My favorite present

This year I received incredible Christmas presents. As I've already mentioned, we got a camera! Yay!

My other present that I must brag about came from my husband. Back in November, Cam and I visited Andrew and Kelly in Blacksburg, VA. One day we traveled to this cute little town with a country store as the main attraction. And there it was... the most unique, beautiful, precious nativity scene I've ever seen. I wanted it with everything inside of me, but knowing the "right" answers I suggested we buy it for Cam's mom for Christmas. Thirty minutes later we came back to buy it and it was gone! How could it be gone?! My heart broke a little -- one knowing I would never have it and two knowing I wouldn't even be able to gift it.

Fast forward to Christmas morning as I open my present from Cam. My NATIVITY SCENE!!!! I couldn't contain my excitement and joy -- I lept into Cam's arms!

I love that it's unique. Hand crafted, hand painted -- the one and only!

 I've decided my favorite piece is Joesph. I'm not sure why yet, but I love him.

 Maybe it's his rosy cheeks and pudgy belly?

 The three wise men are a close second

Cam pointed out that they look like the Jesus Storybook illustrations. Maybe that's why I love them so much.

A new camera for Christmas!

This Christmas has been special to Cam and me in so many ways! The most special part by far was having both of our families together for a short period of time. My mama drove all the way from Connecticut to step out of her comfort zone, to spend time with us and Cam's family. I LOVED it!

We celebrated Christmas with mama a couple days early. This year we bought her the Willow Tree nativity scene. I knew she would really like it, but had no idea she would respond with such humble gratefulness. She was honored and couldn't believe someone would say she should get a gift like that. Little did I know, two minutes later I responded the exact same way. Mama bought us an incredible Canon rebel. I started sobbing. There is nothing Cam and I have done nor are we at a point in our lives where I could ever say we deserve such a gift. I was overwhelmed with emotion and cried from being so honored. Thanks mom for a gift that will capture memories our entire life!

So here are the first of many pictures to come... and hopefully a push in my blogging life.

 

The first portrait

 

Cam and Andrew at Otto's (a local brewery)

 

Mama

 I was just a second too late to capture the beer mixing, but still a cool picture!

 I will frame this in our house somewhere

 Our niece Baylie celebrated her 7th birthday with us!

 She loved getting her picture taken

Smith Family 2012

 Love this picture

 Our Christmas Eve tradition continued. This year we bought pjs for everyone to join -- I bought matching ones so no one would like someone else's better

 The girls

 Love this picture of them

 A white Christmas this year! I have never seen it snow this much -- the yard was beautiful!

 My partner in crime, Kelly. Having a sister has been a ton of fun!

Andrew and Kelly

A different season...

Though I am not quite ready to tell the world of our story, this season has been different.

This season has been full of sorrow and tears -- a season of confusion, anger, hopelessness, doubt...

Cam and I have been taking a class at the seminary every Tuesday night. The class is on marriage and family counseling in the Church. This past Tuesday was the final night of class. Dr. Zink was humble, vulnerable, empowering, sensitive, and loving. Traits few men have even at his age of 60.

The class was on hope. A topic that I want to avoid like the plague right now. Not because I don't want hope, but because hope is hard in this season.

A few points
- Hope is not passive (though our culture piles plenty of that on our plates)
- Hope is active (huh?)
- Hope is rightly displayed in scripture (duh)
- Hope takes faith and trust, not in myself but in a good God of promises

And even now writing those words good God tears fill my eyes. Oh how I know this and how I want to feel this again -- it takes time.

You see as children of our God we hope actively by trusting and resting in faithful promises. We serve and love a God of promises. A God who has never broken those promises to a broken and unthankful people. A God who weeps beside us and says it was never supposed to be this way child. A God who is not passive as we tend to be, but is active in restoring our broken world.

So in this season I pray for hope, but not just passive hope. I pray for active hope. I pray for trust in a God who is trustworthy. I pray that I too would be like the many in scripture who hoped and waiting and trusted, because a seed of promise is growing. Growing takes time, growing takes nurture, growing take pruning -- that seed of promise will grow.

Our best friends are getting married

Rewind about three years ago with me and it brings you to my junior year at Erskine College. 

