Photo Dump

Below are some pictures of what we have been up to this winter. This by no means shows all of the fun we have been having but it will be a good little preview of what we have been up to.  They are in no specific order but hope you enjoy!

 

Snuggles with our Nephdog Jack!  He is the sweetest.  Some days I think we will just bring him home with us.

 Bedtime stories and snuggles with our sweet niece on Christmas Eve.  Reading all about Santa's Workshop in her Santa Pjs.

 Vacation with the Stone's for our Christmas Celebration.  It was cold but truly the beach is great no matter what!

 Everyone had to get their pictures made in the BIG chair at the hardware store.

 There was the cutest little schoolhouse on the island so of course this teacher was all into exploring it.

 Just hanging out with the Wright Brothers

 Beautiful views.  Two of my favorite creations in one picture.

 Hanging out on the dunes.

 What's a girl to do when the Hot Tub is calling but so is the Hokie Bowl Game?  Of Course tilt the TV and leave the door open.  Best seat in the house! :)

 Jumping on the dunes

 Beautiful educational tour of the Whalehead Club

 DUCK DONUTS made fresh to order! YUMMY!

 Lots and lots of Hot Tub time

 Last Day of Vacation :(

 Matt's last work event with Michelin was at the Hotel Roanoke, how lucky were we?

 Our cute new years date!

 Furniture shopping with my parents and this is the bed Matt decided he would like.  Um...no thank you!

 Truly in love with being Auntie Allison. 

 Above- Thumbs up for the Local Home Show

Below- Who knew that a magazine could make a hat?

 Beautiful walk in the snow

 Yes indeed, it is true folks.  I am going to be a big Sister!  As if my Auntie Allison and Uncle Studly (Matt) don't spoil me enough now there will be two of us!

 Teacher Appreciation Week----LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of Candy!

 Day Trip with our friends- Chastity and Tyler.  SO thankful for their friendship and the fun times we have with them.

 Check me out in my new ride.

 Lots of time spent together while reading.  Thankfully I am not having to read textbooks like Matt!  He is such a hard worker.

 Tyler and Chastity on our Day Trip!

 Cake Baking for lots of birthdays in the family.

 Thanks for the 1st birthday party!  Is this cake for me?

 Mmm...this is YUMMY!  Thanks mom for letting me dig in to this cake.

 Making a Carolina girl out of Sweet Caroline!

 Happy Valentines Day!  I have the sweetest most thoughtful husband for setting all of this up for me.  I love you and am so thankful for you!

 Papa and Caroline playing us all a little tune!

We are so thankful for the fun times that we have been having together and with family.  After looking thru our pictures I have noticed 1) We need to take some pictures of Mom, Emily, and S.  2) Matt and I need to take more pictures together!  3) I want to start taking my camera with me at all times so I can capture even more memories!

Saturday Letters

Dear Blog,

I have been deserting you lately.  It seems as though I can't come up with things to write about or that all of our pictures are sitting on Matt's phone waiting on me to post them.  I won't make promises but maybe I will try writing more.

Dear Cold,

You have overstayed your welcome and it is time you hit the road.  I am sick of feeling sick.  My nose would like to no longer look like I am guiding Santa's sleigh, and I would like to be able to breathe again.

Dear Report Cards,

I wish that you would be able to complete yourself.  I have no drive this close to Spring Break to get you finished.

Dear Spring Break,

I look forward to you coming by in a week! :)  Feel free to stay awhile.  It seems as if you might give me some extra days by starting with snow!

Dear Students,

I am very proud of your grades this nine weeks and hope that you continue to finish the year strong.

Dear Caroline,

I miss you and am so glad I get to see you tomorrow!  Your mommy tells me you are learning new things every day and I can't wait to see. I also look forward to seeing your mommy, daddy, and Jack.

Dear House Being on the Market,

I miss the days where I didn't have to make sure the house was absolutely perfect each time I walked out the door. 

Dear Bible Study,

I sure do love getting to study Crazy Love again and it is so great to get to lead youth to a stronger, closer relationship with the Lord.  I pray that God will work in each of our lives during this study.

