Twas the Night After Christmas

What a great day Christmas was. After planning to spend Christmas 3000 miles from everything I've ever known for the holidays, I was a little depressed. I wasn't sure how things would go or if it would even feel like Christmas. I've learned alot this Christmas. First I learned that Christmas is not entirely about family in the first place and Christmas is about worshipping our Christ. After spending Christmas Eve in a church where I have never been in a part of a city I have never been to and with people I have never met, God opened my eyes. I saw people from all over the US in an auditorium with candles held high singing "This Little Light of Mine." Christmas is about sharing Christ with the world because God shared Him with me. I also learned that even though I wasn't doing the same things I have always done with the people I am used to, new memories can still occur. I spent one of the best Christmas's ever with my husband. Don't get me wrong, I dearly missed a Tennessee Christmas with all of my loved ones gathered in a house singing Christmas carols and eating together. But I also was able to establish a foundation for the beginning of Christmas's to come here in a new city, in a new apartment spending my first Christmas with my husband, alone. We woke up and took the precious time to read the way Luke describes Christ's birth. We were able to discuss the beauty of how Christ's love is shown in his sacrifice. Many times, we think Christ's sacrifice starts on a horrid Friday when he was crucified, but Christ's sacrifice began 33 year's before that at the time of his birth when he chose to give up his gold streets, pearly gates and jasper walls to a hay field stable surrounded by dirty animals on a lonely stary night in the back of an inn in Bethlehem. What an amazing thing to spend time worshipping and forgetting all of the hoopla of Christmas for a little while. We then, of course, opened Christmas gifts for each other and then ate a wonderful meal together as husband and wife on Christmas day. We were able to thank God for the blessings he has given to each of us. We then took advantage of our beautiful new city and went to Coronado Island and the Hotel Del for a stroll on the beach lit up by Christmas lights on the historic building. The holidays seem to bring out the best in most people. We then ended the night with a movie. At the close an interesting, but blessed day; I began to see how Christ could be worshipped when all else seems to be different from what is normal to everything I've ever done. What an amazing thought...

The Amazing Don 2

Yesterday, the Amazing Don performed 115lb. dumbell presses for 5, and a little help for the 6th.

PS- Don loves Jessica

The Amazing Don

Today, after not dumbell benching in 6 weeks, Don performed!! He lifted 110 Ibs of raw shiny new metal and rubber dumbells all the way over his chest for 6 whole times. Amazing....

Updates on life

Don and I have finally gotten settled in here in San Diego. Life has been crazy hectic for the past couple of weeks. We left Durham North Carolina on November 20 for a short Thanksgiving stay in Knoxville Tennesse with the Smiddy family. We left Knoxville on November 24th to start our trek across the country. We were able to see many different states including NC, TN, AR, OK, TX, NM, AZ and CA. On the road, we saw cowboys, windmills, oil mines, cotton fields, border security, Indian reservations, tee pees, lots of desert, 7000 miles of elevation mountains, sunsets, sunrises, hotels, gas stations, greenery, and so much more of God's creation. I must say that I think that Flagstaff Arizona is one of the prettiest cities that I have ever been in. The state of New Mexico is a very "interesting" state to say the least. One of the prettiest things that I remember is the sunsets around 5:30pm driving through Arizona over the mountains and the desert. It truly looked like a painting between the skies and the land. It was amazing to see God's craftsmanship. We climbed some of the largest mountains I have driven across. What an amazing trip it truly was, even with all of the hassle that it entailed. Things since have slowed down as I have started working at Rady Children's Hospital in the Emergency Department and Don has started personal training at LA Fitness and will begin school on January 7th. We are slowly learning our way around San Diego. We were able to go and spend time yesterday running through our neighborhood on a trail called 4S Ranch Trail. It was a gorgeous trail placed in the middle of a bustling city. Our apartment is very nice and cozy. We were able to attend a Christmas party on Friday night at our apartment complex and were able to meet some new neighbors and of course, Santa. As time progresses, we plan to get out and explore the city and beauty that it beholds...