Cruising the Caribbean

Well, we made it home from Miami with tons of adventures behind us. As we are a family with only one computer these days, and the husband needs it constantly for projects, studying, and research, it's been tough to get a blog together about are week cruising the Caribbean, but we are home safe and sound and happy to have had a week to relax and love on one another as we celebrated our first anniversary!

We started off friday by heading back to Gainesville where my amazing momma agreed to watch Sterling and Boo Boo, which as Sterling broke into her pantry over Christmas break was a loving and generous gift to us. We left her with a brand new 80lb steel cage for the monster and best wishes on Saturday as we headed to Daytona.

Due to road work all the way down I-75 it took us 10+ hours to reach Daytona, but we finally arrived at my aunt and uncle's house. Tired and sweaty I honestly wanted a shower and sleep. My nerves were shot from non-stop worrying about the cruise. But my aunt and uncle were amazing and despite our late arrival picked up some tasty Philly cheesesteaks and we had a quiet evening watching the final four (Sam was very happy as he missed last year's due to our wedding, which he may never forgive me for). We woke up at the crack of dawn, I stuck my nausea patch behind my ear, said a prayer, wished my husband Happy Anniversary, and we headed out the door and on to Miami to board the Carnival Valor.

Port was much larger than I imagined, much more like a terminal in an airport, but we quickly made our way through check-in and boarded the ship. After some lunch we headed to the rooms to change into our swimsuits and luckily found my haven for the cruise. I knew I wanted to be at the front of the boat as seasicknesses 101 says to look out at the horizon. Luckily the front of the boat is an adults only lounge area with several of these amazing chairs.

Perfection. I could lay in a chair and look out at the horizon... incredible! The only problem is that as you can see the area is named Serenity, but it is located just in front of the worlds loudest horn, which they feel the need to sound at least five time upon leaving each day. But with a few long, ear-deafening blasts, we were on our way! We spent the day laying out on the deck and then headed in to get ready for dinner.

Monday was a very long day for me... first day at sea with no land in sight. I was definitely not made for sea and by the time we made it to dinner, I was ready to kill the Captain. Our boat, for some unknown reason rocked, and as we mockingly called it, shimmied. Two very different feelings that were only exacerbated at the back of the boat in the dining room. Lesson number one: request a dining room in the front!

Tuesday meant one thing for me... LAND!!!! I was sooooo excited to wake up and not feel my bed lurch or watch my juice cup sway! We headed off the boat only to discover we weren't getting off too soon... Grand Cayman requires a tender. So how do you get 3000 people off a boat and to shore? One 300 person boat at a time.

Honestly it wasn't that bad once we were going, the waters were calm and the ride was only a few short minutes till Land!!! Everyone told me that I'd get so used to the boat that land would then feel odd. Nope! I could have kissed the ground!

We didn't have an excursion planned in Grand Cayman but I was thrilled to walk around sipping on a ginger ale and explore. Sam was feeling good after a day of winning in the Casino, so he bought me a beautiful ring!

After a great day we capped off the evening with a great dinner and a hilarious married couples show.

Wednesday, we had to wait till noon to get off the boat in Roatan, Honduras, and despite the lure of land I was fine with this as I repeatedly saw my life end on this day as I plunged to my death from a snapped cable. However, I love my husband very much, and he said he thought that zip lining would be fun, so I entrusted my life to the locals at Clip-N-Zip!

We loaded ourselves into the back of a truck and rode through the forest, unloaded and continued our hike until we reached the first platform. After a quick explanation on how-to and safety instructions we were climbing the platform and a young man was clipping us to the cables. The nice thing is that with the super thick gloves, you can actually control your speed, so I traveled just fast enough to get me to the other side. Sam on the other hand enjoyed the no break necessary method and zoomed along the lines. Now let me tell you, hanging from a series of cables with only a harness is not that comfortable, but we had a great time and arrived safely back at the starting area. We then headed back to the ship (the luxury of tender-free ports), enjoyed a quick lunch and then headed back our for an afternoon at the local beach, Mahogany Bay.