Dear Family,

I am so excited for all the hanging out we have planned in the next couple months!

Dear Dad,

I CAN'T WAIT for our annual basketball trip!

Dear Husband,

I enjoyed our Chinese Food date last night! It is so fun to just hang out with you and relax. 

Dear Blog Readers,

Have a great day!

Weekend Activities

What to do on Weekends that have No Plans?!?

There aren't many weekends when we don't have something on the calendar to do but there are occasionally those weekends and it leaves us asking the question what do you want to do today?  Most of the time we can't think of anything besides playing games, watching TV, going to the mall, or something simple like that.  

This past weekend was on of those weekends, we had NO PLANS on Saturday which sounded great at first but then left us with a full day of free time (we had a snow day Friday so we had done plenty of lounging).  Talking to my college roommate and great friend Laura it seems that this is a question they had as well.  If only they lived closer to us we would've had a game night or something fun but I was left with trying to keep Matt awake past 7:00, now that he has given up caffeine. Today that leaves me with the question of what fun activities do you and your husband like to do on weekends with no plans?

Christmas 2012

Christmas was a wonderful family time for us and we started celebrating early and didn't stop celebrating until Jan. 1st!  There is nothing better than two weeks when we can all slow down and spend quality time with one another.

Before Christmas some of the highlights were: Christmas light displays, Dickens of a Christmas, Christmas plays, cooking Christmas goodies, and Christmas movies.

When it got close to Christmas we started off by going to my grandparents on Sunday to celebrate with them and Em, S, and Caroline (since they wouldn't be joining us there on Christmas Day).  We enjoyed spending time together at church and eating yummy seafood.  One of the highlights of the day was watching Caroline open her Christmas presents and getting to play with all of her toys.

On Christmas Eve Matt and I did some last minute shopping in the pouring down rain and had a great time running in and out of the rain to pick out those extra special gifts.  After that we loaded up the car and headed up to meet Mom and Dad at Em and S's house for our Christmas Celebration.  We enjoyed the afternoon playing with Caroline and letting her open more Christmas presents, eating delicious food that Emily made, going to the Christmas Eve service at their Church.  Christmas Eve Services at church are a favorite part of my Christmas celebrations because it helps me to focus on why we celebrate Christmas.  If it wasn't for God sending his Son to save us from our sins than we wouldn't even have Christmas to celebrate.  After Church we came back and ate some more food and opened all of our Christmas presents.  Our family is so good to us and once again spoiled us with all of the gifts they gave us!  We tried to watch Home Alone but all were asleep not too far into it so we headed to bed.

When we woke up on Christmas morning we ate a yummy breakfast and went downstairs to see what Santa had brought us.  Santa was good to me again this year and gave an extra special gift, a journal to keep record of the journey that God is taking Matt and I on as he is in seminary.  I know that this journal will be cherished and will be a record of God's faithfulness and goodness to us during this time.  After getting ready Matt, Mom, Dad, and I headed back to the grandparents to spend the remainder of the day.  We spent the afternoon with Dad's family and the evening with Mom's family.  It is always a wonderful time to spend with grandparents, aunts/uncles, and cousins.  I cherish these times soooo much.

On Wednesday morning Matt and I loaded up the car in POURING DOWN RAIN and headed off to the beach to be with Matt's family for a couple of days.  After traveling in rain all day we arrived at the OBX and spent four days crafting, playing games, eating, touring beach houses, walks, museum going, and shopping.   Matt and I both really enjoy going to museums and learning about different times in history.  We really enjoyed going to the Whalehead Club and Wrights Brother Museum during this trip.  If you run into us in the next couple weeks watch out because we will probably have some new facts for you!  There was a hot tub at the house we rented and all of us enjoyed our time of relaxing daily in the tub.  Again we were spoiled with Christmas presents here and truly enjoyed our family time at the OBX.  The men had a jumping competition on Jockey's Ridge and this provided good laughs for all of us.  We recorded all of the jumps and Matt and I have enjoyed going back and laughing at them all over again.

