Happy 2009, Baby!!

I'm way behind! It's been a little crazy with all the holiday festivities! I promise to update as soon as we get home and I figure out how to upload pictures from my new camera. We are spending New Year's Eve in Gatlinburg with our pals. It's become our annual tradition. Yesterday the weather was perfect and today is freezing so we are snuggled in our room enjoying the gas logs! Hope you've all had a Merry season!! What are you doing New Year's, New Year's Eve? (By the way, I love that song)!! 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

It's 12:39 AM Christmas morning! My wonderful hubby is upstairs wrapping Christmas presents & I'm blogging! We were privileged to be a part of the Christmas Eve services at the amazing, one & only, VL followed by yummy homemade soup & red velvet cake with my family! I feel extremely thankful for such wonderful friends, family & an amazing Savior who was born on such a holy night! I think I'm going to make this an all nighter & watch The Holiday (thanks to the Bennett's)! 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! 

I hope your day is merry & bright! 

Happy Christmas Eve!

Things have been a little busy around our house the past week! We've been doing our last minute shopping, wrapping gifts, watching Christmas movies & entertaining guests! Saturday, Cody's Mom & niece stopped in for an overnight visit so we could celebrate Christmas a little early. We always have a great time with Avery & even though it was a short trip, we enjoyed every minute!  We got her the Hannah Montana guitar game (it plugs directly into the TV & is very similar to guitar hero) & she loved it! She was so cute rockin' out like HM! 

Sunday night we hosted our dear friends, January & Patrick, but things were a little different this time...Baby Jonas was with them! He's 7 weeks & precious! We shared lots of laughs (as usual) & did a whole bunch of nothing! The boys men played the PS2, the ENTIRE time, while January read Twilight which she is totally addicted to (that, I am willing to take the blame for)! We were sad to see them leave late yesterday! We wish we lived closer!  
I've had no voice since Sunday. It started out hoarse & has gotten worse. I'm supposed to sing for the Christmas Eve services tonight so I'm doing everything I can think of to make it better!! Crazy! I've attempted to speak as little as possible & if you know me, you understand what a task that is! Not speaking is my Everest!! My fingers are a little tired from all the texting! 

Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!! I'm off to buy one more thing!! 

Blog Birthday

It's my blog birthday! I can't believe it's been a year! Cody was the one who pushed me to launch but it has totally turned out to be something I enjoy and actually look forward to. I've never written in a diary so I feel like this blog has become just that but without the super cool lock and key! I know at times it's super cheesy, shallow and grammatically incorrect but thanks for reading anyways! 

Community Christmas Party!

Posing for this picture brought back memories of prom photos! Our community group Christmas party was Sunday night. Two of our couples were unable to make it but the show went on with yummy chili, a delicious pumpkin roll, a white elephant game & Scene It! White elephant is always more fun when you have lots of people so our game went rather quickly. The short game allowed more time for what I thought would be a successful lady victory in the boys vs. girls Scene It game! We lost! After all, "those" boys did have DougieD on their team and he has supernatural trivia powers!! Thanks to Mel for making the chili and Christy for making the pumpkin roll. You guys rock! MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

WAAAAY Behind!

I have made NO Christmas purchases! Not ONE! I've had my list for months and I know exactly what and where to buy. I guess I should be getting busy before Christmas is over! Honestly, I'm not concerned in the least bit. Should I be?

Adventures of Hope

This past week (Tues-Thurs) we hosted Hopie at our home while HHH & Pete were out of town! Addie, Hope's sister, was kind enough to let her sleep in "her" room at our house. We had so much fun watching movies, coloring & singing all kinds of songs (after school, of course). Hope is FULL of energy, she loves music and she loves Cody to pieces! They cuddled on the couch to watch her favorite movie...Napoleon Dynamite! Yes, she taught us the dance at the end! We look forward to our next sleepover with our sweet Hopie girl! 

*Note: The photos above were taken on our mission trip to Dominican Republic. I suppose I chose them because I'm dreaming of the warm, beautiful weather while in COLDlanta! 

A birthday & a boy...

