December Photo Challenge: Days 21-26

Day 21: Tree Topper

Day 22: OOTD (Outfit of the Day)

Day 23: Scarf

Day 24: Christmas Eve - Spent it with Marc and my parents by the fire :)

Day 25: Christmas 

I'm so glad Marc got to share in our Christmas morning traditions. We listened to the Christmas story out of Luke and opened gifts by a fire, listening to Tony Bennett :) I love my new pea coat! 

Day 26: Favorite Gift

Marc gave me gorgeous diamond earrings. No one has ever given me diamond earrings before. I cried haha

Anndd this was me on my way to spend the couple days before Christmas with Marc's family!

December Photo Challenge Catch Up

Day 15: Favorite Holiday Song (def one of my favs is Silent Night)

Day 16: Lights (I love it when these get put up!) 

Day 17: Lockscreen (Marc and I in Santa Cruz)

Day 18: Candy Cane (Here's my nephew playing a memory game - He's so smart!) 

Day 19: Santa Hat (All of us piled into a car last night and drove around the neighborhood in search of Christmas lights and we came across a parade of firetrucks slowly moving through the streets. People were outside taking pictures. It was really neat.)

Day 20: Christmas Tree 

In other news, my brother got me The Office kit for Christmas :)

Also, here's Jasper givin me some love from last weekend

Aaannnndd I discovered these new stick on nail art thingys.. They stay on forever!! So fun

My First Tattoo!

No, your eyes don't deceive you. Maria actually got a tattoo haha.

Contrary to those who think my boyfriend (who has many tattoos) influenced me to get a tattoo, I've actually been planning my first tattoo for over 4 years. In fact, he actually said it's more rare to find a girl without a tattoo and he loved me just the way I was. He said if I wanted to get a tattoo, he would support me. But he never pressured me.

I'm a perfectionist and pretty cautious with permanent things. So I wanted to make sure I wouldn't regret it. I went back and forth between symbols, hebrew, greek, etc. I kept coming back to Beloved, not just for the verse in Song of Solomon (I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine). It represented the intimacy I share between me and God. I know it is proper etiquette to have your tattoo facing outwards to present to others, but this one was personal and not for others. It was to be a daily reminder for me, putting His mark on me.. that I am His, and He is mine. So I decided to have it face towards me. I also had a hard time choosing the location and the font, but I finally decided.

My drummer on my worship team has his own tattoo shop and did it for me. He is also a perfectionist and did beautiful lines. He had worship music playing in the background, and it was such a cool experience. Honestly, I'm not lying, it didn't really hurt at all. Marc will attest to the fact that I was smiling the whole time out of giddiness. It was more annoying than anything. Only one letter kind of hurt because it was over a vein I think. Anyway! Here are some pics :)

I absolutely love it and couldn't be happier with it :) 

December Photo Challenge: Day 14

Family:
I love my growing family! I'm so blessed..

And here's a couple pics for Flash Back Friday ;)

Is my mom hot or what?!

Evil Myth

"One of the most evil myths of our day is that a woman who has joined hands with God in creation can destroy that creation because she claims the right to control her own body. Since the life within her is not her own, how can she justify its termination and deflect that life from an earth which it may never inherit?"

James E Faust

December Photo Challenge: Day 13

Best Friend(s):

Anyway, this week has totally draggeeeedd. I'm so glad it's Friday tomorrow. I'm looking forward to our staff Christmas party, although I'm pretty sure the white elephant game is going to blow cause there's like 3 pages of rules. Oh well! And most importantly, I can't wait to be with Marc this weekend!

peace

Getting Behind

So I keep forgetting to update this thing with my december photo challenge!

Day 10: Wrapping Paper
Here's a present for one of my coworkers hidden in my desk

Day 11: Black & White

Day 12: 12:12 12/12

Caught it!

Let's see, what else.. Oh, my nephew's present came in the mail! 

Raise em up the way they should go, right? ;) 

Here's my DRC family Christmas photo! I can't believe it's been a year and a half already.. 

And lastly, I'm starting to perfect the sock bun!! 

