We will miss you Baba

Jason's grandmother went to be with the Lord on March 25th. We will miss her so much but know she is rejoicing with the Lord and are thankful she is no longer in pain. She went to be with Him with a smile on her face. The last week was very difficult for our family. She had hospice care in her home which was hard to watch, but we are thankful for the precious time we got to spend with her. Just a few days before she passed away she spoke with Jason and I and his brother and girlfriend and wanted to give us advice. Some of her last words were reminders to Look for the Lord first in everything we do, not compromise with the world, and to learn to compromise with our spouse. Many of her last moments when she was awake were spent saying verses and singing hymns that were so obviously written in her heart. What a testimony to her life.

Baba is Ukrainian for grandmother. Jason's maternal grandparents are both Ukrainian. Both of my grandmothers past away when I was very young, so to have her at our wedding and share many of our first memories together as newlyweds has been so precious to me. Baba has been such a special influence in my life the last 4 years since they moved to Texas and Jason and I married. We have spent so many wonderful holidays in their home. She is a beautiful women with a heart of gold. I am so inspired by her legacy of love and faithfulness to the Lord and her family. Her smile and sweet hugs have brightened so many days. She was always filled with joy that was contagious to others.

A few months before she passed away I was sitting with her one night and was able to share the story of how Jason and I fell in love and God led us to marry each other...It was so special to her to hear that. We talked about many more things, including how she was able to share her testimony and the gospel with a young nurse who had come to take care of her. She had prayed over her and given her a large print bible she could no longer read...This same woman preached the gospel through street ministry in New York City in her younger days and snuck bibles into Europe many years ago to take back to her family. She told me many times how special that conversation was to her, but I was so blessed by it as well and am so thankful for that night.

She planted seeds in so many of the lives around her, and brought so much love and joy to the world! Baba wanted her memorial service to be a celebration of her life. At the service this past week, each of the grandchildren and children spoke, making it so personal and special. I included a couple of pictures below from the slide show Jason and I put together. It was so much fun to go through and find pictures of her as a young woman! She had so much style and personality! We have been blessed and have became better people by her influence.

Baba is the youngest girl (just right of center)

Love her style!

This was when she and Jason's grandfather (Gigi) first met

Their wedding day...They were married 55 years and 9 months!-

Baba and Jason in Florida

An amazing grandmother!

Baba and Gigi on their 50th wedding anniversary...Still has the same look of joy!

Our wedding day!

First Married Christmas with Jason's family

Baba celebrated her 90th birthday in January! Jason make her favorite cake...Chocolate!

2010...A Year to Celebrate!

It has been way too long! I had originally written this post at the beginning of the year and had trouble uploading pictures. Then our computer quit working and I got crazy busy with 4 competitions and here we are in Spring Break! So without further ado, we started off this year with many celebrations...

A small New Year's Eve get together with family in our home.

On my 25th birthday I was at a Dance Educator's Conference in Houston. It is always fun to get away and attend it, but I am always sad to be away from my hubby, family, and friends on my birthday...This year Jason made me feel so special on my birthday. He sent me flowers and had them waiting for me when I checked into the hotel the day before my birthday.

The night of my birthday he had chocolate covered strawberries delivered to my room!

Wow I am so blessed to have such a thoughtful amazing husband who pursues me each day!

The weekend after New Years I traveled to Austin with my parents to celebrate my cousin's son Cade's 1st birthday! This was very special to us since they adopted him a year ago! Jill planned the cutest party...the CCR Birthday Bowl!

When I got back we celebrated Jason's grandmother Baba's 90th birthday. Jason made a beautiful cake for her that was so special to her!

And then we celebrated our sweet little cousin Kaitlynn's 3rd birthday! Can't believe she is three already! We partied Minnie Mouse style!

Mandy made the cutest cupcakes!

We also have had lots more snow...12 inches at once to be exact! Paisley really liked it!

Since then I've been busy with four dance competitions...Thankfully competition season is over and I have a break for a week! We traveled to Kilgore to compete and the girls got to see the Kilgore Rangerettes and then to Houston where we went to NASA and the aquarium. I'll try and post some pictures of that soon!

We have booked our trip this summer to MAUI! We are so excited we will be celebrating our 3rd anniversary there!

Well I think that is it...I'm spending spring break catching up on my sleeping, cleaning, shopping, and friends and wrapping it up with my husband on a special date on Friday to the Dallas Arboretum! Can't wait!

Holidays 2009

Before the year is over I wanted to post a few pictures from our Holidays of 2009...

We spent Thanksgiving with dinners with both of our families and then spent the weekend with Jason's family at Canyon Lake. We drove down to San Antonio Saturday night and walked the Riverwalk and took the boat ride with all the Christmas lights...It was so beautiful.

Us with Jason's Parent's

The Kids

Always loved the Alamo at night

Had never been to the Riverwalk during Christmas...So Beautiful!

Christmas Eve we spent celebrating with Jason's family at his grandparent's. We also celebrated our first white Christmas together! This was the first Christmas in our new home so it was extra special!

Christmas day we began the morning with cinammon rolls and orange juice a tradition we've started together.

That afternoon and evening we went to celebrate with my family. It was really neat to see my grandad be able to tell the Christmas story to my two little cousins the third generation of our family!

Papa telling the Christmas story

Girls and their Aprons!

Cousins

Christmas Card 2009

The magic of Christmas is not in the presents,

it's in His presence.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Love, Jason & Lindsey Metz

Dad's 60th Birthday

This post is long overdue, but I am just now sitting down with some extra time. My Dad's 60th Birthday was on November 20th. We wanted to throw him a big surprise party, because I have never been able to surprise him before...This time we did it! I convinced him we were having a Tech vs. OSU watching party and then secretly plotted for awhile!

Here's how it all turned out! He had no clue!


Jason made the cake...It had lots of road signs..."Yield to Aches and Pains" "Warning Explosive Gases Ahead" "Memory Detour Ahead"...You get the idea!


My dad and his dad...amazing how much they look alike :-)



I made centerpieces with pictures of my dad through the years for all the tables...Here are a few of my favorites!



My dad on his 1st Birthday!



Elementary school...He looks like such a punk here...haha!



Senior picture in high school



Converted Red Raider Fan!



Happy Birthday Dad!

1st Christmas in our New Home

If you want to check out other homes check out The Nester...

Welcome to our home! It is our first Christmas here and it has been so much fun to decorate!

In our entryway

This is my favorite part of our Christmas decor! Can't wait to get a fire going soon!

I started collecting Christmas tree toppers last year and continued to add to it, along with a few of the glittery trees that are out this year!

Our family Christmas tree...We have a Red, Black, and Gold Christmas tree...It's a Texas Tech tree with other family ornaments. The year before we got married my husband bought the official Tech ornaments for each year we were at Tech and we have continued to collect them ever since then.

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is to turn off all the lights in the house except those on the tree and sit in the living room drinking hot chocolate and listening ot Christmas music.

The reason for the season! Our Nativity scene

Santa Claus is coming to town!

Dining Room all ready for a holiday feast!

Our festive chandelier...an easy way to spice up your dining room with some extra decorative balls.

Dining room centerpiece...I tried to find and use some things we already had to incorporate in our holiday decor this year to save some money...Crystal and Christmas balls go great together!

A garland I got last year at Garden Ridge...The one on our mantle I bought at Hobby Lobby with only pine cones and then added the rest myself.

Texas Tech stockings in our study with our Tech diplomas!

A cute decoration I used in our kitchen. One of my student's mother's made it for me last Christmas...It's a brick painted like a snowman with a scarf and sock for a hat! How creative!