Christmas 2009...Success!

This Christmas seemed to fly by! It seemed like Adam and I had our schedule jammed packed with shopping, cooking, wrapping, spending time with friends & family, volunteering, etc. It's always fun though because we get to do all this stuff we never do during the year!

It all started a couple of days before Christmas when my Dad's kids all got together to spend time with each other at my Dad's house. I always love doing that because I don't really get to see my brothers and sisters often. Christmas Eve was our church's Christmas Eve service which was amazing! Adam and I were able to volunteer that night and see hundreds of life changes. That night we went over to his parent's house and had Christmas with them. They got Adam and I a very useful, sweet Christmas gift...go here to see it. Christmas day, we woke up and I cooked Adam breakfast with my new waffle maker that his parents gave us. We had breakfast together and then got ready for the day's festivities! We headed off to my mom's side of the family in Rock Hill and then went back to my Mom's house to have Christmas with her. After we left there, we went down to my Dad's side of the family and had Christmas there. It was definitely a packed day, but I loved being able to see all my family that I never really get to see otherwise.

This Christmas was also our last Christmas as just a married couple. Next Christmas it will be me, Adam and Leah! I can't wait! She'll be 10 months old and probably crawling around and able to tear open some presents! I'm so excited for that! Anyway...this Christmas was great and I was so blessed to be able to spend it with the best husband in the world and the best families anyone could ever ask for! Hope everyone else had a very Merry Christmas!

All Done!

Today marks the day we finally finished all of our Christmas shopping! The day before Christmas eve...that's how we do it! And...we've wrapped everything too! Well, Adam wrapped everything...I was the "tape giver outer". Adam has some mad wrapping skills, so I let him do his thing! The next two days are going to be very busy with us. I've got to say that I am truly more excited about Christmas eve than I am Christmas! I cannot wait to go to our church's Christmas Eve service downtown! There has been a lot of talk about this event for months and tomorrow it is actually here! They had one today at 3pm and there are three services tomorrow. The amount of lives that will be changed will be unbelievable and I can't wait to experience it with my own eyes! I'm sure I will have a lot to talk about after the next two days, so until then...Merry Christmas Eve Eve!

Something New

I've started something new...well...I've started a couple of things new, but I'll save those for different posts. As you all probably know, Adam and I are expecting our first daughter on February 12, 2010. Throughout my pregnancy I have been writing letters to her telling her what's been going on. So...I thought it would be a great idea to start another blog fully devoted to letters to my precious baby girl. I'm NOT abandoning this blog...I will still be on here to write about everyday things, Elevation, my husband, work, life, etc. I just felt that since Leah is already so special to me I would start something new fully devoted to her. So, please check back here for updates and new posts, but please check out my new blog, "Letters to Leah"! I hope everyone has had a great Monday!

Exciting things to come!

Tomorrow Adam and I are getting something special done. Our last ultrasound of Leah was at about 18 weeks when we found out she was a girl. I have been wanting to get another ultrasound just to see her again and to re-assure myself that she is my little princess. I was told that we wouldn't get another ultrasound unless it was necessary. Some of our close friends in our small group recommended some places to get a 3D ultrasound done. I checked them out and they had some great specials going on (maybe because of Christmas), but we are getting one tomorrow! It's our Christmas present to each other this year and we are both so excited! You get to invite up to 10 family members to come and sit in a theater style room and see the ultrasound on a 100 inch screen. So, Adam's parents, his brother, my mom and dad, and my sister are all coming to see Leah. I couldn't be more excited because if you've ever seen the before and after pictures of these ultrasounds, it's pretty amazing how close they look like their ultrasound picture when they are born! Technology is amazing! I will be sure to post some pictures after we get them!

On another note, I said in my previous post that if I did any Christmas shopping I would update you...well...we did! Saturday we got some of our shopping done, but not all of it. We braved the mall and pushed through our way of the crowded aisles. Adam and I told each other that when we go back, we will definitely be going in the morning.

Today was an exciting day at our church because it was the commitment day for our one year pledge for the building we are building in Blakeney. The leaders of the church gave a couple of weeks ago and the outcome was simply God. 400 leaders gave $1.5 which was the amount we had to have by the end of the year to close on the land. I am so proud to be apart of such a huge move of God and I could not think of something better to give to than a church who is investing in the city of Charlotte and more importantly in the lives of millions of people around the globe. Today we had the privilege of giving away $250,000 to the different outreach ministries we partner with around Charlotte. I'm still in awe of the generosity and faith of our church and Adam and I feel truly blessed to be apart of just a portion of it.

I hope everyone has a great Sunday night...I'm scared to ask this question...Vikings or Panthers?

1 more day...

Yes...just 1 more day until mine and Adam's Christmas break starts! I could not be more excited! Everyone is always asking me how I feel and up until yesterday I've said I feel great! Yesterday it kind of hit me like a ton of bricks! I came home exhausted and took a long nap. It seems like now I am getting more and more tired especially toward the end of the day and when I get home, I just want to crash! I guess being 32 weeks pregnant will do it to ya. So, needless to say, I am looking forward to my Christmas break spending time with Adam and the rest of our family and friends!

As usual, we have not even started on our Christmas shopping (we're last minute shoppers)...we might start tonight, but you never know with us! I will try and keep you updated on our progress, but if you don't see a lot of updates you can probably guess that we haven't gotten very far. Until then...Feliz Navidad!

I understand...

Yes, I understand if I don't have any readers anymore because of me being lazy and not posting more regularly. But for those of you who seem to find your way back to my pitiful little blog I call "2 are better than 1", I appreciate you! I promise to be better about posting in the future because I know all of you are dying to know what's going on in my very eventful life...haha!

Anyway, this post will be kind of random since I haven't posted in a while. I don't have any updated nursery pictures yet (tear), but I will soon. Currently, Leah's room is full of Christmas boxes and some other random things like our vacuum, so I'll wait until we have a place to put those things to let the outside world in on our little girl's sweet bedroom.

