me in the center..

In this particular moment, I am seeing how easy it is to be consumed with 'self' and not be concerned with others and how things affect them!

Being selfish makes you seem childish and ignorant, as well as uneducated and un-Christ-like! And by "you" I of course am referring to me.

I would LOVE to go on vacation with my family during the week after Christmas, but Jaymes cannot get off work :(. I've begged and pleaded and come up with [EXCELLENT - if I do say so myself :)] reasons as to why I'm right about him asking off, and why he's wrong about not asking off..but looking back at the drama that I created for myself, I see that all those reasons only go in my favor, not his, and that they do not benefit him. I mean, obviously a break from work and school and an out of town trip to celebrate Christ's birth are favorable things to anyone, but there is more to it. I mean, I'm not being entirely selfish in a bad way, I want Jaymes to be able to be on vacation with me and be able to hang out outside of the normal schedule of our life, but I am still failing to see the entirety of the situation.

I pray that I will think before I speak, and evaluate how things effect not only me, but those around me.
That I will see the big picture (as much of it as I can :)) and realize that I am not the only one out there!

The holidays are often a time that people are selfish, think only of themselves, and with gifts being a prime focus, it is so easy to be selfish! But James 4: 1-5, 6 has this to say:

James 4:1-5, 6 (ESV)
"What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God...God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble."

I realize that this passage may be a bit extreme to the selfishness that I am referring to, but selfishness is ultimately the underlying killer in our world, coming one way or another. All in all, selfishness is immoral, and shouldn't be allowed governance over your mindset!

Colorado, 2009

~Allyson

and they ate.

....and ate, and ate, and ate!!
Thanksgiving is officially over, boo:(, but I think I stretched it out about at long as I could:

-Wednesday my aunt, uncle, and cousins came up from Ft. Myers, and we prepped food all day!!

-Thursday, we woke up early and went to meet Larry's (my step-dad) side of the family at Cracker Barrel for breakfast, and long-time tradition:) Then we spent the rest of Thursday prepping and cooking. My grandparents from Ft. Myers also arrived in the meantime, and it was time to feast:) And feast we did!

-Friday we woke up and went shopping, but not like hardcore Black Friday shoppers, we left at 8:15 and were out until about 4:30. Didn't get too many deals, but got some Christmas shopping done, and finished Jaymes' birthday shopping (which is TODAY:)!).
After we shopped, we went over to my dad's to visit with all the family from his side that came down to visit, his dad and step-mom, and my two cousins originally from Washington State, but now Orlando. I ate some of their Thanksgiving leftovers; amazing. Very fun:)

-Saturday, I went over to Jaymes' house to help his mom, sister, and step-sister prepare for the 30-50 people they were having for THEIR thanksgiving. Very fun, and SOOOOOO much work?! Christine, his step-sister has an eye for decorating as well as Jaymes mom, Kim and sister, Joy, but Christine definitely held the reins to this decorating bonanza, and she ROCKED it. She also spearheaded the cooking, and that was also blown out of the park. I'm blessed to have such talented future in-laws:) After cooking for a very long time, I met up with Jaymes after he got off work and we worked out. 3 days later and I can still feel it! Yikes! Then we went back over to my dad's house to hang out with family again, and we got frozen yogurt for dessert at a new place cleverly titled, The Yogurt Spot. It is VERY yummy, my favorite is the spiced pumpkin flavor and the cheesecake flavor. Mixed together! Then we went back to Jaymes' house and helped with the finishing touches for the night.

-Sunday was pretty much the same thing, but MORE cooking and prepping! All the family came over, and it was so wonderful:)

Quality time is my love language, so holidays are my favorite time of year because I get so much quality time with family and friends, it's ridiculous!

So, while not all of my weekend activities were specifically Thanksgiving, I would say that 4 out of the 5 days were.

So, yes, today is Jaymes birthday! He is turning 21, which is amazing. Mainly because we've been dating since he was 14! This March will mark our 7 year anniversary:) AHHH:) Back to the birthday boy..tonight we are having dinner at his house with his family, and my family. I'll probably be going over after my class to help prepare things, so that should be fun:)

Jaymes' dad came down from Canada to be here for Jaymes' birthday. This is first birthday he's been at in 7 years! And no, there is no correlation between how long Jaymes and I have been together, his dad (Greg) loves me:) Greg has been down to visit many, many times just not really able to schedule it so he could spend Jaymes' birthday with him! And this year it worked out! So tomorrow night just the 3 of us will go to dinner somewhere to celebrate Jaymes birthday, and then Friday we're going to dinner with a small group of friends to celebrate as well. Yay:) Such a wonderful time of the year!!

