a penny for my thoughts...

Another Cool Pic...

2011-12-09T12:50:00.001-08:00

DSC06328, a photo by Alamo CrossFit on Flickr.

This is the overhead squat. Its my new favorite!! :o)

Some Pics from Crossfit

2011-11-29T11:14:00.001-08:00

About three weeks ago, I joined a Crossfit gym. Its been a great way to start my day so far! I just discovered today that they have a blog where they post photos from our workouts each day. Here are a few of me over the last couple of weeks!

First Day...

DSC05122, a photo by Alamo CrossFit on Flickr.

About to do a Power Clean...

DSC05426, a photo by Alamo CrossFit on Flickr.

Wall Ball...

DSC05419, a photo by Alamo CrossFit on Flickr.

Toes to Bar...

DSC05422, a photo by Alamo CrossFit on Flickr.

Rita

2011-11-28T21:16:00.001-08:00

New Friends

2011-11-28T21:04:00.000-08:00

I made some new friends the other day while I was out shopping. Here are a couple photos. :o)

Happy Halloween!!

2011-10-31T12:54:00.000-07:00

Here is a video my sister and nephew made!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Austin City Limits

2011-09-21T07:07:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, my friend Megan and I headed to Austin for Austin City Limits Music Festival. It was my first time to this festival, and it completely blew away my expectations. We saw so many excelent bands and performances during the three days we were at the festival. My favorite performance was definitely Coldplay!! They have been one of my very favorite bands for years, so it was a dream come true to see them live and so close! I have included two pictures. I took a lot more, but most are blurry...lol.

Another on of my favorites was AWOLNATION. Their performance was so energetic and lively!

Megan and I had such a wonderful time at ACL, and I fully intend on going back next year! :o)

Summer Time

2011-08-12T13:49:00.000-07:00

Well, this spring and summer have just flown by this year! I can't believe its already the middle of August. I am about a month away from our biggest deadline at work, so I have been putting in some overtime lately. It hasn't been too bad, yet I still dont find myself loving the extra hours...lol.

During the spring/summer, I have had a chance to travel and do a lot of fun things! Here are some pics and the highlights...

I bought a new car!! His name is Steely, and he is a 2011 Acura RDX. My dad and I actually bought new cars on the same day from the same place. Here is a pic of our matching cars!

I went to Cali for my annual after tax season trip. We had a blast! I was able to be there for Emma's dedication, for lots of fun, and for Easter! My friend Megan came out to Cali for Easter weekend, so we got to show her around too.

In May, I finally got to visit the Wishert house and meet Zaden for the first time! What a precious baby! I look forward to seeing much more of Zaden and the Wishert family.

Before I knew it, June was upon us, and I was heading to Colorado for family vacation. We had a wonderful time hanging out in the house my parents rented. I loved sitting in the family room catching up, and just looking out at the gorgeous view of Lake Dillon and the mountains surrounding it. It was a little chilly at night, which was a fantastic change from the heat of San Antonio. It was so hard to say goodbye!

On June 30th, a couple of my girlfriends and I went to see Chris Isaak in concert! It was an amazing concert and such a fun girls night!

July 4th I took a little trip down to Corpus to visit family. It was so nice to spend some time with everyone down there. After that trip, I stayed in town for a couple of weeks.

This past weekend I got to fly out to Cali for Will's 4th birthday. We spent two days at Legoland, which was a blast! While we were there, we got Will some lego sets for his birthday presents. I think my favorite part of the weekend was putting the sets together with Will on Sunday morning before I left. I also thoroughly enjoyed seeing Emma holidng herself up and dancing and walking at Legoland. I miss the Hanschens very much and I can't wait to see them all again!!

Beach Trip 2011

2011-03-21T13:12:00.001-07:00

So, after a lovely visit from my parents this past Wednesday and Thursday, I took the weekend off for a beach weekend with the girls! We stayed in Port A and had a great condo with a view of the beach. On Friday night after work, I drove down a group of us. We had way too much fun on the drive down. I don't think there was a moment where there wasn't laughter and smiling. Funniest part about the road trip was the 30min I wasted trying to find a bathroom on the island. We probably could have made it to the condo by the time I found a restroom that was open.

Once we made it to the condo, we ate dinner and hung out. The next day, we headed to the beach! I was surprised at how nice this beach was compared to JP Luby. I guess I was missing out all those years by staying on the island...hahaha. I pretty much slept and listened to music the whole day. It was so peaceful and relaxing. Praise God for such a nice day!

That evening, we cleaned up and went to dinner. Then we had an evening of games and a girly Jane Austen movie!! On Sunday, we ate breakfast and hit the road again. Another great road trip with a pit stop at Dairy Queen. I thoroughly enjoyed my hot fudge sundae! I had so much fun this past weekend, hanging out and hitting the road with the girls! What a wonderful weekend!

I will post pictures soon! :o)

SNOW!!!

2011-02-04T07:08:00.000-08:00

Yes, its true. It really snowed in San Antonio... and stayed on the ground!! I can't believe it! Too bad I brought work home just in case. I hope everyone enjoys their Friday!! :o)

Hello 2011!!

2011-01-28T11:39:00.000-08:00

Well, as usual, I am WAY behind in bloging about Christmas and the New Year. Its difficult to find the time to write and post during the long work hours lately. I had a blessed and amazing Christmas with the family. We enjoyed almost two full weeks together in Corpus. It was difficult to say goodbye after all the wonderful moments we had together.

Here are a couple pictures of our family at church on Christmas:

Coming back in January, I dove straight into the January tax filings. It left me with little time for much else until this past weekend. I took the weekend off so that I could go with my church friends to work on a house for Habitat for Humanity. We had a blast, even if our siding project was less than successful...hahaha.

I will try to get some pictures posted from Christmas and Habitat soon! Happy New Year!!! :o)

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-27T20:39:00.000-08:00

Visit to Corpus

2010-11-08T13:16:00.001-08:00

Last weekend, I took a Friday off and visited Corpus. It was such an enjoyable trip! I spent Thursday night with Mom and Dad, eating one of my favorite meals and watching some TV.