Speaking of Christmas, Adam and I went and picked out our Christmas tree the Friday after Thanksgiving. It's a tradition his family has done since he's been little and a new tradition for Adam and I to do together. This year was our third year picking our tree and it was fun just like every year. Next year, we'll have a little girl we'll have to keep bundled up out on the tree farm! Leah and Mom just might have to stay in the car and let Dad do the picking...we might tough it out though! Usually, we put our tree in a corner in our living room. If we did that, we'd have to rearrange all our furniture, which is a lot of work. This year, since I'm 30 weeks pregnant, and Adam's back still isn't all that great, we decided on a different location. I have to say I like it a lot better where we put it! You can see our tree from all angles...from the living room, dining room, hallway, and kitchen (yes, we do have a small, but cozy house). It's great! Adam put the lights on 2 Sunday's ago and we finally decorated it this past Sunday. I love it!





I know that I've also promised you some belly shots. I have to admit, Adam and I haven't done too well on those either. Man, if I'm going to be a Mom in 10 weeks, I better get it together! :) Anyway, I'll give you two pictures of my belly at 29 weeks. Hopefully from here on out, I'll have a picture a week for you to see my sweet baby girl growing!





I'm so in love with her! Have a great Tuesday!

Nursery Pics

As promised, here are a few pics of Leah's nursery. It's pretty empty now...we still have to get a mattress, some rugs, etc., but we do have her bedding ordered! A huge thanks goes out to Adam's parents for helping us tape the room and paint...we've couldn't have done it without you (no really, I do not like painting)! And the bookshelf you see is the one I got for Adam's birthday 2 years ago which he painted and did a great job on! It looks awesome babe!

Leah, your room is coming together! We are even more excited to meet you very soon! But for now, you just stay nice and warm in there and we'll meet you in about 14 weeks! We love you!

[caption id="attachment_346" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Here we are in the painting process."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_344" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="The finished product."][/caption]



[caption id="attachment_349" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="We are going to recover the rocker you see."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_350" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="The bookcase Adam painted."][/caption]

I will be sure to add some more pictures as we do more stuff, so be sure to check back!

Happy Birthday Leah!

Yesterday Leah turned 26 weeks. I can't believe it! She is getting so big and is moving around so much! I was getting ready for work yesterday and something hit me…I think I finally realized how big I am getting. I've had such a good pregnancy so far and I feel very blessed to have a healthy baby but I got up yesterday and I found it hard for me to catch my breath. It kind of feels like everything is pushed up in my chest. I know…i know this is just one of the secrets of pregnancy that I am slowly but surely funding out, but I wouldn't trade it for the world!

On another note, Leah's nursery is coming out quite nicely! Adam's parents came over and they helped us paint the nursery. We ended up painting it a color I found online…Robin's egg by Benjamin Moore. It's kind of a blue green color. We are going to be putting accents of a bright sunshine yellow color in it as well. I have some pictures but I'm writing this on my phone so I'll have to upload them later.

Well we are on our way up to Boone for the ASU game so when we get back I'll have some nursery pictures and maybe even a belly picture or two. Have a great Saturday!

My Amazing Husband

Well, yesterday was just one of those days. Let me explain...woke up, went to work, had a dentist appt. to get 2 cavities filled, came back to school because my girls had 2 back-to-back games to cheer at, and finally got home at around 9:30pm. That may not seem like a long day to some of you, but to a pregnant person, it's a different story!

Taking our stuff out of the car and transporting it to the house from the garage is an ordeal for us (just because we always have so much stuff)! So when we pulled into the garage last night I was not looking forward to lugging all my stuff in from the day...but when I opened the trunk, I saw a very pretty wrapped gift with a card on top that said, "Elizabeth". My spirits immediately lifted because I love surprises! I asked Adam who it was from and he wouldn't tell me.

Well, when we got inside I opened the card and, what do you know, it was from my amazing husband! Now, let me preface this a little...

You see being pregnant is a wonderful thing, but when your clothes start to get tight and you have to "button" your jeans with a rubber band, and even when your comfy t-shirts are fitting snug, it seems like your insecurities are at an all time high. Even though you know you have a growing baby inside you and it's a wonderful thing, there's still something that's hard about not fitting into your "normal" clothes (at least from a pregnant woman's point of view...all my pregnant friends know what I'm talking about)! It's always an ordeal for me to pick out what I'm going to wear the next day and Adam always finds me standing in my closet staring at my pre-pregnancy clothes wishing I could still wear some of them. Every time before he leaves me in my slumber, he always embraces me and tells me I am beautiful no matter what I look like.

Ok, so I start to open my gift and I find two, yes two, very cute maternity long sleeve shirts that fit like a glove and a bag of Reece's! My man knows me! I love it that my hubby has a great sense of style and I love it even more when he tucks all my insecurities away and makes me feel beautiful...as long as he thinks I am, that's all that matters (and it makes me a happy girl)!

I know this may seem un-important to you, but it's the little things that count and when Adam does these things for me to show me he loves me, it speaks volumes! So, thank you to my sweet husband whom I love with all my heart! Thank you for being my best friend, the man of my dreams, my soul mate, and Leah's father. You mean the world to me and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Grumbling and Complaining

This morning, Adam and I did a devotion together and it was on grumbling and complaining. It really hit me hard because now that I think about it, (if I'm being honest) I grumble and complain quite often. It could be over big stuff or the smallest thing...but I do it. I think it's our natural reaction when things don't go our way. We are such a self-centered society, wanting anything and everything we can get our hands on. Whether it's a certain job, guy, more money, etc...we just want things to go our way and if they don't we hang our heads and complain and whine about it.

