Today I'm Thankful

I apologize for being MIA lately. Like I said a few weeks ago, I've had a lot on my mind. I've been stressed, frustrated, and anxiously waiting for God to reveal himself in certain areas of my life. I know He's there, and I know He's heard my prayers. I'm just not sure what His plan is. 

After several weeks of focusing on what I wish was different, the things I'm desperately trying to change, I'm choosing today to think about all the good things in my life. It's time to refocus and change my perspective. 

Today I'm thankful for my job and that I have the opportunity to work.
I'm thankful for Brandon's job and the fact that I don't have to be the breadwinner.
I'm thankful for my parents, their constant love, guidance and support.
I'm thankful for my sister, someone who knows me like no one else ever will.
I'm thankful for Brandon. I'm thankful for his patience with me and his desire to make me happy.
I'm thankful for Princess and how she keeps me company when Brandon is away.
I'm thankful for our home.
I'm thankful for the yummy bacon and eggs I ate for breakfast.
I'm thankful for my education, something that can never be taken away from me.
Today I'm thankful for my friends, the people who have shared in every joy and every heartache.
I'm thankful for my faith and for my relationship with God.
I'm thankful for my good health and the health of my family and friends.
I'm thankful for my PaPaw and that we will be celebrating his ninety-first birthday.
I'm thankful for K-LOVE radio and how they know just what I need to hear.
I'm thankful that Jesus died on the cross to save us from sin.
I'm thankful that I will be celebrating Easter at home, surrounded by those I love.
Lastly, I'm thankful for love, laughter, and a sense of hope.
Hope that gives me the strength I need day after day.

Family Photos 2012

I just realized I never shared our family photos! Here are my favorites...

{All photos taken by Christi Richards in Yoakum}

Looking Back {on 2012} Part I

For me 2012 was a year of personal growth. As the year began I found myself searching for meaning and purpose in my life. It was a year of challenges, but those challenges eventually turned into triumphs, and as the year came to a close I felt at peace. I had learned to seek happiness for myself, instead of waiting for it to find me. 

January

We celebrated the new year in Texarkana for Britt and Dustin's wedding weekend. It was such a memorable weekend and a wonderful start to 2012. 

At some point in January it became a reality that Brandon actually had to leave for three months, starting at the end of March. I began worrying about what this meant for me. I didn't have anything holding me back in Corpus, but I started to wonder if having a job would make the coming months easier. I looked into possibilities outside of child life, and I considered going into teaching. After weighing all my options I decided against it. I didn't want to jump into something just because I was scared of the challenge ahead. 

February 

I spent the month of February taking advantage of my time with Brandon, since I knew he would be leaving in a matter of weeks. Although we squeezed in as many date nights and fun outings as we could, it still felt like there was cloud of sadness hanging over us. Even though we tried not to think about it, we knew that we were quickly approaching the biggest challenge we had ever faced as a married couple. 

Towards the end of the month I made my first Austin trip of 2012. Shell and I experienced the Campus Candy Store for the first time and attended a Texas Country benefit concert that was close to my heart.

March

I realized I had spent so much time trying to figure out the next step in God's plan that I hadn't even noticed His presence in the present moment. I began to see Him working in my life in ways that I hadn't even considered. I learned to accept the stage I was in, and life seemed fun again. 

We spent a weekend in Yoakum before Brandon started his rig training, and at the end of the month we began our Dallas adventures. 

April

I did a lot of traveling in April. I was either in Yoakum with my parents, in Austin with Michelle, or in Dallas with Brandon. I had a lot of time to myself, which I spent running, reading, and just thinking about life. 

We also celebrated my PaPaw's 90th birthday, and we felt so blessed to have him in our lives. 

April was also the beginning of Courtney and Kyle's wedding festivities. My maid of honor duties included a day in College Station for Courtney's bridal portraits, a day I will never forget.

Stay tuned for parts two and three...