The next day, I went to see Mom's new 1st grade classroom. I had so much fun sing songs and making Halloween masks with the kids. After I left Mom's school, I visited with Aunt Dordie for a little while. Then, I met up with Becky for some coffee/catchup time. Before I knew it, it was time to head to dinner with Aunt Rose and Uncle Bobby. They took me to the Yacht Club for dinner. It was so nice to catch up and to sit by the water and enjoy some seafood. After dinner, Aunt Rose made me a special cup of tea with real ginger in it. It was delicious! The rest of the evening, I got to hang out with Becky and her friends. They were making jack-o-lanterns. It was a delightful evening.

Saturday was my day to catch up and hang out with Mom and Dad some more. We went all around town looking at different things. One of our stops included a furniture store that got me thinking about purchasing new sofas. After a full morning of walking and shopping, we ate at a delicious Chinese buffet. There isn't anything better than a nap after a full meal, so I took a nap once we made it home. We spent the rest of our time chatting and watching TV. It was so nice to spend some time at home! Looking forward to Thanksgiving in less than a month!!! :o)

A"maize"ing time in Hondo

2010-10-23T21:31:00.000-07:00

Today Sunday school class headed to the Hondo corn maze for a little fun. We had a blast running thru the mazes, playing in the hay, and jumping around acting silly. Here is a photo recap of our day!

Camping

2010-10-23T20:29:00.000-07:00

Last weekend my girls and I went camping. It was interesting to say the least. Since many of you know I am not a camper, I'm am sure you will laugh at how I spent the night at the cabin. Megan was kind enough to share a bed with Rita and I. We ended up on an air mattress. Unfortunately, the mattress had a leak, and every hour the mattress deflated. I don't know if it was just the complete lack of sleep, but it was so hilarious!!

The next day we had a wonderful devotional time on the river and enjoyed hanging out in God's country. Here are a few pictures of our fun time!!

Girls Night

2010-10-02T22:58:00.000-07:00

So, once I returned from Moldova, there hasn't been much time for me to blog. I spent most of my time at work until my deadline passed. I did get a chance to see Mandy and Co a couple weeks ago for Jered's ceremony. Please see her blog for an update on that...lol.

Tonight, a few friends and I went to dinner. I took my camera in hopes to share a few pictures of the girls that have been blessing my life recently. Here are a few photos from our dinner.

THE GROUP

THE ASHes

KIKI and ME

MEGGO, ASHLEY and ME

TWINS

TWIN SANDWICH

VICKI and ME

ASHLEY AND ME

CRENSHAW SANDWICH

GIRLS JUST HANGING OUT

Moldovan Royalty

2010-08-10T10:43:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, July 31st, we got to go shopping downtown. When we were done shopping, we got some ice cream and walked around downtown. We ended up in this park that had a booth for dressing up and taking photos. Here is what my group ended up looking like...

Pictures Coming Soon...

2010-08-10T08:38:00.000-07:00

Ok, I have had a lot of requests for photos from Moldova. I don't have as many as I wish, and I don't feel like it tells a complete story, but I will try to post what I have tonight. I look forward to getting a better selection of photos to put together more of a story of my experience, so keep an eye out for this too. Hope everyone is doing well!

Also, I added a new blog on my Buddies. Bethany is the photography intern in Moldova, so her blog is definitely worth checking out!

Moldova Update

2010-07-31T12:38:00.000-07:00

Hey All!!

I am here in Moldova getting ready to head to bed before church tomorrow. We are going to enjoy our last day here and leave on a plane at 2am tomorrow night. I just wanted to give yall a quick update on the amazing things that the Lord has done while we have been here this week.

The camp went extremely well for us. We had more and more kids show up each day to play sports and see us act completely ridiculous in American Club. I have been completely amazed by the ways the Lord has used me this week. My first experiences in evangelizing have blown me away. I was so nervous about it being that I have never done it before. God definitely has shown me that he is capable of using anyone for his purpose, even if you are unprepared or unskilled. Thru the help of the wonderful translators here in Moldova, I learned how to transition from sharing food to sharing spiritual food to the elderly here. We visited the poor elderly residents in the nearby apartments and used the opportunity to share Christ. After a couple of visits to the apartments, I was blessed to experience sharing my testimony and the Gospel with a lady in her home, and she asked me to lead her in a prayer to receive Christ. I can not express how moving it is to see a sister in Christ joining our family.

As for the work that God has done with the youth here, I don't know that I can express what wonders he has accomplished. I have developed so many wonderful friendships, and I am surprised and amazed at how much I have connected to the teens here. As some of you know, I spent some time creating a little photo album of family pictures. I thought that this book would be more for me remembering home than anything, but God had other plans. This book ended up being a tool for me to share my life and testimony to the teenagers. God has blessed me with a way to really connect with some of these kids... a lot of it was thru them laughing at my crazy silliness... rofl. We had a lot of fun just hanging out and playing badmittion and volleyball.

After our last American Club day, we had a chance to share more with the teenagers in small groups. The Lord laid it on my heart to share my testimony at this time, and it was awesome to see their interest light up and ask questions about Christ. Two of the teens over the next two days sought a private conversation to ask me more about my faith, Christ and what it is to be a Christian. I feel so undeserving and extremely blessed to have developed a closer relationship with these two kids. Thru our talks, these two amazing young individuals went from curious to excited about Christ... and they asked Jesus into their heart. There are not words to express the amount of love and spirit God surrounded us in these conversations. I don't think that these paragraphs can even begin to cover the amazing things God has done while I have been here, but I hope it at least gives you an idea of how much the Spirit is moving here in Moldova. Thanks again for your prayers and I will see you back in the States soon!! :o)

Lemonade Stand Award goes to…

2010-05-28T12:18:00.000-07:00

Melanie gave me a blog award: The Lemonade Stand Award! All I have to do is answer the following questions with a single word answer and then pass this along to five bloggers. Here are my answers!

