Fab-o Christmas!!

So we had a fabulous Christmas!! We've been in Midland with my parents since Tuesday, and just had a great time hanging out, playing Wii, and Brian spent most of the time recovering.

Speaking of which, he got the "all clear" from the surgeon this morning, so he's truly on the road to recovery.

Brian's parents and sister came and spent Christmas day with us in Midland, which was fantastic because we could all be together. I feel truly blessed that our families get along so well together, and it's easy and fun to spend time together. Linda had her last day of radiation on Christmas Eve, and although she's hurting, she's glad to be all done with radiation. (Let me tell you, even though radiation is much preferred to chemo, this is nasty stuff. Her skin is SO burned... I hadn't really thought about how they're actually using chemicals to treat her cancer.)

I got to see my friend Susan and her boyfriend Jason on Saturday, and I had a great time getting to know Jason and catching up after 7 1/2 years. (I can't believe it's been that long since I've seen her!)

Speaking of Susan, her family owns my FAVORITE restaurant ever- Luigi's in Midland. It's friggin' fantastic, and that's what we ate Saturday night. SOOOO good. (Luigi's really is the thing that brought Susan and I together as friends in the first place. I met her in the 5th grade when we were both attending GEM two days a week. I saw a watch either she or her sister was wearing that had the Luigi's logo on it. I went crazy telling them how it was my favorite restaurant, and Susan was like "It's my favorite too- my grandparents own it!!" How could I NOT be her friend after that??)

Anywho, we got back in to town yesterday evening after the fastest trip back to Plano EVER! (We must have had a tail wind because the trip that usually takes us 7 hours only took 5 1/2 hours.) No, we didn't speed. Honest.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot the drama that ensued on the trip back. We were about ten miles east of Midland on Interstate 20, and I was passing an 18-wheeler in the left lane. I happened to glance in my rearview mirror, and saw a PT Cruiser barreling towards us. I'm not kidding- I honestly thought that it was going to rear-end us. I was braced for impact and screaming "Oh, God, oh, God, oh, God!" (All I could get out- I'm sure God knew it was a desperate prayer!) When the cruiser was INCHES from us, he braked, and I was able to get past the 18-wheeler and back into the right lane.

This is when it got weird. Instead of racing past me like I thought he would, he slowly crept by at a normal speed. I was able to turn and get a good look at him (and give him a scathing look as well!) and then he kept on at a normal speed. I was kind of weirded out because he had been going SO fast, and was now going at about 75 mph or so.

He approached the next cluster of cars ahead of us, and started accelerating again, and when he couldn't pass them, swerved way over onto the right shoulder. I thought he would try to pass on the shoulder, but swerved back into the right lane, and then into the left and managed to pass a truck, changing lanes within inches of hitting other cars. Now ahead of that cluster, I saw him again swerve WAY over onto the right shoulder and then back again.

He was changing speeds really rapidly, going from WAY fast to slow, WAY fast to slow. I could not it good conscience do nothing. (The way he was driving indicated that he was on something, and even if he wasn't, he needed to be stopped.) I tossed Brian the phone and told him to find the number to someone who could do something, and I sped up to try and get his license number. Brian was not able to get anyone from the DPS on the phone, and I could not get close enough to get his license number.

Watching him continue to swerve in and out of traffic, I decided to call 911. We entered Martin County and I told them what was happening, where we were, and then gave a description of the driver. As we passed into Howard County, a dispatcher called me and asked if we could see him. I couldn't at this point, but gave another update as to where we were. Shortly after, the sheriff passed us looking for the crazy. We knew there was a slim chance they would catch him.

90 miles down the road, we approached flashing lights. They had caught him!! Crazy guy was pulled over!! I, of course, will never know if he was just a really bad driver or if he was actually on something, but I feel much better knowing that he got pulled over. If you see crazies on the road, call someone!! Don't do nothing!! The dispatchers had to pass this call through 3 counties before someone caught this guy, but it worked.

Okay, off my responsible-driving soap box.

I hope you had a fabulous holiday, and I hope that you have an even better New Year's!! Be safe out there! Don't get crazy! (He he... That's for you, Zip!)

Update

Okay, so last night when Brian was in recovery, he coughed against his breathing tube and caused negative pressure in his lungs, thereby drawing fluid into them. So, it became extremely hard for him to breathe.

We had to stay overnight in the ICU because he needs oxygen right now and needed more constant care than the regular hospital floors offer.

Talked to the pulminologist this morning and his chest x-rays don't really look much better. He has got to work on coughing up some of that fluid, and also being able to expand his lungs further with the sperometer (?). Anywho, looks like we're staying another night here.

As far as the surgeon goes, he says that the appendectomy/ surgery part of everything is looking really good. So, we just have to get his breathing right and we'll be okay.

Thank you all for your prayers, well-wishes, visits and food. We truly could not do this without you!! (Well, I couldn't- Brian's getting food and rest from the hospital staff!!) :)

Thank you, thank you!! Will keep you posted.

Appendectomy

Update: 8:06pm. Appendix was ruptured. We're staying overnight due to the major doses of antibiotics.

How do you spell appendectomy?? Okay, so last night around 7:30pm, Brian started having sharp, stabbing stomach pains. (I thought it was gas...) Turns out it wasn't... He was up all night with horrible stomach pains. This morning, I asked him if I should call the doctor, and he said yes, which was a sign to me that he was completely miserable.

So I called the doctor, and he told me to go ahead and bring him in. When we got there, the doctor couldn't localize the pain within his stomach. So he sent us straight to the ER for a CAT scan. Of course, when we got to the ER, we did not get in right away. (In fact, I had to throw down some serious angry words before we got into the ER...)

Anywho, after we got Brian some morphine, he got his CAT scan, and sure enough, Brian needed an appedectomy.

So, long story short, after 8 hours in the ER, Brian went in surgery at around 6:45pm. Now we're waiting. Ick.

Boo.

My heart is burdened for my friend. I have this friend who is sunshine on a cloudy day, and she got some really icky news yesterday. Really, really icky. You know when you would give ANYTHING to heal someone's heart? You'd give anything to make it all go away? And the trouble is, you can't do anything at all. For in reality, there's nothing to be done except wait and see what God has in store.

I cannot share what is not mine to share, but I can ask you for this, because I know you guys are REALLY good at this: prayer. Please pray that my dear friend will find solace in her heart. Please pray that God will grant her the serenity to accept the things she cannot change. And more than anything else, please pray for healing and strength for my friend. God has wonderful, beautiful things in store for her, even when she cannot see it right now.

Thank you, friends!

It's NOT a Pageant!!

So I'm in a Christmas Pageant... Except it's NOT a Christmas Pageant! My friends Casey and Melissa insist on calling it that to tick me off, and it's not!! Well, not in the sense that you picture with actors telling the entire story of Christ's coming through a dramatic production. It sort of is a pageant in that there are actors, and there is a play, but it's so much more than that!

