Weekend of celebration

As you can see from my last two posts, we have a lot of celebrating to do this time each year. Thank you for all of your sweet birthday and anniversary wishes. We have had a very fun weekend!

For Chad's birthday, we celebrated at home with one of his favorite dinners (spaghetti pie) and homemade apple cobbler with vanilla ice cream. Yum! Then Friday evening we went out to a new favorite restaurant for an incredible dinner.

Me and my handsome date. I'm a lucky girl ;-)

Chad surprised me with a gorgeous watch. I love it! We both had the same idea with the traditional 11 year gift being steel. That turned into stainless steel watches for both of us and a new wedding band for Chad. I have wanted to get him one for a while but he was pretty attached to the old one. I wasn't sure how this was going to go over but he loves the new one and it fits perfectly! Yay!

We ended the weekend with our youth Christmas party, which was an ugly sweater party. Chad and I hit up the thrift stores to look for a winner. I found several options...

 But in the end I went with #3 and uglied it up a little more with some gold glitter puff paint.

 I also threw on a few red ribbons, a jingle bell necklace (of course) and there ya go! The funniest part about Chad's was his green turtleneck had a little snowman embroidered on it. So ugly! We didn't win, but we sure gave it our best shot. =)

I hope y'all had a great weekend too! I'll see you back on Wednesday for the Christmas Card Carousel. I can't wait!!

11 years

How can it be that 11 years ago today, these crazy youngin's stood before our family and friends and said our vows to one another?! My how time has flown...

Sometimes I think back at how young we were and how we had no clue what we were getting ourselves into ;-) But, we've learned and grown together and that has been a blessing. I wouldn't change one thing!

Still "looking to the future" and praying for God's best for our marriage and family.

Our 11th year has held some wonderful memories as well as some truly heartbreaking moments, but through it all we have stood beside one another and the Lord has seen us through. Praying and believing that this next year is going to be the BEST one yet!

Wordless {wedding} Wednesday

We are waiting on pics from the photographer, but here are a few snapshots that a friend captured of my sisters wedding! It was a beautiful, joyful day for our family. I look forward to sharing more when they are ready =)

Shower the Bride!

This morning we celebrated my sister, the bride-to-be! I have spent weeks planning and preparing for this special morning and it turned out even better than I had hoped. It was such a special time celebrating with dear friends and family. I hope it will be a day that my sister always remembers!

I have seen so many fun party details along the way and there were many things that I wanted to do. If only time and money weren't an issue. Ha! Here are some of the details of the day.

Bridal Shower Bingo (thanks, Sarah!), Custom Water Bottle Labels (printed on photo paper from D0llar Tree - loved how they turned out!), Words of Blessing photo frame, I Do Bunting, etc. I was so pleased with how it all came together!

The spread of yummy food! Fruit Skewers & Fruit Dip, Muffins, Quiche, Casserole. 

The cake caused me much stress. I really wanted a cute designer cake, but the budget did not allow. I ended up going to the local grocery and having the bakery do this custom design and I was so happy with the way it turned out. And, it was delish! Can't beat that for $20.00!!

 

Fun times with sweet friends =)

 

Present time!! Grace got lots of great things. Isn't it funny how we can get so excited about roasting pans, baking sheets and trash cans when we are newlyweds?! I think that we should have "wedding" showers for married people for every 10 years of marriage, don't you?

Some of the sweetest memories I have of today were when we all gathered around the Bride-to-be and shared advice and words of wisdom about being married. There are some very wise, godly women that were surrounding us today and it was wonderful to be able to learn even more from them. We then had a time of prayer for Josh, Grace and Miss E and there was not a dry eye in the place. A time to treasure, for sure!

The Bridal Party (minus Miss Priss)

Not much longer 'til the big day! I can't wait!!

20 Things about 2010

I saw this neat questionnaire on Betsy’s blog. I did this last year, and thought it would be fun to do again!

1. What did you do in 2010 that you had never done before?
Went a month without eating meat! Chad and I did a modified "Daniel fast" during the month of August and that was the longest I have ever gone without eating meat. I don't think you'll find me becoming a vegetarian any time soon ;-)

2. Did you keep your New Year's Resolutions and will you make more for next year?
I don't really get into making resolutions.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, some sweet friends from church welcomed little girls this year.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No

5. What places have you visited?

Costa Rica, Atlanta, Panama City, Raleigh, Asheville.