Birthday Recap

To say my 25th snuck up on me would be an understatement. I had been thinking about it for several months, and I even started a blog post back in July especially for my 25th birthday. I kept telling myself, Oh, you still have a few months to work on it.

Those months have now come and gone, and the blog post was never finished. I've decided to blame it on the fact that I'm still wearing my summer clothes. It still doesn't feel like fall down here, and as badly as I want to be wearing my favorite scarves and boots I'm forced to slip a pair of sandals on every time I leave the house; therefore, it hasn't felt like my birthday.

Anyway...

This weekend turned out even better than I had hoped! Brandon was supposed to be out of town for work, which I was really disappointed about, but his schedule ended up changing at the last minute. Yay for crazy/uncertain/very unpredictable oil field schedules! {Probably the only time I'll ever say that..Ha!} On Friday evening he gave me my birthday gifts and we went out for dinner and ice cream. It was a very relaxing evening!

On Saturday Mom, Dad, and PaPaw came down. PaPaw had never been to our house, and I'm so glad he was able to make the trip! After resting his back for just a few minutes {riding in the car is kind of hard on him} he was ready to go see my garden.

{Look at my hair. That's how windy it is here!}

Let me tell you... He got a kick out of it! He started laughing right away. He said, "I think you need to talk to your daddy! His are taller than you!" Then he asked, "Have you watered 'em often?" I told him that I had, and he just kept saying, "I don't know what to tell you, baby. I've never seen anything like it." He said it might be the soil that caused them not to grow, and he told me not to give up. I guess I'll be trying again in the spring!

After laughing about my miniature tomato plants we went inside, and mom and I cooked lunch. We had MaMaw's pork chops, and while we were eating Brandon said, "PaPaw, is Emily a good cook?" PaPaw answered, "Yeah, she's a real good cook. You better keep her around!" Then he said, "There's just one problem... She can't grow a tomato!" We all laughed! {My PaPaw still likes to joke with us, even at ninety years old!}

After lunch we listened to the second half of the Texas football game. At one point PaPaw said, "Texas didn't play Oklahoma this year." I said, "Yes they did, PaPaw. They just just lost really bad." He said, "Oh, Texas went to Dallas... But they didn't play!" I told you he likes to joke around!

That afternoon we continued to visit and watch football. I showed PaPaw around our house, and I took my parents to see the hospital where I work. I just loved having all of them here!

That evening we said our goodbyes, and Mom, Dad, and PaPaw headed back to Yoakum. Mom texted me as they were driving away and said that PaPaw was still talking about my tomato plants. He told them, "They've got a real nice place, just no tomatoes." {Lol} We've decided he'll be talking about them for the next year! I was so thankful that he was able to come down and visit us. It was definitely a day I'll never forget.

After my family left I told Brandon that I wished every day was my birthday. I got to see my parents and my PaPaw, Brandon didn't have to work, and I got to talk to all of my friends... Exactly what I needed!

{Yes, we all wear burnt orange every Saturday.}

I can't wait to see what year twenty-six brings!

**My sister would have been here if she didn't have so much homework. We missed you, Shell!!

Dallas Weekend

This past weekend Brandon was in Dallas doing training for work, so I drove up and spent a few days with him. Here's a glimpse of what our weekend included:

 American Idol

Say 'Hello' to your top 13!!

As some of you know we became hooked on American Idol last season. We watched the entire season together, picked out our favorites, and we I voted like crazy (Go Scotty!!) This season we haven't gotten to watch every episode together, but we still keep up and watch when we can. As we were watching on Thursday night, we noticed one of the contestants, Skylar Laine, was wearing a Double D Ranchwear jacket! So cool!!

Fat Straw Bubble Tea

Green tea milkshake, Mango bubble tea,
Strawberry-bananna smoothie

Remember Britt and Dustin?? They just moved to Dallas a few weeks ago, and we met up with them on Saturday for our first "bubble tea" experience. I had always seen people on campus using giant straws to drink funny-colored beverages with what looked like marbles on the bottom, and I always wondered what it was. Well those "marbles" are called bubbles, and the giant straw ensures that you get some with every sip! After explaining to the lady that we had never tried bubble tea, she handed us each a sample cup and said "Just shoot it and chew it!" Ha! It was an interesting experience! And it was great catching up with our newlywed friends :)

BTW--Britt blogs too!! Click HERE to read!

