Key West Vacation 2011

I just had to share a few details and pictures from our ten year anniversary trip to Key West, FL!   What an amazing trip complete with lots of sunshine, relaxing, and laughs with precious friends!  We flew out last Wednesday morning and returned Sunday evening.  It was a perfect amount of time for a quick getaway to refresh and refocus!  It was mighty hard to get back into the swing of things this week....  but someone has to pay the bills around here!  ;)

This was our second time in Key West.  We absolutely LOVE the Casa Marina, where we stayed both times.  It is a Waldorf Astoria Hotel complete with superb service, breathtaking views, and the most comfy beds ever!  Not to mention the yummy room service that I enjoyed way too much, especially for breakfast!  ;) nothing like breakfast in bed complete with starbucks coffee!

But, what made the trip most spectacular, was sharing it with the man of my dreams!  After ten years of marriage, I can honestly say that we are more in love with each other than ever!  This trip was definitely our favorite getaway yet, we both completely relaxed and focused on enjoying our time together.   Key West offers Ashley with great fishing, while I get to lounge poolside and shop the night away in the downtown area!   After all, the most important lesson we have learned in ten years is to compromise - if I let Ashley fish then I will get whatever I want!  ;)  Give and take, right?!

And, I could not end the blog, without mentioning our precious friends who joined us.  We met Alan and Alaina at church almost exactly a year ago.  It is amazing the bound we have, it is as if God connected us long before our paths every crossed!  It is not often you find such dear people and I am thankful for their Godly example, support, and love!   Not to mention, the dinner cruise, jet ski tour, shopping, fine dining, lounging poolside, and too many more to name were all definitely more fun while sharing it with friends!   Oh, and praise God Alaina did not need the horse tranquilizer for the plane ride ;) 

Memories are priceless! Go make some!  :)

 

"I got BAPTITIZED!"

No, my title is not a typo, but none other than the words of our precious,  Abby!  Abby has been asking for many months now to be "baptitized!"   And last night, with our church family and friends gathered around our pool, my girls were both "baptitized" along with 10 others. 

As I stood on my deck with our church family, my emotions were intense.  I could think of nothing sweeter to my ears, than to hear the praises that were sung to our King right here in my back yard!  I have gathered on my deck many times, sat around my pool for many years now, but never have I ever experienced such a joy as I felt yesterday evening. 

I love that God does not require perfect people, the perfect setting ( thus our back yard pool), a perfect pastor ;), but yet He uses the willing!  He chose us to be His!  He guides our life with such precision, and He is available to everyone that calls on His name!   Not sure where life might find you today, but start where you are, stop waiting for everything to fall in place perfectly, for all the details to line up exactly,  and call on the name of Jesus now!   He is waiting and will make you new again!

Christ is Risen

Finally back to the blogging world!!!!   Thanks to our sweet little puppy, Tucker, who chewed up my laptop cords....  I have been unable to download pictures and keep my blog updated the last few weeks.  Tucker has added even more drama to our home and has successfully chewed through laptop cords, flat iron cords, tree lights....  He is now enrolled in doggy daycare (with obedience training classes) and we are hoping we can help him find other outlets ;) for all his extra energy!

As I sit here tonight, contemplating all the exciting things in April that I had planned to share, all the pictures of our April adventures I had planned to post, they all seem not so important at the moment.  Easter weekend is so much more!   It is a time we remember that Christ is Risen!  He is Alive!  So, later I will catch everyone up on the Alford's April adventures but for now lets celebrate our Risen Saviour!  May the words of this song touch your heart tonight!

Happy Easter Everyone!

Meet Tucker!

Well, over a week ago, we said good bye to our precious dog, Skittles.  Skittles was a tiny (only 2.4 pound) Yorkie who was very quiet, lovable, and many people commented that she was the best dog EVER!  She was only 3 years old when she died, not sure exactly what happened, but she got really sick, really fast and we had to put her to sleep.  Our family was heart broken to say the least!  We have never been without a dog, so last week seemed strange and very lonely!  Abby cried herself to sleep every night and we knew without a doubt our home would not be complete without another dog!

So....  last Friday Ashley and I headed out to look at several dogs.  At our first stop, we met Tucker, and needless to say, it was our last stop!  It was love at first sight for both of us! 

Tucker is our first male dog.  He is a Maltese with gorgeous long white hair that blows in the breeze.   He is WILD, loves to play, and has brought absolute joy to our family and helped our hearts heal.  I over heard Abby, who was laying on the floor next to Tucker this weekend,  and she was telling him all about his sister, Skittles, and how he helped "her heart not hurt so much!"   It was a precious moment and we are eager to share many more with this little wild bundle of fur.  Welcome, Tucker, to the Alford family - you fit in perfectly!