Playing Catch Up

Day 6: Boots
From Shoedazzle.com

Day 7: A Winter Sight

The Christmas tree at the 180 Teen Center

Day 8: Decorations

One of our neighbors' houses... close enough

Day 9: What I'm Reading

This devotional has gotten me through some very dark times..By L.B. Cowman

December Photo Challenge: Day 5

Handwriting:

My mom hates my signature because it's so messy (like my Dad's). But I can't help it! 

This morning has been such a tease.. I have problems falling asleep and staying asleep, so I was exhausted coming into work this morning. The power went out around 9am and PG&E said they wouldn't get someone out there till 11am, so they sent us all home temporarily. Since I live around the corner I booked it home and crawled back into bed for a nap. By 9:45 I had just fallen asleep when the call came to return to work.. I started crying. Now I'm more tired than I was before and absolutely miserable. Ok, I guess that's enough complaining for one day. 

Tonight, I'm going to a showing of A Christmas Story in Elk Grove with some of my co-workers. I've never seen it before, so it should be fun :)

December Photo Challenge: Day 4

Weather: (boring, much?)

December Photo Challenge

Sooo I'm a little late in starting this, but who cares!

Day 1: Selfie

This is me from today

Day 2: Favorite Holiday Movie

Ah there's so many good ones! Home Alone is definitely in the top 5, but one of my favs is 

It's a Wonderful Life

Day 3: Something Red

Hmm.. The only thing red in my office is my lighthouse

Void

I always need an animal to dote on and love and take care of, and ever since Dusty died I've felt a huge void. Marc already has a cat, and eventually we want to get a German Shepherd. I can't get a cat right now, since I'm living with my parents and I'm not home enough to take care of a kitten. So until I move out or get married I'm petless... But it'll give me time to grieve and for my heart to be ready for another pet. Good thing it's like a cat farm at Marc's house and I can cuddle with kittens whenever I want :)

Me @ 17 and Dusty @ 9

Kitty @ 7 years old 

Early "Elfing"

When I was growing up, I loved to make gifts for my whole family (since I didn't have money to buy them gifts). Giving gifts is definitely a major love language of mine (reference The 5 Love Languages book). When I was wrapping all my gifts I would call it "elfing". Today, I'm the same way, only I practically break the bank and spend way too much. But it's so hard not to! I just want to show everyone how much they mean to me :)

So I started early and did some "elfing" yesterday. I braved the arden mall and target, did 2 hours of wrapping and signing cards, and I'm finally almost all done with my shopping! Just a few more items and I'm done!

Ta da!

Real Men Aren't Afraid of Twilight

Now, it is no secret that there's a feud between Twilight fans and Harry Potter fans. Honestly, I think to bash the other type of fan is pretty immature. Are we all still in junior high? Get a life! haha Granted, each group is vastly different, but both movie series have things to praise and things that can be easily made fun of.

Anyway! Not only has Marc watched a 2 hour special of The Bachelorette with me, and not only did he sit and watch the whole Katy Perry Movie with me, but he took me to see Twilight's Breaking Dawn: Part 2 yesterday. Because it's important to me, he makes it important to him. I'm such a lucky woman.. I loved the twist in the movie, and it was pretty true to the book (which I appreciate). I even had tears in my eyes at the end cause I'm sad it's over :(

Before we left and just a TAD excited..

My Love :)

Shoot Christians Say

This had me laughing SO hard. It's good to be able to laugh at yourself ;)

http://m.godtube.com/watch/?v=0JM1EFNU

Reunited with Good Friends

While at Bethany, God blessed me with spiritual family in the Parish's. I found great friends in Justin and Jamie, and second parents in Carrie and Ron. They were there for me through some really dark times. Carrie surprised me two Sundays ago and came to my church! I started crying because I felt so loved (and I was emotional from saying goodbye to Dusty just the previous day). Then we went over to William Jessup to visit with Jame and Justin and have lunch. This past Saturday their whole family treated Marc and I to dinner. I'm so glad they got to meet him. And they LOVE him! Who wouldn't?! ;) I really love this family a lot.. with my circle of friends getting smaller and smaller, I have a new found grateful heart for my real friends.