Bleu Edmondson Concert

Bleu put on a good show!

Bleu Edmondson currently holds the #1 spot on Brandon's favorites of Texas Country, and he just happened to be playing in McKinney, TX this weekend. On Saturday evening we had dinner with our friend, Craig, and then all went to the concert. It was a fun night!

B and I at the concert.

We had a great time in Dallas! And some of you may be wondering where Princess (or "P" as Brandon calls her)  was during this trip...

Going for a ride around Yoakum

Picking out plants at Handy Stop

She was living up to her name and being treated like a real "Princess".

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for puppy-sitting :)

Trying to Live in the "Here and Now"

The past few weeks have been tough. First of all, Brandon was in Oklahoma for two weeks. This was the first time he has been gone for more than a few days, and I was not looking forward to it. Thankfully I have some amazing people in my life who kept me busy. Michelle, her friend Alayna, and Alayna's sweet baby Noah came to visit during the first week. We did some Christmas shopping and had fun playing with Noah. He is such a sweet baby! This was Princess's first time to meet a baby, so it was fun to watch her reactions.

I went back to Yoakum with Michelle and Alayna, and spent the next week there. During that time I got to do more shopping in Austin with my mom and Michelle, and I finally got to see the cute bridal boutique where Michelle works. If you're shopping for a wedding dress, you should definitely look them up!!

This brings me to the tough part...being in Austin. I've only been to Austin a few times since we moved, and I can usually make the trip without becoming emotional/sentimental. Until I see the tower of Dell Children's. That's when I start reminiscing and thinking about all of the amazing people I encountered during my time there. I think about how hard I worked to go from a college volunteer, to a gift shop employee, then a practicum student and intern, and finally a child life specialist. I did so much learning and growing in that one place, and I still miss it like crazy.

Driving by Dell Children's reminded me how much I love being a child life specialist. I could go on and on about what we do and why I love doing it, but I won't. I just hope that I get to do it again someday. I've sent my resume to the children's hospital here in Corpus, but there are no positions available right now. So I'm playing the waiting game. And I don't like it.

I was talking with Brandon a few days ago about how much I miss my job. I told him that working as a child life specialist was what I was "supposed" to do. He said, "Who said that's what you're 'supposed' to do?" I said, "Well I did." He then reminded me that WE do not decide what we are supposed to do.

Once again, I was trying to take control of my life. And after realizing that, I am doing my best to live in the moment and enjoy where I am in life.

I found a book a few days ago that has been extremely helpful. And as I opened it to start reading I noticed that it came from my Aunt Verna. I'm assuming she gave it to my dad, who then gave it to me, and I was probably too busy at the time to read it.

The book is about living life in the present and taking time to notice God working in our lives each day. As I read it last night, I came across a quote that really stuck with me. This particular chapter was about the Spirit of God working in our lives. It said,

"Don't be afraid to let go of your need to control your own life. Let me fulfill the true desire of your heart."

Wow! That's exactly what I needed to hear. So thanks, B, for loving me and being patient with me. And thanks to Dad and Aunt Verna for placing this book in my life. I think I read it at just the right time :)

Lessons in a Paint Can

This weekend was the kick-off to our home makeover! Like I said before, our house just wasn't feeling 'homey' enough for me. My trips to Home Depot began last week, and I came home with paint swatches and samples for several rooms in the house. I talked to my dad several times throughout the week about my painting ideas. We talked about color options, materials needed, painting techniques, how long it would take, and after asking him enough questions he decided to come help. And I'm SO glad he did!