So...below is proof of our first trip to Hooters on our trip to PCB in Sept. (well, a first for some of us). This was a momentous occasion not because it was my birthday but because Hillary (in the pink) decided to break THE news!! Seriously, we were having lots of small-talk chatting and out of NOWHERE, she says "we made an offer on a house Monday and Tuesday I found out I'm pregnant"! Are you kidding!??! You should have heard the screaming in Hooters! They didn't know what to think of our table and, of course, we had to document the evening of fine dining!

Now that you have the background, here's part II of the story...Christy's birthday was Sunday and Hillary found out the sex of baby Hull on Monday so we thought we should revisit the scene of the crime for a celebration. It's a boy and unfortunately, they didn't go with my suggestion of Monster Truck Hull as the name. Baby Hull will be called Parker James! Cute! We couldn't let Christy off the hook so we asked the "orange shorts" to sing happy birthday. Little did we know, they were going to call her to the front of the restaurant, make her stand of a stool and give her a beak while all the patrons stared strangely! It was hilarious and I'm really glad they didn't do it on my birthday!! Christy was a great sport! 

Congrats on Baby Boy Hull & a great big Happy Hooterific Birthday to Christy!!! Good times!

She said Yes!!!...Of Course!

This past weekend was busy but so worth it! Saturday my cousin Tyler got married at Myrtle beach & the weather was simply beautiful! I was concerned it would be cold & cloudy but it was perfect! Casey is such a sweetheart, Tyler loves her to pieces & they both share a bond with ketchup that will keep them together forever!! 

The Family

Saturday was also a day I've been anticipating since the end of August. August, that's when Mr. Bobby Sherard & I started bonding via e-mails & texts concerning his proposal to my cousin, Jenna (truly more like my sister)! I have been about to bust with excitement!!! Literally counting down the days & let me say...it was perfect. Bobby was so prepared (did I mention he's been planning since August?) & I, along with both their families, got to be there to document every second. I feel so privileged that I got to witness this moment! I've never been in a happier room in my life! It literally smelled happy! Jenna was so shocked & thrilled. She's still on cloud 9! Now, we are all counting down to May 9th...the next BIG day!!! 

Adorable

I can't believe we all have bling! (By the way, I will never stand by Jenna again)

Jenna & Bobby, I'm so happy for you & you are a PERFECT match! It's amazing how God brings it all together & He's going to use you greatly for years to come! All my love to both of you! 

2nd time around...

I went to see it...AGAIN & let me just say it's so much better the second time around! I didn't think it was possible but I'm even more obsessed. I wish you could have been in the theater with me & my gals at the 10 PM Thursday night showing! We couldn't stop commenting (AKA: squealing with excitement) & simply enjoying the movie in general! I think I'm gonna have to read the series all over. I've heard it said (this person shall remain anonymous for security purposes) that Twilight tops Dirty Dancing any day! It's at the top of my list fosho!

Again...

I can't believe I have to go through this again!!! 

Who would have thought that a piercing could close up in the amount of time it takes to jump in the shower, fix my hair & put on makeup?!? You have GOT to be kidding me! So, it looks like I will be making another visit to get my cute little piercing redone...very soon! Who wants to come hold my hand?

Turkey & Ya-Ya Sisters

We had a very happy Thanksgiving holiday! I've eaten my weight in really yummy food and now feel the need to fast for the next week! Anyways, as usual, we piled up and went to NC to celebrate my favorite time of year! My mom's entire family (around 60 people) has lunch together and then all the girls have a Ya-Ya sleepover! It's been 6 years since Cody asked me to marry him on Thanksgiving night (I said YES...obviously). I can't believe it's been that long! Times flies when you're having great adventures!!! Cody had no idea what he was getting himself into when he first met the crew but now he can't imagine his life without our loud, obnoxious antics! Below are some pics of our trip. Hope your holiday was excellent too! 

All the Ya-Ya girls

Middle Ya-Ya's

Wise Ya-Ya's 

We've been promoted to dish washing duty!

Cody & my extremely eccentric aunt, Kathie! (no explanation is necessary)

Mom & Dad sportin' their shades

A little random...

I'm still enjoying my Thanksgiving holiday in NC but I thought I would share a few pics of highlights over the past few weeks...

