The Bergeron Experience

Ellie's First Few Weeks

2012-01-31T10:45:00.005-06:00

....were hard!!! I never thought having a newborn was going to be easy, but oh my word it was much harder than I expected. At the hospital, right after she was born, she had some blood sugar issues and they called the pediatrician in at 5am. He then ordered a blood sugar test before every feeding...so my poor baby was pricked every 2 hours. It was horrible. That made me so anxious about feeding her, which sounds terrible, but I knew if it was time to feed her she would also be getting her blood taken. Breastfeeding was also hard, partly because of the c-section, and partly because I had no idea what I was doing! I think I must win some prize for the most visits by the hospital's lactation consultant! Seriously. Bless this lady's heart! I tried to joke later, as I had 4 people hovered around me, that it takes a village to breastfeed a child. Ha!

Looking back now, I think part of the problems I had with breastfeeding had more to do with the hormonal imbalances of just having had a baby. I was very emotional. I cried over everything. My mom stayed a week after Ellie was born, thank goodness! I was a wreck! At our first pediatric appointment, Ellie had lost more weight and they thought she looked more jaundice. We had to take her to get blood work, and I started pumping to give her more food. We took her back for a weight check at the end of the week and she still hadn't gained weight. I was devastated! It took over 3 weeks for her to gain weight, and 4 weeks for her to return to her birth weight. I was so stressed out! We supplemented with formula, and as much as I hated doing that, it really did the trick. After 6 weeks she gained weight like a pro! Looking at her now, I cannot believe we ever had weight issues! She is my little chubster!

My OB told me I would be emotional for the first two weeks after delivery, but I didn't think it would be that bad. It was awful. I don't think I have cried so much in my life. I was worried and scared all of the time, and every little thing made me cry. The lack of sleep didn't help either. When my mom left I thought life was over. Ha! Not really, but I think that is how I acted. I cried about her not being here for weeks. Occasionally I still do! Probably around the 3rd or 4th week my emotions settled down. I was still a nervous wreck, but I wasn't as emotional about it.

Ellie had horrible reflux...I didn't medicate her for it, but I was terrified about her sleeping on her back. She hated it anyway....she hated being swaddled, and she hated sleeping flat. We think she hated the swaddle because she was never cramped in my uterus...she was free to move and swim until the very end! So we bought a Nap Nanny, and that worked really well for us until week 6. At that point she just decided she didn't like it....she made so many noises, almost like she couldn't settle into a deep enough sleep. I think she would have slept a lot better if I wasn't constantly hovering over her! At almost 8 weeks we moved her into her bedroom, and without me being there, and in her own crib she started sleeping like a champ! She slept two nights in there before we had the scare of our lives and spent the next 10 nights in the hospital....but that is for another post! Here are some pictures of our sweet baby from her first month...

Ellie and my dad

Ellie and Dr. Rowe

Ellie loves her daddy!

Relaxing in her bouncy seat

1 month birthday!

Ellie's Birth Story...Delivery

2012-01-30T13:01:00.010-06:00

Boy am I glad this part of our story is over! Dr. LeBlanc scheduled my induction for October 19th, but I was to go to the hospital on the 18th to get the whole process started with cervidil. If you don't know what that is, you don't want to. It was awful!!! By the way, have I mentioned how much I love my OB? I chose her after I found her on the Christian Medical/Dental Association website. It was so important to me that my OB was pro-life; I wanted a doctor who would see my baby AS A BABY, and not just a bunch of cells. My OB also happens to be Ron Paul's daughter! Don't believer me?? Check this picture out...she is in the gray blazer...

Anyway! We went to the hospital for our registration appointment at 2 on the afternoon of the 18th. We were supposed to be admitted at 5, so after the blood work and paper work we went to get something to eat for our 'last meal'. We were told to call before going in, and when we did they told us they were full and we should call back around 7. So Mike and I went home to take a nap, and we didn't end up going into the hospital until 9 that night. They inserted the cervidil and started the IV. When I was admitted I was about 50% effaced, and dilated to a 1.5. The cervidil didn't do a darn thing! I was the exact same the next morning when they started pitocin.

They started the pitocin around 6 am on the 19th, and also started giving me antibiotics through the IV because I had tested positive for Group B Strep (which will be part of another post, so remember this!). Around lunch time, Dr. LeBlanc came in and I was around a 3 at that point so she went ahead and broke my water. I was having lots of contractions, and tons of pain in my back and tailbone. I waited a couple of hours and then got the epidural. I was so terrified of the epidural! Seriously....I dreaded that more than anything going into the whole labor process! It was not nearly as bad as I was expecting, but it didn't work. I wasn't sure exactly how long it was supposed to take, and how much I was still going to feel so I didn't say anything for awhile. I finally had to say something to the nurse because the catheter hurt so badly. They allowed me to go without it, but I was still having horrible pain in my back and tailbone. A CRNA came in to give me some extra drugs in the IV, but they only helped temporarily. After the nurses switched shifts, the new nurse checked me and said I was a 6. She called Dr. LeBlanc to come in, and much to all of our dismay the nurses's 6 was actually only a 4. Boo. I was in so much pain still, and told Dr. LeBlanc about it and then she realized the epidural hadn't worked. This was around 8pm. I wish the nurse would have realized my pain meant the epidural hadn't worked! Ha! So I got another epidural....which I find humorous since that was the thing I was dreading the most! We all kind of hung out at that point, and then when I still wasn't progressing at 11pm Dr. LeBlanc decided to go ahead and deliver via c-section.

I was disappointed, but also very relieved. It took about 30 minutes for them to get the operating room ready and then back we went! It was such a long day! All I remember from the c-section is the shaking and the dry mouth. Oh the dry mouth! It was horrible! I kept asking the CRNA for anything liquid, and after she told me she would get fired for giving me something I informed her I wouldn't tell anyone! I thought I was being very nice, but she still didn't give in. I remember (and this is gross, but I think it is funny) hoping Mike would give me a kiss so I could have some of his saliva. Haha! And the first thing the CRNA said when I was seeing Ellie for the first time was, "I bet you want to lick her, don't you?". Hahaha! Hilarious! Ellie was officially delivered at 11:49 pm...almost 18 hours after being induced.

I remember the first time I really got to see her was around 3 am when they brought her in to my room, and I could not get over just how perfect she was! I looked at Mike and asked him how on earth we had the cutest baby in all the world...how were we so lucky?! Just look at how beautiful our little baby girl was!

Proud Daddy!

First family photo!

She's a beauty! (pardon my double chin)

The next couple of days, and several weeks for that matter, were pretty tough, but I will save those for another post! Ellie is such a sweet baby, and Mike and I are so thankful she is all ours!! God is so good to us, and there were several pretty amazing things from my pregnancy only He can get the credit for. Even though I had high blood pressure that developed into pre-eclampsia, Ellie and I were spared many of the 'side effects' of those conditions. Many babies with high blood pressure mommies have size issues...often times they are underweight and have health issues. Ellie grew perfectly the whole time she was in utero! Many high blood pressure mommies do not have enough amniotic fluid which can cause serious issues. I had too much amniotic fluid for a fourth of the pregnancy, and Ellie swam freely until delivery! Both of my doctors foresaw an early deliver and a preemie in the NICU....Ellie went full term and was able to go home with us! We cannot thank God enough for these many blessings! I pray we can show our gratitude to Him in raising Ellie in a home where He is glorified!

Ellie's Birth Story...My Pregnancy

2012-01-21T21:51:00.005-06:00

Three months late is better then never, right?? I love Ellie's birth story...it is so nice to think about it all now that we are done with it. Ha! My pregnancy was rough, but the precious little miracle we got to take home at the end of it all is so worth it. I want to always remember it, and I love talking about how God used all of these circumstances to bring me to rely on Him fully.

The pregnancy started out great; I had just lost around 15 pounds when we found out I was pregnant, and my PCP pulled me off of my blood pressure medicine as soon as I took a positive pregnancy test. I was so elated, and was very hopeful I would go the whole pregnancy with normal blood pressure numbers. For the first 9 weeks my BP was perfect, and I felt great. I had very little morning sickness, just some dizziness that went away pretty quickly. In week 10 I started getting some headaches so I decided to take my blood pressure. I don't remember how high it was, but I know it was high enough to cause me to panic and call my OB. She had me come in the next day to discuss medication. She also declared my pregnancy a high risk pregnancy and set me up with a high risk doctor we would see off and on throughout the pregnancy. Little did we know these two people would become so important to us....and would hold such a special place in our hearts!

After about 12-14 weeks of trying different medications we finally found a combination of two different prescriptions that would regulate my blood pressure. I felt great! The summer went really well until Labor Day weekend. I started getting headaches again, and my BP numbers kept climbing. I called my OB the Tuesday after Labor Day, and they told me to head to the hospital because the 24-hour urine test I had done the week before came back with high protein numbers. In the hospital I did another 24-hour urine test that confirmed I had super-imposed preeclampsia. We were told on Wednesday that we would be at the hospital until Ellie was born. I was devastated!!! The nursery wasn't done, the house wasn't clean, I still had two showers to attend, and spending months in the hospital sounded like torture! I didn't know that the doctors didn't think we would make it very much longer at that point. My OB had us tour the NICU, and that was one of the scariest days of my life. I could not imagine having to leave our little princess in the hospital. I cried during the whole tour. It was awful! Later that week they had me do another urine test, and at that point the protein had gone down significantly and we were able to go home on bed rest. Mike and I were thrilled! I don't know if we have ever been happier to see our house!!! I knew I had to have someone with me full time so I asked my mom to come stay with me. This year is the first year my mom has worked full time since before my older sister was born....figures!!!

For the next 7 weeks I was on strict bed rest, only leaving the house for doctor's appointments. My mom stayed, and I had so much fun with her! We played cards, watched TV, she cleaned out our sock drawers, and so much more! I had a blast....I still wish she was here with us again! While I am sure I got on her nerves plenty with my never-ending questions, I can honestly say she didn't get on my nerves once, and I really enjoyed all of it....minus the bed rest part, of course.

I saw both of my doctors once a week until delivery. My OB was not going to let me go past 37 weeks so our induction was scheduled for the 3rd week of October.

Next up: Ellie's Birth Story...Delivery (you know, when I get around to it!) Here is a teaser picture...

According to some websites....

2011-05-02T17:01:00.002-05:00

I am out of the first trimester....I am 13 weeks and one day! Technically I think it might be the end of this week that puts me over the top, but either way I'll take it. We had our 12-week ultrasound last week and it was A-MA-ZING! Loved every minute of it....and it lasted over 30 minutes so there were lots of minutes to love! Our baby was stretched out and was doing the cutest little leg lifts...almost like reverse-crunches. Which is precisely what I was doing the day before I found out I was pregnant....and what I will HAVE to return to doing as soon as I can after giving birth. (Let's not talk about the 6 pounds in 2 weeks weight gain I have recently experienced.)

We are still very excited, and grateful to be parents! Our little one monopolizes all conversation, and we wouldn't have it any other way!