Fabulous February!!!

February is a fun month at the Alford house!  From Haley's birthday on the 13th, to Valentine's Day, followed by my birthday on the 19th, we enjoy lots of sugar and family fun during the month!  And since I have not blogged in awhile, I thought it was the perfect time to catch you up on the Alford's Fabulous February!

For Haley's birthday she chose a sleep over... Thankfully, Aunt Kelly was here to help!  She picked four friends from school ( we decided 6 kids,  like we had last year, was just toooo many!!)  And four was the perfect number, the girls had a BLAST!

 Haley turned 8 this year.  She is a disciplined second grader who is wise beyond her years with an attitude that needs an adjustment every once and awhile!  ;)   She wears a lady's size 7-8 shoe, has her own sense of fashion, and the ability to achieve whatever she sets her mind to!  Ashley and I could not be more proud of the young lady she is becoming and we are eager to see how she uses her life for God's glory!

Saturday, we celebrated my birthday surrounded by family and friends.  I must say, this was a special birthday for me!  Ashley cooked one of my favorite meals - "frog more stew" ( I think I am spelling that right....)  For those of you, like me, who are not from "these parts" I will tell you what is in this yummy dish.  In a large pot of boiling water, Ashley adds sausage, red potatos, shrimp, corn on the cob, onions - he adds all the right seasonings and each ingredient at just the right time and you end up with a yummy dish that feeds plenty!  This "Hillbilly" from the mountains of WV is turning into a true Southern lady!  And I must admit, I am starting to really like some of these southern dishes!  But shhhh...  don't tell Ashley, I still don't quite admit it to him! 

But the best part of my birthday, was sharing it with my niece, Adriana!  She brought tears to my eyes when she arrived at my house and greeted me with three BIG smiles!  She already loves her Aunt Amy - or so I tell myself!  ;)  God has blessed me beyond measure this year and I know He has BIG things in store for this year!

And here she is the next day, dressed and ready for church.  And already into the "bling bling" like her Aunt Amy!!!  ;)  I will soon have a shopping buddy! 

Psalm 37:4:  "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart."

I promise to keep the blogs coming a bit more frequent in the coming months.  March Madness is getting ready to begin and we will have lots of exciting details to share!  And I promise that I will begin sharing my journey to find answers for this crazy brain of mine!  ;) 

We love you all!!!  :)

2010, The Year of Answered Prayers!

When I think of a way to sum up 2010, it was without a doubt a year of answered prayers!  And especially as the year drew to a close, the Lord amazed us with so many more answers, guiding Ashley and I straight into what we are certain is His perfect plan!   And here is something I wrote, last Wednesday, after I finally received the answer to a prayer I have been praying for ten years!  God is definitely up to something in the life of my family, from Kelly's answer to prayer after 12 years of crying to God, to my answer after ten years of frustration.  From all indications, God's got something big in store this year!  So welcome 2011, I am ready to share God's love in a BIG way this year!  And here is what I wrote Wednesday night.....

Fear Not!   For He knows the plans He has for us!

Its interesting that over the last few years, and especially the last few months, God has impressed on my heart daily, or should I say spoken to me in an almost audible voice to ‘Fear Not!”   One of my favorite verses in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.“  Those words have rung out in my mind, have been forged on my heart, and are now coming to light!  

There is nothing more trying to one’s spirit than battling a physical abnormality that leaves you with decreased mobility, senses, and reasoning.  I have learned personally in the last few years and especially months what it is like to feel helpless, searching for answers, frustrated, and crying out to God for the answers!  

And then… the answers come….  And for me after ten long years of searching, those answers have come today!  And now, I am not sure the answers make the path easier, in fact it feels more scary, and makes me even more dependent on God ALONE!

Doctors have answers, opinions, strategies for our physical ailments, but only God has the healing power!  Man can search, study, and scrutinize every detail of the human body, only to find an intricate system created by a magnificent God!   Every detail from the hairs on our head, to the electrical impulses in our brain, they were all created by a God who loves us!  A God who wants nothing more than for us to love Him with all our heart!

As I write tonight, my mind is burdened for so many others, who are also facing roads of uncertainty.   Those of you who are faced with grim outcomes by the worlds standards, for those of you who are growing weary in well doing!  Stay strong, God is still there, and you are in the hands of a The Great Physician!

I can not believe I even question God at times such as these, for it is in these times when I feel alone and afraid, I find the most amazing peace that passes all understanding!  A peace that makes me not fear tomorrow!   “ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself…  Matthew 6:34  For some of you, me in particular, we need to lay claim to that verse, hold God to his EVERY word, for he CARES for you!  Yes, you, right where you are today, He is there and will forever walk with you!