As Christians we need to remember that in order for God's will to happen for our lives we have to do things His way...not ours (that was from our pastor. It's so true though...how far do you think you'll get in life if your way doesn't happen and you just mope around about it? You are in your position (whatever you do) for a reason and even though you know in your heart it's not where you're going to be forever, you have to be patient and realize God has you there for a specific purpose...it could just be a small stepping stone to something bigger and better He has for your life in the future! God works for the good of those who love him...He's on your side! Stay faithful to Him through the little things (don't grumble or complain) and you will slowly start to see what exactly He has planned for your life.

"Do everything without complaining or arguing." ~Philippians 2:14

Half Way There!

My Sweet Princess,
I cannot believe that in less than 20 weeks you will be in my arms! I am so excited to see your sweet face! I know you are going to be breathtakingly beautiful! I love it when you let me know that you're in there and sometimes I can't even sleep at night because you love to dance!

On Monday (9/28), your Daddy and I had our 5th doctor's appointment (or I like to call it the "half way doctor's appt."). Everything went perfectly! The nurse took your heart beat and it was 146 bpm which she said was great! When the doctor came in, she measured my belly and I measured right at 20 weeks. You are perfectly on track! Although, I do feel like I have grown over night...especially at the end of the day! You are growing so fast! They didn't take any pictures of you this time, which was kind of a bummer because I love to see what you're doing in there! Most of the time you are sleeping, or sucking your thumb, but sometimes you are a squirmy little thing! (Maybe Mommy needs to lay off the sugar)! They also took my weight and she said that was normal too. The nurse told me I should gain about a pound a week from here on out. We'll see how that goes! I will go back to the doctor again when you are 24 weeks for another checkup.

Time seems to be flying by so quickly and I want to make sure that I cherish this special time I have with you. I never want to take any kick, squirm, jab, or weird pain for granted! Your Daddy and I love you so much and we thank the Lord everyday for our little miracle! So for the meanwhile, stay warm in there, and don't kick me too hard (well...just kidding, you can do whatever you like!) and we will see you in about 20 weeks!

Love Your Mommy

Powerful Sunday

Yesterday, our church had a one weekend only "Student Takeover" event. Pastor Steven reached out to our students yesterday and the results were amazing! Over 7000 in attendance at all of our locations, and 500 salvations! God is incredible and His glory is displayed at Elevation every Sunday!

Even though Pastor preached to the students, his message was applicable to everyone! I believe one of his greatest gifts is, of course, preaching, but also being able to relate to everyone in the room. He listed the 4 most important questions students/adults would have to answer.

The first question was "What is that in your hand"? This was a question of calling. He used the passage out of Exodus 4:2-5 (read it). God has given you a gift...something that you're passionate about. What's the potential God has put in your hand for you to use to change your generation? You should surrender it and let God's work be shown through your actions.

The second question was "Am I now trying to win the approval of men or of God"? This is a question of acceptance. I think this is the one I struggle with the most. Pastor said something a couple of weeks ago which made me think of this: "Don't let your need for acceptance interfere with other people's need for Jesus" (I might have said that before on here)...but it's so true! We shouldn't be so selfish-minded and worried over what "man" thinks of us. Salvation is through Christ alone...read this. Pastor commented on the whole VMA incident with Kanye West and Taylor Swift. He said that it wasn't Kanye's award to give, so he should've kept his mouth shut (I added the last part). Basically when it comes down to it, when you face Jesus one day, you'll either accept your award of eternity in Heaven, or the total opposite. Ok, I've talked enough about that one. :)

The third question was "How can a young man keep his way pure"? This is a question of integrity and Pastor used this verse to answer it. It's pretty straight forward in my opinion. Live according to His word. Everyone always says "it's impossible in today's culture to do that"...no it's not. Pastor said that it is very possible to live in a counter-cultural way. Live according to God's design.

The fourth, and last, question was "Who do you say I am"? A question of eternity. Jesus asked this to Simon Peter here. Pastor gave the example of "Facebook Faith" which was very relevant to students as well as adults. If you don't know what facebook is...basically it's a social networking site where you have the option to "accept" people you may know to become your friends. Jesus isn't up in Heaven looking for "friends" down here on earth. It's not like he's lonely. So often, the question comes up..."have you accepted Jesus into your heart?" Jesus doesn't want your acceptance...He wants you to be a fully devoted follower of Him. It's not who your friends say He is, or who your parents say He is...but who do you say He is?

Ok, I know this was a long post and thank you for reading if you got to the end! It was a huge Sunday at our church and something totally worth sharing about! You should really watch the sermon for yourself...Pastor Steven does a lot better job than I do! Go here to watch. Enjoy!

PS: My belly's getting bigger (pics to come)!

It's a...

Well, today Adam and I went to the doctor and we found out what we're having! All the days leading up to this day crawled by and now...we know! I am so excited to finally start thinking about names, colors for the nursery, registering, buying clothes, and so much more!! The nurse said that she was for sure of the sex of the baby and that we had nothing to worry about. The ultrasound was mainly done today to make sure our baby has everything...2 eyes, 1 nose, 1 mouth, 2 arms, 2 legs, etc. and also of course to tell us whether we were having a boy or girl! Everything looked great and our baby's heart rate was 143 bpm.

Well, I can't hold it back anymore...to everyone who thought we were having a boy...you're WRONG!

IT'S A GIRL!

Yay! Adam and I are so excited and we couldn't be more thankful and feel more blessed that the Lord has given us a daughter! What's even better is that my sister had her little girl 10 months ago, so they'll be close enough in age to be playmates...and to get her hand-me-downs! Anyway, we're so excited and we wanted to share with all our readers the great news! Check back for updates!

17 weeks!

Today marks me being 17 weeks pregnant! I can't believe how fast it's already gone! Pretty soon, I'll be at the half way point! Crazy stuff! I get these little updates every week telling me how things are going, how big my baby is, and how I'm changing. This week, our little one is as big as an onion and is about 5 inches long. We go this coming Wednesday to find out if it's a boy or a girl and we can't wait! Looks like from my poll that people think it's a girl...we'll see! Anyway, just a random little post about my sweet baby! Hope everyone has a great Labor Day Weekend!