In other news, the school year is almost over. 21.5 days left with the kids, and I could not be happier. They are getting on my nerves, and I am sure I am getting on theirs. June 2nd will be quite an enjoyable day, and I just cannot wait till it gets here. I desperately wish Mike and I were going on some sort of grand vacation, but honestly I cannot think of any place I will want to go when it is hot and I am bigger. Ha! The beach is out, long plane trips are out, and I just cannot think of a single place to go. Any suggestions?

If I am going to finally update this blog, it better be good....

2011-04-14T15:54:00.003-05:00

Good thing for all of us....IT IS!!!!!!!!!!

In early November, we will have a precious addition to the Bergeron Experience! We are so excited to welcome a baby boy or girl to our little family!! I cannot tell you how fun it has been so far...we have seen the heartbeat three times, and we got to hear it for the first time today. The sweetest thing I have ever seen and heard! We are just so thrilled!

I am also glad that I will now have something to blog about...my boring life is going to get a little more exciting ;)!

Not much ado about anything....

2010-09-01T22:00:00.003-05:00

Hi, friends!

Can you believe it has been around 2 months since I last posted? Well, it has! Crazy! The past couple of months have flown by, and this does not sadden me at all because it is so hot! The faster we make it to fall, the better! Can I get an 'amen' from fellow Texans? Wow! I don't even want to step outside! It is just crazy hot.

Enough about the weather.

As most of you know, I started a new job. I am the Associate Director at a Huntington Learning Center in Pearland. There are lots of things I like about the job, and, with every job, there are lots of things I don't like. Such is life. There are some super cute kids who come to the center, and I love the curriculum. It is somewhat old school, and very heavy in phonics. Especially with phonics being the gateway to reading. For some reason this idea is becoming obsolete in public schools. The first-grade team I worked with last year were some of the only teachers I have seen lately who include phonics as part of everyday instruction. I really appreciate parents who sacrifice to send their kids to someplace like Huntington, and not just because it pays my paycheck! I think in this day and age supplemental education is very important...especially for kids who are at that average/below average level.

Enough about the job.

My little sister, Allison, started school at Houston Baptist this fall. She has been in the Houston area for two weeks now, and I love it! I have been able to see her two weekends in a row, and it has been fantastic! I'm not a huge fan of the part of town HBU is located in, but the campus is really nice. I am just so thrilled that Allison will be so close for the next couple of years! Woo!

I know I have many other things to share about, but I am drawing a blank. I hope y'all are doing well!

Monday Morning- 12:15 am, status: WIDE-AWAKE

2010-07-12T00:15:00.002-05:00

Oh my word, y'all! I have had the hardest time falling asleep lately. It is just AWFUL!!! I don't even know what is going on. Last night I got up at 2 to take a bubble bath...I remember thinking to myself I was wake enough to run a marathon. Okay, maybe a half-marathon. I don't even think that at 2 in the afternoon! Tonight I thought...why not blog?!! Maybe I will bore myself to sleep. Ha! Just kidding!

Do y'all have any ideas to help me out?? I think I am going to start working out at night to help wear me out. I am so out of shape that working out tires me quick! It is actually sad! Tonight I am trying wine...I'm on my second glass! The only downside is that it gives me acid indigestion...a sure sign that I getting old. I think part of my problem is I don't have the same energy output I did when school was in session, so I am just not as tired. As much as I try to stay active and away from the TV during the day, I still do not seem to waste the energy.

Enough about that! There is no room for pity-parties in The Bergeron Experience, after all! Mike and I haven't really been up to much lately...we are working around the house, getting new insurance quotes, cable provider, and trying to keep those aggravating weeds out of the flowerbed...a true futile effort! I am attempting to learn how to sew, and I am very excited that my friend Emily is showing me the ropes! My parents gave me a sewing machine a couple of Christmases ago, and I am sad to say it has been at the bottom of a closet since then. I really want to learn though! I think it will be a nice hobby to have. Do any of y'all sew? If so, what do you like to sew?

Let's see...what else is going on with us. I am still looking for a position...I really hope I get one, but if not then I think I will learn something new. Any ideas? I have been looking into different course offerings at the local colleges...there are so many options! Website design, sports (ha!), and all sorts of other goodies. So I might just have to do that! What would y'all do?? Make babies? Hahaha...I just thought I would say it before someone else does. Soon, soon, soon. That's all I will say. In the meantime....I would love your ideas.

Well...time to get some more wine!

Ahhhh, Friday!

2010-07-02T12:24:00.002-05:00

So blogger is giving me fits! I'm so frustrated! I am having formatting issues like you will not believe! Well, actually, you can believe because you can see the Cohen banner below that I could not get to fit. So sad.

Enough about my issues. I am so glad today is Friday, and that I will have a 3-day weekend with the love of my life! We have exciting things planned, such as cleaning the guest bedroom, cleaning the bathrooms, vacuuming, and mopping. Woo! Jealous, anyone? We are also going to use one of our restaurant.com certificates. I'm looking forward to that!

It has been raining like crazy here, and I love it. I spent all day yesterday at home, drinking coffee, listening to Rush, and relaxing. It was so much fun!

I am so looking forward to the 4th of July. I love this holiday! It is so important now, probably more than ever in my lifetime, that we really cherish our freedom! Some people want to take our freedoms away with the passing of new laws, and the nomination of a new judge. This 4th of July, though, I am going to focus on the those that died for our country's freedom, and the One who gives us the ultimate freedom: freedom from our sin!

I've been praying a lot lately that the Lord will increase my hunger for His Word....that the desire I have to know Him through scripture will increase, and I read this verse today and thought it was so cool.

"When Your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God Almighty."

-Jeremiah 15:16

Blog Moment of Silence for Cohen

2010-07-01T11:52:00.002-05:00

Restaurant dot com!

2010-06-30T22:19:00.002-05:00

So perhaps I am late to the scene on this amazing site, but have y'all checked out restaurant.com? It is amazing! I got an e-mail a couple of weeks ago that had a promo code for 80% off at this website, so I checked it out. It is the coolest thing! I spent 6 dollars, and got 3 $25 certificates to 3 different restaurants. It does have some stipulations, such as gratuity is added on first, and you have a minimum purchase of $35. BUT, I will take it! That means Mike and I will have 3 dates nights at fancy Houston restaurants for under $25! These are places that we would never go to without coupons...we are not fancy eaters! I am really glad though to have something to do that is out of our normal date night routine. We are going to try our first place this weekend! I am so excited!

I just had to share this fabulous find with y'all, just in case you hadn't heard!

Later!!

Newsflash, Newsflash: Absent Blogger Returns!

2010-06-29T20:46:00.003-05:00

But please do not get too excited, because I feel like I have absolutely nothing to share. I really feel like lately I just have nothing to add to the blog-o-sphere, and it is preventing me from leaving my digital carbon footprint on blogger. Of course, I am in no way an environmentalist, online or offline, so perhaps I should just be filling the techno-space with my thoughts anyway.

Let's see....it has been almost 3 months since my last blog. Below is a bulleted synopsis of the last 3 months of my life.

finished my time with the Kindergarten class, including class party and graduation (which was too cute!)
the month of May was filled with exciting things like: my dad's b-day, Allison's 18th b-day, Allison's high school graduation, and my mom's graduation from Texas State! It was so busy, and I felt like we were never home!
got a new Keurig coffee maker....it has CHANGED MY LIFE!!!
started reading Mere Christianity
painted the front door
had excellent house guests and shopping pals in my mom and Allison
went to Dallas to see the Irving Lyric Stage production of Bye Bye Birdie...it was the BOMB.COM
had a very unsettling dentist experience
reorganized my kitchen

And that's all I can think about. Y'all, I am BORING! I cannot believe it. I actually think the blog-block happened when I took so long to update it originally, so I will just have to not let that happen anymore.

Hello??!!!!

2010-04-07T21:50:00.002-05:00

WOW! WOW! WOW!!! I cannot believe it has been so long since I have blogged. How sad! I think about it every day, if that makes you all feel better. If any of you are still reading...

I can't even tell you why I haven't blogged. I have been quite busy, but that is no excuse. I have enjoyed reading everyone else's blogs in lieu of writing on my own!

I am not posting much....just a quick run down of the past couple of weeks.

School:

-teaching kindergarten can be very tiring

-I have a daily scraping-off-glue-from-my-arms-and-pants ritual

-I have daily conversations that begin with "Can you tell me why you were in time-out?"

-my patience is great until about 1:00

-some days I do not like my own name

-I love hearing "I love you, Mrs. Bergeron", several times an hour

-there is one student who can just look at me and smile and all is forgiven...she is so sweet!

Home:

-we went to Dallas for pictures...I know...me taking pictures...amazing

-my sister and her family are coming to stay with us this weekend...so I should have awesome Maggie and Reagan pictures

-the week after they come, my parents are bringing Allison to HBU to visit the campus, and they will all be staying with us...yeah!!!

I'm sorry I have so little to share...I always have thoughts of what to blog about and tend to forget them as soon as I sit down to type it out. Ha! I will definitely update more later!! Take care...sorry for being so lame this time (ha...this time, like usually I am not sorry for being so lame...hahaha!).

Spring Break...and fun news!

2010-03-21T00:11:00.003-05:00

Well I am so excited to share some fun news with you all...starting Monday, the 22nd, I will be teaching kindergarten at the school I did the internship at! I am thrilled to be given this opportunity, and cannot wait to get started. The original teacher is pregnant with twins, one boy and one girl (how cool is that?), and is going on leave early. She is such a good teacher...I am so happy she has the kids in such a good routine, and that they are so well-behaved.

Mike took me to celebrate this last Saturday with a day of shopping and dinner at Cheesecake Factory. We had so much fun! We got to eat out on the patio, overlooking the fun that is The Woodlands, and really enjoy each others' company. The weather was perfect, and the food was amazing. I know that it is just the two of us on a daily basis, but there is still something so fun about going out some place special. You know? We had great conversation and lots of laughs. I married a very funny man, and I love that he can make me laugh!

Mike took Monday and Tuesday off so we could spend some time together over the break. We worked around the house and yard...not always fun, but definitely needed to get done. We still aren't done with the yard, but the weather hasn't been fantastic since we started.

On Thursday, I went to Seguin to spend time with my family. My mom, my sisters, and I went to get pedicures Thursday night followed by a meal at Chuy's. Friday, all of us Schaeffer kids went to lunch in San Marcos and then spent some time shopping at the outlets. It was so much fun! Then Saturday we had a lunch to celebrate my mom's birthday. I really wish Mike could have been there, but I came home shortly after cake and presents so we could spend the rest of the weekend together.

Looking back at this post, I now see how random and jumbled it appears. I am not going to attempt to fix any of it at this point though. Ha! I have so much more to post...I really want to share some of the Beth Moore tidbits from the last several weeks, but that will have to be a whole new post....I just looked down and realized it is after midnight. Yikes!

Sadie Hawkins Year?

