Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today is a very special day....my mom turns 57!!!

(She doesn't look it, does she???)

Here's a tribute to you, mom, for the wonderful, godly,

strong, & AMAZING person/mom you are! We are so thankful for YOU

and here's just a couple of reasons why I love you so much!

I love you for your sweet & tender spirit &

most importantly, your heart for the Lord.

I love you for being such an amazing mom and for the irreplaceable love you have for your family!

I love your sense of humor & I love that we have so much fun together.

There is NO ONE that can make me laugh the way that you do!

I love you for being a "GIVER" and for teaching me, Jay, & Brad, (by example) how to serve & love people without expecting a thing in return.

I love you for being an INCREDIBLE "Mimi"

I could go on and on because there are millions of things I love about you mom, but today, I just wanted to say that I love you, I thank the Lord for you, and I'm so happy that you're MY MOM. Hope you have a fabulous birthday and feel so loved...because YOU ARE!

The Triplets turn 3!

This weekend our adorable nephews turned 3...and let me tell you....we had us a party! You would have thought it was Christmas with all the food & gifts. I was designated as the photographer for the big day--haha--and of course, you know I loved that job. ;) The boys had a terrific time and and I loved watching them open their gifts & interact with their little friends....they are developing quite the personalities. It made my heart happy and I was reminded of what a blessing/joy they are to me.

Being @ their party also brought back a special memory....it was @ their 1st b-day party that Joshua really "saw" me (as his mom says)....and 3 months later was our 1st date. It's funny how quickly things can change, but I'm so thankful that they did! Here's some pics for you to enjoy!

A Weeknight Adventure @ the Mall!

I love the weeknights @ our house! A regular weeknight consists of being at home, watching our favorite TV show(s), doing a few odds & ends around the house...you know, relaxing things like that. But last night, Mandy & I took the triplets to the mall to find them an outfit for their 3rd B-day picture that they are having today...and it was a blast, but definitely not relaxing. :)

I'm learning that any time we go somewhere with all 3 boys it's always an adventure. But we were so thankful that this trip to the mall ended in success! We found the perfect outfit for the Mason, Maverick, & Malachi, and they actually had 3 of everything. Mandy hates shopping for the boys at times because she said every time she finds something she loves, they NEVER have 3 of everything. So, we were excited--and everyone left the mall happy--thats always a good thing!!

The boys have gotten in the routine of doing certain things while they are at the mall....they like to throw a penny in the water, get a cookie, and their favorite....going to the Pet Store! I snapped some shots of them while they were there...priceless!

Hi Aunt Christy!

Here's sweet Mason trying to feed the dog his gum...he's the soft-hearted one out of the bunch!

Maverick!

Takes Me Back....

Well, my brother e-mailed me over the weekend and informed me that my last post was not a "post"....it was a BOOK! haha So, thanks to all you who read my "book" and put up with reading it ALL. I guess I just got a little caught up in the moment...but hey....I had ALOT to update on...right????? haha I promise to keep this one short. :)

This weekend was a pretty relaxing one for Joshua & I! Since football season began a few weeks back, we've spent most of our Friday nights at Lenoir City High School (Joshua's High School) watching their football games. This Friday night was their Homecoming game and it was the perfect night for a football game....it was just a little bit chilly and we loved being there to support his cousins (one the football team and another cousin that was on the Homecoming Court). We had a lot of fun, and boy did it take me back to my good old high school days!!!

Here are a couple of pics from our weekend....

Joshua's cousin, Michael

Michael's girlfriend, Dezerre

Joshua proudly driving his cousin Marcy in the Homecoming Parade!

Ummmm...notice the sign that someone made for her....
See anything wrong????? Too late to fix, but we got a kick out of it!!!

Me & my mother-in-law, Sally

Owen & Olivia

The rest of our weekend consisted of cleaning, a UT game, church, lunch @ Joshua's Memaw's house, and then we finished it off by going to see 3:10 to Yuma last night...great movie!!!

What a Year!!

Since this is the beginning of my blog, I decided to recap some of the important events that have happened in my life over the last year. HOLD ON TO YOUR SEAT BELT!!! :)

#1--I got engaged on my b-day (April 17th out in CA), and then married the man of my dreams on December 2, 2006 in Charlotte, NC!! I'm so thankful for my wonderful husband and give God all the glory for bringing us together...married life is the BEST!!










