Because Britt say's so...

Summer= Almost Over :(

2009-08-05T21:14:00.000-07:00

I can't believe summer has come and gone so quickly! I only have about 2 1/2 weeks left before school starts again! Although I am not ready for it to start, I am excited (and nervous) that I will be student teaching 3rd grade all day M-F. And, I am also excited that I will be graduating in December! Wow! I can't believe it has already been 4 years!

Anyway, I haven't posted much lately so I thought I would follow my friend Brandi's lead and post a little about what has been going on these past few months, Enjoy!

Got out of school the first week of May and my summer began :)

I watched one of my cohort friends get married to the love of her life!

Turned 28 at the end of May. Still can't believe it.

Joey & I joined a gym and really started working out. I have already gone down one size! We definitely need to work harder at it though.

We also started Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University which I highly recommend!

I went to a seminar on teaching literacy with my cohort coordinator and a couple of girls from my cohort and watched uncomfortably as an argument grew in intensity between one of the teachers and the man giving the seminar. It was crazy!

Went to the hospital to see/hold one of my good friend's precious new baby boy!

Babysat a couple of times.

Went to lunch or dinner, and several movies with my best friends on multiple occasions :)

Went shopping with my mom & my sister which is always fun!!

Took Miss L out for fun around Austin.

Had SO much fun with my nieces, Miss L & Miss J, when Miss J came to visit. She moved to Maryland last Oct. and we hadn't seen her since!!

Burned my arm on a hot casserole dish right when it came out of the oven :(

Helped out w/ a garage sale at my mom's house in the heat & humidity.

Survived 40-something days of 100+ degree days.

Cried when our pastors lost their son. Mourned with them at the memorial, viewing, and funeral.

Spent time with my family and time with Joey's family. Felt good to love on everyone!

Sat around playing Pictionary Man with my family---a total riot! You NEED to play this game!

Joey & I helped out at my mom's house ripping up carpet & padding, and installing hardwood. So.Much.Fun.Let.Me.Tell.You. ......... HA!

Created a baking/cooking blog!

Shared some special moments with friends & family---cried together, laughed together, prayed together.

Slept late...alot!

Ate...too much.

Swam...not enough.

Read...lots of books :)

Relaxed...as much as possible.

Here are just a few pics from my awesome summer that I wish was not coming to an end...

Miss L and I waiting to ride the train @ the park

Mmmm, cupcakes!

Yum!

Miss L & Miss J--- i LOVE my girls :)

New Recipe Blog

2009-07-30T13:33:00.000-07:00

Hi!

Just wanted to let you all know I decided to start a recipe blog just for fun! I LOVE to bake (and cook) and thought it would be fun to share recipes and ideas!

I will try to update it as often as possible, but it will just depend on how much I bake, and how much time I have!

Thanks for checking it out! Love y'all!

http://brittsbaking.blogspot.com/

Show Us Your Life--Wedding Dress

2009-07-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love Kelly's Korner blog! Have you ever read it? She is so funny and SO sweet, and a wonderful example of a Christian as well. I read her blog everyday and love to see pictures of her adorable baby girl Harper!

Well, she did a tour of homes for awhile where you would share pictures of the different rooms in your house but I never posted, just looked :) However, since she has finished with the homes she has decided to keep the blog-link party going! So, this time she has decided to call it "Show Us Your Life" and today we are sharing our wedding dresses! I just couldn't miss out on this one because I LOVE looking at wedding dresses. I know I have been married for over 4 years now, but I can't help it. They are just so gorgeous!

So, without further ado, here are a couple of pics of me on my wedding day :)

I love this picture! My photographer was with me from the moment I started getting ready so she caught me staring at myself in the mirror! I have such a pensive look on my face, I remember thinking that I still just couldn't believe that this day had finally come! (sorry it's so grainy--I scanned it onto the computer several years ago and it didn't come out very well)

(Sorry about the pic again!) Here is my mom walking me down the aisle. I LOVE this picture because I am wearing my mom's veil from when she married my dad :) (My dad died when I was 4, so this was very very special to me)

Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek at my wedding dress! Have fun looking at all of the others!!

Gone Too Soon

2009-07-15T08:02:00.000-07:00

It is with a very heavy heart that I come to you and ask for your prayers.

A little over a week ago our pastors were on vacation with their three teenage children when they got the news that our pastor's father had passed away. He went out on his sailboat in Florida and slipped overboard and drowned. They rushed from their Alaskan cruise down to FL to be with the rest of their family. They came back to Austin last Saturday and we all grieved with them on Sunday when our pastor courageously preached after just having lost his father.

Unfortunately, tragedy struck again yesterday. Their middle son, Caleb, who was only 17 died in a car accident.

Can you imagine what this family is going through? My heart is completely broken for them. It was sad enough that pastor's father died, but then his son? Not even two weeks later?

I am not saying that losing anyone older is not still painful, because it is. However, losing a child is completely different. I personally have never experienced this type of loss, but I have dear friends that have and I know that it changes you forever. No parent is ever supposed to out-live their children. It's just not right.

Our church family is devastated. We are struggling to understand why, but there are no answers. Only God knows.

Yesterday at church they had the chapel open for people to come pray for the family. Joey & I went when he got off work and met a friend of ours that works at the church when we got there. We walked to the chapel and as soon as we entered the tears came easily. We wrote a note to the family and then went over to some chairs to pray. As we sat there, tears flowing down our cheeks, I turned around and saw that the oldest of the three children was there. The tears came faster and harder. I can't imagine how he is feeling having just lost his brother. We went over and hugged him. I didn't know what to say, and having been through a tragic loss before I know that no words really help. So, I just hugged him tight and said "I'm SO sorry."

We normally have a service every Wednesday night at church, but tonight will be tough. Tonight will be a special service dedicated to Caleb. I don't know if our pastors will be there or not, I don't know if they are ready to face everyone.

I do know however that they have a church family that absolutely adores them and are lifting them up in prayer. And so I ask that you please join me in praying for this precious family. The Koke family of Shoreline Christian Center. www.shoreline.net

I couldn't stop crying yesterday, and just thinking about what this family is going through brought back so many memories of times I have lost someone in my life. I feel so incredibly helpless, but I know that God can and will provide them with comfort and peace that surpasses all understanding. I believe that we will see a testimony right in front of our eyes as this family heals and continues to praise Him in the storm.

Please pray for the Kokes and our church family. We desperately need to see God in this.

Please Pray for Kate

2009-07-03T12:04:00.000-07:00

Here is her CaringBridge page:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/mcraekate

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T14:54:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day Dad!

Dear Dad,

I'm not even sure where to start. I sit here looking at that picture of us on my 3rd birthday and am filled with so many emotions.

I wish I could sit here with you today, on Father's Day, laughing about silly things from the past.

I wish the memory of mom trying to brush my long curly hair and me screaming out for you, only to have you run and wrap me in your arms, didn't seem so far away.

I wish things had been different that day and that someone else would have told you to put your seatbelt on, just like mom did.

I wish you could have been there the day I had my two bottom front teeth pulled in 1st grade. I'm sure you would have taken me for ice cream afterwards, just like mom did.

I wish you were there when I had chicken pox during Spring Break in 2nd grade. I'm sure you would have put calamine lotion all over my itchy spots, just like mom did.

I wish you could have been there when my beloved dog Muffy died in 4th grade to hug me and tell me it was ok, just like mom did.

I wish you had been there when that stupid boy teased me and tormented me in 7th grade to tell me not to pay attention to him because I was absolutely beautiful and intellgent, just like mom did.

I wish you could have driven me to my first day of high school and told me everything would be ok even though I was SO nervous, just like mom did.

I wish you would have been there when I made drill team and I screamed out in excitement and took me to celebrate afterwards, just like mom did.

I wish you could have been there when I walked across that stage after making it over some major hurdles and cried with me, just like mom did.

I wish you had been there when I decided not to go to college after high school and told me that it was ok because I would succeed at whatever I decided, just like mom did.

I wish you would have been there when I went looking for love in all the wrong places to hold me and dry my tears, just like mom did.

I wish you had been there when Joey got on one knee and asked me to marry him and give your permission, just like mom did.

I wish you could have seen me on my wedding day, wearing the same veil mom wore at your wedding, and walked me down the aisle, just like mom did.

I wish you could have been there when Nikki had her baby girl, and talked her through it letting her know how much she was loved, just like mom did.

I wish you were here to hold me everytime a pregnancy test comes back negative and I break down in tears.

I wish you could see me walk across the stage in December, the first to graduate college in our family.

I wish I could spend just one day with you, as an adult, and hear you say you love me and are proud of me.

I wish you were here.

I love you daddy and I miss you more than words can say.

Love,

Britt

A Mommy in Waiting

2009-05-08T12:30:00.000-07:00

To all of my fellow mommies-in-waiting, I know this is a tough weekend. All of the commercials on tv, all of the store displays... everything is a reminder of what we do not yet have. However, when our time comes, we will be amazing moms and cherish every single moment because of what we have endured. Know that even when you feel that you could not possibly be anymore alone in this journey, you are not. We are all in this together, and none of our tears go unnoticed. Even though it is hard, please do not give up. Hold onto your faith and hope, and remember this:

"But you—you serve your God and he'll bless your food and your water. I'll get rid of the sickness among you; there won't be any miscarriages nor barren women in your land. I'll make sure you live full and complete lives." Exodus 23:26 (The Message)

"He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the LORD." Psalm 113:9 (NIV)

Here is a poem that Kelly posted on her prayer blog that could not be more true:

I have longed and waited.
I have cried and prayed.
I have endured and planned over and over again.

Like most things in life, the people who truly have appreciation are those who have struggled to attain their dreams.

I will notice everything about my child.
I will take time to watch my child sleep,
explore,and discover.
I will marvel at this miracle every day for the rest of my life.

I will be happy when I wake in the middle of the night to the sound of my child, knowing that I can comfort, hold, and feed him and that I am not waking to take another temperature, pop another pill, take another shot or cry tears of a broken dream.
My dream will be crying for me.

I count myself lucky in this sense; that God has given me this insight, this special vision with which I will look upon my child.

Whether I parent a child I actually give birth to or a child that God leads me to, I will not be careless with my love.

I will be a better mother for all that I have endured. I am a better wife, a better aunt, a better daughter, neighbor, friend, and sister because I have known pain.

I know disillusionment, as I have been betrayed by my own body. I have been tried by fire and hell that many never face, yet given time, I stood tall.

I have prevailed.
I have succeeded.
I have won.

So now, when others hurt around me, I do not run from their pain in order to save myself discomfort. I see it, mourn it, and join them in theirs.
I listen.
And even though I cannot make it better, I can make it less lonely.

I have learned the immense power of another hand holding tight to mine, of other eyes that moisten as they learn to accept the harsh truth when life is beyond hard.

I have learned a compassion that only comes by walking in those shoes. I have learned to appreciate life.

Yes, I will be a wonderful mother.

I love all of you ladies and if I could give each and every one of you a hug, I would. May God bless you all.

With love,

Britt

Don't judge a book by its cover!

2009-04-16T14:04:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder never to judge a book by its cover!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

GOD IS GOOD

2009-03-13T09:07:00.001-07:00

GOD IS GOOD...ALL the time

Every time we are at church our pastor says "God is good" and the congregation then says "ALL the time!" I love it :)

Thank you all SO SO much for your prayers during this incredibly stressful and worrisome time. I can't even express in words how thankful Joey & I are to have such amazing, supportive friends. You all ROCK!!! :)

Here's what has happened over the past week or so:

The new management company came in and hired Joey, so he gets to keep his job, and he will be getting free insurance (he didn't have ins. before)!! PTL!

His old company went to court in California on Monday. They were supposed to talk about paying all of the employees their backpay, but they ended up having to postpone the hearing until Thursday because a disagreement erupted in court. The lenders (or the banks that now own the properties) said they should be paid first. WHAT?!! I'm sorry but that is just down right selfish and greedy as far as I'm concerned. I know they deserve their money too, but theirs will just sit in some account adding to the millions they already have. The employees on the other hand haven't had a drop of income in over a month and can't even put food on their table for their families. Many of these employees have children that they haven't been able to provide for. It breaks my heart.

So, all of that said, they went back to court yesterday. The good news is that Joey will get all of his backpay. The bad news is that the judge ordered them to break it up over four paychecks. What is going on? I don't understand! Don't get me wrong, I am INCREDIBLY thankful that Joey is going to be receiving the money he worked so hard for, but that money was owed to him a month ago. We were counting on all of it to pay our bills, so splitting it up over four paychecks really screws things up because ALL of that money is needed now! It would have already been used to pay bills with. We're talking an entire month's worth of pay, so it's not just a couple hundred dollars. I wish I could have been there to tell the judge, imagine not having any money come in for an entire month...how then are you going to pay your bills for the next month?