McKinney Fellowship Bible Church is the church that Brian and I have attended for several years now, and this year, they decided to take on a full-blown Christmas event. I'm talking five different actual productions plus Mainstreet activities (crafts, bake sale, roaming carolers, etc.). It's pretty insane and at this point, I can't promise you that it's all going to come together without quite a few disasters. So come if for no other reason except to see me forget my lines and hear the children with no supervision murder each other backstage. (Hehe... I actually almost witnessed this very thing last night, except I was going to be the murderer...) There's the Christmas spirit!! :-)



A Christmas Festival Dec 12-13, 6:00-9:30pm

"McKinney Fellowship will come alive with crafts, music, baked goods, and multiple performances on two main stages each night, all the while carolers and musicians may weave through the evenings’ program. The main performances will range from smaller vocal teams to larger choirs, from children to adults, including a drama. And we are proud to bring you a version of Las Posadas, a celebration unique to the Hispanic heritage. Regardless of age, language, gender or taste there will be something for everyone at this year’s Festival!"

Learn more about the McFBC's Christmas Festival here.

Purchase tickets here (they're $2 for BOTH nights, people!)

Side note: This is my first production since the highly-acclaimed, award-winning production of "Charlotte's Web" my junior year in Pickwicks. (I was a narrator then too!)

Feeling (not so) Thankful

Well, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving with Brian's parents in Lubbock. Susan!!! I made pies!!! Check it out- they actually turned out decent!!!


Apple Pie


Buttermilk Pie

It was just a great time of togetherness and family, and forgetting. (I mean how when you leave town, you get to forget about everything at home that weighs you down, and just be happy-go-lucky for a few days.)

Then, we were driving home yesterday, and it all just slapped me in the face. (You know, all the stuff that you left at home comes rushing towards you at 100 miles an hour, ready to greet you!) I wanted to keep driving and driving, because as long as we were driving, I wouldn't have to face reality.

You're probably wondering what's going on here that I wouldn't want to come home... And I don't want to bore you with the details. (Truthfully, that's a cop-out. I'm just not ready to share yet.) But please, please be praying for wisdom for Brian and me. We really need your prayers right now. I promise I will let you know what's going on once I feel ready.

Anywho, having this weight kind of hanging over me all weekend, I haven't really stopped and really thought about all I have to be thankful for. I sat down to write this post, and there was another slap in the face! I feel so self-absorbed for not having spent some time over the holiday really listing out the things (people, events, etc.) that I have to be thankful for this year and giving honest, straightforward thanks to God for all He's given me. So that is on my agenda for this week... I'll give you a taste now, but I do so with the caveat that this is what I'm thankful for, and by no means am I intending to boast about all I have (because I know that I have a TON to be thankful for...):

1) Family. My family is healthy. My family is happy. My family truly loves and cares for each other. So many other families cannot say the same this holiday season, and I feel so richly blessed to be able to say this. There have been reminders this entire past year that our life as we know it is fleeting, and anything can be gone in a blink of the eye- I WILL not take this blessing for granted.

2) My God. I think that too often I expect that God will just be there for me all the time, so I can choose to "leave" Him, or neglect to spend time with Him, and He'll be there when I get back. And it's true- He WILL be there for me when I return. However, I have been so incredibly challenged this year to stay "in touch" with God at all times. Asking Him about everything that's going on, thanking Him for small blessings, just chatting with Him about my day. It's an intimacy that I've never known before, and it's changed me. I'm not the same, and I'm very thankful for that!

3) My Husband. I'm madly in love with him!! This year has been hard. We've had to make a lot of tough decisions together, and the love that has grown between us in spite of these hard times is amazing. I know that it's God bringing us closer and closer together, and having seen how love blooms despite the stormy weather, I treasure those years to come, when I know our love will grow even more.

4) New Friends. Words cannot express what your presence in my life has meant this past year. I've had the extreme pleasure of getting to know a group of ladies this past year who I CANNOT imagine my life without. We knew each other before this year started (met last year) but '08 finds us in a new place. We've shared some incredible times, and we've shared some rough times, and now, I'm not "me" without "them". I love you, I truly do!

5) Old Friends. Is it weird to be thankful for Facebook?!?!? (Uh, yeah, think so...) But regardless, I am! I joined the Facebook revolution this year and have re-kindled old friendships that I thought were long gone. I couldn't be happier to have these folks back in my life, however far away they are. We've been able to share some truly authentic times together. Some more gut-wrenching than I ever thought possible, and some more blissful than I've ever dreamed of. I thank you for your willingness to have me back in your life (from a looooong distance)!

6) The Team. My rock. You mean more than you'll ever know.

There's a ton more that I could list, but this is what counts. This is what I know I could not live without. This is what I know God has blessed me with. It's not things. It's not stuff. It's people who love me more than I deserve. Thank you- I'm thankful for you.

I don't want to talk about it....

I don't want to talk about it... You know the "IT" I mean... It was horrible and awful and we shall NEVER speak of this weekend's game EVER again. Stupid Texas Tech. I'm no fair-weather fan, but why do they always do this?!?! Build you up, and then with one tremendously horrible performance, crush your very soul!!! GGGGRRRRRR.

But I don't want to talk about it!

Anywho, I wasn't at the game this weekend- I went to Longview with Mom to celebrate Graham and Jenni's wedding!! Yeah!! I had so much fun hanging with Mom (it was just us girls since Dad refused to come as it was hunting season, and Brian was in Oklahoma doing something that I don't want to talk about...) We went to Breadwinner's on Friday (My first time- Susan, you were right!! It's so freaking awesome!! I could eat their Butterscotch Creme Pie for EVERY meal from now on until forever!!!) and then onto Longview after some shopping.

We got to Longview just in time to see the groom (Graham) and Sandra (who was on Level Red freak-out at that point) before they left for the rehearsal. We got ready and met everyone at the museum for the rehearsal dinner. I had so much fun seeing old friends, but Saturday night was the best. The wedding was beautiful, and the band they had was great!! We did some serious dancing and I almost killed Hunter Kennedy with my horrible swing dancing skills. (Sorry, Hunter...)



Carolyn Freeman Spears, Me, Hunter and Mr. Midkiff

So we had a great time and shall not speak of any other events from this weekend. Except that we got home safe, and are planning to head out of town on Wednesday evening for Turkey Day at Stewart and Linda's in Lubbock. We'll be riding with Eric and Lindsay and should get home on Sunday evening!! Yeah!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Holler!!!

Hehehe. I know my friend Christy is laughing right now... It's funny when you hear a bunch of obviously, well, white girls screaming "Holler!" (emphasis on the "er").... But I digress!!!

The reasoning I'm "Holler" ing today is because I'm SOOO proud of my Texas Tech Red Raiders!!! Holler!!!

Some of you may be scowling right now because we BEAT you this season, but you too should be proud of any team that takes on UT like we did!! AND, you should PRAY that we beat OU in two weeks because who wants to see Texas or OU in the National Championship AGAIN??? Me neither...

Tis the season of the underdogs, my friends, and here's one for all you Red Raiders out there!!