1. Your Cell Phone? Hero

2. Your Hair? Shorter

3. Your Mother? Loving

4. Your Father? Caring

5. Your Favorite Food? Pizza

6. Your Dream Last Night? Nice

7. Your Favorite Drink? Rootbeer

8. Your Dream/Goal? Heaven

9. What Room Are You In? Office

10. Your Hobby? Church

11. Your Fear? Dissapointment

12. Where Do You Want To Be In Six Years? Settled

13. Where Were You Last Night? House

14. Something That You Aren’t? Tall

15. Muffins? Love

16. Wish List Item? Vacation

17. Where Did You Grow Up? Corpus

18. Last Thing You Did? Email

19. What Are You Wearing? Tank

20. Your TV? Awesome

21. Your Pets? Nervous

22. Friends? Amazing

23. Your Life? Happy

24. Your Mood? Excited

25. Missing Someone? Mandy

26. Vehicle? CRV

27. Something You Aren’t Wearing? Hat

28. Your Favorite Store? ATL

29. Your Favorite Color? Green?

30. When Was The Last Time You Laughed? 2pm

31. Last Time You Cried? February

32. Your Best Friend? Mandy

33. One Place You Go To Over And Over Again? Work

34. Facebook? Enjoyable

35. Favorite Place To Eat? Chuys

Lemonade Stand Award goes to…

Mandy

Becky

Tiffany

Annie

Karen

and Mom, I know you would enjoy this one, so you can email me your answers! :o)

My Visit to VA Beach to see AMY!!

2010-05-26T09:42:00.001-07:00

This past weekend, I had the absolute pleasure of visiting my dear friend Amy in Virginia. She picked me up at the airport around lunchtime Thursday, and that is when all the fun started. Once we ate lunch and I got settled in, we started working on a puzzle! This is why I love hanging out with Amy... we can have fun doing just about anything. Before we knew it, it was dinner time. We went out to one of Amy's favorite places on the water called Chicks. They had wonderful seafood! We got souviner tshirts too. After hanging out there for a while, we ventured over to Amy's PT job and played some pool. That night we started our three day slumber party. We spent the night in the entertainment room watching movies! It was so much fun!!

The next day we headed to the beach for a while, and of course worked on the puzzle some more. :o) After we cleaned up from the beach, we got all dressed up and went to a nice restureant on the boardwalk. It was goregeous! We had a lot of fun until I got cold...lol. Then began night two of falling alseep to movies!!

Saturday was our busiest day. We got to go to this private WWII airshow! I had a blast seeing all the classic planes take off and fly around. They had all these different areas set up like the different branches of the military from back then. My two favorite planes were the P-40 Warhawk (painted like a shark... so cool!!) and the P-51 Mustang (Cadillac of the Sky!!). There was also music playing from that era, which was delightful to sit and enjoy like they did back in the day. After the airshow, we spent the evening watching more movies and having a mini spa treatment. What a fun day!!

Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time on Sunday to finish the puzzle... in fact I even left the border unfinished. Amy promised to keep me apprised of the progess on the puzzle. I will have to post a photo when it finally gets completed. All in all, it was a wonderful little vacation! I am so glad I got to spend some time with Amy! :o)

Great Weekend!!

2010-05-18T09:56:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was amazing!!

My parents came up on Friday night after work. We went to Chuy's for a nice dinner, then back to my house to sleep. We woke up in the morning, and I had the pleasure of making my parents waffles and bacon. It was such a joy to host a breakfast for my parents!

After breakfast, we drove up to San Marcos to celebrate my cousin, Matt's graduation from grad school. I won't even begin to explain the thesis he worked on. I still claim the title is written in a foriegn language. :o)We had lunch with the family and headed back to SA. We had a little bit of time before my parents had to leave, so we drove around some neighborhoods nearby my area of town. I found one that I decided Mom and Dad should move into, but we'll see what God has in mind. :o)

Once the parents headed back on the road for Corpus, the mission team headed over. We spent the entire evening cooking and hanging out. I had a blast spending the evening with everyone, and I look forward to serving God with them in July! Our bake sale was a success, with over $300 raised in our Sunday school class. I nice start to the approximately $20,000 we have to raise as a team! God certainly does provide!

Here are a couple pictures of the team that was at church on Sunday. Keep a lookout for this picture in the mail!

And a silly photo thanks to Joe. :o)

Easter Weekend

2010-04-06T08:28:00.000-07:00

This weekend I got to travel down to Corpus to visit my parents for Easter. As it happens, my dear friend Becky's birthday was also this weekend! I had tons of fun and got to catch up with my loved ones.

So, I guess I should start with Friday night. After a lot of sneaking and planning by Becky's roomie, Jenna, Becky spent two hours going around Corpus on a scavenger hunt. Little did Becky know, I was a part of the plan. She showed up to Snoopy's, and there I was waiting to surprise her! We finished the scavenger hunt, then made our way to the final destination... a bonfire on the beach! Oh, what fun we had eating burgers and sitting around the fire talking. I enjoyed meeting Becky's Bible study group, and hanging out with Becky for an entire evening. Did I mention that the burgers were amazing? As the night progressed, we were in need of something to keep the fire going, when I remembered that I had a box full of items I needed to shred. I ran to my car, and spent the next couple of hours burning stuff. It was a blast! I am so glad I could celebrate Becky's birthday with her! :o)

(I will steal some pics from Becky's facebook soon)

So, Saturday my parents and I drove over to U&I and had a delicious lunch. After lunch, we drove out to my Aunt Rose's house. Funny enough, within a couple minutes of us arriving, Phebe and Aunt Dordie showed up. It was great timing! We spent most of the afternoon hanging out and playing SkipBo. How lucky could I be to catch up with everyone?! We headed home later in the afternoon. Once we got there, I got to go through all the items that I had stored on the top shelf of my bedroom closet (yeah!). After a couple of hours of sorting through stuff from the shelf, and going through some of Grandma's things, we cleaned up and ate dinner. We finished off the evening with a movie-- Sherlock Holmes.

But the evening didn't end there for Dad. He got a call in the middle of the night, and had to go fix a problem at work. He didn't make it back home until 630am! So, while Dad caught up on the sleep he missed, Mom and I went to the Easter service. When we got home, I packed up my stuff and we all headed to lunch with GG. Becky graced us with her presence during lunch as well. It was nice to spend some more time with her and to see GG. Oh, and I got to eat a ton of ribs too. Yummy!