Alton & Ozell's 50th Anniversary Party

Mrs. Ozell was married to her first hubby for 20+ years. That means the woman has been married for over 70 years! Some people don't even get to live that long!! Amazing!

A bunch of the girlies who went to see Twilight! The nice lady who took our pic couldn't fit us all into the frame and she never actually snapped the other half of the group...I obviously picked a digitally impaired person! The boys didn't want any evidence so they declined to pose for our photograph. We know who those men are and we thank them for their bravery! The movie was so good and I still wanna see it again! I'm a Twilight nerd.

Happy Thanksgiving!

  Thursday 13 Thanksgiving style:

I'm thankful for...

1. An amazing family of 60ish who still gets together every Thanksgiving!

2. All my Ya-Ya sisters who spend Thanksgiving night together.

3. My amazing hubby, Cody, who falls right into my obnoxious family.

4. The greatest church...VL.

5. A wonderful group of friends.

6. Encouraging partners in ministry.

7. A packed FTF schedule in 2009.

8. A warm house and cozy bed.

9. A reliable car to travel the 6 (or with traffic...8) hour drive to NC.

10. Delicious food to eat all day today.

11. Grandparents that are happy & healthy.

12. All the technology that kept me entertained on our drive.

13. A God who loves regardless & changes lives!

Happy Thanksgiving! Hope your turkey and time with family is thebomb.com!! 

Suzi Says Da

I'm that girl. The one who brings her own polish to the nail salon when she gets her mani/pedi. Brittany and I went to get manicures today since I was in desperate need of some cuticle therapy! Now I'm ready for Thanksgiving!

The Cullen Family

Twilight rocked my socks! My hubby, a few of his manly friends and all my girlies went to see the box office hit on opening night and it met all expectations!! The entire cast was amazing and overall, I thought they did the book justice. I could have walked right back into the theater and watched the entire movie over again. Now, I'm on a count down for the 2nd movie which isn't projected to be released until 2010! You've GOT to be kidding me! That is entirely too long to wait for more Bella and Edward (who, by the way, was simply perfect). Cody, I still think you're the hottest! 

7:00 PM cannot come fast enough!!! Edward & Bella in theaters...finally! Our tickets were purchased on Monday. Can we say obsessed? I've been counting down the days with all my "Twilight" gal pals! My hubby even decided to join in to see what all the hype is about! Girls (and a few guys), I'll see ya 6:30ish with popcorn in tow!! Dress warm, I hear Edward is a little chilly! 

Laughing til I cry!

I never post more than one a day so I'm REALLY over my limit with 3!! This was way too funny to pass up!! Enjoy!!

Thankful Thursday

13 people I'm thankful for in no particular order (there are more but this list is limited to 13 due to time):

1. Cody: the man makes me laugh all the time and I couldn't ask for a better person to journey with!

2. Dad: he is humble, generous & full of mercy!

3. Mom: she cooks the best food & spurs us to deeper relationships with Christ & each other!

4. January: we share the best laughs with she & hubby, Patrick! Always wish we lived closer!

5. Kenzie: my cousin (more like a sister)! We've shared everything & I love her!

6. Jenna: other cousin (also more like a sister)! We've also shared everything & I love her.

7. Morgan: another cousin who has made huge changes in her life over the past year! Lots of love to my home-girl!!

8. Tammy Nolan: she will never know how inspired I am by her life. All her encouraging notes/texts come in perfect timing! 

9. My dearest Brittany: too many memories to count, too many cellular minutes to count & too many shopping trips to count! She has the most beautiful smile & beautiful soul! I love her bunches!

10. HHH: we just get each other! It seems like our friendship has lasted a lifetime already! My daily conversation with her is priceless! The next week will be the longest of my life! :)

11. Jessica Smith: the greatest intern ever!! I stand in awe at the young woman she is becoming! She makes me want to live deeper!

12. Jenny B: we share Rita's & preacher jokes! So glad we've grown closer in the past year & that our husbands heart each other too!

13. Christy: we share Dominican! I'm also thankful we've grown closer this year! You inspire me with your patience & sweet heart! It doesn't hurt that our hubby's heart each other too (J would kill me if he saw this)! 

no TV update...

