Elliott Escapades

God Speaks through Apples?

2012-01-28T15:30:00.004-06:00

Last week, Dan went to the grocery store to pick up some things we needed, including fruit.
I'm pretty picky when I'm picking out fruit...not so much with the shape of it, but the basics...looking for piercing/scrapes of the skin, bruising, worm holes, etc. What he picked out at the store looked pretty good when I was washing it, so I didn't think much about it when I grabbed an apple on our way out the door.
As we headed down the road to take me to work, I took a generous bite of my apple. You can imagine my surprise when the inside was yucky brown! I looked again on the outside, around the stem, on the bottom...Nope! Nothing was there to indicate any kind of problem.
I thought maybe it was just there, an inside bruising, so I took another bite further over.
Nope! Same thing!
It was SO STRANGE!!!

I could have gone ahead and finished the apple, being careful to just eat the good outer portion, but why would I want to do that? It wouldn't satisfy my hunger, and my body wouldn't receive the full nutrition that a full apple could have given me. And besides...it was just GROSS!
And like only HE can do, He shows me that I limit His ability to use me when I concentrate on my mere appearance and don't take care of my inside. He doesn't want to have to work around my parameter, being careful not to hit the rot at the core of my being.
It's not His desire for me to put on the smiling mask when I'm going to one place then taking it off when I'm in the confines of my safe place.
He needs me to deal with hurt, obstacles, anger, fatigue, laziness, loneliness, doubt...whatever it is that gets in the way so that when He wants to use me He doesn't have to wonder if I have enough to give.
Not that He wonders....He knows.
So...YES!
God speaks through apples.
He wants to use me....ALL of me!

Healthy Choices

2012-01-18T22:46:00.000-06:00

This is my version of a stuffed bell pepper recipe I saw on Pinterest.

I took a red bell pepper (the colored ones were on sale at Kroger!) and cut out the core. I salvaged some of the "meat" from around the stem and diced it to go in the filling.
The diced pepper was added to a diced tomato, a few spinach leaves, three or four boneless, skinless chicken tenders and simmered in a couple tablespoons of water (which will cook out). Season to taste.
When the chicken was done, I shredded it then added it back to the pan with 1/4 cup brown rice (already cooked).
Once everything was added, it was stuffed into the red pepper and baked at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes.

Yummo!!!

Hello, Bargain!

2012-01-14T18:43:00.001-06:00

This was my find at a cute little antique shop in Decatur, TX! (More about this excursion in a future post.)

For a whopping $11.48, I got the sweetest li'l hat, two quilting hoops (one round, one oval) for an art project, a jar full of old buttons, and four bags of various lace remnants.

Love my new treasures and can't wait to put them to good use!

Photo Shoot!

2011-12-29T22:02:00.001-06:00

I got a call a couple of weeks ago that Slim 4 Life was being featured in a magazine, and they asked me if I would be willing to be interviewed for it! I was honored to be asked and was more than willing to participate, but it was really short notice. I got my work schedule adjusted, then they postponed the shoot. :(
They rescheduled it for the following week, and my boss was so gracious to work with me again and let me switch my shifts.
When I arrived to the publishing company, everyone was super friendly and the photographer was very kind, but I'll admit...I was super intimidated being in front of the lights and camera! I don't think modeling is in my future. LOL
There were six clients that participated. We began with individual shots, then group shots, and peppered throughout they conducted interviews with each one of us.
It was a really great experience!
This was for Inform (Dallas) Magazine, a local health-based publication put out by Russell Publishing Group in Addison, TX. The plan is for our story to be featured in their January issue.
This is a photo that Dan took of our group session. I'll keep you informed of when the issue comes out!

Christmas

2011-12-26T00:19:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas!!!!
We are at my parent's house in Lubbock, and it has been a special time.
Christmas Eve we had some shopping to do, so we ran into Lubbock to get that done...and it was snowing!!!!!
I love it when it actually feels like Christmas!
I snapped this picture outside my parent's house just before we went into Lubbock.

Christmas Eve is also my dad's birthday. I made him some pumpkin bread cupcakes with cream cheese icing. Mmmm....they were so good!
I wish I would have gotten a picture of all the snow on Christmas Day, but I was too busy sitting by the fire drinking an excessive amount of coffee! ;) We ate breakfast together, Dad read the Christmas story and had prayer, then we opened gifts. To see a very special gift, you can click here.
I honestly can't remember the last time that I was home for both his birthday and Christmas Day. Working retail pretty much dictates my holiday events, and even though I don't manage anymore, we can request time off but it's never guaranteed.
This year, I didn't even request any time off for Christmas. I was just waiting to see what I was scheduled then we would make our plans around that. I was surprised when she scheduled me off Christmas Eve. I had to close on that Friday, so we decided we would leave Friday night as soon as I got off work, drive all night so that we could spend Saturday and Sunday with my family. Then I would request to work late Monday so that we could leave early Monday morning. Makes for a long day, but it worked out well at Thanksgiving.
That was the plan.
Well, we got thrown a curveball.
One of our cousins passed away Wednesday before Christmas. The funeral is planned for Monday. When I found that out, I called to let my boss know, and it turns out she scheduled me off until Wednesday! When I asked her about it she said she knew I was going out of town for Christmas, so she wanted to give me some time to spend with my family. Little did she know that I would need that time so we could attend the funeral.
It always amazes me when God works in the details of life's curveballs.

Finals

2011-12-15T10:26:00.001-06:00

Three down.

One to go.

Christmas vacation is in my future.

...Near future.

...As in TONIGHT!!!

Oh, glorious day!

Christmas Fun!

2011-12-08T14:33:00.003-06:00

Last night was our final home group of the year, so of course we ended it with a Christmas party!
We did everything one would normally do at a Christmas party...white elephant gift, finger foods, ugly sweater contest, and lots of laughter!
I think the best white elephant gift of the evening was a pack of batteries with a sticky note that said "Gift Not Included."
HA! So stinkin' funny!
The highlight of the evening was most definitely seeing the sweaters that people came up with. Clearly, we are a bunch of competitive people unashamedly grasping for bragging rights. ;)

Update

2011-12-01T16:45:00.002-06:00

Check out the latest details here! :)

The Letter

2011-11-17T20:44:00.003-06:00

The long awaited letter from UTA College of Nursing came in the mail today.

The application deadline was June 1. I turned my application in the last week of May. It is a long wait.

And it looks like I have to wait a little bit longer...

I have been put on the waiting list to be accepted into nursing school.
Although I'm glad it wasn't a rejection letter, I'm still not guaranteed to get in.
I have to turn in a form to keep my name on the waiting list, and they could let me know anytime between now and when the Spring semester starts if I've been accepted or not.
Talk about being on pins and needles!
God is truly teaching me about patience and not being "in control" during this time in my life.

In other news, I posted a blog here about our upcoming adoption!

Just Checking In...

2011-11-15T13:02:00.003-06:00

This last week has been absolutely C.R.A.Z.Y.
As in, like, I can't even begin to tell you how crazy.
Can you say a roller coaster of highs and lows?! Because that's what it was.
Oddly enough, it has nothing to do with the adoption. That is all well and good, and going as planned. And, if I may say, the mere thought of it has been the joy of every moment of my days.
Let's just say (because it's a llllooooonnnng story) that in the span of about five days we found out we had to move, found a place, and moved in. We were not "evicted"...it really was not our fault...we were paid up on our rent...but...yeah, it's a long story, indeed. And I shall not drudge it up here.
The point is...I am still around, just a little too busy to blog right now. Thankfully, all of that happened during a week that was light in school load. This week, however, is another story.
So, I will stop putting off my work and get to it.
I will hopefully have some news, though, later on this week.....
;)

Check This Out

2011-11-02T13:28:00.002-06:00

If you are a regular reader of Elliott Escapades, you might be interested in reading THIS.

Just a Feeling...

2011-10-29T22:47:00.001-05:00

My time is coming.
I can feel it.
It may not come in the most conventional way, but hear me...
My time is coming.

Good Morning, Little Cup o' Joy!

2011-10-25T11:01:00.004-05:00

When I first started this diet, I cut out real sugar and creamer in my coffee.

You would have thought that an event of catastrophic proportions had occurred.

Coffee and I had to rediscover our relationship with one another, for sure. In fact, it stopped being a daily part of my life because I didn't really find any satisfaction in it anymore...it didn't taste how I wanted it to taste.

When stopping at Starbucks, I had tried some of the sugar free syrups, and they were okay...I tried hot teas, and they are okay....then one day I tried just a plain, tall fat-free latte with two Splenda.

Ahhhh-ahhhh-AHHHHHHH

Did you hear the angels singing?
Perfection.
And sometimes I sprinkle a little cinnamon or chocolate powder on top for fun. It's so good!

But then, here comes Debbie Downer.....

Starbucks can get expensive.
I'm a college student....albeit an old one....but a poor college student, nonetheless. Out of convenience, I had started slipping back into using real creamer every now and then. I'm really trying to get off the last 15 pounds to reach my goal, so even though creamer doesn't seem like a big deal, I'm buckling down to make sure everything I do helps and not hinders.

SO
Here's what I do:
My favorite coffee mug (thank you, Sweet Life Cafe SAF Ladies' Retreat 2010) is about 12 ounces.
I like my coffee on the sweeter side, so I pour about 1/4 cup skim milk, stir in 2 Splenda and a couple of dashes of cinnamon, and heat in the microwave for about 45 seconds, stirring it really well when it comes out.
Then I stir in my coffee until my mug is full!
My current favorite coffee is Starbucks Christmas blend.
Yummy!!!

This is SO not on the Menu!

2011-10-19T00:14:00.003-05:00

I love to make fried pies.

My great grandmother had an amazing recipe for fried pie dough that she gave to my mom after she and my dad married. It was really a big deal at the time because she didn't give that recipe to ANYONE except my mom. Not even my Granny got it until later.

I haven't made them in a long time because of the diet, but I had an idea this week that I really wanted to try. Not because I wanted to eat them, but because I really love to cook for people! We are having home groups tomorrow night, so I thought I would try out my idea on them.

I love fall! It's my favorite time of year, and with the fall of temperatures this week what better way to introduce a new twist on a fall classic? I wanted to incorporate the classic sweet potato and marshmallow dish into a fried pie! I googled "sweet potato fried pie" to see if there was a recipe out there, and there was, but not what I had in mind.

I made the dough and while it was chilling in the fridge, I diced two large sweet potatoes and let them boil until fork tender then drained. I added 1/2 stick butter, about a cup of brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans, then mashed and mixed it all up. I separated the dough, rolled it out, put a spoonfull of the mixture in the middle, along with a large marshmallow split in two for even distribution, sealed it up, and fried it!

