As the holiday madness draws closer to an end, and a new year quickly approaches, I can't help but to reflect on the past year of my life. Our family has been through so much change in just one year it's absolutely amazing! We moved from our cozy little house to a small, very crowded Uhaul apartment, and I went from a stay at home mom to a full time working mom in a day. Then, Eric had the opportunity to move out up in the company, thus moving us out of "the hood." Now, we are living back in the apartment community we started out our marriage in. (A very humbling experience.) I am continuing to working at the MDO, where I get to fellowship with the most amazing Christian women two days a week, and I get to tell others about the Lord, and how incredibly amazing He is!(Could life get any better than that?) I am also watching a little girl 5 days a week, 10 hours a day. As if this was not enough stress and change, I'm continuing to peck away at my college education and should hopefully have associates degree by the end of the summer.....after many years of procrastination.
This year, we'd learned what it was to live beyond our means. We had a nice house in a very nice housing community, we had "everything." Eric had a "great" career making money we had never fathomed making in our entire life! The Lord taught us a very important life lesson though.....this stuff is not important at all! It can all be taken away in the snap of His fingers. Although we thought it would be *so awesome* to live that kind of life, we were sadly mistaken. Our marriage and family were never worse off, and we were more unhappy than we had ever been.
Moving to Uhaul, gave us the fresh start that we needed, and put everything into perspective for us. We were humbled this past year, and have learned the true meaning of happiness. Now it will be interesting to see where the Lord will lead us next. We made one of the biggest,hardest decisions of our life, and have begun to look for a new church home. One where we can not only serve, but have our whole hearts in it, and know 100% that this is where the Lord wants our family to be. It is so unfulfilling to go through the motions, knowing all along that this is not where we're meant to be, and trying to fit a mold that just doesn't fit. (No matter how long and how hard you have tried to make it work.) We LOVE everyone at Spring Valley and cherish the many great memories we have had there, it's just time for us to move on, and give our great God 100%.
Whoo! Please pray for us that we will continue to follow his will!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Gabbi's Christmas Pictures......
Gabbi's Christmas pictures turned out so stinking cute this year! The top picture is my favorite!!! I love this girl!!
To pray like a child....
Each night as we go to bed, we pretty much have the same bedtime routine. Bath, pray, and bed. We began last night the very same way. As Eric and I knelt by the bed to pray with Gabbi, she prayed for everything she normally prays for....mama, daddy, Lady, Olivia, and so on. Then, she finished up praying with "and justice for all. Amen." Eric and I had a pretty good laugh, and Gabbi just looked at us like we had lost our mind. I followed the laughter up with "Gabbi that was great. We should say thank you to God for justice. Good job Gabbi!"
That made me think....Wow, leave it to my 3 year old to thank God for something so awesome! Justice is something I definately take for granted, as well as many other things the Lord has blessed me with as an American. Last night as I prayed before bed, I also thanked God for "justice for all," and all of the people in our great nation who make that possible. Amen....
That made me think....Wow, leave it to my 3 year old to thank God for something so awesome! Justice is something I definately take for granted, as well as many other things the Lord has blessed me with as an American. Last night as I prayed before bed, I also thanked God for "justice for all," and all of the people in our great nation who make that possible. Amen....
Friday, November 13, 2009
Life
Wow! Things have sure changed since I've last blogged! I hadn't been able to blog very much when we lived in South Fort Worth. Life as I knew it seemed to come to a complete halt! I am so thankful that the Lord has moved us back to this side of town. I am grateful that we are out of the bad neighborhood, and that I am able to focus on school, and attempt to do the things I love to do again! We actually found out that our store was held up at gun point by an ex-con in the middle of a weekday afternoon a few weeks ago! I can't help to think "what if..." Gabbi was always in the showroom hanging out with us, and her and I were down there by ourselves a lot too! Crazy! It makes me sick just to think about it! The man that held up the store was caught by the police shortly after he fled the scene, but not without a fight. He shot at the police officers, and ended up getting shot by them (in the arm). It ASTONISHES me that a person could value their life at $220!
I'm still working at the MDO program, which is fabulous, and I started watching Olivia again. I've also started going back to school this semester, and it has been a major butt kicking! I am very thankful to have the opportunity to go back though! I have finally picked some areas of real interest, and they are both surprisingly in the medical field! I never thought I would want to do something like that! I am currently on a fast track degree plan working towards an Occupational Therapy in Child Development degree. I'm doing every possible thing I can at TCC right now, since Texas Women's is a drive, and I still have Gabbi at home. The other thing that's perked my interest recently is Audiology/Speech Pathology since Gabbi has had so much trouble with her ears. I didn't even realize until after her surgery what an impact it had on her hearing. Most of the core classes are the same, so I'll keep plugging away and praying and the Lord will lead me where he wants me to go.
