Thanksgiving Week!

I love this time of year! First, Thanksgiving and then Christmas...so much to look forward to. This year is extra special for me and Zach...not only are we fortunate enough to get to spend Thanksgiving with one of our families, but with both...AT THE SAME TIME! I am so thankful to have two amazing families that not only love me, but love each other as well. Ever since Zach's parents and my parents met, they hit it off great. So for Thanksgiving, Zach has to work on Thursday and then we head up to Berry to meet everyone. Our families are celebrating the feast on Friday. My family will be coming down Friday morning. Chrysti and the girls get to come too! I am so excited for all the kids to get to see each other. They had so much fun at the wedding. Everytime I talk to Julie or rather any of the girls...they always talk about how excited they are to see Carly and Katie Beth and Ian. It is so sweet. Last night, Kaitlin told me that Ally said that Ian is her best friend and she can't wait to see him. I love it! I really don't think anything in this world makes me happier.

Then, THE IRONBOWL! Saturday, the families are all heading to T-Town to tailgate and enjoy the Alabama vs. Auburn game. I am so excited for everything. It should be a really great time!

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and ROLL TIDE!

Christmas is coming!!!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
I would say wrapping paper even though I suck at it

2. Real tree or Artificial?
REAL all the way! I never once had a fake one growing up....the smell is part of what makes christmas so special!

3. When do you put up the tree?
I haven't really decided yet ono when Zach and I will put up the tree....I don't think I could ever put it up before Thanksgiving...but I can't wait until the week before. Growing up we had a tradition to put the tree up on Christmas Eve as a family and decorate cookies. It was such a fun tradition and I will always remember the amazing memories, but I think I will make a new tradition for me and my family

4. When do you take the tree down?
The Christmas Season lasts for, I think, 12 days after Christmas.....somewhere around there I guess.

5. Do you like eggnog?
YES...but it is so awful for you that I try to convince myself otherwise

6. Favorite gift received as a child:
Every year growing up I got a new teddy bear wrapped in the same teddy bear box. It looked forward to it every year and those were my favorite gifts

7. Hardest person to buy for?
When I do buy presents for everyone....i never really have a problem. I love giving gifts so I can always think of something

8. Easiest person to buy for?
My sister Kaitlin....last year I gave a good family friend 5 ideas for her for christmas...they got them all for her....and she loved every one. She is so easy.

9. Do you have a nativity scene?
Not for my house yet...but my mom has one that I loved growing up...she has had it forever. She would have all the characters (sheperds and wise men) travel to every room of the house leading up to christmas and then on christmas morning she would put baby Jesus and all the figures in the manager scene...I loved it.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?
Mail...I love getting pictures of everyone so I will def be doing this every year

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
hmmm....It is not that I got something bad it is that we didn't get them. My mom does matching pjs every year and she didn't one year...I was not pleasant. Not that I needed pjs but I love the traditions and to not do it one year....it just didn't feel right to me.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?
Love Actually

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
I am done already...I start really early

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
No

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Hashbrown Casserole.

16. Lights on the tree?
Yes...I like the white ones

17. Favorite Christmas song?
All I want for Christmas is You/ Mariah Carey

18.Travel at Christmas or stay home?
Growing up we always stayed home and everyone came to us...now we will probably be traveling every year

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?
Dasher and Dancer and Dooner and Blizen, Comet and Cupid and Doner and Blizten...Rudolph....No I tried

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?
Angel is my choice but I don't have one yet

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
Christmas Morning

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?
Absolutely nothing

23. Favorite ornament theme or color?
Every year we would get one new ornament and then get one whereever we traveled to that year. My mom then passes them to us when we have our own tree...so I get all mine this year. Zach and I have collected from our trips but we will probably carry on the same tradition

24. What do you want for Christmas this year?
Spend time with family
25. Who is most likely to respond to this?
My sister Chrysti loves these things...I don't know who else

26. On a scale of 1 to 10, how many lights (like the Griswalds) do you put up outside at Christmas? I don't know

27. A Santa memory?
Finding out that my mom bought Chrysti her cordless phone...and it was her SANTA GIFT...:(

28. Can you name the gifts "my true love gave to me" in the song "Twelve Days of Christmas"
Nope

29. If you could make one Christmas wish what would it be?
That Zach and I have a blessed year and so does our family and friends

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!
God bless you and your families!

It has Arrived!

Our sectional is here! Zach went and picked up our latest purchase on Wednesday. He let me know when we move...whenever we move...that this couch can go in his "man cave" along with the pool table and we will get another sectional then....Ya Right! Wishful thinking :)

Twilight!

