Christmas Part One

Good Evening!! I haven't blogged in over a week due to all the Christmas get togethers that Andrew and I have been to over the last week. I hope you all have had a great Christmas! I know we did! :)
First off, I want to tell you what Andrew got me. He isn't very good at keeping secrets from me. Some how or another, I have been able to figure it out. The first year we were dating on my birthday I told him something that made me feel awful after I
opened my present. He told me that what he got me was something that would make me want to kiss him, and I told him that the last time I had heard that line it was gold and I hated it not knowing that Andrew had gotten me a gold promise ring. He called my sister and asked her what she thought. She reassured him that I would love it in which I did! I still wear it today on my right hand.
So, when he told me that he had bought my gift, I went to look at our checking account to see how much he had spent and where to see if I could figure it out. I had no idea because he bought my gift from a lighting and sound company. I kept thinking what do I need from a lighting and sound company. Once it came in, he took it to work to keep me from snooping. On the 19, we decided to swap gifts. We wanted to share those moments together alone now since we are married. I opened the box and saw Cannon. I started crying right then and there. I was so happy! I have been wanting a Cannon Rebel Digital Camera for along time and now I had one. I love it!! We've taken over 600 pictures since we got it!! Since we don't have children yet, my first two items to capture with the new camera are Jake and Casper.




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We had a great Christmas! Spending time with family and friends helps make our holidays great! We went out to eat with some of our friends from high school. We enjoyed bring up old times and catching up on our busy lives since we live away from each other.

Also, one of Andrew's great friends from elementary school got married before Christmas. We called him Feller, and it was so exciting to see more of our friends from high school!!



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We spend Christmas Eve with Andrew's parents and extended family from Alabama. Christmas was some what hard for all of us without Grandma Oph this year. We made it through with the help of each other. I received the most special present from Andrew's aunt Sandra. I had given Grandma an Alabama purse. It was stolen from her at a dr's appointment. So, I had one just like it that I wasn't using at that time so I gave her mine. She gave it back to me on Christmas Eve. I was so happy to see it. I hold on to things like this. I hope that someday my little girl can use it too as we cheer on the Tide! LOL
Andrew and I also helped Andrew's mom with all of her cooking that she does. She put us in charge of making Oreo and Red Velvet balls.


There is also a game of pool played each year. I don't remember who won, but I have to say that aunt Sandra got cheated!! I say next they play by the rules, but I think they make them up as they go! LOL



Later, we open presents! Andrew and I got some great things! I got a Jewelry Box. I now have room for all my jewelry!! Andrew got much needed clothes, and a remote control car that Casper doesn't like! It would help if Andrew didn't chase him with it! It's funny to watch.
Casper also got to open his presents on Christmas Eve. He got a much needed bed and beggin strips.



After opening presents, we got in the family truckester and went to see some lights in Woodland, MS. It was so neat.

December!!

The first part of December has been very busy for us! I have had finals and cleaning for the band Christmas party! Andrew and I have had some fun though even through all the studying and cleaning. School has a Christmas party every year at a local hotel, and we get a Limo ride from school to the hotel!! It was a great party and great food!! My dress was $8!! I was so excited!! I loved it!!







We had a great time dancing and laughing at everybody!! I hope we can go back next year!! So glad school is over for a little while! I made an A, B, and two C's. C means continue in nursing school! I now know how to study!
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We finally got our tree put up last week. It looked like a Christmas tornado went through the house for about a week or so! I'm glad it's up, and it looks great!


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Jake and I have swapped presents already! I gave him the cutest little back pack with a dump truck on it, and he loves it!! He looks like a big boy carrying his own bag! He gave me the most beautiful Alabama ornament. It looks great on our tree!! It also goes nicely with all the other Bama ornaments that we have on the tree!

Thanksgiving!!

We had a great Thanksgiving this year! I'm really blessed to have a great family and my health back! I worked with BOO (Baptist Operation Outreach) helping with a free clinic for the homeless on Thursday! That was more of a blessing for then than the people that we helped! Some of the Memphis Grizzlies came by. Man these guys are tall!!

I also got to spend time with my family! It was great!! I even got some Christmas shopping done!! I'm a long way from done. I had a great Thanksgiving and I hope you did too!!




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I even got to see some of my babies over the break!! Most of you know that I love children and can't wait to have some of my own someday! I saw Caitlyn and Cody on Saturday whom I haven't seen in over a year! They came to see me while I was sick and in the hospital! I went over to their house to watch the State vs Ole Miss game! I was hurt with Bama that's why I haven't talked about it yet! There's always next year! I loved spending a little time with Caitlyn. I babysat her until I moved after I got married. She was one of my flower girls in our wedding. She was three then and will be seven in March! I can't believe what a beautiful smart young lady she has become! Cody was just seven months old when Andrew and I got married! I was his first babysitter ever! I will always charish my time with them! Love you Caitlyn and Cody!!

