I Call Him Tweeder Pete

I think the nickname just naturally emerged from my affectionate greetings when I walk through the door and see him awaiting me in his crate. Very different from Marlow--not even close, but he's the same dog. And sweet as ever. We had great adventures last night. Read below:

Last night Chris and Marlow and I picked up dinner and went to the Greenbelt. We've gotten a ton of rain here recently, which is very abnormal. I was afraid it'd be too wet, but the earth really soaked it up and it wasn't too bad. The closer we got to the "river," the muddier it was, but that made it more fun. We went to what is usually the dry creek bed, but it was full and people said that it was the first time it had happened in 3 years. Marlow had a blast! Other dogs were there and he got introduced to water play for the first time. He was fearless; jumping and running and falling and scraping himself. He really had a lot of fun. And boy was he muddy at the end of the night. We took him home and gave him a bath.

Here are pictures that document the fun that was had.

Us on our way to the Greenbelt...how photogenic he is.

At the creek bed. The "before" picture.

This one makes me laugh. The "after" picture. (And my good-looking husband!)

And this is from this morning...he was checking out the rainfall out the front window.

Looking to the Summer

I had the day off today...again. I'm ready for a job change, or at least a supplemental job. I need something consistent and something more full-time. I like my job, but I can't count on it for budgeting, and that's tough.

Chris leaves Friday for Singapore for a month. Veronica is staying here though, so I'm thankful for the company. I will be gone almost every weekend until his return, too, which will make the time fly. I'm planning on going to Colleyville to visit my in-laws over Easter weekend. I also have a Women's Retreat for church another weekend, working another weekend, and a Girls Night Out.

Marlow is growing. He's already learned his name, what "no" means, how to sit on command, to lay down, to stay, and we are practicing "shake." He is full of energy sometimes and I can't help but laugh at him. Last night after we got back from Community Group, Chris and I went on a late night walk with him. It was good for Marlow, I think, since he was in his kennel that night. We got him exercised so he slept well and was calm the rest of the evening.

One of my personal goals recently is to look people in the eye when I'm speaking to them. For some reason, I've noticed my discomfort with this for awhile now. I don't think this is necessarily a good thing, so I'm trying to break myself from the habit and really make eye contact.

Tomorrow night is our Date Night, and I think we'll eat dinner here, then go hiking with Marlow, maybe introduce him to water since the lake is high because of all the recent rain.

Andy and Amanda should be leaving for England sometime soon. I'm excited for them. And Michelle is engaged and about to start the wedding planning process--how fun.

Most of all I am excited for all the visitors that will come to Austin this summer:
- Kara
- Andrew and Whitney, with their new baby girl Chloe
- Curtis and Catherine, along with the Mims
- Susan over Memorial Day weekend
- Dick and Sandi
- Mom and Dad and Aaron for my graduation

I'm ready for some fun this summer. I've got a lot planned:
- Grow Up Children's Ministry Conference in Atlanta, GA
- Bonser Family Vacation to Hilton Head
- 2 concerts
- Graduation
- ACL Music Fest with my brother

