Photo is Unrelated

I just really liked the photo and wanted my mom to see it! :)

Matt and I are packing tonight and off tomorrow for a family getaway at the beach. I am so excited, I just can't hide it.

I will be back on Sunday with some photos, stories, and goals for 2011! Until then, a HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all!

Blast from the Past

Last night, on a whim, Matt and I pulled out an old VHS tape from our college days. He was the intern at church when I started attending in the fall of 1998. I was a 19-year old, he was 24 and getting ready to move on to a new chapter in his life, moving to California. The tape was of him giving a sermon, and he was so good. We both watched it lost in nostalgia, and in the message itself. Matt and I were amazed how it hit home for us, "Wow, I really needed to hear that!" and how funny that the Matt of years ago was able to encourage the Matt of today. Amazing.

I could not believe how young we were! And, if I only knew then that the intern would one day become my husband...
Here are Matt and I on a mission trip with our church in New Mexico in December of 1998...
I am on the far left, he is on the far right... it was a super fun trip. I remember thinking then that he was a nice guy. He STILL has that shirt he is wearing in the photo!
Here we are at Disco Night, back in 1999.

It is amazing how God works. I've been in a post-Christmas blah time this past week. It was harder than I thought it would be, being alone on Christmas Day itself. But things are getting better as we are going on a family outing this weekend to ring in the new year, and I will get two whole days with Matt together. We both have Friday and Saturday off, and I have Sunday as well. It will be a good catch up day for housework...

Just got to get through today and tomorrow, and I have a glorious three-day weekend! Whoop.

Happy Wednesday, all...

*Happy Sigh*

At work yesterday, this is what the snow cover looked like. I was so ready to just get home! Because the evening would be our family Christmas, I was a bit giddy.
There were gifts on every available surface in the living room. Matt's folks have done extensive traveling this past year around Europe, and shopping is a great way to see a new city, so they had a little souvenir for everyone!

Some of our festivities: Matt and his dad enjoying their new rifles...

Matt's mom made her famous turkey biscuits...
We watched "A White Christmas" before and after dinner...
and just had fun!
A statue Matt got...
A crystal goblet from Germany for the both of us...
Starbucks mugs from Matt to me! We could not wait to open our gifts to each other, too....
A beautiful little vase from Greece...
A little satchel from Europe...
Earrings from Matt and a necklace from Italy that his folks gave me...
A very happy night indeed!!

And to top it all off: Matt got the official word today that he is a permanent employee at Amazon. We are SO SO SO happy and grateful, and I am so proud of him! He persevered through some tough situations. What an amazing guy...

So tonight we are going to celebrate his promotion with dinner out. Less dishes for me to have to do - my hands are cracked from the load of dishes the past week!

We are both off tomorrow together. So grateful for that, too.

Merry Christmas, one and all!

Blessings

First of all, thank you so much for all of the encouragement for Matt - he had a GREAT day at work yesterday, and there was so much good news in the day it was overflowing. He got word that he is meeting with a manager on Thursday, and the hint that was dropped is that a certain special promotion is on its way...

...and that is not all. He got his grade back from his final: A! He is a 4.0 student! I am so so so proud of him. He has worked SO hard on his graduate classes. He came up with the proposal idea while we were on a run - I will have to remember that for when he is stumped for writing ideas in the future.

A big blessing came after I picked Matt up from work and we delivered a trunk full of gifts and groceries to a local needy family. They were shocked and grateful by the gesture, and we were so thrilled to be able to do it. It is amazing that in giving, the giver usually gets the best gift. It feels like a million bucks!

The final blessing of the day: an epiphany. I was bouncing on an exercise ball in Matt's office as he read to me his paper on Sunday and saw on his white board a goal list. One of them on there was "a weekend at the beach". We wrote that a year ago! I realized that December has an extra paycheck in it thanks to three paydays falling in the same month, so I suggested that we get out to the Oregon coast for New Years. That would not involve any hazardous mountain passes, and it is the only two days off together that we have for awhile. So I got online...
And found this!
Cannon Beach or BUST! We will ring in the new year here AND Matt's folks are joining us as well! We got ocean view rooms for a steal! WOOOOOOO!

It will be a great time together before the in-laws have to fly back to Germany on the 9th, and Matt is away in CA that same weekend to be in a wedding. I did not have enough time off of work to go with him, so this will help make up for it :) He will get two weekends in a row at a beach, lucky guy :)

Tonight is our family Christmas dinner since his folks head over the mountains tomorrow morning to go to Matt's brothers place. I am excited about turkey! And some gift giving fun...

So blessed. So happy. So grateful!

I will be back with some photos later this week - in the meantime, have a great rest of the week leading up to the big day on Saturday!

Almost Christmas...

I have been so bad about blogging lately! It is not even that I am so insanely busy - I think it is a bit of writer's block and a lack of good photos. I even took some pictures yesterday at the snow-covered winery where I work at - but still need to transfer the photos to my laptop.