Where's a break when I need one?!?!

The last few weeks of school have been really trying on me! I have failed one test!! It made me so upset that I knew it before I got my grade back!! I woke up the night after I took the test crying and woke Andrew up I was crying so hard!! I've never been so upset with myself! My instuctor got word of what was going on and told me to come talk to her! She encouraged me so much! It really helped!
I was sitting in my Lit. of the Bible class this week thinking about what had been going on in my classes. I realized why I have not been doing as well as what I was last semester. Well for one thing, Baptist is a lot harder that Northwest. I love the challenge though. The next thing is that every morning last semester I had a quite time and prayed before I ever walked in the school building for that day! I now know how it feels to be a Christian in the word and a Christian out of the word! I will try now to have my daily quite time!
I would like to ask each of you to help pray for me as I finish these last few weeks of school and finals being. I'm going to do my best to study both God's word and my text books. Thank you so much for you're love and support that each of you are givign me!

Saying Good Bye is Always Hard

This week has been extremely long for all of us! Last weekend we left to spend much needed visit with family. Andrew called me on my way home before we left to tell me that Grandma Ophelia did not have much time. I have learned never ask a man what we should do about clothes. I called Cathy to ask her what she thinks we should do about bringing clothes for a funeral if need be. She said it wouldn't hurt so that was the first thing we packed.
On Saturday, Andrew spent the day with Cathy watching football, while I went with Carlie and my mom to help with Carlie's senior pictures, which will be great. That night each year, since we don't camp anymore, we go to my aunt Edith's house for a cook out before we go to Talladega the next morning. We all went had were having a great time until I got the worst news of the evening.
Lindsey, Andrew's cousin, sent me a text to let me know that Grandma Ophelia had pasted away about 7 that night. I began to cry! We knew that the time was coming, but no one can really be prepared for it. So, I soon began trying to find Cathy. I called phone I know at least 10 times. I then began to think of where she could be I knew she was with Grandma Lee so I called her house. I finally found her and told her what was going on. I felt bad that I was the one who told Laura, Andrew's sister, about everything. Mike, Andrew's dad, didn't call anyone to tell them what was going on. I thought everyone knew. I hate to be the barrier of bad news but that was my job for the night.
We still went to Talladega on Sunday. There was nothing we could do at that point she was gone and with the Lord besides Mike was still out of town doing a show for Larry. I knew that other famiy would be hurt, but they wanted us to go because it was one of my birthday presents from Edith. We enjoyed the day and fellowship with my cousins from Birmingham and Milwaukee. In the mean, time I was worried sick about what to do about school. I emailed my two instructors that I have on Monday and Tuesday to ask them their opinion on what I should do. I ended up missing both class because that's what I felt like I should do. I now have a test this Monday, 7th, so I'm going to need a lot of prayers to pass this one!
Monday was visition. I met some of Andrew's family that I have never seen before in my life. They were all really sweet and cared a lot about Ophelia. Ophelia did not look the way she did during summer when we all came to visit. She lost a lot of weight due to staying so nausous and not wanting to eat. She did look beautiful though. The outfit that Lindsey and Pam pick out for her would have been she would have picked out for herself. She loved anything that shined or had a little simmer to it! We all finally lost it. There was not a dry in the place for about 30 minutes.
Tuesday was the funeral and more family that I have never met. It rained to which didn't help much. We didn't do a grave side because of the chance of rain and that was a good thing because it rained pretty much the whole day. I of course had my camera to take pictures of her grave, but Andrew has it so no pictures today. Maybe I can get them up tomorrow. She would have been very proud of everyone that was there and how she looked. She did have her lipstick on; her favorite Mary Kay color at that!
We all love you Ophelia!! We will miss you! Hope to see you again some day!! I'll definetly miss hearing you tell Billy to take his Beano! (Inside family joke!) No one was ready for this, but it happened! Please watch over us and protect us!! I love you!

Happy Birthday to Me!!

My birthday was Saturday, Oct. 16. I finally turned 23. I never thought after what all I had been through that I would make it to 23. I was so excited. My family came up to visit and Andrew took me out on a very much needed date night!!

Andrew and I went to eat at 37 which is Harrah's fine dining restaurant. I love that place. I had a few glasses of wine and just enjoyed being together. Since we are both in school it was just nice to sit and talk away from home where there are no computers to bother us. We even turned our phones on silent until the next day! I love spending time with him alone! I will always cherish the these times before children come into our lives.

On my actual birthday, my parents and sisters came up to spend the day with me! We all LOVE Macy's so that was definitely on our to-do list. We shopped until we dropped! I spent all of my birthday money on much needed clothes for both Andrew and I. I got Andrew a shirt at Macy's for $6 dollars! He loves it! Would wear it every day if he could!
We even wore out Jaylee!!

