Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Blessed

Mama Russell has been wanting to get new family photos since we got two new additions to the family this past summer. We ended up getting them taken over Christmas, and we just got them back! I LOVE them. Also, I found this little gem of a post that never made it up on the world wide web. I wrote it after Christmas break but I knew something was missing. Lo and behold.... these frames turned out to be the perfect fit. Enjoy!


I'm feeling sentimental today for some reason. Actually, I've been feeling pretty sentimental ever since Christmas break. I'm feeling pretty blessed too. Sometimes I forget about all the amazing things I have been given.

 And by things, I mean people.

People really are the greatest things we have in our lives. I look at all the great things I got for Christmas, which I really do appreciate. I mean who doesn't love new clothes, or shoes, or jewelery, or candy, or.... you get my point. But none of those things really make me happy. Yeah they may make me happy for a while, but I'm talking about TRULY being happy. Having Joy. People do that, not things.





I realize more and more as I get older that PEOPLE are what matter. This break I was overwhelmed with the love and support we got from our families. The Cornilles side of the family is amazing. They have done nothing but make me feel SO welcome and loved. By the end of break it felt like their house was my house. I felt like I grew up there just like Austin did. And then there is my side (Russell) of the family. There's never a dull moment with my family, and I love it! I am so thankful for them and their support as well. I can't tell you how much my mom did for us in preparation for us being home. Not to mention all the Christmas shopping/crafting. She is amazing. Both of our families are. They really bring me joy.

Finally, my husband- Austin. I really don't know what I would do without him. He has been the most unbelievable addition to my life. He's my biggest support, love, and best friend. He is truly a blessing, and I couldn't ask for anything more.








"The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities."

 

-The Family: A Proclamation to the World

The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints



Also, photo cred to our amazing photographer: Shonda Barlow. Check her out! She did our wedding photos too.

Sukiyaki!

This past weekend we had a cooking/dinner competition with two other couples. It was so much fun! And to top if off... we won! The idea of the whole event was to pick a theme and plan a dinner around it. We scored each other on things like taste, plating, theme, etc.

Night 1: Lauren & Kyle did a Texas BBQ theme. (I wish i had taken pictures because it was amazing.... she went all out with the theme.) There were cow balloons, bandanas, miny bales of hay, sheriff badges, strawberry lemonade, ribs, corn on the cob.... just great.

Night 2: Yours truly. We did Japanese! Austin's family makes this dish called Sukiyaki. It's made up of udon noodles, cabbage, beef, mushrooms, tofu, onions, and lots of soy sauce. You cook it in front of everyone and they watch your skills. Aka: Austin's skills. We had authentic Japanese bowls and used Aust's blanket as a tablecloth- super fun night.




Night 3: Mollie & Levi did Louisiana Cajun! Mardi Gras decorations and all. Their meal included shrimp, grits, some type of warm vegetable salad ($), and gator juice! Delicious.

After dinner on nights two and three we played RAGE. We got this card game for our wedding and we can't get enough of it!! Needless to say, it was a fabulous weekend annnnnnnnnnnnnnddddddd we are starting to have married friends!