Happy Hearts!

I hope you have all had a wonderful fun Valentine's Day with the ones you love. My sweetie got me flowers, a balloon, chocolates, & a couple other cute little things, but my main present was the Pandora Wedding Cake Charm. I was not expecting it, but I have really liked that charm for a while, so I was very excited. I can't stop long, I'm off to set up with helping my mom photograph a wedding tonight :) Hugs & Kisses to you all !!

January 2011

This has been the LONGEST month of my entire life. It feels like it has been January for at least 90 days. I don't know why that is, maybe it's because we've had a full week of snow on the ground, and then yesterday it felt like Spring... even my Easter Lillies are trying to start coming up!
This is just a quick post, but I had a brilliant idea recently. I was putting Christmas card photos that we'd received in a photo album, and I remembered that we didn't send a Christmas card the first Christmas that we were married because we were so busy writing thank you cards from our wedding. Remembering this, I couldn't help but think of an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Next Christmas I could send a picture of us from our first Christmas because there are quite a few good ones to choose from, and 6 years ago we were cuter, thinner, & younger. I wouldn't have to say the picture was taken in 2004, and people that don't get to see us often would think, "Dang, those two must be living in the fountain of youth!" Here are some of the options ;)

6th Anniversary Weekend

I think that for our 6th wedding anniversary we did the most fun thing that we've ever done as far as anniversary celebrations go. We went to the Snoopy Ice show at the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine, TX. Everything is made of ice that is hand carved by Chinese stone sculpture artists. The whole thing is in a tent turned freezer & they give you parkas to wear. Snoopy was one of mine & Jon's favorite cartoons when we were growing up (back when it was actually worth it to get up & watch cartoons on Saturday mornings!). What's funny is that both of our favorite was Garfield... you never know maybe they'll do a Garfield Ice show some Christmas, since they have a different theme every year. It was really fun, & we've already decided that one day when we have kids we are going to take them as many years as we are able to as a sort of family tradition.

Jon getting up from the big ice slide. He almost didn't do it, but I made him... you can tell from the look on his face I think he was glad I made him. I did it first, & being the kid at heart that I am I would have done it over & over if I could have :)

The Nativity made out of ice was enormous, and the pictures just don't do it justice! It was beautiful!



I thought the Christmas tree made out of wine bottles was really neat. It was so big!
The little house is actually made out of 800 sheets of real gingerbread baked by Duncan Donuts. It smelled so good, just standing near it!

Here we are eating our dessert at The Oak Room restaurant inside the Gaylord. I had a delicious creme brulee' and Jon had these little chocolate muffin things with raspberry and chocolate sauce.

We also got to visit the Dr. Pepper museum in Waco before we went to the OU vs. Baylor game!

What's going on in our neck of the woods?

I haven't really had any time to blog lately because we have been so busy. This morning Jon & I were up bright and early to be one of the first church groups to drop off our Operation Christmas Child boxes at the Rose Hill Regional Collection Center. We are so excited that Trinity Presbyterian has gotten on board with this wonderful outreach ministry. Last year was our little church's first year to put together boxes, and we had 82. This year was our second time to do it, and we had 128 boxes! I just can't tell you how pleased I am that it has been such a success!
This was my 10th year to be involved with filling shoe boxes. It has been a wonderful tradition in mine and Jon's house that we have been doing together since we first got married. Jon & I got married November 19, 2004, just a week before our church at the time collected the boxes. Like most newlyweds who are still in school, we didn't have a lot of money, but as soon as we got back from our honeymoon, we went out & bought our first Christmas Tree & 4 plastic boxes, 2 we filled with boy toys & the other 2 with girl toys.
Speaking of our wedding date, you might have noticed that Jon & I are just a few days away from our 6th anniversary. How does it happen so fast? WOW!
So, in honor of our upcoming anniversary I will tell you the best part of our marriage is the way we always have something to laugh about with each other. These are 6 of our all time funniest moments!
1. A few years ago on our way back from South Padre we had a flat tire & Jon got so sweaty putting the donut on that he took his shirt off. We get down the road about 10 miles, & come to a US citizen check point. Lots of the cars are just being waved through, but we got asked to stop. The border patrol looks at us & asks Jon if he is an American citizen (yes I know that my Italian husband looks Mexican when he is tan). Jon's immediate response, "Si!" Oh my goodness! I almost killed him! I think the officer could tell by my face that someone was about to get it, so he waved us on through. It wasn't funny at the time, but now it is one of those things we crack up about.
2. In the middle of a conversation about kid names I had a blonde moment & said, "If you're going to call a boy Dick, then don't name him Robert!" (I don't think that one needs any further explanation)
3. On that same previously mentioned trip to South Padre we were riding along, and out of no where Jon just blurts out, "Ocean fish have teeth."
4. One day I decided to take up the tile in Jon's bathroom. Without having a clue what I was doing I took a hammer & went to pounding the old porcelain tile up to dust! I had gotten about 3 square feet done when Jon came in to find me in a cloud of dust with a really bad hurting elbow. I soon learned there was a much easier way to get up tile that didn't even create a lot of dust.
5. We were looking at Christmas trees in Target, & Jon said, "I like this one, look it has Coney Maronies on it!" (pine cones)
6. On the 4th of July just after we moved in our house & we hadn't gotten the carpet up. I had the "Brilliant" idea to light a sparkler in the living room.... I'd seen it in a movie OK!! Well one of the sparks hit my hand, and I dropped the Sparkler & singed the Carpet right in front of the fireplace. Jon was watching the whole episode completely stunned because he couldn't believe what his pyro wife was doing!
& 1 to grow on...
Last night I had to stop Jon in his tracks because he was about to spray his toothbrush with Lysol! He thought that since he's been sick he needed to disinfect it. Luckily I got to him just in time & introduced him to my bottle of Listerine that I use to soak my retainer in.
We may not have it all together, but together we have it all!

September 1, 1982

28 years ago, a 14 year old girl whose name we don't even know did one of the hardest things a person could ever do. She gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, and gave him up for adoption. I know that where ever she is, and how ever her life may have changed since then, I'm certain that September 1st is a day that always stands out in her mind. If I could, I would love to tell her, Thank You for the choice you made, Mickey & Jan are great parents, and they raised him to be an amazing man. I couldn't ask for a better friend, and I'm so happy to call him my husband. He loves the Lord, and does so much to help others. So... since it's his birthday I thought I'd share a few pictures of the love of my life through the years....

This is the first picture in Jon's baby book. It all started with a phone call September 14th (the phone booth Mickey was at when Jan gave him the news... "We've got a boy!")

September 15 At Edna Gladney in Fort Worth, the nurse brought out Jon & gave him to Mickey. This is the 1st picture of Little Jon! What an awesome moment, we all get teary eyed everytime we hear the story.

Love at first sight! You can tell Jan can't wait to get to hold him for the first time!

Jon & his little brother David doing their daily wait for Dad he's on his way home.

The Boys

A robot & a dinosaur for halloween

Little bitty Football Player!

Jon & his first ride... The Amigo!High School Graduation

Our Wedding Day

Jon being "Michael Corleone" on our 1st Anniversary

At Amy & Brian's Wedding

Jon's College Graduation - Cum Laude Honor Grad

At the Peabody in Memphis when we went to a friend's wedding.

Mom & Jon in London

Giving our friend a boost so she could sit down in Paris

Jon in Pisa
Jon on the Isle of Capri, in Italy