I hope New Year's is THIS great!

Christmas has come and gone. But Jesus is still the KING! Yay! Christmas was quite an adventure this year. It was Justin and I’s first Christmas as a married couple and it turned out perfectly! We spent Christmas Eve morning with his Dad and stepmom (Rachel). We had the biggest breakfast ever and got tons of great gifts. Rachel made us the coolest quilt. It came from Wisconsin and in every other square it had a picture of us……..seriously soooo cute! We also got a chocolate fondue fountain. So, I forsee fondue parites in the future at the tyner household. Jo and I got beautiful matching gold bracelets and Justin got a scope for his new gun. Plus they topped it off with moo-lah………they really over did it, but they were seriously the best presents! Then we headed over to Mom Wow’s house to celebrate that evening.
We attended the 6pm candlelight service at church and it was great. I’ve been to candle light services before but, not in a church this size! There we candles everywhere and I took a picture! Haha, is that rude??? Oh well, it was just too fabulous for words. Then we headed back to her house to snuggle up in our new matching pj’s which James and Justin decided to make as “grandpa-ish” as possible by tucking their shirts in and pulling the pants up to their chins…..what goobers! We opened our many presents which included some great devotional books (which impressed Justin so much he is actually planning to read!), power tools for Justin, and I got my bronzer from Beauticontrol that I wanted (thanks Ash!). We ate a good dinner and then wrapped up the night with the Christmas story (from Luke) out on the porch.
The best part was when we all tried to quote “Twas the night before Christmas…”. We made a game out of it, Ms. Joy would read the entire line except for the last word and we would try to remember what the word should be. For example, Ms. Joy, “The stockings were hung by the chimney with….” “SUPER GLUE!” no, “DUCT TAPE” no “CARE!” hahahhahaha! It was fun and silly.
We went back to our house to spend our first Christmas Eve night together. Santa decided to stuff our stockings before we even went to bed cause he didn’t want to have to get back up in the middle of the night……….hahah. I stuffed Justin’s and he stuffed mine. (We both stuffed Prissy’s). I woke up Christmas morning at about 5:45 (sooo early) and of course jumped on the bed until Justin got up chanting “Santa came, Santa came!” We ran to the tree and opened our gifts to each other. Since we have already exchanged our BIG presents with each other (a computer for me and a new rifle for him) we had “Christmas from the Heart” on Christmas morning.
I opened my handmade gift first. It was a cute little frame, double matted, with a black and white picture from our wedding. In the picture Justin is looking up at me and smiling real big. So around the matting he wrote something to the effect of: “To my Angel, I will never stop looking at you like you are my world”. I cried, of course and then was soooo excited for Justin to open his gift.
It was a book I made of letters that all his friends and family had written to him. They were so sweet and he definitely cried! He loved it and said it was the best gift he had ever gotten…….yay! So we then rummaged our stocking when we started our newest tradition of the underwear hat.
The rules are, whenever you go through your stocking, you must wear your new underwear on your head! I figure the kids will love it one day! Haha, but for now, we love it! When going through my stocking I had an extra little gift, from Santa of course.
It was the new Movado watch I had been wanting! Justin cheated…….but I wasn’t complaining! I guess you could say I cheated too! Haha.
There sitting by the tree was a paper ball snow-woman all dressed up in her “Mrs. Santa” outfit……….We may have to see if I can borrow it from her??? Anyway, it was just the best Christmas ever. But it wasn’t over yet. We loaded up the truck and headed up to see my family. We stopped on the way there to give Spencer (our hound dog) to his new owner. We cried so hard as we drove off. He was sitting in his cage on the back of the guy’s truck and we rode behind them for a while. Seeing his cute little face was too much for us and we got so sad. I love that dog, but I know we are doing the right thing by giving him to someone who has more time for him. I think he was just so lonely out there in our back yard. I just know he is soo happy right now running as fast as he can in the wide open. Well, after that we got to breakfast at mom and dad’s just in time.
I love breakfast! Then we opened gifts. I got a sweater from sharry and a cute picture frame with our name “Tyners” on it. Mom and dad adorned us with more moo-lah, which will help in paying off all the presents we bought everyone else! Thanks! We spent the night there and had fun just relaxing the next day. While everyone else went shopping Justin and I went to Ruby Tuesday’s to grab some lunch. We decided that we would start another Christmas tradition. Every Christmas we vow to go out to eat and leave someone a $100 tip. We both used to be servers so we know how great that would be. Plus I just really feel like God is going to use this in so many ways. I’ve always been told that people will listen to what you have to say if you meet their needs. If a hungry man is hungry while you speak to him, he is focused only on his grumbling belly. But if you feed him first, you have his full attention. Money is a great need of many around the holidays and I really think that if we try to meet this need, the person will be more likely to listen to our story or read our tract, etc. We decided that every year with the monetary gift we will write on a napkin, “The greatest gift of all, John 3:16 Merry Christmas!” Short and to the point. I hope it works, and I hope God continues to give us the ability and desire to do this. I think it will be a great lesson for our kids one day. I do want them to think of others at a time when “what am I gonna get” reigns. We didn’t stick around to see our waitress’s face when she got the tip, but she was workin her lil butt off, and she deserved it!
Soon, it was time to head back home but on the way we stopped to celebrate with Rachel’s family at her mom and dad’s house. We played dirty Santa and Grannie and Paw gave us another generous gift of moo-lah……….yeah I know it sounds like we got a lot, but most of it was spent before we got it! Hahahah! Our families are so generous and we are so very thankful! We finally made it home and snuggled up for a much needed slumber before coming back to work today. I hope you all had a marvelous Christmas! Can’t wait till New Year’s, Sharry and Josh are coming! And then mom and dad said they are gonna get to visit sometime after that! I’m so excited.

