We Remember

10 years ago today our nation was attacked.  10 years ago today we can all remember where we stood when we heard the news.  10 years ago today we stood a nation united against any threat to our freedom.

Today we reflect and remember those who lost their lives.  I cannot imagine what it was like to be in one of the planes or in the World Trade Center.  Moms, dads, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, and grandparents were lost that day.  I did not personally know anyone that passed away, but I can only imagine what those families have gone through in enduring the loss of a loved one.  

I am thankful for the heroes that were walking up the stairs when civilians were running down.  9/11 is a part of our nation's history, and I am proud to remember the courage of so many on that day.  It is easy to watch the news and see a world that is lost, but I am encouraged that through a traumatic event like this, so many turn to God.  I am thankful for our God who will never leave us or forsake us.  He is faithful and sovereign, and I am thankful to have the freedom to worship and serve Him freely in my country. 

God, please bless America.  Bless the families that mourn a lost one today.  Bless the soldiers that fight to defend our freedom.  Bless our nation's leaders and guide them with your wisdom.  Give us all courage to stand for what is right and to stand united One Nation Under God.

Summer Reading List

With summer coming to an end, I thought I would share the books that have traveled with me and occupied my time over the last few months.  As you will see, I am on a John Grisham kick.  My grandpa has collected all of Grisham's books since I can remember.  I have memories picking out the newest release with my mom to give Grandpa for Christmas or his birthday.  A few months ago he emailed me and said he was getting rid of his collection and asked if I wanted them.  I was thrilled to accept his offer and have been enjoying them ever since.  Thanks Grandpa!

I enjoy reading a couple of books at a time- usually a non-fiction and a fiction, and choose which to dive into based on the mood I'm in.  I typically fly through the fiction ones because I get hooked and have to know what happens.  I love when I get near to the end of a book and end up staying up way too late because I can't put it down.  I'm sure you can relate!

So, here was my reading list this summer, and I would recommend any of them if you're looking for a good book:

A Love that Multiplies by Jim Bob & Michelle Duggar- I was interested in this book because of this family's show on TLC that I watch, 19 Kids and Counting.  Don't get any crazy ideas... I don't anticipate having 19 kids, but have come to respect and love the way this family loves the Lord and shows it in the way they live as a family.  They have a neat parenting style, and the results certainly support their methods.

Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist- This one was a birthday gift from Shay, and I really enjoyed it.  It's a collection of short stories that Shauna Niequist writes about her life.  It was uplifting and fun to read.  Niequist has a unique writing style that makes you feel like she is sitting with you talking.

The Runaway Jury, The Rainmaker, The Partner, and The Street Lawyer by John Grisham- They are all great legal fiction.  I loved every one. 

The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren- Joey and I read this one together while he was out of town working for several weeks.  We learn a lot when we read a book and discuss it together, but I have to admit we only made it about half way through this one so far.

And here is what's next on my reading list:

Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen- I bought this collection of four novels on our trip to Brenham earlier this summer.  It is a beautiful book, for one, and I wanted to read some of these classics.  I read Pride and Prejudice in school and love the movie, but haven't read the others before.  So, I plan to dive into these classics soon.

Desert Gift by Sally John- This is the second book in Sally John's Side Road series.  I have read all of Sally John's books and always enjoy them.  She is a Christian Fiction writer, and her books usually have a little romance in them- which I am a sucker for. 

The Testament by John Grisham- My love affair with Grisham books continues... this is just the next one on my list.  I have been reading them in the order that they were published.  I'm sure that this next one will not disappoint.

Was your summer accompanied with any great reads?  I am always looking to add to my list.  Let me know if you have recommendations.  Lord knows I have plenty of time to occupy during the evenings while Joey is in PC... especially right now.  Summer TV series's have ended and my fall shows haven't started yet!  What's a girl to do?

Belated Bachelorette Post

A couple of weekends ago the women in Shay's wedding party met in Salado for a Bachelorette Party for Shay Bear- the bride-to-be.  Salado is the perfect place for a girl trip, and we had a great time.  The celebration started Saturday at lunch time with an afternoon tea at Adelea’s on Main.  We had a private room and enjoyed tea, finger sandwiches, scones, and little desserts.  It was delicious!

