On second thought...

I couldn't help myself! 

I had to share.

For those of you who have cars, you might be able to follow me here. You know that really annoying little light that occasionally turns on on your dash? The aggrivating reddish orange one that screams, "you're about to spend a lot of money on me!" 

Yes, the horrid CHECK ENGINE light! 

Well, the one in Jeremy's car has been on for the past few months. We took it to Auto Zone and had it scanned to find out that the 'EGR valve or sensor' was bad. After we found out how much it was going to cost, we decided to let it sit in the parking lot and he would use my car : ) Well, with our upcoming trip to NY and my car's dislike for snow, we decided we would just bite the bullet and get it taken care of. Not only that, but the 'change oil' light was on in my car - so either way we really needed to seek out a good mechanic. Jeremy asked his mentor at school and she told us to go check out 'Pit Stop.' We took my car in for an oil change, with no appointment, and we pulled in and out within a half an hour without a lot of money missing from our wallet. While we were there we talked to them about fixing Jeremy's car and if they could give us a price for fixing the valve. He told us what it would be but he also said that it would most likely just be the sensor. We were pretty impressed that they told us that since they could have easily just taken us for the more expensive part since that's what we asked for. So, we took it in to get the sensor changed and it was done in 2 hours for less money than they originally told us. Unfortunately, after we left, that darn light came back on. So, we took it back in today to get the valve fixed. Jeremy got a call after school and they aren't charging us for labor since they just did the other work yesterday - they are only charging us for the part itself which has an impressively small price tag! (for a car part)

I am SO impressed. 

Finding a good, trustworthy, fair mechanic is a hard thing to do and being in a new town I was very nervous. So all day long i'm sitting here worrying about the car and what THIS bill will be like and whether or not it was going to be ready in time for us to take it to NY, etc, etc, etc - and then - BOOM!

 "Oh ye me of little faith...."

It was one of those "uhm, hello - of course I came through" moments where you feel about as big as a worm when you realize you spent the whole day worrying and doubting your Lord. 

So, if you've had one of these moments, have some comfort knowing you're not alone. If you're going through one of these moments, hang tight, He WILL come through. And if you haven't ever had one of these moments, well, here's a little insight for the future. Oh, and i'd also like to talk to you! LOL 

Ok, NOW it will be some time before you hear from me again ; ) 

Unless of course God gets a hold of me in another awesome way.

Leave of absence...

I just wanted to write you all and let you know you're going to have to wait a little while longer before you hear from me on here. 

I have wanted to post a few blog entries since the tragedy in CT but I have found it difficult to put my thoughts into words and think it's probably just best for me to keep most of my opinions to myself. 

So, not only do I not really have anything meaningful to blog about, but I also have a very busy few days ahead and THEN - drum roll please - ITS NEW YORK TIME!!! & just like on the weekends when I get some time off with Jeremy, I will not be spending my already too short of a trip home, on here : ) So, I hope everyone has a fantabulously Merry Christmas & I will "see" you in the New Year! 

Forgiveness

As the Christmas season approaches and families come together, I'm sure we all wonder how it will be this year. Sometimes families know each other so much or are so much alike that it makes it very easy for buttons to be pressed and underlying issues to surface. Every family has different dynamics and every family has there own little tiffs.

This month at church we are doing a series called 

"All I Want For Christmas..." 

Today we heard about "...for my family to get along..." 

I wanted to share the notes with you in preparation for the holidays. Whether it's with family members or friends, someone you haven't spoken to in years, a recent hurt or hurt that has built up over a long period of time - if it speaks to you like it spoke to me, may it help prepare your hearts and minds for what you may need to see or do. 

Forgiveness is:

 releasing those who have wronged you. 

Forgiveness is not:

approving or diminishing how we have been wronged.

Forgiveness is not:

enabling someone.

Forgiveness is not:

waiting for an apology.

Forgiveness is not:

ignoring the pain.

Forgiveness is not:

a one time event. 

Forgiveness is not:

reconciling. 

Forgiveness is not:

neglecting justice. 

Sometimes, forgiveness is accepting the apology that we will never get.

"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ forgave you." 

Ephesians 4: 31-32

Nativity ~

As you saw in the last post, we don't have much for Christmas decorations this year, but I really wanted to have a homemade nativity set. So, I searched on handy dandy pinterest and found 3 inspirations that I mixed together to make this one! 

I had a bunch of the supplies already so it only cost me about $15!

(i'm not sure if it was my camera, how they uploaded or blogger, but don't mind the shrunken look or poor quality of the pictures...)

All of the wood and wire are from Bayer Wood Products...

& whatever color paint you want to use...

First, I painted all of the "bodies" and the manger...

...then eyes...

...cheeks...

