I am so proud of you Mikey!

I am about to celebrate with my best friend his marriage to his soul mate. For those of you that know me well know that Mike has been more than a best friend to me all these years. He has become a brother to me. 

I am just recalling all of our memories. You know in movies how when they "do" flashbacks, the memories just flow so fast you can't even keep up? That's my Mike in my head. A friendship like Mike and I's is EXTREMELY rare to come by. And I have been so blessed to make him a part of my life.

I asked Mike if I could give the "best man" speech. He laughed a little (so did I)... we were both thinking --- if I had a pair of "balls" I would be giving the best "man" speech. OOPPS, never mind - I don't want to offend anyone. :) 

Needless to say, Mike did tell me I could give "a" speech. And so I've been thinking about this like crazy. What do you say about someone you would do anything for (and vise versa)? What do you say about someone that knows more about you than sometimes you care to remember yourself? What do you say about someone who has shared all the sorrows, all the joy and all the in betweens? How can you get everything your heart wants to say into about a minute of telling everyone what a great person he is? Wow. This is going to be hard.

I am sitting here a little teared up just thinking about it. I remember how sometimes Mike was the only one "really" ever there for me. You know, sometimes people find it so hard to believe that a married girl could still claim her best friend as a male. But I assure you I have been blessed with a hubby who totally "gets it." And thank GOD because I don't know what I would do without my Mikey. Like I said, he's my brother, he's my blood. 

In honor of a man who knows how to treat a female (and btw Jenny  I taught him all that!).  Oh wait, I am not supposed to give such secrets away. LOL. Well anyways, although Mikey might not always understand the "wacko" emotions a woman can bring to a relationship, he respects it. And that's honestly all he needs to bring to his marriage. Also, I know for a fact Mike CANNOT live without Jenny. And therefore, I know he's committed to always making her happy. I am so proud of who he has become. He used to be a lazy, no good, piece of.... ooops, I meant, he always tried really hard to make the best of any circumstance he was given. Jenny you got a GOOD ONE. A best friend for life - that's the most important thing in a marriage.

And Mikey - this ones for you: Remember when.....

• you were in the closet for like 4 hours (LMAO)
• I brought Gracey Girl home
• we practiced for hours trying to perfect Copperhead Road
• our trip to El Paso (all 24 hours worth.... ughhhh....)
• I brought you to theMILL and introduced you to Jesus
• You hooked up with some total flops
• I hooked up with some total flops
• that night we got so drunk we couldn't even remember the next day (oh wait, you remembered, I didn't)
• what about that night i made you drive me around for hours because i didn't want to go home
• and all the tears you let me cry for the many sorrows I suffered (do you realize you were there for all of them, but one)
• There is just toooo many to recall on here, but there's a start!

Mike, I am so honored to be in your wedding. And we both know that if I had a beard I would be standing next to you when you marry the sweetest girl I know, Jenny. I love you more than you will ever know. You have blessed my life with more love than I know I deserve. 

My Soul Mate; My hubby, but More MY BEST FRIEND

So today marks exactly two years since Toby and I boarded a plane to St.Petersburg, Fl. Wow. That went fast. I am in awe of how my life has changed for the better since he has been in my life. Sunday will be our two year anniversary and though that seems so short... I assure you it is not. The life-long connection that Toby and I began with each other just over three years ago has never slacked. In fact just the opposite has happened for us. Wow.

I remember years ago... not too many years... I thought my world was over. I thought I could never find true love (especially from a man); the kind you read about in fairy tales. And I have had my share of sorrows and doubts, I have been shit, oops, pooped on, and lied to and basically left to dry by many of "boys" in my days.... but WoW. There's that word again. I never thought I was good enough to get someone like Toby.

And to all you girls out there that think you have to settle, I assure you don't. God has someone so perfect for you. Do your time. And God will bless you. LOL. That sounds silly I know, but its true. Serve God, and its amazing what he'll bless you with.

Sometimes I wish I could sit here and describe my thoughts to you about my husband. The thoughts like how much our "arguments" make us stronger for each other, or how his patience has played such an important part in who God wants me to ultimately be, period. Or how much he lets me get away with, and still is the only person to remind me just how great life can be when you have someone to share it with. There are a lot of those thoughts. But basically when its all said and done... in the end my life has been reserved to serve my husband. And no money or possessions can buy that piece of mind.

I am so happy doing life with you Toby. So happy. I know God has great plans for us, but I love the not-knowing feeling I have right now, because it causes me to appreciate the finer things in life. The things that don't always matter to other people. And that... well that is worth any sacrifice that was, is, or will ever be made for two people to love with an unselfish love (one that is only of God).

Take a deep breath... is this really happening?

