Merry Christmas!!

Our year in a nutshell . . .

I won!

I am SO excited! I won something yesterday off of a Christmas giveaway! I wrote all about it on my other blog. You can read it here. I never win anything!

It's December! YIKES!

Where on earth did the time go?? I can't believe that it is almost time to be sending out a new Christmas letter. Maybe I should be working on that.

I know that I always explain why I never have time to blog anymore but it's really not an excuse. It's my job. Jack keeps me pretty busy. He doesn't nap as long anymore so I have to keep him pretty occupied these days. He is starting to notice when we're not around. If I leave the room, he gets a little anxious.

He is noticing more and more about things in our house. He is constantly looking all around him. He LOVES the Christmas lights and can't stop staring at them. He will be six months at Christmas and we can't wait to see how he reacts to all of the excitement.

Since it has been a while, we decided on posting a couple of pictures of Jack from his first Thanksgiving. He loved it. He didn't get to try any of the food (his doctor said no until at least six months). He was still happy though. And, when Jack is happy, we are happy. :o)

Food. . . . That reminds me. Why do I feel so guilty now when I am eating in front of Jack?? He knows that I have food and he wants it! I feel awful that he can't have a taste. I just want to make sure that he doesn't get any food allergies. I know that, if I don't listen to the doctor, and Jack ends up with a food allergy, then I will feel even more guilty. So, at least if I wait and he still ends up with some type of allergy, at least I listened.

I am still trying to adjust to Jack being around. It has been pretty difficult to put off house work. I just can't really seem to get as much done. I have had to learn (and am still learning) that it's okay and it can wait. I try to do what I can, when I can. I still wish that I could hire a maid though. Especially with the holidays coming and going so fast!

Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day! We just wanted to take this time to thank those who have fought for our freedom. Thank you!!!

For a little history on Memorial Day, click on the blog post title.

Christmas Happenings!

Here are some photos from Christmas for you to enjoy! We had a great time with Sarah's parents while they were visiting.

Church Christmas Banquet with friends!

Sand Key Park Beach

Sarah's 29th birthday!

Honeymoon Island State Park

Merry Christmas!

Here is a copy of our Christmas letter that we mailed/emailed out this year:

Well, here we are, once again. Christmas is quickly approaching and it’s time for another Dail family Christmas letter. We have quite a bit of exciting news to share with you all. First, we’ll start with updates on how we have been doing.

Jeremy is continuing with his job at Corvest. He is feverishly preparing for catalog printing. This means that his business trip will fall a little closer to Christmas than in the previous years, possibly even after New Year’s Day. He has also been doing a lot of freelance work this year and designing for various church ministries. Sarah started working part-time as a Mary Kay Consultant in February. She loves the idea of working from home so that she can still get things done around that house. We are still actively

involved in our church and are encouraged to see how God is working in our church family. Our congregation keeps growing. Four years ago we had about 30 on Sunday mornings. Now we have about 75-80 each week!!

In June we celebrated our four-year wedding anniversary. In some ways it seems like the years have just flown by us. In August, we had to make an emergency trip to Indiana. After 92 years, Sarah’s Grandma Martin passed away. We miss her very much, but we know that she is in a better place and we will see her again someday. “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

In November, we were anxiously awaiting the arrival of our nephew, Samuel Philip Martin. He was born on November 21 at 2:41pm. He weighed 9 pounds, 15 ounces, and was 22 1/2 inches long!! He is very precious to our family. Congratulations to Sarah’s brother, Andy, and sister-in-law, Elizabeth!

While we’re on the subject of babies, we would like to announce that we will be adding to our family in June!!! We are very excited, nervous and quite impatient. It seems as though there is so much to do in preparation for another human being to be living with us. Sometimes we’re not sure how it will all get accomplished (or how we’re going to pay for it!) but we know that God will supply all of our needs (Philippians 4:19).

One thing that we think about during the Christmas season is how much we are loved. Of course, we love our families and are loved by our families. But the love that we are most thankful for is the love that our Heavenly Father bestowed upon us when He sent His only Son to die for all of the wrong that we have done (John 3:16). And, as Romans 8 says, NOTHING can separate us from that love.

Please keep us in your prayers throughout the next year, as we strive to raise our family as one that glorifies and honors God. We trust that you all will have a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

With love, in Him,

Jeremy & Sarah (and baby Dail!)

Romans 8:38-39 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels

nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height

nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us

from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's hard to believe that this day is almost over. Thanksgiving is always a time for us to look back on the year and remember what we're thankful for. This year, we weren't able to be with our families. It was a little difficult for me because I wasn't able to meet our new nephew. His name is Samuel Phillip and he was born on Sunday, November 21 at 2:41pm. He was 9lbs. 15 oz. and 22 1/2 inches long. Once we get some good-quality pictures of him, we'll certainly write another blog post!! We are so thankful for our families and we missed not being with them this year.