Back to School...

This past Wednesday, Adam and I started back to school. I have to admit, it was pretty hard to get back into the swing of things (and I'm still trying to adjust), but I think this year is going to be a great year! Last year was the first year the Elementary students had Spanish, so this year I feel like they're starting off with more of a foundation...which makes it a little easier (and more fun) for me and for them! I am also teaching TK and K this year which is new, but they are so cute...I can't wait!

One day this past week I talked with my 6th graders how Spanish and the Great Commission are related. It was really neat because I could see their minds turning and really making the connection between the two. I told them that I looked up the word "commission" and found that it means things like, to give an order to, or someone granted authority to do a particular action.

The "Great" Commission (or great order) says that we (as Christians) should go and make disciples of all nations. God, who is over all authority gives us the power to be witnesses here on earth until He comes back. Today, we went to Adam's parent's church and we got to go to their Sunday School class. Adam's Dad taught their class today and he talked about this very thing. I thought it was really neat because it was pretty much the same thing I talked about with my class on Friday. He taught in Acts 2:1-14 and specifically in verse 8, it tells us that we are given the power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us to become witnesses not only to the world around us, but even to the people as close as our next door neighbors.

We all "know" we should be witnesses to the people around us, but how many of us are actually bold enough to act upon the "order" that we are given from God, himself? I know that I have been guilty many times, but all it takes is one sentence to hopefully change someone's destiny. I was looking over my service notes one Sunday where our pastor talked about our faith and witnessing to others, when the Lord put something on my heart. I wrote it down because I didn't want to forget it. Now, I'm not one of those people that say they "hear" God, but I do believe that He speaks to you many different ways and you should always have your ears and heart open to listen. Here's what He gave me...

"Don't let your insecurities get in the way of other people's need for Jesus".

In the words of my Pastor, "you have everything you need, to do everything God has called you to do". So...don't let the devil talk you out of speaking the truth to someone! Odds are, he probably will, so expect it, but don't give into it!

Anyway, that's my little word of encouragement to myself and to all of you! Thanks for reading! :)

Another Doc. appt...

We had another doctor's appointment this past Wednesday to get my results back from all the bloodwork. Everything came back normal and my doctor told me the risks for miscarriage go down tremendously since I am in my 2nd trimester. We also got to hear our baby's heartbeat again which is always a good sound! I've only gained a pound so far, but she told me I will start gaining about .5 lb per week now. I've also gotten kind of lazy on my exercising, but I plan to start back soon!

The past 3 days we've had cheerleading camp for the girls at the school. My future sister-in-law (whose also the coach for ASU) came down and did the camp for us. It was very fun and helpful, but also very hot and exhausting! I guess it gave me a little taste of how I'll feel after a full workday. Afternoon naps are definitely going to help me, and my sweet husband encourages me to take them because he knows I'm tired. I love him!

Adam and I will go back to the doctor in about 4 weeks to see what we're having (I'm about 14 weeks along). It's crazy because it seems to go by so fast! So...I want to leave everyone with a little poll...girl or boy?

[polldaddy poll=1873754]

13 weeks...I've graduated!

I am officially 13 weeks. Yes...I've graduated into my 2nd trimester! Woo hoo! No more queseyness...(well maybe a little more). Adam and I went to our 3rd doctor's appt. this past Monday for my 1st Trimester screening. The nurse took some pictures (which I'll post at the end) and I got some blood taken. She told us that as far as she can tell with the pictures, everything looks great, but we won't know for sure until my bloodwork comes back. We go back next Wednesday to get all the results.

While she was taking the ultrasound, she needed to get a specific picture, but low and behold...our baby was sound asleep! She even poked around on my stomach to see if she could wake him/her up...no such luck! I guess that could be a good thing when they come into this world! So most of the pictures you'll see, the baby is sleeping!

I've pretty much gotten out of being quesey feeling all the time. The only time I feel bad is when I wait too long to eat. The tiredness is still there and I've had people tell me that it only gets worse! I'll be starting back work in a couple weeks, so I guess we'll see how it goes...pray for Adam!

Our little baby is so cute already (maybe I'm a little biased)! I'll leave you with a few pictures of Baby Hamilton...

[caption id="attachment_291" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="A profile shot (head is to the right)."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_294" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="This is one of my favorites...he/she looks all snuggled up!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_296" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Another profile shot!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_297" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Here\'s a close up...you can see its nose, lips, and chin! (very photogenic already)!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_298" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="A good shot of its arm...and all 5 fingers!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_299" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Here\'s a shot of its legs...his/her feet are heel to heel."][/caption]

Not Feeling Good

Well, today I am officially 10 wks pregnant. Fortunately, I haven't had to deal with all the throw-up stuff. Unfortunately, I am queasy all the time and I feel exhausted most of the day. Nothing (food wise) sounds good to me so it's hard for me to stir up an appetite. Thankfully, I only have 3 more weeks of this stuff! Check back for updates...I've got to find something to eat :(

Long time...BIG news!

First of all, my apologies for abandoning this blog! I guess you could say there was a drought, famine, or whatever you want to call it on the "2 are better than 1" blog. Anyway, my last post was Memorial Day and there has been a lot going on since then.

Let's see if I can sum up...Adam and I went to the beach with my family for a week. It was the first time in probably 12 years that I have been down with my side of the family and we had a blast. Adam discovered his love of fishing thanks to my Uncle Drenner and his boat.
When we got back, Adam's dad, my dad and I entered a 5k on a golf course. Hard stuff. Anyway, it turns out that I won 1st Female overall and Adam's dad won 3rd in his age group! It was his first race he'd ever run...congrats Dad #2! I'll post pics later...

The last week in June we got to go to the beach again with Adam's family. This was my 4th year going with them (I think) and I always love going down there. We rent a house at Ocean Isle with about 12 of his other family members and it's one trip that I look forwad going on every year! I'll post pics later for that too...

