the thorntons

MAY...How time flies!

2009-06-02T21:10:00.004-05:00

Is May really over?! I can't believe it has been a month since my last post. I guess I've been busy! Getting rid of my crutches has given me so much freedom, so it's hard to keep me down for long. Yes...I got rid of my crutches on May 19 after almost 4 months. Walking in the big ugly black boot has been such a relief! It's been a huge adjustment, but a good one. My leg gets really sore and swollen by about 3:00 every afternoon, but if it means having my arms back, I'll take it! I actually look forward to going out and getting the mail, carrying a normal purse (not a backpack), pushing a shopping cart, and doing normal day to day stuff again. I go back to the Dr. on June 9, and I'll find out about starting PT. I still can't fit a tennis shoe on, so we can't start PT until that happens. As of right now, I swear I'll be wearing pants every day for the rest of my life, but hopefully my scars will start fading soon. I know I'm probably the only one who cares, but it bothers me nonetheless.

Over Memorial Day weekend, Ryan's parents came out to visit. We cooked steaks and chicken on the grill, and Bill helped Ryan finish the storage shed he built. I swear, it took him NO time to build it, and he had no plans to follow. It's not painted yet (because you KNOW I have to paint and decorate it), but I'm still pretty impressed with how it turned out. Now all of the lawn stuff can be out of our garage to make room for workout equipment. Woo Hoo!

I also decided that our front entry needed a little sprucing up, so I did a little bargain shopping and came up with this. I thought it turned out pretty cute...all for under $100...shelf and rug included. (I sound like an HGTV commercial or something.)

Last weekend we threw a baby shower at my house for Kendall and my soon-to-be niece, Hadley. It was so much fun! I took way too many pictures, but here are just a few...

Jack and Harley had to make sure they gave their Cousin Hadley a present.

Mini Milestones

2009-05-03T21:10:00.005-05:00

For the past two weeks, I feel like I've actually been making progress! I got word from the Dr. that my x-rays looked PERFECT. If it weren't for the torn ligament, I would be up walking right now. I've gradually started putting more and more weight on my leg while still using crutches. He told me that I could quit sleeping in the boot, and that I didn't have to wear it unless I'm going to be out and about, at work, climbing stairs...basically anywhere I could hurt myself or get kicked. What I also decided he must have meant (although he didn't actually say it) was that I could drive. The good news is that I will get to put the crutches away on May 19th. Woo hoo! The bad news is that I'll be walking in a walking boot for awhile after that, but hey...at least my hands will be free. I can't even imagine the freedom! After a few weeks of walking with the boot on, I will start rehab and transition into a tennis shoe. (No high heels yet, but I'm still holding out hope.) Speaking of shoes, I decided that I wanted to see if I could fit a shoe on my foot yet, and the answer was basically NO...with the exception of one pair of flip flops that worked! So, for the past 4 days I have lived in my black Teva flip flops that Harley chewed the back off of. I have probably worn them when I should've been wearing the ugly black boot, but the flip flops are so much more comfortable...and fashionable. Regardless, I feel like things are finally looking up.

In other news, Harleys' ACL surgery went well. She has bounced back so fast that I can't keep up with her. The vet said that a lot of dogs re-inujure their ACLs within the first month after surgery (which is where we are right now) because they feel no pain and think they are back to their old selves. Not the case. Trying to keep a rat terrier from jumping on the furniture is not the easiest thing I've ever done, so she has to spend more time in her crate than she'd like. Oh well...tough love. Isn't this the most pitiful picture of my baby? Her bandage is off now, her stitches are out, and her hair is finally starting to grow back. Bless her heart!

Also, since my last post, I had fun visitors one day a couple of weeks ago. Brittney & Quinn made the drive from McKinney to come see me. It had been WAY too long! Quinn was so sweet and brought Harley and me each a Thomas band-aid for our boo-boos. I think it really helped. :) Jack and Harley were not happy when their new friend had to leave. They pouted for the rest of the day. Even though the visit was too short, it was great to see them both!

Three Left Feet

2009-04-13T13:39:00.004-05:00

Between Harley and me, we have 3 good left feet and not much else. Would you believe that my dog tore her ACL and is having surgery today?! I really can't imagine what else could go wrong this year, but I'm nervous to even think of the possibilities...so I won't. Last May, Jack had abdominal surgery, I've had 2 surgeries since January, and now Harley is having leg surgery. If I were Ryan I would seriously RUN (carefully though, don't fall!) as far from here as possible! Evidently Harley has had a "luxating patella" (a kneecap that moves in and out of place) her whole life, and over time it has torn her ACL. So, it wasn't like she had a major accident that caused it. She was literally sitting in my brother's lap one minute, hopped down, and then couldn't put weight on her back right leg. Since I can't drive or carry my dog for that matter, and Ryan is at work because we can't afford for him to take any more time off, Molly (Thank You!!!) came out and took us to the vet this morning. Jack was really happy that Molly came because she offered to bring him along for the ride, which he wouldn't have gotten if it had been me driving. :-) I'm waiting to hear from the vet, but I'm sure everything will be fine. She's my baby though, so I think it'll be harder on me than it is on her. I hate that she's going to have to be in a crate all week, and I can't do anything to help her. I guess we'll go through physical therapy together...she can be my workout buddy. Look at that precious face!!

On a totally different note, I was complaining about not having anything to do while stuck at home, so Brad and Kendall gave me a project to keep me busy this weekend. They wanted me to do something for my neice's room. She'll be here before we know it! They didn't give me really any guidelines...just that they wanted her name or intials somewhere in the room. I decided to do her name and initials, and I'm pretty happy with the way they turned out. Some of the patterns match her paisley/striped/polka dotted bedding, so I think it will look really cute all together. Anyway...here's what I came up with. The "L" is my favorite.

I Got the Boot.

2009-04-07T13:52:00.002-05:00

I don't have much to update, but I did get my stitches out and my cast off at my appointment last Thursday. I got a boot (one of the "very cool" Darth Vader looking robot boots), but I still can't put any weight on my leg. My doctor said that maybe at my appointment in 2 1/2 weeks I will be able to start putting very little weight on my leg while still using crutches. I can't wait to see what it feels like to walk again!! The boot is nice because I can take it off during the day and let my leg feel the air, which it hasn't in over 2 months. It's a very strange feeling, but it's getting more comfortable every day. The bad thing about the boot is that I can't drive with it on, so I'm back to being homebound during most of the day. Also, most of my pants don't fit over it and it's such a pain (and exhausting!) to go shopping, so my wardrobe is very limited! It's all a sign of progress though, so I'm happy about that. Other than sitting here and watching my leg heal, I've been working some from home, watching TV, working crossword puzzles, reading magazines, messing around on the computer, and then starting the cycle all over again. There's not much to do in a recliner. Any suggestions???

Life is Good.

2009-03-26T22:27:00.003-05:00

Everything went great with the surgery. I don't remember a thing except waking up in recovery with a sore throat. Then I fell asleep in a recliner, then I fell asleep in the car on the way home, then I fell asleep in my bed for the rest of the afternoon, then I slept like a baby all last night in between taking my pain pills. I'm back in a hard cast, which I wasn't expecting, but is actually a good thing. My ankle can't move at all, so it's bound to heal correctly this time! I go back to the Dr. next Thursday to get stitches out and find out the next step. I'm still non-weight bearing for a few more weeks. I would write more, but my medicine is REALLY good this time around...higher dosage and I get to take it more frequently. I'm feeling NO pain right now, and there's no telling what I'll type next. :-) Thanks for all the prayers and encouraging words!!

Take Two

2009-03-24T20:28:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to ask for prayer Wednesday morning at 10:30 for surgery #2. I'm hoping it won't be as extensive as the first time around (only one incision and no broken bones anymore), but I'm prepared to be uncomfortable for at least a few days afterwards. They'll be taking out one temporary screw, moving my ankle about 1/2 inch, and putting in two permanent screws to hold it in place. I'm really just hoping and praying that this will make a big difference in how quickly I'm able to start walking again. The plan right now is that I'll go home sometime that afternoon, so I won't be staying in the hospital. YAY! Anyway, I just wanted to fill you in on the latest. I'll post an update as soon as I'm not high on drugs. :)

The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places. -Ernest Hemingway

2009-03-12T15:59:00.005-05:00

I really hope that quote is true after this whole ordeal is finished. I didn't get very good news at the doctor today, so I'm trying to stay upbeat and see the silver lining...that maybe this is all going to make me stronger in the long run. Today marks exactly 6 weeks from my surgery, so I went to the doctor hoping to get my cast off, set a date to get my screw out, and hopefully start putting some weight on my leg. I got my x-rays first, and the 2 bones have healed well. You could hardly see where they had been broken, so that was a good sign. The problem was that the ligament I tore, which is a major ligament, is not letting my ankle go back into the right place. There's about a 4mm gap, which sounds tiny, but it's actually the difference between walking comfortably or uncomfortably for the rest of my life. After months, or maybe even a few years, the cartilage in that gap will wear down, causing joint pain and arthritis.

All of that to say, I have to have a second surgery to move my ankle about a 1/2 inch. They are going to take my temporary screw out and replace it with two permanent screws that will put my ankle in the exact right place for it to heal. I already have 2 screws on the inside of my ankle and a plate on the outside bone. These new screws will go from my fibula to my tibia, for you medically-brained people out there. My doctor wants to do the surgery within the next 2-3 weeks, so hopefully I'll get the date soon and at least be prepared for it. He wants to have another orthopedist in the surgery to "hold things in place" during the procedure, so he's waiting to consult with his partner on it. The best news of all is that it will most likely be outpatient, which would be AMAZING considering how horribly I handle staying in the hospital...See previous posts! :-)

Anyway, that catches you up on the status of my stupid leg. What a mess! I still can't believe I've done this to myself!! I think today marked the maddest I've been about it. It's just such an inconvenience and such a long healing process, so I'm really trying to practice patience through it all. I have never valued WALKING so much in my life, and I will definitely never take it for granted again. Thanks for all the prayers and for everyone who has called or emailed to check on me these past few weeks. I love & appreciate you all so much!!

Weekend Getaway

2009-03-03T15:10:00.004-06:00

I think leaving the boredom in Burleson was good medicine for me this weekend! It was great to get out of the "comfort" of the recliner I've grown so accustomed to and head west to Abilene for a few days. Ryan had a long weekend, so we left on Thursday afternoon and came home Sunday. Part of the reason (well, most of the reason) we went was for Sigma Alpha alumni weekend. Pledge Class 11 was celebrating their 10 year reunion, and even though I'm technically Pledge Class 12 (because I pledged my sophomore year) , they were sweet enough to include some "friends" into their weekend plans. Unfortunately, because of my leg, I couldn't spend all night with them, but it was definitely fun to catch up over dinner and for the first portion of the pledging night. There was such a huge group of alumni that came back this year, so it was really fun!

Pledge Class 11 and Friends!

Michelle (fellow Pled Class 12-er), me, and Jenn

It's really fun that Kendall, her sister Kylie, and I have Sigma Alpha in common. While we were doing our Sigma Alpha stuff, Brad and Ryan were off with their Theta brothers...it's all in the family!!

Sisters-in-law: Lacy & Shea, Kendall & me

Thanks, Julie, for being my "cheauffeur" for the night!

Other than alumni weekend stuff, we just relaxed at my parents' house and spent some time with my grandparents too. One of the highlights of the weekend was that I got some "retail therapy" when my mom pushed me around Hobby Lobby in a wheelchair. It was wonderful!

We had to get back in time for my doctor's appointment on Monday, which wound up being a big waste of time. I was supposed to get x-rays done, but my Dr. changed his mind. I'm only at the 4 1/2 week point, which usually won't show much healing, so I'm going back on the 12th. Everyone was really impressed with my cool cast though, so I guess it was worth it to show off my mom's handiwork. I was so frustrated leaving the Dr. because I had my hopes up for possibly getting my cast off. I decided that to make myself feel better I would attempt to drive. That has been the most frustrating part of all this, so I was determined to make it work!! Since my pain isn't too bad and I'm able to move my toes more, I was able to push the accelerator with my hurt leg, and brake with my left. I think if I stick to back roads and avoid the highway I'll be fine. Ah, the freedom!!

Let the bidding begin...

2009-02-15T14:13:00.004-06:00

I have the most fabulous work of art...on my leg! My mom spent about 7 hours yesterday making my cast 100% one of a kind. Can you believe this?! For those of you who ever sat by me in church or school, this explains my knack for doodling.

I'm already thinking of ways to display it once it's no longer a fixture on my leg. NO ONE is signing this baby except the artist!

When Ryan had to go out of town for a few days, I only had to beg a little bit for my mom to come help me out this weekend. I'm pretty self sufficient except for carrying things. I'll get into the kitchen, pour myself a drink, and realize that I can't go sit on the couch to drink it because I can't carry it in there. It's frustrating, but it's teaching me patience. And it's teaching me how to ask for help...I'm used to being pretty independent. I also enjoy when Harley wakes me up at 6 a.m. to go outside, and I have to crutch my way through the living room in the dark. That will teach me to leave a lamp on. As klutzy as I am, I'm shocked I haven't fallen on my crutches already. That's all I need...ANOTHER accident! :-)

Well, it's off to work this week...at least I'm gonna try some short days. I'm still not able to drive, which has to be the most frustrating part of all of this. I'm having to depend on others for my transportation, and I don't exactly live close to anything. We'll see how it goes!

Update...

2009-02-09T20:08:00.003-06:00

People have asked, so I'll fill you in on the latest...

I went to the doctor today and got my soft cast taken off. I didn't include pictures of that process for a good reason. I took one look at my leg and decided that I would lay down and let Ryan look for the rest of the time. It was so gross I nearly fainted. The gauze on my leg was the same gauze that has been on since my surgery 12 days ago, so let's just say the smell was interesting. I got my stitches out, which was NOT fun at all, but I'm glad they're out now. It's definitely a relief to have my stitches out and my leg cleaned up. They put me in a hard cast for the next 3 weeks, and I still can't put any weight on my leg during that time. I was really hoping for some type of cast that would let me walk, but that's okay. That also means that I still can't drive. UGH!! I think that's the most annoying part of all of this. I'll post pictures of my cast soon, but I'm not finished with it. I opted for white so that I can get creative and make it my own. Gotta make the most of it! :)

Anyway, when I go back to the Dr. in 3 weeks, they will x-ray my leg (through my cast) to see if it is healing okay. Then, if it IS healing okay, they will cut this cast off and put me in some other kind of cast for a couple more weeks...I think he said a brace of some sort. After those 2 weeks, I will have to go back to the hospital for outpatient surgery to get one of the screws taken out. 2 of the screws and the plate in my leg can stay, but the screw holding my ligaments together has the potential to break and irritate my leg, so they want to take it out. Bummer! That means I will be in YET ANOTHER cast after that surgery. At least it won't be as extensive as the first surgery, and it will be a step toward progress. At this point I will have been off my leg for 6-8 weeks. After all of that is behind me, THEN I will start physical therapy. It's a long road ahead, but I'm checking the days off one by one.

The highlight of my day was when Ryan took me to get ice cream because I was such a good girl at the doctor! Coffee ice cream with hot fudge mixed in...my favorite!!

Part 3: Life at Home

2009-02-05T09:58:00.004-06:00

My brother went by my Grandma's house on his way home from work on Friday to borrow a few things that helped her after her hip surgery. Seriously, did I ever think I'd be sharing surgical gear (ie. a walker, a potty chair, a pants puller-upper, an extra long shoe horn, and many other cool gadgets) with my Grandma?! How humiliating! But thank goodness she had it all, or I would've spent way too much money. When I left the hospital on Friday, I was already feeling better, but on Saturday morning when my mom washed my hair and I actually put on makeup, I felt like a brand new person! My dad left to go home on Saturday, but not until he had cleaned my entire house top to bottom. I am SO grateful he did that because I am too OCD to live with a messy house, but I sure couldn't do anything about it. My mom reorganized things to make my clothes more accessible. And she cleaned out my fridge to make room for all of the food people would be bringing. I could not have gotten through this without my parents. They were amazing! Brad & Kendall were also a huge help. They kept me from freaking out before the surgery, and they kept me company afterwards. I'm so thankful to have them. On Sunday evening, during the Super Bowl, Ryan finally got home. Praise the Lord! I was so excited to see him, but I couldn't exactly run up and hug him the way I wanted to. Since my folks left, he picked right up where they left off and has done a great job of playing "nurse" to me. I hate feeling helpless, but I'm having to get used to it.

My leg is supposed to be elevated at least 80% of my day, so I use the other 20% to get ready in the mornings and get up and "crutch" around to keep my sanity. I can't even rest my foot on the ground without it hurting, so I'm really having to put all klutziness (is that a word?) aside. Every day seems to be progress, but it's amazing how many adaptations I'm having to make. When I first got home, my mom and dad got me settled into a recliner in the living room, and I thought I'd never get out. By the time Ryan got home on Sunday evening, I was already getting more independent. Now, I can get into the recliner by myself, but I just need some help getting out. I also thought I wouldn't be able to sleep in my own bed because it's so tall, but now I can get in and out of bed all by myself. It's also nice that I don't have to have anyone accompany me to the restroom... privacy is one of life's little joys that I'll never take for granted again. I'm occasionally humbled when I can't get my pants on, or I drop something I can't pick up, and we usually just die laughing at how awkward I am. It's so ridiculous to need help for such little tasks!! I'm still at Ryan's mercy to wash my hair, and I have to say he may just have a future in hairstyling. Between the kitchen sink sprayer, a stool, another chair to prop my leg up on, and lots of towels for the water we manage to get everywhere, we've mastered the art of Hairwashing 101. I'm sure it's a hilarious sight to see.

Anyway, I also just have to say thanks to everyone for checking in on me, whether it's been by paying a visit, bringing food, calling, sending cards, or just commenting on this blog. It means a lot to know how many people are praying for my recovery. I go to the Dr. this coming Monday, and I'm praying for good news...and maybe some type of walking cast?!? I'm still out of work for at least another week, but I'm doing some small things from home just to keep busy and feel productive. Thank goodness for a flexible job and wonderful co-workers who are picking up my slack. I'm very, very blessed.

Part 2

2009-02-02T16:01:00.003-06:00

After I came out of recovery, I was taken upstairs to a really nice room with a decent view and a plasma TV. I was also given a morphine drip which I could pump every 6 minutes. Woo Hoo!!! Or so I thought...evidently morphine doesn't do anything to help my pain but it does make me really nauseated and dizzy. The first night was awful. I didn't get to even try to sleep until 4:30am because my pulse monitor and oxygen machine were beeping every 10 seconds because my heart rate was out of control. My mom was staying with me, and she said it read 160 beats per minute at one point. Definitely not normal for a healthy heart rate. I was just already overwhelmed, and when the machines beeped it stressed me out even more. Then nurses would come in threatening to stick me with things, which also stressed me out. I couldn't relax.

After a horrible night of sleep, the doctor came in first thing to tell me that I would NOT be going home that day even though he had told me I would. (SO SAD!) He wanted to keep me another day because the surgery had been so extensive and it had taken so much longer. He was also concerned about my high heart rate, but I told him I just needed to go home and my heart would be fine. I'm sure he thought I was an idiot, but I knew best! I had a day full of visitors, nurses in & out, flowers, horrible food (which I couldn't eat anyway), physical therapy people smothering me and trying to get me up on crutches, and a lot more pain. I just couldn't get a handle on the pain, but all of my sweet family & friends who called and stopped by really made my day fly by and kept my mind off the pain as much as possible. Thank you ALL!!! I had begged my day nurses to talk to my doctor about upping my pain pill dosage so that I could pump less of the morphine, but they didn't seem too interested. When my wonderful night nurse Melissa came, she called my doctor right away to get the OK and told me that I could take my pain pills by mouth every 3-4 hours instead of every 6. That evening, I decided to try to depend mostly on my pain pills and wean myself off of the morphine, and that did the trick. I was still in pain, but at least my heart rate was in check, my machines weren't beeping, and I was getting an appetite again. It also meant that if I wasn't dependant on my morphine drip I had a chance of going home! Forgive the nastiness of this picture. I looked horrible the whole time I was there, and unfortunately I felt even worse than I looked. I hate that people saw me like this!

My nurse during the last day was wonderful. Her son goes to Hardin-Simmons, so we all made quick friends and she took extra special care of me. Sure enough, the bone specialist finally came in and told me that he was okay with releasing me, but that he wanted the internal medicine doctor to come give me his release also. UGH. I just wanted OUT! The internal medicine doctor showed up and decided that he wanted to run tests on my thyroid, which meant more BLOODWORK. The dreaded mention of the word sent my heart rate from normal to 155 bpm in 3 seconds. Seriously, don't these people just believe me when I say I have severe hospital anxiety!?!? I waited another 2 hours and finally he came in and said, "Everything looks good, you were right, you can go." YAY!!! So, my parents packed up my things and we headed home. I'm sure we looked hilarious loading me into their car because I had to ride in the back as "cargo" because I couldn't stretch out anywhere else. I felt every bump in the road on the 30 minute drive home, which was less than comfortable, but once I sat down in my own living room, I felt like a new woman!

Part 3: Life at Home...coming soon.

My Week of Firsts: Part 1

2009-02-01T11:05:00.008-06:00

Am I dreaming?! I really keep hoping that the past 5 days have all been a bad dream, but I'm beginning to think this is real.

Let me start from the beginning...

On Tuesday night, the Dallas/FW area started getting some inclement weather. My first sign that things were freezing was when I went outside at about 6:00pm to get my mail, and slipped and fell in front of my mailbox. I lauged about it because I felt so stupid, and I'm sure I looked ridiculous. No harm done...just a bruise and a little embarrassment.

Wednesday was a different story. I stayed in most of the day because the ice had gotten really bad. Fort Worth schools were closed, so I figured I was home for the day. But, our church (where I also work) decided to go ahead and have Wednesday evening activities because most of the ice was melting by the afternoon. With the exception of overpasses, my drive should've been fine, so I decided to go up to church via back roads at about 2:00. I had parked my car in the garage the night before (which I hardly ever do) because I didn't want to have to scrape ice off of it on Wednesday. Since I don't usually park in the garage, I don't even have a garage door opener in my car. So I backed my car out on my VERY icy driveway. I guess my driveway has a lot more shade than most on my street because everyone else's ice was melting already. Since I don't have a garage door opener in my car, I got out and went back to close the garage door. As I was walking BACK to my car on my driveway, it happened...