We are also very grateful for the friends that God has placed in our lives. We were able to spend Thanksgiving with a few friends from our church and it was such a blessing. We really had a blast with them today!

Lastly, we are thankful for the life we have in Christ. We would be nothing without Him and on a road to destruction and eternal damnation. Sometimes we take our salvation for granted, but we truly are thankful for Christ's sacrifice for us.

James 1:16-18 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Thanksgiving already??

So, I guess it's been a little while since we have last updated our blog. We just got back a couple of Sundays ago from a trip to North Carolina. Jeremy was in a friends wedding and we also took some time to visit with our families that were near the same area. We were hoping that our nephew would come while we were visiting but he has decided to wait a while. His official due date was yesterday. We are hoping to "meet" him very soon.

I can't believe that next week is Thanksgiving already. It seems like the year has flown past us! This year we are planning to spend Thanksgiving with some friends from our church. They have family who live in other states as well. I usually love making and preparing all of the food that I usually do but I am actually looking forward to relaxing more this year. I only have to make two dishes!!!

Christmas is only six weeks away! Thankfully we have most of our shopping done already. We have actually been shopping throughout the whole year. It is a good feeling to be this far ahead of the game. And shopping this way was much easier and less stressful . . . at least for me, anyway. I think this year we will be staying home for Christmas as well. We have made a lot of trips this year and just don't really have the finances to travel. It will be sad, but hopefully we'll get to spend some part of the holidays with family.

Well, I guess that's it for now. I will try to blog more regularly in the future.

Pictures from Christmas 2009!

We spent Christmas in North Carolina with Jeremy's family this year. We also were able to see Sarah's brother and sister-in-law as well. They live in the same city as Jeremy's sister (and also attend the same church)! It was nice to see them before they headed up north for Indiana and Michigan. We were also able to attend a UNC game and visit with some friends while there. So . . . here are some pictures from our trip up north.

Christmas at Andy & Elizabeth's house (and Aggie, too!)

Sarah & her brother, Andy

Taken at Andy & Elizabeth's church

Jeremy & his sister, Megan

The Dail siblings & the Martin siblings

Chapel Hill, NC - UNC game!

Jeremy's family: Rea & Eric, Megan, mom, and us!

Harker's Island, NC

Atlantic Beach, NC

Chapel Hill, NC - UNC Basketball Museum

Sarah was SO excited!

Our first picture of 2010!

Good-bye, 2009!

Just wanted to say Happy New Year everyone! Be safe!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

We trust you are enjoying your holiday. We certainly are enjoying ours! Is there a better way to spend the time celebrating Christ's birth than with the people you love?

We just wanted to take the opportunity to wish all of our readers (and maybe just some passers-by) a very merry Christmas. We hope that you look to the real meaning of Christmas rather than just the gifts, the food and family. While all those things are nice, there is just so much more to it. A baby was born one night, long ago. His name is Jesus. Jesus was born THE King of kings. He came to earth to save us from all the wrong things that we have done. Since we have excepted Him as our King, we ask that you do the same. It will be the best Christmas that you will ever experience. So look to the One who will save you from your sins for He is the best gift of all.

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)

Picture of the Week

This week, the POTW comes from an email I received from a friend. Sometimes, I feel like the house on the right at Christmas-time.

It's beginning to "look" a lot like Christmas!

Sarah's parents came for Thanksgiving and since we will not be able to see them for Christmas this year, we had to celebrate Christmas and Sarah's birthday while they were here. We were able to get in the Christmas spirit a little bit early when we went to The Botanical Gardens last Saturday.

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

4 med. sweet potatoes (2lbs)

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

3 T. butter/margarine melted

1/2 cup chopped nuts or tiny marshmallows (or both)

Preparation:

1. Peel fresh sweet potatoes; cut into 1 1/2 in. chunks. Cook fresh sweet potatoes, covered, in enough boiling water to cover for 10 to 12 minutes or until just tender, drain. (Or cut up canned sweet potatoes.)

2. Transfer potatoes to a 2-quart baking dish. Add brown sugar and melted butter; stir gently to combine. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until potatoes are glazed, stirring gently twice. Sprinkle with nuts and/or marshmallows; bake 5 minutes more.

Make-ahead directions:

Prepare as directed through step 2. Cover and chill up to 24 hours. Uncover and bake as directed.

Cranberry Sauce

In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil rapidly for 5 minutes. Add 2 cups cranberries. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Boil gently, uncovered, over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until skins pop, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Serve warm or chilled with poultry or pork.

Makes about 2 cups of sauce.

Crock-pot Turkey Breast

I thought that I would post some recipes that you might want to try out over the holidays. I will try to post all of them before Thanksgiving so you have them if you want to try them.

________________________________

Last year we did a full Thanksgiving meal for just the two of us. We didn't want a whole turkey because we new it would take a very long time to finish it. We decided to just get a turkey breast. I have a small oven so I knew that I would need the oven for the other dishes that we wanted. I looked online and found this recipe for the crock-pot!

