Naked Tree

The first Christmas is exciting.  You get to start fresh and buy all of your Christmas decorations.  The first Christmas is terrible.  You have to start fresh and buy all of your Christmas decorations.  Since we are incredibly limited on dollar bills for pretty decorations we had to to find ways to steer around our budget.  We bought some matte white ornaments and a couple of gold ones thinking it would suffice.  My parents came over one night to eat supper with us right after we had just decorated our Christmas tree.  The very next night they came Christmas caroling (literally!) and bearing gifts.. aka tinsel and more ornaments.  My mom is very much against a "naked" tree and she felt bad for us. 

 

(my favorite ornament my parent's gave us)

 

Oh ya know.. just classic pity gifts.  Don't bother me!  I got more ornaments!  Even still, my tree looked seriously naked.  So Colby and I decided to make some more ornaments to save on money.  We bought clear glass balls for like $3 a pack and filled them with twine and red ribbon.  We also spray painted some coffee beans with gold glitter and put them in a glass ball ornament - that's one of my favorites!  

 

We also cut down some wood and sliced them into 3 to 5 inch diameter coins.  We next got Colby's wood-burning kit and started burning them in several designs.  We did the outline of North Carolina, the state flag, words of the Christmas season like joy and hope, and bunch of other things.  We loved them.  We made smaller wood coin ornaments that we combine with keys to the multiple houses we had lived in since being married.  The ornaments were hung by strings of twine and dipped in polyurethane to keep them from warping.  

We loved them, seriously.  One more sentimental ornament I created this past Christmas was this one:

At our wedding, we had buttons on our cake.  I had kept them in a ziploc bag, moving them from room to room, trying to find their place in our home.  I had given up hope of finding that place and decided to toss them.  But I literally couldn't throw them in the trashcan.  It was like a force field had engulfed the trash can.  So I, impulsively, laced some baker's twine through the button holes and threw them on the tree, thinking at least it will get them out of that ziploc bag and out of my way for now.  And I actually loved how they turned out. 

We still have more ornaments to buy for next year.. so our tree will retire from nakedness.  But we will worry about that in December!

So as you can see, Colby and I are pretty good at taking what we have and making it somewhat decorative.  We were in my in-law's basement one evening during the Christmas holiday when I caught of glimpse of Colby's first deer he killed when he was 11.  I got completely fixated on it and we took it home.  We threw some old, red ornaments on the antlers with some fishing line.  And we threw a scarf around its neck.  Viola! A homemade reindeer.. a stylish one at that!

 I wanted to find a way to be very intentional this Christmas.  So I made it a goal, a vow rather, to write a personal note with each gift I wrapped.  Some explained why we bought the gift we did, some explained what we most loved about them, some were simple truths.  I want this tradition to NEVER stop.  I loved reflecting on the people we love and letting them know why.

 

I bought a gorgeous print from my sisters' new typography company, Leelyn & Co.  It is one of my favorite Christmas songs and this particular lyric completely sums up the season for me.  

And I had to throw my little gold-leaf reindeer in the blog because he is just too dang cute for me not to mention him.  

Regardless of our best efforts to not go over budget.. we did.  Only because of lights.  Christmas lights are going all LED this year, which I love and hate.  I hate that it doesn't give off that classic amber glow when lit.  But I know that this is good for safety reasons and the environment.

I do believe that the phrase a day late (or month) and a dollar short fits oh so perfectly into this post.

The gospel according to John & Will

So I have been wanting to blog about several things as of late.  Like the perks of unemployment... and also the pits.  Like my makeshift Christmas decorations.  Like the book I am currently reading and have vowed to give as gifts from here on out.  Like life as of late.

But this weekend, John and Will came to spend a night with us.  So I'm gonna blog about that today.

 

I am always surprised about how the gospel in revealed to me when those boys are around.  I don't know why I am always surprised.  Their mother is woman of unbelievable faith and every lesson, punishment, conversation that she has with her boys is drenched in scripture.  When we said our bedtime prayers on Friday night, Will, the 8 year old, prayed so specifically - something I am trying to be more aware of in my own life.  John pulled out my chair for me, while thanking me for fixing him supper, at the dining room table a couple hours prior that that.  And that respectful gesture was the gospel revealed to a 23 year old from a 12 year old.

 On Saturday morning, Colby and I took the boys to a park near our new home.  It was freezing cold but the boys ate it up.  Colby and I love the outdoors but these boys like looove the outdoors.  They freaked out when they saw a little island of cedar knots and they could honestly look at a waterfall for hours.

We wandered off beaten paths and crossed bridges.  I snapped pictures, they skipped rocks.  It was incredible.  Yes, it was cold, but we were outdoors, in the heart of the world that man cannot compete with.  This is all God.  Trees and creeks and moss and dirt.  Cold winds and cracking tree limbs.  Cedar knots and smooth rocks.  I mean this is it.  This is the stuff we are suppose to be in awe of.  God is way cooler than Van Gough.  Are you kidding me?  He MADE TREES.  And lots of them.  The whistling of wind and the crunching of leaves under your feet is nature's music.  Mozart, who?  

I have no doubt that their sanctuary is the woods.  Not a building with a cross on it.  The woods.  Where simplicity, sanctification and restoration for the heart resides.  I bet their alters are fallen trees.  And communion cups are those that John whittled out of acaia wood.  I bet you that they are baptized by waterfalls and their joy comes from the warmth of the sun.  I believe that whole-heartily.

