happy birthday Jesus!

In all the hustle and bustle of Christmas, it can be so easy to forget what it is all about.  My purpose each year is to never forget the reason for celebration. The true reason that we celebrate Christmas, is to celebrate the birth of Jesus into this world, and more importantly the birth of God's plan for redemption of His precious creation! Wow, there is SO much to celebrate! God had a master plan to bring His creation back into fellowship with Him, and that was packaged in all that Jesus was.  Praise God!

Thank you God for sending your son to this world for me, so that I can spend my eternity with you.  What a precious gift that you gave to me, and to this world, and it is truly the very BEST Christmas gift I have ever and will ever receive!

"For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

-Isaiah 9:6

Happy Birthday Jesus! I love you so much! I pray that all of you would be able to truly celebrate the meaning of Christmas this year, and that you would let God's redeeming grace into your life and find fellowship with Him.  If you do, it will truly be a MERRY Christmas!!

Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas!!

Love from me to you,

Kimmy

i've been a cookie baking fool!!

So, I said one of my goals this Christmas season was to bake a lot more than I did the previous year, and I accomplished that goal!!! Growing up one of my favorite memories of Christmastime was baking goodies with my Mom. As I am working on building new traditions between Scott & I, and future traditions for our kids, I knew that I just HAD to get baking. If I can't do it when I don't have kids, I knew there would be no chance of doing it when I have my hands full someday in the future.

So, I set out to make some goodies this week. I didn't get pictures of them all but I made a lot of yummy treats. I decided to make some goody bags for my co-workers as a Christmas gift for them.

Here is what I made:

-Chocolate dipped peanut butter Ritz sandwiches

-Sugar Cookies

-Oreo Truffles, thanks Be Different, Act Normal for the recipe!

-Buckeyes

I have never made Buckeyes before, but I saw them on multiple blogs and figured if all these lovely ladies thought they were so grand, then they HAD to be good...and boy they were!! If you haven't tried them, you definitely should!

Here are the pictures I did end up getting. I love baking and what a mess it makes in my kitchen...I try not to freak out but I really hate big messes!

I normally BURN my sugar cookies, so this year another goal was to make them not CRISPY but perfectly yummy and I must say I was proud of how they turned out.

Now, here are my goodies that I made for my co-workers.

I found these adorable treat boxes at Target and I just couldn't resist!

I also found these cute snowman bags to pass out to some of the ladies I volunteer with at church. I think they are just as equally adorable!

So thus ends my Christmas baking for this year! I am so happy that I tried some new things and that I get to bless other people with some yummy snacks. I know that it always brightens my day to get some treats, so I am hoping that it does the same for them. I just LOVE Christmastime!

Lots of love from me to you,

Kimmy

12-11-02 <3

7 years ago today, my sweet husband asked me to be his girlfriend. We were so very young (15 & 16) and infatuated with each other, it was truly young love in the very best way!! I remember how nervous I was sitting in the lunchroom as we talked and he asked me out. Wow young love is soooo dorky!! However, I now look back at those days with such delight in my heart. It was my first thrill of a relationship, my first thrill of saying I had a boyfriend!! Even though we were so young, I knew in my heart that there was something so very special about us. I truly knew in my heart that God had some great things in mind for us as a couple and boy was I right!! On that day, if I would have had any clue what the next 7 years would hold for us, I wouldn't have believed it!! So many wonderful times shared, so many challenges, but good or bad, it's all been so wonderful!

In Scott, I truly have my best friend, my best support, and a living example of God's amazing love. We have grown so much in life together from being silly teenagers, to now husband & wife, and I can't wait to see what the next 7 years hold for us! We have had an amazing love story crafted and planned by our Heavenly Father and I love living a new chapter of it every day of my life.

Honey, I love you now & forever and thank you for putting up with my crazy pants teenage drama, our long distance two year relationship in college, and everything that I challenge you with every day as your wife. You are more than a blessing to me and I love you more than words could ever say!

Here are some fun pics of us through the years!!

Senior Prom 2005

I love how he is looking at me!

Senior Retreat 2004

His first Oklahoma visit 2006

He came to visit me my 2nd year in college..don't worry I made PLENTY trips home my first year!

Summertime 2006

Totally us you have no idea!

Our FIRST official date

2002

We look SO young!

the most wonderful time of the year!

Happy December ya'll!! :) This time of the year is definitely my most favorite of all! I love Christmas SO much that I have had all my decorations up since mid-November. I know...I know...but that's before Thanksgiving?! *GASP!* I just love Christmas that much! I convinced my hubs to buy lighted garland for our beautiful banisters. I wish my camera was able to take a good picture of it so I could share it with you all...however my crummy...er, older camera wasn't down with cooperating but let me tell you it's gorgeous!

I can't wait to get my Christmas shopping on and this year my goal is to bake more Christmas goodies than I did last year. Growing up my Mom pretty much baked the entire month of Christmas and I have so many fun memories helping her eat...I mean bake...those goodies! With this being Scott & I's second married Christmas, we are still working on establishing traditions that we define holidays for our family so I am hoping to find some yummy treats to take on. I know so many of you share your great snacks & treats and I am excited to hear them all!

I haven't been crafting/thrifting lately, sorry!! I haven't had time to and with the holidays coming up every extra penny is heading towards that so for now it's on pause but I hope to share some fun things around my home this Christmastime. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, we sure did! Ate way more that we should have but loved spending time with our families.

Lots of love from me to you!

Kimmy