I've saved the biggest news of the summer for last...drum roll please...
On June 10th, 2009, Adam and I found out that we are expecting!! Yes, it is true, I am currently 9 weeks pregnant! People have asked us, "did you plan it?, was it a surprise?", well...let's just say God's timing is perfect and He knows what He's doing! It actually works out pretty good...I'm due February 12th, 2010 and will be out for so many weeks, then I won't have long until I get to stay home with the baby for the summer! Adam and I both are truly excited about this new chapter that has begun in our lives. There will be some changes, but change is always good...right? Now, I am new at this...obviously...so check back because I may have questions, wonderings, and comments for all you moms out there to help me out with! Until then, I'll leave you with our first pictures of our little gummy bear!
[caption id="attachment_278" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Gummy bear #1"][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_279" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Gummy bear #2"][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_280" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Gummy bear #3"][/caption]

We are truly excited to see what God as blessed us with. Please keep us in your prayers as well as our little one! I'm sure I'll be posting a lot more in the coming months with updates and such...so be sure to check back!

PS: (It feels good to have finally gotten that secret out!)

Happy Memorial Day!

Adam and I got back from the beach today for a Memorial Day weekend trip...it was also biker week down there, but that in itself is another post for the future!

To be honest with you, I've only really started appreciating Memorial Day a couple of years ago. Before, it was always the question, "beach or no beach?". When we got home today, I was checking some emails and of course, my facebook, and I came across a picture that my Uncle Drenner posted of my Paw Paw in WWII:
[caption id="attachment_271" align="aligncenter" width="453" caption="On the island of Okinawa in WWII"][/caption]

Adam never got a chance to meet my Paw Paw because he died of liver cancer in 2000. My Paw Paw was a great man of honor, integrity, loyalty, kindness, generosity, and a whole bunch of other qualities. The best quality I think he possessed was his love. He loved the Lord first, his wife second, his family third, and his church next. The one that I most admire about him was his love for his wife.

My Maw Maw was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and instead of putting her in a nursing home, my Paw Paw chose to take care of her at home with the help of my Mom and her brothers. The amount of love that he showed towards my Maw Maw was undeniably sincere, even when she had no idea who he was or what he was doing in her house. The amount of strength he had to love and take care of his wife till death do them part was incredible. My Maw Maw went to be with the Lord in 1998 at their house in the early morning under a beautiful sunrise.

My favorite memory of my Paw Paw was when he would make his famous fudge for everyone at Christmas time! It was to die for! I found a recipe to try to mimic what he had made and it tasted just like it, only I can't find it anymore! He also taught me how to play "13". It's a solitare game where he told me, "you won't win but once every 20 times you play, but you have to play consecutive times and you have to shuffle about 20 times in between each time you play". Needless to say, I've only won a handful of times! When all the grandkids were little he would also dress up as Santa Claus and come to the house and let us sit on his lap to tell him what we wanted for Christmas.

I have so many good memories of my Grandparents and I am so thankful to have gotten to know them as I grew up! I will never forget my Maw Maw's smile and hearing her be called her nickname, "tootsie"! I will also never forget my Paw Paw's hugs and the way he looked at my sister and I when we would leave their house.

Thank you Paw Paw for your service in the military. I will forever be grateful! Someday soon we will meet again and have a huge family reunion with our Heavenly Father!! Until then, you both will always be in my heart!

A Bad Mouth

I have a bad mouth...no, not that way...I mean my teeth are bad! It all started yesterday when I went for my routine 6 month (maybe it's been longer than that) checkup at the dentist. A little background information...I HATE the dentist (no offense)! You know how little kids grow up with bad ears and have ear infections all the time...not me, I had a bad mouth. Ever since I can remember everytime I went to the dentist they always told me I needed to come back to get a cavity filled or something. Throughout my life, I've probably had 10 cavities, 2 root canals, two crowns, and my wisdom teeth out...no one's counting.

So, I go to the dentist yesterday expecting them to tell me, "oh, well, you have a small cavity forming, but it can wait a couple of months.", no, no, no...instead, this is how it went down:

Dental Hygenist: I think I see some cavities...let me go get the dentist.
Dentist: Oh my, you do have some cavities!
Me: (rolling my eyes)
Dentist: It looks like you have 4 cavities...2 on both sides of your mouth.
Me: (Great).
Dentist: And it also appears that you have one cavity under your crown.
Me: (thinking to myself)...how in the world do I have a cavity under a crown on a tooth that has had a root canal???
Dentist: Let me get my instrument and poke around just to make sure...(poking)...yes, there's a cavity under there alright.
Dentist: (talking to me)...we'll have to go in and remove the crown, fill the cavity, and replace the crown on that tooth.
Dentist: [Lynn] schedule her for her appts.

Man, just my luck. So, after I get all scheduled, the insurance lady tells me how this all works out...can I just say, "whoa"! Talk about some expensive visits!!

I just want to say to my Mom and Dad...and now to Adam...I'm sorry for all the mouth trouble I've caused you guys. I vow to cut back on my sugar intake and I promise to take better care of my teeth (not that I don't brush already!). Just pray that this isn't genetic!

A massive amount of sweets = lots of money
A new toothbrush/floss = $4.47
Amount of gas it took to get to the dentist = $2.78
Dentist Visit = Free
5 Cavities & a Crown = NOT Priceless!

A Face Lift

To all my readers (there maybe 5 of you) :) I've changed my blog site. I will not be posting on this particular site anymore...there's a new one.

Go here to check it out.

I will keep this up for a little bit, but I will soon be deleting this blog. If you know of anyone who reads...pass this along...I don't want to lose my readers! Anyway, hope you like the new look! It's still a work in progress, so be patient with me! See you there!

A Little Change Never Hurt Anyone...

