christmas sweaters, tacky or not?

last week, one of the fourth grade teachers was talking about her daughter's high school, it was "tacky christmas sweater" day, so this got us on the topic. We were talking about how there are some pretty hideous ones out there. One of the teachers finally spoke up and said that she has a closet full. The only problem is that she doesn't wear them as "TACKY". She wears them because she really likes them. oops! It's funny to see the people who wear them because they genuinely like them, and the people who only wear them to christmas parties and to be funny.

Last night we had a "tacky christmas sweater" party. I have decided that I am going to wear the sweater I wore to school next week. I can't WAIT to see how many GENUINE compliments i get on it:)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

all in a week's work

Work Work Work. It has it's ups, it has it's downs.

We'll start with downs just so I can end on a good note!

1. I gave my first office referral. I'm pretty sure I turned apple red in a matter of 2 seconds, and if you looked closely, there was probably steam coming out my ears. That's how mad I was at this particular student. Don't mess with me!

2. I'm suffocating this week with everything I have to do after school, AFTER the official work day. I guess being a teacher is really a 24/7 job.

3. I feel like my 2nd year of teaching will be so much better. Right now, I'm just trying to survive. Next year, hopefully I'll be out of "Survival Mode" and into "Awesome/Creative Ideas Teacher". I'm doing what I can!

4. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ (that's me falling asleep because I'm seriously that tired all the time!) I feel like I could fall asleep in the shower, eating dinner, driving home (5 minutes away), etc

UPS:)

1. I have a student who raises his hand almost every day and says "Ok, I have 2 questions. One about what we are talking about and one that's not." He has asked anything and everything from Santa Clause, to ET, to Adam and Eve, to God, to anything else you can think of. I seriously just have to stop and laugh! LOVE. THAT. KID.

2. JEANS are a teacher's best friend!!! This week, we got to wear jeans on Monday if we worked a special event that night (which of course I did), We got to wear jeans Tuesday if we payed $2 (I could barely afford that one on my teacher salary). We get to wear jeans on Friday because it's Friday. WE GET TO WEAR JEANS EVERY DAY NEXT WEEK BECAUSE IT'S THE WEEK BEFORE THANKSGIVING!!! Can you tell how excited I am about that one?

AND BEST FOR LAST!!!!!!!!

3. Monday, I walked around the corner from the library to see my principal carrying a vase of 10 brightly colored GERBER DAISES (my very favorite flower!). Jokingly I said, "Oh, I'll take those." He handed them to me, and he WASN'T joking! My sweet, wonderful, romantic, thoughtful, loving husband sent me flowers just because he loves me! These absolutely made my entire week!!!!!!! He is the most wonderful man I know!

Life

Why is it so hard to truly live your life as though it is a gift that could be taken at any moment, but so easy when that gift is taken away from someone and we realize how precious life is? By then, for some, it's too late. On Saturday, I found out that a sweet friend, who I went to church with in high school, age 27, took a nap and did not wake up. She left behind a husband, a 3 year old little boy, and a 3 week old baby girl. As I write this, my heart is so heavy. My heart aches for the husband who only had a few short years with his love, her little boy who loved his mommy, a baby girl who will never know her mommy, and her sister and her parents who have lost their precious daughter and sister.

Sometimes I wonder why? Sometimes I don't understand, and I'm not even in the middle of this tragic event. I can only imagine what her sweet family is thinking right now. I can only pray that they have the peace of God that surpasses all of their understanding. A peace to not only accept, but embrace God's love, power, sovereignty, and grace. A peace knowing she is now worshipping her Jesus.

My challenge to myself and others is to enjoy life like you never have before. Truly enjoy and appreciate EVERY SINGLE day. I am going to do my best to live each day as if it was made just for me. I am going to love my very best. I am going to to my best to let go of the small things that irritate me. I am going to do my best at enjoying my students. I am going to love my husband more. I am going to do my best to call my family and friends who I don't get to see more. I am going to do my best to be a light in my workplace to those who may not have the peace of God like I do. I am going to do my best to appreciate the smallest things that are so easy to overlook. I am going to do my best to love.

Please pray for the family of Cassidy "Hicks" Meyer.

"Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." James 4:14

HaPpY MoNdAy!!

Reasons why Monday was so great!

1. husband picked out my outfit for school this morning. i wasn't too sure about it at first, but ended up being more than satisfied! he's good at stuff like that! i even got several compliments at school. (don't worry, i gave him all the credit!)

