Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011

Happy New Year bloggers!!!! :)  I can't believe we are welcoming 2011 tonight at midnight!  This year has flown by, but I find myself saying that every year it seems.  I want to take some time to look back on the great events for the Carpenter's of 2010....

• We celebrated our 1 year anniversary in October!
• We had several great vacations....Santa Monica and LA, Horseshoe Bay, San Diego, Riviera Maya Mexico, Rockport and Fredericksburg :)
• Our niece Kyleigh Reese Hindes was born in June.
• We had lots of friends get married (Justin & Courtni Gresham, Sean & Melanie Townsend, Matt & Aleece Nelson, Chance & Alexi Kutac, Kyle & Jessica Tompane, Jacob & Jamie Hill) 
• Jerrod and I started serving in the Youth Group at church in August
• I ran the San Antonio Half Marathon with my sister
• Jerrod went to his first Fightin Tx Aggie Football Game in the fall :)
• We committed to becoming full-time missionaries in Africa in 2011!!!!!!

I want to challenge each of you to pray for the hard stuff in 2011.  Ask God if you're at the job you're supposed to be at...even if it's your dream job.  Ask God if you should pick up and move, maybe he's calling you to another city.  Ask God to show you where He wants you to serve in your community or at your church, maybe lead a bible study or start a ministry.  Jerrod and I had NO idea what 2010 would bring, and we definitely didn't think God was going to ask us to move across the world!  Different things happened throughout the year to make if possible for us to do this and now we are about to send out support letters, apply for visas, get our shots, etc etc.  Trust us, it's hard to think about quitting the jobs we love, leaving the friends/family we have, putting our "American Dreams" on hold, but we know God will take care of us and teach us things we would never have learned if we don't follow him.  We honestly have no idea what is ahead of us in 2011, but we are trusting that God has us right where He wants us on this roller coaster we call life.  One of my mentors in college is in Haiti right now serving with her husband and 4 children.  Check out their blog, it blesses me/challenges me everytime I read it!  http://allthingshendrick.blogspot.com/

That's all for now....HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas!  I know the craziness is about to begin if it hasn't already but just want to take time out to remember the real reason for all of the festivities.  JESUS CHRIST!  Let's celebrate his birth and give HIM thanks for living a perfect life, dying on the cross for our sins and raising from the dead, so we can live in HIS GRACE!  Honor Him in all you do and lets remember the reason for the season.

Merry Christmas from the Carpenter's!!!!!

Going to the chapel...

and they're, gonna get married :)  That's right, Jessica and her husband tied the knot this weekend in Solana Beach, California at a country club there.  It was BEAUTIFUL!!!!  I wish I had pics of the ceremony to show you but I was preoccupied :)  As many of you know, Jessica has been my life long friend and I was so honored to be a part of her big day!  Unfortunately, Jerrod wasn't able to go with me because he had a basketball tournament :(  So...I flew to San Diego on Wednesday and we hung out at their house on Coronado Island (gorgeous!!!), drank wine, dyed her and his mom's hair, ate some pizza, ya know what everyone does the Wednesday before the wedding LOL.  We had so much fun spending time together.  Here are some pics from that night....

Flying in to California...

 Jess and I playing the xbox :)

Jessica, Debbie, and I

His mom getting her hair done :)

 Jessica's mom's turn...

Thursday morning Jess and I woke up and went for a run on the beach in Coronado and it was awesome.  I wish I had somewhere beautiful like that to run!  Houston streets gets old :)  We ran some errands and then had the bachelorette party that night!  I got us a hotel room in Little Italy (a part of downtown) and we had a lingerie shower, then went to The Shout House which is a very well known piano bar.  It was so much fun and Jessica had a great time!!

The view of the bay from our room in Little Italy :)

Girls night out!!!  Woohoo!!!

The piano player embarrassing her :)

Friday we woke up and Jessica and all the bridesmaids went to get pedi's and mani's :)  Then we went to the resort in Solana beach where we were staying for the rest of the weekend!  We had the rehearsal, dinner, then hung out in our room.  Jess and I could barely sleep....my other half was getting married, it felt like a part of me was too haha.

Us with Big Steve :)

 Awwww lol

Motherly love haha, I think they like each other!

Groom and I....who knows!!

Jess and Garrett :)

Then we had the WEDDING DAY!!!!  It was so much fun and stress free which was a plus.  Everything came together perfectly and Jessica couldn't of had better weather.  The wedding was on the golf course and it was sunny and 76!  Love it!!  She was stunning and made the most beautiful bride.  Here are some pics of their special day :)

The beautiful flowers...

Deborah, me and Debbie....by the way I LOVE our bridesmaids dresses!!!  Will totally wear it to a holiday party! :)

Beauty....

Love it!  Jess you are gorgeous!!!

Father/Daughter dance :)

Woohoo!

Instead of a wedding cake they had gingerbread men!  It was so cute.  They also had a dessert bar with tons of other goodies.  Such a cute idea for a Christmas wedding :)

Have fun in Kauai you two love birds!!!!

The day after the wedding I was able to go to the BEACH cause it was 80 outside...yesssss my kind of weather!!!

This was at the resort we stayed at in Solana beach...beautiful!!

La Jolla :)

Aren't they the cutest creatures ever?!!?

Coronado beach, just a few blocks from Jessica's new house!!

Carpenter Christmas Party!!!

Last year for our first Christmas we decided we would start an annual Carpenter Christmas Party so we had to continue the tradition :)  We had it the first weekend of December and had about 25 friends come!  I had a ton of desserts, punch, beverages, etc.  We also had a white elephant gift exchange which was hilarious.  We stayed up till 3:00am with friends!  I had to work the next day so needless to say I was exhausted!  Here are a few pics from the party!

Lauren Crawley and I :)

Hubby and I with our tree :)

Carter and Laura came too!

The dessert table...

Dexter played as Santa haha

White elephant, that's all I can say haha.  Jerrod and his brother Dusty.

Merry Christmas!  HE is the reason for the Season!!!!

I'm Thankful...

We have so much to be thankful for!  I know, I'm a little behind but I had to put my Thanksgiving pics up! Jerrod and I went to Pleasanton for the weekend (Wed-Sat) and my entire family was all together.  It was so much fun and a little chaotic with all the kiddos and dogs at my parents house :)  Chasidy, my friend from A&M also invited us to go to the Spurs VS Mavs game on that Friday night.  Our seats were on the 8th row, so Jerrod was in HEAVEN!!!  Then we met up with Carter and Laura on the Riverwalk.  We had so much fun and are so thankful for an amazing family that loves the Lord.  I'm also thankful for a wonderful husband, who leads me daily and makes me a better person.  God is so good!  It was a little weird this year though because Jerrod and I kept thinking, "next year for Thanksgiving we'll be in South Africa".  We agreed that we will have to have our own little celebration while we are gone :)  Here are some pictures from the weekend in Pleasanton.

Taking the boys on a ride...

 Niece Kyleigh :)

Grandma Hindes and Joe were able to be with us this year for Thanksgiving!  It was so special!

Kyleigh and Lauren :)  They look so much alike!!!

At the Spurs game with Chasidy!!!

On the Riverwalk with Carter and Laura!

 Saying our byes :(

 Cooper loves his tia :)

Proud Nana and Papa with all their grandkids!!