Our last Christmas

Ok, it's not our last Christmas. But it was our last Christmas just the two of us. I remember the first Christmas that I brought Morgan home to meet my family. We had been dating about 5 months. We had already known that we were going to get married one day, but I still wanted my family to love him and him to love my family. I remember being so nervous the whole time, but I shouldn't have been. He was meant to be my family.

The next Christmas was our first as a married couple. In my opinion, there is nothing better then waking up on Christmas morning in the arms of your true love. That first Christmas was so special. We woke up in our little apartment, opened our gifts to each other in our PJ's, and just took our time enjoying that first special Christmas.

No pics on my computer from that year....

Last Christmas was a tough season for us. We had quietly gone through our first miscarriage. We had found out at the beginning of the month we were pregnant, only a week later to lose the pregnancy. It was something we had only told our parents and it was hard to go through the motions of the holidays with people who didn't know what had happened. We did end up spending a few days after Christmas with Morgan's family in the mountains and that was a good time of healing for me.

Again no pics of that year on my computer...geesh...

This year has been the best. I feel like the season has lasted a while and I've been able to enjoy all of it. We've had a great time helping out with our church.

Christmas shopping wasn't too bad. I'm the worlds worst at gift giving. My mind goes a complete blank and I have no idea what to give people. This Christmas season we got to find out great news about babies. First we found out that our good friends were expecting about a month behind us. This was so awesome! I've always dreamed about being pregnant with a friend

at the same time and relatively close to the same dates and now I do!!! Then two days before Christmas we found out we were going to have two sweet little girls. They already are showing the personality. One is shy and one is so not. I'm going to be a mom to two girls.....that's another post in itself!

Christmas Eve we went to Morgan's parents and had a seafood boil. It was really good! We also got to announce about the girls. We had two presents wrapped up from them. Harriet opened one while Dave opened the other and they saw boxes full of little hair bows. I think everyone was a little shocked about two girls, but I hope everyone is happy! Christmas day was just what I wanted. We woke up early and just snuggled and talked about our future, and how scary and exciting it's going to be. We got up and opened up gifts. Morgan outdid himself this year. He totally surprised me with a Coach bag I've been dreaming of (with the help of a dear friend who got him a great deal). Then we got dressed and headed back to his parents. We spent

all day there just talking and enjoying family. They gave us our first carseat! Yay!! Overall it was one of the best Christmases ever. I can't wait to spend all my coming Christmas seasons with our girls. But til then I'll always remember these special Christmases with just the two of us.

Christmas Tree

We have had our Christmas tree up for a week now. A couple years ago while I was teaching one of my class parents gave me a pre-lit tree and when I left I brought it with me. Anyway it was pretty great, but its about had it. Especially after last year the cats decided to try and climb a fake tree, the bottom branches have decided to droop. But we still put it up. Next year we are thinking about getting a real one. Anyway, have I mentioned how much I love my new camera! I've been taking pictures of everything. Here are some of our ornaments.

I love snowmen!

I thought this was a very unique nativity ornament.

Did I mention I love snowmen?

I'm not sure how this one is Christmas related. My mom gave me a box of ornaments from her sister. They are all from Austria I think, hand painted and wooden. Some are really cute, some are a little strange, and some (like this clock) have nothing to do with Christmas. Oh well, fills up the branches!

Merry Christmas!

A little....

Here are some words to describe what I've been feeling lately...

....Overwhelmed - We are taking our first trip into town to look at baby stuff. I've been around babies and kids all of my life it seems, but I just am at a loss as to all the stuff I'm going to need for our two babies. I'm really worried about buying the wrong thing, not getting two of something, or only getting one thing we need two of. I've got a lot of people in my life that already have children but none that had two at once!

....Scared - Any new mom probably feels that fear of whether or not they can do this. I know God designed me to be a mom but sometimes the thought terrifies me. From the birth to bringing them home to what to do with them when they are here just leaves me scared sometimes.

