HAPPY NEW YEAR

As I sit here sipping some bubbly and watching the new year's celebration on TV I am reflecting on all of the amazing things that happened to me this year. Of course the biggest blessing of all this is was when I got to marry my very Best Friend! I have been so blessed with an amazing Husband and I am so excited to see what 2011 has in store for us. This year also held great things like Blaine graduating from College... Both of us starting jobs that we enjoy... and my Job has brought me some amazing people that I couldn't imagine not having now! I learned alot about myself in 2010 and I can't wait to learn even more in 2011! Oh and I can't forget my furry blessing of 2010... my adorable Kitty Bella!!! Blaine and I's first pet and she is like a kid for us... I love her!!! So it's pretty obvious... 2010 has been pretty amazing... I've had a lot of firsts and did a lot of traveling and just had a blast every step of the way I mean hey this was the first year in I can't even count how long that I didn't go to school!!! This entire year was school free... WEIRD but wonderful!

So now that we've reviewed 2010 lets look forward to 2011! First and foremost we are super excited to begin the process of finding our first home and will hopefully be in our first home by April! I hope to enjoy life a little and really the little things for the blessings they can be! Now I usually don't do New Year's resolution but this year I decided it would be a good way for me to set some goals for myself and track my progress! And of course I will use this blog to do it! So here's my goals... and I plan to Blog my progress once a week!

• Workout at least once a week
• Go to Church EVERY Week!
• Read my Bible EVERY Day!
• Be a Better House Keeper!

So those are my goals and I will keep you updated on how they go! Also I am going to try the project 365 on facebook starting tomorrow so look for lots of pictures!

PS - I just watched New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys preform together on the new years eve show from New york and it makes me feel super old! Those are the boy bands from when i was a kid... I should not be old enough to say that!!!

First Married Christmas

Well we enjoyed a wonderful week in steamboat springs colorado with Blaine's side of the family. It was an awesome trip just relaxing and playing in the snow... oh and skiing for the rest of them. I am officially a ski school drop out but at least i tried I just didn't like it. But the trip was awesome. Every time I get to spend time with his side of the family I realize even more how blessed I am by the family I gained when I got married. I am so blessed by both sides of my family and I love it. We got back to OKC early afternoon on Christmas Eve and finished the dreaded shopping... I know I'm such a procrastinator. But it was pretty painless so no worries and everyone was very happy with their gifts. Then blaine and I decided to start our own tradition so we went to papa murphy's and got a great big pizza then came home opened our stockings (the only gifts we did this year) and then watch the nightmare before christmas while eating our yummy pizza! I think its a great tradition and I hope we continue it. At least until children our around because then we'll have to leave the stockings for christmas morning. But in my house we always opened a small gift on christmas eve so that will probably continue in our home later on in life. Then we got up christmas morning and started off for all the stops we had to make. We went to the Jones' and enjoyed a christmas morning with my favorite adopted family!! Always fun and always memorable! Then to my parent's house to enjoy christmas with my little family! Mom and Dad got me a CHI!! So excited! And Blaine got a induction charging pad for the wii motes which he is super excited about! Then off to grandma's for the usual yummy food and white elephant (dirty santa)! It was a great christmas!!! I even got to see my nephew Sirus which was probably my favorite part of the day! But the biggest Blessing of the day... A very generous inheritance that sealed the dream of Blaine and I buying a home in the spring... our goal for a down payment has been met and now everything else we save is all the better!!! So excited!!! I think that was the best gift because it put our dream into reality!! After the first we're gonna start the search with a realtor! So come april we will hopefully be HOMEOWNERS!!! So exciting! I am so very blessed with the family I have - both sides! Now I am preparing myself for a big change next christmas. We will more than likely spending next christmas in Nebraska with Blaine's side of the family which of course I will love but it will be the first time in my life I am not with my side of the family and its going to be very strange and a little bittersweet. But I am blessed by both sides of the family and I know no matter what side of the family we are celebrating with we are surrounded by a family that loves us and that is really what matters.