Fight Raiders fight,
Fight Raiders fight,
Fight for the school we love so dearly!
We'll hit 'em high,
We'll hit 'em low,
We'll push that ball across the goal,
TECH, FIGHT, FIGHT!
We'll praise her name,
Boost her to fame,
Fight for the Scarlet and the Black,
We will hit 'em, we will wreck 'em!
Hit 'em, wreck 'em Texas Tech!
And the victory bells will ring out!

Holler!!

Praying for our President

I'm not going to lie, this was a very hard topic to post on. In fact, the words would not really come, so when I found this eloquently written piece on my friend Holly's Facebook page, I snagged it (thanks, Holly!) As I sat with my husband and watched the election results this past Tuesday night, I was completely taken aback. Taken aback at how our country's people could be at a place where they were more focused on the color of a man's skin than on his actual beliefs. That they could be in awe of his speaking ability and not hear the lack of message in his words. Taken aback because I'm scared at what his term in office will mean for this country. However, God has commanded us NOT to fear the unknown, that ultimately, He is in control. Amen to that! So, here is the piece that talks about how we should cover our president-elect in prayer. Please read it- truly, it is so important that we pray for this man... He needs it!! K.

Some Initial Thoughts on Praying for President-Elect Obama
Posted by Ligon Duncan

Well, my country and much of the rest of the world are electric with the election of Barack Obama as the new President of the United States of America. To say that it is historic, is a gross understatement.

Justin Taylor and Al Mohler, have both inspired some reflection on the question of how we as Christians --Bible-believing, Reformed, Christians-- ought to pray for him, and I have freely borrowed many of their words and thoughts on this. But here are some ideas for leading our people to pray for our President-Elect. Barack Obama.

We ought to commit ourselves to pray for our new President, for his wife and family, for his administration, and for the nation. We will do this, not only because of the biblical command to pray for our rulers, but because of the second greatest commandment "Love your neighbor" and what better way to love your neighbor, than to pray for his well-being. Those with the greatest moral and political differences with the President-Elect ought to ask God to engender in them, by His Spirit, genuine neighbor-love for Mr. Obama.

We will also pray for our new President because he (and we) face challenges that are not only daunting but potentially disastrous. We will pray that God will grant him wisdom. He and his family will face new challenges and the pressures of this office. May God protect them, give them joy in their family life, and hold them close together.

We will pray that God will protect this nation even as our new President settles into his role as Commander in Chief, and that God will grant peace as he leads the nation through times of trial and international conflict and tension.

We will pray that God would change President-Elect Obama's mind and heart on issues of crucial moral concern. May God change his heart and open his eyes to see abortion as the murder of the innocent unborn, to see marriage as an institution to be defended, and to see a host of issues in a new light. We must pray this from this day until the day he leaves office. God is sovereign, after all.

For those Christians who are more dismayed than overjoyed about the prospects of an Obama presidency, there should be a remembrance that as our President, Barack Obama will have God-given authority to govern us, and that we should view him as a servant of God (Rom. 13:1, 4) to whom we should be subject (Rom. 13:1, 5; 1 Pet. 2:13-14). Thus, again, we are to pray for Barack Obama (1 Tim. 2:1-2). We are to thank God for Barack Obama (1 Tim. 2:1-2). We are to respect Barack Obama (Rom. 13:7). We are to honor Barack Obama (Rom. 13:7; 1 Pet. 2:17).

For those Christians who are more overjoyed than concerned about the prospects of an Obama presidency, there should be a remembrance of our ultimate allegiance: Jesus is Lord (and thus, He, not we, decides what is right and wrong), we serve God not man, and the Lord himself has promised to establish "the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him" (Malachi 3:18). Thus, where our new president opposes or undermines biblical moral standards in our society, fails to uphold justice for
the unborn, undermines religious liberties or condones an ethos that is hostile to the Gospel, we will pray for God's purposes to triumph over our President's plans and policies.

Without doubt and whatever our particular views may be, we face hard days ahead. Realistically, we must all expect to be frustrated and disappointed. Some now may feel defeated and discouraged. While others may all-too-soon find their audacious hopes unfounded and unrealized. We must all keep ever in mind that it is God who raises up leaders and nations, and it is God who pulls them down, and who judges both nations and rulers. We must not act or think like unbelievers, or as those who do not trust God.

A Collective "Amen!"

So I'm a dork. (Before any of you smile and say "Uh, yeah, Kelli, we knew that...", I will just say "Shut your face!") as I have a point to make. :-)

This past summer, I started a blog. I love to write, so it seemed the thing to do. (Actually, my husband seemed really surprised and pleased when he found out that our friend Ashly was blogging, so my decision was made because I wanted to impress him...) Anywho, I found out that my friend Jennifer had a blog, and one day, she added a link to MckMama's blog. Jennifer briefly summarized the story, so I linked over to MckMama's blog to see what all the fuss was about. And from then on, I was hooked. This is a Godly woman who has (as of now!!) four kids ages 3 and under! Holy cow!! I'm sure you mothers out there can appreciate this challenge.

Several months into her fourth pregnancy, MckMama's doctors told her that her unborn child, Stellan, had a terminal condition relating to his heart. He would most certainly be either stillborn or die shortly after being born. While the doctors were certain that this baby would not live, they devised a treatment plan. The medication that MckMama began to take (Flecinade, I believe) caused her heart to race, and soon she was in a battle for her own life. Doctors suggested that she consider terminating the pregnancy as she was now putting herself at risk, and after all, they knew that Stellan would not survive.

And it was here that she made a choice. **Disclaimer- I am pro-life. I am a Christian, and believing in God, my choice is life.** To be perfectly truthful with you, I don't know that I would have been able to easily make the choice she did. MckMama had uncomprehensible faith when she chose to leave Stellan growing in her womb. She would continue to take the medication regardless of how it made her feel. (Doctors stabalized the dosage of medication, but it still had really nasty side effects.) MckMama's heart still raced on a daily basis, making her out of breath and tired almost all the time. Oh yeah, she was still raising THREE kids ages 3, 2 and 1.

I've followed her blog without fail for the last 4 or so months as Stellan continued to grow in her womb. You know how sometimes when you pull back from something, or maybe you're really not that close to a situation, you can see the "big" picture? There is a big- no, HUGE- picture here. God has hand-picked this woman and her family to be front and center for a miracle. I'm not kidding. When you visit her blog, look in the right column at the counter of visitors: 1,437,700 as of this blog post. Look at the world map showing where all the visitors are from. And look at this:



This is from Stellan's name gallery. These women are from the Ivory Coast in West Africa and have been praying for Stellan. Are you kidding me??

Here's where the collective "Amen!" comes in. Stellan was born Wednesday. Healthy. Alive. Well. I get shivers thinking about it. The NICU attended the birth, "knowing" that Stellan would need their care and services. The doctors cannot find a THING wrong with this child.

Here's what I have to say. God is real. God is here. NOTHING is too big for God. God has worked a miracle for this family, and while that's amazing, that's not even really the point. God used this family to bring ALL 1,437,700 people to a place where they could read about how He was working in their lives. Where there was undeniable proof that He exists. And while there's not a "counter" for this statistic, how many people do you think have been brought to know the Lord through this faithful woman and her healthy child Stellan?

Amen!