Wide Awake

On Sunday I painted the guest room and made a headboard for the bed. On Monday Chris mounted the headboard. On Tuesday I worked 14 hours. On Wednesday I worked only 10. Today was my day off. I mounted 3 shelves in the guest room and begun ripping off yucky fabric from a chair that I'm going to reupholster. I went to the bank, then headed to one of my favorite stores, Hobby Lobby. I still had credit on a gift card that I got at Christmas time, and I ended up spending all but $3. Then I met a friend for Happy Hour, then came home and hung out with my two favorite boys. Tonight I cleaned and organized up until a few minutes ago. Sometimes I get in the mode where I just don't want to stop. Strange behavior, I know. I'm a rare breed. So now I'm wide awake. Chris is in bed. Marlow is sleeping on the floor next to me. I work tomorrow late into the night, but when I get home, the weekend will begin. My in-laws are coming to visit and I'm pumped. I'm also looking forward to going to the Farmer's Market on Saturday, as well as taking my puppy for a walk, cooking up something yummy for the Bonser Bunch, and painting trim in the bedrooms. I feel like I am really enjoying learning to decorate and remodel on a budget. I was inspired to paint the guest room last Sunday when I was (get this...) cleaning and organizing the garage and found some extra paint that I had forgotten about. It was "mistake" paint, or paint that we had purchased that we had decided not to use for one reason or another. I took the chance and just went at it on the walls in the guest room. It looks really nice. It's a tannish color of sorts. I bought 4 cinder blocks from Home Depot for $1.20 each to raise the bed and give it a more normal height. I put on a dust cover to hide them, used a red blanket that we got with wedding money and bought a special decorative pillow I found for super cheap. I'm finding all sorts of things we already have that I'm tying into the room and it looks great so far. My motivation for doing this much is 1.) Chris's parents coming in town this weekend, and 2.) we are going to have a girl from church stay with us for 3 weeks. It will be great for me since Chris will be gone to Singapore for a month. She and I will hold down the fort, along with Marlow, for the duration that he is gone. I want to have a nice place for our guests to stay when they visit. A comfortable place with adequate amount of privacy is necessary, I think. Maybe these crazy ideas stem from a gift of hospitality. If I were to identify a couple of spiritual gifts I think I possess, they'd be the gifts of hospitality and encouragement. What are yours?

God As Our Romancer

"Every song you love, every memory you cherish, every moment that has moved you to holy tears has been given to you from the One who has been pursuing you from your first breath in order to win your heart. God's version of flowers and chocolates and candlelight dinners comes in the form of sunsets and falling stars, moonlight on lakes and cricket symphonies; warm wind, swaying trees, lush gardens, and fierce devotion...He knows what takes your breath away, knows what makes your heart beat faster." (Captivating)

The Latest

Since Marlow's arrival, my struggle with depression has really gotten better. I think it's simply God's blessing in giving me company, something that is happy and wagging its tail when I walk through the door. I'm not saying that Chris doesn't give me happiness. He definitely does and I adore him, but it's not having close friends yet that makes me lonely. Marlow gets me outside more, which is a good reminder that God is bigger than me. Walking Marlow is fun and a healthy activity and restful for my soul. I had gotten into the pattern of just working a lot, going to school a lot, and staying inside when I was home. It really is beautiful the world that we live in.

Tonight we are eating dinner and watching a Purdue game with our friends, Casey and Megan. Marlow is coming, too, and he'll get to meet their dog, Jackson. Last night we went out to eat at Freddie's, a local dog-friendly restaurant. Marlow was very nervous and freaked out a bit at first, but after the wait for our table, he warmed up and nestled under our table. Lots of people came up to touch him and talk to us about him, which I'm not sure helped his nerves. But he did get to try broccoli and cucumber.

The women in our community group have started a Book Club. Individually, several of us talked about how we couldn' t find one to join on the south side of Austin, so we just decided to begin our own. We plan on meeting monthly to talk and discuss each selection. This month it will be at my house. Chris is leaving again for Singapore for a month, so any social activity while he is gone is good for me. I'm looking forward to having people over. This month we are reading, "Cry, the Beloved Country," by Alan Paton.

Congratulations to my wonderful friend, Michelle Jones and her fiancé, Ryan. They got engaged yesterday in Central Park, NYC! They were there for their Spring Break and he popped the question while taking a picture of themselves on a bridge, so he got real-time pictures of it, too. Yay, I'm so happy for them!

Another book I've been reading is "Captivating," by John and Staci Eldredge. It is basically the woman's version of "Wild At Heart." It started getting good in the middle of the book. Usually, I don't get into too many Christian inspriation books. I think it's because I can't really get past the whole cheese factor of them, especially when written by a woman and for women, they sometimes make me want to gag. But I think that some of those books have good points to them, so I'm trying to get back into reading more Christian literature.

Did I mention that we went to the G-Love concert last week? I don't think I did. They were at Stubb's BBQ downtown, same place we saw Nickelcreek when we first moved here. G-Love and the Special Sauce was good. I like their music.

