the brannens

it's a....

2012-01-31T17:12:00.000-08:00

BOY!

we're so excited about having a baby boy! we have thought that it was a boy throughout the pregnancy until this week. but, low and behold, we have a big boy on our hands (or womb, whatev).

we went to the doctor today and he is looking good. he is measuring big but they won't change our due date. so, i'm between 18 to 20 weeks...who knows.

sorry about the glare in the pictures. we're obviously not photographers and need a better camera (wink*).

16 weeks...ish

2012-01-16T08:16:00.000-08:00

hello friends and fam.
here are some pictures that david took of my bump, which seems to be getting bigger by the day.

i decided to be brave and show some bare belly.

well hello there.

2012-01-07T19:46:00.000-08:00

hello blog friends.

i have really been MIA recently. so sorry. we have undergone some big changes here in the brannen home.

we're settling into houston. it's been an adventure, for sure.

our sweet sully boy is growing and getting big.

and oh yeah, we're having a BABY! i cannot even express how excited we are about this last news.

this is our little bundle around 11 weeks.

we had another ultrasound about a week ago. a couple of weeks makes a big difference in baby development! i'll post those pictures soon.

i definitely have a bump. i packed up old jeans and other things i won't see until next winter.

so, that's our update. i'm going to be better about the blog thing. promise.

brother time.

2011-09-19T18:15:00.000-07:00

last week, my brother lane came to visit. he had to take the mcat out here so he just hung out with us for a couple of days. it was really fun to have him here in h-town.

just a fine young man.

hello, again.

2011-09-10T17:44:00.000-07:00

hi friends. so i've been a tad busy lately and haven't had time to blog. so sorry.

this will be a catch-up post.

recently we ...

well I started my new job. i am teaching first grade, which has been really fun.

this is my classroom.

ps. their chairs are on top of their desks...

we got some sa-weet tickets to an astros game. these are our new buds jessica & will. they're pretty awesome and invited us on this adventure. someone gave them (thanks, younglife) their "diamond club" tickets. little did we know that we got to sit right behind homeplate, get all of the nicest-ballpark-food-i've-ever-eaten we could want, and there was a waiter. insane. it was so much fun though.

we went on a little trip to austin to see these beauties get married.

and sully got a haircut. he looks really funny.

whew. promise i'll be better.

love to all of you.

sweet new ride.

2011-08-13T08:01:00.000-07:00

hi friends!

we have been sharing a car for the past month but last week i got a NEW car! woo hoo!

i've never had a brand new car before so it's pretty much the greatest ever.

it's a hyundai tuscon and i love it!

the Lord PROVIDES.

2011-08-05T08:17:00.000-07:00

i am so thankful that i am able to write this post.

last weekend, i got a JOB. teaching first grade, to be exact.

let me tell you the story so the Lord gets the glory, not me.

as most of you know, this is one of the worst education markets in history. teachers are being laid off left and right and there are certainly no open jobs. realizing this, i had come to grips that i would probably apply at anthro and try something new. i was really excited about it. i hadn't looked for open teaching positions all summer.

two weeks ago, david and i were doing an event at our apartment and i was chatting with a new friend. this new friend was looking for a teaching job (which i has completely given up on) also. she mentioned that some jobs just opened in katy (a great district in the area). these were the only jobs open in houston. of course i didn't know because i hadn't looked in forever. (reason one this job was Him and not me- i had dropped the ball)

i went to deliver resumes and was so discouraged. having to just leave several resumes in baskets, i assumed i wouldn't be able to be set apart. later that day i got several phone calls to interview. exciting, except they were all during the time i was flying to atlanta. ugh.

one principal decided to meet me early on thursday before my flight. (reason number two) one was all it took. even though i only met with the principal and no teachers (which is weird in a teacher interview), they decided to hire me! i'll be teaching first grade next year!

this is my miracle job. i am so pumped!

the Lord made this happen and i am thankful that His plans are better than my own.

cha-ching!

2011-07-25T16:45:00.000-07:00

most of you know that i drove a montero sport. never heard of them? it's fine.

i've had the ole' montero since i was 16.

well, it's been the time for out with the old and in with the new.

friday we sold it! we've never sold or bought anything significant (like a car) as a couple yet. it was kind of scary but ended up being so easy.

they just wrote us a check. boom.

hopefully i'll be posting my new car pictures soon!

new places and new faces.

2011-07-23T18:32:00.000-07:00

hi friends.

we painted our apartment last week so i can now put up some pictures for our mommas.

this is our view out of the bedroom. downtown houston.

sully stays in this spot all day watching the comings and goings of people.

and that, my friends, is our new place. come visit!

updates.

2011-07-19T20:16:00.000-07:00

hello friends.

i missed you. we haven't had internet until yesterday so here is a re-cap of our little life.

* i chopped my hair off. i'm noticing that i do that during life changes. i did the same thing when we moved to dallas.
* a man named goliath installed our cable. wait a second...david & goliath. yep.
* we moved into our new apartment in houston. it's pretty sweet.
* friday night lights ended and we are devastated.

i'll post some pictures soon.
to our dallas friends, we miss y'all. a WHOLE lot.

if you know anyone cool in houston, let us know, we're in the market for some friends.

this week.

2011-07-11T18:51:00.000-07:00

today...

we said goodbye to frontier ranch and west plano younglife...

a very sad day.

we're sad but also excited about what the Lord has in store in houston.

now, back to packing. so much to do!

frontier ranch.

2011-07-02T12:51:00.000-07:00

we are leaving tonight for frontier ranch!

frontier is a younglife camp in beautiful colorado. as you think about us, as you often do we know, please pray.

pray for safety and that we all experience the Lord in a new way.

love you all.

beach day.

2011-06-22T11:44:00.000-07:00

one of things that i miss most about dothan (besides family of course) is being so close to the beach.

growing up,we took day trips to the beach all of the time. it was not uncommon to drive down to the beach for the day once a week in the summer.

i miss that so much.

we got to drive down yesterday with our moms and it was heavenly.

and we are very burnt.

dad life.

2011-06-20T08:13:00.001-07:00

happy father's day.

road trip.

2011-06-17T10:28:00.000-07:00

david and i will be taking a pretty lengthy road trip on sunday. dallas to dothan. 13 hours. with our puppy. oh boy.

i have been watching cmt non-stop to prepare for being home. there's just something so homey about country music. it makes me think of being a teenager and riding around with my windows down.

council.