I fell SO hard and fast I couldn't really remember what I did except that it hurt worse than anything I've ever felt. I know that my leg slipped out to the right, and I remember hitting the inside of my right ankle on the ice/driveway when I fell. Immediately I knew something was seriously wrong, but I needed to catch my breath and think a for a minute. I know this sounds gross, but I could tell that everything in my lower right leg was disconnected. It was throbbing mixed with knife sharp pains shooting up my leg. UGH!! Praise the Lord my neighbor was just getting in her car to leave, so she saw the whole thing happen and was able to help me. If she hadn't been outside, I don't know what I would've done because I couldn't move my right leg at all, and my cell phone was in my car already. She went and got her daughter and another neighbor, and with their help and my office-roller chair they were able to get me inside to my couch. I was really bummed because Ryan was out in the Gulf, as usual, and I had no way to get a hold of him. I sent him a text, but he was underwater at the time, so I was going to have to do this without him. I also called my boss/music minister/friend, Andy, to let him know that on second thought, NO, I would not be coming to church that night. I think he understood. I called my sister-in-law, Kendall, right away because she was home from school due to the inclement weather day. She only lives a couple of minutes away, so she came right over and we decided I definitely needed an x-ray and decided which hospital to go to. I was nervous for her to be driving because some of the roads were still icy and she's pregnant with my neice or nephew! So, we decided we could make it to Harris Southwest in Fort Worth without having to deal with any highways. I know this is gross, but here is a view of my ankle at home on my couch. Not too bad, huh?

Let me take a moment to tell you that I have NEVER been to the ER, I have NEVER had an IV, I pass out at the mention of the word "bloodwork", I have never been put under anesthesia, and I even have to hide my eyes during the "cutting people open" parts of Grey's Anatomy. I get light headed when I go visit other people in the hospital! So I was completely TERRIFIED. I was praying that I had a clean break, that they would put me in a boot or a cast and send me on my way. But, things didn't turn out so well. I got bumped up the priority list in the ER, so I got in really quickly which was a miracle. The first doctor took one look at it and knew it was broken and sent me in for x-rays. On a scale of 1-10, my pain had been at a 10+ up until this point. It was almost unbearable. Anyway, I got a Vicodin and began to feel a little more comfortable (and drunk!). My pain subsided to about a 9.5. That is, until the nurse came in to set my foot which is something I hope I never have to feel again. Let me also say that I hadn't cried once by this point. I think I was in so much pain and shock that crying didn't even cross my mind! Kendall had been with me this whole time, and I am so thankful that she was there. She is so calm and reassuring, and really helped me keep from freaking out. My brother had just arrived with some food because we were all starving, but right as I was about to eat my Chick-fil-A the nurse stuck her head in and said, "Don't eat or drink anything in case we have to do surgery."

SURGERY?!? I couldn't stand the thought of being cut on, but before I knew it, the bone specialist had come in to tell me what had happened. I had broken both bones in my lower right leg, the tibia and fibula, and had seriously damaged/torn/pulled all the ligaments in between. They could actually get me into surgery within the next 45 minutes (which was amazing!) and it was definitely not something I could avoid. Looking back, I think it was a blessing that I didn't have much time to stress about it. It all happened so fast, and that's what I needed. I got my IV (my first one ever) and it didn't kill me. I might have squeezed my brother's hand off, but he'll be okay. And I tried my best to text a few people to let them know what was going on. I was so high on Vicodin that I couldn't remember how to do it, so that is why some people heard and some people didn't. I apologize if I didn't make any sense that night. My brother did a great job talking to people and trying to communicate for me that night, so thanks Brad. By this time my parents were already on their way from Abilene, and I had a few familiar faces to send me off to surgery. It meant a lot to know that people were already praying for me. For some reason, I remember giving Jim Kiser a high five as they wheeled me back to the OR, and I told Andy to be sure to wipe the dogs' paws off with the towel by the back door when he went to let them out. Seriously, mud on my floor was important right then?!Drugs do weird things to people.

Next thing I knew, I woke up in recovery, and my parents were coming in. Everything had gone fine, but the surgery had taken 3 hours, which was twice as long as they thought it would. I have a plate on the outside/fibula, 2 screws on the tibia/inside, and another screw holding together the ligaments I tore and/or pulled in between the two bones. That's a lot of hardware. I'll follow up with my stay in the hospital in Part 2, coming soon...

Tagged

2009-01-27T16:08:00.011-06:00

So...I've been tagged by my lifelong BFF, Brittney, and I decided to accept the challenge...to TELL THE TRUTH and give you 10 facts about me that you probably didn't know before.

The rules are as follows...

1) Choose a minimum of 7 blogs that you find brilliant in content or design.

2) Show the 7 winners names and links on your blog, and leave a comment informing them that they were tagged.
3) List at least 10 honest things about yourself.

I was tagged to do something similar to this in August 2007, so I'm trying not to repeat these 8 things I already posted, which makes this extra HARD! Anyway, here are my 10 things...act surprised even if you're not.

***

1. I was in a wreck my senior year of college that was bad enough for my life to flash before my eyes. I can remember my Jeep flipping end over end 2 1/2 times on the Winters Freeway in Abilene, and the whole time it was like slow motion. I actually had time to think to myself, "Wow...this is what flipping a car feels like...I wonder if this is how I'll die...I hope this doesn't hurt..." CRAZY! I had gotten engaged a month or so before, and the only "injury" I had was that my new diamond ring cut my pinkie. When I was trying to figure out how to get out of my car because it was upside down, 3 construction worker type guys in white t-shirts, driving an old Chevy truck, came and pulled me out the back window and I never saw them again. This picture isn't of my car, but it's as close as I could find to what mine looked like...my wreck happened before I had a digital camera!

2. I would love to take a vacation by myself. I don't know why I would want to, but I think I would enjoy it! Now, I can't muster up the courage to go to a movie alone, or to sit alone at a restaurant, but for some reason I have a fantasy of taking off and driving to Maine or someplace like that. So, if I go AWOL, you'll know where I am.

3. I suffer from shoe-aholicism. I'm MUCH better than I used to be, but my guilty pleasure is still shoes. When Ryan was deployed the first time, I bought close to 50 pair of shoes in a 6 month period. I then sold half of them in a garage sale or gave them to friends because I realized I didn't really even like them that much and I felt guilty. I just loved buying them. I would actually tell myself that I could NOT buy any shoes when I'd go out shopping, but I would miraculously come home with 3 pair. I see now that it was a bigger problem at the time than I realized, but I guess being addicted to shoes in order to cope with Ryan being gone was better than being addicted to something that would've hurt me. At least this only hurt our bank account. Oops! (But aren't these to die for?!)
4. I was pulled over 9 times before I ever got a ticket. And one of those times included a female cop, which I heard was impossible to get out of! I think I only cried 3 of those times, so that's pretty impressive I guess. When I finally did get a ticket, I was going 20 over in a school zone, so it was a whopper.

5. I went 2 years without reading a single book. I feel dumber for just having said that. I really hated to read for the longest time, but just recently I've found a love for it, and I can't stop! Whether you are a sports fan or not, you must read Josh Hamilton's biography "Beyond Belief". It is incredible.

6. Speaking of sports, I have turned into such a guy about sports. I faithfully keep up with NFL & college football, major league baseball, golf, and even a little basketball. The sports page is one of the first things I check online everyday. I really want to play fantasy football next season, but I'm intimidated by it being such a male-dominated past time.

7. My typical bedtime, when Ryan is gone, is 2:00 am. I have always been a night owl, and I used to try to fight it, but now I've learned to embrace it. I get so much accomplished in the wee hours of the morning. When I write music, what could take me a week of afternoons to do, only takes me about 4 hours at night. It's when I'm the most creative and productive!

8. I really really really hate roller coasters. I love heights, and getting dizzy, and going fast though...I could do those kinds of rides forever. I just can't stand any ride that goes "tick-tick-tick-tick" as you slowly climb this huge hill only to drop down the other side and lose your lunch. I once got sick (yes, actually "got sick") in LINE for the Texas Giant just by watching the people go down the big drop. It was so embarrassing. And I had waited in line for 2 hours by that point.

9. I go through Sonic every morning before work and sometimes on weekends and get a large Diet Cherry Coke (I guess that actually totals about 3 regular drinks, huh?) Anyway, that's the only Coke I drink all day. I used to have a constant supply, then cut down to 2, and have just achieved the impossible...one a day. That means that in a typical month, I spend about $40 on Sonic drinks. Hmmm...maybe I should save that and buy a pair of shoes! Just kidding.
10. Once cell phones became every one's main means of communication, we all quit memorizing phone numbers, right? Not me. I still like to type numbers in myself just to see if I can remember them. I still have everyone saved in my cute pink phone just in case I forget, but I prefer to keep my numbers stored in my head.

Now it's your turn...and you better all do it!

Kelby-because I know I can count on you to say something either hilarious or inappropriate--both of which are things I love about you!

Robin-for the same reason I tagged Kelby...plus I can show off my godson.

Jenn-because you're a fairly new blogger and everyone needs to check out how precious your new daughter is.

Mize Family-because I'm always amazed at how your family of 6 keeps it together!

Thompson-because I think I know a lot about you and I want you to see if you can surprise me.

Kristy-because you're random like me, and I think you'll have funny stuff to say.

Melodie-because your blog tells such an amazing story over the past year.

Fun-filled Holidays

2009-01-05T23:34:00.007-06:00

Our Christmas break was packed full this year, but so much fun. We got to spend time with just about all of our family at some point or another, and had a little time to relax too. Ryan got to be home the whole time, so that made the holidays even better.

We started off the holidays by getting together with some college friends for dinner. Our friends Jeff& Kristy Skains flew in from California, so it was a great reason to make plans! It was at a college Christmas party at my house last year that I met their first daughter, Aubrey, and they let me announce that they were pregnant with their second, Adalyn, so I got to meet her this time around!

On Tuesday of Christmas week, my parents came into town and we celebrated with my Grandma by going to her favorite Mexican food restaurant. This picture doesn't even do it justice, but you can kindof tell how ridiculously gawdy their Christmas decorations are. What's funny is that they keep them up all year, so if you ever need to get into the Christmas spirit in August, go to Campo Verde in Arlington.

On Christmas Eve, I had to play for the service at our church, so my parents graciously gave up going to the Christmas Eve service in Abilene that they never miss. It was fun to have everyone together, and I got to play hostess, which I love. One of my favorite moments during the Christmas season is singing "Silent Night" at the candlelight service. Can't beat it.

Christmas day was really relaxing. We held off on opening presents until Brad & Kendall could come over, so we had a late lunch that I REALLY regret not taking pictures of. I think it could've been pictured on Food Network if I do say so myself. Our menu consisted of Rosemary Apricot Glazed Roast Chicken, Asparagus Amandine, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Squash Corn Casserole, Rolls, Fruit Salad, Chocolate Layered Dessert (aka: "Better Than Sex Pie"), and Strawberry Pretzel Salad. SO GOOD!! And, I think it was the first meal that I managed to pull off without any stress or major disasters, so all in all, it was a success. Once Brad & Kendall came over, we did our stockings, which always starts with Jack going absolutely nuts. He has been waiting since November to tear into that stocking, so I'm glad it was worth it.

Harley was scared of Christmas as usual, and let Jack play with everything in her stocking while she took yet another nap.

Brad was sitting by me, unfortunately for him, so I got plenty of pictures of him acting like a dork. Sorry, Brad. If you didn't catch it, those are UT pacifiers he's holding up because my little brother is going to be a DAD in July!

I was so excited for Ryan to open this gift because I knew he would be surprised. It's a panoramic picture of Texas Stadium, which may not mean much to most people, but it means a lot to a die hard Cowboys fan like Ryan. The picture is of Aikman's last game in 2000, and it's out of print now, so I was thrilled to find it. And, it'll be cool to tell our kids that their Dad played football on that field during high school.

After my family left, Ryan and I drove to East Texas to see his family. We had dinner at his grandparents' house on Friday night, hung out with his uncle on Saturday, went to visit his sister's family on Saturday night, then went to Athens to see his other grandmother and aunt on Sunday. WHEW!! It was a whirlwind, but something about East Texas is relaxing, so it didn't seem that busy. Jack LOVES the freedom he gets when we go to the country because he can run forever without a leash. Doesn't he look happy?!?

Here's Ryan with his precious Mama Lee. She is maybe the sweetest person I know. She's about to turn 90 and is recovering from her second broken hip, but she still walks down to the lake with us like a champ.

This is our land on Lake Athens where we dream about the lake house we'll eventually have one day. If I ever need to de-stress, that's the place to do it.

When we got back from East Texas we still hadn't had Christmas with Ryan's parents, so we headed out that way on Monday. Why didn't we take any pictures?!

After all of our traveling, we enjoyed New Year's Eve with some neighborhood friends, and spent New Year's Day taking down Christmas decorations and relaxing. I finished up the holidays with a trip to Abilene...wouldn't be complete without it.

So, I guess it's back to the real world now. I should probably make one of my New Year's Resolutions to be a better blogger, but I'd probably break it by next week!

Jack Loves Christmas

2008-12-08T23:53:00.003-06:00

The highlight of Jack's year is putting up Christmas decorations! I know that sounds silly, but honestly, he can sniff out the box with his stocking in it, and he knows exactly which stocking is his. It's all we can do to keep him from tearing into it all season. I've heard things falling over on the fireplace a few times, and it's usually Jack knocking over the Nutcracker in hopes that he can just get a quick sniff (or the occasional bite) out of his stocking. Harley could care less about Christmas. In fact, she is scared of all the decorations and just hides out in our bedroom while we decorate...except for this one picture where I forced her to sit on the hearth. She looks so happy, doesn't she? What a Scrooge! She's getting a lump of coal in her stocking. How can Jack's excitement not get you in the Christmas spirit?!

Bah Humbug, Mr. Grinch!

2008-11-23T18:37:00.014-06:00

I made the mistake of sending out one of those getting-to-know-you questionnaires via email last week, but this one was different...It was about Christmas, which was FUN! I also made the mistake of saying that Ryan would be the least likely to reply, so he proved me wrong in a BIG way. Enjoy this post from my husband, Ryan (aka: the Grinch). His answers are far more hilarious than anything I'd ever write. And although highly exaggerated, they are unfortunately mostly true.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper, of course! I love all the trash all over the living room from newly opened presents, the dogs love to play in it, and I never grow out of the fun of ripping into a new present. I haven't yet understood the point of politely separating the tape from the paper paying careful detail not to let the tape remove the part of the design of the wrapping paper, then folding the paper back up nicely and offering it back to the gift giver. What is that??? Like I'm going to buy the exact same size present next year. As the gift giver I guess I'll just say, "Fine, give me the present back so I'll give it to you again next year." We grow up arguing with our family members all our life, and all of a sudden you want to show a nice gesture by giving me your trash back. It's yours. It's part of the gift. Have fun shredding it, and when you are done, throw it away yourself. What I also love about wrapping paper is how Sarah always wants to rewrap all the presents I wrap bacause they are ugly. I give it my best, but arts and crafts were never my thing. It is funny watching her squirm as the looks at the present I just wrapped and placed under the tree. So yes, wapping paper is better than the over-priced bags where no one cares if the tissue paper matches the color of the bag, and for whatever reason, causes an extra 10 minutes of indecisive shopping at an over crowded Walmart.

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial tree is a money and time saver. You can use it many years and it is pre-lit (possibly the greatest gift to financially broke, Christmas decorating husbands). Sure, a real tree might smell good at first, but after a week or two, your house smells like rotten lumber and old sap. If you truly enjoy the new tree smell, your wife is probably going to buy all the Christmas themed potpourri in the store anyway, so you are going to get it regardless.

3. When do you put up the tree? Whenever Sarah and I can do it together because I have made two wonderful career choices in a row that give us the emotional rollercoaster of never knowing if I will be around for the holidays. By the wonderful grace of God I have never missed a Christmas and only missed one Thanksgiving.

4. When do you take the tree down? New Year's Day, and thank you for reminding me. Can't wait to redecorate the entire house while being hungover.

5. Do you like eggnog? Love Jim Jones eggnog.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Pool table when I was in high school.

7. Hardest person to buy for? Every woman in my family. Sarah usually does all the buying unless I am in town and we go shopping together. When that happens, I usually throw a monkey wrench in the process by speaking. I am amazed how wrong I always am, and I am reminded how I can never pick a shirt for someone that looks good or matches anything. Christmas shopping is always a self esteem booster.

8. Easiest person to buy for? Sarah...when I have a detailed list.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes. I think we have one for each religion known to man.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Sarah mails them. This is after Sarah plays dress-up with me and we spend the whole afternoon trying to take the perfect picture with two dogs that have not behaved all year and for some amazing reason won't at the time of the picture. From June until the time of the Christmas card picture is very stressful because the foremost thought in "our" minds is deciding what is the perfect setting for our Christmas card picture. There have been tears involved, things thrown, and yelling at dogs in the past. But when you get our card, know that we wear clothes like that all the time, it was "taken in the moment", and we are really that happy in the picture.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Grandmother gifts are always great. One year I received pastel striped socks that had individual sleeves for my toes. That was special.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Christmas Vacation. It speaks so many truths.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? When Sarah tells me to.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? nope

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Sweet potatoes with lots of goo, too many pies, and some sort of unidentifiable salad or casserole as to not offend anyone.

16. Lights on the tree? Yes, what kind person wouldn't do that?

17. Favorite Christmas song? "All I Want for Christmas is a Hippopotamus"

18. Travel at Christmas or stay at home? Used to travel and enjoy the fun of trying to see every family member across Texas in a two week whirlwind right before being deployed to a far off forsaken area of our peace loving world. Now that we are back in Texas, traveling is nothing. I'll never take having family close for granted.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Dasher, Dancer, Comit, Cupid, Vixin, Blazer, Lazer, Taser, and Rudolph.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star, and I love spending the 5 minutes it takes trying to get the thing to balance just right followed by analyzing it the rest of the evening to make sure it's perfect, then straightening it at least once a day during the holiday season because it somehow manages to move over a 24 hour period.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas day. Christmas Eve is spent staying up as late as possible staring at all the decorations enjoying the moment of the best night of the year while also realizing that taking all of them down is approaching by the hour. Take the good with the bad.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Getting out the Christmas decorations and realizing that you have somehow accumulated enough decorations to decorate the Dallas Galleria. Then the thought hits you that you will manage to replace all the knicknacks in your house and put your regular ones away and in about a month and a half, you will do it all again. It's like moving twice. Then you get to put up the outside lights in the cold drizzily weather while trying to remember how you strategically plugged in all the lights to certain sockets as to not blow fuzes. You know this because last year you blew about 17 fuzes trying to get them to work, and each time you drive up to Home Depot you give serious thought to buying stock in 3 amp fuzes and selling after the holiday season.

23. Favorite thing? Finishing all the decorating.

24. What theme or color are you using? Are you kidding??? I would assume red and green.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Turkey and dressing. Don't forget the sweet potatoes with the goo.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A reliable short-term memory (it doesn't have to be perfect, but some consistency would be nice), the Dallas Cowboys to start having fun again and to get a new owner, a new job, and to sell all the Christmas decorations that we have that are "out of style" and make a profit on them.

26. Who is most likely to respond to this? Anyone who needs to vent.

27. Who is least likely to respond to this? Most males.

As you can probably tell, we've had Christmas decorating on the brain because we'll be gone the weekend after Thanksgiving, which is our usual time to decorate. You'll also be happy to know that we did manage to get it done without killing each other. Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving and an even Happier Christmas Decorating!!

Halloween Bugs Me (with updated pictures)

2008-11-03T19:31:00.012-06:00

This year my dogs were very "buggy" in their ladybug and bumblebee costumes. I'm sure they were cursing me in doggy language, but it was worth it! Jack wouldn't move if I put the antenna cap on his head, but as soon as I took it off, he was strutting his costume VERY proudly. Harley is basically too stupid to know that she looks ridiculous, so she's easy. They were the hit of our church Trunk-or-Treat, and were definitely on stimulation overload by the end of the night. Trying to keep them from eating all of the dropped pieces of candy was interesting. We went trick-or-treating on Friday night with my neice, but I don't have pictures from that yet. I'll post them when I get them. Jack met a dauschaund dressed as a hot dog and Harley encountered a ballerina shih-tzu. So funny!

These pictures were before the alterations I made. Yes, I altered my dog's Halloween costumes with velcro and duct tape.

Jack with a fellow bumblebee, and Harley with a sister ladybug!

This is from Friday night trick-or-treating with my neice and in-laws in Flower Mound. I couldn't believe some of the decorations in that neighborhood...it was more than Christmas!

A Baby Born & A Bun in the Oven

2008-10-30T22:24:00.007-05:00

Not my bun in the oven...sorry to disappoint. Here's a tribute to 2 super cute baby girls...one that I've met, and the other that I'll meet in January!

First, our good friends Jenn & Scott had their little girl, London Mackenzie, when we were in town for my high school reunion. Because London's blood sugar levels were having some trouble, we were the first visitors (other than family) that actually got to see the baby! She had to spend the first day or so in the back where people couldn't OOH and AAH over her, and let me tell you...she is definitely worth OOH-ing and AAH-ing over. What a little cutie! Jenn was a rock star with her birth story...yet another saga to make me think twice about just keeping the 2 dogs I have for kids and calling it a day. Just kidding...Don't worry. Here's the little "pretty in pink" herself.

Look at those eyes!

Last weekend I got to celebrate Andrea and Baby Madelyn at her shower. It was fun to see all the cute girly things and visit with old friends. Too bad Andrea doesn't even look pregnant except for this little tummy poking out...so cute!

Friends are Friends Forever...

2008-10-22T21:05:00.014-05:00

I'm a couple of weeks late posting this, but I'll regret it if I don't. What a great weekend we had at the Cooper Class of '98 10 Year Reunion! There was such a great turnout, and the whole weekend was filled with laughing at old memories and making new ones. When I was in high school, 10 years seemed SO far away...it's hard to believe it's already come and gone! Things have definitely changed, but I love how familiar everything still feels. It was refreshing to catch up with old friends and see that we can still pick up right where we left off. Here are some "Then and Now" pictures to laugh at...

