Happy 7th Anniversary!

Today is our 7th anniversary!  This year Justin and I will have known each other litterally half our lives.  We met when we were 15, on a mission trip to West Virginia.  We came back from the trip and started "dating".  (Whatever dating really was, as neither of us could drive at the time.  :c)  We had a couple months of on again, off again, but more or less we were an "item" throughout high school and then college (never dating anyone else).  I will forever admit, that Justin knew way before I did that we would end up married.  He always said that he didn't want to date around, that he wanted to meet a girl and that would be it.  I had no idea, at 15, that I would be dating my future husband.  He obviously grew on me and God showed me that he was definitely, the "one". I love the fact that we have so much history together.  We truly are best friends, and always have been.  

 

15 years old.  Our first picture, our first "date" (a friend's birthday party).

 

8 years later, our wedding January 21, 2006.

 

7 years later, a very blessed family.

 

Family Outings

I only made one New Year's resolution, and that was to do a family outing once a month.  We've always been bad about going out and doing things.  Cost, laziness, other responsibilities, etc. have always been our excuses.  My girls won't remember the price of things, but more the fun that we had together.  So, once a month my goal is to get out and do something!  Here are actually two outings that we've done this past month. 
The first was to the Toy Train Expo.  Since getting our train set for Christmas a year ago, my girls have loved seeing little train sets.  My uncle, the toy train finatic told us about this expo and we decided to make a trip.  We were shocked with the price of this "hobby" and I don't think we will be buying any new pieces for our set (stick to Christmas gifts from Uncle Ed!), but it was fun to see. 

 

For Christmas this year, I gave Justin a Groupon gift to the Rythym Discovery Center.  His love language is quality time, and spending on a tight budget I thought this was worth a try.  It was awesome!  Justin LOVES music, expecially percussion, and Justin LOVES his girls.  We all had a blast!  I totally recommend it to anyone in the central Indiana area.  Definitely don't go there with a headache however, your ears will be ringing when you leave! ;c)

 

Notice Morganne covering her ears....

 

Yeah, it was that loud...  haha!

The one picture of me, proving I was there ;c)  I'm definitely not muscically oriented and have very little rythym.  I was perfectly content to staying behind the camera. 

 

 Look at that determination!

Yeah, he's loving it! ;cD

 

 Family photo at the drum circle!

 

Uh oh....

 

Learning about sound vibrations....

 

 I think they liked it too!

 

Awesome Christmas gift!

 

Today we recieved my Christmas gift from my Dad, a new shelf that wraps our dining nook!!!  Ever since this house was being designed and built I've envisioned this shelf!  So thankful to finally get it up.  I have never had a place to display all of my Willow Tree collection.  I had no idea I had so many!  I received the Nativity set from my Grandmother for my birthday, Christmas, and graduation from college 7 years ago.  I've since received extra pieces of the collection but never to this day had a place to put them all up.  Some of them had never even been opened.  Now I get to really decorate. I love it!!!

 

Here are a few pics of the fun in the snow we had earlier this week.  I'd MUCH rather the pretty snow and frozen ground to the rain and MUD we have now.

Yes, I was the target for many snowballs ;c)