And I also believe that is the gospel according to John and Will.

To you, Mr Scott

Sending a little love out for the husband today!

I am so incredibly proud of Colby.  He started his new job today.  He worked for this company back when I was in college, but quit to join the family business - just before we got married.  A couple months of getting into the swing of things back at home, his old boss gave him a call and wanted to know if he would like to come back.  

For my homebody husband, moving was a huge deal.  For my family man husband, leaving the family business was a huge deal.  But Colby felt the Lord moving in our situation.  So we decided to pack up as a family and move so he could pursue a different career path.  

I am so incredibly encouraged by his boldness and willingness to surrender his own plans.  We prayed this over Colby this morning, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do". (Ephesians 2:10)  And we rest in the fact that The Lord has planned and prepared us for this.

Oh happy day, Samuel Colby.  I am so proud of you.  A gorgeous steak supper awaits your arrival!

A Year in Review | 2013

Oh my my.  What a year 2013 was!  Is it hard to imagine that a single year could be this eventful.  How did we get here?  Oh, well let's just have a little review of our past year.

But first, go grab yourself a cup of coffee!

Remember, Colby & I started 2013 like this:

A recently engaged couple of wanted to get married in just a couple of months.

_________________________________________________________

2013 consisted of this... (in chronological order, I might add).

 - We bought a brand new car // March

- Colby quit his job in Raleigh to pursue the family business back at home // March

- Colby moved back in with his parents and started his new job // April

- I graduated from North Carolina State University // May

- I moved back in with my parents // May

- WE GOT MARRIED! // May

- Colby & I spent a week in the Dominican Republic // May

- Colby & I moved into our first home // June

- Colby & I moved into our 2nd home... the one we were gonna buy // August

 

- My sister got engaged! //August

- Colby decided to quit the family business to pursue a different career back in Raleigh // October

- I got in PA school!  Go DEACS! // October

- My sister-in-law got engaged! // October

 

- My other sister-in-law announced she had another human growing inside of her! //December

- We celebrated our first Christmas together // December

- We moved out of 2nd home into our third // December

Whew!  Don't that make ya'll wanna take a nap?!

It is truly amazing all that can happen in a single year.  We are so incredibly blessed to have life and life to the full through Jesus.  After all he is the one that is guiding us in the crazy life.  Life to the full for us, for this season of our lives, has consisted of late nights, early mornings, cardboard boxes, tissue paper, pots and pots of coffee, family, laughing, food and pure joy.  

Oh, 2014, you have incredibly big shoes to fill.

The Tale of Elevator 44

I got a quick, yet funny, story for ya.

 

My parents, siblings, husband and I all went to see my grandmother in the hospital one night.  When we were done visiting with her, all six of us got on the elevator.  My little (ahem, 6 foot 3 inch) brother told everyone to jump.  I had always thought that that was how to make your stomach drop.   So when the elevator almost came to a stop everyone but my mom jumped.

And we essentially broke the elevator.  We hit the alarm button on the elevator multiple times and we even called the hospital to let them know.  Oh my word, it was hilarious. 

About an hour and half went by before the security team and Forsyth County Fire Department started talking to us about getting us out.  They explained to us that we were between two floors, so they couldn't just open the elevator doors.  

Next thing we know, a fireman is coming through the roof of the elevator.  He brought a ladder the width of a pencil (well, it seemed like it) with him.  One by one, we crawled out and thanked all the men involved in our "rescue".

Gracious, I love my family.  I love all the mischief we get in and how we laughed for a solid hour and half that night.

Recipe Challenge | 4 & 5

Don't worry, I haven't forgot about my reviews for the last two of my recipe challenge for November. 

Recipe # 4 was one I found from Pinterest.  Looks can be deceiving, ya'll.  I thought these babies looked delicious.. but I personally disliked them.  Colby liked them pretty good.  But I didn't eat more than two stacks of potatoes.. I couldn't.
 
 

Recipe # 5 was also surprising.. but in a good way.  It was November 30th, and I was dead set on completing my recipe challenge.  So, I decided to just make the recipe on the back of the lasagna noodles box from Food Lion.  I was skeptical, for no reason.  Maybe because it was genaric brand?  I'm not sure.  But it was a total hit.  It was easy and delicious.  Go Food Cat (as my mama, sister and me call it)!


I am currently high-fiving myself for completing the recipe challenge and already searching for my five new recipes for this month!  Happy Saturday.  Now go eat something delicious and text me the recipe!

December Goals

Fa la la la la!  It is indeed the most wonderful time of the year and I so excited to jump in full force into this beautiful Christmas season.  To get the most out of this sweet month, I decided to make some goals.

Decorate for Christmas + write a post about those decorations.
Take 20 minutes before bed to declutter house + do dishes.
Watch less television (okay, less Netflix).. except for Christmas movies.
Only wrap gifts when there is either jolly music playing or a Christmas movie on in the background.
Start talking to Colby about a stern budget for the next year, especially the next couple of months.
Write a personal note with every gift I wrap.
Make + eat gingerbread cookies.
Try five new recipes.
Wear a festive sweater.
Host a small viewing of the southern classic, Steel Magnolias.
Start packing for the next move.