Tis the Season

Well Christmas time is here!!! Only a little over a week until the big day and I am so happy!! However sadly I'm excited because it means its vacation time not because of christmas! LOL!! I think the fact that Bella destroyed our christmas tree has made it difficult for me to get in the christmas spirit not mention the un-godly amount of stress I've been dealing with at work! Moses it has got to get better at some point.... right? But if I can make it through the next few days and some how manage to get everything on my to do list done then it will be time for VACATION and I am so excited!!! I've never been skiing and although i'm really not excited for the actual skiing and I am super excited to go to Colorado again and get to spend some time with Blaine's side of the family!! Which gets me to my soap box for the day.... It bothers me when married couples refer to their families as his and hers... I know it's probably silly but I have always felt like when two people got married they were merging their families as well. So its OUR family just with His side and her side to keep things straight. And that really how I feel... when Blaine and I got married his family became my family and vice versa and I am very blessed because of it! I love both sides of my very LARGE family and I thank god everyday for the blessing he has given me with all of them. Ok thats my soap box for the day. I'm sure when i get back from Colorado I'll have a super long post with pictures about how awesome the trip was and how wonderful christmas was with both sides of the family! So MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

A New Journey

Well it's official I am now a Premier Jeweler! I signed all the paperwork today and I am super excited for my training show on thursday. Premier is a solid christian company that has been in business for 25 years and has blessed the lives of many families because there main goal is to be blessing to their sellers. I know that Blaine and I will be blessed through this opportunity but I am nervous all the same. I always get nervous when new things emerge in my life and this of course is no different. There is a bit of an investment involved which raises the stakes a little but I am confident that I can easily earn back that investment so that this can then become a way for us to save for our dream of becoming home owners in the spring. And one day it will allow me to stay at home with our future children instead of having to put them in child care. All these things make me so excited to start selling Premier Jewelry besides the fact that I LOVE their product! They are amazing pieces that I love to wear and I'm excited to share that with others! So if any of you out there in Blog land is ever interested in hosting a jewelry show I am here and will be happy to come do a show for you! But now I will pray and trust that god is going to provide in this new journey and truly Bless us once again!

Crafty!

So I have been reading lots of blogs all about these women who craft or cook amazing meals all the time and still have full time jobs and it makes me wonder how they have all that time. When i get home all i feel like doing is throwing some food together and relaxing but I decided that my life is entirely too boring so i'm gonna try to become crafty. My first craft attempt was a wreath to hang on our front door at christmas... so far I'm very happy with it but its not quite perfect yet and now i'm going to make a christmas card holder. I found it online and I'm super excited. I bought the ribbon today and I think its gonna look awesome!!! And i've decided to learn how to make the really awesome bows for gifts... its something new for when i'm sick of the TV and the internet. Christmas time makes me so happy I love it... I have been having so much fun working on getting christmas gifts for everyone and deciding on small projects i can do for the smaller gifts to give people at work and such... Its gonna be a great holiday season and I'm so excited!!!

LAME

So I decided that my Blog is BORING! No one comments... half the time I have to stretch to have things to write about.... what can i say I lead a very boring life... So i have a goal... I'm going to find a hobby if you have any suggestions I am completely open.

Four years ago

Wow, four years sure do fly by when you are in love! Four years ago today Blaine and I started on this journey that is our lives together. We didn't know what was in store for us and could have never imagined from that day that we would end up here but it has been an awesome journey and I have loved every single moment of it. Its so funny to look back and think about how different life was when we first met and how many things have changed... the way we live, where we live, who our friends are, everything has changed. I mean there have been some constants but really everything is different. Here we are four years later and we're married in love and planning our future together. Its wonderful and its a blessing and I am so thankful for it. I just encourage everyone to keep in mind that even if you can't imagine something now doesn't mean that the decision you make or the people you meet wont change your life forever. Happy Anniversary Blaine I love you!!

FALL!! Changes!

Well Fall is officially here and you can feel it! I Love fall its my absolute favorite season!! It makes me sad that we only get a few short weeks of it here in Oklahoma before my least favorite season old man winter comes along! But I am going to soak in the fall as much as I can while its here thanks to my new patio furniture :)

Lots of things change in the fall, the weather, the leaves and for me this fall my job! I was offered a new classroom on friday along with a raise! I will now be teaching the Pre-K class and I am so excited! I love my little toddlers dont get me wrong but I am ready for a change and for some children that can talk to me! LOL! So today I will be spending the day trying to get things ready for my new class which very well starts tomorrow! :) Im super excited and can't wait to see what lies ahead!!

