Merry (late) Christmas

We hope Christmas found everyone happy and doing well! It was an interesting holiday with all of the snow and ice. Between a paranoid husband and parents lecturing me about falling on the ice, I didn't get to leave the house much... but it was still a fantastic time with all of our family!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!!!

Christmas with the Parentals

So we had our annual Christmas celebration with my parents last night. It was wonderful as always. We made homemade pizzas, and all kinds of other yummy food to start off the night. My parents are so wonderful and I am so thankful for the relationship that Matt and I have with them. I mean how could you not love this man.... We all decided to cut down this year on gifts for each other, but I think my parents didn't get the memo! Matt got a new playstation and I got the cutest pair of TOMS ever. My Mom was so cute, as she was talking about getting me, and a child somewhere both a Christams gift.

They have statistics on them about how many people still don't have clean water in the world, and the number of people that are dying from AIDS each day. I will proudly wear them in hopes of bringing a tiny bit more awareness wherever I go. Wearing TOMS has given me countless opportunities to talk about the issues that lie to close to my heart, and I hope this pair is no different!

We got lots of other gifts as well, but the big surprise of the night was my parent's Christmas gift for their first grandchild. They gave us a voucher for any crib we wanted. I of course cried....well, because it's just what I do these days!

So now, any advice on cribs? I have researched quite a bit and looked, but I am still so lost. Go for the 4 in 1 or just go simple and get other beds later on? Should everything match and be from the same place? Ahhh, the questions never end. So, please do tell. :)

Black Friday shopping with crazies!

These crazies are also known as 3 of my favorite women on the face of the earth....my Mom and my two Aunts.

These women are hardcore and I've been in training for years. In my family, you don't go shopping with them on Black Friday until after you're married, as this is when you start buying your own Christmas gifts for the family, and have the motivation to save the $$$!

We rolled out at 3 a.m., and headed to start our 13 hour day of shopping! Hubby was a little worried about me being tired this year due to little Bambino Bolz, so he said I could go if I was in bed by 9:00, which I begrudgingly agreed to. They are like the Energizer Bunny and never get tired, it's unbelievable! They actually took extra breaks this year (for my benefit) which they would lie about and say they needed, so I wouldn't throw a fit about being babied. I guess hubby was right because I actually had to sit down on a step stool in Kmart for like 10 minutes, I guess Bambino Bolz made me get tired a little quicker than I thought! :)

It's one of my favorite days of the year with some of my favorite people. It's a family tradition that we all dearly love, but not nearly as much as I love these crazies!!! :)

Operation Christmas Child

I kept thinking I was going to blog about this weeks ago....but well that just didn't seem to happen. This year the tiny little church that I go to gathered, packed, prayed for, and delivered 121 boxes to Operation Christmas Child. I couldn't be prouder or feel more blessed to be part of a congregation. Our church has come so far in the way they think about missions, and what is going on in the world around them, and I definitely pray that this is just the beginning!

Here is the picture that was used for Operation Christmas Child this year. Wish it was a little clearer so that you could see the true joy on their faces. What a privilege to be able to give them two gifts this Christmas season- a shoe box full of dolls, flashlights, pencils, etc. and also introduce them to Jesus. I pray that these boxes find their way into the perfect tiny set of hands! If you get a chance check out Operation Christmas Child, they are being the hands and feet of Jesus all over the world.

Anniversary Trip to Vegas

Matt and I went to Las Vegas to celebrate our 3rd anniversary. We stayed for 3 days, but I'm pretty sure we walked 1.3 million miles...give or take. :) I think I'll just let the pictures do the talking... Please excuse the lack of make-up and the super shininess (is that a word?). It was the last stop of one of the days we walked all day long. We always tried to end with the fountains, they were our favorite part of Vegas!

Here we are in front of the Bellagio. Matt was excited to go into this one because he LOVES the Oceans 11, 12, and 13 movies. It was fun to try to figure out what was filmed where!

This is the statue of liberty at New York, New York. We ate several meals inside. We stayed in the Monte Carlo, which after visiting all the other casinos, we discovered that it was one of the quietest casinos on the strip. Very family friendly, and lots of older couples, which was kinda nice it was quiet and we slept great!

So on the first morning there while we were still asleep, there was a knock at the door. I of course freaked and jerked the covers over my head. I couldn't figure out why Matt wasn't freaking out, and responding to my shrieks. He calmly answered the door and brought in this gorgeous vase of flowers for our anniversary! He had called the hotel ahead of time and had it arranged to suprise me!