We enjoyed many many laughs and heart filled family time over the past couple weeks and will cherish these times for many years to come!  We are so blessed with an amazing family!

Christmas 2012 Card

Merry (late) Christmas to you and your family from ours 

Hi Friends and Family!

We hope that this Christmas greeting finds you and yours doing well.  There has been so many wonderful things going on in our lives this year so we thought that we would share some of the exciting news with you!

In January after being married for only two months the Lord called us into full time ministry so we searched for the perfect seminary fit for Matt to begin classes at.  The Lord has led us to that perfect place. We instantly fell in love with the community there and felt that this is where the Lord would have Matt prepare for ministry.  He is currently finishing up his first semester and has learned so much and has become quite studious!  Matt would like to work in youth ministry and eventually become an expository preacher.   We would appreciate your prayers as our house is currently on the market in hopes that we can soon move so that Matt can become a full time student.

In February we became Aunt Allison and Uncle Studly (Matt) to beautiful Caroline Brooke.  She is the sweetest and so much fun to be around.  Allison was fortunate enough to keep her two days a week this summer!  They had a blast each day playing, singing, reading, walking, and snuggling.  We continue to sneak over to see her (and of course Emily, Brett, and Jack too!) as much as we can.  She has a very special place in our hearts and we love spoiling her!

Allison started her 4^th year of teaching this fall and is currently teaching 10 boys and 4 girls in the fourth grade.  We can all agree that she has her hands full but wouldn’t trade it for a minute.  She loves her job and her students.  She considers it such a joy to help shape her students to be the children God desires for them to be.  When Allison is not spending time being an aunt or a teacher she still enjoys to craft, scrapbook, and cook!  

We enjoyed several family vacations this year with both the Hodges and Stone families.  We are so fortunate for the love and fellowship that we have with our families.  The Stone family welcomed their second “daughter” over the summer when Mark, Matt’s brother, married his bride, Christina.  We look forward to weekends when we know we are going to see our loved ones!

Marriage is a wonderful thing and we have enjoyed our first year of life together as husband and wife!  We enjoy playing games, going for rides, hosting people for dinner at our house, going on walks, exploring our town, and cooking delicious meals together in our kitchen.   We have grown closer to each other during this year but also closer to the Lord as we keep Him at the center of our relationship.  With going into the ministry we have been learning many new things about the goodness of God.

We pray that you and your family will have a wonderful Christmas and that 2013 will be a blessing to you.  Don’t forget to take time to reflect this Christmas season on the many blessings that the Lord has given you this year.  We ask that you join us in prayer for how God would lead us during this time of preparation for full time ministry.  You can keep up with our day to day adventures of life on our blog at uncchic87.blogspot.com .

                                               

                                                                                                                                                In Christ,

                                                                                                                                                Matt and Allison Stone

Happy Thanksgiving!

2012 Blessings

1. God's Saving Grace and the relationship that I have with Him.  God continues to teach me new things each day and grow our relationship.  

2. My wonderful husband! We are no longer newlyweds just having celebrated our 1 year anniversary! :)

3. The BEST parents and in-laws, sister, brother-in-laws, and sister-in-law along with a loving, supportive family.  We are so blessed with our families and enjoy spending time with each person.  Looking forward to some family hang outs in the weeks to come with the holidays.

4. The cutest, sweetest, most adorable niece in the world.  I love Caroline like she is my own and miss her when I don't get to see her.  She has the sweetest personality and is so fun to be with.

5. My grandparents, I have the best grandparents and am so fortunate to be able grow under their love and care.

6. Shelter and food. 

7. Clothes, $ to buy clothes, and a husband that will allow me a shopping spree every once in a while!

8. My job as a teacher. It is a privilege to be able to partner with parents to help their children become the men/women God desires them to be.

9. Friends both new and old.  Matt and I have been truly blessed this year with some wonderful friendships.

10. Cars.  Being a fan of cars has been a part of my life since before I was born.  My grandad was a car dealer and my dad loves cars so I always have enjoyed them too.  I am thankful for my car that allows me to go here and there and everywhere.