Speaking of Gabs.....She is getting so big! It is amazing to watch her grow and develop her own little personality! She is super sassy, but she is also so sweet and nurturing. It is fascinating to see how complex a 3 year old little girl can be, and just to watch her develop in every aspect of life! Even though some days are insane, I feel privileged knowing the Lord has given me such an amazing family! I love that girl so incredibly much!
Eric is staying very busy with work! He was promoted to be the GM of the Denton Hwy Uhaul facility, so if you need any moving supplies or a truck/trailer, let me know! He is doing amazing! The store was doing pretty bad when he first took it over, but it's already improved so much since he's been there! He is great at what he does!
So, that's about it! That's what our family has been up to! Life is crazy and hectic, but I wouldn't have it any other way! I am blessed to have such an amazing family!
I'm still working at the MDO program, which is fabulous, and I started watching Olivia again. I've also started going back to school this semester, and it has been a major butt kicking! I am very thankful to have the opportunity to go back though! I have finally picked some areas of real interest, and they are both surprisingly in the medical field! I never thought I would want to do something like that! I am currently on a fast track degree plan working towards an Occupational Therapy in Child Development degree. I'm doing every possible thing I can at TCC right now, since Texas Women's is a drive, and I still have Gabbi at home. The other thing that's perked my interest recently is Audiology/Speech Pathology since Gabbi has had so much trouble with her ears. I didn't even realize until after her surgery what an impact it had on her hearing. Most of the core classes are the same, so I'll keep plugging away and praying and the Lord will lead me where he wants me to go.
Speaking of Gabs.....She is getting so big! It is amazing to watch her grow and develop her own little personality! She is super sassy, but she is also so sweet and nurturing. It is fascinating to see how complex a 3 year old little girl can be, and just to watch her develop in every aspect of life! Even though some days are insane, I feel privileged knowing the Lord has given me such an amazing family! I love that girl so incredibly much!
Eric is staying very busy with work! He was promoted to be the GM of the Denton Hwy Uhaul facility, so if you need any moving supplies or a truck/trailer, let me know! He is doing amazing! The store was doing pretty bad when he first took it over, but it's already improved so much since he's been there! He is great at what he does!
So, that's about it! That's what our family has been up to! Life is crazy and hectic, but I wouldn't have it any other way! I am blessed to have such an amazing family!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
The Daily Plate.....I LOVE it!!!!!!
About a month ago, it dawned on me that I was getting pretty chunky. I noticed that I was eating sooo much.....even more than Eric! My friend Lauren told me about this cool web-site called thedailyplate.com. (You can link it to your g-mail account too!) It's free to use, and it helps you keep track your calories, weight loss, and the inches you've lost as well. Since I've started, I've lost 7 lbs, 7 inches in my waist, and 3.5 in my hips! I feel so much better now! I didn't realize how just those few extra pounds made such a big difference! I wanted to share this web-site with ya'll....it has been awesome to use, and has made a huge difference in my life as far as my eating habits and my daily activity.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
My sweet baby....
Gabbi has gotten so stinkin' smart!! I know, I know, all mom's think that their kid is the brightest, but Gabbi really is pretty smart! I think that it's completely amazing that at 2 1/2, she can already put together full sentences, and use lots of big/grown up words in context. (Which is not so good sometimes, when she learns something bad.)
She got mad at my little sister Alysia the other day, and told her "Don't you ever, ever do that again! Okay?" Or, when something isn't going her way, she'll say, "goodness, goodness, goodness." My two favorite things that she says right now are "I love you soooo much!" and "Thank you so much!" It just makes my heart melt!! She'll tell me "Mommy, you look so pretty!" or "You are gorgeous!" (I've trained her well!) This was sooo funny, but really embarrassing....we had some really nice customers come in to rent a storage room, and they had dreads and gold grillz (they kinda looked like Lil John!) Well, I had to go out to show them a storage room and I was working alone that day, and I had Gabbi with me. We were all walking out of the front door of the showroom, and Gabbi looked at me and said "Mama, they're scary!!" I wanted to die!! Luckily, they thought it was pretty funny too!! I was so embarrassed!
One of my other favorite thing though, is to hear her pray before bed. It's so funny to hear what she prays about! It usually starts out "Thank you God for....(mommy and daddy, lady and chloe), then things get funny....she ALWAYS thanks God for her hair bows (which I think is super cute), and for eat aka food, her toys, her friends (which she'll name), sometimes her teachers at school, her grandparents, and even my sister's boyfriend Jordan. (He really needs the prayers too, b/c he doesn't believe in God. Don't even get me started on that, It's a pretty sore subject!!)
I just needed to take a minute to brag!! Of course I think she's really great, she's my kid!
She got mad at my little sister Alysia the other day, and told her "Don't you ever, ever do that again! Okay?" Or, when something isn't going her way, she'll say, "goodness, goodness, goodness." My two favorite things that she says right now are "I love you soooo much!" and "Thank you so much!" It just makes my heart melt!! She'll tell me "Mommy, you look so pretty!" or "You are gorgeous!" (I've trained her well!) This was sooo funny, but really embarrassing....we had some really nice customers come in to rent a storage room, and they had dreads and gold grillz (they kinda looked like Lil John!) Well, I had to go out to show them a storage room and I was working alone that day, and I had Gabbi with me. We were all walking out of the front door of the showroom, and Gabbi looked at me and said "Mama, they're scary!!" I wanted to die!! Luckily, they thought it was pretty funny too!! I was so embarrassed!