2011-06-15T09:30:00.000-07:00

this past sunday, one of our pastors talked about having wise council. surrounding yourself with a group of people that are on the same page as you, and love the lord is invaluable. i don't think i realized how much richer it makes life until we had a group of people that we would consider our "wise council".

Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.
{proverbs 11:14}

Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others
{proverbs 12:15}

so go round up some friends that care about you and stop trying to do life on your own...

sung-bong.

2011-06-08T18:32:00.000-07:00

if you haven't seen this video, do yourself a favor and watch it. all of it.

highlight of my day.

and don't read the comments. people are so stupid when they leave nasty comments.

book time.

2011-06-06T12:21:00.000-07:00

summer means time for reading good books by the pool. there's are not many things better than that.

my list for summer reading includes:

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Bossypants by Tina Fey

The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

any other suggestions?

i'm open. leave a comment.

bitter goodbyes.

2011-06-03T14:30:00.000-07:00

today i had to say goodbye to one of the sweetest ~~little~~ guys i've ever known.

i had the honor to teach him last year. he just has this spirit about him that draws everyone to him and you can't help but love him. he is hands down the most popular kid at school.

a few things to know:

* he loves pokemon. a whole lot.

* he's moving onto middle school next year.

* he loves giving hugs.

* you'll never meet anyone with a kinder heart.

i love him and will miss him probably more than anyone.

friends are cool.

2011-06-02T17:52:00.000-07:00

some of our sweet friends from auburn came through dallas on their journey to denver.

meet chris. he was on david's younglife team in auburn and one of his best buddies.

we love him.

chris also has a sister, jenna. she is moving to denver to work at a homeless shelter and ya know, make the world a better place.

we had a little bbq with our community group. i cannot even begin to explain how much we'll miss these peeps.

(left to right: jackie, me, sallie, ashley, emily, and emily's baby cohen)

(left to right: hector, cory, david, tyler, and maggie- sallie & tyler's)

good news.

2011-05-31T05:14:00.000-07:00

"the good news for those who enjoy God's being God is that He enjoys them. He delights in those who hope in His immeasurable power."

psalm 147:10-11

His delight is not in the strength of the horse,

nor His pleasure in the legs of a man;

but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him,

in those who hope in His steadfast love.

there are so many times when we just have to rest in the fact that God is God and we are not. that brings me great joy and should take a huge burden off knowing that we don't have to know it all or understand Him completely. He's God. we're not.

days off.

2011-05-26T08:29:00.000-07:00

i am sitting in a starbucks at 10 am...on a school day. something feels so rebellious about being gone from school on a weekday. i love it.

we are in houston for an apartment life interview. apartment life is a program for apartment communities. "cares" teams live in an apt complex and plan events for the residents to engage with each other. the purpose of the team is to build a community within a complex.

so we're interviewing to do it in houston and hoping that the Lord will orchestrate where we should go. we know that he will.

wish us luck.

then and now.

2011-05-17T16:23:00.000-07:00

then. (4 weeks ago)

now.

can't believe how much he's grown.

i am obsessed over sully. i am worried what a baby might be like. yikes.

12.

2011-05-16T17:59:00.000-07:00

12 days til pool time. sleeping in. wearing no makeup because it sweats off too fast. rompers. nights on a patio. road trips with my man. movie marathons.

summer.

i can do it!

dance your shoes off.

2011-05-14T07:52:00.000-07:00

i just saw this video for the first time this morning. it will make your heart sing.

i don't know how to make it bigger. sorry. i am a teacher. this is not my strong point.

the video was done by second baptist church in houston (woop!). we visited this church and it has a lot of potential to become a church home for us. there are 25,000 people that go there. 25,000. for us alabama folk, that's a lot.

moms.

2011-05-06T18:12:00.000-07:00

i'd just like to say that i am very thankful for these women:

( i know david is too)

we have pretty awesome grandmas too.

love you ALL very much.

endorphins.

2011-05-05T18:48:00.000-07:00

the endorphin high after a work out is the greatest. why can't i remember that when i am whining on my couch about going?

exercise = feel better. wish that would lock in my brain.

that's all.

houston, we have lift-off.

2011-05-04T09:51:00.000-07:00

hi friends,
most of y'all know this but, we're moving to houston!
it is such a weird thing- knowing you're moving but it not actually being here yet. all we know if what we're leaving right now. but we do know that the Lord has put it on our hearts and provided for us.

the things that we're called to do aren't always easy. most of the time, the best things in the end are the hardest at the beginning. we love dallas. so much. but we know that the Lord is good and wouldn't send us if there weren't a plan and purpose.

we (I) were getting discouraged about some things: where are we going to live? am i going to get a job (in the worst education budget crisis ever)? will we find a good church? so many questions...

this past weekend we went to houston and i am still amazed at how the Lord orchestrates things. He gave us the boost that we desperately needed to be excited.
it's like every time that the Lord comes through, i'm surprised. i'm shocked then at how little faith i had. i am so thankful that the Lord pours His grace and blessings out on us so undeservingly.

"let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful."

fam jam.

2011-04-23T14:51:00.000-07:00

last weekend, my grandma and dad came to dallas. it was wonderful.

she made apple dumplings. delish.

my grandma is the greatest shopper out there. she could run circles around me.

these lovely longhorn statues are everywhere around our apt complex. texas, what did you expect?

and here's one for kicks.

sullivan.

2011-04-18T09:36:00.000-07:00

well friends, our lives have changed forever. we went to arkansas (which is very far away) and picked up our new little peanut.

he is a 9 week old wheaten terrier and precious. his name is sullivan/"sully". we're convinced he's the greatest dog ever.

we had to drive 4 hours home and did great! last night was pretty hard because he missed his mommy. i mean, i'm pretty sure i cried when i left my mom for the first time. it doesn't take away from his sweetness.

we love him. a lot.

* more solo shots and pics with david to come.

13.1

2011-04-13T18:10:00.000-07:00

hello all.
this past weekend, david ran a half-marathon. i am so proud of him! he finished in just over 2 hours.
he ran for TWO HOURS! 13.1 miles. i am definitely one impressed wifey. he's awesome.

pre-race

ladies, it's ok if you need to look away.

about to cross the finish line.

3 of our other friends in community group ran.

jackie and patrick.

sallie, tyler, and baby mags.

after the race (with baby maggie)

i can feel you judging me...why didn't i run? someone had to babysit. and i am working my way up running. just really started back in january-ish because of the acl surgery last spring. get off my back, people.

moving on.

