Our First Christmas Together

Just for starters, our first Christmas together was wonderful.  I remember thinking to myself, "I wonder what it will be like, will it be good, how will it turn out?"  It turned out better than I ever thought it could!  We had a blast and it was as memorable as it could possibly be!  We had so much fun and got everything we could have wanted!

It started at my grandmother's house where we got smaller gifts, and our large gift.  Mine was a beautiful soft leather pair of brown teacher boots!  I love them!  They were beautiful!  I didn't expect to get a pair because it was something I didn't specify the exact type I wanted, but these were exactly right.  Mark got a nice peacoat from American Eagle.  He had been wanting a coat that he could wear to church as a nice coat and that he could also wear somewhere casually like to the movies.  He tried one on at American Eagle and really liked it, so I relayed the message onto my family.  Then we went to my parents house that night and got our annual Christmas Eve Jammies!  Then it was back to our house to begin our Christmas.  

We knew we were going to have to be up extra early, and we still had to pack to leave for Tyler

 the next day so we decided to pack and then do our Christmas to each other.  We packed and 

then set up the video camera so we could video tape our first christmas, which we did!  It was so fun getting to open the presents I had been looking at for weeks now, wondering what they were.  First we did our stockings and in mine Santa had brought me snickers, some new fuzzies (socks I have now come accustomed to sleeping in since our house is sssoo stinking cold at night), a Sims computer game,  another copy of Redeeming Love because Mark had broke my other one.  In his stocking he had some Gap undies, a workout shirt, a magnet/canpunch/bottle opener, some guitar pics, a new spring thingy that he keeps his keys on, and some snickers!

Then it was onto the presents.  We took turns opening each other's presents.  I got a watch that I had really really wanted.  He opened up a longhorn football shirt he had been wanting for a while that I had Adam get from Austin while he was at a game.  I then got a new Ralph Lauren red vest that I saw half off at Bealls and really wanted, but Mark said no at the time.  Little did I know Santa would bring it.  He then opened up a hotsauce gift set that I found at Wal-Mart.  The boy loves hot sauce and goes through it like none other.  This had five different kinds with recipes on the side and fun facts on the back.  After this it was my turn again, in which I opened up a justice of the piece building for one of those little towns.  I have always wanted one of those towns, and so he got me that one because it was the year we got married.  It even had a little sign on it that said "Weddings $2".  It was so thoughtful.  He then got to open a brand new  leather Guess shaving kit.  The zipper on his other one was broken.  My next present was two more outfits from target.  One was a pink shirt with an argyle sweater to go over it, and the other was this black shirt that looked like the dress I got on our honeymoon with a converse button jacket!  Both so cute!  When I told him he spent too much he said, "No I didn't, I shopped on the 75% off rack at Target!"  I said, "That's my man!"  His next present was his big present which were a pair of Toms.  These are really cool and comfy shoes that if you buy a pair they will also send a pair to a child in a third world country that has no shoes.  After all of this we cleaned up a little and then went to bed for about oh  5 hours before it was time to wake up for Christmas day.

We headed out and got to my parents' house around 6:30 that morning.  Here we got to open presents with Adam and give our presents to mom and dad.  I got a few things I wanted from Pampered Chef such as a tea pitcher, kitchen shears that can cut meat, a stone cake pan thing, and some bamboo spatulas.  There were also king size pillows that I asked for for our bed, mad gab, a scene it game that was men vs. women, and much more.  Mark got a longhorn hoodie, a portable diskgolf basket game, a Shane and Shane shirt from Adam, 3 other shirts, a chin-up bar and much more.  It was great!  Then we ate a light breakfast and headed off to Tyler with our Gizmo!   

Gizmo rode in the console on his bed and slept pretty much the whole way.  We got to Tyler and began unpacking the car when I realized that we left a big part of Scott's present at our house.  I felt awful!!  I couldn't believe we had done that.  It was set over to the side because it was too big to go under the tree, but that is also where all of my gifts ended up and so we just didn't put it by the door!  Anyways, we unpacked the dog, which stole everyone's heart, ate and then opened presents.  Blake ended up having my name and had to be the first one of everyone to buy for a girl  He did very good though, getting me a manicure, sweater, and a wire serving set type of thing.  I also got a thing to go right inside the door, to hold coats and keys, a necklace, money, gift cards.  Mark got a trunk to go as a coffee table, movies, money, gift cards, and many more things I cannot think of right now.  All in all it was  a great Christmas!  

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree. . .