I'll be honest, Dan was skeptical about the idea, but he liked it a lot! I had about four bites of it and was pretty pleased with the outcome! Hope they like it at home groups!

If I'm being honest...

2011-10-17T23:35:00.003-05:00

***Disclaimer: If you're reading this and have said anything similar, please don't take offense...just venting.***

...If I never hear the phrase "I'm so jealous of you!" again, it will be too soon. This being in regard to the weight loss I've accomplished over the last year and a half.

Some people say it off the cuff, and that doesn't bother me.

I don't know why, but what bothers me is when I learn that there are times when people just sit and talk about how jealous they are of me.

Well, I guess I do know why it bothers me...because I know me! And believe me, people, there is nothing to be jealous of here. In order for there to be a lot lost, there has to be a great accumulation to begin with, and you don't wanna go there.

I mean, really...let's be real...when people bring their new babies to church, I don't go up to them and tell them how jealous I am of them or sit and talk with my friends about said feelings. Yes, there is a deep desire, but to begrudge someone else of a blessed event would be selfish on my part and just plain rude.

Just be happy for me.

And if you're THAT miserable.....lunching around a table talkin' about people (good or bad) isn't gonna help you any.

Just sayin'.

Check it out!

2011-10-10T10:01:00.002-05:00

My super-talented friend Melisa is celebrating a milestone for her blog!
She is doing a 500 follower giveaway!
Click it to check it!

On the Menu

2011-10-07T16:35:00.001-05:00

5-6 oz. ground turkey breast
1 chopped roma tomato
1/4 t. Morton Lite salt
1/4 t. Zesty table blend (salt free)
1 slice 35 calorie wheat bread
1 t. mustard
1/2 large bell pepper, sliced
1 med. Honeycrisp apple, sliced

Cook turkey, tomato, and seasonings on stovetop over medium heat. The measurements on the seasonings are estimated. You can just season to taste, if you like. I added a tablespoon or two of water so that the turkey wouldn't get too dry, then drained the excess off at the end. I like mustard on my bread, but you could easily use any other kind of light condiment or fat free dressing...or you could toast your bread with light butter instead. The possibilities are endless! :) Serve up with bell pepper and apple on the side. Yummy!

Retreat Pictures!

2011-10-03T23:11:00.006-05:00

I went to a ladies' retreat this weekend and had an incredible time with old and new friends!
The ranch was out in the middle of nowhere. And when I say "out in the middle of nowhere", I mean, drive until you are positive that you are on the wrong road, but keep going because you think you might see something up ahead. Turns out to be nothing, then you lose service and still keep going. Yeah, it was out there.
Here are some collages of pictures to kind of sum up the weekend. Loved it!

The lodge

The Talent (or lack thereof) Show

Friends

Quiet Time/Communion

On the Menu

2011-09-21T13:26:00.002-05:00

Chicken salad: Chopped chicken breast
1/2 cucumber, finely chopped
1/2 apple, finely chopped
2 T. Lite Mayo
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1/8 t. Morton Lite salt
Two slices 40 calorie wheat bread, lined with spinach leaves
Strawberries

one of THOSE days...

2011-09-20T16:37:00.002-05:00

Have you ever had one of those days where you had your day all planned out with important things that needed to be done? Like, really important things...things that your future depends on.

Then you get a phone call.

Nothing else on the agenda seems so important anymore.

The Help

2011-08-31T15:58:00.002-05:00

Before we went to see the movie, I made myself read the book.
It wasn't hard to "make myself" because it was a really good book!
There was one portion that I highlighted because it just stood out to me.

"'Mae Mobley? Mae Mobley Leefolt!'
Miss Leefolt just now noticing her child ain't setting in the same room with her. 'She out here with me, Miss Leefolt,' I say through the screen door.
'I told you to eat in your high chair, Mae Mobley. How I ended up with you when all my friends have angels I just do not know...' But then the phone ring and I hear her stomping off to get it.
I look down at Baby Girl, see how her forehead's all wrinkled up between the eyes. She studying hard on something.
I touch her cheek. 'You alright, baby?'
She say, 'Mae Mo bad.'
The way she say it, like it's a fact, make my insides hurt.
'Mae Mobley,' I say cause I got a notion to try something. 'You a smart girl?'
She just look at me, like she don't know.
'You a smart girl,' I say again.
She say, 'Mae Mo smart.'
I say, 'You a kind little girl?'
She just look at me. She two years old. She don't know what she is yet.
I say,'You a kind girl,' and she nod, repeat it back to me. But before I can do another one, she get up and chase that poor dog around the yard and laugh and that's when I get to wondering, what would happen if I told her she something good, ever day?....
...After while, Mae Mobley come over and press her cheek up to mine and just hold it there, like she know I be hurting. I hold her tight, whisper, 'You a smart girl. You a kind girl, Mae Mobley. You hear me?' And I keep saying it till she repeat it back to me."

It never ceases to amaze me the impact that words have on children...people. The way they think of themselves, or think, in general, comes out because of what has been input.

Lord, let us impact a generation that knows their worth because we tell them they are precious. We tell them they are kind. We tell them they are smart. We tell them they are important.

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." Proverbs 18:21

Happy Heart

2011-08-29T11:44:00.001-05:00

I woke up this morning with my love by my side...

...and rain hitting the roof!

What a glorious day!

Warning

2011-08-14T00:22:00.004-05:00

Well, not really a warning...maybe just a head's up...This post will probably make more sense to our SA peeps.

What is the significance of this picture?

The dress I am wearing here was worn by Kim P. at Kylah's wedding.
Of course, this dress just swallows her now, but...can I just say?... I never, EVER thought I would be able to get my big toe into anything Kim wore, much less wear one of her dresses! Geez-Louise!

Healthy Choices

2011-08-11T15:24:00.004-05:00

*Take advantage of the great summer fruits and veggies that are less expensive this time of year.

*Try not to drown your salad in dressing. If you're at a restaurant, ask for their light or fat free dressing on the side, and don't use all they give you. Pour a little on, then give your salad a toss for even distribution.

*This yummy salad was easy-peasy to make and delish! Baby spinach, half an orange bell pepper, and one small peach tossed lightly in Fat Free Caesar Italian dressing.

Truths about Laundry Day

2011-08-11T11:06:00.002-05:00

*The clothes you wear are clean but haven't been worn in about two months because everything else you have is cuter or fits better...and they are in the wash.

*Even though you've showered, brushed your teeth, and look somewhat presentable, you refuse to put on makeup only to sweat it off lugging laundry to and fro.

*There are always two socks that each lost their mate.

*Laundry can get washed, dried, and folded with relative ease....why is it so hard to put it up???

*Finally...everything is done and put away...you sit down with a cold drink and a snack...then your husband comes in, changes clothes, and tosses the cast offs on the bed.

OH NO YOU DIDN'T!!!

Snippits from Camp

2011-08-09T20:50:00.003-05:00

Five weeks of camp is a long time...or so I thought. It flew by!
This was my first time to spend all five weeks with Dan out there, and I had an amazing time! My job was to, basically, keep us eating healthy. Because pretty much everything the camp serves is processed or fried, I would usually cook our entree in the nurse's station, which has a small kitchen. Then we would take it to the cafeteria and have salad or whatever sides they were serving.
I also spent the mornings cooking breakfast for everyone working in the nurse's station. Over the five weeks, they had a combination of eggs, bacon, toast, cinnamon toast, biscuits and gravy, and pancakes. Then I usually made cookies as a snack in the evenings. So not all of the cooking was healthy... ;)
Here is a video of a portion of worship from one of the weeks...week 5, I think. This is what it looks like when 1000+ people worship in spirit and truth.

From a portion of this week's Breaking Free daily study...

2011-07-28T20:37:00.002-05:00

"The best of our churches tend to welcome those captive (to alcohol, drugs, homosexuality, promiscuity, and so forth) at first, but if they don't 'fix' pretty quickly, they will probably soon be despised. We like success stories--powerful testimonies. A captive in our midst soon wears out her welcome if she doesn't get with it pretty quickly.

"In gracious contrast, God stands by us until we are free. He uses various forms of discomfort to woo us to cry out to Him, but He never forsakes us. God is the only One who is not repelled by the depth and length of our needs. Although God never excuses our sin and rebellion, He is fully aware of what drives our actions. In fact, He understands things about us we cannot even understand." ~Beth Moore

In. Absolute. Love.

2011-07-10T12:08:00.002-05:00

....with this treasure!

I was at my mom and dad's this weekend, and mom wanted me to go through some of my grandparents' items and see if there was anything I wanted to take home. Dad wanted to show me some end tables that were in the storage shed, and I saw this while we were out there.

I don't ever remember seeing it at my Granny and Pa's house, so I asked my dad if he had known they had it. He said that this was from when my Pa worked on the oil lease when my dad was growing up. It was kept in the doghouse on the lease in case of emergencies. It doesn't have the original contents in it, but on each drawer is listed what is supposed to go in that drawer. There isn't a date anywhere on it, but my guess is that it is probably from the 1950's.

I LOVE IT!!!

Expectation

2011-06-24T12:30:00.002-05:00

I have been through a couple of Beth Moore's Bible studies, but I had never done Breaking Free. She has done an updated version recently, and although I can't compare it to the original, it is just what I need for this present time. It is perfect for obvious spiritual reasons, but it is also developing friendship bonds and connections with the other ladies in the group. Very timely.

In the study, she defines captivity as this: "A Christian is held captive by anything that hinders the abundant and effective Spirit-filled life God planned for her."

One of the continual hinderances in my life has always been fear, and I've always associated it with fear of failure. That's part of it, but just fear, in general...fear of the unknown.

I remember when I was in 7th grade, it was the last six weeks of school where all athletic seasons were pretty much over for our level. I was never very coordinated in athletics, and I was the chunky girl in our class, but I had made it through volleyball, basketball, and track (read: shotput). Understand, of course, that there were no tryouts in my small school. Whoever showed up the first day of the season was what the coach had to work with.

So in the last six weeks of 7th period athletics, the coaches did the infamous "Spring Training", which was three weeks intense training in volleyball on MWF, weights on TTH. Then three weeks of equal training in basketball MWF, weights on TTH. I say "infamous" because the class just above us had told us how horrible it was.

And I was terrified.

Fear gripped me so hard that every day after 6th period English, I had to throw up because my stomach was in such knots. I knew it wasn't going to kill me. I knew it was probably for my good, but I could not get past the fear.

Thankfully, that was the only time I experienced the physical effects of fear, but the struggle has inwardly remained.

Last night, Dan and I were with a group of people in a time of prayer. As I was praying I felt the Lord impress on my heart this: "Do not face the future with fear. Face the future with expectation."

