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Levi: Then and Now
It has been almost three months since little Levi came into our lives. When we got him he was about a month old and a little over 1 pound. Now he is 5 pounds and a little older. He is a very vocal cat. We took him to get his kitten boosters and they said they could hear him down the hall screaming. I said before that he was all play and no cuddle but the last few weeks, he will lay on my stomach and watch me crochet. He is friendly and I made sure to socialize him with people so he won't be a scared cat. Soon his front claws are getting removed to fully make him an indoor cat. He has entered our family well. In fact in Joe's sermon Sunday night, he said that he loved Levi! He has grown up to be a little man.
Homekeeping Handbook
Today I received my
Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook
in the mail and its great! My personal favorite has been the daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal cleaning lists. These things I did not care to learn growing up so now I have my home encyclopedia with me. I learned today that you should flip your mattress
four times a year also some cleaning solutions you make with pantry items.
I already have my "honey do list" growing!
I also go to Martha's website for really cute crafts and recipes and stuff. I have found some cute stuff that I would like to make!
Netflix
I have joined the internet craze Netflix, where you rent DVD's through the mail. My first DVD came today and I am sure that Joe wasn't as thrilled with my choice. He wanted to know how he could put his movies on the list! :)
Joe rented Hancock last night. I wasn't too excited about watching it but I watched the whole thing and Joe fell asleep! Maybe that's why his movies are not on the list!
2009
It is officially 2009 (which I am sure that you already knew that)! This year I want to go through Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening
. It is 730 devotionals for (get this) the Morning and Evening!
This evening's reading had a great quote. "We will be glad and rejoice in You. We will not open the gates of the year to the sorrowful notes of the organ, but to the sweet strains of the harp of joy and the high-sounding cymbals of gladness."
I hope that you all are excited to start this new year. Last Sunday the Pastor (who happens to be my hubbie) spoke on how easily we break New Year's Resolutions. But when we make commitments to God we are more likely to do them because we rely on God. What are you going to commit to? I am still working on my commitments and maybe I will share those later.
2008 in Review
It has been a packed year for me in 2008! Here are the highlights.
In April, I spent 18 days in Russia with a group of nursing students in my school. We went to Moscow, St. Petersburg and Cheylabinsk.
In May I graduated from nursing school. Here is Joe and I in my nurses cap.
Adopted Cooper and added him to our family.
Also in May I got married!
We went on our honeymoon to Gatlinburgh and Myrtle Beach.
Moved to North Vernon, IN (pop. 6,515)--a big adjustment from where I am from and starting decorating my house.
Became a Registered Nurse and started my job at Columbus Pediatrics.
Became a Pastor's Wife
Went to Chicago for our birthdays.
Found Levi and added him to our family.
And as of today became the owners of a 2008 Ford Escape
I am looking forward to maybe a little quieter 2009 without major life changes!
Personalized
I love decorating with personalized things. In this post I painted letters to spell Mayes. Now I want to show you the personalized things around our living room.
I just bought this off of Etsy and I love it! I think this will always be hung in our family.
This is a memory box of wedding momentos like our invitation and wedding program with the wedding announcement and a picture. Cute, huh.
The last two are wedding gifts we received from Joe's aunt.
Do you have any other personalization ideas?
Christmas Cooper
Here are some Christmas Cooper pictures. My favorite is the one of him and Santa! Joe took Cooper to Evansville in November and the Humane Society was having a fundraiser. Joe said everyone loved Cooper there! He was also very generous this year and gave out that picture to both sets of grandparents.
Our Christmas
It was our first married Christmas together. It had its good and not so good. The good was spending time with our families, the Christmas Eve service at our church, and the great presents we received (including a sewing machine!)
The not so good happened on the way to my parents when Joe's jeep died on the interstate. Now if you know Joe you know that he loves his jeep while I wasn't a huge fan but thankful for a vehicle. So now instead of a house hunt, we are on a car hunt. This time we are thinking a car that is family car. We are also blessed because a family in the church are letting us use their truck as long as needed.
We also saw Marley and Me on Christmas day. It was really good! I loved the book and it made me appreciate Cooper a little more! :)
Did you have a good Christmas?