This is the picture we took after we went to the Blue Man Group show. It was incredible, and I highly recommend it. After the picture I turned around to thank him and to say how much we enjoyed the show. He of course stared at me with the same look that you can see in the picture. I guess you just can't take the Oklahoma out of the girl no matter where you put her. :)

It was a fantastic trip, and a great time for Matt and I to celebrate 3 years of marriage. The Lord has blessed us in so many ways, and the relationship that Matt and I have ranks pretty close to the top of the list!

ummm....is this thing still on??

So I've totally dropped off the face of the earth this summer. I have no excuse other than the busyness that was our summer. I'll give you a rundown with some pictures and explanations, and I will be better about posting...I hope! :)

The summer has been completely full of all kinds of wonderful things, but it has definitely left me wishing for a few less events scheduled on our calendar. More time to cook out, and take my puppy for walks, and sit on the couch and relax...definitely more down time in the near future I hope!

I, along with around 20 other people from my church, went to a local lake here in Oklahoma and put on a week long Backyard Bible Club with carnivals in the evenings. It was a great experience, and so fun to get to work with people as they experience mission work for the first time. Some of the kids we worked with came from backgrounds that would make most adults shudder, and yet they were still joyful. Some of it was heartbreaking, but it was rewarding to get to be his hands and feet and love, hug, and teach these kids for a week.

Here are some pictures from our trip...

I didn't want to put any pictures of the kiddos on here, because I'm not sure I'd appreicate that if I was the mama!

I also went with Matt to Falls Creek as a sponsor. I just love those kids! We had a great time, and it's such a blessing to see their eyes be opened to all sorts of things going on around the world. I was really impressed with the way that they helped to focus them (and us adults) on others and the pain, sorrow, hunger, etc. that is all around them. They also encouraged them to not be so centered on themselves. I unfortunately was only concerned with myself at their age, so it's great to see them teaching that!

We did fun things like karaoke and theme nights, it was a blast! More pics...

This is Matt and his twin brother Mike, and their little sister Mallory dressed up!

Lastly, Matt and I helped with VBS this year, and the theme was Veggie Tales, The Pirates who Don't Do Anything. Matt was an eccentric scientist named Professor Red Beard, and I was shipmate Ali who was in charge of the 4 year olds. We had a blast, but we were TIRED by the end of the week! Here is a picture of us in our costumes. The picture is terrible, but you get the idea.

There's more, but that's enough for one catch up post! What have you done this summer? Did you relax enough and take time to smell the roses?

my 25th post

I know people normally post 100 things about them on their 100th post, but who knows if I'll ever make it to 100 anyway! Since this is my 25th post I thought I would put up 25 random things about me....

1. I really hate scary movies. I think life is scary and sad enough, and that I should only watch things that make me happy!

2. I am super close to my family. I talk to my Mom like 5 times a day, and normally atleast 1 or 2 of my other relatives each day...Dad, Aunt, cousin, sister in law, etc.

3. I'm convinced that our puppy Bear is the cuddliest dog in the world, and I never thought I could love an animal so much. I'm dangerously close to being one of "those" dog owners! Sorry Care :)

4. Matt and I have hearts for orphan ministry. We feel called to serve in this area, but aren't really sure how yet. Right now we help sponsor an orphanage in Africa, and we hope to go work and serve there in the near future.

5. I love Oklahoma State University, and still say that there is nothing like the pride that graduating from a University will give you. If they win, it feels like I just won some award, and I'm equally as sad when they lose.

6. Quality time is the way to my heart. I love spending time with people I love, and it totally recharges me. Quality time with friends and family ranks WAY up there on my favorite things to do with my time.

7. I love the relationship my husband and I have. We have worked hard for it, and still do everyday. Having a good marriage doesn't come naturally, it takes work, but it's some of the most rewarding work I've ever done.

8. I really dislike when people are racist or discriminatory. Really, really, really dislike.

9. I miss college.....a lot. Sleeping in, working out whenver, spending lots of time with friends...good stuff all around! Plus, the real world is pretty stressful.

10. I'm a country girl at heart. I grew up on a farm, have hauled hay, given animals shots, and helped farm animals have babies. I was recently buying dog food for Bear in the large 40 pound sack, and the cashier's eyes got really big when I just picked it up and tossed it onto my shoulder. He was on his way to help me take it out to my car. I did it without thinking, and then he started laughing at me. :)

11. I really like all kinds of music....red dirt, old rock, acoustic, Christian...you name it, and I will listen to it. I'm totally okay with Hank Williams, Jr., Bebo Nornman, Ben Harper, or .38 special.

12. I am a really happy person. I'm smiley, affectionate, and if I see you will really truly be genuinely happy to see you. I've always been that way. If I'm having a bad day, I'm more worried about making your day better with a smile and a hug, than being mopey about my bad day. It may come off as me not being genuine, but I am. That's just me! :)

13. In a few months I will be a licensed counselor, which kind of scares me to death. I'm not even really sure what I want to do with my degree. At this point, I feel like it will probably be something in the area of adoption.

