Back in the Swing of Things

I know that I have been out of blog land for quite sometime now, but I am going to do my best to stay in the loop so all of my family and friends can know what is going on in our life.

Happy Mothers day to all moms out there. We wouldn't be who we are today without you.

Today we had an awesome service!! Everything ran so smooth and there was such an anointing. We did a special that was so cute. It was called Somebody's Hero by Jamie O'Neal. I think my favorite line was the "keeper of the cheerios". It was so cute!

I also got a a couple of mothers day presents myself from my mother and my wonderful fiancee. My mother got an adorable bracelet, from which is now, my favorite boutique in Nashville. It is has a Fleur de lis hanging from it.

I also got the most adorable bag from my sweetie, which has my favorite color, apple green, on it. He got it for me for a very special event that I can't yet tell you about.

Aren't they completely adorable!! What is so cool about this boutique is that each one is different. What Apricot Lane has here in Nashville is different than another one because the items that are carried in it are subject to the owner. If one is owned by a rocker style then their items are a little more hard core or if the owner is an older person then it may have a vintage flare. Its really cool!

So i did get my mother a present and if you know my mother at all then you know it takes a lot for her to get excited about something. She has to really like it or really want it. So my mother went to the Bellevue Antique Mall one day and found a lamp this past week. She really wanted it but thought I'll wait and see if I still like it in a couple of days. So all I heard from her Thursday night was how cute this lamp was and this and that. So I thought well that would be a great mothers day present and I will go get it tomorrow before she goes back to buy it for herself. So I went back late Friday morning around 10:45 to get this lamp. I went into the store but knew that I had to hurry because she could come in at any minute. So I went to the lady who worked there and told her that my mom was in here a few days ago and found a lamp that she want and I have to find it and buy it before she gets here. She found it and then I lingered and looked around for a while. I finally left around 11:30 and got back to the shop. I guess mom and dad went there around 12:30 to go get and it wasn't there. I came home and brought the lamp in because I knew that mom would be out and wouldn't get a back in until 7:30, it was 6:30 at this point. I got to thinking I can't give mom a lamp without a lamp shade so I was going to go get her one with Travis. Me, Trav, and Dad were all in the kitchen talking and I came from around the corner and there was mom standing at the end if the hallway staring at her lamp. Yes my mother saw one of her mothers day presents and the other one she already had.

It has taken me so long to do this post because I am watching this stupid movie called I Am Legend. Ladies do not watch this movie!!!!

Busy Little Bee...

I have been out of the blog loop a little bit but that is because I have been so busy lately. I know, I know, no excuses! But I have been working quite a bit these past few weeks and I have also been trying to stay on top of my "Project 365". Which by the way, it is very hard to take a picture everyday. Usually we only take pictures when there is an event taking place in our lives. Its kind of a scrapbooking journal, its actually quite fun. We also have had things going on in the evenings so my blog hasn't been #1 on my list of things to do. But today is a special day, today is Mema's birthday. Happy Birthday Mema I love you!! I also wanted to share with you what my wonderful fiance did for me on day last week. He had 12 long stem red roses delivered to my work. It was so thoughtful and it was a "just because." Then also that night we had a staff meeting and he bought me a coffee mug that has a little red heart in the middle. It is so cute that it is the only mug I use know.

Christmas Cookies!!

Another Christmas tradition is baking Christmas cookies to leave for Santa Christmas Eve night. We usually roll out the dough and use cookie cutters and then decorate with different colored frosting. This year was a little different because we didn't have all of December to do our annual Christmas traditions we have only had about a week before Christmas. We just did the drop sugar cookies and then put sprinkles on them. The little kids were funny because they took the sprinkles and made a mound on top of the cookies. (I will show you a picture of Brooklin's festive cookies.) Then once the kids had done a pan of cookies they were off to bed while the left over dough sat there. So I had to finish three more pans of sugar cookies. But I did have some help. While I dropped them on the pan Sami decorated them. We also made these cookies at like ten o' clock at night! We were tired but we could not go one year without making Christmas cookies.Brooklin was so excited to have her bowl full of dough!I told Brooklin to smile with her bowl full of dough and she said, "cheese" instead.

Here is my bowl full of dough for me and Sami! Here are mine and Sami's cookies. Don't they look so pretty.Me and my Sami. She is like my best friend and sister. I love you Sami!