2. early release at school/parent teacher conferences. i was able to get caught up on grading, get some other work done, and just hang out this afternoon.

3. tennis with landon. he's a great partner! i'm thankful he is willing to try/play anything with me! my favorite part is when he "strikes out" (as he likes to call it) and turns around with the best smile ever!

4. texas roadhouse. the roadkill does my tummy good! chopped steak+sauteed mushrooms+sauteed onions+jack cheese= deliciousness

5. Jett Nolan Hand. My sister had my most recent nephew almost 2 weeks ago! She sent me two pictures today, and i can't believe how big he has gotten already! His 2 older brothers adore him, but my sister definitely has her hands full with 3 boys now! (I have a story about that that i will save for it's own post!) I love them all so much!

6. walk with my husband in the perfect fall weather! after we played tennis, we went on a nice little walk. the cool breeze felt amazing! i could just smell fall in the air. over the last few months, i have tried a few different ways to really love my husband. I have gotten some ideas from this awesome blog! tonight i asked questions. i asked fun questions, informative questions, and questions just to get to know my husband a little bit better. my favorite question and answer tonight was this: Q "What animal do you think best describes you?" A "Probably a tiger because tigers are cool, and i'm cool. Oh, and I like cereal!" This is why I love him:)

life of a teacher

there are so many things that happen every day that i wish i could just take a "time out" to write down, but being a teacher to 19 sweet little 4th graders does not allow for that!! I feel blessed every day to be doing what i am doing. i know God has put me right exactly where he wants me with the students he wants me to teach and the teachers he wants me to teach with.

this year started out a little challenging when they decided to make me the 4th grade "inclusion" teacher. what that means is that i have the majority of the "special ed" kids in my classroom along with a co-teacher who comes in for around 2 hours each day to help support. while this has been a difficult adjustment, and definitely not something i was prepared for, my special ed students are some of my sweetest, funniest, and hardest working students. they may not make the grades, but they try their best, and they put a smile on their face while trying, which in turn puts a smile on my face!!

i have already grown to love each one of my students very much (i just may not "like" all of them every day, ha) in their own little unique way. i have students who have a dry sense of humor (we get along great), students who love to talk about sports, brilliant students, students who just want to help, students who have already improved tremendously, students who have cute little laughs, students who care about each other, students who care about me, students who love to learn, students who forgot to bring their homework but promise me that they did it because they don't want to let me down, and students who just love.

while this year has already had it's challenges and i have come home crying SEVERAL days, i strongly trust and believe that God has a purpose for where i am and for the people i get to see every day. at this time in my life, i am understanding 2 names of God, Provider and Rock!

letters

Dear August,

Thank you for leaving us. Your miserable weather was, well, miserable. I'm sure in March, after all of the snow, shoes that won't keep my feet warm, and my pasty white skin, I will miss you, but until then, So Long!

Ready for Fall,

Brenda

Dear Labor Day,

Thank you for my first real paid vacation day. It has been nice to not think about how much money i'm NOT making on my day off.

Relaxing,

Brenda

Dear Dinner,

Why are you such a difficult time of the day? You always seem to cause more stress than anything. I wish you were already planned for the rest of the year!

Begging for New Ideas,

Brenda

Dear Perfect Khaki Coverlet/Bedding,

You are next to impossible to find. I feel like i'm looking for Waldo in the largest book in the world. I really would like to get everything finished in my apartment. You are holding up the process. Please make yourself known. Oh, and a good price would be nice too.

Still looking,

Brenda

Dear God,

Thank you for loving me. I'm trying to be more like you. I want to show Jesus everywhere I go. I love you,

Brenda

i have no idea what i'm doing

i started training for my new teaching job on the 9th. the whole first week was just for first year teachers and the second week was at our campus with all teachers. i sat through countless meetings, training sessions,, and participated in many activities. after all of that, you would probably think that i know exactly what i'm doing and exactly what to expect. WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it's all been a bit overwhelming learning everything we have to teach and the little time we have to do it. also, in the midst of all of these meetings, i have had to get my room ready (from scratch) for meet the teacher which was last night.

overall, it's been stressful, overwhelming, confusing, and exciting all at the same time. last night meeting my students went really well! it made everything a little more real and got my really excited! kids come monday and i sure hope i'm going to be able to sleep sunday night!

I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M A TEACHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

letters

Dear Husband,

Night time is my favorite when we have silly and serious pillow talk. You make me laugh. Laughing is my favorite!

Until night time,

Brenda

Dear Routine,

I miss you! I am ready for you to return to us. I'm going to go crazy without you much longer.