Grrrrrrrr it all makes me so mad. We will be playing catch-up for the next several months. We've been making a ton of phone calls trying to work out payment arrangements for our bills. You would think that in this horrible economy people would be more understanding and willing to work with you. You know what I've found? No one cares! They tell you they can't help you. It frustrates me so much because I am trying to do the responsible thing by calling them to work something out instead of just not paying the bill without telling them. They still don't care.

Anyway, I've pouted, cried, and felt sorry for myself enough. It's time to move on. It's time to woman-up and deal with it! The only thing that really matters is that God worked a miracle! He worked it out, He provided, He made everything ok. He WILL get us through this season in our lives. The end of this mess is in sight, thanks to Him. I am forever grateful for everything He has blessed me with, I know I do not deserve it.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart God. I love you!

GOD IS GOOD...ALL THE TIME!

Update--please keep praying :)

2009-03-07T15:27:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone!

I want to thank you all so much for your prayers and words of encouragement. Joey & I appreciate it more than you know!

Here is what we know about the situation right now...the company filed for bankruptcy on Wednesday this past week. On Friday, one of the local VP's called Joey's property and said that all of the company's money is with the court right now. On Monday, the company is supposed to go to court where the judge will tell them who & what they need to pay, and in what order. From what we have heard, the employees are supposed to be paid first so hopefully that will happen this coming week. We desperately need it since he is owed 2 paychecks. Going an entire month without a paycheck is NOT fun, let me tell you!

Also, Joey's boss called him last night and said that a new management company is coming on Monday morning and that he should be ready for an interview (to keep his job).

We are choosing to believe that all of this is good news. At least we will not be at a standstill anymore. It feels like we will finally get some answers and hopefully be able to move on with our lives. If you would like specifics of what to pray for, here is what we are praying for:

-- That Joey will get paid this coming week

-- That the new management company will have compassion towards all of the employees that have been going through hell these past few months

-- That God would be present in Joey's interview and that he will not only be able to keep his job, but maybe even get a raise (He should have been up for a raise this past week since it was the 2 yr. anniversary of when he started)

I thank you all SO much, from the bottom of my heart. I will keep you posted & update as soon as I know something.

Love you! Love, Britt

Prayers would be much appreciated!

2009-03-01T13:59:00.000-08:00

Once again, it has been quite awhile since the last time I blogged. :( I just can't seem to find the time. I really should make the time though because it is very therapeutic for me.

Anyway, I wish I was posting something exciting and uplifting, but I'm not. I'm posting because I am completely and totally stressed out, worried, scared, sad, you name it. I'm trying not to be because I know God is going to take care of it all, but it's so hard NOT to worry. I've always been a worrier.

Here's what is going on...Joey is the maintenance manager at an apartment community. The company that owns his property also owns three other properties here, and a bunch of others in Texas as well as other states. Ever since last summer the company started telling all of the employees that they had an investor that was going to come in, become a partner, and give a bunch of money to the company for them to invest in all of the properties (improving/ adding on, etc.). Well, about four months ago they began missing paydates. Joey would be expecting a paycheck on a Friday, and it wouldn't be there. In the beginning the company was very apologetic and made sure everyone was paid the following Wed. Then, as time went on the paychecks started coming later and later, until eventually they were getting paid two weeks late which meant they were due for another paycheck on that date and they were right back at square one of being behind in the payroll.

I knew something was not right, I could feel it inside (it was that woman's intuition, you know what I'm talking about ladies!). I told Joey that I had a feeling the company was not telling the truth and they were probably about to go bankrupt. Joey didn't want to believe me at first. I can't say that I blame him, afterall he had put lots of hard work and dedication into this company. He also wanted to believe the best of the owner and wanted to think he was telling the truth that they were just waiting on the investor. However, as time went on and the paychecks continued being late, Joey began to see what I was talking about. The e-mails from the owner of the company became a joke. Everyone knew he was lying. Other employees of the company began making up anonymous e-mail accounts and sending e-mails out to the entire company talking about how badly they were being treated, and how much of a liar the owner was. Eventually the owner's e-mails quit coming, he quit updating everyone on where their money was, and he quit apologizing. We also found out the company owes other businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars for work they performed, and were not paid for.

About a month ago Joey began faxing his resume to other places, hoping he would find something else before everything came to an end. Unfortunately we had no such luck. He was supposed to have been paid two weeks ago, and we still haven't seen a dime. I can't tell you how stressed I've been not knowing when the money is coming and if we are going to be able to pay our bills.

This past Friday, late afternoon, Joey got the call that the company is voluntarily giving up all of their properties for foreclosure. The company no longer exists. They have abandoned all of their employees, and the owner did it all without saying a word to his employees that have stood by him for MONTHS now. They all continued coming to work and doing their job, even when they weren't getting paid. They remained loyal to this company, and now it was all for nothing.

All this said, we really don't know what is going to happen. We have been told that the bank will become the new owners of the properties. They will supposedly come in this week and interview Joey to see if he can keep his job. I can't tell you how upsetting it is to watch your husband go through all of this and then to see the look on his face when he found out he has to re-interview for the job he has worked so hard at for the past two years. Utterly devastating is all I can say.

Some of you know this, but we also live at one of the properties owned by the company, rent-free because Joey works for the company. This has been a HUGE blessing to us because we only have one income since I am in school full-time. So, we have no idea what is going to happen to that situation either. If the bank sells the properties, we may have to move, and there is no telling if the new owners will let us live rent-free. We have no money for rent, so I have no idea what we will do.

Wow, I wrote alot. If you have read this far, BLESS YOU! I just needed to get it all out. I've been holding alot of that stuff in for quite awhile. So, basically I would like to ask you to PLEASE please please keep us in your prayers. Please pray that when (if) the bank comes this week that they first of all pay Joey all of his back-pay. Please pray that God would be in the room when they interview him, and that he would be able to keep his job (and maybe even get a raise since he is due for one this month, how amazing would that be!). Please pray that we would be able to continue living here rent-free. Please pray for our sanity. This situation has been more stressful than words can say, and I'm having to deal with it all on top of the stress I'm already under with school.

We are believing God for a miracle and I can't wait to come back here and tell you all about it! :)
Love you all!

Rough day

2009-01-23T11:58:00.000-08:00

I decided to grab a quick lunch with Joey today just so I could get out of the apartment and away from all of my homework. We went to this little sandwich place not too far from our apt. and decided to eat outside. I sat down while Joey went inside to order for us. About 2 minutes later this lady and her mom sit about two tables away with a precious little baby boy in his carrier. I just stared at him as I sat there, he was so sweet and peaceful as he slept.

We got our food and sat talking while we were eating. About 15 min. later a man came and sat at the table next to us. Then a few minutes later his wife drove up in their suburban and he went over and took out their baby in her carrier while she went to park the car. Joey jokingly looked at me and said "Wow, give us a little break God!" I then said, "Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking. Thanks for making my day God." If you know us, you know that we don't truly mean this from the bottom of our hearts, it's just hard when you have gone through infertility for as long as we have.

Anyway, a few min. later the lady at the other table and the man sitting next to us begin talking about their babies. He asked the lady how old her little boy was to which she said he was 6 months. She told him his name and about her other little boy. The man told her his little daughter was 4 weeks old, and that he had another little girl about to get out of the car with his wife. He then said, "Yep! Two little girls!" to which the lady replied, "Yeah, I tried but I got two boys so I said forget it." Umm, ok.

The lady left, and the man's wife and other little girl were walking over to the table. I felt the tears welling up and tried with everything in me to hold them back. I didn't want to cry in public, I didn't want anyone to see me. I couldn't stop them though, the tears began pouring from my eyes. Thankfully the family next to us decided to go inside so there wasn't anyone directly in front of me to see my tears.

I sat at the table unable to stop crying, covering my eyes with a napkin as the wind blew. Joey grabbed my hand and we sat in silence. A couple of minutes later Joey said "Don't believe the lies that are being told to you right now. It's just not our time." Through my tears I said, "It's never our time. I can't go anywhere without seeing happy families and their babies, I can't even check my e-mail without hearing about it." Joey tried to comfort me as I attempted to stop crying and dry my tears. I haven't cried about my infertility in quite awhile. I usually push it down as deep as I can because then I don't have to deal with it. I have to focus on school and other things right now so I try as hard as I can to not think about it so that I can go on with my day. I know it's always there though, it never leaves. Today was proof of that. I was due for a good cry.

Please know, even though it doesn't sound like it, that I am always thrilled when a friend gets pregnant. Especially my cysters and other friends who have had trouble conceiving for whatever reason. I don't want any of you to think you can not share your news with me for fear of hurting me. It's not like that. It actually hurts more when someone doesn't say anything and then you end up finding out through the grapevine. I love being included & I want to share in the joy and happiness!

Just know that this battle I am fighting has been going on for what feels like forever. And I have my days just like anyone else. Most days I am fine and am able to cope like nothing is wrong. But there are other days where I look around and feel the aching pain more than ever. People tell me all the time "But you're still so young. You have plenty of time." You know what, it really doesn't matter if I am young or not. It doesn't matter if I have plenty of time. What matters is that I want to be a mom now (and have wanted for the past 8 years) and that pain will never go away until I am. So, yes while I may still be young, the pain is very real and I honestly don't know how I will cope with it if I have to wait another ten years. Only God knows, and I can only pray that is not His plan for me.

Wow, its been awhile!

2009-01-21T19:41:00.001-08:00

So, as usual, I have not blogged in forever! I think I am going to quit promising to post more because it just doesn't happen. Maybe if I don't say anything I will actually end up posting more. Kind of a reverse logic thing, HA!

I had a wonderful break from school. A nice long 2 months off! It was VERY hard to go back yesterday. I was so used to sleeping late and making my own schedule. Now it's back to getting up early, fighting the traffic, papers, projects, and classes that feel like they will never end. One thing I don't like about this semester is that I will be student teaching on Mondays & Thursdays, so that means that I am taking 12 hours on Tuesdays & Wednesdays. Yep, that means two 3 hour classes back-to-back on Tuesdays and then the same on Wed.--meaning all my classes are back-to-back. UGH!

This past weekend was very scary. My precious niece had to be taken in an ambulance to the children's hospital Sunday evening because she was having a horrible asthma attack. My mom called to tell me and I immediately freaked. Joey & I jumped in the car, praying all the way over there that God would watch over her. I was able to go back into her room with my sister. It broke my heart to see her hooked up to all the monitors. She was so scared and she kept telling me "I'm so scared. I just want to go home. I thought I was going to die!" After about four hours at the hospital, four breathing treatments, steroids, and some tylenol they decided to send her home.

My sister noticed that her cough sounded worse today so she took her back to the doctor. Guess what...she has walking pneumonia on top of her asthma! Why they didn't do x-rays at the hospital I don't know, but I'm so sad for my poor baby! I know what it's like to have pneumonia, and it is absolutely miserable!

As you can imagine, I've been a little busy! I am strapping on my seat belt though and getting ready for the ride, I have a feeling this semester is going to be something else! Stay tuned :)

Time to recoup

2008-12-26T07:17:00.000-08:00

All of the hustle and bustle is finally over, and now it is time to rest! Joey bought me something for Christmas that I have wanted for a very long time--the Celtic Woman dvd! If you have never heard them, then you need to immediately! Their voices are like angels and they have the amazing power to put me to sleep in a matter of only about 5 minutes!

After we got home from an awesome day with our family we were exhausted and I knew just what we needed!! We put the dvd on and I kid you not, I was out before the first song was over. Ahh, sweet bliss!! :)

I also want to brag just a little bit because I made all A's this semester. Yes, I got a 4.0!!! I've done this before, but it meant alot more to me this semester because it was so challenging. Now, if I can get a 4.0 my last two semesters I will be ecstatic!

One thing I am even more excited about though is my GPA. When I went back to school I told myself that I wanted to graduate with honors. I have been working hard at this, and when I transferred from UTSA to UT, I did not realize that my GPA did not come with me. So, I left my amazing GPA at UTSA and had to start over from scratch at UT. Now we all know that your end-of-semester GPA is not as important as your cumulative GPA. The cumulative is the one that really counts! Last semester my cumulative GPA was a 3.66. It was ok, but not quite where I wanted it to be since it was much higher at UTSA. Well, when I checked my grades the other day I was thrilled to see my cumulative GPA had been updated to a........................... 3.75!!!!! Now, that's more like it!!! Thank you God! One step closer to graduating with honors! :)

I hope you & your families had a wonderful Christmas! Now I'm off to rest.......yeah right! haha

Merry Christmas!!!

2008-12-24T14:32:00.001-08:00

"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more." --Dr. Seuss

Hoping your Christmas is merry, bright, & full of meaning and love :)

An ewok for Christmas!!!

