The first Christmas to come

So this Thursday marks mine and Will's first Christmas as a married unit. Wow. I can hardly believe it is already here. So much has changed in such a short amount of time.Thanksgiving came and went, and now the end of another year is approaching quickly. Last year this time, I was working at Ruby Tuesday, had just finished up school, and was baking with my mom and grandmother for Christmas Eve. This year has been quite different. I have done everything on my own this year, and in some ways it has been sad not to have family around to bake and decorate and shop with, but it has also forced me to go out on my own and get things done. Will and I are looking forward to creating our own traditions, and since we leave on Christmas Eve afternoon, we are having our Christmas on the night of the 23rd. We are making our own homemade pizza, baking cookies, and opening our gifts from each other :)

As many of you know, I work at an extension center for A Woman's Choice Resource Center, which is an anti-abortion clinic. At Necole's Place I get to work with moms and their children, as they come to get their GED, take parenting, pre-natal, stress management, or relationship classes, and basically encourage and walk life with them. Will was off the afternoon of our Thanksgiving Banquet, and helped chronicle the day for me. Here are a few pictures from the day:








You can't begin to imagine some of the circumstances these moms and their children come out of, but they are the reason I get up every morning. I want to bring them all home with me!

On a more recent note, Will and I came home this afternoon and took a few Christmas pictures to document our first Christmas, so enjoy!


These are from my sweet mother in law! Aren't they gorgeous!
They have brightened my last 2 weeks every time I've walked in the door :)






3 more days and we will be in Tennessee!