His 1st Week Back

Well, my handsome husband had his first week back at work. It was a little different because he was not here in Texas, but traveling in New York City and Philadelphia, PA for a week of training. He said it all went fabulous and that he loves it! He has already worked so hard and I know his new boss is already really impressed with him! But who wouldn't be impressed with someone as wonderful as my husband???? :-) Myself on the other hand didn't enjoy not having him at home here with me, (accept for the part of me getting to eat my yummy broccoli casserole that I never get to make because Barrett won't eat broccoli) but I am sooooo happy that he is able to work now...and that he is home now! This was a true answer to prayer. I was so happy! When he came home he brought me 2 boxes of Tastykakes and a soft pretzel from Wawa. WhooHoo!!!! Being originally from Philadelphia myself, these are 2 things that are hard to find here in Texas. I guess those notes sent and phone calls (hinting) about how wonderful tastykakes and soft pretzels from Wawa are worked!!!

First Day of Spring! Really????

So today is the first day of spring. That is pretty hard to believe. Before we went to sleep last night there were little snow flurries blowing. When we woke up and looked out the window, the ground, roof, cars, plants, everything was covered in several inches of snow. Just earlier this week I was wearing my sun dresses. Today, snow gear! Only in Texas! Java played on our upstairs balcony. Normally the snow doesn't get on the balcony too much, but since the snow was blowing hard in this direction, we got a snow covered porch.
Our snow covered bushes out front. I guess I won't ever need to take pictures of our house again with snow. We have more than enough pictures of snow on our house from just this year. I can't help it though. It is beautiful everytime!

Family Portraits

We had a fabulous photographer come to our house and around our neighborhood with us to capture some pictures of our little family. We haven't had official portrait pictures taken of us since our engagement pictures over 4 years ago, so we were long overdue. Take a look at what our family looks like here in March of 2010. Porch swing - Tanya, Barrett, and Java the lap dog
On our porch

Can you picture us rocking on these rockers when we are old and grey?

Java did great looking at the camera (when I would hold her around the neck...)

Our Family

A cute little palm tree

Java was getting a little tired by this point. Her tongue is sticking out in the rest of these pictures.

Under the Weeping Willow

Pond in Savannah

Barrett's Sweepstake Winnings!

During the time that Barrett was without a job, he became interested in entering in sweepstakes. Who knew that there is a website devoted to listing hundreds of different sweepstakes that are going on for people to enter??? Somehow Barrett came across this site and began spending some time each day filling out forms. It has been paying off! Like this Dallas Stars game we went to last night. He won these tickets from a radio station contest. The Stars didn't end up winning, but we still had a great time.

My Sweepstakes Winning Boy

Go Stars!

Along with the Stars tickets he has won other things - a $100 gas gift card (he actually won a 2nd one, but when they found out he had already won he was disqualified), salsa, soap, tickets to a Texas Tornado's Hockey game, tickets to Texas Motor Speedway, restaurants.com gift card, along with some other things. This is just the beginning :-) We are hoping for some really big wins soon, like cash, a car, vacations, etc. It's not impossible. My family has a history of winning cars. My sister Tara won a brand new mini-van about 10 years ago and my sister in-law Sonya won a used SUV about 6 months ago. Keep looking for upcoming winnings!

Nails, Lunch, Shopping, and Girl Talk

Aaaaa...Spring Break!!!! I love it! One of the things I look forward to most when I have a day off is spending time with my big sister, Tara. These days are hard to come by. When her kiddos are off at school, I am working (at school.) When I am off from school, she is now "working" since all the kids are now home. But due to the kids spending some time with the grandparents, we were able to have a day out - just the girls!

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We started the day off with a trip to the nail salon for PEDICURES!!!! Oh, how we were treated like princesses - hot bubbly water, massages, wax treatment, hot stones, the works! We left with beautiful toe nails and very smooth and happy feet! Next we went to Texas Land and Cattle for a very yummy lunch - my favorite, bread, salad, onion strings, steak, and potatoes. And you can't have a girl day without some shopping, which of course followed the yummy meal.

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I am so happy and thankful for a fabulous big sister that is my very best girl friend. Life gets busy and it seems to get harder and harder to spend time together. But I am so happy to have someone that is always ready to talk (even if it is just on the phone or in a text), that encourages me along life's journeys, and that I can just have fun with!

