A Look back at 2011 and a look into 2012!

Well here it is New Year's Eve and I'm thinking over this past year and everything that has happened I think I'll fill y'all in! 


January of 2011 found us in Nelsonville in a little apartment and looking for getting into another place. It also marked 1 year of being in this area (my husband grew up here so not for him but for me). 


February of 2011 found us moving to our trailer in The Plains,Oh and we were so excited. We also celebrated 3 years since we were engaged.


March of 2011 found us celebrating Bud's 28th Birthday. We also added a family member, our dog Kosar who was born in February of this year. 


April of 2011 found us still continuing in school to try and get our degrees by June of 2012! And found us wishing for spring to come quickly! 


May of 2011 found us celebrating Abby's 26th Birthday! We also had to end up putting a transmission in Hubby's truck! 


June of 2011 found us finishing up Spring quarter at hocking, enjoying youth camp at Nelsonville, and starting into Summer quarter. It also found us celebrating 5 years of being together on the 26th! 


July of 2011 found Abby heading to Nashville, TN for training as an A.C.E. Administrator and Supervisor. That was a long week! That was the longest Bud and I had ever been apart in the time that we'd been married! It also found us seeing my brother's newest girl Paislee for the first time and all of my family being together for the first time in 3 years! 


August of 2011 Found Abby helping to get Hocking Valley Christian Academy started in Nelsonville, painting and printing up stuff and preparing her first ever bulletin board. 


September of 2011 The school launched and Abby started teaching there and we also started our 5th quarter at Hocking College! 


October of 2011 Bud and Abby were the Song evangelist for a revival and had a great time doing it! 


November of 2011 We celebrated Thanksgiving with Bud's family.


December of 2011 We celebrated 3 years of Marriage on the 20th. We also were able to spend a week with my parents in Northern Ohio and got to see a little snow! 


My goals for 2012 are:


1) To grow closer to God through prayer, Bible reading and praise.
2) To finish my Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education.
3) To learn to enjoy and savor each moment I'm given and make the best of it! 
4) To keep in better touch with my family and friends! 
5) To get organized in my home and keep it that way! 


These are not resolutions per-say but just some goals I have! Do any of you have goals for 2012 if so leave me a comment about them! 

HAPPY NEW YEARS! 

Time for Vacation to end

We have spent a week at my parents house and are planning to head home today. We even got some snow while here in the night. They were to get 2-4 inches but only got a light dusting which has mostly melted off now. I said if they got too much we'd have to stay on another night and Mom said "Goody, I'll keep ya another night!" But since we didn't get much we'll still heading home today. I've got to get the house in order before starting classes again next Tuesday! I'm a little anxious to get home and put out the new things I got for Christmas and settle back into a routine again!
  Will post again soon!

Christmas with Mom and Dad

We opened our gifts on Christmas Eve at Mom and Dad's! We got some neat stuff although I didn't take pictures of it all but it was so much fun!

 Bud & Abby's gifts!

 Our furry Son decided he wanted in this picture of the tree and gifts!

 Mom's Tree

 Mom reading the Christmas Story from Matthew.

 Dad in his chair listening to the Christmas Story!

Just remembering this morning that the reason we have Christmas is because God gave the Greatest Gift ever given! Jesus Christ! Thank You Lord for your unsurpassed gift of you only Son and the gift of salvation, sanctification and eternal life! Thank you Jesus for sending us the Holy Spirit to comfort, guide and direct our paths, to convict us of wrong doing and help us through our journey here on earth! I've been so reminded this Christmas season of all that God gave us through His Son Jesus! I've found myself each time I've prayed thanking Him for His wonderful Gift! I pray that you too will really remember today what the season is all about, not all the tinsel, lights and gifts or even the squeals of delight from children seeing the gifts they received on Christmas morning!

Christmas/ Anniversary!

We celebrated our Christmas on December 20, 2011 our 3rd wedding anniversary! I made a candlelight dinner (our first, LOL) and then we opened gifts by the Christmas lights and candle light! It was an enjoyable evening! 

 Our Candlelit dinner of Lasgne, Garlic Bread, Salad, and the Bottles (are not wine) are sparkling Grape juice, and olives. 

 Bud and Abby getting ready to eat their anniversary/Christmas dinner!

 Lasgne, Salad, and Garlic Cheese Bread. 

 Bud reading the Christmas Story from Matthew before we opened our gifts. Then we spent a little time in prayer thank God for his gifts and blessings over this past year! He has been so good to us! Thanking Him for His most generous gift of His Son and eternal life! 

 The gifts piled underneath the tree!

 Bud got an Ohio State Poster. (he's been wanting! LOL :) 

 Abby got an Amish Cookbook which is gonna come in handy even this weekend yet! 

 Bud opening another gift which was an Ohio State (can you tell he's a fan! LOL) hat and a civil war book. 

 Abby with another pretty shirt (this one is teal and like the purple one I'm wearing!)

 Hubby bought me this beautiful clock! I put it up almost immediately in our entry/dinning room! It doesn't chime but it's so pretty!

