Top Eleven of 2011

This year has been quite the eventful one! It has been full of good times and bad times. It's been one of trials and blessings! So here are my top 11 of 2011.....

11.) Family trip to Disney World and Virginia's first visit!!

10.) Brett's graduation from college in May

9.) Completing my first half marathon in January!

8.) Celebrating two years of life for this sweet girl!

7.) Getting engaged to my best friend in March!

6.) Wedding planning, showers, festivities, and feeling more loved by sweet friends and family!

5.) Finding out that Brett got his first real coaching/teaching job! (Such a blessing)

4.) Finding out that I'm going to be an aunt times two and this one will be a big sister!

3.) Spending a week here with my husband

2.) Marrying the love of my life on a perfect November day!

1.) Seeing the Lord teach me, guide me, stretch me, convict me, love me, and sanctify me daily. 

This has been such an incredible year. I am hoping that this next one will be even greater. I am so blessed to have married a wonderful man this year and we are still getting settled and used to this new stage of life. I pray that as we embrace 2012, we will draw closer to God daily. I have learned so much. I have seen my sin and seen God's grace and blessings. I am thankful for new beginnings. I only long to be closer to the Lord. I pray I serve more, think of myself less, and spend time with Him daily. 

So, goodbye 2011. See ya next year!

Around Here During Christmas Break

During the break we have.......

Celebrated Christmas with Brett's family

Gotten to have Brett with my family for our annual Christmas Eve Waffle House dinner tradition

Celebrated Christmas with my family

Gotten more settled in our house...

Made me an official Kittrell

Spent lots of time together

Celebrated our first Christmas in the same city and as Mr. and Mrs.!

Sneak Peek!

I have already shared with the Facebook world but thought I'd share with the blog world as well. Here is a peek into our wedding day! It was so perfect! Chris and Jeff did an unbelievable job and I cannot wait to see the rest!! Seriously, I only showed Jeff a few videos from another company that I liked and I couldn't have asked for a better job! Hopefully, they will get some business from this because it was well worth it!! So thankful that we have this video!

Brett and Laura from Chris McLean on Vimeo.

We will be heading to Brett's parents house tomorrow to spend a little time with them! I am thankful for a little time away from my first graders! 

Hello Christmas break!!

Christmas with Virginia

This past weekend we got to have sweet Virginia come and stay with us. I hadn't seen her since the wedding which in all actuality isn't that long but it was still a much needed visit. She opened presents.....

Gave us some lovin...

And we did a lot of baking and took plenty of pictures....

Precious right?

Little chef...

She learned important baking skills like the importance of licking the spoon! :)

We got a little flour on our faces

And she spread some on ours....

It was a very relaxing weekend and we had so much fun loving on that little girl!! 

Around here we are wrapping up our last week of school. Brett and I cannot wait to be on a little break. We are looking forward to spending time with our families, sleeping, and continuing to get our house settled! I am also hoping to make a few changes around the blog when I have some free time!

Oh and we also celebrated one month of marriage on Monday! I am so blessed to be married to him and so thankful that the Lord brought us together.

Happy Wednesday!

It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Well, we are trying to settle into a routine and our new life as Mr. and Mrs. Our house is coming together and I am realizing how much stuff I have. On Friday we went and got our first Christmas tree together!

On Saturday, we decorated it as well as the rest of our house.

I am pretty pleased with how it turned out and we had a lot of fun doing this together! It has been a whirlwind of a few weeks but we are enjoying every minute of being married! 

In other news, my first graders are crazy right now. I am enjoying teaching but I have definitely got some Christmas craziness going on in my classroom! But, we are almost to Christmas break and next week we have lots of fun things we are doing! 

I also need to give a BIG congratulations to my sweet friend, Katherine. She and Blake are expecting their first child in June!! That is almost as good as a niece when your best friend is having a baby!! Congrats Kat and Blake!! We are so excited for you!!

The Lord has been teaching me so much with all of these changes in my life. I am seeing more and more sin in my life which is never fun but always ends up being good. I have been a bit emotional these last weeks, I have felt sorry for myself, I have been selfish. Bless Brett's heart. It's always good to recognize that sin in my life and I am thankful for His forgiveness. I am learning a lot about striving to choose joy and choose gratitude in each and every situation. 

Last but not least.....I could not be more excited to see this angel TOMORROW!! She is coming to visit us and I am pumped to spend the weekend with her! Also, I don't know if I have mentioned it on the blog or not but, I am going to be an aunt AGAIN!! Linds and Eric are expecting another little girl in April!! Ahhh....I could not be more thrilled!!!

I am off to bed and thankful that tomorrow is Thursday! :)