I feel blessed to have celebrated the resurrection of Christ with my family and friends. Thanks for making it such a wonderful trip! :o)

Pay it Forward

2010-03-31T11:04:00.000-07:00

The week after my trip to Bermuda was a pretty tame one. I worked most of the time, but I managed a little shopping time on Saturday. I went crazy and got several pairs of sandals at Dillards. If only I didn't have to get shoes to go with my Easter dress...lol.

On Sunday, I attended an informational meeting about the mission trip to Moldova. I am so excited to serve God overseas, even if it is only 10 days. All of the people that attended the meeting seem like genuine and fun people. I look forward to serving Christ with the people that sign up. After the meeting, several friends and I went to a Mexican food restaurant (not Chuy's, but still pretty good). We took our time eating and hanging out, and when it came time to pay the bill, we didn't have one! A man sitting near our table was impressed with our table, he paid for our lunch!! It was an amazing experience and a great way to start the week off. I just hope I can pay it forward soon.

I continued my spending binge on Monday. I redeemed some of my credit card rewards points and bought myself a treadmill. I am hoping the convenience of having one in my house will help me to start exercising in the morning before work. I guess we'll see how well I do...lol.

I am definitely looking forward to spending this weekend in Corpus with my parents, celebrating the salvation that Jesus Christ's sacrifice provided. Wishing all of you a blessed and happy Easter weekend! :o)

Bermuda

2010-03-20T19:29:00.001-07:00

Hello All! Its been quite a while since I posted anything... I have been pretty busy this year with work and such. Luckily, business has provided me with a chance to go to beautiful Bermuda. Sadly, I cannot post all the photos separately because of the size, so I am attaching a slide show of my trip. Bermuda is clean, and the water is strikingly clear. The people in Bermuda are a joy to to business with, and I look forward to dealing with them more. They get their drinking water from the rains during the year, so all the houses have special roofs that collect the rainwater. All the roofs are painted white, which makes the villages look amazing. The village is very much how I would imagine the village from the show "The Prisoner" to be like. The last day we were in Bermuda, Lisa and I got a chance to go the the Aquarium and Zoo they have on the island. It was neat, and there was one part where you actually walked around with some of the tropical birds. All in all, a wonderful time on my business trip! :o)

Thanksgiving

2009-12-13T18:58:00.001-08:00

Better late than never... here are some photos from my Thanksgiving trip to Corpus Christi. Good times! :o)

Lost Maples

2009-11-16T10:33:00.000-08:00

This Saturday I went hiking with my church group at Lost Maples. The leaves were beautiful and the weather was terrific. We had a wonderful time enjoying eachother's company and the scenery around us. Here are my photos from the trip.

Housewarming Party

2009-11-07T10:31:00.000-08:00

This weekend I hosted a housewarming party for some of my friends and colleagues. We had a nice time, and the breakfast wreath Mandy made up the recipe for turned out to be a huge hit!

Halloween

2009-10-31T10:32:00.000-07:00

This year I participated in the annual costume competition at work. Six of us girls dressed up as a roller derby team and won 2nd place! Here are some pictures of us.

The New House

2009-10-04T12:55:00.000-07:00

So, for the last two days my parents have been slaving away, helping me get the vast majority of my boxes unpacked and getting my house in a living condition. It all looks so wonderful now (I still can't believe how much we got done)! Words cannot express how much I appreciate all the work Mom and Dad did to get my house looking so great. Next time you see them you should tell them how awesome they are!

Here are some pictures:

Moving Soon!!

2009-09-16T14:21:00.001-07:00

Here is some pictures from the house. This will probably be my last update before I move in!!

Cabinets and Tile

2009-08-23T18:42:00.001-07:00

Paint and Walls!

2009-08-15T17:21:00.001-07:00

The walls are up, and they painted the inside and outside! Here are photos of the house as of today...

Construction Progress

2009-07-29T12:29:00.000-07:00

So tomorrow I have my framing walkthru meeting with the builders. Once the meeting is completed, the insulation and sheetrock will go in! I am very excited to see how big the rooms will be and start planning my furniture and such. The put up stucco last week, so I will post some photos of the outside progress.

More House Photos...

2009-06-29T15:06:00.001-07:00

So, I dropped by the house today to see the progress. Here are some photos:

Framing is UP!!

2009-06-25T16:31:00.000-07:00

Tiffany and Linda's Visit and FOUNDATION!!

2009-06-14T15:57:00.000-07:00

This monday I had a meeting with the builders going over the first phase of the building process. They told me that next week sometime they would pour the foundation, but that not much would happen over the next week. I drove by once in the middle of the week, and they were not lying. Saturday afternoon, Tiffany and Linda stopped by to have lunch with me (what better place than Chuy's?). On the way to lunch we drove by my lot so they could see the neighborhood and such. Well, suprisingly they had poured the foundation!! So my house is definitely progressing now. It was great to visit with Tiffany and Linda and I look forward to seeing them again!

Birthday Visit and Plumbing

2009-06-07T18:52:00.000-07:00

So this past weekend was my 25th birthday. My parents came up on Sunday morning to spend the day with me. First we set up my new TV (40in LCD!!), then I drove them by my lot. The day before they set up the foundation framing and ran the plumbing. It was nice to see some progress on the house. After we finished looking at the property, we enjoyed a delicious meal at Chuy's, my favorite Mexican food restaurant. The rest of the afternoon I drove them around town, stopping at a couple stores to browse, and a drive to my work and church. What a great and relaxing birthday. Thanks for all the birthday wishes!!

Grandpa

2009-05-23T12:09:00.000-07:00

Today marks the 47th anniversary of my Grandpa, Frank Royce's death. I drove out to the Ft. Sam National Cemetery this morning to pay my respects to a man who died to protect our country. It was moving to see so many people who sacrificed their lives for our freedom. I am honored to be the granddaughter, daughter, sister and niece of brave men who were and are willing to put their lives on the line for this country. May God Bless our soldiers.

My how time flies...

2009-05-22T18:23:00.000-07:00

Well, its been another month and still no foundation... I went by again this afternoon to see the start of the house, and they told me "maybe next week". I am going to be so excited when construction finally starts.

I made it through my first tax season at the new job, and I am going to have to say its 100% improvement from a public firm. My thyroid is so close to being corrected. Slowly but surely I am returning back to normal. My hair is starting to grow back, I have more energy, and 15 of the 20lb weight gain is totally gone!