Earlier this week I wrote about all the many things I am thankful for. I hope you got a chance to read it. Here it is Thursday and I am so overwhelmed with my blessings I have to shout out!

I know some of you have only been following my blogs for a little bit, so you may have missed out on some of the really good ones that I had hoped were encouraging. I am going to refer back to a couple of those today, as I think its necessary.

Okay... so as some of you may recall from my "When You Believe" Blog... posted back in March... I spoke about a recent miracle (of many) that Toby and I were being blessed with. Since that blessing, Toby and I have continued to live out God's direction for our lives. We have faithfully started tithing again, and we have faithfully continued our prayers, and we have faithfully found a church to call home once again. In the midst of our faithfulness the Lord has continued to bless us abundantly. I am not referring to only material things either. The Lord has greatly blessed our marriage as well (not that Toby and I ever had a problem) - but we are learning to communicate on such a deeper intimate level. Might I recommend some books: The Five Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman, Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs and The Unexpected Adventure by Lee Strobel and Mark Mittleberg. Toby and I are currently reading the later of the three. Anyhoot... it is through these devotionals and intimate reading times that Toby and I have really connected to each other and our marriage. I never thought I would say this, but Toby is my world. He is my soul mate and so much more. He has blessed me beyond belief and I could not have asked God for a better partner to go through life with.

The Lord is also blessing us in so much other areas of our lives. As seen in the "When you believe" blog - Toby and I have been working deligently to get out of the massive debt we accumulated. March seems so long ago from what we have accomplished since then. We have saved so much money since then, not only that, but we have been faithful coupon users! AH! I admit its a fun, very fun, addiction, believe it or not. To see some of those savings check out our "I can teach you to save money" blog (you won't be disappointed)! Well in addition to our diligent work and faithfulness, we were given another gift to pay off more of our debt. Toby and I can now say that we have exactly 7,000.00$ left in credit card debt to pay off (also saying we will be almost completely debt free after we pay that off!). Oh this is so exciting, I can't even begin to tell you how freeing it is to know that everything we own is ours and in less than a year we will have our final card paid completely. This is not to say that Toby and I are still asking God for guidance in paying back my student loans, but we are at peace knowing even those loans are in his hands.

Additionally, because we are loved by the GREATEST of all, He continues to bless us. Toby and I just found out today that he was promoted! Toby is now a level 2 instead of the level 1 that he has been for years. Now Toby is NO LONGER at the bottom of the totem pole! You have to understand how much we count this accomplishment as a blessing from our Heavenly Father. In these tough economic times, and knowing we have two more weeks left until our daughter graces our hearts and arms, we can't help but know this was God's way of showing us just how much He has us!

We are saddened by some of the things that are going on around us personally and non- personally, but we have so much to be thankful for. We have so much to live for... we have so much to give our daughter and teach her... we have so much! We are thankful for those of you have bent over backwards to make our wishes for our daughter come true. You know who you are... we know the Lord is going to bless you guys just as he is blessing our family. But because I can't help myself... and because I said I want to shout it all out... here our just a few thanks we owe (I will try to remember everyone!)...

Thank you Jesus!!!
FOR EVERYTHING
Thank you Rachy and Mikey...
for agreeing to be our daughter's God Parents...
Thank you Roger and Marvel...
for what you've done for us there are no words...
Thank you Mommy...
for the many hours we know you are going to commit to our little girl...
Thank you Aunt Lori and Uncle Bill...
for your blessings...
Thank you ULA...
for promoting my hubby and keeping him humble...
(hes the most humble man I know)
Thank you to all of you who came and participated in our baby's shower
And if I missed anyone... thank you for what you will do!

Toby and I are celebrating our one year anniversary this year... we know that the baby will be somewhere between a week to three weeks old... so keep us in your prayers that she latches on a bottle so that mommy (that'd be me) can breast pump so Toby and I can enjoy our anniversary alone! WE are so thankful for the time we get to be together as we know we could not have started such a more beautiful journey without each other.

Blessings Abundant

Dear Faithful Readers...

I have not been keeping this thing updated... in fact... I really haven't felt lately like doing much other than sleeping and dreaming of the day I hold our baby girl in my hands! But... there comes a time when peps begin to wonder whats going on... so here goes...