I'm kinda likin' this "no cable" deal! It's been really nice not having the TV on for the simple reason of "just because". I've found myself getting more sleep & getting more things accomplished around the house. How are my other buddies who took the plunge??

Pregnant Man?

On Friday night HHH, Jenny B and I got totally sucked into the 20/20 special "The Pregnant Man". Let me first say that baby Susan is super adorable! What a little cutie pie! Secondly, a man (I still think he's a woman) giving birth? I don't get it! Barbara Walters was speechless and so am I! Trust me, speechless doesn't happen often in my world! Thoughts from the panel??

Trees

"Well, it's Christmas time pretty baby and the snow is on the ground" (well, that last part isn't true but Elvis makes it sound great)! Cody pulled all the boxes out of the attic and Mom came to help me decorate the house! 2 trees are up, the wreaths are on the door, the mantle is decorated and the stockings are hung by the chimney with care. Yay! Cody thinks we are a little premature but I'm lovin' it! My house feels happy and it looks pretty spiffy too, if I do say so myself! 

Smores!!

Some sticks, a lighter, graham crackers, marshmallows, chocolate, wire hangers and great friends make for a fun bonfire! Our community group joined up with the Bennett's group for a little bonfire parTAY! It was great to meet some new peeps and build relationships with fellow VL-ers! We might have to make this an annual tradition. Thank goodness we didn't start a forest fire!! The whole time all I could think was "this is why California's burning, right now"!

I didn't end up with tons of pictures. It must be because I was too busy stuffing my face with SMORES!! I love my marshmallows absolutely burnt to a crisp. Ya know, the kind that you have to blow the fire out before you can eat it! Yum!! Next time we will get a group shot! By the way, whoever ordered the green pepper pizza, we love you anyways!! :)

You've got a friend...

I cannot think of one childhood birthday party or school event that didn't involve Kristin Phillips. From K-8, we were pretty much bff's! We always got along beautifully and we both love to sing and, of course, shop!! Since I moved from NC, after 8th grade, we've kept in touch as much as possible and I was privileged to sing at her wedding last year. After months of schedule issues, we finally had dinner with Kristin and her hubby, Christian. They are so cute together! I love how our lives have turned out and I love, even more, that we both live in the same state, again. She and I share so many wonderfully happy memories and I'm so glad we are still friends! Here's my new challenge...to see Kristin more since she only lives an hour away! Yay for friendships that last! It really made my week! BTW, I must give a "shout-out" to Goldfish restaurant for the yummiest California Roll I've tasted!! Have a super weekend!! 

At the ceremony uniting Mr. & Mrs. Guest, Sept. 2007!

Coupon Clippers Unite

The other night at dinner, my Moms friend was telling me all about her "coupon clipping" addiction. She kept telling me all the great deals she gets on things she purchases on a weekly basis. I was totally turned off and thinking "this is way too much work" until she started telling me the amount of money she saved! Cha-ching! Now, don't get me wrong, I love a good deal. One of my mottos in life...if it doesn't have a red line through it, I don't bring it home. However, this motto strictly pertains to clothes and, my more serious addiction, shoes! So, now I'm interested to know how many of my blogger buddies are coupon clippin' addicts?!? I'm intrigued but lost/overwhelmed about these grocery coupons. Give me your secrets!

I need a little Italiana in my life

I love Italian food. Probably more than I should...as is evidenced by my mini JLo (which I've referred to before). Our friends from Nashville, Jason & Lena, were coming through town so we met at Olive Garden to catch up and pig-out. It's the usual spot whenever we dine with J & L! It was great to see them and we shared some laughs because that's just happens when these boys get together! Last night we were reminded of the positive and negative to life on the road...we have friends near and far. To the friends who are far, we miss you!! 

Joy!

I'm want to live like this....

"Blessed are those, then, who hold their earthly possessions in open palms...Blessed are those who are totally dependent upon Jesus for their joy."-Max Lucado

Sunday night snuggle...

Sunday nights have to be my favorite night of the week. Here's why....

A good movie...

A warm blanket...

A comfy sofa...

A delicious cup of joe...

After a great weekend in TN where we saw so many students make decisions for Christ, we snuggled up on the sofa and watched a movie. It's our Sunday night tradition and my favorite night of the week! 

What's your weekly tradition?