After the 15th, I got the privilege of spending time with the Hanschens in San Diego. You should check out Mandy's blog for more of a description and pictures cause she is way more on top of things. We had a blast doing so much stuff, but my favorite three events had to be Chuck-E-Cheese, La Jolla and the dog park. We also took a couple train rides... so fun!

I will post again once the construction starts... keep me in your prayers cause I am starting to get irritated. :o)

Here is a video of La Jolla:

Here are some photos from my trip:

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T21:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter to everyone!! I hope that you day was as blessed as mine. Since I was still getting over my upper respiratory infection and couldn't sing in the choir, my parents were gracious enough to let me come down and spend Easter weekend with them. Dad and I spent the whole morning shopping, and he got me this sweet chair (that I have been sitting in all night) for my birthday. The three of us got to spend quality time catching up, and we even got to web cam with the other half of the clan. Sunday morning we had a yummy breakfast and went to church. Message for the day: HE IS RISEN, HE IS RISEN INDEED!!

New Quilt

2009-04-02T19:10:00.000-07:00

So, in a bid to get a lighter bedspread to match my bedroom set, I found this gorgeous quilt. Here is a picture of the latest addition to my bedding collection.

House Update

2009-03-24T23:14:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, on March 7th, I put an offer on a lot of land. My offer was accepted, and now I am in the process of building my very own home! I hope to post pictures of the progress as the house is built. Here is what I have so far...

The Lot

The Inside Choices

Dad's Birthday and Odometer

2009-03-24T23:12:00.001-07:00

I went down to Corpus on the weekend of Dad's birthday. We had a great time hanging out. Friday night I had dinner with the Leaches. Then on Saturday Dad, Mom and I ate breakfast at IHOP. Then it was off to see Dad be the anchor on the bowling team for a bowl-a-thon with his work. The rest of the weekend was relaxing, and we got to catch up.

During the trip, my odometer went to 30k. Here is a pic!

New Year's Fun

2009-02-08T18:20:00.000-08:00

I was blessed to have my friend Becky come stay with me over the new year's holiday. We went to a spurs game the first night she was here. My boss came by and invited us up to the company suite, which was a lot of fun! The next night we went to dinner with a couple of friends of mine from KPMG. Afterwards we rung in the new year in my apartment. What a great time!!

Christmas Photos

2009-02-08T18:11:00.000-08:00

I didn't take many photos at Christmas (like usual), so see my sister's site for more. Here are the few I had...

Welcoming in 2009!

2009-01-22T06:37:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a year has past by. Unfortunately, I did a horrible job keeping up my blog over the last few months. My fall was a wonderful time, especially getting medicine for my thyroid, seeing the family over Christmas, and getting more adjusted to the new job. The new year seems to be off to a great start. I have already lost 12 of the 20lbs I gain from the thyroid issues (thanks to slimfast and exercise). I also joined the choir at church and started up with a new Bible study group. I am so excited to see what new adventures God has in store for me in 2009. Well, I hope that everyone is off to a great start too, and I promise to get some older posts and pictures up soon!

A Year Later... Apartment Update

2008-09-08T23:17:00.000-07:00

Ada's Visit to the Riverwalk

2008-09-08T23:02:00.001-07:00

Here are a couple pictures of our fun evening being tourists on the Riverwalk...

Will's First Birthday

2008-09-08T22:48:00.000-07:00

Well, I didn't get very many pictures during the party with my camera (as I was the unofficial photographer for Mandy), but I do have a few shots from the day of Will's birthday. Mandy, Will and I went to Seaport Village for a little walking and window shopping by the sea. It was a beautiful area, and we had a wonderful time. And the iced coffees were amazing!

Blog Update

2008-09-08T22:21:00.000-07:00

Its been a while since I updated my blog. I have been staying busy at my new job as Federal Tax Manager for SWBC. I started at the end of July, and I am thoroughly enjoying the tasks and challenges set before me.

A few things that have gone on since my last update... besides the new job. :o) I went to see Mandy and Jered and help ring in Will's first birthday. (I will post some pictures soon.) I had a wonderful time, but I am sad that it is my last time to see them until Christmas... it can't come soon enough. I miss my nephew like crazy!!

As some of you know, my thyroid has been causing me trouble over the last year. The symptoms have been returning, and on my six month blood test, I found out that my thyroid is trending low. I go to the doctor on the 15th to see what he thinks it might be. Please pray for discernment in the cause of my symptoms.

Another new thing in my life is my maid. Yes, I have a maid coming to my apartment to help me keep up with the chores. Its nice to have some help around the house, and I see my self keeping up with the day to day items much better with the help on the cleaning. I just hope I can keep it up because I have really enjoyed having such a clean living space. :o)

I was lucky enough to have my friend Ada come spend the weekend with me recently. We had a wonderful time hanging out, watching TV, and spending some time on the riverwalk. I will post a couple pictures of our little adventure. It was great to have some company... thanks Ada!

Last weekend at church I was blessed to be a part of the cardboard testimony during the service. I felt honored to stand up with fellow Christians and share how the Lord has transformed us from sinners to servants of Christ. It was amazing to see how touched the audience was by our testimonies. It was definitely a once in a lifetime event.

This weekend, I finally took the plunge and joined University United Methodist Church. Over the past several months, this church has become like family to me. I have a wonderful Bible study, a fun young professionals group, as well as plenty of service opportunities to keep me busy, busy, busy. I love all my new friends that have helped me to grow in my relationship with Christ, and challenge me and support me through this journey. What a blessing this church is for me; I look forward to many years within this community.

Well, I think this is everything that has been going on with me lately... I hope that everyone is doing well!!