I am thankful for:
My husband - who has been one of my greatest sources of comfort
My Pregnancy - not much to complain about, it's been pretty good!
My Gracey - the Lord blessed me with the greatest "best friend" anyone could have asked for
My baby girl - so many people can not have children, and we have a healthy one... thank you Jesus!
My Home - we love it here in Castle Rock, we'll be here for a while
My Education - I love being challenged to use my mind and talents
My Doctor (OB) - I could not have asked for someone with a better "bed side manner"
My husband's Job - let's just say we are VERY blessed in that area
My debt-free mentality - It's just NOT the American Way (debt, that is)
My baby girl's room - So many people have contributed to making sure she has everything she needs.
My Mom - let's just say "what would I do without her!"
My cousin Jac-lyn - she is such an inspiration to me
My church - so what if we meet in a movie theater?
My heart for the Lord - how do people make it without him?
My 4th of July this year - what a great show it was!
My pain threshold - according to my dermatologist (who freezes off my wart every two weeks) says I have a great pain threshold!
My life - it is consumed with so much positive things, be it the mistakes I have learned from, or the road less traveled I have chosen to walk down many times, or the people that come and go and leave a print, or the many experiences I have yet to look forward to...

I AM SOOOOO BLESSED!
I do not take advantage of the many gifts the Lord has given me.


BTW - I am dedicating this Blog to the GREAT LATE Michael Jackson. He was one of my greatest idols (aside from Celine Dion) from the time I can remember. I do not judge his mistakes, nor the things that people spoke of him, because I know there is only one Judge. And I pray that MJ's soul made it to Heaven, as he was a believer of the GREAT ALMIGHTY! He will be remembered forever and truly missed by me and I will teach my little girl about the king (of talents) he really was!

PS... I have noticed if you try to view our blog using "Internet Explorer" - the blog does not come in right... you either have to use Mozilla to view it correctly... or let me know if you see a black top in my titles name and nothing to the left side of this blog!

When you believe...

If you took the time to watch this video (click the title) and listen to the words, truly listen, you will feel what I feel today. Life has always been a sequence of challenges and then "pick me ups." I could write a book on the many miracles I have been blessed to experience in my 26 years of life thus far. However, there is not enough time today to tell you of all of them. But one in particular has touched me beyond belief and I felt that it was only right to share it with you today.

Around the second week of November, Toby and I learned that I was pregnant. As you can imagine, all types of emotions began to pour out. I was unsure of what kind of mother I would be and I was unsure if we were going to really be able to give our baby what he/she deserves etc. So in those times of thinking, I began to realize that Toby and I were not prepared financially for a family. We were selfishly spending money on ourselves and unaware of the situation we had gotten ourselves into. I was only working part time to bring in a little income for extra things, however it was not enough to pay any significant bills.

It has been a long time dream of mine to be a mother, but now I was forced to see that my selfish actions were not a place to bring this blessing into. I began to lose hope. I knew early December I had to consciously make a decision for our little baby growing inside me. I wrote a dear friend of mine who was my mentor when I first came to know the Lord. She is full of wisdom and unconditional love. I knew she would have something to say. As Carol has always done, she encouraged me first by reminding of all the blessings that I have or had and that they were gifts to honor the challenges/trials I had overcome. Then she began to tell me that if I was "that" concerned about our finances than I should attend with Toby this workshop that was going to be offered in January. The workshop was called "Financial Peace University (FPU)." You might recognize the name and know that Dave Ramsey is the creator of this marvelous and life-giving idea.

As you might imagine, I was a little weary because I hate church events in which they try to tell you how you SHOULD be living your life. But MY FATHER is much greater than that... so I began to pray with great intent. I knew that if I decided to attend this it was going to be a commitment unlike one I had ever made. Well, guess what, I decided it was the only thing that was going to bring me hope for our situation, so we joined. Our initial investment was only 100$ (for materials), but our product was over 20,000$ (and still growing!).

Now some of you are curious to know how such a difference of a class could make such a difference in Toby and I's life. But we had no choice but to believe it would. To put it in simplest terms, it was truly a miracle for us; this FPU class. I believe for you to understand this miracle that took place you'd have to understand our circumstance.

Toby and I had a B-E-A-UTiful wedding in August of 08. And even better an unforgettable, once in a life time, honeymoon. Unfortunetly, we put most of our expenses on credit; which was well over 30,000$. Not only did we together bring this burden into the marriage, but myself brought a 16,000$ car loan and 80,000$ worth of student loan debt. Yah, many will tell you this type of selfishness is doomed to ruin a marriage. But let me put them in their place, because I tell you, this type of selfishness actually made (is making) Toby and I much stronger. With the initial responses to finding out I was pregnant, I knew I could no longer do what I was doing (job), so I quit. This added another burden for Toby and I. We were going to have to try to make it on just Toby's income. It's possible, right, well when you have the kind of debt we have, it's not. At least not when you want the best for your baby. And that is why FPU was our miracle.


FPU follows a simple "seven baby steps." Are you ready to hear how simple they are?

1. Step one : Save 1,000$ for an emergency fund
2. Step two : Pay off all debt except the house using the "debt snowball" (smaller debts first)
3. Step three : Save 3-6 months of expenses
4. Step four : Invest 15% of your household income into Roth IRA's and pre-tax retirement plans.
5. Step five : Save for college (your kids)
6. Step six : Pay off your home early
7. Step seven : GIVE and build wealth!