2008-12-23T21:50:00.001-08:00

For the past year my niece has been asking for a puppy. Well, we finally gave in and here he is! An early Christmas present--she named him Cuddles! Isn't he the cutest thing ever?!! The breeder we got him from said he looked like an "ewok" LOL. He is 1/2 Yorkie & 1/2 Pomeranian, and only weighs 2 lbs! He is king of the house already :)

Is this what I think it is?

2008-12-09T22:48:00.000-08:00

It's almost 1 AM and I'm still awake! Why you ask? Well, I am way too excited to go to sleep!! I was sitting on the couch earlier when my sister called me and told me it was snowing! So, I looked outside but didn't see anything :( About 30 min. later I decided to check again and to my surprise it really was snowing! In Austin!! That hardly ever happens! And I don't mean just a little bit of snow either, it was really coming down! So of course I am sharing pics b/c this is too exciting NOT to share!!!!! Enjoy! (Oh and it was almost 80 degrees this morning, go figure!)

I was calling one of my best friends to tell her to go outside!

On our balcony floor

It was cold but so much fun!

Our balcony!

Fabulous!

2008-12-08T20:28:00.000-08:00

One of my best friends, Taylor, passed this award along to me! Thanks Taylor!!! (my list will not be nearly as meaningful as yours!) :) The rules are you must list 5 addictions and pass it along to 5 people.

Here goes (in no particular order):

1. Chocolate! I love it in almost any size, shape, or form! I can be kind of a chocolate-snob though, I tend to prefer Ghirardelli, Godiva, and anything swiss!

2. My church. I absolutely love it & can not wait for Wednesdays, Sundays, and special events! This past weekend I was at church Friday, Saturday, and Sunday...it was awesome!

3. Facebook. It's sad, I know.

4. Blogs!! (I'm stealing this one from you Taylor!) I LOVE writing and reading blogs. I have met some amazing women through blogs and have been inspired by their heartfelt words.

5. Shopping! Unfortunately I am not able to do this as much as I would like to, but I love a good day out shopping with the girls. It's actually more about spending time just laughing and having fun together than it is the shopping ;)

I am now passing this along to Nikki, Julia, Heather, Ruth, and Pam. Have fun ladies!!!

Masquerade!

2008-12-07T16:14:00.000-08:00

We had an amazing event at our church on Friday night called "Masquerade." We got to dress up & they gave us these beautiful masks! We heard a wonderful speaker who really challenged us to take off our masks and not hide who we truly are, to not be paralyzed by our fears, and to be the women God has called us to be! It was an amazing night & I thought it would be fun to share a few pics!

Me :)

Me, my mom, my sister

Me, again

My sis in her beautiful mask!

Hook 'Em!

2008-11-27T16:06:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to say...

GO HORNS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hook 'Em!!!!

:)

Happy Turkey Day!

Thankful

2008-11-26T12:34:00.000-08:00

It is almost Thanksgiving and while I am thankful every single day, I do like to take advantage of this one day to think about everything that is a blessing to me. Of course there is no way to list every single thing that I am thankful for, but here are just a few (in no particular order).

I am thankful for...

-- God's grace, forgiveness, blessings, sovereignty, miracles, love, peace, faithfulness

-- My family, I love them with all of my heart!

(This is me & my niece being silly on her 7th b-day last week)

-- my hardworking husband who would do anything for me & has made it possible for me to go to school full-time without having to work

-- My amazing friends...you know who you are & I love you all to pieces!

-- living in a blessed & free country

-- my cat Pumpkin who knows when I am down and jumps in my lap at the perfect times

-- the freedom to worship my God

-- my church

-- my Connect group...you are all amazing!

-- the roof over my head which happens to be pretty nice :)

-- peppermint hot chocolate & cinnamon apple hot tea

-- my incredible professors who have taught me so many invaluable lessons

-- every. single. child.

-- the fact that I will be graduating next year from an amazing university!

-- my infertility...it has allowed me to meet so many incredible women & has brought me closer to God

-- atomic learning tutorials!--without these I would have never been able to complete several iMovie projects this semester :-P

-- what my family went through this past summer...it has opened doors and brought restoration while reminding me never to take anything for granted

-- ALL of my blog readers

-- all of the blessings yet to come :)

What are you thankful for?

Happy Thanksgiving!

2 more weeks!

2008-11-20T14:42:00.000-08:00

I'm taking a quick break from writing an essay & just wanted to say I only have 2 more weeks left until the end of this semester!!! (Well, technically I have a little more than that since a couple of projects aren't due until the next week, but I'm done with all classes & interning in 2 weeks!!)

I desperately need a break & can't wait for it to be here! Don't get me wrong, this semester has been wonderful. It has been full of lots of new experiences & loads of new knowledge...but, it has also been full of reading, papers, reading, writing, reading, projects, and reading.

Let the countdown begin!

...and now back to my essay... :(

Life

2008-11-09T13:31:00.001-08:00

I'm so sorry. This once a month blog thing has to end. To be truthfully honest, I have been so caught up in school (which is my life right now) that I just haven't had a moment to sit down and write. I really miss it though because writing is incredibly therapeutic for me.

My last day for this semester is Dec. 3 & it is rapidly approaching! While I am excited because I will have a month and a half off before the next semester, I also don't want it to come too quickly because I still have about a gazillion projects and papers left to finish. I do not know what grade I will be student teaching in next semester yet, but I can't wait to find out!

It is very exciting/a little scary to think that at this time next year I will be preparing to graduate!!! After what will be four and a half years, I will have finally reached one of the biggest goals I have ever had. Of course, I am completely in awe of God. He has been by my side and without Him, I would not be where I am today. I am a little scared just because I have been in school for so long that the thought of going back out into the workforce is a little nerve-wrecking. Then again, I know that God will provide the perfect job for me & I will finally be teaching precious children which is what I have always wanted!

I am excited about what the future holds for Joey & me. When I am out of school our lives will be different. We will both be working full-time jobs (although school might as well be a FT job right now minus the pay!) which means we will have a second income for the first time in years! This also means new opportunities.

Over the next year we will be faithfully praying & asking God what steps we should take. I guess I should say that I am specifically talking about children. When I first went back to school we had just started fertility treatments. That time was an incredible learning experience for us, but was also full of sadness. I ended up having to undergo surgery and then had problems with huge cysts, and eventually I couldn't handle going to the DR every other day and trying to focus on school at the same time. It was emotionally draining and so we decided to stop treatment. However, as my graduation approaches I find myself thinking about the one and only thing that I have ever wanted in this life more & more, and that is to be a mom. So, please join Joey & me in prayer asking God to guide us in the direction we need to take to become parents once and for all.

I hope to post again soon. I love you all!!

Love,
Britt

Craziness!

2008-10-02T16:14:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! :)

I am SO sorry I haven't blogged in so long. I have a good reason though! haha My reason?--Life! I have been so incredibly busy I just haven't had the time.

At the end of August I started my senior year at UT, YAY! I am in what they call a "cohort." Basically it is a group of about 23 girls. We are all elementary education majors. We take all of our classes together too. No one outside of the cohort is allowed in the classes, they are just for us. It is nice because you make some wonderful friendships and you have a built-in support system of other people who are experiencing exactly what you are. We should all get to know each other pretty well since we will be together for the next three semesters until we graduate!

I started my student teaching about a month ago. I am in a Pre-K class at a Blue Ribbon school so it has been a great experience so far. The Pre-K program at this particular school is a little different from other programs. The students have to be assessed before they are accepted into it. They must be ESL, low SES, a child of a military parent, or in the foster system. Currently my class is made up of 13 ESL and low SES students. I love the diversity though, it really creates an amazing learning environment not just for the students but for myself too! We have children who speak Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Greek as their first languages just to name a few.

I already taught my first lesson last week! I know, I'm sure you are thinking "Oh yeah, that must have been hard, it's Pre-K!" But...let me tell you, it's not as easy as you might think! Getting 13 four-year olds to sit still and engaged for a lesson at the same time is a challenge. I was incredibly nervous because not only were all of their little eyes staring at me, but my CT (cooperating teacher--the teacher who's class I am interning in) and my cohort coordinator were observing me too! However, I have taught pre-school before awhile back so I tried to just remind myself that this is not the first time I've done this and to relax. Afterwards my coordinator (who is amazing by the way) went outside with me to talk about how I did. I will never forget when she said "You are a natural, this is what you were meant to do." Wow. I can't even express to you how much those words mean to me. She also said she was very impressed with my Spanish which I laughed at. (There is one little girl in my class who only speaks Spanish so I had asked her a question during the lesson in Spanish)

On top of interning in the elementary school twice a week I also have four classes to attend and a whole-lotta homework! (yes, I know that's not really a word LOL) This semester is really different for me in regards to this because there are no tests in any of my classes. Instead, each class has about a million papers and projects. You might think this sounds great, but projects take a lot longer to complete than a test does. Oh well, it's part of the learning process. Did I mention how I can't WAIT to graduate next December?!!! :)

Alright, sorry for going on so long about school but I told you I had a good reason for not posting here in awhile! As you can see, school keeps me incredibly busy and eternally stressed. I'm still trying to find a balance between school, family, friends, and church activities. Not sure that will ever happen but I'm trying!

There is plenty more I could occupy your time with but you have probably already stopped reading. haha I will try to post more often but I can't promise anything. I have been tagged by a couple of friends recently and I will try to post that too as soon as I can. Please don't think I am ignoring you!

Until later....I love you all!

Adios!

GO AWAY Ike!!!

2008-09-12T09:29:00.001-07:00

In case you haven't watched tv or listened to the radio in a few days, Hurricane Ike is on his way with a vengeance!

I am very sad that it is heading straight for our state :( I also find it sad that we just spent a week in Galveston soaking up its beauty, and in a matter of hours it might all be gone :(

I have many friends with family in Houston and I am worried with them about their houses & families.

Please pray!

and a word to Ike-- GO AWAY! We don't want you here, you are NOT welcome!

No Words Needed

2008-09-11T16:16:00.001-07:00

Back from vacation!

2008-08-25T22:16:00.001-07:00

I'm baaaack! hehe :) Joey & I had a great time in Galveston with our niece! It was nice to get away and have a week to relax before school starting again this week.

We had a blast & it would have been even better if Joey did not get a stupid speeding ticket right when we drove onto the island! He was only going 65 which is normal for here, but there were no signs where he got pulled over! grrrrrrr

Well, it just wouldn't be right if I didn't include some pics, so here you go!

We spent an entire day at the beach and while we kept re-applying the sunscreen, it didn't work. I am burnt all over my back, shoulders, face, and my legs from my thighs down to my knees. This is a small portion of my poor back, I can't even describe to you how painful it is. Thanks alot Coppertone!!!!the beach

Miss L ready for the beach

our hotel

Me & Miss L at the Rainforest Cafe

volcano exploding at Rainforest Cafe

Aww :)

she loves her uncle!
view from our hotel window

I

2008-08-17T20:41:00.000-07:00

I just had to post one more time before I leave for vacay. I stole this idea from Melissa at Stretch Marks, but it's ok because she said it was ok :)

I AM ...very excited about going to the coast for an entire week! I am also hoping & praying it doesn't rain the whole time.

I WANT... to be a shining light for Christ. I want people to look at me and see something different and say "Man, I want whatever she has," so that they may ask me and I could share with them the beauty of my Savior. I want to be there for people in their times of need to remind them just how much God loves them.

I HAVE ... a little crazy, obsessive quirk where I don't like any of my food to touch each other on my plate. Yeah, I know...it's just one of those things. Have you ever seen Toys? Well, in the movie there is a scene where LL Cool J's character says something about not wanting any of his food to touch the other food on his plate and how he wants to build a fort around his mashed potatoes so his green beans don't invade. (I don't remember the exact words but it was something like that--totally me! HA!)

I WISH I COULD ... not care so much about what other people think of me.

I HATE ... any kind of bug! With a passion!

I FEAR ... losing anyone close to me & never becoming a mom.

I HEAR ... the words being spoken but am not completely convinced.

I SEARCH ... for inspiration in many things in life.

I DON'T THINK ... my faith is strong enough or that I give God enough credit.

I REGRET ... things I did before I was saved. I know I am forgiven, but it's still hard to forget.

I LOVE ... Jesus. my husband. my family. my friends. my cat. my church. children. diet dr. pepper. mexican food. the smell outside right after it rains. freshly mowed grass. fresh laundry. warm, fluffy towels. expensive hotels. air conditioning. cookie cake at the mall. shopping. Dallas. Texas. thunderstorms. photography. scrapbooking. blogging. interior decorating. wii tournaments with my family. riding in a convertible in the winter with the top down and the heater on. roadtrips. willow tree figures. jewelry. mayonnaise. painting my toenails. the way my legs feel right after i shave. fluffy puppies. the smell of gasoline. being creative. flip flops. eating breakfast for dinner. when my husband runs his fingers through my hair to help me fall asleep. celebrity gossip. dumb teenage reality shows, aka the hills. movies. singing in the car. highlighting my mom & sister's hair. having my eyebrows waxed. my niece's laugh.