One of my other favorite thing though, is to hear her pray before bed. It's so funny to hear what she prays about! It usually starts out "Thank you God for....(mommy and daddy, lady and chloe), then things get funny....she ALWAYS thanks God for her hair bows (which I think is super cute), and for eat aka food, her toys, her friends (which she'll name), sometimes her teachers at school, her grandparents, and even my sister's boyfriend Jordan. (He really needs the prayers too, b/c he doesn't believe in God. Don't even get me started on that, It's a pretty sore subject!!)
I just needed to take a minute to brag!! Of course I think she's really great, she's my kid!
Monday, January 26, 2009
AHHHHHH!!! Things have been so soooo crazy around here lately!! I have been staying super busy working at Uhaul and the MDO. Plus, I do a tiny, tiny bit of hair in my free time. I am just trying to hang in there, and remember that things will get better and less hectic sometime in the future. It's just kind of a rough transition from being a stay at home mom.
Eric and I started at Uhaul right around Thanksgiving time, and in the beginning we trained at several different facilities. Around the beginning of December we started working here at our facility, and in mid Dec. we moved over here to live on the property and manage it.
We walked into a HUGE mess of stuff, because the manager prior to us didn't do his job (at all). So, we have been cleaning up after him and trying to make things better. We've already made sooo much improvement!! I'm really proud of us! But we've had some resistance along the way...
Since we've started here, we have met many different people, mostly good, but some really crazy ones!! We've even had to call the cops on someone to have them removed from the property! NUTS!!! Some days I think, what the heck did I get myself into?? But all in all, I can't complain. Eric and I really enjoy the job, and getting to interact with all sorts of people.
It has also been neat to continue to see the way everything has worked out. I'm still able to work at the MDO two days a week, and Gabbi still gets to go to school there. Working there is a good break for me to get away and hang out with some good Christian ladies, and teach. (Teaching is my passion!! I LOVE to work with kids!!) Gabbi absolutely LOVES her teachers and friends there too! So it's pretty much a win, win situation....
Other than that, I do a teeny tiny bit of hair, and go to the YMCA every chance I get (not often enough)!! We like to work out, and then take Gabbi swimming in the indoor pool. She thinks that it's the coolest thing in the world! We have also started a new family tradition of going to the zoo about once a week, or every other week. (We got zoo passes for Christmas! Totally awesome!) That's about it!
We're just adjusting to our new busy lifestyle, and trying to learn our way around a new part of Fort Worth. We've gotten lost sooo many times it's ridiculous!! We finally broke down and bought a GPS!! I do have to say that I LOVE this area! It's so close to everything!! Restaurants, shopping, like every grocery store, and anything else that anyone might possibly find interesting. A huge change from little Saginaw!
Sorry it's been so long, but hopefully I've caught everyone up!!
Eric and I started at Uhaul right around Thanksgiving time, and in the beginning we trained at several different facilities. Around the beginning of December we started working here at our facility, and in mid Dec. we moved over here to live on the property and manage it.
We walked into a HUGE mess of stuff, because the manager prior to us didn't do his job (at all). So, we have been cleaning up after him and trying to make things better. We've already made sooo much improvement!! I'm really proud of us! But we've had some resistance along the way...
Since we've started here, we have met many different people, mostly good, but some really crazy ones!! We've even had to call the cops on someone to have them removed from the property! NUTS!!! Some days I think, what the heck did I get myself into?? But all in all, I can't complain. Eric and I really enjoy the job, and getting to interact with all sorts of people.
It has also been neat to continue to see the way everything has worked out. I'm still able to work at the MDO two days a week, and Gabbi still gets to go to school there. Working there is a good break for me to get away and hang out with some good Christian ladies, and teach. (Teaching is my passion!! I LOVE to work with kids!!) Gabbi absolutely LOVES her teachers and friends there too! So it's pretty much a win, win situation....
Other than that, I do a teeny tiny bit of hair, and go to the YMCA every chance I get (not often enough)!! We like to work out, and then take Gabbi swimming in the indoor pool. She thinks that it's the coolest thing in the world! We have also started a new family tradition of going to the zoo about once a week, or every other week. (We got zoo passes for Christmas! Totally awesome!) That's about it!
We're just adjusting to our new busy lifestyle, and trying to learn our way around a new part of Fort Worth. We've gotten lost sooo many times it's ridiculous!! We finally broke down and bought a GPS!! I do have to say that I LOVE this area! It's so close to everything!! Restaurants, shopping, like every grocery store, and anything else that anyone might possibly find interesting. A huge change from little Saginaw!
Sorry it's been so long, but hopefully I've caught everyone up!!
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