Here they are.....
1st and foremost, DANIEL AND I MADE IT TO 1 YEAR!!!!!! What a blessing. I just had no idea in my poor, little naive brain how much work marriage is and can be, so we are grateful that God guided and directed us through our first year. He was so faithful to sustain us when we were discouraged or when we have struggled with life just dragging us down at times. God is completely capable of sustaining a marriage when we give it to Him. Awesome experience so far and can't wait to see what God will teach us next.
My parents took us out to celebrate!
Celebrating! 
The amazing bible Daniel got me with my name on it!!!
Lovin' the cake!!
We went to a murder mystery dinner for our anniversary and we loved it! We had to try to figure out who the killer was and it was just nice to do something different and fun.
2. Peace in the midst of storms- Unexpectedly, this has been one of the most challenging school years I've ever had. You might say, wow, hard caseload? Nope, not at all! I have an almost entirely new caseload and each and every one of them are blessings. I even have amazingly cute preschool walk-in students that are SO MUCH FUN!!!! You might think it's the paperwork....nope, actually this has been a pretty good year for me with that!!! It is simply that God has placed people in my life that are challenging me in extremely hard ways. I always think that God will surround me with honest, hard-workers...but that's not always the case. God is bringing this blessing-in-disguise for a reason...and I will perservere until its time is up. He's giving me SO MUCH peace when I just tap into it and ask for His help. He is so completely capable of dealing with these situations and He's so much better at it than me!!!
3. Celebrations!!!!!! Life is worth celebrating, right? I feel so very blessed to be a part of so many people that are full of exciting times in their lives.
Some of my bestest friends are pregnant and they happen to have the same name and are both having boys!!!!! I had the privelage of helping throw a shower for Lisa Wolf celebrating her VERY soon arrival of her baby!! I cannot wait to gently squeeze that precious little life in the next week!!! Yayy
And then there's the other, Lisa Tutt....I get to celebrate her soon-coming baby Henry this weekend and I can't wait!!
They will both be amazing mamas!!!!!!!!
And my precious cousins Samantha and David got married! I am sooo excited for them to enjoy the blessing that is marriage. God created it and will honor and bless it tremendously...I believe it!!!! We love you, Samantha and David!!! Here's a pic of me, Daniel and my mom at the wedding.
4. My baby dog Gracie-*Insert cheesy music here.* There's just something about that little face that greets me with excitement every day no matter what. Maybe it's the consistency and devotion that I so crave and cling to...I don't know. She's just a cuddly, sweet, amazing little furry friend of mine and I love her dearly. Here she is with Francie, my parent's dog! Aren't they precious!!?!?!! :)
5. Spontaneity and Surprises-Maybe sometimes I just don't believe that God can surprise me in life or do something great through change. Maybe I'm just too comfortable in not believing big enough. But God has brought me so many surprises and excitement through just seeing it all play out. He has answered several of my prayers and I can't wait to see what He will do with them. He has taught me that I can do things with dedication...Example, I am reading the bible daily and Loving it! I can't get enough of the Bible right now and it is coming alive for me. Such a miracle considering I have a hard time following through with plans. (Shout out to The Bible App-it keeps me accountable and sends me virtual awards!!!)
And I am grateful for random ideas from my husband that turn out to be just what we needed. We decided to go to Oklahoma City on a whim last night to eat dinner and stay the night! It was nice, relaxing, fun, and a true bonding experience for us.
So that's why I'm blessed....God has truly been devoted to loving on me and us and I can't ask for more. He never stops blessing!!!!!!!!
James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