Trying to figure my life out,

Brenda

Dear Kitchen,

I'm sorry I have neglected you this summer. I promise to start spending quality time with you again soon.

I'm still the cook,

Brenda

Dear Job,

You are a blessing from God! As overwhelmed and clueless as I am because of you, I know I'll be ok because God gave you to me for a reason!

So Blessed,

Mrs. T

Dear Mr. T,

I know teaching isn't what you want to do forever, but you will be GREAT at it. Your students will love you! I'm also excited to talk about "teacher" stuff with you all year:)

Proud to be your wife,

Brenda

Bless The Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless his holy name.

Psalm 103:1

a lot going on

the weekend of july 11, we had wedding festivities galore. some of our very best friends, Ben and Natalie, got married and we had SUCH a blast the whole weekend! Landon was the best man and I was a bridesmaid. Now Ben and Natalie live 15 minutes from us and we have already had lots of fun together!

the very next weekend, we went to see my family for our family reunion. all of my dad's brothers and sister, their kids, grandkids, my grandma(dad's mom), and my mamurmer(mom's mom) all went to the lake, stayed in a friends lake house, ate delicious food, and spent hours on the lake enjoying each other's company.

Landon and my nephew, Cash

we got home from the family reunion on sunday and left for vacation with Landon's family on wednesday. we went to Colorado Springs and went white water rafting, pikes peak, and garden of the gods. it was a fun first vacation with the in-laws!

All of the Turrubiartes

We have fun together:)

while we were on vacation, my mom sent me a text friday morning and said that my sweet Uncle Mike had passed away (her oldest brother). He had cancer that had pretty much spread all over his body. While we are sad that he is gone, we also know there is no more suffering, and no more pain. I'm sure him and my P (his dad) are up in heaven having the time of their lives! Please continue to keep my Mamurmer (lost her husband and oldest son in a month and a half) in your prayers, as well as Mikes wife and 2 boys. One of their boys is getting married in 2 weeks, so that is bound to be difficult.

Uncle Mike

The next Tuesday, I had an interview for a 4th grade position. it was the first interview all summer, so i was nervous about it, but i had subbed at this school AND in the 4th grade for a whole week last year so i was feeling pretty good about it. I interviewed with the principal first and then the 4th grade teachers. the principal said he would call and let me know either way no later than thursday. Tuesday afternoon he called and OFFERED ME THE JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am beyond excited/blessed/overwhelmed/nervous/ecstatic!!! I start orientation and teacher stuff next friday so i don't have a lot of time to prepare, but God is so to provide for both Landon and I over the last year and now with both of us having full time jobs for the upcoming year! I'm sure I will get everything done that i need to get done!

Anyways, The End:)

my attitude stinks

i haven't exactly had a good attitude lately, my attitude about my job situation that is. here it is almost the middle of july and i've emailed principals until i'm blue in the face. i have been getting really frustrated and irritated with the situation and with God because i thought i had given it to Him, and he just hasn't been answering my prayers.

well, it seems that He has been trying to get my attention lately, and i'm so thankful i have been listening. This is one thing that I love about my Jesus. He could have ripped me a new one (especially with the way my attitude has been). He could have not been so gentle and patient with me, but he has been.

My attitude transformation/my "gentle whisper" started on Sunday. Landon and I were talking about a purchase we wanted to make, but i made the comment that we couldn't because "we didn't have jobs." He very kindly reminded me that we do actually have jobs, good jobs, and we have been blessed with these jobs that we have. The Israelites wondered around in the desert for 40 years because they had bad attitudes about their circumstances. I do NOT want to be "wondering around" for 40 years!

Later that evening, we were hanging out with some friends, certified teacher friends, some of who have jobs and some who are still looking. One of the girls who is in the same situation as I (graduated May 09 and still looking for a teaching job) were talking and i mentioned how, while i was trying to be excited, it was frustrating that all these alternatively certified teachers were getting jobs and we, who went to school for 4 years to do this, were not getting hired on. She agreed, but also said "but I know God has it in control, and he knows exactly where he wants me." OK God, you have my attention.

I recently started following Max Lucado on twitter. If you don't, i encourage you to do so. On monday, his twitter said, "No struggle will come your way apart from God's purpose, presence, and permission." There is a purpose i am going through this, but the best part about it is that he is and has been with me through the whole thing. Haven't I been taught this my whole life? Yet why is it so easy to forget? It seems that getting frustrated is so much easier, but it is so much more miserable. I'm so thankful that my God is patient with me when i'm frustrated, understanding when i'm down, comforting when i need comforted, and provides Joy in the morning:) Don't we serve an awesome God?

