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!

Thank You Lord

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:4-7

Thanksgiving...A day to be thankful.

In the last few years I have been challenging myself to be more thankful for the many blessings in my life. We take so many things for granted...big & little, and the day to day. I've tried to take some time as I drive to work each morning and thank God, for breath and life, and most of all eternal life. That no matter what I have faced in the past, in the coming day, or the future I have the promise of eternal life in Heaven with my Heavenly Father.

I thank him for my amazing husband he created for me, my family, my cousin who is truly a sister by heart, and friends who lift me up daily. I thank him for my job, which although has its days that are truly challenging I am so thankful to have a job in this economy where so many don't. And not just any job but a job He called me to where I can share my passion of dance which He gave me as well. A job that is a ministry for me to reach out to young girls, and hopefully touch their lives and make a difference in helping them to grow into strong young women.

I thank him for our home that we have been so blessed with in the past year.

So often we forget, myself included as we go about the rest of the day, how blessed we are, and so I am thankful this year for all this and much more.

Three years from November 21 my cousin and I were in an awful wreck, an experience that changed me as a person...It is hard to think back to what a hard day that was and all the hard times we've faced since then. But even in the shock and pain and the struggle we've faced, I am thankful for God's miracles, his strength, his truths brought to life, the courage he's given, the love and perfect peace he's passed on in the toughest moments since then, and how He has brought His glory from it all. I don't know that I'll ever be able to look back and be thankful for what happened, but my understanding is so small compared to his.

But through it all, I am thankful for his provision. And I am thankful for the future which he already knows...all that is to come in the coming year.

Thank you Lord.

What are you thankful for?

New Addition to Our Family!

No not that kind! :-) The cute, furry kind!

We have been waiting to get a puppy until we got more settled in our new home! We have been looking over the last few weeks and today we found her! She has stolen our hearts!

Meet Paisley!

Paisley is a Cavapoo...A cross between a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Miniature Poodle. She is 5 weeks old, so sadly we won't be able to bring her home for a few more weeks, but we can't wait!

Here's a few more pictures of our little darling!

These are pictures from the breeder soon after she was born.