   
6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
A sweet, precious baby to call my own and make me a mommy. But more than that, a true joy that comes only from the Lord and who He is, and has nothing to do with my circumstances.

7. What date from 2010 will remain etched in your memory and why?
December 9, 2010 - our 10th wedding anniversary. We didn't do anything extravagant or outlandish like we had once dreamed we would, but it was still a sweet day celebrating our love and marriage.

8. What was your biggest achievement this year?
Finished paying off our debt and saved for our future.

9. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No, I stayed pretty healthy this year despite working in the health care industry around all sorts of crazy stuff!

10. What was the best thing you bought?
My camera. I decided to splurge on something fun. I have loved playing around with it and learning new things.

11. Where did most of your money go?
Savings Account aka "The Baby Fund"

12. What song will always remind you of 2010?
You Never Let Go by Matt Redman. - this song is so powerful and always ministers to me. I can think of several times this year that I heard this song at just the right time. I have clung to it and it's truth during many dark days.

13. What do you wish you would have done more of?
Spent more in depth time in the Word and with my Jesus; prayed more; reached out more to others instead of being so self-absorbed; blogged more.

14. What do you wish you would have done less of?
Stress about the future; doubt the Lord's ways or timing.

15. What was your favorite TV program?
Oh, so many...M0dern Family, S0uthland, The Batchel0r, Psych, Chuck, The 0ffice, Real H0usewives and I'm sure some others that I'm forgetting about right now.

16. What was the best book you read this year?
I have started a couple of books but have not had the time to finish any of them. I really do wish I would make more time to read.

17. What was your favorite film of the year?
I really enjoyed Life As We Know It. Such cute movie!

18. What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
This year I turned 30. Agh!! I was once again not really looking forward to celebrating my birthday this year, but my sweet man threw a surprise party for me! It was something I will always remember. I loved celebrating the day with such sweet friends and family. We had such a wonderful time together and I was so thankful that he put so much into making it a special day for me!

19. What political issue stirred you the most?
I have to say that I am not that into politics and I stay uninformed about a lot of things, so nothing really "stirred" me that much, but I have become more aware of what’s going on with health care reform now that I am working in that field.

20. Who was the best new person you met?
This year I met several more precious friends that I have made through blogging. If you had told me a couple of years ago that I would make such sweet friends on the Internet and then meet them in real life, I would never have believed you! Here are a few of them...

Love this girl. I cannot begin to tell you the encouragement she has been to me!

 

Kelly, Laurie, Jennifer, Amanda, Hillary , Caroline , Jenna

Love them all and I’m so thankful for how the Lord has used blogging in my life!

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2010 has been quite a year! Honestly, I cannot wait for it to be over. This year has been a year full of trials and hardships, and at times I've had a hard time seeing the Lord's hand in it all.  I know that He loves me and is in control of each and every thing, but that doesn't mean that life isn't still hard.

I pray with all of my heart that 2011 will hold answers to many prayers and that God would do exceedingly, abundantly, beyond BEYOND all that I could ever imagine.  He alone is able!

10 Years....What?!?!

Our family has lots of celebrating to do the first part of December. Chad's birthday was yesterday, and we continue today by celebrating our TENTH wedding anniversary!!

It was ten years ago today that we stood before many friends and our families and promised to have and to hold each other from that day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; until death parts us. We've been through all these things (well, maybe not the richer - ha!!!) and I can honestly say that our love has grown through it all. I am so thankful that we both know the Lord and I am thankful for a husband that challenges me to grow to know Him more. I just don't know how people make it without HIM!

It was the perfect day and was just as I had always dreamed it would be. I've said before that ten years ago I don't think we had any idea the things that we would face as a couple...but I'm thankful for all that the Lord has done and will continue to do in our lives as we put our trust in Him and wait on His perfect timing.

This was what the photographers called the "looking to the future" shot, and that's what we're doing. Remembering all the ways that God has blessed us over these last ten years, and looking forward with eager expectation to all that He is going to do in the years ahead.

I know that we had dreams of doing something BIG on this big day, but I'm happy to just be spending it with you. Happy Anniversary, honey!! I love you more each and every day!