FaMiLy BoNdInG



I'm so thankful for FAMILY and the Lord knows it because I tell Him constantly.  This past weekend was full of CHRISTmas parties and family bonding with Rance's side of the fam!  It was full of laughs, hugs, bloated stomachs, baking, baking & more baking, and most importantly, a celebration of JESUS' BIRTHDAY. 

Of course I took a few photos to share...

Before everyone arrived!  I meant to take a picture of how DISASTROUS my kitchen was!!!

Marla & Devin
(Rance's sister & her boyfriend)

Opening their "date night" package
These two are a TON of FUN!

Marla, me & Kathleen (Rance's mom!)

Praise the Lord Marla LOVES to be goofy like me :)

Mommy opening her gifts :)

Sure wish that fireplace worked!
(Note: turkey still not down)

Chinese CHRISTmas in Rance's classroom

Funniest game with the funniest kids!

Cutler drew #1 so he got to pick any gift he wanted at the end!

Everyone was such a good sport - even when the boys opened GIRLY socks!

Rubber ducky you're the one...

I thoroughly enjoyed myself attending this party!

CHRISTmas with The Cline's & The Shuler's! :)
We LOVE them so much

Miss Rachel opening her gifts!
She is SOOOO talented at making scarves!

Cody already reading his new devotional book :)

SINGING CHRISTmas CAROLS :)  & Praising the Lord!

I have no idea...

Take a few minutes today and read Matthew chapter 1 & 2 and Luke chapter 1 & 2.  Meditate on God's Word.  No matter what this world throws at you or what you may be going through - just remember nothing that is happening can over-ride the love, the grace, and the hope we have in Jesus!  As I ponder the AMAZING LOVE of the Lord Jesus, it often seems like we view our salvation as commonplace instead of as this unbelievable gift we have received (for those that have trusted and put their faith in Jesus and what He did) and rather than BURSTING with thankfulness and screaming out loud and jumping for JOY, we tuck it away in a drawer like an old photograph.  God the Father sent His Son Jesus Christ into a seemingly hopeless world by becoming one of us. The God and author of all hope sent Jesus to rescue us and die for us so that we can have eternal life.  CHRISTmas, the celebration of the birth of Jesus, is a celebration and proclamation to all the world, THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE IN ANY AND EVERY SITUATION WITH GOD!  Do you believe that?  Never on earth do we have to wonder what we have to be thankful for.  Jesus is enough.

I pray that YOU are already having a Merry CHRISTmas season and that you are having a BLAST celebrating JESUS' BIRTHDAY and praising His HOLY Name!  Have a BLESSED Thursday!  Rance and I are EASTERN bound today :)

Rudolph is DOWN!

Just thought I'd share my husband's latest hunting adventure so you can share in his glory over what Jesus did Saturday a week ago while hunting with his dad! :)

I was actually meeting one of my good friends Kaleena and her husband Robbie in Waynesville at Starbucks when I got a text that I quote and type verbatim "DEAR GOD I JUS    T SHOT A DANDY" :)  I can't explain the excitement I had over him shooting this buck!  I mean, I prayed for a great day of bonding for Rance and his dad and specifically that the Lord would allow one of them to shoot something (it allows for major bonding).  Sound like a crazy prayer request?  Not a bit if you ask me :)  I love the complete JOY that was shared over DADDY'S perfect timing and how He does answer even crazy prayer requests when He sees fit for His glory! 



Rance and his dad and of course let's not forget our deer friend!

Two joyful men

*Memories*

MEAT BABY!!!

82 pounds of meat in Rance's backpack!

GLORY TO GOD!  GLORY TO GOD!  GLORY TO GOD FOREVER!

Cleaning the meat and packaging it up!

Thanks for sharing in our buck experience!

Happy Birthday to my cousin Lauren today :) 



ToDaY...

Today, early in the morning, before you start your activity, take a few minutes and bring to mind those who, on this date, will be going through the same situations Jesus faced: babies born in poverty, sickness, exile or abandonment; parents who cannot offer their children even basic things like food, shelter, education, or medical care. Bring their needs to the Lord, and pray especially for those who suffer from hunger, sickness, loneliness, are in prison or have feelings of guilt, that they can also share in God’s blessings. And, of course, be aware of all the gifts you have received from God, and give thanks to Him from the depth of your heart.

