Remembering

On this Memorial Day it is only fitting that we honor the heroes in our lives. I have many veterans in my life. Both of my grandfathers fought in W.W. II and my dad fought in Vietnam. I'm so proud to honor them on this day. I only wish I had paid more attention to the stories growing up. Hindsight truly is 20/20 but I can continue to honor their lives.

I am reminded each day as I drive to work of the sacrifice many have made. You see I pass Pecan Grove Cemetery, a 57 acre cemetery established in 1870. I never really paid much attention to it until last year around Memorial Day. It was then I noticed the flags. As is common, volunteers had placed American flags along the graves of all the soldiers. What was uncommon was the placement of Confederate flags around 200 of the oldest grave sites there.

Honestly, I had never really thought about those veterans of the earliest wars of our country. I often wondered why we should designate a difference between veterans. I have since realized that we take for granted what these soldiers did for us. Without them, who knows how much history would be different. So does it matter which era a soldiers fights in? Of course not. I am proud that we have embraced all veterans regardless of ethnicity, gender, or political beliefs and honor them each and every day. Happy Memorial Day and may we continue to honor ALL the men and women who bravely fight for our freedom.

Small Towns

Having grown up in a small Texas town and currently living in another I find myself making lists about their quirks. Today I added another.

You know you are in a small town when you drive by the local car wash and see a farmer washing his tractor.

What are your contributions?

One Year

Just a preface to say if you want the latest update on our journey click here. If not just keep on reading!

Can you believe we just celebrated a year in the new house on Sunday? Time has certainly flown by and there are many of you who still haven't even seen it! I find it hard to believe that there are still some boxes we haven't unpacked (mostly books) and rooms we haven't decorated. I guess I'll have to get my butt in gear next week over spring break! This also means it's time for another party. After all, this kind of thing calls for a celebration! Keep your eye out for invites.

Prayers for the following

Please join us in the following prayer requests. It has been a rough week.

Please pray for our friend Brian and his family in Ohio. His dad has been down a rough road lately battling infections on top of cancer. His cancer has resurfaced stronger and he was moved into hospice this week. I know they would covet your prayers during this difficult time.

Please pray for my friend Aimee's friend who just had her triplets at 30 weeks. They are doing well but please continue to pray for them and their parents. I can't imagine how scary yet joyful this must be.

Finally, please pray for us. We have had a lot of things happen this week that have really tested our faith. Please pray that we will not lose hope in our journey and will continue to focus and rely on God.

Thank you all!

A Great Cause

This is our friend Jay. He is doing an awesome thing by shaving his head to help cure childhood cancer. Please consider donating to this wonderful cause. I know we will be making a contribution again (so keep your eyes out Jay!) Thanks!

Photo Tag

So, Holly tagged me to post a photo. The rules are simple. Open the fourth folder and post the third picture. What a walk down memory lane this was!!

This picture was taken four years ago at school. It is the year we celebrated Italy for special events. We were doing a taste test of pasta sauces. The kids got to make their pasta look like the Italian flag with marinara, alfredo and pesto sauces. As you can guess the pesto did not go over well. This was the same year I had the small class from you know where. They weren't bad kids, just high maintenance!

Thanks Holly, that was fun!

Also, on the topic of school, please send up prayers on behalf of one of my student's families. They are in midst of a major crisis and could use some thoughts and prayers. Thanks in advance.

Be sure to check back this weekend for the December update! Have a great rest of the week.

M.I.A.

Yes, I know it's been a really long time. And yes, I know you all have missed me. And yes, I even realize it appeared as though we dropped off the face of the earth. All of that being said, December was super busy for me at work and then all of a sudden it was January! I can only promise to do better in 2009.

There is so much to update you on so I will probably break it into several posts. Here we go for the remainder of November. For Thanksgiving we went to Ohio to see Joel's family. It was cold (by Texas standards) but not snowing. It was MUCH colder there for Christmas and we were glad we had already been! We had a great trip.

We flew into Columbus on Tuesday. After we landed and walked through security, I realized that I might have a tiny problem. You see as we were walking, we met a really big guy. I wasn't really paying attention, but Joel did a double take and then said, "I think that is James Laurinaitis." I stopped and looked and sure enough...it was James (For those of you who don't know, he plays on defense for the Buckeyes. I also happen to own his jersey). That is when I realized I might have a problem, because I considered approaching him and getting a picture. In fact, I would have if he wasn't approaching security to get to his plane. I should have stopped him, it would have been a great addition to the game room!

We enjoyed Joel's family for Thanksgiving and ate too much! We came back home on Saturday and headed back to work on Monday! Just in time for my birthday. The big 3-1 was uneventful but I did get a trip to go see my college roommate and her family in WA state! I'm very excited to plan the trip but am waiting to see how things play out in February. I can't wait to see her!! That will be a post for sure as we are talking about spending time in Seattle and going up to Vancouver. Fun stuff!

That's it for now. I'll update December in the next post! Have a great week and a blessed 2009!

Things I'm Lovin'

Here are some things I'm lovin' this week. Tell me what is on your list.