2011-03-30T16:05:00.000-07:00

today i was over at one of my favorite blogs (check it out here, they go to our church and i desperately wish i knew them) and they asked their readers to post where they were in school if they were in college. so, of course i scrolled down to see if we had auburn and AOII reppin'.
there it was: AOII at auburn. the thing about it is that i have NO CLUE who this person is!

big reality check:
auburn has moved on. AOII has moved on.(she looked pretty legit though) i guess i tend to think that i will always know what is going on in that beloved town and in my sorority. nope.

sick nasty..

2011-03-29T15:46:00.000-07:00

so david and i are younglife leaders in ole' plano texas.
if you don't know much about younglife, it's pretty crazy. but we share Jesus with high schoolers. one of the platforms that younglife uses is through doing insane things. insane. doing crazy stuff brings kids to younglife club and there they here about our Savior.

well...last night was not abnormal. it was "hillybilly yacht club".
let me get to the point...

i was in a cricket-spitting contest. i put a live cricket in my mouth and spit it out. (pretty far i might add)

you're welcome for the laughs.

magic time machine.

2011-03-27T17:40:00.000-07:00

hi friends.

last night david and i went out to celebrate our friend's birthday. (shout out cameron!) it was a surprise and a lot of fun.
well the place they picked for his party is called the magic time machine. it's every bit as magical as it's name sounds.
all of the wait staff are in a character. we had princess leia...from star wars, complete with costume. woody had the table next to us. the mad hatter was there, with alice. cinderella, snow white, g.i. joe guy, all kinds of characters.
it was every 6 year olds dream...and the 5,000 preteen girls that were there also.

definitely a ~~special~~ magical night.

convo.

2011-03-23T12:40:00.000-07:00

so I am teacher. duh.

I sometimes forget that I have really hilarious conversations with my kids day in and out.

I'm going to try to share more of these because some of you don't get the sheer pleasure of talking to small children often.

a couple that happened, just today.

kid (completely randomly): "Mrs Brannen, would you like to come to India with me this summer?"

me: "well, what would I do?"

kid: "oh, you know, you could play with my grandma."

me: "do you think Mr Brannen would miss me?"

kid: "well he'd come too....to make money."

I got a note this morning from a kid. On the inside she wrote: "you have been working very hard. I am proud of you!"

Thanks for the affirmation.

On our new puppy...

"Do you think you're ready for that responsibility?"

"You know you have to feed it..."

ch-ch-ch-changes..

2011-03-20T09:23:00.000-07:00

i love change. i love new things. i can get bored very easily.

so...after begging david for a year, we're getting a PUPPY!

we searched high and low, talked with a ton of interesting people (one of whom we're convinced was high as a kite), and finally decided on our pup.

he is a wheaten terrier and he is a wee little baby still. he won't be ready for another month (which is killing me, but wonderful for David- he likes to be prepared for things).

Sully

(this is what he'll look like)

as a pupster:

and as a big guy:

st. patty's

2011-03-17T14:36:00.000-07:00

happy st. patricks day, friends!

chill pill.

2011-03-16T09:38:00.000-07:00

there are a lot of things going on in our lives these days. i am finding myself have a lot of anxiousness about next year, future plans, etc. i get so caught up sometimes in "what ifs" "hows" and "whys".

why do i let myself go there? has the Lord not proved Himself to me time and again?

i need a good, old fashioned, chill pill.

this is the scripture that i have been resting in:

"you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure." {psalm 16:5}

another version is: "the Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot"

my lot that i am given in this life is already secure. i can worry all i want to, but will that actually change anything? no. the Lord is the only one who gives and takes. that gives me rest.

wishing..

2011-03-08T17:45:00.000-08:00

i wish that we could go back 2 years and to the most magical spring break. senior year.

in this house.

with these girls.

...and have a tan.

a small request.

2011-03-05T09:04:00.000-08:00

last week, in my second grade class, the kids wrote a letter to the President.

this one was my personal favorite: "make a drink where it gives us super power."

i mean, that's totally feasible, right? cool. you should probably get on that Obama.

whew...

2011-02-24T15:55:00.000-08:00

it's amazing how life sometimes seems to just fly by.

we have been doing all kinds of fun things...

went to cirque de soleil for valentines.

with wonderful friends. it was like nothing i have ever seen. you MUST go.

went back home to dothan, al to see family.

like my brother, lane.

my best friend since kindergarten (amy) who has precious little guy who is 8 months now. (kason is his name)

and our sweet mommas.

but mostly went home to see this handsome man (my dad) and stunning young lady (grandma). he recently had a hunting accident and broke 8 ribs (ouch) and his clavicle (double ouch). he is doing great now and on the road to a recovery. in the mean time, he looks like an alien whose arm grows out of his stomach.

a whole lotta cuteness.

2011-02-09T17:59:00.000-08:00

is this not the cutest thing you've ever seen?

this is cohen and this precious little bundle belongs to our friends hector and emily. you can check them out here.

he is pushing one month in this pic. love.

it's a little chilly.

2011-02-04T12:11:00.000-08:00

we have officially been snowed/iced in for 4 days. i am totally ok with that.

we tried to go out to lunch but the doors were frozen shut. maybe next time.

and it's been snowing for a very, VERY long time.

winter things.

2011-02-03T08:26:00.000-08:00

here are the things on my list today:

1. make this little valentine garland (is that the right word?)

2. spread this little gem of a video. nothing is funnier than someone getting demolished.

brrr..

2011-02-02T12:30:00.000-08:00

well friends, the ice storm of the century is here. this is day number 2 of no school and it's 17 degrees outside with no promise of warming up. i am the type of person that loves to have things to do all of time so being trapped inside is making me a little stir crazy.

i am dreaming of spring these days. i am really wanting this shirt because 1. it's orange (war eagle) and 2. gingham (war awesomeness)

warmth...is that you?

2011-01-28T18:03:00.000-08:00

it was 72 degrees today. 72.

every ounce of me just wanted to be outside as much as possible.

extra recess? yes, please.

run outdoors? yesss!

just walking around an outdoor shopping center? duh.

today was such a lovely glimpse at what is to come. it gives us hope that spring is coming. it will be a little while, but it's coming.

babies.

2011-01-17T19:10:00.000-08:00

when did our lives transition from wedding showers to baby showers?

i am constantly taken off-guard that the friends we are surrounded with are no longer getting engaged and married, but having babies.

i am so thankful to have dear friends who are showing what good mothering looks like.

i guess life is weird like that. stages of life move quickly.

really?

