Christmas review and looking forward

To keep it brief, Christmas was fantastic.   

The week prior, David and I flew to Texas and got to see his family and have and early Christmas with them.  We even managed to squeeze in seeing a few dear friends, BBQ, and Mexican food.  It was lovely.

When we got back, my family came to Augusta for Christmas weekend.  It was filled with good times, food, laughter, and celebrating Jesus.

What a blessing...

Even the pups enjoyed their time together.

My talented and sweet husband also got me this mirror.  I saw something like this online earlier in the year but it sold out (and was expensive)...so he made one for me!  Watch out Etsy!

Having this break was so nice, and so needed.  The Lord has been gracious to allow me so much time to be able to relax and spend time with loved ones.  As school starts again in a week, and a new year is drawing close, there are a lot of things on my mind.  Remembering all that happened this last year, good, different, and difficult...excitement and anxiousness about the future...many many goals that I have for myself for 2012.  With all of that swimming around in my head, it's easy to let myself become overwhelmed.  But honestly, the only thing that I need to focus on is Christ.  He is the reason I have another year to celebrate, even just another day.  My main goal for 2012 is to glorify the Lord more, with my heart, mind, and actions.  He is the one who has given me everything undeservingly.  And I know that I will fall short of this, even daily....But He has conquered all of my mistakes (past, present, and future), and He is the one who is merciful and loving and is with me every step of the way. 

 

Oh, Christmas tree

I'm a passionate "real" Christmas tree advocate.  I told David before we got married that this was a non-negotiable issue, and the only way I would waver would be if he became highly allergic.  I'm sure as our lives become busier, and our family bigger, this will become a more difficult tradition to keep up.  But i'm sticking to it.  I have such great memories of going with my dad and sister to pick out our tree every year.  It was always "our" thing the 3 of us did, and we would usually buy some poinsettias to bring home for my mom.  We would all decorate the tree and house together that night.

Being that David and I were at my parents' house last year, and this year WE are hosting Christmas, David and I got to pick out our first tree together.  This was a big deal to me, and it was one of the first things we did once I finished my finals.  Two other great things about that day: 1) We went to Waffle House before hand (don't judge, you know it's good), and 2) Trees are much less expensive here than out west!

Not gunna lie, the drive home with a tree on top of my car was a tad stressful

...And the decorating begins!

I love homemade ornaments, or ones that you got from a place you visited, or ones that mean something to you.
This angel is made from a cotton bloom and it reminds me of growing up in Mississippi.  My mom and dad have the same one on their tree too.

These 3 ornaments are ones my grandma MADE and sent us.  I absolutely love them.

We are clearly still very "Texan" in our house too.

The finished product! (sorry for the quality, I think this is off of my phone)

It's perfect in every way.  It makes the house so cheerful.  Continuing on the tree post, I made a tree skirt!   I loosely based my idea from the ruffled tree skirt tutorial that's all over Pinterest, but mine's definitely not as "professional" looking.  I used the leftover fabric I had from the stockings I made for David and I last Christmas.  I'm very happy with it and I love the way it turned out.

(Again, phone photos)

  

What are some of your Christmas crafts?

Tis the season!

Well, I finished my first semester of graduate school!  It's still hard to believe.  It started to sink in when I didn't wake up at 6:30 this morning....mmm, that's the good stuff.  Once I finished my last final, I immediately started pulling out the (small amount) of decorations that we have.

Later this week, David and I are going to go pick out our first Christmas tree....i'm kinda really super excited about this :)  Continuing with the Christmas spirit, here are a list of some of my favorite Christmas movies.

Comedy/Family:  ELF
I absolutely love this movie, and who doesn't?  Will Ferrel just exudes child-like Christmas silliness and happiness, and it can't help but make you smile.

"I'm sorry I ruined your lives...and crammed 11 cookies into the VCR" 

Comedy/Other: Scrooged
So this is another comedy, but I wanted to separate it from ELF because it's not quite as kid-friendly.  Anyway, this movie still cracks me up and we watch it every year.  Bill Murray is always funny to me in anything he does.  This movie is a spin on the classic story of Scrooge, but a modern day version (warning: by modern, I mean 1988).

Bill Murray confronting a ghost: "No, you are a hallucination brought on by alcohol...Russian vodka poisoned by Chernobyl!"

Classic: White Christmas
Uh, be still my heart.  This is my absolute favorite "old" Christmas movie.  Words can't describe how wonderful this movie makes me feel, so I won't even try, just go watch it.

"I want you to get married.  I want you to have 9 children.  And if you only spend 5 minutes a day with each kid, that's 45 minutes, and I'd at least have time to go out and get a massage or something."

What are some of your favorite Christmas movies?

