Christmas 2008 & Update

January 12,2009

2008 was an interesting year for us! All in all though, we have been blessed and couldnt ask for more. The greatest gift we recieved this Christmas was the gift of a strengthened testimony, nothing greater. Its amazing the blessings the Lord has in store for you when you make the choices in your life that bring you closer to Him. We are so very greatful for the Gospel and to be a part of this magnificent work!

Well, I guess I should share some specifics as to what has been going on with us. Christmas was fun, we got to spend it with Tina and made some fun memories off roading in James beast of a truck!

We found a cave during our off road adventures, how cool is that!

The next greatest gift I got this year for Christmas was my own little puppy!! He is just the cutest little thing I ever saw. James couldnt wait till Christmas to give him to me, so the Sunday before Christmas he surprised me, and boy was I surprised! I couldnt be happier, he is my little baby:)

See what I mean about baby? We like to snuggle:)

Hes been groomed since Christmas so his hair is shorter and just that much cuter!! Were working on being house trained, so far so good. Hes at the point he knows to go the door when he needs to go, its just the whole waiting part. But were getting there.

So we have a lot going on right now! We finally got our house leased, which is the next best thing to having it sold, so we will take what we can get. The people that are leasing it would buy it but they would like to have some debt payed off before they get themselves into another mortgage. They sold their house and have to be out by the 31st, so we are busting out behinds trying to get everything together to move and buy the photography business! We are working on the SBA loan right now, so far so good. It actually worked out great as far as finding the bank to do it. Were going with Regions bank, which there is one in the town that James is working construction right now, so that is helping a lot to work with them here and be able to work with them locally when we move. It just seems that everything is working out so well for us, its amazing really! We got our settlement yesterday from James car accident, so we are so grateful to be able to have that help out with the business and to have something to fall back on. I will tell you exactly why everything has been working out so nicely for us...the big Guy!! Like I said before, when you are making the choices in your life that bring you closer to Him, He will bless you ten fold, and that is what happened for us.

On the 30th, we are flying out to Utah to visit Ben and family and Tina, and to go snowboarding...I am so stoked! Not only have I not seen these people I love in forever, I havent been on my board and mountain that I love either in forever! I miss it! James is going to try and pick up snow boarding, but if he doesnt in the first couple days, he will go back to his skiis. When he lived in New York growing up he went skiing all the time having lived next to a ski resort. Either way, we will have fun. It is a much needed vacation, we have been through so much our first 2 1/2 years of marriage, we need some time to just be "us." Especially before we start this whole business thing.

Well, I guess thats it for now! I know Im forgetting a whole bunch of stuff, but I suppose this will do for now. I will be updating on the move, business and what-not for sure. Till then, LOVE YOU!!!

Im here!

Dont worry, Im still here...just slackin is all. I get caught up in life and before you know it, I forget all about this wonderful world of blogging! I wont being saying too much right now, just putting it out there that I still exist and all is well. I will however being updating SOON. There is a LOT to update on, so I need to make sure I have the time to do so. Just know I love, Love, LOVE you all!!!!

Who do you run to?

This is one of my new found favorite songs. Its by Lady Antebellum, an awesome new country group. They are amazing. Well lately Ive been listening to this song a lot, and found just how significant these words are. I thought to myself, "Who do I run to?" At the end of the day, I am so grateful I have a husband, family and God who loves and cares for me. They are who I run to.

I run from hate

I run from prejudice

I run from pessimists

But I run too late

I run my life

Or is it running me

Run from my past

I run too fast

Or too slow it seems

When lies become the truth

That’s when I run to you

Chorus

This world keeps spinning faster

Into a new disaster so I run to you

I run to you baby

And when it all starts coming undone

Baby you’re the only one

I run to I run to you

We run on fumes

Your life and mine

Like the sands of time

Slippin’ right on through

And our love’s the only truth

That’s why I run to you

Note: you can listen to it on the top right. Its a beautiful song, I promise you wont be dissapointed.

Morning Sickness

Haha...got ya!! Now if you just take away the morning part, the sickness is true in and of itself...it is going around and it is miserable!! Ive had the nasty common cold for over a week now, courtesy of my dear husband:) Beginning as a head cold, its now traveled down to my chest and am now coughing up the grossest of gross umentionables. Its bringing back to when I quit smoking, there were mornings I coughed up stuff that should never be in any human person!! Hence why we dont smoke. Thanks Mom and Dad for scaring that into me, Ill never forget that confrontation:) I know I need to be drinking more water, I really have no excuse for not drinking more, we have a kitchen at work with a culligan water filter. Im getting on that as soon as Im done here, I PROMISE! Ill tell you what though, who ever invented Nyquil needs a Nobel Prize or something of that magnitude, that stuff works wonders!! I took it Saturday evening, with a warning from James that shortly after I do I will for sure be knocked out. I disregarded his warning and took it at about 8:30. At about 8:45, sure enough I was konked out on the living room couch, not to be heard from for a looong time. I slept so goooood that night, better than I have in a while. Needless to say I will be taking it again tonight, theres nothing like being able to get a full nights rest when your sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching.
Hope all your noses, heads and chests are unstuffed, free and clear of that nasty unmentionables!!