2011-01-12T15:04:00.000-08:00

people say we look alike...i don't see it.

p.s. these are both of our facebook profile pictures. special.

dreams.

2011-01-11T16:04:00.000-08:00

war eagle.

au family.

2011-01-10T15:06:00.000-08:00

i am the only auburn person at my school. 80% of the staff thought auburn was in georgia until i corrected them.
it almost makes me sad for them because they just don't know. they have never seen an auburn sunset, said "war eagle", or had war eagle moment. they do not know the love and pride of the auburn family.

i wore my auburn sweatshirt today. "oh hey callie, oh yeah, auburn is playing tonight right? tigers?" me: "uhh..yes. it's for the national championship. war eagle."
but come into mrs. brannen's classroom and you'll see auburn hats. you can say "war eagle", they'll say it back, and tell you the story about war eagle. they can tell you the time and station for the game.

i am trying to change the mindset that nothing exists outside of texas. one student at a time. brainwashing? no...just...educating.

austin.

2011-01-09T18:46:00.000-08:00

my sweet husband took me on a trip to austin this weekend. we spend most of our travel time going seeing family so we decided to explore texas a little more.
austin is a ~~neat~~ ~~cool~~ weird place. it was wonderful to get away to spend some time together.
i have never seen so many graphic print tights with cut-off jean shorts in my life.

the beautiful capitol building

and our drive home is when snowpacalypse 2011...

radical.

2011-01-07T15:49:00.000-08:00

so i'm reading a new book, radical by david platt.

here are a few tid-bits:

"we desperately need to explore how much of our understanding of the gospel is american and how much is biblical." ouch.

"we are afraid that if we stop and really look at God in his word, we might discover that he evokes a greater awe and demands deeper worship than we are ready to give him." double ouch.

today i am thankful for grace. i am thankful that the Lord pursues me and is faithful even when i am not. i am thankful that he loves enough to make me feel the ouches and by feeling the ouches i will be refined and blessed. i will be blessed because seeking the Lord is the source of joy.

now, off to austin for a little romantic get-away...

1.1.11

2011-01-01T11:13:00.000-08:00

i know what you're thinking...2 in one day? yes, people.

david and i have been doing some reflecting on this year. we have had such an unbelievable amount of blessing. one thing that we always come back to is that all of the awesome things that we have gotten to experience are directly from the Lord. He has shown us favor and blessed us tremendously.

i was under the impression that we were starting a new decade. apparently, we're not? not sure about that. i did some thinking about where i have been this decade.
when the year 2000 rang in, i was in the 7th grade, on the phone with my "boyfriend" (matt mcnutt) who my dad ~~hated~~ loathed. special.
this decade i...

graduated from high school
had 4 glorious years at auburn.
was redeemed by the Lord.
got married.
moved to a new place far away.

my prayer is that i will be as changed in this coming decade i have been in this one.

"search, o God, and know my heart;
try me and know my anxious thoughts;
and see if there be any hurtful way in me;
and lead me in the everlasting way."

catch up.

2011-01-01T10:59:00.000-08:00

well friends, it's been a while.
we have been in alabama/georgia visiting fam. it has been a lot of fun, but we needed some good ole' relaxation. i have never been so thankful that we have teacher schedules. thank you, Lord.
here are some highlights of the month:

my dear friend, kristen arnold (tufts) got married in auburn. it was so much fun to see friends...and be in auburn. duh.

went to my grandmother's house for some clemons family time.

i love this pic (below) because it is of some of my most favorite people.

got to spend some time with this guy...

and meet this guy. his name is jackson and he is my step-nephew.

then continued the tour in marietta to have some brannen fam time.

our hearts are full from time with family and people that we love so much. we're so thankful for all of them.

whew...

Rewind.

2010-12-11T16:12:00.000-08:00

Tonight my life is rewinding back 15 years to the days of slumber party. Since our men are cruising (tough life, I know) the girls are having a slumber party! It will be complete with sweet treats and pizza. I'm thrilled. It Promises to have tears shed and dark circles in the morning. So thankful to have a group of women that I love and admire. They show how to love the lord more and how to love David better.

war eagle.

2010-12-05T10:28:00.000-08:00

david and i have always said that the special thing about auburn is not the sports. (although, we're pretty awesome these days) the special thing about the plains is the family that lives there. it is a pride that cannot be explained. a tie that runs deep.

this is what auburn is:

The Auburn Creed

I believe that this is a practical world and that I can count only on what I earn. Therefore, I believe in work, hard work.

I believe in education, which gives me the knowledge to work wisely and trains my mind and my hands to work skillfully.

I believe in honesty and truthfulness, without which I cannot win the respect and confidence of my fellow men.

I believe in a sound mind, in a sound body and a spirit that is not afraid, and in clean sports that develop these qualities.

I believe in obedience to law because it protects the rights of all.

I believe in the human touch, which cultivates sympathy with my fellow men and mutual helpfulness and brings happiness for all.

I believe in my Country, because it is a land of freedom and because it is my own home, and that I can best serve that country by "doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with my God."

And because Auburn men and women believe in these things, I believe in Auburn and love it.

-George Petrie (1945)

bangs.

2010-12-03T15:07:00.000-08:00

get ready world, i'm getting trendier by the second.

i would like to note that getting i heard so many affirming things from my children at school, such as:

what happened to you?

did you cut your own hair?

are you mrs. brannen?

...just to name a few. awesome kids. good thing i don't take your fashion advice since you wear pokemon shirts and have velcro shoes.

arts and crafts.

2010-11-30T18:04:00.000-08:00

this week (while we were off...hallelujah!), we did a little craft time. i have been seeing a ton of nature-ish stuff in anthro and pottery barn (two faves) so i decided to try to copy some. david and i drove around for a while until we came upon this spot.

now i dont't know if you know much about texas (epecially dallas), but trees are kinda hard to come by.

so we found some limbs and made this:

i love this kind of stuff.

we have also been busy on our tree. i love christmas. so much.

and..super random but shout out to our friends hector and emily. you can see what they are like here. they are pretty great and about to have a sweet baby boy, cohen. it was also hector's birthday this weekend.

the best day of the year.

2010-11-26T18:49:00.000-08:00

well friends, this was, hands down, one of the best days of the year.

reason #1. we got a christmas tree. and we don't do those fake ones.it's a real, smells like christmas, they make candles because it's so awesome, tree. it just makes me so happy.

#2. auburn beat ~~satan~~ alabama. it is just the greatest feeling in the world. i almost cried, threw-up, and peed my pants all at the same time. too much? sorry.

war eagle. we both love auburn so much. it's intense.

war eagle and merry christmas.

give thanks.