So my attitude is changing! I have already felt a peace beyond my own understanding about my job situation. I keep thinking about the students/people i will be in contact with in the job my God is going to provide for me. And i keep thinking about how the Lord has set out those specific people that I get to minister to/surround myself with. I'm excited to see what the Lord has in store and who he is going to bring into my path to fulfill his purpose for my life.

upholstered headboard

I'm looking to redo my bedroom, get new bedding, make it my escape. right now, it's just kind of thrown together. the bedding we have was just what we got to make do because we didn't get what we registered for when we got married. now that we have moved into a 2 bedroom apartment, i have been looking for new bedding so i can move our current bedding into the guest room. i've been looking at a couple different blogs, and i have been motivated with some new ideas. upholstering a headboard is one of those ideas.

this headboard looks simple but elegant, and that's just what i'm looking for. has anyone upholstered a headboard? on HGTV and the blogs i have been reading, they make it seem so easy, but i need to hear it from someone else! if/when i make my own, i'll post pictures!!

lucky me!

yesterday, my husband proved how wonderful he is, once again! First off, he ordered me Chinese food for dinner, which he doesn't like to eat chinese food very often, but he knows i love it, so that was the first thing.

When I got home, Landon had to leave to go to a meeting. My phone was plugged in in my bedroom, so I went in to check it. I had a message from landon that said "will you please make the bed before I get home?" my first thought was 'that's really weird, 1. because it was 7:30 pm. we were going to get in bed in the next couple hours. 2. he never really cares if the bed is made or not. But he asked, so I wasn't going to let him down. So I immediately took my pillow off the bed and laying underneath my pillow was this dress from Target I had mentioned I liked and a sweet card.
I'm so lucky!

My Favorites of the Summer (so far)

These "favorites" aren't anything new or anything extraordinary that I didn't know I liked before (well most of them). They are simply things that I have rediscovered that I enjoy, and it's because of the summer that I have rediscovered them.

listed in no particular order:

1. Fred, Wilma, Barney, and Betty. You can never go wrong with some good old Flinstones. I am nannying this summer, so we watch a lot of cartoons in the morning. Flinstones is one of my favorite that we watch. Sometimes I wonder if the kids even realize what's going on in each episode because there is so much adult humor (which makes it a lot more enjoyable to me)!!

2. Flowers. This is nothing new to me since I worked in a flower shop one year of college and loved every minute of it, but it wasn't until last week when I walked into a flower shop that I realized how much I miss/love flowers. You just can't walk into a flower shop with a bad attitude or a frown on your face. There is just something special about this beautiful creation that puts a smile on my face. God is SO creative!

3. Sports. DUH! Why wouldn't this be a favorite, ESPECIALLY with the World Cup AND Wimbledon going on right now! I played tennis in high school and just love the game and love watching people who are REALLY good at the game. I watched Isner win finally win the match that will go down in history. 138 games in one set is just mind boggling to me! Congrats to Isner! Also, the world cup! This one is a "new" favorite. I don't really know anything about soccer. I watched my first soccer games when i went to college and still didn't really understand the game, but yesterday, i will admit, i jumped up and down AND screamed in my apartment by myself when USA scored to win the game! I never thought I would have that kind of reaction!

4. The Pool/laying out. I always forget how relaxing this is until I do it one time, and then I'm hooked. Thank goodness for kids who want to go to the pool every day!!

5. Market Street Grocery Store. There is just something about their produce section that reminds me of the farm, home, and family!

Ok that's all for now. I'm sure there will be more discoveries seeing that it's only June 24.

God Is Good All The Time!

I've been sitting here typing the beginning of a blog and then erasing it. typing again, then erasing. so i'm just going to ramble now. at least i will feel somewhat productive.

Last Sunday at 3:30 a.m., my granddad, P (mom's dad), went to be with Jesus after a long and hard fight. He went peacefully with Landon by his side holding his hand. It couldn't have been more of a God thing for Landon to be with him during that time. I'm so thankful he was there with him. While it was so hard to see him go, he is not in pain and has a completely restored body in heaven with Jesus, and for that, I am so thankful! My grandmother, Mamurmer, is doing really well. She is so strong and I'm so thankful for her! Please continue to keep her in your prayers!