 ...whites of the eyes...

...eyebrows & smiles!

Then I glued all of the heads onto the bodies...

& then stuffed the manger with some moss and baby Jesus : )

Then I took the wire and made wings, staffs and a halo and cut some twine into smaller pieces.

Then I hot glued the wings, halo and belt on the angel...

 & the shepherds...

 & the wise men!

 For Mary & Joseph I cut up a brown washcloth to make their head pieces, some twine for the tops and some twine for some added "decoration" for Mary so she looked a little more feminine LOL

Here they all are...

Ta-da!

I love it! 

How about you? : )

...a lot like Christmas!

Well, we ended up deciding to get a tree before Christmas this year. Yes, we will have them when we go back to New York to be with our family, but we are celebrating just the two of us when we come back, so we had to have something here. 

It got delivered last night, so it was time to assemble!

 Putting our ornament on together : )

Wrapped up just like Linus did : )

I thought it needed something more, so I got the bright idea to crumble up the styrofoam to make snow! It ended up being a huge mess and stuck to everything, but I love how it looks!!!

I'm making a nativity scene to go next to the tree : )

Aaaaaaand, since our coffee table is hosting the tree, 

we made a new one : )

I also made another decoration for us...

Mistle-"toe" : )

This is going to be the best Christmas ever : ) 

It's beginning to look.....

Since Jeremy likes to sleep with the window open I should have gotten a clue when I woke up shivering this morning, but I was still a bit surprised when I went outside with him.....

.....someone remind me to grab another blanket 

from New York next month! LOL 

Thanksgiving '12

Well, our first Thanksgiving as a married couple has come and gone. 

As has our first Thanksgiving away from our family. 

But, besides missing that part of the holiday, I really have no complaints. I was really nervous about doing the meal without my mom or anyone around to save me, but I managed to pull it off!

Our menu? 

Turkey & gravy, 2 kinds of stuffing, Mac n' Cheese, Rolls & Vegetable

(needless to say we have had 3 thanksgiving meals and can probably have 2 more lol) 

But, I felt like a good wife on Thursday. 

I spent the morning prepping the turkey, stuffing and mac n' cheese and then when the time came I just put it all in the oven at different times. Jeremy helped me roll up the crescents and gave me a hand with the difficult parts of the turkey, but it all came out so delicious and on time! 

It's ready!

Did you know a measuring cup can double as a gravy ladle? LOL

Jeremy and I aren't big on pie, so for dessert...

It ended up being a lot thinner than usual, because I only did half of a batch and not a small enough pan, but that really had no effect on the taste : )

Besides some good R&R for Jeremy's break we did a little Christmas shopping on Friday and Saturday which made my weekend! We can officially start getting excited now that Thanksgiving is gone and in less than a month we will get to see our family again! 

I hope everyone had as good of a holiday as The Thomas' did! 

: )

What i'm most thankful for this year?

Thankful Tuesday

Since Jeremy is off for the next 5 days, I don't think I will be spending that time blogging, so I figured I would do my post a couple days early and cheat a little by being thankful for Wednesday and Thursday's things, today : )

Some of these I wrote down on the day of, when something happened and other things i'm just thankful for every day...