2010-03-13T11:57:00.002-06:00

The strangest thing has happened the past couple of times we have been out to dinner....the waiters and/or waitresses have brought me the check. I mean they walk to the table and place it right in front of me. Why?? Who does that?? I try not to act too surprised or upset, but I do make it a point to pass it right across the table to Mike...in front of them. I know that the money comes from the same place, and we are married so it really doesn't matter where the money comes from, but it really gets on my nerves. Ha! I love date night, and I love it when Mike pulls out my chair, opens my door, and PAYS FOR MY MEAL. Call me old-fashioned.

House-hunting question...

2010-03-06T23:22:00.005-06:00

We are probably going to put our house up on the market soon...well sometime this year, and I have a question for you all. Before I continue, how about a little background? When we bought this house we had already looked at 20-30 houses, and knew, more or less, what we wanted. By the 10th or 11th house we learned to put aside things we knew we could change in a house: paint, wallpaper, fixtures, etc., and judge the house solely on the permanent features. In saying that I will also say that we chose a house that the owners' had done absolutely nothing cosmetic to...absolutely nothing. It was a clean slate when we moved in. It was fantastic!

My question to you is how important are the cosmetic features of the house? Do you automatically turn away from homes that you have to paint? We have painted our living room, kitchen, and master bathroom. (Yes, we were planning on moving on to the master bedroom, but I cannot decide on a theme and at this point it seems futile.) The kitchen is a great color...love it. The living room is a little more bold. It has two colors...one strong accent wall and the remaining three walls in a lighter color. I found this pallet at Lowe's that featured colors from the wine country and included colors from the actual wine, the fields, grapes, and even the barrels. Gorgeous. Our main wall is painted in the Oak Barrel color, which turned out to be more orange than brown. I love it. The three walls are painted in a golden yellow color that represented the fields...I cannot remember the exact name. I love the combination, but am wondering if some will not be so fond. It goes with everything we have so it is a perfect fit for us.

What I want to know is if y'all think we should paint the main accent wall a more neutral color, such as a green to go with the golden yellow? The wine country pallet had a green that went beautifully with both colors. As we are looking at houses now, I automatically start thinking about the changes I would make to the house to make it ours. I don't even think about what is currently there because I know I will probably change it anyway. Do you think most buyers are like us? They will buy the house, based on the structure and more permanent features, and recognize they can change anything else they don't like?

Thoughts, please!

March Madness

2010-03-05T21:26:00.003-06:00

Do you know what I miss about working in an office environment? All of the betting opportunities! I miss the Super Bowl predictions and Sweet 16 brackets. So much fun! One year I even WON! 80 bucks!

I cannot believe it is March already...this year is flying by! I am so ready for spring weather though, as I'm sure everyone else is as well. Can you believe how cold it has been? We did not get any snow this year, but I am really okay with that. When it snowed in December it killed all of our flowers and flowering bushes. I am not looking forward to replacing those! Seriously, I think the area of our house that has received the most attention is the flower bed. The irony is that it is actually a really small flower bed. I made the decision a few months after moving in that I was going to uproot everything and start over. When we moved here it had this monkey grass like plant that grew out of control. (I don't really know why I am blogging AGAIN about my plants.) I uprooted it and we planted new stuff, palms, crotons, etc. Then Ike visited. We replanted. Then we got snow. We replanted. Then we got snow AGAIN! What are the chances??

Because of this I will be spending some beautiful weekends at Lowes and the wonderful Houston Garden Center picking out just the right plant, and then the rest of the weekend debating whether to plant it all myself or hire someone to do it. I have had good experiences with both...however, hiring someone to do it saves on so much frustration, which is sometimes worth the cost.

Do any of y'all have a plant that you can depend on, through all seasons, to stay alive, look good, and grow?

Inadequacy...

2010-02-28T22:36:00.002-06:00

As most of y'all know, Beth Moore released her latest book, So Long, Insecurity, a few weeks ago and invited readers to partake in an online "study" with her and her daughters. I jumped at the opportunity to take part in this, one because I love the topic, and two because I love having a source of accountability as the pressure to post my comments provides! Insecurity is an interesting topic, isn't it? We all have moments of insecurity, and our individual struggles with insecurity change as our life situations change. I can tell you mine have changed throughout the years, while some remain a steady ~~friend~~ enemy to me.

Growing up, I had normal insecurities: friendships, school, grades, appearance, etc. I would say most of those lasted through college. Of course many more were added: graduation, career, money, finding a husband, etc. After I got married many insecurities went away, but they were quickly replaced with new ones: would I be a good wife, mother, could I keep a home, manage money, etc. Isn't it funny that the issue of insecurity can be such a stronghold on our lives?? Especially as women. Perhaps funny is not the right word to use. Sad? Frustrating? Angering? Perhaps for some, even devastating? Show me a woman who says they have never battled with insecurity, and I will advise you to steer clear of the bolt of lightening. We all have. What I love so much about this book is the impetus placed on the reader to hand over their insecurities to the One who can make us secure. Isn't that a great idea? Why is it so difficult?

This book is so good for me because lately, and so much so this past week, I have been struggling with INADEQUACY. It is a big, ugly word. I feel enveloped by it. I will spare you the mental list I made listing every area I feel inadequate in, but let me tell you, it reaches every area of my life. I look around at my house and I feel inadequate. I drive up to my winter-weather abused flower beds and feel inadequate. I talk with a friend who needs uplifting and feel inadequate. So much for sparing y'all the list, huh? I got carried away. Can I be honest? Of course I can, it is my blog. I feel like I am in such an awkward place in life right now. So awkward. At points, embarrassingly awkward. All pride aside, I am laying it out. Feel free to hit the x button on the top of the screen if I am making Y'ALL feel awkward and uncomfortable.

I feel like I should be in one "phase" of my life right now, and yet I am in a completely different one. I decided to make a career change, and you know where that leaves me?? Competing for jobs alongside recent college grads 6 years younger than me who chose this career upon entering school. Awkward. Inadequate. When I decided to make this career change I really had to chuck all pride out the door. I make it sound so easy, don't I? Can I confess something else? Two years ago I was feeling pretty good about myself, professionally. I had been with a great oil and gas company for almost a year, and was just told I would be getting a promotion. I had just been moved into a great office with a gorgeous view of downtown Houston AND the Galleria. I was being called into meetings with the CFO to discuss various matters. I was sitting pretty. Then I made a career move, chasing money, that completely changed my desires. I ended up with a company that killed my desire to be in business. During this time though, my security was placed in my professional accomplishments, aspirations, and the number of degrees I held at that moment. Oh did I take pride in those degrees. I'm embarrassed to say that I valued myself higher than those who did not possess the same degree. I even made sure some knew that I had the highest level in one company I worked for. Embarrassing. You want to know something about those degrees?? They mean absolutely nothing in the career I am entering, and I only think about them now because I am making monthly payments on the massive loans I took out to obtain them. Embarrassing. Inadequate.

So back to feeling inadequate. Because I haven't embarrassed myself enough. Looking back at who I was two years ago, and how I valued myself and others, I have every reason to feel inadequate. HOWEVER, how I valued myself and others WAS AND IS NOT how God values us. Praise the Lord! "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart!" (I Samuel 16:7) That is great news to me, how about to y'all? As Beth puts it in her book, I was relying on a false positive for my security. She says "acquiring your prominent false positive is like putting a finger in the crack of a bulging dam" (p.39). Now that it is gone, where is my security?

Mike and I were talking about this as I was sharing with him my struggles and feelings of inadequacy, and I finally asked him, "What do I do with this?". Sometimes where we are (and I am saying we because I am praying y'all can empathize with me a little bit!) in life is UNCOMFORTABLE...but I believe God has me where I need to be, because He is going to work in my heart! He is going to remove the strongholds of inadequacy and insecurity even if it means going through the painful tearing away of my pride and comfort. While He is working in me, I will praise Him for loving me and wanting me to live WITHOUT these strongholds. So as I sit here and try not to feel inadequate in my blog post...okay, that one was for fun, I am going to pray for everyone reading Beth's new book (and those who are going to go buy it now!), that they will be able to shed their insecurities, and run to the One who CAN and WILL make us secure in all the areas that matter!

The adventures of a 1-star customer in a 4-star hotel...

2010-02-22T11:16:00.002-06:00

I'm pretty sure we will never be invited back to the beautiful Adolphus. We went on a little getaway this weekend to downtown Dallas. We had to go to the Dallas area for my youngest brother Peter's playoff basketball game so we decided to make a getaway out of it! We found a great deal for this wonderful 4-star hotel on Expedia and hit the road for a much needed night away. We had a blast! However I do not believe the Adolphus had a blast with us. Perhaps my expectations were way high because I knew that it was a 4-star hotel. I am stalling. Here goes.

Before I crawl into any hotel bed I check the sheets and pillowcases. After watching a 20/20 expose on hotel filth I am extra paranoid. By the way, watching that was a big mistake. BIG mistake. As I am examining the pillowcases I notice little bitty blood stains and a long black hair. So I ask Mike to call and get us new pillowcases. Then I am examining the sheets and I notice some more little bitty bloodstains. I asked Mike to call and get new sheets. This very nice woman comes up to re-make our bed, and while she is doing so Mike looks down at his hand and notices a small cut on his finger that had obviously been bleeding. Needless to say he hid that hand until the gal was done making the bed. I felt horrible! In our defense though the black hair was definitely not ours...

I wish the story ended there, but it doesn't. The next morning I jumped out of bed to take a shower, started the shower water, and looked for a towel. I looked everywhere...in all of the closets, drawers, and all around the bathroom (which was the largest I had ever seen in a hotel). I could not find them anywhere! So I called housekeeping to ask for bath towels. 20 minutes came and went and still no towels. I was getting very frustrated. So I call again, and about 10 minutes later I had my towels. I started the water again and opened the shower curtain to step in, and what do you think I found hanging on TOWEL RACKS in the shower?? Yep, bath towels. Doesn't it figure?

I seriously doubt our invitation for another great night at The Adolphus is in the mail.

Oh me, oh my, oh MERCY!

2010-02-18T20:28:00.003-06:00

When I quit my job in December of 2008, many things changed in our lives. MANY things. Going from two salaries to one, never balancing the checkbook to having to sit down and focus on a budget, eating out all the time to signing up on a budget-friendly recipe/shopping planner site, etc. Mike and I made changes that I never would have thought I would have CHOSEN to make. There was some worry, especially on Mike's part, about whether or not I could adjust to a budget. Anyone who knows me, knows that I love to shop. I can shop anytime, anywhere. I can window shop, online shop, gift shop, and major spend shop. There can be no stopping me. Nevertheless stop is exactly what I had to do. Oh the depression! But let me tell you that never before have I seen God's hand in something in my life as the past 14 months. Not in a prosperity way by any means, but in a heart-changing, "you will learn to depend on HIM" way! I have seen Him guide our decision-making, strengthen my husband's professional drive, and bring us closer together than I ever thought possible.