As I was studying this morning, one of the verses pointed out was Isaiah 44:20: "He feeds on ashes, a deluded heart misleads him; he cannot save himself, or say, 'Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?'"

Then I read this paragraph: "I remember one thing in particular I held onto with a virtual death grip. I also remember the harrowing moment God opened my eyes to see what a lie I had believed. I cried for days. I originally thought this lie was a good thing. My heart, handicapped in childhood, had deluded me. Although I didn't realize it at the time, I eventually bowed down and worshiped it. My only consolation in my idolatry is that I finally allowed God to peel away my fingers and to my knowledge have only grasped His hand since. Had I not discovered what a lie I held, I would never have run to Him to fill the void." Beth Moore

Trust Him.
Seek only Him.
Cling to Him.
Listen to Him.
Obey Him.
With expectation.

Posts like these....

2011-06-16T10:54:00.005-05:00

...Aren't meant to draw attention to myself.
...Aren't meant to be braggadocios.
...Aren't meant to make anyone think one way or another about me.

...Are to remind myself of how far I've come.
...Are to give hope that nothing is impossible.
...Are to bring me back to reality that a small set back does not mean the battle is all for naught.

The Road

2011-06-04T11:50:00.002-05:00

"...Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." Last portion of "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost

Last night Dan and I decided to go into Waxahachie for dinner. It only takes about 15 minutes to get there from our house, taking Hwy 287. We went a different route, one we had never taken before.

The road was an unmarked, two lane road with a group of houses here...then a group of houses there...with lots of natural, undeveloped land in between. It was a beautiful drive.

About ten minutes into the drive, we began to get a little nervous because we really didn't know where the road led. We assumed at the beginning that it would eventually connect to a larger road, but we had lost count of how many curves we had taken. A fork in the road came up, so we just took the one that was in the general direction of where we needed to go.

There were no signs. Evidently, most people who took that road knew where they were and where they were going.

There were times when the overgrowth of trees beside the road connected like a canopy overhead. We could not see beyond where we were right then.

Then, there was a clearing, and I saw the water tower of Waxahachie...a sign that we were headed in the right direction, and we weren't far away from our destination.

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and light unto my path." Psalm 119:105

Once again, we were surrounded by trees. This time, though, we had confidence because we saw a sign.

Sure enough, about five minutes later we connected with a larger road that took us straight where we wanted to go.

I thought about that road and how our lives with God are similar. We go in the direction He leads us without knowing all the details. We start out with confidence, enjoying the ride. Then, sometimes we can't even see our feet in front of us, and we begin to question the way. We keep going, relying on the initial direction, and before we know it, He gives us a sign to give us confirmation and resolve.

Oh, the things He uses to teach us!

"Trust in Jehovah with all thy heart, and lean not upon thine own understanding; In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

Vintage Beauty

2011-04-28T13:05:00.004-05:00

After my Granny passed away in 2005, I was able to choose a couple of pieces of her jewelry.
I really loved this ring, but only wore it a few times on my pinky since it didn't fit on any other finger. It didn't really look right on that finger, so I didn't wear it often.
Since losing the weight, my wedding set and right hand band I have are too big. I've had a couple of close calls in wearing them recently where they have slipped off my finger without me noticing. Thankfully, I noticed it was gone shortly after and recovered it. (It had come off my finger when I was taking off my gloves in lab at school. It was with my gloves in the trash can. Scary.)
I remembered this ring, and absolutely love it.
My Granny was always proud of me, but I know she would be extremely proud of me now and love the fact that her ring looks so good on my finger!
And it's vintage!

Easter Silliness

2011-04-26T10:30:00.017-05:00

Dan said (jokingly) that we should do this.
We held him to it.
It was his idea, you know.
He gets all the credit!

Bullets!

2011-04-21T17:45:00.004-05:00

*Fine Arts is two weeks away! Oh my! It's crunch time, but it's coming together...so exciting!

*Kristen's wedding is three weeks away! YIPPEEEE!!!! I am so ready to see all my peeps!!!

*Finals are right smack in between.....(wohmp, wohmp, wohmp...Debbie Downer...I won't think about that right now.)

*Dan had an MRI on his hand after the wreck, and it wasn't broken after all! YAY! It was severely bruised inside and swollen. He has just in the last week been able to use it regularly, although limited. It is still swollen and glass is still working it's way out.

*It's amazing how you become more sensitive to crazy drivers on the road after you've been in an accident. It's a wonder how some people managed to get a license.

*I've officially lost a whole person. I've made it to 120 pounds of weight loss! Only 55 more pounds to go until my goal is reached!

*My niece is old enough to go to prom. Exciting time for her, but the fact I can't overlook is that..........I'm old.

*On that note, we are planning our 20 year class reunion. Geesh....hahaha. It's been fun getting in touch with a lot of my "old" friends, and I'm looking forward to seeing them all again!

*Easter is this weekend! I can't wait to celebrate the resurrection of my Savior with my church family! Afterward, we are meeting at my aunt and uncle's house to have a lunch celebration with our family that lives locally.

So.......there is a lot going on, and I love it! God is so good!

This is the coolest stuff!

2011-04-07T20:22:00.004-05:00

It's a nail polish called Shatter by OPI.
You do a base coat of any bright color and let it dry.

Then brush the Shatter polish over it. When it dries, it crackles.
That's too cool!
It's probably been out forever and I'm just now catching on.
Oh, well! ;)

The Year of Blessing

2011-03-29T11:38:00.004-06:00

That is what I felt the Lord whispering to me at the beginning of the year.

I have a whole new perspective on that since last Tuesday.

Dan and I were headed home around 10:30 pm, after I had been to our church's ladies' meeting and then had coffee with some friends with Dan at Starbuck's. We live off of a two lane road, and we were just about a quarter of a mile from our turn off when we had an accident.

A young lady was traveling toward us, and for some reason, began to veer off her side of the road. Dan saw this happen, and not sure how she was going to react, he let off of the accelerator. All I heard him say was, "Oh, gosh," in a somber tone. I had my head down, looking at my phone, and when I looked up, all I saw was headlights coming straight at us.

Thankfully, God gave Dan the presence of mind to turn the wheel to the left as much as he could without sending us into a spin. She still hit the front of our vehicle, but not straight on. The front right side was hit. Our car stopped still, and she spun, going into the ditch and ending up facing the same direction we were facing.

Although Dan and I allowed the ambulance to take us to get checked out, when it was all said and done, all three of us walked away from that accident. Dan fractured his right hand and had to have glass dug out of it. Apparently, his hand made contact with the windshield on impact.

Both cars are totaled. Looking at the picture of our car, it doesn't look as bad as I remember it being. Still, all I see is head lights coming at us.

I've said this to a few friends, but I feel so strongly about it...
We all have those times in our lives when we feel like we are just beating a dead horse...questioning if what we are doing matters...if it's doing any good...God, did you really call me to do this?...was I just making it up in my head, the vision I thought was from You?

Then, something happens where the opportunity was ripe for your life to come to an end...and you LIVE!

All of the "what if's" and "it could have been's" DIDN'T happen, and God spared the lives of you, your husband, and a total stranger!

NO! You're not beating a dead horse!
YES! What you do matters!
YES! There is good coming from it, though you may not be able to see it right this very minute!
YES! The call of God is as real today as it was the day He first prompted you!
NO! It was not bad sushi, the vision that God gave to you! It is unique to you and the talents he gave solely to you!
HE IS NOT FINISHED WITH YOU YET!

And, thank you, Lord, for not being finished with my Dan and me, either.

Oh, SO Neglected!

2011-03-15T11:23:00.002-06:00

"Mom, all I want is to snuggle with you in your lap, but this computer is in the way of that. I'm being as patient as I can, but I'm going to stand here on your legs until you pick me up and put me under your throw blanket. I'm cold and lonely, and all you want to do is play that stupid game. Please, Mom, please?!?"

Hot tea, anyone?

2011-02-28T09:07:00.004-06:00

When I was growing up, I thought that hot tea was just another name for sweet tea that was poured over ice just before Sunday lunch after church.

The ice crackled as the tea was poured into the glass.

The first sip was a mingling of cold and warm, as the ice had not had time to cool off the whole glass yet.

Wait, what?
You mean there are people who don't drink iced tea?
They drink their tea HOT?!
That's weird.

...or so I thought.

I can say now that I have grown accustomed to a nice cup of hot tea every now and again. I wouldn't say it's something that I want on a daily basis, but it sounds good to me once or twice a week.

It's funny how things aren't so "weird" when you give them a try.

FINALLY!!!

2011-02-17T13:46:00.008-06:00

It's taken longer than I've wanted...(a little perspective here is noted...what is another couple of weeks compared to YEARS of the alternative?)...but I finally reached 100 pounds of weight loss!
I'm so excited!!!
You know the phrase "You gotta give something to get something"?
It's true. Nothing is without cost of some kind.
It cost a good deal of money for me to join Slim 4 Life.
It cost time to write down everything I've eaten all day and go to the center three times a week for accountability.
It cost will power to walk by the dairy section of the grocery store and not pick up the latest delicious flavored creamer for my coffee or to keep driving past the donut shop that sells the best apple fritter ever.
It cost planning to know what I was doing that day and if I needed to take my lunch or how many snacks to take.
It cost determination to keep going even if I had a gain at weigh in.

But as much as it has cost, I have gotten much in return...more than can be expressed here in black and white.
I've gotten a new body! Which is constantly changing!
I've developed a new appreciation for raw vegetables!
I'm a better planner!
I've developed a new palette! When I have tasted things that I've had a craving for, they don't taste the same.
I don't dread going to workout at the gym.
I actually enjoy my non-fat latte with Splenda now. Coffee and I have had to develop a new appreciation for each other when I started this diet. ;)

Some days are easier than others. Still. I'm not a machine. I'm a human being, and a lot of times I put more demand on myself than what others expect of me. That's a good thing sometimes. In the grand scheme of things, I'm doing this for myself...to be healthy, to be able to have a family and live long for them. No one else will have those same expectations for me.

The thing I have to ask myself everyday....
How bad do you want to change?
Are you satisfied with where you are?
Or do you want to do more?

Change does not come in simply being inspired by others. Change comes when you let the inspiration propel you to action...and don't quit. I'm not finished with this thing yet. My goal is to lose another 75 pounds. I can't stop now!

SNOW DAY! (ahem...) SNOW DAYS!!!!

2011-02-03T22:56:00.004-06:00

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, AND now Friday, schools of all sizes and levels have been/are cancelled due to inclement weather.

Tuesday and Wednesday I was quite content being at home doing domestic activities and mindlessly watching cable channels snuggled under a quilt in my comfy chair.