I hope everyone else's Thanksgiving holiday was splendiferous and memorable!!

~Allyson

this day:)

This, is totally the day that the Lord has made. And for that reason, I will totally rejoice and be glad in Him!
He is a God who has breathed life into so many things!! How is He not gasping for air?! Because He is a wonderful, awesome, powerful, supernatural, God...with HUGE indescribable lungs, of course:)

I thank Him today for so many reasons, and those reasons also double as an update on the goings-on in my life!

- Yesterday, my mom, my best friend Alex, and I ran in the Women's Half Marathon in St. Pete. It was my mom and my second time doing this particular race, and Alex's first time doing a half marathon ever. She did amazing; better than me actually..annoying;). This wasn't my mom's second half though, she's done like a million. Or something around there. It was a hard run in my opinion..I felt pretty good until about mile 10/11..but that's an improvement from last year! I was DEAD at mile 9. SO dead. A half marathon is typically 13.1 miles, but this one was a little over, 13.32 miles. and that .22 difference is GIANT. Anyway, we finished the race with a time of 2hrs, 20min, 35sec. 7 minutes better than our time for last year! Yay:) PR for my second half. I'm hoping to do the Gasparilla Challenge in February, but we'll see. The Challenge consists of running a 5K (3.1miles) and 15K (9.3miles) on Saturday, and a half marathon (13.1 or so miles) on Sunday. So basically you need to train for a full marathon. YIKES! I think we can do it. In my opinion, the 15K is the most PERFECT race EVER. It is an awesome distance, and compared to 13.1, it is such a breeze. I love it. So, I am thankful to my awesome Creator for creating LEGS that can run for a stupid amount of time, and running partners that make it fun. Also, lungs for breathing! Breathing is KEY when it comes to running. For sure, for sure, for sure.

• p.s. Our boys are the greatest, and so are our friends/families. Jaymes, Larry, and Alex's boyfriend Cory, Jennifer, and Carmen came down with us at 5:30 in the morning before the race, and they cheered us along whenever they were at a point that we would pass them. They were AWESOME. Alex's family came too, and brought her flowers. So sweet:)

- School is winding down, THANK YOU JESUS. But that's not the only reason I praise and thank Him! I am actually doing pretty good in all of my classes! Statistics is the only class that I am struggling in, but I think I can do it:) I took 5 classes this semester, because I had dropped classes in past semesters and I am ready to get my life GOING outside of school! So I tried to hike up my class load for this semester to try to help me get on track to graduate in May 2012. *CROSS MY FINGERS!* In all of my other classes, I am proud of my grades:) My report card at the moment is as follows:

• Managerial Accounting: A
• Nutrition and Wellness: A
• Biology: B
• Statistics: C
• Microeconomics: C

Woo:) I know, C's aren't the best grades, but trust me, in Statistics and Micro, they are miracle grades. Atleast to this student, lol. I'm hoping that I can bring my biology grade up to an A, because it's a pretty high B..with the assignments that are still due and the final I'm thinking I can do it. Those C's are probably going to stay C's, but I'll still try my hardest! This semester has been one of the most overwhelming! Possibly because I finally started applying myself in a way that I can be PROUD of..although I could still be applying myself more..ugh. I'm SO ready to be done! But that is up to me, so I have to put my nose to the grind! I am thankful that the Lord has given me the strength to persevere and push through yucky weeks in class when I have exams in EVERYONE..Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I am thankful that He gave me a brain that I can use for Him and His glory, and one that can retain a lot of information! Mostly non-substantial information, but hey, useless facts are very wonderful sometimes:)

- Christmas is coming, and the goose is getting fat!! I've never had goose before, but I've had duck. I'm sure it's similar..? Anyway, the holidays are HERE. I am so thrilled:) I've already been listening to Christmas music for a week..I know I know, jumping the gun. Oh well! I am excited about these holidays for so many reasons, but mainly because I get to see so much of my family! Almost ALL of my whole family between Thanksgiving and Christmas! So thrilled. Quality time is my love language, and I love talking, so I am stoked beyond belief to be able to see so much family that I don't always have the luxury of seeing:(. This Thanksgiving I am decorating the tables we'll be eating off of, YAY! I'll probably take pictures of them, just because they'll be my first DIY projects. Well, I've done a few others, but these will be my first GOOD, picture-worthy DIY projects:) I am thankful that God has given me such a wonderful family, one that loves and supports each other immensely. I am thankful that God sent Jesus to be born, to make this world one kinda worth living in. Also, I am thankful for good cooks. Hallelujah:) lol.