When I stopped bringing home a salary our whole marriage structure changed. The roles we had assumed changed. Mike was able to fulfill his God-given roles as a husband, and I was able to practice my submission. Notice I said practice. Boy is that a hard concept for a strong-willed woman! But God is not through with me yet! I'm also pretty sure that just in case a feminist has been reading my blog she will discontinue doing so after this post! I firmly believe in the Biblical roles God has ordained for a man and his wife, and I will not shy away from saying so! I respect my husband in a way I never have before, and I cherish the role of wife more than I ever have before. This has been a fantastic transformation in our marriage. This change alone has been worth all of the slaps on the face of my ego and struggles with insecurity. (sidenote: Are we "there" yet? No, of course not. The Christian's walk with the Lord is never done here on earth! There are constant struggles, time spent kneeling on our knees praying for forgiveness, and the ever-present awareness of my weakness and His strength.)

I truly believe that while quitting my job was done rashly, God has been able to move in such an amazing way to bring glory to Him! All of the little things that have taken place in our lives have only increased the knowledge of our dependence first on God, and second on each other.

I've been meaning to write this post for some time, and while it contains nothing earth-shattering or life-altering, I feel it is important to praise God in this area of our lives PUBLICLY! It is one thing to acknowledge between ourselves when we see God working in our lives, and it is another to proclaim it! I started thinking about this awhile back when I was reflecting over the past 14 months since I left the corporate world. I feel so much peace about the decision, even though I will admit I did not at all stop to ask what my Savior thought of this decision. Praise God for working in our lives even we fail to include Him in our decision-making. God is all-powerful and my failings never change His will or ability!!

I also want this blog to be a source of remembrance for us on our lives: before children, during and after children, and through all of our struggles. I am going to be as open as I can on the World Wide Web, and share our lives with you: the good, the bad, and the ugly. And if it gets so ugly that no one reads it then at least we will still have it for posterity's sake.

My thoughts on Junie B. Jones....

2010-02-16T21:34:00.003-06:00

Have y'all heard of this series of books for elementary aged students? The story starts with this girl, Junie B, in kindergarten and moves with her to first grade. The kids love it. I hate it. The grammar is horrid, and Junie B. uses language we do not allow the students to use. Language such as poopy-face, dumb, stupid, etc. She is rude, loud, and disrespectful. These books will not be in my classroom. Have I mentioned the horrible grammar? I think it is important to set an example of how we should speak to the students, and reading them books that do not encourage proper grammar is unacceptable. If I am going to correct a student for their speech, is it proper to then turn around and read them a book they find enjoyable that is full of grammatical errors? If I am going to correct them when they use "bad" words, is it appropriate for me to read them a book that has the star character saying "I'll stick a banana up your nose"?

Junie B. visited our school today and displayed her horrible grammar and poor word usage. At the very end of the presentation she told the kids to get up and act like monkeys. Really? Smart. Let's get 140 first graders to act like monkeys and then turn them back over to the teachers. Very smart.

I know this is not really that important, but I do not like the double standard, and I do think it is very important to teach kids the proper way to speak and act. Do we want them to grow up to act and speak like idiots? I think not.

Happy Valentines Day to Me!

2010-02-11T16:38:00.003-06:00

It's here!!! I got home today and the package containing my present was awaiting me. So I opened the box and saw this:

Then I opened that cute box and found this:

I know the picture is not the best, but it is just perfect! It says mike & christie 8-12-06. Oh how I love it! And it has a cute little pearl that dangles over it (it is off to the side in the picture). It is so beautiful, and we ordered if off of this fantastic website. Lisa Leonard Designs, linked on the side of this blog, is a website that sells hand-crafted jewelry. Check it out! I bet you will fall in love!

What a face!

2010-02-08T17:47:00.002-06:00

I just love him!

My simple, little, joyous project...

2010-02-08T17:20:00.005-06:00

Our entertainment center consists of a short TV stand lined by two bookcase like things. Sounds fancy, doesn't it? We searched for months and months for the perfect entertainment center, and ended up at Target where we could piecemeal one that we liked and could be flexible pieces for any future decorating changes. I love having space to decorate using frames, vases, books, candles, etc., however, I have been out of ideas for awhile. I went to Hobby Lobby on Saturday to find some sort of knick knack to fill the empty space, but could not find anything I liked enough to put in that space. It is not a very big space so I am very limited on my options. Then I wandered down one of the many frame aisles and decided to create my own decoration with a shadow box and precious memories. It is a work in progress as I am trying to locate box-worthy items to fill every niche. So far I have placed our marriage certificate, wedding invitation, a wedding photo, and a fun picture from our honeymoon resort in Cancun. Please give me ideas of what else to add!

*Please forgive the awful formatting on this post. I am having an awful time getting blogger to obey me right now, and I give up!*

Is there a danger in blog-stalking?

2010-02-06T21:43:00.000-06:00

So just curious....do any of y'all think that reading blogs of those we do not know is at all a negative? Indulge me a little foolishness, please. I stumbled on to a blog from a link on someone else's blog, and as of about 10 minutes ago, I now know all of the blog-worthy details of this person's life. To be honest, it wasn't even a link on a direct friend's blog. Pretty sure this treasure of a blog came from several links off of the original place of departure. Can this be some sort of degrees of separation experiment? While reading this blog, I cried when I felt she was crying, laughed at all of her little jokes, and was very impatient to get to her next post. Does this create a false sense of relationship, is it another way for Christians to hear the needs of others and intercede for them in prayer, or is just plain curiosity? With my slightly obsessive personality, is it a negative for me to become so cyber-ly involved in the lives of those I will probably not meet this side of the pearly gates?

Surely others out there are "blog-stalkers", right? I'm not suggesting we start a support group, but it would be nice to know I am not alone ;)

I am unable to come up with a catchy, creative title to this post.

2010-02-04T16:08:00.003-06:00

Hello, friends! How are you? I am done writing about the saga of my feet, hold your applause please.

The past couple of weeks have been very exciting! I started "tutoring" this week at the school I did the internship in. So far, so good. It is nice to have two guaranteed days a week at the school I love. I'm sure Mike is a little happy that I am contributing a teeny, tiny bit to the household income. Please pray that this little gig will help me out come interview time!

I also started attending a Beth Moore Bible study this week over her A Heart Like His study. IT IS LIVE!! That's right! She is there, leading it, every week! WOW! I am so thrilled to be able to attend! Below are some key points from this week's study.

I got a friendly reminder that you "cannot bull God". No part of our lives are hidden from Him! That is a frightening, yet freeing, reminder. It is so nice to know that He is not surprised at my horrible sins. When I stand at judgement time, God will not flinch when my "secret" sins are read. He already knows them! Then again, He ALREADY KNOWS THEM! Good try, Christie, hiding those evil thoughts! Good try keeping that attitude and pride issue away from others! God still sees it. Again, frightening, yet freeing.
Beth gave us a nice little equation. Secret Shame + Talkative Personality= Excellent Liar. Amen. Enough said.
She also said she has often asked if we can still be considered hypocrites if we act like the person we WISH we could be....how many of us have been there, done that??
Love this: "When God finds a heart given over to Him, He forms from it a life with facets and features that normally would not fit." Isn't that great?

I am so glad that I went, and so happy that a sweet, new friend would be willing and able to go with me! (Thanks, Emily!) I also feel almost relieved that I am going! I feel like something has been missing not having a home church right now....or for awhile. I have been craving the sweet fellowship that only comes from being surrounded by a body of believers. During the worship time on Tuesday I looked around at the beautiful women with arms raised, heads bowed, and voices lifted to Him, and couldn't help but wonder if I caught a glimpse of what worship will be like in Heaven. Won't that be something?

I will share other little, sweet snippets next week!

Mike and I have been so busy lately with his school, work, and my uhhh, well really just Mike's stuff! I am looking into possible vacation spots for us to go to over Spring Break. We could really use a nice getaway. Napa Valley, perhaps?!

We ordered my Valentine's present this week, and I cannot wait to show it to y'all! I could share the website, but I really want to wait till I can show you my personalized product. It is super sweet and beautiful, and I cannot wait to see it in person.

I think that is all I have to share right now....exciting stuff, huh? I hope y'all are doing well!

Funny Feet

2010-01-27T21:01:00.002-06:00

So apparently I have funny feet. Seriously. I went to see a podiatrist today and he said "funny feet like these" when referring to my problems. Apparently I walk all wrong! I tried to tell him I am too old to learn new tricks, but he didn't find me quite as humorous as I found me. He called my feet condition "over-used syndrome". Haha...that's a joke! My waistline begs to differ. So I was prescribed a nice feel-better drug and was given some nice arches to wear in my Asics. And no more flats. Now that is sad. I have the cutest little flat shoes, and now I cannot wear them. I did get to go shopping for shoes I can wear though! Hello, Naturalizers! I hope they welcome me to Comfortville...

Sad, sad day...

2010-01-24T21:09:00.003-06:00

...for my ego. Yesterday I met up with a friend at Deer Park's finest walking trail, and walked four miles. It was so much fun! We talked and talked and talked...I didn't even realize we had walked so far! Then later that afternoon while Mike and I were out shopping I noticed my feet were really sore. REALLY. SORE. Well I am so sad to have to report that I have had to switch between icing them and soaking them in hot water ALL day. What has happened to me?? I am mortified! I have old bones! My body is revolting! It was only four miles! It wasn't even all that strenuous!

Why blog about such a tragedy as this, one might ask? Well. I'm looking for sympathy, of course.

I hope it is not too much...

2010-01-24T11:31:00.002-06:00

but I love the Valentine's Day background options and new cute blinkie! I promise I will remove it after February 14th. I just think it is so cute! I love being able to change the background and banner whenever I want to...it is so neat. I downloaded this program that is supposed to teach me how to make my own backgrounds, but we will see how well I can pick it up.

I love the idea of Valentine's Day: hearts, love, flowers, romance. We are not, however, big Valentine's Day people. We prefer to avoid crowds, and we refuse to pay the outrageously marked up prices for flowers. So I usually get flowers a week after when they are reduced to their normal price, and we go out to dinner on the 15th so we aren't waiting hours. It may not sound very romantic, but we have found it works for us. I married a very thoughtful and loving husband who makes me feel beautiful and loved EVERY day, so delaying the celebration is not at all a big deal to me.

But while we are on the subject of Valentine's Day, let us talk about LOVE. God tells us exactly how to love in His Word. He also tells us why we love, and Who we learned how to love from.

Read this excerpt from 1 John 4, a passage I LOVE.

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us His Spirit. We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US."

-1 John 4:7-19

I am always amazed when I really sit down and think about it that God really did teach us how to live. Everything we need to know is written for us in this amazing gift of Scripture. We know how churches should be run, and what they should look like. Jesus taught us HOW to pray. Jesus taught us how to LOVE. We can know how to GIVE. We know how to ACT. Don't believe me? Read this for yourself...

"...His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to LIFE and GODLINESS, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence."