Can you feel the love tonite?

Okay so more on the Jo/James engagement. They went down to Miami to celebrate Christmas with James’s family, and grandpa, who owns a huge mansion down there. It is absolutely gorgeous. How could that not be the perfect location for a proposal?? Anyway, they got there Monday and he managed to keep his little secret until last night (Wednesday), that’s pretty good. Anyway, James’s sister told Joanna she had a present for Joanna that she could open early. Thinking it is from his sister, she wasn’t suspicious at all. Well, she tore in and it was something like a makeup bag or something but there was a little box there too, she opened it and all it had in it was a little handwritten note, in James’s handwritting that said Something to the effect of, “Joanna, take my hand and follow me to share a dessert you will remember the rest of your life” signed James. At this point she puts two and two together, he grabs her hand and leads her out unto Grandpa’s marvelous back patio……..amazing doesn’t even describe this place. Anyway, a little ice cream dessert is set up for them out there and Jo spots something in her ice cream……..now most of us would be like………aww, he put the ring in her ice cream, but that ‘ol James is clever, not only did he put the ring in her ice cream, he put it in a little plastic baggy first! Haha, much better than wearing a vanilla scented sticky engagement ring. So she fished that sucker out and the deal was made! Yay. I am so glad to see that James went through so much trouble for this, he has really realized she is the love of his life, and he isn’t afraid to say it! This one is a June wedding.

Another I do!

Okay so, not much time to write but just wanted to make yet another engagement announcement..................introducing Mr. and Mrs. Smith, no not Brad and Angelina, Joanna and James. The proposal was so cute. I'll write more tomorrow. congrats Jo! Love you!

Upside-down couches

Sooooooo, Saturday night was Justin’s company Christmas party at Lousianna Lagniappe in Destin, very nice. Well, Destin is an hour away so we car pooled with Toby and Kurt. We left around 6ish and right before we walked out the door I remembered that Spencer (our hound dog) hadn’t eaten yet that night. So I grabbed a cupful of food and opened the back door to give it to him. Now this is an everyday ritual and normally Prissy takes her stance at the cracked back door and barks as loud as she can, just to let Spencer know who is boss. But she wouldn’t dare run out there. Well, apparently she was feeling frisky, cause she darted out into the dark muddy back yard. Justin and I managed to corral her back in, both upset because we just knew she would be covered with mud. Well turns out she was okay and we ran out the door and hopped in the car with Kurt and Toby. We had a lot of fun at the Christmas party. It was good food and good people and after a few hours we loaded our stuffed bellies into the car for the hour ride home. Needless to say we didn’t get home till after 11 o’clock. Let me fill you in on another of our daily rituals; Every time we come home Prissy is always jumping up and down at the door right when we open it. And all was well in this respect except when I opened the front door not only was Prissy standing there excited to see us but, Spencer was quite content to be standing at the front door when opened it also. Yeah, I was as confused as you are right now……………how the heck did he get in? Well, that was only the beginning, as we looked up to see our DESTROYED living room, I mean, couch upside down, shredded things everywhere, back door wide open, disaster. Justin’s first thought was that someone had broken in and made me stay outside (it was cold) until he checked the house. Turns out the trespasser was a little lonely hound dog named Spencer. I guess in all the chaos before we left, we didn’t shut the door all the way and he pushed it open and basically, made himself at home. I still am not sure how the couch ended up upside down…..but, he is crazy! So we lots a few Christmas presents in the war……sorry if you get some nicely shredded clothing. Haha, nah, we replaced all the damaged goods. The worst part was that for some reason Spencer felt that every single place in our house that Prissy had been, he needed to mark with urine and feces……..ewwww! There was soooo much! So we spent the rest of the night, into the wee hours scrubbing the carpet. Stanley Steamer to the rescue……..they’re coming tomorrow to DEEP clean! Haha. And although it sounds like no coincidence, it really is………Spencer is getting a new home on Thursday. We’re sad to see him go, we will probably cry but he will be sooo much happier when he gets to run in the woods chasing deer and biting their butts (haha, he likes to bite butts). We will miss his cute little self!