Ingredients:

1 small to medium turkey breast

1 stick of butter

salt

Preparation:

Wash & pat dry turkey breast. Season lightly with salt. Place in crock-pot with 1 stick of butter. Turn on low for 10 to 12 hours. (Great to do overnight!)

Make sure that you still baste the turkey or it will be slightly dry!

A little Veterans Day history

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in the First World War, then known as "the Great War." Commemorated as Armistice Day beginning the following year, November 11th became a legal federal holiday in the United States in 1938. In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became Veterans Day, a holiday dedicated to American veterans of all wars. (www.history.com/content/veteransday/history-of-veterans-day)

For more on the history of Veterans Day, please go to www.history.com/content/veteransday.

We would like to thank all of our family & friends who have served or are currently serving in the military.

Catalogs, Thanksgiving, and parties!

I will try to post my normal Friday recipe later. I just wanted to share with you what is going on with us.

It's fall again (yay!) so that means our schedule is getting really busy. Jeremy is nearing the end of catalog season. It will officially be over the beginning of December. We are a little over a week away from November and that means the holidays are just around the corner. Right now we're preparing for fall parties and Christmas. The ladies at our church have a fellowship coming up the first weekend in November so Sarah is busy preparing for that. Then Jeremy's mom will be visiting and we will do our Thanksgiving dinner for her. (We are really excited because we will be getting two Thanksgiving meals this year!!) A few days after she leaves, we will be having a party for some of the kids in our Winner's Circle kids club. (Those who earn a certain number of points, get a party.) Then, of course, is Thanksgiving. Hopefully Sarah will be able to try her hand at that apple pie again!! Her parents will be visiting us then. After Thanksgiving, we will be preparing for all of the Christmas festivities. We will have the church Christmas Cantata, another ladies fellowship, and a few other Christmas parties. It's going to be a busy season but it will be very enjoyable. So, you understand if we forget to write a post once in a while. But please keep checking our blog for pictures of all of the activities!

For a little pumpkin trivia, click here.

New Year's Resolutions?

Okay it's been a little over a week since we posted our last blog. I (Sarah) wanted to take the time today to comment on something that is one of my pet peeves. New Year's Resolutions (NYRs). What?! Yes, I said the three most horrible words in the world! Or, if you're thinking like most people, you're saying, "What in the world! Why are you speaking so poorly about making NYRs?!" Well, let me take the next few paragraphs to tell you. 

First of all, who cares about NYRs?! I don't see the point. If you don't make 'em, you don't feel bad about breaking 'em! Think about that for a minute. How many of you out there have made countless of NYRs and kept up with them for a little while only to break them a few weeks later? I too have been there. I think I came to this realization in my later years of college. Who needs the stress of NYRs? Certainly not a college student and certainly not a newly married young woman. There is too much going on in our lives today to be worried about this. So, I say, read and heed my words of advice.

Secondly, I may not make NYRs but I have started to make it a point to make NDRs (New Day Resolutions). These are a little bit easier to keep up with. When I get up, I think about one thing that I want to accomplish that day. Only one! If you start making a huge list, you're sure to fail just like you would do if you were making any NYR. The key is only have one thing each day that you want to do. If you go to bed that night, and you have accomplished that one item on your list, then your day has been worth it and you will have the best nights sleep EVER! Then you just wake up the next day and do it all over again. If you make the decision daily, you don't have time to forget about it and you're not fretting about your unaccomplished NYRs on December 31st. 

Now lastly, it's important to remember that you don't put in something that should be a normal responsibility as your NDR. For example, going to church, spending daily quiet time with God, going to work, or doing house work, should not be put in as your NDR. These are things that you should be doing every day already. You could say things like, read a chapter of a famous novel, be an encouragement to someone you don't know, do something special for your spouse, or exercise/workout/eat right. Those kinds of things are what I'm talking about as NDRs. 

So, instead of New Year's Resolutions, make the decision, when you first get up tomorrow, that you are going to make your first New Day Resolution of the year! Trust me! You won't regret it and you will feel so much better when you check that off your list when you go to bed tomorrow night...especially if you've made someone else's day.

______________________

Top 10 New Year's Resolutions

1. Spend more time with family and friends.

2. Fit in fitness

3. Tame the bulge (weight gain)

4. Quit smoking

5. Enjoy life more

6. Quit drinking

7. Get out of debt

8. Learn something new

9. Help others

10. Get organized (on just about every NYR top 10 list) 

"Home for Christmas!"

We were able to go to Indiana to visit Sarah's family for Christmas. We were there from December 22nd through January 1st. Here are some pictures from our visit.

With our niece, Hannah

Martin family portrait

Decorating gingerbread houses!

All of the cousins

My mom with her brothers and sister

With Grandpa & Grandma Honey

With Amanda, Addie, and my mom

With Grandma Martin