Jeanette

This is a very difficult day for one of my very best friends, Melissa. Today is the one-year anniversary of her mother, Jeanette, going to be with her Lord and Savior. Jeanette was taken from her family after a battle with breast cancer. Although I did not have the privilege to know this women, I do know Melissa. And I know that Jeanette must have been a wonderful women, because she raised a wonderful daughter. And while Melissa mourns the time that she's lost with her mother, we also celebrate, because one year ago today, the Lord our God welcomed Jeanette into his open arms. And for that, we are eternally grateful.

From LubbockOnline.com:

Jeanette Lester



Jeanette Lester, 61 of Lubbock, Texas went home to be with her Lord Monday, Oct. 22, 2007. Services will be 2 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 25th, at Bethany Baptist Church in Lubbock. Burial will follow at Resthaven Memorial Park under the direction of Resthaven Funeral Home. Visitation will be 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday.

Jeanette was born April 17, 1946, in Bryan, Texas to R.L. and Marguerite Laxson. She graduated from Lubbock High School in 1964 and later attended Draughn Business School. Jeanette loved her life and impacted each and every person she met in a very special way; whether it was a co-worker at Agnew Associates, or Hobby Lobby, or her next door neighbor, everyone was considered family to Jeanette. Jeanette's life was her children, Tiger and Melissa, and all their great accomplishments. Aunt Nette loved her nieces and nephews, always attending their soccer and t-ball games as their # 1 fan. In Jeanette's spare time, she enjoyed making afghans for each family member and playing tug-of-war with her chihuahua Sassie. Jeanette will always be remembered for the joy and happiness she brought to our lives.

She is survived by her son Tiger and wife Lindsay Lester of Lubbock, Texas; daughter Melissa Lester of Plano, Texas; brother Robert Laxson of Lubbock; sister Wanda Balle of Bartlesville, Oklahoma; and sister Doris and husband Jerry Force of Wichita Falls, Texas. She is also survived by many beloved nieces and nephews.

Jeanette will be remembered for her true dedication to the Lord. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to either Bethany Baptist Church or the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Thank you, Lord, for your promise that one glorious day, those who have chosen to accept you as their Lord and Savior will join you in Heaven. It is because of this promise that we rejoice today, through tears, knowing that Jeanette is with you. Amen.

43 to 25

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO TECH!!!!

While I can't say I'm particularly impressed with the way our Texas Tech Red Raider football season has gone so far, (especially with all the national attention on our "new and improved" defense), the fact remains that we are 7-0 this season!!

This past weekend, we whooped up on the Aggies, and man, did it feel good!! (I know I've got some Aggie readers out there, and truly, I mean no offense.) I'm only trying to put a bee in my mom's bonnet, so to speak!! I know, a little spiteful, but here's the deal- every year when we WIN, my mom (who is an Aggie, as you might have guessed) says something along the lines of "Well, my money goes to Tech, so technically, I win either way!" Yeah, right. THIS coming from a women who cries when the Core marches onto the field during half time. I'm not kidding. She actually tears up. So believe me when I say that every win against the Aggies is sweet victory!! The score this Saturday, in case you're interested, was 43 to 25.



Now, I eluded to the idea that I haven't been incredibly impressed with the way Tech's been playing this season (hello, how hard is it to kick a friggin' field goal, or extra point for that matter??!?!?) So my trash talk will most likely be short-lived, as the rest of our season is filled with high-ranking Big 12 teams (except for the last game... Sorry, Baylor.) We've got Kansas this coming Saturday, and they've been playing pretty well. Then Texas, Oklahoma St., and Oklahoma. Ick.

So, three cheers for Tech!!! Hallabalu THAT, Mom!! Here's to hoping we can keep the streak alive!! "....And the victory bells will ring out!!"

This past week-ish UPDATED

Update 10/17: Linda met with her surgeon yesterday and got the all-clear for her scans!! Yeah!! We had thought this would mean no more surgery, but in fact, they still need to go in and take a look at the lymph nodes nearest to the lump she had removed. They will actually put her under, biopsy the lymph nodes while she's under, and remove any affected lymph nodes at that time if needed. The surgery is scheduled for October 27. After that, we will know what kind of radiation we need to move forward with. It will either be a quick, 5-day round, or a long 5-week round. We are, of course, hoping for the shorter one-- what's found in the lymph node procedure will determine how long she needs to undergo radiation. So, at this point, no mastectomy!! (The surgeon did inform her, however, that she could opt for a mastectomy for safety's sake, but the doc's recommended course of action right now is radiation.) Our prayers are reaching God's ears- we've gotten the best diagnoses (sp?) possible thus far. Please keep sending up prayers for peace!

Update 10/15: Linda went in for her scans today. She said that they actually weren't that bad, so that's good. Tomorrow she'll go in and speak with the surgeon. From what she heard today, she's afraid that they're going to recommend a mastectomy, which we weren't expecting at all. Please pray for strength for Linda tomorrow as she faces the surgeon. Also pray that the surgeon won't pressure her into making a hasty decision. Thank you for your prayers- keep 'em coming!! K.

Haven't posted in a while so I thought I'd spend this post catching you up on what's been going on for the last week or so.

Last Saturday, (as in 10/4), I got a call from Brian's mom. She'd been to the doctor for a regularly scheduled mammogram. The doc saw something she didn't like, and scheduled a diagnostic mammogram. The doc then scheduled an MRI. Still not happy with what she saw, the doc then scheduled a biopsy.

Linda went in for the biopsy on Tuesday (10/8), and much to our surprise, the surgeon didn't do the biopsy. She (the surgeon) told Linda that she instead wanted to perform a lumpectomy that Friday (10/10). Now here's where we swerve wildly off the "Barrow" track. My family is full of chiefs (versus Indians) and all want to be in charge ALL THE TIME. We ask a lot of questions. We DEMAND answers. We INSIST that you PAY ATTENTION to us. (This, FYI, applies to everything, not just medical stuff.) Linda, one of the sweetest women I know, is very good at accepting the information she's provided with and moving forward. So when she came home sans biopsy on Tuesday, we (as in me) started asking all sorts of questions that no one knew the answer to.

I tried very hard to take a HUGE "faith step" (Holler, Life Group!!) last week and not force myself into Linda's situation. I REALLY wanted to fly to Lubbock, go to the doctor's office, and insist that the surgeon give us the full and complete run down again so I could hear it. I resisted and waited until Friday for the lumpectomy.

It's cancer. Stage 1, which of course is the best diagnosis (besides no cancer) that we could have hoped for. The surgeon believes she got it all with Friday's procedure, but we'll know for sure tomorrow (10/15) when they do a full body scan. I just got an email from Linda, and here's tomorrow's schedule according to her:

" Here is what Wed. looks like (I have already taken 1 bottle of barium tonight) 7:30 Admit Covenant Lakeside 8:00 Breast MRI Drink bottle barium 9:30 CAT SCAN chest, abdomen, pelvis region 10:00 Bone scan injection Blood work, EKG Apprx 12:00 Bone scan Can eat after Cat Scan After 2:00 Margarita and chocolate Thur: Dr. Ronaghan 10:15 to discuss tests and surgery options Anytime after that: Margarita or wine and chocolate"

Sounds like fun to me!! So on Thursday, we'll talk about moving forward.

