My Best Friends Wedding

My best friend, Ceccy, is engaged!! I am so happy for her!! I haven't had the privilege to meet the lucky man myself, but I've heard nothing but the best about him.

Last week Ceccy called me to let me know what dates they were looking at, so I could plan to be in and around all the festivities -- then something unplanned happened -- her fiance's brother found out he was being transferred back out to Iraq. This moved the wedding from October to August. What's the deal you say? Well, I can't travel at 8months pregnant on an airplane, nor can I risk a 12hr drive 3 1/2wks before my due date. Then it hit me -- I have to tell my best friend that not only can I not be in her wedding, but I won't even be able to attend it. My stomach sank and I cried. Of ALL the friends, this was not the one I'd ever dream of having to miss. But realizing I couldn't quite control the situation, I figured "I'll get over it - eventually." :)

Well, this past weekend she called to inform me that she and Curt had decided to move the wedding to Colorado beings half her family is here anyhow, and just make it a smaller, more intimate wedding. And the best part?! That's right -- I may be 8 months pregnant by then, but I will be rejoicing with my best friend as she enters into her marriage covenant!

Truly shows that God has a sense of humor. The little things that become most important always work themselves out; it just may not be as we thought they would.

Post Christmas

Well, we have almost finished Christmas! We meet with Greg's family on New Year's, and that will pretty much be all.

We started our Christmas with having some friends over for a small & intimate Christmas dinner, which really was a wonderful time. We fixed Prime Rib, Vegetable Au Te, fresh rolls, and a Cafe Chardoney. Our friends brought wonderful desserts and Tom & Jerry's to finish the evening off -- it was a fun and relaxing time!! Both of us have lived here in the Springs for almost 9yrs and have really made some great friends, which have become a form of family for us. What a great season to gather and enjoy those you love! We then headed out the next morning for my family's house and spent 3dys playing in the snow, opening presents, going to movies, & venturing to Estes for a winter drive/hike through the Park.

My highlight for Christmas this year: Greg developed several wedding photos and had them all matted, framed, & in collage form!!! They are simply wonderful!! I've got three collages to hang and have a few single frames as well to place around the house. We'd had a few pics done initially when our wedding was, but in the midst of moving, etc. pics couldn't be an option because of space. He then topped it off with new candles for my candelabras & new bubble bath from my most favorite store ever--Bath & Body Works. Ah yes...he did quite well. :) I on the other hand, had a travel bag personalized & "accessorized" for his reffing, as his old one was quite worn and not quite large enough. Now he has extra space and new ref shirts, etc. to go with it! He's already using it.

I know I've been a picture posting fool lately, but here's some photos of our holidays! Enjoy(especially you Grandma!!)....

The Christmas Dinner Table

Greg opening his new reffing bag

This was my 'early' Christmas present: Greg built a mantel for one of our fireplaces!! I love it handsome. :)

This was the first picture I opened. He had it framed with the matte all our friends signed at the wedding.

Here we are 'matching' for Christmas morning

My little sister with Milo

The first collage I opened!!

Our '2006 Christmas in Estes' photo

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to everyone!

I'm Looking At A White Christmas

All and all we had a great party. All of our friends, and their friends, and their friends friends.... oh yes. It was awesome. AND...my eggnog punch and pumpkin cheesecake was a HIT! (you're welcome Micah. lol. Anytime I can bring "glory" back to the family as far as dessert cooking goes, I'm happy to do it!) It was great to have friends together and to just enjoy the Christmas music, board games, food, and funny stories. The menu consisted of:

• Steak & Chicken Fajitas
• Salads & Queso with Chips
• Egg Nog Punch
• Cheescakes and other sweet delights
• Several appetizers and other snacks of taste

Today we finally got outside to start digging away from being locked down for the past 48hrs literally. The entire city went on shut down and even the malls, banks, and PO's closed. Now, I realize that living out here in the Forest that we would get more weather than we did when in Rockrimmon, but seriously -- this was our 3rd major storm since October, and every time we've gotten almost tripple what people get in the city--especially those on the West side and downtown. Not so much the North because they seem to be close enough to the Palmer Divide (we sit on it). Needless to say, after seeing the pics, you will understand why we will still be having a White Christmas come Sunday & Monday!

Now the drumroll...here are pics from the party and some from the past two days of weather:

Greg & Rick are just warming up!

Our friends, Jim & Carol. Don't they look so in love??!

Friends mingling

Greg prepping more meat for the fajitas

More friends: Jason & Jess. We had a blast guys!

Egg Nog Punch w/Spiced Captain Morgan!

Our friends Bob & Angela from choir

My Brother & Sister-in-law, as well as our friend, Nancy

Yet another grand friend from choir, James

And now pics from the storm the past 2 days:

Above pics were from Wednesday. Pic 1 is how much snow we had up against the house by afternoon. Pic 2 is Greg shoveling off a pathway for Milo to get up to the grass. Pic 3 is Milo stuck in the snow on back porch, as we gave up keeping up with the snowfall and the 55mph winds that lasted for over 48hrs.

Here is Greg out on the driveway today (Thursday) attempting to plow through.

I was standing in the middle of the road with snow up to the top of my thighs--this car didn't make it up the street yesterday!!