I've changed again...ok, not me...just my blog! I have always wondered how I could convert my old blogging host to a new one. Well, I did some looking around and figured out how to do it! (I'm proud of myself...I'm almost up there in "computer saviness" with my sweet hubby)! Don't ask me why, I just wanted something different...I'm one of those people who like to change things around a lot for no particular reason(especially furniture). I will post a link from my old site to my new one, but if you know of any readers who aren't up on the times yet...pass the word along! I've made it easy on you...

old blog: www.elizabethhamilton.blogspot.com
new blog: www.elizabethhamilton.wordpress.com

Aside from all the changes, Adam and I are done with school for the year!! Wooo! We have teacher workdays until Thursday, and then Friday we leave for the beach! We officially have 88 days of relaxing and enjoying the best season of all...summer! Teaching has it's downfalls sometimes, but the advantages outweigh them by far!

Here's to a little change and a relaxing summer!!

5k...Ear Infection...Mother's Day...Graduation

Ok...a lot has happened since I've posted last! My apologies for not posting sooner, in a more consistent fashion :)!

This past Saturday, my Dad and I ran in the Beach Blast 5k in Albemarle, NC. It was a ton of fun! I grew up running races, and I haven't ran one in a while and I forgot how much fun they were! I had a blast hanging out with my Dad and my time wasn't too shabby either (26:45)! We plan on running another one June 6th in Locust, NC. Races are good to run because they keep you motivated and disciplined training for them, and you always have a good feeling of accomplishment after you finish! Here are a few pics from the Beach Blast!

This was pre-race...


Running the last stretch


My Dad and I after the race


This past week I had a cold which ended up in my ear. After the race on Saturday it was killing me so we went to the Urgent Care and they put me on anti-biotics. They've worked, but I can't hear a thing out of my left ear. It's very annoying, but I've kind of gotten used to it now.

My poor ear...


Sunday was Mother's Day and Graduation day for John Mark. My mom and I went to church Sunday morning and had the privilege of hearing Pastor's wife, Holly, speak. Go here to listen to it...great stuff! Adam and I both gave our mom's the coolest present! We got 2 baskets and filled them with some of their favorite things. My mom loves the beach (I wonder where I get that from!) so we thought it would be a good idea to fill her basket with beach stuff...which is great because we're going in 2 weeks!

Here are their baskets (my mom's is the one on the left)



Mom, I just want to tell you how much of a great mother you are! You have raised me to be the person that I am today and I can't thank anyone else but you! It's my job now to make you feel like the most special person on this earth and I love doing it! You are truly my hero and my role model and I love you with my whole heart!

After my mom and I hung out together for a couple of hours Adam, his family and I headed up to Boone to see John Mark graduate. We were so proud of him and I know his mom couldn't have had a more perfect Mother's day gift than to see her son graduate!

Here's all of us minus Adam and Amanda




Brothers...


Well, that's it...but if I'm posting all these pictures, I can't leave out the cutest one of the bunch!

She's ready for summer!



(raising my right hand)...I, Elizabeth Hamilton, do hereby promise to post a lot more frequent, consistent posts so I do not have to smush everything into one long post for my readers to get bored reading. Thanks!

5k...Ear Infection...Mother's Day...Graduation

Ok...a lot has happened since I've posted last! My apologies for not posting sooner, in a more consistent fashion :)!

This past Saturday, my Dad and I ran in the Beach Blast 5k in Albemarle, NC. It was a ton of fun! I grew up running races, and I haven't ran one in a while and I forgot how much fun they were! I had a blast hanging out with my Dad and my time wasn't too shabby either (26:45)! We plan on running another one June 6th in Locust, NC. Races are good to run because they keep you motivated and disciplined training for them, and you always have a good feeling of accomplishment after you finish! Here are a few pics from the Beach Blast!

This was pre-race...


Running the last stretch


My Dad and I after the race


This past week I had a cold which ended up in my ear. After the race on Saturday it was killing me so we went to the Urgent Care and they put me on anti-biotics. They've worked, but I can't hear a thing out of my left ear. It's very annoying, but I've kind of gotten used to it now.

My poor ear...


Sunday was Mother's Day and Graduation day for John Mark. My mom and I went to church Sunday morning and had the privilege of hearing Pastor's wife, Holly, speak. Go here to listen to it...great stuff! Adam and I both gave our mom's the coolest present! We got 2 baskets and filled them with some of their favorite things. My mom loves the beach (I wonder where I get that from!) so we thought it would be a good idea to fill her basket with beach stuff...which is great because we're going in 2 weeks!

Here are their baskets (my mom's is the one on the left)



Mom, I just want to tell you how much of a great mother you are! You have raised me to be the person that I am today and I can't thank anyone else but you! It's my job now to make you feel like the most special person on this earth and I love doing it! You are truly my hero and my role model and I love you with my whole heart!

After my mom and I hung out together for a couple of hours Adam, his family and I headed up to Boone to see John Mark graduate. We were so proud of him and I know his mom couldn't have had a more perfect Mother's day gift than to see her son graduate!

Here's all of us minus Adam and Amanda




Brothers...


Well, that's it...but if I'm posting all these pictures, I can't leave out the cutest one of the bunch!

She's ready for summer!



(raising my right hand)...I, Elizabeth Hamilton, do hereby promise to post a lot more frequent, consistent posts so I do not have to smush everything into one long post for my readers to get bored reading. Thanks!

2 are better than 1

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to my sweetie! Two years ago today I married the greatest person in the world! I can't believe it has been 2 years! Adam has been everything I've ever wanted in a husband and he has definitely made all my dreams come true! Unfortunately, I am sick today, but Adam has made me feel like a princess!