....Excited - There are going to be two babies in our house next Christmas. We are enjoying this last quiet Christmas just the two of us, but I cannot wait to take cute Christmas pictures of our twins in front of the tree next year! Also off the subject a little I'm so excited about our new Nikon D3000 camera we just bought at a ridiculously cheap price this week.

....Loved - We've had so much love shown to us already. It's fun to hear from girls I went to high school and college with on Facebook saying how excited or happy they are for us. Then seeing most of my family at Thanksgiving and talking about their pregnancies was so enjoyable. Mostly I just love this man God gave me. I could not imagine doing this life thing without him. He has been so good through our hard times, and now this fantastic times. I love him. No one else can get me quiet like him, and I'm so ready to see him be a daddy.

What You've Missed

So while we were keeping our "little" secret this past couple months there has been a lot going on with me. Here's a list of the first trimester pregnancy stuff I've been going through.

1. Number one that any expecting mom can tell you, pregnancy makes you tired. Now pregnancy with twins....exhausted!! I would feel like sleeping all day and all night so much. My normal bed time has been 9 or 9:30 with 8:30 being a bed time here and there. My energy has come back a little, but 9:30 you still find me in bed.

2. A lot of people may hate me for this, but I've not had any sickness. Every once in a while if it was close to meal time I might feel queasy but a few crackers and I was okay. I'm really thankful because my doctor scared me into thinking twins would mean really mad morning sickness.

3.Cravings! At first I didn't really crave anything, but around 8 weeks I started to really get them. Number one for me is red meat. Sometimes I feel like if I don't have some form of cow I'll go insane. Just last night Morgan grilled us some steaks, and I swear I've never been more happy :) Also major craving has been OJ. I could drink it at every meal, including last night with my steak. I've also could put hot sauce on about everything. The spicier the better!!

4. Aversions. Don't come near me with scrambled eggs. Ugh, just thinking about them turns my stomach. Also sweets, especially chocolate, does not interest me at all. Which is brand new to me.

5. Random things: My nails grow super fast. I cry at everything! I get really crabby which even I have to admit. And I forget everything. I even had to look up my zip code when addressing a letter. Pregnant brain is a real thing.

That's a little bit of the things that have been going on. I enjoy looking up all the crazy old wives tales to try and figure out what these kids are, but having two I'm not sure what the old wives predictions would be.

Double the Fun

So if you were at our church this morning this blog is a repeat of what I said, but I hope you still take a little time to read it. A lot of you reading this will probably remember about our miscarriage in April. I've written about it a couple of times. After we had our loss it took a while for me to grieve and recover from our loss. It seemed that every time I got on Facebook, someone else was announcing their pregnancy. I dealt a lot with jealousy and doubt. It got to a point that I was so focused on us getting pregnant again that each month I got more and more down. Morgan basically had to stop me one day and just say "Liz, relax! It will happen when God wants it to happen. Enjoy this time we have together." I listened to him, and also started getting into the Scripture.

Each morning I would read and pray. I began praying to get pregnant, but then I started praying that I could just see what God wanted from our life. I started to feel closer to God than I have in a long time. When I would spend that time with Him I would start to feel Him speak to me saying to just trust Him and He would work it out for us.

Not much longer it seemed We finally got our positive pregnancy test. I was excited, but scared at the same time. You see what a lot of you don't know is that we had a first miscarriage in December, after only a week of knowing we were pregnant. So I was really worried about having a third miscarriage. But we made it to 8 weeks when we had our first ultrasound.

Now this is where I find God kind of having a little fun with us. You see the tech started the ultrasound and said "Oh I see two flickering heartbeats, looks like twins!" I sat up and pretty much said WHAT! Morgan was just chuckling in the corner. Total surprise, but total blessing. As we left the office and were trying to wrap our brain around twins, Morgan summed it up perfectly. He said, "Liz, you know I think God remembered how much we hurt from our losses and so He is giving us two babies!" We are so excited. Very nervous but can't wait! We are due in May, and I'll be 13 weeks on Tuesday. So far I've had a very easy pregnancy. I just hope it stays going so well. I'll try to post more on my blog to keep you updated on our progress.

