Hello, Hello 2010!

Happy New Year!!!!!!

Wow, what an awesome time it is right now.  I love starting new journeys.  I am so excited to see what God has in store for my family in 2010!

How was your NYE?  We had a wonderful time!  For the last two years we have hosted our friends for NYE, and in fact, last year we had a BIG party for about 25 of our closest friends.  It was a BLAST!!  After a lot of decision making, we decided to take a little break this year and ring in the new year on a much smaller scale.  Oh my goodness, I am SO glad we did!  We had a snow storm NYE!  I think I would have been so sad if we threw another big party and people weren’t able to come because of the weather.  It really turned out to be such a perfect, special night.  Here are a few pictures to share…

We started off the evening at an amazing hot spot for dinner – they have the most DELCIOUS guacamole and mojitos.

About to leave!

Hot husband alert.

Our own personal balcony for the experience.  :o)

After dinner we headed across the street to another favorite spot of ours for a few cocktails.  I just love nights that keep on going!

Then we went home and broke out some of the best champagne I have ever tasted for a kick-off toast before we headed over to a rock’n neighborhood NYE party.

…sipping the amazing champagne out of a wine glass.  I looked EVERY WHERE for our champagne glasses and couldn’t find them until, of course, the next morning.  Go figure.  But, in case you are wondering, champagne in a wine glass is still ever so tasty!

We hit up the party and had a great time with our neighbors and friends.  And, of course, we captured my favorite annual picture.  The midnight smoocharoo!

Cheers to 2010!

After a few celebratory shenanigans, we headed home and snuggled, drank wine, watched movies and soaked in the Christmas decorations we knew would be leaving our presence in the next day or so.

Sigh.  I just loveeee this time of year.  And of instead of being sad it’s over, I am thrilled that we get to start new adventures for 2010.  I can’t wait for another year with my family, taking risks and living life and seeing what God has provided for us.

HAPPY 2010!!!!

Blessings/XOXO

Perfection.

Oh my goodness.

I think I may burst with happiness.

Christmas Eve with homemade Sangria and Paella!

A-MAZING. I am still speechless.

 

I’m pretty sure little T loved every second of his first Christmas!

 

  

 

  On the train to NYC!

Mama and Papa hen holding hands and leading their crew.  Love it.

Mary Poppins on Broadway!  BEYOND MAGICAL.  It was priceless watching the JOY on the kiddos’ faces the whole time.  GO SEE IT!

SO excited to pop into Pop Burger.

F.A.O. Schwarz!

Soaking in NYC with my Honey-licious!

           

Oh my goodness, you guys.  AMAZING.  This Christmas has to go down in my book as one of the best Christmases ever.  Beside the fact that my husband completely spoiled me rotten this Christmas (that really deserves a whole other post on it’s own – I seriously started crying I was so excited) and my mom and dad went ABOVE.AND.BEYOND. to make sure this Christmas was perfect – I have to say that absolutely every single thing about our time was such a gift and a complete JOY.  The time we spent together as a family rejoicing in the birth of our Savior and loving on each other was priceless.  We made memories to last a lifetime.  And the celebrations aren’t over!  I am SO excited for what this week holds for my sweet little family.  Can’t wait to come back and share more!  I hope you are all having a WONDERFUL and blessed time with your lovies!

Happy New Year’s Eve Week!!  Enjoy these last days of 2009!!!!

It’s here! It’s here!

Christmas week is upon us!  YAYYYYYY!  I had every intention of posting pictures of our Christmas decorations and it completely slipped my mind to capture the photos BEFORE today, since I won’t be posting again until next week!  Whoops!  Will you still want to see pics AFTER Christmas?  Haha.

Ummmm, can we please talk about SNOW for a second?  HOLY COW!  We had SO.MUCH.SNOW over the weekend.  It was the most magical thing to watch as it came down.  And it didn’t stop!  We had about two feet when all was said and done.  We also had three different Christmas parties over the weekend and somehow still managed to make it to every single one!  I’m in love with our trusty Pilot, she is a rock in the snow!  A few pics to share…

My love bugs all together again!

Playing in the snow!

A certain furry baby of ours LOVESSSS it.

 

I woke up and came downstairs to Hubsy shoveling.  He looked so hardcore and sooo cute.  HAD to take a picture.

At our friends’ Snow Party.  Dig my bunny fleece? 

We found a 10th reindeer for Santa.

We made peppermint bark!  The amazingly wonderful and talented Jenny over at Lucky in Love posted a FABULOUS recipe for it that I couldn’t wait to try.  It’s SO easy and SOoOoooo DELISH!  If you want the recipe, check it out here.

 

What a full and fun weekend!  What do we have going on the rest of the week?  Glad you asked!  :o)

A slumber party with my BILs, an engagement party for my sister, CHRISTMAS EVE AND CHRISTMAS DAY!  NYC to see Mary Poppins on Broadway!  CAN’T WAIT to snap tons of pics of beautiful NYC at Christmas.  AND, for the first time ever, we will be spending Christmas day with my WHOLE entire family AND my husband’s family!  My mom wanted to include them in the festivities as well.  The total count for Christmas dinner?  15!  My presh FIL is still in the hospital recovering from his surgery, but things are looking SO good and we are so hopeful that his body will be healed SOON!

Honestly, my heart can’t stop smiling.  I am so blessed and have SO much to be joyful about right now.  I am so excited to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ this week, and I feel so blessed to have the gifts of my sweet husband and family to celebrate it with.  As we finish off the year with these last few days in December, I hope each and every one of you has a blessed and joyful time celebrating and enjoying it.  Thank you for taking time out to catch li’l glimpses into the life God has given me.  It’s humbling to think anyone would be interested in us.  I am thankful for you!

