So this'll make you laugh...

I woke up in the middle of the night, and I SWEAR I saw chickens in my bed. There were two on my left and one on my right. Brandon was sleeping in the guest bedroom, because he was on call for work, so it was just me and the chickens. And Princess. 

I immediately started screaming, stood up in the middle of the bed, and threw all the covers onto the floor. I then leaped off the bed, ran into the bathroom and shut the doors.

I stood there, out of breath and screaming like a crazy person. Then all of a sudden I thought to myself, "Princess must be so scared!!" 

I opened the bathroom doors to save her, and she was just sitting on her little pile of blankets staring at me. 

That's when I realized there were really no chickens.

~~~

Happy Friday, everyone! I hope you all had a more peaceful night than I did!

 

How we met {Princess and I, of course}

Here's the back story: My Ma-Maw, whom I was very close to, had just died in October. Her death was very quick and completely unexpected, and since then I had been feeling very sad. My fifteenth birthday had come and gone, and although my parents did everything they could to make it special it just wasn't the same without my Ma-Maw. After my birthday was over my mom asked, "Emily, what would make you happy? What can we do to make this better?" My answer: a puppy.

~~~ 

It was a Friday afternoon in late November. My mom picked us up from school and said we had to make a family trip to Weimar, because my dad had put up a new road sign that he wanted us to see.

"We all have to be really excited, because Dad is very proud of this sign," she told us.

My dad was a traffic engineer, and we spent many hours as kids riding around looking at bridges, traffic signals, and highway striping, so driving to Weimar to look at a road sign seemed perfectly normal. 

As soon as my dad got off work we all headed to Weimar, Brandon included. As we got closer I started to wonder which highway sign it was that my dad was so proud of, but my parents just kept saying, "We're almost there!"

After passing numerous signs that weren't "the sign" we turned onto a gravel road. Right then I knew my parents were up to something. 'No way there's a big important sign on this road,' I thought. We then turned into a driveway and parked in front of a house that I didn't recognize.

"What are we doing here?" I asked.

"Let's just get out and see," my mom told me.

As soon as we opened the car doors all I heard was barking coming from this family's backyard.

"We're getting a puppy!!!"

As the owner walked us through to her backyard my excitement began to build. There was a large, fenced in area where some of the puppies were playing. They were all brown and looked exactly like the dachshund I had when I was four years old. They were cute, but they were already several months old and looked more like grown-up dogs than puppies.

"Well, which one do you want?" my dad asked.

As I stood there looking through the fence I just couldn't decide. They all looked the same to me, and I didn't know how I was going to choose.

While we were watching the grown-up puppies play the owner went over to another part of the yard, and as she walked back I heard her say, "We also have some younger ones, if you are interested."

I turned around to find her holding the smallest, sweetest, most adorable little puppy I had ever seen. The owner put the puppy in my hands, and I immediately fell in love!

"This is the one I want!!"

It took a little bit of convincing, because this little tiny puppy cost quite a bit more than the grown-up puppies, but after several rounds of "but Daaad......" we were on our way home with Princess. {I'm sure if you asked my dad today he'd say she was definitely worth it!}

That's why Princess is so special to me; she helped me grieve the loss of my MaMaw.

Do you want to know what's really strange? Four years ago Princess ran away {her tiny little legs ran all the way across Yoakum!}, and we found her on October 11th, the anniversary of MaMaw's death.

In my family we call that "a God thing", but in this case I think it was "a MaMaw thing".

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.

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!!

Happy Birthday, Princess!!

Dear Princess,

Today you are ten years old. Ten years old! I just can't believe it.

You have accomplished so much in your lifetime! You spent so many years making sure that my mom and dad's backyard had just the right amount of holes in it. Even though they seemed angry at times, I know that deep down they appreciated it. I mean, who else would have dug that many holes for them?

Another one of your accomplishments was running all the way across the big city of Yoakum. Even though you scared me so bad, and I cried for an entire day, you kept on running. How many other nine-pound dogs can say they've done that? {By the way, I'll be forever grateful to the nice lady who saw your picture on one of the 'missing' flyers and brought you back to us.}

During the past year your life has become much more laid back. Since moving into our house in Corpus your days have included napping, snoring, snuggling, eating treats, begging for people food, and making the occasional trip to PetSmart.

You have definitely been living up to your name and have us wrapped around your little paw! But we don't mind one bit. We'll keep on spoiling you as long as we can!

Happy birthday, girl!

Love,
E & B

Weekend Update

This weekend was one of my favorite weekends! Brandon came home Friday after being out of town all of last week, which already made Princess and I happy. Add in a few college football games, good food, the Texas Longhorns, and my first ever fantasy draft...

...Now that's what you call a good weekend.

