New Year

I wish I could say I remembered the beginning of this year, but it's already slipping away from me!  We had some friends over to watch football and as all of the had to work the next day, they couldn't stay until CST New Year.  But we did watch EST ring it in!:)  Then of course, we had the traditional pork, greens and black eyed peas on New Years day.

The next couple of weeks sped by somewhat uneventfully as we worked and B continued the job search.  Those couple of weeks were definitely a needed reprieve after Christmas.  Then January hit us like a ton of bricks.

My dad has been having neck issues and needed surgery to remove some severely degenerative disk.  He had this surgery on the books for mid-January and I made plans to be there the day of the surgery.  Though a fairly invasive surgery, everything went well for him and he continues to recover slowly but surely.  The surgeon was glad he had gone ahead with the surgery and the disc were causing narrowing of his spinal chord and would have eventually caused major problems if not corrected.

The day prior to dad's surgery, my uncle had a stroke and was rushed into emergency surgery.  The last couple of weeks have been very difficult for him as he will progress and then have a set back.  The initial stroke seemed to have done some damage, but considering the severity of the clot that was removed, his speech and mobility was miraculously still intact though somewhat affected by weakness.  A few days later, he had a second stroke and a second emergency surgery.  He has been monitored very closely and is currently back in the hospital with an infection.  We would covet your prayers for his healing and comfort for my aunt and cousins.  Every day has been a different day with different challenges, some expected and some not.

The Sunday after my uncle's strokes and my dad's surgery, we had an incredibly sad call.  B's uncle passed away late Saturday.  He had been battling a very aggressive form of throat cancer for quite some time.  We were able to shift things around so we could attend the funeral and celebrate his life.  He touched so many people and had such an impact on everyone's life.  It was heart warming to hear so many funny stories about this incredibly brave man.  He was definitely loved by all who met him and never met a stranger!  It is incredible to think about all he went through these last couple of years and he never lost his fighting spirit or his humor.  He took his illness in stride and continued to live his life to the fullest and loved his family and friends at every opportunity!

We continue to learn daily that God will provide for us in ways we cannot even imagine.  He sustains and encourages us while guiding us in His path and plan for us.  I have struggled some the last couple of weeks trying to make sense of everything, but I realized that would be futile.  I am waiting on the Lord and trusting that He will give exactly what we need and nothing more than we can handle with His help.

Christmas, part 2

After Christmas with my side of the family, we ventured back home briefly for a little work and then traveled to B's family.  It was a bit of a whirlwind of a holiday in general due to our somewhat conflicting work schedules, but so is life!:)

We had a great time (despite me getting sick) and had quite the family gathering for Christmas dinner and gift exchange.  Lots of laughs and stories were shared and by the end of the evening, lots of dogs were worn out!  The gathering took place at B's uncle's farm and all the dogs that came were in heaven!  We had a great time sitting by the outdoor fire places watching the dogs play and catching up with everyone!  Again, pictures may be the best way;)...

A little intervention and redirection

Tons of good food and a few tacky Christmas sweaters;)

Singing the 12 Days of Christmas...quite funny!:)

the "kids"

Christmas time...Part 1

Since it's February, I think I should start updating some!

Our first Christmas will be be shown in pictures!  The patter of little feet and arguing siblings woke us up on our "mock" Christmas morning.  B and I couldn't quite figure out what the older 2 were arguing about, but it seemed to be a game of "one-up."  We opened presents, played with said presents, cooked, laughed, got a couple of games of sardines in (B won the prize for the best hiding place), and had lots of fun!  It was quite amusing to see the kids open their gifts, they were done much quicker than the adults to say the least!

Redefining bed-head

A form of animal torture, I'm sure

This was a huge hit and quite funny to watch as they learn how to play

Love this kid...he is a monster, but so sweet and cuddly!!

She was so excited to have matching pj's

Life lately...

It has been quite crazy around here!  So much so that we are both reminding one another what day it is (when we actually get to see each other).

Thanksgiving came quickly and entailed a quick trip to Atlanta for me (B was on nights).  So I brought back some fixin's and we had our Thanksgiving when he finished nights!  Let's just say it was more eventful that I had planned.  Though it was a lot of fun and very productive (my sister and I decided to knock out a lot of Christmas gifts with Black Friday shopping), it was punctuated by a sick dog.

So Ada got her early "Christmas present" in the form of bladder surgery.  We found out she had 6 large stones and hundreds of sugar-sized crystals in her bladder.  This of course explained the sudden accidents everywhere and blood in her urine.  She also had a little 2-for-one deal as they fixed a hernia while she was under.  She came home a day later with 10+ staples and a narcotic pain reliever (!) that made her loopy.  It was a bit of a challenge to keep her still and not jumping once she started feeling better!  And needless to say, she really doesn't like going to the vet any more...at all.

In the midst of this, B continues the job hunt and we are continually in prayer that God will open doors for us.  Meanwhile, B is very busy with his current rotation and I am trying really hard not to get sick from work (seeing as we are constantly seeing just about every illness under the sun right now).  One thing that has been a huge encouragement right now is Christmas preparation.  Not just the shopping for gifts and family time, but the heart preparation.  The observation of the season of advent.  The celebration of our Saviors birth.  His humble beginning...