2010-11-25T09:03:00.000-08:00

we have family extravaganza at the brannen home/apt. this week. it has been a ton of fun.

here are some pics to enjoy:

our lovely table..this was definitely a womanly rite of passage

david carving the turkey..another rite of passage

this is how cooper contributed

stereo equipment... they are the same person, i'm convinced

in texas, we love bull and cowboy statues. this is one of about 20 surrounding our apt.

well, we are getting our christmas tree soon!

family time is fun time.

2010-11-21T09:10:00.000-08:00

the brannens are in texas! the whole gang flew out here friday and we've been socializing it up with extended family. i love that special time when someone in the fam gets married and you know you'll get to see everyone. we did miss sally. but you can see what she is doing here. she's awesome and we chatted via skype with her in cambodia last night, in a storage closet. yes, storage closet.

bucky (cousin) married katy this weekend in dallas which was very convenient for us.

here are some pics:

is it too much...

2010-11-14T16:40:00.000-08:00

is it too much to ask that somewhere in dallas sell a christmas tree before thanksgiving?

i just can't wait to have one of these in my living room.

cousins.

2010-11-07T17:43:00.000-08:00

this past weekend i had "girls' weekend" in birmingham with my cousins and sweet grandma. i am so glad that i have such a great fam. here are some pictures from the weekend.

grandma with ansley

girl cousins...and lane (brother)

lane and grandma

dad, grandma, and i

finn & quinn.

2010-10-31T12:14:00.000-07:00

happy halloween blog friends!

we have had some really fun, festive celebrations in good ole' texas.
last night, our booster fam had a great halloween party. it was AUsome (ode to auburn).
here's the backstory on our costume:
if you haven't seen glee, you should. glee is a show about a high glee club full of drama. finn (one of the main guys) and quinn dated at the beginning and quinn got pregnant. whoops. (there's also more drama behind that one)
well, so many people have told david, "hey, finn reminds me of you so much." "if you could sing and dance, i imagine you would be like finn." finn isn't exactly the smoothest dude. david hates this. if you know david well, you know that he takes things literally. so he pretty much acts like he is finn when we watch glee. you can just see his blood boil a little bit.

so, after much convincing, here we are:

the real finn and quinn:

faves.

2010-10-25T15:49:00.000-07:00

here are a few of our favorite things:

one of our favorite couples.

jake and emily lacy

chuys mexican.

anthropologie. (well, maybe just me)

community group.

salmon.

auburn. duh.

the idea of exercising.

the name moses. for real.

mason jars.

real fall weather.

sweets of any kind.

sweet tea.

...just to name a few.

i obsess easily.

2010-10-23T13:57:00.000-07:00

david and i went to a mini concert/awesomeness session last night at the house of blues.

drew and ellie holcomb.

and ben rector.

if you know me well, you know that i ~~like~~ am a ~~little~~ a lot obsessed with drew and ellie. so it was no suprise that they were wonderful.

but, i have not seen ben rector. well, i am now slightly obsessed with him now too.

check both of them out. they are amazingly talented and they love jesus. double threat.

pumpkins.

2010-10-21T18:37:00.000-07:00

if this doesn't look like fall, i don't know what does.

making pumpkin bread, sunflowers, gingham and a big pumpkin

mom time.

2010-10-15T16:15:00.000-07:00

my mom came to texas this week! it was so much fun. david was in houston doing booster stuff and she came to keep me company. i am so thankful that she was here. we had so much fun and got to do a bunch of girlie things.
here are some great pics.

at zizikis. my favorite greek restaurant. mmm...

at bread winners. also, my fave.

state fair of texas. corny dog.

can you tell that our week revolved around food...and well, shopping.

the word.

2010-10-05T05:03:00.000-07:00

i just love this verse so much. i thought i'd share.
1 peter 3:15
"but in your heart set apart christ as lord. always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have."

the hope we have in christ is noticed. at least it should be. i cannot take credit for my joy, it's only because of jesus in me.

jan. what a man.

2010-10-03T15:04:00.000-07:00

david and i started off our lovely sunday with some laziness (we go to the 5:30 service at watermark) and then some errands. one of the stops was sams. we love that place. as we were checking outm david had a craving for a sam's hotdog (completely normal in our world). in line he met a man in a motorized wheelchair named jan.
jan looks exactly like a 75 yr santa claus with a vietnam veteran hat on. he asked david if he had been in the army, then invited himself to sit with us as david ate his dog.
we sat with jan, in the sam's food court area for two hours. you probably won't believe the stories he told us but you can't make this stuff up!
jan proclaimed all of these things about himself during our convo: highest mcat score ever. ever.; spy during the vietnam war; publisher by day (i was offered a job); unlicensed surgeon, was married to a chinese woman who was always on the look-out for indians for 54 yrs; jeweler (promised me an amber bracelet); bi-lingual (chinese/english); knew richard nixon.
now i don't know how much of this is true but you better believe that the first thing we did when we got home was google him. and some of it actually panned out. unreal.
we have his digits so we can hang out again at sams and get that amber bracelet. he said it matched my eyes.
just another day in our life.

fall.

2010-10-02T21:01:00.000-07:00

what is it about fall that brings so much joy to my heart?

i love feeling that cool breeze.

pumpkin spice candles.

making banana bread.

cordoroy.

boots.

open windows.

cardigans.

fall wreaths.

...just to name a few.

rangers.

2010-09-12T17:28:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we got a really neat opportunity. Booster (David's work) is partnering up with Chick-Fil-A. This is so exciting for me because I LOVE Chick-fil-A and I love Booster.
Well, Dan Cathy (owner of chick) was in Dallas so the Booster team hosted all of his events while he was here. One of the things that they did was a "Chick-fil-A" night at the Ranger game.
So we have the pleasure of handing out sanwiches and coupons after the first day of school, on the hottest day of the year. No big. It ended up being totally worth it because I got to meet Dan Cathy. He is like a celebrity to me. Seriously.
Here are some pics.

sweet official chick-fil-a shirts, right?

teachable moments.