It all started last night...yesterday, today, Thursday and Friday I have cheerleading tryouts for HGBCS which are from 5-7. Adam and I drove separately to school yesterday, so he went home when I stayed at the school. He knew that I started feeling bad yesterday, so he told me he'd have everything taken care of when I got home. Man, oh man! Well, it was pouring when I left school last night, so I was completely soaken, which didn't help the way I felt. I was really down in the dumps as I was driving home and having a pity party for myself. But when I got to the back door of our house, I saw a vase of flowers on the counter, candles lit, dinner ready, a completely clean house, laundry done, trash taken out, lunches made for the next day, and coffee on auto for the next morning. All that with a bad back makes my man the greatest man alive!

This morning I woke up feeling worse and didn't want to get out of bed. My straightener is terrible, so you can probably guess that I wasn't in a good about my hair (it's a girl thing). Then, here comes Adam around the corner with a card in his hands. It was the sweetest card and his words couldn't have come at a more perfect time (he told me that I was beautiful)...my hair wasn't much of a worry then. Today, we also had to drive separately to school because Adam has therapy right after. Well, the coffee didn't really turn out this morning, which was a bummer, but come to find out Adam made a surprise trip by McDonald's to get us some coffee and a biscuit! He's such a sweetie!

I teach some of the kids that he has for Spanish and they all came in today wishing us a Happy Anniversary and told me that I was all he talked about in Spanish class. I was probably blushing, but I didn't care. Then one student said, "yea Mrs. Hamilton, 2 years are better than 1"! She was exactly right! I know it's kind of Corny, but 2 years are better than 1...hence my title!

Thank you Adam for an amazing two years! You are the man of my dreams and you have totally swept me off my feet! Every girl's dream is to be a princess in a fairy tale and I can definitely say that I am living my dream! Love you hottie! Here's to many more years together as husband and wife!

PS: Adam and I are both Spanish teachers, so I can't end this post without saying, "Feliz Cinco de Mayo"!

2 are better than 1

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to my sweetie! Two years ago today I married the greatest person in the world! I can't believe it has been 2 years! Adam has been everything I've ever wanted in a husband and he has definitely made all my dreams come true! Unfortunately, I am sick today, but Adam has made me feel like a princess!

It all started last night...yesterday, today, Thursday and Friday I have cheerleading tryouts for HGBCS which are from 5-7. Adam and I drove separately to school yesterday, so he went home when I stayed at the school. He knew that I started feeling bad yesterday, so he told me he'd have everything taken care of when I got home. Man, oh man! Well, it was pouring when I left school last night, so I was completely soaken, which didn't help the way I felt. I was really down in the dumps as I was driving home and having a pity party for myself. But when I got to the back door of our house, I saw a vase of flowers on the counter, candles lit, dinner ready, a completely clean house, laundry done, trash taken out, lunches made for the next day, and coffee on auto for the next morning. All that with a bad back makes my man the greatest man alive!

This morning I woke up feeling worse and didn't want to get out of bed. My straightener is terrible, so you can probably guess that I wasn't in a good about my hair (it's a girl thing). Then, here comes Adam around the corner with a card in his hands. It was the sweetest card and his words couldn't have come at a more perfect time (he told me that I was beautiful)...my hair wasn't much of a worry then. Today, we also had to drive separately to school because Adam has therapy right after. Well, the coffee didn't really turn out this morning, which was a bummer, but come to find out Adam made a surprise trip by McDonald's to get us some coffee and a biscuit! He's such a sweetie!

I teach some of the kids that he has for Spanish and they all came in today wishing us a Happy Anniversary and told me that I was all he talked about in Spanish class. I was probably blushing, but I didn't care. Then one student said, "yea Mrs. Hamilton, 2 years are better than 1"! She was exactly right! I know it's kind of Corny, but 2 years are better than 1...hence my title!

Thank you Adam for an amazing two years! You are the man of my dreams and you have totally swept me off my feet! Every girl's dream is to be a princess in a fairy tale and I can definitely say that I am living my dream! Love you hottie! Here's to many more years together as husband and wife!

PS: Adam and I are both Spanish teachers, so I can't end this post without saying, "Feliz Cinco de Mayo"!

Powerful Stuff

Well, if you read my last post, you could probably tell that I am very proud of my church and my Pastor! This past Sunday was incredible and was a home run for what Pastor Steven wanted to happen! If you haven't heard, or don't know, Ted & Gayle Haggard came to Elevation and told their story of forgivness and grace. You can go here to listen to it. You will want to...you will be blessed!

Pastor Steven opened up the service by saying a few things before the Haggard's came out. He was talking about grace and one of the things he said was that we are a church that's full of grace. The Lord came and died for everyone, not just for a select few...and we ALL have fallen short of the glory of God. He also said that we were a church that stands for what we're for...not what we're against, and we are for God's grace and forgivness! Man, that just fires me up...doesn't it you?

I'm not going to go into detail about the interview (that's why I gave you a link)...but I do want to say something about one of the things Ted Haggard said. Pastor Steven asked him a question concerning his sin and how low things really got. Mr. Haggard's response was powerful! Of course he went on to say that things were the worst they've ever been, the lowest they've ever gotten. But then he said something that I've never thought about...

"As soon as sin becomes a secret, it has power."

Wow. Something clicked with me and it all made sense. Once your sin becomes a secret, it has power over you. That's why we're called, as believers, "to confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" (James 5:16).

Don't keep your sins hidden...you have the power to overcome them...Jesus overcame them for you on the cross so that you may be victorious!! My heart fills with joy everytime I think about what He did! Why hide your sin and let it overtake you when Jesus has already paid that price for you? Confess your sins so that you may be healed! Believe in your heart that He loves you and died for you so that you may expierence the spiritual freedom that is offered. You are bound no more by your chains of darkness...all you have to do is believe and surrender your life to Him and you can expierence first hand what He has to offer you.

Whew...I didn't mean to preach, but I get so excited when I think about that and I just want everyone else to expierence the joy that I have because of what He's done for me. Thank you Jesus!!

Powerful Stuff

Well, if you read my last post, you could probably tell that I am very proud of my church and my Pastor! This past Sunday was incredible and was a home run for what Pastor Steven wanted to happen! If you haven't heard, or don't know, Ted & Gayle Haggard came to Elevation and told their story of forgivness and grace. You can go here to listen to it. You will want to...you will be blessed!