Fall Break

So, Brian and I managed to schedule a whole week off together!  Took a little work, but it was a much needed break from work and some time together.  We hooked the boat to the back of the truck, packed up and left town.  We had originally planned to spend the second half of the week in the mountains and the first part most likely here in Birmingham.  But God had other plans and we ended up spending the first part of the week traveling around a little (more to come on that later when I know more- yes, I'm being intentionally vague).

We managed to squeeze the Clemson game in on Saturday and watched a lot of other games (some not so good outcomes).  We tried to relax and have fun primarily...no schedules, no expectations...it was really nice.

Then by midweek we were in the mountains enjoying this beautiful fall season!  The boat was in the water and we cruised a little to look at the lake.  Since it was pretty chilly at night, we built a fire every night (with real wood...I was one happy girl).  It was a perfectly relaxing vacation and gave us a lot of opportunity to talk about the near future and not so near future.  We were also able to share some time with friends that came up for the end of the week.  It was great to be able to catch up with them and laugh often.

I realize more and more how God's timing is perfect and this week in the mountains was just another small way He reaffirmed this to me.  There is nothing like simply sitting on a porch listening to His creation around you and absorb His greatness.  Nature has always done this to me...I always see things outdoors and wonder how so many people remain ignorant to our Creator.  So many fine details come together in such an intricate way....I love the sense of awe and wonder He always creates in me when I think of even the most simple things He has given us to enjoy.

Some of you know of my fascination with lighthouses.  Well, I feel the same way about waterfalls and we managed to find a couple while we were lake cruising and hiking.  Their constancy always reminds me of His nature.  I love visual reminders...

Needless to say, we will be doing this again...maybe an annual fall trip?:)
(Side note: Please keep us in your prayers as Brian has started interviews for jobs.  More to come when we know more.):)

Since August...

My goodness!  Is it really October??!!  Time is going by faster the older I get...I realized that it's time to start seriously thinking about Christmas and that scares me!!  It feels like we just had Christmas!  Anyways, as I get over my anxiety, we've been fairly busy the last several weeks and I'm just now making the time to sit and upload some pics!

We made plans a while back to attend the Chick-Fil-A kickoff game, as our teams were playing each other.  We got there and set up the tailgate and watched some football before going into the Dome for out game.  Needless to say, the game did not turn out the way I had hoped, but it was a fun weekend and somewhat relaxing.  We were able to have a good visit with my parents as well, and they came with us to the game to cheer my tigers along.  They both got a little tv time as they were sitting pretty close to a camera.  Brian and I opted for the seats higher up.  The only down side for Brian was the fact that our tickets were in the Auburn section...;)

Our next set of traveling took us to Greenville.  We squeezed a Clemson game (for Brian) and visited with the family.  It was a bit of a quick weekend as we decided last minute to drive back home with a detour through Knoxville on Sunday.  We were able to spend some precious time with Brian's uncle and had fun relaxing and playing around on their boat for the afternoon.  We hope to make the trip again soon!!

Our last weekend in September, we had a bit of a house-full!  We had a weekend of playing and took the kiddos to i-jump for some energy burning.  Then the ladies had some time to shop while the guys (minus Ethan) watched some ever important football.  We grilled out and introduced venison as well as, the now famous, Wii.  Some Wii playing started to get pretty competitive!!

It amazes me how quickly this all passed by...I think it goes by faster because I work every other weekend?  At the moment, I'm hoping to find some time to see some friends and catch-up with them as I feel like I've been to "busy."

There's a boy in the house, part 2

So as we start 4th month of marriage, there are some odd "reflections" that come to mind...you know, those things that you are starting to notice and get used to (or not get used to) about the other person (only thing is, my perspective is the only one shared here...guest post eventually?).  So here goes...
1.  I can tell the few minutes just before he is about to be completely out (I proved it to him one night and just about drove him crazy, but it was a little humorous the responses I would get)
2.  I am definitely not a doctor trained to fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow (I wish!!!)
3.  Cooking experiments are generally a good thing for me and somewhat successful (until you hit that one cake that just isn't quite right)
4.  Exhaustion/tiredness is one of our common enemies
5.  There's a different level of intensity when eating (ie- meals are inhaled by him and I remind him he can actually enjoy this meal as he is at home)
6.  We both work a lot, so the boy that's supposed to be in the house isn't really here a whole lot (sad, I know...this has been one of my biggest struggles)
7.  There's a whole new set of hobbies around the house (not a bad thing in and of itself...we're gonna need a "hobby" room one day)
8.  I still stink at Mario and he can still run circles around me playing that game...but I think I get the better end of that deal because he can beat all the worlds and then I can play for fun...kinda...;)
9.  We luckily have similar taste in shows and movies so not much of a battle over the remote...yet...football season is on the horizon;)
10.  He's a softy for Ada's puppy-dog face (and boy does she know how to use it!)

The last few months have flown by...sometimes I think that's a good thing (as we are moving towards a new normal) and other times I hate it because it just means I've missed something along the way.  I continue to learn about this man that I married and about myself.  It continues to amaze me just how little you actually know yourself until you enter into a serious relationship that leads to marriage.  I'll admit, sometimes I feel like we've been given an unfair "hurdle" because of our schedules and work commitments.  I knew it would be this way because of our dating period and seeing how our schedules "meshed" then...but I guess if it wasn't this, there would be something else that would challenge us to continue to work on our relationship and our marriage.  I guess, really, I'm thankful for the "work" we have had to do because we are at least used to it...is it always fun?  No, not really...but is it necessary?  Is it rewarding?  Absolutely!!