tinyprints

So, who doesn't love getting Christmas cards in the mail? I know I do... and I've been so excited about sending some out this year of me and Chuck. We are having a photo session soon with our good friends Nate and Kayla, and will send out Christmas cards shortly after! 

So, I was thrilled when I found out that tinyprints is giving away 50 FREE (yes, free!) cards from their new 2011 Christmas or Holiday line in exchange for mentioning them in a blog. 

Mentioned? Done. Recommended? YES. Now all I need are some cute Christmas pictures of me and Chuck :)

If you are interested in mentioning them, as well, and checking out what they've got, pay them a visit! www.tinyprints.com. And fill out this form once your post is complete! 

happy autumn!

Well, well, well... if you had to pick one out of a million as the worst blogger in the history of ever, I'd probably win the prize! I realized just the other day that I hadn't blogged in, oh, a month? Terrible, people. I mean, it's not like I've been busy or anything..... ha.

So much has happened since my last post! Amy and Greg got hitched on a beautiful (yet strangely hot) October day, but the heat subsided just in time for probably the MOST BEAUTIFUL reception you could ever imagine. And not to mention the most beautiful BRIDE you could imagine. She was utterly and completely gorgous... and as many of the people who I've shown pictures said (because, yes, I think I've shown just about everyone I know pictures.... I'm surprised the lady at the grocery store got away without seeing any) she looked "timeless and elegant". Just flat out stunning if you ask me. And Greg was quite the handsome groom, suspenders and beard and all. 

You can check out Amy's posts of her wedding day here! She's recounted the wedding events and their honeymoon (in a total of about 5 blogs.... did I mention you may need to spare a few minutes quite some time ...) 

And, to top of the already-so-much-fun reception, they had a photo booth at their wedding, too! They decided that the photo booth at our wedding was so much fun and provided so many pictures you wouldn't otherwise get on the wedding day, that they opted to have one, too. And I must say.... the pictures turned out HILARIOUS!

The awesome bride and groom.

The hilarious groom and his groomsmen.

Some sister love.

 And lovely friends.

Their wedding went off without a hitch, and I am so happy for the Boggs... or Boggs'.... or Boggs's.... whatever. 

So, since then, I've just been a busy little bee working and doing other things like thoroughly enjoying my time off when I can catch some. I seemed to have sprouted a decorative hand (or maybe just the itch for one) so the house has welcomed fall with full force around here.

There's an autumn welcome at the front door, thanks to the mums from Amy's wedding decor that I sneaked home with me :)

And I tried my hand at another Pinterest-inspired wreath. Simple, yet very fall-ish. 

Just some simple touches that I'm more than likely overly excited about. It's the little things, right?

I am so excited to start the holiday celebrations. It's unbelievable to me that it's already November. Thanksgiving will be here in just a few short weeks.... and then it's CHRISTMAS!!!! I am thrilled to decorate the house in a Christmas explosion. I cannot wait... 1. because who doesn't love Christmas and 2. because it's my first Christmas as a wife where Chuck and I will wake up together in our home and celebrate. 

Who's excited?! ME! 

I hope you are all having a wonderful fall. I know I am!

Love you all!

70.3

Hello everyone! This past weekend, four of us ventured over to Augusta, Georgia to cheer on Chuck and Zach in their first Half-Ironman!! Ladies and gents, that means a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike, and a 13.1 mile run. Oh yes, quite the accomplishment! And just LOOK at how studly he looks :)

Medal in hand, he's a half-ironman!!

I'm so so incredibly proud of both Chuck and Zach! They are such fighters and so determined. And Chuck finished 22 minutes ahead of his goal!! 

WAY TO GO, HUBS!

we will NEVER forget.

