Happy 60th birthday!

Andrew on pier 39

Christmas Eve

Although I miss my family so much I could cry, I am so overjoyed to have married into the best family I could ever have prayed for~We had a wonderful relaxing day today, getting pies and potatoes ready for the Christmas dinner with Marci, Joy and Kerri while it gently sprinkled outside! Tonight we spent the evening at Kerri and Paul's creating a new Christmas Eve tradition of pizza, salad and games! I can't wait for our "egg puff" for breakfast and then Jon's famous turkey for dinner...which has been brined and now injected with a flavorful solution of yumminess and waiting to be BBQ'd. Joy has her Christmas pj's on and is tucked in her crib. I can't wait for our little one to be here next Christmas! 

Merry Christmas everyone! May you reflect on what our Savior has done for us in coming as a humble baby to save us from our sinful state. Praise be to God!

Our baby!

What an amazing picture! This is a real picture of an 8 week old baby in the womb. Our baby is 9 weeks... so probably looks even more developed than this! Yes, I did say "our baby"! Andrew and I are going to have a new little addition to our family, Lord willing, sometime in July. We were so surprised, but sooooo thrilled to find out that I am expecting. I am definitely feeling pregnant, but have had it easy compared to some first trimester horror stories! So our blog will be getting a little more interesting in the coming months with much more to share and thank the Lord for! Please pray for us as we begin this journey of parenthood. I am battling with anxiety over the health of the baby and the pregnancy. Since losing a baby in April, I have a whole new view of what pregnancy is. But the Lord is good and faithful and He will see us through no matter what happens! But for now I muscle through each day, despite the nausea and tiredness, with a happy heart knowing that a new little life is growing inside of me! And the sound of our little baby's heartbeat still rings clear in my ears! ( from our appointment Dec 1)

Joy's 2nd B-day

What a cutie! We can't believe how big our little niece is already! We had so much fun this weekend celebrating her 2nd bday. The theme of the party was Elmo and Abby Cadabby, and as usual every detail was so much fun and so perfect! Jon and Marci know how to throw a good party! As you can see, the sweet little outfit she wore was handcrafted by her mommy to look just like her new favorite character- Abby Cadabby ( a little fairy with a big vocabulary)

We love you guys and can't wait to see you soon!

Thanksgiving in Michigan!

family photo on the grandparents stairs

Cousins shot

In the largest Christmas store in the World- "Bronners"

We had so much fun spending time with family, shooting guns, building snowmen and eating lots of yummy food that it was hard to return home! It is a rare occasion that my entire family is together especailly with extended family! So we cherished every moment and it was an extra special Thanksgiving that I will never forget!

Andrew's Birthday Gift to Me!

Ever since we moved from quiet Camarillo to the hustle and bustle of the Valley, I have been craving some RR in the mountains! Something about the clean air, the big trees and the quiet brings my soul to a place of contentment and joy...so Andrew surprised me with a trip to Fazier Park for the weekend! Upon arrival, the entire town was closed down. We looked and looked for our key to the cute little bungalow Andrew had reserved, but it was no where to be found! Luckily a nice man felt sorry for us and helped us find where the realtor had put it! Then we get into our darling little place only to find that the much advertised fireplace/stove had only one measly log for our crackling fire delight! So we decided to try the heater...broken!! Well, Andrew wasn't going to let these minor issues ruin our weekend, or give us frost bite ( it was about 40 degrees inside) so he found a little saw thing and went out back! He came back with some logs freshly cut from the neighbors trees and we were quite comfy! Thank you love for a fabulous weekend away with my most favorite person!

Fun Birthday weekend!

Not only did my parents and mother-in-law come for my birthday, but Andrew rode his Harley for the first time! Harley? Yes, it is true...My dear father gave Andrew his Harley for our wedding present. This was definitely a surprise for Andrew! My dad has always wanted a son and now he has one! What better way to bond than cruising into the sunset side by side on motorcycles?! After a few thousand miles of local practice driving, they will be off on an adventure together, while my mom and I will will be on our knees praying for their safe return! ;)

A Big Babysitting Weekend

Love at the Zoo!

Picnic on the floor!

As the Patton parents went off to New York city to celebrate their 10th anniversary the little Pattons were left with us ( minus Jude who went with Albert and Alik) to practice our parenting skills! We had them from Friday afternoon until tonight at 11 pm tonight and what a weekend it was~the park, the zoo, ice cream and mac-n-cheese, lots of laughs, some tears and many snuggles and giggles! we have had so much fun and can't wait until it is our turn some day.

I Love my Husband

My baby sister is 24!

I can't believe my baby sister is 24! Time goes by so fast! My parents and I flew out to Austin Texas to celebrate with her and had so much fun being a "family" ( minus Andrew) for the first time in a long time! It feels like yesterday that we were playing dolls in the playroom or getting ready for homecoming...so many memories. I miss my sister and wish we weren't so far apart, but it makes the times we do spend together that much more special!

Adventures in Africa!

It is an amazing thing to see where the Lord leads us! In the above pictures are some of my best girlfriends from college. Many nights during school we would stay up and dream about our futures. Who would we marry? What jobs would we get? Where would we live? A few years out of school we are starting to see these dreams come to reality. About a month ago we gathered to wish our dear friend Becca and her new husband Kellen goodbye as they headed off to Malawi, Africa to live and teach and serve the Lord in Africa! Never would we have guessed that right after school , Becca would travel across the globe to spend some time serving in Africa and come back with a godly man to marry! Their love story is so beautiful and a testimony that God is the author of our lives and the most unexpected and wonderful things can happen if we only put out trust in Him! We love you Becca and Kellen and are so excited to see what God does with you lives as you expend yourselves for the Kingdom!

My New Job!

As of 3 weeks ago, I am a new employee of Grace Community Church! God has richly blessed me with this wonderful opportunity to be a part of all the conferences that go on here. The first and biggest is the Shepherds' Conference! Men from all over the world come for one week to be trained and encouraged to continue on in the ministry! This year there is a great line-up of speakers and I have already helped many pastors enroll for the conference in march. My days are full now and I can't wait to come into work! Being around people all day who love the Lord is indescribable and I am learning so much. And Andrew works just down the hall from me! We have been caught flirting by the copy machine, but didn't get into too much trouble :)

Universal Studios!

Getting wet on the Jurassic park Ride
Set from "Pirates of the Caribbean "

Andrew spilled his coffee!! Shhhh

Andrew's B-day!

Andrew turned 31! We celebrated touring Universal Studios on a VIP tour! And a night away at the Hilton. It was soooo much fun! Andrew felt like he " was 12 years old" again! The day started out with a continental breakfast, complete with Andrew spilling his coffee all over. We had our own ( us and 12 others) personal tour guide for the day who gave us all of the secrets of movie making, hands on access to movie and TV show sets and front of the line access to all the rides and shows!. We also enjoyed a gourmet lunch and anything else we could have possibly needed! We were so spoiled! If anyone goes to Universal in the future, definitely do the VIP tour. It is worth the extra cash, we will never forget it! ( Thanks to our loving parents!)