 This was our dessert of eggnog cream pie sprinkled with candy sprinkles and drizzled with strawberry preserves. It was yummy! 

Our Christmas Eve

Hubby and I celebrated our Christmas Eve tonight since we'll be spending Christmas with my folks, we're celebrating our Christmas tomorrow so tonight is our Christmas Eve! I've been decorating still right along with celebrating. 

Our Tree 2011

 Abby Opening her Christmas Eve Gift

 Abby with her Christmas Eve Gift

 The Cookies I've made this year! (Wanted to make so many more but haven't had the time!)

 Bud Opening His Christmas Eve Gift (An 8x10 picture of Abraham Lincoln, He loves history stuff!)

 The tops of my Cupboards in the Kitchen Decorated with Gold Garland and a String of Colored lights.

 The top of our Front door decorated with pine and fake cranberries and colored lights. 

 The top of one of  Bud's bookshelves in the living room.

 The Top of another Bookshelf Decorated with my bouquet from our wedding and my tiara. (the flag is from Bud's dad who was in the Army and this was given to Bud at His dad's funeral)

 The Top of the piano decorated with various Candles and pine and fake cranberries and white lights. 

The top of another Shelf unit inside the front door. 

I'll be posting pictures from our Anniversary tomorrow and our Christmas. And of course our Family picture from 2011! Hopefully we'll get the dog and cat involved in the family pic but we'll see! LOL :)

My musings on the Christmas Story.

I find myself praising my Savior even more at this time of year. I've been becoming more aware of His life and the things He gave up to come to earth. A song I heard the other day said that the Lord of all creation lowered Himself to be born in a humble stable and in a feeding manger. I find myself thinking what was going through Mary's mind as she sang lullaby's to her little baby and kissed him. I can't imagine actually kissing the face of God. Such great responsibility rested on this girl (she was very young I'm sure), yet she was highly favored of God. The relationship she must've had with her Creator is one which I long to mimic. I'm not trying to idolize Mary just some musings I've had over the past several days. The fear that was hers in the beginning knowing that once people knew she was with child, she could be stoned and possibly lose Joseph her espoused husband.
       Joseph too had much to think of, confusing, conflicting even fearful thoughts I'm sure gripped his mind much of the time. Then the angel appearing in a dream confirming the news his dear Mary had told him, I'm sure this both gave him a little peace but yet even made his heart more fearful. The responsibility that Joseph had to his dear sweet Mary yet the responsibility of raising God's only Son must've been terribly stressful. If I could I'd love to imagine that night in the stable, Joseph pacing the floor worrying about the place his dear sweet Mary was giving birth, A STABLE, of all places. Yet he had tried every inn every place in town and hadn't been able to find a room. Mary's groans increasing with the pain of delivery and his worries about helping her with the delivery being a man and not knowing much about those things. I'm sure many questions went through his mind. Yet through it all this gentle peace that stole over him as the miracle of birth happened there in a lowly cattle stable, he at once truly knew this was the Son of God. As Joseph held this most precious baby in his arms and lifted his heart to God in prayer asking for His wisdom to guide the upbringing of this child. And as Mary lifted her song to God of praise knowing who this child was and yet sorrowing at how it all would end. 
      Then those lowly shepherds sitting round their fire visiting in the wee hours of the night startled by a dazzling light and such beautiful music. If I could I'd love to tell their story as well. There were several shepherds, Eliab, Caleb, Aaron, and Jacob along with Eliab's son Daniel, all watching sheep that night and discussing the current affairs of their country.  Eliab talked about the Roman army and how it seemed to occupy every part of their affairs making things so difficult, and then in a heartfelt prayer he said "Lord please send us the Messiah." Caleb, Aaron and Jacob were admiring the night sky when suddenly their faces changed to that of fright. Eliab looked up to see a whole host of angels in the night sky lifting their voices in praises to the Messiah. Then the angel messenger told them where they could find this baby and worship Him themselves. They hurried along even little Daniel leading his precious little lamb Snowflake. Daniel was excited to be able to see the One they had waited so long for and whom he'd heard of since the day he was born. After arriving at the humble stable the shepherds knelt in worship to their King! Then little Daniel looking fondly at his lamb in his heart knowing that he wanted to give Snowflake to this newborn King of Kings, turned and whispered to his father his wishes. His father after trying to persuade his son otherwise and making no headway decided that he would offer the lamb. And so the shepherds gave their humble gifts to the family. And went away praising God for His answer to prayer. 
      Just some things I've been thinking during this Christmas Season. 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

We've taken our time in getting decorations up in our trailer this year due to the fact we thought we were going to be moving to the house we're looking to purchase! But needless to say we've got some stuff up and will be celebrating our Christmas together this Friday.

Our puppy is still in the tearing up phase and is quite destructive! The other day I had some mint candy kisses on the kitchen table and he got them down and ate a bunch and then got sick, it was quite disgusting! He can finish a raw hide bone in an hour! This will be his first Christmas he is now 10 months old.