Family Picture

Last night we had two of Chris's co-workers from Singapore over for dinner. What a great time with them. Again, more gifts were brought to us. They enjoyed meeting Marlow, too. I hung out with a friend today and we trekked around Austin to a garden sale, then went to IKEA, then to lunch. Chris worked on the yard this morning and when I got home, there were tons of brown bags filled to the brim outside on the curb, waiting the arrival of the trash truck on Monday. Both of my boys are pooped and they are taking a nap together. This evening we are going to look for new glasses for Chris, and catch a movie with some friends. Good times.

Here's our family pic:

My Day

I feel like I have fallen in love in a whole new way. I absolutely looove my new puppy. He is so sweet and cuddly, but he also likes walks, eating sticks, leaves, bugs, and his new favorite play place, which is the ivy on the ground in our backyard. He's mastered the doggie door on the outside patio, which was left from the previous home owners. He's realizing that his name is Marlow, and last night he slept perfectly in his crate from about 11pm until 7am...we only heard him cry once! He's such a puppy because he loves to play and tackle and love on us. He really likes it when I give him leg massages. He's going to the vet for the first time tomorrow (besides his initial immunizations). We're gonna make sure he stays healthy and happy.

Congrats to my brother and sister on being Uncle Andy and Aunt Mandy!

I am officially finished with my internship for school, so now I am DONE! Graduation still awaits me in July, but I am now on the job search. I kind of want to do something temporary until the fall, then start my "real" job. I plan on sticking with my current employer for the meantime. One of the perks is that it's pretty flexible as far as my schedule goes. There are a couple of things this summer that I will need off for, so I feel like I should stick with it until after those things are over.

Chris's responsibilities at work have really increased. Several co-workers have left in the last couple of months, and more are leaving, so that means more work for Chris. Longer hours, more responsibility, late nights. Not fun, but we are learning to love each other well through these times.

We have really enjoyed hanging out with our new friends, Casey and Megan. They also went to Purdue and moved down to Austin for jobs. Casey works with Chris at AMD and Megan works for another tech company in town. They are fun people to be around. We always appreciate their company. They understand us well in the areas of feeling nostalgic for Purdue, Indiana, and family that lives a long ways away. One of my personal goals is to invest more in a friendship with Megan. I think we need each other. :)

And I have really enjoyed my Tuesdays with Jenny. That would be Jenny Kant. She's been my best friend for many years. Even though we do live miles apart, we have been talking weekly and sharing struggles, joys, and thoughts for the purpose of glorifying God all the more. We have committed to fasting together on Tuesdays and we are accountable to each other for how our our day went in our prayer time, not eating, etc. It has been a growing experience for me, but also very encouraging to know that she is doing it with me, lifting me and my family up in prayer all day long. I love her!

Meet Marlow!

We drove a little north of Waco to find our new puppy, Marlow. He's 10 weeks old today and we love him so much. He's an English Springer Spaniel. Marlow loves to play and cuddle, but he also loves to just be in the same room with us and be at our feet. We are working on the whole potty thing, but first we're trying to teach him his name. We went on our second walk ever this morning on a leash, and he did very well.

Things That Make Me Happy

1. Having a day off
2. When I've saved up enough money for a massage
3. Puppies
4. G-Love and the Special Sauce (next Friday!)
5. Cooking for pleasure

Today was my first day off in over a week and I'm lovin it. I did save up enough for a massage and got to do that today, too. Still looking for a puppy. Excited for the concert next week. Making a Greek yogurt and lamb meatball soup for dinner with pitas and a roasted red pepper hummus.

Chris is a Winner

Yay! This morning Chris ran a half marathon and did a great job. He finished in 1:41. He ran it with 2 co-workers at AMD, Casey and Ben. They also did an awesome job. We're about to head to lunch with them in an hour or so.