By Wednesday evening, after finding out school was cancelled yet again, I made it clear that a trip into town would do me some good. :)
And it did.
But now I'm quite happy to be home again, away from the icy roads and drivers that don't know how to drive on said roads.

Fashion for taking the dog out in ice: no makeup, pajamas, pink fuzzy socks, slip-on shoes (not the best for walking on ice, but they were handy), Dan's hoodie, Dan's coat (both hoods up), and knit gloves.

How cool is that?!

2011-02-03T22:20:00.002-06:00

A week or so ago, I was lying in bed trying to sleep, and I kept telling Dan that I must have overlooked something on the bed before climbing in. I was feeling something stuck under me and it was hurting my back.
I sat up, but nothing was there.
I lay back down, and it was hurting me again!
Turns out, it was my pajamas. They were getting to be so big on me that when I would lie down they would wad up under me and poke me!
So, I told Dan I was going to have to break down and buy some new pajamas.

Fast forward a week later...hadn't had time to go buy new pj's yet.
My best friend and her family had come to town for the weekend. (She is also doing quite well on the Slim 4 Life program.)
We had a great dinner with them, and she left me with two HUGE LAWN bags full of clothes she could no longer wear.
I opened one of the bags, and the very first things I pulled out were two almost new pairs of pajamas that were a perfect fit.
I almost cried.
It's the little things that mean the most.

Since a picture says a thousand words....

2011-01-17T00:35:00.005-06:00

...I'll let these two speak for themselves.

Happy 2011!

2011-01-04T15:21:00.004-06:00

To read my thoughts about the beginning of 2010, go here.

Although we are still waiting for our "Grace", there is no doubt that we truly experienced the Favor of God in other areas of our lives in 2010.

The last few days as I was thinking about 2011, the theme that kept going through my mind was 2011 being the year of blessing. Already, it has come to pass. We started out the new year moving into a one bedroom apartment in Midlothian! Pics to come later on after we get all set up. In the meantime, this was the scene I came home to when I got back from visiting my parents last night.

So True!

2010-12-03T12:15:00.001-06:00

To read the latest parallelism of quilting and life, click here.

I love my sister! :)

Blessed.

2010-11-29T12:23:00.003-06:00

That is how I feel right now.
I am so thankful for all the blessings in my life.
This Thanksgiving holiday was incredible. I spent Wednesday at my aunt and uncle's house here in Arlington along with my mom and dad while Dan was at work. We spent the day cooking for our annual big extended family Thanksgiving held at Northwood University in Cedar Hill. What a blast we had...cooking, laughing, catching up. The highlight of the evening was when my cousin who serves in the Army arrived from the airport. How blessed we were to have him home.
Thanksgiving Day was full of family, food, fun, football....and rest. Amazing.
We wrapped up the weekend by going to the North Texas Youth Convention at the Hyatt Regency in Dallas. I love to see young people go after God hardcore....and give! Give of themselves at the Dallas AIM trip and give in the Speed the Light offering the last day...almost $45,000! Absolutely incredible.
Blessed, indeed.

Minor Setback

2010-11-16T17:28:00.002-06:00

I had a really good week at Slim 4 Life two weeks ago. I had lost 4.4 pounds and was only ounces away from 70 pounds, literally.
....And the closer I am to 70 means I'm that much closer to 75. (Dan promised me a surprise when I got to 75, FYI.)
I was super excited that Friday! I couldn't wait until I weighed in again on the Monday before retreat. I was thinking...could it be I would possibly be able to hit 75 before the retreat?
Um....NO.
I gained three pounds on that Monday weigh in!
THREE POUNDS!!!
Devastation. I really did not know how it happened. I mean, I had a bite off of Dan's plate, but that's not out of the ordinary. So I went back on Wednesday and had lost a pound of it.
Okay, I can deal with that.
Then Friday before I left for retreat I went to weigh in again.
I GAINED ANOTHER THREE POUNDS!
And I know I didn't cheat this time.
The only thing I can think of is that I had gone to work out and lifted weights before both of those weigh-ins. I don't think I'll be doing that again. I'll just stick to the cardio. Maybe that will work.
Anyway, I hated it because then that really meant that I had to be an angel at the retreat.
I can honestly say, I wasn't a complete angel, but I did not eat one square of chocolate or consume one iota off of that snack table. Not one bite.
The only thing I did have was a helping of the amazing chicken salad Shaunna made. Then one time I put some creamer in my coffee...but I made sure it was the sugar free kind. So that's not really cheating.
And it paid off!
I weighed in Monday morning and I lost 4.2 pounds! I think that trek Rhonda and I took up that steep hill probably had something to do with it, too!
The retreat was amazing, by the way.
Simply amazing.

Excited!

2010-11-08T13:45:00.000-06:00

...to see me some SAF peeps!
Can. Not. Wait.

YAY!

2010-11-05T15:02:00.002-06:00

My sister has joined the blogging world!
Stacy is a ridiculously talented quilter, mostly self-taught. She has started her blog to post tips, shortcuts, and a bunch of other stuff about quilting! She's just getting started with the whole blogging thing, but I know she will have some great stuff to come!
Way to go, Sister!

He almost made it

2010-10-31T14:48:00.008-06:00

...to be 100 years old.
My last grandparent went to be with Jesus on October 17, at 99 years of age. One of the ministers at the funeral said that since we believe in life at conception, he DID make it to be 100 years old. :) Of his parents, brothers and sisters, he was the longest living member of his family.
It's strange to think that the generation of my grandparents is all gone. I should have listened to their stories better. I should have learned more from them.
Before the arthritis in his hands caused him to stop, Pa loved to make knives. Pocket knives, hunting knives, any kind of knife you could think of, he would try to make it. He liked to use different types of material for the casing, as well. One series of knives he made the casing out of deer antler.
Below are a few pictures of the last time I was with him and some pictures of the knife he made for me. It is a real, operational lock-back knife, but it's only about 1 1/2 inches long, blade open. Did I mention he wore a size 14 ring? I don't know how he did it with such large fingers, but one thing about my Pa was that once he got his mind on something to do, he was going to do it.
Now...I did learn that.

Another First

2010-09-27T13:24:00.002-05:00

When was the last time you had a HUGE smile on your face as you were trying on clothes?
Hmmmmm....yesterday!

After church, Dan and I just wanted to do some dreaming and have some fun. All my clothes are pretty big on me, so I've had to come up with some creative ways of 're-inventing" old outfits. I don't really want to spend a lot of money on clothes because I'm not staying in one size for very long. However, since I haven't bought a lot, I haven't really been sure what size I was at.

I haven't been able to shop at a regular department store in a couple of years. Okay, let's be real...probably the last ten years. Not even the plus size section in a department store. I had "moved on" to the extended sizes of the specialty shops. So it was a big deal yesterday when he asked me where I wanted to go try on clothes at, and I said, "Macy's." (Side note: I actually said Dillard's first, but we ended up going to Macy's. Totally not important...just free information.)

So, we went to the plus size section and I started picking up items. I chose a size that I didn't think I would be able to fit into, and...you know where this is going...all but two items fit! You have know idea how excited I was. I could not get the smile off of my face in that fitting room!

Another first, indeed!

(For perspective's sake, I'll just say that the last time I wore that size was circa 1996. Whoa.)

A First

2010-09-20T11:30:00.003-05:00

Back in June, I joined a program called Slim 4 Life to lose weight. In Texas, I think they are primarily in the DFW area, but they are in other states as well.
I am not gonna lie, the program is hard. And costs money. In fact, I'm sure I would have probably quit already if I didn't have a "vested interest" in seeing it through.
But it works.
Of all the diets I have started and stopped, I have probably lost about 1000 pounds. But for the first time ever in my life, I have lost 50 consecutive pounds since June. Of course, there were days that I gained a couple of ounces here, or gained a pound there, but it always came back off.
I am so thankful for this opportunity. Every day I wonder why I didn't start and stick to something sooner. I think of all the time that I wasted being miserable. Don't get me wrong...I'm not finished. I still have quite a bit more to get to my goal, but every milestone is worth celebrating.
If you are miserable, don't wait anymore. Don't waste anymore time. I don't care if it's Slim 4 Life or Weight Watchers or Curves or counting calories on your iPhone or walking every day or whatever it is. It doesn't matter. Just do it. Today.
The results you see won't only be in your body, but also in the way you see things, the way you respond to problems, and the realization of the way you cling to things that "comfort" you.
It's a wild ride.
Well worth it.

Here are a couple of pictures. I'm just gonna first say that I H.A.T.E. the first picture. Not just because it's the "before" picture, but seriously, the only good thing about that picture of me were the three other people I cut out of it when I cropped it. Just saying.

After all that....

2010-09-10T12:17:00.002-05:00

I dropped the choir class. :)

Evidently, I unknowingly did the process backwards. You are supposed to audition openly for one of the two choirs they have on campus. They choose which choir you will be in for the semester, then you add that choir class to your schedule.

I chose the class that fit into my schedule and went to the audition thinking that I was auditioning for that choir alone.

They chose to put me in the choir that did not fit into my schedule.

I sent a very nice email to the director, thanking her for letting me audition but that it wasn't going to work out with my schedule. She very quickly replied with an "Aw, shucks....Buh-Bye" type of email, and we were done.

The good news is that I spoke to financial aid, and I don't have to replace the class! So not only do I not have to worry about another class, I got the refund for that class!

Double blessing!

A Fish out of Water

2010-08-27T12:55:00.002-05:00

...well, that's how I felt, anyway.

I needed a one hour credit course for the semester to satisfy my financial aid requirement. I had already taken weight training, and the other sport activity options didn't really suit my fancy. I'm not really a martial arts or scuba diving kinda girl.

So, I started looking at other subject courses, and, unsurprisingly, my eye wandered over to the music division. I spotted a choir class that was one hour credit and fit into my schedule, so I added it to my registration shopping cart and considered the matter taken care of.

....Until last week when I got an email from the music department informing me that I was receiving the email because I had signed up for one of the two campus YEAR LONG choirs that requires an AUDITION on the specified dates given on the website. Follow this link...yada, yada, yada.

I tried looking for another one hour class, but by this time they had edited the course offerings since it was the week school started. So, I signed up for an audition, thinking that if something else came open, I'd go for it.

Well, yesterday was the day of audition. I had to prepare a one minute excerpt of a song and sing it classically, then they would go through scales on the piano to see what my range was.

I've been through all of this before many moons ago when I went to college the first time. I did the whole marching band thing in high school, and I've been singing for, like...oh....MY WHOLE LIFE!

Don't get me wrong...I know there's a difference between singing for fun and singing classically. But it's funny to see how people react to a "non-music major" coming to audition for a university choir. I'm standing outside the door of the audition room with about 5-6 other people waiting for their turn.