I ACHE FOR ... the day I become a mommy.

I ALWAYS CRY ... during baby dedications at church.

I AM NOT ... being snobby or rude when I am quiet, I am just extremely shy when I first meet someone.

I DANCE ... all the time!

I SING ... at the top of my lungs while I'm driving by myself.

I NEVER ... respond to e-mails quickly enough.

I RARELY ... get a head start on my school work. Can you say procrastinator?

I CRY WHEN I WATCH ... "A Baby Story" on TLC. every. single. time.

I AM NOT ALWAYS ... confident.

I HATE THAT ... I am not sure about more things in my life. I wish God would let me in on His plan a little more.

I'M CONFUSED ABOUT ... well, let's not even go there.

I NEED ... to pray more, eat better, and be more outgoing.

I SHOULD ... clean my desk, it's a mess and it is driving me crazy.

A Fresh New Look!

2008-08-14T22:16:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! In case you didn't notice, I have a new blog design!! I had my previous one for about a year or so and I was a little tired of it. Thankfully my sister is a graphic designer :) I had an idea of what I wanted so we worked together and she created this new masterpiece! Thank you sooooo much Nikki!

The picture at the top is one of my favorites of me & Joey! (Oh, and yep hubby is pretty much bald, and yep..that is his horrendous sock-tan you are seeing) And of course my two favorite colors, black and pink, are splashed everywhere!

I hope you like it as much as I do. Joey & I are taking a much needed vacation all next week (look out TX coast, here I come!) so I will try to update when we get back.

Until then, I hope you all have a blessed weekend!

Muah :x ~Britt

USA all the way!!!

2008-08-11T21:12:00.000-07:00

What a proud moment!!!

Smile Award!

2008-08-10T13:02:00.000-07:00

I headed over to Taylor's blog a little while ago and to my surprise she chose me as a Smile Award recipient!! I am incredibly honored. Taylor has been through so much and yet she continues to be a strong pillar of God. She has shown me how to remain faithful in the face of darkness and has done it all with complete and utter gracefulness. Taylor, I am completely blessed by your friendship. (((HUGS))) I don't know if it would be against the rules or not but I would most definitely give this award back to her if I could :)

I now have the pleasure of granting this award to 5 blogger friends!
These are the rules:
1. The recipient must link back to the awards creator the babblings of mere
2. You must post these rules if you receive the award.
3. You must chose 5 people to receive the award after receiving it yourself
4. You must fit the characteristics of the recipient of the award, as posted by Mere.
5. You must post the characteristics of a recipient.
6. You must create a post sharing your win with others.
7. You must thank your giver.

Characteristics for the Smile Award:
1. Must display a cheerful attitude. (not necessarily at all times--we are all human)
2. Must love one another
3. Must make mistakes
4. Must learn from others
5. Must be a positive contributor to blog world
6. Must love life
7. Must love kids

Here are my five!!!

1) Nikki (http://projectdomesticbliss.blogspot.com/)--my sister :) Although we are still in our 20's and only 3 yrs. apart, we have been through ALOT together. She has been there for me when no one else was. I have watched her transform from a rebellious teenager into a beautiful woman of God. She is also the most amazing single mom I have ever known. Her daughter is her life and it is a privilege to be part of their lives. I know that no matter what I can always count on my sister & for that I am truly thankful. I love you Nikki, always & always!

2) Melissa (http://reallybadhairday.blogspot.com/)-- I recently "met" Melissa when my sister told me that I just had to go read her blog because we had so much in common. When I did, I sat in tears reading through her posts. I could literally feel her heartache through her words. She is honest, truthful, and tells it like it is. I wish I could be more like that. She has been through so much and continues to give thanks to God. You really should visit her blog if you get the chance, she is an awesome lady.

3) Amanda (http://onesacrifice.blogspot.com/)-- A beautiful woman of God, I just "met" Amanda the other day when she happened to come across my blog. She left me a sweet and heartfelt comment that really meant alot to me. Although we are new friends, we have shared and experienced much of the same feelings and struggles in life. She has greatly encouraged & inspired me already, and I am so thankful to have met her!

4) Heather (http://hedz34.wordpress.com/)-- Heather and I met through a group where we shared the desire to overcome this horrible PCOS and to become healthier along the way. I like to call her "Rockstar" because she is absolutely filled with the Holy Spirit. She is almost always upbeat & ready to rock! She has been through many trials and tribulations but she always keeps her eyes on the Lord. She has been a huge inspiration to me & I am blessed to call her my friend.

5) Sweets (http://insatiableamusings.blogspot.com/)-- I don't know if she would be ok with me posting her real name, but my friend "Sweets" is one hard-working mama! She hasn't posted on her blog in awhile but I'm hoping she updates soon b/c I love reading her entries! (She is probably very busy with her precious children) She has been through more than I could ever imagine but has shown her strength time and time again. I am so thankful that God allowed me to meet her because she has truly blessed me.

We are His

2008-08-04T14:27:00.000-07:00

I want to thank you all once again for your prayers for my family. God was listening & working. We are on the road to restoration, but there is still a long road of healing ahead for everyone.

I've said many times before that I am a very musical person. Music speaks to me and I believe God uses it to reach me if that makes sense.

I was driving the other day when this amazing song came on the radio. It is called "Yours" by Steven Curtis Chapman. The dj said he wrote it after the tragic loss of his precious little girl. I can't even begin to imagine.

Here are a few of the lyrics:

And its all Yours, God, Yours, God
Everything is Yours
From the stars in the sky
To the depths of the ocean floor
And its all Yours, God, Yours, God
Everything is Yours
You're the Maker and Keeper, Father and Ruler of everything

It's all Yours, God
It's all Yours, God
It's all Yours, God
It's all Yours, God

The glory is Yours, God
All the honor is Yours, God
The power is Yours, God
The glory is Yours, God

You're the King of Kings
And Lord of Lords

And its all Yours, God, Yours, God
Everything is Yours
From the stars in the sky
To the depths of the ocean floor
And its all Yours, God, Yours, God
Everything is Yours
All the greatness and power, the glory and splendor and majesty
Everything is Yours
Yeah, it's all Yours
We are Yours
The glory and honor is Yours, everything is Yours

It's all Yours, God
My life is Yours, my heart is Yours
My hands and my feet are Yours
Every song that I sing
It's all Yours, all is Yours
All belongs to You
Our gifts are Yours, God
All our dreams are Yours, God
All our plans are Yours, God
The whole earth is Yours, God
Everything is Yours

As I listened to the words tears streamed down my face one after the other.

Can I be completely honest with you all here? During the chaos, confusion, and pain that has been my life for the past month or so there were times when I really began to doubt what I had asked for. I asked God to work a miracle in my family...I asked all of you to pray for a miracle. Then when it began to happen, I wasn't so sure I wanted it anymore. Does that make me crazy? (Ok, don't answer that!)

I realized though that my insecurites, my doubts, my fears were just that. They were "mine", not HIS. He always had a perfect plan. He always knew the outcome. He was never afraid. He never doubted me or my family.

When I finally let go of "my" feelings, I let His invade me. I am thankful that everything is His because when we try to do things on our own it becomes overwhelming and we allow uncertainty into our lives.

With Him we can be certain that EVERYTHING is His.

His Hands at Work

2008-07-31T22:14:00.000-07:00

My sister sent me to a blog of a woman named Melissa. She has experienced her share of pain and yet she still loves the Lord with all her heart, just like Taylor & Angie. I am amazed by these women. All three of them consistently lay their hearts out on the table for all to see. God is doing unbelievable things through them and I for one am incredibly thankful.

Melissa posted this video on her blog Stretch Marks. As I sat and watched, I just let the tears stream down my face. It is incredibly touching to see God's miracles, His hands at work.

If you truly think about what God has done for you, you could fill up a million pieces of cardboard. Every single one of us has more than 1 testimony to God.

And so, as I sit here and reflect, I wonder what will be written on my cardboard next week...next month...next year...5 years from now.

As of right now, allow me to share my heart and a few of my cardboard testimonies...

My dad died when I was four, how could God do this to me?
Getting to know my Father more everyday

Stupid mistakes as a teenager, should have been dead
Alive and safe living for Him

Abandoned by several "best friends"
He has never left my side

On the verge of calling it quits
He (Joey) found Christ and led me to HIM, been together for 8 1/2 years

Ache for a child to call my own
Graduating in 2009 as a teacher
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

What does your cardboard testimony say?

Even when the rain falls...

2008-07-25T23:04:00.000-07:00

Thank you all SO much for your continued prayers. They mean the world to me & my family.

I found a quiet moment today and decided to check in on some blogs I love to read to try to turn my mind off for awhile. What I ended up reading was one of the most beautiful posts I've ever read. If you ever need inspiration you must read Bring The Rain. Angie Smith is a beautiful soul inside & out. God truly has given her the gift of words. In her most recent post "Blink" she writes:

"We need not dwell on the things we wish we had done differently, nor should we even give too much thought to what the future will look like. We need not worry about the pages, but rather this very simple fact.

I have this moment. Right now. And I want to make it good."

Thank you Angie for your beautiful words. Thank you for having the courage to open up your heart for all to see.

I heard this song on the radio today. I've never really payed much attention to it, but today the words just struck me. (I added it to my playlist at the bottom if you want to hear it)

"Washed By The Water" --Needtobreathe

Daddy was a preacher
She was his wife
Just tryin to make the world a little better
You know, shine a light
People started talking
Trying to hear their own voice
Those people tried to accuse my father
Said he made the wrong choice
Though it might be painful
You know that time will always tell
Those people have long since gone
My father never failed

Even when the rain falls
Even when the flood starts rising
Even when the storm comes
I am washed by the water

Even if the Earth crumbles under my feet
Even if the ones I love turn around and crucify me
I won’t never ever let you down
I won’t fall
I won’t fall
I won’t fall as long as you’re around me

Even when the rain, sweat, and tears fall, I AM washed by the water. Although painful at times, there is a beautiful healing in this process.

Update

2008-07-22T09:04:00.000-07:00

Sorry I couldn't think of a better title for this post. First of all, I wanted to thank you all so incredibly much for your prayers and support. So many of you left me sweet comments and/or e-mailed me. It means more to me than words can express that I have so many amazing friends who truly care.

Please continue lifting my family up in prayer. I'm sorry I can't share more about what's going on right now, but I can tell you it is an incredibly painful situation for everyone involved. Know that your prayers are what holds us up in the dark moments and we can feel them!

Wanted: Divine Intervention

2008-07-16T08:52:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been awhile since my last post. I feel as though my life was completely turned upside down this past weekend. I don't want to go into too many details here because it is a very painful and private situation for my family, but I can tell you we need a "Divine Intervention." I also desperately need your prayers for my family.

If you want to e-mail me please feel free to do so. Some of you have already e-mailed and expressed your concern & prayers for my family. I can't tell you how much that means to me, there are no words that would do it justice. If I have not responded to you just yet please forgive me. I am living in a sort of fog right now but I promise I will get back to you.

Thank you for your prayers during this time. I love you all!

Headaches cont'd.

2008-07-09T15:49:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July!

I'm still getting headaches. Not everyday but at least every other day. My little tiny break from school was nice but nowhere near long enough. The 2nd summer session started Monday so it's back to work for me.

I'm tired. Really tired. It seems like everyone around me (including my immediate family) has been going through a season of challenges, struggling, and/or sadness. I am trying my hardest to be there for everyone when they need me but I feel like I don't have enough to spread around! So, if I have by some chance neglected any of you recently please don't take it personally. There's just alot going on.

I am ready for Satan to stop attacking me and my friends & family that I love so dearly. It seems as though every few months he comes back again trying to wreak havoc in everyone's lives. I'm so tired of it. I'm praying for God to pour out a blessing of overflow!

Until then, tylenol is my best friend.

Headaches

2008-07-01T22:39:00.001-07:00

I have to take a little break from studying for my two huge finals tomorrow. I have another headache. I've had bad headaches almost every night now for a week. They're probably from stress. I am allergic to ibuprofen so the only thing I can take is tylenol which doesn't do much.

This past week has been extremely emotionally hard. I keep thinking about my dear friend Taylor and wish I could take away her pain.

My mom's husband was also in an accident late last week. He drives flatbed 18 wheelers. Something on the back of his flatbed snapped and his load went crashing up into the cab where he was driving. He was in Arizona while we were all here just waiting for each phone call. Thanks to God he was ok, just some major whiplash. Unfortunately his truck didn't fare so well.

On Saturday I pulled something in my back while helping my mom & sister move around some furniture in their house. I had to lay in bed all day Sunday.

