My Favorite time of Year!!!

Christmas times a coming....And I have been anxiously preparing for this year's event!!

Now, since this is the first time I can actually decorate my WHOLE house (YAY) I tried to keep things in check by doing some DIY projects and just decorating the inside. (After Christmas sales will help me get the outside done for next year)

I made some Christmas ball wreaths that I just absolutely LOVE

I put up my BIG tree (not the Charlie Brown one from the trailer)

I even have a MANTLE to decorate...yes mam ladies and gentleman, a MANTLE for the stockings...

(yes I know I had Dallas's monogramed on the wrong side....

next year my dears, we can't all be perfect)

And sent out our 1st family Christmas Cards

This Christmas has definitely been a year of firsts, but I can't wait to share it with my wonderful husband, and our family and friends.

Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night

Update...

Yes, Yes, I know, I have been missing for a good six months and have missed writing and blogging tremendously...So here are the highlights!

I moved back to South GA in July and Agan and I bought a house in Swainsboro! 

(I know this picture is at night, but its the only one I have)

 

 

I started a new job at Hotset America as their Office Manager

I got MARRIED!!!

 Some of our best Friends also got married this year!

I'm the business manager to one of our Teen Queens - Sydney Hillman

(And can't wait to cheer her on at the Miss GA's Outstanding Teen Pageant in June)

And now we are enjoying married life and all that comes with it!

If it makes you happy....It can't be that bad?

Happiness: the quality or state of being happy; good fortune; pleasure; contentment; joy. 

Truly Happy

Never have I realized how much of a blessing it is is to be truly happy.  True happiness for me is when life makes sense and everything has fallen into place like it was always meant to be.  

I am blessed to be able to experience this. I have a support system beyond belief, a man who loves and cares for me, the greatest friends, and the confidence to pursue what I believe is the right path for me.

What sucks though is that true happiness can be deceiving, there is always something...ALWAYS...that tries to ruin that happiness that you have.  It will try and break you down in ways you didn't even know existed.

 The thing to remember is, you can change it.  You have the ability to not let if effect you, to not let it break you down, or to overcome that stepping stone. YOU make the difference in YOUR life, not anything or anyone else.  YOU are the keeper of your happiness and how YOU let things effect you.

Once you have come to that realization, YOU can always...ALWAYS, be in control of your happiness.

Having just figured this out recently, has made me understand alot of things. I have always carried a load of unnecessary stress.  No longer will I let that effect my life and the way I live.

  I deserve to be happy.

As I go through all kinds of feelings and experiences in my journey through life -- delight, surprise, chagrin, dismay -- I hold this question as a guiding light: "What do I really need right now to be happy?" What I come to over and over again is that only qualities as vast and deep as love, connection and kindness will really make me happy in any sort of enduring way.

- Sharon Salzberg

Goodbyes are not forever...

As of Friday, April 1st, a year has passed since my dear cousin, Haleigh Marie Hudson, went to be with Jesus.  The past year has been one of heartache, love, acknowledgment, and understanding.

In the beginning, there was heartache: 

"Everyone is always askin me whats wrong... but i dont even think it makes any sense, its just...my heart hurts"

  Through the hurt and anger, you have to take a step back and ask yourself why your angry...basically your angry and hurt because the one you love has been taken away...Why me, why her, why us.

But we don't realize it's not about us, it's about the love...

Love: The love she gave us, the love she showed us and the love she showed others...

Once we acknowledge that love we become aware of how much her life touched us and others that came in contact with her. 

Haleigh was a special person.  A person with a loving and caring heart who loved her parents, family and friends, and didn't have a mean bone in her body.  A unique personality with awesome quirkiness that illuminated her face when she smiled.

After having to face such an overwhelming task of soul searching and trying to understand, I have come to this conclusion...

How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard

Goodbyes are not forever.
Goodbyes are not the end.
They simply mean I'll miss you
Until we meet again!
~Author Unknown

So much emotion...

Let me begin by saying that I'm sorry for not updating sooner (Planning a wedding and learning a new job take up a lot of time!) But I promise to be better!

The past month has been an emotional roller coaster for me.  Highs of excitement, lows of fear from the unknown, no matter what the issues, I have begun to realize that I mostly wear my feelings on my sleeve.  Now I'm not sure if this is necessarily a good thing...I do think that my honesty and true feelings make me the person I am, however, I often wonder if my initial feelings are to much.  I don't want my initial reaction to hinder my ultimate judgment.

When many overwhelming changes cause many mixed emotions, I feel as though after I've analyzed and recalculated - that my initial reaction was possibly the correct one and that though I try to look at it in different ways, the situation remains the same.  

