Skip to main content

2016 Christmas Letter

Christmas 2016
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I honestly thought we wouldn’t make it this far this year as 2016 was really rough for us. Between replacing the hot water heater, my family getting stuck in Percy, Arkansas, the car dying twice, the basement being torn up because of water damage, and the fun adventures with a new dishwasher I cannot wait to say goodbye to twenty-sixteen. I am reminded though that although we can be in the midst of trials there are always things to be thankful for.

This year started out with Eric being let go of his job at Bill Jacobs. A huge blow to us because he was really enjoying his new position. The company though had decided to get rid of the entire department so multiple people were out of work. He finally found a new position at Zimmerman Ford in St. Charles. The pace was a lot slower than his previous job but it was easy work. As time went on old co-workers tried to get Eric to leave his job and come work for them, but he stuck it out and he ended up being promoted to Service Advisor. A huge blessing! He works Monday through Friday with weekends off. Another huge blessing! Not to mention he loves his new position. Extra huge blessing!

I am still at the ULTA Beauty Corporate office and I love my work and co-workers. I am also a wedding planner. My website is up, the business cards are made, and the emails have started coming in. This past May was the busiest yet as I had two brides get married one week from each other. The double job is tough but watching dreams come true is more than worth it. And as if I didn’t have enough to do already, I am back in school getting certified in Event Planning. I’m hoping to be done with classes by the New Year.

This past October we took a drive down to Branson, MO stopping in St. Louis along the way. It was a welcomed break. We strolled around the St. Louis Zoo, went up in The Arch, played mini golf, rode the Branson Ferris Wheel (old Navy Pier Ferris Wheel), walked through the Titanic Museum (amazing! Do this if you get a chance), and made our way through Ripley’s Believe it or Not! It is so nice to be able to get away with my husband for a week.

It is easy for us to sit here and complain but Paul says to rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice! I’m reminded of the hymn Thanks to God for my Redeemer, “Thanks for prayers that Thou hast answered, thanks for what Thou dost deny! Thanks for storms that I have weathered, thanks for all Thou dost supply! Thanks for pain, and thanks for pleasure, thanks for comfort in despair! Thanks for grace that none can measure, thanks for love beyond compare!” While I cannot sing it without crying I know that the Lord is working in our lives for His good. During this Christmas season I am learning to be more thankful. I am thankful for Christ coming as a baby. I am thankful for my parents who provide for us a warm place to stay. I am thankful for the special relationship I have with my in laws and the love they share. I am thankful for our extended families and wonderful friends. And I am thank that I have you to send these Christmas letters to.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and happy New Year. May the Lord continue to bless each one of you and I cannot wait to see what the Lord brings our way next year.

Love,

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Free Samples and Offers

I wanted to get this out soon as possible as I know the Holidays are upon us and everyone is looking to save some money this time of year. This post is geared towards parents of multiples but if you have singletons please feel free to reach out to the companies below too for some free samples and offers, but please be aware some offers might not apply to you. If you’re like me then the minute your babies were born you were online looking at deals and ways to save money. I came across a lot of blog posts and articles stating if you contact this company then they will send you this product free. I thought how true is this? So I put them to the test. I took many lists from the internet and combined it into one giant list of baby product companies; I then emailed and mailed each company requesting free samples due to the birth of my twin girls. Below you will find the responses I received. Some companies were great, while others were….off putting. I included coupon codes I found o...

October 6, 2017 - The Whole World Now Knows We Are Pregnant!

Wow. This past week has been crazy. We finally told the world that we’re expecting our babies this coming spring and I’ve receiving nothing but congratulations all week long. I strategically planned out our announcement as I’m not one for personal attention. I tend to shy away and knew I would need a week of a few “congratulations” and hugs here and there before I really started to see people and be overwhelmed by hugs and questions, etc. The internet is different, I have time to respond and think about how I’m going to answer certain questions but when you’re face to face with someone you don’t have a lot of time to think and it at times can make me anxious. Any way the cat is out of the bag and everyone knows now and I’m excited to be sharing my journey now publicly. I love posting pictures and writing updates. Even if people weren’t interested in our story I think it’s a nice keepsake to look back on and remember the journey it took to get to this point and the enjoyment of pregnan...

Wedding Planner - Emergency Bridal Kit

One question I get often as a Wedding Planner is "What is in my Emergency Bridal Kit?" As a built in service for my brides I provide them an Emergency Bridal Kit on the day of their wedding. This kit includes personal care products, first aid, pain relievers, tools - anything you think you MIGHT need on the day of the wedding. These kits are custom made for each bride as no wedding is ever truly the same but most kits have a common core list of items. Because I have a wedding today I thought it would be a great idea to show you what's in Today's Bride's Emergency Kit.  Tools: Pliers Wire Cutters Measuring Tape Screw Drivers of various sizes (Flat Head & Phillips) Hammer  &/or Mallet It's amazing how many times you can say "I wish I had a screw driver or tape measure with me for this..." It's better to just be prepared because you never know what you'll be called to do or what will need some fixing. Personal...