Christmas 2008

Christmas Sweater Party
Ryan, Allison, and I started off my Christmas break with doing some last minute shopping on Saturday before Christmas. Terrible idea and I won't be doing that next year for two reasons. One because there was too many people and I don't like crowds and reason two...well that will come in a later in the post. Then we went to a wedding for Brad and Tiffany Carr. It was beautiful with the Christmas decorations. To end the day...we went to help get ready for and attend the Christmas Sweater Party at Ryan's house. It was so fun! I won't post all the pictures or videos I have of the night because I don't want to embarrass to many people.

This is Ryan and I by the tree. The picture isn't close enough for you all to see the shoulder pads Ryan had in his sweater. But I assure you they were there and noticeable.

All the girls by the tree.
All the boys by the tree.
Adam, Conner, Josh, and Ryan at the party. These are good friends of Ryan's and groomsmen in our wedding.
This is one of my favorite pictures of the night. It is a little dark, but it still gives great laughs!

Well I left for Little Rock on Monday afternoon so that I could go to dinner with Emilee, Abby, and Kelley and then go to the movie. I forgot my camera so there are no pictures. But the time we got to spend together was great!

Tuesday was another crazy day. I didn't do much but I forgot everything all day long. I am so sorry that I forgot about lunch with Rachael. Sorry Rachael. I don't know where my mind was all day. Ok so I do, I was waiting on Ryan to get there all day and we had Christmas at my Dad's and Stepmom's Tuesday night! To past the time I took a thousand pictures of their new puppy. There are some cute pictures but they are all on their camera so I will get them. I put Breck in his stocking and took a picture! I know I am mean! But it is toooooo cute!

Wednesday the craziest day of all! We started by going to my Grandparents at 9 for breakfast and Christmas present opening! I got to see all of my family and spend lots of time with my cousin and her husband Neil!

As if 18 people opening presents wasn't enough for the day. Ryan and I still had one Christmas present left to buy. And it is not that we didn't try for two weeks to find this gift we couldn't find it anywhere. Finally about 2:30 on Christmas Eve we had found it. We had gone back to my mom's to get ready and wait on her so that we could go to Benton for the Candle Light Service and a get together afterwards at the Green's house. Well that sounds pretty normal and laid back until we were on our way down there when we got a call to hurry cause someone special was getting engaged!!! Soooo I hurried to get down there and we heard a breif story from Mrs. Debbie at the house and we headed to the church where ALLISON AND BAXTER GOT ENGAGED!!! WHOOO!!! Baxter and Allison "went to the church early to save seats". When they got there Baxter had left roses and present under the tree. He had her open them and then he pulled out the ring and proposed. We showed up shortly there after! It was a great time and she got to show off her ring at church and afterwards at the get together. They are getting married December 19, 2009.

Allison and I at the church right afterward.

Brother and sister in front of the tree where it all happened.

Allison's and Baxter's whole new family!
Never did I think we would be Sister-in-laws but how much better could it get and we are now engaged at the same time and can plan together!!!!!!!

Some of the clan at the Green's.

The next morning Ryan had Christmas early in Benton with his parents, Allison, and Baxter. Then he came to Little Rock and Ryan and I had Christmas with my mom and Gran. We got lots of good stuff : our bedding for our new house, a new washer and dryer, and Ryan got a new tool chest and tools! (He couldn't have been happier!) Thanks Mom!!!!! We enjoyed our time we got to spend with my mom and gran but we were off again to Malvern to Aunt Joyce's. We got to spend time with lots of family and ate some more good food! Then we headed back to Benton to have Christmas with Ryan's parents. Which was a lot of fun and I got the 411 on all the family in Malvern.

Ryan and his mom on Christmas night.

Lucy got a new rawhide bone from Allison and Baxter and a new PINK! collar from Ryan and I!

So lets recap the day: Ryan started in Benton, went to Little Rock, Malvern, Benton and back to Little Rock!
Sarah started in Little Rock, went to Malvern, Benton and back to Little Rock!
We had a crazy but great day!!!!!

The next day we got up and ran some errands around town and then went back to Benton to spend the night there with Ryan's parents. And on Saturday we went to Malvern again to go to Grandma's and Grandpa's. There we ate some really good BBQ and played hand and foot the card game! Needless to say the boys beat the girls really bad! But hey it was all fun!!!!