14. As you would assume from number 13, I'm a listener by nature. You could talk for 4 hours straight, and I would totally be good with it.

15. Old rap music is one of my guilty pleasures. You just simply can't beat old school Mase. :)

16. I could live on fresh salsa. Fresh vegetables are some of my favorite foods.

17. I've had some of my best friends since we were 6, and I promise you when we are 76 we'll be just as close. My kids will call them Aunt..... and I am already an Aunt! :)

18. One of my favorite smells in the world in the smell of fresh laundry. Most candles and air freshners in my house are trying to mimick that smell.

19. One of my lifelong dreams is to take my babies on a vacation to Disney World. I think it should be a huge family vacation where all my sister and brother in laws and their babies all go, and we spend a week wearing those really cool Mickey Mouse ears, take pictures, and use it for our Christmas cards that next year! :)

20. One of my life long goals is to be a stay at home Mom, jury is still out on whether that will ever be financially possible or not.

21. I love buying people gifts.....seriosuly. I think it's so fun to try to find something for each person that I love.

22. I am a worrier. I worry about all kinds of things. Some are legitimate and some really just aren't..... For instance, I worry about poverty levels, the number of people that die of AIDS everyday, my Papa having to spend time by himself, my family members being safe when they drive, etc., and then I worry about whether my flowers get enough sun, if Bear likes his toys enough or not, and how disorganized my office is.

23. I love baseball. I went to a million of Cody's games growing up and all the way through college. The Atlanta Braves are my favorite team. My husband is going to coach baseball this year, and I am pumped!

24. My wedding day was absolutley everything I thought it would be. I think about it all the time, and how thankful I am that God allowed me to marry Matt. I've never felt more loved on a day in my entire life. My friends were incredible, and family was overwhelmingly loving. I could tear up at the thought of that day pretty easy.

25. I think that we should love people right where they are with no expectations. That is what Jesus does for me, and that's what my goal is for loving others.

So there you go, some info about me. Do we have anything specific in common? What's something interesting and random about you?

School's Out Forever!!

So this past weekend I finally graduated! I guess they say never say never, but as far as I'm concerned, I'm never going back to school again!

Working full time, learning how to be married, and going to school full time have made the last 3 years busy and stressful to say the least. Matt has been more than incredible throughout this whole process. In fact, would you like to know who ironed my dress for graduation? Yep, you got it!

Friday night he also suggested that I go get a pedicure. I agreed, I mean who am I to argue?? So as a result, my feet were way cute for the weekend!

We didn't get many good pictures at the actual graduation, but of course there always seems to be something funny happen when I'm involved. Since I graduated with my Masters, while on stage I was to get hooded. When the professor tried to put the hood over my dorky hat he almost knocked it off! I grabbed it in time though.... Crazy.

After graduation Matt and my parents had a reception for me and all of our friends and family came. We had a fantastic time, and it was way more than I deserved!

eyes that tell a story....

So I've already told you about how excited we are to be involved with sponsoring a child from the Kebebtsehay Orphanage in Addis Abba, Ethiopia. Well excited, may be a tad bit of an understatement.

We are a part of a sponsorship group that mostly came together through blogs to sponsor this group of children. So many wanted to be involved that our group now sponsors 3 orphanages, all of which are in Ethiopia. There are still spots available for sponsorship in the 3rd orphanage so if you are interested please send Amy an email. I'm sure she will be more than happy to help you get involved! :)

So recently, we got the information on the child we would sponsor. We had been been praying for him/her since we joined the sponsorship group, but to get to connect our prayers with this sweet face was incredible. We aren't allowed to share her name, but I wanted you to see her picture.

Her eyes tell a story, and I think it's one that needs to be shared.

This is "H". She is 3, and she is already in kindergarten! What I wouldn't give to sweep this baby up and hold her for hours. Matt and I are going to do our best to love her the way she deserves to be loved. We are far away, but I hope someday she understands how precious she is to us. These sweet eyes have seen and been through a lot in their 3 years, and I hope that having us (and the One we serve) in her corner will help somehow.

If you think of it pray for "H", and pray that the Lord would help us to be just what she needs as she grows up, whatever that may be.

Cardboard and Jesus

One of my friends sent this to me in an email, and I've probably watched it 10 times. Cry every single time. There is something about how simple and raw it is. You can tell that there is still pain associated with the situations, but that Jesus has healed and is still healing them. I can't stop thinking about what my cardboard testimony would look like. I often under estimate the healing that He can bring. Good stuff people, good stuff.




Have you ever heard of this? Seen it done before? I wonder why something so simple is so powerful? I think sometimes we make things harder than they should be. Thoughts or opinions?