1: Chili dog, 2: Princess's football season collar, 3: Longhorns taking the field,
4: Princess {and B in the background} in their game day attire, 5: Our first Longhorn Network experience



The first weekend of college football for Brandon is huge. I knew this. And I wanted to make sure that we made the most of it. I knew our weekend would be spent in front of the TV watching football, and the one way I knew I could make it even better was by planning our menu.

I decided to carry on my parents tradition of having 'game food'. All weekend. I went to the store on Friday and bought everything we needed for nachos, burgers, and hot dogs. Oh, the hot dogs.

When I was younger my family ate the same thing during almost every Texas football game. Mom would make a pot of chili, Dad grilled hot dogs, and when everything was ready Dad would say, "The concession stand is open!" If we got hungry again in the fourth quarter? That's when they'd bring out the nachos. It was their little way of bringing a bit of DKR right into our living room.

So... On Saturday I was really looking forward to the hot dogs. Like I almost made them for breakfast.

After spending the morning watching Game Day and eating way too much we showered and got ready for our game. The Texas game. Russel {Brandon's friend from work who is also a Texas Ex and loves Longhorn football just as much as we do} came over, and we headed to the Texas Exes watch party.

Me, Brandon, Russel

The party was held at a local bar, and if I couldn't be at the game then this was definitely the next best place to be. We were in a huge room full of fellow Longhorns, watching the game on a giant screen, singing 'The Eyes of Texas' in a crowd of burnt orange.

We. Were. Loving it.

After the game, which Texas won, we started making plans to go back next week. It was just such a good feeling to be in a room full of people who understand, who get it, who know what it's like to yell Texas Fight  at the top of your lungs in a crowd of 100,000+. For the first time since we've lived here, I felt 'at home'.

And let me tell you, that is a good feeling.

Sunday morning after church we we started focusing on our draft for The Pivo League.

I wonder what this could be??

Come back Wednesday to meet my first ever fantasy football team...

Absolutely PERFECT

On Saturday Shell and I were texting back and forth...

And she was right.

It was absolutely perfect .

Sometimes I just need to be reminded how truly blessed I am.

Thanks, Shell :)

A Letter from Princess

Dear B,

Ruff! I am so happy you are finally coming home! I have missed you so much! Ruff! I can't wait until we are at our house again, where I am the boss!

I have missed all the great belly rubs you give me! And I'm looking forward to you sneaking me people food under the table again. You really are the best!

I have been taking good care of E. {That's our thing, right? To call each other by our first initials?} But I know she is ready for you to come home, too. She misses you a lot! Ruff!

Pam and Paul have been really nice to me. They even bought me my own treats! They let me live in their house most of the time, but I like to go outside sometimes to play with Jaxon and Darla, too. Everyone here sure is going to miss me! Ruff Ruff!!

Speaking of Jaxon and Darla, they are a handful! Jaxon barks a whole lot. But I appreciate how protective he is. He makes me feel very safe! We are actually getting along pretty well these days.

And Darla, well, she acts like such a puppy. All she wants to do is roll around and chew on stuff!

But she sure reminds me a lot of my old friend, Flash. {May he Ruff in Peace.}

I sure do miss you a whole lot, B! I can't wait to jump in your lap as soon as you get home! And when we get back to our house in Corpus, we are just going to snuggle on the couch and watch TV together, just you and me! But I'm sure E will try to butt in. We might let her ;)

Have a safe trip home, B! I will be waiting on the couch for you! Ruff!

Love,
P


P.S. - Thank goodness for FaceTime! What would we have done without it??

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 :)

2012 Goals

2011 has come and gone, and I can't imagine how 2012 could go by any faster. We are more than ready to see what this year has to offer! Here are a few changes (I'm not calling them resolutions, becuase those usually don't last) we are making in 2012:

1. Become more active: In 2011 we spent WAY too much time sitting. Our goal is to find things we enjoy that allow us to move around and keep our bodies strong. **This includes Pirincess. We've noticed her cute belly getting a little bigger, so she will be doing more walking and less napping :)

2. Make healthier food choices: We are starting off slow with this one. Too many times we have tried to make drastic changes to our diets, and we have not been able to stick with it. So this time we are taking baby steps. Brandon has started by cutting out fried foods and decreasing his soda intake. Those of you who know him know that french fries and Dr. Pepper are his favorite, so this may be tough! Since I do the grocery shopping and most of the cooking, my goal is to buy and cook more fresh/less processed foods. **Healthy dinner ideas would be greatly appreciated :)

Now I know that's only two, but I think it's a good start to the new year. I believe in making small, achievable goals, and once those are accomplished we will make new ones. If you're reading, I'm counting on you to hold us accountable!