My morning starts with Cat flustered and rambling about something she has to tell me, but is being extremely vague. So she never gets out just what it is she has to tell me -- just a brief word about Taylor. So that night she waits until Kristy and I are in the same room and tells us that here and Taylor are dating. WHAT?! I am completely shocked and have no words. As the relationship continues for a week or so Cat becomes anxious and ghosts from the past flare up. Cat and Taylor broke up. 

That was really where my relationship with Taylor started. Over the year we had multiple conversations where I saw the HUGE heart that Taylor Gordon had and has and truly that he loved my best friend. Time went on, I graduated, got married, and moved to St. Louis where I anxiously awaited my best friend. 

From just about day one in St. Louis, Cat never ceased to mention Taylor. We had a couple hard conversations and after about 4 months Cat was able to get the words out with me, "I love Taylor." It took everything inside of me not to burst into tears and be extremely pushy with this new information. Thankfully I was given self-control from the Holy Spirit and I was able to simply stand beside Cat and encourage her to talk to Taylor. Fast forward again and they're dating!!

So now we end up in about the end of August of 2012. Taylor has called Cam and asked how he could get here to propose!!!! So here's where we insert that everyone says I can't keep a secret... boy are they wrong (bitter - yes haha). I had to discretely get cat to try on my rings, go get the size of my ring, and help get Cat occupied on the day of Taylor's arrival. It went perfectly! Except that Cat is the biggest detective I know and was constantly trying to figure things out. The day before Taylor is coming Cat texts me and tells me she things Taylor is coming. I make up some sob story about me doing the same thing to Cam and it blowing up in my face.. mission accomplished. 

Saturday morning comes and I am so emotional. It's 2:00 and we have to go drop a car off for Taylor at the car to go ask my best friend to marry him. As we pull up to the airport I see Taylor and burst into tears. Cat is more than just a friend, she's a sister. She knows me and I know her. I have prayed for a man who I think is worthy of Cat and of her story. Little did I know, I could not have even made up a fictional man who compares to Taylor. I have watched him fall in love with Cat with more than just a simple infatuation. He is second most Godly man (aside from Cam ;)) that I know. Taylor has been an agent of redemption in Cat's life and she in his. They were made for each other and given to each other to further the kingdom and that will be done through them individually, but also through their beautiful marriage. 

So all I can say to Taylor through my joyful tears is I'm so happy! That night we waited for the call and headed out to St. Charles where I could give Cat such an incredible embrace and look in the eyes of the man that will stand beside her for the rest of their lives. GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!

So here's the pictures:

The letter I wrote Taylor on passing the torch of taking care of Cat

Her welcome to the family gift: a Steelers jersey

Slacker

I'm not ready to give up on this blog... however, the posts will be few if I'm willing to be realistic. My lofty goal of updating every time we do something is slowly fading out of existence. :)

We have done so much since I last posted that there's no chance I could write about it all or that anyone would want to sit and read all of it. So instead I decided to add some pictures and explain what they are. Let's be real -- everyone really just wants to see pictures ;).

The next couple pictures are from a trip we took back in October with my in-laws. They are great. We met in the great place of Kentucky -- great meaning there is nothing but horse farms really. This location was great for us though. We pitched our tents, lit a campfire, and just spent time together away from the business of life. Since Cam and I just got married in March, I really don't know Kelly and Andrew all that well so it was exciting to have a weekend just with them. 

One of the most loyal, joyful, loving dogs I've ever met. So glad I got to spend some time getting to know Wyatt as  well. He's definitely missed.

Sweet Pika

The biggest/best library I've ever seen!

In December, Cam was asked to be a groomsmen in his dear friend's wedding. Nathan "Lucy", married the girl of his dreams and we were there to help celebrate. 

And hey while we're at it... here are some really late pictures from like June when Kelly and Andrew came to visit St. Louis. Wow... talk about a slacker :/

Maybe my all time favorite bear impression

So we've had quite a few memories since I last updated our blog. Some memories that bring smiles and overwhelming joy, and some memories that are painful and bring tears. As Cam and I now walk through the Christian life together we are learning to do it hand in hand. What a gift marriage has been to both of us... though at times I can assure you we want to simply crawl into a hole. We are quickly approaching 1 WHOLE year of marriage in which I hope to go back and blog some of what the year has consisted of.