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After I got home I realized....I didn't take any pictures. :-( Oh well, I have the memory in my mind, and now this blog post to remind me of our fun day.

He Did It!!!!

After 10 months of waiting, Barrett was offered a job and accepted it yesterday!!!! Hallelujah!!!! Amazingly enough, it is back with the same company he was laid off from, but in another position. He will start next Monday, March 22.

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He go a call earlier this week from someone from the company wanting to get a copy of his resume "just in case" something opened up. The next day he got a call from someone else and had an immediate phone interview right then and there. The next day he had another phone interview from a couple other people. Then yesterday he got the call saying that everyone they were getting references from couldn't say enough good things about him and definitely wanted him back. Wow!

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We are so excited to say the least! Barrett phrased it as, "I feel like I could just jump out of my skin!" God is faithful! He has taken such good care of us these past months and continues to do GREAT things!

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Thank you to everyone that has walked this journey with us and prayed for us along the way.

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He did it!!!

Baseball Aunt

Yesterday we went to Calahan's very first baseball game where you had to buy tickets (it was a tournament) to see the game. That's right! He is on a very special baseball team that he had to try out for. He was picked by a team almost immediately. They wanted to get him on their team before another team snatched him up. The name of his team is Rough Riders (just like the Frisco team.) I'd say this is quite an accomplishment for a 2nd grader! They got me this super cute "Baseball Aunt" shirt to wear to his games.
Up to bat - He hit the ball each time he was up to bat.

He also plays catcher. I think he is so cute with his little hand behind his back.

I Have Been Chosen

You are chosen by God! 1 Peter 2:9-10 Okay, so who out there has seen the movie "Toy Story?" Most people have I'm sure (unless your name is Barrett.) In that movie there is a scene where the boy is in an arcade playing games and comes to one of those machines where you put in your quarter and have the chance of winning a prize by using "the claw" to pick up the prize. In most cases no one ever wins from these machines but kids still always want to try. Anyways, in the game with "the claw" are hundreds of these little aliens just waiting to be chosen. When the boy plays the game to win an alien, he actually grabs hold of this cute little green guy. Then the little green alien guy says to all his other little waiting friends "I have been chosen."

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About a month ago I went to a woman's conference night at church along with my mom and sister. It was an incredible lesson for me being taught that night that has stuck with me even still today that I thought I would share (which will explain the picture and story above.) The speaker told the story of some of the background in her life - a son that was arrested and is having major struggles, parents that left this earth far too early, of a husband having major health issues. On the outside this woman looks to have it all together, but on the inside there are so many issues and struggles. She told the story of snuggling up on the couch with her hot chocolate by the fire side reading other families Christmas letters this past Christmas. She enjoyed reading of all that was going on in everyones families. Everyone elses lives just seemed to be going so perfectly, not a paper cut or anything to complain about. She became so very frustrated and asking the Lord...why, when I am trusting you, when I am being faithful, when I pray everyday, and am asking You for help, do I still have all these struggles, and then there are all these wonderful families around me that are doing the same exact thing as me,pray for help and you give it to them right away? Why me? After crying out to God, she heard the Lord saying to her, "because you are chosen. God chose you to be in this life that He has for you." Really, He chose me? On the inside at first there is that sarcastic comment of, well thanks a lot Lord for choosing me! I'm not sure this is something I wanted to be chosen for. But then I think, wow, He, the God of this universe, chose ME! He knows what I can handle. He knows exactly what I need and when I need it, even when it doesn't seem all clear to me. What a privilege to know that I HAVE BEEN CHOSEN! God is saying no right now because a bigger YES is coming.

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After the conference on the way home, we were discussing this concept of being chosen. All of us in that car said that when she said "I have been chosen" it immediately gave us a picture in our heads of the little green alien in the toy story movie. A week or so later Tara gave me a very special gift - a little green alien. I know it seems like an odd little thing, but I have it sitting in my car so that during my 2 hour drive each day to and from work when my mind is always doing a lot of thinking, I see this little green guy and it reminds me that I HAVE BEEN CHOSEN by God and it puts a big smile on my face.