Turns out Mom and Daddy got us tickets to the Tech vs. Nebraska game this past weekend, so we went to Lubbock anyways. :) We got to lay eyes, hands and prayers on Linda, which was good for everyone. Also got to see a kick-butt game (as in we won, not that we played that great.) Go Tech!! I also got to see my baby brother for the first time since he left for school, and also got to see my old friend Holly again!! Some pics from Saturday night:



Brad and me having our first drinks together- he turned 21 this past June!!




Holly and me being the sassy ladies that we are... What, what!!

So you're up to speed. That's all we've been dealing with this past week. Well, that and work. Linda and the fam really need your prayers for these next few days. We're of course praying for complete healing, but we know that God's totally in control, and that whatever happens, it will be to His Glory.

Thank you for being such an amazing support system for me and Brian- we love you guys!

Book Club- Can you feel the excitement?!?!?

Update 10/15/08: We've chosen "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen for our first book club book. We'll be meeting on November 5 to meet and discuss. I've already finished the book and really recommend it to anyone who wants a different type of read than you're used to. Join us for the meeting if you can!! (Don't you want to fly in for this, Sus??)

So I've been wanting to start a book club for a while. I attending a couple of book club meetings when we moved to McKinney a couple of years ago, but after attending a few times with NO ONE speaking to me, and perhaps EVERYONE looking at me like I was a psycho as I went around and introduced myself, I decided that the McKinney Woman Book Club was not for me. Boo. So I continued to read the books that they were reading (they picked really good ones!) and just didn't attend the meetings.

A couple of months ago, I went to a restaurant and there was a group of ladies who were talking about the books that they wanted to read that year, and drinking a lot of wine. I seriously contemplated going over and sitting down, introducing myself and simply announcing "I'm in serious need of a book club. I'm not leaving." But then I thought back to the looks I received in the last book club I was a part of, and decided against it. Boo again.

I'm close with several gals in my life group and they know of my book club-craving angst. Yet one of these friends, who shall remain nameless, is so scared that I'm going to try and drag here into this book club thing, that she told me that she's only ever read one book in her entire life. She's lying. I got it out of her that she's read AT LEAST three books!! I digress.

So last week I went to my Tri Delta Alumnae meeting and just happened to mention that I wanted to start a book club, and three girls around me were like "ME TOO!!!" So I'm happy to report that there is officially a book club in the making here. I've gone ahead and selected four books, from which the other girls will vote on which book they want to proceed with. For those of you out there who secretly want to be a part of my book club, here are the initial selections. Has anyone read any of these? Any favorites? Any suggestions for future reads?

1) Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

2) Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

3) Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi

4) Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

I would LOVE it if you wanted to offer an opinion and read along with us!! Seriously, I'm one of those HUGE dorks who loves stimulating book conversation. Or, a good reason to get together and drink wine!! It will also give me an excuse to make the cake balls I saw on Jennifer's blog, and have been wanting to try ever since!

Looking forward to the good reads!! From one book club-crazed girl to all of you guys- make it a wonderful day!! :)

Ugly Cake

So, I have some news. I'm not perfect. Wait, what?!?! You already knew that???

Well, further incriminating evidence of my imperfection has come to light. Boo.

A couple of Saturdays ago was Brian's 29th birthday. (He swears its the last one he's ever going to celebrate, but I digress.) We've been on a tight budget for quite a while, and so there was no expectation of any big presents or anything, but I've always insisted that birthdays are BIG deals, no matter what. (Note to all friends out there- birthdays are freaking big deals. Don't forgot it.) Anywho, I started out the day well enough, waking before Brian and watching TV in the living room until he woke up. And then he woke up. We had breakfast, watched college game day, etc. He got on the phone with his Mom and Dad for a long convo and CRAP!!! I completely forgot to tell him Happy Birthday!!! As soon as I realized my error, I ran out into the garage where he was on the phone, screaming "Happy Birthday!" at the top of my lungs. As if screaming it louder would overcome the fact that I'd forgotten for the last 2 hours.

So we go on about our day, we talk about what he wants to do that day, what kind of cake he wants (CRAP!! I'd forgotten to get the stuff for his favotrite cake!!), etc. So I go to the grocery store and get all the stuff for strawberry cake plus the stuff he wants for dinner. I come home, and start whipping up the perfect strawberry cake (except it's not- this is the cheap recipe that doesn't require 2 pints of fresh berries, variety of unusual ingredients, etc. This is the cheap substitute.)

Because we've only been in this house for a short time, I've not had the chance to really do a lot of cooking in this oven. So even though I put the cake in for two minutes less than the shortest recommended time, the edges were very crispy. So I cut the edges off (and ate them- don't judge me.) and waited for the cake to cool. Once cool, I started icing the cake. And I don't know where I went wrong. The icing was just not working with me. It stuck in all the wrong places, pulling bits of cake off, and then I couldn't get it to stick in the ragged nooks and crannies (where I had chopped of the crispy edges.) You know how you start with a vision of how something is going to look, and it just doesn't end up that way? Well, once my cake was iced, it was not the picture-perfect birthday cake.

So, I decided to add sprinkles. That's what everyone does when their (insert pastry good here) isn't looking so good, right?? I went for red because it's Brian's favorite color. What I got was a poor excuse for a birthday cake. Don't judge me.



Now, I know my friend Susan is laughing hysterically right now, because she's apparently great at this stuff. She competes in this stuff, people, and I know right now she is thinking "How does something end up looking that bad? Remind me to NEVER let Kelli near my kitchen!"

Anyhow. So I make Brian the ugliest cake I've ever seen (ok, maybe not the ugliest, but it does look like the cake you made when you were in the third grade and decided to make your mom a cake for her birthday!) AND I forgot to get him a card when I was at the grocery store.

I suck. I know. I'm the worst wife- and the worst baker- there ever was. The cake, I'm sad to inform you, was not great. It tasted like it was out of a box. Which it was. Because, let's say it together, I'm the worst wife ever.

But I think Brian may have liked it. :)

Don't judge me.

Fours

Four, Four, Four......

Stolen from Jennifer Y.'s blog (who always has the best chain blog posts...)

A) Four places that I go to over and over: PRstore, Christy Stout's house, WalMart Neighborhood Market, McFBC

B) Four people who e-mail me (regularly): Lindsay Stout, Melissa Lester, Old Morgan and Mom

C) Four of my favorite places to eat: Luigi's, Banana Leaf, Studio Movie Grill, Gran's house

D) Four places I would rather be right now: in bed (took this from Jennifer- good call!), Bahamas, the lake, getting a massage (Also from Jennifer)

E) Four people I think or who I'd like to respond: Hmm. Christy Stout, Ashley Coleman, Ashly Gann and Nikki Cole (but this one's doubtful b/c she hasn't even started her blog yet!!)

F) Four TV shows I watch: Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Army Wives, Psych

Okay... Your turn!