Anniversary Trip

So Matt and I's anniversary is coming up in July and we are trying to figure out a fun way to celebrate it. We decided we would like to go somewhere fun just the 2 of us for 3 days or so, but then the hard part comes of trying to decide where.

First, lets talk about our anniversary trips in the past....

Honeymoon- Cabin in Colorado Springs, white water rafting, hiking, etc. It was totally perfect.

1st year- Grand Lake- We rented a cabin that was grosser than you can imagine (think mold and bugs in the shower) and couldn't even get in the water for some reason which I can't remember. We tried to hike but we couldn't. It was pretty much a TOTAL bust!

2nd year- Nada- We were saving money for this awesome couple's fun destination wedding in Montana.

So what should we do for year 3? We have tossed around the idea of a long weekend in Vegas. I think we kinda decided that trip would be more fun with a larger group, so maybe we can talk the gang into that one in the near future.

We also thought about San Antonio to see the Alamo and shop, but that's like 9 hours or something crazy if we drive, and we've been told we would need a car, so flying isn't really an option. We even tossed around the idea of Memphis, Branson, and some closer (aka cheaper) places.

So what do you think? Any advice or ideas on how/where to celebrate 3 years of marital bliss with this handsome man???

Go with the flow???

So lately in the Bolz household most things have centered around this question. Should we try to plan or just go with the flow???

It seems like at this point in our lives everything is so up in the air, and trying to sort all of it out and figure out what would be the best often seems near impossible. Things like houses, babies, jobs, ministry decisions, and even small things like vehicles and golf carts. It just totally seems never ending right now.

It's so interesting to talk to people about being a planner or not. I tend toward the planning end of the spectrum, which is often a dangerous thing. I have stuff all planned out, and of course things change and the Lord has a different plan for us! I work to be better at trusting and being patient, it definitely does not come easy for me. Matt is definitely better at it, and doesn't tend to get impatient.

I often think about the fact that if I'm constantly planning for the future, I'm going to miss the amazing things that the Lord is doing right now....today.

So, how does it work in your or your family's life? Plan or go with the flow?

Dunsky.....

I am done with school.....almost.

I passed the last part of the required tests for me to be awarded my Masters Degree. The only thing that stands between me and my degree is one statistics test. So just take a guess at what my motivation is to prepare for that thing....yeah, non-existent!

So this last part of my exam was an oral defense. I had to go in and sit down and then 3 professors began asking me questions regarding information I had learned in the program. I had to answer questions, and give a defense of my test scores. I did pretty well on the test, so that part wasn't too stressful, but still nerve racking at the least. After all 3 of them had asked me several questions, my statistics professor who was on my committee said they had just one last thing for me to complete. He wrote out a complicated statistics problem, handed it to me and asked me to work through and solve it. My heart dropped.... I looked up at him and he had a huge grin on his face. He told me he was only joking, and then I started nervous giggling. I'm sure it was lovely.... He is one of my favorite professors, and we've always had a good relationship full of joking around and teasing. It was totally par for the course, but in my emotional state it was nearly disastrous!

They then asked me to step outside so that they could calculate my scores. After 5 minutes or so, they asked to come back in and then congratulated me!

I'm so relieved and so grateful that it's all coming to an end. Thank you so much for all of your prayers and thoughts getting through this rough time finishing up school!

March Madness

So, March Madness is here once again. Both the hubby and I love this time of year, and look forward to filling out our bracket and joining pools with our friends. We fill them out and hang them on our wall in the living room.

The great part about this whole process, is how we fill out our brackets. We both watch quite a bit of college basketball. When we find a game on TV that we're interested in, we rarely chose to watch anything else. The difference is in the way that my hubby and I watch this said basketball game. Matt is glued to the game, zoned in, quoting stats, and talking abput how so and so totally did/did not fill so and so's shoes from last year's team, while I nod and say uh huh a lot so that he still thinks I'm actually listening and paying attention. Did you follow that??? He's totally into it, remembers players from years ago, knows who is coming up in recruiting classes, etc. When I watch the same basketball game, I normally have my laptop crammed in front of my face reading the Pioneer Woman's latest blog or some other adoption blog I am addicted to. I keep up with the score, and randomly ask Matt what happened when he yells something like..."You've got to be kidding me!" at the TV. I really do enjoy it, just in my own way. I have a hard time just sitting and watching TV, I'm addicted to multi-tasking.

So a week before the brackets are due Matt starts doing research, looking up stats on line, and analyzing which team will "have the advantage because of their unpenetrable zone defense". The day before our bracket is due, Matt prints one out for me and we sit down together to fill mine out. The only research I do is asking Matt random questions about colors and mascots. Since I do watch basketball, some I pick based upon an actual real sports related opionion, but those that I don't know about, I just use other very important information like whether or not I've ever been to that state or University before, or if I know anybody that went to school there.