I will try to keep this thing better updated in the future! :o)

Baby Nickerson

2008-08-04T19:18:00.001-07:00

This weekend I finally got a chance to see Sarah and David's precious little girl, Alyssa. She is a sweet, beautiful and quiet baby. We had a great time catching up with each other and admiring their bundle of joy. Somehow, I didn't get a picture of mommy and baby, so I will have to return for more. :o)

Quick Trip Home

2008-07-28T19:45:00.000-07:00

After finishing up my last couple days at KPMG, I drove down to spend some time with the family in Corpus. Dad made us dinner on Thursday night, and Friday I got to eat with Mom and the Aunts and Phebe. Then Phebe, Aunt Dordie and I saw Journey to the Center of the Earth for Phebe's 10th birthday. The movie was in 3D and it was awesome! Friday night I spent some time with the girls. Sunday was a special day at church because the newly appointed Bishop Lowry gave a sermon. It was good to hear him preach again. I keep forgetting to tell ya'll, but he and his wife say hello. :o)

Today was my first day at the new job. It was a fun first day, and I was busy the whole time. I am looking forward to tomorrow!

Baby Luna

2008-07-17T19:42:00.000-07:00

Today at lunch time, Leslie, Missy, Brittney and I went to the hospital to see Megan Luna, the newest addition to the Luna family. Ryan and Caroline are so happy, and I am glad I got to share this celebration with them.

Kristin and Brett's Ceremony Weekend

2008-07-14T08:59:00.000-07:00

Kristin and Brett's ceremony was beautiful. I am so thankful I was able to be a part of it. I flew out Friday afternoon. I got to play makeup artist for the bride and matron of honor for the rehearsal dinner. Then after a great practice run and food, Kristin, Morgan, Melanie and I headed for a girls night at the hotel. Of course all of our girlie plans hit the wayside when we saw the comfy beds.

The next morning we woke up and headed to Jamba Juice and Starbucks for breakfast. Then we hung out for a little while in the hotel. Around noon, we got to the country club to start getting ready. Morgan's mom did Melanie, Morgan and my hair while I worked on our makeup. Of course it was a little bit of a madhouse until the ceremony started.

The ceremony went beautifully. Brett's grandfather gave a wonderful sermon on the importance of commitment and God in a marriage. He used a bottle of wine as a symbol. The bottle is committed to holding the wine, just as the couple is committed to holding the marriage together. He said that God is the cap, and without Him, we can't hold do it.

The rest of the evening was fun and relaxing. I spent most of the time with Morgan's parents and fiance, and Melanie and Chris. It was wonderful to hang out with such wonderful people. On my plane ride home, I sat next to a 13 yr old boy from France. What an interesting conversation that was!

4th of July in San Diego

2008-07-07T07:54:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like a weekend spent with your favorite sister and nephew. Especially when that weekend involves dinner on the water, cheesecake, shopping, the beach and grade B movies. ;o)

I flew out to see Mandy and Will this past Thursday afternoon. I had a direct flight to San Diego, so it only took about three hours from one airport to the next. Mandy drove me by the statue of the famous picture of the sailor kissing the nurse. When we stopped there, I saw this yummy looking seafood resturant right on the water. Seafood is not the cuisine San Antonio is known for, so it was nice to have some tasty seafood. We ate outside and watched the boats and jet skis go by as we ate.

The next day, we had brunch at a cute resturant near Mandy and Jered's house. After filling up with quiche and muffins and fruit, we all three took a little nap. Then we got up and enjoyed a classic movie, Rear Window. Mandy grilled delicious burgers for our 4th of July evening event, which included watching the What Not to Wear marathon.

Saturday we treked over to the beach. It was an adventure for all, but Mandy was much more advernturous than Will and I. He ended up cuddling up with me because he was a little nervous about the water. It worked out great for me too because I found the Pacific to be a little cold for my South Texas blood. We had a wonderful time splashing and relaxing in the sun. After some tuna fish and a nap, we headed to the mall for some retail therapy and California Pizza Kitchen Pizzas. Mandy and I watched a movie and pigged out on pizza and cheesecake. Yummy!

Sunday we made it in time for the sermon at Mandy and Jered's church. The pastor did a sermon on Romans 9. He spoke of human responsibility and how that relates to God's sovereinty. After church, I had to head home, but I had an awesome, fun-filled weekend! Thanks Mandy and Will for letting me come spend the 4th with you! Much Love!!

p.s. pictures to come soon...

Showers, Showers, Showers, Oh My!

2008-06-29T18:58:00.001-07:00

This weekend I spend with my two good good friends, Kristin and Melanie. Kristin had a wedding shower on Saturday. I drove up for the shower and the three of us spent the whole afternoon and evening together. Sunday after church, I drove to Buda for Melanie's baby shower. As much fun as wedding showers are, I think baby showers are the most fun! I love all the toys and clothes and baby stuff. I can't help but think of Will. Kristin's wedding is in two weeks, and Caden, Melanie and Chris's baby, is due on August 16th.

Fun Weekends are the Best!

2008-06-23T06:41:00.000-07:00

This weekend was amazing! I don't even know if I will be able to remember it all... Friday night Theresa and I went to see the Happening for our birthday (yes, it was two weeks late, but we finally did it). It was a pretty good movie, but not my favorite.

On Saturday, Ericka and I headed to Six Flags for fun and sun. We got there around 1030am and the lines were virtually non-existient. I think we went on at least 7 or 8 rides before we headed to the waterpark. After going on a couple of the big water slides, we floated in the moat for a while and talked. Just as we were packing our bags to go get some lunch, it started to rain... in San Antonio! Crazy, right? So, we ended up getting "lupper" at a pizza place. We had a great time and are looking forward to the next time we can use our season passes.

Sunday was an eventful day as well. I made it to Sunday school and we had a great conversation about some of our favorite Bible passages. Then we headed to the contemporary service to hear Pastor Will's first sermon at the church. He is blessed with the ability to deliver a message. He spoke on how God calls all of us to be obiediant through our faith in Him. He used the story of Abraham and corralated it to his personal story. I am definitely looking forward to hearing his next sermon. While I was there, I ran into a couple that was also from CC. The man actually had Grandfather as a pastor when he was a child. Its always fun to meet someone that knew him. After the service, my Sunday school class went to lunch. I am really enjoying getting to know them better.

In the afternoon, I headed back to the church to help out with the uSkate program. They actually set up a skate park inside the gym and invite children in the community to come and skate and hear a short talk from Pastor Kit. This program is so cool because they are reaching out to children that may not know anything about God. Its neat to see a common interest being utilized to bring people to Christ. So, I left the uSkate to head to the Gathering. This was an informal time for all the Young Professional groups to get together. It was nice to see people from my new Bible study again. I am looking forward to this Tuesday! I also saw a couple of the girls from my Sunday school class. So, I think I covered everything. What a great weekend!