Scattergories

The dinner party went really well. I had a revelation while in the kitchen cooking. I stopped and thought, "I'm only 22 years old and people are paying me to cook for them." How cool. I love what I do. It's an area where there is always more to learn, a fun place to challenge myself, and a great way to serve others. People will always have to eat, but I like making people feel extra special by feeding them well. Here's a picture of me in the maddness of it all on Thursday night.
Last night we got together with a couple of our friends, Casey and Megan, who also went to Purdue. Chris works with Casey at AMD and Megan works for another tech company in town, as a financial analyst. We hadn't gotten together since before Christmas, so it was good to catch up and hear what's going on with everyone. We also played one of my favorite board games, Scattergories. We've had the game since we got married, but I think we've only played it once or twice since Chris doesn't like playing it. We also watched a movie with them, ate some movie candy and popcorn that we had brought over, and just relaxed. Chris and I had been needing some down time together, so last night was really good.

And it's Sunday morning. This is my only day off this week, so I'm trying to soak it up and enjoy the time off. Our church is beginning a 4-week series starting today talking about marriage. We also, as community group shepherds, will be facilitating a discussion about it at our meeting on Tuesday night. It should be interesting and especially insightful for us. We laugh at the thought of teaching about it since we are so young and inexperienced ourselves. We still have rough patches and get frustrated with each other and act really immature and selfish sometimes, but I think that's the reality of marriage for us. We don't love each other any less, so in the midst of it all, we completely have to trust in Jesus to carry us through.

Valentine's Day

V-Day keeps those of us in the food industry busy every year. I'm doing an event Thursday night and here's the menu I've created. Thought it might be interesting to you.

Salade

Assortment of Watercress, Arugula, and Italian Parsley

Roasted Red Bell Peppers, Pecan-Crusted Chevre

Tossed with Roasted Shallot Vinaigrette

Entrée

Roasted Loin of Pork Roulades

With Granny Smith Apple, Mission Fig, Cranberries

Butternut Squash Risotto with Pecorino

Haricots Vert

Drizzled with Warm Orange-Shallot Sauce

Dessert

Chocolate Profiteroles

Pate au Choux filled with ice cream

Warm Chocolate Sauce

Whipped Chantilly

Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

Since Then

Two weeks ago, my cousin and his girlfriend came to visit us. Sam and Karen are lovely people to be around. They are a lot of fun. Unfortunately the weekend they came was very rainy and cold here in Austin, so we weren't able to do as much as they wanted to outside. I did get to cook for them, however, and that was fun for me.

I have begun my internship for school with my current employer, Fine Home Dining. It has kept me busy, but I really enjoy what I do. Hopefully this is just a stepping stone for owning my own business someday.

Last Monday with Chris's 27th birthday. We celebrated by going to a movie and out to dinner. Thanks to everyone who emailed him a birthday wish. I made his cake and we brought ice cream to our community group that we shepherd from our church. It was fun to celebrate it with them.

We are excited for this weekend because my sister-in-law, Laura and her husband, Josh are coming to visit. They haven't seen our house yet, so it will be fun to host them. And of course, I am excited to cook. When we have company, it's an extra excuse to buy great products and cook really well. And people always feel special when they get to eat well.

And Chris will be going to Minneapolis for a few days next week, teaching AMD folks up there about the latest and greatest.

Goodnight and Good Luck

Whew....okay, I'm done now with posting all those pictures. Let me know how you like them. Goodnight and good luck.

Last Few

#13: Chicago folks...soo good to see them, too. We went to eat downtown right on Michigan Ave. one night and had a ball.
See...you can tell we had fun. :)
#14: Aaron Brunner was Chris's Best Man in our wedding. Stacey was pregnant at the time, so we got to meet Ben for the first time on our way home in Oklahoma City. They moved there from L.A. in August, so we are hoping to see them more often.
#15: The Nemkos...short for Nemkoviches. Madison is the one up on the shoulders and she's as cute as can be. Bonnie, her mom and my cousin, and Tim are expecting baby #2!

A Bit More

#9: Back on campus. We hadn't been back since our wedding day. We spent last Tuesday just walking around, reminiscing about good memories. We even bought a Purdue license plate frame and tee shirts. :)
#10: The 10House hosted such an awesome get-together for us so that we could see as many people as possible in one short evening. It was so good to see familiar faces and people who love us. We are very blessed.
...In all their masculinity, guys will be guys.
#11: Roger and Lana officiated our wedding and they were gracious enough to house us for a couple nights while we visited West Lafayette. They speak such wisdom into our lives.#12: These are Chris's paternal grandparents, Bob and Vivian. They are sweet and funny and very hospitable to us every time we visit. We had an enjoyable stay with them and some great food!