Tonight...Twilight is playing at Midnight and I am going to try my hardest to convince Zach that we should go. I don't know how well that will go over...but if it doesn't...I guess we will go Friday night. I am so excited to see how well they did with this movie. In my past experiences, the movies never live up to the books...but we will see. The book was so great though...I don't know how they could do better!

Camping

Our nephew, Ian, loves to go camping. For Ian, camping is blowing up a mattress and spending the night on the floor in the living room. You can not resist when he asks you to "go camping". Actually, you can't really resist when he asks you to do anything....he is so cute. But, Zach built an amazing fire last night and we decided to "go camping". We blew up the mattress and got settled in to go to sleep. It was so great going to sleep to the sound of wood popping and the smell of a burning fire....I love it! Because the fire was giving off so much heat, we only got a sheet and a small blanket to cover up with....bad idea! Once the fire died down....we both FROZE! I got up and got another blanket for us....still freezing...hours later...or maybe minutes...I don't remember...Zach got up, turned on the heat, and brought in the comforter. After this we both slept great....I wish we had done that in the first place. You live and you learn. It was fun though :)

St. Margaret's Dedication

This weekend was the dedication of the new sanctuary at St. Margaret's, the Church Zach and I have been going to. It was absolutely BEAUTIFUL! I didn't realize how big of a deal it was to dedicate a new church, as it should be. The Archbishop of Mobile, Archbishop Bodi, celebrated the mass with the church. I learned a ton about all that goes into a Catholic Church; that I am sure I learned at some point in school many years ago but never paid attention to. There are so many traditions that take place that have been passed down over the centuries. One that I thought was really great was the dedication of the altar. Every altar is blessed with relics from the Saints and anointed with oil. I had no clue that these things were done. It was fascinating to me and I am glad I was there to take part in the celebration. Zach really enjoyed the Mass too, or so he says. He even sang along! After mass, St. Margaret's provided lunch for everyone, over 800 people. It was so good! We sat with my boss, Sherrie's, family at the luncheon. It was so crowded. But it was an absolutely perfect day!

The Shack

I have been having a lot of trouble sleeping again...this seems to happen every couple of months. I was extremely sleep deprived before the wedding which I am sure was due to my mind never stopping for a couple weeks. What is really weird this time though is that I am not tired in the morning....I feel completely rested. So this leads me to believe that I am just going to bed to early or getting up too late...and that I am getting plenty of rest in between my 3 or 4 wake ups in the middle of the night. To help, I have started to read before going to bed to calm my mind. I didn't want to read a book that would keep me wanting to read and read and read....like Eclipse, the third book in the Twilight series that I haven't started yet. So, I chose The Shack by William Young. Well, so much for not wanting to read and read. This book is amazing and I am not even halfway done yet. It has great messages in it and it is based on a true story. I love it and can't wait to read it every night before bed. Plus, I slept a lot better last night going to bed around 11 rather than 9. YAY!

Fight FOCA

This is really important for everyone to look at and sign. FOCA is the Freedom of Choice Act that Obama said would be the first thing he signed when he got into office. Please pray for this act to not pass and sign the petition on this website: http://www.fightfoca.com/

I feel Grown Up

Zach and I had an amazing weekend! I am really liking the time we get to spend together right now...with no distractions. Zach had the weekend off....which was so great...and we took full advantage of it. Saturday, we were up by 7:00...out of bed by 8:00 and off to work out! What a great way to start a day! We had a wedding to go to...of course...right in the middle of the Bama Game. Who does that? But, we went to Jesse's to watch the beginning of the game and then headed to the Wedding in Fairhope. Not only do I love Jesse's to eat at but it was a great place to watch the game in their bar area called The Cold Hole. The wedding was for our friends Jenn and Jason. It was a beautiful ceremony and Jenn looked beautifull too (no pictues...sorry). We left the reception once the 2nd half started. We just could not miss this game and for good reason if any of you watched it...what a nail bitter! SO we headed back to Jesse's after the wedding to watch the rest of the game. ROLL TIDE!

Sunday, we went to Church and then headed to Pensacola to go Christmas Shopping. We finished! YAY! And we also made a BIG purchase for ourselves. We bought our first sofa. We were both so excited! Now...of course...we have to repaint our living room...but it is well worth it! It gets delivered on the 20th so then I will take some other pictures. But here is the one from the website:

I love growing up!

This weekend we also watched two movies....Fracture was awesome; a really great movie. Capote was good too, just a little bit slower. It wasn't one of Zach's favorites.

Welcome to My Kitchen

My Sister posted this on her blog and I thought it was cute!