-2 Peter 1:3

What a precious gift that I too often take for granted!

Not to be crude...

2010-01-17T13:19:00.007-06:00

BUT I just have to share what we saw in one of the open houses we visited yesterday. I'm sure it was completely innocent, but it was still very funny. So we turn into the master bedroom and we see this...

Facing this...

Don't believe me? Here is a little pic of both...

I'm not a realtor, but I would think this would be something you might want to re-stage in preparation for an open house. I'm just saying.

Textbook Indoctrination...

2010-01-15T22:22:00.004-06:00

I subbed for a 3rd grade class today. The class had some of the cutest, sweetest kids. I had a great time with them overall. We did spelling, reading, writing, more reading, and social studies. The social studies lesson was over "freedom holidays" we celebrate in America. Memorial Day, Veteran's Day, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It was all pretty generic, it talked about why we celebrate them and when we celebrate them. On the bottom of the page, however, it had several discussion questions to engage the students in. I was the only one who had a copy of the book so I was able to preview the questions before asking them. Well. Here is the question (not verbatim):

What is the difference between how MLK Jr. sought to solve his problems and soldiers at war?

My response to this question, which I did not ask the students to discuss because I found it inappropriate, is how can you compare the two? I know exactly how the writers wanted the question answered. They were hoping some innocent, eager child would raise his/her hand and say "Martin Luther King was a peaceful man, and our soldiers are killing people with guns and grenades". You want to bet me?? How ridiculous is that question? Martin Luther King Jr. was not choosing to be peaceful in contrast to how soldiers in war are, he was a "peaceful protester" in contrast to the non-peaceful protesters. There is a difference. Our soldiers are not violent. I firmly agree with Ronald Reagan that we have Peace Through Strength. Are the author's of this textbook saying it would be better if we marched in the streets of Pakistan peacefully to get our point across? I know one US president who would like that. As long as he wouldn't be the one marching.

You can see why I would not ask that question. After discussing how great holidays like Veteran's Day and Memorial Day are, I would not cause those precious little minds to conjure up, through the poking and prodding of the author's questions, ideas that are just not right.

Sometimes I just need a reminder...

2010-01-08T23:15:00.002-06:00

....that God is always here. Right with me. He CHOSE me, SAVED me, and LOVES me. Do y'all ever feel like you just want a small reminder that as a believer He is always with you? Here is a verse that I hope ministers to you as it does me:

"The Lord your God is WITH YOU, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."

Zephaniah 3:17

Christmas pictures....a little after the fact...

2010-01-06T22:21:00.008-06:00

I just have to post a few pictures of my adorable niece and nephew. I just love these two kids!!!

First here is a picture of Mike holding Maggie...it is so precious! He will make a great daddy one of these days ;)

Next up is Reagan, he has the cutest little face.

He was so cute Christmas morning. He was such a typical 3 year old! So impatient to get to the next present, and quite disappointed when someone else got to open one first. When he opened one of the presents we got him, his response was "oh! You got this for me!". It was so adorable! It made me want to buy him Toys R Us!

Below are just cute little pictures of Reagan opening presents.

I'm sure Peter, Allison, Alex, Grandma, and Grandad will thank me for posting these pictures of them.

The eternal Christ sustains His creation...

2010-01-05T15:39:00.003-06:00

I am going to share with y'all an excerpt from John MacArthur's Strength for Today, but before I do that, let me tell you that there are so many things I just do not understand about God. I mean there are just some things that my little earthly head just cannot grasp. I believe everything that the Bible says is true, but that by no means equates to me having a full understanding. I am unable to comprehend things such as eternity, creation, angels, etc. I recognize they all exist, and I believe in them because the Bible says so. It hurts my brain to think about what events like the rapture will look like, and what a new Heaven and New Earth will look like. I decided long ago though that I don't have to understand. The existence and certainty of these things does not depend on my understanding. Here is the excerpt...

"Christ is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."
Colossians 1:17

When the universe began, Christ already existed. The apostle John spoke of Christ's eternal existence this way: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him; and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being" (John 1:1-3). Christ Himself testified of the same truth when He told the Jews, "Before Abraham was born, I AM" (John 8:58). He was saying that He is Yahweh, the eternally existing God. The prophet Micah said of Him, "His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity" (Mic. 5:2). Revelation 22:13 describes Him as "the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." Christ has preeminence over all creation because He "is before all things" (Col. 1:17). He already existed when the universe began because He is the eternal God.

Having created the universe, Christ sustains all He has created (v. 17). He maintains the delicate balance necessary to life's existence. He is the power behind every consistency in the universe and the One who keeps all the entities in space in their motion. He is the energy behind the universe.

Christ, however, will not always sustain our present universe. One day in the future He will dissolve the heavens and earth. The apostle Peter describes that day, when "the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up" (2 Peter 3:10). Until that time, we can be thankful that Christ continues to sustain it.

How encouraging to know that the eternal God who sustains the entire universe is also watching over you! No detail of your life is too small for His concern; no circumstance is too big for His sovereign control.

Isn't that something?

I wasn't going to, but...

2010-01-02T22:57:00.003-06:00

I am going to post New Year's Resolutions. I never have resolutions for the new year...well I guess never isn't true, but definitely not lately. But this year I am going to, and I am going to blog about it. Seems kind of cliche doesn't it? Add this to the billion other blogs that list the author's new year's resolutions. I caved.

So no laughing.

1) Clean House. I stopped by a friend's house before Christmas and it was so presentable. I literally called her 5 minutes before stopping by and there was no hint of panic in her voice. There was no mad dash to make it "visitor-ready". I would freak out. Literally. I would rush to pick up the clothes I threw on the sofa, or shove dirty dishes in the dishwasher. It would be chaos. So my desire is to have a visitor-ready house the whole year of 2010.

Remember, no laughing.

2) Be social. It is really no secret that Mike and I are homebodies. We have no issue hunkering down just the two of for days on end with no contact with the outside world. We are not really social people. I started thinking though that it is a pretty selfish way to live. Don't get me wrong, I still think it is very important for couples to have alone time. But I started wondering how we are furthering the Kingdom of God hunkering down all the time. It isn't happening. So I am going to make friends. I started getting a little better at the end of 2009...I even have friends in the town I live in. I can hardly contain my excitement!!! Seriously, I love it!

3) This is no stranger to anyone's list of New Year's resolutions, but LOSE WEIGHT. Okay so I was going through my closet and found all of my cute little size 8 pants and cried. Oh did I cry. And I cried before I tried a pair on and couldn't get them past my knee caps. I am hanging all of the size medium tops and size 8 pants up in my closet as a daily reminder of how cute my wardrobe will be if I lose weight. Jillian Michaels has been invited over to my house in the form of the 30 Day Shred and 2010 Fitness Ultimatum, and I know she is going to kick my behind. And I am ready. Bring it on, Jillian.

That is my list. I think I can, I think I can. The good thing about not having a full time job at the moment is that I actually have time to dedicate to this. That is if I would turn off Law and Order in the daytime, and limit my computer time all day long.

Just know that if I ever fit into my size 8 pants again, I will be wearing them inside out so everyone can see the size on the tag.

Green thumb, anyone?

2009-12-20T14:27:00.003-06:00

Does anyone have any advice on what to do with frozen, seemingly dead plants? After our wonderful snow on December 4th, my poor plants just aren't the same. I have trimmed them down to where they appear to be green, but I am not sure if they will grow. Should I remove them and start over, or wait till Spring to see if they will grow? My shrubs are fine, but my flowers, crotons, and caladiums have bit the dust. It is so dead looking in our flower bed that we couldn't even put lights there. So sad. I do not want to draw attention to the deadness though. Any ideas??

What is up with...

2009-12-13T17:19:00.002-06:00

Peace signs???

I don't get it! They are everywhere! Including elementary schools. So maybe I am just being sensitive, and feel free to tell me if I am, but I don't like them. I am sure that most people who draw or wear them don't have a hidden message to share, but growing up I remember hearing all sorts of negative things about them. I subbed at an elementary school on Friday that was covered in them....they even had a tree decorated with peace sign ornaments hand-made by the students. I don't like them. Maybe it is the hippie lifestyle connotation, or that everyone calls it an upside down broken cross, or whatever, I just don't like them.

I do not believe a symbol brings peace. The only true peace comes from Jesus Christ. Without Him no one will ever have the kind of peace people long for. If you are searching for peace, please know that until you surrender your life to the Lord and accept Christ as your Savior, you will never have peace. There is no political party, president, therapy, pills, or any sort of self-help book that will bring peace to your life. Only the saving power of Jesus can comfort you and bring you true joy.

I had to write about this because it seems to me that the peace sign revolution has taken over elementary schools. I mentioned the one I subbed at on Friday, and I went another school's website and saw peace and love everywhere. Pardon my asking, but what does this have to do with education?? It seems to me that there could be many other topics to focus on! I mean whatever happened to classic literature characters or historical figures being the focus of classrooms?

Any thoughts?

Where does the time go?

2009-12-09T23:18:00.003-06:00

I have a confession to make:

We have not decorated outside yet.

It is true! The weather has been horrible, and Mike's job has been crazy busy so he hasn't even been getting home until dark. There is just no time! On top of it all I feel like we have something scheduled till the New Year!

They call me Mrs. Krank.

Mike's company's Christmas party is this weekend. It is at a seafood place in downtown Houston and I cannot find a single thing to wear. Okay, well I found one really cute dress at Penneys, but might have to sport some Spanx to make it okay to wear out in public. I tell you what...things are not what they used to be on this body of mine. For the sake of my ego I am going to say it is age...surely it has nothing to do with my lack of motivation to eat right and work out. Surely.

Sad news....in my blogging time tonight I somehow missed the timer on my lemon bars and will not be able to share the goodies with the world. Darn.

This weekend we are going to head to Moody Gardens to see the Festival of Lights. I am so excited! I love Christmas lights!! I remember when I was younger, maybe elementary/middle school age, we drove out to the Boerne area and drove through a neighborhood and got hot chocolate. It was so much fun! I can't wait to make those sorts of memories with Mike...and then later, with our children.

I cannot believe it is almost Christmas...and this season will be over before we know it. I hope all of y'all are enjoying this Christmas season...

The many joys of Christmas...

2009-12-06T20:18:00.003-06:00

I love this time of year! I love Christmas lights, ornaments, shopping, hot chocolate, food, cookies, santas, elves, and presents. Oh I love it ALL!!!! I love It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph, White Christmas, and the rest of them. I love being with family. And now that I am "working" at a school, I love seeing the excitement through the eyes of a 6 year old. How fun!

BUT most of all, I love celebrating the Savior. I still cannot fathom what a miracle it all is. God chose Mary to give birth to His Son. I cannot imagine what Mary must have thought....or felt. Can you imagine? How scary! As incredible as that part of the story is, the fact that God sent His Son at all is amazing...and undeserved. Why us? What did He find about us worth saving? How could He look down at all of the sinful people that were living at the time...and knowing the ones to come (Christie Bergeron, to name one) and want to offer us The Gift. The only gift that ever matters: the gift of salvation. I do not deserve it. Nothing in my life warrants this saving grace. Yet He CHOSE me! Isn't that something?? He chose to call me out of darkness, He forgave my sin (and continues to forgive my sins), and has prepared a room for me in Glory. It is only by His grace I am saved!

