God With Us

confession: i love Christmas. seriously, i LOVE Christmas. trees decorated and brightly lit with lights, Christmas movies, carols, hot cocoa, Christmas cookies, parties with family and friends, and {yes} even those tacky Christmas sweaters {in small doses, of course}. i think it is easy to get wrapped up in the hallmark version of Christmas and miss the entire purpose of this glorious time of year.

Emmanuel has come. Jesus has come. God's only Son, come to earth to not only save us but to give us the opportunity to know God and walk with Him every day. Emmanuel has come.

there is nothing wrong with LOVING the Christmas season and everything that goes along with it...the trees, the carols, the movies, and yes, even the tacky Christmas sweaters, but i want my central focus and purpose for this season to revolve around Emmanuel...God with us. i want to rejoice and celebrate because the glorious impossible has happened--Jesus has come and more importantly, beyond Christmas, there is an empty tomb. so celebrate with friends and family. decorate your Christmas tree, use exterior illumination to light up your neighborhood, soak up the laughter of family and friends all the while remembering that the reason we have to celebrate is that babe wrapped in cloths lying in a manger. Emmanuel has come.

"today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. this will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." ~ luke 2:11 & 12

"she will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." ~ matthew 1:21

"...I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."~ john 10:10

christmas tour of homes 2010

the nester and kelly are both hosting a christmas tour of homes this year and {for once} i'm actually early! i decided to go ahead and post my pictures and then monday i'll link up to everyone.

so in the meantime, grab a cup of hot cocoa or warm cider and welcome to our home!

our front porch

LOVE my wreath! :-)

our foyer

really love this tree in our foyer

dining room...fruit tree centerpiece; the table runner matches the tree skirt for the tree in the foyer and our stockings. they were birthday presents from my mom and sister last year and i LOVE them!

"the stockings were hung by the chimney with care..."

my willow tree nativity is so precious to me. it was a wedding present from my mom and my sister and i simply adore it!

one of our newest Christmas decoration additions this year is this tree in our den. i wanted it to be fun and playful... hence the colored lights, top hat as the topper, the santa bag and the "oversized" presents underneath. i also incorporated a lot of joel's ornaments from his childhood.

our kitchen table centerpiece and our gingerbread house masterpieces (hubs, bff marissa, and i worked so hard on those houses ;)

our advent calendar--this is super special because it was a gift to us from my parents...it was a family tradition in my house growing up and mom wanted to give it to us for future alley grandchildren ;). the little trinkets and toys hidden inside each day also hold special meaning to us so it's all around one of my favorite parts of our Christmas decorations!

"santa, i can explain..."

yes, we believe in santa claus in our household ;)

more importantly, though, "happy birthday, Jesus!"

if you stand in the kitchen (right behind the ledge) Ho, Ho, Ho reads like Oh, Oh, Oh. so funny and sometimes so appropriate during the craziness of the season!

i'm so excited about my "happy everything" plate because you trade out the little tile at the top of the plate according to the holiday or season.

even our little paisley was in the Christmas spirit!

thank you for visiting our home. praying you have a happy and joyful Christmas surrounded by family and friends. happy birthday, Jesus!

grace

hubs and i just spent a week at what is supposed to be the most magical place on earth. yes, that's right--disney world. for us, it was a pretty magical week...time just for us with no schedules, no computers, no facebook, and limited texts/cell usage. it was glorious.

i had a conversation, though, with a lady while we were waiting in line in one of the thousands of disney gift shops who had not had a magical experience. in fact, the reason we even started talking had to do with the fact that a man had just blown by her to get in front of her to check out. i couldn't believe that someone would really be that rude and the lady began to tell me that she and her family had such a horrible experience...primarily due to the rudeness and inconsiderate actions of others...that if they ever come back it will be a very, very long time. i felt so bad for her and her family partly because if you're going to disney world, you should have a magical experience (hello, can we say expensive?) and because something--this vacation that had the potential to create such great memories for her and her family had been so downright disappointing.

where i am going with this? so glad you asked! while i do wish this family would have had a better vacation experience, my conversation with this lady coupled with several frustrating experiences of my own last week led me back to one word--grace.

in the moments and instances where my flesh really wanted to repay someone's inconsiderate action with a similarly inconsiderate action, thankfully the Holy Spirit would take control and give me the grace i needed to extend to others. i would often walk through the park thinking to myself, "do they see something different in you, amy?" and i'll be honest sometimes i know my flesh won in that particular instance but i'm thankful the Lord used those moments to point out my sinful nature and in His loving and gracious way give me an opportunity to turn from that attitude and surround me with His forgiveness.