Part of our conversation this year went like this....Me: "Isn't Maryland's mascot the turtles or something? I like turtles, I always get out and move them on the country road when I see them. I don't want people to run over them, they are so cute. I think they are going to win!" Matt:"Not exactly dear, but turtle is close I guess....do you realize how much of an underdog they are, and what their outside shooting skills are?" Me: "No, but they are still going to win!" Matt: Rolls his eyes and writes down my pick.

Guess who's undefeated in the Bolz Family Bracket Challenge?????? ME!!! I've beat him every single year. It's looking good this year too.

Oh and P.S.- Maryland did win! :)

Do you participate in March Madness? How do you fill out your brackets, scientific research like me or some other way? :) How is your bracket doing so far?

I passed!!!

So my scores came in the mail this week and I passed my test!!!!!

Matt walks in with the mail on Friday and I see him just throw it down on the kitchen counter, so I assume that he's already looked and my scores must not be in there.

We go about life for the afternoon just paying bills, hanging out, playing with Bear, etc. I go into the kitchen and pick up the stack of mail and go through it to see if there is anything eventful, and what do I find but an envelope from my college. All at one time, I start yelling something that is totally incomprehensible about Matt not telling me my scores were here, that my life is over if I didn't pass, and that I am too nervous to open the envelope. Matt jumps up and runs into the kitchen to see what all the shrieking is about, with a look on his face that I can't even begin to explain. It was part sheer terror and part confusion about why his wife had completely lost her mind and started speaking in an unknown tongue!

After more shrieking on my part, and more blank stares on Matt's part he finally figured out that I couldn't open it and he took it from me and ripped it open. He mistakenly thought that he was suppose to actually read it (imagine that since I had just shrieked about how I was to nervous to open it), so I snatched it out of his hands and randomly begin running around the living room while I was reading the results. Yeah, it was as ridiculous as it sounds.

So, I passed 9 out of the 10 areas on the exam, and just have to get through an oral exam in front of a panel and then I will be home free. So anyway, thanks to everyone who said a prayer for me, I really appreciate it!!

Happy Birthday!!!

Well today is Matt's birthday, and he is 26. We were talking this morning about how he can't say...."oh, I'm in my early 20's" anymore. He is in the last half of his 20's...so weird. I can't believe we are as old as we are. I'm pretty sure we will eternally be like 18 or 19, or atleast we will feel like we are. Somedays I don't feel old enough to be married or have a career! Scary huh??

Here we are the day before we got married, and I think if we smiled any bigger our faces would crack and fall to the floor.... funny stuff! Anyway, look how young Matt looks?? Stinkin' adorable!














Anyway, Happy Bday Love!!! I can't wait to see what we'll look like on your 50th birthday, I bet I'll still think you're cute! :)

Free as a bird...

Well my test is officially over, and I won't know the results for atleast 2 more weeks. I wish I could tell you that I was totally relieved, know that I killed that test, and am sitting pretty. Not the case. The test was HARD. Really hard. I studied everything they recommended, and there were lots of people and things on there that I have never even heard of. Atleast it's over, but I am kind of dredding getting those results....yuck.

My husband is wonderful, and to reward all my hard work recommended that I get a new purse! (Yes, he's that great!) I always want a new purse in the spring or summer that is bright and colorful to go with the season. Anyway, I've been looking around and found three that I love, now I just have to decide and then get the nerve up to order it. Here are pictures of them...

Man, this post is pretty deep! :) What do you guys think, which one? Weigh in and tell me which one I should order.

Anyway, the hubby and I are going to the the state basketball games tonight. Should be a good time. I love going, but Matt knows 4 bajillion (yes, that's a word) coaches, so I normally just end up standing and smiling a lot, while they discuss the dynamics of the third quarter or something. Anyway, hope you guys all have a wonderful weekend!

study, study schools your buddy......

So I know that I've written about how Matt and I are both in school currently. We are both working on Masters degrees....mine in Licensed Counseling and his in Administration. Well I am scheduled to graduate and complete my program in May of this year.....there's just one thing stopping me...... A freakin' huge scary test!!!!

To complete my degree I have to take a national exam to evaluate my skills and knowledge about therapy and counseling. It's long with a lot of questions, and the mere thought of it makes my eye start twitching....it's as scary as it sounds, trust me. Here is the worst part.....I have to take it March 5th.

Currently, this is what I should look like.

