bring it on!!!

yesterday, we had a fabulous first day of the new year. 2010 seems to be starting off on the right foot, that's for sure. our wonderful and dear friends wendy and craig had us over along with other friends for a traditional new year's day lunch of ham, collard greens and black eyed peas. it was delish!!! i feel so blessed to have such a wonderful group of friends in our life and to be living in such a great place. i truly see how god has worked and continues to work in our life. thank you, lord!

we are starting a new decade and i have to wonder what the next 10 years of my life hold. as i look back over the past 10 years, there have been highs and lows but in all i honestly can't believe all the blessings that have been bestowed to our family. the exciting journey we've taken to get where we are at. i only hope the next 10 are just as exciting if not more so...here's just a portion of the past decade:

• married the love of my life
• had two beautiful daughters
• moved to newnan
• travel to chicago and attended the oprah winfrey show with a great group of girlfriends and even made it on tv (talk about fun!)
• lela started first grade
• became a stay at home mom
• attend the walk to emmaus - definitely changed my life in ways i never would have imagined!
• traveled 12+ hours in a car to texas with the girls
• lela lost her first tooth (followed by many more...)
• lela learned to ride a bike
• lela and lacey both got their ears pierced (at different times, of course!)
• lela started dancing and continues
• lacey started dancing and decided to try something else
• lela started gymnastics and continues to excel (just amazes me!)
• kevin began working for ngb
• kev and i along with a group friends traveled to chicago to see georgia tech play notre dame (what a beautiful campus!) - this was probably our last trip minus little girls
• had lunch with our girls at american girl bistro
• meeting vern yip from hgtv's design star and tlc's trading spaces (talk about a nice and humble guy)
• lela and lacey were baptised
• seeing madonna in concert at the phillips arena
• watching lela and lacey as flower girls in my cousin's wedding
• riding the "polar express" to the north pole with the girls

as i said this is just a portion of the many blessings we have experienced. i look forward to the new decade knowing that there will be highs and lows, but no matter what it's a journey that i look forward to taking...bring it on!!!

let the festivities begin

for the next 72 hours this family of four will be celebrating christmas. i honestly can't believe that it's finally here. the last of the presents were wrapped this morning...yeah! and now i've started baking and preparing for our guests that will visit our house on friday. the girls are excited at the thought of santa's arrival along with the fact that they finally get to open the presents that have been under the tree for sometime. it's at this point in the "game" that instead of getting stressed out or excited, a sense of peace falls upon me. our journey to the manager is finally here and god's miraclous gift of jesus is presented to the entire world. wow! what a humbling thought, that this tiny baby born would take upon the sins of the world in order that we might live in eternity with our father. that is truly the greatest gift we can ever receive, how blessed are we? let's celebrate....

happy thanksgiving

here's a list of just some of the many things i'm thankful for this thanksgiving (in no particular order):

1. god
2. my terrific husband who i love dearly
3. my two healthy, busy and beautiful girls
4. the church we are able to worship in
5. our wonderful friends
6. our families
7. the house over our heads
8. my health
9. the men and women who are overseas protecting our freedom
10. that i'm able to serve and help others in different capacities

have you thought about the many things that you are thankful for these days? wishing you a very happy thanksgiving....