Another really good friend called me in tears because her grandfather was diagnosed with cancer and her dad has some horrible staph infection. They both live in Florida so it is hard for her to be here when she wants to be with them.

Then there have been quizzes & tests. I had an oral exam in Spanish today. Tomorrow I have my history and written spanish finals. Then I will be off for just a few days before the next summer session starts on Monday.

I'm not trying to whine, I'm just tired of these headaches. Maybe this little break coming up will be just what my head needs. I probably need to stop thinking & worrying so much, but if you know me you know that will never happen.

Rest in Peace Baby Nathan

2008-06-24T21:58:00.000-07:00

I have posted before about my good friend Taylor and her husband Josh. They were expecting their first baby (a precious boy named Nathan) and discovered that he had Trisomy 13.

Today at 1:36 PM (2 months early), Taylor gave birth to precious little Nathan. He weighed 3 pounds 15 ounces. He lived for a few minutes before going home to be with our Lord. They were able to spend about 5 hours with him and have some professional pictures taken through the Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep organization.

If you have ever read Taylor's blog then you know that she is an incredibly strong & amazing woman. I am truly blessed to have her as my friend.

She has opened her heart and allowed a glimpse into her soul through her blog. Nathan's story has touched so many and will continue to for years to come.

Thank you Taylor for allowing all of us to be a part of your life. You truly are an example of God's beauty & grace.

Baby Nathan, you are now safe in the arms of our Savior. Watch over your mommy & daddy as they will miss you forever.

We love you all!

New family pics!

2008-06-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

I love the fact that my sis is a photographer so anytime we want pics we know where to turn! (and it's even better that we don't have to pay! LOL) Anyway, we hadn't taken any family pics in a loooooong time so we had some fun last weekend! I thought it would be fun to share so here are a few. Oh, the very first pic is the last family pic we took and it's from several years ago. I thought it would be funny to include it for comparison. My sister's photography has come a long way too!

OLD PIC: (my hair was pulled back by the way, it wasn't that short! haha)

NEW PICS:
The Family (L-R, Joey, my sis, me, my mom, her husband, & my niece in front)

Joey & our niece

Me & my mom

VaVaVoom!

2008-06-19T19:59:00.000-07:00

I got my hair cut last weekend!! I've been needing/wanting to do it for so long but I hadn't found a stylist yet. I finally took the plunge and went to a new one who turned out to be amazing! It really takes someone with a lot of talent to cut extremely curly hair like mine. I can't just go anywhere so I was very impressed! She even showed me how to style it & convinced me to buy a Chi hairdryer with diffuser, which I must say is totally awesome!

I cut off about 4 or 5 inches. You can't really tell since my hair shrinks up so much! This is before I went, please ignore how yuck my hair looks. I took it down from being up in a bun-thingy, LOL.
BEFORE:

AFTER:

Another Father's Day...

2008-06-15T22:08:00.000-07:00

Come and gone.

I tried not to think about it too much, but that is way easier said than done. My dad is gone and has been for years. For those of you who don't know he passed away from severe injuries he sustained in a horrible car accident when I was four years old. I did not get enough time with him here on this earth and it hurts.

Then I think about Joey who is an incredible husband, uncle, son, leader, and man. In church yesterday they asked all of the fathers to stand up & be honored. I literally had to choke back tears and could not look at Joey who was still sitting in his seat next to me. He is so much stronger than I am. I can't even go to church on Mother's Day, but there he sat tall and handsome as can be with a smile on his face while the dads and grandads all stood up.

I selfishly did not ask him how he felt because I did not want to hear him vocalize his pain. He wants to be a dad SO bad. He talks all the time about the son he is certain we are going to have first and then the little girls to follow. It breaks my heart that I have not been able to give him the children he so badly desires.

But then I think back to the beginning of our relationship. We were just two young teenagers without a clue in the world. I remember so vividly the day he got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. It felt as though we were caught in a dream and I wondered if this could really be happening.

Our wedding day was one of the most amazing and beautiful days of my life. He was waiting for me at the end of the aisle. My mom & I were behind the doors at the back of the chapel and I remember telling my mom "I just have to peek!" I squinted my eyes and peered through the tiny crack in the doors. At the altar stood the most amazing man I had ever known and I started crying. I could not believe he was mine.

We had no idea on that day the future that lay ahead of us. We couldn't even begin to imagine the pain we would experience together as we were told of our infertility. But the ultimate Father, God the Father, knew and He would use this to bring us even closer together.

Throughout it all, Joey has been my pillar. He has stood strong in the face of my doubt. When I have questioned God and screamed out in anger, he has always been there to remind me of God's love for us. He has wiped away my tears more times than I can count. Without him, I don't know where or who I would be.

I want so badly to give him children and I am so sorry it hasn't worked out as we planned. I can only pray that one day I will turn his father's heart into a reality.

Joey, I love you with all of my heart and soul.

Randomness

2008-06-09T18:48:00.000-07:00

Is that even a word? Anyway...

I was at my mom's this past Sat. afternoon. Joey was at work and told me he would be there all day. He had just called me to tell me he was going to grab something to eat and go back to work when my mom's doorbell rang. Guess who was at the door? Yep, Joey! He was dressed nicely and had a bag in his hands. He told me to get ready because he was taking me out of town for the rest of the weekend. O-M-G! How sweet is that?!!! Utterly romantic! He surprised me and took me to Dallas (one of our fave cities) where we stayed at the Omni which is incredibly chic by the way. We had an awesome time & I couldn't be more in love with my husband than I am now :)

At some point this weekend I was bitten by a spider. I will spare you the nasty pictures but let's just say my arm has a welt the size of 3 quarters put together. I must be yummy! haha

Are you watching So You Think You Can Dance? Because if not you need to! I love this show, but that may have something to do with the fact that I started dancing when I was 3 yrs. old and continued all the way through high school where I was on the drill team. Anyway, some of these dancers are unbelievable!

Also, I'm LOVING the Bachelorette! Last week Deanna & Jason (I think that's his name...he's the single dad) went on a date where they looked at the stars through a huge telescope. This is the night when he broke the big news and told her he had a son to which she was incredibly sweet & understanding. The next day she gave him a certificate where she had a star named after his son! I was in tears and no, I am not kidding. How sweet is that?! He is my fave so far. As far as Jeremy goes, the minute I see him I want to puke. Enough said.

Summer school is going ok. History is boring. Spanish class is three and a half loooong hours. I'm counting down the weeks. And then another session starts. Oh yay.

Ok, randomness over! Ta Ta for now!

My Golden Birthday

2008-06-03T22:10:00.001-07:00

Sorry it took me awhile to post this, summer school is crazy. Anyway, last week on May 27 I turned 27 years old making it my golden birthday! Wow, I can't believe I'm already 27. It seems like just yesterday I turned 25! I'm not counting anymore because I'm too close to 30 LOL. Not that there is anything wrong with 30, it just means I won't be in my 20's anymore :( Ahh well, I'm still celebrating that I'm another year older, God has truly blessed me!

I love my hubby!

My mom & her "baby"--not so much anymore HA!

How cute is my niece?!!! :)

Me & one of my best friends, Caress

My mom, Miss L, Me, Nikki (my sis)

Look what my amazing husband gave me for my b-day!!!

Please Pray

2008-05-22T13:54:00.000-07:00

As I'm sure many of you have heard, the youngest daughter of Steven Curtis Chapman (a well-known Christian musician) was killed last night when one of her brothers accidentally hit her in the driveway with his car.

This is an absolute tragedy. I can not even begin to imagine what this family is going through at this time. As a parent, it is hard enough to lose one of your children, but how do you deal with the fact that another one of your children is responsible for it, accident or not? And then as the brother, knowing you accidentally killed your little sister...I don't even know where to begin, all I know is that this family needs as many prayers as they can get.

There has been a blog set up to honor little Maria, you can see it HERE. There is the sweetest video on there of Steven & Maria washing dishes together. I sat here watching it, bawling at the same time & thinking about his well-known "Cinderella" song which I will probably never be able to listen to again after this.

God Bless the Chapman family

Picture Time!

2008-05-21T12:19:00.001-07:00

Well I had a few pictures that needed to be uploaded so I figured I would share them here also!

A couple of days ago my husband came home from work and walked in the door with these beautiful flowers for me just because he loves me :) Most of the blooms have opened now and they are even more gorgeous!

We went to San Antonio Mother's Day weekend to see Joey's mom. Our niece, Miss L, went with us and our other niece, Miss J, just happened to be staying with her grandparents that weekend (my in-laws). The girls have SO much fun whenever they get together. They are the loves of my life & too precious for words!
(Miss J is on the left & Miss L on the right)

The girls LOVE to swim! I don't know why Miss J had that look on her face but they were having fun. You don't even mention "swimming" around them unless you are prepared for at least 2-3 hours at the pool :)

I was sitting at the computer one day and looked down to see my cat taking one of her long naps, only she had put her paws over her face to block out the light. So cute!

"Happy" Mother's Day

2008-05-08T10:45:00.000-07:00

First let me just start by saying that I truly wish all of the moms & soon-to-be mommies a very Happy Mother's Day! You most definitely should be honored for all that you do for your precious children.

This has been a very hard week for me. I have finals this week but I can't seem to make myself study. This is probably very pathetic and selfish, but all I can think about is how another Mother's Day has come around and left me out. We celebrated Mother's Day last weekend in my family because my mom left to go out of town for two weeks this past Monday. My niece & I gave my mom & my sister their gifts, and then my sister threw a curveball at me. I had made it through the gift-giving without any tears...until she handed me a card and a gift from my niece. She gave me a card made for an Aunt who is like a second mom for Mother's Day. I lost it. I started crying and my niece put her little arms around my neck. Instead of me holding her, she held me. I clung to her little precious body as she hugged me tight.

Every year this day gets harder for me to handle. I don't go to church on Mother's Day, it's just too painful. I can't sit there smiling while all of the moms are asked to stand up and be honored. Don't get me wrong, I am happy to honor all of the moms, but at the same time I feel so much pain inside. I am incredibly greatful for everything God has blessed me with in my life. However, at the same time I feel like an ungreatful child as I cry out for the children I want so badly.

I feel selfish and guilty as Mother's Day rolls around because I know that my own family knows how painful it is for me. I don't want to take anything away from my mom and my sister though. They are amazing moms and they deserve to be celebrated. And then there are all of the moms who have lost their precious babies. I can't even imagine how they feel. Should I be crying over not conceiving a child yet when they have lost the most precious treasure of all?

I am broken. My heart is broken. I try to push it all down further and further inside. I try to conceal my emotions around others because I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me and I don't want to spoil anyone else's day. I try to convince myself that I should just "get over it" and stop whining, stop being so ungreatful. But then I ask myself "Why? Why must I feel this pain? Will it ever end?" I do not know the answers to these questions. All I know is that a piece of my heart is missing and God knows. He knows the true desires of my heart, He knows I am broken. He knows I am a mess. I can't fix myself, only He can make me whole. I have been reaching out to God for several years now and I wish I could say that I felt completely whole and peaceful, but I don't. The only thing I know how to do is to look to Him, pray to Him, ask of Him, trust in Him.

There is a song we sing at church and everytime I break down in tears. The lyrics bring me comfort:

You know my every worry
Calm my raging sea
walk with me through fire
Healer of my disease
I trust in you

Chorus:
I believe you are my healer
I believe you are all I need
I believe you are my portion
I believe you are more than enough for me
Jesus you are all I need

Oh my healer (You're my healer)

You know my every worry
Calm my raging sea
walk with me through fire
Healer of my disease
I trust in you

Chorus:
I believe you are my healer
I believe you are all I need
I believe you are my portion
I believe you are more than enough for me
Jesus you are all I need

Nothing is impossible for you
You hold my world in your hand

Nothing is impossible for you
You hold my world in your hand

Repeat Chorus
I believe you are my healer
I believe you are all I need
I believe you are my portion
I believe you are more than enough for me
Jesus you are all I need

Nothing is impossible for you
You hold my world in your hands.

Soloist: Reach out and sing I believe

I believe you are my healer
I believe you are all I need
I believe you are my portion
I believe you are more than enough for me
Jesus you are all I need

More than a enough for me
Jesus you are all I need

You are more than enough for me
Jesus you are all I need

You're more than enough for me.

How cool is this?!!!

2008-04-29T21:18:00.001-07:00

My mom & my sister are featured in the Austin Monthly Magazine this month!!! From time to time I have mentioned their little girls' clothing line on here. Well, they were asked to be featured in an article called "Dynamic Mother/Daughter Duos." How cool is that?!!! I am SO excited for them! They have worked incredibly hard to get their business to where it is today and I couldn't think of two people any more deserving than they are! So, Congratulations Mom & Sis! I'm so proud!!!

