I can't believe it's already 2008!! It felt like 2007 just flew by! 2007 was a great year to us! Here are a few memories I have of the year (I'm going through the year w/ my calendar so I don't leave anything out- I write EVERYTHING down!)...
January highlights: Started back up w/ Silver City (the inner city ministry our church supports), Had our first Honeymooner's Class Retreat at Heber Springs, Shelly Dahl had her baby shower at church, and I was able to get a little closer with the girls in my, at that time, 7th grade Platoon group!
February highlights: My Mom, Dad, Mimi, & Papa all got to come to our house and spend the weekend w/ us, we even went up to Fayetteville for an AR/KY basketball game (AR is our team and KY is my Mimi & Papa's favorite team), My college roommate Holli got married!, Jarred got his wisdom teeth pulled out, and last but not least our great friends the Dahl's had their baby, Eric!!
March highlights: This month was great b/c one of my best friends from high school came all the way from Alabama to visit me! Tracie got to meet all my friends...we took her bowling and to Senor Tequila and to Cheeburger Cheeburger! It was a great visit and it was so neat to have someone from home come see what I'm up to in Arkansas! We house sat for the Gilliams at church for the first time-that was great b/c their house is wonderful and it was fun pretending it was ours for a week!! We took our Silver City kids to a Rim Rockers game, went to see my brother play baseball for Harding, had a sleepover w/ my 7th graders, went to many CAC games to see our Platoons kids play, and at the end of the month we went to my home in Alabama to just hang out for a weekend!!
April highlights: In April one of Jarred's really close friends from college, Kevin Staples, came to visit w/ his wife Laura, who I've become friends w/ now and their 2 kids! It was great for us to spend time w/ them and get to know their kids some, they are so GREAT!! We also started our volleyball league at church, helped the Connett's move into their new house, & we went to a Family Life marriage conference w/ the Tappe's, Connett's, & Dasher's in Tulsa, OK! It was a blast and we really enjoyed spending time w/ good friends! I also had what I think is going to be my future sister in law come stay w/ me for a week while Jarred was traveling, she's great!
May highlights: May was a busy month for us. We did a lot of traveling! Jarred got to go to Seattle, WA for a week, we both went to Searcy for Mother's Day, we had our annual family reunion in Texas over Memorial Day and then Jarred and I flew out from Dallas to go to Las Vegas!! It was a spur of the moment trip but it was great! I also got to go to Branson to meet up w/ my college roommate Tina and spend the weekend w/ her and her daughter! That was so much fun and we're hoping to do it again this year! The sad thing that happened this month was that my dog Sydney got heartworms but the good part was that after surgery she was okay and is still rid of them to this day...note to self...don't get your heartguard medicine from Pet Meds online!!!
June highlights: As every month, June was busy too! We started the month with a Girls Sleepover at Sarah Smith's house, our friends, the Bland's had their baby boy!, We went on a camping/floating trip w/ some folks from church for a weekend. That was awesome!! Jarred and I didn't tip over the entire time...I was very happy with that b/c the water was FREEZING!!! Our life group did a birthday party for the Southern Children's Home in Morrilton, I celebrated my 24th birthday, we went to a Travelers baseball game w/ a group of church friends, & I had a pool party/grill out w/ my 7th grade girls!
July highlights: Well we started July by heading to Pensacola Beach w/ my family (we do this every year). We were able to stay this year for 5 days and that's the longest I've been able to stay since I've been in the working world. The rest of my family stays for an entire week but we didn't get to this year, part of our 5 days had to be thrown over a weekend! We had a big Game Night up at church for everyone in our class. I hope we can do that again sometime, those are always fun! We house sat again for the Gilliams- and it was even better this time b/c they have a pool and it was summer time!! Great fun! We got to go to Atlanta w/ the Connett's & the Tappe's for a weekend of shopping, hanging out, & going to a Braves game! That was a very fun trip...thanks to Melea's parents for letting us stay at their house! We had our nieces (3 of them) spend the night w/ us one Friday night and that's when I learned I'm getting older b/c I can't stay up all hours of the night anymore!! SAD! We also took the Gilliam kids to see a Twisters game w/ a group from our Sunday morning class! Once again, a very busy month but fun!!