Brooklin only wanted the blue sprinkles, as you can tell.

Here are mine and Sami's favorite sprinkles!

Mine and Sami's finished cookies!

The big bowl of dough.

And here are Brooklin's cookies. On this one she poured half of the container of blue sprinkles in this cookie. Me-ma had to shake off most of it because it was a mound. It was so much fun and I love making cookies with my little cousins. Family is the best!

Gingerbread Houses

The Christmas traditions could not start until my family got here. So number one on the list was gingerbread houses. Every year we have made a gingerbread house since I can remember. Here are some pictures of our annually tradition. Every year I always have so much fun making gingerbread houses. And every year my mom asks me if I still want to make one and every year I always say "yes". I will probably make one every year for the rest of my life, right now by myself, and then with my children, then with my grandchildren.

This is the start of my gingerbread house. Looks like fun to dig in and put it all together.

I finally got the house up with a little assistance from Travis. (He had to hold the walls up.)

Even though he is in the picture he did not help me with the gingerbread house. I did it all by myself this year. Which is probably good because he would of just slapped it on because its not really the guy kind of thing to do. Plus I would want a perfect gingerbread house. Like the kind the professionals make in bakeries. But they don't give you enough icing to do it like in the picture that they stick on front of the box. And that really sucks!

All of my candies that get to go on my house!! I get so excited about this kind of stuff.

And the finished product! Isn't it wonderful. Sometimes I wish houses could look like this during Christmas time. All colorful and festive with the colors and the white to make it look like snow. Its like a fairytale house but we live in reality, gumdrops and icing wouldn't last very long on the outside of any home.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra came to the Sommet Center in Nashville on the 21st of December and they were awesome. When we found our seats the trusses were down leaning on the stage, then they lifted upand the music started and the lights came from every direction. They really know how to put on a show! We had so much fun. It was a 3 hour concert that always had something different going on. During the first song three musicians came down on square screens from the ceiling. They had 6 trusses that were constantly moving up and down. I did have some videos but I can't figure out why they won't work when I try to load them from my card to the computer. I do have a few pictures of the concert that are of our night.On our way to the big Sommet!They had a narrator the entire concert that talked before each song to give a little bit more of the story before they sang.This is what church should look like!!

Trans-Siberian Orchestra's grand finale!

We had a great evening that what so much fun. We are definitely going again next year.

Happy One Year Engagement!

Today is mine and Travis' one year engagement anniversary. I can't believe that it has been one year already. It has flown by so quickly. I promise everyone that there will be a wedding in the future for us but we know that it is just not time yet right now. We love each other so much that we want to follow God's plan for our lives and if that means waiting then that is what we will do. Everything is better in God's timing, plus I am just enjoying being engaged. We want to cherish this because we will only get it once, then we are stuck with each other for life. Its ok, I think that I will keep him. (Training takes way to long. I don't want to have to have to start all over again.) Anyways I want to share some pictures from our special night with everyone and then the video of Travis proposing. Now just remember that he was so nervous that his words don't make sense, but I said yes anyway. I knew what he meant and that's all that matters. Let me set the scene for you all, It was a Friday night and my mom decided to have a Christmas party with both sets of families. (Travis' and mine) Now we were playing the White Elephant game and it came time for his turn and Travis got up and went into our kitchen and he came back with a Starbucks bag that he sat on my lap. Inside was a normal size brown box that I pulled out. He told me to open it, so I did and there was another little size round ring box with a pink ribbon tied around it to keep it closed. I untied the pink ribbon and opened the lid and there sat the ring. And now you can watch the video for yourself to see what happens. Keep in mind that both sets of family are there to scream and yell and cheer. Its was so much fun and so cute that he did it so all of our family could be apart of that special moment.

The reason you hear Ti say, "Umm Trav you better get over here." it is because Sami is crying. She thought that Travis was taking me away from her. It was so cute.

Here is my new added family and I love everyone of them!!

Look at us now, one year later and we love each other more today than we did when Travis proposed. If I love him this much now then I can't wait to feel how much I love him after being together 50 years.

Thank You

I would like to say thank you for all of my presents. I loved them all and I expect them to be here by Christmas. No I'm just kidding. I am having a lot fun fun with this gift thing.