2010-09-02T15:01:00.000-07:00

Everyone has heard of teachable moments. Those moments with kids when they say something you can expand on, they react a certian way, you react a certain way, and you take some time to give them a little nugget of wisdom.
My prayer has been that this year God will use me to expand the Kingdom through this position I am in. But how do I do that in a place where I am not supposed to talk about God? A place where it's "winter break" and we don't acknowledge Easter. This is not "don't talk about God" Alabama style where you really do because they're all Christians. I teach in one of the most diverse school districts. There are 40 languages represented. yeah.
The neat thing about God is that He never fails. In the past two weeks there have been so many times where I don't talk about God but the kids talk about it. It's so interesting to hear their child-like faith. They have talked about the Good Samaratin (text-to-text connection that a kid made). They have talked about God creating the earth (sharing writing journal).
I am more encouraged every day that the good work that He has started will be complete. After all, that is all that I have, right?

back to school...

2010-08-29T13:55:00.000-07:00

School has started and is in full swing already! For those who don't know, I am teaching 2nd grade this year. I am so excited about it and love my class. I have never been more exhausted in my life though. Man, 18 seven yr olds can wear you out!
I am so excited about how the Lord is going to use me in this way. I know that I can have such a huge impact on these sweet children. The only hard part is the "you can't talk about God in school" thing. My prayer is just that the Lord will use me, I don't know how, but I know He will.

DMV...enough said.

2010-08-07T08:42:00.000-07:00

Well I have had a very exciting couple of days with my new friends at the McKinney DMV.
It all started on July 2 (my birthday, in case you don't remember, but of course you do), when my Alabama driver's license expired. My thoughts were, "no big deal, we're in Hawaii, I'll get it fixed when I get back". I was waaaaay wrong. Fast foward, Wednesday, after FOUR HOURS of waiting in line in 105 degree weather, I am taking my permit test. Yes, the written test you take when you're 15. awesome.
There weren't any spots to take my road test, (yep, that too), so I had to come back on Thursday. So I show up Thursday morning and wait to the huge line to get my appointment at 2:15. I can do that, go work in my classroom for a bit, then come back then, right?
Well, I show up at 2:15 and pull into the driveway to wait on someone to issue the test. Ps. I drove there illegally, woops. The lady comes over to me and all-of-the-sudden my window won't roll down because...wait for it...my car is DEAD in the driveway for the test at the DMV with cars behind me. Poor 16 year olds scared out of their minds.
Hours later, after AAA and David, I am now a proud legal driver in the state of Texas.

goodbye, july.

2010-07-31T14:09:00.000-07:00

we are finally home! there's nothing like being home after being on the road for 2 months. we tallied that we have been in dallas for a total of one week all summer.
we were in dothan for 10 days, visiting family and friends.

David with Kason. amy and paul cochrane's precious boy.

I played golf for the first time. ever. (step-dad, mom, brother)

made pepper-jelly with mom

got to hang out with lane

and celebrated one year, cutting our wedding cake. it was gross.

we have had an exciting summer but are so ready to settle down.

love in the air.

2010-07-24T19:35:00.000-07:00

yesterday i got a very exciting text from my sweet friend, kristen arnold.what else could me break into full giggly-scream in the middle of a crowded house? engagement!
matt proposed to kristen at disney world near cinderella's castle. so perfect for her.
just wanted to share the joy.

here's the cute couple:

speaking of weddings...

shout out to my friend meagan gibson who is now working with oncewed.com, such a cool wedding website.

home at last.

2010-07-13T20:13:00.000-07:00

we are home from maui! i can't believe we left on friday! we have been so busy since we've been home. when we left for maui, we had just moved into our new apt so it was not organized and crazy. we have spent these last couple of days doing fun things like making a pot hanger out of an old window, making a desk, etc. busy, busy. we have also been reunited with our dallas friends, which is really great.
we are off again to go to dothan to see our families! we're very excited to see them! we haven't been home (dothan) since christmas. amy (my bff since kindergarten) had her first baby! little kason cochrane is a month old and i cannot wait to see him!
fun fact: david and i went to ikea for the first time the other day and love it! i mean, you can only go if you have like 3 hours to spare. but, we happen to have the time.
another thing: the surprise that i wrote about on the last blog was going to be david getting a sweet tattoo but it fell through. i'm serious, he had an appointment and everything but the guy had to change times and we were leaving maui. shocking.
til next time...

is it over?

2010-07-07T16:59:00.000-07:00

hello friends.
our sweet one month get-away to the most beautiful place on earth is coming to a close. we're supposed to leave on friday. i can't believe it's here...we just got here! i am so thankful for this opportunity to be here. david and i have had the best tie just hanging out and exploring this beautiful island.
but, we're going to have a big finish. it's a surprise that will be revealed later.
our computer isn;t working and i have to put pictures on jenny's computer to upload them so you'll have to wait for more pictures until we get home.
until next time...

waterfalls.

2010-07-04T12:19:00.000-07:00

On wednesday, the whole gang (david, jenny, jessie, and i) went on the road to hana, which is a famous drive on maui. it's pretty fantastic but the best part was this hike that we stopped and did. i was really struggling (the acl surgury is still healing), but it was totally worth it. we hiked in 2 miles to the most amazing, stunning thing i think i have ever seen. hello, 400 ft waterfall.
my sweet, sweet husband carried me down the hike. he's awesome.
*pictures will come later. it's not working right now.

hebrews.

2010-06-29T20:55:00.000-07:00

On a more personal note, I am continuing to read in Hebrews and I am in awe of our Savior. The book of Hebrews is written to church that is starting to drift away from the truth of Jesus. The author of this book is writing to remind them and wake them up.

He tells them, “We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” (Heb, 2:1)

When you don’t pay attention, don’t root yourself in the Lord and the Word of God, that’s when you drift. My favorite part is when he gets into talking about Jesus as our High Priest. In the old days, the High Priest would have to offer a bull or animal to go into the Holy place. He then took on the sins of the people and bring them into the tabernacle to God. But, we have a God who is far greater than we are. Jesus came and offered Himself and split His own blood as the final blood sacrifice.

“How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the Living God!” (Heb. 9:14)

I love how the Lord loves us.

this week.

2010-06-29T20:52:00.000-07:00

Hello…

These last couple of days David and I have been really busy. We had a moment when we realized we leave next week, so we have to get busy. There are things we still have to see!

Saturday, thanks to our awesome, new friend, Jeff, we went on a sunset cruise. For free. It was great. I mean, who can pass up a free, romantic dinner? Not us. In the winter, humpback whales migrate to Maui. I have decided that we definitely have to come back then. Whales are fascinating. They’re so big! I need to see one before I die.

Sunday, we went to jenny’s church here, Hope Chapel. It’s a neat church. Great teaching and great people. It does make us really miss Watermark (our church in Dallas) and our friends.