Also in my last post, i mentioned my uncle being really sick with cancer and not doing well. He is my mom's oldest brother, and he was so sick he wasn't even able to come to my granddad's funeral. Luckily, earlier in the week, before my granddad passed away, my uncle Mike was able to come one day to see him. His update is that he is at home with hospice coming twice a week. We are still praying and believing for a miracle, and we have seen miracles already. The first couple nights he was home, he wasn't very good. But the days following he has been out of his bed, on the back porch reading the paper, telling stories with friends and family, and sleeping all night with little or no medication. This is truly a God thing because how does someone begin feeling stronger after they have gone home with hospice? the Answer again, is GOD!

Thank you for all your prayers over the last couple of weeks. They have definitely been felt by my family. I'm continuing to ask for prayer for my uncle Mike, aunt J'Carol, and their two sons. Also pray for Mamurmer (grandmother) as she has lost the love of her life and now her son is very sick.

I promise i'll have a fun/happy post soon. But isn't God SOOO good?!?!

short, sweet, to the point

it's been a busy last few weeks (as you can tell with my lack of posts). so a quick recap with as little details as possible to catch you up on whats going on without boring you.

May 14- parents came into town to help us move into our new apartment

May 15- MOVE OUT/IN DAY!!!!!! we moved to a 2 bed 2 bath apt. it's SO much bigger and so much nicer. we are really enjoying it! i'll try to post pictures soon.

May 23- we celebrated our 1 year anniversary! i can't believe a whole year has gone by! it's been one of the most challenging, exciting, and fun years of my life. on our wedding day, it was hard to imagine that i could love landon even more, but i love him more now than ever! on our anniversary, we went to church, lunch, and then just spent the day together shopping, watching a movie, eating our cake, and just relaxing. we exchanged gifts and landon gave me an AMAZING gift! i'll post pictures of that soon too! we have a friend who is quite the artist, so landon gave him one of our wedding pictures to paint to hang on our wall. it is awesome!!!!

May 28- we came to friona for my sister's high school graduation. my parents are down to 2 left in the house! it's only been 1 day, and it's been so nice being here with my family. i haven't seen them in 2 months.

also, my grandad, P, had a stroke on monday and has been in the hospital. he isn't doing very good, so please keep my family, especially my mom and grandmother in your prayers.

also, my mom's brother has cancer and we have recently found out that it is worse than we even knew. so right now really is tough of my mom and grandmother having to be the strong ones.

praying for peace.

Letters

Dear Husband, Thank you for dancing with me this morning while you were on hold with the Apple Store and they were playing Techno Music. You are a good Techno Dancing partner.

Dear Steroid Shot, you are a lifesaver. not only to me, but to my husband too. Now he can breathe for the first time in 3 weeks and my trash can won't be filled with so many kleenex.

Dear Blog and Blog readers, I'm sorry I have neglected you lately. I'll try to do better.

Dear Tomato Factory, Do you really work?? I'm tempted to try you out, even though I'm not a huge fan of tomatoes.

Dear Marriage, It's coming up on a year. Where has the time gone? You are a lot of fun, but I will give all the credit to Landon since he is the reason for the marriage and the fun.

Dear God, You are BIG...a lot bigger than me. Thank goodness!!

camping..like hardcore camping

for the last couple of months, we have been planning a camping trip with landon's parents and a couple friends to Arkansas. landon went back in October and wanted all of us to experience it!

When i say we went camping, i don't mean like we had a picnic table and a little grill to cook hamburgers and hot dogs and we just pitched a tent and then took showers in the bathroom building a few yards away. No, this was real camping, like hiking through a mountain while carrying huge packs on our backs, we pitch a tent in the first clearing we see after hiking 3 and a half miles, and eat peanut butter and crackers, beef jerky, and freeze dried food with water from the river.

anyways, i was excited to be able to do something with landon that he is so passionate about and get to hang out with his family for the weekend, but i wasn't too sure about not taking a shower all weekend, not eating a real meal all weekend, going to the bathroom outside all weekend, and sleeping on the ground all weekend. but i have to admit, it was a LOT more fun than i thought it would be! i will definitely do it again, and landon and i talked about how it will be fun to take our kids to do stuff like that one day. it was just nice because there were no distractions, our phones didn't have service, it was just us and the bears.

we hiked a total of 9.6 miles up and down and around the mountain, and as sore as i was when we got done and the next day, i have to say that it was a very nice relaxing weekend.

the whole group

landon and his uncle Chris. they like to match. and i think landon looks hott!

our fire man doing his thing

God is so creative

the girls!

me and Amy

look how big my pack is!

me and Tami

for women only

Women of all kinds, married, dating, engaged, or just wanting to be a good wife to your husband someday, please please please read this book!