At first, they look at you while they try not to look at you.
Then, they decide to be nice and introduce themselves to you because they might have to be stuck next to you for the semester.
Next, they try to "size up" the competition by asking things like
"What part do you sing?"
"Do you sight read?"
"Are you a music major?"
When they find out I'm a nursing major, they say, "Oooooooh......that's cool."
Pause.
"What made you try out for the choir?"
In other words, "Why are you here?"

By the time I get into the audition room, I was surprisingly frazzled. I didn't think my nerves would be that bad, but I guess it just got to me. The director asked pretty much the same questions as the students. I had chosen to sing part of a classical version of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" that I had sung in a recital about 16 1/2 years ago. Because I was frazzled, I didn't think it was my best, but the director was visibly pleasantly surprised that I wasn't terrible. She said that there shouldn't be any reason why I couldn't be in the choir, but they would send the email confirmation Sunday, after all of the auditions were completed.

Ay, ay, ay...what did I get myself into???

The calm before the storm.

2010-08-25T10:58:00.002-05:00

Kind of an ironic statement seeing how it is currently raining outside.

My world right now is calm. I'm sitting at Starbuck's just chillin' while Dan is at work. I could probably be doing a million different things right now, but I choose to be calm at this moment because I can.

No work schedule today.
No homework today.

School starts tomorrow.
I'm ready, though.

I can't believe that I started school a year ago.
One year, 5 A's, 3 B's, and 1 C ago.
WOW.

God is so good!
He is so faithful!
He takes care of us in the biggest and smallest of ways.
What a mighty, gentle Savior I serve.

I hope I look like my Father

2010-07-11T12:28:00.000-05:00

The older my husband gets, the more he looks like his dad.

But, last night...I don't know what it was...maybe it was the extra stubble on his cheeks and chin from not shaving the last couple of days at camp...or maybe it was seeing him for the first time in a few days that really made me aware of it.

We were having a serious conversation, sitting across the table from one another, and I just blurted out, "Wow! You look so much like your dad today!"

Tears filled his eyes and he said, "That's funny because I am really missing him right now and wish he was here. He would understand."

The reflection of his father was most evident to me during a time of uncertainty and confusion for Dan.

How does the world see us in our times of uncertainty and confusion? Do they still see the reflection of our Father in us, even when we may not "feel" on top of it?

I want to look like my Father every day, but I hope that the resemblance is stronger when I need Him the most.

A Change of Pace

2010-06-12T00:24:00.004-05:00

Most of my time at the youth department is spent doing all-things-camp, which is not surprising...seeing how I was hired as a camp assistant.
But one day this week I got to do something a little more creative with just an idea of the end result.
Earth-shattering....no, but a nice change of pace.

...and satisfaction that my boss said it was just the look he wanted.

Not bad for a "newbie."

Memorial Day

2010-05-31T14:38:00.004-05:00

I am thankful for...

...my Granddad Earl W. May who flew on B-52 bombers during World War II. As we were going thru his things after he passed away, we found his Army uniform with his original orders still folded in the inside pocket.
...my husband's PaPaw Clinton Elliott who was blinded in World War II when a Japanese plane purposely slammed into the USS Lexington on which he worked as a gunner and mechanic for the Navy.
...my dad L.D. Hinson who served as a military policeman in the Army in Germany during the mid 1960's.
...my dad's sister Colene Hillyard who served in the Army during the 1970's and 1980's. She broke her back in two places as well as her jaw while stationed in Germany.
...my dad's brother Roscoe Hinson who served in the Marines in the 1970's.
...my cousin Deric Lane who served as a cook in the Army in Korea when 9/11 took place.
...my cousin Beaux Lane who currently serves in Iraq.

What an amazing heritage I have. I am honored to call you family. I have this beautiful day off to honor all those who work this day to ensure the freedom to have this day off is protected. Thank you to all who have served and currently serve our country well.

On a break...

2010-05-27T15:16:00.003-05:00

...from my Drugs and Behavior class. I'm taking a MayMester class that is two weeks of lecture, then the final. Every class time is almost four hours, so he gives us a 30 minute break in the middle. Good thing...I'm on information overload! There are two tests and a small project. I made a B on the first test, and my project is almost done.

If you remember from a previous post, I mentioned that I needed a 78 on my final (the day of Fine Arts) to make a B in statistics class. Well, in case any of you are dying to know, I ended up with a C in the class. I will admit, I was a little disappointed because I really wanted to be Superwoman and pull off a B despite the busy weekend, but in reality, I'm just happy I passed! :)

Started work at the district office officially this week. They gave me the sweetest little vase of yellow tulips for my desk! It was very unexpected and most thoughtful!

Okay...break is over now. Some of my fellow students are way too eager to learn about certain drugs and their behaviors. Today is alcohol day. Sheesh.......

Wedding Guest

2010-05-24T21:15:00.010-05:00

After Fine Arts was over, I was sitting at the table with my friend Janelle, talking about a wedding of some of our friends that was going to take place in the next few weeks. Janelle and her husband Kyle were both going to be in the wedding party, along with their daughter, who was going to be the flower girl.

We were joking about what they were going to do with their son Tyson while they were all in the wedding. I told her that he could just sit with us. She'd be walking down the aisle, and just plop him in a seat with us as she walked by. We had a good laugh about it. I did tell her that he seriously was welcome to sit with us if her parents weren't going to be there or something else came up. I didn't think much more about it.

Until last week when I was in class and get a text that said something to the effect of, "I know we were joking at Fine Arts, but can Tyson really sit with y'all at the wedding?"

Of course!

So here are a few pictures of our adventure with Tyson at the wedding. We were seated at round tables, which made it a little easier, to tell the truth. We were all set up with Batman, Spiderman, and Mr. Tennis Ball, but the iPhone won out.

He was so good. At the reception, Kyle came to the table and said, "Tyson, you wanna come sit with us now?"

Tyson sweetly said, "No."

It was so cute, but I felt really bad! :/

Photo by Tyson

Photo by Tyson

Dan getting Tyson set up with a game on my phone.

Tyson going to TOWN on that game. It's amazing how fast they catch on.

Mom (Janelle) and big sister Mallory

Peek-a-BOO!!!

Fine Arts and Finals

2010-05-13T09:39:00.003-05:00

Since I dropped down to part-time at Kirkland's, Dan and I both have been so excited about me being more involved with the North TX district Fine Arts festival. Because it's always been on Mother's Day weekend (yes, I know it's the worst weekend to have it), I have always been required to work on that Saturday of the festival. I've helped print/separate score sheets, send out letters to evaluators, evaluated on Friday night, but I've never been able to be there the whole weekend....until this year!!!

Or, so we thought....

The first day of this spring semester, we are at the end of my first statistics class and my professor says, "Oh, and by the way, you need to keep Saturday, May 8th, open from 12:00-2:30. That is when our final will be."

Really?!

REALLY?!

And right in the middle of the day. Of course, this is the one time when I wouldn't mind it being at 8:00 in the morning, but they schedule it at noon?! What's up with that?

Anyway, it is what it is. Not sure how I did. I needed to make a 78 to make a B in the class. Truthfully, I'm not sure I did that well, but we'll see. I won't know anything until grades come out in about a week.

On a better note, Fine Arts was awesome!!! :)

YEP! That just happened!

2010-04-25T21:53:00.002-05:00

Today I was standing by the counter at work, and my attention was caught by a family shopping near the counter area. The mom and older kids were shopping around, and the dad was holding the youngest, about a year old. He started tossing her up a little in the air, and she just laughed and giggled. It was so cute.

Then it happened.

My coworker who was standing behind the counter saw me watching them and then asked:

"Do you have grandkids?"

I said:

"Girl, I don't even have kids, yet."

What I wanted to do was smack her upside the head.

She always rubbed me the wrong way, anyway.

It's Almost Over!!!

2010-04-23T10:09:00.002-05:00

...this semester!!!

January seems so long ago, yet it has flown by! I'm taking four classes this semester: chemistry (which I'm holding a solid B in...YAY!), Texas politics (unless I bomb the final, I should get an A), technical writing (the biggest waste of time this semester, but again, unless I bomb my last presentation, I should get an A), and statistics (praying for a B).

Fine Arts is like two weeks away! There is SO much to do, so last week I went up to the district office to help Rachel after school. That will continue one or two days a week until Fine Arts is over.

We had a workshop in Texarkana last weekend. It went really well. Made some good connections with students and the youth pastor there. Dan will be going to Tyler this weekend for a workshop/rally there. If you remember, say a prayer for direction for us where Ready Now is concerned. That's really all I'll say about it. We just need direction.

Work is going pretty well. I only work one or two days a week, which is bad financially, but great for school. I will be taking a May-mester three week class after spring finals, then a class during the first summer session. Even though it will be hectic, I will also be working part time at the district office in the youth department. It is a temporary summer position to help Rachel with data entry for camp...and various other things, I'm sure. I'll probably still work for Kirkland's like one day a week. Will I ever be able to let it go??? Just kidding. Since this is a temporary position at the D.O., I don't want to totally give it up because I'll pick up more hours in the fall again. We'll see.....

And, yes, I know.....I totally fell off the wagon on updating you on our weight loss situation. We had to drop out of the Biggest Loser competition because of schedule conflicts with workshops. I have maintained my weight loss, but need to get back into the regimen. Dan, on the other hand, has been dropping weight like crazy. Since August, he has lost over 50 pounds! I'm so proud of him!

The steps of a righteous man.....

2010-04-12T16:49:00.002-05:00

If you have ever been in a situation where you've doubted the handiwork of the Lord, you need to read this.

This is the blog of our DYD. He and his family have just gotten back from China to pick up their adopted daughter Chloe. We've been following his blog, and it's all amazing. But this particular entry is God showing off fancy.

What a man, what a man, what a man, what a mighty good man!

2010-04-11T18:37:00.002-05:00

Dear Lord,
Thank you so much for a wonderful husband.
Not only did he go to the grocery store to pick up things we needed for the week, he also had my prescriptions filled for me that I was going to get tomorrow, along with more tissues.
But most of all, Lord, he didn't even complain when I asked him to pick up the item that all men at least inwardly cringe at when asked to pick up said item.
A good man, indeed.
Bless him, Lord.
Amen.

Random pics

2010-04-11T12:27:00.008-05:00

Just a few pics from spring break and an Easter snapshot of me and Danno.

Mucho appropriato...you have no idea! :)

A break from shopping to have lunch with my very best friend Kristi and her kiddos Camden and Kenzee.

My Katie-girl should not be 17. Where did the time go?!?! I'm not a proud aunt or anything, let's clear that up...

So handsome in a suit...(big sigh!)

Not good....not good at all...

2010-04-11T12:23:00.002-05:00

I bought a three pack of tissues for my purse/bookbag and a box of tissues this week.