(This is actually not me, just a random picture I found, but you get the point.) :)

Here's the absolute kicker, I cannot make myself study. I don't tend to be a procrastinator, in fact my husband (who I love very much, but is one of the world's most dedicated procrastinators) often gets frustrated with me because I cannot just sit down and relax. All of a sudden it is of dire importance for me to organize our monthly bank statements, refill the salt and pepper shakers (what?!?!?!), and scrub down the inside of our microwave like it's about to be inspected by Mr. Clean!

I have no idea what is going on with me, but this is not the time to have a lack of focus. So instead of studying, I'll probably be straightening all the napkins in our napkin holder all the while looking like this......

If you would remember to pray for me on March 5th, I'd appreciate it! :)

names....

This post was prompted by an email I got from a friend with the name that her and her hubby had picked out for their little bundle of joy who is due in a few weeks. Here's the kicker.....I totally didn't like it. It's not anything Matt and I would ever use, but it's pretty perfect for them. I love how that works!

It got me thinking about some of the names that Matt and I have picked out. Now, we obviously have no babies to name as of right now, but it sure doesn't stop us from talking (mostly disagreeing) and dreaming about what we will name our precious ones someday.

I tend to like interesting names that aren't all that common, and Matt tends to be more of a traditionalist most of the time in this area. I tend to like names that would work for either a boy or a girl, and he's adamant that his daughter or son should never be mistaken for the other. :)

So what's in a name? How does it always seem to happen that most people's names fit them perfectly? I'm not sure how or why, but I love the fact that it happens.

So without further adu, here are some of the names that Matt and I really like.... Titus, Eli, and Grayson. (Seems like we can only agree on boys names.....)

So what are some of the names that you either have named your children (or pets) or plan to name future loved ones?

Hubby

An Ode to the Hubby in honor of Valentine's Day......

This Valentine's Day was absolutely the best ever....he's so thoughtful. I'm pretty spoiled everyday, and this holiday is no exception. I do most of the blogging, so I thought I would do a post about Matt to help you guys get to know him a little bit better.

1. Matt is pretty funny. He's actually just kind of goofy. His family always laughs because he's the worst joke teller, and never has good timing, but if I'm sad.....he's an expert at cheering me up.

2. Matt is the oldest of 4....just barely. He actually has an identical twin named Mike, a younger brother named Mason, and a little sister named Mallory.

3. He's an avid flower buyer. I randomly get flowers all the time at work, home, etc. He is seriously a really good gift buyer. No weird purfume or ugly clothes for this girl. :)

4. He's like the baby whisperer. You know how Cesar Milan has magical powers with dogs, well Matt kind of has that with babies. They LOVE him. Seriously.

5. He dearly loves sports. He loves to golf, play basketball, play homerun derby, etc.

6. He helps me do housework. The man folds laundry, can iron, and can organize the refrigerator like nobody's business.

7. He loves books. He has hundreds and still buys them all the time. One of his dreams is to have a room with bookshelves on all four walls full of his books.

8. He loves Epic movies like Gladiator, Bravehart, Lord of the Rings. I used to resist watching them, but now I'm a fan. There really is something amazing about watching somebody overcome that kind of struggle.

9. He is really passionate about his role as a husband, and his future role of Dad. It's something he constantly prays about and works on. He will readily tell you it's his most important job.

10. He's works a lot with high school age kids through his job and church. He loves it. It's amazing the relationships he's building with these kids.

11. He is a passionate prayer. Sounds funny, but it's true. Not outloud in church or in public settings, but when he's praying for something on our hearts his words have made me cry on several occassions.

12. He eats ice cream freakishly fast. He can empty a huge bowl, dish, etc. in the time I can take just a few bites.

13. He's bad at sitting still. When a group of friends or family is over and we are all just sitting around talking, at any given moment you can look up and Matt will be walking around the room.

14. Matt is incredibly compassionate. He has an incredibly soft heart, and it doesn't embarass him like it does lots of guys.

15. He is the best secret keeper ever. Even if people don't ask him not to tell, he doesn't. Not even me who I think should have the free pass card since I'm his wife, but no. :) It frustrates me sometimes, but I really do appreciate how good and loyal he is.

16. He's freakishly smart, and has an incredible memory when it comes to educational stuff.

17. He loves people really well.

18. He always sees the best in everything....people, bad situations, you name it. He has an uncanny ability to always find the silver lining or the redeeming quality when there doesn't seem to be one.

19. He's good at keeping in touch with his old friends. He makes it a priority to talk to them on the phone. It's impressive, and I wish I was better at it.

20. He loves pumpkin pie more than is imaginable. His favorite time of the year is November-January because so many people make pumpkin pie.