I'm feeling crafty

So I decided today I'm going to develop a craft. My mom really tried to instill in us girls the domestic trades that women have learned for centuries. But mom didn't always have the patients for teaching some of these trades. I did learn to cook pretty well from her, I can make some killer apple pan dotty. She also taught me to cross stitch. It was pretty cool at the time, basically making a painting with thread and fabric. But as I grew older cross stitching didn't really have a future for me. Mom also attempted to teach me to crotchet. She has made beautiful afghans for people when they get married or have a baby. She has made me several afghans that are used a lot. But that craft just didn't translate with me. To monotonous. I picked up knitting for a while but living in Florida, I really wouldn't need knit scarves or sweaters.

So I decided to take up sewing, more precisely quilting. How hard can it be right? I picked up some books at the library (my favorite place) that gave beginner instructions and some simple patterns. This weekend is payday so I'm going to run up to Joann Fabrics and see the selection of fabric they got and get started learning to sew.

I know the days of sewing clothes because they are cheaper are over. But how cool would it be if I could be the women who sews a new quilt for people! Here's hoping!!

Destin vacation

Last week we went to Destin for my birthday. I think Destin is our beach. I've never been to a prettier beach then those on the Emerald Coast. It was an absolute blast. One of the best birthday trips I have had.

Sunday we left after church (http://www.lifebasics.tv/ woot woot!!) stopped at Sonny's for a little trip fuel and headed to I-10. About halfway there it started to sprinkle on us. I absolutly hate driving in the rain, especially on the interstate with big rigs blazzing by me. By the time we reached Niceville to get off I-10 it was really coming down. I was getting bummed because I thought "Great we won't be able to do anything because it will be raining our entire trip!" By the time we got to Destin it wasn't coming down as hard and cleared up by dinner. No rain just sunny skies the rest of the trip.

We had some scallops and shrimp on Sunday night at The Fisherman's Warf (great!) then did some walking aroung Destin Commons. Monday I got up about 8 and ran in the gym at the hotel then we went to Chick-fil-a for breakfast got dressed for the beach and just relaxed.

The sun was bright, the water was crystal, the beach was deserted. Wonderful!

After we left the beach we went back got cleaned up and then ate the best crab legs in my life at a little hole in the wall place called High Tide. The hushpuppies were out of this world. Then did some shopping and had dinner that night at McGuire's which is a highlight! Then we saw The Other Guys. It was really funny.

Tuesday was pretty much the same morning routine. Lunch at a place on the water (shrimp for me!) Then we hit the Silver Sand outlet mall. Last year I really did well at this place, but this year the pickings were slim. That's pretty much it. It was so relaxing and a ton of fun. Now I just want to plan another longer vacation!! I leave you with some more pics from the beach. Enjoy!

Another year almost over

August is birthday month. We just booked a hotel in Destin to spend my birthday at the beach. I am definitly in need of a vacation. We've been under a lot of stress this past month with selling the Jeep and fixing the A/C. A few days off is very needed.

I've not really been looking forward to turning 27. I guess it will mean I'm in my late 20's. But I have to say that I'm ready to put 26 behind me. This has been one hard year. Sometimes it's hard to believe what all can happen within the course of a year. We had some good things happen to us for sure, like buying our first home and celebrating our first anniversary. But 26 held a lot of pain for us as well. I'm slowly healing from our heartbreak of lossing our baby, something I never dreamed would happen. And I have confidence that the time will come when God will finally make me a mom, my life long dream.

I've definitly drawn closer to God because of all of this. I've found that Scripture and prayer can give me hope when I seem to lose mine (funny huh, who would of thought it?) I heard a song last night while I was driving home that had me full of tears, I thought I might drive off the road. It's a song from Jars of Clay(old school) Called God Will Lift Up Your Head, I shortened the lyrics a bit,

Give to the wind your fear
Hope and be undismayed
God hears your sighs and counts your tears
God will lift up your head

Leave to His sovereign way
To choose and to command
Then shall we wandering on His way
Know how wise and how strong is His hand

Through waves and clouds and storms,
He gently clears the way
Wait because in His time, so shall this night
Soon end in joy.