Thursday we arrived in Belize City only to hear that it was a 5 MILE tender to the port. There were tons of cruise ships in the area and the boats were racing back and forth trying to get people off the ships as quickly as possible. The water was awful and I honestly debated the wisdom of boarding the tiny boat when they said it would be a 10-15 minute ride to land. Blah! My nausea patch was definitely put to the test that day! But we made it and we found our bus to take us through the countryside and to the jungle. We had about an hour long bus ride until we reached the river. Belize City is definitely ridden with poverty, and it was a humbling passage through the city as our guide told us about her life. When we arrived we loaded up the sunscreen, grabbed a tube, and a head lamp (sadly no pictures) and headed out for our hike through the local forest. Sam was a sweetheart and carried both of our floats the whole way. Sam and I didn't take our camera, fearing it would get wet, but these photos will give you an idea of what we experienced.

Thankfully the good people of cave-tubing.com had upgraded the tubes since these pictures were taken, think more like a water park tube, and I was able to keep all body parts out of the water, which suited me just fine after entering the cave, only to hear one of the guides talk about anacondas. The caves were beautiful and the tour was very relaxing. After the cave tubing we loaded up on the bus and the guides took us to their own tiki hut where they served us lunch. The people at cave-tubing.com were incredible and we would highly recommend the tour. These locals certainly work for every penny they earn, and judging by the countryside we witnessed in Belize City, it is money well spent.

Thursday night was our second formal night of the cruise and we also headed to the lounge for a night of laughs from the comedians. One was a riot, and the other not so much, but we laughed for the rest of the cruise about the poor guy.

Friday was another wonderful day! Cozumel is a very nice port with good shopping, but best of all, NO TENDER! My kind of city! Sam and I had decided to end our vacation with a nice relaxing beach day, so we booked a private beach, Nachi Cocum.

This beach charges you a flat rate and allows only 100 people on the beach each day. Every person gets a lounge chair and a natural umbrella to share. All of our food, and drinks (including alcohol) was included. They also had a nice pool and a jacuzzi for adults. The food was delicious and the service was great.

After a wonderfully relaxing day at the beach we headed back to port to a bit of browsing the shops before heading back on the boat to prepare for 36 straight hours at sea.

Saturday was another long one, with 70 knot winds (80+ miles per hour) you could pretty much lift off the deck. We attempted to soak up as much sun as possible and Sam hit the casinos one last time. I spent the morning sunning myself with our new friend Sara and Sam and her husband, Chris, conquered the on-ship slide.

After a toasty morning resulting in a bit too much sun all around we headed in for a chocolate buffet and a glorious nap! Our final evening was bittersweet as we said goodbye to all of our table mates and packed our bags for an early morning departure.

After the bags were packed we headed to the last comedy show of the cruise and off to bed for our long travel day the next morning. I certainly was not made for the sea, but I learned a lot and would certainly cruise again with my lessons learned as a guide to a better time. But ultimately the best part of it all was a week with my husband all to myself, no work, no school, just Sam and I celebrating our first year and all the blessings we have received.

How Do You Measure, Measure a Year?

Wow! No, better yet WOW! It's been almost been a year since Sam and I stood before God, our family and friends and committed to love and serve one another for the rest of our lives. Today's my last chance for blogging abilities as Sam and I head out tomorrow to begin our journey to Miami... CRUISE TIME! But I didn't want to let the one year mark pass with out a little blog time.

Despite the craziness of our wedding day, it was by far the greatest day of my life. Not because it was flawless, no, our day was far from that. We ran behind schedule from appointment number one until we finally hit the lobby of the Ritz Carlton that night. And not because I was so overjoyed or happy all day. I was a bundle of nerves and quite ill though our reception. No, it had little to do with the hours of planning or the dollars spent. Instead it had everything to do with the promises made and the contentment gained in knowing that Sam is mine forever!