All week long I've kept saying, "I can't believe its been ten years since September 11." And now, sitting here watching the 9/11 Ceremony Coverage, I really cannot believe it's been ten years. I remember that day so clearly. I was sitting in Mrs. Peeples' eighth grade science class when our principal came over the speakers and announced that a plane had flown into the Twin Towers. Being only 13 years old and having never gone to New York City before, I honestly had no idea what the Twin Towers were. My teacher actually told us that it wasn't a big deal and we weren't going to turn on the television and watch the coverage. Little did she know that it would be the day that changed our country forever. We left that first morning class and went straight to homeroom where I watched the coverage on television. I don't remember much about the remainder of the school day, but I remember so clearly coming home from school and just watching the coverage from New York for the remainder of the day and the next several days. I just remember so vividly all of the rubble and the stories and the fear on everyone's faces. What a scary experience as a child to not really comprehend what was happening that day. I can only imagine what that day would have been like from New York, or as a family member who went through minutes, hours, days, weeks without knowing where their family member was or if they were safe. And still, ten years later, there are family members that were never found. I can only imagine. And can only pray for the souls that were lost and the family members that have had to endure such pain through the years. 

Ever since that day, we have had SO MANY brave, selfless military men and women serving on our behalf. I could never thank all of them enough. I am proud to know some personally, some are family, some are close friends. Their service is something that often times goes unnoticed or forgotten. But you are always appreciated, respected, and remembered.

It was December 2003 that my family took a trip to New York City. We stood there at Ground Zero, looking at all of the rubble, the pictures of the lives that were lost or missing, the flowers and letters and memories posted on the gates that surrounded the grounds. It was such an overwhelming experience that I will never forget. I remember taking a picture with some NYPD that stood at the grounds. I most vividly remember seeing this cross that formed out of the rubble in the midst of all of the chaos...

What an subtle, incredible reminder of who it is that we should all turn to in our times of trouble. Such a day of tragedy brought us all to our knees; may we never forget who picked us back up. Our nation shook that day, but our faith stood firm. May we always remember.

This past summer, I was blessed with the opportunity to go to the Pentagon and see not only the memorial, but was able to go inside of the Pentagon and stand exactly where the plane hit and took the lives of the innocent people there and on that flight.

And as I type this, I'm watching old news coverage of 9/11 and they just announced that the Pentagon had been hit... unbelievable.

The names of those who were lost.

Each person that died has one of those memorial over a little running water. It was built to act as a bench, where family members or friends could come and spend some time sitting and remembering those that they lost.

The ring of the Pentagon that was hit by the plane. 

The dark stone in the center of the Pentagon shape was kept and rebuilt into the new wing. It is engraved with "September 11, 2001" and is dark due to being burned the day of the attacks.

For obvious security reasons, no cameras (or picture taking, at least) is allowed inside of the Pentagon. So I couldn't get any pictures of what I'm about to describe, but it was incredible and humbling to see. There is a color-coded map inside the wing that was hit that draws out the specific location of every desk, office, etc and the path of the plane. Each person/desk is color coded, for example, red = killed, yellow = at the Pentagon but away from their desk/office so survived, blue = not at work that day.... and so on. It was crazy to see that someone was at work and in the path of the plane, but survived because they were away from their desk in a meeting, getting breakfast, or some other circumstance. It was an incredible experience to stand in that wing of the Pentagon, knowing what took place there that day. We spoke with a few people who were present there that day, but there wasn't much conversation about 9/11 because it hits so close to home for those men and women and they don't want to talk about it.

Since September 11, 2001, I have always been memorized with what happened that day. I wrote papers on it in high school, read articles on it all the time, and watch coverage on it whenever I can. I don't know why I am drawn to it.. maybe it's because I know it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I don't want to forget. It amazing to watch the coverage of the news from the day of, knowing what we know now, how little we understood in the moment. When the first tower fell, we didn't even know what had happened. For at least ten minutes, it was reported that just a part of the tower fell off. No one knew for quite some time that it was a plane that hit the Pentagon and not just a bomb. Such chaos. I am thankful for a God who puts us back together and gives us hope in such a time of trouble.

May every single one of you count your blessings, remember those who were lost, tell your loved ones how grateful you are to have them in your lives, and may we always remember and never forget September 11, 2001.