Being a nurse, I like scientific answers for each medical problem.  I need a clear plan of treatment, prognosis, and options.  I need to follow the projected path until I have conquered the obstacle ahead.  But it is in following these pre - set guidelines that I find there is only ONE with all the right answers! Only One whose diagnosis is always correct, only One whose treatment plan is always a success, and only One who gives an incredible outcome!

Looking for a second opinion today?  Searching for alternative options to your  diagnosis?  Look no farther but to the very one who created you!  For He formed you, perfected each and every detail, and you ARE His child!  Hard lessons to learn but once you have fallen in love with an amazing God, the outcome will always be far greater than you can imagine!   Hold him at His word, He hasn’t left you, and He never will!

As I sit here tonight, knowing my diagnosis, reviewing the man made plans before me, it is a time that I truly evaluate my life.  Each day, each moment, now seems even more precious.  Each obstacles, each triumph seems priceless.  And yet, they seem but for a fleeting second.  They seem to be out of my control and for me a loss of control equals panic!

There are so many drugs available now, so many “feel good” remedies to help elevate your worries!  Being a GYN nurse, I am well acquainted with the number of hurting woman.  Woman who are at their whits in, woman who are in desperate need of a release of built up emotions.    Most just want someone to listen, some one to care, and for someone to give them that magic cure!

My heart breaks for case after case that I see of hurting people with no real HOPE!  We have exhausted our medical arsenal, we have tried every remedy imaginable, and yet we are still left feeling hopeless, frazzled, and in need of more medicine!  Our hearts are heavy, our minds are overloaded, and our bodies are beyond repair!

It is such a relief to know that as I sit here tonight, I have the tried and true remedy!  That I do not have to get a second opinion.  No more late night searching, no more painful test, my cure is Jesus!  For at the mention of His name, healing begins!  Your fears subside, your turmoil quiets, and your peace flows!  Need a dose of this medicine?  Just call on his name, the prescription is free, will never expire, and last forever!

Here's to an amazing 2011!  God is up to something BIG and I can't wait to share His love with others!

Twas the night before Christmas...

Oh my heart is bursting tonight...  all the way home from family events tonight, my mind has been churning, my emotions a bit sentimental as I reflect on the past year and years.   And tonight, after we arrived home, as I helped the girls spread their "reindeer food", the tears started.  I looked at Ashley and said, " Ten years from now, when these two girls are off with friends or boy friends, we are going to be crawling up in our chairs feeling lonely!"   Finally, after seven almost eight years of mother hood, I am learning what it feels like  to want time to stand still!

So tonight, I felt the urge to help remind others that tomorrow as you gather with your families, to let time stand still.  To embrace each moment, cherish each second, and let each memory take hold of your heart.  Don't look at the clock, don't worry about tomorrow, don't move forward, just sit, grab the hand of those dear, tell the ones you love how much they mean to you, and let time stand still.

I hope tomorrow finds you with the ones you love, I hope it finds you with the things you desire, but more importantly, I hope it finds you in awe of a precious Saviour who came so many years ago in a stable, so ordinary, but yet so extraordinary!  No matter where you are, remember God can use anyone, anywhere, to do magnificent things for Him!  

Stand in awe of His power.  It was just last December, I climbed in my attic, and parted with box after box after box of "baby things."  Knowing I was done having kids, having given up on my sister having a child, we cleaned the attic, cleaned out our storage unit and parted ways with all those sweet baby things.  And yet this Christmas, as I sit here with tears pouring from my eyes, I am in awe of a God who has made time stand still for my family.   For just like so many years ago, as the wise men and shepherds came to stand in awe of an awesome Saviour, I will gather with my family and stand in awe that the same miraculous power that was present so many years ago, is still alive and working right in my own family!

I am not sure what many of you may need this Christmas, but may I remind you of a amazing God who will never forget about you!  Just as I can never imagine a Christmas without my girls all tucked in their beds so close to me, I am certain, He can not imagine Heaven without you!  Whatever your impossible is this Christmas, whatever you have given up on and let go of, hang on for just a bit longer, I think you might be surprised that your Christmas miracle is just around the corner!

Words could never express my joy this Christmas.   For tonight, as I lay my head on my pillow, I stop, let time stand still, and stand in awe of a wonderful Saviour, who still does the impossible!  Tonight, for the first time, my sister will tuck her sweet little girl in bed on this Christmas Eve, something that just last year felt impossible.  Don't give up, keep reaching, keep believing, because I can personally tell you this Christmas about an extraordinay King who was born so that you and I might live and He is still in the MIRACLE business! 

 May your Joy be overflowing in the coming year, may God show you the impossible, and may you reach so many others for Him!

Lots of love your way this Christmas!