Oh what a splendid time of year. Quite possibly my favorite.
My family and I have had such a wonderful Christmas.
I have been so unbelievably blessed. It seems so easy to forget throughout the busyness of everyday life... But this time of year never fails to remind me.
I celebrated my 21st Christmas, as always, at my precious Beezie's house. I went over early to help out in the kitchen, and when I got there Beezie was mixing up her pound cake. I decided to snap a picture, and I "scared the fire out of her". (hahaha) It was so funny. She didn't realize I was going to take a picture, and she thought lightening had came through. :) We all got a good laugh.
We ate a delicious supper, and then we opened presents. It was such a sweet time together. This year was Payton's first Christmas, and we just gooed and gahed over him. :)
Payton's 1st Christmas :)
The McGee's. So blessed.
We ended the night by singing Christmas carols.
When we got back home, Brit and I gave mama and daddy their present.
And then Paul came to get his Day 2 present. Brad Paisley tickets. He had asked me about going after I had already bought us tickets. So, I told him I didn't really care about going. Needless to say, he was surprised! :)
Then, of course, Christmas morning. Santa was too good to Brit and I. After we opened our presents we went down to watch Madison and Payton open their presents. It was so fun to watch.
For lunch, I went with Paul to eat with his family @ Nana's. I didn't take a single picture, and I'm still mad @ myself. :( After lunch we went to his Mama & Daddy's to exchange presents. I had so much fun, and his family is just precious.
We went back to Madison and Payton's. Paul got Payton a camo coat, and this is probably one of my favorite pictures ever. They are making almost the exact same face :) haha!
After we finished opening presents there we came back to my house to finish opening gifts. Paul got me lots of good presents, but my biggest present was a Cricut. :) EXCITED wasn't the word. I had no idea what he had me, and he did so good! (Thanks Pauly!) And his final Day 1 gift was camo seat covers for his truck. He was excited!
Lastly, Mama's side came over for Christmas last night. Mama did a wonderful job on the food, as always. We had a house full, and it's always great to see all of them. We're all so busy so we cherish the time we do get to see each other.
We had such a great Christmas! I am completely blessed. I have the BEST family in the whole world! And I have a wonderful Savior who came as a little baby into this world so that I might know salvation. Thank you Jesus, I am so unworthy!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas as well.
Paul's birthday was last Friday, Dec. 18th. (Happy Birthday Paul). We went out to eat and had planned on going to see a movie. However, Tupelo was super crowded and we weren't up for braving the chaos.
Anywho, to make a long story short....I was having to distract Paul because a surprise party was in the making for him @ my house. :)
FINALLY, after 2 trips to Wal*Mart, 1 to Fred's, and a short (emergency) stop by Madison & Payton's house we made it home. (A few of our friends...Micah Torey Wages, was running late therefore an emergency stop was made)
We got to my house around 9, and walked in. I was even confused as to where everybody was. Then all of a sudden they jumped up from behind our bar.
Wonderful :) Surprise Party=success.
We had such a wonderful time, and enjoyed catching up with all of our friends.
More on my Christmas festivities to come. :)
Happy (late on my blog) Birthday Paul! I love you!
The sweetest woman in the whole entire world has a birthday TODAY. My precious Beezie. :)
Words cannot even begin to express how much I love this lady. I am thankful to the good Lord for her every single day.
There are very few people my age who still have their great-grandmother. Please know I do NOT take this for granted, not even a little bit.
I'll never forget my 11th grade year. Beezie fell. We rushed to her house and I remember keeping her still and trying to control her bleeding forehead. Through her fall she broke her neck and arm. 91 years old at the time, the doctors gave her a very slim chance. They said she'd recover pretty well if (and they stressed IF) she made it through surgery. They gave her 20% chance.
I remember pleading with God. I wasn't ready to let her go.
And my precious Savior allowed her to recover 100%.
A few years later she was walking out to her swing set and slipped on some acorns in the yard. She broke her pelvic bone. Doctors told us how slim the chance of recovery was once again.
And my precious Savior allowed her to recover, again, 100%. Oh, praise Him!
I tell you these stories to tell you that I do not take her life for granted. I know every single day is a blessing from God. He wasn't finished with her, and He still isn't.
She is a living, breathing testimony of God's unconditional love. Never in my life have a I heard her utter a single harsh word about anyone. Serious. She sees the good in everything and everyone.
"That's what I say" is one Beezie's sayings, and it's my favorite. Along with "Hey, Sug!"
She is the perfect model for the Proverbs 31 woman. Every single verse describes her.
How does one even begin to describe all of their blessings? Especially me. You know all the stuff I'm thankful for, all the stuff I should be more thankful for, and especially all of the things I take for granted...
That's just it...I'm not sure how exactly.
We sang "Count Your Many Blessings" at church Sunday and as I was singing I kept thinking, "Ashley, your list is miles long. How can you ever tell of everything your sweet Savior has given you?!"
I know I'm incapable of that...but here goes the start of my list nonetheless.
The beautiful, terrible cross. Eternal life. Peace in troubled times. Soldiers & their families. Daddy's wisdom and faithfulness. Mama's love and advice. Britta's tender heart and passion for things shes loves. My precious boyfriend, Paul. Paul's respect and love for God, me, and my family. House shoes. Christmas decorations. Contacts. Special Education kiddos. Kelly's Korner blog. Chris' constant humor and seriousness. Beezie's compliments and "Hey Sug". Mamaw Mabel's dedication. Papaw's hard work. Mamaw Margie's contentment.