Anna, me, and SM

After lunch we ventured out to visit all the cute shops on Main Street.  Triple digit heat made us appreciate the cool blast of air conditioning when we walked into a store for sure!  After shopping we headed to the Inn at Salado where we were staying that night to check in.  It was precious!  I shared a room with Mary Ellen and Gentry.  We didn't take a room-mate picture unfortunately, but had a good time together. 

After some much needed freshening up, we loaded up and headed to the Vineyard at Florence winery for dinner and Shay's lingerie shower.  This was by far the highlight of the weekend!  We also had our own private room here where we enjoyed dinner, wine, and of course gifts that made Shay giggle.  I was in charge of games for the night, and a little worried about making Shay blush.  She was a hoot though, and totally got into it!  We all had a blast celebrating with Shay and certainly made memories that I will look back on and cherish.

Me, Shay, and Claire

Only a couple of short weeks left until Shay and Adam tie the knot!

Blowout Kind of Day

Since it was the Friday leading into a holiday weekend, March of Dimes offices closed at 12:00.  I called Joey to see if he wanted to meet for a quick lunch before his afternoon classes, and a group of law students were going to Rudy's, so I met them there.  I enjoyed a yummy BBQ Baked Potato and then headed home.  Only I didn't make it very far...

That's me on the shoulder of I-35.  I was driving along, in the left lane of course, and I hear this loud whoosing sound over the song on the radio that I was singing along with.  (This won't be as good as me reenacting with my sound effects and body movements, but I'll try to make you feel like you were there with me.)  Ok, so loud whoosing... and I thought it was some bozo with a loud car around me.  I was looking around annoyed trying to figure out who would drive a car that is so loud.  Not being able to recognize the bozo, I start noticing my car riding a little rougher and decide to get over- thank goodness!  I then decide quite quickly it is my car making the horrendous noise and it sounds like it's going to blow up... not good.  So, I make it to the shoulder, and as I slow down it becomes hard to keep moving further over.  I then noticed my car feeling a bit lob-sided and it dawns on me...  I must have a flat tire!  Before you laugh at me and think I should have realized what it was earlier, let me just say, I have never had a flat before and it all happened so fast.  So anyways, panicked because my car is swaying every time a car zooms by my on the highway, I called Joey.  Thank you Lord that he was not in class yet!  He said that his afternoon class was not part of PC and the students he was with would tell the professor that he had to help me with a flat.  So, he left the law school to be my knight in shining armor on the side of I-35. 

With my car being on the highway, and of course the blown tire being on the side where cars where zooming by, neither one of us felt good about Joey changing it.  Momma Hance has AAA and Joey is still listed on her plan, so we called them.  A nice guy named Cody showed up about an hour later and put on my spare.  I joked with Joey saying that God planned this so that we could spend an hour together in the car.  That's more time than we've gotten together all week! :)

So, after that fiasco I went home and Joey went back up to the school for one more class.  Megan came in town this weekend, so she met me at the house and we chatted for awhile and then headed to Marshall's.  Joey met us there, we finished our shopping, and then headed back to the house to get ready for the Baylor game.  Joey got us tickets from a judge that he clerked with this summer who couldn't make it down for this game.  We had dinner with Meg and then Joey and I headed to Floyd Casey Stadium to watch the Baylor Bears whoop up on TCU.

Let me just say that after being a cheerleader at BU and getting to games hours early and parking for free, getting there with everyone else for a packed game was a mess!  I was a little frazzled by the time we made it to our seats, but it was well worth it.  We got to watch a pretty great game and despite Joey's expression in this picture, he had fun too! :)  Baylor won our first game of the season 50 to 48 against TCU, who happened to have a pretty good season last year!  Sic 'em Bears!

Homecooked Sundays

Along with Joey, I have two college girl-friends going through their last year of law school, and therefore PC, right now.  Carolyn and Dana came over to our house for dinner one night the week before PC began.  The two of them and Joey sat there talking about what lies ahead and all the tricks and tips they had heard from friends and previous students in preparation.  That's when I got the idea for Homecooked Sundays.