Budgets Budgets Budgets

Well its happening... we are pledging to Dave Ramseys Financial Peace University on tuesday. We have already made our budget for October... hehe I like being a step ahead! I'm super excited to learn how to get out of debt as fast as possible cause I hate paying my student loans every month so the faster they are gone the happier I will be! Its all about choices i think... do i buy that new shirt I want or put more toward my loan... do i go out to lunch everyday or do i put that extra money into saving for our first home... all about choices! I think he theory though cause it still allows for freedom and enjoying little things but its all in moderation! I dont know that we'll actually go to an all Cash system but we will track and budget every dime! I'm excited about the thought of being debt free in the next couple of years and being able to save and buy our first home in that time frame too. We originally had plans to possibly buy a home next summer but at this point its looking like we'll be waiting a little longer so that we can build up that savings account. Plus I think we would both feel so much better if all my student loans were paid off before we added a house payment on to that. It's an exciting time here in the Finley home and we are so happy!

The Last few weeks

Well I haven't written in the last few weeks mainly because its been entirely too hard and since i seem to cry at the drop of a hat I knew that blogging would put me into hysterics. But we're gonna try this and see if i can make it through without completely losing it.

So today is Sirus' (my nephew) birthday... I can't believe he is already 2! But its going to be a bittersweet and very emotional day for us. You see for the last two weeks or so his mother hasn't allowed us to see him and has completely ignored all of our many attempts to get in contact with them. She has decided to file for full custody so that Harley only gets visitations and is refusing to let us have him in the mean time. And its a big tangled mess that has us all jacked up. I've been in a weird place since all of this has happened. No matter what I'm doing or who i'm with I'm thinking about it all and if anything at all about it spoken outloud tears come to my eyes. We love that little boy so much and have so much to give to him it absolutely breaks my heart that she is trying to do this when we have done nothing wrong. It just all has brought back so many old emotions from when we fought for Kata and lost that it has my whole family tore up. every conversation we have some how involves Sirus and if there is any new news about the whole situation. But she finally called yesterday and agreed to let us come and see him today... at a specific time.... sadly this is the same time that Michelle's baby shower starts. Luckily I have the most fantastic and support friends in the whole world so I'm gonna go see my little boy long enough to give him his present... hug his neck... and tell him I love him because sadly I dont know when I'll be able to do that again. (failed tears have began) And then i'll go to the baby shower and finish things up.... I feel terrible that its all happened on the same day at the same time but I am so so so thankful that God has answered a small portion of our prayers and is letting us see him today... although I am worried she won't show or she'll be super late as usual and I won't get to see him cause i have other obligations and can't wait around all day for her to finally show... So at this point I'm praying for the best and that just maybe once she sees us all with him she will realize what she is keeping him from and will stop being so petty.

Ok well there is my sad story of why i have been in a funk... so if you have seen or talked to me in the last two weeks and have thought to yourself... she seems weird... something is wrong with her... or anything of that nature... now you know why. Prayers are always appreciated and very much needed at this point. Now off to finish babyshower stuff before going to see my little boy... its gonna be a long emotional day!

Where the Wind comes sweeping down the plain

We have spent the weekend at the Farm and I could not be more relaxed and happy. This week was long and difficult and I was so ready for some relaxing and the farm always does the trick. We've done some work and but all that matters is that its beautiful outside and there is no crazy phone calls or children... no traffic noise... nothing but piece and quite.... I've been watching birds and playing with the dog... watching the wind blow like crazy but enjoying every moment. It amazes me how much I can enjoy just sitting and doing nothing but up here that is what I love the best. All my childhood memories are in this place... where i learned to cook, where i learned to ride a bike, ride a fourwheeler, build a fence, feed a cow, and so so much more. I can't even begin to describe how much this place means to me and how blessed I am to have it to come to when the world gets crazy. It's our family's little piece of paradise! I am so glad that I married a man who loves and appreciates it as much as I do. That was always something that was really important to me, that my husband would enjoy this place as much as I did cause its possible that one day it will be partly ours. And from the very first time I brought Blaine here he talked about how much he loved it and how he loves the fact that one day it could be ours and i knew the first time he told me that that he was perfect in everyway! Aww... this is just kinda rambling but I just love this place so much and I hope to make a lot more time to come up here cause we dont get to come up here nearly enough.... Well thats all... I love this place... I love my family (Both of them)... I love my life! God has blessed me greatly!