i didn't expect disney world to provide such a wealth of opportunities for the Lord to dig out my selfish, sinful struggles but i'm so thankful that wherever i am, whatever i am doing, the Holy Spirit is working in my life to make me more like Christ. so as you are out finishing (or perhaps starting ;) your Christmas shopping this season...even in the stress of busy parking lots, crowded malls, the struggle to find the "perfect" gift...take a second and ask the Lord to give you the grace you need to extend to others. it is CHRISTmas, after all. what a great opportunity to really share the love of God with a mall full of crazy, stressed out shoppers.

i'm taking the challenge...will you?

but He said to me, "my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” therefore i will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. that is why, for Christ’s sake,i delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. for when I am weak, then I am strong. ~2 corinthians 12:9-10

happy anniversary

just wanted to pop in for a second to say happy anniversary to the love of my life. i never in my wildest dreams imagined life could be this sweet and this good. the Lord blessed me beyond measure and i can say those 30 years of waiting for you, my love were worth it.

thank you, joel alley, for loving me well, leading me confidently, and going above and beyond providing for our family. you really were the answer to so many prayers that were prayed over those 30 years and i couldn't be more blessed. love you forever and always!

always on the go...posted via droid incredible.

sharing secrets

thought that i'd take a second on this chilly friday night to share some silly secrets with you. thanks to babbling abby for the fun idea!

-i've secretly always wanted to be a personal shopper for a living. i think it would be so fun to shop for someone and spend their money.

-i secretly feel so behind and out of the loop {not to mention that i've gone about this next process in the wrong order}. i had never seen any of the harry potter movies {or read the books for that matter} until last week. hubs and i had a harry potter marathon every night and topped it off with a trip to the theater to see movie #7. now, i'm reading the books.

-i secretly {or maybe not so secretly ;} detest folding laundry. really. really. don't like it. sorting, washing, drying? no problem there. folding? mucho problemo. i even invented a game for hubs that i like to call the "laundry game." want to know how to play? essentially, all of your clean clothes can be found in hampers and it's kind of like hide-n-seek to find the specific article of clothing you'd like to wear that day. see? i look out for hubs...i like to keep his life fun and interesting ;). don't worry about us, though, we aren't drowning in clean laundry. we do put it away but it's not our favorite so sometimes i will bring back the laundry game for a day or two. just for fun, you know.

-i secretly would like to have an iPad for christmas. seeing as how hubs is employed by a company that is not apple {and is much, much better...think Mac vs PC ;} i feel as though i'm not being true to my alliances. hmph. oh well...i still want an iPad.

-i secretly find so much joy in cleaning my house. i know, i'm weird. vacuuming, dusting, bleaching every countertop and bleachable surface= such satisfaction and joy. yes, i know...i am a weirdo.

-i secretly have a {small} addiction to warm snuggly blankets and pajamas. i love to cuddle up on the couch in some super cute {and super comfy} pjs under a warm, snuggly blanket.

-i secretly don't remember what life without a dvr was like...even though it was only 2 yrs ago. spoiled, much?

-i've secretly asked the Lord to do some big things in our life in the coming year. i can't wait to see what He does or what His plan for us will be.

that's it, people. i'm all out of secrets.

thankful

thinking back over the last year, i have many things for which to be thankful! my sweet husband, adorable puppy, great family, incredible friends, and the list could go on and on. i am one blessed girl...there is no doubt about that.

i have to say, though, that even with all of these incredible blessings, i am completely overwhelmed with thanksgiving for the goodness and mercy of the Lord. as i think through the events of our life in 2010, the one major theme i have seen woven through every event is the absolute and overwhelming goodness and mercy of the Lord. if i had to sum up this past year {even though we still have over a month left in 2010}, i would say without a doubt that the Lord is good and His plan for me is good...even when i don't understand. there have been many instances in the past year where i simply admitted to the Lord, "i don't understand this but i know you are good so i will trust You."

have some of the instances been easy? no. do i always automatically respond to Him this way? i wish. am i thankful for His unending grace, constant mercy and unfailing love? absolutely.

this past year i have had the opportunity to experience the kindness and mercy of the Lord in ways i never have before. His tenderness and compassion is overwhelming and i am so thankful to have the opportunity to rest in Him instead of my circumstances, my own plans, and my tendancy to stress and worry.

