Merry Christmas 2010

It's a Video Christmas Card this year...enjoy! :)
We hope you and yours have a very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year...

So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
John 1:14 NLT

Summer Time 1 - shed

Neil was a busy guy this summer! He did quite a few projects outside our house.

But first, here are the amaryllis bulbs I bought last year, then had to unceremoniously un-pot in a hurry in the fall due to a surplus of pansies that had to be planted the night before we were leaving for Florida and we had run out of room to plant! So I threw the amaryllis bulbs out of their pots and tossed them in the garage and forgot about them. I found them this spring and stuck them in this bigger pot not knowing what to expect...

But they did great!

Now, on to the outdoor projects! Here is Neil removing the "Big Ugly". That is our huge grass thing that was taking over our flower bed. I have seen these ornimental grasses look nice in certain settings but ours was not one of those settings! The rain and snow would fall off the roof and weight the whole thing down. Plus it was just too big for that spot. So Neil decided to dig it up. This was not as easy as it sounds. It had sturdy roots...roots which had consumed the soaker hose going through our flower bed. He hacked at it with the shovel, until the shovel broke, then he tied it to a truck and tried to pull it out and the rope broke! We finally heaved and rocked it together and got that guy out of there!

Here is Neil looking so triumphant! See the soaker hose coming out of the roots?

He also got a real lawn mower this year, instead of the reel lawn mower he had last year.
Much improved :)

After that he had to make a new home for it. I call it a patio, he calls it a shed.

Ta Da! Isn't he so skilled :)

It has a fiber glass roof to keep the rain off and it also houses our wheel barrow! Great job Neil!

Happy Birthday Neil!

Dear Neil,

You mean the world to me! I can hardly believe we met when you were just 25 ;)

Here is the picture that started it all! I used to pull up this picture almost every day and dream of you messaging me :) I didn't know then just what incredible qualities you have!

Like a wonderful sense of fashion,

or how you make me feel so safe and content.

You have an incredible sense of humor and you are a great sport! You always know how to make me smile :)

I think you are the best boy in the entire world.

I count myself lucky to be called your girl,

and I know I will feel that way everyday for the rest of my life.

I love you Neil, and I hope that you have a WONDERFUL birthday:)

love, Julieann

p.s. you make me smile :)

2 Years

Happy Anniversary sweet Neil!
It is hard to believe we have been married for two whole years :)
I have loved every minute of our life together.
Thank you for making my dreams come true!

Today I...

Today I (from last Thursday):

-took a homeless man to Kum & Go

-made a bottle cap into a magnet

-made a Brazilian Lemonade out of limes
(http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/05/brazilian-lemonade.html)

- picked out a baby name

- decided we were never having kids

- decided we were definitely having kids....someday

- had a Mexican fiesta

- slow danced with my husband

- watched three episodes of Andy Griffith

- turned on the glorious attic fan to cool the house down and pulled in allergens, then turned off the attic fan and turned on the air filter on HIGH to remove the allergens.

- listened to the rain

Rainy Spring Day

I don’t know about your neck of the woods, but it has been pretty rainy here in Springfield.
Sometimes it feels like winter went straight back to fall. Remember last fall when we were planting and planting?


(My Parents and Lori helping us plant the pansies they bought us last fall)
(Me and Neil planting bulbs and crepe myrtles)Here is our pretty little garden last fall


And here is the springtime explosion!Just some spring pictures to warm up your day!

Playing Catch (Up)

Here is a quick recap of the last couple months!

In March Neil's parents came to visit for spring break. We had a wonderful time, as usual!

(you wouldn't believe the time we had getting this picture, people kept walking into the shot, and the sun kept attacking us through the blinds)

(spring decorations)

In April we had a wonderful Easter party for the "orphans"

(that is friends who aren't going home for the holiday)(Isn't her dress adorable? Beth made it!)

Neil got licensed to be a minister.
Our small group threw a surprise baby shower for the Mason's!
Colt Mason was born April 27th.
Master Kimberly (MS, CCC-SLP) graduated with her Masters!
What a wonderful start to spring!

Bliss

I'd like to share a couple pictures with you that make me blissfully happy :) They are just random pictures from over the years that always make me smile, every time I see them!

Neil and Marty at Bass Pro posing like a polar bear! I couldn't get my camara to take this picture so I kept having to take it over and over, probably 3 times at least! And people would just stop and look at these crazy boys acting like bears! I had to coerce them to keep posing so I could get this awesome shot!

Neil and I on our honeymoon at the Riviera Maya in Mexico. Our waiter offered to take our picture and then gave us these awesome hats to wear!

Me and two of my best friends Amanda and Kimberly in Taos, New Mexico. We are trying to make the same face as that Indian Statue :)

This is me and incredible Emily, (aka Captain Slow Jack) one of my Sunday School students from OKC.

Me and my father in law. I believe the correct caption for this photo should be "let's jump when we take this picture!" LOL I'm laughing right now!! and Neil just said "you are a messy girl! I can hardly do anything with all this laughing" See, I'm not lying when I say that these pictures make me happy!

A ping pong tournament, see how competitive my mom is? Karen is all sweet and doesn't realize she is playing with a hard core partner! Well, maybe Karen is growling a little bit!

Here is my sweet bee boo, Bryce! I love this picture, see his soft cheeks!

I hope at least one of these photos brought you a grin!

P.S. there is also a great one of my dad with with two fully loaded waterguns that keeps coming to mind, but alas I do not have it on my computer! Those of you who have seen it can think of it and smile :)