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-15T10:16:00.000-07:00

I am here in Corpus again this weekend for Father's Day. Friday night I hung out with Ada. Our plans to watch a movie slowly faded to talking all night. It was nice to laugh and talk witha good friend again. Saturday my parents mowed the yard while I had my oil changed on my car. Then we had lunch and went out to the bluff. Dad set up a new computer while we ate cobbler and visited. Then we went shopping at Kohls so Dad could spend his giftcard from Mandy. We spent the evening watching Jumper and eating pizza. Today we went to church to hear the new pastor. We are getting ready to head to lunch with GG to celebrate Father's Day with dad. All in all, another great weekend in Corpus!

Isaiah 43:1

2008-06-13T08:52:00.000-07:00

Do you ever catch yourself worrying too much? Yesterday was an "off" day for me. Nothing in particular I can blame it on, but I felt a little lost in myself and worries. This morning, I was determined to make it a better day by putting it in God's hands. I go to read my two daily devotionals that are emailed to me, and there was a message from God. Both had the same verse from Isaiah 43. I guess sometimes God has to repeat Himself to get through to me. :o)

Hope you all have a blessed day!!

..."Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.

~ Isaiah 43:1, NLT

My Birthday Weekend

2008-06-08T20:05:00.000-07:00

So I decided last minute to drive down to Corpus for my birthday. I had dinner and coffee with Becky and Ada on Friday night. We had so much fun catching up. Later we hung out with Jenna at her townhome. The next day I spent with my parents. We had lunch then went to the bluff for an impromptu b-day celebration including chocolate cupcakes with whipped icing. One of my favorites! That evening I saw Kung Fu Panda with Garrett to celebrate our birthdays. Church was great today. I tried out a new Sunday school class. The people were really nice. We went to the contemporary service afterwards to hear a great sermon on two of the parables from Jesus. They were nice enough to invite me to lunch with them when the service ended. All in all, a pretty awesome birthday weekend!

Oh, and my car went over 20,000 mi on my way down to Corpus. Check out the photo!

Family Vacation!!

2008-06-04T20:23:00.000-07:00

So I just back from vacation with my parents, Mandy, Jered and Will. We stayed in a house in Cloudcroft, NM. Most of the vacation we relaxed at the house. We ran into town a few times to eat and shop. We also got to take pictures and Mom and Dad's land in Ruidoso. The land is in a great location! I took this time to enjoy a couple of good books. While we were there, we had a birthday celebration for Jered and I. Mandy went all out with a bunch of gift cards from some of my favorite places. We'll be using them when I go up in July. Mom and Dad gave me two beautiful sets of earrings. On the way home, Dad let me drive for a couple of hours. I got to drive across the state line! Now its back to the real world, but at least I am recharged and ready to go!

Mother's Day and Memorial Weekend

2008-05-28T07:59:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

There have been comments that I haven't updated my blog lately. I have had a pretty relaxing month of May. I went down to Corpus for Mother's Day. It was nice to see the family, and celebrate with my mom and grandmothers. Amy flew in from Japan on Memorial weekend, so we spent Friday night and Saturday catching up. I tried a new service on Sunday. Attending a Methodist church made me feel right at home. The people were so friendly and welcoming. I loved the sermon, and it was nice to hear a choir and orchestra. I am looking forward to attending again tonight for the Wednesday service. Monday I went to Indiana Jones and I finished a book I was reading. All in all, a very relaxing time. This weekend the family is meeting up in New Mexico, so keep an eye out for a new blog next week!

Love,
Abby :o)

Ice Night and Derby Day

2008-05-05T08:59:00.000-07:00

So this weekend was packed full of fun! I went ice skating with my church friends on Friday night. After hours of me screeching on the ice as I went around the rink, we headed over to Marble Slab for ice cream and good conversation. On Saturday, Theresa and I went to the United Way Women's Leadership Conference Derby Day event. We wore big hats and had a delicious meal. We watched the Kentucky Derby race (and I bet on the winning horse!), then we headed outside for the starting race of the Womens Leadership Conference race. We watched the race right on the track, and helped present the winner with the trophy cup. Sunday night was worship night for our singles group. Nothing like a little praise and worship to start your week off right!

Charolette's Going Away

2008-04-28T08:55:00.000-07:00

This Saturday I headed to Potette, TX to say goodbye to Charolette who is going overseas to be a missionary. We had a wonderful time hanging out at her parent's house and the food was great. Please keep Charolette in your prayers!

April Trip to Cali

2008-04-23T08:52:00.000-07:00

Well, after a long, tiring few months dealing with tax season and thyroiditis, I got to take a vacation to California. I stayed with Mandy and Jered and Will. It was restful, peacful, enjoyable time. I was lucky enough to participate in Will's dedication ceremony. Mandy and I spent most of our time, chatting, catching up on movies, shopping, and playing with the most adorable baby of all time! While on one of our shopping ventures, Will said my name! It was a wonderful moment that I will treasure forever. I think we all gained at least 3lbs while I was there, with Jered and Mandy cooking me delicious, home-cooked meals. I had an amazing time!

New Haircut and Lesli's Going Away Party

2008-04-12T23:42:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a fun day for me. I decided last minute to get my haircut, then I headed to Ryan's apartment to say goodbye to our friend, Lesli. She is heading overseas to be a missionary. Please keep her in your prayers!

Amy's Visit

2008-03-31T08:45:00.000-07:00

This weekend I headed down to Corpus for recruiting, Mom's Birthday, and to see my dear friend, Amy, who is visiting from Japan. We met up on Friday afternoon and headed to the island and acted like tourists then spent some time by the pool. That evening we finally made it to Island Italian. It was deliectable!! It was great to hang out with the family this weekend and celebrate Mom's day!

Softball and Six Flags Fun!

