Season’s Greetings

Notice I didn’t specify which season considering Christmas passed before I could get this posted.  December was a busy month due to final exams and papers and due to hosting our family for Christmas for the first time ever at our house.  I had hoped to get this on the blog before the holiday.  Oh well, better late than never.

Although it is a few days late, Judd and I wanted to make sure to thank you all for your continued readership and support this past year.  We are truly thankful for you, our blogging family and friends.  Thanks for sticking with us even though our posting this year has been infrequent. We wanted to send you a Christmas card over the blogosphere.  The one we included happens to be the same one we mailed out this year.

We’ve also included the same Christmas newsletter that was inside our cards.

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11

We wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas. We feel so blessed to have friends and family like you. Despite all of the stress and craziness that is life, we are mindful of the real reason for the season, and we are so thankful for Him and for you.

Probably just like the rest of you, we’ve had our share of stress over the last year; in fact, we even failed to mail our Christmas cards last year because of it. As a result, we are attempting to catch up with you this year.

All is well at the Langham household. This year Judd became a principal/co-owner of 2DStudio, a landscape design and planning firm that he started here in Birmingham. Additionally, over the past year he had the pleasure of adjunct teaching in the Masters of Landscape Architecture program at Auburn University.

Abby is approaching her 4^th anniversary at the University of Alabama at Birmingham as the Coordinator for Institutional Research in the Office of Planning and Analysis. She continues to pursue her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership/Higher Education Administration full-time while also working full-time.

Together, we started our own DIY printable invitation and stationary business—The Langham Project. We enjoy working together to create something useful and beautiful for others. We hope to get an online shop for it soon.

As you can tell by the cover Judd drew for our Christmas cards, Cole, our black Labrador retriever is such a joy to us. He is so sweet and gentle. It’s hard to believe that he is already eight years old.

We are so thankful for the opportunities and blessings that God presented before us this year. We hope that you are all equally blessed and well.

Merry Christmas!

Abby and Judd Langham

Visions Of Dog Bones Danced In His Head

I felt so spoiled by my husband this Christmas.  He got me an iPhone and a wonderful new camera.  I’m still figuring out how to use them both.  I have a feeling our blog will benefit greatly from those two gifts.

This was a photo taken on my iPhone 4s using the instagram app.  I know I am probably a little late in the game, but I LOVE instagram.  It’s so fab.  Have you tried it? 

And Another One Down…

Well, as you might have guessed from my prolonged blogging hiatus, I’ve been busy with school and work and Auburn football this fall.  I can finally attempt to catch up now that the semester is over.  Expect a few more posts this week and next.

So far I’ve managed to keep a 4.0 grade point average over the three year duration of this degree.  I had one with my Master’s too.  I hope I can continue that record for one more semester.  This spring (2012) will be my last semester of coursework.  I know that your GPA at this level doesn’t matter at all; however, it matters to me.  This coming spring will be VERY busy.  I will be taking three classes, writing my dissertation proposal (the first three chapters of my dissertation), taking  my comprehensive exams, getting institutional review board (IRB) approval, getting admitted to candidacy, and working full-time.  Wish me luck.

Then, starting in the summer I will be ‘all but dissertation’ (ABD) and will become a dissertation writing machine.  I am beyond EXHAUSTED from school.  I have never been so tired of anything in my entire life.  I cannot wait for this phase of my life to be over.  Because of my Ph.D. everything else in our lives feels like it is on hold.  I’m sure Judd can’t wait for me to be finished as well.

Sorry to post about school so much.  I know that it is not that fun to read about.  I prefer my decorating and craft posts too.  School is such a big part of my life right now.  I have a hard time doing anything without it being on my mind at the same time.

We did squeeze in a little fun this semester.  We attended many Auburn University football games this year.  We tailgated as usual at my in-law’s house in Auburn, AL.  I’m not sure if I’ve ever mentioned this on the blog but it is the same house that Judd and I rented when we first got married.  His parents bought it when we moved to Philadelphia, PA from Auburn after grad. school.

Here is one of the few pictures I managed to take during the season.  Judd bought me a new camera for Christmas so hopefully the frequency of our picture taking and our picture quality will improve.

I think this was Iron Bowl weekend.  These are some of my FABulous friends and their spouses.

(From left to right: The Myers, The Nichols, and The Langhams)