Happy late Valentine's Day babe! :)

Ana Chana

Matt and I would like to introduce you to one of our favorite people......whom we've never actually met. :)

Matt and I sponsor a little girl that lives in La Paz, Bolivia. She just turned 8 in October and her name is Ana. Ana likes playing with dolls, does "OK" in school, and always gets along with her brothers and sisters. She draws us adorable pictures, that always seem to include some type of bird, and always asks us what the weather is like in Oklahoma. Maybe we have a future meterologist on our hands! :)

In college, a group of my friends and I (which included Matt) decided that we would begin sponsoring children through Compassion. We all agreed that once we graduated we would split up the children that we had been sponsoring as a group and stay with them until they aged out of the program that Compassion offered in their area. Matt and I took Ana, and the commitment of $28.00 a month. That doesn't seem like a ton of money as I type this, but for 2 newlyweds that had approximately $300.00 to our name, and were determined to make it on our own with no help from anyone (much to my parents dismay) some months it seemed like a lot, and truly did require sacrifice.

Each year we get an updated picture of Ana. The image of the first picture we evere received of Ana is absolutely seared into my mind. She was 3 years old, and absolutely TERRIFIED. You could see the white line on the ground they had obviously told her to stand on, which she obediently did. She was wearing an outfit that I am absolutley sure was the best her parents could put together. I actually cried the first time I saw her picture. So, since 2003 we have been exchanging letters, pictures, and gifts. We send stickers, post it notes, cards, etc. Compassion offers trips to go visit your sponsored child, and it's on the long term goal list. We WILL hug this little girl.......I have to. It's a strange feeling to love someone you've never met, but we do.

Compassion's program is unlike many others. They don't just provide food, water, etc. Our $32.00 a month goes to help pay for many things for Ana that can help to ensure that her children won't need to be enrolled in this program. She attends school each day, and has a tutor. She goes to Sunday School and church, and learns how much Jesus loves her. She has the right type of health care and nutrition that her tiny body needs to grow and develop. When she gets older, they will help train her so that she will always be able to provide for herself, and if she works hard and wants to, may even get to go to college someday..... Gary England look out, little miss Ana might be coming for your job! :)

If you want any more information you should check out www.compassion.com.

Think Pink Week

This week is Think Pink Week at Covington. Matt is the FCA director at the high school, and him and his FCA leadership team along with another organization are sponsoring it. Today was pink ribbon day at school, and they are ending the week with a Pink Frenzy at the basketball game on Friday night. The leadership team designed shirts to sell, and at our little bitty high school they sold like 175! All proceeds are going to be given to the Kay Yow WBCA cancer fund, and the goal is to help raise awareness about the growing population of women that die every year to breast cancer. Breast cancer is a disease that has touched my family, and several others that I love. It's scary, debilitating, and it doesn't discriminate...young, old, sick, and healthy alike. Every penny that is put toward researching and finding a cure is a good investment in my opinion.

I remember being in high school, and thinking that the world ended at the town's limits. I was completely oblivious to the things that were going on all around me in the world because I was so wrapped up in my own life and relationships. I am so proud of Matt and these students for breaking the mold, and being aware of the type of suffering people go through all around them, and actually doing something about it. Developing these habits of getting involved and investing in the lives of others is priceless.

If you want to contribute, just go HERE.

Ashes to Africa

For those of you who don't already know them, let me introduce to you Josh, Amy, and Silas Bottomly. They are an incredibly adorable family who recently adopted their son Silas from Ethiopia, and are in the process of adopting a little girl.

Here is an adorable picture of their family.... Silas is one adorable kiddo!

Matt and I are so excited to serve along side Josh and Amy as part of the sponsorship group for Kebebtsehay and Moses orphanages, as they are heading up our growing group! We are so excited to get to meet Silas in real life! (and Amy and Josh too :))

They so graciously wrote a book and shared with all of us their story. It's a story about marriage, forgiveness, grace, hope, anger, love, redemption....you name it. Yes, it's mostly about adoption, but it's more than just about that. It takes you on their journey with them, they are real and transparent, and I'm so thankful for that.

I devoured it in one sitting, my Mom already finished it, and Matt is working on it now. It's good stuff people..... For more information on their book or their story visit their blog. They also have a website for their book if you would like your own copy!

Basketball

For those of you who know me, right now you are thinking...."Ali is going to blog about basketball? This should be good...."

Well you are all right, I know very little about basketball, though I'm learning all the time. I now know what a box and 1 is thank you very much! :) This week I've watched something ridiculous like 6 or 7 games, and there's more on the agenda for tonight and tomorrow as well.

This post won't be so much about basketball as it will be about how important it's become to me in the past few months. When Matt and I got married we shared a ton of interests, and still do. We both love being outside, concerts, music, missions, children, family, thrift store shopping, baseball, etc. etc. But basketball wasn't one of those things that we shared. His love of basketball was as foreign to me, as my love of a new pair of shoes was to him. He used to think they are just shoes, and I used to think what's the big deal, it's just a game. And we are both right...they are just shoes, and after all it IS just a game, but to the person who loves it...it's more than that.