-- Since I didn't blog about it, we had a great Christmas! Brandon had a week off, and we spent it in Yoakum with our families. I'm writing this blog from my new IPad that was NOT a Christmas gift from Brandon, because we agreed that we were NOT exchanging gifts this year. Thanks, B ;)

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  :)

Moving Forward

My last post left me feeling a little down. But I was reminded this week that no matter what, life does go on. And here in Corpus, we are moving forward.

This week I FINALLY had the chance to substitute. I went to the Tuloso Midway substitute orientation a few weeks ago, but there hadn't been any openings until this week. Wednesday I taught a second grade class, which was interesting. It was my first day in a classroom, and I was a little nervous. I had gotten so used to having one-on-one interactions with kids in the hospital, and I hadn't worked with a group of kids in years. I was quickly reminded what it's like to have 20 or so youngsters demanding my attention. My favorite was a boy who came up to me during the noisiest time of the day and said "I can sing a song about the seven continents of the world! Want to hear it??!" I was thinking to myself, "Do you really think this is the best time for me to sit and listen to your song??" But, I smiled and said "Yes, let me hear it!" He started singing, and I continued to walk around the room monitoring the chaotic situation at hand (with the continent-singing boy following me). Every few seconds I'd turn around and aknowledge his song, and each time I turned around he stood a little taller and sang a little louder. When I noticed he wasn't singing anymore I said "Wow, you sang the whole song! You should feel proud of yourself!" Instead of smiling and running off to his seat, he said sadly "But you didn't see the dance I did at the end." Just when I thought I had figured out the balancing act of the classroom, I missed the continent-singing boy's dance. Great. He had worked so hard on this song, and I missed the best part. I paused for a second, and asked him to show me the dance. He gladly did, and after I smiled and aknowledged his dancing abilities he smiled and ran off to his seat. Thank goodness!

Thursday I subbed for a third grade class, and it was a much quieter day. There weren't as many look-at-me's or watch-what-I-can-do's, which meant more time for teaching. I really enjoyed being in front of the classroom and the actual teaching part. It made me really start to think about getting my teaching certification. My degree was in human development, and I chose classes that focused in child development, so I feel like I have a strong knowledge base. And teaching for a few years would put me closer to becoming a Play Therapist, which I would absolutely LOVE.

So we will see. I'll continue to sub and see how it goes. And I'll keep you updated on the certification part. And for anyone who's wondering, Princess is doing great! She's sitting on my lap as I type :)

Realizations

Since our move I have learned a lot about myself, my husband, and life in general. Here are a few examples:

1. I can cook!

  When we lived in Austin and I was working at Dell Children's, I left home at 7:45a.m. and got home around 6:00p.m. When I got home I was mentally and physically exhausted from work and traffic, and I had no energy to cook. After being a housewife for a few weeks, I realized that when I had the time I actually enjoyed cooking. And the food has actually been good! Brandon's favorites so far have been fried pork-chops with mashed potatoes and gravy, and hamburgers with homemade french fries. Yum!!

2. I love being a wife :)

  Similar to #1, I had no energy left for my sweet hubby at the end of my days in Austin. He did most of the cooking, grocery shopping, and probably made the bed just as many mornings as I did. If my work clothes needed washing, he was the one who stayed up late to transfer them from the washer to the dryer. (Glenn and Darlene, you definitely raised a keeper!) Now that I have more time and energy, I absolutely love my wifely duties! My goal has been to have all the laundry and cleaning done, and have a (sometimes) delicious meal prepared when Brandon is home. And now I'm the one washing his work clothes :)

3. My life is not defined by my work. 

As you know, with our move came my status of being unemployed (hopefully not for long). I have definitely missed my job at Dell Children's and all the amazing people there, but I have also realized that my life is not defined by my work. Although I am not currently working as a Child Life Specialist, I am still the same person. I have the same family, the same friends, and I am still living the life that God planned for me.

4. Weekends are my favorite!

The past three weekends have been so much fun! The first weekend, Brandon was off and we finally got to spend an entire weekend together in Corpus. Our weekend included a Calallen High School football game, an afternoon at the beach, and yardwork. It was a very relaxing three days.

(Princess after her first day at the beach)

The second weekend I went to Galveston for my friend Brittany's bachelorette party. We had SO much fun, and I loved meeting all of Brittany's friends. They are such sweet girls!



(All the girls after dinner in Galveston)



This past weekend Brandon and I went to Austin and stayed with our friends Eric and Jenny, and their sweet baby Reese. We love spending time with them, and hadn't seen them since we moved. It was fun to catch up and spend time watching football and loving on Reese!

 

(Reese laughing while Brandon is feeding her.
Notice her adorable Texas game-day onesie that my mom got her.
It says 'This is how I roll'..Too cute!)

It's only been a few months, so I'm sure I will continue to learn more. In the meantime we found a great spot on the beach, so come visit!! We love company, and Princess does too ;)