More

#5: The Gordons! I hadn't seen them in 5 years, but we managed to snag a couple minutes together, meeting at a store. We went to the same church, then they moved to NC. I used to babysit these boys when they were little guys...sniff, sniff. Keith and Heather look just the same. Miss you lots.
#6: Time with Aaron. Nuff said. Love that boy.
#7: How adorable is this?! Abby, my sweet little cousin, just set the stage for all the fun that was had with Billy Bob teeth on New Year's Day at my parents' house. I enjoyed getting to see my mom's extended side of the family. It had been since Thanksgiving of 2005.
#8: Home. This picture captured the "home" feeling for me. As new people are added to our family, my mom and dad just make way for more stockings and pound more nails into the mantel. I soaked up the time I had with my parents and siblings. They are just wonderful and I am very blessed.

Some Highlights From Our Trip (in order of appearance)

#1: Spending time with my cousin, Carrie! I can't believe how big she is. She was a Junior Bridesmaid in our wedding a year and a half ago, but I remember her looking like a little girl then. She's definitely a pre-teen now...watch out, world!
#2: Singing with the Singers--well, not really. They are our dear friends from Purdue. They both work at Purdue Christian Campus House, where Chris and I worked. They met us for lunch one day while we were in Anderson. We love you guys!
#3: Undoubtedly, I had a blast with my best friends from high school. They make the trip home worth it and super-fun! Everytime we get together I always manage to get all emotional on them, telling them how beautiful they are, how much they mean to me, and talking about Jesus's amazing grace. How thankful I am for Stephanie, Jenny, Michelle, and Susan.
#4: I got to go to Aaron's (my twin brother) girlfriend's graduation open house. Allison is second from the left. This is her family. She's very sweet and we love her!

2006 Xmas Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

As an engineer in charge of this year’s letter, here is the year as concise as possible… school, murder, community group, home, Singapore, loneliness. Okay just kidding, here are some details…

In January, Carey started classes at a culinary school here in Austin. She has done amazingly well – top of her class! December 21^st, she finishes her last class and will officially graduate this spring after her internship. It has gone so fast and it has been a blessing to see her grow and discover something at which she excels and loves. Plus, I’ve been eating good!

Our first tragedy as a married couple happened at the end of April. In short, we witnessed the accidental shooting that resulted in the death of our next door neighbor. Even eight months after the event we still feel some emotion in writing about it.

Partially in response to what we witnessed, but mostly tired of renting, we got serious about buying a house. In May, we found a place we liked and walked through the scary, yet exciting steps of buying our first home. I don’t think either of us slept a wink the night we put an offer on the house.

The new home has been great. We have been remodeling the guest bathroom, eating breakfast with our squirrel friend in our backyard, and hosting a community group from our church. Carey’s computer is still sitting on the floor in the study, but we are getting there.

Not five days after we moved in, I left my wife to a box of houses for Singapore. AMD sent me over for three weeks of long hours of problem solving and training the Singapore team. It was a productive trip for work and also for ministry. While there I was able to visit Chinese, Malaysian, and Filipino churches with co-workers. I had no idea they were believers and it was mutually encouraging to discover each others’ faiths in Christ. Truly the Church of Christ is without boarders and crosses all cultures.

It’s been an eventful and stretching year for us. We’ve both learned a lot about personal discipline and the value of faithfulness in the small things. In some ways it has been a lonely year as our friendships here are young, but it has also been a very fulfilling year. We have both overcome obstacles that have left us with truer understandings of ourselves.

We look forward to another year of life and marriage. Our prayer for you this Christmas is that you would gain a genuine understanding of the transforming love of Christ.
May your life never be the same.