Madison, my mini me. 10 amazing months with our newest member of the family, Payton. Kaitlyn. My 4 Morgan boys and 1 Warren (cousins). Soft toliet paper. Make-up wipes. Whitknee's amazing friendship, Straighteners. Washer and dryer. Thaxton Baptist Church family. Bro. Jimmy Russell. Karen Kingsbury books. Jacob's awkwardness. MS State. Debo Stepp. College Sunday school class. Shoes. Health. Operation Christmas Child. Missionaries. First Baptist Church, Tahoe City, CA. Andrea Rodgers. Jacob getting to come home for Thanksgiving holidays. My 5 senses. Socks. Earrings. Ability to read and write. Cell phone. T man. Katy-Lynn Kimbrell.
Warm bed in a warm house. Indoor plumbing. Front porch swings. My camera. Plenty of food in our cabinets. Family all year round. A car to drive. My summer in Tahoe City, CA with the most amazing people. Wireless Internet. Steven & Missy Perry. Doctors & Nurses. Teachers. Policemen. Firemen. Garbage men. Paramedics. Electricity. Scholarships. Gallon of milk. Diet Coke. Paul's sweet family. ICC BSU. College friends. Lauren, Am, & Ash. Church Choir. Jobey. My Bible. Automatic Car washes. Leslie Michelle Ross. Family friends. The Gillentine's. The Comer's (Troy, Robbie, 3 kiddos). Breath. Snail mail....
This is only the beginning let me assure you... And yet, I'm so unworthy... As I typed all those things I just kept thinking, "Thank you Jesus!!"
I can't believe this year is almost over. Lord, help me remember to soak up every second and breath of life you so freely give me.
I challenge you to start a list. P.S.--I am thankful for you faithful blog readers. :) Happy Thanksgiving!
This is the first year I haven't been to a costume party in a while. It's always so exciting to brainstorm about what you'll be. Crazy and wild ideas tend to come to mind...but figuring out how to get into character is usually the hard part. Even though I'm not planning on going all out this year for a costume, I thought I'd post some old pictures of Halloween costumes. The BSU costume party was always so fun. College student's costumes are the best because everyone is on a tight budget. Hope you enjoy these memories friends. :)
Adam and Eve, classic.
Carson and I dressed as old folks. Papaw and Mamaw. And we won.
Next year, Whit and I went as Tom and Jerry :)
Melonie and Ray were Pac Man characters.
Ninja Turtles and Gansta Claire.
This past year, Nick and I went as characters from Grease. (Danny and Sandy) Here we are with the Incredibles.
Joel Osteen, Moses, and John the Baptist.
Where's Waldo and a Christmas Tree.
The deviled egg.
Pepsi Machine and the Pink Kangaroo (Dr. Suess).
Betty, Wilma, & Pebbles.
Wonderful memories, the best of friends, & one unforgettable place. (our beloved ICC BSU)
Last night on campus we had an amazing worship service. It was called After Dark. We spontaneously went, and I'm so glad that we did. Tyson Lee (how awesome to have a quarterback sold out to Christ) gave his testimony and we had an wonderful speaker, Joe White. Joe showed a video, similar to this one, about a young man who has cerebral palsy. You all know I have a heart for special needs, and this definitely is no exception. Watch it. And remember that when we feel like we can't make it through, our Father will carry us.
(remember to pause my other music first)
Can you even begin to grasp how much our Heavenly Father loves us? Even more than this.
I have the greatest: Family, Boyfriend, Friends, Church, Roomie in the entire world. Just saying. My life is just good. I am blessed. And I forget to stop and ponder about these things way too often. So today, I'm extremely thankful for the good and bad. For all the valleys that have made me stronger, and for all the mountain tops that have made me grateful.
One little chap I'm thankful for especially is my little sister, Britta. She's the best sister anyone could ask for. Being away at college the past 3 years has made me realize just how much I love her. She's one of the few people I could trust with my life. I love her so much, and I can't believe how fast she's growing up. She's maturing into such a wonderful young lady, and it's a joy to watch. She's a natural born leader, and she loves the Lord. I'm so proud of her, and I don't tell her near enough. I love you Britta! I'll always be your biggest fan!
Speaking of growing up...my little smoosh. He is simply adorable. And growing like a weed. Look at those little shoes :)
Fall break. I love it so much. Two days to rest up and catch up from the busyness of school and life in general. In Sunday school yesterday we talked about Psalm 23, and last night Bro. Jimmy preached out of Psalm 46. Just a good Sunday really.
We got new Sunday school books yesterday morning; therefore, Debo (my SS teacher), and our class, as a whole, opted to use our new book and "go with the flow." (Our class is all about that :) It was just what I needed.
Psalm 23, I've read this scripture about a bazillion times...and still God used it to speak to me. :) (vs 2-3) "He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul..." Basically, our SS lesson in a nutshell said this..No matter what your current circumstances are, God is there to guide you, give you peace of mind, and protect your steps.
And then Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God." Be still could be translated as "give up" or "let yourself become weak." This was just such a wonderful reminder that my God is in control, even when I fail to realize He's a work.
That's what God's been doing in my heart here lately. Calming me. Reminding me how blessed I am. I tend to get caught up in the rush of life...and He just says, ever so gently, Be still, and find peace in me my child.
Who am I to deserve such love?! :)
Or blessings such as these:
"Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family: Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one." - Jane Howard
my precious parents :) we'll be best friends forever, no doubt. Can you believe he's EIGHT months old already??? My little mini-me! :) KK turned 9!! My babies are growing up! 2 of my favorite people. Beezie and Payton :)
Life doesn't get much better than this. I'm unbelievably blessed. And extra thankful.