A little bit this... A little bit of that...

So we finally hung up wedding pictures yesterday and I was so excited!! Our little apartment has so many walls though so there is still lots bare walls that need some sort of decor but slowly but surely we will get there. Friday was Blaine's birthday and unforunately I spent the day working on getting my classroom ready for the fall semester which starts monday. But Yesterday we celebrated by spending the whole day together and buying new fun things with the birthday money that my grandma sent him! YAY! So we are now completed addicted to Super Mario Brothers Wii! But at least its a game we can play together and since we down graded our cable there is never anything on tv anyway so its a new way to spend some time together! Lets see what else can I update on... I'm still working on getting my alternative certification hopefully I'll have everything complete and ready to go to send off this week. I'm still real nervous but the longer I go on in my current job the more i realize how badly i want this. I love my kiddos and I love watching them grow and change everyday since they are only 1 and that actually happens... and I love the lessons that this job has taught me that I will take with me when Blaine and I decide to have kids but with all that being said I so badly miss intelligent conversation throughout the day... I miss talking about science... I miss watching student learn science concepts and that look on their face when all the sudden it makes sense... I can't wait to have that again! So here's to hoping for good news quickly! On a another note we started working with the youth at church this past week... and I realized it has been far to long since I have done something like that... leading a small group of freshman is difficult and it has been so long since I've done it that I am a little rusty so many prayers are welcome so that God can give us the words we need to share christ with those kids in a way that will make sense to them. Ok well I think thats about it for now... but I may have a very interesting post later this week so be watching.

Not so young anymore

So were down in Dallas for vacation/Quakecon. Quakecon is a computer gaming conference that many of our friends have gone to for years and Blaine has been dying to go so now that the wedding is out of the way and no more school to worry about we were able to come and enjoy a vacation and get him some gaming time... hopefully to last him for a while LOL! But now that were down here... and of course we are with quite of few younger people... like young college age people which are fantastic but just different for me these days. It make me realize that I'm not so young anymore... little crazy things that used to be hilarious and enjoyable aren't and now I'm just like wow you people are crazy... I love my life now but some days I miss the days of crazy fun that just made no sense and made people look at you like your crazy! Oh well time to enjoy more vacation... I plan to relax... shop... relax... oh and did I mention relax! WOOHOO!!!!

Life is Short

Today one of my closests friends lost her grandmother. It was expected since she suffered a massive stroke on monday and has slowly declined from that point. However, even the knowledge that the end is approaching does not make the loss any easier. It really just made me think about how truly Lucky I am to have both of my grandparents (on my mom's side) and my grandmother (on my dad's side) still with us. I know I have never been close to my grandmother on my dad's side and there are many reasons for that but It's still a blessing that she is still with us and even though she doesn't know us anymore I am in hopes that Blaine and I will be able to go and visit her before anything happens. My grandparents on my mom's side are two of the most influential people I've had in my life and the thought of losing them any time soon absolutely tears me up. I know that I am blessed to still have both of them in good health and good spirits and i pray that that remains the same for many more years to come because I want my children to have the opportunity to meet those amazing people and have their lives touch the way my life has been. And now that I'm married I have another set of grandparents from Blaine's mothers side and they have been such a blessing to our lives. They are two of the nicest people I know and I am so glad that I can call them family. But I guess the biggest thing that really got me is the fact that we never know when our time or our families time will be. Especially when it comes to our grandparents. Her grandmother was healthy and had no signs of possible stroke (just like most people) and then all the sudden its time to say their goodbyes. It makes me stop and think about how many things I choose to do instead of going and visiting both of grandparents as often as we possibly can. So its going to be a new goal for us to go and visit both of our grandparents as often as possible because we never know when our lives will change and when the end may come for any of us.

I know this is a sad post talking about the end of lives and all but its been on my heart today. I wish i had the words to comfort my friend in this time of need but all i've been able to tell her is to remember that she is no longer hurting and that she is with both her love (her late husband) and her lord. And i know if it were me that would be the only reminder that would even come close to making me feel better.