There are so many other things that have been going on, but I'll highlight the little important ones in list form:

• My first nephew was born:) My second oldest sister Lacey and her husband Josh had Clayton Andrew Haker on September 29th. He was very tiny when he was born, and he actually had the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck 5 times!! He was a little acrobat, that crazy son of a gun! But he is healthy and ADORABLE now:) They actually went hunting in GA? last week/weekend, so he had his first of SOOOO many hunting trips. They are an outdoor family to the MAX.

• Jaymes and I did our first bicycle ride across Florida the 2nd to last weekend of October hosted by Idlewild Baptist Church, with my parents, friends from both churches, and one of our new favorite couples:) It was a total of approximatly 210 miles, and we did it from Friday - Sunday. We started in Ormond Beach/Daytona, and rode all the way back to Tarpon Springs! We went 60 miles Friday, 70 miles Saturday, and 80 miles Sunday. It was one of the funnest things I've ever done. AMAZING.

Day 2, Getting ready to start!

Day 2, a quick stop:)





Day 3, last stop!


• Not too long after the 1st bike ride, we decided to go on another, much SHORTER ride. We did it with the couple that we rode the long ride with, Nate and Erica. It was in Sarasota, where Erica is from, so we went over Saturday, had a nice carb-filled dinner, and woke up early Sunday morning to participate in a 65 miles ride around Sarasota. It was LONG, WINDY, and FREEEEEEZING! Wow. It was fun, but SOOO not fun. Still fun though, if you understand what I'm saying:)

• I'm not a big coffee drinker, but around the holidays, hello:) Pumpkin Spice coffee creamer, anyone?! Amazing. Also, Starbucks has some SCRUMPTIOUS delicacies..if you can call coffee a delicacy...I am anyway! Their Gingerbread Lattes and Caramel Brulee Lattes are absolutely amazing! And definitely zero calories..haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa I wish:( Oh well, it's the holidays, people, have fun!
• It is almost Jaymes' 21st birthday, which is not so much a big deal because we aren't drinkers/partiers, but it is very exciting that he is getting INTO his twenties, and not just 20..like me. But it's okay, young is good:) It is November 30th, which is a TAD bit stressful because that is right after Thanksgiving, and right before Christmas! So I have to be uber creative with gifts, because I have people asking me for present ideas for him left and right, and I have to make sure I have enough ideas for myself, let alone to give out for his Christmas ideas too!! Gah!! But it's fun having the responsibility of being the go-to girl for his wishlist. I feel special:)
• I voted! And my vote was heard:) Yay Republicans. Please do good for us, don't just feel like since you won, you're done. We voted for you for a reason, to assist in the recovery process. I know in a world of impatience and immediate results it is easy for us to blame you all for things that go wrong, but I know that if your hearts and minds are in the right place, things will be done- to God be the glory. Thank you politicians for all the good you do. Not so much thanks for the bad, but still thanks:). I can't imagine how stressful it is to have the responsibility of determining SO much for all of us normal citizens on your shoulders. But we're praying for you!

Well, this incredibly long/obnoxious post is an update for the past while! Hope everyone is enjoying life and living it to the fullest of your capabilities, all to Praise the name of Jesus. We truly do owe everything to Him, and without Him, nothing would be possible.

~Allyson

babies, babies!

So many babies!
My co-worker just had her second, a daughter named Melisa.
My oldest cousin Brycie and her husband Alan just had their firstborn, a daughter named Avery-Jade Marie Powell. She is SO cute:)
My second oldest sister, Lacey, and her husband are having their first born this Wednesday!
Clayton Andrew Haker. I think he is going to be SO cute as well:)
Technically, Clay will be my first nephew, but Jaymes already has so many nieces/nephews that I'm already an aunt. That's only "technically" though because they all live in Canada except for one that lives right near me! And to her I'm already Aunt Ally:) exciting.
Lots of baby buzz, and I see the Lord's timing in each of the baby's births. My aunt/uncle/cousins had planned on visiting my cousin Brycie for the weekend, and no one knew that it would be baby time!
The Lord is good:)

greetings&salutations!