Being married has taught me a lot about how to love someone else. No, basketball may not be something that I have loved since I was young, but there isn't very many things I enjoy more now, than watching my husband coach a game. Funny thing happens when you love someone... you start to enjoy some of things they enjoy. By going, cheering, and genuinely participating in this part of his life, I have gained soooo much. I am so thankful that the Lord has helped me to understand this is one of the ways for me to love Matt.

Now after a game he's the one saying, "Babe we have to get up early, can we talk about the game in the morning?" And believe it or not....all I can think about is whether he thinks man or zone defense will work better against his next opponent. :)

bummer....

So the past couple of months or so Matt and I have been pumped. After we commited to sponsor a child from Kebebtsehay, we found out that there would be a possibility for a trip to Ethiopia. We started thinking, planning, and dreaming about what it would be like to get to go and serve and spend time with those precious children. We have been praying for an opportunity like this for quite a while....so it seemed like this was perfect and an answer to our prayers. Fast forward to about 2 weeks ago. We get an email explaining that the trip was in April, the cost, the activities that were planned such as VBS, etc.

April....what a month. Matt is teaching school, and will be in the middle of baseball season. Just a little side note, teachers get 3 personal days a year, and we would be gone 8 working days. I will be finishing up my Master's degree and in a statistics class that I've been putting off for 3 years because I'm so terrified of it, preparing for my national exams which I will take March 6, and to top things off I am suppose to go to a training for my job during that time. Nice.

You've gotta be kidding me right????? As we continued to think and pray, despite what our desires were....God was saying wait. No matter how we tried to ratioanlize, change the circumstances, and work around the hurdles....He kept saying wait. For all of you who know me, you know that I tend to run short on patience. My husband on the other hand is like Job, and puts me to shame with his unending patience. Wait is like a dirty word to me. So after more whining than should have been allowed, and several instances where Matt would give me a look like only he can after I'd created this crazy, absolutely ridiculously impossible idea about how we could make this work.....we resigned that we will do just that. Wait. We'll wait until He says it's time to go....and when it is time we'll be the first ones in line! :)

Here is a picture of Bear and I on Christmas Day...I'm posting it because I'm still being a big whiny baby and seeing his cuteness makes me feel better! He's cute enough to make anyone feel a little bit better! :)

They are loved!

One of the main reasons that Matt and I started a blog was to meet and stay in touch with the other people who have also committed to sponsor a child from the Kebebtsehay or Moses Orphanages in Ethiopia. I figured this was a good time to introduce you to the place on the other side of the world that holds pretty gigantic pieces of our hearts right now!! Please pray for us if you think about it, as a trip to visit may be a possibility in the future....

Kebebtsehay Orphanage

(the majority of this was taken right off of the RLC website, so go here for more info!

The kids at Kebebtsehay are full of life and energy! The grounds are positioned on a hill so we searched for something to do as the playground equipment is in shambles. The kids make the best of it and we finally settle on playing catch with a makeshift ball made from rolled up socks. Some of us offer to buy balls or toys but Sophia, orphanage director, asks that we buy diapers and formula instead. We wrap up catch and make our way to the baby room to get a better understanding of the origin of her request. As soon as we arrive we realize that the workers are up to their eyes in folding clothes and comforting little ones so we offer to help. Even with four additional sets of hands we cannot keep up with the demands of 20 newborns! I pick up a little girl named Solana as Sophia a does the same with a boy named Abimalech. As I stroke her head I notice that the hair on the back of her head is gone. And I don’t have to ask why.


What they need...
Family. The children at Kebebtsehay need a church family who will offer stability, love them through letters and personal visits, walk with them through life, and be the hands and feet of Jesus to them.



The Basics. Serving these orphans begins with meeting their basic needs for survival. Today, right now, the kids at Kebebtsehay do not have enough food, and the plethora of babies needs a recurring source of diapers and formula. We need to replace the playground equipment and help with furnishing the school. Children’s HopeChest needs to raise $25K immediately to begin providing food and expanding housing facilities while we find a church sponsor. If you would like to contribute, please email daniel@hopechest.org.

Help. Children’s HopeChest is hiring in-country staff to oversee and manage these Orphanage Sponsorships and to identify additional sponsorship opportunities. The field team’s role is threefold: 1) point of continuity, trust, and fun to the kids throughout the year 2) point of financial accountability for orphanage leadership and 3) facilitate connections between the sponsoring church and children in the orphanage. If you would like to contribute to this critical partner, please email daniel@hopechest.org.