The Wedding/ Vow Renewal

So we have truly been blessed through the life group that we joined this time last year. We have grown to love these people who we just happened to be grouped with (well, actually, I'm sure God put us together, knowing that we would grow together, laugh together, challenge each other, cry together, hurt together, etc.)

A truly hysterical member of our group has been Nikki Cole and her husband, Kelly. This lady makes me laugh until I cry at things that would normally be so mundane, and I count myself blessed to know her.

Anyhow, Nikki and Kelly eloped 5 years ago. They lived in Mississippi at the time, and about 3 years ago decided to have a vow renewal to celebrate with friends and family. Well, along comes Hurricane Katrina, and ruins the whole thing!! Nikki was still thinking that they could pull it off when Kelly drove her by the church they were going to use for the ceremony and pointed out that it was no longer there.

Fast forward 2 years, and Nikki and Kelly are chatting with the life group about how they never got a wedding ceremony, and Nikki never got to where her dress, etc. Someone came up with idea to throw them a wedding celebration!! Amanda took it from there.... (Another life group member, Amanda is a detail-oriented wedding nazi. No, I'm kidding, she's a detail-oriented wedding angel. With a loud voice when you're not paying attention.)

So this past weekend was the wedding, and we spent Friday night setting everything up, and then had a girls' night with mani/ pedis, wine and brownies.



There's Nikki, Jae and Amanda showing off their gorgeous nails.



There's Debbie G who did all of our nails and Christy. Holler. (She got some straight-up black nail polish, which looked way chic. I commented on how good it looked in front of Johnny- her husband- and he looked at me as if I was the one who had coerced his sweet wife into painting her nails black, and I should be punished for said offense. I am here to set the record straight, Johnny. Sorry to rat you out Christy... It was her idea!!! And in fact, she brought her own nail polish for the occasion!! I still think it looks fab-o!)

Anywho. We had a blast!! The next day was the wedding/ vow renewal.



Here's Brian Belflower, our life group leader, conducting the ceremony for Nikki and Kelly (who looked great, by the way!!) If you've been following the days that I've mentioned, you'll have noted the irony that Dallas was, in fact, feeling the affect of Hurricane Ike on Saturday night when the ceremony took place. Luckily, no churches were blown away here, and the show did go on!

The whole weekend was a wonderful reminder of what blessings God has provided for all of us. What wonderful friends, what wonderful leaders, what wonderful spouses. I feel like I speak for all of us when I say that despite trials and tribulations that we all feel from time to time, everything melts away when you get to witness the sort of love that we did this weekend. Two people who've been married for 5 years, and are still willing to stand up and do it all over again. They know how life can beat you down, and they're wanting to stand up in front of everyone and say "I choose you. I choose this life we have together, even when it's hard. Even when I don't like you sometimes. Even when everything else tries to get the better of us, I choose us."

I'm a sucker for a happy ending. Nikki and Kelly, thank you for allowing us to share in your joy.

You've got to try this!!!

So I have a (new) obsessive past time for boring, lonely lunches at PRstore!! (First it was tetris, then it was Facebook, then it was blog stalking, then it was streaming shows on hulu.com and now its www.yearbookyourself.com!)

Check this out!! How hot am I??!??!



I know, right?! How is it possible to look so smokin'?!??! AND, check out my rockin' hubby:



Oh yeah, he's a hottie. So this is my new 'bored at the office' past time. Be careful, there's a chance that once I've run out of family members, I may pull your photos from FaceBook and start using those. I've already done my mom's...




Sweet action! So beware! And go to www.yearbookyourself.com to have a little fun of your own!!

Baby Fever!!

So, I have baby fever. Not a big shocker to those of you who spend ANY amount of time with me, but there you go... Although it's not time for Brian and me to have kiddos yet, it's still something I think about on a daily basis. You know- the "will I be a good mommy?" and "what would we name him/ her?" or "would s/he be more like me or more like Brian?" and of course "please, God, don't let me have an ugly baby!!" (This sounds very shallow, and I'll admit, it is shallow, but I don't want to be one of those moms who says "Look at my kid!! Isn't he precious?!?!" And everyone else is thinking "Holy cow, does this lady have eyes? Can she see her kid?") Truly, as long as s/he's healthy, I'll be happy!!

In the meantime, I spend as much time with my friends' kids as I can. My friends are great parents, and I'm currently enjoying being the cool "aunt" (better than "mom's friend") and being able to spoil their kids rotten. And teaching them things they probably shouldn't know... ("Madison, see if you can spit in that washer board hole without hitting the board!") Hehehe.

So I got to spend most of the weekend with our fabulous friends, and here are some shots of their precious children!!:


Me and Joey Stout (for some reason I can't get this picture to rotate...)


Joey and me again


Madison Luedke on the playground at church- this kid LOVES the playground.


My friend Amanda's other child, Brandon... oh wait, that would be her husband, Brandon.

Three-Legged Stool

When I was about to get married, my sweet, knowledgeable mother told me that marriage was like a three-legged stool. The three legs were sex, God and finances. If any of those legs was off-kilter, your stool wouldn't stand. An easy way of saying that these are the three things that people fight most over, have varying opinions of and can easily cause a BIG rift in a marriage.

Brian and I have had a pretty stable marriage. (Again, it's only been 4 years, so I know a lot of you are saying "Big whoop. Anyone can do that.") But we had three stress-free years. Three fight-free years (for the most part). Three "honeymoon" years. What I wouldn't have given to keep going on this honeymoon cruise...

What I've recently realized, though, is that the challenges we've faced in the last year have really strengthened our marriage. I loved Brian when I married him, but truly, I didn't know what it was all about. We were ignorantly happy (not that that's bad!)

So, on the first leg (ahem....sex), we've been really blessed... I'll say nothing more than this, because it's an important part of my testimony. When I was in the seventh grade, I was at church camp and I signed a True-Love-Waits card. Most of you probably know what this is, but for those who don't, it's a pledge saying you'll wait until marriage for sex. I really didn't think about it too much until college (I had NO boyfriends in high school who were worth it! Socially Correct Disclaimer: But I'm sure they've grown into well-rounded and pleasant men who their wives treasure and adore today.) In college, however, sex was the norm. There were a ton of guys who I was meeting (and honestly not too interested in) who expected girls to give it up- and here's the thing- most of them did!! So, duh, of course guys expected it! But I digress...

Then, I met Brian. Who I was wildly attracted to. Wow. And all of a sudden, that pesky true-love-waits card reared its ugly head. I'm sure a lot of people signed those cards, and then didn't give it a second thought when they were rounding third base and headed home in the bed of a pick-up truck. HOWEVER, I thought of nothing else. I couldn't get it out of my head that I was falling in love with this amazing man and the only thing I really wanted to do was IT and somehow, it just didn't seem right. So I shared this with Brian. And you know what? True love DID wait. Thank the blessed Lord above, Brian was right there with me. I had made a promise to God, and we made a promise to each other that we would wait, and we did.

So there's the first leg....