I'm lovin' my new scrapbook from our trip to London that came in the mail from Aimee. She did such an awesome job and I can't wait to find time and journal in it. Thank you, dear friend, for such an amazing gift. And to add to the enjoyment it was a surprise package on a week I needed a pick me up! God is so good to provide such an awesome friend!




I'm also lovin' the cool weather. As I drove home on Friday, I had the great pleasure of watching our latest cold front move through. Mother Nature outdid herself with the cloud show. I couldn't resist taking pictures, as it was the most beautiful sight. Of course, the pictures don't do it justice!


Finally, I'm lovin' that my Christmas cacti (is that the correct plural?) are starting to bloom. Since we have moved so much in the last year, and because they are finicky about being moved, I wasn't sure what to expect. However, they are blooming! I love it and just had to show you the evidence.


Have a great week and enjoy all the things you are lovin!

What have you done?

Last week was busy for me. We went and early voted (so we are entitled to gripe if we don't like the outcome). I then spent the rest of the week getting ready for Halloween at school. I made scary eyeball cookies and bat cupcakes for the kiddos. It was time consuming but well worth the effort when the kids got so excited. So without further adieu...here are pictures.

The bat cupcakes turned out so cute and the kids loved them.

The eyeball cookies were a big hit!

These are the kiddos goofing off with silly glasses and vampire teeth! Who knew $2 could buy so much fun!

And here they are goofing off with the eyeball cookies.


Hope you had a safe and fun Halloween. We are getting ready for our patio party this weekend. We are breaking in the outdoor fireplace. It should be fun!

This week marks the beginning of National Infertility Awareness Week. Please pray with me for all the families who have been and continue to be affected by this. I plan to post throughout the week some stats and suggestions on how to be supportive. Please check here for these postings.

Don't You Love It??

My new look that is! I do! Hopefully because I love it so much I'll be more anxious to visit it and write more. A HUGE thank you to my friend Traci at Sweet Cheeky Designs. Please go check her out. She does great work, is easy and fun to work with, has great prices and is doing it all to help her son Riley (who is just precious). I know she would love the business and you will love the results.

Random Thoughts

The title is your warning. This is just random thoughts/ideas from the last month. Take it for what it is.
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First off, I love the flowers that Joel sent me a few weeks ago. He went out to L.A. for what was supposed to be a 4 day business trip. He ended up staying a week and a half. He knew I wasn't happy so he sent these to me at work. I guess he is a keeper after all. :)

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Secondly, I want to know how a large school district can be $84 million over budget. Just curious....
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Next, I've started going for acupuncture treatments....and I LOVE IT!!! It is so relaxing and has really helped with some of the problems I've had. My only regret is not researching it and starting treatment sooner.
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Also, keep your eyes posted for changes to the blog. My dear friend Traci (whose link you will find in my blog roll) is working on changing things up for me. I know the final product will be great and that you will all be knocking on her door for a makeover too!
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It is fall!!! I LOVE this time of year. We went to the fair this last week and had a great time. I also drug out all my Halloween decor and I have a to do list already for next weekend and yes, it involves buying some pumpkamelons!!
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Congrats to my best friend from college, Teresa. It seems as though her daughter Sadie is going to be a big sister in May. T and B will certainly have their hands full with 2 kids under 2yrs. I'm excited to meet the new addition and pray for a happy, healthy pregnancy.
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Finally, ask us about the wedding in Afton, TX next time you see us. It was my cousin's and was quite the adventure. I promise you will be shocked and will laugh at our perspective!!

Back to School

Wow! Time flies when you are doing nothing all summer! It is hard to believe it is time to go back to school. It is though and starting Monday, I will have 5 new precious kiddos. I'm excited and ready to get back in the swing of things. The district did a back to school kick-off last week and had the key-note speaker be a fifth-grade student from one of the learning centers. He did a great job and I wanted to share his speech with you here. Check it out if you have time.

We leave this coming weekend to go to my cousin Casey's wedding around Lubbock. It should be a good time. The only bad thing is that we will have to DVR the season opener for the Buckeyes. I'm actually excited to get the season underway and put the media room to full use!

Other than that nothing new is going on. Now that school is starting I'll have some "meat" for the blog so hopefully I'll find it necessary to post more often. Until then...

Cabo (in pictures)

These are just some views of Cabo. The first is from our hotel (specifically the view from our favorite bar). The second is me on the beach with the gorgeous blue water. (You can't swim because of the current so you can only walk along the shoreline). The third is a view from the golf course Joel played. Don't feel bad for me, while he was doing that I was enjoying my hot stone massage and pedicure at the spa!!




These were taken from our sunset cruise (ask us for the whole story sometime). We got to see the famous arch with Lovers Beach. We also saw some awesome boats in the marina. We overheard some ladies discussing them and guessing that the price was about $100,000. If only!


Finally, this is the view from our favorite spot. It was in the Rendezvous Bar which was an open patio with a great breeze. I loved curling up there, reading my book and sipping on my beverage of choice! Can't ask for more on a vacation that that!

