Merry Christmas

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Thanksgiving 2010

"Give thanks to the God of Heaven,

His love endures forever."

~Psalm 136:26

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For Thanksgiving we are always in Texas with Nate's family. It usually involves Nate, his dad, and papaw going outside immediately and working while the girl's stay inside and cook and clean. The last couple of years have been a little different.

Mamaw and Papaw are getting a little older now, and so there isn't much to do outside. After Nate and his dad finished mowing the dead grass, we all got to spend a lot of time all together. It was great.

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Even though I am happy to go with Nate's family to see his grandparents and always have a good time, this year I was missing my family a little more than usual. There isn't many things I like to eat better than my Nana's famous vegetable casserole (or her stuffing). And, my grandma's Alzheimer's just continues to get worse and I wanted to be there for my mom during the holiday. It breaks my heart to think about my mom and dad sitting at home all alone on a big holiday like Thanksgiving. I guess this is what happens when we are all grown up. I have to keep reminding myself of that.

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Anyway, I feel like the holidays are coming and going really fast this year.... I haven't stopped long enough to even think about what I am thankful for. At the top of my list is definitely my wonderful husband, our supportive family, and having a place that we can call home.

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Nate with his Mamaw.

We took the golf cart to see the new calf (below)

Girls' Weekend

I am so happy and blessed to have close friends. I was really missing our friends in AR, so I am so glad that God has sent these wonderful girls into my life here in the good 'ol OK.

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There is nothing that can replace genuine female friendships. God knows what we need and when we need it :)

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Dinner

. The ancient art of Kar-ee-o-kae (Karaoke... I was being funny, like from Baby Mama... never mind) .

Shopping.

Sweet, Dear, Lifelong friend Cassie, from AR, met us there

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"A sweet friendship refreshes the soul"

~Proverbs 27:9

Memorable Moment #15: Grandma turns 80!

~November 15, 2010~

Grandma turned 80!

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Happy Happy Birthdays

November 12 I turned 25. This was the first birthday where I really do feel older. I am a real adult now.... don't know how I feel about that.

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Mom & Dad and Nana & Papa came to take us to eat.

. The Nater and I . Nate's birthday was November 15. This is the cake I made for him. .

Nate's family came to take us to eat too.

November to November

~November 2, 2010~ .

It has been a whole year since the move. While this last year was going on, I thought this time would never come... (like the time where we were in our own home and settled)...but thank the Lord that we are almost there. He has provided for our every need, exceeding our expectations, and we are happy and healthy!

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Here is a recap:

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November 2009 ~ Move from Hog territory to "the homeland" .

Lived in my brother's barn for all of November and December. (I guess I didn't want to remember these days because I didn't take any pictures. haha. It was fine though, and I got to see a lot of my brother and sis-n-law)

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Christmas 2009

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Moved into the church's mission house ~ January 1, 2010

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Valentine's Day 2010 ~ Nate did a lot of things to make me happy in these 10 months. We were both missing a normal life, but made the best of our time here. We were together and really "livin on love."

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Nate decided to save some $ we would store everything we owned in every available empty spot in the mission house. Making our stay there even more enjoyable. haha.

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Easter 2010

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A rare occasion.... Claire Bear on the mission house floor.

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May 2010 ~ Katie's Wedding

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July 4, 2010

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August 2010 ~ 5 Year Anniversary trip to the Bahamas.

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October 2010 ~ Moved into our new house in Yukon.

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"Consider it a sheer gift when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So, don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you can become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way."

~James 1:2-4

Back to Normal

We had our first big youth get together at our house. Yay! Things are slowly getting back to normal... A new kind of normal, and we are loving it.

Good 'Ol Pounding

This last Sunday the church surprised us with a good old fashion "pounding." Now I grew up in the Southern Baptist Church, but have never heard of this before. We got a lot of food and a few gift cards, but the best part was that our church family thought of us.

We have almost been in Yukon for a year now and it is nice to know that we are appreciated. Ministry is not the easiest thing to devote your life to and a nice pat on the back is sometimes a good reminder that we are here for a purpose.

Life is a Highway

I want to remember my nephews at this age: where they are crazy fun to play with, but after a couple hours they wear you out...., they don't act like they know more than me yet, still innocent, and are glad to see me.

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I am grateful I get to see them more often. Last weekend, mom and dad brought them up to our new house (mostly so my dad could watch the OSU game since Dish doesn't have Fox channels anymore) to see us. It was fun. We watched Cars and had a good ol time. If they come to our house one more time, that will be double the times they came to Rogers. ha.