August highlights: This month we started off w/ another trip! We went to Destin, FL w/ the Robinson's, Mullin's, Cheatham's, DeJoseph's, & the Miles. It was so much fun!! We left on the 3rd and didn't come home until the 11th. It was great! During that trip Jarred and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary. When we got back we learned about the death of Brian Dahl and went to Mississippi with a big group from our church to be with the Dahl's during that difficult time. We still think & pray about/for their family often. I also started teaching the 2 year olds for my annual 3-4 month rotation w/ Amber Mullins!! We had a really good time together. Jarred & I got to go to my home again to visit the fam for a weekend. We started our NEW Life Group that we co-lead w/ the Cheatham's over at the Robinson's house! Jarred also celebrated a birthday, he turned 26 and we had a celebration for him at Cajun's Wharf w/ a bunch of friends from church!! Thanks to all you guys that came!!
September highlights: Finally a month that we didn't have as much going on...not that I don't enjoy all that stuff!! We started this month by going to the FIRST Razorback game of the season...we get season tickets b/c Jarred's a DIE HARD fan! We attended the Family Life Conference at church (I was one of the committee members planning it so we didn't really have a choice). I had my first garage sale...made about $150...not too bad I guess!! PLATOONS started back, which I LOVE!! Our ladies Bible study started back (we're doing a Beth Moore study...it's great! The study goes through May). We threw in a couple more Razorback games and at the end of the month we house/kid sat for the Harris's at church. It was a great month b/c we were able to be at home most of the month!! Good times!
October highlights: Well, as I look back on the month of October I'm filled w/ mixed emotions...this is the month my Papa passed away. I was blessed b/c the weekend before he died Jarred and I were able to go to Montgomery to see him and say goodbye. We left on a Saturday afternoon and then on Monday morning Papa went to be w/ the Lord. It was a blessing from God b/c all the grandkids were able to go see him and say their goodbyes. We were all thankful for that. He died on the 15th and we had his funeral on the 18th. I'm thankful because I know one day I will see him again in Heaven! On another note, I did the Race for the Cure and RAN the entire RACE!! I was so proud of myself...if you know me at all you know I'm no runner so 3.1 miles was kind of a big deal for me!!! My goal for 2008 is a 10K (aka 6.2 miles)...I'll keep you posted on my progress.
November highlights: I got to start November off by meeting one of my FAVORITE cousins in Memphis for a get-together/shopping for Christmas trip!! This was WONDERFUL and much needed since I hardly ever get to see her! (By the way, she just got engaged Monday night so I just want to give her a shout out and say YAY!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!) I got ALL of my Christmas shopping done that weekend except for Jarred's parents...they are hard & Jarred always likes to help w/ them! I went to the Women's Retreat at church. Sara Barton was the speaker and I thought she did an excellent job! We had our monthly Life Group birthday party for all the birthday's in November & we had a big Thanksgiving Feast joint w/ another Life Group. We had Thanksgiving w/ my family this year (we rotate every year) so we went to Decatur and had a big meal w/ Mom's side of the family and then to Nashville the weekend after Thanksgiving to see Dad's side of the family. Needless to say we had LOTS of food. Last but not least I celebrated my 2 year anniversary w/ Stevens-Dell!
December highlights: Well every first Saturday in December we go to Jarred's parents house for the annual Christmas breakfast. This breakfast is INCREDIBLE! I mean his mom makes a spread and it's all good!! I LOVE that tradition. We went to dinner at Loca Luna one night w/ the Bennett's & the Northen's (who at the time weren't married yet). We had our Honeymooner's Retreat at Petit Jean. Our speakers were Mitch & Shannon Wilborn and I thought they did an excellent job. Petit Jean was great and I'm pretty sure everyone had a good time! We house/kid sat again for the Harris's. We went to Searcy to see Jarred's brother Jordan graduate from Harding and we also went to Benton to see Greg & Janice get married! YAY! We had a Class Christmas Party at the Clary's house. ALSO, out of the blue we get a call on Friday the 14th from the Tappe's to see if we wanted to go to COLORADO with them...well if you've read my last post you know we decided to go. It was definitely a last minute decision and it was a good one!! We celebrated Christmas at several places. Christmas Eve we celebrated at Jarred's sister's house, then we spent Christmas Eve night at Jarred's parents house and had Christmas Day w/ them. Then Friday after Christmas my family came to our house and we celebrated at home w/ them. They even stayed through New Year's and we brought in the New Year w/ my parents, my brothers, Michael's girlfriend Kaitlin and her best friend Catherine! All in all this year was very good to us. We've been very blessed w/ friends and family! We look forward to what 2008 has in store for us!! I'll keep you posted!
