

I am certainly sad to leave the Kittrell's tomorrow but excited for a day with this little girl tomorrow...

Happy Friday! Oh, and 7 DAYS TILL CHRISTMAS!

Mississippi Queen...

Tuesday was a good day. Brett finished finals and I had an interview. After that, we celebrated. We headed out to Jason an Colleen's in Mississippi for picture taking and lunch. We always have so much fun with them.

Hey there..

Colleen wanted me to take some pictures of them for Christmas/1 YEAR of marriage? haha. Jason insisted on her holding the gun in a few. She might kill me if she sees these. You have to understand...Colleen is from Canada and would have never in a million years dreamed that she would marry a southern boy and live in a BEAUTIFUL log cabin. I love it. God works in mysterious ways! :)

They are so cute!

So Brett and I got a couple taken too....

Love you sweet friend!! So glad the Lord brought you to Mobile!

Yesterday, Brett and I headed to Phenix City to spend time with his family. We kicked it off by decorating the tree last night and tonight we are going to the Fantasy in Lights in Callaway Gardens. I am so very excited!

P.S. 9 DAYS TILL CHRISTMAS!!!!! :)

Thanksgiving Break In Pictures...Maybe a few words!

First of all, I am thankful for breaks. Yes, most of these pictures will be of the cutest little girl you've ever seen....but my break was spent playing with her and I loved every second of it.

Every morning after breakfast we were sure to hear...."Ahh...WEEE!!!!" This let us know that she was ready to go out and swing! She could stay out here all day long!

Hey Uncle Brett!

Beautiful little girl

Look at that face... :)

She loved stacking these up and knocking them down...

Hey sweet girl!

We also had a little visit from Addison Tew..

Addison is Makenzi's little girl and getting a picture of them together was about impossible! They played sweet together and Virginia loved meeting her new friend!

LiLi feeding V her breakfast....

I mean....she is constantly in a good mood! :)

Silly Uncle Sam......

Loves her Aunt AAAAMMMYYY!!

Oh Mommy! You are so funny!

Behold our turkey carver....

Beautiful table...

So much food....

My contribution....haha....isn't it a cute little turkey?

Hey Ms. V!!

Just my brother in-law....

Lovin' her LiLi!

Trying to get a decent Christmas card picture.....what a precious family!

So, in all reality my break was great. We had a fabulous thanksgiving and I am so grateful for each face that you saw in these pictures. I have the most precious family in the world. We love each other and have the best time when we are together. Mostly, I am thankful for the fact that the Lord chose to save me and call me His own. I am thankful for the love and blessings that He pours all over my life each day. I am so undeserving. Hope your week was as good as mine!

Thank you Thanksgiving Break!

Well, today I started Thanksgiving break and it has started out just wonderful! Unfortunately, this was my last night with Brett before he goes home for a few days but we definitely had a fun night together. Go ahead and get out the wine cause it's about to get cheesy. We got up on the roof of my house to star gaze. Haha. Cheesy? Yes. Do we do this often? Absolutely not. So is it okay? Well, I think so.

It was a bit cloudy but a beautiful moon!

Sweet boy set it all up for us!

Such a fun last night together!

What a lovely evening! I am also anxiously awaiting the arrival of Eric, Lindsey, and Virginia!! Ahh....I cannot wait to squeeze that little girl and take a million pictures of her!

Hopefully we will have more blogging over the next couple of days!

I hope your Thanksgiving break is starting out as great as mine!

Land of the Free and the Home of the..Sick

Hello to you and yours! I hope that your 4th has been more eventful than mine. That's right....it has been an unfortunate day at my house. I was so looking forward to a relaxing Fourth of July in the pool. I was in Brazil last summer so we really didn't celebrate :) I spent the day on the couch. I have developed a cold in the last 48 hours and let me say....I don't do well being sick. I absolutely hate it. I hate spending the day on the couch, I hate not being able to breathe, and I hate the constant headache. I did get to spend some quality time with the Lord this morning which was wonderful and I did get out briefly for a meal with the family.