The next day we were off to spend the day at my grandma’s house, we traveled up that morning, had fun with the fam, and then came back that night! Whew! I was TIRED. Then it was back to work……did we even have a weekend? Well this week I get Friday off, yay and then Christmas is on Sunday. Our first Christmas is going to be great. I’ll let you know about all the fun we’re gonna have and good presents we get! Hehe.

Tonight, Audge and Ash are bunking up with me, Jus is out of town for the night with his boss. Seems like perfect girl time to me! Love you mean it!

New picture

Ain't they cute! Here's a picture of Sharry and Josh, the newly engaged couple..........(refer to a few entries down to read about it) Didn't want this great photo to go to waste, plus I'm obsessed with posting pictures, either way, enjoy!

Merry Christmas Card!

Mall Mom, Convict Dad

I have decided, after many trips to the mall on my lunch break, that I want to be a mall mom. Oh, don’t know what that is??? Let me tell ya. These are the moms that spend their days, in packs usually, walking around the mall strolling their little bundles of joy. How great?? I know that motherhood is a lot of work, work I couldn’t even imagine, but it is something that I think I would be good at. I would love nothing more than to have my own little crumb-snatcher, but don’t get me wrong, I, in NO way, want to be pregnant! Oh no no no, I just want my little apple dumplin to appear……..so by this statement I realize I am not ready for motherhood just yet……..dangit! But I will keep my “Mall Mom” dream alive until it is accomplished one day.
Anyway, I got sooo much done for Christmas this weekend. I only have a few more gifts and I will be completely finished! yayayay! I got the tree up (I even have gifts under it) and decorated, and the stockings hung, and the nativity scene set, and all the décor outside hung……….which I must say, I have become quite the master crafter……..I will post a picture. I made the pretty bow and ribbons that adorn our tree, I was happy with them. I am also making a lot of other things for Christmas which will be revealed at a later date! Muahahahah! One thing I am also quite proud of is the matching scarves I crocheted for myself and Prissy. You will all get a taste of them in our Christmas card photo……if we ever send them out!
Friday night we had my company Christmas party which was catered by Chet’s seafood, yum! And I won a new George foreman grill which will be re-gifted at Justin’s company party this weekend…….heheheh! At least it is better than the Sponge Bob fishing pole we brought last year. Then that same night we headed off to our Sunday School Christmas party with our little 10th graders. They had started without us and were out caroling at all the widow’s houses from our church. They are too cute! Then we went back to the church and had a grand ‘ol time. I hope they know how much I love them. I just really do!

Well that is all for now, pray for Justin, he is under so much stress right now. All that stupid Wisconsin stuff is coming up tomorrow. Pray that God will give him words of wisdom as he talks to the Judge and DA. Also, pray that God will soften their hearts as they listen. It’s hard to imagine that God would let anything bad happen to someone so great, so faithful, and so innocent. But we don’t understand what he has planned for us. This experience might give him insight he couldn’t have gotten anywhere else. The whole situation reminds me of an illustration:
There was this little girl who went to her Grandma’s house. Grandma loved to cross-stitch and she was doing just that. The little girl, being quite short looked up to see what her grandma was doing sitting in her chair smiling so brightly. All she could see was the bottom of the canvas that grandma was working on, and all she could think was………”Grandma sure is making a mess of things, she must not know what she is doing.” She asked “Grandma, what are you doing?” to which she answered, “I’ll show you when I am finished.” Well the little girl didn’t like that answer but went along her way thinking, “What a mess!” Later, as the girl was going about her way Grandma called for her. Still from where she stood the cross-stitching looked like a horrible web of tangled thread. But then Grandma picked her up and set her in her lap. The little girl looked down to see a beautiful picture and was amazed at what her grandmother had done.