Love this song

I love the band Eisley. They have such a hauntingly beautiful sound. Listen to one of my favorite songs. It's a little old, but beautiful.

Netflix insight

Morgan and I love having Netflix instant watch. I use to tease Morgan about watching the documentaries they have on there. But recently I've started watching a lot of them with him. When I got home from running last night he had one on that I've been avoiding. It was called "Lord, Save Us from Your Followers." I read the title and assumed it would be a documentary detailing the crazy antics of Christians and basically making fun of them. And it did. But not in the way I imagined.

Basically this guy, Dan Merchant, went around the country interviewing celebrities, political and religious leaders, and everyday people on the street. He would ask them they're view of Christians. Some people spoke admirably about Christians, while most had negative things to say. This didn't surprise me. The most common criticism from most of the people interviewed was the feeling of judgment and hate given to unbelievers from Christians.

Two parts in the film brought me to tears. One part was a rock radio station from somewhere up north traveled to Africa and met some Christian missionaries and were shocked at how loving and caring those people were. From what the radio personalities said, they did not know too many Christians in America that were showing this same love and kindness to their community.The second part that affected me was a group of believers in Oregon (the state with the least amount of believers) that meet every Saturday night under a bridge in town. There they minister to the homeless. They feed, cloth, and provide services such as hair washing, barbering, and feet washing. It was unbelievable to see this!

As our church is coming to a turning point and can't help but think, it's not about us, it's not about where we are, it's about serving and loving those people that need Christ.

Summer Fun ?

Summer in Florida = HOT!! This I already know. I've been in Florida for 5 years now and like to think I've acclimated myself to the 90 and 100 degree heat. What I was not prepared for was living in the heat with no A/C. Our air went out 2 weeks ago tomorrow and we have been so uncomfortable. Here's some things I've learned about not having air.

1. It makes you really close to friends and family. As in you are always searching for someone you can "visit."

2. Wal-mart never looked so good. Seriously I could spend all evening in there. And that's definitly because of the free air, because I hate Wal-mart. The downfall to this is that going to Wal-mart leads to spending money :(

3. Cooking is a joy of mine, but not when there is no A/C. I was cooking dinner the other night and thought my head was going to explode!

4. No A/C leads to fights. Morgan and I argue from time to time, but nothing to terrible. But since our A/C died everything is a potential fight or freakout. I guess that's what happens when you live in a pressure cooker.

5. Kitty cats are so fun to snuggle...unless it's hot. I rarely push away my kitties, but when Murphycat jumped on the bed last night I thought I was going to send him across the room. I know they're ready for the air to be fixed too.

So hopefully by next week I can take all the lessons I've learned and use them to really appreciate some bought air!

An era is over

So when I was 23 and single I just had to have a jeep. I had plenty of money saved up to make a pretty good down payment. So I did some searching and found a pretty white Jeep 2006 with a black soft top. If you ever watched Dukes of Hazzard it reminded me of Daisey's Jeep. Anyway, me and that Jeep had some good times together. Then I got married and my Jeep became our Jeep became a pretty hefty bill to pay each month.

When we bought our house we decided we needed to think about selling the Jeep. The truth is it's not practical for us. It gets terrible gas mileage, and there is no room for anything but yourself and a couple of passengers. So we found some people from NC who happen to know my sister Kathy that were looking for a Jeep to buy for their son turning 16. The guy is a Colonel in the Army just getting back from Afghanistan, and owned a Jeep back in the 80s. It's a relief for us to be selling to someone we trust. And I know that 16 year old kid (and dad) will so enjoy the Jeep more than us. We'll miss it, but it's going to a good home. As for us, we will be carpooling since our air decided to go out this weekend :(

Banana pudding

I love to cook. So I decided to make Friday my day to share a favorite recipe. Here's one I made recently that got pretty good reviews:

No bake Banana Pudding

1/2 12 oz. package of Nilla wafers

4 peeled and sliced bananas

1 8oz. cream cheese (room temp)

1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1 5oz. box vanilla instant pudding

3 cups cold milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tub Cool Whip thawed

Line a 9x13 pan with Nilla wafers. Place sliced bananas on top of wafers. Set aside.