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is CHRIST the LORD.
-Luke 2: 10-11

I love that verse. "Born for you a Savior"....how can people miss it? A SAVIOR! The Enemy does not have to win....he does not have to have control over your lives! We have a SAVIOR! Messiah! Christ the Lord!

As I said, I love this season. The sweet reminder of the Gift that has given me eternal life is like the star at the top of the tree. It makes it all perfect!

Busy, busy, busy...

2009-11-15T18:22:00.004-06:00

Hi friends!

So sorry for the long delay in postings! I feel like the past month has just flown by. I need a vacation! Here is a brief recap of the past 4 weeks!

My younger sister, Allison, won the title of Homecoming Queen in October. She was so pretty...just wearing jeans and Austin's (boyfriend) football jersey. He was voted King so they were quite the happy couple. So much fun! I was really excited for her because it is her senior year and I want all good things for her this year!!! The more memories for her the better!!! I never had a senior year so I have no memories. Funny how it works that way. I'm happy that my younger siblings get to be so involved in their high school careers and that they are successful, both athletically and academically. Here is a picture of the happy couple...

That was a really fun weekend!

I feel like I have so much to write about, but cannot remember any of it at the moment. Hmm. It figures that the one time I sit down to blog in a month I cannot remember anything.

My internship is coming to an end this week. I am so sad. It has been both a humbling and exciting experience. It was hard to be in the 'intern' role after having a prior professional career. You know? It didn't take long for me to get over it (with the occasional bruises to the ego) and fall in love with teaching! I love it! I wish I had chosen that as my first career! Just think...I would be in my 5th year of teaching if I had. Isn't that crazy?? I will say that my business background has helped me in many ways as a teacher. I had to be organized as an accountant. I had to be professional as an accountant. I had to learn to communicate in business. I had to be comfortable giving presentations as a MBA student. I had to be able to communicate to people on any level in business. I had to learn how to problem solve and prioritize as a business professional. All of those skills transfer over to the teaching career. So I am so excited to get my own classroom. I am praying that I get hired on at the school I did the internship as soon as there is an opening. I cannot tell you how much I want this! I will be crushed if it doesn't come to fruition. It is God's hands though so I will just do whatever I can and leave the rest to Him.

I'm optimistic that it could be a possibility. I had a really good observation with the principal and have a good relationship with the team. I love the team of first grade teachers! I feel like they are my friends, and I am sad to not be a part of the team anymore. So for the rest of the school year, unless something opens up somewhere, I will be subbing and volunteering.

Let's see....other news....I am so ready for Christmas! I cannot wait to get out all of the decorations and set up the tree. I love, love, love this time of year! The only thing keeping me from putting them all up now is that it is so hot outside! Send the cold weather!!! I am ready to wear sweaters and turn on the heater! Anyone out there feel the same way??

This weekend we went to San Antonio for Reagan's 3rd birthday party. He was so excited!!! And so precious! As soon as my camera charges I will post pictures.

It is time to feed my hungry husband and get laundry started! I will be better this week about blogging, I promise!

Ah, Tuesday!

2009-10-13T22:47:00.002-05:00

I am so ready for this week to be over with! Does anyone else feel this way?? The kids are showing their true colors and have not been acting right. Annoying. I want to exude patience, love, and kindness. I want to. I try to.

I fail. A lot.

I just feel like this week cannot be over quick enough! We are going to San Antonio this weekend for Lifegate's (younger siblings' school) homecoming, and I cannot wait to see my family. I haven't seen my niece since she was 4 days old, and I cannot wait to see the changes!! It will also be nice to just spend time relaxing with my family.

I don't have much to blog about, but I wanted to update my blog so it stays fresh in my mind.

I hope y'all are having great weeks!!! I'll update more soon!!!

Reflection...

2009-10-10T22:21:00.004-05:00

Hi friends!

Yes, I am blogging on a Saturday night. And no, that does not make me a nerd. It makes me married to a man who loves to be at home. And that is fine with me! I am sitting here with a sweatshirt on, penguin pajama pants, a glass of wine, and my Bible. And my handsome husband is not 10 feet away playing playstation. Deja vous??

I'm sure my blog readers know who John MacArthur is, right? Well we love, love, love him! Mike gets daily devotionals through a group at work, and below is one of the best, and most convicting of them all.

"...And in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness." 2 Peter 1:6

Godly perseverance is a sure evidence of true salvation.

Commentator Michael Green has this to say about the believer who displays biblical perseverance: "The mature Christian does not give up. His Christianity is like the steady burning of a star rather than the ephemeral brilliance (and speedy eclipse) of a meteor." The Greek word translated "perseverance" in today's verse (hupomone) refers to consistent endurance in righteousness and faithfulness in resisting temptation.

The precise meaning for hupomone is hard to pinpoint. There is no exact English equivalent, and it's not common in classical Greek; but the Bible often uses it in reference to the toils and troubles that are unwelcome in life and produce inconvenience and harm. This word even includes the idea of death, as in the Jewish writings in which hupomone speaks of spirtitual stamina that empowers people to die for their faith in God.

Despite its scriptural associations with painful difficulties an death, hupomone has a positive meaning. William Barclay notes, "Hupomone does not simply accept and endure; there is always a forward look in it. It is said of Jesus...that for the joy set before him, he endured the Cross, despising the shame (Hebrews 12:2). That is hupomone, Christian steadfastness. It is the courageous acceptance of everything that life can do to us and the transmuting of even the worst event into another step on the upward way."

Godliness is at the heart of scriptural perseverance. The Greek for "godliness" (eusebeia) denotes a practical awareness of God in every area of life-a God-consciousness. The word could also be translated "true religion" or "true worship". It gives God His rightful place by worshiping Him properly, something that is not often done in the contemporary church. Genuine public worship is more than "relevant" programs, new rituals, or catchy music- it contains much reverence for God.

If you are truly a Christian, you will also revere God in your devotional life and obediently persevere in His will daily. You will rejoice and be aware of God in every detail of life.

This makes me think about my time spent in devotion. Do I persevere in life, focusing solely on God and His will?? Do I desire my time alone in Scripture? Am I hungry to know God more? I love that this devotion says we need to persevere through everything life can do to us...with our eyes focused on Him!

I am always amazed, and ashamed, when I read stories (okay, blogs) of those who have had a hard time in life and persevere in godliness! Would I do the same?? My daily complaints about the 'harshness' of my life tell me I might not be so gracious. Lord forgive me! Check out these two blogs and be inspired and blessed! I continue to go back to read the whole blogs again and again because I am utterly amazed at their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Sullivans

http://bandssullivan.blogspot.com/

The Fishers

http://www.fisherags.com/

My prayer for myself and Mike is that we will strive daily to seek Him! That we will yearn for those moments in the Word, and we will seek nothing more than to grow closer to the One who made us, saved us, and continues to show us His grace and provision. I pray this for you all as well!

Pictures!

2009-10-04T17:16:00.008-05:00

I never found my camera cord, so we made a 'quick' Sunday afternoon trip to Walmart to get a universal card reader. I'm so happy we did! I love being able to upload pictures and share them with you all!

Remember the anniversary getaway Mike and I had in August? Well I took a picture of the creepiest empty hotel I have ever seen! The Flagship Hotel was badly damaged by Ike, and hasn't been occupied since. I am not even sure they are going to fix it up...at least anytime in the near future.

Doesn't it look like it belongs in a Hitchcock movie?? It gave me the willies just driving by!

I also promised pictures of my new niece, Margaret (Maggie) Ryleigh Moyer. She is absolutely perfect! She was born 09/09/09...how cool is that??

She is just too sweet! Here is one of Mike holding her...doesn't he look good holding a baby?? One day!

And here is one of Reagan...I just love his beautiful smile!

I'll try to post pictures more regularly now that I have my universal card reader! As long as I don't lose it...

Churches...

2009-10-04T10:45:00.002-05:00

Good morning, friends! Mike woke up not feeling too well so we didn't make it to church. So can I be completely honest with you all? Mike and I have not had a stellar track record of church attendance in our three years of marriage. It has not always been for lack of trying, because we have visited several churches. It is so frustrating at times that it makes the search seem so futile. Are we too picky? Perhaps. One thing we now firmly agree with and believe in is that we just cannot not go....tongue twister! We have to go to church! We have to put aside the frustrations and keep trying! So we have been visiting various churches around Deer Park for the past several months, and we are going to keep visiting until we find the one that fits us best. We don't feel like we want too much! We want a church that teaches the Word! I want to open my Bible in church. You would be amazed at the number of churches we have been to that we haven't even heard a scripture reference. Sad. I also want a church that has opportunities for involvement. I want us to join a small group and make some friends. We might be in Deer Park for a very long time, and it might be nice to have some relationships in the area.

Anyway, does anyone else have church finding issues? Should we just put aside our desires and get plugged in at the closest location? Thoughts?

Dashing through the pumpkin field...

2009-10-03T13:11:00.003-05:00

It is pumpkin season!!!! WOOHOO!!! I love pumpkins! We start lessons on pumpkins next week at school. So exciting! We are going to be measuring them, graphing them, weighing them, and doing addition and subtraction with them somehow. Exciting, right?

One thing about being in a first grade classroom is that I have to learn cute little poems and songs to sing with the kids. Hence the title of the poem. I started to memorize the Dashing through a pumpkin field song before I left school on Friday, and I am sad to admit that I only remember the first line. And yes, it is sung to the tune of Dashing through the snow. Don't be jealous! As most of you know, I went to private school until 9th grade, and the songs I remember are cute little Bible story songs. I don't remember songs about pumpkins, apples, Columbus, etc. Anyone have some cute ones for me?

Mike and I are going to go get our pumpkin today. The Methodist church up the road has a patch that we are going to visit. Mike is overjoyed.

I so love this time of year! I just really wish the weather reflected the season. I want cool weather! I want to wear a long-sleeved shirt! I want to wear a jacket! I want to wear boots and gloves! Bring on the cool!

So we have lived in our house now for about 18 months, and do you want to know how many rooms I feel have been successfully and completely decorated? Zero. Zilch. None. Nada. How depressing! I am in a rut! I don't know what to do with my junk, I can't decide on a paint color, and I have no storage. So today, after getting our pumpkin, we are headed to Lowes and Target to get our organization process started. It will be such a relief! I hate the mad dash to get everything organized when guests come to town. Does anyone know what I am talking about? How nice would it be to just have to clean bathrooms and straighten up instead of overhauling the house? So nice.

I recognize that this post has been 100% pure rambling, but as Mike is playing play station what else am I to do??