I am not perfect, I am so far from. I have many faults and many weaknessess. I do not pretend to be perfect. My sincerest apologies to those that wish I were. I strive EVERY DAY to be better. There are things behind closed doors we dont see. I have a lot of closed doors. Should I be punished for that? Should I be scorned and ridiculed for the things unknown in my life? I guess I should. So be it.

Drum Roll Please...

Some of you have been inquiring as to what it is that James and I are actually going to be doing in the next year, whether it be college or some other venture. Well, as it turns out, we have been offered to buy his aunt and uncles photography business down in southern El Dorado, Arkansas. And we have agreed to buy it! Of course after much thought and prayer, it wasnt a spur of the moment decision. James has been very nervous about spending all that money on college to not have a job when he got done, being as how the economy is the way it is and construction has gone way down. We went down to visit it a couple weeks ago and to talk numbers with his aunt and uncle. The studio is on a beautiful piece of property, it has a ton of potential. The studio itself needs a little bit of repair, but nothing too major. But it sure is plenty big, I can do sooo much with it! The beauty of this whole business propostion is that by buying the busniess, were pretty much just buying a paycheck. It does very well for itself, and they only work Tuesday through Thursday, with Friday and Saturday by appointment only. We would be able to start a family sooner and I would be able to work and have kids. James plans on being trained so that he will eventually be the main photographer so I can just to the editing and be able to take care of the kids. But of course, still do pictures if I wanted to, which I of course would, its my love and passion! And he has always wanted to learn, whenever I take him on shoots with me he always has an eye and helps a lot. I think he will do great. And if all else fails in four years time, we arent happy where we are, we'll either sell the business or close up shop, being they had it paid off in a year. So, we are feeling really good about it. Now its just a matter of getting financed to buy it, we bought a program on finding government grants, with a money back garauntee after 6 months, so we'll see where that takes us. We know its a lot easier for women to get grants, so we'll first try doing it in my name. If anyone has any suggestions or know where to start as far as grants go, I would love to hear!!

Well, thats the gist of it. Were both excited for this new path ahead of us. Granted were now farther away from you all, but we'll be more financially stable so we will be able to visit once a year, yep, thats right!! We made an agreement we will make a trip out east once a year, so that I am really excited about. Lets see, its been over 2 years now since Ive seen family, long over due if you ask me!!!

Thats it for now I guess...love you all.

Photography by Jeannette

Check out my work here! So far I only have my college photography up, but I will update soon with my most current work.

More Pictures of House!

First you walk into the kitchen from the driveway

Then you turn and enter the living Room (where we spend most of our time)

You can see why here...men and their toys...ugh

Heres some before and after...notice the first one in the set theres a wall with a closet

Now theres not!

Your first left will be

The office...

There was flooring in it before, but we needed it for the dining room and hallway, we ran out and the store didnt carry it anymore!

Your next left will be the guest/Tinas bathroom:) Your next left will be the laundry room...eventually there will be shelves above the washer and dryer

Your next left will be the guest/Tinas bedroom:)

Then turn to your right and walk into the dining room

Then turn around into the formal living room

Then turn into our hallway and turn left into our master bath

I should note James did all the tile work! Im gonna miss the jetted tub, its wonderful!

Then walk into the master bedroom
I love this view of our bed...aaahhh
And last but not least, my dream closet!! I love Love LOVE it!!!

Well, hope you enjoyed the tour of the house! We have some one looking at it tomorrow who is really interested in it I guess, so heres hoping!

Hello? Anyone there?!

Okay, I can honestly say I can count on one hand, actually half, maybe two fingers, of all the people I talk to on a regular basis, (which should be more, I know, Im so sorry to all my loved ones I neglect!) that actually listen to what I am saying, you know who you are:) UGH!! I feel like I am talking to a brick wall 90% of the time, between my husband, who I am growing more patient with, its not his fault he came from a family that just scream and yell, and my co workers I dont know what to do with myself! I am honestly considering hiring someone to just sit and listen to me whenever I need...oh yeah, they call those shrinks these days:) Lets give an example so you can better understand where I am coming from...I am at work and am telling a story about this past weekend to my co worker. Well, instead of actually looking at me, listening and responding, she just stares at her computer! Is she doing anything of importance you ask yourself? No, just shopping online. UGH! And then, my boss, a sweet lady I love dearly, not only doesnt listen to what your saying, while your talking thinks of what she wants to say and will cut you off when she decides she wants to talk. UGH! I GIVE UP!! No, not really. But Im getting there! I do have to give James a little credit, he is atleast trying and apologizes when he realizes he didnt listen to a thing I was saying. I guess Im more sensitive to this more now since I took a personal communications class in college, Im deffinitely more aware of my interations with others. I think everyone on the face of the planet should take it, specifically from Brother Embry, he was a fantastic teacher. I learned a lot that I can take with me to the heavens. I also just the other day found a great website that has some excellent information on Active Listening. Go there!

So thats my ranting and raving for the day. Hope you enjoyed!

Awesome Possum Quilts!

Ok, so you have to check out this ladys site. She has some beautiful quilts. Shes doing a giveaway, so get on it! I promise youll love them. Go here

Josh Gracin Concert: Part II

Here are the pictures and video of the ever so talented Josh Gracin...he put on a great show!

I have more pictures but these should suffice...look how close I was!