#2--November 2006--I said goodbye to Charlotte, NC, my job @ the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, my wonderful church, all my friends (especially my roommate of 3 years, Dolly), and moved to Knoxville, TN (Rocky Top Country!!!). And can I just tell you....it was HARD! But I was so happy at the same time, because I knew that I was going right where the Lord wanted me to be. Plus, I was going to be near Joshua & his wonderful family, which made it that much better! I have really grown to love Knoxville...its a great city and there is such a warm/country (not redneck--haha) feeling to it. I love being close to Galinburg & Pigeon Forge too! And can I just say that I've never seen so much ORANGE in my life!!! Guess I should start following some UT Football now????? ;)



#3--November 2006--I also started a brand new job (3 days after my move!!) at an incredible church here in Knoxville (only a couple of miles away from UT's campus) called Sevier Heights Baptist Church. http://www.sevierheights.org/ I LOVE my job and I work for one of the most humble and godly preachers I've ever known. Brother Hollie is such a great boss and him and his wife have been so, so good to me! I know the Lord put me here for a reason...I have no doubt. I'll celebrate my one year anniversary here on Nov. 1st, and looking back, I am reminded of the Lord's blessings and His interest in every single area of my life. Its important to love what you do, and I feel so blessed to have found this job. It was definitely a "God-send".



#4--July 2007--Joshua & I took our very 1st vacation as a married couple! We went to Navarre Beach, Florida with Joshua's ENTIRE family...and we had a BLAST! Can't wait until next year!!!

Navarre Beach, Florida

My triplet nephews, Malachi, Mason, & Maverick









Playing Cards with Mandy & Phillip (Joshua's brother & sis-in-law)








Joshua's ENTIRE family

Our Family (Joshua's side)

Me & Joshua on our 6 mo. Anniversary! (And I have to give Joshua some credit here...he keeps better track of our anniversaries than I DO!) :)

#5--August 2007--It was mid-July and I hadn't seen my mom since I got married in December. I have to admit, I was getting a little "homesick" to see her! So we worked it out for me to take a short trip to Cali to see my family! I hated to go without Joshua, but I was so excited to see everyone...especially my niece, Madisyn!!!






Me, mom, Jay & Brad @ church











Here is my niece (Jason's daughter)
Madisyn Marie Damas--she is PRECIOUS &
spoiled rotten! :)

Me and my brother, Bradley. Brad is still @ LU and is the high school worship leader @ Thomas Road Baptist Church--we're so proud of him!!!

Me & Court -- I love her!!!

Jason, Maddie, Clay & Brad

My 1st time playing in the bathtub with Maddie--we had a blast!








So, as you can see, the last year has been a WONDERFUL year for me!! :) But at the same time, it has definitely been a year of CHANGE & TRANSITION. And honestly, most of the time change is a hard thing for me. I really try to embrace it when it happens, but I tend to like routine and for things to stay exactly the same--sounds boring I know--but its just the way I am.

I must admit that I've learned alot about change over the last year--and I've learned that with most change, comes some sort of challenge. I have found myself challenged to adjust to a new city, a new job, a new church, finding good godly friends, and of course, married life (which I absolutely LOVE by the way)! But I never doubt that God won't fulfill these desires/things in my life...He will never take something away from us without giving back what we lost and sometimes even more! It just takes time. So, if you are dealing with change, and having a hard time, be encouraged!! You are on a journey that is only getting more and more exciting!

I find myself amazed to see how well I've adjusted to my new life here in Knoxville. I truly believe that when you're not in your "comfort zone" you tend to trust God more, love Him more, and rely on Him more. I look back over the last year and I'm so grateful for all He has taught me about myself--good & bad--and I pray that I will continue to let the Lord teach and grow me. But for now...I'm so happy, so thankful, and feel so blessed for all that God has done in mine & Joshua's life!

I CAVED!!

Dolly has been trying to get me to start a blog for a while now...and today has been a slow day at work, and so I CAVED! I am now officially a "blogger". :) But I have to admit, I'm kind of excited about this!! I love reading everyone else's updates, and although I'm probably not the most entertaining writer, I thought I would give it a try. For those of you who KNOW me, you know that I love keeping in touch with everyone...but as we all figure out at some point, it's impossible!! So, I want to dedicate this 1st post to Dolly--haha-- thanks for encouraging me to be a "blogger". I think this is the solution I've been looking for. :) '

P.S--Sorry about the no makeup picture Dol...its all I had at the moment. ;)