Sunday we headed home to rest and Allison and Ryan had to go back to work on Monday, Baxter and I got to stay home and enjoy the rest of our break!

'Tis the Reason for the Season

Last night our friends, Rich and Renee, hosted a Christmas party at their place. Richie text me Sunday night and asked if we wanted to come over Monday night, and followed that with there will be kids there so I understand if you don't want to come. Sarah absolutely loves kids so it wasn't even a thought, we penciled it in. Renee and I used to work together and she and Sarah have become really good friends over the last year, Rich and I play golf some together even though he spanks me every time we play (he's like the only person I can handle getting beat by). As we have mentioned before, they just had a baby, Sallie.

Their friends the Kelley's, Patrick and Lindsey and their 3 yr old, Parker and Griffin also came over. Parker is one cool cat - he says he is shy but he obviously doesn't know what that means. It's a small world, I won't get into the whole story but my Aunt Gina was Patrick's mom's roommate in college and everything came together on their time together over Thanksgiving before the Iowa Green's came to the Metropolis of Malvern.

Then the Whittaker's (Jon and Amanda) and their newest joy Eva all came to party! After a some fellowship and a quick game (thanks to Jon) of "find the pickle.", Rich served up dinner. A heaping bowl of delicious chili with all the fixin's, including carrots - that's a Kansas thing he tried to introduce. Amanda made some Oreo Balls that were to die for, I think I had 100 of them and didn't regret it one bit.

Before we could part ways, Rich and Renee had some games for us to play. The first game we had to tear a Christmas tree out of construction paper from behind your back without looking with a 2 minute time limit....I WON!!! Christmas Movie trivia was next, Sarah and I got last...that's OK we will practice up before next year.

Lastly, we all got together and sang the Twelve Days of Christmas and acted out our part. Ha I am laughing out loud as I type this thinking of some of the acting skillz. My favorite was 6 geese and laying and Jon popped out a little round candle! Wow...

What a great time with friends!! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!

BRECK!!!!

This is Breck. My dad and stepmom's new puppy. He came by to play this afternoon! He is so cute!!!


He loved playing with Nelson's elephant. But he wasn't that interested in Nelson. But Nelson sure did like him. He is still running all over the house looking for him. It is so funny.

More Wedding Updates

Save the Date!!

May 23, 2009
Trinity Presbyterian - Little Rock
Reception Immediately following @ CCLR

A few wedding updates....

1.) Groomsmen and Bridesmaids gifts have been ordered. I can't go any further than that without giving it away.
2.) Sarah ordered and got her Garter! All you single fellas get in line and get those mitts softened up, I don't want to see any goat paws in the audience.
3.) Dresses: Both Bridesmaid's and Sarah's dress have been ordered, her should be here mid-March I guess I have to wait until May 23rd to see it and won't she look fabulous!!!
4.) We have picked out wedding invitations and should be ordered soon!
5.) We finished up getting registered: Dillards, Bed Bath and Beyond, and Home Depot
Fayetteville Specialty Stores: Copper Pig
Benton Specialty Stores: Smith-Caldwell and Cherry's Hallmark
Little Rock Specialty Stores: Fifth Season's and Full Moon (coming soon!)

It seems our wedding to-do list is shortening on paper but I am sure my "to do" list is getting longer for when this is all over. And sadly to say I look forward to all of Sarah's "honeydo's."

FYI........I CAN'T WAIT TO GET MARRIED TO THIS MOST AWESOME GIRL!!