After much time and consideration, I choose to not let so much effect me.  My emotions have become so overwhelming in the past month that if I continue to let them continue, I might go mad by the wedding! (And we wouldn't want that now would we!)

I guess what would benefit me the most is that I take each situation a day at a time, if something crazy happens, it might just be that I put it on the back burner for a while until I have a more appropriate time to deal and handle it. Although this may not be ideal for other parties involved, it is what works for me....and since this is my life, I choose to let positive and happy emotions be what flow through me for a while.

So here's to you feelings....bottoms up...

Engagement and New Job....WOW!!!

First and foremost, let me apologize for not posting sooner, the past weeks events have been slightly overwhelming. 

Lets being with the fact that on Janurary 21, 2011 - I was verbally offered a new position at the University of Georgia's Office of Special Events, as an office manager. Yippee!!! It is a full time position, with full benefits which will be very beneficial considering that on January 22, 2011, Agan PROPOSED!!!  We will be getting married on October 22, 2011!

Now this may come as no shock to some of you, but for the past 8 years, I have known from the beginning that Agan and I were meant to be together.  God has blessed me we a man who loves and cherishes me and with an unconditional love that most will never know.  I understand that I am so lucky and blessed to begin 2011 with such a multitude of grace and I look forward to what else God has in store for the upcoming year.

Check out the pic's below and our Wedding Website!!

http://www.theknot.com/ourwedding/AshleyFreeman&AganTankersley

Patience...Not one of my Virtues...

And so there comes a time in everyone's life where Patience is a must...And I must say that NOW is one of those times.  I also have to realize that we live in a such a fast paced society. How can we expect everyone to have patience when we can get anything we want in a drive through environment.

Patience is the companion of wisdom.  ~St. Augustine
Patience is also a form of action.  ~Auguste Rodin

 

Patience as a form of action is something that we need to consider carefully... 

Patience is the state of endurance under difficult circumstances, which can mean persevering in the face of delay or provocation without acting on annoyance/anger in a negative way; or exhibiting forbearance when under strain, especially when faced with longer-term difficulties. Patience is the level of endurance one's character can take before negativity. It is also used to refer to the character trait of being steadfast.

 

When we don't have patience we miss out...we miss out on the smallest most amazing things, we miss out on the beautiful things, we miss out on life, the best things in life.

What I have learned is that the wait might be worth it in the end...and in the end,  you might get more than you expected in the beginning...all because of...Patience.

SNOWPOCALYPSE 2011

January 9-12, 2011 -

SNOW FALLS IN ATHENS and the SNOWPOCALYPSE has begun...

Only in Georgia will people FREAK OUT over snow (haha) and head to the store to buy the essentials, which include: milk, eggs, bread, and ALCOHOL.  I can promise you once snow was mentioned these items disappeared from Athens-Clarke County. 

I also want to mention that even though I love being a UGA Alum, I was bummed that my first 3 days of school never got canceled!! HAHA - But fortunatley we had fun with great friends and got to enjoy the snow! 

Check out some pics below!

After first night of snow

 Dallas wasn't to sure - he could barely stand up!

 Agan After being inside to long - hehe

 Huge Snowman in the trailer park!

 Ice cycles!

 

The Boys

  

The Girls!

The Arch!!

New Year - New Beginnings

As the new year begins, I can't help but think about those God awful new year's resolutions.  Mine this year...only do things that you choose to do...and this really isn't a 'new year's' resolution, its a life lesson.  I've decided to do my best to do things that are positive and beneficial influences for my life.

Examples:

Instead of going on a diet - I'm making a lifestyle change...No honestly, I know that for health reasons, I honestly don't need to be this big, so I'm gonna do something about it, for me, for my health. (Even though I'm beautiful no matter what size I am)

Optimistic - I plan on being more positive.  Being positive gives you different outlook on life, it makes you be a better person, causes less stress, and all around causes other around you to be more positive.  The better the atmosphere, the more you can enjoy life.

Friendship - being a better friend. Although I feel as though I'm a good friend, there is so much more that I can do for those that mean the most to me, I plan on making the most with those that mean the most.

Life is about the lesson's you learn and the mistakes you make along the way.  We have to experience life to really live and I suggest that each and every person do something New every year, that they have NEVER done before. This keeps us living life to its fullest.  We owe that to ourselves and to those who no longer can.  We have the ability to change not only our lives, but others, and by making those choices that can change our lives for the better.

Overall I plan on being an all around better person and making the best of the life I have been given.  

So far 2011 looks to be a promising year...I hope that it continues to stay this way.