I also had a front row seat to one of the best firework shows. Our neighbors put on a ballin' show every Fourth of July and every New Years Eve.

Woo Hoo!

Jeff and Mangs

My sweet parents...

Technically, we are celebrating the 4th tomorrow since everyone is off. I am hoping I will be better by then. I would covet your prayers that I would feel better because I am supposed to have surgery on Wednesday and do not know if they will let me go in if I am sick. I do not want to put it off! Well, I am off to bed shortly if I can sleep through the continued fireworks show going on outside....

Happy Fourth of July!

A Lovely Getaway

So..when you hear LaGrange, Georgia and Phenix City, Alabama....you may not be thinking of lovely vacations spots. However, for me, it was just what I needed this weekend. As soon as I got done with a long and completely stressful day with my fourth graders, I headed home and packed up to head to LaGrange, Georgia with Brett.

Why?

Because of this angel right here. Brett and I went to spend the night with Eric, Lindsey, and Virginia. We were already planning to spend Easter weekend with Brett's family so we decided to make the trip there first. I am so thankful we did. I have missed this peanut and it was so good to visit with Eric and Linds and see their house.

Sorry its blurry...

Daddy teaching Virginia how to play the guitar.. :)

She moves those hands...A LOT which is why it's so blurry! She loved Brett!

I could eat her! She is the sweetest, most adorable baby and I love her!

We then headed to Phenix City to be with Brett's parents. We came for Easter but also for one of Brett's friends weddings. It was such a relaxing weekend and so good to spend some time with the Kittrell's.

Before the wedding...

Easter Sunday....There are better pictures but they are not on my camera!

This morning when I woke up I was able to spend some time in the Word and obviously, I thought a good bit about my Savior and the sacrifice He made for me. Last night, Brett and I were talking and he looked at me and said, "2,000 years ago someone died for us. Why'd He do it Lou?" We talked about how much love our Father has for us to send His only Son to die for a bunch of sinners who are so unworthy. I am so thankful for the life that He lived and the death he bore for me.

"In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, 'Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee. The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'" -Luke 24:5-7

"But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes through a man." -1 Corinthians 15:20-21

"Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." -1 Corinthians 15:54-57

He is RISEN and I am THANKFUL!

I also wanted to let you know.... My book to read for March was a book that was given to me over a year ago. My parents read it and then Brett read it and several other friends I know. I tried to read it when I got it but after a couple of chapters, gave up. I began reading it at the beginning of March and pretty much the same thing happened. Remembering my New Years Resolution.....I kept trying and trying. Well, let me tell you...it was tough for me to get into. I got down to the last 3 days of March and as I forced my way through the first few chapters...I could not put it down. I would say it is one of the best books I have ever read. I am going to be honest....I finished the book on April 1st so hopefully, you will have some grace even though I missed my deadline by a day. :) I would highly recommend it. I was in tears as I got to the end of this book.

I hope you all have had a wonderful, relaxing weekend and a great Sabbath!

He is risen indeed!

Love Wins

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone! I hope that you all had a great day and got to spend time with friends, family, or that special someone. Luckily, I got to spend time with all of the above. All in all, a good day.

With all of the Valentine's day hype I couldn't help but be reminded of a God who loves me more than I could ever fathom. Don't get me wrong....the smell of fresh roses filling my room thanks to my sweet boyfriend is great. Also, a lot has happened since last Valentine's day. This is the year I fell in love for the first time. So...I like Valentine's day....but I was just reminded of a few verses and I thought I'd share in honor of this holiday.

"Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you." -Psalm 63:3

"Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back." -Isaiah 38:17

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us." -1 John 4:18-19

What an amazing promise!

"Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." -John 14:21

"Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." -1 John 4:8

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." -Romans 5:8

The Gospel! I am so thankful!

"Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies." -Psalm 36:5

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" -1 John 3:1

And of course......

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy; it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

-1 Corinthians 13:4-9

I pray that we all would dwell on these promises and remember that nothing in this world can ever satisfy. He loves you more than anyone on this earth ever could and is the only one who could love us so perfectly!