Dad got here on Saturday morning, and let me tell you he came prepared! We unloaded a large toolbox, paint rollers, roller pans, a roller extention handle, old towels, paint brushes, a step ladder, electric drill, a saw (I'm still not sure why he brought a saw), and four Dr. Peppers. Yes, four Dr. Peppers. Dad--I could have at least provided the Dr. Pepper! Judging by everything he brought, I think he may have been more excited than me.

We got started right away. After laying down the drop cloths and opening the paint cans, I was ready to dive right in. But dad took my paint brush and said, "Here, let me get you started." I anxiously tried to take the brush back and said, "I can do it, Dad." But he insisted on showing me what to do. I pretended to listen, but in my head I was thinking, "Seriously, Dad! I'm about to turn 24. I'm not a 7 year-old kid painting a piece of scrap wood in your shop anymore!" When he handed the brush back to me, I was finally able to start painting. I started in a corner, like dad suggested, and did a few strokes in the middle of the wall. Then I went right to the trim around the baseboard. It couldn't be that hard to paint in a straight line, right??

Wrong. After about fifteen minutes I was frustrated and already regretting the idea of this project. The clean, white baseboard had a swervy red line on top. I guess Dad could sense my frustration, and at just the right moment he said, "Let me see how you're doing." I showed him the soon-to-be mess I was creating, and he helped me figure out what I was doing wrong. In no time, I was painting like a pro!

Lesson 1: You are never too old to learn from your parents.

New wall color in the guest bedroom
(AKA: Michelle's Room)

Dad and I continued painting, and we both got so involved in what we were doing that we forgot Princess was even there. After a few hours of painting I realized that I hadn't taken her out since early that morning. I called her name, and as she started coming towards me I noticed she had several red spots on her that matched the new wall color. I guess she decided she wanted to help! After taking a few pictures and laughing at her new look, we had to put her outside to let the paint dry. We didn't want to take a chance of her rolling on the beige carpet!

Lesson 2: Dogs like to paint, too.

A few of Princess's new spots

Because Dad and I were working together, we were able to finish the first bedroom in no time. There was still lots of time left in the day, so we decided to start another room, the only problem was I didn't know what color. I had painted four different sample colors onto the wall in our master bedroom. Brandon was at work, so I text him a picture and asked him to help me choose. He told me his favorite (which was not my favorite) and also mentioned that he really liked the color it was. Dad and I were sitting in the bedroom trying to decide what to do. I told Dad that I felt bad, but I really didn't want to use the color that Brandon liked. And I definitely wasn't going to leave the room the way it was. I ended up using my favorite color, and it turned out great. When it was finished Brandon said, "It looks really good. I'll admit that I was skeptical, but I guess you are the decorator." I loved hearing that :)

Lesson 3: Marriage is a partnership, but there are some decisions that a wife has to make on her own ;)

New wall color in our bedroom

Somewhere between choosing the master bedroom color and finishing the room, we had about a 30 minute set-back. I was painting around the baseboard with the perfect grey/blue color I had chosen, and I had the can of paint sitting on the drop cloth. I had finished the section I was working on, and started sliding the drop cloth across the carpet. Before I knew what happened our brand new beige carpet had a big blob of grey/blue paint on it. The can had turned over! I quickly got Dad's attention and pointed to the spill. He jumped off the step ladder and began wiping up as much paint as he could. I called the paint department at Home Depot and asked for their suggestion on getting a large amount of paint out of carpet. They suggested soap and hot water. Dad and I worked frantically for at least 30 minutes to clean up the mess. He alternated scrubbing with his fingertips and wiping the bubbles with a towel, and I poured several rounds of Dawn dishwashing soap and carried cups of hot water from the sink. Sometime during the chaos I started giggling to myself. Dad said, "What??" "I just can't believe I did that," I said. Once we had scrubbed until we could scrub no more, Dad said that he was surprised I wasn't more upset. This got me thinking. Why wasn't I upset? We got most of the paint out, but the carpet still had a greyish tint. I even told Dad that if this had happened a few years ago I probably would have cried. But why didn't I cry now? What was the difference? I still can't say. But somehow, I've learned that spilling a can of paint is such a small thing. I have an amazing husband, the best family in the world, a home of my own, and I'm surely not going to let a small(ish) stain on the carpet upset me. I'll just let it be a memory :)

Lesson 4: Don't sweat the small stuff. (Cliche, I know)

Guest room with bedding
(Paint was still wet, so wall decor will be added soon.)