One of our neighbors works for CAT and called one of his colleagues to come out and front load our street!! It took him a few hours to clear the 4ft of snow on the road.

Hrs later we're still out shoveling and all the neighbors were just helping everyone else get dug out at this point. :)

I was sitting in a 8ft drift taking a break from shoveling

More plowing of our street outside our house.

Really this is the most snow I have seen in a very long time. Though, we've decided that the way the weather gets out here that we will be getting a snow blower, because all 3 storms thus far have produced at least a foot and lots of shoveling time!

Tomorrow we will be back to finishing Christmas shopping and getting our house ready for our Christmas Eve dinner with friends and Christmas Day with family.

Friends of Ole

Today has been a day of good news! I was able to get in touch today with two of my dear friends from childhood: Kirsten & Taylor. They are twins. We grew up across the lake that was in our neighborhood. Even when my family moved across town when I was in High School we still kept touch. Then college came. Then no more contact. Until today(8yrs later)!! I will hopefully get to see both of them when I visit my family in 2 weeks. They are such a blessing to me and I'm so excited beyond words that I can't explain in writing what I've felt today. I do believe the Lord brought us back together for a reason. We all had been thinking of each other at the same time! How funny is that!? I will post pictures when I get back in a few weeks.

On another side note about friends, my best friend Carolyn is back in the States! And yes, we have already spent a week together! lol :) She came to see me and we just hung out, went hiking, and laughed lots.

And in the same time, my other best friend Katie, had her baby boy--Ezekial! I am so excited for them too. Life is exciting and I'm so blessed to have such great friends to share it with -- happy and sad.

Dominos

Earlier last week we went to a friends house to eat chili and play dominos. We have all been playing dominos for quite a few years now -- in fact, before Greg and I were even dating, we both were at this same friends house and spent the whole evening on the game sitting next to each other, cheating, and playing the game (a.k.a. flirting with one another rediculously!). Just makes me laugh to think back to the things we used to do to each other when we were both in denial about liking each other. Our friend to this day, doesn't let us sit next to each other for a game anymore! I just had to post tonight how much I love my husband. He makes me laugh and is always so good to me.

The picture up above is us at our annual Palooza event that took place about 3wks ago. I'd never been to a demolition derby until I met him. Now he has me hooked on them. Ah yes... I love you handsome!

Skype--International Communication At It's Best

My best friend Ceccy is returning to the States on September 27th -- that's 11 days. (not that I'm counting!) She'll either be living in New York or Minnestoa. Either way, I figure she's closer than Portugal. Somehow I will be making a trip in the next month to see her!

We have however, been using the wonderful world of Skype to talk back and forth. Seriously, this is the way to go. Even the paid services are WAY CHEAP. I wish it would've been around when I was travelling internationally. You can do domestic talking as well(for a small fee). All you need is a microphone on your computer. At the very minimum, only one person really needs the mic on the computer and they can call your cell or land line! It's a sweet gig.

More Farewells to Friends

These past few weeks have been rather hard for me. Literally, the next 6dys will be spent going to "going away parties". My 2 best friends have moved, another good friend is preparing to depart for missions as well, and then 3 other friends whom I've come to know the past 4yrs are all moving to places across the USA. I am such a relational person, that this is never easy for me. I make friends, and then I watch them go -- while I stay.

My other best friend, Katie left today with her husband to continue their YWAM training in Washington. She is 7mo. pregnant, and I as I sat drinking coffee with her laughing about elementary and Jr. High stories, I realized that I won't be there when the baby is born, I won't be there when she celebrates her 27th another few years will go by before we probably will see each other again. However, we always are able to pick up where we left off -- thanks to email and phone! Unlike, Carolyn, Katie and I have pretty much been friends since the womb. We grew up together and went to school together, and believe it or not, both did missions in Europe during the same time, so we saw each other more in travel than at home! We then went to separate ends of the country for a few years, and then re-united for her wedding here last December. It's only been in the last year that we got spoiled because they came to work at the YWAM base here. So, as I am sentimental this few weeks I realize that time keeps moving on and friends come and go in location, but it's made me realize that those friendships are the ones that surpass distance. There are just days that it's hard for me to realize that it's time (once again), to go out and mingle and make some new girl friends here -- again.

New Look -- New Posts -- New Thoughts!

So I have re-vamped this site and it is now mine. :) I want to hear your thoughts and thank "Pannasmontata Templates" for helping me get a nice, personalized look! I will also be using this as a true "blog", if you will, as I've decided that with my job these days I've been doing lots more journaling to express -- aside from music! There is lots of work to be done yet, but at least it is "postable" now.


My best friend left yesterday for Portugal. She and I worked together for a few years while I was still in college and then she moved to New York and then to Omaha and now to Portugal. However we have not missed a day together and have spent equal times in flying to visit one another! She was my Maid of Honor and is continually a source of encouragement to me. She and I have very rarely gone more than 24hrs without phone calls, so as you can imagine, it seems as if it's been forever. And though I know she was so busy getting ready to leave, I really thought we'd get to talk one more time on Saturday before she left. Ah well...I'm sure that our email inboxes will just have to be flooded now to replace our phone bills! :)

So here's to you Ceccy!! I hope that things are going well and that you are blessed during this time as you transition back into missions. I hope that you are able to quickly learn the things you need before you head back over here to finish fundraising. I miss you already!!