Joy

I don't know why I put a charlie brown picture up, i just
thought it was so simple and cute

David and I are away from both our families this holiday, but we are hosting a "family of friends" at our house instead. Despite the fact that i'm a tad nervous about cooking a turkey by myself for the first time without my mom, I'm so excited to be surrounded by these lovely people.  When I think about all that I have to be thankful for, the joy of the Lord overwhelms my soul :)  Hope everyone reading has a joyful day!

No people on earth have more cause to be thankful than ours, and this is said reverently, in no spirit of boastfulness in our own strength, but with the gratitude to the Giver of good who has blessed us. ~ Theodore Roosevelt

Redemption

Sorry that i've been absent from posting.  Despite great visits from family and friends, there are no words to describe what has happened to me this past month.  Seemingly unsurmountable stress in all areas of my life...stress from school, on my marriage, on my relationship with God.  Anxiety that has affected me both physically and mentally more than I ever have experienced before.

As God is slowly bringing me out of the valley, i've already seen the work that He has done.  Going through the day-to-day process of healing is painful...extremely painful.  But when I think about the end result of all this, and what i've already learned from Him, it's an incredibly beautiful thing.  God has been merciful enough to open my eyes and point me towards Him.  He has shown me a deeper understanding of His love and forgiveness.  I still have more healing to do, and my prayer is that I will be able to praise Him not only on the good days but on the bad ones too.  I pray that when I feel helpless, that I will trust that He is close to me.

I hope that this is an encouragement to those that read.  That this will be a reminder that no matter how difficult, turning to God and being obedient to Him is always the best answer.  That no matter how wicked our hearts are, He still loves and forgives us for all things.  That He will never let go of us.

Bring me joy, bring me peace

Bring the chance to be free

Bring me anything that brings You glory

And I know there'll be days

When this life brings me pain

But if that's what it takes to praise You

Jesus, bring the rain

Refreshment

Good friendships are a treasure.  A joyful blessing.  

Tiffany and Wayne are some of our closest friends.  We went to school together, we went to church together, we rejoiced and laughed together, we struggled and cried together, we were in each other's weddings.  They took the time and money to come visit us this past weekend and it was awesome.

Since the weather was perfection, we spent pretty much the whole weekend outside.  These Texans enjoyed seeing a little bit more greenery.  

I'm so glad that they came all the way to Augusta to see us.  It was such a refreshment to my spirit...friends are great for things like that.

Can't wait to return the favor and come see y'all in Texas :)

Little lovelies

A simple post, about simple things I enjoy.  It's good to reflect on these when life is hectic (like now).

Nature's bright colors.

Cookies with milk in a mason jar.

Puppy love.

Enjoying the beautiful weather and good music with my love.

(self aim pictures are always crooked, oh well, keepin' it real)

Take the time to enjoy your blessings today, happy weekend!

Newest addition

We have a wonderful surprise to share with the world....







No, not this....

Think more....furry....

Blog world, meet Dex!

He's part husky, part lab, and just adorable as can be.

His eyes are a beautiful two-toned.  One's ice blue, the other dark blue.  I need to play around with my camera to be capture it better.

We can't get enough of him, and so glad he's in our family now.

Better pictures are hopefully soon to follow.  It's hard to get a puppy to sit still :)

A new normal

I'll just pick up from last time and update y'all on my dad.  Prayers were definitely answered!  The surgery went smoothly and ALL the cancer was removed, which was such a relief to hear.  The doctors actually found that all of the samples they took were non-cancerous, which means that all of the cancer was contained in the tumor they removed back at the biopsy.  This is better news than we expected!  The downside was that they removed more of his voice box than we originally expected.  Right now he can only whisper, but the doctors said that with speech therapy and time to heal, his voice will get stronger. It won't be like it was before...quieter, raspier...but it will be his new "normal."  Hearing his voice at all is good enough for me.  This means I can still hear him call me "angel baby" when I talk to him on the phone, or hear him pray for our family when we're together.  It's a great new kind of normal.

David and I are settling into our own new kind of normal.  He is finished with all of his pharmacy licensing exams (WOOHOO!!) and starting full time at work, while my nights are filled with hours of reading as grad school is getting into the full swing of things.  Our normal seems to change year to year, even month to month.  This time six months ago I was the one working and David was in school.  Either way, it's always been good and i'm thankful for where we are in life.  

It's easy to complain about day to day things (like reading 1000 pages of journal articles for class every day).  Instead my focus should be on all that we've been blessed with.  We are blessed with great families.  Blessed by being here in Augusta and the new friends we've met.  Blessed by old friends.  Blessed by our church.  Blessed by David's great job.  Blessed with a great school.  Blessed with provisions.  Blessed even by the rain.

Every day is a new mercy.

Finding peace

Life is very crazy right now, some of good, some of it not.  My mind is a mess.  My heart feels heavy.

