fun, new things.

This has been an exciting week in terms of new toys! Rob and I bought a new car!! We bought a 2008 Honda Pilot...with leather interior, heated seats, sun-roof, GPS System...the whole works!! I'm super excited about the Satellite Radio and rearview camera that will show if I'm about to hit something (not that I will EVER need this, of course). We went to pick it up on Monday but I changed my mind on the color while we were there. So, now we will get it tomorrow. I am SO excited. This will be my new baby! Robbie has been so amazing through the whole process too, he wants it to be exactly how I want it since it will be my new toy. Another awesome purchase this week was my new MacBook Pro! And we bought everything I will need on it for my new business. I am SO excited to start designing on this one. My trusty PC Laptop has been faithful to me, but it is time for bigger and better things. It was the biggest blessing how it all worked; a guy at the Apple Store befriended us and gave us so many great deals. We also got a brand new printer/scanner/fax machine with everything for free! We really were spoiled this week!

Rob and I are leaving tomorrow (weather permitting) for Penn State. This weekend is THON and Nathan, Rob's brother is dancing. Rob danced his senior year and it was actually the first time I ever met Rob's parents! We are so excited to go support Nate and see everyone. It really is one of the most incredible experiences. I will take TONS of pictures!! For those of you who don't know what Penn State's Dance Marathon is, I will do my best to explain it. But trust me, there is not a better way to understand it than by experiencing it in person. THON has been a Penn State tradition since 1973, though it has changed drastically since its first year. The mission is to "conquer pediatric cancer by providing outstanding emotional and financial support to the children, families, researchers and staff of The Four Diamonds Fund". In 2004 PSU pledged to raise $10 million over the next six years to create a new Pediatriac Cancer Pavillion at the Penn State Children's Hospital. Last year in 2007, THON raised over $5 million! This weekend, for 48 hours, dancers will be awake and on their feet. It's an awesome experience!! I will definitely post all about it when we get back. Happy Thursday!

overdue.

WOW...I give myself a big, fat "F" in keeping this thing up. My apologies! First off, Happy New Year! I can't believe my last entry was in December. And if you only knew how much has changed since that entry, you would understand the lack of writing!! I pray everyone has been doing well and you are all enjoying this New Year, thus far. Yesterday was my first Valentine's Day as a married woman and it was FANTASTIC! My husband is so romantic, we had so much fun!

January and February have been FULL. We've celebrated a few birthdays, hosted some fun shindigs and have been doing a lot of traveling. I was in Puerto Rico for a week with work (FABULOUS) in January and last week Robbie and I were both away for work, Robbie in Denver and myself in D.C. Work has definitely been keeping us both busy, but our jobs have been the biggest blessings. It's hard when we are away from each other, but it always surprisingly goes by so fast. And when we aren't away from each other, our days are filled with so many fun and new things. Right now Rob is on a kick of cooking (sooo loving this). I came home on Wednesday and Rob met me with a glass of wine and the aroma of Chicken Parmesan cooking in the oven. The table was set, and I mean SET - with candles and the whole works. I melted into his arms the second I stepped into the door. I have an amazing husband!

My job situation has actually taken a huge turn towards AMAZING. God is SO good and I am so incredibly excited. I started my own Creative Marketing Consulting business and am currently employed as the full time Marketing Consultant for the company I was previously working for. I told them I was quitting because of my new business venture and they hired me on as their full time Marketing Consultant! I am managing the marketing department and conference division. I get to do exactly what I love, while working from home and traveling the country! Can I say it again? GOD IS GOOD!!

Rob was picked out of his whole sales territory to attend a conference in Denver, Colorado. It was a huge honor to be chosen and was a tremendous opportunity for him. I'm so proud! I don't know that I've ever really mentioned what either one of us does for a living! Rob is a Medical Device Sales Rep for Spinal Concepts, a division under Johnson & Johnson. He's the guy in the ER and OR giving and selling implants and medical devices to the surgeons as they operate. His specialty is the spine and neck. He loves it, and he doesn't even mind if he gets a call at four in the morning for a trauma. Luckily, he's only on call one weekend a month. Thank goodness!

I have really strayed from my last entry by posting so much about ourselves. My intentions are to provide a detailed update about our lives for those we have not been able to tell ourselves. I wish so badly I could press a button and hear how everyone else is also doing. PLEASE let me know what is going on in your life and how we can be praying for you. OH, that reminds me of a huge praise! Robbie and I found a church that we are really excited about. Thank you so much for your prayers; this has been a continuous prayer request and God, of course, has been working ten-fold. He never ceases to amaze me. :o)

So much love,

Annabelle

PS. I'll be back soon this time. I promise!

a realization.