THEN- This picture was taken at our last CHS football game (Thanksgiving weekend '97) when we lost in the playoffs to Flower Mound Marcus (alma mater of my future-husband,--little did I know!)

NOW- And here we are at the CHS vs. Hereford game 10 years later!

THEN- Typical Friday night with all the girls back in high school...

NOW- Hanging out at Thompson & Brent's on Friday night after the game!

THEN- Our Gang...guys & girls...at a sleepover in high school. Was that allowed?!?

NOW- Our Gang all grown up...

THEN- All dolled up for Winter Formal '98...

NOW- And all dolled up for our 10 year high school reunion dinner...

I was nearly date-less, but Ryan showed up just in the nick of time! I was so happy to see him after a LONG month!

Some things never change...

High school flames...going strong!

How Do You Get Gasoline Out of Car Carpet?

2008-10-05T21:32:00.005-05:00

That's the question I've been "Googling" for the past 2 days because yes, I managed to spill a 1/2 gallon of gasoline in the passenger floorboard of my car on Saturday morning. I know...Why did I have a gas can in my front floorboard anyway? Because my sweet brother offered to mow my yard on Saturday, and I told him that I would make sure the lawnmower had gas first. Of course it was empty, so I took the only gas can I could find in the garage, and went to fill it up. Little did I realize (until it tipped over) that the cap was cracked. I can list all of the things that officially DO NOT get gasoline out of car carpet...no matter what Google tells me:

1. Baking soda
2. Coffee grounds
3. Febreeze
4. Shampooing the carpet and shopvac-ing it
5. Shampooing the carpet and shopvac-ing it again
6. Shampooing the carpet and shopvac-ing it one more time...
7. An excessive amount of perfume
8. Leaving all of the windows open for the smell to evaporate
9. Pet enzyme spray (this actually might've helped a little bit)
10. Vinegar
11. Setting a cake pan with vanilla extract in the flooorboard. (This one I'm still trying...and I'm hopeful!)
12. Prayer

I guess I'll do the only thing I can do, which is to take advantage of this "high" I'm on from all of the fumes. WOO HOO!!!!!! If anyone has any other ideas, I'll obviously try anything.

Randomness (Revised)...

2008-09-26T16:55:00.007-05:00

I have a good excuse for not blogging this time...my computer has been crashing. But, thanks to my new favorite person "Scott the Computer Guy", he saved all of my pictures and music before my Dell bit the dust. Nothing that important has been going on, so it's not like I've had much to blog about anyway, but here are some random things that have been going on:

1. I was in charge of a really big event at church last week, so work has been SUPER busy, but it's slowing down a bit now. I found myself looking for something to do on Thursday, which was the best feeling in the world!

2. Ryan has been gone for 2 weeks now, and it may be another 2-3 weeks before he comes home. He worked 98 hours last week alone, so the diving industry is definitely buzzing with all of the hurricane damage down in the Gulf. I'm just hoping he's home in time for my 10 year reunion!

3. I've been watching a lot of old movies lately. I go through phases like this, where I get addicted to a certain actor/actress from back in the day. Last time, it was Cary Grant movies, so I watched just about every one ever made. Lately, it's been Doris Day. I wish people still dressed like her. I think I lived in the wrong era!

4. I've officially started Christmas shopping, which is earlier than I think I've ever started before. I found a STEAL on a gift though, and I'm so excited about it!

5. I spent last Friday with my BFF Brittney just shopping around and enjoying girl time. I didn't plan on buying anything, but when I found a great deal on a Coach purse at the outlet, I couldn't resist, and definitely justified it in my mind as to why I "deserved" it. We attempted to see the hot air balloon festival in Plano, but it was pretty much over for the night. I also got to be Quinn's date for dinner, which was great because he is SUPER handsome! I can't believe how much he's talking and how smart he is! Brittney has our lone picture on her camera, so if she'll send it to me, I'll post it. We definitely need to have days like that more often. I treasure them so much! To see ridiculously embarassing pictures of us from back in the day, click here. You won't be disappointed!

6. Jack (my dog) has started biting my jeans at the ankles every time he can tell I'm about to leave. It's kindof funny, but I'm beginning to get annoyed. I don't know how to break him of this! This is also Jack's new favorite way to sleep...backwards on the armrest of our recliner! Isn't he cute?!

And here's Ryan torturing Harley. She's too stupid to know that she doesn't have to stay there.

And here are the 4 of us before a wedding in Abilene a couple of weeks ago...

Sixers

2008-09-07T14:19:00.010-05:00

"Sixers" is the name of Ryan's & my new Guitar Hero band in honor of our 6th anniversary. If you read my previous post, you know that Ryan had to leave at 4a.m. Thursday morning for the Gulf, so he's missing our anniversary today. Well, he found out that he was leaving at work on Wednesday, and when I got home after church Wednesday night I found the new Aerosmith version of Guitar Hero on the kitchen island with a "Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad" note from Jack & Harley. I thought it was very sweet of the dogs to go buy us an anniversary present, and seeing as how we completely ignore them while we play Guitar Hero, I was shocked that they chose to get that for us. They're so thoughtful! Anyway, we usually try to somewhat follow the traditional anniversary gift lists for anniversaries, and 6 years is supposed to be candy or iron. We decided that playing "heavy metal" on Guitar Hero counts as "iron", so that's our justification. Ryan truly knows the way to my heart!

We spent last weekend enjoying Fort Worth, which is something we should really do more often since we live here! We went to the Kimbell Art Museum to see the Impressionists exhibit, and I was blown away. I love art museums, but they're not necessarily Ryan's thing. He was totally into it though, and enjoyed it just as much as I did. I'm a huge fan of a lot of the artists whose work was on display--Cezanne, Monet, VanGogh, Pisarro...but I was THRILLED when I saw that the hugest painting on display was Gustave Caillebotte's "Paris Street, Rainy Day"...one of my very favorites! I think I like it because the couple looking across the street not paying attention is probably about to get whacked by that guy's umbrella coming toward them...it just makes me laugh.

After that, we had sandwiches from Baker Bros (YUM) & went to the Botanical Gardens. It was actually not a billion degrees outside that day, so the weather was perfect. I was surprised how much was in bloom this late in the summer, especially with how hot it has been, but it was actually prettier than I had ever seen it! Here are some of my favorite pictures from our day...

You can see the bee's wings!!

The next night, we went to see our friend, Luke, in the musical "Tommy" at Dallas Theater Center. It's all music from The Who, and the cast and the band did a great job, but it was probably the strangest, most confusing show I have ever seen...and REALLY loud. I heard that they were handing out earplugs on the previous nights, but I guess we missed them. Ryan thinks that if they had handed out illegal drugs on the way into the show, he might have understood it better. I might agree. It was fun, nonetheless, and was a nice ending to our weekend of culture. :)

The best part of the weekend was getting to spend it with this guy.

Ryan is definitely my perfect match. As much time as we spend apart, it is great that we enjoy each other so much when we are together. Here's to another 6 years!!

Slowly, But Surely...

2008-09-04T22:07:00.003-05:00

...I will attempt to catch up on my blog.

Last weekend, Ryan and I celebrated our anniversary early, just in case he was called to go do Hurricane Gustav damage control...which he definitely was at 4:00 this morning. I was glad that we had thought ahead of the chance he'd be gone, but I'm still going to be bummed to not spend our anniversary on Sunday together. So...I'll wait until our actual anniversary to blog about last weekend (although my new blog header is a sneak peek).

In the meantime, here's pictures from my sweet friend Jenn's baby shower for her little "London" that will be here in October!

Hometown Visit

2008-08-01T12:04:00.007-05:00

That title makes me think of the Bachelor and all those shows where you take a guy home that you've been dating for 3 weeks to meet your family. That's not what this post is about though...don't worry!

Last weekend, the dogs and I packed up and went to Abilene for a long weekend, and just like always, it was just what the Dr. ordered. I feel so relaxed when I go back...the pace is just slower and I LOVE that. I got to spend time with two of my lifelong friends, Holly & Thompson, and their sweet kiddos.

Holly, Davis, and London came over on Friday morning, and we had a great time playing with Brad's old Tinker Toys, looking at mom's kaleidoscope collection (which Davis remembed from the last time he was over...smart thing), and playing with my puppies. I'm sure Jack and Harley were thrilled to have Davis around because he didn't tire of playing fetch as quickly as I usually do. This was the first time I had seen London since she was just a couple of weeks old, so I was amazed at how fast she's grown and how much personality she has. I wore lots of Holly's hand-me-downs growing up, and a strawberry outfit was one that I remember, so London wore a super cute strawberry outfit especially for me! (Thanks, Holly!!) Here are some pics from our morning of fun!

I also got to see Thompson's cute house (FINALLY) and catch up with her and Caden, who is also growing like a weed. His shirt said "heartbreaker" and I have to agree. He is too cute for words! I love having friends that are so easy to just hang out with, and Thompson & Holly are both like that for me. Even though we don't see each other enough, we can always pick up right where we left off the last time we saw each other.

A Much Needed Vacation

2008-07-02T13:52:00.008-05:00

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth...but I have been to Wyoming and back! I have been looking forward to this vacation since before Ryan and I got married, and we finally went a couple of weeks ago. My mom grew up vacationing at the Grand Tetons near Jackson Hole, WY when she was young, and then she introduced my dad to her favorite place when they got married. Of course, she couldn't wait to take her own kids there, so Brad and I spent a lot of time there growing up. Our family has fallen in love with this place because it is SO relaxing and beautiful. I can't think of a more gorgeous place in the USA...and I really have seen a lot of places! Anyway, my parents, Brad & Kendall, and Ryan & I all packed up and drove, yes drove, 20 hours (over 2 days) to our favorite place in America in hopes of making believers out of Ryan and Kendall. And I think we did. We hiked, climbed (some of us more than others...ahem...Ryan), fly fished, shopped, went whitewater rafting in 40 degree water (little bit chilly), picnicked, went to a chuckwagon dinner & show, played games, went on a breakfast cruise to an island in Jackson Lake, saw lots of wildlife (several moose, elk, 2 bears, and other critters), and altogether had a fabulous trip together. I think I can even say that we all still get along and weren't ready to kill each other by the end of it. I'd call that a success. Here are some of my favorite pictures of the 500 (not kidding) that I took. I got a new camera for an early birthday present before the trip, so get ready...there's lots!

I have to brag on Ryan...this picture was taken at the top of Rendezvous Mountain. He climbed all the way to the top (notice the sheer cliffs in the background). At one point he had to ski on his tennis shoes because there was so much snow! The rest of us rode the ski gondola up, and he climbed "down" to the lodge to meet us for a drink once he had reached the top. Let me just say that Ryan brought a new dimension to our family vacation.

How cute is this moose?!?

My mom caught these prairie dogs in the midst of an all out brawl for a chip from my Dad. These aren't your typical Abilene Prairie Dogs!

This is the picture I'm most proud of. I caught this family of ravens teaching their young how to fly. All the babies wanted to do was eat. This nest was in the tip top of a dead tree REALLY far away, so I was thrilled that the picture turned out so well. National Geographic anyone?!?

The Chapel of the Transfiguration...I think I'd have a hard time paying attention to the sermon with a view like that!

Fly fishing on the Snake River.

USOs..."Unidentified Swallowed Objects"

2008-05-20T16:37:00.005-05:00

My weekend was spent at the ER...the Animal ER, that is. Caution: The following blog post may contain graphic references not recommended for the faint of heart...or stomach. On Friday evening, I got home and found (to put it mildly) about 10 places where one of the dogs had thrown up. At the time I didn't know which dog it was, but I soon learned that it was Jack, my 11 year old Jack Russell. He continued throwing up about once every 3 minutes, in between me calling vets (none of which were open) and cleaning up the previous mess. It was horrible. The weird thing was that it was all water...nothing solid. Then I found it...in the far corner of the guest room, he had evidently gotten rid of whatever it was he swallowed. It looked like a big pink eraser, but I couldn't imagine what he had gotten into. Well, I put it in a Ziploc bag as evidence, and whisked Jack and the Ziploc bag to the Animal ER. It was a LOVELY 15 minute car ride in which Jack managed to go through 6 towels. Could Ryan have possibly been in town for such an exciting event? Of course not. BUT, he did call at a really appropriate time..right when I got the estimate for the $3000 surgery Jack needed. I was a basketcase, which I know sounds silly, but Jack is like my kid. I know he has 4 legs, sheds a lot, and doesn't speak "human", but he is definitely my companion! Anyway, I signed the papers, and left Jack at the ER at about 1:30am. At 5:00, the vet called me to say that the surgery went fine. They found another piece of the same thing I had found, and called it the "Unidentified Swallowed Object", or "USO". They also found that his small intestine had severe scar tissue. Because of that, they couldn't just remove the USO. They had to remove almost 3 inches of his small intestine. There is a really high risk of infection when they have to do that, and they have to be extra careful that there's no chance of the small intestine leaking or rupturing later on. How scary is that?!! He has 2 layers of stitches and 14 staples in his little tummy. Poor baby!!! So, Jack spent the next 2 full days in the ER hooked up to IVs because he wouldn't eat or drink. I had to visit him in the emergency room the first 2 times, but after that they would bring him out to me in his own room. He would just lay there like in this picture. It was SO pitiful.

They wouldn't release him until he ate and drank, so finally on Sunday night, I was able to get him to take 3 bites! WOO HOO!! Luckily that was enough to get the vet to release him. Unfortunately, we got home and he refused to take his medicine by mouth. I literally tried everything for an hour to get one pill down him, but he wouldn't have it. So, it was back to the ER at 12:30am for him to get 4 shots. They threatened to keep him again, but I begged for them to let me take him home. I couldn't stand seeing him in that place! At 7:30 the next morning, I took him into our regular vet (since it finally wasn't emergency hours) and they gave him his medicine, took out his catheter and gave me the best animal product I have ever purchased. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present:

They are the only way Jack would take his medicine, which is saving me a TON of money. His shots were $30 each, and he was getting 4 of them three times a day. You do the math. Anyway, he has been on the up and up ever since. So much that he managed to pull out 3 of his staples today while I went to work for 2 hours. We just returned from vet appointment #4 because of it, so I'm praying that this is all until he gets his staples out next week. What a weekend!

The Letter Between "U" and "W"

2008-04-28T19:28:00.003-05:00

My keyboard has suddenly decided it will stop typing the letter between "U" and "W". It just quit right in the middle of a sentence. Isn't that weird?! So, I thought it would be fun to do a post without that letter just to see if I could. I am going to need to use my imagination to come up with words that don't use that letter. And then after this post, I'll probably go to Office Depot and buy myself a new keyboard because this is really annoying.

Anyway, Ryan has been out of town for the past 2 weeks, and he called last night to tell me that he's finally coming home tomorrow! I'm really excited for him to get here becase I spent a TON of time working in the yard this weekend, and I want to show him all the new stuff. My sweet mother-in-law hooked me up with a Jeep-full of plants from her yard. That was nice and all, but it meant I had to come home and spend 6 hours Sunday afternoon planting all my new FREE plants...that I'm praying I don't kill! I don't exactly possess a green thumb. (By the way, I just had to use the word "possess" because I can't type the word H-A-(letter between U & W)-E... soooo frustrating!!!)

OK, I'm tired of this. I think I'll finish by listing some of the best things that use the letter between "U" and "W". I will use a * anytime the letter between "U" and "W" is to be used because it's getting annoying...

1. Cherry fla*ored *aseline (I MUST use it each and e*ery night before bed, or I can't sleep)
2. *alentine's Day (I know it's a cheesy holiday, but I lo*e ha*ing an excuse to be extra romantic!)
3. *odka with Cranberry Juice (my "signature drink" if I were to ha*e one!)

OK, it's harder than I thought to come up with GOOD words that use that particular letter. I can think of far more gross words than good ones, so here are a few off the top of my head:

*omit
*agina
*enereal disease
*enom
*ienna sausages (YUCK!)
*ulture

Geez...who needs the letter between "U" and "W" anyway?!?

New Babies...Old Friends

2008-04-21T15:59:00.007-05:00

This weekend I got to welcome my lifelong friend Thompson's baby boy, Caden Thomas, into the world. He arrived on Friday afternoon and is just the sweetest, most precious little guy! I was at the hospital on Friday but didn't get to hold him but for just a minute, so on Saturday my mom and I went back and spent a little more time "ooh-ing and aah-ing" over him. Thompson looks AMAZING and Brent is one proud papa. I was so happy to be able to share such a special time in the life of their family. Congratulations Camp Family of 3!

Precious boy!

On Saturday night, I got to go to my friend Kristin's wedding shower. Kristin and I were BFF in the truest sense of the word when we were little. She and I wore each others first "Best Friends" necklace, went on family vacations together, and spent a lot of time just being silly. I cherish the memories we made so much, and I am so thrilled that we've recently reconnected and caught back up with each other's lives. And I'm even more excited that she found the love of her life, Clay, and that they are getting married in a few weeks! Here are some embarassing pictures of the 2 of us back in our prime:

Are we cute or what?! My family was planning a trip to Disneyland with another family that had a son my brother's age, but NO girls. I didn't think it was very fair for my brother to get to have a friend and me not to...especially since my 8th birthday was going to be during the trip, so I got to bring Kristin along. We had matching outfits for just about every day of the week...including these lovely Minnie Mouse shirts and some tie-dyed outfits that we made ourselves. Those same tie-dyed outfits got wet on the water rides and dripped red and purple dye down our legs. I can remember my mom drying them out for us under the hand dryers in the bathrooms while we waited in the stall to get our clothes back.

I truly think that we missed our calling in life to be fashion designers...I think we were pretty inventive to create those outfits out of bandanas! There are some more "questionable" wardrobe choices that we have pictures of, but I won't go there.

We've changed a little, huh?

Fellow bloggers...Sarah Beth, Kristin, Me, and Annalee

Mother-Daughter Picture

My Birthday Boy

2008-03-25T17:56:00.004-05:00

Ryan was gone to Amarillo for work on his birthday...can you think of a more beautiful place to spend it?! You think he could've at least been out in the Gulf on the water or something, but no...Amarillo it was. So, we celebrated his birthday this past weekend. He keeps telling everyone that this was his "first" 29th birthday, because I guess he doesn't want to think about the big 3-0 creeping up next year. I think he's more afraid of it than I am! Anyway, to keep him feeling young, I surprised him with a "big boy toy"...a Play Station 3. And what good is a PS3 without a nice game of Guitar Hero to go with it? We had some people over on Friday night to cook out, eat birthday cake, and play endless hours of Guitar Hero. We are all totally addicted, but at least our house is the "cool" house now. Woo Hoo!! So, here's to Ryan and his perpetual 29th birthday...there's no doubt he will ALWAYS be young at heart.

And here is our one and only Easter picture that even remotely turned out...the wind was CRAZY! We were very "matchy-matchy" in our yellow and brown. Probably too much for Ryan's taste, but oh well!

Wedding Bells

2008-03-16T22:01:00.005-05:00

The Three Musketeers--Brad, Clayton, & Chad

This weekend, I got to witness the last of the "Three Musketeers" getting married. Brad got married in 2006, Clayton in 2007, and Chad in 2008. Clayton & Chad have always been like my own little brothers, so it was kindof surreal to see these 3 best friends all officially grown up now. I was so honored that I got to play for Luke (Chad's oldest brother who is MY life-long friend) to sing in the ceremony. Chad played baseball at DBU, so the favors were personalized baseballs...too cute! Unfortunately, Ryan was out of town for the wedding, which also happened to be his 29th birthday, so we'll have to wait to celebrate. Anyway, since Ryan was out of town, I played 5th wheel to my parents and Brad & Kendall, but oh well...they're pretty fun to hang out with.

Mr. & Mrs. Longacre

Brad says that Kendall and I look like we could be related in this picture??

Luke & Me

Mom & Dad with their Groupies

"Sugar and spice and everything nice, that's what little girls are made of."

2008-03-11T09:41:00.003-05:00

This weekend, I got to meet my life-long friend Holly's little girl, London Jane. Oh my goodness...she is the sweetest, most petite, baby girl I've ever seen! She just slept in my arms for about half an hour and made the cutest little baby noises. Adorable. I also got to meet London's cousin (Holly's sister Emily's little boy) Jared Patrick. He is the happiest baby ever, but unfortunately he likes my Mom better than me...most babies do. He would just laugh and laugh at her, and then when he came to see me, he spit up all over me, and then kept laughing at my Mom. I guess she is pretty funny. I wish I had a picture of Big Brother Davis too because he is all grown up now that he's got a little sister to take care of. He was proud to show off his big boy room since London took over the nursery. What a precious family they are to me! Here are a few pictures from the weekend. I'll be posting more from the rest of my weekend and Thompson & Caden's shower as soon as my mom sends them to me. I was hurrying to get out of town to beat the snow storm on Thursday and left the house without my camera!

Tag, I'm It!

2008-03-03T11:49:00.004-06:00

I forgot I was tagged by Molly last week, so here goes:

10 years ago: March 1998 was my senior year of high school. I don't remember what month Senior Musical was, but it was around this time...we did "Annie Get Your Gun" and it was SO much fun! If Molly says that the Football Banquet was that month, then I guess she'd remember better than me. I went with Zack Wristen, just as "friends". I think I was actually dating a different Zack at the time, but that's neither here nor there. OH! We went to London during Spring Break on choir tour, and that was an amazing trip. I remember bawling my eyes out through "Les Mis"...it was my first time to see it, and after the show, we were crazy fans and went to the back stage door to meet the cast. The girl playing the role of Fantine said that she remembered me crying on the 3rd row. How embarassing! Was I that loud and obvious?!

Things on my to-do list today: be productive at work, eat my leftover P.F. Chang's for lunch (YUM!), go to the bank, go to the grocery store because my husband is actually in town this week, so I'm cooking tonight! (He won't know what to do with himself!!), get started on our taxes, practice music for a rehearsal I have tomorrow.

What would I do if I suddenly became a Billionaire? Build our cabin on our lake property in Athens, buy each of my parents a new car, take Ryan to Europe, give lots to charities that I wish I could support more now...especially to the Wounded Warrior Project, host lots of fun parties, probably keep working because I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I didn't.

Three of my bad habits:
1.Re-setting my alarm at least 3 times each morning
2. Saying "YES" too often, when I really want to say "NO" (I'm learning, but I'm still not very good at it)
3. Leaving half empty water bottles all over my house and car. Drives Ryan nuts!!!