Well Christmas is drawing nearer and I am excited about it.  I am so ready for it to be here, I keep asking Mark if we can please just open one present and of course he says "no" which is a bummer, but a good thing!  I feel like time is flying by and standing still all at the same time!  I also feel like I should be doing more, making my own traditions and celebrating Christmas in my own independent way, but the thing is I just don't know how to do that or what to do.  Should I bake cookies, make my own candy, take more pictures, drink hot chocolate while walking down the square. . . what!?  I dunno.  Mark is just fine chilling which I guess is ok with me, but still you only get your first christmas once!!!

Christmas will be a whirlwind for us this year, which is mostly my fault, but hey lol, what can I say?  We will be seeing both sides of the family on Christmas day, all by hopefully 10 that morning, needless to say it will be busy.  There are plenty of Christmas traditions in my family, all starting in the wee hours of Chirstmas Eve.  My mom played this game when she was little and so consequently we did as well growing up.  How you play is the first person that wakes up on Christmas Eve and goes and wakes up everyone else in the house saying "Christmas Eve Gift!!" gets to open a special gift on that morning.  Well we used to open a special gift until one year someone decided we should all head out to Ihop and eat then go to Wal-Mart and the winner get like a $5 something.  It is always great fun to see who wins!

After that growing up we would go to my Noni's house, where when I was really little we had to wait until "dark thrity" to open our presents.  That was until one year my noni decided to shake things up a bit and make us do little activites to get our presents.  We call it the "Amazing Race" because that is the show we got the idea from.  One of the annual races is teaming up and going to find as many candy canes as we can that are hidden by my Poppy all over is land.  One year we had a marshmellow shooter and we saw who could shoot it the farthest, and another we had a bubblegum blowing contest to see who could blow the biggest bubble (I won that one)!  After all the fun at Noni's we head back over to our house and get one Christmas present early, which is always new pajamas!!!  Then Adam and I would watch "The Santa Clause"  until we fell asleep, only to wake up extra early to open presents!  Then after we opened presents we would head to my Ballou's and Pawpaw's to eat breakfast (Pawpaw's waffels we get only once a year) and open presents.

Needless to say things are going to be slightly different this year, but in a good way.  Mark and I are going to do all the Christmas Eve festivties, and after the night is over we are going to head back to Marshall and go to sleep, only to wake up EXTREMELY early on Christmas morning to do our Christmas together.  Then we will head straight out to Harleton to do Christmas with my family, then to leave there and head to Tyler to do Christmas with his family!  I know it is going to be absolutely nuts, but worth it that is for sure!  

Day out of school

So today is my first day out of school to where I don't have to think about anything that has to do with school.  However, the downside to that is there are PLENTY of dirty dishes in the sink that need to be washed, a dirty house that should be cleaned, Christmas presents that should be bought/put together/ wrapped, and what am I doing, but sitting here blogging away.  But since I got tagged, I had to do this. . .

The rules are you have to list 5 addictions and tag 5 people.

1.  I am addicted to Jesus.  I am falling in love with Him daily, but am no where near where I should be in my walk with Him.  I am sorta embarrassed about where I am really, I want to be deeper in love with Him, to know Him so much more than I do right now.  

2.  I am addicted to Mark.  I love that boy!  I love being married to such a wonderful man and getting to experience life with him.  I love our quiet hours at home, or the rowdy ones with friends and family.  I cannot believe how blessed I am to be with him.  

3.  I am addicted to text messaging.  I love texting!  So sad, but I cannot help but do it in class, at home, in bed. . .

4.  I am addicted to facebook.  This is so sad considering it is the biggest waste of time ever invented.

5.  I am addicted to reading.  It is one of my favorite things to do and I wish I could do it more.  I want to get more books for Christmas.

**OOPS**

I forgot to tag 5 people.

I tag:

1. Lee Ann

2. Misty Stires

3. Lauren Shuman

4. The Goswicks

5. Jon and Jen

Done, done, I'm DONE!!!

Woohoo semester done and out!  Well sorta/almost!  I took my last final today from this 18 hour semester!  Done, done, done, no more tests, papers, meaningless projects, I am finished.  Ok, so I have one last thing to do this semester, I am going to the schools tomorrow to finish up interning.  Stinky!  I don't want to go, I want to be done, but I need to finish up and get the grade.  After that though, nothing else!  My teacher had actually forgotten about me being sick and not being able to go, and asked me about why I didn't have my papers in yet!  Oh well.