Merry Christmas, Chris and Carey

New Year, Here I Come

Happy New Year, everyone. We are still on vacation...it has been really good so far, but the fun has just begun. We are hanging out with my parents tonight, spending time with extended family tomorrow, then onto Purdue, Chicago, St. Louis, Oklahoma City, then back to Austin. It's been really great seeing old friends. It has just filled up my yearning for more than a surface friendship. Thanks to everyone who made the time in Anderson to get together with us. I especially had a great time with JMK, Heph, Hu, Mee, and Meg. I love you all so much!

Merry Christmas!

Be awaiting our annual Christmas letter!

Monday

The weekend was a blur. I worked my little tail off doing as much cooking and entertaining as possible. It was fun, but my feet always appreciate bedtime. I'm very thankful for my job, my boss, and my love for this creative industry in which I've spent many hours the last 12 months.

This Thursday night I leave for Dallas because I'll be flying out to Chicago from there for my sister's wedding! (Well, she's not really my sister, but "in God's way" she is!) I picked up my dress from being altered and I'm ready to go. I'll be renting a car and driving 1 1/2 hours to the city in Michigan where Jess Davey will be married off to Chris Kreeger.

After class today, I joined several of my friends to celebrate the end of culinary school. We happily toasted in humor of all the stories, instuctors, and inside jokes that must be remembered.

Our Thanksgiving

A Shout Out to my Home Girl

Thanks, JRF, for your encouragement today and for initiating time with me. I am blessed to call you my friend. I hope for many more times together sharing coffee, conversation, stories, tears, laughter, etc. It's good to have you right now during this lonely season in my life. I cling to His promise once again that He will never leave me nor forsake me. He is my Friend, the Lover of my soul, and my Father. I will trust in Him. Thank you for taking time today to pry me open, listen, and encourage me. I will invest in you. I love you.

Back Home

What a weekend. It's good to be back in our home, just the two of us. It's not so fun coming back to a messy house with lots to do. I escaped the pit and bought groceries this evening. That's one of my favorite things to do--an area to spend money where I don't feel guilty! Chris finished the tiling on the bathroom floor. He's really doing a great job with all this remodeling. I can't say I've helped much at all since he works on it when I'm at my job. We're off to church.

A Day of Thanks

I just had a nice latté and my belly is warm inside. We woke up this morning and ate the famous cinnamon rolls for breakfast with the in-laws, Josh, and Laura. After playing cards for awhile, we are each doing our own thing to relax. Last year we were with my family for Thanksgiving and it's always so much fun because we get together with the entire extended family on the maternal side; 20-something people. This year I'm with the Bonsers and it's fun, too, just different.

Last night I had a dream that my twin brother was loving to me. When I think about it now, I really know it was a dream because I don't remember the last time he showed me love. That's been a personal frustration in my life for the past year...and a constant prayer of my heart. I can't express enough how hurtful, lonely, and painful this journey has been for me. My only hope is to grasp tightly to the One that I know will never leave me or forsake me. That's the thing that keeps me going each day.

It's been awhile since I've sat down to think about all the ways my God has provided, restored, and loved me. I confess that I have been consumed all too much with my measly life. It has been such a lonely year for me. I have gotten way too caught up in it lately and have not praised Him nearly enough in this chapter of my life. The deepest, truest desire of who I am is simply this...that at the end of the day, my God is glorifed.

A Chinese Thankgiving

Last night we had over 8 Chinese friends who work with Chris at AMD. They are in the states for a year and some of them have only been here a couple of months so far. They had never been inside an American home before, so we thought it'd be the perfect opportunity to invite them over for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. We had a lot of fun and they were such sweet people. I was overwhelmed at how many gifts we received from them just for inviting them over. They gave Chris a handmade, silk neck tie, and we also received flowers, wine, chocolates, a fruit basket, a handmade, silk sash, and chopsticks. I envy that kind of giving spirit from their culture and wish more white people were like that. We were really blessed to have their company last night.

