1st date of Christmas!

PICK OUT OUR CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS FOR THIS YEAR!


My camera's battery was dead.

My phone's camera stinks...

We waited too long to do this and all the stores are already putting christmas on major sale and taking it down.

(DID I MISS SOMETHING?? IT WAS ONLY THE SECOND WEEK OF DECEMBER!?)


regardless...we found what we came for. without further adieu....presenting OUR ornaments!

Our couple ornament for this year! We went and saw ALOT of movies at the theater...as well as i'm pretty sure we rented from blockbuster and redbox almost everyweek.
so yes, a ticket stub ornament represented a part of our 2011.

Jace has decided that hes going to try and get a super hero ornament every year. Last year his ornament was Spiderman. This year, we waited too long so we didnt have alot of choice...but we now own yoda. Who is awesome. So we dont mind having him at all.

My ornament for this year! It has nothing to do with anything. I was COMPLETELY limited to what i could choose. BUT its pink. its glittery. its has a feather tail.
and i'm kinda loving it now :)

Disappointing Dream

I hate those.

You wake up all excited because IT WAS SO REAL.

only to realize that it really really isnt.

Last night i dreamed that we had to send out new Christmas cards (horrifying thought by the way) because we found out we were expecting a baby. And we wanted everyone we loved to know that it finally happened.

Then i woke up. And got all sad. and got even more sad when i realized i needed to go to work and i was really comfy cozy in my warm bed. LAME.

On a positive note: Jace has a job interview with Wells Fargo today...and that could totally be awesome for us. So pray for him!!! and keep your fingers crossed for good measure :)

I feel like...Ricky Gervais

So in the movie stardust (which is awesome by the way), this witch:


Does this to ricky gervais' character because he talks too much:



And then he sounds like a chicken...and very foolish.



oh yeah. in the movie he also dies right after this picture ^.

I am Ricky Gervais' character...except instead of a chicken i sound like this:




and yes, i do feel very foolish. and no, i dont think i'll be dying anytime soon.

but i really really want my voice back.

Perspective

Its no secret that I've been struggling the last few months.

Struggling in the fact that Jace's career is taking much longer to jump start than anticipated.

...in the fact that I'm not doing ANYTHING related to my chosen career.

...in the fact that we don't like our apartment and need to move.

...in the fact that sickness is inevitable this time of year.

...in the fact that we cant get a home of our own.

...in the fact that we cant have a baby.

...in the fact that both our families are going through tough times and i feel the weight of them as if they were my own.

cue perspective.

Life is a trial out of God's presence.
Where would the growth come from if we didn't have to go through tough times?
How would we know how to get down on our knees and plead for help from a loving Heavenly Father?
How would we learn to ask for help, forgiveness, compassion, understanding, and strength?
How would we learn to rely on others?

I'm not the greatest at asking for help. And it is SOOO easy to get bogged down with the nitty- gritty, the everyday woe's...everything!

I realized that I'm not doing enough on my part. I need to put my trust in the Lord and that all will work out the way it needs to.

For NOW:
I promise to make the best of my situation.
i HAVE a home, plenty of food, clothes on my back and way too many in my closet, and more than adequate transportation.
i have a job.
i have a loving husband.
i have a great family.
i have adorable nieces and a nephew...one of which is a newborn <3
i have a loving Heavenly Father.
i have the knowledge of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.

THE STORK ARRIVED!

Okay, okay. So i was in the next room during the actual birth, so i know that a stork didn't actually deliver my BRAND NEW NIECE!
(the mis-shapened head from her entry would've given it away anyways)

Shes beautiful!
I'm so proud of Melanie and Jeff--both were so calm--so not how i would've been.
She came Thanksgiving morning at 12:25 AM and weighed in at 6Lbs 3 Oz.
She is so super tiny!

mom is finally a grandma!
and we finally have a baby on our side of the family!
halleluiah.

Grateful and Thankful

Thankful-

1. Pleased and relieved: "they were thankful that the war was finally over"; "I was very thankful to be alive".
2. Expressing gratitude and relief: "a thankful prayer".

Grateful-

1. feeling or showing appreciation of kindness.

I feel...both. So much. I have so much to be thankful for...but more than that i have so much that i am grateful for (to me being grateful is a more intense expression, more sincere...if you will).

Here is my list that i am GRATEFUL and THANKFUL for today:

(in no particular order...)

UM and real quick...the last 4 pictures?? Yeah.
I pretty much have the cutest nieces and nephew around.

I'm "blank" because...

LMM did this on her blog...and it made me start thinking. What makes me me?
Here are my answers!

I’m weird because…
I can’t sleep with my hair down.
I drink pepsi like its water.
I have a no shoes policy in my home.
I like Doritos with my PB&J sandwhiches.
I love to smell the smell of gasoline.
I prefer to NOT cuddle when I sleep.
I can only pop my neck one way.
I will eat chips and salsa as a meal.
I can’t sleep uncovered--no matter how hot it is--part of me is always covered.
I'm scared of drowning and scorpions.
I prefer the pizza crust to the actual pizza sometimes.
I drink from over 10 glasses a day.
I have a love/hate relationship with our dishwasher.
I love decorating, but i'm always changing something.
I start my shopping in the sales section of every store, and most times I never leave.
I think my biggest pet peeve is when house numbers are not visible.
I absolutely LOVE pythons and great white sharks.
I do a happy dance when I get a package in the mail.--which is not often.
I make a mean pasta dish.

I’m a bad friend because…
I sometimes take days to check my voice mails.
I am terrible at returning phone calls and emails.
I don't always word things the way I want to.
I sometimes forget activities that I've committed to until last minute.

I’m a good friend because…
I want to see those I love succeed.
I love and cherish friendship.
I love my friends kiddos like they are my own.
You can show up at my house at midnight to talk about your bad day. Or call at 3 in the morning.
Me being slap happy is hilarious...you should see it.

I’m sad because…
I wish I didnt have to work, so i could spend more time doing things with family/friends.
I too often get consumed with guilt. (especially the not wanting to work thing...)
I sometimes let little things get in the way of the big picture.
I need to be better at letting things roll off my back.

I’m happy because…
I just finished stuffing and addressing ALL of my Christmas cards for this year.
My moms surgery went well and nothing was cancerous.
My friend Lauren's surgery went well and shes okay.
Its 75 degrees today
I'm inching ever closer to getting something else off my 25 before 25 list.
My brother is going to be having a baby in the next few days!

I’m excited for…
Christmas. period.
Starting an annual Christmas party.
Cooler weather.
Christmas lights.
Seeing family.
Eating yummy foods that i dont make for just me and jace.
Becoming an aunt again!
Movie watching.
Family time.