This is just like our relationship with God. We look up sometimes and think “Does he know what he is doing, it seems like he is making a big mess of things?” But it is in God’s time, when he is finished with his marvelous work in us, that he gives us his vision. He lets us see what he was doing all along. Right now we are in the “tangled web” phase, I can’t wait to see the masterpiece he is working in all this craziness!

Another engagement!

Okay so remember in my last post when i said, "I forsee big things happening in the next couple of days!"Yay! Finally, it’s done, it’s finished, I can write! Ash is engaged, Ash is engaged! (I felt like Paul Reverre just then) haha! Now that little girl can move to Tampa with no worries. It was the cutest proposal. The principal got her to read a fairytale book to her class (she’s a teacher), but this was no ordinary book, it was specially made just for Ashley B. Jernigan. The book went on and on about……”What is a Princess??”……..A princess is this……….a princess is that……and then, the last phrase….. “A Princess always lives Happily ever after…….What about you Princess Ashley?” That was the big moment, the drop down on one knee give away your life forever moment……from what I hear, Ash had the shakes, Lando had the video, and all Hamid could say was, “Man, she said yes!” hahhaah! Congrats you two. Now you go live happily ever after!

Oh yeah, and of course I have a picture of the ring.......because I am phsyco and forced Hamid to send me one! haha!

fa la la la la, la la, la la

Christmas is here! Well, basically. It’s so funny how we anticipate the coming of Christmas Day and then when it gets here…it’s over! So this is the time to enjoy. I’m doing okay on my Christmas shopping. I have ideas for almost everyone. I just have to materialize those ideas now. I feel like a lot has happened since I last updated so let me think back……..

So, we found out that Dan and Brandy Findley are pregnant!! Yay! So exciting, and they were just glowing, I know they are sooo happy. I am too, cause I seriously LOVE babies. Well, if that were the end of the story it would be quite a sweet one but there is even more………They went to get an ultrasound and there was not one but two little heartbeats……….that’s right, TWINS! Justin is sooo jealous, he wants twin boys more than life. My thoughts are, if he can carry, birth and change double the diapers…….I’m for it! Haha! Congrats Dan and Brand!

On a less happy note, Mollye the beautiful oh so precious bassett hound passed away yesterday. This is Rachel’s doggie. She has been so sick for such a long time. Just when we hoped and prayed she was getting better, something else would go wrong. It has been a hard struggle and Rachel did any and everything to get that little girl healthy, but sometimes God has plans we don’t understand. But we have to rejoice that he indeed has plans! We will miss her sooo much. And I am so grateful that we never have to see her hurting again.

Last weekend Jus and I went up to the Hunting Camp and got back to our roots. We had fun being such great little hunter/gatherers. Actually we slept in and relaxed and hunted for a grand total of 2 or 3 hours! That’s the way I like it! We saw a lot of deer and I videoed them from our comfy shooting box. Everytime Justin raised his little gun I found myself squeezing his arm saying “don’t shoot, don’t shoot”…….haha, I don’t think I am cut out for this stuff. Anyway, it was fun to tag along. Ben and Sam are goin up there with us for a mini vacation in January to relax……..don’t worry Sam, they have satellite now! Yay!

Speaking of vacations, Justin and I have said from the beginning that we are going on a ski trip for our one year anniversary. Oh, and we ARE going! But it turns out we won’t be able to go until March, which is two months after the fact soooo, I think it is just a vacation and no longer the “anniversary trip”. Justin and I also made a deal that we would trade off and one year I could pick what we do for our anniversary and the next he could pick and so on………well, this is my year, so I need some ideas. I don’t wanna go on a big weeklong trip or anything but I do want us to do something oh so fun! We will certainly do the whole, nice dinner thing and exchanging of gifts but…….I wanna do something memorable………..give me suggestions people! Okay well, that’s all I have for now, but I forsee big things in the next couple of days!!! Hehe!

How deep the Father's love for Us

How deep the Father's love for us,
how vast beyond all measure
That he should give his only son,
to make a wretch his treasure
How great the pain of searing loss,
the Father turned his face away
As wounds which mar the chosen one,
bring many sons to glory

Behold the man upon a cross,
my sin upon his shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held him there
until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life;
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything:
no gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ;
his death and resurrection
Why should I gain from his reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart:
his wounds have paid my ransom

~Joy Willilams