Bathroom Facelift

Our guest bathroom is being remodeled. So far, all but one piece of drywall has been replaced, the appliances are out, and we'll be replacing the sink, the lighting is out, and the ceiling has been scraped of it's popcorn features, and the flooring ripped up. So it's pretty bare. This weekend, Chris's parents came in town to help us with the renovations. Brenda and I painted the office, actually, and the guys worked on the bathroom. Chris bought a compound miter saw, which he's been needing for awhile. He was pretty excited about that. We bought floor and shower tile, but it will be installed next week because Chris's dad, Mike, will be coming back to Austin to stay with us for 4 more days to help finish the bathroom! We are so thankful for his servant's heart and are very fortunate to have his help since this is a crazy-busy season for us. We were hoping to have it completed by Christmas but from the looks of it, it may be done by Thanksgiving.



This is my favorite picture of the weekend. We tried out 3 different shades of green before deciding. My creativity spun into a masterpiece which I call, "The Phantom Menace of Thumper."

Date Night Fun

Ever seen "Old School" with Will Farrell? Remember the part about how dates change after you're married into trips to Home Depot and Bed, Bath, and Beyond? Kinda true. We try to have a date night once a week. Last night we went to Crate and Barrell to look at furniture, but it was closed, so instead we looked for new shoes for Chris and ended up going home to watch "Little People, Big World," one of my favorites right now. :) Here's evidence of the fun that was had.

For the Love!

I fell down some stairs yesterday morning while walking into class--yes, my sure-footedness failed me--and now I have a swollen leg, bruised knee, and sprained ankle. That happened about 6:30am yesterday, and I cared for it by standing on it all day long until getting off work at 12:30am last night. Ha! Times like this I just have to laugh at myself, I think, and say, "for the love!"

Pics From Their Visit

After we had stuffed ourselves with Thai food, we got a quick photo of each other before they left.

Festivus for the Rest of Us

Curtis and Catherine came to visit this weekend. We are so glad to have them as our friends. We always have such a good time together, and we never feel like we have to entertain them--they are easy guests! Saturday morning, Chris and I accidentally didn't wake up until 9am (which is really late for us), and we felt really bad because we were hosting company, but they were already up and were making breakfast for all of us! They live in Dallas, so we only get to see them every couple of months. They bought their first home around the same time as we did, so we've been sharing the journey of remodeling together.

Today we had our Fall Festival at church, so it has been a busy day. I have a couple of hours this afternoon before I head back tonight. I have finals to study for, homework, and cleaning to do...but what I'd really like is to just plop in front of the TV and veg out for the afternoon. I'm pretty tired.

Chris is training for a half marathon, so he's running this afternoon with his co-workers. He's been working a lot on the bathroom lately. In 2 weeks, his parents are coming in town to help install the shower and floor tile, so we're hoping to get to a certain point before they get here.

It's almost November and that's a good sign that the semester is coming to an end. I am declaring the year of 2007 as the year that my life will be simplified. I'd like to narrow down my two and a half jobs down to one, no school, and the least amount of responsibilities as possible. I'll be taking a break from Equipping classes at our church, babysitting, and extracurricular activities. I'd like to really focus on growing and deepening my walk with Christ. I have been just way too busy this year. I've learned my lesson.

Before & After

We got haircuts...can you see the changes? Maybe not with the both of us. :)

Some Amazing Mommies

These are a few of some great moms in our church. It has been fun watching and learning as they raise their children grounded the Word of God.

Debra is the first mom, with baby Ezra. She told me this story a couple of weeks ago. Jude is her older son, 4 years old. One day at home, he asked, "Mommy, what happens someday if Ezra doesn't love Jesus?" After getting her emotions toghter, she just looked back at him and in a serious way said, "Well, Jude, he might not, so you better start praying that he will someday." She said that immediately he got down on his knees, closed his eyes, folded his hands, and started praying right then and there!This is Mickie and her daughter Makayla. Mickie's daily prayer is to exalt the name of the Lord and do it as a testimony to her 3 children. She and her husband, Jason, have been married for about 7 years now. When they got married, Jason wasn't a Christian. Through several difficult years, praying and relying completely on God, she got to see her husband come to know the Father. And now because of that, he also is a great daddy to his kids.
And this is Becky with Peyton. I love them! Becky is the Children's Ministry Assistant for our church. God has called her to this place and is using her in a strong way to not only raise up her two children in the Lord, but also to be working so that other little ones would come to know Him, too. She has a great love for people and connects well with other moms.