In a large bowl beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add the can of condensed milk and pudding and mix well. Add the milk and vanilla and beat until smooth. After it's mixed nice and smooth fold in half the tub of cool whip. Spread the pudding mix on top of wafers and bananas. Top with remaining cool whip. Chill for about 3 hours.

I hope you enjoy this. It's so super easy, which is something I look for in a recipe.

Father's Day

Here are some things I think about when I think of my dad:

Every Valentine's day he always had a card and box of Witman's samplers waiting for me at the breakfast table.

He would always tell me I looked nice every Sunday morning before church.

I always will associate coffee, raw peanuts, and crosswords with my dad.

He gave me my red hair.

I learned that being quiet and listening were a good trait to have sometimes.

Every little girl needs a good Daddy, and I had a great one.

I love you Dad!

YMCA

I use to be a member at Gold's Gym. I went there for over a year and really saw some changes. But in order to save some money I canceled my membership. To tell the truth I really don't like running on the treadmill. 30 minutes drag by. The only good thing I found from using the treadmill was that I could make myself run faster. So then I started running with my friends Kara and Jackie and also map out a route in my neighborhood to do by myself. I love running outside. It goes by fast and there is more variety. We also were able to buy a Bowflex off of Craigslist, and yes we use it, it's just not as much fun as the gym.

So last week my mother in law told me she added my name to her YMCA account. Awesome!! I have the absolute best mother in law. Morgan and I stopped by on Tuesday and picked up our cards and took a tour of the gym. Then Wednesday we went and worked out after work. It was great. Okay not the running on the treadmill part, but all the equipment there is great. Something about the atmosphere of the gym makes me forget I'm working out. But then I'm reminded when I wake up the next morning :)

Our plan is to go every Tuesday and Wednesday together. That way I still get to run with the girls on Sunday, Monday, and Thursday. Hopefully will have fun at the Y-M-C-A!!

The Object of my Affection

This is it. The ultimate camera. The Nikon D90 is my new obsession. Okay, so I don't own it yet, but I'm taking the steps toward saving up for it. This camera has it all. 12.3 MP, continues shooting at 4.5 frames per second, awesome ISO sensitivity, and a lot of other features that blow my Kodak out of the water. Four years ago I bought what I thought was a nice camera only to see that it was just a big camera. The flash is terrible, Pictures turn out blurry, and overall just a piece of junk!

Unfortunately, it cost a pretty penny. Last year we saved for about 6 months to get Morgan his guitar.

So this year we decided to save up for something else, something for me (although Morgan will definitly be using it). Now I'm now expert photographer. I'm amature at best, but it's my plan to take some classes and really understand what it takes to be a good photographer.

I think I come by it naturally. I can remember my Mom talking about her Dad loving to take pictures. Maybe even winning prizes. I don't remember my Grandpa Hunt, but I can tell his granddaughters took after him. My sister's and myself have always loved to take pictures. Even my 17 year old niece Leslie is getting to be great! So hopefully a year from now I can own the Nikon D90 and start on my path to be the next Ansel Adams!

Getting Started

So many people I know have blogs now. I read my sisters Stephanie's and Heather's blogs everyday. And though I'm convinced that my life is nowhere near that interesting I figured, what the heck. It will give me something to do while Morgan plays video games!

Speaking of video games, I'm convinced I'm missing some genetic code that you need to have to appreciate video games. Morgan usually will go 3 or 4 months without playing any games, but when he gets a new one it's all that's on for a week. There have been many conversations between us about how much fun they are, but I just don't see it. And I also get a little motion sickness when I watch it for too long. But I don't mind, it gives me an excuse to read or get stuff done around the house that I wouldn't if a movie was on.