Well, here I am!

Jaymes, Finnley, and I

I have officially joined the blog world. Not exactly sure why, because I don't exactly have that much to blog about, but everyone else was doing it. So here I am..giving it a try!

The name I have chosen for now is "on our way." In life, we are ON OUR WAY to the future..duh. As humans, we are always on our way to the NEXT thing. The next activity, the next step, the next program, the next chapter of our life..the list goes on forever. My thinking behind being on my way is: I'm on my way to being a college graduate, a hard working employee at (hopefully) an extremely high-paying and awesome job, a better friend, a fiancee, a wife, a homemaker, a mother, a better Christian..that list could go on forever too! All of the things that I am "on my way" to are so important, but i think that the most important is being a better Christian. Even just being a Christian in general is important, because we're on our way to a life of eternity and everlasting joy in Christ, but it isn't just a one time commitment, it is an everyday, conscious decision to build a relationship with Christ and with people around me.

To begin, I guess I'll tell you a little bit about ME. I am in my third year at USF, majoring in Business Management - yay. Hopefully I will be done spring 2012, so I can graduate in May 2012! The sooner I get done, the sooner I can marry the most wonderful boy in the WHOLE world! Well maybe..if he starts bringing home some major bacon (not THAT major..you know what I mean..) then mayyyyybe we can swing it so that we'll be married before I finish school. I've gone back and forth with that, actually. As everyone knows, we have been together forEVER. Since 8th grade! Very long time. We actually just celebrated our 6 and a 1/2 year anniversary. Very fun! And it's been hard to watch so many people around us getting engaged and getting married because we've been together for so long it seems like we should be married right now! So, we're always scheming..trying to figure out how we could make things work..and the like:).

I have NO idea what I want to do when I grow up career-wise, but I know that when I have kids I will want to stay home with them atleast until they start school. But I'm so far from that point it's almost silly to talk about! I enjoy fashion and decorating, but it doesn't always come naturally to me! I don't look at a room and automatically see 10 ways to spruce it up..but I wish I did!

I am currently in the discovery phase of my spritiual life.. I am exploring different books of the bible one at a time, currently in 1 John, which is really wonderful and I am enjoying it! Next I will probably finish out 2 and 3 John, and then move into 1 Peter, then James, and then Isaiah. That is my goal for the next couple of months. The Bible that I have has NIV and The Message side by side, which I really love. Many people don't like The Message (which is just a modern translation of the NIV/KJV/etc bibles) but I really do because when I'm reading the NIV side, if I don't understand something I can jump to The Message and get a clearer understanding of what it means. You can't use The Message for scripture memory though, so for that I'll only use the NIV side.

It's weird to look at the calendar and see that we are halfway through September already, which means we are halfway through the year! The holidays are coming up, which although they are extremely exciting, I think I will enjoy them even more when I have my own house or even apartment to decorate and get festive with.
I definitely know I will enjoy having my own house for food alone! I love to cook, and don't do it that often at home, but when I do I love it! I can't wait to cook dinners for my future husband, and cook WITH him..

Speaking of future husband, Jaymes and I are currently training for a "Bike Across Florida" trip this October that is put on by Idlewild Baptist Church. My parents and many people that we know are going too, so we're looking forward to it! The farthest training we've had so far is 34 miles, and the trip is going to be about 200 +/- miles. Woo!! My mom and I, along with my friend Alex are training for a Women's Half Marathon, which will take place this November, it will be our second half-marathon and I'm hoping that I do much better at this one! Last year it took us 2 hrs 26 min to complete the entire 13.1 miles, so we'll see how it goes this year. I started WAYYY too fast, which made it VERY difficult to complete it strongly!

Well, I can see that I am a rambler, but I guess that's what blogs are for, and this was somewhat of an introductory blog anyway..I do love reading up on other people's blogs (when I know them of course!) so I figured there must be someone who would want to read what I have to say! And I think it will be a good place for far-away-family members to come to and catch up on what's going on in me and my family's life!

Birthday Shout-Outs to: My future mother-in-law Kimbo :) and one of my bestest friends, Laura Brown:) love you both!

~Allyson