Pastor Steven opened up the service by saying a few things before the Haggard's came out. He was talking about grace and one of the things he said was that we are a church that's full of grace. The Lord came and died for everyone, not just for a select few...and we ALL have fallen short of the glory of God. He also said that we were a church that stands for what we're for...not what we're against, and we are for God's grace and forgivness! Man, that just fires me up...doesn't it you?

I'm not going to go into detail about the interview (that's why I gave you a link)...but I do want to say something about one of the things Ted Haggard said. Pastor Steven asked him a question concerning his sin and how low things really got. Mr. Haggard's response was powerful! Of course he went on to say that things were the worst they've ever been, the lowest they've ever gotten. But then he said something that I've never thought about...

"As soon as sin becomes a secret, it has power."

Wow. Something clicked with me and it all made sense. Once your sin becomes a secret, it has power over you. That's why we're called, as believers, "to confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" (James 5:16).

Don't keep your sins hidden...you have the power to overcome them...Jesus overcame them for you on the cross so that you may be victorious!! My heart fills with joy everytime I think about what He did! Why hide your sin and let it overtake you when Jesus has already paid that price for you? Confess your sins so that you may be healed! Believe in your heart that He loves you and died for you so that you may expierence the spiritual freedom that is offered. You are bound no more by your chains of darkness...all you have to do is believe and surrender your life to Him and you can expierence first hand what He has to offer you.

Whew...I didn't mean to preach, but I get so excited when I think about that and I just want everyone else to expierence the joy that I have because of what He's done for me. Thank you Jesus!!

Proud of my Pastor!

I can't even begin to tell you the joy that I have in my heart for my church, and my pastor! I have never thought of Sunday as my favorite day of the week until 2 years ago when Adam and I started attending Elevation. Yes, that's right...not a Friday or Saturday, but Sunday! Last Sunday we had the privilege of hearing Pastor Steven live at the Uptown campus. It was amazing...as always! Pastor also made an exciting announcement...Ted Haggard will be joining Pastor on Sunday for an interview. Now, before you go crazy...check out the website Elevation made in honor of this Sunday to answer any questions you may have. He also appeared on Fox News Rising Thursday morning with Mark Mathis to talk about it. I am definitely proud of my Pastor! Mark Mathis even said, "this cat can preach"! You can go here to see the interview.

On another note, this past week I had the privilege of leading about 20 students to Christ!! Most of them were rededications, but about 6 or 7 of them were first time decisions! I told my kids that Jesus comes before Spanish and anytime I have the opportunity to talk about Him...I will. It's the greatest feeling in the world to have kids tell you they want to give their lives to Him! It reassures me that that's the reason I'm here teaching in this school! Woo!

This was a kind of random post, but I'll leave you with a quote I read that is pretty powerful..."The power that produces the blessing comes through brokenness and death, death by crucifixion." ~Max Lucado

Happy Friday!

Proud of my Pastor!

I can't even begin to tell you the joy that I have in my heart for my church, and my pastor! I have never thought of Sunday as my favorite day of the week until 2 years ago when Adam and I started attending Elevation. Yes, that's right...not a Friday or Saturday, but Sunday! Last Sunday we had the privilege of hearing Pastor Steven live at the Uptown campus. It was amazing...as always! Pastor also made an exciting announcement...Ted Haggard will be joining Pastor on Sunday for an interview. Now, before you go crazy...check out the website Elevation made in honor of this Sunday to answer any questions you may have. He also appeared on Fox News Rising Thursday morning with Mark Mathis to talk about it. I am definitely proud of my Pastor! Mark Mathis even said, "this cat can preach"! You can go here to see the interview.

On another note, this past week I had the privilege of leading about 20 students to Christ!! Most of them were rededications, but about 6 or 7 of them were first time decisions! I told my kids that Jesus comes before Spanish and anytime I have the opportunity to talk about Him...I will. It's the greatest feeling in the world to have kids tell you they want to give their lives to Him! It reassures me that that's the reason I'm here teaching in this school! Woo!

This was a kind of random post, but I'll leave you with a quote I read that is pretty powerful..."The power that produces the blessing comes through brokenness and death, death by crucifixion." ~Max Lucado

Happy Friday!

Kids and Disney World

Well, Spring Break is over and it's back to school. Sorry for the all the should-have-been posted updates that I never did! I'm a bad blogger. Anyway, Disney World was amazing and I would have to say that it is definitely in my top 3 vacations! If you've never been...GO! Especially since Adam and I don't have kids yet it was a fun experience for us! I'm sure things will be different when we do have kids with us. As Adam and I took one of our many breaks in the parks, we came up with a list of criteria for families taking kids to Disney World.

Disclaimer: This is mine and Adam's opinions, so if I offend anyone...sorry.

Criteria for taking Kids to Disney World:
1. They must meet the minimum age requirement of 7 (7 is kind of pushing it).
2. They must be able to walk on their own (no strollers)!
3. They must be able to go to the bathroom on their own.
4. Compromise is key if you have more than one kid when it comes to rides...so they must understand the concept of going on rides they don't want to or rides their other siblings want to go on.
5. Fighting/arguing is not an option...Disney World is a magical place...don't ruin it for your kids.
6. This kind of goes along with #5...don't yell at your kids in the park (especially in line)...you will be stared at and your kids will be mortified.
7. Make sure they understand your expectations of them and you're both on the same page.
8. HAVE FUN!!!

Adam and I came up with these "rules" as we saw each one of them being broken in the parks. I'm sure they'll change by the time we have kids...until then, it's just me and my babe (hopefully we'll be back soon)!

Here's what it kind of looked like:



Until then, I have to leave you with this...

M-I-C...see ya real soon!...K-E-Y...why? because we like you!...M-O-U-S-E!!