So what have we accomplished in a year? Well firstly there was the honeymoon! Sam learned to ski which was a great sign to me that I might make it back to Colorado more permanently some day! We were so blessed to able to take such an amazing trip! And despite the late season , we received a huge blessing in the form of 13" of snow! Paradise!

Soon after we moved into our first home in Augusta! We settled in nicely and began to add some personal touches to our little rental.

Sam started Physical Therapy school at MCG... a dream come true! Although Augusta may not be our favorite city we are so blessed to be here while Sam follows his dream to become a PT. At the end of May he will be finishing his first year of PT school and receiving his white coat! I couldn't be more proud!

Our first year has been full of new beginnings and lessons learned about one another as well as our lives together. But ultimately, as the song goes, "it's measured in love," and I am fortunate enough to be madly in love with my best friend.

Happy Anniversary to the Love of my Life! I look forward to many, MANY more years with you!

Reminiscing

It hit me early this week, as I ripped "February" from my desk calendar to see my 24 day countdown until Sam and I leave for our cruise... it has almost been a year since our wedding day. I know, I know I should have seen it coming; the cruise is our one year anniversary celebration, but I don't think I had focused in on the anniversary part of it. It seems absolutely crazy to think that it's almost been a year! The last eighteen months or so have been amazingly fast. I honestly remember the six month mark before our wedding all too clearly: it feels like last month!

In light of the coming anniversary, I can't help but think back on the whirlwind that was the months leading up to the big day. I know every bride probably feels like her own wedding trials are the most distressing or overwhelming, but honestly it seems that Sam and I had more than our fair share of bumps and wrong turns in our journey to the wedding day. We had all the regular distresses and worries: will the bridesmaid dresses fit, will the flower girl walk down the aisle, will I mess up my vows? But we had so much more too.

First off, the rings. I remember every magazine planner saying to buy the wedding rings about 3 months ahead. Well if Sam and I had taken this route, we would have been wedding band-less. Six months out Sam and I went to order our rings. Both of us chose incredibly straight forward, plain bands. Sam's band ended up being fine, no problems. But mine was nothing but problems. After a good six or seven trips to Atlanta and countless different sizes ordered, we came to the conclusion that it wasn't the wedding band but the engagement ring setting that was causing me such problems. Sam loving said that he only wanted me to be happy and that I could trade it if I wanted to. Keep in mind that it's February by this point, less than eight weeks away. I find a setting that will work, agree to fork over the several hundred dollars in difference and leave the jewelry store without my engagement ring. The store wanted to send my ring to the jeweler in New York and have them size the new setting and place the diamond all at once so I wouldn't have any more delays. The following week, Sam got a phone call... The jeweler in New York had lost my engagement ring INCLUDING the diamond. Needless to say, when Sam called, I sobbed, and sobbed, and sobbed. I remember thinking how hard Sam worked to save up for that ring, and POOF it was gone. The jewelry store in Atlanta assured us that it would be replaced so we headed back down to Atlanta to select a new diamond. The New York jeweler graciously comped us the new diamond, the upgraded setting, and my wedding band at no additional charge. But wow! You never expect to be diamond ring less AND wedding band less than 10 weeks before your wedding.