I am always looking for a new good book to ready, but i more enjoy fiction rather than "self help" kind of books. I was walking through Barnes and Noble one day just getting ideas of different books to look for at the library. I picked up this book to scan the pages and I instantly wanted/needed to know more.

I am continually learning how to be a good wife, how my husband thinks, and how I can better serve him. This book is written by a christian woman, Shaunti Feldhahn, who did random surveys of men (christian church goers, married, single, etc) and wrote this eye opening book for us women. It's a quick/easy read but it is extremely helpful in the life of a woman who is still trying to figure out the opposite sex.

I told Landon that I was going to try to read this book once a month. He asked me if he was "that" bad. Let me clear up that this book is not at all about bashing men! It is a book of explaining God's creation, how he created them, and how we can better understand them. Reading it once a month will continually remind me of things I may forget or get frustrated about.

I'm excited to continue learning to understand my husband. It's an exciting adventure:)

Guys, there is a book for you too, For Men Only! :)

Easter weekend

I saw a friends facebook status post that said this:

Sometimes I find the Easter story too familar to understand it at the appropriate depth

I can't help but feel the same way. I've heard the Easter story for as long as I can remember. It's such an awesome story of grace, redemption, and love, but I don't think I fully understand what that really means. I'm so thankful that I have grown up in a Christian home and have experienced the love of Christ from an early age, but sometimes I feel that it's the new Christians that truly understand and appreciate the Easter story and what all it means.

This Easter weekend, I have tried to really focus on what this weekend is all about. I saw another friend's facebook status yesterday with the chorus of a song that I hadn't heard in a while. After I listened to it, I decided it is one of my new favorite songs. It tells the story of Christ's love for us, what he did on the cross, and how he made a way for us to be in a complete loving relationship with him. It's such an awesome song, and it tells the depth of what this weekend is about.

this is a shout out blog

so i have these friends...great friends actually who this post is dedicated to. in the post, i'm going to make an ACROSTIC of their name and something interesting/unique about them/my relationship/memories with them. ok lets get started.

C:is for cookies. even though i don't like chocolate, Karen make the BEST chocolate chip cookies!!! oh my gosh their delicious!! i can usually eat 1 without having too much chocolate, and sometimes, she even saves a little dough without as many chocolate chips just for me!

L: is for Listing, listing items on ebay, that is. that is what karen does, and she is really good at it, and she lists every week with her little tape measure and glasses...she looks so cute!

A: is for Awkward. This family is VERY open, and when i say VERY open, i mean VERY open. I'll just leave it at this: hey remember last week in the kitchen? haha

R:is for Rewind. Oh the joys of recording, like tonight when we should have rewound it to watch Kate dance again just so we could laugh again! If we rewind, it's usually just have another good laugh...which we do often.

K: is for KATIE. OMG I LOVE HANGING OUT WITH KATIE SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

S: is for SSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHH. because that is probably the most used word on monday nights at their house watching either The Bachelor or now Dancing With The Stars.

HOP YOU LIKE IT:) LOVE YA'LL!!!!!!!!!

2 bed 2 bath

mine and landon's lease on our apartment is up at the end of May. we have been debating for a while on what we wanted to do, but knew that we did NOT want to stay here. we looked at a few houses online, but finally decided that it would be smarter to just get another apartment, a little nicer than the one we are in, and save for a house hopefully next year.

last week, we went to look at a couple apartments at Paces Crossing. we knew we wanted something a little bigger than what we have no. i feel like we just have a lot of clutter laying around our apartment now because we have no where to put it. we looked at a 1 bed 1 bath with a den area (which could be converted into another bedroom or office) that we really liked. the kitchen was bigger, the bathroom was bigger, the living/dining room was bigger. we then ventured over to the 2 bed 2 bath apartment. at first i was thinking to myself "do we really need a 2 bed 2 bath for just 2 of us who sleep in the same bedroom? would it be worth it to pay a little more money?" landon and i went home and talked about the 2 choices and we have decided that we will probably go with the 2 bed 2 bath for the following reasons:

1. it's bigger, all over!

2. THE MASTER BEDROOM HAS A WALKIN CLOSET!!!!!!!

3. the extra room has a big closet in it for storage

4. we can put a futon/bed/couch and desk in the extra room so that if my family ever came to visit, they wouldn't have to get a hotel, and they could just stay with us. that would cut a big expense.