1) I'm thankful for duct tape so that when our computer feels like its going to fall in half, we can fix it : )
2) I'm thankful for my husband, Jeremy. The love of my life. My better half. He challenges me, loves me, cares for me and respects me like no one ever has. He makes me laugh the loudest - and you know its right when he takes me into his arms and its a perfect fit.
3) I'm thankful for my friend Megan Parfitt. Today she left to go to France for a few months before she goes off to Africa to be a missionary. What a blessing and inspiration she is to me. We met I think 8 years ago? We worked together for just a short couple of months and since then I think we have seen each other twice? Still, she has been and always will be one of my best friends. Distance does not change that and that's what a true friend is.
4) I'm thankful for the church that the Lord brought us to.
5) I'm thankful for Direct Loans Consolidation company that is saving us over $600/month! Praise the Lord!
6) I'm thankful that South Carolina loves their teachers and gives them election day off (even if it was just to get them to vote for the school budget) 
7) I'm thankful for my sister, Sarah. We have been through a lot together, but at the end of the day I love her. A lot of good times and bad have given us the relationship we have today, and although some times were rough, i'm thankful for what we have, even if we had to go through all of that to get here. Also, for a great brother in law and 2 beautiful nieces that she has given me, too : ) I love you all!
8) I'm thankful for the Lord. Trying to expand on that thought has my mind jumbled. How do you put into words the countless things He has done and does for us every day. I'm thankful for a new chance every day. I'm thankful for His love and mercy. I'm thankful for His constant providing. All of these things i'm thankful for are because of Him!
9) I'm thankful for new friends! That night we got invited over to one of our pastors' house for dinner with 5 or 6 other couples our age from church. It was a great time of fellowship and fun!
10) I'm thankful for Saturdays! As a kid, Saturdays were great...as an adult, they really weren't any different than the weekday, especially if it was your weekend to work. But, as the wife of a teacher, i'm back to being a kid and loving saturdays : )
11) I'm thankful for our Veterans and all of the freedoms we have because of them. Which makes me thankful for my brother, Caleb, who has fought and continues to serve as a Marine. Which also makes me thankful for my sister in law and adorable nephew : ) I love you all! 
12) I'm thankful for my parents. I haven't always been the best daughter, but they have always been the best parents, even when I didn't think so in the moment. Thank you for loving me even when it wasn't easy. Thank you for all the things you have done for me and taught me. I would not be the person or the wife I am today without you two. I love you, Dad & Mom.
13) I'm thankful for my friend Meg Coates. I'm not sure what happened on this day that made me write this down, but even though i've only known her for a short time, she has become one of my best friends. Through thick and thin. I don't think the distance between us will be changing that : )
14) I'm thankful for my brother, Jonathan. On a random Wednesday night when your brother calls you "just because" - it puts a smile on your face. We didn't always have the best relationship when we were kids, but I always knew there would be something special between us. He can always make me smile and feel loved, no matter what the day or week has been like. He always has great advice and doesn't just tell me the easy stuff. And also, for my sister in law that he gave me : ) I love you both!
15) I'm thankful for payday and even though it doesn't seem like it lasts that long before its all gone to bills, it makes me remember and thankful that I have a roof over my head and electricity and food in my fridge and a car to drive and a bed to sleep in.
16) I'm thankful for my friend, Rachel. Although we are far apart a text from her always puts a smile on my face and the times we have together will be all that more special.
17) I'm thankful for the second family that getting married has given me : )
18) I'm thankful for technology that lets me stay connected with far away friends and family.
19) I'm thankful that my husband has a job. Even if the mornings are rough, it makes the nights even better and the weekends a special memory.
20) I'm thankful for forgiveness. Its not easy, but we all need to give & receive.
21) I'm thankful for days off, sleeping in, and chilly days that lead to relaxation, coffee and memories with my husband.
22) I'm thankful for Christmas music : )

It feels pretty good to write down a bunch of things that you're thankful for. 

Really puts things into perspective.

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

The Bigger Picture

Have you ever wondered what your life will be like in 5 years? 

Have you ever wondered what was going to happen? 

I'm sure we all have. 

Can you imagine what it would be like if we actually knew? 

What if we could really see our future? 

Although this feeling may change in some instances, I for one am glad that I can't. It would certainly change how we lived, don't you think? We wouldn't do certain things if we knew that they wouldn't matter anyways.

But God knows it all. God knew it all. From the very beginning. 

Jesus didn't die on the cross for our sins because everything else that God "tried" didn't work. Jesus dying on the cross was not a Plan B. It was the plan from the very beginning. From the very beginning God knew all of our names. God knew which of us He would call His sons and daughters. He knows each of the hairs on our head. He knows our every step. He knows our every day. How thankful I am today that I am part of His plan. 

With the past election in mind - can you imagine what it would be like if we had to elect or vote on our Lord? Wow. What a mess that would be. Thank you Lord that you are Lord of our life, no matter how many people are for or against you. No matter how many people believe or deny you. 

In John 19 when Jesus is about to be crucified, Pilot wrote on the sign for His cross, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." The chief priests of the Jews went to Pilot and told him not to write that but rather, "This man said, 'I am King of the Jews'." But Pilot said "What I have written, I have written." 

Pretty ironic, huh? The truth was written.

Let's live the truth.

Veterans day just passed - but what about the true Veteran?

Thanksgiving is coming - but what are we thankful for? 

Christmas is coming - but what does it really mean?

Instead of getting caught up in daily drama, politics, self pity, the holiday bustle, etc, etc ... lets remember. 

(Warning: graphic video)

It's easy to be grossed out by what physically happened to Jesus - but what about the sin that placed Him there? Why aren't we grossed out or ashamed of ourselves? 

Being selfish, worrying, lying, gossip, slander, murder, adultery, swearing, stealing...not one is worse than the other. A sin is a sin. 

Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe.

Comfort

Philippians 4:6-9

Be anxious for nothing, 

but in everything by prayer and supplication, 

 with thanksgiving, 

let your requests be made known to God; 

and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, 

will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  

Finally, brethren, 

whatever things are true, 

whatever things are noble, 

whatever things are just, 

whatever things are pure, 

whatever things are lovely, 

whatever things are of good report, 

if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy -- 

think on these things. 