This past semester has been crazy, fun, new, hard, busy, and much much more.  I am sorta sad that it is over and all my friends are leaving to go home, while I stay here.  I am happy to here, and wouldn't want to be anywhere else, but I am sad to see my friends leave.  I am also nervous about how the next semester will play out, since I will not really be with them, or be doing what they are.  I hope our friendships stay the same and grow even more.  I think they will, I have made some amazing friends and love them very much!  

I have so much I need to be doing right now, the holidays are getting much much closer, and I have yet to really really prepare for them.  I've still got to order pictures and presents and wrap, sssoo much!  I really just don't know where to begin haha.  I need to finish up Mark's Christmas as well, so if anyone has any ideas, I am ssoo all ears!  Anyway, that is about all for right now, though be looking for an update, because I am sure to get bored.

Oh finals. . .

 Finals week is now upon us!  Yay!!  After having all my finals, all TAKE HOME, I got straight to work.  Well basically I got straight to work because I thought I had three finals due today, (two of which were take home) only to find out that the one I had worked the hardest on is actually due on Wednesday!  Thanks to my good friend Lee Ann I found out her and Traci were laughing at me through text messages and not telling me what a doofus I was for freaking out about how they hadn't started on there final the entire weekend.  Don't worry, I forgive you guys!  So before I go and finish the rest of my math homework so I can go take that final later on today, I decided to steal an idea for this blog from Miss A-Lynn (aka Lee Ann).

December 8, 2008

Outside my window:  I hear the leave rustling against the concrete being blown about on a crisp December afternoon.

I am thinking:  I have a lot to do before 4 o'clock today, and I hope Mark is actually able to get into this stinkin' class.  Praying for that one really!

I am thankful for:  Finals being done and that I am going to go back to work at The Financial Aid Office again!  I missed it!

From the kitchen:  Dishes definitely need to be done and dinner needs to be made pronto aka, the things I have to get done before 4 o'clock.

I am wearing:  A thermal with a polo shirt over it and my favorite jeans from Target!  Yay for Mondays!

I am creating:  A new blog entry!  I want to be creating something else by either crocheting or knitting, of which I am going to go and get a teach yourself kit when I am done with finals.  I need a stress reliever and I have the desire to make something.

I am going:  To finish my last math homework ever!  That makes me excited!  I am so ready to be done with math!!  

I am reading:  When I Don't Desire God by John Piper, and it is really good.  I want to read other stuff too, but I need new books!

I am hoping:  Mark gets into this class!  He really needs it!  Also, that this last math test is easy!!  I don't wanna do it!

I am hearing:  What Not To Wear coming from my T.V.   What a funny show!

Around the house:  It is messy!  I need to do some major cleaning, also to be done by the end of the day. . . may not get around to that one today!

A few plans for the rest of the week:  To finish finals, turn in books, go Christmas shopping, clean the house, try a new recipe or two.  So much!

This is from:  www.thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com

****Update!****

Update for everyone!  I just finished my last math test ever!!  Woohooo!!  Also, Mark got into the Fast track course!  He HAD to have this class for his PTA venture, and a hold kept him from it first, and today a spot opened up!  However, that darn hold came back, and almost kept him from getting in!  However, after many MANY phone calls to Kilgore and TJC, and a trip up to Kilgore, he finally got the okay to go ahead!!  YAY!!  Praise God for this blessing!

Not Wanting to. . .

I am sitting here in Channin's house, procrastinating  about doing my stupid take home finals.  Can I say how much I stinking hate take home finals!  They are so much work, especially at teh end of a very long and tiring semester.  Makes me wonder what my professors are thinking sometimes.  Either way I have a lot of work to do and not a whole lot of time in which to do it in.  I would be farther along than I am right now, but I became deathly ill earlier this week.  

 

Ok so perhaps I am slightly exaggerating, but I did become very sick earlier in the week, and now it seems like I have a whole weeks worth of stuff to make up, even though I only missed two days worth of classes.  I missed interning and teaching my last lesson, which in turn puts me behind filling out a bunch of papers to turn in for that, I missed doing my chapter responses for Dr. Vickers, and turning in a math notebook and taking a math test!  Yeah, I know, I am totally swamped and I shouldn't be at all!  Oh well, this is how the semester would end wouldn't it?  

 

Mark and I did put up our first tree!  It was a lot of fun, and a lot of work.  It is cute and small just like where we live haha.  It is fun doing all these firsts with each other.  I am excited about our first Christmas with each other as well.  Ok well I better get back to attempting to do these take home finals so that way I make my life just a little bit easier.