Fourth anniversary.

"The days are long, but the years are short."

Truly!

Happy Anniversary, Love! Sure glad we're on this road together! ♥

Easter weekend in pictures.

RaleighEaster.

Gfam visit. (in phone-pics.) ♥

Girlfriend is on a duct-tape-project frenzy! She made J the purple iphone holder, herself the pink hair bow then we made braided bracelets and the flower pen... So great!♥

...funny story about the hair bow: we were in the mall and a girl passed by with one in her hair.... Kayla did a happy dance and said, "I started somethin. Oh yeah!" She is certain she made it up. Trending from MB to Raleigh. Good stuff, little one!

J's birthday....

Sweet times with the A-fam (including surprise visit from J's brother's family!♥♥)

10.11.12 Birthday thirty-three

Another sweet birthday on the coolest date yet! :)
...the highlights...

a husband-smart-phone-wakeup-birthday song :)

breakfast with J at the flying biscuit. YUM!!

a photo shoot of my lovely co-teacher+husband

and a yummy thai lunch + ice cream for us too!

after picking up J from campus we joined In Situ's two-yr-old celebration, had some great burgers, and enjoyed catching up with some classmates!

...not to mention all the goodness from our families last weekend (while we were home for Kayla's bday)!

Sweet day! Sweet year!
So Thankful!♥♥

Big little sister

She just keeps growing and growing and growing!

Glad for that, but wow.


Ten. Years. Old. Oh my! ♥


(the Pirate place was pretty cool too!:)

Running home: Jensen wedding edition

So nice to get to be involved in my friend Stacy's wedding!

...and get a little morning with the fam too! ♥

Saturday night: rehearsal dinner

Sunday morning: a little family time

Sunday: prep & wedding evening!

Running home...

We missed a lot of birthdays, holidays, & really great reasons we could have run home during the school year due to crazy work & school schedules... But this breathing room of Summer certainly feels like reward for the waiting!

We are enjoying soaking up every reason & opportunity to take the quick trip home to see these loves!!

So glad we got to be there for Cade's first birthday party & to celebrate our dads!! ♥

raleigh easter...

This thing called RaleighEaster -which I only first heard of a few months ago... was. fantastic.

Good Friday service (at west campus)

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Saturday's Egg Hunt

60,000 eggs and thousands of people!!!!

....And some very wonderful news coverage...}

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the home of Sunday's service. wow.

Celebrating with almost 2000 was breathtaking. The music, the message, communion.. It was a sweet time to say the least! <3 </></></></></></></>

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ohmy. candy from Mom&Dad!! <3

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some glorious porch time

Hope yours was lovely too!
♥

Anniversary date nights...

We were so excited to be turning TWO, it took us three days [or evenings] to celebrate...

Our actual anniversary night (3/20) fell on a Tuesday and just so happened to be the night before a review. {review meaning 'final project presentation' for Jeremy & his class partners} ... Definitely one of those supper-come-to-campus kind of nights... :)

Tues: actual anniversary supper on campus

Jeremy and said partners spent the rest of the night finishing up this masterpiece. [rough pic, but hopefully you get the idea:]

(google image search of the CGCA)

After catching up on sleep, we continued our celebrating later in the week...

Thurs: carrabba's [gift card] datenight :)

Fri: art museum datenight

We were hoping to visit this 'primative hut' - it acts as a giant pinhole camera -with a hole in the top to let in light and apparently it reflects the clouds and treescape back down into the hut [onto the viewers]. Unfortunately it closes daily at 5pm. Soon we will experience this very cool contraption!

being silly. capturing our favorite views:)

his fave <3

playing with reflections

more reflecting

& more... (the ceiling in the entryway/exit)

Sweet moments for sure. Love exploring and doing life with this guy.
Thanks for stopping by! ;)
♥

Jeremy's Birthday...

It's already been two weeks(!!) since we celebrated Jeremy's birthday [[so I'm back-dating this to his day (3/3)]]. It was sweet having Mom & Pop in town to help celebrate. They were good sports, constantly letting me take [and post] their picture, taking us out to eat, etc... :)

Good times.
So thankful! ♥

Marks of a new year...

I love the fresh start of a new year, new journal, blank canvas... 

The reflection... 

The goal-setting...

Last year I knew I wanted to read and write more so I made a goal to read a book per month, and I did all right... I actually finished 9 of 11. -This year I'd like to finish 11 of 11. (I'm going to stick with reserving December for Bible/devotional month... it's less frustrating that way. :)

I also knew I wanted to do more with photography, so in January I signed up for a class, later bought my first 'real' camera, and the photography adventures just got better and better throughout the year. I definitely want to keep pressing into that even more this year. (...maybe by taking another class or joining a club in the area... we'll just have to see how that pans out:)

Another goal this year is to increase time spent creating. I've been wanting to start an at-least-monthly craft night for some time now... I think 2012 needs to be the year. 

And finally, I always want to continue growing in faith and love... BSF used to be my vehicle of discipline, but since finishing the track two years ago, I haven't been very structured! This year I plan to start by completing a Beth Moore Bible study and continue from there... 

I could probably brainstorm a thousand more ways I'd love to grow and change this year, but if I don't keep it simple I'll never get off the ground. So here's to realistic goal-setting! :)

 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” -Joshua 1:9

Alford Christmas...

Christmas Day and the day after...

first: pictures with Cade

great-grand

Mom & Son

J's Architecture model - made ornament

after carrots:)

Granchelli Christmas...

Christmas Eve and Christmas morning...

It's hard not to look forward to Christmas presents!
This year is was nice to see Kayla getting so much joy from giving.
She bought our present with her own money and had the biggest grin as we opened them!

Thankful for this sweet fam.