2009 IN REVIEW

As 2009 draws to a close I find myself going back and reading posts I've written over the last year. It's clear to me now that 2009 was a year of great change for me I started out the year in a very bitter lonely place and praying for guidance for things to be different. I had been hurt deeply and didn't know where exactly to turn.

my reflections here revealed a lot about my thought processes and what I was struggling with.
Christmas '08Recap

I started out the year alright then I got to this point and things just felt like they got worse for a while.

Prayers Please

At this point I wasn't sure I was ever going to be able to let go of the anger and the wounds deep in my heart!!

Then with a heavy heart I decided this in March because I felt I needed to get change some things in my life. My insomnia was at it's all time worst, and I felt like things were never going to get better. I tried to keep faith and found myself crying out to God every time I was awake at 2 3, and 4 AM.

Less Is Often More

Once I had made the decisions needed to put myself in a better place slowly things started turning around in June we successfully held our Relay event, and although it was stressful standing on the stage at midnight during the remembrance ceremony and realizing that we made at least a small impact on someone's life it was all worth it.

Slowly Mr. A and I began making changes we began the dreaded church search and I was left feeling empty and unfulfilled without the fellowship of others by July I was at this point.

DEEPER

In August we started attending what is now our church home and things started to change!

I'm not going to link the whole post just this little snippet cause it was really long!!

As we prepared for church that morning I thanked God for answering our prayers with not one but two fantastic couples that we were on our way to becoming good friends with.
But it wasn't until going to lunch with Couple D and again sitting and talking forever coming home and then later sitting at the laundromat washing clothes that the truth hit me like a ton of bricks what if God had orchestrated everything from the very beginning to put us right where we are now. What if everything that happened was all part of His perfect plan to bring these 4 amazing people into our lives.I began thinking of all the times I was angry with God for seemingly leaving our prayers unanswered when all the while He was really just preparing us for something greater

I've said before that I love the Fall season because for me it's always a time of great change! Fall 2009 was no different!

I made peice with my mother's illness and turned her life and my worries over to God!
It Is Well With My Soul

We started forming some amazing friendships that have grown into beautiful blessings of real companionship and my wishes to go deeper were beginning to be fulfilled.

Mr. A's Big Surprise


you know the rest of the story our Christmas Holiday was the best Mr. A and I have had together and we feel so truly blessed with all the changes we've experienced in the last 4 months of 2009!

We are looking forward to what 2010 has to offer for us.

Tomorrow I will post about our 2010 resolutions but for today I'm going to pause to remember the 2009 even the hurtful parts because they've gotten me where I am today.

I hope you all have a blessed New Year! Mr. A and I are off this evening to a rock band party at our friend's house we're going to ring in the New Year with our own version of New Year's Rockin Eve!

Later Alligators...

Mrs. A

"oh the weather outside is frightful" Christmas 09 recap

Well it's over :( I can't believe as fast as Christmas snuck up on us that now it's all over! We had a fabulous Christmas at the Mr. & Mrs. A house even though we did pretty much get snowed in for 3 days!!

Christmas Eve we woke up to this



My wish came true I totally got a White Christmas!




Missy loved it!!








Why yes that is a snow drift up to my over 6 foot tall husband's knees.



so needless to say our annual family Christmas Eve party was cancelled because we didn't want our family out in the very bad weather conditions. So around 8:30 Mr. A and I exchanged our one Christmas Eve gift. My gift to my husband was ear muffs. His gift to me two tickets to see Legally Blonde The Musical when it will be at the Civic Center in January!! Um yeah he wins for best gift!!



Mr. A and I were ridiculously spoiled this year!!

I got a new coat it's green which is my fave color so of course i love it, I got gloves and a hat to go with my coat, pics soon I promise I didn't get any Christmas morning pics :( Along with my coat I got the Glee soundtrack, a cupcake carrier, a gift certificate for Creative Memories which is scrap booking supplies both digital and traditional YAH I can finally make an actual wedding album, and a beautiful new cross necklace.

Mr. A got a rain coat, a new hat he is drawn to unique hats has been since he was little, I gave him a corduroy blazer in a tan color, he got a new sweater, a DVD he'd been wanting, a desk calendar, a belt and cuff link organizer, and a new pair of pj's.

We gave my mother a gift certificate to purchase some new clothes from her fave clothing store since she's been taking Chemo she's lost so much weight nothing fits her, his mom a charm for her charm bracelet and I gave her a Nutcracker to commemorate going to see The Nutcracker this year, Mr. A's dad a jacket from his company that he'd mentioned wanting, my sisters candle warmers, friends ornaments that were pool balls to commemorate Mr. A's surprise birthday party at the pool hall this past November!!

We had a fabulous Christmas and I can't wait to catch up on all of your blogs to see how your Christmases went!!

Oh and one more thing.... As I write this I'm sitting looking out our balcony window where it is yet again snowing. WAIT just a darn minute I said I was dreaming of a White Christmas not a white New Year's Eve!! Snow Snow Go AWAY!! Oh well at least it's pretty!!

Later Alligators....


Mrs. A

Merry Christmas Friends!!