Houseguest
This is Waldo.
He is our houseguest for the week. His parents are on a cruise for the week.
Now if you are thinking, your house must be a zoo with the other two dogs and the cat and the answer to that would be YES!
In other exciting news, Joe and I are looking for houses for sale in the NV so stay tuned!
O Christmas Tree
O Christmas tree, how lovely are your branches
Here is our Christmas tree! There are even presents under the tree!
Christmas
We finally have our tree up! We have a real Christmas tree this year which I have never had before. After Joe cut off some, its up and full of ornaments. We just need our tree topper and then I will post some pictures!
This weekend was full of Christmas parties and our choir cantata at church. We had to sing in both services this morning! After church I was tired. I also sang my first solo at Bethel.
Tomorrow we are going Christmas shopping which we have our list so hopefully it can be quick!
I am also reminded of the real reason we celebrate Christmas because of the birth of our Savior. HE is the reason why we are so blessed with families and churches to celebrate this season!
An Exciting Monday
Joe and I had a fun day. We left (early in the morning) for Cincinnati and went to the Creation Museum. The church had bought us tickets last year and we had never used them before. It was really neat to have a museum dedicated to presenting how a powerful and awesome God created the universe.
After that Joe and I went to Ikea! I had never been and I thought it was really great! I went to get a certain bookshelf. After going through all of the showroom and the Marketplace and filled my cart we go to pick up the shelf and realize that the box won't fit in the jeep! I was bummed. Joe wanted to go to Dave and Busters for lunch and of course went to the game area.
I convinced Joe to take me to Target and found a shelf that was very similar to the shelf in Ikea and cheaper and that fit in the jeep! We ran home and went to a Christmas party for underpriviledged children. I was the picture taker when they were on Santa's lap! And I ran home and put together my bookshelf by myself! I am pretty proud of myself!
Did you do anything fun today?
Christmas Season
When did Christmas get here?
Ask me how many presents I have bought.....yeah none...yikes!
But I did buy two stockings for Joe and I to hang up on our pretend mantle we have to find. I just need little ones for Cooper Bella and Levi! :) I also put our Nativity Scene we got as a wedding present.
I do enjoy that we can make our own Christmas traditions together. We still need to get our tree inside and I have got to find some decorations.
What are some of your Christmas traditions?
Thanksgiving 2008
I am home in the NV after Thanksgiving. I started getting sick on Sunday and by Tuesday I was really looking bad. It was an interesting Thanksgiving to know that good food is around but you cannot taste it! I was real cute bringing my kleenex box wherever I went! It was also sad because we saw a friend's baby and I couldn't even hold it! The break was nice and I even got four new tires for my car and a new ipod but I won't say why I needed a new one.
Here is a couple pictures of my family's thanksgiving photo session.
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Did you have a happy thanksgiving?
Christmas List
Did you miss me? I have been absent from the blogging world for a little bit. Because I am working full time and do not have access to the internet all day, I have been slacking.
So in honor, of my 100th post and the upcoming holiday season I decided to think of my Christmas list. I was talking with my mom about what I wanted for Christmas after some searching and thinking I have come up with my Christmas list
5. Cookbooks
Bella and Cooper would like more cute clothes!
What do you want for Christmas?
Life with a Kitten
I have not had a cat since I was little and even then, I am not sure how much I like it. But before Levi came into our lives, I was wanting a cat. I pictured a cat that would sit in my lap as I read and snuggled up with him on the couch.
Life after Levi's entrance to our family has been interesting. I have learned that kitten's do not understand no. He is all play and no cuddle He is very interested in whatever food I am eating and repeatedly tries to put his head in the food. He loves Joe's big toe, whenever he sees a big toe, he pounces. My hands always look like I got in a fight with scissors. Plastic bags are his favorite noisemakers and he will jump on them no matter where they are. And Levi loves to torture Bella and Cooper. He loves theirs ears and tails and anything he can get his little mouth around. And don't think that Bella and Cooper ignore him, he consistently find Bella with her mouth all the way around Levi. Nothing is safe with Levi, including my purse or Bella's tail.
