The Best of 2008

Am I the only one that can hardly believe that in just 90 short minutes, we'll be saying goodbye to 2008 and hello to 2009?!! Wow! I swear it seems like just yesterday that we were bringing in 2008. This year brought such high hopes and expectations as "the year of new beginnings", and I must say, it did live up to those expectations. There were so many memorable highlights for Ken and me:

• Jump starting the year and our life together as husband and wife
• My 30th birthday
• Finding, purchasing, and moving into our first home
• Furnishing/decorating our home together
• Participating in an historic election that resulted in the first black President of the United States
• Celebrating/hosting numerous holidays here in Nashville at our house, including Christmas with our entire family
• And last but not least, establishing our own family traditions and memories that will last a lifetime
  

Although 2008 came and went in a flash, it brought with it many firsts and joyous memories. As always, it's sad to say goodbye and close another chapter in life, but it's exciting to welcome in a new year of endless possibilities and abundant faith. So we give a warm welcome to 2009 and a fond farewell to 2008...it's been a great experience.

Happy 1st Anniversary To Us!

I can hardly believe that our first year as husband and wife has come and gone! But, indeed it has. At this very time one year ago, we were gathered together with our family and friends preparing to walk down the aisle and vow our "full circle love" to one another. It was the greatest time of our lives and it is a day that we will always remember and hold dear.

Although this past year has had its ups and downs, it has truly been a magical time of many new beginnings for us. We purchased our first house, hosted multiple holidays in our new home, and most importantly, brought our parents a particular joy and pride that warms our hearts. I'm sure most married couples can attest that the first year of marriage is the most magical, and ours has certainly been. We are truly thankful for this first year and are looking forward to many, many more years to come.

One year down, forever to go...

It's So Hard to Say Goodbye

There is always such great excitement and anticipation for the holiday season to begin, but for me, its end is always the hardest. Over the past few weeks, we trimmed the tree, hung the stockings with care, ate until our heart was content, and laughed and enjoyed each other's company. But now, the tree and all the other decorations are all neatly tucked away and the house is empty and eerily quiet. By about noon today, all of our family had left headed home to their various destinations. It was definitely sad to see them all leave. =(

Having all of our family here with us over the past few weeks meant the world to us. It brought a pulse to the house that was greatly needed and appreciated. I think we all share the same sentiment that this holiday was one of the best we've all ever shared together. Thank you to everyone for your help and support and for everything you did to help this Christmas be unforgettable!

A Little Retail Therapy

So in true bargain shopper style, the ladies and I decided to brave the crowds yesterday to capitalize on the after Christmas sales. I was reluctant at first and only had intentions of looking for Christmas decor and storage for next year, but boy am I glad I tagged along! It turned out to be a great day! We had so much fun and we found lots of good sales. Everyone came home with a bag. It turned out to be the perfect ending to a great holiday week filled with festive family fun. Ladies, I think we may have created a new family tradition. ;)

Christmas Day Recap

Well, we spent months planning the big day, and in a matter of hours it came and went in a flash. But after it was all said and done, it was a wonderful day filled with togetherness, love, and happiness. Ken and I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas day. We were with our family in our home, safe and sound and we loved every minute of it.

The day started out pretty slow (as you can see from the first few pics in the slideshow). I didn't wake up and get going until about 10:00 that morning (it took some other people that shall remain nameless quite a bit longer to wake up...you know who you are...lol). But once I woke up, I hit the ground running to get dinner prepared so we could eat. Although it was a LOT of work involved, I'm so pleased with the way everything turned out! I feel like the baton has officially been passed now that I have my first holiday meal under my belt. =)

This will truly be an unforgettable Christmas for us and we are so grateful for that.

Christmas Day 2008 at the Cook Residence!

Merry Christmas

Ken and I are so excited to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior with all of our family. It means so much to us to exemplify the real reason for the season. So from our house to yours, we wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and an abundance of blessings.

Love you all!

Ken and Dolli

Santa Came Early!

And look what he brought us!!!...



This was our present to ourselves this year. We got the tv on Black Friday (at a wonderful price!) and it's taken all the willpower we have to wait to put it up until Christmas, lol. So as you can imagine, we were more than excited to finally get the tv stand put together and the tv set up last night. Thanks to Roosevelt for helping me assemble the tv stand! And thanks "santa" for a wonderful early Christmas present! =)