He is good, His plans for me are good, His mercies are new every morning, He loves me with an unfailing love, and i can trust Him.

a-z's of me

well hello, november. the last few weeks of october were quite eventful in our little family and to be honest blogging quickly fell from the top of the to-do list but now it's november and i'm back to blogging. november is quite possibly my favorite month of the year {with december as a close second} and i'm not ashamed to admit because it's my birthday month {and really the beginning of the birthday/holiday extravaganza for my family. no lie...14 out of the 17 birthdays in our family happen between the months of october-february. yes, 14 and this only includes parents, siblings, nieces and nephews. we are some seriously partied out people by the time march rolls around!}

anyway, back to the point of the post: the a-z's of me. i had an endoscopy this morning {read that: i'm still under the influence of whatever glorious medicine they administered to knock me out} and am totally going to phone it in with one of those fun little blog meme posts {it is fun...and a little different}. so...here we go!

A
what’s your age? 31 9/10ths {my bday is next friday and that fraction is totally made up, btw. but just in case you were wondering, my birthday is next friday ;). now, your life is complete. ha!}

what annoys you? fake people. be real people, just be real...no one has it all together and all you have to do is be real. easier said than done, i know but it does annoy me. also, when people smack and chew their food. table manners people, basic table manners :-) oh and bad grammar. take the time to make sure your using correct words in you're sentences like your, you're, too, to, two. drives me bananas :-) {and yes, those typos were on purpose}

Do you have any allergies? unfortunately, that allergy test they do on your back {where they poke you with 1,000,000 different potential allergins} made my back light up like a Christmas tree. i think the doctor basically looked at my mom and said, "wow. she's pretty much allergic to something year round. that stinks for her." ha! fortunately, as i've gotten older, my allergies have gotten better but i still have some. cigarette smoke, dog hair, dust, and all manner of outdoor plants {think pollen, grasses, etc} are pretty much guaranteed to make me sick. i think my allergy to dust is why i'm such a freak about making sure i keep my house clean.

B
when is your birthday? november 12 {which is 9 days away, btw}

who is your best friend? i have several besties and they know who they are :-)

C
what’s your favorite candy? kit kats, krackle, nestle crunch, and reese's pb cups {my fav are the miniatures}

when was the last time you cried? yesterday. i'm a crybaby...i'm not afraid to own it.
have you been out of the country? canada and the bahamas

D
do you daydream? nope...i used to when i was in school but not anymore. i do tend to have a very active imagination, though, just ask my hubs :-).
what’s your favorite kind of dog? a little schnoodle named paisley and a little miniature schnauzer named barkley :-)

E
how do you like your eggs? scrambled but i also love them poached {especially if they are part of eggs benedict}

what’s the easiest thing to do? love my hubs. he is by far the best ever....ever!

F
what’s one thing you love about your family? umm...a lot! sorry but i can't just list ONE thing! about the graysons: i love that we are all so super close and truly know each other so well. i love that if i need them, they are here in an instant. i love that not only do we love each other but we like each other, too, which means we love being together! i love, love, love impromtu lunches with my mom and sister, family time after ballgames, hanging out at my sister's house with my nephews and niece after school, watching sports with my daddy...i could go on and on! i love the way they have automatically and seamlessly included hubs into our family...it seems like he's always been with us and that's awesome! about the alleys: i love their commitment and dedication to family and they way they are definitely there if you need them. i love the way they have taken me in and loved me. i love learning about their family traditions and hearing stories from hubs childhood. i love the opportunities we have for all of us to be together since we don't all live in the same town {but thank goodness we all live closer, now!}. i love that my father-in-law is an awesome cook and he is always willing to share recipes and wisdom when i need some cooking advice!

G
are you a giver or a taker? i'm a giver...my primary love language is gifts and i LOVE to give gifts to people. i usually try to personalize it or make it more of an "experience" than just a random gift. i love making people feel special. i also am a taker, though, but just as i love to give gifts, i'm not going to lie that i don't enjoy receiving them. just being real here ;)

do you like gummie candies? no. i really don't like any candy that isn't chocolate.

H
how are you? i'm good. i have a killer sore throat right now from the endoscopy but other than that, i'm peachy keen (perhaps because i'm still under the influence of that glorious knock-me-out medicine ;)
what’s your height? 5'6"
what’s your hair color? brown with auburn highlights (just an fyi: my hair right now is as close to my "natural" color as it's been in awhile. too bad i had to use artificial color and highlights to acheive that color. i'm not as young as i used to be, though, and gray hair doesn't discriminate so a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do...right?!)