The dress... again WOW! My mom was amazing and diligently spent the summer of my engagement running back and forth all across the metro Atlanta area looking for the perfect dress. When I couldn't find the "perfect" dress we decided to have one made. A very long story short, I ended up with a dress that was NOTHING like my sketches or what we discussed in the design consultations. I wanted to cry. I was soooo upset thinking how many other dresses I passed up on for this one, and yet I liked several of them so much more. Mom knew right away after the last fitting that this was a disaster, and the next morning while I was inwardly moping she wakes up to say "well, where do you want to go look for a new dress?" We had already put a deposit on the custom dress, but mom went to bat for me, cancelled the order without further payment on the basis of the failure to deliver what was asked, and we went shopping again. Amazingly enough, I ended up choosing the first dress I tried on during round two. But ordering a dress three weeks out is supposed to be impossible, so I was adapting to the idea of wearing a sample dress when we heard the great news: there was a dress ordered by a girl in Spain in my size with extra length. Her day was nine months away so they had it shipped straight to Atlanta. After that I had two weeks to figure out undergarments, shoes, and fittings. Somehow, thanks to my AMAZING momma, it all came together...

In the midst of all the wedding drama, Sam and I were patiently (haha) waiting to hear where exactly we would be spending the next several years of our married lives. Now let me tell you, as a type- A personality, with a need to plan, this was TORTURE! I wanted to research apartments, look for jobs, just dream a little, but we had no idea where we were heading, or when, as Sam hadn't heard back from any PT schools with an affirmative. And then we got THE phone call: Emory had accepted Sam. Honestly, I can't explain my pride. I was so overwhelmed. Sam had a very long journey to Physical Therapy school with a lot of let downs and obstacles to overcame, but if there is one defining characteristic of my husband he is committed; he is resilient. The relief we all felt was amazing. I don't think we even knew how much stress we had been carrying until it was lifted: our future was starting and we knew where we were going. For two weeks I spent every moment that I had free from the wedding to research places to live in and around Emory. And then there was a SECOND phone call... Sam got into MCG! With three weeks to go before our wedding we had a decision to make: a big one! And what would the last month of engagement be without at least one good, heated disagreement? Naturally, Sam and I had vastly different opinions about what our decision should be. And to make matters worse we had about 24 hours to decide as an $800 deposit was due to Emory the following day. So who would it be? Emory? Close to home, great connections, great clinical experience, and notoriety. Or MCG? A fraction of the cost. You can probably guess how we aligned. I wanted Emory and all the glory of going to such a prestigious school paired with a great city and ample job opportunities. Sam wanted the smallest bill.

In the end, cost won out... we were headed to Augusta. And a month earlier than expected! We decided after reaching that ultimate decision that we would put all other decisions regarding school on hold until we got back from the honeymoon.

Although they seemed incredibly important at the time, all of these obstacles and decisions would soon take a brutal reality check. With just over a week to go, Sam's family was dealt a shocking blow: Sam's cousin Brandon passed away in an unexpected accident. He was only nineteen years old, far too young. Honestly it was all kind of a blur, the horrible kind. Instead of a whirlwind or parties and luncheons, appointments and packing, the Monday before our wedding we all stood as a family and laid Brandon Kohler to rest. Definitely an incredibly hard and sobering day. Sam's family was amazing and somehow they all managed to partition their grief and their happiness. Despite the incredible sadness of losing a brother, son, grandson, and nephew, his entire family made it to our wedding. Let me tell you, there was NO greater gift to me. As the girl who had one entire half of her family boycott her wedding day, it meant more than anything to me that they would all come to share in our special day despite the gaping whole in all of our hearts.

Thankfully, I can look back now on the crazy months leading up to our wedding with both smiles and tears. It was an incredibly stressful time, one that I wouldn't relive again for sure. Ultimately, I just remember reminding myself of something Mike, our minister told Sam and I, "at the end of the day, no matter what, you're married". And that is truly my take away: that thankfully despite everything that occurred, we made it to and through our wedding day.

When I Said I Do

For several months now, maybe even a year, the Lord has really placed young married couples on my heart. It has become the cry of my heart that my generation would begin to turn the tide and divorce would become a thing of the past. It breaks my heart to hear stories of people my age who are already divorced, but the truth is, it is not that uncommon.