Just used the last tissue from the box.

On my last pack of travel tissues.

Graduated from allergies to sinus infection.

To the store I go.....

Spring Break Ups and Downs

2010-03-22T15:45:00.004-06:00

I had forgotten how refreshing having a spring break can be!

I requested to work a couple of days the beginning of the week so that I could have a few days to go visit my parents in West Texas. The plan was that my parents and niece would come to Arlington for a day or two, then I would go back home with them for a couple more days. Then Dan would drive down on Friday, and I would ride back with him Sunday.

Well, that was the plan.

We have this thing (I have to call it a thing because it's not really a joke...it's not really funny) with my parents and their plans to come visit us that dates back to when we lived in San Angelo. Every time we had plans for them to come, someone in and/or having to do with their church passed away, and they would have to stay. One time, they had arrived to San Angelo, we had dinner and were in the middle of our traditional card game when they got the call someone had passed away. They got up and headed back home to take care of the details.

It's just part of the job of being a pastor. I can't get mad about it. How selfish would that be? Someone has lost a loved one they will never see again until they go to Heaven, and I'm mad because my weekend was interrupted? I would be lying if I said it never bothered me because it usually takes a lot of planning to get all of our schedules to cooperate at the same time, but on the other hand, I have to look at the bigger picture and remember how blessed I am to have such caring parents who work so hard to be the hands and feet of Christ.

So, yes, I was bummed last Sunday when Mom called and said that they weren't going to be able to come because of a death, but it all worked out! I ended up flying out bright and early Wednesday morning and got to Seagraves in time to help Mom and the other church ladies get the fellowship hall ready to feed the family at noon, just before the funeral. So many came to celebrate the life of this man that there was not enough room in the sanctuary to hold everyone! I stayed in the back since I didn't know him well only to find out that one of the girls I graduated with had come and I didn't see her. Dad told me he thought she was there, so I contacted her via Facebook. We planned for lunch the next day along with another friend who was also in town for spring break. Our lunch ended up being a three hour long visit. We had such a good time reminiscing and laughing about the silly things we did and said growing up. Good times.....

Friday I took my niece with me to Lubbock so we could shop for her a banquet dress. We found "the" dress in round one of shopping, but then we broke for lunch with my long time best friend and her two kids. Round two of shopping found a dress Katie loved, but it was vetoed by her mom. So we had some crankiness after that. Second choice was the dress from round one, so we went back to get it. When we got home, Dan and Rosie and Katie's mom and stepdad had already arrived, so we sat down to have dinner...steaks grilled by Dad! Yummo!

Saturday we had planned to go to the cemetery where Dan's mom and dad are buried, about 1 1/2 hours away from where my parents live. We haven't been since July, when his mom was buried. We woke up to snow and ice, but we decided to go ahead and go. We got about 1/3 of the way there and turned around after the third rollover we came across, along with the increasing amount of ice on the road the further north we drove. It was so hard. I felt really bad for Dan. We will have to plan for another time to go sometime soon.

We got up early Sunday morning to pancakes made by Mom. Mmmmm. Normally we stay for church, but headed home early this time. All in all, it was a great week, but I wish the weather would have cooperated with us on Saturday.

It's Been CRAZY!!!

2010-03-05T13:37:00.014-06:00

...so I'm just now posting what I should have posted earlier this week.

Last Friday was my birthday, and I got a new laptop! I am so pumped about it. So is Dan, mainly because I'm not using his. LOL! I actually received it before my birthday because my actual birthday was spent helping our friend Shelby Brown with her wedding!

Shelby's parents (Gaylord and Fredna Brown) are missionaries to Malawi, Africa. They were able to come home before Thanksgiving and I think are supposed to go back sometime this month. Before they came home, we had met with Shelby and Josh about what they wanted for the wedding and reception. Josh is the children's pastor at the church where the wedding was held. The sanctuary is absolutely GORGEOUS. It did not need much decorating at all, so the majority of the work was done on the reception. Shelby isn't extravagant, but she has great taste. The reception was held in the gym, so the trick was to make it to where it didn't look like a gym with some tables and a couple of cakes set up. I think, overall, it turned out well. Her colors were orange and gunmetal grey. I will admit, I had my doubts about the color choices at first, but it really came together nicely.

We were so busy, I was not able to get a lot of pictures, but I took a few of the reception decor. The first few pictures are from the sister of the bride's collection of pictures. The last couple of pics are some end-of-the-day-crazy-type pictures of the brother of the bride and one of the bridesmaids.

Mr. and Mrs. Josh Denman and wedding party.

The cake topper was custom ordered from Italy. Too cute!

It didn't come out well in the picture, but the lanterns were a mingling of solid orange and solid white.

Caleb couldn't help but hit the sauce after the reception. :)

Take one down, pass it around......

Weight Update

2010-02-23T23:35:00.002-06:00

We had our weigh in Monday night, and I lost another two pounds! This brings my total to 11 pounds and 3.73% weight loss! This was the mid-way weigh in, so those who fell below 2% were eliminated from winning the grand prize. We've both made the cut so far. We didn't stay for the main workout, though, because I had a chemistry test Tuesday morning. We did an eight minute walk, then we left.

By the way, I passed my chemistry test. :)

It was a loss....

2010-02-16T12:53:00.004-06:00

BUT BARELY!!

I knew this weigh in was going to be difficult for two reasons.

First of all, come on, it's VALENTINE'S DAY the day before the weigh in. REALLY?! I did well with my calories all week, but I did go over Saturday and Sunday. For the overall week, I came in under on total calories, but I just hate going over in a day (or two!). On a positive note, I did order dessert on Valentine's Day, but I did not eat it all. SCORE!

Secondly, during last Monday's workout I strained a muscle in my neck, so other than walking on campus, I had not done any working out during the week.

So, taking this into consideration, I was okay with .5 weight loss. Not jumping for joy, but thankful it wasn't a gain. Total weight loss to date is 9 pounds. Once again, the Red Team won the amount of weight loss and percentage! WOO-HOOOOOO!! AND, this week we won the team challenge! FINALLY! It was a hard one, too! I'm ssssooooooooo proud of my team!!!

Next Monday is the first elimination round. They will eliminate those who have not lost at least two percent of their starting weight. By eliminate, they mean not eligible for the prize at the end. Everyone is still welcome to come to the workouts and weigh-ins.

Here's to a big loss this week!

Monday's Weigh-in

2010-02-08T22:58:00.002-06:00

The results are in!

I lost 7 pounds since last week, for a total weight loss of 8.4 pounds and a total percentage of weight loss of 2.5%.

Unfortunately, the Red Team lost the team challenge AGAIN, BUT we did win the weight loss...pounds and percentage...AGAIN!

GO RED TEAM!!!!

Just putting this out there...

2010-02-08T15:51:00.002-06:00

I've been stewing on this for awhile now.
Since the beginning of January, as a matter of fact.
I was driving to work one day thinking of the new-ness of the new year...a fresh start...a new beginning full of possibilities.
The thought just kept going through my mind about 2010 being the year of the favor of God.
In general...for everyone.
Then, I thought, well, what would the favor of God mean for me, personally?
Of course, you all know what I thought.
The favor of God, to me, would be Him blessing us with a child.
So, then I thought....what does "Favor of God" mean?
Do you know what it means?
"Favor of God" literally means Grace.
I love that.
Whenever God blesses us with a child, whether it is through means of adoption or my own flesh and blood, it truly will be my Favor of God...my Grace.

The Biggest Loser

2010-02-04T11:48:00.002-06:00

Some friends of ours at a different church invited us to participate in their Biggest Loser Challenge for eight weeks. We meet twice a week. Mondays we weigh in, work out, and have a team challenge. Then on Saturdays we have another team challenge and another workout. We are responsible to work out 2-3 days on our own and watch our food intake.

WOW.

My body is SO SORE!

It's a good thing, though, I know.

We team up with a partner that we don't live with to keep each other accountable and build a relationship with. There are a lot of people that are participating. Probably 60-70 people. We are divided up into two teams, each with a professional trainer. We start out together with stretching, then separate to different areas to have our team workouts, switch areas, then come together for the team challenge. Our team's trainer, Valerie, is deceptive.

She is super sweet.

Then she kills us.

I love her, though.

I had to work the night we started, so when I started on Saturday, there were only two days left before our first weigh in. I did lose a pound, though! So my first official weigh in will be Monday night. So far, I've been below my daily calorie intake and have worked out twice. Our team (The Red Team) won the weigh in challenge (weight loss and percentage) as well as the Team Challenge Monday night! We were super excited because we had lost the team challenge on Saturday and had to do the Circle of Death. That's probably what pushed us over the edge for the weigh in! haha

You know I'll keep you updated if the results are good.

If you don't hear from me however.....

Just kidding. I'll try to be good and post my results, whatever they may be.

Can I just say....?

2010-01-21T18:06:00.002-06:00

I think my Texas politics professor is Chuck Norris's brother.

This dude is hard core, and let me give you a few reasons why.
By the way, it took almost an entire class session for him to give us his resume.

He's a marine.
He's a pilot.
He's a scuba diver.
He worked on Capitol Hill.
He worked at NASA.
He worked in the Texas Capitol.
He is a park ranger for the eastern part of Alaska.

Oh! And he's a professor at three different campuses.

I have a feeling this class will not be boring.

Goodbye, Christmas break.....

2010-01-18T23:18:00.002-06:00

Hello, spring semester!

As much as I have enjoyed being out of school, working part time, cooking, and being the occasional lady of leisure, it's time to go back to school.

Truth be told, I am looking forward to the routine. I tend to be more productive when I have a routine....and I am less prone to snacking.

Ah, there's the rub!

It took me three months to lose ten pounds last semester and about five weeks to put it plus five more back on! Evang-elastic-ly speaking, of course. I've not gotten on a scale but I can feel it. UGH!!!

So, since my classes are mainly in the mornings, getting out around noon, I will have coffee and a granola bar for breakfast. On days I will stay on campus to study or for my afternoon lab once a week, I will have carrots, string cheese, and an apple for lunch. This way, I am not spending money for lunch on campus and they do not require refrigeration or microwaving. Plus, I have my handy reusable water bottle that I fill with my Brita water system I started using last semester. I love that thing!

Dan and I will also be taking advantage of using the campus gym, although he is doing very well on his own. He's lost about 25 pounds. I'm so proud of him! He's looking good! We finally had to break down and buy him some new jeans because I told him that it looked like his jeans were gathered in the back because his belt was so tight.

So, that's our health care plan we'll be working on. As far as classes, I'll be taking the chemistry class I dropped last semester, statistics, technical writing, and Texas politics.

Here we go!!!

God is great, God is good.....