I recently found out that my Dad's cancer has come back.  I started this blog about a  year and a half ago when he was diagnosed the first time.   It never even crossed my mind that it would come back, and that i'd be writing about "round two."

The details:  his cancer is laryngeal, which means it's on his voice box.  Since the radiation therapy didn't work the first time, they are going to operate.  His surgery is scheduled for next wednesday, Augusta 17th. The doctors will go in there and keep removing layers of his voice box until they think they've gotten it all.

I've realized through these past couple of years of hardship that I tend to praise God for being faithful when things turn out well, and when people are healed.  There's nothing wrong with that, but I also need to remember that God is still faithful even when people aren't healed.  God is still faithful even when things turn out differently then we had hoped.  God is still faithful even when we're begging and crying out to Him to "fix" things.  God's plan is perfect and merciful even if we can't understand how.

For encouragement lately i've been reading Psalm 18.  The whole chapter is good, but this is my favorite part:

Psalm 18:30-32:  This God - his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.  For who is God, but the Lord?  And who is a rock, except our God?  the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless.  

Sometimes I get to the point where it seems like too much to handle, and I question Him.  And then I'm reminded (usually by my husband) that God is there to help carry my burdens.  He's the only one big enough to give me the strength I need.  He's the good and purposeful part of this whole situation.

I share this personal story because 1) I covet your prayers for me, my dad, and my family.  There's nothing more encouraging.  And 2) the more I share this story, hopefully more people will be able to see God's glory.

Pray for the skill and wisdom of the doctors as they operate.
Pray that the doctors won't have to remove all of his voice box, and that my dad will still be able to talk.
Pray for healing for my dad, that this will be the victorious end of his battle with cancer.
Pray against satan's attacks that cause us to doubt.
Pray that the Lord overwhelms my family with His peace.

Enchiladas Verdes

Being outside of Texas now, when I crave good Mexican food I have to make it myself.  I made this recipe a couple of weeks ago and we all ate embarrassing quantities of it.  So. Delicious.  Enchiladas verdes are both our favorite kind of enchiladas.  I've personally never been a big fan of the kind smothered in that red ranchero sauce. 

Filling ingredients:
1 rotisserie chicken, meat shredded
1/2 of shredded Mexican blend cheese
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon of cumin
salt and pepper

Remaining ingredients:
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
corn tortillas
bottle of salsa verde

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
To prepare enchilada filling, combine and mix all filling ingredients in a large bowl. 
Spread 1/2 cup salsa verde in bottom of a 13x9 baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Put a good spoonful or two of chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla and roll up.  Arrange enchiladas seam sides down in dish.  Spread remaining sour cream and salsa verde evenly over enchiladas.
Cover and bake for 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated.  Top with more cilantro if you have any, because you can never get enough cilantro.  Enjoy with good chips and a cold beverage. 

Also, my good friend has been informing me that i never posted a recipe for the paella i made back in FEBRUARY.  Wow, bad blogger.  Here you go, Alyssa :)
This is the recipe base i used.  The great thing about paella is that you can play around with what you want in it.  I omitted the chicken and peas, and just used shrimp, chorizo, and mussels. 

Happy cooking!

Loves like a hurricane

(How He Loves - David Crowder Band)

And He is jealous for me, 

Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree

Bending beneath the wind of His weight and mercy

When all of the sudden I am unaware 

Of these afflictions eclipsed by glory 

And I realize just how beautiful You are

And how great Your affections are for me

And oh, how He loves us, oh

Oh, how He loves, how He loves us all

We are His portion and He is our prize

Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes

If grace is an ocean, we're all sinking

And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss

And my heart turns violently inside of my chest

I don't have time to maintain these regrets

When I think about the way

Yeah, He loves us, oh, how He loves us

Oh, how He loves us, oh how He loves

If you haven't heard this song, go download it on itunes now.  With music it's even more powerful.

This song isn't new, but when we sang it in church last week it really jumped out at me.  I've been meditating on the lyrics since then and I am overwhelmed by God's love to the point I can't comprehend it all.

I want to be that tree, bending in whatever direction He takes me.

Going home

Home is a tricky word when you've grown up between several states.  I never know how to answer that question when people ask me where i'm from.  The way I try to think about it is that I get to have "homes" and people I love all over the country.  One of my homes is North Carolina.  It's where my parents (and most of my other relatives) live.  I have spent a lot of July 4ths, birthdays, and Thanksgivings there.  It's where I have all memories of my Grandma and our farm house by the river.  And to top it off, it looks like this.

Last weekend we had the Welborn family reunion, and we got just about everyone there.

Our part of the clan.

 

We also had a memorial service celebrating the life of my beautiful Aunt Christa. 

 

The rest of the weekend was filled with food (SO much food!), relaxing, golf (for David and the guys), and just catching up with each other.  I always love this home.