Thanksgiving

Well we ate and ate and ate some more! We started our Thanksgiving at Ryan's grandparents house in Malvern with his Aunt Gina and Uncle Tom and two of their children Ben and Katie who had come down from Iowa. Also Ryan's parents, sister Allison, and Nelson (the dog) came. And then of course his grandparents were there. We started the morning by having some fellowship and telling stories. Then we ate GREAT lunch around 11:30. Ryan and I loaded up around 1 and head to another Thanksgiving in Little Rock at my grandparents. There we had my grandparents, my Aunt Kris, Uncle Pete, Sean, Thomas, Charlotte, Olivia, , my Aunt Karen, Uncle Ty, Robert, Lauren, Neil, then we had Uncle Pete's sister Elise, his mom Joan, and his newphews Jason, and Alex, then my dad, step mom and step sister and Ryan. We had a crowd! We loaded up our plates and ate again at 2. We sat around and chatted after we ate and then we head over to my moms. There was my Aunt B and Uncle Buddy, my cousins Clayton and Chase and my Gran and my mom. We ate dessert there then just sat there. Needless to say we saw a lot of family today! We are so thankful to have such wonderful friends and family! Thanks to everyone for allowing us to be a part of this special day!

Hit and Run!

Well, in the middle of the night at 1:05 this morning we were awaken to the car alarm of Baxter's truck going off and another car speeding off. Amy and her sister Jill were asleep in Amy's room, Ryan was asleep in Allison's room and I was in my room. Amy and I have to take the Praxis today so we had gone to bed early. Amy and Ryan jump out of bed to see what was going on. Amy said she thinks someone had broken into Baxter's truck. I didn't know anything had happend until the opened the fromt door and they were talking. So we all walk out side and to our surprise the truck's back tire was in our yard. Someone had hit him. It took us a minute to figure out that the main impact was on the back driver's tire. They had hit the truck so hard that it moved it back about 3 feet and pushed it up over the curve. I decided to call the police then instead of waiting until the morning. They came out and he was a very nice police officer. It took about 15 minutes to get all the info he needed and he left. That was about 2:10. At 3:40 I as awoken again with someone beating on my front door and ringing my doorbell repeatly. I jumped out of bed and ran down the hall as Amy is yelling at me. It was another police officer, he first words to me as he yelled, "WHO'S TRUCK IS THIS?'' I thought he was mad because of the way it was park. But come to find out within an hour and a half of the first police officer leaving they had caught the guy and arrested him!! Way to go Fayetteville Police!!!!

Christmas at by house!

This past weekend Amy and I put up the Christmas tree. I absolutely love Christmas. I decorated the living room, but the rest of the house is still Fall. But I can not tell you all how happy it makes me to walk out to the living room each morning and the tree is already lit up. It is wonderful! I am so excited that I will get to spend time with friends and family this holiday season.

Razorback Games

So it is Razorback Football Season. All season long we have been blessed to have so many friends and family come to visit us. We so so grateful that we get to spend time with each and everyone of you. Also the beginning of basketball season is now upon us and we have been going to some of those games this past week as well with different friends. We are so happy that Mary Alice a good friend of Allison and Ryan got to come and share one of those games with us, but we forgot the camera. But Mary Alice don't worry we won't forget that fun night! Even when i tried to kill you! Here are some pictures from the season and the games.

Wedding Updates

Ok, so Sarah and I have been engaged almost 3 months! Just a run down on where we stand - the first month was non-stop go and do and see, trying to find a place to have it. Little Rock was the town, we just didn't have a venue - Sarah's church growing up didn't have a center aisle so she axed it, several other churches we liked either wouldn't do it on the day we wanted, May 23, 2009 (scheduled around the particular photographer we wanted, Hudson Photography) becuase of Memorial Day weekend. We finally found the most awesome place, Trinity Presbyterian in Little Rock. Sarah grew up Church of Christ and I am Baptist, not a huge deal but we were nervous about the Presbyterian thing, just because neither one of us knew much about their practices.

Enough with that, the only other task Sarah put me in charge of was finding the band for the reception, which is at County Club of Little Rock in the Garden Room which over looks my greatest passion (besides Sarah), the golf course and downtown Little Rock. After weeks of research, I came across a band from Little Rock called Tragikly White. They will be amazing, what a night cap to the most wonderful day of our lives. Tragikly White mixes disco, funk and highly danceable 70's, 80's, and 90's music for a crowd-pleasing, high-energy production. So get out your dancing shoes, shine them up and get ready to dance!

As we near our long awaited day Sarah and I will continue to update you with the progess of wedding planning. I thought my part was tough, asking Sarah's parents and getting the right ring. Little did I know the hard part was still to come. Thank God for Sarah and her amazingness!!

Engagment Pictures

We took engagement pictures last month and we wanted to share a few.