5. i didn't realize until we started talking about the 2 bed 2 bath how much i would like my own bathroom!!!

6. more room to decorate:)

i'm sure there are plenty of more pros to getting the 2 bed 2 bath, and i'll find that out later:)

i'm excited about getting a new place! it's so odd that we have almost been here a year, which means we have almost been married a year! we have been talking about what we want to do for our anniversary. anybody have any ideas for a fun/inexpensive getaway for 2?? we would rather drive somewhere to save some money. let me know if you have a suggestion!!

the only bad thing about moving is packing...........YUCK!

sports and family

saturday recap: i can't really sleep in anymore so i woke up fairly early for it being a saturday. we layed around all morning and then ordered TASTY CREAM for lunch! if you don't know what tasty cream is, you are missing out! it's friona's hometown burger joint and it is SO good! i haven't had it since last summer! i ordered a pizza pocket (weird, i know since it's a 'burger joint') but the pizza pockets are fried (which is ridiculously unhealthy especially when i dip it in ranch). i figured i hadn't had it in almost a year so it was a-ok!! anna, maddie, and i then ventured out for a day of tanning, tennis, and running. it was a pretty productive and fun day to hang out with 2 of my sisters! amy, staci, cash, and boston came over later. there is nothing like hearing your sweet nephews say "HIIIIIII BBBBBBBBBB!!!!" when they first see you! melts my heart:)

yesterday was a good day!! other than the fact that my phone didn't change times like it's supposed to so it made me late to church...only ten minutes though. i was glad i took my shower the night before! after church, amy, aj, cash, and boston all came over for amy and seth's birthday lunch which actually isn't until tomorrow. my mom felt bad that she didn't have a cake for staci on her birthday (december 31) and me (february 22) so the cake said, "Happy Birthday Amy & Seth & Staci & Brenda" we joked that we should have just put everyone's name on it to get it all out of the way for the year, but i don't think cash and boston would really understand if we told them "today is your birthday but you don't get a cake or a birthday party because we had it back in March". ha

the rest of the day was pretty lazy! we watched basketball games pretty much all day. some took naps, some read books. i just started "same kind of different as me". it's pretty good so far! anna had the brilliant idea that sometime that evening she wanted to go play basketball. so after hours of snacking and dinner (because that's what we do on sundays...snack all day long!) we all headed up to the gym. yes, everyone, well except seth. he had a friend come over to spend the night. my mom, dad, amy, staci, anna, maddie, and me. we played 3 on 3, and it was a lot of fun! my parents are actually a LOT better than what i thought!

Overall, it was GREAT day of quality family time and a great way to start spring break!!


oh yeah, my husband is camping right now and saturday night he slept in a cave in mexico. if you think about it, say a prayer that he doesn't get captured...haha

i'm a worm

a book worm, that is! anybody need a couple book suggestions? ok i'm going to give some to you anyways. The Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers is SO good. ok, i've only read the first out of 3 books but i'm on the waiting list at the library for the 2nd and i can't wait! second, The Atonement Child, also by Francine Rivers. i understand i'm a little behind with those books since they have been out a while, but they are phenomenal! and last, today i just finished The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks. it might just be my favorite nicholas sparks books! it just a really sweet story with such a positive message. and my favorite, no premarital sex like there is in all his other books. overall, it's just a great book and i would have cried in it if i wasn't subbing in an elementary classroom while i was reading it. i can't wait to see the movie, i just hope they don't change it too much from the book.

ok that's all for now.

OOOOOOKLAHOMA!

last wednesday i made a trip to oklahoma city to watch my sister Staci play basketball, hang out with my family, and hang out with friends. Landon was gone to Alabama and Atlanta on his own little exciting trip (that included the Passion CD release party) and won't be home until tomorrow, so i stayed the whole weekend in oklahoma.

my sister played on thursday morning, so i drove up wednesday, had dinner with a friend, and then met up with my mom and little brother, Seth, at our hotel. we went to staci's game thursday morning. they ended up losing in a really close game so my mom and brother went on home. i had plenty of time to hang out in the city, run errands, and see friends. i stayed with Stephanie and we had a lot of fun watching movies, shopping, and hanging out. I also go to see my sweet sweet friend, Kaylee. I haven't seen her since August so it was so good to catch up with her. she has such a sweet and refreshing spirit, as well as being hilarious, so it was a much needed hang out/catch up time! Her friendship blesses me:)

Stephanie and I saw 2 movies that we hadn't seen before. we rented The Time Traveler's Wife on friday night. i'm not really sure what i was expecting, and when it came out in the theaters, i didn't care to see it. but i ended up REALLY liking it and will probably buy it (when it goes on sale). we also went and saw Dear John. I had read the book about 4 years ago so i remembered the basics of the story but forgot the ending. i had heard from a lot of people who read the book that they didn't like the movie, but since i didn't really remember the book, i LOVED it!! it was soo good! I can't wait for Nicholas Spark's next movie to come out, "The Last Song", and i just started that book yesterday.