On a Brisk Night in October

Life (a.k.a. my busyness) just isn't getting any better. And I was thinking yesterday how our lives are so short here on Earth. Really, when you think about it, we are here today and gone tomorrow. It's silly when I put it in that perspective because I wonder, "what am I doing to myself?" I have absolutely no down time. I'm constantly running from one committment to the next. I feel like I've jumped into some things that just weren't intended for me, but I can't back out. I want to be responsible and follow-through with committments and jobs and relationships, but I'm getting so worn out. My nights feel like I close my eyes and open them 10 minutes later. I woke up this morning (4:45am) and just started crying because I was so tired and knew that I had a long day ahead of me. But even as I am writing this, I am convicted once again for not seeking complete and utter satisfaction in Christ. I have been praying for contentment and specifically that He would be my Prince of Peace. I have not sought happiness from my days lately. I have been fatigued and have been recovering from strep throat and have simply been exhausted from life. I confess that I have been really selfish in not seeking Christ alone. He is IT. He is the only thing that matters and He will be the only thing that will ever give me joy and rest, even when I'm not physically rested. He loves me deeply and wants me to be in relationship with Him. I've missed that. I can honestly say that I haven't had any quality time with Him in quite awhile now. And my personality is affected because of it. What rambling I'm doing...

On a brighter note, I had Monday off from school and Chris and I took it off from work. We went to Enchanted Rock State Park and hiked to our heart's content. It was definitely the most fun day I've had in Texas since we moved here. It was the first day I started feeling better after having been sick, the weather was great, and I was with the one whom my heart loves. It is beautiful out there. We got sunburned and skinned some knees and bit by fire ants...and I got stuck on top of a huge boulder for a bit...but we had so much fun together. We drove through Fredericksburg on the way back. Chris had never been there before. It's an old German town with lots of cute street shops. We went to a Chocolatier. That was really interesting to me since I studied chocolate art and the making of it in my P&B class. I got to watch the process in the store, then we bought 2 each and savored the flavor on the front bench outside the store.

(Sidenote: I lost my cell phone, in case any of you have tried to contact me. I am continuing to check my messages, but won't be able to call you back most likely since I don't know your number by heart. Call Chris if there's an emergency or you can email me.)

The last thing I'd like to express tonight is still how lonely we are down here. We keep on praying for some close friends, but it's just not happening yet. And we're here for a good amount of time, we believe. Chris has found a seminary campus he can commute to when that time comes, so that will keep us in Austin indefinitely. We love Austin, but we miss our families and our friends so much. I've tried to really let people know how much we are in need of community, but we don't feel like there's genuine interest in us (This isn't true of all parties!). Please pray for that.

I feel extra pessimistic tonight. Disregard my crazytalk. I love you all. I wish I knew if anyone looked at our blog. :)

Time to Slow Down

Chris and I have both been working a ton, but now I have strep throat, so I think that's a reason to slow down. Miraculously, my two events this weekend for work got cancelled, so I have 3 whole days of absolute, committment-free bliss. And even better--I have no school on Monday! If I feel better, we are planning to head out to Enchanted Rock State Park for some hiking. I have felt guilty for awhile now that since I've been working so much, Chris has been getting my leftovers. Leftovers of time, energy, happiness, etc. We had a couple of hard days there, but nothing that some quality time together couldn't fix. We love each other a lot, but we are constantly learning how to love well like Jesus does for us. He does that really well.

I don't remember the last time I had extra time...so this is really wonderful. I took a 4-hour nap after school today, took a shower, did dishes, walked to our mailbox to get the mail, sent out some emails, looked through pictures, planned a menu for next week, and wrote a card. Really, as silly as this is, I am joyful to have time to slow down. Tonight Chris and I are doing a Prison Break marathon, I hope. And maybe some ice cream. Because it's good for my throat, right??