The Joys of January!

I thought that January was supposed to be a slooooow month that's full of lots of "nothing."  

However, January has been a busy month for Family P!  

We started off celebrating the new year in not-so-warm-and-sunny Florida.  Although the temperatures were less than desirable, we had a great vacation and also celebrated two amazing years of marriage!

Mr. & Mrs. P on Vaca in Florida......the first time I've ever worn a North Face jacket on the beach!

We returned home to even colder temperatures, but enjoyed celebrating Papa's 81st Birthday.

Papa and Mom on his Birthday!

We also had a great time getting back together with my LBG Class for a social at Mariah's.

A few members from the great LBG Class of "09!

Then a snow came that nearly closed down Bowling Green!  Just kidding, but that's how we react to the Winter weather around here.  And I'm a perfect example -- I believe the world should stop til Spring!

Our snow-covered home

Then we celebrated MLK weekend (although I was the only one who actually had a work holiday on that Monday) in Banner Elk, North Carolina as we skiied Sugar Mountain.  Mom, Daddy, Keeton, Jason, Josh and I traveled together and had a great time -- with lots of yummy food too!

 

*Excuse the hodge-podge of pictures.....I did a terrible thing when I was "playing" with my new camera.  Long story short, I managed to delete a good portion of pictures from our ski trip and Josh's birthday.  Only my friend LL could realize the true severity of this situation and how my heart has a missing piece.  Grrrr!

And after the ski trip, we returned for Mr.P's Birthday the next day!  I had a great birthday idea for him, but weeks before his birthday he instructed that I better not even think about doing a party.  (This is sad news for someone who loves to plan such occasions)  However, considering that my man isn't into the party scene so much, I decided since it was his birthday we would do something more low-key.  I still had some element of surprise involved because he thought it would just be us doing dinner with our parents and brothers....but to his surprise, I did extend the invitation just a bit to more family.  Everyone had a great time, including the birthday boy himself!

My Mr. P with other Mr. P's -- his Dad & brother!

A local family was led to do something for the Haiti Disaster Relief, so I was pleased to get to be a part of their benefit event.  Since I work at the American Red Cross, I represented the chapter and the funds earned that are sent to Haiti.  The event was an evening of concerts featuring popular local bands.  The event raised over $13,000!  What a great way to have fun and support a worthy cause.  God bless the people in Haiti - I pray for their recovery!

Some of the ARC ladies working the tickets/contributions table prior to the concert. 

"Skip Bond & The Fugitives" was the last band performance of the night and the lead singer wearing this kilt earned $500 toward the Haiti Relief Benefit Fund!  Men of all ages will fall for a dare! :)

Unfortunately, my weekend plans did not include the sisterhood reunion in Lexington of many of my sorority sisters.  :(  I was so sad to miss this gathering but I definitely look forward to our next scheduled time together -- I plan to be there 100% -- it's not fun to miss out!

We did have a little delivery arrive at the bike shop that we picked up.....our new mountain bikes!  I know this picture appears upside-down, but it's actually the bikes hanging from hooks in the garage ceiling. (I failed to get a picture before they were hung.)  We took them for a quick spin, but it's so cold outside so we couldn't do it long.  We are looking forward to hitting the road (perhaps the neighborhood for starters) and burning some calories.

Our bikes stored in our garage.  Josh and Daddy hung the hooks and now the bikes fit perfectly!

Speaking of "burning calories," Family P has gained weight since "two became one."  EEK!  It came on slowly, so at first it wasn't a big deal.  However, we're both ready to take charge of our health and we're encouraging each other.  I've started back to going to the gym in the mornings before work.  Just a few days in and I'm already seeing a bit of improvement in my energy, alertness, and overall well-being.  Hopefully this trend continues and I don't burn-out as I previously have done.  I'm just thankful to have become concerned while it's still manageable.  It appears that I have gained about 8-9 pounds since we were married two years ago.  That might not seem like much over that amount of time, but it's bad news bears as far as I'm concerned.  Feel free to offer advice, tips, and encouragement!  I really don't have a bad diet, but my job requires so much sitting.....and I am certain that is exactly what has led to my gain.  I am doing cardio and strength training at the gym.  I'm no expert at all, just doing what seems right.  I feel like a "plan" would be great -- like a written workout of how many minutes for cardio, how many sets and reps, etc.  I need to do some more research in this area -- if you happen to know a good resource to share, I would appreciate it.  I know I could hire a personal trainer, but that is not something we plan to spend money on right now.  Mr. P also began his plan of action which also includes cardio and strength training.  This is not a New Years resolution, rather a decision that was important to make for ourselves.