Have an amazing and BLESSED Christmas!

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government will be on His shoulders.  And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” – Isaiah 9:6 

LOTS of Blessings/XOXO

I’m obsessed.

I had to find time to quick jump on here and share something that I am completely obsessed with at the moment.

Last night while I was cooking dinner Hubby was asking me a series of conversational questions out of his Men’s Health magazine about winter. 

“What is your favorite thing about winter?” (CHRISTMAS, fires in the fireplace, time w/family & loved ones, hot apple cider, cinnamon candles, baking…I could go on and on…)

“What is your least favorite thing about winter?” (Getting ice off of the car!)

“If you could participate in one of the following winter sports, which one would you choose: Curling, Bob Sledding…….”

I immediately said, “OOOHH DOG SLEDDING!  DEFINITELY DOG SLEDDING!”

He laughed and said “Nooooo, it says BOB sledding”.

Well, that was it.

DOG sledding. It’s all I can think about now.  When faced with the question of which winter sport I would choose if given the option, although it wasn’t even an option, I still choose DOG SLEDDING.  This is DEFINITELY going on my bucket list.  I did some research and found exactly where I could go (hubby in tow) AND on le cheaper side than, say, in Antarctica.  Some place exotic would be ideal, but for now, Minnesota will do!  

Sweet Hubs, please read the following and take note of this subtle hint. 

Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge.  A 4 night dog sledding trip in Ely, Minnesota.  Staying two nights at one breathtaking lodge and then dog sledding to the next breathtaking lodge, and doing day trips in between.  Complete with our own guide, gourmet dinners, skiing, snowshoeing, hot tubbing (i know it isn’t a word but it should be), romantic evenings by the fireplace…

Obsessed. 

 

 

(source)

No seriously, next year?

XOXO.

ONE WEEK!

A week from today is Christmas Eve!

Can you believe it?!  I kind of think Christmas should be two months long; it always seems to FLY by!  Things are SO fun right now with everything going on, it’s such an incredibly joyous time of year – it makes my heart sing.  And as if it couldn’t get any better, someone SO special in my life who means the WORLD to me got ENGAGED over the weekend…

MY SISTER!

(photo taken over the summer)

I am SO excited for her and J – God brought them together and I have been so incredibly blessed to watch their relationship blossom into what it is today - BEAUTIFUL! We love you and are SO excited for you guys!  Can’t wait for all of the fun planning, celebrations and shindigs over the next few months!!  Oh, and um, her ring is GORGEOUS!!  AMAZING job, J!

I’m so ready for this weekend to begin!  Tomorrow Honey-hubby and I are finishing up ALL of our Christmas shopping and then after we are celebrating by heading to a new, very much talked about, casino for dinner and entertainment with some friends, FUN!  Saturday I get to FINALLY see my sister from Houston and her precious kiddos who are getting into town, but our reunion will be put on hold for a li’l bit because Saturday night we have TWO Christmas parties to attend, Sunday night we have my hubby’s company/holiday shindig, and then don’t even get me started on Christmas week! Christmas with Hubby’s family one night (since this year we’ll be with mine for Christmas Eve & Day – we rotate each year), engagement party one night, NYC one night, AND, of course, celebrating the birth of our Savior!  LOVE. IT.  I’ll jump on and do a quick post next week with Christmas decorations and all of the fun things we’ve been cooking in the kitchen.  But, before I go, I want to share something with you that has HIT my heart SO HARD.  Have you heard of the 30 Day Journey blog by the Hollis family?  If not, check it out here.  I found out about it through the Wheeler’s blog, another AMAZING family.

This is a post taken from the Hollis’ 30 Day blog on Wednesday, November 25th.  The $ is STILL pouring in.  This seriously brings SO MUCH joy to my heart.  By the way, Lydia is ELEVEN years old.  This section below is taken from a post written by Lydia’s mother:

________________________________________________________________

Most of you know by now, our family decided three years ago to forgo giving presents to one another during the holidays. Instead, we reach out and raise money for orphan ministries.

We just finished going through the book, "Crazy Love" by Frances Chan with our kids and decided this year, we wanted to be CRAZY for Jesus! He is so crazy about us, we wanted to share His love with everyone throughout the year, but especially during November and December.

Lydia took "CRAZY" to a whole new level, however, when she approached me (while her dad was on a mission trip in Africa) and asked if she raised $20,000.00 before Thanksgiving, could we adopt a little orphan girl, Darya, who has Down Syndrome in Eastern Europe. (A friend of ours adopted a little boy from the same orphanage and reported that Darya gets no attention at all....no one speaks to her or holds her.)

THAT WAS 8 DAYS AGO! Being a sensible 41 year old, I told Lydia she would never be able to raise $20,000.00 in 8 days.....she is only eleven. She didn't hear me. Instead, she asked again, "But if I do raise the money, will you adopt her?" I responded yes, if she raised that much money in 8 days, we would know God is in it and would travel to adopt Darya!

Tonight, I would like to report that Miss Lydia has raised $26,550.00 and the donations are still coming in. It just so happens, we have good friends who have been planning to adopt a little one with Down Syndrome through Reece's Rainbow, but lack of funds has delayed them. Not anymore, everything above $20,000.00 goes to them.
So, friends, you have been a part of a double Thanksgiving Miracle. Not only will Darya have a home ....but through your gifts, another little angel will be given hope for a family tomorrow too! God is so great, isn't He?

"Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say REJOICE!" Phil. 4:4

Does that not give you chills?!  God is GOOD.

Happy Thursday, loves!

Blessings/XOXO