I
favorite ice cream? ben and jerry's smores ice cream. it's heavenly.

have you ever ice-skated? yes. believe it or not but i've ice skated several times and without incident! although, i bet ben simpson still has my nail marks in his arm from the last time i attempted to take a whirl around the ice rink :)

J
do you wear nice jewerly? yes. especially on my ring finger of my left hand ;-). with the exception of a few key pieces of jewelry, most of the jewelry i wear every day is not what i would classify as "nice" jewelry simply because it's more trendy and i don't spend a lot of money on trendy jewelry. i do, however, have quite a bit of really nice, classic jewelry i've received as gifts over the years from hubs and my parents.

do you tell jokes? no. i don't tell jokes because my timing is always off...and that's important in a good joke. i have been told that i'm funny, though but not because i tell good jokes :)

K
do you want to have kids? absolutely. is it weird that hubs and i already have a list of names we like? yeah, i'm one of those girls.

where did you attend kindergarten? sherwood elementary

L
are you laid back? i would like to be laid back but ummm....not so much.
when’s the last time you sent a hand-written letter? today to my niece, anna. she turns 10 on friday and so each day this week she receives a {small} present from me and hubs that has something to do with the number 10. entering double digits is big time, people, and so we're celebrating anna and her 10th birthday all week long. since i had my endoscopy today, i couldn't be there after school to give her today's gift so i wrote her a little note to put in her gift bag.

M
do you like mangos? no. i don't like tropical fruits. i'm more plain jane when it comes to the types of fruit i like.
do you still watch Disney movies? yes! i have two of them saved on my dvr right now

N
do you have a nickname? amybeth, amyjane, gracie, grace-a-licious, ames

what’s your favorite number? 12

O
are you an only child? no way, jose. i have an older sister whom i absolutely adore and is one of my best friends in the world. love, love, love her.

do you like the color orange? it depends (pumpkins= yes, fallish colors for leaves, sweaters, decorations= yes, sports teams with the color orange = no way, neon orange= absolutely not)

P
do you think you are pretty? does any girl really think they're pretty? maybe there are a few rare ones out there but for the most part of the girls i know, we all struggle with this. there are physical features i like about myself and some i want to change (like everyone) but more importantly, i want my heart to be what stands out about me.

do you play any instruments? nope...not unless a recorder or a kazoo count as an instrument ;)

Q
are you quick to judge people? i really try hard NOT to judge people but i do tend to make a snap judgement but then usually reconsider later (so says hubs ;)

R
do you think you are always right? when i think i'm right, i'll defend my point to the death but if i don't know something, i'm the first to admit that i have no clue.
do you watch reality TV? yes and that's all i'm going to say about that.

S
are you a social person? do you need air to breathe? absolutely ;)
what states have you lived in? north carolina and texas
what’s your favorite season? fall...hands down. sports seasons i absolutely adore football (ncaa & nfl), basketball (college), and baseball (mlb).

T
what time did you wake up? 7:00 am
when did you last sleep in a tent? let me think....ummm....NEVER.

do you like tomatoes? yes

U
do you listen to Usher? i have but not on a regular basis.

do you have an umbrella in your car? yep

V
what’s your next vacation planned? disney december 2010 and then a carribean cruise in june/july 2011

what’s the worst veggie? cauliflower. blech.

W
have you ever wakeboarded? not a chance...if you wonder why i answered that way, you apparently don't know my medical/accident prone history.
do you wish on stars? never...i know the One who made them!

X
have you ever had an x-ray? i often wonder how it is that i don't glow in the dark. again, if you don't understand my answer, you are unfamiliar with my accident prone history. ask me to tell you about the time i fell out of a car (parked, thankfully). classic, hilarious, and humiliating all in one story. priceless.

have you watched the X-games? nope. i don't really like them at all.

Y
do you like the color yellow? in small doses.

what year were you born? 1978

Z
do you believe in the Zodiac? nope.

have you been to the zoo? yes. it's not my favorite place in the world. i don't do well with smelly things and you usually visit the zoo when it's warm outside. being hot + smelly animals= not my idea of a good time. i know that makes me sound so not fun but i'm just being real.
has your bank account been to zero? i don't know that it's actually been $0 but there were times in seminary when i paid for meals solely out of change. good times.