Five jobs I have had:
1. Church Music Adminsitrative Asst.
2. Accompanist/piano teacher
3. Retail merchandising at Magpies Gifts in Houston
4. Property management for an apartment complex (worst job I've ever had in my entire life),
5. Accounting assistant at HSU.

Five things people don't know about me:
1. I LOVE watching gymnastics...I DVR meets all the time and watch them over and over.
2. I'm actually a pretty good cook when I try.
3. My closet is organized in rainbow order...and I keep it that way ALL the time.
4. When I was little, I wanted to be a pathologist when I grew up, but considering I pass out everytime I go to the Dr., I don't know what I was thinking!
5. I've never seen the movie Ghostbusters...don't judge me.

I tag...Robin, Tiffani, Natalie, Kelby, and Brittney

An Explosive Day

2008-02-25T17:59:00.005-06:00

I have no will power. None. I was in line at Target and couldn't resist picking up a bag of Easter peanut M&Ms. I usually don't allow myself to buy holiday candy so far in advance of the holiday because I know myself TOO well. Oh well, I caved. Anyway, I got back in my car to drive the whole 2 minutes home, but could I wait to open the bag until I got home?! Of course not. So while negotiating turning left in stupid traffic, I'm digging to the very bottom of my bag to find my M&Ms. Then comes the task of opening the bag. Of course it was one of those bags that just wouldn't open no matter how hard I tugged or tried to rip it with my teeth. Keep in mind, I'm almost home by this point, so the scissors in my kitchen (the "quick fix") are only moments away. I proceed to jerk on the bag, pulling as hard as I can until POW! The bag explodes M&Ms all over my car. So, for the past few days, I've been eating M&Ms out of my cup holders, off the passenger seat, and off my car floor (just kidding on that one). I managed to salvage these and put them in my pretty little bowl. OK, not really these...these are from my 2nd bag that I bought yesterday. Like I said, NO will power.

Last night brought explosions of a different kind. I went to bed at about 12:30, and took the dogs out right before. My little Harley woke me up at 1:00 begging to go out. She "lies" a lot and tells me that she needs to go out when really she just wants to go play. So, I ignored her for a few minutes. Her cry got pretty desperate though, so I took her out. An hour later, the same thing happened, but this time she didn't quite make it outside! I'll spare you the details. Evidently, my little puppy got a stomach bug of some sort. YUCK!! So, like any good mom would, I spent the night on the couch close to the back door letting Harley out every hour and fifteen minutes on the dot. There was NO way she was sleeping in my bed! I wouldn't let her get on the furniture, but when I wasn't looking, she found a comfy spot on the couch and I just couldn't make her get down. She kept falling asleep standing up. Bless her little heart, she was so pitiful. I wonder how long she'll milk this. Is that not the poutiest dog face ever?

My Funny Valentine

2008-02-18T11:14:00.004-06:00

Pretty flowers

+
New picture for the bedroom

+
setting the camera timer on the dash while driving on 35...might not have been the smartest idea ever

CANTINA LAREDO

really cute movie!

A Very Sweet Valentine's Day

On Friday night, our Sunday school class had a Valentine's party, and the entertainment was "The Newlywed Game"...complete with our very own Wink Martindale "wanna-be" host. Here's the sad part. There were so many of us at the party that we couldn't all be on the panel. So they gave us a qualifying test to start with. The couples with the most matches got to participate in the game. OK, so the average number of matches was around 5 or 6, but some couples were getting 8 or 9 out of 10 right! Of course they were the ones who got to play in the first round. Then for the second round, they decided to let the couples with the least matches play, and just guess who was in that bracket?!? YEP--Ryan and I matched exactly TWO questions (one of which, we had to BEG for them to count right), so we got to play in the losers panel. We'll blame it on not living together half the time. It was hilarious though! We actually wound up matching 4 out of 5 once we were on the panel, so I guess we redeemed ourselves.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

2008-02-14T15:13:00.003-06:00

You are ALL my Valentines!

XOXO

Something to Talk About...

2008-01-24T23:05:00.000-06:00

The other night, our house alarm started going off in the middle of the night. Weird thing is, we don't have our alarm set up. I made the decision to not set it up here after paying $30 a month for the 3 years we lived in NC and literally NEVER setting the alarm other than on the day I got it. I'd rather buy a new pair of shoes or 2 each month. Speaking of shoes...I went to the DSW 30% off Clearance sale yesterday during my 30 minute dinner break, and wound up getting a pair of Merrells for 80% off. Amazing. Anyway, so we don't even have the alarm monitored and it started going off. It sounded like someone was trying to talk to us through the speaker, which made me start thinking about the UFOs that were reportedly seen in Stephenville. Were aliens trying to contact us during the night?? Creepy. Ryan started ripping cords and things out of the ceiling while I decided to just go unplug the whole thing, which turned out to be much less destructive than Ryan's method.

The next morning we woke up and the temperature in our house was 56 degrees. Now, I like to sleep with it cold in the house so that I can pile on lots of covers (can I get an Amen?) but 56 was a LITTLE bit chilly. Obviously the heater had gone out, so Ryan went into the attic to try and fix it himself. After trying and trying and trying to get the heat to kick on we finally had to "call the man" as my Dad always says in his most defeated voice. Why do guys hate asking for help? The guy came out and charged us $60 to show Ryan where the switch is that turns the heat back on. Hmmm...how can I become a heating technician? I'd be happy to go flip people's switches all day for 60 bucks a pop. Now I'm sitting in our nice and toasty house with a working heater and no alarm going off.

The next morning, my brother called me right as I was re-setting my alarm for at least the 4th time and said that he had been in a wreck and needed a ride. Now THAT'S what I love about living close to family. So I went and picked him up at the collision place and drove him to work in Weatherford (who works in Weatherford?!?) I was only 2 hours late to work after all that. Now that I think about it, I should have milked that wreck for at least a 1/2 day off. What was I thinking?

Don't bad things happen in 3's?? If so, then I'm going to have a great weekend!

I've Got the New Year's Blues...

2008-01-03T09:57:00.000-06:00

I think the first week of the year has to be one of my least favorite. I should be excited and refreshed as I've made my list of New Year's resolutions (or not...) and have a blank canvas on which to paint my life for the next year. Somehow, it doesn't work that way with me. Instead, I'm bummed that my Christmas decorations are all put away for another 1o months & 28 days (but who's counting), I can no longer justify eating WAY too much because "it's the holidays", I have to be a responsible adult and go back to work, and even worse--Ryan has to go back to work, which means lots of time away from home.

I'll quit complaining though. We had a really great holiday, and unfortunately, I have NO pictures to show for it. I'm now regretting not asking for a new camera for Christmas because mine is a piece of...well, you know. Brad, Kendall, the 2 dogs, Ryan & I packed ourselves and all of our presents in the Jeep and went to Abilene the weekend before Christmas to celebrate with my family. There is nothing like being at my parents' on Christmas...it smells the same every year, I love our matching plaid stockings, playing Christmas music on their piano sounds better than any other, and breakfast on Christmas morning (or whatever morning we're celebrating Christmas on) is the best of the year. We played games, ate, watched Christmas Vacation (of course!), ate some more, and just relaxed. Then, we drove back to FW on Christmas Eve in time for our Christmas Eve service. When I started my job in October, I had no idea that part of my job was to put the little no-drip sleeves on all 550 Christmas Eve candles, so there was no way I was gonna miss the candlelight service after all of my hard work!

On Christmas Day, Ryan, Jack, Harley, and I woke up at our own house, in our own bed, with our own presents, under our own Christmas tree, and had our very own Christmas just the 4 of us before heading to Flower Mound to spend the day with Ryan's family. We thoroughly enjoyed getting to be HOME for Christmas and not traveling from the East Coast. That may have been my favorite part of the holidays. Ryan's family came in full force, and we spent the day opening Round 1 of presents, then eating lunch, then opening Round 2 of presents. It was a busy day, but lots of fun. We were definitely spoiled!

On the 26th, our friends Jeff & Kristy Skains and their new baby girl Aubrey Claire came to visit from California. Because Ryan and I did our fair share of traveling over previous holidays, we know how hard it can be to see everyone you want to see. So...we had about 30 of our college friends over for a party that night. It was a BLAST to catch up with people that I haven't seen for the past 5 years. And to think, we all live so close together! My house may never recover, but the party was well worth it.

Luckily, this week will be over soon enough, and 2008 will be well underway. I hope you all have a VERY Happy New Year!

A Winning Weekend

2007-12-09T21:50:00.000-06:00

This weekend was great, from start to finish. On Friday, Ryan got home from a dive job in Houston just in time to make it to his company Christmas party. They had reserved a room at Walnut Creek Country Club, which was really nice. I was just excited that there was a "no jeans" rule mostly because I couldn't wait to see some of these guys dressed up! Most divers aren't exactly blessed with, uh, let's say, "social graces." It was great to meet a lot of the people Ryan has been working with these past 4 months. They are so laid-back and nice...and they know how to party. When we got there, we were each given $250 in fake money to play blackjack. When they closed the tables, we went and turned our winnings in for tickets. Then, we took our tickets over to a table with a bunch of stockings laid out. On each stocking was the name of a prize...things as small as Chick-fil-a and Target gift cards to big prizes like IPods, GPS, and a Nintendo Wii. Ryan and I didn't exactly "hit it big" at the blackjack tables, so we put one lousy ticket in the Nintendo stocking, 2 in the IPod stocking, and crossed our fingers as everyone put their TONS of tickets in. Let me just say, it only takes 1 ticket to win because I got myself a new IPod thank you very much. I was super excited! At least, I think it's mine...Ryan hasn't exactly let go yet. Anyway, that wasn't the biggest winning of the night. At the end of the party, they started handing out annual awards for the company. Since Ryan has only been there 4 months, we didn't figure the awards pertained to him. But lo and behold he won the "Exceptional Performance for a Newcomer" award! The plaque is nice and all, but what it really means is that he got an awesome evaluation which equals (here's hoping) a big raise! WOO HOO!! I was so proud of him. They only gave it to 2 people, and the other guy has been there quite a bit longer than Ryan has. He's also become one of Ryan's really good friends, so they were pumped to win it together.

On Saturday morning, we slept in, and then headed to Dallas to pick up Ryan's packet for the White Rock 1/2 marathon. On our way back to Fort Worth, we passed through Arlington in perfect time to meet up with the Camps for lunch. It was so fun to see them (and Thompson's cute little pooch) for a little while. After that, we went furniture shopping because I've been looking and looking for a chair for the living room. I finally found one, so we bought it, drove home to get Ryan's truck, drove back to almost Dallas to pick it up (who wants to pay a delivery charge?!) and drove back home. When we got home, I absolutely hated it. I was SO bummed! So we returned it, and now I'm on the hunt (again) for a chair for our living room. Sigh...

On to Sunday...we woke up bright and early, bundled up, and headed to Dallas for Ryan to run the 1/2 marathon at White Rock. It was COLD and drizzly. We found Molly & Peter when we got there, and Molly and I sported our t-shirts in support of our hubbies. We couldn't show them off for too long though because it was freezing! The more layers the better. We sent the guys off and went to the starting line. Somehow, amidst the mob of people, we missed them taking off. So we hiked back to the car, grabbed us some much needed Starbucks, and headed to the 6 mile point. Luckily, Ryan & Peter had a pretty similar pace, so we were able to catch them both within about 5 minutes of each other. It was so fun to cheer them on as they passed by! I felt like they were going really fast...especially with 7 miles left! We attempted to see them one more time at around the 9 mile point, but we got nervous that we'd miss the finish, so we drove back to the AA Center. I'm glad we did too, because after we parked and walked/ran back to the finish line, Ryan came flying by (shirtless, in 38 degree cold) just a few minutes later! I was so proud of him!! He finished his 13.1 miles in 1 hr 38 minutes, which was better than his goal. I was definitely glad it was him out there and not me. I couldn't believe how many people were running...registration maxed out at 15,000 runners, which was a record. So crazy.

Here's Peter close to the 6 mile mark. I nearly missed Ryan and didn't get the camera ready in time.

Ryan about to cross the finish line.

Yeah, my husband is the naked one (from the top up) running in the freezing cold.

And here's Peter at the finish!!

We came home in time to catch most of the Cowboys game and relax a little. Then I went to church to play for the Children's Choir program. The little ones were SO cute, and we made it through the program with minimal catastrophes. All together, it was a successful weekend!

If Only I Had Something to Say...

2007-12-02T21:37:00.000-06:00

How depressing is it that I really can't think of a single thing to blog about?! I love reading everyone else's, then I feel guilty when I don't post. It's kindof like going to a potluck dinner and not bringing a dish.

Things have been really good around here. I guess no drama is good news! Ryan has been home more this month than probably any point in our marriage. It's a little weird to be honest. Not that I don't absolutely love it, but it's just funny. When he's here, there's suddenly this battle over the TiVo (because he inevitably wants to watch some "guy" thing while I have 2 things already in the works). Then I have to make a rushed decision and decide which of my worthless shows to forego that night. Luckily, there have been lots of reruns lately, so I haven't missed much. I guess if TV is our only argument, then we're doing pretty well. It's also weird to come home from work and he's HERE. Lately, he's been beating me home, so we get to do the whole "Honey, I'm home!" thing. What I really want to say when I walk in is, "Where's my dinner?" but I guess I can let it slide. We're both new at this. So, with Ryan being home so much this month, I got a little sad to see him go out to the Gulf this week. He was only gone 5 days, but I kindof hated coming home to an empty house at the end of the day. Hmmm...I guess I love being married after all!

When I write sarcastic stuff like that, I kindof wonder who reads this that doesn't know me very well. You know there are lots of "blog-stalkers" out there. I think we should have a "Coming Out" party, and everyone should just admit that they read each other's.

Okay, so other than being happily married, and working (which I still LOVE), and staying busy playing the piano for tons of Christmas concerts (which are my FAV), and getting the house all decorated for the holidays, nothing much is going on. Just thought I'd update...

Thankful...

2007-11-19T21:58:00.001-06:00

Well, it's about that time, so I'm making my "Top 20 What I'm Most Thankful For" list... some serious, some silly, some superficial, but all sincere. Here goes:

I'm thankful...

1. that Ryan has been safe and sound in the USA all year. And while I'm on the subject of my husband, I'm thankful that he is the rock of our marriage and has enough faith for the both of us.

2. for my family...ALL of them...in-laws included (and I'm not just saying that).

3. for my dog, Jack, who even though he growls a lot and his breath is less than desirable, is the most devoted pet I've ever known. I'm thankful that when Ryan is out of town, Jack won't go to sleep until I do.

4. for my other dog, Harley, who is the best cuddler and makes the sweetest puppy noises and will turn 3 on Thanksgiving (just thought I'd throw that in).

5. for the fact that Rosa's, Taco Bueno, Target and Starbucks are all less than 2 miles from my house.

6. for my driveway...I know it sounds silly, but after living in an apartment, I truly appreciate pulling up to my own driveway at the end of the day and not having to look for a parking spot.

7. That reminds me...I'm also thankful for my own mailbox.

8. that I have a job I actually enjoy going to every day and co-workers I enjoy spending the day with.

9. that the Dallas Cowboys are kicking ass this year. Yes, I said ass.

10. that I'm a TEXAN! I never appreciated Texas as much as I should have until it was a 24 hour drive away...no state tax and genuinely nice people everywhere you go. Love it!

11. for Diet Cherry Cokes from Sonic every morning on my way to work.

12. for OLD friends, who even though we don't see each other as much as we'd like will always be the easiest people to pick up with because we know each other inside out.

13. for NEW friends, who make every place I've moved feel like "home".

14. that I've been given the opportunity to use my gifts as a way to provide for our family. I love that I can be productive and do what I love at the same time.

15. for my TiVo. I know, I know, but even though I waste a lot of time watching worthless shows, I'm at least saving time by skipping the commercials. Does that justify it?!?

16. that it's officially time to listen to Christmas music and decorate this coming weekend!!!

17. that the Rex Sox won the World Series.

18. for my freedom.

19. for the things God has blessed me with that I take for granted everyday...a roof over my head, clothes on my back, food to eat, family & friends.

20. for God's unconditional grace, love and forgiveness that I definitely don't deserve but absolutely thank Him for.

Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

America's Heroes

2007-11-10T22:39:00.000-06:00

"O beautiful for heroes proved

In liberating strife,

Who more than self their country loved,

And mercy more than life!

America! America!

May God thy gold refine,

Till all success be nobleness

And every gain divine."

That is my favorite verse of "America the Beautiful" because it captures the heroism of our nation's veterans. This weekend, we got to be part of Lewisville ISD's Veteran's Day ceremony. Ryan's Papaw came in for it also, so it was really neat that they got to be honored together. We went to breakfast at an elementary school where the students had decorated the tables with hand made patriotic placemats, and at each seat there was a thank you letter written to a veteran. The kids served us our coffee and treated these guys like rock stars. To see some of these men's faces light up when they realized that they are appreciated for their service brought tears to my eyes. The whole event was SO well done by everyone involved. I was really pleased to see that our schools are making a big deal about supporting the troops. I regret that we don't make every day Veteran's Day because every day we have is a day that we are free to work, to go to school, to pray, to speak our mind, and to enjoy the freedoms that these veterans fought for us to have. I don't know if many of us truly grasp the significance of that. I know I don't...and my husband is a vet! The Flower Mound band played the anthem for each branch of service, and when the Marine Corps Hymn was played and Ryan stood up, my heart swelled with pride. I make a much bigger deal out of it than Ryan ever will, and that's really how most of these vets are. Selfless. Speaking of selfless, the guest speaker for the ceremony was a Marine Staff Sergeant (and Lewisville H.S. graduate) that lost part of his arm in Iraq. Instead of being bitter, he uses his situation to serve as a mentor to fellow amputees at Walter Reed and the Naval Medical Center. He did a great job of reminding everyone of the importance of supporting our troops. So, next time you have a chance...thank a Vet!!

Two of my favorite Vets...Ryan & Papaw

Marine SSgt Mark H. Graunke, Jr. and his family. This Liberty Bell replica was brought over by the Daugters of the American Revolution. I was SO excited to see that on either side of the bell were tablets with the 10 commandments inscripted on them....YES, at a school function.

Coming Home, Homecoming, and 2 New Homes

2007-10-23T22:21:00.000-05:00

It's been all about HOME lately. Ryan spent 3 weeks out in the Gulf of Mexico and FINALLY came home last Thursday. What was supposed to be a week long job turned into 3 weeks of waiting out tropical storms, so I was thrilled that he got home just in time to drive to Abilene for HSU Homecoming over the weekend. I know that I should be used to him being gone...after all, 3 weeks is nothing compared to the 7 month deployments from our Marine Corps days. Still, it just doesn't get easier. He is doing an amazing job as a diver though, so I couldn't be more proud. Here are some pics of my man in action! (For some reason, he doesn't feel the need to shave when he's out on a rig, so this is Ryan's "rugged" look.) :-)

A group of our friends got together at Jenn & Scott's for a 5 year reunion party. We had so much fun catching up and reminiscing about the "good ole days". Funny how most of the reminiscing involved MY husband pulling a prank on someone. I think that was his sole purpose in going to college.

And here's my name on the new Alumni Wall! (I'm the Sarah C....the Sarah E was my roommate...go figure!) It was so cool to go find the names of all my family members that have gone to HSU. They go all the way back to the graduating class of 1941! I love that HSU is a small enough campus that they could fit the names of every graduate from 1895 on. What a cool tradition they started!

When we got home, we decided that since Jack & Harley are the best dogs in the world, they deserve the best dog house. So, we went and found them a log cabin, complete with a front porch, which Ryan put together last night. This is more for me than for the dogs. Now I won't feel as guilty leaving them when I go to work knowing that they have a place to get out of the weather and cuddle up. Obviously, when the weather is really bad they stay inside, but this way a little rain won't keep them from spending the day in the yard. Jack went right in, but Harley didn't know what to think. She was not happy with us at all. Hopefully she'll learn to love her new home!

Last but not least, my brother and Kendall finally closed on their new home that just happens to be 1 minute and 28 seconds from my house...and that's including a red light. They are so excited to be first time homeowners, and it's really fun that we're practically neighbors. My parents are glad because it's "one stop shopping" for them to come visit! The only downside is that I think my weekend plans now consist of painting and unpacking boxes. I knew I'd have to return the favor soon enough!

The Big 5-0

2007-10-09T19:01:00.000-05:00

I LOVE surprise parties, so I was very excited to get to go to my Uncle Garry's (yes, it's Garry with two "R"s) 50th birthday party at Joe T Garcia's. YUM!! My Aunt Julie did an awesome job putting it all together, and he had no clue. There were at least 100 of his family, friends, and co-workers that all managed to keep things quiet for at least 3 weeks, so I was pretty impressed. A few of his friends took him skeet shooting for his birthday that afternoon to keep him from suspecting anything, so he was mad that he was still in his "shooting clothes" for the party. My cousin Rachel surprised him by coming home from college for the party, so that was cool. I love living close to my family. I never got to do stuff like this for the 4 years we spent on the East Coast. I know I've been in the metroplex for over 2 months now, but it never gets old! Here are some pics from the big event.

SURPRISE!!!

Daddy's Girls

Officially "Over the Hill"

There are always margaritas when you party at Joe T's...my fav!!

My Aunt Julie & Me

My little cousins are suddenly all grown up!

Workin' Woman

2007-10-01T16:42:00.000-05:00

Well, I went back for a second interview today and found out this afternoon that I got the job! Woo Hoo!! I start tomorrow, and I'm SO excited about it. I am especially excited about my schedule because it's going to allow me to still do all of the accompanying for schools that I want to do on the side. It couldn't be a more perfect situation for me right now. I would say that God opened a door, but it was more like he grabbed me by the collar and THREW me through the door. This opportunity literally landed right in my lap, and I'm so blessed. Wish me luck on my first day tomorrow!

Blind Dates, Broken Dates, Fire Trucks, and Starbucks

2007-09-27T16:11:00.000-05:00

Let me explain...