Now let me stop here and say right away that this isn't a diatribe where I'm sitting here on some lofty throne asking why my peers allow their marriages to fail. I'm not pointing fingers, or placing blame. I don't claim to have all the answers and I don't believe for one moment that I have the perfect marriage. And let me go one step further and admit that I may be one of the only people I know who has prayed for a divorce (not for myself). So no, I don't think we should return to the dark ages where women have no rights and can be abused and beaten, but must stay come what may. I'm not saying that I think there is no place for divorce. I'm just saying that I think somewhere along the line the idea of divorce got blown wildly out of context. Now, if I fall out of love, if he is unfaithful, if we grow apart, if someone who treats me better comes along, or if one of a hundred different things happens in the course of my marriage, then I have the right to leave. It is as if marriages now begin with a preconceived list of things that give one an out.

The thing that really bothers me the most is that the statistics of marriage are about the same across the board in America... Christian or not. The scriptures are clear that God intended for one man and one woman to unite... the end. There are causes and reasons for divorce, but it is certainly not the litany of reasons that we as a culture have deemed permissive. In Andy Stanley's series Staying in Love, he discusses the idea that marriages last and love persists because of mutual, unending submission of one's will for the other. This was honestly, a completely new idea to me when I first heard this. Sam and I heard this message before we ever started premarital counseling and this idea was reinforced during that time, but I just remember thinking, "am I the only one who had not previously approached the idea of marriage in this way?" I think that today, with such a large population of 20-somethings with one or more divorces in their immediate family, it is probably safe to assume that many do not know how to have a lasting, fulfilling marriage.

This is where my brain starts running into overdrive as I think about the opportunity the Church has to meet this need, and what life changing, really history changing, opportunities this has for future family trees. In my mind I see a ministry for 20-somethings who are NOT engaged. I think we have to change the way we are approaching the whole process. The engagement period kind of feels like a runaway train, and I think this is the wrong time to really address what a marriage should be. The engagement should be a time focussed on the individual couple, as they plan and think through the future under the leadership of another married couple. It is BEFORE this that the ideas of marriage need to be adjusted and set on track so that when the young people do find the one, they are on course to succeed. Currently, it seems that it is after the date is already set that preconceived notions must be dealt with and expectations laid bare.

Sam and I were fortunate enough to have incredible premarital counseling from a couple who truly loves the Lord and honestly wanted to see us succeed. Where many couples I know had less than five hours of counseling, Sam and I probably had twenty or more! I'd love to see a ministry program that removed this obligation from the senior pastor's list of to-do's when necessary. A system where Godly couples who are truly passionate about seeing this generation succeed would partner with the church and spend hours ministering to, loving on, and advising the engaged couple. That a relationship would form during this time that would allow the couple, once married, to have someone to turn to that is not a parent. I think that this is an important key because we all know that in the eyes of our parents, even if they love our spouse to death, we will always be more right, more justified, and more deserving. When times get tough young couples need an unbiased ear to listen and wise words supported by the Word of God to steer them.

I certainly don't have it all fleshed out yet, nor do I know if this is something that I will ever see come to fruition, but I know that if I could convince a church like Athens Church to begin a program devoted to seeing young people start their first marriage right, it truly could be the only marriage they ever have. A program like this in a city like Athens where every year hundreds of couples get engaged and married could really create some dramatic life change. If the Lord leads us back to Athens, I'd love to see this come to life.

In the midst of this, the Lord just continues to lay other young, married couples on my heart. I continue to pray that the Lord would keep them safe from this world and the temptations that exist to betray one's marriage and the laziness that allows unity to become less and less important. So if you are newly married or newly engaged, or even simply young and married, know that I think of you and pray for the Lord's guiding hand in your marriage and his protection over you and your spouse. May we be the beginning of a generation that says I lay my rights down for the sake of my marriage, and I will submit my will to the one I love.