My Husband

2009-09-22T19:40:00.002-05:00

Today is Mike's birthday! He is the big 28! He is handling quite nicely, even throwing around phrases like "I feel younger now then I did when I was 23". That makes one of us in this marriage.

Can I share something with you all?? I am not always a pleasant person to be around. Surprised? I know, but don't be. I am a very flawed individual. Flawed and stubborn....not a great combination. But you know what?? Mike is the most loving, patient, kind, giving, and selfless husband God could have ever given me. He doesn't respond to my flaws how I would if the shoe was on the other foot. He loves me through them...patiently trying to help me become better. How nice is that? What is so great is that he is exactly what I need. I need someone to keep me accountable. Don't we all? While I will never know why God has decided to bless me, I am so grateful.

Lord, I pray that I do not take for granted the grace you have shown me in providing a loving helpmate for me to live out my days on earth with. Thank you for once again providing for me when I am once again so undeserving. I pray in Your Son's Holy name, Amen.

I love my husband.

Quick Update

2009-09-21T21:05:00.004-05:00

I cannot believe I have let over a month go by without updating this blog. I am so ashamed! I go through blog-withdraw when one of the blogs I follow takes forever to update, and I have done this to my own blog. So sorry :(. I have so many things to talk about! This is only a quick update though, and I will get back here soon, I promise!

On August 24th I started my 12 week internship with Deer Park Elementary. This internship will complete the Texas certification process, and as of November 17th I will be completely certified! So I will be paid at least $10 more to sub! Success! I have a 1st grade class that I adore. The kids are so precious....even though we do have a few that only their mother can love! I think every class has those though. Kids are so funny at this stage. They are still at the age that they want to please you, everything you do is great, and they generally respond to redirection. Generally. Again there are those few. I never thought I would like 1st grade....surprise, surprise. I am still dealing with the reality that I have a MBA and may never use it professionally again. I don't know how I feel about that. Originally my plan was to teach high school business and then transition to community college. My goal was to teach at a community college. That was my ultimate, end all to end all career searches, finally found my way goal. Now that I like 1st grade, I am just not sure. I am definitely looking into other advanced degrees in education, diagnostician, reading, speech, etc., but I am just not sure right now that is the way for me. Or am I just afraid to let go of the time, effort, and money put into my previous career? Also, is it embarrassing that I can have a second career at the age of 28??

Oh my goodness. Let's discuss this 'age of 28' thing! SAY WHAT???? When did I become this old??? When and why did this happen to me??? Sometimes I just wish I could slow things down or go back in time a few years. But that is not how life works, now is it? Mike turns 28 tomorrow and I will turn 28 in November. Upper twenties. Late twenties. Two years shy of 30. A new decade around the corner. Almost able to say "in my 20's".

On a happy note, I am an aunt again! Diane gave birth to my beautiful niece Margaret Ryleigh Moyer, a.k.a. Maggie. She is so beautiful! Absolutely perfect! And I will post precious pictures as soon as I can relocate the USB cord. I find it, I lose it. I find it, I lose it. Vicious cycle. Cool thing?? She was born 09/09/09. How cool is that??

Another happy note?? It is almost time for fall decorations! There is nothing I love more then being able to bring out a new season's decorations. Oh I how love fall decor! Pumpkins, candles, pilgrims, leaves, purple, orange, green....oh the colors of fall! Love them! These items will stay up for a brief period of time before I am able to bring out the Christmas decorations!!! I get so excited about this time of year that I may have already started my Christmas shopping. Pathetic, much?? Please say no, please say no, please say no!

So....confession time. I HATE being in pictures. I am the least photogenic person I know. I take horrible pictures. My smile is always goofy, my hair is always messed up, my two chins double to four, etc. However, I have decided to let it go. Lately it seems like there have been several untimely deaths involving people at or around my age, and because only God knows the number of days we have here on earth, I want to document our lives so we always have a memory of us. I would hate for something to happen to Mike or me and leave one of us without any hard copy memories! So be prepared to see many funny-looking smiles, hairs out of place, rolls in unfortunate places, etc.

Well, it is time to end this 'quick' update. I will be back shortly with funny stories about my kids, pictures of my niece and nephew, and proof of my un-photogenic-ness (yes, I know that is not a word).

Blog o'Pictures

2009-08-06T22:46:00.007-05:00

As promised to my faithful blog-followers (I know that at least 2 of you exist) below is a picture of my BEAUTIFUL living room.

For some reason I only took one picture, and I am writing this from my parents' house in Seguin, so I am unable to take another one. But, alas, here it is. The lighter color is on three of the walls with the orangish-goldish color on the big wall with the TV. I like it so much better than the blue. Go figure.

I realized today that I haven't posted pictures of my ADORABLE nephew, Reagan, so feast your eyes, people!

I just love his little face....even though he will never give me a smile for the camera.

Below is a picture of my younger sister Allison and myself goofing off before my cousin's wedding in Stephenville a few weeks ago. She is so beautiful and never takes a bad picture.

Here is one of Mike and I anxiously awaiting the food at the rehearsal dinner.

Don't ask me what my thoughts were regarding my hair style for the evening....

So those are just a few of the jewels I have for your viewing pleasure...I hope you enjoyed!

Dear Bekah,

2009-07-22T01:08:00.002-05:00

Thanks for the update request...glad to know my fan club is eagerly awaiting my next post. Hehe! I kid, of course.

I would love to show pictures of the paint, because to be honest, it is amazing!!! I have, however, misplaced my USB cord once again. Please continue to check back frequently, cuz you know, you aren't busy buying a house and moving to a new city or anything.

Love,
Christie

No...

2009-07-22T00:37:00.002-05:00

...is a word I do not like to hear. Whether it is regarding money, jobs, vacations, etc., I hate the word NO! You would think at the ripe old age of 27 and 3/4 (sheesh, I'm old) that I would be over the disgust of the word-after all isn't that a problem for toddlers? Sometimes I feel I have the maturity of a 2 year-old so I guess it is fitting, huh?

Hold your comments, please.

Have you ever felt that half of you wants to do the 'right' thing, but the other half doesn't even want to think about said thing?? So the 'right' half of me wants to do the Dave Ramsey plan...cut down to the bare minimum and plan hardcore for our future. The other half of me wants to spend, spend, spend! I love shopping! I love being a home-owner! I love taking vacations! I hate that all of these are 'things' and have no eternal bearing. What does though, is my attitude, which let me tell you is not a pleasant one after tonight's budget review. You know how Dave Ramsey says to 'live like no one else, so you can live like no one else'? Well that is SOOO hard!!!!!

I don't want to go all political on this blog, but to be honest, Obama scares me to death with his policies and I feel like there needs to be more of an impetus on personal saving and preparation. Of course, Mike has felt this way since the day we have met. So what sacrifices am I willing to make? Am I willing to cut it all, pay off student loans and car payments, and live like no one else?? I am not sure. I want to be. I say I am with one breath and then whip out my card to pay for my new outfit with the next breath. Funny, huh? Or not. Why are these decisions so difficult? Is it the whole evil, sinful nature thing? Probably.

Want my advice??? Don't start a money conversation at 11:00 at night! It does not end well.

Ahhh, summer!!

2009-07-06T12:25:00.002-05:00

Hi y'all! I cannot believe July 4th has come and gone....this summer is flying by! Ridiculous! Where does the time go? This summer has been super busy for us! I am kind of glad the summer is going by so quickly because of how hot it is! My goodness! It is soooo hot!!!! At least with my new abundance of freckles it appears I have some color!

So here is what I have to look forward to over the next couple of weeks....

1) Super hard workout to get ready for my cousin's wedding July 18th

2) Wedding on July 18th in Stephenville (not that I am complaining but it is like a 6-hour drive...boo)

3) Trip to San Antonio the very next weekend

4) Anniversary on August 12th (woohoo!!!)

5) Hopefully a trip to Messina Hof to celebrate anniversary (hint, hint, hint)

6) NEW CAREER STARTING MID-AUGUST!!!

That's right! I will be teaching in some capacity starting next month. That is both scary and exciting to me all at the same time. I made a really big change to start teaching, and only time will tell if it was the right decision. I am optimistic though!!

Oh! Let me tell you about my prized purchase of the summer...the Magic Bullet! Oh my goodness! It is fantastic! I make smoothies every morning with almost all of the daily required value of fruit! I have 3-4 servings of fruit in every smoothie, and it tastes delicious. I love it! Anway, that's a pretty silly thing to blog about, but as I am drinking my smoothie as I type I found it appropriate!

I hope all of y'all are doing great!

Heavy Hearted...

2009-06-15T00:59:00.003-05:00

Do y'all ever feel this way? Do you ever feel like there is something just weighing on your heart that you can't pinpoint? That is how I feel tonight. It is so strong that I cannot seem to shut my mind down to sleep. At times like these I feel like there is no place else to go but to Scripture. Tonight my heart is drawn to Matthew 6...specifically verses 25-34. I love this chapter. I love reading Jesus tell us to NOT WORRY. I love that He lets us know that we will be taken care of. I know the passage is so much more than this, but I find much comfort in those words. Please don't take my love of the passage as looking for anything worldly or materialistic, because Jesus commands us to "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness". There are just times when I want to be in the safety zone of Jesus. I want to be at the throne of my Lord and Savior safe, sound, secure, and focused on worshipping Him. Do you ever feel this way?

Anyways, I know it is late and anyone who reads this will probably think I am crazy, but I just wanted to write what is on my heart tonight.

What a great week....

2009-06-12T21:37:00.013-05:00

This past week my two youngest siblings, Allison and Peter, came to stay with us. My mom is in London and my dad had to go to New York on business, so we got them for almost a whole week! We had so much fun! I am so blessed to have such wonderful siblings! We spent the week playing games, Wii Fit, going to the beach, getting snowcones, going shopping, making a homemade ice cream cake to celebrate Allison's birthday, and painting. It was so hard giving them up :(. They are so much fun! Pictures are below for your viewing pleasure....

Allison painting my kitchen walls....what do y'all think of the color?

Peter playing Wii while we worked...typical male. Haha! Please ignore the mess and bland walls...we are currently in the painting/cleaning spree of '09.

On our way to the BEACH!!!!

At the beach...so cute!

Remember when I promised pictures of the Pilot? Here they are!

Oh, and there is our now defunct Honda Accord. So sad. Flooded car, anyone?

Oh, I almost forgot! Below are pictures of the homemade ice cream cake....made for a whopping $8....take that $30 Baskin Robbins cakes! Okay, my cake looks nothing like the beautiful cakes they make at Baskin Robbins, but do looks really matter?? Nope! Not in cakes! It was delicious!

I have a ton more painting to do, as well as working on the landscaping, so more picture to come of the painting/cleaning/landscaping spree of '09!

It's my blog and I will rant if I want to...

2009-05-21T18:33:00.002-05:00

While anyone who reads this probably doesn't really care, there are a few things that are really irking me....