I know from living with Joey that these poor students have class from 7:45 a.m. until 3 or 4:00 in the afternoon.  Reading and preparing for the next day starts immediately, and the only break Joey takes is for a quick dinner, and then he often is reading until after midnight.  While I am so happy to be able to handle the house, dinner, bills, and whatever else I can do so Joey doesn't have to, I have been thinking about my other friends who don't have anyone living with them to cook dinner, etc. 

Of course I have told them to call me if there is ever anything I can do to help, but have decided to schedule one night a week that I will cook dinner for a group.  No one is obligated to come, but my goal is to provide a homecooked meal and an opportunity to take a break and talk with other students who are in the same boat.  Sunday seemed to be a good day since week nights are so full, and last Sunday was our first one.  We had Chicken Tetrazzini, Garlic Bread, and Salad.  So, in honor of our first Homecooked Sunday, here is the recipe for my Chicken Tetrazzini.

Chicken Tetrazzini:

1 (7 oz.) package of vermicelli pasta

3 cups chopped cooked chicken

1 cup shredded Parmesean Cheese

1 (10.75 oz.) can Cream of Chicken soup

1 (10 oz.) container refrigerated Alfredo Sauce

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 tsp. ground pepper

1/2 cup slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare pasta as directed on package.  Stir together chicken, 1/2 cup Parmesean cheese, and next 6 ingredients.  Stir into pasta.  Spoon mixture into lightly greased 13 x 9 baking dish.  Sprinkle with almonds and remaining Parmesean cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Dallas Weekend

Last weekend there was a lot to celebrate in Dallas!  There were two wedding showers, and Joey and I had made plans to go stay with the Roush's in their new house.  Joey ended up having too much school work to be out of town, but Harley and I still drove up after work on Friday.  Harley and Tegan had so much fun together!  They hadn't seen each other since the move back in May, so it was cute to see them reunited.  They are still best girlfriends! 

Harley kept sitting on top of Tegan while they were wrestling... It was the weirdest thing!  Megan looked it up and found out that dogs often do this when they are tired of playing but trying to show dominance.  Tegan has got Harley by about 40 pounds, but she sure tries to be the "big dog".

Friday night Rich and Meg ordered us Chinese food for dinner  (one of my favorites since there are really no good take-out Chinese places here), and then Meg and I went to Homegoods, for the first time of the weekend, to shop for accessories for their new house.

Saturday morning I attended a wedding shower being given in honor of one of my college room-mates, Kristin.  It was really fun to see her and Lauren, another college friend and room-mate.  It has been way too long since we spent time together, and it was wonderful to celebrate Kristin as the bride-to-be!  There were a lot of other Tri-Delta girl friends from college there too that I had a blast catching up with.  It will be fun to see them again at the wedding.  Kristin is going to be a beautiful bride!

Lauren, Kristin, me, and Carolyn

Me and Shay at Kristin's shower

Saturday afternoon I headed back to the Roush's, and Meg and I shopped a little more for accessories.  Saturday evening we were invited to a couple's shower for Shay and Adam.  I definitely missed having Joey there, but enjoyed getting to celebrate Shay and Adam with a lot of friends.  I have met and even become close to a lot of the people that mean a lot to Shay and her family over the years of us being friends, so it was fun to see many of them again.  Shay and Adam have a lot of fun together, and it was cute to watch them open presents as a couple.  Getting to see Shay twice in one weekend was pretty fun!

The girls and Adam

Who knew you were supposed to brush a dog's teeth?  Megan brushes Tegan's and it was pretty funny, so I snapped a few pictures.  Tegan loves it, so Harley wanted to try... she was not too fond of it!  It was pretty amusing to watch though. :)

Sunday morning I went to church with the Roush's and then Meg and I had brunch.  We stopped by Homegoods one more time for curtain rods and then went back to their house to hang them... only Rich was still at church.  We learned pretty quickly that hanging curtain rods is a good man project!  We finally figured out how to use Rich's electric screwdriver (maybe that's what it's called?) in time for the battery to die... and the Roush's don't know where the charger is.  So, we tried to drill the screws in by hand... Yeah right!  That was hard.  So, we ended up just marking where they needed to go and deciding to let Rich handle it when he got home.  It was a fun weekend getting to spend time with and celebrate exciting times with good friends.