Big Decision

Last nights sermon at church really got me to thinking about how i've been living my life in the aspect of my career. The sermon was all about living life as the journey and not always waiting for something to happen before you are satisfied. And not being scared to go for something just because of the unknown. Well it got me to thinking about how badly i want to teach science. I set out to be a highschool science teacher 5 years ago and there have been all kinds of hoops, and blocks in my path but ive decided that i can still do it. So I am gathering everything i need to apply for alternative certification. I am nervous no i'll admit it I'm flat out scared. I'm scared to fail, i'm scared they'll say no and my dream and all my hard work will be for nothing, i'm scared that maybe it'll happen and then i wont get a job, or if i do get a job then i wont be good at it or wont enjoy it as much as i think i will.... there are so many fears and what ifs running through my head but i know that its something that god has put in my heart to do and I'm going to do everything I possibly can to get there. I dont want to teach just because I like teaching and I like learning but I want to teach because I want the opportunity to make a difference in someones life the way no one but a teacher can. If it weren't for the teachers I had in my life while i was growing up i would not be the person i am today. I had teachers who truly cared and who believed that i could and would succeed even though i grew up in an area where many could care less. If had not been for those teachers who knows what my life would be like now and i want the opportunity to make that same impact in a young persons life. I know in my heart that to teach is a calling God has for me so im gonna stop letting my fear hold me back and I'm gonna go for it. Blaine is so supportive and is excited to see what happens right along with me. So many prayers in the months to come are very much appreciated and i will keep you all updated on what happens.

Wonderful Weekends

I love relaxing weekends with my Hubby! We spent the weekend with friends going swimming and enjoying the summer weather! And then lots of relaxing just the two of us with our very entertaining kitty! I can't believe how much life has changed in the last few months but it has been an amazing journey and I am so excited to see what the rest of this year has in store for us. Here are some pictures of how we enjoy spending our weekends together.

Bell and I enjoying some cuddle time... we had to take her to the vet so she was a little sleepy after her shots and getting blood drawn to test for Feline Leukemia which she test negative for YAY!!
She loves her cube! She rolls it all over the place when she gets really excited! She even tries to jump out the top when you walk by it! LOL! She's a little crazy sometimes!

Sleepy girl after the vet!

Me and the Hubby relaxing on the couch after swimming and dinner with friends.... we love our relaxing weekends together!

Happy fourth of July everyone! We have big plans and I am so excited! First we have church... its the start of our big at the movie series that we have been volunteering for and helping get ready so we are so excited to see it all come together! Then its a relaxing afternoon of baking and perhaps a movie before heading out to Liberty Fest with some great friends! Lots of food, fun, and fireworks! Its gonna be a blast! Life is such a blessing! We stress over little things day to day but then i sit and remember how blessed we truly are and that god will provide for all those little stresses.

I started on our wedding guestbook/scrapbook last night and I am so excited! It is coming along nicely and it is so much fun to look back at it all and remember all the amazing friends and family that came to celebrate with us that day! I'll post some pics as soon as i get them on my computer!

Finally Organized!

So this weekend Blaine's parents came down from nebraska to visit us and to help us finish unpacking and organizing... yes it took us that long! But it is finally done! I am so thankful to have such great in-laws who are so generous and willing to help every chance they get. It was a lot of work but we got everything done and I love not having to think about what we still need to do everynight! Of course while they were here we took them to a redhawks baseball game and of course they were playing the Omaha royals (it worked out nicely) and we all had a blast! It was a great weekend even if there was a lot of work to be done! Now just for a few more decorating things! Oh and we finally picked all the wedding pictures were ordering and putting in our book and what have you so we can put in our order and get all our pictures! I'm so excited! I'll put some up as soon as we get them I promise! I love the way life is going right now we've been so richly blessed and I am so thankful!

Here are some pictures of our nicely organized apt for those of you who are curious.

The Master Bedroom

The Kitchen

I'll post more later when i finish decorating!