Christmas was amazing. In fact, absolutely everything about this past week was amazing. There is always so much going on, that I often forget to look at the “small” things. I know I have an abundantly full life that God has given me, but how often do I actually stop and observe the tiny details? It’s as though I ran through a check-list and then had permission to be instantly content. Relationship with Christ? Check. God loving husband? Check. And so forth! My purpose for starting this blog was to keep in touch with our friends and family, and update everyone on happenings within the new Thomas family. The internet has created endless possibilities of communication throughout our world. While thinking of Rob and mine's network and our comfortable place within it, I start to wonder why anyone would want to read a blog about us. We are only two people in God's great story. If I have a page to fill and readers to entertain, I want the words to be more than the daily outings of Robbie and Anna. It is enough for me that I am content with my husband, family and Creator, but what does it do typing about it to other people? I actually feel very small right now realizing this. I know God calls us to pray for His children, those lost and those saved, and that we are called to do His will. But maybe, His will is to provide a means to reach other people even through a tiny blog. I'm not sure what this looks like, or how I will go about it, but I intend to give it a try. If I can see God's glory right before my eyes, I want others to see it too.

Day 1 of 'blogspot with a new purpose'...

I stumbled across a blog written by a young man and woman struggling through the process of adopting a baby girl from Guatemala. Even though she is not yet legally theirs, God has already assigned baby Eliana to their hearts. Chris and Lindsey Wheeler tell their story on their blogspot at http://thewheelerjourney.blogspot.com/. They have a powerful story of passion, faith and complete reliance on God. Please read it!! And check out Ellie Dubb (www.elliedubb.com), their mission tailored clothing company created to raise funds for their adoption process. Their faith emulates God's greatness and gives me a glimpse of God's glory. I hope you will see it too.

christmas cheer.

Oh my goodness, it has been too long!! I apologize! They say this time of year has a lot of hussle and bustle, and boy are they right. Truth be told, the week I (Anna) started this blog, I was off of my normal duties because of an injured wrist which resulted in a lot of ample computer time. Now that my wrist is healed, I am all over the place again and ever so busy. Tonight is the beginning of RELAXING and family fun. I AM SO EXCITED! As a Marketing Manager, the Christmas season is full of over-time. I had quite a few late nights the past two weeks, and Robbie has been jam packed as well. We have managed to keep our sanity intact and have rested in the knowledge that the Lord is still growing us closer together even as the world continues to whirl around us. I also haven't forgotten about our Christmas tree pictures, I just have to actually take them! I will do it SOON.

Tonight we are going home to be with my WHOLE family! It is a special treat to have my whole family in from Texas and especially to see my neices and nephew...my little hearts, they are so precious!

I know this weekend through Wednesday we will be contently busy celebrating this wonderful time of year. Until our next post, I hope everyone has an amazing and blessed time with their family, friends and loved ones. We rejoice in the birth of our Savior and the blessings we have received this year! God Bless!!

two amazing months.

Marriage is such a blessing. Today, Robbie and I have been married for two months. These past two months have exceeded my expectations in every way imaginable. It really is so hard to describe what these months have been like. It's a crazy thing...God's love for me, and the sending of His son to die for my sins, is the greatest gift I have ever received. My faith in Christ completes me. And at the same time, giving me the privelege to be Robbie's wife, and experience this new love and life together, is a completeness like no other. God fulfills my every desire, and yet He placed a desire in me that is only fulfilled by my new husband. It's as though I have always had two separate needs that I didn't even know I had, until I found both of them. And now...it is the best feeling in the world to be, and truly feel, utterly COMPLETE.

bring on the dog food.

We're getting a puppy! Robbie and I are in the final stages of preparing for a new little puppy to enter our home. We are hoping to get him by Christmas, or at the latest in January. Rob is the one who actually started the whole thing and planted the seed. He has been doing so much research on which breeder to use. We already have his name picked out and everything! You would think we are preparing for the arrival of an actual little human. I'm so excited!

Last night we had my parents, sister, neice and Grandma over for dinner. We made a pork tenderloin with couscus and I baked banana bread for dessert. It turned out really well! Someone suggested I add a teaspoon of vanilla to the bread mixture and sprinkle brown sugar on top before baking. It was tasty! I was so relieved everything was a hit. One of the greatest things is that Robbie likes to cook too. It's so fun being in the kitchen together. Tonight we're going to try a chili I made on Sunday...I really hope it tastes okay. I'm not 'gonna lie, I'm a little nervous. Happy Wednesday! Half way to the weekend!

memories in the making.

Here it goes...

God never ceases to amaze me. This time of year always makes me feel so warm and happy. What makes it even better, beyond comparison, is that this year I get to go through this special time with my new HUSBAND. I still love seeing, saying and hearing that word.

I love the holidays. I love the smells of the holidays, especially the smells of baking. This year I have my very own kitchen to bake in! I am in love with all of our new appliances we received from the wedding. I use our KitchenAid mixer and Cuisinart slowcooker on a twice, weekly basis. Robbie, being the amazing thing that he is, eats everything I create. So far I have had pretty good luck in the kitchen, but I still continue to pray our first year of marriage will round out with NO food poisoning from my end. It helps that I grew up with the chef of all chefs, my mom. I owe it to her for placing the ‘cooking spark’ in me some time ago. And now I have a new mother in law to learn from as well. I am blessed with two very important and influential women in my life.

I think the joining of families is an amazing thing. This holiday season I get to share all of the love and happiness with not only my own family, but Robbie’s too. Having a larger family makes it sometimes more difficult to keep in touch as often as we would like with everyone. I hope to keep our families and friends updated with our lives through this new blog. Please keep us posted on the exciting things happening in your lives too!