One day down...

...47 more of this quarter to go.  Joey had his first day of PC- practice court, today.  PC will consume the next two out of three quarters Joey has left of law school.  Although, word on the street is that the first quarter is the most challenging.  I have not heard many good things about this part of law school.  It is tedious, grueling, and sometimes next to impossible to accomplish all the work that is assigned.  PC is what makes Baylor the third highest ranking law school in the nation for advocacy though.  It prepares its students like no other school for life in a court room.

Joey has worked hard to prepare for this day.  Last week he was in Waco after being gone all summer working internships.  He had a lot to get done and organized for a busy work load.  Joey and I spent many hours going through his syllabus and the materials he had trying to get organized.  It all ended up being a lot more complex than either one of us had anticipated, and he ended up missing plans we had in Dallas last weekend to stay home and prepare. 

Yes, all of the binders and books on that shelf are for the next two quarters and full of cases that Joey will read and study over the next several months.  And yes, that is a new shelving unit just to store all of the reading material in our study.

This is what Joey will cart to and from school every day to transport all of the material he will need for class. 

I am very proud of my husband already for what he has accomplished in law school and in preparing for his career.  I know it will all pay off one day, and we will look back at PC and Baylor Law School as a memory.  Until then, it looks like we will be counting down the days!

Anniversary Celebration

Our anniversary fell on a Monday this year.  Joey still had one more week at the firm he was interning with in Houston, so I came in town and worked from my parents house for his last week.  We were both tired of being apart and especially didn't want to be in different cities on our anniversary.  It worked out that the firm had a few social events that I was able to attend as well. 

We had a little anniversary trip planned for the following weekend once his internship was over, so we decided to hold off on most of our celebration.  Monday evening Joey came home from work with beautiful roses for me, and we went out to dinner at Carrabba's in Sugar Land and then had ice cream at Marble Slab.  We talked a lot about our future and reflected on the two years we have been married.  It was a great evening and reminded me a little bit of high school, going on dates in the Land of Sugar. :)

Since we were in Houston, I called the bakery that did our wedding cake and asked them to make us an anniversary cake that was the same flavor and style of our wedding cake.  I picked it up on Friday and we took it back to Waco with us.

We cut into it that night when we got back.  Yum!  I didn't get a whole piece at the wedding.  It really was good cake!

Saturday we slept in, unpacked, ran errands, and re-packed for our little anniversary get-away.  We left Sunday morning for Granbury, TX.  We explored the historic downtown district and all the cute shops. We stopped for lunch at a little diner called Rinky Tinks that played the movie Grease while we ate.  The restaurant was a step back into the 50's.  We checked into the hotel and got ready for dinner at the only "fine dining" restaurant in Granbury open on Sunday night- Stringfellows.  We were the only people in the restaurant for most of our meal.  Kind of romantic...

After dinner we got candy and headed to the drive-in movie theater in town.  The last time we did this was right after we started dating again when we were in college.  This place played two movies in a row.  I made it through the first one, but slept through most of the second one.

Monday our plan was to enjoy the beach at Lake Grandbury.  It was right next to our hotel and looked so fun.  We got there without towels, chairs, floats, or an umbrella for shade and decided fast that we were armatures... it was so hot!  So we waded into the water, took a few pictures, wished we had some jet ski's or a boat, and packed up.  Next time we'll be more prepared!

Lake Granbury Beach

Then, we were off to Dinosaur World on our way back to Waco in Glen Rose.

It was an outdoor park with over 100 life-size dinosaur replicas... again it was hot, but fun!  Joey didn't realize I had an interest in dinosaurs, but hey- the Land Before Time movies were some of my favorites growing up!  This park made me want to watch them again.

We stopped at the Nike Outlet in Hillsboro before we got back to Waco and got Joey some cool new basketball kicks.  It was a fun weekend and a great celebration of our anniversary.  Now, Joey's gearing up for PC, practice court, that starts on Monday.  PC is the toughest part of Baylor Law School... so you could start praying for us now!  :)  I think we're both going to need it.