My precious niece also made her debut in the magazine as one of the models of the clothing line! (she's the one in the middle on the right hand side of the magazine page) She was extremely excited to see herself in a magazine!

a close-up of the pic in the article

Of course it wouldn't be right if I didn't add in some shameless promotion for them LOL. If you know anyone with a little girl in sizes 24 mos. to 5T, please tell them about Pink Peppercorn Clothier! Also, they have an online "catalog" where you can purchase any of their current creations! You can find it at Pink Peppercorn Catalogue.

YES!

2008-04-28T08:56:00.000-07:00

Another 2 lbs. down this week! Also going on my fourth week of no fast food!!!

This is my last week of classes! I have two tests on Thursday, yuck! And then next week I have two finals, I'm almost done with this semester!!

For two weeks anyway, then summer school starts :(

Amen for self-control!

2008-04-21T13:42:00.000-07:00

Guess what? I weighed in this morning and I lost 6 lbs.!!! YAY!!! I am beyond proud of myself because it has not been easy! I have worked out every day and I'm actually starting to look forward to it (kind of). I already feel so much better not eating any of the crap I used to.

This past weekend at church our pastor gave the perfect message for Joey & I right now. He explained that many times when we tell ourselves we can't do something it is because we do not realize that we already have perfect self-control inside of us. The fruit of the Spirit lives within us and part of that fruit is self-control! I don't have the Bible verses he gave us right now but take my word for it that it was awesome! I'm definitely starting to feel the Spirit's self-control inside & outside!

The Biggest Loser!!!

2008-04-16T12:31:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Ali for becoming the very first FEMALE biggest loser!!! (she is the one in pink) This is the first season I have ever watched BL & I am totally hooked now!

While both ladies are amazing, Kelly (in yellow) is my personal inspiration! She started out weighing close to what I do & just look at her now! Her story really touched my heart and hit close to home. She has experienced problems with fertility (miscarriages & ectopic pregnancies) in the past. While I haven't experienced that specific kind of heartache, I know the pain she feels of wanting to have a child so badly. When she started BL she said that her goal was to lose the weight so she could have a baby. Sounds familiar ;) (by the way, I REALLY want to write her a letter but have no idea where I would send it, if anyone has any ideas please let me know!)

I realize that while the contestants are on BL they are provided with personal trainers, exercise 7 hrs. a day, and have all their meals planned for them. However, if you look at all of the contestants who were sent home to do it themselves they lost an incredible amount of weight too! It has truly shown me that if they can do it, so can I!

Joey & I were doing really good for awhile and both lost some weight. Somehow though we got off track and ended up gaining back some of the weight. My weight is a huge struggle for me because I know it is standing in the way of me becoming a mom. As much as I want to conceive a child, I know that I need to take care of myself first so that I am physically healthy to carry a baby. Losing the weight will also help me to be in a much better place emotionally too.

So, that being said, for the past couple of weeks Joey & I have kick started our way to a healthier lifestyle...once & for all! We have not eaten any fast food for 2 weeks! (Watch Supersize Me & you will never eat fast food again!) We have been carefully watching what we eat & counting our calories. I have been planning healthy meals so that when we go to the grocery store we only buy what is on the list. And, I have decided to start working out twice a day (once in the AM & once in the evening when Joey gets home) so that it doesn't seem like such a chore. I LOVE the way I feel after I work out, but I despise actually doing it LOL.

Joey & I have alot of weight to lose but we WILL do it! Please pray for our willpower, strength, and endurance. I'll keep you updated! :)

Saw this today...

2008-04-01T21:58:00.000-07:00

It's hard to wait around for something that you know might never happen but it's even harder to give up especially when it's everything you ever wanted.

Safe

2008-03-31T07:29:00.000-07:00

I bought the new Natalie Grant cd "Relentless" over the weekend. She has a song that captures me on her album. Most of you know that Joey & I have struggled with infertility for about 7 1/2 years now. I have written about it on this blog in the past but it is easier to do that than talk about it in person because I don't have to see someone staring into my eyes with a look of pity or confusion as they don't know what to say. It is almost too painful to talk about with people in person because I have to choke back the tears as I try to hide my true feelings. I don't want people to see that I am vulnerable. I have to stay strong, for them...at least that's what I tell myself.

There is one person I can be completely open with though. I don't have to hide anything. Only He can heal my soul and it is only with Him that I am safe.

"Safe" by Natalie Grant

How did ya know
That I'm all alone
Today
Oh I feel so scared
And I want to go
Away
I bleed so deep underneath
My soul is screaming

I'm not gonna hide
I'm not gonna run away
I'll uncover the scars
And show you every mistake
Your love is mending the blisters
And the bruising shame
Here with you
I am safe

Drowning the tears
Won't make it go away
It's robbing my soul
I'm taking this mask off my face
To discover love
And uncover all
It means to live and breathe

I'm not gonna hide
I'm not gonna run away
I'll uncover the scars
And show you every mistake
Your love is mending the blisters
And the bruising shame
Here with you
I am safe

When you uncovered
I discovered
That I am not afraid
But when we're hiding
We're only fighting
To be sane

I'm not gonna hide
I'm not gonna run away
I'll uncover the scars
And show you every mistake
Your love is mending the blisters
And the bruising shame
Here with you
I am safe

Flat Betty!

2008-03-24T08:56:00.000-07:00

Flat Betty came to visit!! Well..she actually came to visit The Gazza Girls but I couldn't miss the opportunity to meet her! If you would like to know more about the Flat Betty Project then head on over to her page & check it out!!

Oh, and I must mention that I just HAD to wear my skinny scarf that I won from Megan of Brassy Apple !

If you are reading this...

2008-03-18T23:07:00.000-07:00

Please pray for a dear, precious friend of mine. I don't want to go into too many details because it is not my place to do so but her name is Taylor and her husband's name is Josh. They struggled with infertility for years and finally conceived their miracle at the end of last year. They went to the doctor last week for an ultrasound to find out what they were having and instead left in tears feeling scared and unsure of the future. The doctor found that the baby has several abnormalities. Taylor is going in for an amnio tomorrow so the doctors can hopefully find out more about what exactly is going on. I can't even imagine how she is feeling...PLEASE pray for her and her husband, it would be greatly appreciated.

In this time of uncertainty it is hard to know what is going to come next but I do know one thing for sure, our God is a God of love and compassion & He is also Lord of the breakthrough! Please join me in praying for a miracle for Taylor & Josh's miracle child!

Happy St. Patty's Day!

2008-03-18T23:02:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm a little late but better late than never right?!! Just had to make a post about St. Patty's day because it is a very special day for me. On this day 8 years ago Joey & I met and have been together ever since!!! I thought the little cartoon was perfect!

And yes, you read that right. I said 8 years. HA! It doesn't feel like it has been that long, Joey & I pretty much grew up together. We were just dumb teenagers when we met! LOL

UPDATE

2008-03-18T22:53:00.001-07:00

I know, I know...I'm soooo sorry! It has been so hard to keep up with the blog this semester b/c school has been sucking the life out of me!

Anyway, spring break was last week & I needed it BADLY! Luckily Joey was able to take his vacation from work at the same time! So, we decided to go somewhere since we usually go on a little vacation for our anniversary every year but didn't get to this year. We went to Shreveport, Louisiana...why Shreveport you ask? Well, last year we went there thinking I had bronchitis & had antibiotics on hand from the DR (I didn't want to cancel the trip) but when we were walking around after we got there I started feeling even worse. We ended up spending the next two days in the hotel room b/c I thought I was dying...seriously. We came back and it turned out I actually had pneumonia & I ended up in bed for 2 weeks. It was A.W.F.U.L.!

Anywho..we had alot of fun this time & I didn't get sick (...until we got back LOL)

There's waaay too many pics to post here but here are my two fave!

Happy Anniversary to us!

2008-02-21T20:25:00.000-08:00

I'm so sorry I haven't posted in so long! This semester is absolutely crazy...last week I had 5 tests..yep you read that right...5 tests in one week! AND 3 of them were on the same day back-to-back!! Anyway, yesterday on Feb. 20 Joey & I celebrated our 3 year wedding anniversary!!! We had an absolutely amazing day!

We actually went to Macy's the other day and picked out our gifts to each other together. It was so much fun! I picked out a cool new Liz Claiborne wallet and Joey picked out some great smelling Dolce & Gabbana cologne! So, I thought that was it but yesterday when I met Joey for lunch he got out of the car with two gorgeously wrapped gifts for me!! I was completely in awe! He bought me some really nice perfume from Lancome and a makeup bag set with some Lancome makeup!

After lunch he had to go back to work so I went home and did some homework, haha. When he got home we went to see The Bucket List together...it was incredibly sad, probably not such a great anniversary celebration movie since it was all about death LOL. Then we went to dinner at The Melting Pot! It was our very first time there and let me just say it was fabulous! We had a four course fondue meal and while we were having our chocolate fondue for dessert the manager came over with two glasses of champagne to wish us a happy anniversary! Needless to say, the whole day was magical! I love my husband even more now than the day I married him!

We didn't have anyone to take our pic so we tried to take a pic of ourselves before we went out to dinner!

I took this pic of Joey @ the restaurant & love it!

And just for a walk down memory lane here I am on my wedding day :)

Blog Your Blessings

2008-01-20T16:51:00.000-08:00

So I came across this blog with a great idea to Blog Your Blessings every Sunday! I think this is a wonderful idea because many times in life we take things for granted. Absolutely anything can be a blessing! So, I am going to try to blog about various blessings in my life every Sunday from now on starting today!

Growing up it was just me, my mom, & my sister...our little family! They are truly a blessing in my life...enough said! :)

Back to usual...

2008-01-14T13:54:00.000-08:00

I had sooo much fun over the past month and a half not having to worry about homework, tests, deadlines, etc. Ahh well, classes started again today so it's back to the grindstone! Even though I don't graduate until December '09 I can still officially say "I graduate next year!" I can hardly believe it!

Oh, and did I mention that I spent $495 on books?!! Absolutely ridiculous! It's no wonder college students are so poor!

2008-01-08T14:42:00.000-08:00

***UPDATE***
My sis now has a cool button you can add to your site (check out the right side of my page) & in exchange for adding it she is starting a blogroll to help you gain exposure for your blog, business, etc. too!
***************************************

Do you ever get tired of eating the same 'ol stuff all the time? Well you're in luck because my sister has started a new blog called Gourmet Momma!

Head on over and read all about her culinary training and check out the yummy recipes! Bon Appetit!

Mommy & Daddy love you!!!

2008-01-08T13:57:00.000-08:00

Our church is in the process of constructing a brand new children's building. They are adding it onto the side of the church and it is going to be absolutely amazing. We're talking about an $8.5 million state of the art facility to be used to teach the children all about God and His love for them!!

This past weekend our pastor invited us all to go into the structure that is in place right now and write our children, grandchildren, and future children's names on the floor. It will be covered up with carpet and other flooring once the building is finished but it will forever be there!

So, Joey & I decided to each write our own messages on the floor...Mine was a prayer to God and a reminder that we have faith in Him that He will bless us with our future children. It was an emotional moment as there were many people in the building, children running around laughing and screaming, all of my family there...but I was in my own little world, I didn't hear anything except my prayer to God.

When I was done I let out a deep sigh, I had managed to hold back any tears. As I looked over at Joey's finished message...I lost it. Here is a picture of his:

My sister took the pic with her camera phone so it's a little hard to read but it says "To our future children, We love you & can't wait to meet you, Mom & Dad"

Joey & I stood there holding onto each other as I sobbed. He whispered in my ear that this building was built for our children :) One of the pastors saw me crying and came over asking if I was ok. I couldn't get any words out so she just held onto me and comforted me. When I finally regained my composure she said "We wrote a prayer for our future children too, God Bless You."

One more thing I want to say...God, please tell our children we said Hi & that mommy & daddy love them with all of our hearts. It is so hard to love them so incredibly much and not even know them yet...We anxiously await the day when we will meet them and look into their eyes, and our lives will be complete :)

Constantly learning...

2008-01-07T12:32:00.000-08:00

I find that I am constantly in a state of learning as I grow older. There is always a discovery just a thought away. At church the other night our pastor was preaching on receiving our treasure from God. He was talking about how God is passionate about us and wants to bless us abundantly. And while we should have an attitude of expectancy that God will provide for us and prosper us no matter what we go through, God does not want us to focus on the gifts but rather the Giver.

This particular message really spoke to me. As I sat there listening I began to realize just HOW focused I have been on the gifts over the years. As many of you know my husband and I have struggled with infertility over the past 7 years or so. As I think backwards through our journey I am able to see how I have made my focus and priorities on trying to conceive. At times it has become this all-consuming, overwhelming stress that takes over my life physically and emotionally.

My pastor also mentioned that the more we focus in on the gifts the more destruction it can cause. I hadn't realized it until now but this is so incredibly true. As I've made TTC the focus of my life over the past 7 years I have battled depression, anxiety, ridiculous amounts of stress, and the list goes on. Now I think, what good has this done? I've been worrying and putting all of my attention into the wrong places. Where has all of this gotten me?

