Happy 1st Birthday Briton!

My Sweetest Briton – you are now one year old. It seems like only yesterday that I was holding you in my arms at the hospital. That was one of the happiest days of my life, and since then you have made every day a happy one! You my little guy, made me a mommy – and that is by far the biggest gift that God has entrusted me with.

This past year, we have shared many hugs, kisses, laughs, lessons and worries. You have gone from a little infant that depended completely on your daddy and I, to a little boy who is exploring the world all on his own. You love to walk (sometimes run) everywhere, you dance whenever you hear music, you love anything with wheels (cars, trucks, trains), you play with my pots and pans all the time, you blow kisses, clap your hands , make the silliest faces, and you have a smile that can light up a room!

Briton - you have taught me how to be stronger, more patient, be less selfish, laugh more, love deeper than I ever thought possible and pray harder. You’ve opened my eyes to what pure joy really looks like. And for that I thank you!

Your daddy and I will keep on teaching you about Jesus, about life, about love and about hardships. We will always guide you. However, the rest is in God’s hands. So my prayer is that he blesses you with the wisdom to make the right choices; the courage to stand up for what you believe; a love that will pour out on everyone you meet; joy that overwhelms you, and a faith that moves mountains.

And Don’t You Ever Forget…..How much I love you!

Below are some pictures of your birthday party! You had such a fun time and lots of family and friends came to help you celebrate! 

We also got Briton's one year old pictures taken a few weeks ago, so here are some of our favorite shots. Thanks Jennie Krueger for doing such a great job!

Colorado 2012

Every year Alex’s family goes to Red Feather Lakes, CO to get away on a little vacation and go fishing. Alex and I haven’t gotten to go the last three years because of conflicts with work and school, but this year we were able to find a way to go!

Red Feather is up in the mountains about forty–five minutes north of Fort Collins. It is probably one of the prettiest places I have ever visited. There are lakes and mountains everywhere and all of the views make you constantly appreciate God and his creation. The weather was a little chilly while we were there; it even snowed on us the first day we went fishing. But…every day got a little warmer and by the last day we were able to get a little sun! The fishing was also great - it was actually the best it has ever been! Everybody caught multiple fish every time we went out, and we were able to have a fish fry the last night we were there. 

This is a Mama Moose and her babies!

If you look to the left of the picture, you can see a coyote getting closer to see if he can get one of the little moose.

Sunday was our nephew Michael's 5th birthday, so we drove down to Fort Collins and spent the day there. We went to "Fort Fun" - the perfect place for a 5 year old and his 25 year old uncle. Ha! We played mini-golf, rode Go-Karts, bumper boats, and played some games! Then we went to dinner and Michael got to open some of his presents!

We all had such a good time and it was so relaxing! It was just what I needed at the end of a long school year! Hopefully we will get to go back again next year!

All About 4

Goodness…I can’t believe the last time I posted was last year. Well, since this will be our first post of 2012, I figured I would try to make it a good one! With that being said, I hope you enjoy our new post and the significance of “4” in our lives thus far!

Project 4:4
I feel like every time a new year comes around I am determined to get more into God’s word. Things go great for a few months, then life gets in the way and I start getting off track. Then I get back on track, then off again. I think I speak for a lot of people when I say that being consistent about reading the Bible is something we strive for. Well…to my delight, our church is challenging us to do just that!!! In the year 2012 they are asking that everyone embark on reading the Bible cover to cover, and they have named this challenge: Project 4:4. “Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘People do not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” (Matthew 4:4)

You might be asking yourself, “Why is this time and this year different then the rest?” I believe it is different because I am not doing it alone. I have a huge support system, and so does everyone else. Not only is the church asking that we just read the Bible, but they are basing everything that they do this year on Project 4:4. This means that Sunday morning messages, weekly Journey Groups (Bible Studies), and high school Journey Groups will all be about the passages we are reading. I believe it is going to be very hard to fail at this Project because there are so many people and activities in place to hold us accountable. It has also been great to be able to read and discuss some of the day’s passages with Alex, something that will undoubtedly strengthen our relationship with God and each other. I truly believe it is going to be a year of growth, where we get to know God better and love him more!

Bennett turns 4
On Saturday (Jan. 14), we made the drive up to SSC to help our little nephew, Bennett, celebrate his birthday. Bennett loves Superman, so his party was all decked out with Superman gear. When his mom asked him what kind of food he wanted at his party he said, “Strawberries and string cheese.” So, that’s just what he got (there was of course some real food too). Ha! It was so fun to watch him open his presents and hit his piñata. It was also great to spend some time with my family, even if it was just for the day! Happy 4th Birthday Bennett, we love you!

One 4 the money
With some big life changes that are inevitably going to happen in our lives this year, we have decided to make some big financial changes as well. We always seem to find ourselves saying that we need to save for this or that, and although we do, we have never quite had a plan in place to do. Well, after recently finishing, “Financial Peace” by Dave Ramsey, I am excited to start looking at our finances in a whole new way. There is so much more I know now about finances that I would have never known if I hadn’t read this book. The book helps you to really see how important it is to use the principle of contentment to direct your financial decision-making. As Alex and I begin to figure out our new plan and budget, we realize we may need to sacrifice some things in the beginning if we want the rewards later on. It may be a little difficult, but I know it is something we can achieve! Who ever said, making a budget and sticking to it was hard? Pssh…we’ll show them!

Merry Christmas & Happy Birthday

Wow - Another great Christmas in the books! It was jam packed with stuff to do, but I guess that is what happens when our families are both so big! On Friday afternoon (Dec. 23), we traveled up to good ol' South Sioux to see my family. It is always so great to get together with the whole family. That night, Alex, my brother Jason, and I went out and met up with some of our cousins and some old friends from high school. It was nice to catch up with all of them and see how things are going in their lives! Then, all day Saturday and Sunday morning were mostly spent eating and opening presents. We also got a kick out of watching our nephew and niece (Bennett & Anne) open their presents, they are both so stinking cute! Christmas with the Pfister's was a great time this year, and I am so thankful that they live so close and we are able to see them so frequently.

On Saturday night we celebrated Jesus, Alex, and my birthday with my family. My sister-in-law made us a cake and the picture below is the piece that Bennett ate. He got his slice, managed to lick every bit of frosting off that he could, and then said, "Ok, I'm done." It was so funny and adorable!

On Sunday afternoon we drove back to Omaha to celebrate Alex's golden birthday with his family. When we got home, Alex and I opened our Christmas presents from each other. Then that night, we had Alex's traditional birthday dinner - Fondue! Alex's brother, Nate, was in town from Chicago so he also helped us celebrate. It is always so good to see him. The dinner was great, and I think that Alex really enjoyed himself! Happy 25th Birthday babycakes!

On Monday night we celebrated the Ehly family Christmas! Unfortunately, Alex woke up that morning with the flu and was in bed all day! So, he obviously did not partake in any of the festivities. It was fun to get together with his family, eat, and open presents, but it just wasn't the same without Alex there!

As you can probably tell, we had a great Christmas weekend! I am so thankful that there wasn't any bad weather and we were able to drive everywhere safely. We are so blessed to have such amazing families that we are able to celebrate the holidays with! Thanks to all of them for the wonderful gifts and memories from Christmas 2011.