Second leg is God. When Brian and I were dating, I guess it had been around 2 months, I couldn't find anything wrong with him. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop- waiting for him to announce that by the way, his dream was to live in Antartica and, in fact, he was leaving for his 7-year sabbatical there next week. But no. No such thing occurred, but we still hadn't talked about the one thing that I figured would be a deal breaker. (Not because he acted like such a heathen, but because this was probably the one thing that I couldn't deal with.) Right before Easter weekend, I asked him:

Kelli: "So, what are you doing for Easter weekend?"

Brian: "I'll hang out with my family and go to church on Sunday."

Kelli: "You go to church?"

Brian: "Yeah. I haven't been in a while, but I always went to church when I was younger."

Kelli: "Oh yeah? What religion?" (Holding breath...please don't say scientology!)

Brian: "I went to a Baptist church when I was younger, but now a Methodist church."

Kelli: "Really? I grew up Baptist... Maybe we should go to church together sometime..." (Holding breath again.... please don't think I'm trying to push this too fast!!)

Brian: "Sure. Let's go next Sunday- do you mind going to church with my mom?"

Kelli: (inwardly- SHUT UP!! Did he just ask me to go to church with his MOM????!?!? I am IN! We are going to get married! I am going to have his babies!! Yeah, ME!!) Outwardly- "No, that's cool."

So that was how we both found out we were Christians. As you could probably tell with that little dialogue, neither of us was ACTIVELY going to church at that time. Looking back, we both were very stagnant in our Christian walks. Fast forward five or six years..... When Brian and I started a life group last fall (Sept. '07), it radically changed my Christian walk. I suddenly found what I was missing- a daily Bible study, a study group who challenged me, daily focused prayer. God began to move me. And all I could see was that He wasn't moving Brian the same way. Brian didn't like our group. Brian didn't want to do a daily Bible study. Brian wasn't committed to daily prayer. And I was devastated! I was angry at God that He would not MAKE my husband an instant spiritual leader. And God shared this with me through my life group leader:

" 1Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2when they see the purity and reverence of your lives." 1 Peter 3 1-2

God wanted me to pray for Brian, and continue walking my daily Christian walk, and God would provide Brian's path. I also could no longer allow Brian to be my excuse, so I went to life group without Brian. I prayed that my example would be noticed, and also that God would send Brian spiritual leaders to guide and direct him. (Neither one of our fathers went to church- both of our mothers were the spiritual leaders of our families.) So because Brian hadn't seen this modeled, God would have to show him the way- it wasn't something he just knew...

This was HARD for me. I tried (and failed) a lot to let the process take place, and gradually, Brian has stepped up. Brian directs not only what we need spiritually as a family, but also what I need as a wife. So while it was off kilter for awhile, that leg is balanced for the time being- it is a DAILY walk, however.

Finances. Ack. When we got married, and our first three years of marriage, we were kind of stupid. We had two good paying jobs, and we wasted our money. We did not struggle at all, we were very blessed financially, almost immediately. We tithed irregularly, and didn't ever go above and beyond what God said our obligation for giving was. Yet God continued to bless us. God blessed us with this business. And now, God is teaching us. I never understood how something like money could come between two people. And it doesn't- as long as you always have "enough". What's enough? Enough to pay the bills. Enough to eat with. Enough to buy new tires with. Enough to put a security deposit on a new home. Enough to buy a wedding present for a dear friend getting married. Enough to buy gas to go visit your family for the weekend. Enough so that you can take your dog to the vet for ear mites.

Enough.

It's an ugly, unsettling word. I think God has changed our definition of enough. What it boils down to is that when there's not "enough" for all the things you've obligated yourself to, tension rolls, and your stool is out of whack.

So our stool has been out of whack for a while, and it's hard. Yes, I know other people have it harder- I'm not comparing our situation to anything but ourselves, two years ago! It's been hard for me to admit to people that it's been harder than I expected. But I can say now that my stool is crooked. Please pray for us- we know that God will provide us with the way to "fix it"; we just don't know what that is yet. Please pray for our emotions during this time- we've yelled at each other so much this past month, I sometimes don't recognize "us". Here's what I know- I know that we will get through this, and that we will be better spouses for having this experience, and better Christians. But in the meantime, please pray! :)

Man... this is a long post....

Sacrifice

So I have some really great news, and I have some really sad news. Which do you want first? (I, by the way, am the person who always wants the bad news first... What does that say about my personality?)

I'll give you the FANTASTIC news first: my awesome, sweet, wonderful husband received a great offer on a new job today. He will be accepting this offer on Monday, and will start this new job no later than Sept. 1. This is really great news because he's been wanting to get back into software, and those of you self-employed folks out there know that there are some days (weeks, months) that it's really hard to make ends meet. Being a family with no consistent, steady income is really challenging at times, so Brian will be bringing home the bacon, and I'll keep running PRstore on a daily basis.

Here comes the BAD news: my business partner received a job offer today and will no longer be working at PRstore. AAAAHHHH!!! Are you kidding me????!!? (This is me ranting and raving...) I can't believe I have to do this by myself!! I CAN'T do this by myself. I can't be here all the time, I can't know everything he knows, I don't know how to enter payments into the accounting system, I don't know all of the website intracacies, I hate walking the dog down to the grassy hill in the middle of the day so she can pee, it's not MY job to take out the trash, I don't want to be the one to sort through all the mail. And, number one reason this is bad news- I never wanted to run a business by myself. I wanted to run a business with Brian (who, by the way, is a total entrepreneur) and it was never the intention for me to do it alone.

Whew. Now that I have that off my chest... I'm really proud of Brian, but I'm also incredibly sad (and this is something unexpected.) Because it's been a huge challenge to learn to work with Brian in the first place, I didn't think I would be upset if we went back to not working together. But I'm used to driving to work together, I'm used to eating lunch together, I'm used to making decisions together, I'm used to having him here all the time! So I'm sad for me, but I'm really happy for Brian.

This is a really cool opportunity for him, and I know he's only doing it to help our family. He's making a huge sacrifice by essentially taking on another full-time job (because let's face it- he will still have a full-time job at PRstore.) He'll have to go into work early in the morning and then head to PRstore for work here at about 4pm everyday. He'll do accounting and stuff here, and then he'll go home with me where he'll have to do all the stuff he does there. What this comes down to is that I'm really proud of him, and very thankful of the sacrifices he's willing to make for our family. I don't know of any other man that would step up to bat the way he's done, and will continue to do.

I'll keep you posted on the status of the job, updates, how it's going, etc. I've learned to ask for help in the last year, and I'm asking for it now- I need your prayers. Please pray for my grace- that I will be a grace-filled wife throughout this whole process, and focus on my husband's needs as opposed to my (crazy) feelings/emotions. Please pray for Brian- that he will have confidence and energy- it will take a lot of energy to do all that he needs to!

More soon...

Where, oh where, has summer gone?!?!

So it's August 8th, and that means that summer is almost gone. Seriously?!? Wasn't Memorial Day like last week? Sure seems like it. I'm starting to hear "Back to School" ads (actually, those started about a week after the 4th of July) and I remember how depressed I used to get when I was younger, and about to head back to school after a long, relaxing summer. It took at least 1 month to get used to the stricter schedule/ bedtime after school started. On a happier note, though, starting school meant great school supplies, and I am STILL a sucker for school supplies. Glossy Hello Kitty folder- sign me up!!!