2010-01-09T20:34:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we were supposed to leave around two for Livingston, TX. We had planned a Fine Arts workshop a couple of months ago with the youth pastor and were so looking forward to it.

Well, as you all know, it's been down right frigid here the last few days. As a result, our water froze night before last. Without boring you with all the specifics, it was apparent that the water pump had gone out in the trailer. As Dan was working on it, trying to figure out what the next step to do was, there was an extremely loud pop out behind the trailer. Scared us to death. I thought it was a gunshot, but it was the transformer about twenty yards behind our house that had blown...and left us and our neighbors without electricity.

By this time, it is two o'clock, and we were already supposed to have left for Livingston. We have no water or electricity. I finally got a hold of Oncore and they sent someone out to restore the power. Dan had been talking to the repair man about the water pump and made arrangements for him to come to the house while we were gone to make the repairs.

We finally pulled out of Arlington around five, not feeling very confident whatsoever.

Kinda defeated, actually.

We came to the conclusion, though, that for all the trouble we had, something good MUST come out of this workshop!

And it did!

It wasn't any one thing that I could put my finger on and say "that" was what made it good, but it was just good! The kids were receptive, and we even got them to sing a song that they are going to perform tomorrow in church. They are pretty excited about it.

AND we found out that the water pump did not go out. The motor had just frozen up in the cold. We have water!

Thank you, Lord, for your provision and favor. You are so much more than I deserve.

For a couple of days...

2010-01-02T20:41:00.003-06:00

I'm home!

At my mom and dad's, that is.

Got here this evening, in time for the Tech game, I might add! We will have our family Christmas tomorrow, spend some much needed time with my best friend in Lubbock Monday, then leave again on Tuesday. It always goes by too fast. :(

Speaking of my best friend...
I forgot to mention that she graduated from nursing school in Lubbock on December 18! I am so proud of her. I know most of you don't know her, but Kristi and I have been friends since we were 12 or 13. Our dads are both pastors, we've covered for each other, got in trouble together, we both have an addiction to peanut buster parfaits from Dairy Queen, got engaged and married within 3 months of each other, we actively compete to see who can move around the most (not really, it just seems that way!), and she is my inspiration for going back to school.

Congratulations, Kristi!!!

My Almost-Perfect Christmas Eve

2009-12-30T01:00:00.002-06:00

This was the first Christmas Eve I did not work in eight years!
I literally had to stop and think about how long it's been, but I think eight is correct.

Most of my shopping was done, but I went to the Rally Store with my sister-in-law to get Dan a couple of Texas Tech things. That is the coolest store! They have the most Tech stuff I've seen outside of Lubbock, TX! They also carry as much stuff for Baylor, OU, UT, A&M, Mavs, Cowboys, and Stars.

I finished wrapping up Christmas treats for co-workers and got them delivered.

Finished wrapping gifts.

We went to the Studio Movie Grill for dinner and a movie. It was the first time we'd been there. Not a lot of people were out, so we ended up having the theatre to ourselves. We saw Did You Hear About the Morgans? It was so-so. We had fun, though.

Dressed Rosie up as an elf. She looked so cute. She didn't mind the outfit because it was so cold, it was just the hat that she wasn't a fan of. Needless to say, the hat didn't stay on long!

Speaking of the cold....it snowed!!! I mean, SNOWED!!! It was incredible. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day.

Well, almost....

Christmas Eve is also my daddy's birthday.
It would have been perfect if we could have all been together.

Psalm 73

2009-12-21T22:50:00.002-06:00

Psalm 73
The Tragedy of the Wicked, and the Blessedness of Trust in God
A Psalm of Asaph, Truly God is good to Israel. To such as are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pangs in their death, but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride serves as their necklace; violence covers them like a garment. Their eyes bulge with abundance; they have more than heart could wish. They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression; they speak loftily. They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walks through the earth. Therefore his people return here, and waters of a full cup are drained by them. And they say, "How does God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?" Behold, these are the ungodly, who are always at ease; they increase in riches. Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence. For all day long I have been plagued, and chastened every morning. If I had said, "I will speak thus," Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children. When I thought of how to understand this, it was too painful for me--until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end. Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors. As a dream when one awakes, So, Lord, when You awake, You shall despise their image. Thus, my heart was grieved, and I was vexed in my mind. I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You. Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel, And afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry. But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God. That I may declare all Your works.

Our pastor preached on this scripture several weeks ago. It was almost as if he was preaching right at me! I can identify with this Psalm. It seems that the wicked in this passage have all the comforts and their lives are grand while it's not going so well with the righteous.

When we were at the retreat I told how one day while I was looking for a parking space at school, and I just lost it because I was convinced that God did not love me anymore because if He really did love me I would not be in want for anything...my own family, good grades, steady income...a parking spot! The Lord did a great work in my heart during the retreat, and, YES! I know He loves me. It wasn't long after the retreat that Pastor Jeff did this sermon and it pricked my heart even more.

There were two things in particular he said that I haven't forgotten:

1. Worship cures envy by giving us a proper perspective.
When I thought of how to understand this, it was too painful for me--until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end.
It's amazing how He communicates to us through worship...how He gives us His peace as we focus on praising Him.

2. This is the only Heaven some people we envy have.

Has it sunk in yet?

Some of the people we envy are living the good life now, but are bound for an eternity in hell because they don't know Christ. We may not be keeping up with the Jones's, but we have the blessed hope that better is one day in His courts than thousands elsewhere.

You will guide me with Your counsel, And afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

It's Official!

2009-12-19T22:32:00.000-06:00

Two A's and one B!

YAY!

Aaaaand....It's Over!

2009-12-10T17:56:00.003-06:00

My first semester back to college is done.

And I'm still alive! :)

I did drop one class, Chemistry. Maybe one day I'll be able to take two sciences in one semester and be good at it, but this was not the semester for it. I wondered if I would be able to pass my Biology class, too, at one point. AND I DID!!! I even made a B!!!

I'll admit, it wasn't without help. Some of the sections of our lab had a lot of trouble with their teacher's assistants, to the point that they curved our lab grade...to the tune of 12 points!!! I barely made a B, my average was 80, but I'll take it!

I made an A in my weight training class, and lost 10 pounds over the semester. Haven't stepped on the scale since Thanksgiving, though...I think I'll keep it that way for a while! ;)

I'll find out my final grade in my Intro to Nursing class tomorrow. Up until our last project and the final, I had an A, so hopefully I'll end up with an A, but I'll be happy with a B. I really want an A, though!

Work is going well. I am helping out as one of the assistants for the holidays. They are closing the Lincoln Square store over by the Cowboy Stadium, so I float between that store and the Arlington Highlands store. Dan is working at Pier One as one of the assistants and does the freight. He also works part time at the park we live in doing general maintenance.

Busy, busy! Enjoying this time of the year, though, for the first time in a while.

In keeping with tradition....

2009-12-05T15:37:00.002-06:00

Added Mom and Dad this year for fun. Who knew these non-dancers had this many moves??? :)

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

2009 Ladies' Retreat at Miller Ranch

2009-11-12T17:13:00.000-06:00

A Sign...

2009-10-31T22:46:00.003-06:00

...that you and your husband are getting old.

We are taking a drive tonight with the moon roof open...Michael Buble in the CD player...going nowhere in particular...just the two of us...

Dan: "I love this music. I could SO fall asleep to this music."

Teresa: "Ummm...I don't think this music was intended to sleep to..."

Dan: (Chuckle) "I think you're right. You wanna ice cream cone?"

Teresa: "Sure!"

Please pray for Dan

2009-10-23T18:29:00.002-05:00

He is having a hard time right now without his mom.

She loved fall, and she loved decorating the house...lighting the fire and making chili at even the hint of cold weather. With the weather changes and cooler temps lately, it's stirred up all of those memories. They are good memories, of course, but painful for him right now. It seems his feelings are just under the surface, so he is pretty sensitive right now.

I think he handles things well, for the most part, he just feels very alone. He's doing his best, but if you would pray for him, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Well, I did it.

2009-10-23T18:19:00.002-05:00

I dropped my chemistry class.

I did it with mixed feelings, though, but I do feel good about it. My homework grades were good, all A's except for an 86 and a 69. My lab grades were so-so, but I failed both of the first two exams.

I am not he-woman, I cannot roar, so I don't know what made me think I could take biology and chemistry at the same time and pull off passing grades, much less minimum of B's, in both. I will, however, continue to go to the lectures, so that it isn't so overwhelming when I retake it next semester.

Now I can concentrate on biology.

A bad habit...

2009-10-12T15:06:00.002-05:00

Mondays are hard.

Not because it's the dreaded Monday, but because of my schedule. (Humor me, if you will...I know many of you have much more hectic schedules than I.)

I still work for Kirkland's part time, but with the times of my classes, I can only work evenings or helping unload the freight truck...at 6:00 AM on Mondays. So, I work from 6-10 Monday morning, then go to my weight lifting class from 11-12, shower and change for my 1:00 class, then I have a break from 2-4. My last class ends at 5:20.

Well, my 1:00 class is Biology...mucho importante for me to take in all information given, since I'm not really geared toward science. I really like our professor. She breaks things down really well and posts all of her lectures online so we can print out the slides, as she teaches by power point.

All well and good....except for the fact that for the last couple of weeks, I've had the hardest time staying awake! This is not good!!!

During my break, I usually spend that time catching up on homework or reading assignments or what have you. As you can see from the blog I'm writing now, I'm not doing that...BECAUSE I CAN'T KEEP MY FREAKING EYES OPEN!!!

I've got to get to bed earlier on Sunday nights, I guess, because I cannot keep this up. As much as need to keep my blog updated, I don't need to do it during my study time because it keeps my mind active so it won't be lulled to sleep by stupid, boring biology or chemistry!

UGH!

The song for the day...can't go wrong with Jeff Deyo!

2009-09-30T15:20:00.000-05:00

Some would say that You cannot be found
You are good, and Your love endures forever
Some would say that You are far away
You are good, and Your live endures forever
But I know You're the God who lives in me
You are good, and your love endures forever
And I know You will always have my heart
You are good, and Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good

at least i wasn't the only one...

2009-09-29T22:29:00.003-05:00

...who was freaking out!

We had a biology lab report due this week (today, for me). I had all the information I needed. Guidelines printed out. Lab book in front of me. Participated in the experiment, so I knew what happened. The only problem was that I needed to find a primary source to refer to. No problem, because we live in a era of Google and Wikipedia, and we have the freakin' UTA library online!

Not a problem, right?

RIGHT???

Sunday night, Dan walks by me...poor guy didn't know what he was in for...and asks, "Everything goin' okay?"