1. Do you have magnets on your fridge? Yes

2. Do you have a calendar in the kitchen and if so, what is it's theme? The theme is BILLS. I keep track of all my bills on a print out calendar that lets me know when we get paid and what bills need to be paid with each check. We have a birthday calendar and other events in our bedroom...that theme is dogs on golf courses....

3. What is your favorite kitchen gadget or tool? I love our Oster 3 in 1. It is a handheld gadget that can chop, mix, and cut. LOVE IT!

4. Are you lucky enough to have a pantry of some kind? We made part of our laundry room a pantry with a metal shelving unit. It works perfectly!

5. What is your favorite appliance? It would have to be the microwave. It is so convenient.

6. Do you have an eat in kitchen? Of Course. I make a point to eat at the dinner table with NO TV as much as I can. It is hard to get Zach to see that this is a much better way to eat because we can talk about the day and have quality time together...He grew up eating in front of the television on tv trays, so it is really hard to break the habit.

7. Do you have a bread box? No

8. Do you have a picture of your kids on the fridge? No Kids yet....but I have a picture of every one of my nieces and nephew.

9. Do you ever cooked breakfast in your pjs? If putting a bagel in the toaster is cooking....all the time.

10. Do you have a favorite cookbook? My Hubby and the internet

11. Are you lucky enough to have recipes that were passed down from your mom and grandma? Zach's family passed on a lot of their favorite recipes to us and I get a ton from my mom.

12. What's your favorite food? That is so simple...ICE CREAM...Chocolate Raspberry Truffle to be exact.

13. What's your favorite thing to cook? I prefer baking, but I guess Swiss Chicken

14. Is your coffee pot electric or stove top? Electric...but it only comes out when Rickey and Zelda visit.

15. Do you make your own bread? Ummm....NO.

16. Name one thing you have hanging on the wall in your kitchen. I have pictures of Zach and I at our Engagment Sitting.

17. Is there a clock in your kitchen? On the Microwave.

18. Do you have a bowl of fruit on your table or counter? No... but we do have a bowl of candy right now.

19. What type of canisters do you have? Plastic

20. Does your kitchen have a theme? Green...I love green and it is accented with yellow and brown.

21. What's for supper tonight? Either left over meatloaf...tasty I know...or Hamburger Helper.

22. Do you have enough cabinet space? A ton.

23. Does your family use paper plates? No. We have them but rarely use them.

24. Do you have a good set of china packed up? No. If any of you know me it is not a good idea for me to have anything that one...is breakable...and two...IS BREAKABLE and cost a ton of money. I registered for Pottery Barn White Collection. I love the look of the set and have really been happy with them.

25. Do you wear an apron to work in the kitchen? No

26. Name one thing you would change about your kitchen if you could. I want my garbage disposal back! I miss having one so bad.

Join me in sharing about your kitchen!

A Great Outlook

One of my friends from college directed me to a website called http://www.albertmohler.com/ to read an article in response to the results of the election and to Barack Obama being our 44th President. I thought it was inspiring and helpe me look at the bigger picture. Here is what he had to say:

The election of Sen. Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States came as a bang, not a whimper. The tremors had been perceptible for days, maybe even weeks. On Tuesday, America experienced nothing less than a political and cultural earthquake.

The margin of victory for the Democratic ticket was clear. Americans voted in record numbers and with tangible enthusiasm. By the end of the day, it was clear that Barack Obama would be elected with a majority of the popular vote and a near landslide in the Electoral College. When President-Elect Obama greeted the throngs of his supporters in Chicago's Grant Park, he basked in the glory of electoral energy.

For many of us, the end of the night brought disappointment. In this case, the disappointment is compounded by the sense that the issues that did not allow us to support Sen. Obama are matters of life and death -- not just political issues of heated debate. Furthermore, the margin of victory and sense of a shift in the political landscape point to greater disappointments ahead. We all knew that so much was at stake.

For others, the night was magical and momentous. Young and old cried tears of amazement and victory as America elected its first African-American President -- and elected him overwhelmingly. Just forty years after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, an African-American stood to claim victory as President-Elect of the nation. As Sen. Obama assured the crowd in Chicago and the watching nation, "We will get there. We will get there." No one hearing those words could fail to hear the refrain of plaintive words spoken in Memphis four decades ago. President-Elect Obama would stand upon the mountaintop that Dr. King had foreseen.

That victory is a hallmark moment in history for all Americans -- not just for those who voted for Sen. Obama. As a nation, we will never think of ourselves the same way again. Americans rich and poor, black and white, old and young, will look to an African-American man and know him as President of the United States. The President. The only President. The elected President. Our President.