No, I am not cheating on my husband, but I did have a "blind date" last night. We've been visiting churches, and a girl from FBC contacted me about a home Bible study she was going to be starting to see if Ryan and I were interested. We talked back and forth via email, and we realized that both of our husbands were out of town, so she asked if I'd want to meet up for dinner. I was so glad that she asked because I really haven't had many chances to meet people that live close to us. Since we haven't picked a church, and I'm still not working (more on that to come...) I have really been losing my sanity staying home! I'm out of money to shop with, I've decorated the house all that I can for the moment, and I've already learned my way around the area, so it's been a challenge lately. Not to mention, Ryan's job has been MUCH different than we thought it would be. So far, he has been out of town Monday through Friday every week since he started on August 1st. I see him on the weekends, and then he's off again. I shouldn't complain because at least he's not gone for 7 months and getting shot at, but it's still no fun. I was a little nervous about meeting a complete stranger for dinner. I didn't even know what she looked like! I felt like Meg Ryan in "You've Got Mail" when she sits at the table with a book and a rose on top of it...and then Tom Hanks sees that its her and stands her up. Yikes! Luckily, it wasn't like that in the least. We had a lot in common and conversation wasn't awkward at all. Whew!

So...I've been looking and looking and looking and looking for a job. I want something part time where I won't have to work weekends, and unfortunately that is ridiculously hard to find!! Anyway, my brother told me about a music secretary job opening at his church--30 hours per week, Monday through Thursday--PERFECT! So I got in touch with the music minister and sent my resume over. Well, last night on my "blind date", my new friend Chantel and I were talking about this job possibility and it turns out she and her husband are great friends with the music minister and his wife! So she was able to put in a good word for me. Small world, huh?!

Sorry, this story is so long and random, but anyway...I was getting ready to go meet Molly for lunch today when Andy, the music minister, called me to see if I could come interview at 2:00. Woo Hoo!! I was super excited...a little nervous...but mostly excited. I had to kindof rush lunch with Molly, but still managed to enjoy my tableside guacamole & tortilla soup...YUM!! So, I was driving to the interview, when I get a phone call...from Andy's wife. She called to tell me that Andy was stranded on I-20 waiting for a tow truck because his car had broken down. He didn't have my number because it was saved on his email up at the church, but luckily, his wife teaches with my new blind date friend Chantel. Chantel had my cell phone because we traded numbers last night, so she was able to call me and let me know that we had to reschedule. Crazy how things work out. If Chantel hadn't emailed me about this Bible study, and hadn't invited me to dinner, and we hadn't gotten each other's numbers, it would've been a big mess!

Okay, so bummer that I don't get to interview, but now I get to go shopping since I'm out anyway, right? So, I'm driving down 121, and I see something funny in the bed of the Dodge truck in front of me. I get a little closer and see that it's a flame. His truck is on fire and he doesn't know it!! I see the guy next to me speed up to flag this guy down and tell him to pull over, so while he does that, I call 9-1-1. I told them exactly what mile we were at and that the truck would be on the right shoulder. Anyway, the driver cut across 3 lanes of traffic, pulled off into the grass, and jumped out right as I see his truck go completely up in flames. It was engulfed with fire! I was so thankful that he jumped out in time! By the time I could pull over, it was too late to be much help, but I did hear sirens in the background, so I knew I had done what I could. SO SCARY!!

Well, I got safely home, and Andy called to reschedule the interview for 10:30 tomorrow (his day off) at Starbucks. Even better!! I'm praying SO hard that this is the job God had planned for me all along. It sounds almost too good to be true, so I'm trying not to get my hopes up. I'd appreciate your prayers, and I'll let ya know what happens. Thanks for putting up with my very long and random story.

My MAN!!!

2007-09-19T15:39:00.000-05:00

Molly tagged me to do this, so here goes...

The Game of Tag about your MAN:

1. Who is your man? Jared Ryan Thornton

2. How long have you been together? Married for 5, but 8 years total

3. How long did you date? We dated "unofficially" for about 3 months, and then we were "official" for 2 years and 2 months, then were engaged for 7 months.

4. How old is your man? 28

5. Who eats more? Well, it used to be him 100%, but after his last tour to Iraq, he doesn't eat as much. What happened?!?!

6. Who said "I love you" first? He did...FINALLY. I wanted to for about a year before he ever told me, but was too stubborn to give in. Stupid, huh?

7. Who is taller? Ryan by almost an inch!

8. Who sings better? Not to toot my own horn, but I think we would both agree that I do...no question. Ryan won't even let me hear him sing, but I think he can actually carry a tune.

9. Who is smarter? Both of us at different things. I'm smarter at English, spelling & random trivia kind of stuff, and Ryan's smarter at scientific things and real-life/practical stuff. We're a good balance.

10. Whose temper is worse? MINE...although I wouldn't want to be the one to make Ryan mad for the 1 in a million chance he does lose his temper.

11. Who does the laundry? Both of us, but usually me.

12. Who takes out the garbage? Usually me.

13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Harley & I do...Jack and Ryan sleep on the left, but when Ryan is gone (which is MOST of the time) the dogs and I sleep right in the middle. I learned in my military wife days that it's more depressing to have an empty half of the bed!

14. Who pays the bills? Me...always.

15. Who is better with the computer? Me...if our computer is messing up, I just ask Ryan to leave the room and it suddenly works. It's become a family joke that Ryan's presence makes computers crash. It's pretty hilarious.

16. Who mows the lawn? Lately it's been Ryan (praise the Lord!), but in North Carolina it was me or the yard guy I finally hired.

17. Who cooks dinner? Me. Geez...what's wrong with this picture?!?!

18. Who drives when you are together? Ryan...I think my driving terrifies him.

19. Who pays when you go out? Ryan...it's all the same account though, so it doesn't really matter does it?

20. Who is most stubborn? I'll have to admit, we are both equally hard-headed in different circumstances. Our children don't have a prayer!

21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Ryan

22. Whose parents do you see the most? Well, we see Ryan's more often for shorter periods of time since they live close, but we see mine for longer periods of time when we do see them...so I don't really know.

23. Who kissed who first? Ryan kissed me...while watching Austin Powers on the couch at my duplex our Sophomore year. The collar of his shirt got caught in my mouth, so now we have to re-enact that moment often. He also didn't call me the next day, so I thought it was over and that I was a bad kisser!! Obviously not.

24. Who asked who out? He asked me...in front of our entire speech class. I was mortified, but how could I say no?!? Smart guy.

25. Who proposed? He did.

26. Who is more sensitive? Me...absolutely 100%.

27. Who has more friends? I probably have more that I actually keep in touch with, but we're probably equal on that one.

28. Who has more siblings? Ryan...1 step-bro & 1 step-sis.

29. Who wears the pants in the family? Is it terrible for me to say that I think I might!?!?

I tag Robin, Natalie, Tiffani & Andrea

Friday Night Lights

2007-09-17T12:24:00.000-05:00

WARNING COOPER COUGAR FANS!!! I was a traitor of the worst kind on Friday night. I went to the Flower Mound Marcus game for the 10 year reunion of the '97 State Champions. Does anyone remember what happened in '97??? The Marcus Marauders traveled to Shotwell Stadium in Abilene and pummelled the Cougars, knocking them out of the playoffs. I hated them for it because we were supposed to have another shot at state our Senior year! The Marauders went on to win state that year, and little did I know I would fall in love with and marry #32 five years later. It's funny the way things work out.

So, on Friday night, the '97 State Champs were recognized at halftime of the Marcus vs. Mansfield game and were hailed by the announcer as "The best football team in Flower Mound Marcus history". Even though I'm a Cougar at heart, it was pretty cool to see Ryan reunite with his old football buddies and relive all those memories from their Senior year. I even refrained from wearing a Cooper shirt...mainly because I couldn't find one. There was a dinner before the game where they showed parts of the highlight video. Then all of the players and their wives had sideline passes and reserved seats in the end zone during the game. All of the current players came out at halftime and lined up for the '97 team to come shake their hands. Then the announcer called out each player's name. The stands were packed, and the guys received a huge standing ovation. After the game, they reserved a room for us at Life's a Beach in F-Mound where we ate, drank, and hung out telling old stories. It was so much fun!!

Here's Ryan scoring a touchdown in the State game 10 years ago, which set a record for the most TD's scored in a 5A state championship game in Texas! I think the record has been broken since then, but I can still brag on him if I want to.

Here's a few from the ceremony at Friday night's game:

5 Years of Wedded Bliss

2007-09-07T18:00:00.001-05:00

5 years ago today I married the man of my dreams and became Mrs. Jared Ryan Thornton. In ways it seems like we've been together our entire lives, but it also seems like just yesterday I was saying "I do." In five years we've been through more than some couples go through in a lifetime, and I'm incredibly blessed to have an amazing man to go through it with. We've lived in 5 different cities & 3 different states, bought 2 houses, 2 cars & 1 puppy, endured 3 military deployments totaling 26 months apart from each other, made it through 8 months of dive school in Houston, and now here we are. With all that we've been through, I feel like our life is just beginning!!

Last weekend (a weekend early), we "got away" for our anniversary even though it wasn't very far. We went to the Embassy Suites Outdoor World in Grapevine, which was the hotel we stayed at before flying to Mexico for our honeymoon. The first time we stayed there, we didn't get to relax much because we checked in at 11:00 pm after driving from Abilene after the wedding, and then we had to leave at 4:30 a.m. to catch our 5:45 a.m. flight. What were we thinking?!? Anyway, this time was much more relaxing, and we had NO schedule which was the best part. I must be the coolest wife ever to voluntarily book a hotel that is directly attached to Bass Pro Shop. There was definitely a magnetic force pulling Ryan to that store all weekend, and I patiently waited while he bought a new fishing pole, some tackle, and got his hunting license. How romantic! We went to a few wine tastings, ate good food, shopped, and just laid around being "us". That's my favorite thing to do!

More House Pictures

2007-08-31T10:14:00.000-05:00

For those of you who read my last post, I told you that I broke my camera in the process of taking pictures. To be honest, I was actually getting in the shower to take a picture of the master bathroom when I dropped it. Oops! BUT, I have to brag on myself and tell you that I performed "camera surgery" and got it working again! It isn't in 100% tip-top shape, but it takes pictures, so it'll do for now! Anyway, here are more pictures of the changes we've made to the house.

Here's the dining room before...

And here it is now. We've probably done the most in here. Thanks to Ryan and the guys for putting in our new floors, baseboards and light fixture!

This was the study...the dark maroon was so morbid and creepy! It made me claustrophobic. My mom was waiting here as soon as we closed on the house and helped me paint this room first!

Now it's Ryan's "man room" complete with Marine Corps, Dallas Cowboy, and cigar paraphernalia. The pictures didn't really get the color right...it's kindof a dark olive green, which turned out pretty cool.

The kitchen before...

And now...

The living room before...

We actually didn't change anything in the living room except for putting our own stuff in.

The master bathroom...

And the guest bathroom...

So that's what we've been up to the past month. Our door is always open for anyone who wants to come visit!

New House...New Camera?

2007-08-22T19:21:00.000-05:00

Well, I met Molly, Brittney & Quinn in Southlake today, and I was reprimanded for not having posted any pictures of what we've done on the house so far. My excuse was that I hadn't unpacked my camera charger until 2 days ago, and it was out of battery. So, I came home right away and started taking some pictures. I got through the guest bedroom, part of the master bedroom, and started on the master bathroom when CRASH...yep, I dropped my camera right on the lens on the bathroom tile and broke it. So, I managed to download these few pics before I threw my camera away. I'll go buy a cheap camera later and finish the "photo tour" of the house, but for now this will have to do. Oh, and the pictues I did get don't really do it justice. Oh well, here goes...

This is the guest room before:

We painted over the pink, and here it is now...

We also got rid of the lovely "periwinkle" in the master bedroom...

NOW...

You can see a glimpse of the aqua we painted in the master bath. That's the only shot I got before I broke the camera. :-(

So far we've laid wood laminate in 2 rooms, changed out all of the baseboards in the living areas, painted 5 rooms, installed a new fridge & dishwasher, and done lots of tedious "fixing" that needed to be done. Next step is putting in new lights in the entry, dining, and kitchen. After that, I'm afraid I'm going to be "cut off" before I can get new countertops. Until then it'll just have to be a work in progress. We really love being in a house again though, and it's great to be so close to everyone! Ryan hasn't gotten to enjoy it much because he's been out of town Monday thru Friday 3 weeks in a row. His new job is just about as crazy as the military was as far as travel goes. At least he's SAFER than in the Marine Corps days, so I can't really complain. OK, I'm off to justify buying a new camera!

Consider me Tagged...

2007-08-15T10:48:00.000-05:00

O.K. I was tagged by Tiffani to do this at least a week and a half ago (I haven't forgotten!), but seeing as how I'm finally not living out of boxes and I actually have internet, here you go...

The Rules:
1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

8 Random facts about me:

1. I am DEATHLY afraid of sharks. No, not just a little scared...I'm talking full out "selacaphobia", which is a clinical fear of large sea creatues. I can't look at a picture of one in a magazine without having a panic attack, much less watch a documentary on Shark Week or see a real live shark. Cartoon sketches are okay as long as they're "cute" sharks and not scary ones. I've stooped so low as to walking through an aquarium with my eyes closed and holding my mommy's hand when I was in high school. I've also passed out in the shower while listening to the water and imaginig a shark while I was washing shampoo out of my hair. Yeah, it's ridiculous. Did I mention that my husband scuba dives for a living?!?

2. I don't know what I want to be when I grow up. Seriously, I graduated college over 5 years ago and couldn't tell you what on earth I "do" for a living. We've moved so much over the past few years that I've always just plugged in and found something to do wherever we were. I am a free lance pianist/piano teacher who wants to open up a gift store all while being a real estate agent and staying home with my kids once we have them. Hmmm...I'm a little confused.

3. I am a "Ross-Stalker". Actually, I'm a Ross/Marshalls/TJMaxx/Tuesday Morning Stalker. I love bargain shopping, and I have been known to watch an item over the course of a few months to see when it goes on clearance. This may require hiding the item somewhere else in the store so that no one else gets it before me, and then going back repeatedly until either A.) I can afford it, or B.) it goes on clearance. I'm pretty much obsessed with it, and I attribute it all to my mother-in-law and my Aunt Julie. They are the QUEENS of bargain shopping!!

4. I love my puppies!! My two Jack Russell/Rat Terriers, Jack & Harley, are "people" in our house. They each have their own voice that Ryan and I have created for them, and because of that, neither one of them can say their R's very well. We have tried at least three times to get them to stop sleeping in our bed, but they finally won. When we moved into this house, we didn't even move their dog beds in. Instead we bought a bigger King-sized bed for all of us to share. Actually, they don't share...Ryan and I get the 1/2 of the bed that they aren't sleeping on. People tell me that this will change when we have children, but I'd like for someone to tell Jack and Harley that!

5. I love making lists. I make lists of things I've already done just so I can check them off. My family makes lists to occupy time on long road trips. We'll get out a sheet of paper and just start listing cars, or hotel chains, or restaurants, or cities in Texas. My brother and I used to make lists of all of the professional sports teams, and we would categorize them into their appropriate division. I could still probably name all of the MLB, NFL, and NBA teams and their divisions off the top of my head...thanks to making all of those lists with Brad! We're nerds. Ryan has not bought into this family tradition as much as I had hoped.
(FYI: There is a book called The Book of Lists. I should've written that book!)

6. I have many Obsessive-Compulsive Behaviors, but to name a couple: I type all the time...I type things that I see on a billboard, hear on TV, read in a magazine, think in my head...I type ALL THE TIME. I usually just type on my leg or the steering wheel or the table. I even backspace and fix it if I make a mistake because I'm too OCD to let it go! I also play the piano constantly. If I hear a song on the radio or in church, I try to figure it out and play it. A lot of times I make up my own part that would sound great if I was playing on a real piano instead of my leg! They're both just second nature, so I don't even notice it much. Sometimes I'll be holding Ryan's hand, and he will think I'm being sweet tickling his hand, but I assure him that I'm just typing or playing the piano! :-) Weird, I know.

7. I have cut DOWN to only 2 Diet Cokes per day. At one point in my life, this would have seemed impossible. If I had an IV of Diet Coke, I would be happy, but then again...I hate needles and pass out when I see them. (Does that fall under the OCD one before?) When I cut down to 2 Diet Cokes per day, I lost 7 pounds in 2 weeks. Amazing.

8. I am part of a Hardin-Simmons University cult that started in my family a long time ago. We seem to think it's the only place to find a spouse. I tried to be different and go to TCU instead of HSU, but after one semester I was sucked back in. My grandad went there and later taught there and met my grandmother there. My parents met there, and now my dad works there. Ryan and I met there. My brother & Kendall met there...and the list goes on 20 family members long. For a small Baptist school in West Texas, that 's a pretty long list, but I'm very proud to be on it.

OK, so there are my random things. I tag Robin, Andrea, Laura, Mav, and Brittney (although I think she's already been tagged) I know that's not 8, but it seems like everyone else has already been tagged, so if you haven't, consider yourself "it"!

Graduation, Goodbyes, Boxes, Boxes, and More Boxes

2007-07-27T11:26:00.000-05:00

First, I have to say Congratulations to my husband, who is now officially a "Master Scuba Diver"...the highest classification you can have in the diving industry!! He took his final yesterday, and finished #2 in his class, so Woo Hoo!!!! for Ryan. I'll post pics of his graduation (which is tonight) eventually, but we're going to be internet-free for the next few days as we turn off our utilities here, set them up at the new house, etc...you know how that goes.

This past week has confirmed for me that I HATE goodbyes. It doesn't matter how long, or short in this case, you live somewhere...you always become attached to something. On Sunday, we went to our last service at Crosspoint Church, which has been the hugest blessing during our time here in Houston. I will really miss playing for that early service that I always griped about having to wake up at 6:30 for. On Tuesday, I had to say goodbye to a perfect job and all of my wonderful co-workers, who I will truly miss. On Wednesday, I had my last "Jason's Deli Lunch with Rachel". We've been meeting for lunch every Wednesday for the past few months, and I am SO going to miss our girl talk over her turkey wrap with no sprouts and my chicken panini. ha ha! I guess it's always bittersweet to move, but it's nice to know that we made some great memories while we were here.

Anyway, I guess when we moved from our 3 bedroom house to this small apartment, I didn't realize how much we put in storage. I can't walk around my apartment there are so many boxes! HOLY COW...I don't know how it's all going to fit into our Uhaul on Sunday, but I'm praying for a miracle. Ryan's parents are coming in tomorrow to help us load and to drive Ryan's truck back to the metroplex so that he can drive the Uhaul truck Monday morning. I'm not sure how it's all going to work out yet, but I do know that by this time next week, we will be in our new house! I'm really excited to get settled in and finally make a place HOME. We've been looking forward to that for the past 5 years, and it's finally here!!! WOO HOO!!

Spoiled Rotten

2007-07-15T20:58:00.001-05:00

Yep, that's me...I was TOTALLY spoiled rotten on my birthday this year. Since Ryan was actually in the country for the first time in 3 years, he went all out. From a suprise dinner party, to breakfast in bed, to MORE presents than I needed, he gets an A+ in my book! Here are some pictures of me ringing in year #27!!!

A few couples from our life group surprised me at Carrabba's...I love, love, love their spaghetti and meatballs!! From left to right: Bill & Elisabeth, Steve & Diana, Ryan & me, Amber, and Rachel & Justin

I had 3 of these Sid Dickens tiles already, and Ryan completed my collection so that I can have them above my piano in the new house. I was SO excited...I can't wait to hang them up!

We went to Ryan's parents' over the weekend to take our first load of stuff (Woo Hoo!!) and celebrated mine & Kendall's birthdays in downtown Fort Worth Saturday night. I cannot wait until we're living so close to them!!

Brad goes broke in July because mine & Kendall's birthdays are 5 days apart. Lucky him. :)

Kendall's brother, Ryan, and his wife Emily. They live one neighborhood over from our new house!

Movin' on Up

2007-07-01T18:19:00.000-05:00

Wow...it's been a month since my last post. That is so irresponsible of me. It's not that I haven't had any news to blog about. It's just that I've been nervous to say too much about it for fear that something might go wrong. But, I'm taking a leap of faith and posting pictures of our NEW HOUSE!!!! 3 weeks ago, I went house hunting in Burleson with my mom, Kendall, and Kathy (Kendall's mom). Ryan couldn't go because of school and work. After looking at house after house after house of nothing that I really loved, I found it. I called Ryan when I got back to my brother's apartment and told him that I knew he'd love it and that I could see us making it home. It is a newer house, but in an established neighborhood with lots of trees and NO CONSTRUCTION going on around it! That's really hard to find these days! I showed Ryan pictures, and without ever laying eyes on the house, we made an offer on it. Talk about trust!! We were looking for a house that was move-in ready, but that we could still invest in making a lot better over about 3 years. There's something about blood, sweat, and tears that Ryan and I really love, so we're excited to get to work on it. You'll have to keep the "before" pictures in mind, and I'll be posting updates as we re-do a lot of things. The craziest, probably stupidest, thing about the fact that we already bought this house is that Ryan still hasn't signed on the dotted line about his job in Burleson yet. Yep, I guess that's what you call putting all of your eggs in one basket. We really did just take a leap of faith in purchasing it before all of the details are official, but I know that it's going to all work out. It's not the first time we've done something spur of the moment. So after lots of repainting, new floors, changing fixtures, and some other things, we hope to move in late this month, or August 10th at the latest. We have our apartment until then, and we can't afford a mortgage and our rent at the same time for too long. We can't wait to be closer to all the people we care about! You'll all have to come visit us!

Here are some "Before" pictures:

Here is the entry...where you see carpet, we'll be putting in wood floors to match the floors in the living room. We'll also get rid of the ugly brass light fixture.

Some things I love about this house are the windows, the molding, and the fact that none of the ceilings are square. This is the dining room...The ceiling fan will go away, and we'll put a chandelier in...wood floors in here also.

Our "maroon" study won't be maroon for long either...it'll get painted.

Lots of updating to do in the kitchen, but I'm excited about it! I love buying new appliances. And that light in the eating area has to go...it reminds me of a cheap pizza parlor or something.

My realtor, Bill, in the living room.

This is one I got off the internet, so all of the owner's stuff is still in there. We don't have to do much to this room...I actually like it the way it is! They did a great job with the molding and flooring, and I like the paint color too.

This pink room will be the guest room, but it won't stay pink.