Today, Toby and I are barely to step two, but the information we gained in this class was priceless. It was life giving and such a relief to know that "peace" was easily attained. And here is the miracle (or at least one), the miracle is the will and strength that God gave us to follow these steps with true intent. And the other miracle, not only were Toby and I able to save OVER 1,000$ for our emergency fund, but we were also able to pay off my car, all 16,000$ worth. We were blessed with a financial gift in order to make this happen. We put that gift with our tax return etc, and we our now without car payments! Oh! You have no idea what a relief this has been to us and our marriage. Plus there is nothing like having enough faith in God and believing HE is going to answer the desires of your heart. We believe we should have our credit debt paid off within the latest two years. It is at that point we will be able to start paying off my student loans.

With great trust in the Lord and hope, we will continue to feel blessed by our change of life. And if you're thinking we'll never be able to enjoy our vacations as we have in the past, you are wrong. FPU also teaches you the tools you need to save for these type of things (vacations, Christmas, entertainment etc.). We have learned so much. We have learned about finances in every way (from saving for emergencies to saving for retirement and nursing homes, etc)! We have learned about faith! We have learned that God truly will always answer the desires of your heart if they are to be blessed.

It is now that I look and reflect on this miracle in hopes to encourage other miracles in our loved ones hearts. FPU is truly what this country and world needs. Everyone should consider such a blessing. It will change the future of our generation and the next. That's a bold statement, right, well, I believe so conciously in this program that I will stand by that comment until the day I die.

May you experience this type of miracle for yourselves. And may you always know that we would love to share with you what we have learned.

"Miracles can happen, when you believe..."

Love Passionately,
Autumn-Rose

Oh' the Joys of being Pregnant....

So I started going to the gym this week. And I am loving it. Don't worry I am not lifting weights or any of that. Instead, I took up a water aerobics class with thirty other women, none of which are even close to my age! AWKWARD! Even more awkward is thinking that all of these women don't even know I am pregnant yet! I just look like an over-weight little girl. HA!

I am also experiencing the "do da" ness of motherhood as well. YIKES! So, I get out of the gym on Monday morning and guess what!? I am walking out to my car, or should I say I THOUGHT MY CAR. You're laughing right, it gets better. I stand at this 2006 Blue CRV (mind you identical to mine) and wonder to myself why I can't open the door. Well, if you know me well, then you'll know that the interior is COMPLETELY purple! So I take a look inside and notice there is no purple. So my next thought was instantly, "Someone stoll my seat covers, AHHH!!!" I try unlocking the car again and realize I hear the clicking just a few cars away. Thats when I look in the back and realize all of Gracey's things are not there. "Oh, MY GOSH!" I have just stood five minutes at this car that IS NOT EVEN MINE! I was so embarassed. I have NEVER done anything like this before, and it didn't even phase me that I could've very well been standing at someone elses car.

So if that wasn't enough to make me crazy for the week, it gets better. On Wednesday when I returned to the gym, I realized I had put two VERY different flip flops in my bag. Well, I am sorry, but I am not about to pick up any unwaranteed dieseases on my feet, so I wear the darn mis-matching flip flops out to the pool. I looked like I was limping because one of the flip flops was high heeled. LOL.

Those of you who know me well, know that I am probably the most modest person you will ever meet. Well, today, Friday, I am at the gym, again, and there is this woman who comes walking out of the shower Butt*** naked! No, seriously. IF thats not awkard enough, she's standing there for like ten minutes all lotioning up and stuff (NAKED!). As if I can just continue getting dressed while there is a woman infront of me all naked. And you know I am not into that, but my gosh... I guess some women just don't have any cares! However, I guess that part of me is really changing too because I don't seem to care so much if my towel drops by accident. Heck in a few months the towel's not even gunna fit around my preggo belly anymore. So I guess I need to cut back on the modest part of me.

I am sure I will have many more stories of what my parents would call, "my blonde moments!" On another note, many of you do not know how lucky I am... I am so lucky! Not only did I marry the ONLY person that could put up with me, but I married the only person that is PERFECT for me. To celebrate our love, Toby recently got me a new 1/2 karrat platinum band to add to my other 1/2 marquis engagement diamond. It makes me feel special and its a reminder everyday about how much he loves me. I am so blessed. I have the best in the world! I have a perfect husband. I have a perfect little girl growing inside me. We are getting our way out of debt and I have a life that is abandoned to God. Who could ask for anything more? I love it!

BTW - our baby girl says, "HI!" She kicking as I type this now. Gosh I love that feeling!