Mao's Birthday

Yesterday was Mao's 7th birthday so keeping with our new birthday tradition I took this birthday picture of him. Josh decorated by putting up the birthday banner and of course instead of putting it down by him, I lifted all 40lbs of Mao to the counter (lifting with my back in small jerking motions of course) and took this picture before he jumped off. Mao is so cute I love him! He is the best dog ever and now that he is considered a senior in dog years he gets to retire and just sleep and eat all day long...wait that is all he does already.

Letter to My Family

So my plan was to send all of you a personal note of thanks sometime soon after the wedding but I just never got around to it and since I want to make sure it gets done I will just do it all at once on the blog. There has been some big events in my life the past 6 months that would have been largely impossible without your help and support, I I have really come to appreciate how great you all are how much fun it is to be around you. Of course Kristy and I want to say thanks for the BBQ you all chipped in for, we have loved it and been able to use it several times already.

Cole: Thanks for all of the nieces and nephew, I love being able to have fun with them and, of course, give them a hard time. And thanks for pretending it's funny when I do my impression of mom or Kristy on the phone since I know it hasn't actually been funny for at least 12 month's (if it ever was).

Tiger: Thanks for being someone I admire and strive to be like. I also love being able to make fun of the fact that mom likes you more than all of the other kids. "Only Ty"

Matt: Thanks for coming all the way across the pond to attend mine & Kristy's wedding. I was happy to see you and I was so happy that Amy was able to come and hang out. I had so much fun with you guys here and it wouldn't have been the same without you. Also your kids and home are better than Nicholle's

Toad: I'm glad that we have the same sense of humor and that I have someone to share my adventures in the bathroom with. It has been great seeing you this Christmas and I'm glad that you will be the butt of all family jokes for at least the next 18 months.

Parents: Thank you for the unwavering support throughout the years and for all that you continue to do for me, and now Kristy. Without your advice and help ($$$) it would have been next to impossible for us to purchase our home. I'm gad that I enjoy coming over to your house and that I can just relax while mom asks if she can take me out to lunch or tries to give me money from her purse. And dad, thanks for all of your advice and patience and mostly thanks for putting off retirement a few more years so that mom can continue spending money on all of your kids and grandkids.

Our First Christmas Together

We had a great Christmas this year. I was so surprised on Christmas morning when I opened my present from Josh and his parents and saw an ipod touch! First because I was not expecting it at all, and second because Josh cannot keep secrets and he actually kept that a secret from me for a long time and that must have been very hard for him. So thank you for that wonderful surprise on Christmas! This is really the only picture I got this Christmas of Josh with the Bubba Clause santa hat that my mom got at a gas station in Tennessee. And I know it is hard to see because of the camo but if you look really close you can spot it on his head.


And this is our new chair that we got for a Christmas/Wedding gift from my mom. So now we can actually have people over and they will have somewhere to sit! I love it and I am so excited to finally have more than just a couch in my front room! And Mao hates anything new so he refuses to sit in the new chair, but that is ok with me because then he wont stink it up. I am sad Christmas is over already, it is definitely the best time of the year, but now I can start planning for next year!