Two years ago today

Two years ago today I married my high school sweetheart and the man of my dreams.  I never thought that after dating for 7 years that I would love him more after we got married... I was wrong!  There is a country song called Then by Brad Paisley that talks about how a couple's love grew over time and through all of the life experiences they shared.  I now fully believe that our love will continue to deepen as we go through life together.

There were so many things about Joey that attracted me to him in the beginning.  The fact that I was 14 years old and he was 16 and could drive was a big perk! :)  But, other than that of course, he had a confident personality and strong character.  My parents always told me that dating was preparation for marriage, and there was no use dating someone that I couldn't see myself marrying.  In high school that seemed a little extreme, but as usual, they knew what they were talking about.  Because 7 years later the teenager I met my freshman year of high school and fell in love with would be the man I called my husband.  And today he is the man that I am so proud to be married to.  He is hard-working, strong, and generous.  He is the counsel that I trust and the opinion I want in any situation.  He is the safe place where amidst transition and uncertainty I find peace and comfort.  I am blessed to be married to a man that accepts me and encourages me to be all that I can be and all that God created us to be.  Two years has flown by, and I look forward to many more filled with meaningful memories and life experiences that will shape us and make us look back and say, "And I thought I loved you then."

Ruling the Road

Let me begin by saying that I know I am not the most patient driver, but come on people!  Really?  Today I blurted out things in the car directed at other drivers that I am not proud of.  I wasn't even in a hurry or hormonal.  These drivers just really twerked my tater! 

Now, I think I am a pretty good driver.  I have never been pulled over or gotten a ticket.  My husband may say I'm a little aggressive or lack a little thing called patience, but I say I am just efficient!  I learned how to drive from my parents (who may be even more "efficient" than me), in a big momma suburban, in Houston traffic.  So, I like to get from point A to point B quickly and efficiently.  Yes, I did back into a couple of things early on in my driving career, but I have since gotten much better at lifting my little hinny out of the seat to see things behind me even when they are not apparent in my mirrors.  And, I may or may not have rear ended a few people before.  But, that's only because the person in front of me could have gone, so I assumed they did while looking into the traffic, only to find they didn't.  Who knows, maybe the little nudge they got from me will encourage them to be more efficient next time. :)

So today, these Waco drivers that made me blurt out unkind words got me thinking.  A- I should probably work on my road rage a little bit, but B- there are some rules that aren't taught in driving school that sure could make people more considerate drivers if they were followed.  So, here we go-
Courteous Driving Rules by me:

• The left lane is for people driving at or above the speed limit, hence its nickname: The Fast Lane.  If you're not driving fast, move over.
• Even when you think you are driving fast or fail to realize that you're not, when someone comes up fairly close behind you, move over.
• When approaching a red light and you are in the right hand lane, but not turning right, get over to the left.  Someone behind you may want to turn right on red and not appreciate siting behind you through the duration of a very long light.
• When pulling out into traffic do not, I repeat, DO NOT pull out right in front of someone and go slower than them. 
• On the other hand, when stopped, waiting to pull out into traffic- DO take initiative and go when the opportunity presents itself.  Give yourself a pep-talk if you have to.  But you're likely not driving an 18-wheeler and therefore don't need to allow for that large of an opening.  Be efficient!
• Do not switch lanes when it means cutting off the person you get in front of.
• Do not switch lanes to get in front of someone, go slow, and then continue to slow down to turn.
• Do not brake in the middle of the road for no reason.
• Do not brake in the middle of the road in preparation for a turn when there is a turn lane or shoulder.  That's what they are for.  Use them!
• Do not attempt to operate or talk on your phone while driving if you are not capable of multi-tasking.

Warning: Failure to abide by the guidelines above may result in being honked at, having your bumper ridden a little closely, people swerving to get around you, and likely an unpleasant look from a driver as they pass you. 

Some of you may be shaking your head, judging, or even laughing at me.  But, I know that some of you are bursting to give an "AMEN!"  You share the same pet-peeves as me.  Wouldn't the road be a better place if everyone was an efficient driver?  So, here's to hoping you think twice before pulling out in front of me if we meet on the road.  Safe driving everyone!