Happy Birthday Guy and Happy Anniversary

On the 20th we celebrated Guy's 29th birthday and on the 21st we celebrated 5 years of marriage. I cannot believe I married the boy I have been in love with since I was 14. When I was in 5th grade I wrote in my Lion King journal that I was going to marry Guy and then I wrote my name out like this "Nancy Lynette Stover" all over the pages. He is still just as sweet and cute as he was when we were kids and after 5 years of marriage I love him more than I ever could have imagined. For our anniversary we went to College Station and dropped Aspen off with my parents. Then we headed to Abuelos for dinner, the movies(to see National Treasure) and then to the Homewood Suites for the night. We had such a great time being together and are already looking forward to next year!!!! I love you GUY!!

Party Time with Aspen

Aspen had a great first birthday! She had two friends, Emma and Elyssa there, and her cousin Jewls who is only three months older than her. Aspen loved her cake. To be honest she loved clapping her hands in the cake. I am not sure if she really ate any of it. At her party she received a cool Dora the Explorer car, a red musical car, a cabbage patch doll, and many musical toys thanks to my side of the family who are all musical. Her grandma (Guy's mom) also sent her some books and a little red wagon. We had such a fun day and ended it by going to dinner with my cousin Melody,her husband James, and little Jewls. What a great day!!

Aspen and her Mimi

Elyssa, Aspen, and Jewls

Emma is 3 and really thought she needed to help Aspen open presents.

Emma played in Aspen's box while Jewls read some of her books

BUSY BUSY

Hello everyone! Please excuse me for not posting cute pics of Aspen's birthday and other events. Life has been fast and furious lately. The youth at our church have had many activities lately and we have really enjoyed watching them perform at school. Did I mention that we have the most talented kids ever? We are just so proud of their accomplishments. Guy has been getting into his "groove" and the youth classes and functions have been running like a well oiled machine. Guy is teaching the Prophets to the teens on Sundays and Wednesdays and he has become quite the teacher. He makes the kids laugh and uses great imagery to paint a picture of the events that were happening when certain prophets were sent by God to talk to people. The kids seem so interested and their questions are fascinating. I love being able to be in Guy's classes. Even though I learned about these prophets in college, I truly learn new things when Guy teaches. I am so proud of him.

On Friday night we had a youth event called Santa Wrats. We all went to Barry and Karen's house for pizza and then we split up to buy presents for some of our members who cannot provide Christmas for their kids. Aspen and I stayed until 10:00 and talked to the teens about what presents they should buy for certain kids...and then we went to bed. Guy stayed of course and went shopping with the teens. After the shopping everyone stays at the church and spends the night wrapping many many many presents and having fun. Guy came home Saturday morning at 8:00 and still had not slept! AHHHH! I hadn't slept either...but it was because I was scared and aspen slept badly! Then, on Sunday we had lunch with the teens and spent the afternoon playing Santa Clause and delivering the presents to all of the families. It was such a good experience and such an encouraging time for the familes. Our teens felt good about what they had done and I know God was glorified.

Saturday night I was invited by my friend Christi to go have a little Christmas dinner with a few of her friends. I was so excited to go out with other women and just have fun and eat a good meal without Aspen crawling all over me.(don't get me wrong..I love the child but it is nice to eat without trying to shove it down before she takes the food). We left for dinner at 5:00 and I did not get home until 9:30. WOW - what a good night!

Finally Sunday night we had a staff Christmas party at Barry and Karen's house. They are the most hospitable people I have ever met by the way. Since we have moved here I am thinking we have been there for dinner or have been brought dinner by them more than ten times. What an awesome family! The party was so much fun and Aspen of course was shown so much attention by all of our friends. God has been so good to us and we are really starting to feel like we have friends here and that our ministry is going well. I will post pictures when I have a free second. I hope all of you are well.