Sunday, December 30, 2012

Christmas 2012

Our 1st Christmas as husband and wife was a huge success! Alan was able to have six days off in a row which was a miracle and an answered prayer. I never would have dreamed that we would not only get to go home for Christmas but get to spend six days with our families during his first year of residency. But I'll take it, no questions asked :) We had such a wonderful time catching up with dear friends and family.  It makes the holidays extra sweet when you live hours away from those you love.  I am already looking forward to Christmas next year!

A few weeks before Christmas we made the most boring drive ever drove the lovely 3 1/2 hour drive to Birmingham for the annual Santa Buffet. Alan's parents live in Shoal Creek and the country club has a Christmas buffet each year where the most beautiful Santa in the world greets everyone and a delicious meal is had by all.  Alan and I have not missed this event since we have been dating! I love it because of Santa, and Alan loves it because of the endless dessert bar. Just kidding!! We really love it because we get to visit with his sweet family and make special memories! 
Christmas 2010
Christmas 2011
Christmas 2012 
Christmas 2012 
Cease Family - Christmas 2012 

We went back to Mississippi for a week of work then loaded up the car and headed "home for the holidays!!!"  Below is a recap of the fun had during Stewart-Cease Christmas 2012.....
We enjoyed dinner and dessert with our dear friends, the McGee Family! Haleigh with her nephew, Cooper and me with my niece, Anna Scott. 
Precious babies!  Cooper is getting a baby brother in May and we cannot wait to meet him! 
On Saturday we visited the Stewart clan at my Grandparent's house in Cottontown, TN. 
Christmas Eve 
Christmas Eve
Mary Catherine, Mom, ASL, and me on Christmas Eve
Stewart family on Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve tradition is to gather at my Grandmother's house, eat a delicious meal, and open presents! Traditional grandchildren (and great-grandchild) photo! Jacob, Chandler, Jalon, Mary Catherine, Allison and Anna Scott 
Present Time! 
New outfit for our Disney trip in just a few weeks!!!! 
Sweet boys! 
This girl loves to play BALL! 
Love our Roll Tide shirts from Grandmother!
Anna Scott loves the moon so this frame is a perfect gift!! I will cherish it always! 
Love these bags! Thanks Mom! 
Precious calendar from Anna Scott!
Love my Tory Burch boots....my Hubby knows me so very well! :) 
Mom and Dad had our Wedding Invitation matted and framed. It is absolutely gorgeous! Such a special gift! 
Close up! 
First Christmas as the Ceases! 
Silly Reindeer! 
Anna Scott Laney - 2nd Christmas 
Love this precious lil girl! She put her bow in her hair all by herself...so pretty :)
We got to see Anna Scott open her gifts from Santa on Christmas morning before we headed to Birmingham for Cease family Christmas. She was precious and loved her toys from Santa!! 

Santa and the Reindeer left some treats on their plate.... 
Toys, toys, and more toys! 
Merry Christmas Anna Scott! Aunt Allison loves you to the moon and back!! 
After all the fun was to be had in Arab, we headed to Birmingham.  My mother-in-law is one talented lady and she had their home beautifully decorated for Christmas. This is their first Christmas in their new home and we had such a wonderful time! 
Felt exactly as Christmas should....
Delicious Christmas day brunch! 
Dinner time! 
Stocking goodies! 
Beautiful Christmas table setting! 
Few of my gifts....
Burberry Jacket- This has been on my wish list for quite awhile!!! Thank you :) 
I think Tory Burch owes the Cease family a Thank You note for keeping them in business this year!  I have a bit of an obsession.
Quite possibly my favorite gift this year. A dear friend and neighbor of the Ceases' got a few pictures of our first home from Mrs. Cease and drew a portrait. It is so special to us and we will always cherish this treasure! 
Doodles and Emme!
And sometimes...nothing beats eating a candy cane in your diaper :)
 I hope that you all enjoyed opening gifts, eating wonderfully cooked meals, and spending time with family and friends. However, my prayer is that you took time to remember and rejoice in the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus, our Savior and Lord! May God bless you throughout this new year. 




Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Giving Thanks and Getting Festive

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday.  Not only does it kick-off the holiday season with some delicious once-a-year kind of food, but it also doesn't involve the stress and headache of scrambling to buy those perfect gifts for every single family member.  And it's a time of giving thanks. A time to reflect on your life and actually recognize all the things that you truly have to be thankful for. Each day I take so many aspects of my life for granted and spend way too much time focusing on the things that I wish were different.  I recognize my blessings throughout the year, but rarely do I take the time to soak them in and truly "give thanks" to my friends, family and most importantly to my Savior.  
"Not what we say about our blessing, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving."      
                                                                                                                                       W.T. Purkiser         
I find myself saying "I am so blessed" or "Thank you Lord for all the blessings you have provided me" very often, but what is more important than verbalizing my thanks is to act upon these blessings to better serve Him and reach out to those who are longing to be loved.

This was my first Thanksgiving as a married lady, and my first Thanksgiving to live in a different state from my sweet family.  As Alan and I packed up the car to head to Alabama, I realized more than ever how thankful I am for our families.  I felt so much warmth and love just being in the car knowing that we were about to spend quality time with the ones we love so dearly.  Living 5 hours away from my parents and 3 1/2 hours away from my in-laws has been challenging. But I am thankful for our life. I am thankful that God has placed us where we are and I can already tell that He is doing great things through us here in Mississippi.  Not only is God strengthening our marriage through this transition but He is working on each of our hearts individually, making us better servants for Him. And for that I am grateful.

Here are a few snap shots of some pretty sweet blessing....







Now, it's time to ring those bells and sing those carols because it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Cease house!  We did something that I swore I would never do....decorate for Christmas before Thanksgiving. However, we did have a pretty decent excuse. Alan had the weekend before Thanksgiving off and would be working night float the entire month of December (which makes for a very sad, lonely wife might I add). So really the only time for me to have Alan's help in putting the Christmas decorations up was before Thanksgiving.  So we did just that and hoped that our neighbors wouldn't think we were the new "crazies" on the block! 






I wish you a very Merry Christmas!