welcome to miami

As most of you know I went to Miami about two weeks ago. It was a beautiful 60-73 degrees there! The scene flying in was gorgeous and the answer to Jeremy's first question when I got back was yes, did it look like it does on CSI Miami. We landed, found a taxi and we were off! Now I've never ridden in a taxi before but they truly do drive like they do in the movies...like a bat out of hades! Some of you know that I get car sick easily and I was SOOO thankful to be out of that car (and that I had taken some Dramamine!)

Here's the room I stayed in. I felt like a giddy little kid being able to jump from bed to bed and not get caught doing it! haha

The view was nothing to write home about. It over looked another roof which was kind of sad and not what I was expecting.


After putting down my bags I found this:

I honestly don't know what it is about my fascination with over priced bottled water. I guess I just think it's ridiculous. They charge $6.50 for their water unlike Atlanta who only charges $4.95. I yet again stuck with tap water. I got their early afternoon and since we didn't have time to stop and get anything to eat from the airport to the hotel I got to order room service. They had VERY good food there. Everything was done to perfection.
This is the back of the hotel where there is a river canal running through it. BEAUTIFUL!


We had our dinner reception on this patio on the canal the night before. love love loved all the palm trees!


The second night we were there we took a tram to bayside and walked to pier 5 for supper. Down there the have an outside shopping mall and restaurants on the ocean. We ate outside at the Hard Rock Cafe. I was awestruck by the handiwork of God on such a beautiful night and the massive waves of the ocean. I could sit and watch that for hours. so peaceful.

See the pineapple in the picture below?! It's a building called Club Cabana. It was a pretty cool looking building.

I was SOOOO glad to get home even though my flight in Chicago was delayed by 50 minutes and I got off the plane to a blizzardy snow storm in a jacket and summer shoes (i.e. no socks).

Going back to when we took the tram through downtown Miami to get to bayside it reminded me of a missions trip that YAC took to St. Louis when I was in high school. There were homeless people sleeping in the tunnels and under the stairs and escalators that took you down to ground level from the tram. Women were walking around by themselves in the midst of men yelling inappropriate and derogatory words as we walked past them. I didn't even feel safe walking in a group of three and wonder if some of those women made it safely to their destination.

I was surprised when...

I opened the toilet to find this:

thankfully the toilet was clean and the shoe salvageable.

before...

Before I left for Atlanta Jeremy told me that he was going to start painting the bedroom. We have had it painted super dark since we bought the house almost 3 years ago because I was working night shift. It wasn't the most romantic or attractive decor but I was able to sleep during the day due to the darkness...guess that was the point. We've been wanting to change our room but haven't had the time. Well...when I got home he had ALL the painting done. Such a sweet husband I have!

Here's before:


and after:


We still need to finish painting the trim white (from the horrible 1950's orange-ish wood stain) and eventually we're going to buy actual night stands and matching bedroom furniture...HA! But for now we're just thankful we have furniture in our bedroom to hold our clothes and it reminds us of when we were newly married...when nothing matched and we barely scrapped by with what we had. None of that mattered though, we were super in love and that's why we are where we are today. Love you forever and always babe!

I got the mirror from an estate sale. I love love love it! It has so much character.

welcome home to me

Jeremy picked me up from the airport late last night. It felt sooooo good to be in a town where I knew where I was going!

Atlanta was a b~e~a~u~t~i~f~u~l 56 degrees while I was there. I didn't even take my coat with me on the plane and was glad it was nice enough there that I didn't have to worry about hauling it all over the place. Atlanta airport is absolutely ginormus! I was with Michelle from work and was so thankful I wasn't by myself. Since this was my first investigator meeting, Michelle was there to help me along. Thanks Michelle! I was VERY anxious about this trip mainly because it was my first trip and I didn't know what to expect and also because they serve a lot of alcohol...I mean A LOT. I didn't know what to expect as far as how crazy some people get when they drink but God's presence was definitely felt and He calmed my nerves and everything turned out great!

My flight went very smooth and thanks to Dramamine there was no nausea or sickness involved. (can't say the same for some of the people I saw in the airport after they had landed and didn't have time to make it to the bathroom or a trash can, yuck). Once in the Atlanta airport we took a tram to get to the opposite end of the airport (this place was HUGE!) and a valet driver was waiting for us holding a sign with our names on it. This car was a smokin' smooth ride! I didn't feel one bump in the road and the driver was super nice giving us details and history about Atlanta our 30 minute ride to the hotel. Once at the hotel we checked in and then went across the street for some dinner (or lunch as they call it there). Definitely got my fill of "southern foods" the past two days. I was served lots of rice, mac n' cheese, mashed potatoes, fried chicken, roasted chicken, lamb, some kind of roast beef, lots of greens, bread pudding, peach cobbler (I passed on these two desserts...I don't care for either of them, so I went for some amazing chocolate cheesecake instead!), ice cream with rum and bananas topped with rum and brown sugar, jumbulia pasta, ravioli, cornbread, fried green tomatoes, corn, beans, and list goes on and on for breakfast foods. oh my word. That's like 4 lines of food listed above! Granted that was over 2-3 meals but wow. I was sad to see all the left overs just being dumped in the trash knowing that there are millons of people going without food.