SnOw :)

Yesterday morning I was telling my friend Mandy how the the weather has not really been that cold here and by the afternoon, it was SNOWING LIKE CRAZY!  The temperatures dropped drastically throughout the day. 

I took a picture of Lindy as I was picking her up from school and it was falling FAST!  As you can see she left yesterday morning in just a T-SHIRT and by the afternoon - she was needing her winter wardrobe!

 

I wonder when the BIG SNOW is coming??!!

One Incredible Moment...

CHRISTmas - to think and dwell on how Jesus came into this world leaves me speechless everytime.  To think that Mary was a virgin chosen by God to give birth to His Son who would later die for the sins of the world. To wonder how Joseph must have felt when he found out Mary was pregnant but had never slept with her and then what on earth he was thinking when the angel appeared to him and told him to take Mary as his wife because the baby in her is from the Holy Spirit.  REALLY?!  To try and grasp how God the Father chose for His Son Jesus, the SAVIOUR of the WORLD, to be born in a nasty, filthy stable - not in a palace where KINGS should be born - but with sheep and donkeys and hay.   

Jesus - name above all names!  I'm not into advertising books but if I could recommend ONE book this CHRISTmas to read with your family, friends, children, parents, whomever - I would recommend the one below.

Rance and I take this book everywhere we go this time of the year.  Max Lucado does an amazing job telling the story of Jesus from Mary's point of view, Joseph's point of view, etc.  Take the time to slow down, grab a cup of coffee, and celebrate the majesty of Jesus' birth.  Isn't that what CHRISTmas is really about?

NoVeMbEr HiGhLiGhTs

WARNING:  THIS IS A VERY, EXTREMELY, UBER LONG POST.  Grab a cup of coffee and get comfortable before you begin.  DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU!!!


Well y'all (YUNS), cross country season ended and we went into hibernation :)  Haha just kidding just kidding!  Just to catch you up on the last few weeks here's what has gone down with The Shuler's :)

November 2nd-5th:  I went to Orlando, Florida for work and got to play at Disney world in the evenings :) 

Tax Banking Team
Melissa, me, Shay, Nikki, & Karissa

November 6th:  The state championship cross country meet was in Kernersville, NC

Lil Frank, Rance & Irvin :)

The "FAST FIVE" and I :)

A special t-shirt COACH surprised me & the rest of the team with!
*Isaiah 40:31 was the team verse for the season*

Our EASTERN, NC fans :)
(My cousin Brooke and my sweet mom)
It meant the world that you two came!!!

I love this picture.

Lil Frank got 3rd overall in the state 1A championship race AND best freshman in the state 1A-4A!
We are so proud of him and all of his hard work & discipline.

For those of you who never met Rance's STATE CHAMPIONSHIP guy's team from 2010 - you really missed out!  They were a SPECIAL group of guys that had a BOND like none other! It meant the world to Rance that some of them came out to support the team this year.  And yes, they wore these crazy suits!  YOU GUYS ROCK!

  Hebrews 12:1 says "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us..."
Lord, may we run this race called LIFE all for you!

November 8th:  TACEY'S FIRST BASKETBALL GAME AT UNC-ASHEVILLE!

Tacey's FAN club!!!

We love to watch her play basketball.

Hunter, Savannah, Tacey & The Shulers!
Yes we bought BULLDOG T-shirts so we could be REAL fans :)



Oh these two...




November 7th: We celebrated Rance's Mammaw's 92nd Birthday! 

So sad I did not get a picture of her!  I was so busy taking pictures with other people's camera I only got the cake HA!

Tayli & Trenli
These 2 are a HOOT!  Love them to pieces!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!  Told you they are a HOOT!

November 12th:  JESUS BIRTHDAY IS COMING SOON!

We decorated our CHRISTmas tree earlier than normal this year!  I've always been an advocate of waiting until AFTER Thanksgiving to decorate; however, since we were traveling to NAHUNTA for Thanksgiving, we decided to put our tree up before we left so it would be all decorated when we returned.   

Note to RANCE:  Need to remove the TURKEY still hanging behind the tree :)

November 18th: We received OUR 1st BABY GIFT!!! 

NO WE ARE NOT PREGNANT!  Rance is always telling his mom to save her money and not buy us anything and so she found a loophole around that and for our annivesary she bought for our future baby instead HAHAHA! 