Both rooms turned out great, and I can't wait to tackle the next project! I have to mention that Brandon has been working extremely hard at work, and I love how he has supported my ideas and creativity. Mom and Michelle also helped a ton. Since they were in Yoakum, they took part in the decision making via picture texts and phone calls. Oh, and I'm hoping that on one of my trips to Home Depot I'll run into the crew from House Crashers and they'll come help out!

Our new bedroom
I love the soft, relaxing feel of this wall color!

I hope you have a great week!!!



What a week!

Last week was eventful, to say the least. Highlights included a puppy, several birthdays, a wedding, a baby, and an award. I'll start with the puppy..

Michelle and I decided last Saturday to surprise our dad with a new basset hound puppy (basset hounds are his favorite dog). Many of you remember Flash, our family's first basset, who died about a year ago. He was the perfect family dog. Playful, protective, and very smart (not to mention he was Princess's best friend). Our backyard just hadn't been the same without him. So Shell and I started looking for this puppy (both of us looking on-line) last Saturday. By Monday evening I had gone to San Antonio and brought this cute little one back to Corpus:

Meet Darla! She is such a sweetie! Her hobbies include chewing on everything, chasing her tail, running in the grass, and snuggling. She stayed with Brandon, Princess, and I in Corpus last week, and we took her home to Dad on Friday. He was SO surprised!! And he already loves her so much! Mission Accomplished :)

On to the birthdays...

Last week was Michelle's 20th birthday (see previous post), which was very exciting. But Princess also had a birthday. She turned 9 last Wednesday! To celebrate I went and bought Darla a toy, which may sound silly, but this kept Darla from annoying Princess, which made Princess very happy!

We found Princess sitting on the bar
when we got home from church on Sunday.
She definitely runs this house!

The wedding...

Our friend Logan, who graduated from high school with Brandon, got married on Saturday. Logan and Brittany came to our wedding, and I was so glad we were able to attend theirs. Weddings remind me of the amazing, undescribable feeling I had on our wedding day. They also remind me how happy we were on that day, and of all the love and support we felt from our family and friends. I'm smiling just thinking about it :) Going to Logan's wedding also gave us the chance to see several of our close friends. It was fun to catch up, laugh, and think about our futures.

Kayla, Whitney, Kristi, Me
Future residents of Boerne, TX (Ha)

Now the baby...

Michelle's friend, Alayna, had a precious baby boy on Monday, October 10th. Over the past several years, Alayna has become part of our family. She and Michelle were close friends in high school, and they have stayed close through their first years of college. Alayna-- It has been amazing to watch you over the past 9 months. You are such a strong, sweet girl, and I know you're going to be a great mom! You better bring Noah to Corpus for lots of visits!

Noah Michael
9 lbs. 3oz., 21in. long



Last, but definitely not least, the award...

My mom got a call last week from my dad's boss, and our family friend, who said my dad won the Gibb Gilchrist Award. The award is granted once a year to an engineer who shows "outstanding service to the State of Texas in the Texas Department of Transportation." Mr. Lonnie said that Dad would receive the award at the annual Transportation Short Course in College Station. He also said that my dad did not know about the award, and that our family should be there to see him receive it. So Mom and I went to College Station yesterday morning and watched my dad get his award in front of all the conference attendees (there were lots of people there!). Once again, my dad was surprised! It was so exciting to see my dad get recognized for all his hard work. We are all proud of you, Dad!!

Dad giving his speech after winning.
It was a great speech, and he even mentioned us :)
(This was taken on my phone, but better quality pics will come soon!)

 I'm glad I got to experience so many blessings, and even a tiny miracle  :)