This December our church was able to provide gifts to kids who otherwise wouldn’t be able to open anything for Christmas. We were able to provide for 65 different families! Yesterday when I walked into the office I couldn’t even get to my desk because there were so many gifts!

A shot of some of the bikes filling up the kitchen

Presents going down the hallway

Gifts filling up the band room

Presents for one of the families

Tiffany (my favorite) testing out the quality of one of the bikes

Tomorrow morning at 9:30 we are going to deliver the gifts to families in person! Thanks to everyone who pulled a tag, you were making someone’s Christmas very special!

This is a pic of my baby and me… I wish I had a better pic of my accessories but oh well!

Me, Rebekah, Becca and Tiffany

Rubiks cube!

Chad as Flock of Seagulls

Somebody asked if he was a lego hahahha. Hello it’s DEVO!

And congratulations to miss BROOKE for winning Volunteer of the Year! You are awesome & I will miss you mucho
Fun stuff. If you have any more pics email me!

pictures late tomorrow!

1. I had an awesome Thanksgiving. I got to hang out not only with my parents, sister and cousin I got to hang out with Brad’s familia too! Hanging out with my family really charges me up.

2. I finished up this semester a week earlier than everyone else. So far the grades that have came in are “A”s sucka! Kirsten said @jillbarbour after following your twitters most of the semester, I feel so proud of your grades! That is very true. This semester I loved the people in my classes & my professors but the actual classes made me feel really silly. I sang many songs in front of my class, couldn’t solve some elementary math problems (it’s harder than you think!), and taught a whole class. So it was a little tough; very happy my work paid off though.

3. I bought everyone who I’m giving gifts to their presents. Get excited!

4. Thursday the whole staff got to go along with Pastor Jeff to his coaching network at Newspring Church’s Greenville campus. First off Greenville has a beautiful downtown with a waterfall and cool shops. The coaching network was so great. Newspring is intentional with everything they do, the campus was really cool. I was able to meet a lot of assistants & talk about our crazy/awesome jobs. Loved it.

5. Dream Team Christmas party is Sunday night at 6 p.m.! Last 80′s party I had 5 minutes to get ready & I looked pretty lame. This time though I am going all out!

So yeah I promise that I will start to blog again!

Since being married we made a budget every month but still used our debit card ( our savings turns into our overdraft money) and didn’t really follow it. We ended up having money come out of our savings to pay for the things we kept buying. We have weak discipline.

The only debt that Brad and I will have are my school loans. We don’t have credit cards or car payments so we are starting off pretty well. We are still living paycheck to paycheck right now and are not saving. This is really hard for me because ever since I have had a job at 15 I have saved from my paychecks, now Brad keeps stealing all my money (jk).

Finally in our sixth month of marriage we have made a budget that accounts for every little thing. We put everything down onto paper and then take out the amount of cash that is needed for each category & put into envelopes (as recommended by financial expert Joe Sangl).

All this looks so very nice

But it all has a place to go. Brad made cash envelopes that have the right amount of cash for all the things we will be spending them on each month.

I have an allowance again, just like I’m 12. It works though. So far I have used this money to buy tickets to Twilight, a couple of lunches and some clothing.

This has been our only slip up. I had to use my school loan money to buy a box of contacts since my new insurance doesn’t cover eye things or at least not very much. I had an expensive emergency eye doctor appointment and $50 eye drops to fix it.

Cash envelopes so far have been a huge help. There is work on the front end, but at least there is no guessing or doubt on whether or not you should buy something. I know this is going to help Brad and I keep our finances in order.

If you need help with your finances and live in the Wilmington area (and don’t already know) you NEED to come to Debt Free Wilmington on December 6th lead by Joe Sangl. It is from 5-7:30 p.m. and is only $10 bucks!

1. He puts God first. I love seeing his bible & moleskin out in various locations when I wake up.

2. He is really creative & talented. It’s so cool to try to figure out how his mind works. I’ll never know how he puts videos, environments, & services together. He can do anything he wants to do. He stood up the first time surfing, he went wake to wake his 2nd time wakeboarding, he was a bmx champ and is now jumping into photography. Here is his 3rd ever attempt at photography.

3. He isn’t selfish (unlike me!). Sometimes I forget just how selfless he is. Ex: Brad lets me drive his civic while he drives my 94 Jeep Grand Cherokee that has a busted out tail light, no a.c., a bumper that is falling off, AND an A.F.I. sticker on it!

I still think shes a beauty, look at the way the heavens shine down on her

4. Brad is soooo funny! I am always laughing with him.

5. He is thoughtful. I woke up this morning and he had made me breakfast. After he left I found this note in my makeup bag.

Then before I left.. I found this in my pocket book!

6. He tattooed my name on his arm! They say its a curse but I think we will do alright!

See how big it is

detail

7. My husband is mad hott!! I mean seriously look at him!

So happy 6 months baby, I love you. So blessed I get to spend the rest of my life with you

see more pwn and owned pictures

My projected graduation is Summer 09 which is only 2 more semesters away (not including the last month of this one)! I can’t wait to have college behind me. I’m not sure what is ahead of me, but at least I won’t be teaching!

this just makes me laugh, how do they see??

Mario Pirana Plant

Where the Wild Things Are… my kid will be dressed in this one day

This is a brave man to wear tights, mannies and a mullet all in one night.