How cute?!?!?!

November 15th & 17th:  SPECIAL GUESTS!

Chris, Marie & JACOB visited with us!!!  (Have I mentioned I LOVE Chris having the majority of his client's in TN?).  Time with these 3 is so valued and cherished.  We laugh, we eat, we laugh some more, we eat some more, we talk for hours, we stay up LATE, and we hold this little munchkin below as much as possible while we have him with us!

Rance is absolutely in LOVE with Jakester!

...and SO AM I!!!!!!

Y'all come back soon please!!!


November 20th:  OUR ONE YEAR ANNIVESARY!!!

What an amazing year!  It seems like just yesterday Rance was pursuing me to be his bride and now it's already been ONE year since I became just that.  I love that he still pursues me the same way as his wife :) Oh, I am so blessed.  This journey called marriage is such a blessing and a gift.  With Christ as the foundation, it is truly abundant!  I could go on for hours and days about all that I have learned and the way GRACE has a whole new meaning to me now but I may write a book so I'll spare you today!  I do love being married and I know the next 100 years (or until we depart from this earth) can be just as abundant with Rance as long as JESUS is our focus and Christ is our foundation.    

Our anniversary weekend was SUPER relaxing!  We had decided wayyy back in the middle of cross country season to make NO plans for that weekend.  Between traveling with cross country and with my job, we BOTH were looking forward to a weekend at home with no plans, no demands, and no interruptions!  We did just that.  We ventured to Asheville on Saturday for a little shopping in downtown Asheville, went to the movies to see COURAGEOUS, and then out to dinner!  On Sunday (our actual annivesary), we stayed home all day!  Rance cooked a big breakfast, we spent much time in the Word, we talked about strengths and weaknesses in our marriage and how we can be a better wife and husband, we laughed (as usual), we watched our wedding video, and just reminisced at all the Lord has done in our lives.


I love to watch this and re-live the excitment of that day when we became ONE FLESH in the eyes of God!
RECAP OF OUR WEDDING DAY!!! THANK YOU A MOMENT LIKE THIS!!!

Breakfast & time in the WORD!

We never even got out of our PJ's on our Annivesary!

November 22nd:  EASTERN, NC BOUND

Rance and I headed EAST to spend Thanksgiving in Nahunta.  On the way, we stopped for a date with my sweet Rachel!  She just returned from an 11 month mission trip (literally around the world) and so it was the first time I have seen her since last December.  We picked up right where we left off a year ago.  I love our friendship and how the Lord allowed us to meet, bond, and share something that I value you SO much. 

Just like OLD times :)

 

November 23rd:  A date with Kristy & Ella in NAHUNTA! 
I'm SO thankful these two took a little road trip to Nahunta to spend the day with ME.  I have missed them so much and missed so much of sweet Ella's 1st year of life but we bonded quickly :)  She has the funnest personality and some of the BEST facial expressions I think I have ever seen.

Look at this face!!! I LOVE IT.

Ella LOVES to be outside so we road around the farm :)

We visted the Pork Center (say HEY to Brandon!)

Ella in the FEED mill :)

November 24th:  HAPPY THANKSGIVING! 

We had such an incredible week in Nahunta bonding with my family!

Fried turkey-my FAVORITE way to eat it!!!

THANKSGIVING NIGHT PARADE!!!  It's tradition every year for some of my cousins to put on a Thanksgiving parade!  :)

Yes they are on loan mowers :)

They even throw out CANDY!!!

Barbie jeeps!!!

Santa is even a part of the parade!

It's so much fun to see the kids put this whole parade on!

November 27th:  WESTERN, NC BOUND

Rance and I began our journey back to Robbinsville and after only an hour on the road, this is what happened!

Rance got 'er changed and we were back on the road in an hour! I love him! 

A FUN SURPRISE!

As we began pulling up our driveway Sunday night upon our arrival back to Robbinsville, we were greeted with this NEW SIGN posted as you turn up our driveway!  Our neighbors were here from Florida while we were away and they definitely made us smile SO BIG when we saw this. 

I love the arrows pointing UP just warning you of the mountain ahead to climb!

November 29th:  Our 1st light dusting of SNOW!

Hard to see the snow starting to fall in this picture from Rance's phone BUT it's there :)

And that's all folks!  Thanks for hanging with us through our NOVEMBER journey! 

We love y'all!