Happy New Year

2011, already? 2010 was a really big year for us! Last night as Sam and I watched the various news broadcasts about 2010 in review, I couldn't help but get the feeling that most Americans were collectively holding their breath in anticipation of a fresh start and a chance to put 2010 behind them... most of the moments and memories were a little bleak. However, as I lay there, bleary eyed, and thinking, "clock go faster or I'll never make it", I was remembering some very different moments from 2010! A LOT has happened this year for Sam and I...

Sam got into Emory for their Physical Therapy program! (SO EXCITING!)

About a week before the big day, Sam got into MCG!!!! Change of plans!

We got MARRIED!!!

Sam finally had a chance to experience my Colorado and I got to go back if only for 8 brief days as we celebrated our Honeymoon in Breckenridge!

3 weeks later we moved to Augusta! And that was just the first 5 months! Since then, we've bought a monster, I mean sweet Sterling, conquered the job market, as well as 2 full semesters of the PT program, made some great friends, turned 25 (ewww!) and fallen more in love!

With all of that, I can honestly say, I wasn't in too big of a hurry for 2010 to end! The Lord has been very good to us and we are very thankful for such a memorable year together. But time moves on, and the crystal ball dropped and we rang in the new year in our pajamas snuggled up together on the couch.

So now that we're here, I guess, welcome 2011, you've got a lot to live up too!

I never really get into the New Year's Resolution thing... like most American's I tend to make it a brief period before the motivation dies, BUT here are a few goals for this year.

1- Focus more on the Lord. And trust in Him and His plan. My timing and planning needs to take a backseat to waiting on the Lord and His perfect plan.

2- Be a better wife! God has blessed me beyond my wildest dreams by giving me Sam. Most days I just don't deserve a Husband who loves me unconditionally, tells me I'm beautiful even when my hair's a mess and I'm in sweats, deals with my moods, cooks beautiful dinners every night, and keeps the mood light and outlook positive. I am such a lucky lady and I just want to learn to love Sam more and more.

3- Get our finances in order! As with most married couples money, is one of our biggest stresses. Although, I have to admit that I am pretty proud of myself for the changes I've made to save money, we still have a lot more to learn about doing without and saving for tomorrow instead of living for today.

Where's Home?

Do you ever feel like you don't belong? Or better yet, do you ever dream of relocating? Just picking up and moving? I do, I have for a long, long, long time. I think I was about five years old when I decided that I would eventually move to Colorado. I've never wavered... Never. When I see weather forecasts like these I can't help but long for the crisp mountain air, the WHITE Christmases, weekends on the slopes, and the overwhelming beauty of Colorado. My ultimate goal has always been to return to live in a small town, like the one I was born in, (Fort Collins) where it's big enough you can get lost, small enough you feel safe, and close enough that a weekend of shredding the slopes is a quick car ride away. And when I see the ridiculous awards and statistics for this AMAZING town, I cannot help but think, I've been right all along... Colorado should be my home.

I'd love, love, LOVE to say that come May 2013 (when my wonderful Husband will be graduating) we will be ready to pack it all up and head west, but pessimism, or maybe realism is starting to settle in. In light of jobs, children, money, and family it will probably not be realistic to load up the moving vans immediately after graduation (unless of course Sam gets a clinical out there and gets an awesome job offer). So I guess in the back of my mind, as I attempt to come to grips with the delay, I've been contemplating other possible landing areas after our exodus from Augusta.

I really, honestly cannot imagine moving back to Gainesville for any long period of time... ultimately there is just too much water under the bridge for me there and I just have to believe that there is way more to this world than what Gainesville has to offer us. And currently my heart is leading back to Athens. I know, I know, I can't be a college kid forever. But there are a lot of really fabulous things about Athens. Exhibit A: football tickets, or if we can't afford tickets, at least we are close enough to tailgate and feel part of the excitement. Exhibit B: It's not Gainesville (obviously), but it IS close enough to make a quick trip home to see the family (something I thoroughly failed to appreciate when it was available to me). And if Sam and I are planning on starting a family, it would be great to be close to all the grandmas. Exhibit C: Athens Church. Now most people probably wouldn't choose a city to live in based on the church there, normally it's the other way around. But now that I'm gone both from the church and the workplace, I realize what an AMAZING church family we had there. I would be thrilled to be blessed with the messages of Andy Stanley each Sunday, a weekly small group of like minded married couples who want to "do life" together, and to be close enough to drop in on old friends and coworkers to hear the amazing life change that is occurring through their work and prayers.