Yesterday, we drove to Iao Valley. It looks like a mountain that has had streams run through it to create slits all over it. Of course, pictures don’t do any of these places justice. It was a breath-taking place. All you can do is look at it and say “wow”. That’s what we did.

haleakala.

2010-06-25T20:56:00.000-07:00

hi loyal blog followers..
yesterday david, jenny, and i went and saw the sun RISE on top of mt. haleakala. it is a dormant volcano on the island and beautiful. i have never experienced anything like watching the sun rise at 10,000 ft. we were on top of the clouds. talk about reflecting on the power of our creator. the Lord is so amazing and He is as faithful as the sun will rise. He commands it to rise every morning, and in all it's splendor and greatness, He still loves us more. wow.

after the breath-taking morning, we went to a lavender farm. i loved it and david actually thought it was ok too. the smell as you're getting close to it just overwhelms you and makes you want to just close your eyes. it is in upcountry so the weather is really cool. the view overlooks the island and is just beautiful.

my favorite plant there. so neat,

until next time...

ps. my bday is next week so feel free to send gifts. :)

maui film festival.

2010-06-21T21:47:00.000-07:00

last night, the gang here went to the maui film festival. it was a really cool experience. a ton of people came and brought blankets and chairs and sat under the beautiful maui stars to watch a movie. the movie we watched was called "boy". think "napoleon dynamite" meets "slumdog millionaire". pretty hilarious though.
i would have taken pictures, but cameras were not allowed.

Here are some photos they took...

On another note, my mom recently took a trip to Panama City Beach, FL and was there when oil started to wash up on the shore. PCB and Destin were big parts of both (david and i) of our childhoods. Sad days.

Until next time...

pineapples.

2010-06-19T20:44:00.000-07:00

yesterday, david and i went with our new friend, jessie, and the two precious twins she nannies to a pineapple plantation. these kids are awesome and so much fun! they especially loved david. kids have a way of figuring out who the funnest person in the crowd is. he's great.

today, jenny and i did some boogie-boarding. it was so much fun! definitely a successful day at the beach.

until next time....

west maui mountains

2010-06-17T16:56:00.000-07:00

2 entries in one days...wow.
on tuesday, david and i went on a drive around the west maui mountains and it was spectacular.
let me set the scene for you...
we were in jenny's land rover. that was good. the road winds up a huge mountain and the width of the road is not wider than our car..maybe a little narrower. at all times there is about a mile long drop off to the ocean. it is gorgeous but we were freaking out. that drive was probably my favorite thing we've done so far. we got to see some gems and scenery like this:

shhh...secret beach

2010-06-17T16:49:00.000-07:00

hi friends!
Well, its official. David and I have discovered our fave beach. Secret beach.
To get there, you pull off the road then have to walk on this little trail over some jetty rocks. Then..voila...a beautiful, hidden treasure. We love it because there's never anyone there and the waves won't kill you.

On another note, I have been studying the book of Hebrews and it is just amazing. Reflecting on Jesus and all of His power and grace just blows me away. This has been such a neat time for David and I to take some breaths and really concentrate on our Lord.
So...read at least the first chapter in Hebrews. See what it does for you. As they say in Booster... "the world just changed, did ya feel it?"

adventures.

2010-06-13T17:20:00.000-07:00

We have gotten to have some fun adventures in the aloha state.
This week we drove around the west side of maui to lahaina. It's a cute little town with fun shops. On our drive back, we stopped at all of the little beaches and places to pull up on the cliffs overlooking the water. It was a little scary but we did it! Here are some great pics:

Yesterday, David went paddleboarding with some friends. He did awesome! I couldn't enjoy it because my knee is still recovering. Then we went to Big Beach which is a local beach with HUGE waves that break right on the shore. I'm talking ginormous waves!

As you can tell, days in maui are long, busy, and so much fun! We went to a reggae concert last night called the maui roots festival. it was interesting, to say the least.

aloha.

2010-06-09T22:20:00.000-07:00

Well..we made it!
We are so thankful that the Lord allowed us to get on the FIRST flight out of Dallas directly to Maui! We even convinced a girl to trade with us so we could sit by each other. We got here at 4pm Maui time but 9pm Dallas time. We ended up staying up until Jenny got off of work at 8pm. That's really late Dallas time, and for those who don't know, I dont stay up late. I've just never been good at it. I've tried, and failed.
So today we went over to Wailea beach, and hung out at the Four Seasons. Jenny got us the hook-up with some chairs and an umbrella. It was amazing.
Now, we're back at the house and we're exhausted! With our sleep schedules out of whack, being in this sun all day, and being a little dehydrated...we're pooped!
We're going to pick up Jenny from work now.
Until next time...
PS> if you've never read the book "a same kind of different as me", you should. now.

home sweet hawaii

2010-06-07T17:32:00.000-07:00

We're off for our trip to Maui tomorrow! We have our bags packed and ready to go!

Before we leave, I have to put up some recent pictures of our lovely apt. Mrs. Kim was here this weekend and helped us make sense of our stuff.

summer...is that you?

2010-06-03T08:32:00.000-07:00

summer is almost here!!!
being a teacher and working for booster DEFINITELY has many perks, but summer is the best! the last day of school is tomorrow then we're free! i am busy here at school packing and getting ready to move into my second grade classroom. i am so excited to get going.
for those of you who haven't heard our wonderful news, we're going to MAUI next week! we're going to stay for a month with my bff jenny sawyer. she is basically living the life and working for the four seasons resort in maui. she is the most generous person and is letting the brannens crash her place.
david is currently driving a huge moving truck with his sweet mom to dallas. we have so much going on but so many good things.
we owe is all to the One who provides.

5k champ.

2010-05-21T16:43:00.000-07:00

David ran in a 5k last week with some Booster fellas.
They pretty much dominated the competition. David got 2nd place in his age group. So proud of him! His giraffe-legs really help.

we've moved!

2010-05-21T16:39:00.000-07:00

After living and learning with the sweet Baker family for almost a year, we are on our own!

We have had so much fun getting into our new apartment! We live near a really fun shopping/dining area. It's kind of like a downtown-ish feel. Kind of. Here are some pics! We do not have all of our furniture and stuff yet...it's coming from Dothan in early June thanks to David and Mrs Kim!

our living room. it's lonely now.

our lovely kitchen.

praise the Lord.

2010-04-25T12:24:00.000-07:00

I will be teaching some sweet second graders next year!
I am so blessed because I am at a great school with some great women. I am so looking foward to having my own classroom.
I will be sad to leave my very special class this year. I will not be one of their teachers any more but I will still get to enjoy their presence.