Also this weekend, i went to the church i went to while i was living in Oklahoma, Lifechurch.tv. it is such a wonderful church that has a heart for reaching out to others. Craig Groeschel (the pastor) has his own unique way of bring The Word in such a powerful and down to the point way.

i'm so ready for landon to be home, but so excited for him that he has gotten to do all the things that he has while he has been gone. i've missed him a lot!!!

I'm not sure when i will update again. it could be a little while. landon gets home tomorrow and then we both leave on friday again for a week. he is going camping at Big Bend with some friends for spring break, and i'm going to friona to hang out with my family. so i probably won't be on my computer a lot.

thug

this is my thug husband right before he made a rap video. he's hardcore!

love of my life

every day i'm amazed at how much more i love this man.

i'm amazed at how wonderful my life is because i share his last name.

being his wife has been all i can ask for AND much much more.

i love him for so many reasons.

i love him for planning for the future of our family.

he's SO hilarious!

he brought me jamba juice today.

he planned a wonderful birthday weekend for me....all in secret!

he's a good kisser.

he has a drive a motivation that i admire.

he does things for me that i don't deserve.

i'm so proud of him for how hard he works at his job, the kids he ministers to, and his passion to go back to school to be a nurse.

he is a wonderful spiritual leader for us as a couple and will continue to be with our family one day.

OBVIOUSLY he is SUPER hott!!

he has wonderful family who i love very much. he also loves my family like they are his own.

i couldn't ask for anyone better to love, love me, grow with, learn with, serve, and cherish. this has been the best 280 day of my life (how long we have been married). i love you landon!

birthday weekend

i've been waiting to post this blog since tuesday (day after my birthday). i had a wonderful weekend-before-my-birthday! There were a lot of amazing people who made it so special!! Here's a run down of the weekend:

Friday: I worked out at the Middle School that Landon works at so we got to eat lunch together and see each other pretty much all day. Friday night we used a gift card to Olive Garden that was given to us and had a nice dinner. We can back home and Landon finished our wedding video (which i absolutely LOVE and i got teary the first time i watched it).

Saturday: Landon slept in with me (if you know Landon, you know that is a big deal for him). We got up and cooked a wonderful breakfast of waffles, eggs, and peppered bacon (basically Old West at home...DELICIOUS!) Later, we went out to Landon's parents house to show them our wedding video and hang out with them for a few hours. We came home and just hung out and watched Bruce Almighty.

Sunday: After church, Landon, me, Jonas, and Seth went to Fuzzy's to eat for my "birthday lunch". It was SO good! (i love all of Denton's little hometown restaurants) When we got back to the apartment Landon took me to Kiln Time! We had so much fun! We painted a spoon rest because I have been needing/wanting one and it turned out SUPER cute. Later that evening, Landon told me we were going to his parents house for birthday dinner with his family. We got out there and there were a lot of cars out there! I walked in the house to 20 friends and family who were there to surprise me for my birthday! They made Kabobs and cake and I opened all my presents (probably got more this year than I have since I was little). I've been blessed with great friends here and a wonderful husband who put it all together!

so excited to be in her wedding!

all my fun stuff

just two of the wonderful friends who were at my party

Monday: BIRTH-DAY! Again, I got to work with Landon at his middle school so we ate lunch together again. Every Monday we go to some great friend's house to eat dinner and watch the Bachelor. The Clarks made my birthday night extra special! They cooked dinner and Karen made a DELICIOUS angel food cake, opened more presents, and then watched the Bachelor. It was such a fun night! Karen decorated the table so cute for me!! The Clarks have become like a second family to me!

karen gave me a napkin holder with the next napkins for the next 3 holidays coming up!!

Overall it was a wonderful weekend and monday. I'm so blessed with wonderful friends and family and the most amazing husband i could ever ask for (he gets his own post next time because he is just THAT phenomenal!) If you helped make my birthday so special, thank you so much! i'm so thankful for you!!