Tonight Matt and I are going to take some toys and a meal to a needy family in town. We were connected with them when, a couple from our church, posted an ad for a free turkey on Craigslist and got such an overwhelming response - and decided to make sure that every family that emailed back got something from someone. So, the family we got put in touch with has three young kids and not a lot resources to buy gifts this year. We were excited and happy to do so. I am a little nervous, but mostly excited that we are even in a position at all to do so.

I work today and tomorrow and then I am off for four glorious days! I will get Friday with Matt, so we will make it special. I hope sleeping in and seeing a movie will be included. Tomorrow night is gift opening with his folks. They LOVE to give gifts. Seriously, gifts cover every inch of surface space in the living room and part of the kitchen right now!

Matt is keeping his head up at a very tough job. One thing I have learned from listening to Matt's stories is that people can really be mean, and unfair. He was sent a feedback form from one customer that said that Matt "did not help solve their problem" when he had bent over backwards to help this customer out. Matt was stunned to get the negative feedback, scratching his head over why this guy would say that. I told him that it is unjust. We are now just surrendering over the job - and whether or not it turns permanent. Honestly, Matt is overqualified and too smart. I am praying that a door opens somewhere he can use his intelligence more.

So that is the update. Not a whole lot else going on besides working, commuting, an occasional treadmill jaunt, and trying to avoid the avalanche of sugar in the house...and watching the clock. I can *hardly wait* until 4pm tomorrow!

Tis the Season!

Oh the busyness of the holiday season...and my poor neglected blog!

It's been a week. Matt is wrapping up a final paper tonight that he has faithfully worked on for the entire day today. His folks are here now too, so there is more goings on in the evenings, which is fun. Days are full and busy at work as we wrap up a year of wine production.

But last night - we set aside our agendas with school and work and partied! My company had their Christmas party at a local hotel so we got all dressed up - Matt in the outfit he wore to our wedding, and me in my...high school prom dress!!!

Yes, I did. It was a champagne color and I had it in the closet, and it FIT so why not? :) It was a classic design, so that helped...
I forgot to take any photos. So bad. But, we did get this one, so that is worth it :)

We danced, ate, and enjoyed the night out and away. We woke up at the hotel this morning to a snowstorm coming in - about 4 inches. It is beautiful!

I work Monday through Wednesday this week and then I have four glorious days off. Matt has to work on Christmas, so I am bracing myself for the loneliness as his folks will be with family on the west side.

I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the season :)

12 Days Until Christmas!

We officially have some presents under our tree! This year we can actually afford to give some gifts, so we are really excited. Matt wrapped presents for nearly two hours on Friday while I was at work. I should take a photo of his very detailed work - truly an artist!

Matt did two (!) papers this weekend and is working on a proposal for his final that is due on Sunday. I am rooting him on - he is so close to a 3 week vacation...

Matt's mom flies back from Germany today and will be here Wednesday as they will spend some time on the west side first.

The work schedule for Matt on Christmas is 11-7. All the rest of our family will be gathered together four hours away, so we decided to just stay put this year. It will be a rare Christmas alone for the two of us, so it may be a blessing in disguise. I confess that I am a bit sad thinking of being totally alone on Christmas during the hours he has to work, though! :(

Nevertheless, I am excited for the week. Big company party on Friday night - I am eager to have that special date with my husband.

In the meantime, I hope to remember to take some photos of fun things this week.

Happy Monday, all!

For Mama - Happy Friday!

I was telling mom about this video I saw, and thought I would just post it.

Inventory is over at the winery - what a week! GEESH!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Christmasness

The most wonderful (chaotic, expensive, meaningful, cold, beautiful) time of the year - Christmas!

I was thinking this morning of the past few years' worth of Christmases. I think of my rich time in the Washington, DC area and living in the Edison House. My life before Matt and now with him. The holidays have taken on a whole new meaning now that I have more family in my life, too.
I love these photos of Matt as a young lad, enjoying his gifts :)
...and back when he had hair. I like his new look SO much better! (Our future kids will be doomed with big, curly hair tho....)
We had an occasional year of celebration, and this one when I was about 10 was memorable.

One year mom dressed us up in homemade costumes for Christmas. Here is me with my precious Grandaddy. I think I was in first grade?

This year will be different. Matt has to work on Christmas, and all our family will be on the west side. Just the two of us. It will be quiet, but loverly, I am sure. I do love this time of year - and thanks to Amazon Prime (free shipping) I can do all my shopping online this year.

Just a little reflection today. I hope you all had a great weekend! I am wondering where mine went...

It's Friday! WOOT!

This week totally got away from me...between the snow, shopping at Hobby Lobby, and doing inventory at the winery (!!) I am so spent. And really really ready for the weekend!
I feel like I live for the weekends. Well, it is when I can get the best quality time with Matt. He has a paper due Sunday (and has to work) so we will make the most out of tomorrow, at least :)

I saw this photo on Daily Squee, and it did make me squee a bit!
Happy Friday to all - ahhh the weekend is finally here! Date night tonight: new burger joint and a movie rental :)

Have a great weekend!