1) American Idol. I am very happy that Kris won, and while the show has no eternal basis to require such extensive thoughts on my behalf, there are certain things about this season that really bother me. Did anyone see the resemblance between Barack Obama's campaign for presidency and Adam Lambert's campaign for Idol status?? The media, the judges, bloggers, and random entertainers all seem to have been 'in the bag' for the two of them. Anyone remember Katie Perry's cape broadcasting her choice for American Idol? Gag me. Does this have anything to do with the liberalness behind the two of them? Does the fact that Adam Lambert was a drag queen and had pictures of him kissing another boy have anything to do with his following? Call me intolerant, mean, rude, whatever, but what I see in all of this is a society that is running further and further away from God's standards. And this breaks my heart, and causes me to fear for the future. I know that history repeats itself, and the sin that is prevelant today has been around many times before. I know this. However, I feel myself longing to be in a situation and society that is not running from Christianity, but is embracing it. Come, Jesus, come.

2) Public Education. Yes, I know that I am going to be a teacher in the public education system. I know this, but I will still rant about it. I am shocked at the liberal indoctrination of the kids in our public schools. Even at the elementary level. I am sick of evolution and global warming, which by the way are two subjects I know very little about. I had a first grader inform me that we come from monkeys. No, child, we don't.

3) Teachers. When I first started subbing in January the schools were abuzz with Obama. The students had to write about what he will be doing for our city, country, and THE WORLD. Really??? I'm scared of what he will do for our city and country. I had one teacher play the John Lennon song Imagine for the kids so they could be motivated when describing their ideal worlds. REALLY????

4) Parents. I have only subbed for elementary over the past couple of weeks....trying to see if I want to teach that age group. Several of the students in my classes have asked if I watch MTV, Southpark, The Girls Next Door, and Family Guy. Where are your parents???

While part of me feels I should just get used to this, the other part of me never wants to be used to the decline of a society evidenced by a group of 8 year olds. Am I alone in this?

Oh! One more thing...

2009-05-19T22:18:00.002-05:00

WE BOUGHT A CAR!!!!!

Last week we finally found THE car! We got a beautiful red Honda Pilot! WooHoo! I love, love, love it! So no more sleepless nights and searching through cars.com, autotrader, or craig's list. I will post pictures as soon as I locate the USB cord for my camera....

7 Things....

2009-05-19T21:11:00.003-05:00

I was tagged! Woohoo! My first blog tag...thank you, Aimee! So my task is to write 7 things about myself on my blog....interesting.

1) I am grateful for the gift of salvation. The gift of eternal life thru Jesus Christ is something I cannot fully comprehend. Why did He save me? Why was I chosen? While here on earth I may never understand, I am so thankful. My prayer is that those who read this blog have also come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

2) I love being married....to Mike! Marriage is not always easy, but there is no one else I would rather spend my life with then Mike. He is such an encourager and a great friend. He is my best friend. I love that there has not been a day in our almost three years of marriage that I have not learned something new about him, and been so happy that he is MINE!!!

3) I wish I had more girlfriends. So let's face it, I am great at meeting people, but I do not have a lot of real friends. I don't know why. I will say that one thing the internet has done for me is to allow me to touch base with friends from the past....Aimee, Bekah, Callie, and others. That is such a blessing! I hope we can see each other in person sometime too! That would be so nice! Now that Mike and I have finally found a church in the area we might be able to call our home church, I am optimistic that I will be meeting gals my age soon!

4) I cannot decide on a career. Truth is that it is hard for me because I have never planned on working very long. I hope that doesn't sound bad! I have just always wanted to be a wife and a mother! Soon. Just waiting for Mike to give the go-ahead! (Hehehe!) I tried the whole accountant thing for awhile, and while that had its pros, it also had a lot of cons. I kind of looked through all of the positions I have held and there is one constant duty that I have loved....teaching. I have loved training people! It is so challenging and so rewarding when you see the results. So I am going to be a teacher! My ultimate goal is to teach business and economics at the community college level, but until then I will be teaching at some lucky public school.

5) I want to be a bike rider! I want to ride in the MS 150! It is a lofty goal, but I have about a year to 'train'. WooHoo!!

6) I love politics, but since the last election I haven't been able to pay a lot of attention to it. Not good for my high blood pressure....go figure!

7) I want to have a vacation home in the Caribbean at some point. Both Mike and I love the beach and the relaxing lifestyles the islands seem to allow, and we hope we can have a little piece of that at some point.

I'm sure all of your lives are much fuller knowing these 7 things about me....hahaha...let's go back to that part where I was curious about why I can't make friends. Just kidding! Now let's see...who can I tag??

1) Bekah....I'm sure at least 4 of your 7 will make me laugh! You are so funny!

2) Callie....I know that your 7 will be well thought out!

3) Lisa...you now have quite the story to tell!

4) Umm....that's all I got! I don't think I have anymore bloggers as friends!

I hope everyone has a great day!!!

Oh me!

2009-05-07T14:08:00.002-05:00

So here it is, almost two months since my last post. Once again I must acknowledge I am not very good at blogging. One of the blogs I follow, an old classmate of mine from SACS, just had her 100th blog. What a feat! I can hardly type out five in 10 months!!! So I am going to try to do better....from now on.

This post is really just to update anyone who might read this on what has taken place in the Bergeron Experience. I am still not working....well, let me rephrase this, I am still not working full time in any sort of career position. I am still subbing, and have gotten myself a part time job at KOHLS!!!!! It is so much fun so far....and I get to shop while I work and get a discount. I love it. We are also busy, busy car shopping. For those who don't know, Houston had major flooding a few weeks ago and our Honda Accord fell victim. It lived a good life though! She had 230,000 miles on her and it is time for us to get a new one. Car shopping, however, is not fun. It is frustrating and has caused us to lose many hours of sleep. I really hope this weekend will end the search.

Mike is finishing up another 6 hours of school, and will spend the next three weeks ironing out his future school options. I'm really looking forward to this part of our lives being over with! I'm ready to move on! I'm always very proud of Mike for how well he does....he is my straight A student! He is so smart!

There have been lots of other things going on behind the scenes too. I really feel God is working in me to let go of my "strongholds"....things that take me captive and steal my joy. It is not easy as I am very stubborn. However, God sees right through me! He is using people I haven't had a face to face conversation with in 12 years to encourage me and lift me up! I will update y'all later on new revelations!

I will really try to do better on updating this blog, if for no other reason then to feel a sense of accomplishment.

WOW...I am not so good at this!

2009-03-12T22:50:00.008-05:00

Hi again!

So it is determined that I am not the best blogger out there. I will admit to this fact. I haven't posted since August. WOW! So much has happened since then. How about a little recap of September thru March?

September: Ike. Our friend that had his positives and negatives. We got to miss work and spend some valuable time with my family. Huge plus. Huge negative? Ike destroyed our flower beds, and I am still trying to get them looking good. Overall we were very blessed and had very few discomforts in the whole situation.

September started the move into our late 20's. Mike turned 27 on September 22nd. My day was fast approaching...

October: Don't really remember!

November: I turned 27 on the 7th. It was a sad day without too much fanfare! Thanksgiving came and went, and we both enjoyed the time we got to spend with Mike's family in The Woodlands.

December: this was a fantastic month! I will share with you a brief list of items that made up this wonderful end of the year month.

-We got to decorate our house!!! It was the first time we have done our own Christmas lights, and let me tell you, it looked good.

-We got snow! Best day of the month!!! Lots and lots of snow! The picture below is the view from our front porch!

-My cousin Jeremy's graduation on the 20th allowed us to spend quality time with my mom's side of the family. It was so nice to see aunts, uncles, and cousins I don't get to spend a lot of time with. The weekend also gave my grandparents the opportunity to spend some time with us at our house. That was so much fun!

-Christmas!!! Christmas at my parents' house is the best! They always do a fantastic job decorating, and it is still full of surprises.

-QUITTING! I left my job as a Senior level Accountant on December 29th. It was a rather spur of the moment decision, but I have no regrets. Being able to be at home the past couple of months has been such a blessing! The time I get to dedicate to being a wife is something I never want to let go of!

January- this month brought the usual colds, flus, and upper respiratory infections. It also was a month of educating ourselves on how to live on one salary! So worth it!

February- ah, more sickness. Not too fun! Mike got a wonderful inner ear infection, and I got high blood pressure. Much fun!

March- so far this is the best month of the year! I am getting my high blood pressure under control, and was amazed to see the results of today's check at 116/78. AMAZING. That is quite a long way from the 156/116 I saw less than a month ago. Mike has Spring Break starting the 16th, and we will start it off by heading to San Antonio for the weekend. I am very much looking forward to the nice break at my parents' house, and to the massage I will get with Allison at my favorite Day Spa: Spa d'Sante! It is wonderful!!!

That pretty much sums up the last 6 months of our lives. I am now promising to my many readers, well at least one (thanks Mike!), that I will stay current on our blog, and even try to include pictures! Till next time...

Oh Technology!

2008-08-20T21:48:00.004-05:00

So I am not ready to post landscaping pictures as previously mentioned. I do want to tell you about my new love....my brand new Gateway laptop. I got it for school, but to be honest have done more playing than schooling. One of my brothers, Alex, is going to school tomorrow and he got a brand new laptop as well. Both of these laptops have webcam, and let me tell you, I love it!!! I just had a blast talking to my siblings via webcam. So thank you Alex and Allison for playing with me tonight....and Peter for stopping by to say hello! I love y'all!

So about Alex going away to college...first let me say it is a little heartbreaking to me that I won't see him every time I am in San Antonio. Second this signifies a huge change in my family. No longer are there "three little guys" at home anymore. It will never be the same and that makes me sad. While I thank God that He has allowed Alex to get into this great college and blessed him with an amazing scholarship, part of me wishes he was staying right where he is. Or even better, go back a year and be a senior one more time. What is even more sad to me is that this is the start of everything changing. Everything Alex does, Allison will do two years later, and then two years after her goes Peter. So in four years everyone will be out of the house and will only see each other, altogether, on major holidays. I realize this is part of life, but it is a sad part that I have been dreading.

Alex, I pray that God takes you by the hand and directs your every move....and that you seek that hand in all you do. I know that God has great things in store for you...just don't lose sight of Him! Keep Him and His Word first and foremost in your life! And know that your sister, and brother-in-law, love you very much!

Our First Blog!

2008-08-14T18:32:00.000-05:00

Hi All,

So I was on facebook the other day and noticed that TONS of my old friends are blogging. Not one to be left out for long I decided to start one for us. Mike relunctantly agreed, after asking how much it cost, of course. So here it is! Welcome to the very first posting on the Bergeron blog!

This site will definitely be a work in progress as I have realized that we don't have many pictures of the two of us....sad. Probably my fault as I tend to be camera shy. There had to one area of my life that I would be shy in, right parents?

I wish I had something new and exciting to share about us right now, but we are pretty boring at the moment. Oh! We just celebrated our two year anniversary. God is so great!

We are landscaping this weekend, with the help of my father-in-law, and I will definitely share pictures of the event!

God bless!