11. Doughnuts

12. Cooking

13. Weather and Seasons

14. The beach

15. The mountains

16. Football and Basketball

17. Christmas

18. Thanksgiving 

19. There are MANY MANY MANY more blessings that the Lord has given to me that I could probably continue to list them for days to come.  Take time to spend in reflection this Thanksgiving about the many blessings that the Lord has given to you!

Psalm 100

A psalm. For giving grateful praise.

¹ Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
²     Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
³ Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his^[a];
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵ For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.

October Ho-Sto-Bo Day!

 It's a beautiful fall Saturday and there is lots of football to be watched so why not call in the family and have a Ho-Sto-Bo Day!  It was our turn to host so we decorated the house, planned some activities, and had brunch to munch on.  Enjoy some pictures from the day.

 

 These are all of the teams that we were cheering for on that day.  Unfortunately it was not a good day for any of our teams.

 Matt created a list of the top 25 games, ACC schools, Appalachian and Liberty and we had a poll to see who could predict the most games. 

1st Place- Matt

2nd Place- Mom

Tie for 3rd- Dad, S, and Me

4- Emily

 Cute and yummy "acorns" made out of munchkins, frosting, sprinkles and pretzels!  Thanks pinterest!

Look at the sweet little Pumpkin!

 Loving on the sweetie

 Training Caroline to be a Tarheel!

 Dad and Mom! Thanks for coming over and for making yummy ham biscuits, apples, and juice!

 Thanks for the yummy pumpkin bread and bagels!

 Dad and Me representing our teams!

Representing both of our Carolina teams!  We all know that my Carolina is the true Carolina ;)

It is always a fun day when it is spent with family!

Friday Letters

Dear Fall Break,
    WELCOME! :)  It is so nice of you to finally be here.  It has been perfect spending the day sleeping, shopping, sleeping, reading and just taking it easy.  Feel free to stay awhile.

Dear BELK,
   Thank you for the fantastic sales that you had today.  I sure did enjoy getting some new clothes.  I am sorry that I probably will have to stay away from you for a while now.

Dear God,
    Thank you for the beautiful fall creation that you make for us to enjoy!  The leaves are breathtaking and each time I look out the window or am outside I am reminded of you and how magnificent you are.

Dear House,
   Please clean yourself! 

Dear Ho-Sto-Bo days,
   I am looking forward to spending time together tomorrow eating brunch, watching football, and taking our sweet niece to the Pumpkin Patch!

Dear Caroline,
   You are precious, you make me smile, and I love when you copy what I am doing!  You are so loved by your aunt and uncle!

Dear Hart of Dixie,
  I am so glad we got started on watching you.  You are a fantastic show and I am secretly going to be sad when we are all caught up with the current season.  I sure do enjoy ending my day with my hubby watching this show.

Dear Ladybugs,
  I do think you are cute little bugs but we do not welcome you to stay in our home for the winter.  Please find a new residence with vacancy for you all.

Dear Addy,
  We had fun babysitting you last night!  Thank you for showing us the joy that a two-year-old has.  Thanks for doing our make-up, introducing us to the Fresh Beat Band, and cuddling on the couch.  Please come visit again.

Happy Friday Y'all!

It's the little things...

that can make a girl happy! :)

-Surprise flowers after a long day
-A refreshing ice cold coke in a glass bottle
-Finding a new show to cuddle on the couch and watch
-Spontaneous dates to IHOP
-Big mug of coffee on a cold, rainy day
-Endless games of Rummikub and Ticket to Ride
-Breakfast and Lunch made every day because you're not a morning person

These are just a few things in the last couple weeks that I look back on and smile because the Lord has blessed me with a wonderful husband of ALMOST ONE YEAR! 

Friday Letters

Dear Students,
Seriously could we please go one day this week without any issues? I love you all dearly but you wore me out this week.

Dear lady at the grocery store,
Express Lane 12 items or less means exactly what it says. Just because the other lines are long doesn't mean you can choose to go to that lane to get you and your cats your monthly groceries!  I only had 6!

Dear Harden's,
Thanks for having us over for games and desserts! We had a great time and many laughs! Your son is so adorable.