At the end of the second day we were shuttled back to the airport on this HUGE bus...this did make me (and other people) nausous because it sat up so high and swayed back and forth.

The rest of the story is sitting in the airport for about 4 hours waiting for our plane to leave. Below are some pictures of the room they put me in...it was very relaxing. I didn't take my good camera so the point and shoot camera will have to do...

I loved this lamp shade. It shimmered...the picture doesn't do it justice!

This shower head was amazing! two in one! haha


Do you see the price on one of those bottle's of water?! $4.95! ouch. I'll take tap water thank you very much!

These lights were hanging in the dining banquet and the meeting banquet rooms. I thought they were pretty. The camera didn't do these justice either!

I got a very big greeting by my sweet hubby (who did something absolutely Amazing and romantic...post to follow) and little girl when I got home. Julia must have missed me because she has refused to take a nap and has been glued to my side the whole day.

I missed them both. extremely.

it didn't feel right being gone without them.

so happy to be back...until I leave for Miami a week from this coming Tuesday bright and early at 0635.

Christmas

Christmas is my absolute most favorite time of the year. Not just because of all the lights, pretty packages and decorations but for the true meaning of Christmas, the meaning of Jesus' birth, the reason I am here on earth and have a purpose, the reason I have the opportunity to live eternally in heaven through faith and trust in Jesus Christ as my Savior.

I was a labor and delivery nurse right out of nursing school and if you have ever been able to be a part of a birth of a baby you know that it is an unbelieveble experience to witness and that each birth is so precious and unique. Each child that is born has a purpose in this world. After being a part of hundreds of births in school and in my work it is still hard to grasp the depth of meaning that the birth of Jesus Christ has had. I can't wrap my head around how perfect HE is and His entrance was into this world. And Mary...what would it have been like being in her shoes?

That's just my experience that has brought me close to God and makes me so excited for the season. Here's some pictures of some of my favorite things from this year.

Julia's very first Christmas ornament. It's from her Grandma and Grandpa Ekeland the Christmas before she was born.

Remember this Tami? Thank you so much again! The Lakey's gave this to us the Christmas after we got engaged. Love love love it!

We had Christmas with the Ekeland's Christmas Eve which is tradition. Unfortunately I forgot my camera and didn't get any pictures.

The weekend of Christmas we made a trip to Denison (the town that I grew up in) for Christmas on my dad's side of the family. We had Christmas at my Grandma's house. That brought back a ton of memories from when I was little and holiday's spent with my cousin's. Unfortunately not all of my cousins and Aunt and Uncle were able to make it. It was a really fun time though but sad at the same time because that could be the last time we're able to get together at the farm for Christmas like that. With this trip I forgot my camera again. Sorry there aren't any pictures.

For Christmas on my mom's side we're celebrating this coming Saturday. Hopefully I'll remember to take my camera to this one!

This month has been packed FULL:

• sickness and ear infections (with me...not Julia this time thank goodness!)
• 6 Christmas parties including our life group ugly sweater contest
• 2 white elephant gift exchanges-one which included Jeremy receiving "armpit juice". yuck. Thanks Brandon!
• a winter wonderland Christmas wedding (SOOOOO beautiful!)
• shopping with a sweet friend
• baking
• Christmas lighting
• precious family time at home
• packing a box FULL of Christmas goodies and blessings and shipping to West Africa to my cousin and her hubby-we miss you guys terribly this season but are so thankful that you are where you feel God has called you to be!

Hope you and yours had a meaningful holiday season. See you next year!

scroll down to see previous posts made.

new things

Last fall I found these letters at
Hobby Lobby for a steal. I brought them home, painted them and hung them up in Jewels' room. love love love them! They're so bright and happy and full of personality just like her!

Julia has been eating with utensils regularly for a while now and is VERY independent and strong willed...throws
the food and silverware when someone tries to help her. The
following pictures
are usually how most meals go. Enjoy!

out with the old...

I'm so excited at how God has provided!

About the past 2 months our ol' faithful 30 year old washer has been leaving nice little rust stains on all our whites (and other clothes). Before Julia was born we were debating whether or not to buy a new set. We just couldn't afford it then. And when our dryer quit working God blessed our socks off with providing us an amazing and practically new (2005) dryer in GREAT working condition for only $50. (Thank you again Marsha!!!) Well, we weren't sure if we should spend the money or not (I have HUGE buyers remorse when it comes to purchasing anything) but knew that with the old beast (pictured below) we were ruining all our clothes and there really aren't any other options (for long term) then to get rid of it or take all our clothes to mom and dad's. So......

tuesday night we headed to sears after work. God is so unbelieveble! A front loader that is cheaper then a top loader?! It is being manufactured by a different company and they are selling all these models at close out prices to make room for the "new" brand (even though they're the same thing pretty much).

Those lights and buttons make lots of noise and talk to me when it turns on and I program it. :-)

It only uses 18 gallons of water or less every wash...as compared to the 45-55 gallon per wash beast of a machine that we had. I just cannot get over how amazing God is at providing and openning doors. I am overwhelmingly blessed!

They had a matching dryer but we have the fairly new one that has been working GREAT.

We talked about getting it, but are making ourselves be content with what God has provided. Alot of people don't have dryers that work well and we are blessed for what we have.