The Christmas post of randomness:

They're predicting snow in Oklahoma tonight and tomorrow. Here's hoping we might actually get a white Christmas.

I have just a little bit of baking to do and I'm finished.

I can't wait to carry on mine and Mr. A's tradition of one gift on Christmas Eve then watching a Christmas movie and drinking hot chocolate out of cute snowman mugs that was a sweet gift from precious friends

I've had such an awesome Holiday season spending time with friends & family, seeing beautiful lights displays, awesome church choir performances, an impromptu piano concert, and of course my beloved Nutcracker Ballet. Don't believe me I have pictures!

It's amazing to me in what a different place we are in our lives just since last year. We're so very blessed and loved and after all at Christmas we should remember all we have to be thankful for.

Merry Christmas bloggie friends! My wish for you all this Christmas is that you have a blessed and happy time celebrating wrapped up in your loving families and dear sweet friends!!

"Instead of being a time of unusual behavior, Christmas is perhaps the only time in the year when people can obey their natural impulses and express their true sentiments without feeling self-conscious and, perhaps, foolish. Christmas, in short, is about the only chance a man has to be himself" ~Francis C. Farley


ON TO THE PICTURES!!















Because of the busy times ahead in preparing for our Annual Family Christmas Eve Party and because I want to fully enjoy my Christmas with my wonderful husband and amazing friends! I probably won't see you guys again until After Christmas!

But I'll be back soon with a party recap and hopefully pics of a beautiful white Christmas!!

Love,
Mrs. A

The greatest gift & holiday busyness

Wait did you hear that? It's the sound of any free time before Christmas flying out the window. We're officially in Christmas bustle.

Last night we celebrated Christmas with our sweet friends we received some awesome gifts but more importantly we all rejoiced in the fact that this Christmas we have been given the best and most perfect gift any of us could ask for the gift of friendship! The holiday season has meant more to Mr. A and I this year than any we've spent together because we've spent it surrounded by loving caring people!

Tonight we're going to "Christmas In The Park" it's a humongous lights display that even has some animated displays of lights that blink in time with certain radio stations it's AWESOME!! I'm so excited because we're going with our sweet friends Mr. & Mrs. W and their little girl who is nearly 2 and at that stage where she oohs and ahhs over the lights so ADORABLE!!

Tomorrow night we're doing Christmas movie night at friends house just for fun, Saturday night we're headed to another awesome lights display a few hours away with our friends Mr & Mrs. S. Sunday I'm baking the last of my Christmas cookies for my co-workers and working on a special cookie display for my work secret pal I finally get to reveal who I am although I think she might know!!

Monday I'm taking my momma to look at Christmas lights like she used to do with me when I was a kid except now I'm driving :)! Mom's doing well they're still talking about doing a bone marrow transplant after Christmas and although I'm not looking forward to the effects it will have on her I ultimately know it will be to her benefit! When I get home tonight I'm going to upload the pics from "The Nutcracker" last weekend we had so much fun and my awesome wonderful husband got us fantastic seats!! I always get teary eyed thinking about my tradition of going to "The Nutcracker" because it's something I've done since I was a little girl and I told my mom Friday evening that if Mr. A and I are blessed with a baby girl when the time comes I want to start this very tradition with her when she's old enough. It was always something so special that my mom and I shared and I want to pass that down to her.

Then Tuesday and Wednesday we're prepping for our Annual Christmas Eve Party. Then it's officially Christmas!!

Hope you all are as excited as I am about the week ahead!!

Later Alligators....

Mrs. A

2 Weeks!!

One of my very kind bloggie friends just pointed out to me that Christmas is two weeks from today!! UMM wait wasn't Thanksgiving like last week?! Needless to say I've got to get in gear.

I've got a very long to do list that includes lots of sugar and gingerbread cookie baking, at least 3 cakes, and our annual Christmas Eve Party :) UMM YIKES!!

But all that will hae to wait til after this evening I'm going to see "The Nutcracker Ballet" with my mom and mom in law and I'm so excited. I've been every year since I was 5 and I've never missed a year thanks to my wonderful husband I don't have to miss this year either he bought me, his mom and my mom tickets on Monday to Opening Night which is tonight!

Then I'll get back to that do list :D

our engagement story

I've been reading a lot of engagement stories in bloggie land lately. Since I started blogging in December 2007 after our wedding in October I never shared our engagement story. So I thought I would now just because it makes me smile :)

Our engagement November 18, 2006

Mr. A had asked me a few days earlier to spend Thanksgiving in Florida with him that year and I had agreed. I was suspicious of a proposal but Mr. A had spent the whole week before reassuring me that he was nowhere near ready to propose and I had made peace with that. Because I was not going to be with my mom on Thanksgiving Mr. A's parents invited us over for a pre-Thanksgiving dinner. So we went and ate early Thanksgiving dinner. Now when Mr. A and I were dating we spent a lot of time at his parents house playing board games, dominoes, you name it. So when Mr. A's mom suggested that we play a board game after dinner it didn't phase me and I didn't flinch when she suggested the "Game Of Life". So we began the game and everyone chooses college or career in the beginning then later on you get married in the game. Mr. A was the last of us to get married and when it came time for his person to get married he pretended to not be able to get the little person out of the bag. So while I was looking at his mom he turns away pretends to drop something on the floor gets down on his knee to pick it up and says "well this is just a game and I want to get married for real so Miss will you marry me?" It took me a minute to look over see the ring box and realize he was actually proposing and then about ten more minutes of sobbing to actually shake my head yes.