Every American should be moved by the sight of young African-Americans who -- for the first time -- now believe that they have a purchase in American democracy. Old men and old women, grandsons and granddaughters of slaves and slaveholders, will look to an African-American as President.

Regardless of politics, could anyone remain unmoved by the sight of Jesse Jackson crying alone amidst the crowd in Chicago? This dimension of Election Day transcends politics and touches the heart of the American people.

Yet, the issues and the politics remain. Given the scale of the Democratic victory, the political landscape will be completely reshaped. The fight for the dignity and sanctity of unborn human beings has been set back by a great loss, and by the election of a President who has announced his intention to sign the Freedom of Choice Act into law. The struggle to protect marriage against its destruction by redefinition is now complicated by the election of a President who has declared his aim to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. On issue after issue, we face a longer, harder, and more protracted struggle than ever before.

Still, we must press on as advocates for the unborn, for the elderly, for the infirm, and for the vulnerable. We must redouble our efforts to defend marriage and the integrity of the family. We must be vigilant to protect religious liberty and the freedom of the pulpit. We face awesome battles ahead.

At the same time, we must be honest and recognize that the political maps are being redrawn before our eyes. Will the Republican Party decide that conservative Christians are just too troublesome for the party and see the pro-life movement as a liability? There is the real danger that the Republicans, stung by this defeat, will adopt a libertarian approach to divisive moral issues and show conservative Christians the door.

Others will declare these struggles over, arguing that the election of Sen. Obama means that Americans in general -- and many younger Evangelicals in particular -- are ready to "move on" to other issues. This is no time for surrender or the abandonment of our core principles. We face a much harder struggle ahead, but we have no right to abandon the struggle.

We should look for opportunities to work with the new President and his administration where we can. We must hope that he will lead and govern as the bridge-builder he claimed to be in his campaign. We must confront and oppose the Obama administration where conscience demands, but work together where conscience allows.

Evangelical Christians face another challenge with the election of Sen. Obama, and a failure to rise to this challenge will bring disrepute upon the Gospel, as well as upon ourselves. There must be absolutely no denial of the legitimacy of President-Elect Obama's election and no failure to accord this new President the respect and honor due to anyone elected to that high office. Failure in this responsibility is disobedience to a clear biblical command.

Beyond this, we must commit ourselves to pray for this new President, for his wife and family, for his administration, and for the nation. We are commanded to pray for rulers, and this new President faces challenges that are not only daunting but potentially disastrous. May God grant him wisdom. He and his family will face new challenges and the pressures of this office. May God protect them, give them joy in their family life, and hold them close together.

We must pray that God will protect this nation even as the new President settles into his role as Commander in Chief, and that God will grant peace as he leads the nation through times of trial and international conflict and tension.

We must pray that God would change President-Elect Obama's mind and heart on issues of our crucial concern. May God change his heart and open his eyes to see abortion as the murder of the innocent unborn, to see marriage as an institution to be defended, and to see a host of issues in a new light. We must pray this from this day until the day he leaves office. God is sovereign, after all.

Without doubt, we face hard days ahead. Realistically, we must expect to be frustrated and disappointed. We may find ourselves to be defeated and discouraged. We must keep ever in mind that it is God who raises up nations and pulls them down, and who judges both nations and rulers. We must not act or think as unbelievers, or as those who do not trust God.

America has chosen a President. President-Elect Barack Obama is that choice, and he faces a breathtaking array of challenges and choices in days ahead. This is the time for Christians to begin praying in earnest for our new President. There is no time to lose.

For anyone who watched the story about Baby Eliot....just a little update. His parents had a Baby girl about two weeks ago. Her name is Hazel and she is so cute! What a blessed family!

Fun Fun

I love nothing more then when family comes and visits. Rickey and Zelda surprised us on Friday by letting us know they were coming down. I love it when they come. We always have so much fun, usually doing absolutely nothing. But it is always good times. Friday night I cooked dinner and we played Monopoly. The game lasted forever and Zach eventually took over the whole board...he will never let me forget it either :) Saturday we relaxed. Zach and Rickey went out to Kiva to check out the course and Zelda and I sat at home and caught up. We watched football the rest of the day and made chili...YUM! Sunday, we went to eat at Lambert's, a restaurant known for "throwing rolls". Unfortunately, I wasn't really impressed. The guys fixed some things around the house later that day and Zelda and I watched Chic Flics....finally someone to watch them with me! Monday, Zach took off and my boss allowed me to take half the day off which was so great. We went to lunch at Old World Bakery, one of Zach and my favorite places to eat. We then bought Pictionary Man....SO MUCH FUN! We played two times before we had to hit the hay. What a great weekend! I can't wait for them to visit again!