The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, 

these do, 

and the God of peace will be with you. 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What a promise!

What a peace and comfort we can get nowhere else.  

Having one of those days? Here : )

Excitement

I'm not exactly sure when it all started, but I would say probably for about a month now I have been increasingly excited about CHRISTMAS! I don't know where it came from or why. Usually, I am that person that can't start doing anything Christmas-like until after Thanksgiving. I mean, lets take one holiday at a time, right? I'm usually the person that gets annoyed when before Halloween even there is Christmas stuff out - what happened to Thanksgiving?! Now don't get me wrong, Christmas is by far my most favorite holiday. I love the music, the tree, going shopping and finding the perfect little gift for everyone. I love giving it to them and if i'm lucky actually getting to see them open it. I love it. I love it all! But, I still like it to come when its supposed to, which is AFTER thanksgiving. LOL My explanation - is that THIS Christmas I get to go home to see my family after about 5 months of being away! That must be it, right? Does that make me sound a little more sane? LOL I have been listing to Christmas tunes for a good couple of weeks and have already begun my shopping and have presents completed for 6 people and a list has been made of what to get for everyone else! Granted, since getting married in August my list of people to shop for has increased, or probably rather doubled - but I think that's great! (besides the money spending of it all of course - but with the proper planning and budget it all works out!)

I have been driving my husband absolutely crazy, I'm sure of it. Every morning I wake up and ask if it's here yet, along with multiple times a day i'm sure. Of course, he probably won't admit it, but I know he's wondering what he got himself into 3 months ago! This weekend I woke up with the worst? best? Christmas belly (besides the one you get on Christmas morning itself). This is what showed up in front of me 15 minutes later....

I know right - "awwwww!" LOL 

Besides making lists, getting supplies and working on making presents, I have been looking forward to getting a Christmas tree after Thanksgiving and really starting the celebration! Jeremy is actually going to go Black Friday shopping with me! Before you all judge and think what a mean wife I am to drag my husband out on the craziest, deadliest shopping day of the year - he is actually looking forward to it and dare I say excited! LOL We aren't going to go all out crazy. We will get up at a reasonable hour and just go check out the deals. We only have a few things to look for as we will probably take more advantage of Cyber Monday. Anyways, back to the tree - I have since decided that maybe its crazy to spend money on a tree when I could instead spoil my nieces and nephews and family members a little more. I mean, when we go home for the holidays we will have at least 2 trees there, do we really need to have one here? Granted, we will be celebrating our Christmas, just the 2 of us, when we come back from New York before Jeremy has to get back into the swing of work, but - do we need to have a tree for us? All of my ornaments from growing up are still at home, so our tree with be bare this year anyways. So, we are debating whether to get a tree, tree topper, tree skirt, tree lights and a few ornaments now, before Christmas, or to take advantage of the deals on those things after Christmas for next year. I can't decide if getting one will help or hurt my obsession with the holiday this year. LOL ....what do you think? Do you have to have a Christmas tree in your house for the holidays?

Now, after all my ranting and raving over the presents and goodies of the holidays
- lets not forget the Real meaning of Christmas as it draws near and we all get busy in our bustling : )

Motto

I have recently found a new role model.......

As Thumper once said, 

"If you can't say something nice...don't say nothing at all." 

This was something his father told him and i'm sure all of us at one time or another have learned the lesson that we should always listen to what our dad tells us. 

Perhaps we should all try a little harder to listen to what our Father might be saying to us each and every day....

Foliage

 I've been quite saddened and angered by the posts both yesterday and today about the election. Have I mentioned before that I hate politics? 

Your facebook post is not going to change someone's beliefs on religion, marriage, abortion, healthcare, jobs, or who the best president for the United States is. If you did your duty, what you believed was right, then have faith in the Lord that HIS will HAS been done and His outcome, the best outcome, will happen. Could OUR actions really do any better? Does it really even need to be on facebook? Let's show a little love with the things we say and do, for that is the best witness we can be, not debating against someone who might believe something a bit different. It is not our job to judge or to attend every argument that is put before us, it is our job to love. 

Ok. I'm done : )

On another note, fall has arrived in South Carolina!

: )

18 months!

I can't believe its been almost 18 months since our lives found their way back to each other and led to this! I definitely would not have imagined it. I knew he was something special after our first date but I never would have thought i'd end up this lucky : ) 

Here are some pictures from our journey!

Meeting his whole family for the first time!

Darien Lake

Bills vs Patriots

Syracuse Game

Our first Christmas

(quizzing his football knowledge) LOL

Visiting him in Ohio

Penguin watching at the zoo

His graduation dinner

Go big or go home! LOL

: )

Luckiest.girl.ever.

xoxoxo