Gotta love the boots shots!

Leslie and Paul wanted to get pictures taken care of before the ceremony so they had a special meeting time for them on this cool bridge where they would see one another alone (plus the photographer) for the first time that day. My Dad took Leslie there where Paul was waiting for his bride. She said it was the most incredible moment of her life.

The reception included lots of DANCING!
The Bartlett girls (along with everyone else) tore the dance floor up!

Wedding Picture

These pictures take a really long time to load...partly because they are really great quality shots from the photographer herself and partly because my computer is pretty slow. I will just give you one at a time for now. Leslie's dress was a bit too long so she had the choice of either getting it hemmed or wearing very tall heels. She went with the shoes option and wore these super cute cowboy boots under the dress. I love this picture!

I Love January

It is true. Despite the bitterly cold temperatures (especially this year), I welcome January because the holidays have come and gone and life can start functioning at a productive rate.... and my aerobics classes are packed. More than that, the new year seems like a fresh start and I am often (always) in need of that. I know that setting resolutions can get you down since they tend to set us up for failure, but honestly, I feel like I have to deal with my failures each day whether I make a conscious effort to make goals or not. Thankfully my worth doesn't lie in my own abilities or accomplishments.

With that said, I'll opt once again to go with that percentage-fact (see previous year's post) which hopefully raises my chances to achieve the goals by writing them down and making them known.

Julie's 2010 Resolutions:
1. Get up at least 30 minutes before my first child (Caleb) wakes in the mornings.
2. Take my yoga mat to the gym for cleanliness reasons.
3. Take my cool metal water bottle to class as well to help save the earth.
4. Keep the car cleaned out and tidier.....should I even go as far as making a "no eating" rule? What the heck- No more eating in the car unless we are on a trip.
5. Continue reading books alone. I have been on a pretty big reading kick lately. I read to the kids at night but also read myself. The only problem is that I have a hard time finding books that I like, and when I do find them, I cannot put them down which cuts into sleep time majorly.
6. I made a long list of songs that I love and want to learn play on my guitar.
7. Write and/or finish writing a few more songs. (Gotta keep the compilation going so when my kids come of age I can go out on the road and become a famous folk singer :) )
8. Speaking of music, I just had to go and ask for the banjo back from Aunt Jeanie a few months ago so that needs to be on the list too. Learn to do the claw-hammer thing on the banjo.
9. On the domestic end of things, I want to bake more often because (long story) I now own Moma's awesome mixer. Top things on my list to perfect: banana bread and oatmeal raisin cookies.
10. What else? Oh yes, I hope to help Lorie celebrate her big Dirty Thirty in March.
11. Stay on schedule. Keep on keepin' on.
12. Never ever speed. I just had to pay a horrid traffic ticket Monday for being careless and driving 60 in a 45 on Old 70 Hwy. (which is a horrible speed trap and who made that a 45 mile/hour zone anyhow?!)
13. Get back to open mic a couple of times a month. You with me Becky? I talked to Parker at the White Horse a few days back and he said we could even call to get our names on the list so we could get the kids in bed first.




With all that said, it's certainly a good thing I don't place too much stock in achieving my new years resolutions. I just took a look back at the posts from my 2008 and 2009 Resolutions and I haven't done too well on accomplishing them.....I didn't run a half marathon (and decided I may never run one unless I quit teaching aerobics), didn't sell the house, didn't finish Annabelle's scrapbook, I still need to make the kids help more around the house, and I still need to organize some things and cook more. Thank the good Lord that His mercies are new every morning and not just in January.

I will just have to keep those things one the list for this year too. Never give up, right?


What is a blog post without a picture? boring, right. How about this one:

I got this obnoxiously sequined shirt to wear to kickboxing class right after new years and she has been wearing it for the past few days. It fits me a little better.

I am still working on a home school update for the blog. Well, just mentally... but I am thinking of what I can share about our recent struggles.... and changes...... and the realisations that have followed from it all.

Last Thursday morning, we loaded up and took the "long-cut" (in the boy's words) over to Tennessee since I40 is still closed due to the rock slide earlier this year. We had big plans for a long weekend adventure full of Dollywood and outlet Christmas shopping. All was well Thursday--we rode the rides, saw the shows and were dazzled by a million Christmas lights in the park. When we arrived at the condo, we heard that they were calling for 10-15 inches of snow back home. You want to know what I thought of that? YEAH RIGHT! You see, they call for snow all of the time around here and it starts with 6-8 inches and then around 10 pm they change the forecast to 2-4 inches of snow.... then to some freezing rain....... and finally in the morning, we wake up and it is raining. just raining. However, I am sure the news stations got fabulous ratings as everyone and their brother stayed tuned in all evening. Yep, I see right through them.

Well, for once they got it right and we got more snow than we've had here in the last 10 years.

Friday, much to my dismay, we decided to make the long trip home just in time to beat the storm. Seth stopped by the 'rents house and got us back home..... just in time for the power to go out.....which would have been fine if we just had some heat. The boys would have been fine either way because they literally stayed outside the entire week in the snow. Annabelle and I were ready to leave. We stuck it out Friday and Saturday before we made it out to Mom and Dad's house where they had power.

Annabelle was content to watch from the window. Do you like her outfit?
very typical these days......
Uncle Jonathan says we need to get her about 10 cats to go along with it and a grocery cart.

Everything was great when we got there because we had a dryer for the wet snow clothes and best of all.....the HOT TUB.

Caleb was a sledding fool and I barely saw him the entire week. Adam was right there with him 85% of the time but he came in more regularly for meals and to dry his clothes. It was sweet to see how much they enjoyed it all.

They made some impressive jumps in their adventures. I will get some videos up later.

I hope to blog a bit more often in the New Year. I feel like I need to give an update on home school, record the Christmas happenings, get all of my outlandish New Years resolutions down, and although it feels like a distant memory now, say a little more about the wedding (we have the photographer's pictures now and you will be amazed!)

So Merry Christmas and Happy New Year folks. I love you all!