Have I learned alot about myself along the way?... Absolutely! Do I know more about the scientific process of creating life?... More than I care to know! But ultimately I realize that this journey of infertility that God has laid out for my husband and I is to teach us something & is to use for His glory.

Coming to this realization does not in any way mean that I am giving up on becoming a mom or that I want it any less. However, I am making a vow that this year will be different. I am going to stop focusing on the blessings and instead immerse myself in His love for me. To quote my pastor "When you turn your focus and attention to receiving His love, you are perfectly positioned to receive His overwhelming blessings."

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" Matthew 6:33

2008 already?!?!

2008-01-01T21:53:00.000-08:00

Wishing you and yours a very blessed new year! May 2008 be full of prosperity, health, family, and answers to your prayers!!

WOW!

2007-12-26T21:26:00.000-08:00

Now THIS is an entertaining version of the twelve days of Christmas!

Have you seen this?

2007-12-26T20:40:00.000-08:00

So today Joey & I were watching Mythbusters (cool show!) and they were doing an experiment with diet coke and mentos. I had never heard of this but they showed part of a video where these two guys did a whole production so I went to youtube and found it! Thought it was pretty cool & wanted to share :)

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-22T22:21:00.000-08:00

I want to take just a minute to say how incredibly thankful I am for the most amazing gift ever received...Jesus! This year Christmas means more to me than ever before as I finally realize just what an incredible gift God has given us & I am blessed to be able to celebrate the birth of our Savior!

I wish you & your families all a very Merry Christmas!

You said what? Another contest?!!!!

2007-12-15T21:56:00.001-08:00

YESSS!!! It's contest time again!! :) Melody at Pennies In My Pocket is so incredibly generous that she has listed yet another giveaway!! This time it is for an adorable baby doll carrier.
All you have to do is stop by and leave her a comment letting her know who you would give this to if you won! How fun is that?!! Good luck!

P.S. Don't forget to leave a comment for her jewelry gift certificate contest!

Oh yeah baby!

2007-12-11T21:08:00.000-08:00

This says it all!! :) LOL

Yoohoo...it's a contest!

2007-12-10T15:17:00.000-08:00

If you are like me then you LOVE contests!! As you saw a few posts down, I actually won a contest recently!

Well I have another great one to share with you. Melody is a total sweetheart and has recently started an amazing blog called Pennies In My Pocket where she shares great deals for anything you can imagine! I am totally addicted to it, be careful, you will be too when you check it out!

She is going to be hosting a giveaway contest soon for a gift certificate for jewelry, how much better can you get?!! So stop by her blog and check it out. Watch for the contest announcement and leave a comment to enter!

Check it out!

2007-12-10T15:14:00.001-08:00

I created a sort of digital scrapbook for my final project for my Literacy Acquisition class at school. The goal of the project was to analyze how a child acquires literacy and how their environment aids in this development. It's pretty interesting stuff and you can check it out HERE.

Pastor Mel

2007-12-07T14:44:00.000-08:00

You will be GREATLY missed...

"Mission accomplished!"

Now introducing...

2007-12-05T22:07:00.001-08:00

Expressive Style Graphics is my sister's newest business venture! She is an incredibly talented graphic designer and has decided to offer her services to the public!! She created all of the graphics for my blog and has worked on various other projects for many businesses and other blog owners.

She can pretty much create anything so if you are in need of some amazing graphics please check out her site!

I won, I won, I won!!!

2007-12-05T21:58:00.000-08:00

No...I didn't win the lottery...but I feel like I did!! I actually won an adorable City Girl Skinny Scarf created by Megan of Creative Outlet Designs.

I can't remember the last time I won something! (wait..have I ever won something?!) My name was drawn from a group because I snagged a Betty button!

This is the lovely Megan modeling the scarf that is on it's way to me as we speak! I can't wait to get it! I will post pics when I do..it's also very fitting that the scarf has alot of orange, afterall I am a Longhorn!!

This is SO something Joey & I would do!!!!

2007-11-29T12:22:00.001-08:00

I should be doing homework...

2007-11-28T11:29:00.000-08:00

But that's no fun! Sorry I haven't updated in awhile, blame it on school as usual. Which, by the way, next week is my last..WOOHOO!! I literally have like a million projects and papers and tests to finish/study for. Looks like a week full of all-nighters is in my future. (Hey, don't judge..I work my best under pressure! Anyway, isn't that what college is all about?!!)

Well..that's about it, exciting huh! Joey & I are moving in a couple of weeks too so we've been trying to pack but looks like that is going to turn into a last minute thing too. Go figure!

As soon as school is out I am going to relax for a couple of weeks because if I don't I might seriously have a nervous breakdown. After that, I'll be looking for a part-time job..sounds fun right?! HA! More on that to come...

Flat Betty!

2007-11-14T22:15:00.000-08:00

A very cool idea!

Flat Betty is Megan's (a totally cool chick) alter ego that will travel the world raising money for a great cause and being a total fashionista!

Are you a Betty? If so, then go snag a betty on the page and post it to your website or blog, and leave a comment! You will even be entered to win a skinny scarf from Creative Outlet!

P.S. My sister did the graphics for the Flat Betty blog and they rock!

A Moment of Silence

2007-11-12T08:18:00.000-08:00

Let's all have a moment of silence today honoring every single veteran of our armed forces. I also want to say Thank You to all of the brave men and women currently serving, your courage and efforts do NOT go unnoticed despite what some people would like to have you think. I also want to thank the families of these incredible men and women who are at home supporting their loved ones while being scared to death at the same time, you too are courageous!

Encouragement from above!

2007-11-06T14:47:00.000-08:00

It's funny how sometimes you just need a little sign that everything is going to be ok and God finds a way to send a little something your way to let you know. Today I was sitting in a chair and glanced over to this special Bible my husband had sitting on a table. It was open to the back where there are topics listed and Bible verses to go along with them. I looked and saw "Impatience" listed and decided I would read the verses it had listed for that since this is one of my main struggles with things in my life.

This is what I read when I turned to the verses it had listed:

"When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, 'I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.' And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.

Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf." Hebrews 6:13-20

I just knew after I read these verses that this message was in no way a coincidence, it wasn't an accident, I didn't just "happen" to stumble upon them.

So, all I can say is "Thank You God", I needed that!

Trick-or-Treat!

2007-11-01T13:21:00.001-07:00

Halloween was so much fun! This is the first time my niece didn't dress up like a Disney Princess! She looked so cute as Wonder Woman complete with black wig and all! I think she got enough candy to last her for a few months! She & Joey also carved a really cool pumpkin that looked just like Ariel!

Pumpkins!!!

2007-11-01T13:16:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago Joey & I took our niece to a pumpkin patch! We had alot of fun and they had alot of activities for the kiddos. These are just some of the pics but they had horseback rides, a hay maze, pumpkin decorating, hay rides, build your own scarecrow, and some yummy treats!

The Infertile Patient's Prayer and Infertility "Defined"

2007-10-26T16:04:00.000-07:00

Borrowed this from a friend's blog...couldn't have said it better myself

The Infertile Patient's Prayer and Infertility "Defined"

Lord, Give me Strength...

To keep my cool when another period starts

To keep my chin up when a co-worker announces her pregnancy

To have a good relationship with my friend in spite of her ability to conceive easily and not be jealous of her

To endure my sister-in-law's comments about toilet training

To keep from crying when I see children begging on the roads

To forgive my doctor when he keeps me waiting for 2 hours for a consultation - and then can't remember my name

To make the right decision about treatment

To maintain a good relation ship with my husband in spite of all this.

It's helpful to remember the Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr. " God, Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can change, and the wisdom to know the difference."

Infertility Is...
Watching your husband playing with your friend's baby and wishing you could give him one of his own

Telling nurses to please take blood from your right arm because the veins in your left arm are all gone because of all the IVs you've had

Avoiding people you haven't seen for a long time because you don't want to hear the question, "Do you have any kids yet ?"

Feeling very left out when your friends start comparing their pregnancy or childbirth experiences

Feeling like the whole town is pregnant except for you

Getting tired of people always expecting you to do things because " You don't have any kids to worry about "

Waking up in the middle of the night and wishing you could hear your baby crying

Wishing you could give your parents grandchildren

Wanting to fall apart if one other person says, "Why don't you adopt ?" Easy, right ?

Sometimes avoiding friends who are pregnant or with newborns because you just can't handle the situation at that moment.

Blog Action Day!

2007-10-14T16:13:00.000-07:00

Well, actually it's tomm. on Oct. 15 but I will be busy then so I am posting now. Anyway, Blog Action Day is all about bringing awareness & discussion about issues of the environment. We live on a beautiful earth that God created for us so we need to do our best to take care of it. You don't have to join a crusade for the enviro. or anything, even just recycling your cans weekly can make a huge impact! My big thing is not littering, so I am always telling people to throw things away instead of throwing them out the window. I know it's not a huge help but it's something! :) Afterall, we want places like this to be around for years to come!

You can help!

2007-10-11T10:14:00.000-07:00

Two of my friends have told me of some really cool projects that help to raise money in regards to breast cancer.

The first one is called Click to Give It's so easy to do..just go to the site and click on the button. They count the clicks and sponsors then pay for women to have free mammograms done! How awesome is that!

The second one is called Think Pink Photography They are a non-profit organization that want to support the cause and celebrate life at the same time. Photographers donate sessions to survivors & their families before, during, & after treatment. They then receive 20 free prints and a discount off additional orders. All of the profits from the photography are then donated to the Beverly Family Foundation which was started by a 3-time breast cancer survivor. Absolutely amazing! If you are a photographer, please consider signing up with this incredible organization.

I'm going PINK!

2007-10-10T08:50:00.001-07:00

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month & I'm in full support! Almost everyone knows someone who has been affected by this horrible disease, we MUST find a cure! Go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation to find out how you can help!

Oh, by the way, the song I have playing on here is Sheryl Crow's "Strong Enough". It's an older song but she has since given it a new meaning with her breast cancer awareness & survival :)

Is this a cruel joke?

2007-10-05T13:53:00.000-07:00

If so, it's not funny. For some reason I actually allowed myself to think that I might actually be pregnant. I've had alot of symptoms over the past two weeks and in my mind I thought "just maybe!" That was my mistake right there...

However, allowing myself to even consider the possibility was a huge step for me. Over these past 7 years I usually just brush off any "symptoms" and attribute them to other things. What's really crappy about pregnancy symptoms is that they are the same things that can be caused just by your hormones going wacky like mine do at times.

I've really been having a hard time with my whole TTC experience lately. Especially this past week, I broke down several times in tears. I am so broken physically & emotionally. The enemy has really used this against me lately and played on my emotions. I have felt so forgotten about by God. I know it is selfish, but it's so hard...I want to be a mom more than anything else in this world. I hold my emotions in alot of the time because I don't want people to see how much pain I'm in. I put a smile on my face and think, if only they knew what was behind my smile.

Don't get me wrong, I am incredibly thankful to God for everything I have in my life. I know it could be so so so much worse, but it still doesn't make my pain any less. I hear in church all the time about how much I am loved by God and how He wants to bless us, but it's so hard for me to understand why it seems like every single woman around me can get pregnant like it's nothing and I can't. Then again, it's not for me to understand.

Part of my soul is missing and the only one who can make it whole is God. I realize I am not the only one praying for a miracle so all I can do for now is continue to wait in line until my turn comes. It's like when you go to the grocery store on a horribly crowded day and you wait, wait, & wait some more in line and you know your turn is coming but you are so impatient because you want it to be your turn right NOW. Well, I know in my heart my turn will come so I just have to wait and pray that God will give me the patience & peace that I need while I wait on HIS perfect timing.

"I wait. Dear Lord, Thy ways are past finding out, Thy love too high. O hold me still beneath Thy shadows. It is enough that Thou lift up the light of Thy countenance. I wait – because I am commanded so to do. My mind is filled with wonderings. My soul asks “Why?” but then the quiet word, 'Wait thou only upon God.' And do, not even for the light to show a step ahead, but for Thee, dear Lord, I wait." (from the book Passion & Purity)

My sis ROCKS!

2007-10-04T21:53:00.000-07:00

Most of you know that my sister is a very talented photographer & she wanted some practice the other day so we volunteered to be her guinea pigs. Of course, for us that means free photos so we were all for it! HAHA Anyway, here's a few but I'm saving the really good ones for Christmas cards :)

So what's been going on you ask?

2007-09-25T21:46:00.000-07:00

I know I told you I would update when I got a chance so here's my chance!