God's Plan

Ok so I had a minor freak out while in Target grocery shopping this evening. It was nothing really probably mostly PMS but I just got nervous. I've been so used to taking care of everything for myself since i was 18.. even before that really and here since the wedding blaine has been taking care of everything involving fiances and not that thats a bad thing really its great and he's really good at it but because i'm in control I worry and I stress so i got a little overwhelmed while we attempted to shop with targets ridiculous prices (NEVER AGAIN). But anyways through this little freak out i realized that my plans dont matter... We've made a ton of future plans and alot of them rely on how much money we can save in the next few years and i realized that we should count the blessings we have and stop making so many plans cause God's plan is the one that really matters no matter what plans we make. I give it to him his plan is perfect for me and I am excited to see what it is... I may have to remind myself of that daily but I know it is true.

Father's day thought

Today has been wonderful so far... got up early and did some shopping with Blaine and then we started the preparations for having my family over for Father's Day lunch. It was special to finally be able to have them all over here and treat my dad and my brother to show them how special they are and how great dad's they are. My adorable nephew was hilarious as usual and wanted to play so bad with baby Bella but he was just a little to rough for our little girl.

But before we had lunch we went to church with Joseph and Michelle and it was an awesome worship service. Trent (our worship leader) has such a fire for Christ and it absolutely just shines constantly especially when he's on that stage. One song in particular I think fits this father's day very well.

Nothing can separate
Even if I ran away
Your love never fails

I know I still make mistakes
But You have new mercies for me everyday
Your love never fails

Chorus:
You stay the same through the ages
Your love never changes
There may be pain in the night but joy comes in the morning

And when the oceans rage
I don't have to be afraid
Because I know that You love me
Your love never fails

Verse 2:
The wind is strong and the water's deep
But I'm not alone in these open seas
Cause Your love never fails

The chasm is far too wide
I never thought I'd reach the other side
But Your love never fails

Bridge:
You make all things work together for my good

It was such a nice reminder that no matter what happens to us throughout our days we have a father that is amazing and who will never leave us. His love never fails no matter what it is we do and no matter how far we try to run he is there waiting with open arms to welcome us back and give us all the love and forgiveness he has to offer. It is a great reminder for me right now with all the changes we have had happened in the recent months it is a nice reminder that all these blessings came from our Lord and that no matter how bad our days are there is a lord who loves us. There is no need to have fear of the future because God has it in his hands and he will bless us beyond measure as long as we put our faith in him. I am so uplifted today with these thoughts and hope that maybe this can encourage someone else as well.

Happy Fathers Day

Life is ever changing

Today was a nice relaxing day. Got to have breakfast with some of my best girl friends and then took Bella to the vet to start her shots and make sure she is healthy after all that she's been through. She has some worms and another kidn of parasite that is super common and easy to treat so we'll give her meds for a couple days and she'll be good to go. Other then that te vet said she was in good shape and very lucky. But throughout all the good things that happened today I couldn't help but think about how different life is now and how different its going to continue to get in the months and years to come. For so long my life was the same... work, school, family, friends, and relationships. That was it it was constant and had been that way for years... of course little changes occured like the change between highschool and college and the change in relationships especially once Blaine and I met but for the most part it was the same. But now in the last few months my life has literally completely changed. I graduated college, got a great job, got married, moved, adopted a kitty. Now i have to schedule friend time... make it a point to visit my family at least once a week and call Blaine's as often as possible. we're thinking about vacations and family visits, thinking to the future of buying a house and having children.... the next few years is going to be a constant change i have a feeling and as excited as I am there is a small part of me that can't help but be terrified. I am so blessed with a wonderful life and fantastic husband and I thank god for that everyday but the future and the unknown will always be scary to me.

this was probably just a lot of rambling but it wasnice to just kinda point the thought on paper. Sort of

First Post and New addition

So I've never done a blog before but I thought it would be fun with all the changes in our lives right now so i created this blog about Blaine and I and our new little family. We are loving life as a married couple and enjoying every moment we have together. Yesterday we adopted a adorable baby Kitten that we name Bella. My dad's friend rescued her from the flood that took place here in Oklahoma on monday and my dad knew that we were wanting to get a cat so we got lucky and go to take our little Bella home. She is adorable and absolutely just precious and perfect for us. We've had so much fun with her so far and are very excited for the weekend to just hang out with eachother and enjoy our new family of three!