I burst into tears. I had gone onto the library's database and searched for journals involving diffusion and osmosis. Every single paper I pulled up talked so above my head I didn't even know where to begin interpretting what they were doing, much less the result of it and how to apply it to my lab. Every paper.

Dan suggested I call a friend of ours who has been through the program and had offered to give advice or help. You know, it wasn't like the heavens opened up and the angels started singing kind of advice, it was just a maybe you can narrow your search by doing this...or have you tried looking here...

I called my lab partner who was also having a hard time with the sources. I felt better about that (sad, I know). He's a really smart guy, so I knew if he was having trouble, my trouble is valid...does that make sense?

Well, anyway, I turned the lab report in today. I am 99.9% sure it isn't an A paper, but I will use this paper to do better on the other two coming by the end of the semester.

This is a learning institution, right?

Oh, and by the way, I didn't get it finished by Monday morning like I wanted so that the TA could go over it with me. Oh, no, my lab report was due at 1:00 PM today. I walked into the lab at 12:59 straight from the library.

And, there you have it.

Admission

2009-09-27T15:44:00.002-05:00

1. I am cranky.

2. I stink at time management.

3. I procrastinate.

4. I'm stressing out.

My lab report for biology is due on Tuesday. I set a goal to have it completed by Monday morning so that I can take it to my TA to review it and make sure it's done correctly (she offered), then also have time to make necessary corrections before the deadline. I've started it, but I hate it when I'm not sure exactly how to do something. I know what the instructions say, but putting it into practice kills me. You know the annoying people that can tell you word for word what a rule or guideline says but then can't do it? HELLO! That's me.

There.

I'll go back and try again. Just had to get that off my chest.

And the score is.....

2009-09-19T13:11:00.001-05:00

Chemistry 1
Teresa 0

Got to step it up.
Headed out to study for Monday's biology test.

Prayers, Please!

2009-09-16T23:08:00.001-05:00

I have my first exam of the semester tomorrow.

Chemistry.

I'm scared. Not gonna lie.

Thanks.

I am at Starbucks...

2009-09-14T21:33:00.001-05:00

...studying.

I just got caught reading blogs.

Back to chemistry I go before I get the evil eye again.

A Bunch o' Nuthin'

2009-09-11T23:34:00.002-05:00

I have to say it is strange working part time for a company that I have worked full time for the last seven years. I am so used to being in the loop about everything! But I must say, I enjoy telling the manager on duty, "Ummm, you have a return!" IIIIIII don't have a return....YYYooouuuuu have a return! I LOVE that part! :)

School is going pretty well. I am taking biology, chemistry, intro to nursing, and a weight lifting class. Yes, I did say biology AND chemistry. I don't know what I was thinking. It's definitely keeping me on my toes. Thank the Lord they offer free tutoring!!! I like the weight lifting class. It's not a bulk muscle building class. Can you imagine??? It's just a weight training class, basically. Coach kicked our tails the other day, though. Out of the blue, he made us drop and give him ten. What was he thinking? Then, he says, when we are through with the ten, flip over and do ten crunches. When we were done with that, ten more push ups, and THEN ten more crunches. We were free to go after that. All of that was, of course, after our regular workout. As if we are supposed to be getting in shape or something. ;) Just kidding. I've enjoyed it...for the most part.

We spent Labor Day weekend at the PK retreat. This year it was done a little differently. Six other districts joined us for a regional PK retreat. Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, West Texas, and of course, North Texas all met at the youth camp in Maypearl. We had a really good time. Those kids are crazy! It's very relaxed. There is a schedule, but every minute isn't planned out in detail like camp usually is. Sunday we had a service at Southwestern. They fed us lunch and paid for all of us to go to Six Flags. Pretty cool!

OH! Dan and I have a new favorite treat. They opened up a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in our shopping center, and they have the BEST caramel apples. Not just your average caramel apple, as you can imagine, coming from a chocolate factory. YUMMY!!!

It is raining. I love it! It has slowed down now, but earlier it got pretty heavy. Just a good ol' thunderstorm. No hail or damaging winds or anything. Arlington got 2 3/4 inches in about three hours' time!

Well, that's about it for now. Have a great weekend everyone!

A Beautiful Day!

2009-09-01T15:54:00.002-05:00

It was such a gorgeous day today, I couldn't help but sit outside for a few minutes to eat my sandwich between classes. I sat on a bench surrounding this fountain outside of the library. I love the soothing sound of running water outside, whether it be in a fountain, at the ocean, or at a river. I love it!

in case you didn't know....

2009-08-29T00:10:00.002-05:00

...school is different in the 21st century than it was in the 20th century when I was as student the first time.

*Students bring laptops to class

*There is a Starbucks in almost every building (thank you, JESUS!)

*In some classes, students have to buy books as well as an access code for the website related to a particular class

*Professors actually post their lecture notes or power points onto the website so the students can print them out. This is so cool for the students (ahem, me) who try to write down everything they say, then miss out on the really important stuff because they are trying to remember what the prof just said because they couldn't write and listen at the same time!

*My first homework assignment had to be completed and submitted online. I hope I did it right and it's not lingering somewhere in the air between my computer and the school.

Overall, I think the first week of class went pretty well. Although, it was pretty light because labs don't start until next week. It was just lectures this week.

I think I pulled a muscle, though. I had all the books for my Monday classes in my shoulder book bag and carried the bag to all my classes on one shoulder. Then I alternated the shoulder bag and backpack the rest of the week. But every time I breath I have a sharp pain from my shoulder to my rib cage. The book bag is the only thing I can think of that would have caused it. It was pretty heavy.

Well, anyway, that's the week in review for this ol' school girl.

Go Mavs! :)

Change...

2009-08-22T23:23:00.005-05:00

...has come.

It is strange reading the last few posts I wrote MONTHS ago. The things we've experienced recently make it seem like a year ago as opposed to just 4 months. I think things will get back into more of a routine now, so I will try my hand at blogging again...that is, if anyone is still out there...

In June, Dan's mom was admitted into a hospice program. She was in end stage liver failure and was experiencing hallucinations and deminsia. She fought a valiant fight, but lost the battle July 3rd. If you ever met Wanda, you know how sweet of a lady she was. However, the last week of her life was very troublesome. The doctors and nurses kept telling us that it was the disease talking and not her, but it was hard hearing some of the things she said or yelled. Some of it was spiritual, too. She had exceptional nurses at the Odyssey House hospice facility. The chaplain there is a friend of ours, Jeff Strickland. He is the youth pastor at the AG church in Colleyville. We could not have asked for better people to help us through that difficult time.

Wanda chose to be cremated, so we had a waiting time before we could have her services for everything to be ready. Her service was scheduled for July 18th in Lubbock. The day before the service, Dan's cousin's wife, 4 year old son, and 8 month old daughter were involved in a tragic car accident that took the life of the mom and son. The daughter was taken to Cook's Children's Hospital where she stayed for some time. She is home now. She suffered several broken bones throughout her body, as well as a skull fracture. Rusty (dad) is doing as well as possible, moving forward after this tragedy, being a single dad to Piper.

Five days later, a student at youth camp suffered an asthma attack in the middle of the night and, despite the efforts of his counselor, all of the camp medical staff, paramedics, and hospital staff, lost his life. A terrible, terrible night for Dustin's family and friends and unprecedented for North Texas Youth Ministries. Everyone who experienced that night are forever changed.

Everything this summer happened so quickly. Dan went from one tragic thing to the next without time to process it all. Things are slowing down now, so I'm sure he will start to decompress and deal with things instead of pushing it down in order to go on to the next pressing thing. Please pray for him as he goes through this time.

As far as work, goes...
THURSDAY WAS MY LAST DAY AS STORE TEAM LEADER!!!!
I will continue to work part time at the Arlington store, though. My time at the Lake Worth store is over, but while I was there, I was able to flush out all the problem people that were there when I arrived. As of now, there are only two people that were there when I came. Those two are people that are willing and able to do the job that is required of them. The rest of the staff that is currently there are people that I have hired who will do well for the company. Good people are in place, and sales are up, so I left it in better condition than it was when I got there. Mission accomplished.

And the reason why I left and going part time....
I START SCHOOL FULL TIME TOMORROW!!!!
I was able to get financial aid that paid for the whole year, books and everything! I am excited and scared and nervous and every other emotion that happens when you go back to school after 15 years! It's been a long time coming. Pray for me!

Well, I think I've covered all the bases. I think that is enough change for a while!

I miss my blogging friends. I know a lot of you are on Facebook, and that is more "convenient", but I've been missing all the details!

I wish everyone a good day tomorrow!

Attention SA Peeps!

2009-04-10T09:37:00.002-05:00

The manager at the Abilene store has resigned. If you know of anyone in that area who has experience in retail management, have them go to the Abilene store and fill out an application. They could fill one out online as well. They need to fill that position pretty quickly, so if you know of anyone, have them go ASAP.

Thanks!

Mostly Black and White/Sepia Photos

2009-04-04T11:01:00.000-06:00

Mostly Color Photos

2009-04-04T10:47:00.001-06:00

Elliott Escapades

God Speaks through Apples?

Healthy Choices

Hello, Bargain!

Photo Shoot!

Christmas

Finals

Christmas Fun!

Update

The Letter

Just Checking In...

Check This Out

Just a Feeling...

Good Morning, Little Cup o' Joy!

This is SO not on the Menu!

If I'm being honest...

Check it out!

On the Menu

Retreat Pictures!

On the Menu

one of THOSE days...

The Help

Happy Heart

**Warning**

Healthy Choices

Truths about Laundry Day

Snippits from Camp

From a portion of this week's Breaking Free daily study...

In. Absolute. Love.

Expectation

Posts like these....

The Road

Vintage Beauty

Easter Silliness

Bullets!

This is the coolest stuff!

The Year of Blessing

Oh, SO Neglected!

Hot tea, anyone?

FINALLY!!!

SNOW DAY! (ahem...) SNOW DAYS!!!!

How cool is that?!

Since a picture says a thousand words....

Happy 2011!

So True!

Blessed.

Minor Setback

Excited!

YAY!

He almost made it

Another First

A First

After all that....

A Fish out of Water

The calm before the storm.

I hope I look like my Father

A Change of Pace

Memorial Day

On a break...

Wedding Guest

Fine Arts and Finals

YEP! That just happened!

It's Almost Over!!!

The steps of a righteous man.....

What a man, what a man, what a man, what a mighty good man!

Random pics

Not good....not good at all...

Spring Break Ups and Downs

It's Been CRAZY!!!

Weight Update

It was a loss....

Monday's Weigh-in

Just putting this out there...

The Biggest Loser

Can I just say....?

Goodbye, Christmas break.....

God is great, God is good.....

For a couple of days...

My Almost-Perfect Christmas Eve

Psalm 73

Warning