The answer to what's been going on is pretty much summed up in one word...school. Unfortunately I have no life right now since school consumes most of my days. Even when I'm not actually at school it still consumes my time with all of the reading and assignments I have to get done. I will take a leap here (notice the sarcasm) and venture to say that this is the hardest semester I have had since I have been in college. The reading this semester is kicking my you know what, I feel like all I do is read, read, and read again and then try to catch up on reading. Don't get me wrong, I love to read but only when it's my idea and my choice of reading material!

I do enjoy most of my classes with the exception of a couple of them. My absolute fave is child psychology, I knew I was going to love that one when I signed up for it. In my degree program I have to minor in something and I am seriously thinking about minoring in psych, I eat that stuff up!

When I am not doing something school-related which is extremely rare, I am spending time with my amazing hubby & the rest of our family. I am also my sister's assistant when she does photo shoots so that keeps me busy too but I love doing that!

Well, there you go, you are now up to speed on the life of Britt. Ciao!

RIP Mr. Desktop!

2007-09-16T16:52:00.000-07:00

So my desktop computer died and I decided it was worthy of a tribute! (Yeah, I'm crazy I know)

Mr. Desktop
2002-2007
On a stormy night in September Mr. Desktop's life ended abruptly. Thankfully it was a quick and painless electrical surge brought on by a thunderstorm. I feel somewhat guilty though as I did not know that a surge protector was only good for one surge. Had I known this I would have plugged Mr. Desktop into a new one since the other one had been through several surges.

Mr. Desktop was a wonderful computer and was always there for me over the past 5 years. Except for the time he got a nasty virus that slipped past his anti-virus software which left him out of commission for a few months. However, he recovered and was back to his lightning-fast self! I am really going to miss ALL of my photos from birthday parties, vacations, and other important moments that were stored on him and not backed up as they should have been :( I am also really going to miss my Paint Shop Pro editing software that was downloaded from the internet so there is no backup cd to replace :( And I will greatly miss every single essay or report I have ever written for school that are now gone forever.

Mr. Desktop is survived by his replacement "Mrs. Desktop". She is not nearly as familiar with me and my expectations as he was but in time I hope she will make him proud. She will not ever hold as much information as he did since I have learned my lesson and will be storing everything important on an external hard drive from now on.

Thank you Mr. Desktop for everything you configured for me over the last 5 years, you will be GREATLY missed...it makes me sick to my stomach knowing you & your contents are gone forever :(

Services for Mr. Desktop have not yet been decided. Please do not send flowers as Mr. Desktop will be laid to rest in JunkYard Heaven. Donations for his replacement (Mrs. Desktop) will gladly be accepted though!! :)

I'm sorry, so sorry

2007-09-04T19:01:00.000-07:00

(Remember that old commercial where the kids spilled stuff on the carpet? LOL)

Sorry I haven't updated in awhile, I'll try to soon. Things have been crazy hectic and school just started again so I'm a little busy right now but I'll try to get back in the swing of things soon. That's all for now, Ta-ta!

Our trip to the coast!

2007-08-20T14:27:00.001-07:00

Hey Y'all! We're back from our trip to Kemah & Galveston! We had SO much fun!! Joey & I took my sis & my niece and had a BLAST! God was smiling over us the entire weekend, it only rained once and that was AFTER we left the beach!! I created a little slideshow so you can see how much fun we had! Hope you like it :)

My girls!

2007-08-15T13:04:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we finally got a chance to get our two nieces together before school starts. They are the same age and absolutely adore each other but don't get to see each other very often since they live in different cities. As usual, they had a blast swimming and just being their crazy selves! How cute are they?!!!

They are both starting kindergarten this year and the thought of it makes me want to cry!! In the pic below Miss L (on the left) is my sister's daughter and Miss J (on the right) is my BIL's daughter. TOO CUTE!

Nanny-nanny-boo-boo

2007-08-15T13:01:00.000-07:00

My cat loves to stick her tongue out at us and we finally got a pic of her the other day! HAHA

SO cool!

2007-08-15T12:30:00.001-07:00

Infertility: Things We Wish You Knew

2007-08-08T13:57:00.000-07:00

I got this from a friend of mine's blog archives & thought it was very worthy of posting again.

Things We Wish You Knew
*adapted from the American RESOLVE web site

That it is probably the most devastating thing that we will ever experienceThat it ruins our self-esteem
That it affects our relationships with everyone that we know
That it interferes with our day to day functioning
That the medications make us moody and emotional and cause us to gain weight
That it makes us feel violated
That it is very expensive to go through treatment and to adopt
That it is emotionally draining
That it changes our lives forever-we will never again be the same people that we once were
That people experiencing infertility have depression rates that are equal to those experiencing cancer
That it is a life-altering experience
That it makes us question everything we ever believed in

That these are medical issues, not lifestyle issues. Talk to us as you would someone who has heart disease, diabetes, or any other medical condition. Be a sounding board for the tests, results, side effects, etc of the treatments. NEVER suggest relaxing or having sex more often-
Realize that a pregnancy that results from infertility is not the same as others. Infertile couples may have a hard time easing up and enjoying their pregnancy After being used to receiving disappointment, pregnancy is not yet the end of the road
Even though your intentions are good, you will probably say something that is offensive to us because this is such a sensitive subject
No matter how close the friendship, it will be hard to completely connect with fertile friendsThere is always something there that others cannot understand, even when you do try so hard to empathize
Infertility affects all aspects of your life and the pain is inescapable You are confronted with it at work, at the mall, walking down your street, on television, with family and friends when they don't even know it Kids are life's common denominator When you can't participate in these conversations (and they are everywhere) you just don't fit in anywhere-
Baby showers are one of the most painful events that we can be asked to attend
In this day and age people need to be more cognitive that some people may want kids and are having trouble and some people may not want children for certain reasons. It is not up to family/friends to provide a running commentary on the issue. You never know the situation of the person you are talking to (some people are not open about their infertility treatments) so it's better to err on the side of caution and not make a lot of pregnancy comments/questions
To remember that if I am acting mad at times, I am not mad at you, I am mad at my lifeThat I will talk about things that are happening with my treatment when I am ready
It's hard to know what I will be doing next. If there were a script, it would be easier to predict the future, but everyone is different.
That unless you have done what I've done and been through what I have been through, you can't possibly know how I feel and can't possibly know what to tell me to do about the pain and frustration that infertility brings
That I will be okay again, but I don't know when So when I seem okay, just accept that as a good thing for the moment, and don't press me, because I don't know how long the feeling okay again thing will last.
Going through infertility is like being on a roller coaster-there are constant ups and downs and surprising drops We never know what is around the next curve and work very hard to just stay fastened in our seats
Infertility is a journey that will take us to many places we never thought of or knew about and it will shape us into new people (some of our newness will be good and some will not be) and change how we look at and deal with everything in our lives Once you've been on this journey you are never the same again
That the sadness that accompanies infertility sometimes comes unexpectedly and at the most awkward moments I wish I could plan my depression! But unfortunately, it just doesn't work out like that Of course, these moments come when I'm surrounded by other people-- watching TV with a group and you see a commercial with a couple holding a baby-- totally unrelated to parenting, pregnancy or whatever, but it's just the image that is devastating.
For me (as I'm sure it is for a lot of people experiencing infertility) the greatest fear is that I will never have a child Each failed treatment cycle, especially as your treatment gets more high-tech, makes this fear even larger If we could just somehow know that we would have a child, a lot of the stress would be alleviated
I wish family and friends could understand why holidays, baby showers, and just hearing about or being around other people's children and pregnant woman, can be so hard sometimes
That medical treatments are very painful, emotionally and physically
That infertility is a degrading experience-we often feel like failures, like our bodies are not our own, like everyone in the world has touched us, and most especially that the most private part of our lives (our physical relationship with our spouse) has been completely invaded
That infertility treatment is very clinical and definitely is not "fun"
That treatment cycles move very slowly, so try to be patient
That we are at the mercy of the medical worldThat grief is a VERY important part of the healing process for us- please let us be sad when we need to be We have to mourn our losses

Woohoo, my first tag!

2007-08-05T20:10:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! I got my first tag! (ok, it's from my mom but still!!!) She tagged me with the Game of 4. I have to answer some random questions about myself in the number of 4's so here we go........

Four Jobs I Have Had:
Pre-school teacher

Sales chick at Bath & Body Works

Waitress

Manager of companion services at a retirement community

Four Films I Can Watch Over & Over:
Father of the Bride 1 & 2

Signs (gotta love M. Night Shyamalan...have no idea if I spelled that right!)

Sweet Home Alabama

Napoleon Dynamite

Four Places I have lived:
Temple, Tx

San Antonio, Tx

Austin, Tx

My townhouse that I live in now

Four Favorite TV shows:
Desperate Housewives

Lost

Heroes

The 4400

Four Favorite Foods:
Absolutely anything Mexican (especially chips, queso, & guac!)

Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate

Buffalo meat burger @ Fuddrucker's

loaded baked potato

Four Websites I visit every day:
Soulcysters

Yahoo Mail

AOL

Myspace

Four Places I Would Love To Be:
Spain

Australia

Church

Shopping in a maternity store (I'm longing for that day!) :)

Four Favorite Colors:
Pink

Black

Red

Teal

Four Names You Love But Would/Could Not Use For Your Child:
Well as you know I don't have any kiddos yet & future names have not been completely decided upon so I don't really know

In case you didn't know...

2007-08-02T14:41:00.000-07:00

My mom & my sister own a children's clothing design company. They just completely re-designed their website (check it out here: http://www.rbcouture.com/) & I have to say it ROCKS! So if you have a moment, please go check it out & if you know anyone with a little girl please tell them about Ragazza Bella Children's Couture!

Wait

2007-08-02T13:39:00.000-07:00

Wait
by Russell Kelfer
www.waitpoem.com

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried.
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, He replied.
I pleaded, and I wept fro a clue to my fate,
And the Master so gently said, "Child, you must wait."

"Wait? You say wait?" my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why.
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By faith I have asked, and I'm claiming your Word.

"My future, and all to which I can relate
Hangs in the balance, and you tell me 'wait'?
I'm needing a 'yes,' a go-ahead sign,
Or even a 'no,' to which I can resign.

"And Lord, you have promised that if we believe,
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord I've been asking, and this is my cry:
I'm weary of asking: I need a reply!"

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
As my Master replied once again, "You must wait."
So I slumped in my chair; defeated and taut
And grumbled to God; "So I'm waiting, for what?"

He seemed then to kneel and His eyes met with mine
And He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens, darken the sun,
Raise the dead, cause the mountains to run.

"All you see I could give, and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want, but you wouldn't know Me.
You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint;
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint.

"You'd not learn to see through clouds of despair;
You'd not learn to trust, just by knowing I'm there.
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me,
When darkness and silence was all you could see.

"You would never experience that fullness of love
As the peace of My Spirit descends like a dove.
You would know that I give, and I save, for a start,
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.

"The glow of My comfort late in the night;
The faith that I give when you walk without sight;
The depth that's beyond getting just what you ask
From an infinite God who makes what you have last.

"And you never would know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that 'My grace is sufficient for thee.'
Yes, your dreams for that loved one o'er night could come true,
But the loss! if you lost what I'm doing in you.

"So be silent, my child, and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.
And though oft' my My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all... is still... wait."

How'd that happen?

2007-07-30T15:05:00.000-07:00

So I totally blew my 2nd 21day-challenge-thingy which was to exercise a minimum of 5 days a week...just had alot going on with family & stuff. Anyway, I weighed in this AM and I lost 4 lbs. this past week WITHOUT even working out for over 2 weeks! I don't know HOW that happened but I don't care! I'm just happy! :)

What a whirlwind weekend!

2007-07-30T14:44:00.000-07:00

A little over a week ago my husband was off work on Friday so he told me to pack a bag because he was taking me somewhere for the weekend! I had no idea where we were going but I was excited! After driving a little over 3 hours we ended up in Houston! He had booked us a room on the executive level of the Hilton right down the street from the Galleria!!! How sweet is that?!!

They even had a bar named after me!!!

We did a little shopping on Friday & then went to a comedy club that night. We happened to choose the right night because D.L. Hughley was performing! I laughed so hard my stomach was hurting when we left.

On Saturday we drove to a little town on the coast called Kemah. They are famous for the Kemah Boardwalk right on the water which is full of restaurants & shops. We ate lunch at a restaurant where we stuffed ourselves (yeah, we splurged since we were on vacation!) at the all-you-can-eat seafood buffet! We're talking steamed crab legs, caviar, homemade clam chowder, ceviche...mmm it was SO good! We did a little more browsing in the local shops and then headed back to Houston.

Sat. night we decided to go to Lakewood Church which is home to Joel Osteen. I'm sure you've probably heard of him. I have always loved watching him on tv so it was awesome to hear him preach in person! After the service we waited in line for 45 min. until we got to shake hands with him and talk with him for about 2 or 3 min. LOL! It was SO worth it though!