Dear family,
Sorry but I used the wrong recipe for the pumpkin muffins for the tailgate.  Hope you still like them.

Dear CBS,
I am going to miss Big Brother and now have to find something to occupy our evening schedule with three nights a week. You should consider 2 seasons a year. Thanks for the return of Amazing Race though.

Dear fall,
While many people are excited for your arrival and I do like things about you I am still in denial that summer ends tomorrow

98 Years of Blessings

Have you ever met a lady who has had 98 years of wonderful blessings while being the biggest blessing to all of those around her?  I sure have!  That lady is my Ma!  She is such a sweet and special lady to all of us.  She is not only special to those in her family but to others in the community, church, schools, etc.  This lady is a Christ-like example to all she comes in contact with.  My Ma is a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, teacher, leader, servant, and the list goes on.  Because of Ma I am so blessed to have a wonderful loving and supportive family.  Not only did she give me the best dad a girl could ask for but she also gave me the best aunts, uncles, and cousins.  I am so fortunate to have grown up with this large family who loves me and encourages me each and every day!

We were so happy last weekend to celebrate her 98th birthday in a big way!  In our family birthdays especially 98th birthdays call for a BIG PARTY, so that is just what we did.  Here are some pictures to highlight the evening. 

Ma and her 4 children:



 Matt and I with Ma:

 Ma with her children and their spouses:

 Ma and her 13(missing 1)grandchildren (including spouses), and 2 great-grandchildren:

 Ma and her birthday cake:

 My cousin Sydney, she is just the sweetest!

 The cupcakes that I made for Ma's birthday.  There are little flowers on them.  A big thanks to my mom for being my helper that night!

 The cake that I made for the party!

 My sister Emily, Neice Caroline, and Cousin Sydney, a swing full of beautiful ladies on the inside and out:

 As the night went on we decided to take some silly pictures.  Matt, Olivia, and me:

 Suzanne and my Dad. The HOKIES:

 Suzanne, Matt, and I being silly:

 My beautiful cousin Suzanne.  She is such a great girl!

 Matt cleaning up after the party:

 There was an OLD tv.  So Ma and her children recreated a picture that could have been taken many years ago!

It was such a fun night being with family and friends to celebrate Ma's 98th birthday.  I am so appreciative of my grandma and how many lessons in life she has taught me!  We love you Ma!

Happy 98th Birthday!  We wish you a happy and healthy year and many more birthdays to come!

Friday Letters (a day late)

I saw this idea on another blog and I decided I would try it this week!  I think it is a link up so maybe one day I will do that.

Dear Class,

You always put a smile on my face and I am never surprised at what comes out of the mouths of so many boys!    

 

Dear Husband,

I am so proud of all the work that you have been accomplishing with your online course for Seminary!  You are doing great, keep up the hard work!

 

Dear Weather,

It sure is nice to have these fall like days but seriously didn't summer only arrive a few weeks ago? I always hate to see summer time go!

 

Dear Neice,

I miss you terribly and hate that I will not see you this weekend!  You should convince your mommy and daddy to bring you and your puppy dog Jack to visit tomorrow after church!

 

Dear Saturday,

It is so nice of you to finally be here and to be a day where there is actually nothing planned on the calendar.  Yes, I love football and I will more than likely watch several games on TV but I can handle a Saturday morning to sleep in.

 

Dear VT football,

I look forward to coming to cheer you on next Saturday and to tailgate and spend time with all my loved ones!

 

Dear SWCO Deliverer,

You do not know how much excitement you brought me yesterday when I drove up to my driveway after work and realized you FINALLY started giving us the SWCO again.  It truly baffled us as to why for the last month or so EVERY neighbor got it but not us.  Seriously, don't skip our house again!

 

Dear Weekend,

Thanks for coming around again!   Now if we could take it nice and slow that would be much appreciated. :)

Books I've Read

This summer I had high hopes of reading many books however this summer has come and gone and I have not read that many.  I still have several on my list to read but here is what I have read so far.