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Landry ~ 3

(I don't know what's up with his eyes in this picture) Brendan ~ 5

You Light Up My Life

Front of our house.

Front Door.... (pictures of what's inside that door coming soon)

Roses

Old outside lights Nater working on a house again.

One old and one new

New outside lights

Old inside lights

New inside lights.

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I am doing good remembering to take a few before and after pictures.

A Modern Girls' Guide to Bible Study...

Along with some friends, I have been making my way through the first two weeks of this book. It has been a great little refresher so far and I am greatly looking forward to the next four weeks. It has helped me get back to real Bible study.... and have some good laughs with some wonderful girls (Hi Melissa)!

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This last year was a rough (and by rough I mean simply reading and not thinking a thing about anything... might as well have been nonexistent) one for my own personal Bible study. I've shared before that I let my own circumstances and physical surroundings totally get me depressed and out of whack. I am so glad that we serve a God of that doesn't hold this last year against me and that He is full of mercy and love.

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This book is teaching us to go through the Bible and really examine the scriptures. The other day I was reading 1 Cor. 13 over and over asking God to show me something new. I thought I understood these verse pretty well... It was read at my wedding and stuff.

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"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

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This is what I've got: God wants us to go beyond the usual "God is love" stuff and understand that God wants us to love Him with this perfect love.... the love He has for us. Without that love we are nothing.

Which makes me think about when everything is stripped away... and I mean everything... when we are standing in front of God one day will I have that real love to show him. We think we know what love is here on earth, but I have a feeling we really have no idea. Even though it is scary to think about who we are in the core.... without family, husbands, children, friends, a job, a home, hobbies, life as we know it, church and on and on.... I know it is something we all need to do.

Is this crazy?

Our House...

What's been going on with us for the last 12 days?

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We have been working hard to get our house in order. As of right now, I am happy to report we have new furniture, new paint, decorations in place, and every box unpacked.

Yesterday we got curtains so our bedroom, our bathroom, office, kitchen, living room, and entry way are finished. All we have left now are the two guest bedrooms and the guest bathroom. Then some day when we have the urge to paint we need to do our bathroom and the hall.

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We are pretty proud of ourselves for having this much done so fast, and people keep acting like we should be completely settled. I don't know how long it usually takes people to be done, but surely it's longer than 12 days. I mean if we didn't go to work and have busy weekends I bet we could have everything done.

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It is pretty great to have our own house back. We lay down every night and say, "I love this house." It is so open and so us.

We can't say "home" without giggling... actually, Nate can't say it yet. He comes in the office and says he's going to "the house." I can't wait to be completely comfortable in our home again and start having lots of people over.

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I haven't taken pictures of the finished product yet but here are a few from closing day. We closed at 3:00pm on September 30th.... Waited for the sellers to get out, and when they never did we went ahead and moved our cleaning and painting supplies in at 6:30pm. (They were there till 9:30pm. I guess they didn't get the memo about what closing on a house means.)

Then we cleaned and painted till 2:30am and got up at 7:30am to move everything we own out of the mission house. We were having to tell our legs that it was ok and to keep going.... one step at a time... till 8:00pm or so. What a weekend! We are very thankful for my mom, who came and helped clean and paint all night, and Nate's dad, that helped us move.

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Goodbye Texaco Green entry way.

Goodbye yellow.

Claire Bear is really loving our house too. She approves of the carpet and the new furniture. (She wouldn't lay on the floor or the couch in the mission house) It is funny how even our dog is more comfortable now.

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Another huge thank you to everyone who has prayed for our house situation this last year. We are incredibly blessed and thankful for your support. God delivered big time and gave us a wonderful house in His perfect time and we are thrilled.

Tough Lesson Learned.... check

Today is Tuesday... and we get to move this weekend. I am beyond excited and have maybe never been so ready for something in my life. Being physically uncomfortable with my surroundings for an entire year has really opened my eyes to a lot of things.

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I have learned:

~that God does not call us to be comfortable

~that I am selfish and at times not grateful

~that Nate is extremely patient

~that it is hard to be surrounded by boxes

~that I can't remember what I own

~that I don't like people coming to visit us in the mission house

~that we can be slobs

~that I hate hand washing dishes

~that I put too much stock into having our own place

~that windows (where the sun can come in) are an absolute must have

~that even dogs can get depressed

~that I don't like moving

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But most importantly I learned:

~that God will provide

~that His timing is perfect

~that Nate and I are incredibly blessed and I can't take that for granted

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And just because I don't like posting things without pictures....

Here are a couple of my favorite baby.

Gage and his sweet Mom (my sweet friend), Hollie

Me and Gage