"Behold, children are a gift of the Lord..." ps. 127:3

life comes to a screeching halt.

2010-04-25T12:20:00.000-07:00

We have been crazy busy the past couple of months- weddings, showers, apartment shopping, etc. Well, last Thursday like came to a screeching halt with my ACL surgery. Yuck.
I have never had any operation before (besides wisdom teeth, which don't count). But all of that changed. I had to have reconstructive surgery on my ACL. I was off of work for a week and a half, which sounds great but was SO boring! I don't do well with not being busy. I like to be on the go and have things to do. So when my day-to-day life became me laying in bed hooked up to a machine that constantly bends my leg for me, I didn't do well. Borderline depression.
Another fact is that my body will react in the strangest way to any medicine. It happens. Trust me.
I found out that I am semi-allergic to pain meds. Awesome.
I swell way more than the average person. Cool.
BUT, despite all of the negative, I made it! Over a week after the surgery, I am feeling pretty good.
I am able to walk around, go out places, hang out with friends. I do have to wear a leg-immobilizing brace which makes me walk pretty hilariously. Oh well. I get that cool thing for 2 more weeks.
I start back to work tomorrow which is fun. Never thought I'd be so ready to get back to work!

I do have to say that we have such incredible friends here in the lone star state. Our friends in our small group have supplied dinner for us almost every night since the surgery. What a blessing that was to receive dinner and good fellowship. Community is such a neat blessing.

"Come and hear, all who fear God, and I will tell you what He has done for my soul" ps. 66:16

wedding season.

2010-04-13T19:24:00.000-07:00

this past weekend david and i went to charleston, sc for a beautiful wedding. two of our best friends from auburn united in marriage. it was so exciting. charleston is just the most beautiful place. if you've never been, you should go. the only bad thing we found were some mysterious, biting bugs.
the whole weekend was just so great. the rehearsal dinner overlooking the harbor. the church they were married in is the oldest church in charleston. just everything was so perfect.
the irony in it all...they have the same name! yes, cory and corey. "i cory, take you corey..." couldn't help but chuckle a tad.
another great part was seeing our dear friends from auburn. we love these people. they know us so well and vice versa. cant believe we're back in dallas and now looking foward to ACL surgery. yuck.
GOOD news! I am going to be a second grade teacher next year! i absolutely cannot wait! i love my school and the people there. God is so good and takes care of His children.

busy busy.

2010-03-25T16:29:00.000-07:00

David and I have been so busy lately. It's insane. But we can't complain too much at all because the things that we have been "busy" are things like: going to the beach, getting a new apartment, planning our hawaii trip, etc.
We went to the beach for spring break (the joys of teaching and having a hubby that works in schools). One of the many reasons that we love Booster is because we went on spring break with two couples that we know through Booster. Now how many people can say that about a job! It was so much fun despite the cold and wind. "Thumper" was the game of choice. It's a fun card game that will make you sweat.
We are also getting a new apartment! We are super excited and ready to get things going. I have the big surgery for my ACL on April 15 and we move in beginning of May. It's going to be an eventful time, no doubt.

I have realized that I have really been slacking off on the blog. Since I know so many people read this, (ha, just kidding...hi mom) I'm going to try to be better about updating. Here are some pictures of our recent trips.

We have been studying money and it's role in our relationship with Christ in our small group Bible study. Allow me to share some scripture that is powerful.

"Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours." 1 Chronicles 29:11-12

"You may say to yourself, 'My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.' But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which He swore to your forefathers, as it is today."
Deuteronomy 8:17-18

the winds are changing.

2010-03-08T19:52:00.000-08:00

We have experienced a lot in the last couple of weeks. The weather in the air is changing which just makes my heart sing. I love the spring and all of the promises it seems to hold.
So I had a little fall on our ski trip in December and hurt my knee. I tried to ignore the pain and "tough it out" for a while then finally went to the doc in February. Well we found out that I tore my ACL. No good. I thought "no big deal...I'll just have the surgery in July after we go on our trip to Hawaii. The sweet doctor had other plans. I am having surgery on my knee in April. As much of a whirlwind as this has been, I have been very content in the Lord. That's not to say that I haven't freaked out and broken down...I have. But that only happens when I let satan tempt me with fear and worry, both of which are not from the Lord. The Lord is my Healer and Comfort. He will see me through this just like everything else.
We have been having some really great times out here in Dallas recently. David and I are growing in our individual relationships with our Savior so then in turn, we grow together.
In one week we will be on the beach in Florida. Man, the perks of teaching and Booster. Love it and so thankful for it!
"Praise the Lord, O my soul, with all that is in me, Praise His Holy Name!"

love from texas.

2010-02-15T12:49:00.000-08:00

Today has been a great day here in Texas. I have the day off from school which is just the best ever! We also had a snow day on Friday so i got a FOUR day weekend...I mean, I am just so happy. I must mention, we got 13 inches of snow here in Texas! Unbelievable. We definitely played in the snow with the Baker boys (7 and 10). Talk about a serious snow ball fight and some snow angels. Glorious.
We have really been falling in love with Texas recently. We swear we won't have kids here because we don't want them to be Texans (sorry guys). But we did experience the most amazing thing I'm pretty sure Texas has to offer.....drumroll.....
Red River Dance Hall. You walk in and seriously ever person has on a cowboy hat and are hardcore Texans. There is a dance circle in the middle that looks like a skate rink. You can only enter the dance floor at certain points and you have to keep moving. There is a bull that you can ride. I love these kind of things. We had a great time with friends.
http://cowboysdancehall.com/Dallas/

Booster group! Great friends at Waffle House.

so blessed.

2010-01-24T16:42:00.000-08:00

i am blessed in so many ways that i cannot begin to explain why accept through Jesus.
i am married to an amazing man that loves the Lord and loves me so much. he is constantly showing me his love the way Christ loves the Church. Jesus brought us together.
i am able to live in an awesome house with a family that serves the Lord. they have taught us and helped us grow. Jesus brought us together through Kanakuk ministries.
we have great friends through Booster (which glorifies the Lord) and through our small group from church. once again, thank You Lord.
there are so many other things that have just come together when david and i have gone to the Lord and said "what do you want us to do?" the Lord has constantly shown us that His plans for us are WAY bigger and greater than we could ever plan. we also know that the Lord gives and takes away. we may not always have blessing after blessing thrown at us. we have seen those times. still we know that the Lord is sovereign. He is now and will forever be. praise be to Him!