Not much going on with us during these last dog days of summer... Did you know that "dog days of summer" is an actual, real thing- not just a saying? Found that out this year. You learn something new every day!

My cousin Nathan and his wife Lucy are about to have their first baby ANY MINUTE now, so cute baby pictures will follow some time next week, I'm sure. Tune in for those!

Happy birthday to my best pal Brooke, and my friend Susan, whose birthdays are tomorrow! You guys are getting old!

Congratulations!

A very dear friend from high school (and a bridesmaid in my wedding) Melanie Mims and her fiance Will Curtis.

Another precious friend from high school, Lauren Pond- otherwise known as "Rena P" (but only to me!) and her fiance Joshua Littlefield.

A Tri-Delta sorority sister at Tech, and one of the sweetest people I know, Lauren Savard and her fiance Jarret Scruggs.

A wonderful friend from high school, Becky is not only a blast to hang around but incredibly ambitious and successful- Becky James and her fiance Matt.

I am so excited! I have so many friends who are recently engaged and are about to get married! There was a big rush of gals who got married within that 6 month window after graduating college (that's when Brian and I got married), and now there seems to be another rush of friends who are 3 to 4 years out of school, have lived their lives and found the person they want to marry.

I am so pumped for these friends, and feel like I have so much advice to give them after being married for 4 years (Brian and I celebrate our 4-yr anniversary on Thursday!) It's crazy how much I still don't know and how much I still have to learn about marriage, but I wish I had listened to all that advice that you get right before you get married. "Don't go to bed mad"; "Talk about who's going to handle what within the household"; "Think long and hard about working with your spouse" (oh wait, no one told us about that last one!)

Anyhow, I think all of that advice you get before you get married, you accept with a smile and think in your head "I don't know what this person's talking about, we're never going to fight about THAT." Haha. Don't you wish! But in reality, you will have to learn all those lessons on your own, and no matter what anyone tells you, you have to live it before you can say "You know, I'd probably handle that different if I had the chance again."

This past year has probably been the hardest in our marriage (that's not saying a lot since we've only been married 4 years!) But we've had to deal with things that I never imagined: working together, having my husband be my boss (big one!), being unsure how we were going to pay the store AND the home bills, deaths of some close family friends that affect you more than you ever expected, wanting to start a family and not being able to, going through some pretty big spiritual growth times, moving and trying to decide if Brian should go back in to software. It's a lot to deal with, but you know, I would rather have hard times with Brian than easy times with anyone else. At the end of the day, I just feel SO incredibly lucky that God brought us together, and I'm so excited for my friends who are just starting this journey.

May God bring you as much excitement, joy and laughter as He's brought us. Congratulations!

One Word

I stole this from Jennifer Yeager's blog. Fun little treat for you guys....

1. Where is your cell phone? desk
2. Significant other? Brian
3. Your hair? flat
4. Your mother? beautiful
5. Your father? hilarious
6. Your favorite thing? Brian
7. Your dream last night? unmemorable
8. Your favorite drink? cola
9. Your dream/goal? family
10. Room you're in? store
11. Your hobby? friends
12. Your fear? poverty
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? happy
14. Where were you last night? home
15. What you're not? rich
16. Muffins? blueberry
17. One of your wish list items? baby
18. Where you grew up? Midland
19. What are you wearing? dress
20. Your pets? Goose
21. Your computer? lifeline
22. Your life? blessed
23. Your mood? distracted
24. Missing someone? friends
25. Your car? broken
26. Something you're not wearing? pants
27. Favorite store? loft
28. Your summer? hot
29. Your favorite color? blue
30. Last time you laughed? Monday
31. Last time you cried? Sunday

Your turn...

So Tired....

Well, as I mentioned before, we are moved to Plano. We've spent the week unpacking and trying to maintain normal work hours at the store. We couldn't have done it without Brian's sister, Andrea, being here and helping us out. She packed everything last week while we were working, and unpacked everything this week as we were working.

Some of you may remember me mentioning that in our McKinney house, we had intentionally not unpacked quite a bit of stuff- mostly decorative stuff, books, serving pieces, that sort of thing. (We were planning on only being in the McKinney house for 6 months.) So now, knowing that we'll be in this house for a while, we're trying to get all of that stuff unpacked, and it just keeps coming. We definitely want to have a functional garage this time around, and that's our goal this weekend. We want to get at least one car in the garage.

In order to get all of this stuff unpacked, we've got to get the furniture arranged so we can put the decorative stuff on it, hang pictures, etc. Well, we can put the furniture WE HAVE where it goes, but we're going to have to find some new pieces. For the first time, we have a formal living and dining room, and we literally have NOTHING in it. Nothing. Also, when we were putting the TV on the entertainment center, it cracked through the middle. So now, our TV is on a folding table. Really classy looking, let me tell you... So I'm back to that temporary feeling, because we're going to have to slowly add stuff. (Although if anyone out there has an entertainment center, dining room table or couch they want to give us, we'll take it!!)

On top of all this, Brian and I are both suffering from several strained muscles due to moving WAY to heavy stuff. It's actually pretty humorous to hear us moan and groan... Goose is loving the backyard, though, and we're excited to have some trees and foliage in the back for shade. We'll actually have a place for the BBQ pit now, so get ready for some awesome burgers!! Say prayers for our muscles... More next week...

Yeah! Blogging!!

I'm so excited to have a blog! (Brian is going to be SOOOO proud.) When he found out that our friend Ashly had a blog, he could not have been MORE impressed. I will say that he's probably going to be disappointed that I just created a blog and didn't ask him what site he thought I should use or for any other blogging advice...

So we just moved into our new house in Plano, and I'm already in love with being closer to everything. The new house is about 10-15 miles closer to the store than our home in McKinney, and even though we can't use highways on the commute, it still feels so much closer. AND, we're closer to a lot of our friends. We are really sad to be moving further from our McKinney friends, church and Sicily's Italian Restaurant (so good, and SOOO cheap!)

We made the decision awhile ago that even if we moved really far away, (which it turns out we haven't), we would keep attending church at McKinney Fellowship Bible Church. It took a really long time to find a church that we both liked, and even longer for us to feel "connected" to people within the church. Now, we have a close network of friends there, and we wouldn't dream of leaving. Not only the actual church, but our Life Group has been an amazing blessing. I've never been involved with a small group before, and while I didn't know what to expect, I've got so much out of knowing these people. Brian has to, even though it took him longer to warm up (what can I say- guys are less emotional and open!)

So the new house is great, even though it needs quite a few repairs (thanks to the last residents.) Even though we are just renting the house now, we feel like it's a home we would eventually like to buy. Even if that doesn't come to fruition, we are going to treat this home like it's our own. What I mean is, God has blessed us with this home, and we are taking ownership and responsibility for it. So, we'll be good stewards, and hopefully down the road God will grow those blessings.

Okay. Yeah blogging!! Have a good week!