Guest bathroom

This is what we are calling the "empty room" because I won't let anyone call it the "N" word. (aka. nursery) Perhaps it will be an "N" word while we live here, but for now, it's just the empty room. Nuff said about that.

My master bedroom, which will also get a paint job. Periwinkle blue just isn't my color.

The master bathroom...not huge, but really nice and bigger than any I've had so far!

Sorry, but you won't be able to swing on this swingset when you come visit...the dogs need their running room, so we're getting rid of it. We'll buy a nicer one when the time is appropriate. :-)

My golfing family is WAY excited about the golf course that is literally right behind the house. There are lots of walking (for me)/jogging (for Ryan) trails too, which is going to be really nice.

So, there you go. The pictures don't do it justice, but I'll keep you posted on all the changes we make. Please keep praying that nothing falls through!! :-)

I Do

2007-05-29T22:44:00.000-05:00

Ryan and I said our "I Do's" this past weekend. No...we didn't renew our vows. But, we did vow to be the best godparents we can possibly be to our godson, Lawrence William Gazes Jr., or "Willie" as we call him. When Robin called me back in March to ask if Ryan and I would be her son's godparents, I was blown away. Of course Ryan and I discussed it, but it didn't take much for us to agree to it!

Robin, Will, and their daughter Jackie Rose were our family in Virginia and North Carolina for the 4 and a half years that we were away from ours. We have spent holidays together, traveled to the Big Apple together, rivaled over the Redskins and the Cowboys, and endured 5 deployments between us. I watched Jackie Rose grow up, so it felt awkward to not be there when Willie was born this past January. I didn't know when I was going to get to meet him, but once we found out we were his godparents we made it a point to fly to Virginia over the Memorial Day holiday for his Christening. That made meeting him this past weekend even more special.

The ceremony was so precious, and Willie was really good for the most part. He didn't fuss until the priest splashed the holy water in his eyes and nose, which by the way was some HOT holy water! It burned me when it splashed on my hand, so I could only imagine how much his soft tender skin must have hurt. Bless his little heart...he's a trooper! How can you not love him with that red hair and those blue eyes?!? He is such a cute kid with such a fun little personality already. I am so proud, honored, humbled, and grateful to have such a precious godson. I can't wait to be a part of his life as he grows up in the Lord. I also consider myself blessed that this makes Ryan and me part of the Gazes family, and now we have a bond that distance can't separate. Robin, Will, Jackie Rose, and Baby Willie...We love you and miss you already!!

"For I know the plans I have for you...plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

2007-05-16T08:39:00.000-05:00

This has been the Thornton Theme Verse over the past 5 years as we've trusted God with a lot of blind faith through some pretty "up in the air" times. Once again, we find ourselves playing this waiting game, and it's almost funny. I say that I want to stay put in the next house that we buy and settle down a little, but I don't know if I'll know what to do with the stability! With as much moving around and flying by the seat of our pants Ryan and I have done, I know that I can trust God to "prosper us and not to harm us".

It reminds me of when we first moved to Virginia, and we were young, dumb, newly-weds, and we thought it would be a good idea to move ourselves to Virginia, with no help, and without finding a place to live ahead of time. What were we thinking!? We drove through the snow covered mountains of Tennessee...me in my Pontiac Grand Am packed so full that I couldn't see out of any windows and Ryan's truck pulling a Uhaul trailer with mattresses and a bike strapped to the top. We looked like a modern day version of the Beverly Hillbillies. Looking back, I can just see God rolling his eyes at us, and saying, "Kids these days..." and completely putting his hand of protection on us the whole way. When we got to Virginia, we rented the first apartment we looked at, and by some miracle, we were able to move in the very next day. After working for an apartment complex, I know how annoying that is.

All of this comes about because Ryan's interview went really well last weekend! He got some great feedback from the company and liked what they had to offer. They liked him too, and would've hired him on the spot if he had already graduated. Instead, they said that they will keep in touch with him until he graduates, and then he can plan to come work for them. They just can't make anything official until he has the credentials needed for them to sign him. So... It's a waiting game at this point, which I knew it would be. As positive as all of that sounds, I just find it hard to trust that he has the job if it's not on paper. It makes me nervous because I don't want to plan too much and then be let down. We can't buy a house because we don't have the "dollars and cents" of it spelled out yet, so we don't even know what price bracket we will fall into. We have an idea, but nothing set in stone. Our lease is up on August 10, so we need to have found something by the end of July so that we don't overlap our mortgage payment and rent payment more than one month. Going back to the verse...it gives me hope, yet sometimes drives me insane to know that all of these details are already worked out. God knows. But I want to know too!!! This is such a test of our patience right now, but I know that just like it's worked out before, it will work out this time.

Thanks for all of your prayers last weekend. Now, I'm just praying for patience and peace these next couple of months as we trust God and WAIT.

BIG Weekend

2007-05-10T12:06:00.000-05:00

Most of you know that we're desperately trying to get out of Houston and up to the metroplex as soon as possible. Really, Houston is not that bad...we've gotten plugged into a great church and met some wonderful people that I would really miss if we left. I now have a great job that is a perfect fit for me, and Ryan is doing what he loves. The company he works for now is really an excellent company...great benefits, good people, lots of variety. BUT...the only problem is that it's here. So, we started researching a little bit about a company in Burleson called U.S. Underwater Services, and found out that it could be a great opportunity for us. Who would've thought that you could be a deep sea diver based out of Ft. Worth?!? Anyway, Ryan went to the President of his school to find out a little bit more, and it turns out he and the owner of U.S.U.S. are good friends. Well, Ryan doesn't even graduate with his certification until the end of July, so it's too early to be job-hunting, but Ryan mailed them his resume anyway just so they would have it. And now you'll have to indulge me while I brag on him...Ryan got a call last week to come interview with them this Friday!!! He is the only one in his class so far to have gotten a serious interview with any company. He didn't even tell any of them because he didn't want to stir things up...it can be a pretty competitive industry. So, please be praying for Ryan Friday morning at 10:00. We're both praying that it will be a good fit, and that if it isn't, we'll be happy to stay with the company that he's with now. It's truly a win-win situation, and we are so thankful to even have this option to consider. Now we just have to not be selfish about it but to trust that God will put us right where he wants us.

Unfortunatley, I can't go with him because I have to work. It's Mother's Day weekend, and it's our busiest day of the year at the store. I actually don't mind working this weekend. It's so much fun helping these men shop for their wives. Some of them bring their kids, and others are by themselves. It's really sweet to see how thoughtful some of them are. And then there are those that are just like, "Here's $200...find my wife something she'll like, and wrap it, and put this card on it." Nice...really classy.

Thanks for the prayers about Ryan's job situation. Hopefully we'll be seeing some of you in the metroplex sooner than later!!

The End of an Era

2007-05-02T23:43:00.000-05:00

Three and a half years ago I purchased my favorite pair of flip-flops. You know when you have a pair of shoes that are so comfortable that they have molded to the shape of your feet? It's the best feeling to have those shoes that you can throw on with anything and just walk out the door. Well, this morning when I walked out the door to take the dogs out, Jack had other plans for my flip flops. As we rounded the corner, Jack spotted a very attractive female dog heading his way. He is NEVER interested in other dogs, but this black poodle struck his fancy for some reason, and he proceeded to wrap his leash around my leg three times and run in the opposite direction. As I was trying to get untangled from the leash while still keeping control of Jack, I stepped in a hole, twisted my ankle, fell down, and broke my favorite flip-flop beyond repair. In the midst of my embarassment (especially at the fact that my 15 pound dog got the best of me), I couldn't help but mourn the loss of my sweet Reefs that now lie in the bottom of my dumpster. Am I cheating on them to get another pair exactly the same??

Our Weekend

2007-04-22T17:13:00.001-05:00

We had such a nice & relaxing weekend. The weather was gorgeous, so we took full advantage and went to the zoo...along with every other Houstonian and their 12 children. It took half an hour to find a parking spot, but once we were finally in it was a lot of fun!

Ryan's favorite...the rhino!

These tigers were actually playing...something I don't think I've ever seen! Usually, they just lay around and make me mad. Those are some BIG kitty cats!!

This little baby elephant was so cute! It is the largest Asian elephant (FYI: they're the ones with the smaller ears) to ever be born in a United States zoo. He weighed 364 pounds when he was born!!! UGH. His momma was so protective and wouldn't let him out of her sight.

Here's my favorite. Her name is Lucy, and she's an Okapi. She was so adorable! I had never even heard of this animal before, but it's a relative of a giraffe but has zebra striped legs. Don't I sound like an elementary school teacher giving you all of these animal facts that I'm sure you already know??

Ryan and I were like two kids yesterday. After we went through the children's part of the zoo, we paid way too much for some Dippin' Dots because I have to have my banana split! YUM!!!

Cheyenne, the Orangutan. She just hung on that board, chewed on her grass and stared at everybody. We couldn't take our eyes off of her!

OK, we couldn't quit laughing at this crazy giraffe that kept licking the electric fence wire with its enormous tongue. I really hope he didn't find out the hard way that the wire is there for a reason. Ouch! I remember at the Abilene zoo, we used to feed the giraffes animal crackers from the bridge and they'd lick them up. One time, I put my own animal cracker down and licked it up off the same bridge the giraffes lick on all day so that I could "be like the giraffes". It's a wonder I'm still alive...disgusting.

After we saw all we could see at the zoo, we walked around Hermann park for awhile and enjoyed the beautiful afternoon. Then we went and drove through the wealthy older part of Houston and "Oohed and Aahed" over all the mansions that we dream of but never could afford. I wish every weekend could be that relaxing and carefree!

Yao Ming, Mohawks, & Magpies

2007-04-16T22:50:00.000-05:00

I was browsing through pictures of things I hadn't posted about, and I had completely forgotten to tell you all that I have had a revelation. I like basketball!! (As long as it's in person, or the Mavs on TV). How did I come to this realization? Well, Ryan got great tickets for FREE to a Houston Rockets game from a guy at work, so we decided to go because normal people don't turn down free tickets to anything. However, I was completely non-enthusiastic about going and begrudgingly gave up my night of watching the American Idol results show to go to a basketball game I cared nothing about. I still don't really care about the Rockets, but can I just tell you that I was on the edge of my seat for that entire game? I caught myself being so nervous and into the game that I had to make myself sit back and pretend I didn't care...after all, I hate basketball. I was so close to Yao Ming, and let me just tell you that seeing the tallest player in the NBA in person was pretty cool...even for a person who cares nothing about basketball. Ever since going to that game, I find myself actually stopping on a basketball game while channel surfing. Very weird.

Here's a picture of Yao Ming ... he would be the one that's 7'6" tall!

When we went to visit the Poe's over Easter, Matt was determined to give Quinn a mohawk with the tiny amount of "fuzz" on his head. You can kindof tell in this picture though...isn't that funny? Oh, and doesn't Uncle Ryan look cute getting him some "Q-Love" as he calls it?!

Here are a couple more pictures from our Easter weekend.

Ryan's parents in Penny's BEAUTIFUL garden. I love going to their house in the Spring because everything is blooming. I wish she'd pass her green thumb to me!!

Anybody wondering what a Magpie is? According to Webster, it is: 1. Any of a genus of birds related to jays , having black and white plumage and a long tail. 2. A chatterbox, a garrulous gossip. 3. Sarah's new workplace.

OK, so the last definition isn't really in the dictionary, but it is the name of the new store I'm working at now! I started my new job today at Magpie's Gifts in Bellaire, and I absolutely love it. It's so nice to be in a work environment that is actually pleasant and a place I enjoy spending my day. For those of you from Abilene, it's similar to Surprises. For those of you not from Abilene, picture a kindof trendy home decor, jewelry, candles, fun gifts, monogrammed bags type of store. Super cute! I'm just working there 3 days a week and every other Saturday, so it's the perfect job for this transitional time in my life...as long as I don't spend my entire paycheck there. UGH!! I prayed and prayed for God to open up a door, and just like he always does, he provided me with an opportunity that I couldn't turn down. His goodness never fails us, and I am constantly being reminded of that.

Fun-Filled Easter Weekend??

2007-04-12T08:51:00.000-05:00

I have to laugh when I think about our trip to the metroplex for Easter last weekend. It started off with me at Discount Tire getting a flat fixed the morning we were supposed to leave. Doesn't that always happen when you really NEED your car? Well, I guess Bryan (that was the Discount Tire guy's name) was in a happy mood because it was Good Friday or something because he didn't charge me, so that was nice! Ryan got out of school early, so we actually got an early start, which was a nice surprise. Not that it mattered...we sat in traffic just trying to leave Houston for 2 hours. It only takes us 4 hours to get to Dallas normally. We were both about to go insane, and Harley had already thrown up in the back seat. We had high hopes that the weekend had to get better. After all, we had tickts to the Red Sox vs. Rangers game, and I had bought a new Red Sox hat.

Our first stop was to see the Poes so that Ryan could meet Quinn. It was so much fun to see how much he had already changed. He looked so much more like a little person after just a week and a half! Ryan and I traded off holding him for awhile, then we sadly had to be on our way. I already can't wait to hold him again!! Oh...and of course it was great to see Brittney and Matt too! Brittney...you look SO good. :-)

We got to Ryan's parents house just in time to go out to eat for dinner. While we were getting ready my brother called. I assumed it was about the baseball game we were all going to Saturday night. Like I said, the Red Sox were in town, and sorry for all you Rangers fans, but my family goes to the "Red Sox" games...not the Ranger games. We cheer for the Rangers as long as they aren't playing the Red Sox! Even though the weather promised to be cold, I had come prepared with lots of layers. So back to the phone call...Brad calls and says, "Uh...we have a little problem. Actually, it's a big problem. I bought tickets for the wrong night." I tried not to be upset or laugh, both of which I really wanted to do. He hadn't just bought tickets for the wrong night, he had bought FOURTEEN tickets for the wrong night. It was my Dad's birthday present from my brother to get the whole family together for the game. The company wouldn't let him trade his tickets, so long story short, we didn't go to the game after all. Instead, we all went to Babe's in Burleson, which is a really fun family-style restaurant. Then we went to Kendall's brother & sister-in-law's house for coffee and to watch the rest of the game in the warmth of their home. We gave Brad a pretty hard time about it, but it was all in fun. We felt so bad for him though!! At least we weren't watching the game in the snow. Can you believe we had snow in April?!?

The next morning, Ryan's parents and I got up to go to church. We left extra early because it was Easter and we knew everyone and their dogs would be there. Surprisingly, we found a great parking spot, so we knew that we had gotten there early enough. HA! We got inside and they were closing all the doors to the sanctuary and telling people (very rudely might I add), "This section's closed." I wanted to say "Happy Easter to you too!" but I refrained. They weren't even adding extra chairs or anything, so I was a little annoyed that they weren't trying very hard! Seriously, didn't they know that I hadn't gotten to go to the Red Sox game last night?!? The only seats that were left were single seats scattered all over the room, and none of us really wanted to sit alone on Easter, so we decided to go to the overflow room with everyone else who was being shut out. Trying to keep a good attitude, we found our seats among the screaming babies and badly behaving children (whose parents I wanted to strangle, but again....I refrained). It was Easter Sunday--one of my favorite Sundays of the year--and I found myself getting a really bad attitude about having to watch the service on a TV screen. I mean, all these "once a year Christians" were taking all the seats! Then, I stopped and thought. Maybe someone who had never been to church a day in their life was sitting in "my" seat in the sanctuary. Maybe they were supposed to be there instead of me. Maybe it was more important for them to hear the sermon away from the distractions in the overflow room. So, in the midst of my crazy Easter, I did have a moment where God showed me that it isn't all about me. I think I needed that.

The rest of our trip was uneventful. We had Easter lunch at Ryan's Aunt Julie's house with all of his family, and it was so good to see everyone. Our drive home was traffic-free, and Harley didn't even get sick. It's nice to know that even though our plans didn't quite pan out, we still had a nice weekend. I'll never let Brad forget about those tickets though! :-)

The Poe Family

2007-03-31T11:59:00.000-05:00

I think I'm still in awe, but on Tuesday I got to watch "Matt & Brittney" become "Matt & Brittney & QUINN"!! The whole day was just such an amazing miracle to witness, and I was so incredibly proud of my sweet best friend. She was amazing through her entire pregnancy, labor, and now motherhood! It seems almost surreal that Brittney is a MOM, but it totally fits her. And yes, maybe I am admitting more than I should, but Quinn gave me more of a glimpse of baby fever than I have ever experienced...I didn't say a full out case of it, but definitely a glimpse. (I dare anyone who holds him to tell me otherwise! :) I'm already looking forward to seeing him again. I know he will have changed so much in just a couple of weeks. Here are a few pictures of Quinn's arrival day.

One of my favorite moments of the day was seeing Matt come out with the HUGEST smile on his face to tell us that "Q-Dawg/Q-Dizzle" (as Matt refers to Baby Quinn) was finally here!

When Molly, Shannon, and I went back for the first time, all we could do was Ooh and Aah over this precious little boy. He is so sweet!

Baby Quinn with his Aunt Sarah...isn't he cute in his little basketball cap?! I'm sure he will always be the best dressed baby everywhere he goes!

My favorite part about this picture is Quinn's perfect little lips! Aren't they precious??

The proud Poe family...all THREE of them!

On another happy note my last day of work was Friday, so I am officially on Cloud 9...No, I think I'm on Cloud 999! I feel such a weight off my shoulders even though I'm job hunting again. Ryan and I went to celebrate my new found freedom last night by going to dinner at Lupe Tortilla and then to see "Blades of Glory" which provided just the laugh I needed. There is something about watching 2 straight men ice skating together in spandex that just puts you in a good mood.

Sigh of Relief

2007-03-20T22:21:00.000-05:00

This is actually kindof old news for a few of you, but I decided I'd finally post about it. Most of you know that I haven't been happy with my job since day one. It looked great on paper, sounded like something I might be interested in, and the interview process made me really excited for the opportunity. But...sometimes things aren't quite what they appear. The leasing industry is definitely not for me, and my work environment was insane. I actually did pretty well and closed several leases, but I just didn't feel good about myself at the end of the day. If anything, I will consider this a 2 month learning experience. First, I've learned that I am NOT a salesman. I've also learned that I don't have to put up with crap from people. I hate to even say that "I quit" because that just isn't like me. However, I feel that I gave it as fair of a shot as I possibly could, and made a wise decision to put in my notice last week. I'm going to finish out the month unless they find someone sooner, and I'm definitely relieved about it. I was worried that I would regret quitting as soon as I did it, but ever since I put in my notice I have felt like myself again, which is a pretty good feeling. So THANKS to all of you who put up with my mood swings the past 2 months. I'm back to the drawing board again and looking for something (probably just part-time) for the next few months until we move.

Speaking of moving...Ryan found out about a dive company in Burleson (just outside of FORT WORTH!!!) I don't want to jinx anything, but we are doing some serious researching and praying about Ryan getting on with this company. Not only would he get to do everything he loves about diving, but we could be in the metroplex, which is something we didn't see happening for at least another 3 years. He graduates in July, so all of this is going to start happening really fast I'm afraid. Just be praying that we make the right decision. If we need to stay in the Houston area with the company he's with now, I will be fine with that too. I just want what's best to work out. It's exciting to think about though!

Anyway, this past weekend, Brad & Kendall came to visit. We always have a lot of fun together, and I couldn't be happier for my newly-wed brother & sister-in-law. I love them so much! We got tickets to the musical "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" because my lifelong friend (and Broadway STAR!) Luke Longacre was playing Caleb in the show. He did such a great job, and I'm always so proud of him! I was mad that I left my camera in the car...stupid me...so I didn't get a picture with him after the show. Here's a picture of the 4 of us though.

Quinn's Shower & Yee Haw!!!

2007-03-12T18:31:00.000-05:00

First of all, I was the only one out of Brittney, Thompson, and Molly to not post pictures of Brittney & Quinn's precious baby shower 2 weekends ago (yes, I'm REALLY behind). So, even though it's late, I have to share. It was SO much fun spoiling this sweet baby that we don't even know yet. We can't wait to meet him though! I'm especially fond of our new "tradition picture" that will be taken when each of us is pregnant. I don't know what's going to happen if two of us are pregnant at the same time because the pregnant one is supposed to stand on the end. Hmmm....we'll have to cross that bridge IF & when we get there!

Is she not just the most beautiful mommy-to-be ever?? We should all be so lucky!

OK, so after the weekend of the shower, Ryan and I decided that we needed to take advantage of living back in Texas. So, we got tickets to the Houston rodeo and Pat Green concert last Friday night. It was a lot of fun! I hadn't been to a rodeo since college, and it was the Abilene rodeo, so this was a lot bigger and better. Anyway, we got there in time to see barrel racing, bull riding (YIKES!), the calf chases (which were hilarious), and the chuckwagon races. Pat Green was really good, and Jack Ingram made a guest appearance, so that was fun. It took me back to our college days when we used to country dance at the "Mansion" (Ryan's fraternity house) every Thursday night.

Here's a shot of the bull rider who won. We definitely had "nose bleed" seats, so my pictures are taken from really far away with as much zoom as possible, and they're still horrible! Oh well...we had fun!

I hate to admit it, but I think when Ryan goes with the "redneck look" he is so stinkin' hot! I love when he wears a little bit of scruff on his face and a pearl snap shirt. :) In the picture below, can you see the kid in the middle that is hanging on to the calf's tail and is being drug around the whole arena?! It was freakin hilarious.

Fun Weekend

2007-02-27T18:30:00.000-06:00

As boring as my life is lately, it's almost embarassing to post. Seriously...I go to work, come home for lunch to let the dogs out, go back to work until 6, drive home wishing that I had thought of something to fix for dinner because it probably means it's going to be another "take out" night, watch whatever guilty pleasure is on TV that night, iron my "work clothes" for the next day, and go to bed. I've been struggling so much lately with my work situation, and Ryan is an absolute saint to have put up with my drama everyday. Thank goodness for his sake my parents came to town this past weekend! It was so great to see them. It had been since Brad's wedding that I had gotten to spend any time with them, so it was overdue for sure. It's amazing how a little dose of good ole Mom & Dad makes everything better. We shopped, ate good food, the guys played golf, and we went to the Kemah boardwalk on Sunday. The weather was beautiful, and it made me wish I had a Spring Break coming up! I should've taken pictures, but I totally forgot...shame on me! It was a great weekend and a nice way to break up the normal routine.