Ultimately, I'm praying hard that the Lord will give me contentment during the days left in Augusta; that I will look upon this time as an opportunity to create lasting memories and family traditions for the years ahead with Sam, and that I will cease waiting for life to get better than it already is. But I'm also praying that the Lord will begin to direct our path where HE wants us to go. If it's Colorado, GREAT! I pray he would prepare a way and provide for us in the days ahead. If it's Athens, that would be wonderful too, kind of a coming home. And if it's none of the above, I pray that we would ultimately seek HIM to find fulfillment.

It's Christmas Time in the City

Yay! It's my FAVORITE time of the year! This Christmas is particularly special as it is our first Christmas as husband and wife. We have had so much fun shopping for all the decorations! Well, let me amend that, I have had an incredible time doing the aforementioned, and Sam has dutifully smiled and pretended to care about each little decision.

When Sam and I went home for Thanksgiving we decided to look at the Christmas tree farm that my family has bought trees from for the past six years or so. Sam priced them here in Augusta so we knew we were looking for a great deal (without skimping in the least). As my mom and Sam can attest, I am a little bit picky about Christmas trees... they must be perfect. For the last sixteen years my family has been fortunate enough to have very high ceilings so we have always had very large trees. I was not looking forward to downgrading in the least... a tree that is shorter than my husband just doesn't seem all that large, even if it is "average height". So Sam and I helped pick out a BEAUTIFUL twelve foot tree for my mom's house, and then, while the men drilled the whole and bundled it up, Sam and I browsed the small tree section. They were all so pitiful... skinny, short, nothing looked right. And then out of nowhere, bam! Beautiful! It's short, that's for sure, but it's as tall as our little old home can handle. We were debating whether it was worth buying it and hauling it all the way back to Augusta, when the sweet lady who runs Cooper's Tree Farm came and put a price tag on our sweet tree! And that did it! I can't say no to a great deal! So Sam grabbed our perfect baby Christmas tree and hauled it to the drill!

On Sunday when we got home to Augusta, we quickly made a fresh cut and got our Christmas tree in the stand and watered. We then headed out to get lights, which of course required two trips. I guess even the first year when you are guaranteed they will all light, you still have to make an extra trip for more! Sam was great and helped put up the lights and decorations while we utilized the greatness on Pandora to listen to some Christmas carols.

As we have the extra ordeal of Sterling to contend with, we went almost entirely with shatterproof ornaments, which has turned out great! We spent way less money then we would have on glass ornaments AND as both Sterling and Everest love to get ornaments off the tree, we've been saved a great deal of heartache over broken glass!

So here it is, our first Christmas tree!

Along with our tree skirt from Pottery Barn (monogrammed and shipped for FREE) we got stockings for ALL of us. Sterling's and Everest's are actually from Pottery Barn Kids, and I couldn't resist! They were just too cute!

Thankfully we have a cute little shelve in our living room since we don't have a fireplace, but I'm pretty pleased!

It also gave me a great (safe) place to display some of the many nutcrackers that I've been collecting for the past fifteen years. The remainder ended it up squeezed in an old bookcase. All of our Christmas decorations are above the five foot level, but I'm pretty pleased with what we've accomplished.

And for the first year that we can't be home with our families for the greater part of December, we've done a good job of creating our own festive feel in Augusta until we can make it home. So Merry Christmas everyone, I hope you are all enjoying this Christmas season as much as Sam and I! May the Lord bless you and your's in the coming year!