I love to read and to get lost in books.  This summer I have tended to stay with the non-fiction books and it has been a good change up from the norm for me.  The books above have definitely been uplifting and motivating to me.  They have encouraged me spiritually.  I would recommend all of the above and hope that you would also find them to be spiritually uplifting.  My goal as seen on my 30 by 30 list is to read the Bible all the way through and to start memorizing verses each month. 

What books have you read this summer?  Anything that you would recommend?

Birthday Surprises!

I knew that I had a romantic husband and Matt truly shined for my birthday this year.   For about a month Matt had been talking about my birthday and being very sneaky so I knew that he had something up his sleeve for this special day.  I had no idea what he was planning but was wonderfully surprised on my birthday with a fun and exciting trip with my man!  The day started early on Thursday morning getting in the car with my suitcases packed and no idea where we were heading.  First stop breakfast at Dunkin Donuts, I love doughnuts so it was the perfect breakfast meal for me.  After leaving there I knew that we could go north, south, east or west, Matt turned south.  At each turn in the road Matt had me guessing where we were going.  It became a fun game and great way to keep me awake because I didn't want to miss a single clue in the road turns.

So here is our amazing trip turned out...
*lunch at Stamey's BBQ in Greensboro, one of my absolute favorites
*Zoo to visit Africa, we had a blast walking around hand in hand talking and seeing the animals.  We were reminded of God's majesty and creativity in each and ever animal we saw.  The intricate designs and patterns on each animal and the uniqueness in everyone.
*back in the car off to our final destination no clue where again...
*downtown Charlotte (my hometown) staying right in the heart of the city at the Hilton! Breathtaking views and amazing room with beds that were divine.
*dinner downtown at Roosters, delicious duck, steak, asparagus, and potatoes. Great atmosphere and romantic date night with my handsome husband!
*shopping at Southpark
*cupcakes at Harris Teeter

So thankful for the thought, time and energy that Matt put into each step of the day.  I could not ask for a better day to celebrate my birthday! I am so thankful for his love and thoughtfulness!

Where I Learned...

This past weekend we headed to Charlotte for a my birthday/Mark and Christina's Wedding (yay for Bro and Sis-in-law being married now!)/to worship at First Baptist Church (where I grew up).  As soon as I get my pictures loaded you can expect a blog about the first two things on that list but today we are going to focus on the last event on the list.

First Baptist Charlotte, it has a very special and dear place in my life.  When I am there I am filled with excitement, joy, worship, awe, get goosebumps and even tear up a little bit.  This church has so much history in it for me and is filled with many many many dear people to me.

First Baptist is where I learned to...
*have a relationship with Christ
*worship
*serve
*pray
*be a friend

First Baptist is where I...
*was saved by the grace and love of Christ
*was baptized
*watched my parents train my sister and I in the way we should go and raise us in a Christian home
*made my first life long friends
*was loved by my church family and ministers
*first had the calling to be a ministers wife
*was able to experience what being a couple in the ministry was like through watching the Godly examples of many of our ministers especially Dr. Charles Page and his wife, Sandra.  If anyone knows me well they know that this couple is extremely special to me and I often reflect on the love that they had for the Lord, for their family, each other, and their church members.  I remember the days where I would go sneak into Dr. Page's office to get candy and talk to him.  I remember the morning of my baptism and my dad and I sitting in his office talking about my life as a Christian.  I remember Mrs. Page treating me as her own while at summer camp when I missed my parents.  I remember their warmth and smiles.  I love how to this day I can still talk to Mrs. Page and see the love of Christ in her. 

First Baptist has...
*authentic worship
*preachers who preach the Word of God without fear
*many of my family's life long friends and it is always so special to get to go to worship together and catch up.  Whenever we see them it is if we have never left and we catch up right where we left off.

As you can tell this place is very dear to my family and I am so thankful that Matt was able to be a part of this for the first time this past weekend.  I look forward to him joining along side there when we visit again.  We may have moved and now we have another wonderful church to worship in but FBC Charlotte is my home church and I love being there.

I pray that each and every person that reads my blog has a wonderful church to attend and if they don't that they will find one.  I would love to hear from each of you, where is that special place in your life?