She's going to have to learn how we shop in this family!! No naps allowed!! WE love to shop!!
Here are the rest of the pictures of that day!

Jaylee also met Casper for the first time!! I'm not sure who liked who the most! It was so sweet!! He licked her hands and sniffed of her while she was sleeping! He could not figure her out!


All in all, I had a great birthday, and will get to celebrate it again this weekend with my aunt and the rest of my family. I had an Uncle who I shared a birthday with!! He would have been 58! He died in 2005 from lung cancer! I love and miss you Unkie Dave!!

To a Wonderful Grandmother..

Today, Andrew and I went on a much needed visit to see Andrew's Grandmother Ophelia. She was diagnosed in either June or July with Liver Cancer. Once the doctors did test, they realized that they can't remove it. It was way too big. After hearing the news, Andrew and I began to talk about Oph and how much she makes us all laugh at times. Laughter always seems to help when you're in a sad mood.
Ophelia is Andrew's dad's mom. She is a great cook of sweets and has passed all of her recipes on to her daughter Sandra. Ophelia has always been there for Andrew when ever he need her to be. Andrew would go and spend a week at their house in the summer for bible school where he was saved as a young boy. She was also a great quilt maker! When Andrew was younger he asked her to make him a quilt like the American Flag!! And of course she did it! We still have that quilt today.
She was put in a Jazzy due to bad knees. She would take that Jazzy anywhere it would take her! It's funny to watch her get upset at Papaw Billy because something with that Jazzy wasn't right!
When I walked into her home almost eight years ago, now, she welcomed me with open arms. She loved to talk to me about anything! She and I always had a great conversation about what new lipsticks that MaryKay was coming out with! She always has to have her lipstick on and her hair fixed! She's a real woman!
She also has a very strong faith in Christ, and she knows that she's going to met Him sooner that she's hoped for. Gospel singings and church are two of her favorite things!
I hate that you will never been around to meet your future great-grandchildren. I wished that I would have given you one before you have to leave us. I'm so sorry! I just know that you will be in heaven looking down on them someday watching them grow and see them do things that Andrew and I will never see!
I know you haven't left yet, but we love you Grandma Oph!! We will miss you terribly!! You have meant the world to your family and friends that you have had on this earth!

School, School, and More School

This week has been extremely busy for both of us! Andrew is working so much. I wonder if he really ever does have time to do homework and see me at the same time! It's all in his time management skills. I have really had to learn how to manage my time better.
In one of my classes we talked about time management. I learned a lot but putting what I learned in to action is the hard thing! I'm not good at that.
This past week, I had three test, hormone presentation, and I had to write a research paper. I got all of them done, and I think I did well on the assignments. I got my grade back for one test and the hormone presentation. 92 test and 98 on the presentation! I was so excited. I didn't think I did that well on the presentation. My instructor sure saw something I didn't.
This weekend, we are going to a benefit honoring Grandma Ophelia. She's battling inoperable liver cancer. It's so sad to see her hurt this much. I plan to post pictures and things from this weekend! Please be in prayer of her while she 's going through this really hard time!!
Until next time,
Ambere

Where did Septmeber go?

School is now in full swing for both Andrew and I. I had my first test last week. I did pretty good compared to the others in my class. My grade was in the middle of the highest and the lowest scores.
September has been a busy month for me. Andrew had Adam Lambert a few weekends ago and it's been non stop since!
Here's a few pictures from the concert:





Andrew even got us Autographed photos!! It was a really great show! I love his music not his lifestyle!!
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My mom turned 50 on the 18. My sisters and I had been planning over a month to throw her a surpise party! She was so exicted and had no idea until she walked into Harvey's and saw all of their friends! I loved her face when she walked in!! I love you, MOM! I hope you had a great birthday!!




I had a twin for the night if you haven't noticed! Carlie and I bought the same dress from Macy's last year in St. Louis! We didn't know we were wearing the same dress until I looked on her bed to see what she was wearing! I think we looked cute!!





I also got to see my precious niece Jaylee!! She has grown so much since the last time I saw her! She has some big beautiful Blue eyes!!





We had a blast sharing my mom's and dad's birthday!! Yes, my parents have the same birthday. My dad is three years younger! I truly love my family!!

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Yesterday, one of my best friends from high school got married!! Dana looked beautiful! I have pictures from the reheaseral, after party (where we did are nails) , and wedding! I will post a few!! You will see Dana and Eric, Stephanie, Mandi, and a new friend Amanda!! We had all cried a little!! It was such a great day!!









Stephanie and her wild hair!! LOL I told her I would post this on Facebook, but I had to put it on here!!









Don't cry Dana!! Mandi wiping the tears away!!