Taste of the Real World

2007-02-07T18:53:00.000-06:00

Well, the first 3 days of my new job have officially given me a taste of the "real world", and I think I've decided that I'd like to go back to the fantasy world I was living in. Never in my life have I been so glad that it's Wednesday...and I still have 2 more days to go! UGH. No, I think once I get the hang of things I'll enjoy my work more, but right now I'm feeling very overwhelmed and helpless. There's so much to grasp so quickly that I feel lost most of the time. I guess that's normal??? Next week, I'll go to Austin for a 4 day company orientation, so hopefully things will start "clicking" more by then. Maybe I'll start recruiting some more piano students soon. I liked my perfect little world from the past 3 years where I was my own boss and I could make my own schedule. Ahhh...those were the days.

2 Checks in the Box

2007-02-01T22:37:00.000-06:00

OK, Molly...I'll update. I've had a lot going on...geez. Just kidding...I need you to keep me on my toes.

Okay, in my last post I asked all of you to pray about my job situation, and well...God definitely heard you. Today, I had my 3rd and FINAL interview, which went really well. I felt good about it and drove home knowing that I couldn't have any regrets about my interview process. Then, about 2 hours later, I got a call and they offered me the job!!!!!! There were two positions open, one in Houston and the other in Sugar Land. Obviously, I wanted the one in Sugar Land because of convenience, but I would have gladly accepted the Houston job as well. Turns out I get the Sugar Land property, so it's the best case scenario. I feel like a ton of weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Now, when people ask "Who do you work for??" I can actually answer them! I am officially a leasing consultant for Gables Residential. I'll have to get used to a "big girl job", but I'm excited and ready for it.

On top of that, my amazing and generous husband let me buy a new car last weekend. Finally!!! We have been keeping our eyes out for an SUV, and I had a few in mind that I wanted to test drive. So, on Saturday we went out to "just look". Ha! Famous last words. I drove a few vehicles, and of course fell back in love with my first love...a black Jeep Grand Cherokee. (For those of you who didn't know me in high school and college, I drove a green Jeep for 6 years...until I flipped it 3 times!) I wasn't desperate to get a car right away, but it was too perfect to pass up. I'll post pictures later because she's in the shop getting new tires put on. Her name is "Jazzy" and she's beautiful! :-)

So, that's what's been going on with me. New Job...New Car...2 checks in the box! Lots of new stuff to be excited about. Thanks for all of your encouragement during this job hunt. You're all wonderful, and I love you dearly.

Will Work for Food

2007-01-24T15:18:00.000-06:00

Ha ha, just kidding...I'm not that broke yet! Actually, my blog today is to ask anyone who reads this to pray REALLY hard about a job possibility that I have. I interviewed last Friday for a position with Gables Residential. It's a huge company that owns apartments and condos all over the U.S. (my apartment being one of them). It sounds like the perfect job for me, and I would get to do a variety of things rather than being stuck behind a desk. I'd be showing apartments and setting up leases primarily, but there's some other stuff too. Anyway, I felt pretty good about my interview on Friday.

Then, the lady I interviewed with called me and set up a 2nd interview for today at 2:00. It was with a different person this time, so I was nervous... especially since it was a second interview. I found out that they asked 11 people to come back and interview, which is about half of what they started with. And, there will probably be a 3rd interview. Ugh!! So, I just got back and I feel pretty good about it. I'm kindof to the point where if I don't get the job, I'll know that I put my best foot forward, and it'll be okay. BUT, at the same time, it made me want the job even more. There's lots of potential to move around with this job, which is good for Ryan and me. We never know where we're going to be living next!

I have been praying so hard for the Lord to show me what he wants me to do. Lately, I've been content to look for an easy job just to fill up time and make some money while Ryan is in school. But, I feel like I have a degree and haven't really gotten to use it these past 4 years. This job opening fell into my lap out of the blue, and I know that I've been given the opportunity for a reason. It's not even a job I had ever thought about doing, and all of a sudden I feel so strongly that it's something I would enjoy. At this point, it's hard not to get my hopes up, but I know better than that. So, I'll keep you posted. Hopefully I'll hear something in the next couple of days.

Time Flies When You're Having Fun??

2007-01-17T22:29:00.000-06:00

I don't know if it's all been FUN, but time sure has flown by since we left our house in North Carolina. It's all been such a blur, but I am finally feeling settled in here in Sugar Land. Here's the long and short of our past 2 months. After spending the night on the floor of our empty house, we drove for 2 days to Tyler to drop our trailer off, then went to Abilene, then went to Flower Mound, then back to Tyler to pick up our stuff because our apartment was ready. We drove down to Sugar Land...nervous the entire way because we had NO idea what to expect from our apartment. We had only seen pictures of it online, and it was pretty crazy to know that we had paid all of our deposits and we were STUCK with it...even if it was horrible. Luckily, it's not horrible. It's not perfect either, but we can definitely handle it for another 7 months. Getting used to apartment life again has been interesting. I miss my yard, and so do the dogs. I miss my garage (not that I parked in it or anything) but there just isn't any storage room here! I miss walking out to my mailbox every day. I guess that missing all these things will make me even more appreciative when we're back in a house again. Hopefully sooner than later.

So, after quickly unpacking boxes for 3 days, we got back in the car to go to Molly and Peter's wedding. I wouldn't have missed it for the world! I was beyond excited that it worked out for Ryan and I to actually get to go to a wedding TOGETHER...that doesn't happen very often. But even more than that, I was completely psyched to see one of my best friends for the past 15 years marry the man of her dreams. As tired as I was from all the chaos of the past 2 weeks, I couldn't have been happier to be a part of her special day. It was all so beautiful!

We came back to Sugar Land the next day and continued unpacking and doing what little Christmas shopping I found time for. We spent another 4 days at the apartment and then packed our bags for 2 weeks. Our first stop for Christmas was Abilene. We celebrated early to give Brad & Kendall time for last minute wedding details in Ft. Worth. It was so much fun to all be together. It makes me even more excited to think about Christmases with the "new" Joneses in the future. On Christmas Eve we drove to Flower Mound and spent Christmas with Ryan's family. Everyone spoiled us more than they should have of course! We spent the next couple of days relaxing, which was just what we needed. Then we switched over to "wedding mode"!

When Brad & Kendall got engaged in Dec. 2005, they said that they would wait to get married until Ryan got back from Iraq. I don't know many people who would schedule their wedding plans around their brother-in-law, but it meant the world to us that they wanted Ryan to be a part of their wedding so much. So, when everyone was rushing around and trying to do Christmas AND wedding in one week, all we could do was blame it on Ryan! Everything about their wedding was so much fun. Even though I was a complete basketcase and could cry at the mention of the words "little brother", the weekend was pretty relaxing. It poured rain the day of the rehearsal dinner, but the weather cleared up perfectly for the big day. My new sister-in-law was absolutely stunning, and my little brother cleaned up pretty well too. I couldn't be happier for them.

On New Year's Eve, we woke up and drove back to Sugar Land...hopefully for the LAST time for awhile! Ryan started the Ocean Corporation on January 2nd and is really enjoying it. I haven't ever seen him be such a good student before, so he must really love what he's studying!
I've spent the past 2 weeks job hunting...something I'm finding out that I don't enjoy too much. A few promising things have popped up, but nothing final yet. Ryan on the other hand just got hired at Deep Marine Technology, Inc. This will be a great job for him to get his foot in the door in the dive industry, so I'm really proud of him!

So, here we are...FINALLY Texans again, and FINALLY caught up on our blog. This teaches me a lesson to NEVER get this far behind again!!

Last Post from North Carolina!

2006-11-20T21:08:00.000-06:00

They'll be taking our computer tomorrow, so I figured I better update my blog before our trip home. Yep, the day is almost here. Our movers come tomorrow and pack us up, then they come back on Wednesday to move us out. We'll load our trailer on Thursday, and then start driving on Friday. Did I mention that we'll be doing all of this in the middle of a "noreaster" or some crazy winter storm that's supposed to cause lots of rain and wind the next three days...Perfect. Nothing could rain on our parade though! We can't wait to be home again, although leaving Camp Lejeune has been a little more difficult than we planned. We really have made some great memories and met some wonderful people, and that makes it hard to say goodbye. I had coffee with two of my dearest friends this morning, Jen & Amanda, and it's hard to imagine Starbucks without them!

Ryan wanted to make sure I mentioned that Jack is looking VERY forward to being a Texas dog again, and Harley is excited because she's never been a Texan but has heard lots of great stories. They both can't wait to see all their friends and family!

It'll be awhile before I blog again, so don't get on my case! (You know who you are!!) I'll keep you posted as our journey home continues. Until then, Adios North Carolina...Hola Tejas!

No Time to Blog!

2006-11-15T21:18:00.000-06:00

I've been bad...I know. I haven't updated since we sold our house. I guess that's been what's kept me so busy lately because I swear it feels like yesterday that I posted that blog! Goodness. Life around here is officially nuts. There are so many crazy details involved with checking out of the Marine Corps and moving halfway across the country. I'm still teaching piano up until next Tuesday, and praise the Lord I had my last high school concert last night! What a relief. We also made a trip to Texas for Molly's shower, Kendall's shower, and HSU homecoming. It was so great to see everyone, and it made us even more excited to hurry up and move home.

Last weekend, we drove up to Virginia basically to have some closure to this whole Marine Corps experience. Quantico, Virginia is where it all began when Ryan went to Officer Candidates School in 2001. It's crazy to think that we were just dating then! We never could have imagined all that we would go through over the next 5 and a half years...good and bad. After we walked around Ryan's "old stompin' grounds" as he calls it, we drove up to Annapolis to see my friend Joanna. It was so good to see her, and as always she blew me away. Her husband, John, and Ryan were in Infantry Officers Course together. He was killed in Iraq in April 2004. She is one of the most optimistic and inspirational people I know. She has taken what was the lowest point in her life and developed a passion for helping other widows and family members in her situation with an organization called TAPS...Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. It's incredible to see how far she's come in 2 years. After Joanna's, we drove out to Robin & Will's new house in Manassas, VA. I got to go to Robin's baby shower, which was lots of fun. The Gazes' have been friends and "family" to us since we first moved away from Texas, so we didn't say goodbye to them...just "see ya later". Even though we'll be a few states apart now, they're stuck with us for life whether they like it or not! ha ha Before we headed home on Sunday, we knew we had one more stop to make. Unfortunately we know several people buried at Arlington Cemetery, so we went to pay our respects. It is so humbling to even set foot on that place. I can't stomach the fact that gravestone upon gravestone were names we know...my friends' husbands, Marines Ryan served with, Marines who taught him, and Marines he led. All I could do was thank God that I was standing there with my husband who is home SAFE and healthy. I will never take that for granted as long as I live.

So...here we are 5 days before our movers come, and we have offically packed 3 boxes. Yep--that's it. I guess I still can't believe that in one week, we will be sitting in an empty house. Our furniture will be loaded and on its way to Houston, and we'll be following shortly thereafter with the last of our things. We'll technically be "homeless" for 2 weeks because we can't move into our apartment until December 8th. It'll be fun seeing family and enjoying some "us" time though. We are supposed to close on our house on Monday, the 20th, but things don't always work according to plan, so I'm praying daily for patience, sanity, and as little stress as possible. Hope you enjoyed the update...I'm going to go pack now. :-)

SOLD!!!

2006-10-19T12:46:00.000-05:00

We've been so busy trying to get ready to move back to Texas that I haven't blogged in awhile, but we got really good news this week that I just have to share. WE SOLD OUR HOUSE!!! I had been so nervous about it because we wanted to sell it ourselves without going through a realtor. But, I just didn't know if it would be too much of a hassle and it we'd have any luck. Well, last week, one of Ryan's platoon commanders came over after work to look at the house. Then, he brought his girlfriend with him on Sunday to look at it. On Monday, he told Ryan that he was pre-approved for a loan and wanted the house!!! So, we sat down on Tuesday night and started all of the paperwork. I didn't even get to put a "For Sale" sign out in the front yard! I can't tell you what a huge load off our shoulders this is. And it's kindof cool that our friends Mike & Amber bought it, so we know that we'll be leaving our first home in good hands! On top of that, we've just about settled on an apartment in Sugar Land that should work for us and our puppies for the 7 months Ryan will be in school. The logistics of moving across the country are just crazy, but thank goodness things are really starting to line up for us. I can't wait until all of this is behind us and we can just be HOME.

Brad's Visit

2006-09-28T09:24:00.000-05:00

I know I'm really late posting this, but what's new?! Last week, Brad took a few days off work to come visit us. I'd like to say that he came to see me, but I have a feeling he REALLY wanted to see Ryan. It had been since New Years that they had gotten to hang out, so we were so excited that he decided to spend his vacation days in North Carolina. The weather was beautiful, so we hung out at the beach, played football (despite Ryan's hamstring injury!), and cooked out. It was really relaxing for all of us...I think we all needed it! I'm so lucky that Ryan and Brad are such good friends. It's going to be so much fun when he and Kendall get married, and the 4 of us get to spend even more time together. Here's a picture of Brad with his neice and nephew who LOVE their "Uncle Brad" very much!

A Day at the Beach

2006-09-17T18:49:00.000-05:00

Let's just say that Jack is his Daddy's boy, and Harley is her Momma's girl. Jack would chase the waves and swim in the ocean ALL day long just like Ryan would. Everyone on the beach stops and watches him...he's definitely the star of the show. Harley, on the other hand, didn't enjoy the water too much. Maybe she's scared of sharks!! She hates to be dirty, so she spent most of the afternoon licking sand off of her paw and "sunbathing". Jack was devastated when it was time to leave, but I'm sure we'll be back soon enough.

HOME AT LAST!!!

2006-09-12T11:30:00.000-05:00

I guess it's about time I post some homecoming pictures! Let's see...on Monday the 4th, everyone started getting into town, so I knew it was really happening...Ryan was coming HOME. Ryan's parents flew in, and Robin, Will, & Jackie drove down from Virginia. We all went to hang his welcome home signs on the highway, ate dinner together, and tried to get to bed early. Ha ha!! The anticipation was literally just as much (if not more) as I felt the night before my wedding, so sleep was the farthest thing from my mind. At 1:30, I finally fell asleep, then popped out of bed at 3:30 to start getting ready.

By 6:45 am, we were all up at the battalion waiting to see him for the first time. It was horrible weather...rainy and humid...but nothing could ruin this day for us! It seemed like FOREVER, but finally at 8:15, we saw the Marines start walking up from the armory. It took me a little while to pick Ryan out, but as soon as I did, you better believe I was running across the parking lot like a crazy person! I could try to describe how amazing it was to see his face and hold him for the first time in 7 months, but words can't do that. It's just the best feeling in the world to know that he's safe and back in my everyday life again. The little things are what I missed most, and now that he's home, I'll never take them for granted. Knowing that this was his last deployment makes it even better!

We spent the next few days unpacking, looking at pictures, eating good food, playing with the dogs, and just spending time with everyone. Then this weekend, we got to celebrate our anniversary at the beach, which was wonderful! I never thought he'd be home in time for that, so it was icing on the cake. I find myself looking at him and pinching myself to see if he's really here. Then, at times, I feel like he never left. Even though Ryan is home, the majority of the battalion is still in Iraq for a couple more weeks, so keep them all in your prayers.
Here are some pictures of the past week.

MORE PICS

2006-09-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

My Busy Summer

2006-08-01T10:47:00.000-05:00

I know, I know...my last post was over 2 months ago. I don't know where June and July went! I had such a great trip home to Texas. It was wonderful seeing so many of my friends and getting to spend time with my family. My parents were nice enough to drive me back, and my dad spent a lot of time checking things off of my "honey-do" list. I forget how nice it is having a man around! Just going back for a month made me so excited to be moving back to Texas in December. It can't come soon enough!

After I got back from Texas, I went to Virginia to visit Robin, Will, & Jackie. We went to the Kenny Chesney concert on Friday night, which was a blast. Then we pretty much played Trading Spaces in her new house for one LONG day on Saturday. It was so much fun to watch her house begin to look like a HOME. It's really coming along, and it should be perfect by the time their baby comes in January. I miss having her across town, but it's great to be able to go visit.

Early last week, I got probably some of the best news of my life. Ryan is coming home advanced party, which means he should be home shortly after Labor Day rather than at the end of September!!! That means the countdown is really on! In just over a month I will have my husband back for GOOD. Luckily, I have plenty to keep me busy this month until he gets home. I started teaching piano lessons again yesterday, so that puts me on a schedule, which I definitely need. I've also learned that I start losing my mind about 2 weeks before homecoming, and I become this psychotic obsessive compulsive person about making my house perfect, so I'm sure that will take over pretty soon. Watch out everyone!! Until then, I'll try to be better about keeping my blog updated, and I'll post some pictures soon.

My Hottie Husband

2006-05-30T19:58:00.000-05:00

Oh goodness, Ryan will TOTALLY kill me for that title, but I just had to say it. Doesn't he look so great?!? I'm posting these pictures to commemorate the fact that he has been gone 3 months now, so time is slowly ticking away. By the time I finish out this school year, make my trip to Texas, and spend a couple of weekends with Robin in Virginia, this deployment will be over before I know it! In the 1st picture, that's the Euphrates River in the background...pretty cool. In the 2nd picture, you'll see a box of girl scout cookies...random, I know. A girl scout troop sent his company cases of cookies to share with all of the Marines, and they also sent a camera requesting pictures of the Marines enjoying the cookies. So, Ryan made sure to take a picture with the cookies and a grenade launcher...what a pair. I'm sure the girls loved it!

New York City!!

2006-05-23T16:36:00.000-05:00

Molly and I had a BLAST in the Big Apple this past weekend. We saw 3 shows, shopped, shopped, ate, and shopped some more. We saw "The Light in the Piazza" the first night we were there, and it was really good. The music is beautiful & we got 1/2 price tickets, so I'm glad we went. Then, on Friday night, we saw Julia Roberts, Paul Rudd, and Bradley Cooper in "Three Days of Rain". To be honest, the play wasn't my favorite in the world, but I still couldn't get over the fact that I was seeing Julia Roberts in person!! Who cares if the play was good or not?!? On Saturday, we saw "The Drowsy Chaperone" which is up for Best Musical at the Tony's this year. It was hilarious...one of my favorite musicals by far! The whole trip was a great get-away from life here in North Carolina, and I was thrilled to get to spend the weekend with Molly. It was tons of fun! Everytime I go to New York City, I think I want to move there. It's just so energetic, and there's culture and great shopping everywhere you turn around! Then, I come back to my cozy house, my sweet puppies, my yard (not too many of those in NYC), and sometimes my husband (when he's in the country!), and I realize how much I love my life. We had a great time, but it's good to be home.
Here's an assortment of pictures from the trip:

Molly & me in Times Square

Being silly in the cab...that kiss is for you Ryan!

We just saw Julia Roberts! HOLY COW!!!

2006-05-23T16:15:00.000-05:00

When we first got to New York, we grabbed a snack and took it out to Central Park to eat. Well, of course (because I have horrible luck with weather) it started pouring rain, so we decided to walk back to the restaurant. I'm SO glad we did because we saw Ty Pennington walking right toward us! We were such idiots and couldn't juggle our umbrellas and cameras very well, so I just got a really far away picture of him (that's him with the khaki jacket and big black umbrella) going to meet some really pretty blonde girl. Hmmm...wonder who she was.

We are so lucky that our friend Luke lives in New York City so that we could stay for free! We felt like locals taking the subway from Queens into Manhattan everyday. This is Luke with his broken foot. He just landed his 2nd role on Broadway in a show called "The Times They are a Changin" that opens in August!

Look familar?? That's Paul Rudd (from Friends, Anchorman, & 40 Year Old Virgin). He was awesome in the play with Julia Roberts!

2006-05-23T16:07:00.000-05:00

OK...I know you really can't see her, but I promise that's Julia Roberts in the back seat of her Escalade...Crazy!!

I don't know if I'm at liberty to explain why Molly was passed out in the back of the cab. You can ask her about this one!

Random picture in Times Square

In Honor of Brad

2006-05-14T01:36:00.000-05:00

Here's a little blog tribute to my brother, Bradley Lane. Today, he not only turned 22 years old, but he also got his college diploma! That's a pretty good birthday present if you ask me. I also have to mention that we have matching tassels since we both got Business degrees from HSU. Do you know what they call that icky, brownish color? DRAB. Yes, that's right...we have "drab" tassels and we're proud of it! I wish SO badly that I could've been there, but it just didn't work out. Luckily, he had quite a crew in Abilene to help him celebrate. He has quite a year ahead of him. For a graduation gift, he and 2 of his friends are going backpacking all over Europe. So much fun!!! On top of that, he deserves all of this celebrating because he got offered a "real person" job where he'll actually get to use his Finance degree. He'll be moving to the metroplex (that's Dallas/Ft. Worth for you non-Texas people who read this). Then, on December 30th, he and Kendall get married! What a great year for him! Sorry for all of the bragging, but big sisters are entitled to do that if they want. Keep him in your prayers these next few weeks as he's traveling through Europe, sleeping on trains, not changing clothes very often (gross), and enjoying "bachelor's life" for one last summer! I'm proud of you little brother... Happy Birthday & Graduation!!!

My Future Sister-in-Law (Kendall) & Brad

Ryan Gibson & Brad...one of the friends he's going to Europe with

Brad & My Parents...not pictured is ME (insert sad face here)

Girls' Night

2006-05-09T21:40:00.000-05:00

I invited Robin & Jackie Rose over for dinner Monday night, and they beat me there, so I actually got to come home to people! It was so much fun after a long afternoon of teaching to pull up in my driveway and see my puppies and Jackie Rose waiting right inside the door for me. I forget how quiet my house can get with Ryan away. We had a great time eating chicken enchiladas and of course indulging in our traditional brownie sundaes. YUM! My dogs seemed to manage to make it into every picture...even when they weren't invited. In the first picture, Jackie is on her hands and knees posing like Jack & Harley...she's going through a "puppy phase"!

DRAMA, DRAMA, DRAMA

2006-05-07T23:27:00.000-05:00

Sometimes drama can be good. For example, I was SO proud of all the kids for the amazing acting they did this weekend in Beauty and the Beast. They made Jacksonville High School history by selling out every single performance. They were so excited! I just adore those kids. Here's a picture of "my boys". I've worked with all these guys for 3 years, and they just make me smile.