I made this picture of the three remaining cupcakes left from Josh's birthday dinner.  For fun, I stacked them up and took a picture and then I tossed them in the garbage!  I'm not one for wasting food, but it was a smart decision to rid them of our home to help support our new health, fitness and nutrition goals.  If only it were always that easy to get rid of excess fat!  :)

Cupcake tower

The rest of this week and weekend remain fairly busy for us and the weather is calling for a big snow.  Oh geez.....I better join the rest of BG in stocking the pantry with lots of canned foods!  (Really.....I so need to do a grocery trip!)

Wishing you a blessed week!

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait!

It's true.....good things come to those who wait!  Remember being younger and being told that we must be patient?  Heck, who am I kidding?  I still have to be reminded of patience very often!  Whether it's the long drive ahead of a great vacation, finding "the one" after all the wrong ones, saving up your money for a certain item or trip, waiting on sex for marriage, roasting a marshmallow and then enjoying a yummy s'more treat......the list could go on forever but you get the idea -- there are many times when the end result is so much better when we are patient and simply wait. 

And that's the simply wonderful kind of day that I've had today!  My experience in the past has taught me that the post-Christmas sales are fabulous and I was not disappointed today!  Mr. P and I had some errands to do today so we left out this morning with our list in hand (and layers to keep us warm).  We had a little extra time before the movie we were going to see so we went to the mall for Chick-fil-A (yum!) and so I could "look around."  Like a good former Girl Scout, I was prepared and had taken my special envelope of money I was designating for January sales.  I was thrilled with the prices of the items I selected - I'm talking much much much lower than their original tags.  And I even have some money left in the envelope if I stumble upon anything else!  This was a great reminder that good things come to those who wait!

But that's not all....you see, we also had not eaten until we arrived at the mall (which was after we had been running around for a while).....and I must say that it tasted sooooooo yummy! Why?  Because good things come to those who wait!

And we finally went to see the movie "The Blind Side" that we've been planning to go see nearly every weekend since it came out in November, but something always came up where we couldn't go.  For those who haven't seen it, please accept my recommendation and get to a theater near you!  The movie did not disappoint -- it was incredible!  It was a very touching true-story and now I know that it was better that I waited until life calmed down -- after Thanksgiving, finishing my Masters, Christmas, our vacation/anniversary/New Year trip -- because we were really able to focus on the story and reflect.  So that's once again how I'm reminded that good things come to those who wait!  And the perfect time for self-reflection and improvement is at the beginning of a new year.....a fresh start to really make an effort to look for people in need and help them.  While I don't see Mr. P and I picking up a teenager off the streets and adopting him/her, I also won't say it will never happen.  After all, who I am to doubt the power of God and the plan He has for me?

I am so thankful for this weekend and how it has reminded me to slow down and be patient, even though it is freezing and snowed, which was also a great reminder to drive slower and be patient upon arriving to my destination.  In the midst of these "seasons," I am reminded the following verse found at Ecclesiastes 3:1

"To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven"

And the ultimate best thing to come is the day of arrival in Heaven for those who have accepted Christ as Savior.  I am so thankful to God for these sweet times on Earth that give me a tiny glimpse into Heaven!

Two Year Anniversary!

Today is our two-year anniversary!  Wow, how the time flies!  In honor of this special day, I'm posting a few pics from our wedding.

 

 

We married on Wednesday, January 2, 2008 at 3pm at Union Station Historic Hotel (the same place we were engaged six months earlier!) in downtown Nashville, TN.  We chose our date because we wanted to wait until Josh graduated from school in December but we didn't want a holiday wedding.  So January 2 was the first choice and we took it because we didn't want to wait any longer!  It was a wonderful day and this has been the best two years of my life! 

We had a small private family wedding ceremony with only 38 people ( I think that's the number) total in attendance.  We each have a younger brother and they stood with us, which was very special.  Our family performed all of the ceremony music and we were really able to enjoy the event and spend time with everyone.  Three and half weeks later we had a reception with extended family and friends!  The style of wedding and reception we chose was perfect for us and we cherish every moment, as well as the amazing love and support we've received from our family and friends!

Happy Anniversary to Mr. P!  I love you more and more every day!