Catching Up

So it is hard to believe that July is already here and almost half way over. We are leaving tomorrow for a much needed vacation to Cabo. I can't wait!! I did want to post briefly on what has happened over the last couple of weeks.

First, check out the beautiful flowers Joel sent me for our anniversary. They are my favorite and lasted for almost two weeks. I loved them.


Secondly, I went home over the 4th of July to a family reunion. We were celebrating the 100 year anniversary of the Reeve family coming to Texas. You may remember two years ago we celebrated the 100 year anniversary of the Schlenker family. I love that my family roots run so deep and that we still get together to celebrate it. What I didn't love were the numerous comments made at the expense of our infertility. Many were from people who had no idea about our struggles but some were from knowing individuals. It made for a lot of biting my tongue but I believe it has helped me become a more forgiving person. That said, there are some times when people should just keep their mouths shut!

Finally, as I mentioned before, we are on our way to Cabo tomorrow. I can't wait to soak up the sun, relax and actually spend time/see my husband. I promise pictures when we return!

Four Years

That is how long Joel and I have been married. Four years today. Time certainly flies.

It seems like just yesterday, we were celebrating with all of our friends and family. We had the best wedding and reception. It truly was a celebration and the best part of it was seeing our closest acquaintances have a blast. We still laugh about many things from that day a would gladly do it all over again (mostly just to get the Ohio people back to Texas!!).

Four years also seems like an eternity in some ways. This road we have been on for the last two+ years has really brought us closer together and made us a better couple. We also know that eventually we will be fantastic parents because of it. It certainly hasn't been easy and we are sick of the valleys but we are so blessed to have each other.

So while it hasn't been easy, I wouldn't trade the last four years. I'm happy, in love and loving life each day with my fantastic husband. I love you Joel!

Frogs, Cows, and Skunks

Also known as life in the country.

Yes, I know it's been awhile since the last post. Life has been pulling us in other directions and the blog took back burner. Sorry to all of our devoted readers. Hopefully this will make up for it.

Part of living in the country is dealing with critters. We have had a herd of cows through the yard (and still have the hoof prints to prove it). I have also battled a tiny frog that could jump 3 ft off the ground getting into the house. Imagine me home alone, 11:00 pm, trying to get the frog out of the house and the stubborn dog inside for the night. Be sure to ask me sometime for the whole story.

This takes me to Friday night at 11:30. We had just let Woody outside before bed. Little did we know he would make a new friend....you guessed it......a skunk. We didn't realize it until he came running into and around the house. PHEWWW!! We immediately put him outside and googled "How to Deskunk a Dog". We read up and proceeded to bring him in for a bath in the bathtub. You all may remember how well that goes. Afterward he smelled somewhat better so we went to bed.

Waking up on Saturday, we knew we had to do more. We mixed up a home remedy to bath him and it didn't work. So we left him outside and ran to Petsmart for some miracle organic deskunker. We bought two bottles (so we have one on hand in the event we need it again). After two baths with that he smells better....not great but better. We are hoping that the remaining stench wears off soon and that he learned a great lesson. Odds are probably not!

This is for Rob

Here is a picture of what Joel has been doing every weekend. I never thought I would see him mow so often since we'd been paying a yard service at the old house. I guess it was worth the money!

Look for more pictures next week of our housewarming party! We hope if you can't come, you can wait that long to see what else we've been up to!

Projects, projects, projects

We have been busy working on various projects around the house. Yes, even though it's new we can still find projects! Last weekend, Joel finally got to break out the John Deere for the yard. He was so excited! However, before he could start mowing we had to walk the back yard for trash. Let's just say, there are several interesting things you find in an old pasture!

This weekend we worked on installing a dimmer switch in the media room. We also painted one wall Buckeye grey and began working on the stripes. Hopefully we can get some of the stripes finished tomorrow. Once that is done, we need to hang pictures and install the Fatheads. It will then be the best Ohio State room ever (according to Joel)! You will have to anxiously await the pictures or personal tour to judge for yourself.

My other goal for tomorrow (besides laundry and lesson plans) is to get outside and work in the flower beds. I already planted some wildflowers I got from the school garden but I want to plant some lily bulbs and work on my flower pots. Hopefully the soil has dried out a little. Last time it was like working with clay!

That is all....we are working on the Evite for the housewarming so keep your eyes peeled for it. Have a great week and enjoy the beautiful spring weather!!

Getting Settled

Well we are back online and slowly getting settled into the new house. We love it!!! A HUGE thank you goes out to my parents, cousin Jonathan, and older sister Mindy for helping us unpack, move furniture around and make it look like a home. Also, thanks to my brother-in-law Doug for giving up a weekend with his wife. Check out every picture she helped hang. She definitely didn't slack off! Hope you enjoy some of the pictures. They aren't the best quality but they will have to do until you come see in person. We are tentatively scheduling a house warming for early May so mark your calendars and prepare to come. We can't wait to show it off!

Here is the living room.




And the dining room sans the table we are looking forward to purchasing.


Here is the piano in the office that my dad told me he would never move again!


And the breakfast area full of clutter to finish hanging stuff up.