Here's a pic from the actual proposal:





It was perfect and so us!!

Later Alligators...

Mrs. A

Christmas Fun!!

I stole this off someone's blog if it's you let me know I'll give you credit I don't remember where I got it but I liked it :D



1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping... its way more fun to open a present when its been wrapped and I love putting special touches on my gifts

2. Real tree or Artificial? oh if I had my way it'd be real but Mr. A won't have it so it's fake

3. When do you put up the tree? Friday after Thanksgiving it's tradition

4. When do you take the tree down? New Year's Day

5. Do you like eggnog? Not really but I'll have a glass on Christmas eve usually.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? umm wow that's difficult but probably my homemade doll house I really wanted a barbie dreamhouse one year for Christmas and my family couldn't afford one so my big brother built me my own I love that thing I still have it in storage so if we have a little girl one day she gets it.

7. Hardest person to buy for? my father in law.

8. Easiest person to buy for? Mr. A I want to give him the world

9. Do you have a nativity scene? no but I'd really like one.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail!!

11.Worst Christmas gift you ever received? aside from some bad White Elephant gifts nothing I am beyond blessed.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Polar Express, Love Actually, and Miracle on 34th Street. (what you thought I could pick just one?)

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? late August

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? yes :(

15.Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? homemade gingerbread cookies

16. Lights on the tree? our tree is pre-lit white

17. Favorite Christmas song? I have two "I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day" and "Go Tell It On The Mountain"

18.Travel at Christmas or stay home? stay at home

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? yes! Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and does Rudoph count?

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? star!!

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? tradition is Mr. A and I each open one small gift Christmas Eve and the rest Christmas morning with family.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? the commercialization of what's supposed to be such a special Holiday I hate that it becomes more and more about who gets what or who has the best decorations then about celebrating Jesus' Birth.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? I dunno our ornaments are all meaningful so they don't follow a theme or color

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? anything as long as I'm surrounded by loved ones.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? I want for very little but since you asked my dream would be a house but more realistically I'd love a new cross necklace I broke mine

26. Have you ever been caroling? Yes! used to go every year in Jr High and High school.



Merry Christmas!!

oh and here's the winner for our family Christmas card this year we send out photo cards to our out of state family.

Heavy Hearts

Today is Mr. A's grandfather's funeral he went home to be with the Lord on Saturday after Thanksgiving. I only met granddad once he lives in Florida and I flew out there and spent Thanksgiving with them and all the extended family right after Mr. A and I got engaged in November of 2006. My heart is with my husband in Forida today as they honor granddad and celebrate his life. We love you Grandpa Howard and we will miss you.

"our loved ones leave the world but never leave our hearts"

Thanksgiving Recap and Festive Friday!

Our Thanksgiving Day was fabulous to say the least we split the day between families and even made time to spend with some sweet friends who don't have family in the state. We ate to the brim and when it came time to go around the table to say what we were thankful for. It wasn't hard to see how truly blessed we all are. Mr. A and I are truly thankful we've found a church home we can grow in and amazing friends that encourage us to challenge ourselves in our faith. What a great day to remember all we have to be thankful for and my mom got to enjoy it with us but more on that in a minute.

Mr. A and I are certainly not Black Friday shoppers. I am a big baby when it comes to crowds and the idea of standing in line for hours only to be pushed and shoved by people doesn't really appeal to me I'd be sitting on the floor covering my head and bawling. So we decided to create our own traditions instead of Black Friday we celebrate Festive Friday we get up early and clean the apartment and get all the fall decorations put away. Then we drag out the Christmas decorations put on some Christmas music and get to work making our apartment look all festive once the tree is up and the outside lights are up. We enjoy some fresh baked cookies and mint hot chocolate and discussing our Christmas calendar and what we have going on in the month of December. Our first married Christmas we spent the whole night laying on the floor looking at the tree and discussing each of our families Christmas traditions and what ones we wanted to carry on with our family and we came up with a definitive list. I love that we took the time to do that and to write all of these special things down so they won't be forgotten over the years.

Anyway on to the pictures.



Those wooden angels were a wedding gift from friends of Mr. A's parents who've known him since he was a baby. They are handmade one of a kind and I just love them.



our pretty tree with all the ornaments from Mr. A's and my childhood our mom's got together and gave them all to us at our wedding shower. It's so special each year to pull out the ornaments and remember all the things those ornaments represent. Mr. A and I have a few of our own together one from Our First Christmas and a few from our honeymoon in Albuquerque.




our balcony the curtains our open so you can see the tree shining through I just love it.



coffee table centerpeice.

I get really irritated with our tiny apartment but I do love Christmas time and how the light of the tree is enough to create a beautiful glow around the room.

Merry Christmas everyone.