When we walked into the Bridal Suite, we were greeted with a room full of beautiful ladies calmly sitting around and chatting! Casey was in the middle of having her hair done and she pretty much jumped up and down with excitement when we arrived! Her smile beamed as she clapped and screamed! ;) As the morning went on, those moments of excitement became more and more frequent! It was getting real and she was soon going to be a Mrs.!
Casey’s excitement, energy, and emotion was so contagious! She would smile and there was nothing else we could do but smile and jump up and down with her! ;) She could not wait to see Joe and I am pretty sure I became just as excited to see him! Haha. (Well maybe not “just” as excited!… but I could not wait for them to see each other)! During the moment that they saw each other for the first time, the emotion poured out of them. As tears streamed down Casey’s face and they held each other tight, my heart beamed with happiness (and yes, tears were in my eyes!).
Their emotion is contagious, my friends! I think Joe’s best man said it best during his speech. He said he was so grateful to have both Casey and Joe in his life because he knows when he shares exciting news with them… they are going to be 1 million times more excited for you than you ever were for yourself! ;)
I think I can confidently say that everyone who shared in Casey and Joe’s day have hearts that are beaming with joy and excitement for these two! I know for sure that we do! Casey and Joe… you are AMAZING! Thank you for including us in such a special day! We are beyond excited for you to begin your lives together as husband and wife! Thank you for filling our hearts with so much joy!!
See more of Casey and Joe’s AMAZING day in their wedding slideshow below:
Okay, we all LOVE Christmas cookies… that is why we make so many, right? Yes, we like to eat them. But I think the thing we love most about Christmas cookies is sharing them with others! There are so many stories behind cookies… whether the story is that you actually burnt the first batch and this is the second or that you make the same kind year after year because it is a tradition you started with your grandparents years ago… the stories always find a way to leave you smiling! ;) Or maybe that is actually the taste of the cookies? Hmm?
Either way, that smile deserves to be shared! ;) Wrap up those Christmas cookies that you keep telling yourself to stop eating ;) and share them with your neighbors on this 19th Day of Advent! (Whoa… when did it become the 19th already?)
Your neighbors, whether you know them or not, are people that you see quite a bit! For us, we see our neighbors all the time because our home is attached to theirs! ;) (In fact, we don’t just see our neighbors, we sometimes hear them too! ;) lol ) We are fortunate enough to have neighbors that keep an eye on our home for us when we are away. They pick up our mail and take in our packages when they see them sitting out! They always have a watchful eye and we are so incredibly grateful! We always do our best to share a smile with them whenever we are passing, but we thought sharing a Christmas cookie smile with them would be even better! ;)
Even if you don’t know your neighbors… this is the perfect opportunity to meet them! Share the Christmas cheer, especially the tasty ones! ;)
One of our favorite things about the holidays are the smells of the season. From the amazing aroma of fresh cookies baking in the oven to the the smell of a newly cut tree, the smells of the holiday season always bring a big smile to our faces. But one of our favorite Christmas time aromas is that of cinnamon. So for Day 18 of Advent we are combining Liz’s DIY with Ryan Cooks and showing you how to create your very own Holiday Potpourri.
Making your own holiday potpourri is super easy. Simply slice a few oranges, grab a few cinnamon sticks, and place them in a small pot. Cover with water and add a few dashes of your favorite spices, we used nutmeg and cloves. Then bring the mixture to a simmer over low heat. The aroma of citrus and cinnamon will slowly fill your kitchen and whole house. The best thing is that you can be super creative with your own potpourri. Try using apples instead of oranges, or add a dash of vanilla or a little bit of pumpkin spice.
SUPPLIES/INGREDIENTS:
2-3 Oranges
Cinnamon Sticks
Ground Cloves
Ground Nutmeg
Any other holiday spice of your choosing
1 -2 Cups of Water
INSTRUCTIONS:
Cut oranges and add all ingredients to a small pot. Heat over medium-low and bring to a slow simmer.
This morning we started our day off by lighting a candle. We turned the tv off, turned the lights off, and lit a candle. We light candles often, but this one was different. I expected us to just light the candle and say a prayer and then go about our day. However, it became a rather emotional experience as we took some time to reflect, pray, and remember. On this 17th day of the AMAZING Holiday Advent Calendar, we hope you will join us in lighting a candle in remembrance of someone you love.As we stood next to the candle with only candlelight in the room, all of a sudden our to do list escaped from our minds. The pile of laundry that we were folding and piled high on the ottoman was no longer visible… it was just Ryan and I, the candle, and God. We stood in silence for a few moments and tears just rolled down my face. They were tears of sadness and grief… but also gratitude and joy. We remembered those people in our lives who have passed (most especially PopPop and Nikki- a teammate of mine who had passed away when I was in middle school) and realized with joy how much they have truly shaped our lives. We prayed for those families who have lost someone unexpectedly during Hurricane Sandy and the Newtown School shooting last week. It takes us back to the days of Flight 800 in 1996, when 21 students and staff from our high school passed away on their way to a school field trip to France. We remember those images of people gathered and just holding onto one another. Sometimes there are no answers, just a reminder that life is incredibly precious and taking moments to come together and love is everything that we should have on our to do list!
This weekend, the candle on the advent wreath symbolizes joy. Through sadness and grief, sometimes it is hard to recognize joy. However, through reflection and remembrances of those you love, joy is certainly going to shine through! Today as you light a candle, turn the rest of the lights off and take some time in silence to recognize that joy that those who have gone before you have brought to your life and know that their joy is shining down on you every second of every day!
This past Thursday night, during our cookie exchange date night, we also included an Ornament swap within all of the fun with our fabulous couples! It was quite an AMAZING evening for sure! On the invitation we asked everyone to bring an extra ornament and an address for a friend! We knew we would have a room full of holiday cheer and we wanted to be sure to share it with others! At the party, we had a little packaging station set up and everyone sent a little package with a lot of love and holiday cheer to a friend! This is for sure the season of giving and even a little ornament can make a HUGE impact! On Day 16 (RYAN’S BIRTHDAY!! WAHOO!) of the AMAZING Holiday Advent Calendar, we hope you will join us in sending a holiday ornament to a friend!
When you are out and about finishing up your shopping, take a stroll through the holiday aisles and pick out that perfect ornament to send to a friend! Find a box at your home… likely from all of your online shopping, you probably have one, right? And fill it with fun! Use colorful tissue paper, wood shavings, or even the comics section of the Sunday paper to cushion the ornament. Be sure to leave a sweet note and seal the package with a kiss! Ship that special package off to your friend and know that you are bringing them a big smile that will last for years to come! Every time they decorate their tree… they will definitely think of you!