This is our "Belle", Anastasia Papanicolau. She was just accepted to Walnut Hill, a high school performing arts conservatory in Boston, and she's only a sophomore in high school! Look out Broadway, she's definitely on her way!

Like I said, sometimes drama can be good. However, the rest of my weekend was filled with the bad kind of drama. I found out on Friday that my debit card information had been stolen and $1700 worth of transactions had been made to Wal-Mart, 7-Eleven, and Exxon in AUSTIN, TX in a matter of a day and a half!!! $1000 of it was flagged by the bank, so it didn't get charged, but $700 was sucked right out of my checking account. I explained that I was in North Carolina at the time, with my debit card IN MY WALLET. And when they asked where my husband was, I laughed and told them that he was in Iraq and that his card was in his wallet in Ramadi. I have proof that Ryan is in Iraq because there's a paper that says so, but now they have to prove that I was in North Carolina on Thursday and Friday, which is funny to me. That shouldn't be a problem since I was videoed playing for the musical both days, not to mention my name is in the program. I know that this kind of stuff happens to people all the time, but when it's YOU, it's really scary. I feel so violated! I had to file a police report here in North Carolina, so the sherrif came to my house to start the process. But, because the "crime" took place in Texas, the Austin Police have to do the investigating. They assigned me a detective that will work with my bank to hopefully track down whoever this loser is. In the meantime, my card had to be cancelled, which means that Ryan's card was cancelled too. That card is what he uses whenever he has the chance to buy anything in Iraq, so I feel bad for him. He can get cash other ways, but still... Not only that, but the bank won't mail me his new card when it's ready. They say they have to talk to him personally on the phone, and since he doesn't really get that many phone calls, I guess we'll have to figure something else out. It's not the money that bothers me (well, that's part of it), but it's just the inconvenience of it all. All of this to say, BE CAREFUL with your credit card information!! I still don't know how mine was stolen. Luckily, we caught this the day after it happened, but it could've been a lot worse.

Singing in my Sleep

2006-05-03T09:08:00.000-05:00

Ryan makes fun of me because he says that I hum in my sleep. I always say that I'm going to record myself sleeping because I don't believe him. Well, I guess I believe him now because I actually woke myself up humming Beauty and the Beast in the middle of the night. Seriously, it's sad when that's ALL I can think about because it's ALL my life revolves around...until this coming Sunday, that is. Then I will have my life back! Don't get me wrong, I love the kids, and I love playing for musicals, but we're all to the point that we're ready to kill each other. Anyway, forgive me if I don't blog much more this week. I promise there is nothing worth talking about anyway. Unless you want to read lyrics from Beauty and the Beast...

Life

2006-04-25T22:28:00.000-05:00

Sorry it's been awhile since my last update. I can't believe it has been a week! Nothing very important has happened...just enough to keep me busier than I'd like to be. That's LIFE, I guess. I spent the end of last week catching up on make-up piano lessons that I missed while I was on vacation. Then, I had "Beauty & the Beast" rehearsals Thursday and Friday nights. Saturday, I spent 3 hours at church recording a concert for a middle school choir director friend of mine. I can't play for her concert, and she can't find anyone else, so we recorded it instead. Then, I went to dinner with Jen & Amanda. We had a great time catching up as always. Those two can always put me in the best mood!

Sunday was a great day. Marine wives always use the term "retail therapy" as an excuse to shop extra while their husbands are away. Well, that doesn't always agree with the bank account, so on Sunday I found a way to shop for FREE. Claire, another choir director friend of mine, enlisted my help to go shopping with her for a more "hip" wardrobe. Her daughter left for college this year, and so she now calls me her surrogate daughter. She really is an amazing woman, and has kindof been a mentor to me since I moved here. She was instrumental in getting my name out in the community to start booking piano jobs. Now I have more than I can handle, so I owe a lot to her. Anyway, she HATES shopping with a passion (can you imagine?!) and doesn't know what matches what, but she knows that she wants to be in style. So, I got to go crazy with her Master Card. She was so open-minded and was willing to try on anything and everything. It was almost more fun to help her find clothes than to shop for myself because I could do it all without feeling guilty! Plus, I could see how excited she was. She is definitely the trendiest teacher at Jacksonville High School now. My reward: lunch, dinner, a new shirt and a pair of earrings. Can't beat that!

Yesterday and today it's been back to the same old grind. Between piano lessons, musical practice, my Key Volunteer stuff, and trying to socialize in between, I'm TIRED!! Today was sad for two reasons:
1. Starbucks was supposed to have their grand opening today, and when I went by to get my grande, 2%, sugar-free, hazelnut latte, they were closed!!!! I have been waiting almost 3 years for this town to get a Starbucks, and it's wearing on my emotions!
2. Today was also sad because it was probably my last hair appointment with my hair guy, George. Yes, he's moving to Phoenix to live with his boyfriend...imagine that.

My goal for the rest of the week is to get out of this funk I've been in. I miss Ryan a lot...not that that's a new thing, but more than usual I guess. I think I just need an attitude adjustment, and I'm scared to pray for one because I know I'll get one!! Know what I mean??? Hope everyone has a great week!

Wake Up Call!

2006-04-20T00:23:00.000-05:00

Don't worry, I'm not talking about a bad "wake up call" or anything...I got the BEST kind this morning when Ryan called me at 6 a.m.! We got to talk for about half an hour, and the satellite phone only cut out one time. That's a first! He sounded so good--probably the best I've heard him--and it put me in the best mood for the rest of the day. I wanted to go back to bed after we got off, but I couldn't quit smiling enough to sleep, so I decided to get up and be productive. I finished my laundry from my trip (finally!), went to the grocery store, walked both dogs, pulled some weeds, bought tickets to "The Drowsy Chaperone" in New York (for a great discount, might I add!), returned a shirt that I decided was ugly, and got my large Diet Coke with Sugar-free cherry from Sonic before I had to teach lessons at 3:00. Then I taught 6 piano lessons until 7:00 and flew to musical practice after that until 9:00. Of course, I TiVo-ed American Idol and watched Ace get voted off. I was sad because he's SO nice to look at, but he was definitely not the best singer in the competition, so I guess I have to let him go. Man! If my days keep going by this fast, Ryan will be home in no time!

NC Here I Come!

2006-04-16T22:44:00.000-05:00

After 10 days in Texas (that FLEW by!) I'm heading back to North Carolina tomorrow. It's always hard to leave, but I'm actually excited to get back in my "groove" because time seems to pass faster that way. I also can't wait to see my puppies!!! Here are some pictures of highlights from my trip including: Davis Soben's 1st birthday, Pappy's 83rd birthday, Starbucks with Thompson & Molly (not pictured: Brent, Peter, & Brad), and Easter Sunday with my family.

Home Sweet Home

2006-04-12T15:12:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I don't know where my home is. North Carolina has finally started to feel like home after 2 and a half years because it's where Ryan and I have our house and all of the "stuff" that makes it a home. It's where lots of my friends are, my piano students are, my church is, my bank is, and all that stuff. It's where I sleep every night, and it's where my puppies are right now. (I miss them terribly!!) Then I come to Texas and fly into good old Abilene, and something just feels NORMAL here. I love being able to come back to the place I grew up for 22 years and fall right back into the swing of things. People are so NICE in Abilene...or in most of Texas for that matter. It's definitely good to be home.

OK, Molly's griping at me for not updating my blog, so here's what's been going on with me. Since I've been here, it's been a little crazy. I was delayed for 3 and a half hours at DFW to start things off because of the high winds Friday night. So, I finally got to Abilene at about 10:30, which was really 11:30 North Carolina time. I pretty much crashed that night. I visited with Mammy and Pappy that next morning, ran around and shopped a little bit with my mom after that, and then went to the driving range with my Dad that afternoon. Let's see...how long has it been since I've picked up a golf club?! I wasn't as bad as I thought I would be though, and it honestly kindof makes me want to start playing again.

On Sunday, I went to church with my parents and sang in Dad's choir. I didn't realize how much I love singing with a GOOD choir (no offense to anyone at FBC Swansboro who might be reading this). Then my family went to the Soben's house to celebrate Davis's 1st birthday Sunday evening. He is the cutest little guy ever, and it was so fun to watch him stuff his face with guacamole. He would've rather eaten guacamole all night instead of birthday cake!

On Monday, I drove to Arlington with my dad because he was taking my Grandma to the hospital the next morning to have a hip replacement. Ryan called on the way, so I got to talk to him for a good 20 minutes. That made my day! My Aunt Julie, Grandma, Dad, and I ate lunch, and then I headed to Flower Mound to visit Bill & Penny. We had dinner and I stayed the night over there. It was great to see them...kindof makes me feel more connected to Ryan when we're all together.

I got up early Tuesday morning and drove to Arlington Memorial Hospital where my Grandma was having surgery. She was being wheeled to recovery as soon as I got there, so we got to go straight in and visit her. She was high on anesthesia, so that was pretty funny. I don't think she will remember talking to any of us. The doctor said that her surgery went great and that he was going to try to have her up walking around on her new hip that afternoon! Isn't that crazy?! I was glad that everything went okay and that I got to be there. We went in and see her one more time, and then Dad and I drove back to Abilene yesterday evening.

So...that's pretty much what's been going on since I've gotten to Texas. Today is really the first day that I have no set plans, which is really nice. It's just nice to be home.

7 Days Without a Phone Call Makes One "Weak"

2006-04-05T10:17:00.000-05:00

I know, I know...cheesy title, but I couldn't resist. Really though, I was beginning to get anxious that I hadn't heard from Ryan in a week, but he finally called me yesterday. Hearing his voice on the phone is like medicine. I felt like a new person the rest of the day! The battalion had a tough weekend, so it was a relief to know that he was safe & sound...at least, as safe and sound as a person CAN be in Iraq!

Well, these days it seems like piano lessons and musical practice take up most of my time. I'm playing for Jacksonville High School's performance of "Beauty and the Beast", and it is going to be great! Those kids are doing such an amazing job. Most of the school concerts I play for are a chore, but this is FUN! I must really have no life because I actually look forward to going most of the time. The only thing I feel bad about is leaving my puppies alone all day. I know that's ridiculous, but they ARE my children...even though they're furry 4-legged children who don't speak English. After practice last night, I met Amanda for coffee at Moka Joe's. We are anxiously awaiting the grand opening of Starbucks because we'll be first in line. (That's right...you heard me...we don't have a Starbuck's!) I usually don't have time to eat dinner between lessons and practice, so she totally made my night by bringing me homemade stuffed shells for dinner. Other than talking to my husband, it was the highlight of my day!!

Well, only 2 more days and I'll be on a plane to Texas! Home has never sounded so good.

Weekend Fun

2006-04-02T22:00:00.000-05:00

This weekend was so nice and relaxing. I didn't have any real schedule, and everything that I did have planned was FUN. I love weekends like that! On Saturday, Robin & I went to a craft fair on base, which was supposed to be a really big deal. There were definitely a ton of vendors there, but unfortunately the items for sale were pretty sad. I really wanted to buy something but literally couldn't find anything worth spending money on. I was wishing the whole time that I had reserved a booth and made stuff to sell...I could've made some big money! We bailed on the craft fair and spent the rest of the afternoon having lunch and shopping, which is always fun.

Today, Robin & Jackie Rose came to church with me, so we went out to lunch at a great restaurant on the water in Swansboro called the Ice House. It's built on a dock, and it was such a beautiful day that we decided to eat outside. Jackie was so cute waving at the boats and telling us "Shhh...the fish are sleeping!" When I got home, I looked at my right arm and realized that I had gotten the most ridiculous looking sunburn from sitting out on the dock. Evidently the sun ONLY shone on about 6 inches of my right arm, so I look like I have the worst farmer's tan (or rather...sunburn) ever. It's supposed to be 80 degrees tomorrow, so I can either wear long sleeves and be hot, or wear short sleeves and look like an idiot!

I spent this evening having dinner with two great friends, Amanda & Jen. We took Jen out to Outback for her birthday, which was really 2 weeks ago, but she was out of town. Since their husbands are both deployed with Ryan, we have a lot in common these days. Not only do we share a love of margaritas (ha ha), but we also share the same emotional roller coaster called the Marine Wife Life. We're a pretty good support system for each other.

This week will be pretty low key until I fly to TEXAS on FRIDAY!!! I can't wait to be home and see family & friends. I'm definitely feeling the need for a break. Also, say a special prayer for Ryan & all of the Marines whenever you think about it. They need God's protection, not only physically, but mentally and emotionally as well.

True Confessions

2006-03-28T20:23:00.000-06:00

Ever done something so ridiculous that you look around to see if anyone saw you...then you pretend you didn't do it? I think that's the story of my life. At least today, anyway! I left my house at 6:30 AM to go to Fayetteville, NC for a middle school choral festival. I could've ridden on the bus with the kids, but I knew that I'd have to literally fly back to make it back in time for my 3:00 piano lesson. So, with a full cup of coffee, I started on my 2 and a half hour voyage.

CONFESSION #1: When I listen to CDs of musicals in my car, I can't merely listen, or just sing along. I feel it's my obligation to "perform" the musical as if I'm living out my life-long dream in the spotlight. So...if I don't like the way I sing a particular song, I back it up and try again until I like the way it sounds...to myself...alone in my car. (My brother does this too, so I think it's genetic!) Well, as I was singing the soundtrack to "Thoroughly Modern Millie" at the top of my lungs this morning, I failed to notice that I turned onto Hwy. 50 South instead of North. Not only that, but I proceeded to drive an extra 25 miles--in the wrong direction. I totally freaked out because I didn't think I was going to make it in time to play for my first group, so I called the director and...

CONFESSION #2: ... LIED and said that I had car trouble but I would be there as soon as I could!!! I know, Go ahead and judge me. I just couldn't possibly admit that I was so wrapped up in performing my musical for NOBODY that I turned the wrong direction on the highway...and kept going.

Luckily, I made it just in time (literally within 3 minutes) for my first group, and they did a great job. Everything else went fine at the competition. As soon as my last group finished, I jumped in my car to hurry home. I was deliriously tired and really hungry, so I stopped at McDonald's (my favorite place...not really). Thank goodness I don't know a living soul in Roseboro, NC: population 546, because I did something I have never done before...

CONFESSION #3: I walked straight into the MEN'S restroom like I owned the place!!! I don't know what I was thinking...I WASN'T thinking. It wasn't until I was in the stall and actually using the restroom that it dawned on me what I had done. There were no men in the restroom, so I prayed that none would decide to come in. I dreaded walking out that door and everyone seeing what I had done, so I left the bathroom and McDonald's without making eye contact with anyone. I was mortified!

I was about 3o miles away from my first student's house, and my eyes started getting SO heavy. My head was bobbing, I couldn't stay awake for the life of me, and driving through "Podunk-ville USA" wasn't helping! I looked at the clock, did some quick math, and realized that I had about 15 minutes to pull over and take a quick nap, so I leaned my chair back and set my cell phone alarm for 2:20.

CONFESSION #4: I OVERSLEPT!!!!!!! Not only did I oversleep...I overslept in a Family Dollar parking lot! I guess I need to figure out how to work the alarm on my cell phone. Frantically, I started driving again...this time WIDE awake with adrenaline. I pulled up to my piano lesson at 3:01 PM, thank you very much.

Some days it just doesn't pay to get up...then again, what would we have to laugh about later if days like this one never happened? Here's to a great tomorrow everybody!

"Be joyful always; pray continually." I Thessalonians 5:16-17

2006-03-24T10:30:00.000-06:00

I had a wake-up call this week about how "continually" I really do need to be praying. I won't ever write too many specifics about Ryan and what he's doing in Iraq (mainly for safety reasons), but I have to share what happened this week. Ryan emailed on Wednesday and sounded SO beaten down, frustrated, and exhausted. His job right now is really testing him and is keeping him too busy to eat, sleep, or relax even for a little while. And to top it off, he's in a combat zone, which just adds more stress to the mix! The sole purpose of his job is to make things run smoothly for about 200+ people, and in order to do that, it's taking more energy than he alone can muster right now. His mom and I truly believe that he was experiencing some major spiritual warfare. When he is with Marines, he is alone in his faith for the most part. It's not the "Bible-belt" anymore where it's odd for someone to not be a Christian. He is definitely set apart from just about everyone he works with. It's not like him to let his guard down and tell me how hard things are while he's away. He always tries to protect me from worrying about him, but I'm glad he opened up this time because I learned a profound lesson!

I started praying extra-hard, right then. I don't think I stopped until I fell asleep that night. When I woke up at 4 am to let the dogs out, I prayed again. I woke up at 7:45 and prayed. I prayed on my way to the post office. I prayed while I drank my coffee. I prayed while my piano students were playing their scales. I prayed in the car on the way home. I prayed for his endurance. I prayed for his patience. I prayed for him to find REST. I prayed continually. Not only that, but I knew Ryan was praying too. When I got home that evening, I checked my email and Ryan had written again. This time he sounded like a new person. He said that the way his day had gone could only have been a miracle. He had only gotten 4 hours of sleep throughout the night, but he felt completely rested. He was in a good mood, and little things weren't getting under his skin as badly. He made progress with some "people issues" he was dealing with. His mind was clear for the first time. This all happened in less than 24 hours.

Now, I know that sounds so simple. We prayed...God answered. I don't know why I was the least bit surprised! Why does it take my husband literally hanging on to his sanity by a thread for me to pray that hard? Why do I not do that EVERY DAY? I can't imagine how much easier things would be. So, that's my challenge...to myself and to you. Lately, my prayers happen to be for Ryan most of the time, but whatever it is you are facing, God answers. It's that simple.

Three's Company!

2006-03-19T21:11:00.000-06:00

What a nice change of pace it was to have company this past week! Brad & Kendall flew in on Saturday afternoon (despite a delay at DFW...what do you expect?) and stayed through Thursday. Granted, I don't live in the most exciting area of the country, or the state of North Carolina for that matter, but we managed to have a good time just hanging out & visiting all of the little towns nearby. You can see in the pictures what an adorable couple they are. Watching them together reminds me of Ryan & me four years ago when we had just gotten engaged, and honestly it made me miss Ryan like CRAZY! I felt like such a 3rd wheel all week, which is silly because it's my brother & future sister-in-law for heaven's sake! No really, I appreciate them coming more than they'll ever know...my house is awfully quiet now that they aren't here. When I got home on Thursday night, the dogs were running back to the guest room looking for Kendall, then they would pout because she wasn't there. (And Harley especially misses her "Uncle Brad"!) As much as I wish Ryan could have been here to hang out with the three of us, I can only be excited about all the fun times we'll all have once we're back in Texas.

OK, I can't honestly say that my house is really that quiet right now. After my company left, it was Jack & Harley's turn to have a houseguest. I agreed to keep Robin's puppy (a Jack Russell named "Pumpkin") until Tuesday, and let me just tell you...don't EVER try to have 3 hyperactive terriers in the house at once if you can help it! Luckily, the three of them are quickly becoming friends, and I think Jack & Harley are even teaching the puppy a thing or two.

Is "Busy" Really Better?

2006-03-07T16:23:00.000-06:00

I've always been a busy person...I admit that I even thrive on it at times, though I'm not sure that's always a good thing. My rule of thumb has been to stay as busy as possible while Ryan is away because it seems to make time pass faster, which makes his homecoming sooner! But after the past week, I'm wondering if I can continue at this pace for another 6 months and 25 days. I shouldn't complain...I mean, I have the easiest, most flexible, and fun job in the world. I get to do what I love best (playing the piano) all day long, but maybe ALL DAY LONG is the problem. After rehearsing most days from 7:30-2:00, teaching piano from 2:30-6 or 7, sometimes 8, then adding church choir to the mix, I feel like if I have to play the piano one more second I might just have to eat my fingers off! My worst nightmare would be to get so burned out on music that I don't enjoy it anymore. (Molly, Mom, can you relate?!?)

I'm definitely looking forward to this choral festival being over on Friday because on Saturday, Brad & Kendall (my future sister-in-law!) are coming to visit me. They think that they're coming to relax and get away, but really it's a vacation for me too. It will be so nice to have most of the week off, and to have other humans in my home (no offense to Jack & Harley). I'm so honored that they would choose the lovely town of Hubert, NC to spend their Spring Break!

When Friends are Like Family

2006-03-03T23:07:00.000-06:00

This week has proven to me how lucky I am to have such great family & friends in my life. I know everyone thinks that their family & friends are the best, but I know that mine REALLY are. In the midst of missing Ryan incredibly and getting used to life on my own again, everyone has been so great to check in on me and keep me busy.

In particular, I had the best "Girls Day Out" with Robin today. We went down to Wilmington & spent all day shopping and just playing around. It was a much needed getaway for both of us. When we met over 3 years ago, she was my loud crazy neighbor in Virginia. (Sorry, Robin...you know it's true.) Little did I know, she and her husband Will (and of course their darling daughter Jackie Rose) would become our "family" away from Texas. We have definitely relied on each other during some tough times these past few years in the Marine Corps, and I can't imagine not having her right across town anymore! I'm going to have to figure out some way to keep them from moving this summer. Anyway, this entry is a big "Thank you" to all the amazing people in my life who really keep me going. You know who you are & I love you each dearly!!

To believe in the heroic makes heroes. ~Benjamin Disraeli

2006-02-28T03:00:00.000-06:00

It seems unreal right now, but my husband is on an airplane on his way to Iraq for the 2nd time in 14 months. "Goodbyes" are never easy, but at least we know that the countdown to this deployment being OVER has finally started. Spending only 10 out of the past 30 months together isn't the way I pictured my life when I married Ryan 3 and a half years ago, but I can honestly say that it has done nothing but make us stronger as individuals and as a couple. I had no idea how much I could learn about myself in that short of a time. Life as a military wife is trying and tough to say the least, but there is nothing more rewarding than knowing my husband is a true American hero. I wouldn't trade this time in my life for anything. Ryan...we love you, support you, and are praying your way home. You are our hero!

OK...I'm in.

2006-02-27T22:40:00.000-06:00

I have never been one to give into peer pressure, but I have to admit that the only reason I'm starting a blog is because "everyone is doing it". I guess it's time for me to quit selfishly reading everyone else's and start posting one of my own. Besides, it will keep me busy for the next 7 months. I hope you find my life interesting enough to check in once in awhile!