2008-03-17T08:40:00.001-07:00

Friday afternoon, I got a call from Kara asking me to fill in for the softball team. I know what you must be thinking, but I actually hit the ball when I went up to bat! It was great to hang out with some friends I haven't seen in a while, and to meet new ones. I hope I can sub again sometime. :o)

This Saturday I went to Six Flags: Fiesta Texas with Christina, Becca, and Kristy. My favorite ride had to be the Scream ride where they shoot you up into the air and drop you down again. We also went on the Superman rollercoaster. I have never gone in the front of a rollercoaster, so we rode in the first row! It was super intense, and I ended up with a bruise on my shoulder from slamming into the seat when we went upside down. But it was all in good fun! We also went on some other fun rides. I am so glad I had a chance to go with some friends, and I am looking forward to using my season pass again!

Bowl-a-thon!

2008-03-10T08:36:00.000-07:00

So this weekend was the Bowl-a-thon event for Big Brother, Big Sister program. Friday night I organized three teams to bowl from my work. We had such a good time, we are planning on setting up our own company team to bowl. Saturday, my sunday school class stepped up to the challenge with six teams (over 30 people) supporting the cause. It was hectic, but everyone seemed to have a blast!

Dad's Birthday

2008-03-03T08:33:00.000-08:00

So I went home this weekend for Dad's birthday. This was my first trip home since Christmas. It was great to visit with family and friends again. I am really looking forward to Easter weekend!

Game Night

2008-02-26T14:39:00.000-08:00

What a fantastic turnout we had for game night on Friday. Somehow 19 people squeezed their way into my apartment for games, pizza, and lots of fun. And once she got used to the noise, Rita sure loved all the attention she got. I am so thankful for the friends I have made up here.

Weekend Update

2008-02-18T07:41:00.000-08:00

I had a very busy, fun-filled weekend this past week. Friday night we got a bunch of friends together and saw Jumper. After the movie, we headed to a mexican resturant and ate some delicious food. After "dinner" a few of us went back to my apartment and stuffed favor bags for the homeless children's birthday party. The bags were full of goodies!

Saturday I spent the afternoon working-- at Dave and Busters! We had an intern party which consisted of food and arcade games for four hours. You certainly wont hear me complain about it. I had a great time. I spent the rest of the evening at the movies with my friend Amber. We saw the Bucket List and the Spideriwck Chronicles.

Sunday was a great day too. We had several people come and talk to our sunday school class about short-term mission trips coming up this year for singles. I think I have picked the one I want to participate in, but the timing is still undecided. I'll let ya'll know when I have made a final decision. After lunch, I went to the gym and spent the afternoon hanging out with the Waitz/Downers. It was good to catch up.

Well, that was my weekend. Hope everyone had a great weekend too!

Superbowl Fun

2008-02-05T07:41:00.000-08:00

When I got back from Dallas, I went to a superbowl party with my church group. It was the first time in quite a while that so many of us were together again. I had fun!

A Visit with Tiffany

2008-02-04T07:35:00.001-08:00

Hey Guys,

I just got back from Dallas a little while ago, and it was great! I had a wonderful time catching up with Tiffany. We ended up hanging out so much, I didn't do a lot of sight-seeing, but I am not complaining. Saturday I saw her work, went to her parents' new house to visit, went to the Ann Taylor Outlet (too cool!) and we spent the evening eating at a cute Italian restaurant in downtown McKinney. Sunday we went to Garland, TX. We ate lunch on the lake and walked around downtown. Dallas was fun!

My New Glasses and This Weekend

2008-01-28T10:04:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone!

I just wanted to post a picture of me in my new glasses. Its from when Amy and I went to Chili's last weekend. I got a ribeye with potatoes and broccoli. Yummy.

This weekend was a total blast! On Friday afternoon, I had my fitness assessment with my personal trainer. Then I went swing dancing with Amber and Emily. I learned a few steps like the Charleston. Saturday I was pretty lazy. I should have been unpacking boxes in my study, but I just talked on the phone with Mandy. Saturday night I went to praise and worship with a bunch of friends. It was so much fun hanging out and chatting and singing. Sunday, my futon came in, so I didn't get to go to church, but at least I used the time to clear out more boxes. I only have two half-empty boxes left (not including my books)! Sunday night I watched the latest Jane Austen movie on Masterpiece Theatre and headed to bed. All in all, it was a fun and productive weekend!

Study Update

2008-01-27T13:36:00.000-08:00

Hey Guys!

I thought I would post an update of my study. I bought a futon, so now I can read and relax in the study. Also, when my friends and family come to visit, I will have a place for them to stay. :o) I still haven't cleaned up all the details, but you can get a pretty good idea of how it is shaping up. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Love, Abby :o)

Look-a-Like Meter

2008-01-23T11:28:00.000-08:00

Hey Guys!

I just found this totally neat look-a-like meter and thought i would try it out. See the results...

MyHeritage: Celebrity Collage - Roots

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities - Collage - Morph

MyHeritage: Celebrity Collage - Geneology

Habitat for Humanity

2008-01-13T16:53:00.000-08:00

Talk about a great weekend! And not a moment of my time was wasted. On Friday night, I was lucky enough to have two of my closest friends over for dinner. Becky came into San Antonio for the night, and we called Garrett over for pizza and a movie. By the time we got settled in and ate, we didn't get a chance to watch a movie. I thoroughly enjoyed hanging out and catching up with them. It felt just like old times. Now we just have to get Becky to join us up here in San Antonio.

On Saturday, I woke up early and took Becky to the airport. Then I met up with Garrett, Amanda, Tony, and James, and we headed to the Habitat for Humanity build site. Once there, we got with the rest of our church buddies and went to work. I started out painting, a new experience for me. Others worked on siding and blocking. The group of us painting finished quickly, so we moved on to trimming the windows and the shed roof. At this point, Dee, our house leader, showed me how to use the table saw. From that point on, I was the official "cutter" for our site. It was so much fun using a power tool! And I promise I was careful too. The day went by so fast, and before I knew it, it was time to go. I had such a blast and made some great new friends and got to know others better. I feel blessed to have been a part of this service day.

New Year, More Posts (I promise)!

2008-01-07T08:36:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone!

I know its been a while since I updated my blog, but its a new year, and I will be posting more often. The holidays were wonderful! I spent almost two weeks in Corpus hanging out with family and friends. I thankful I could share in my nephew's first Christmas. This vacation was especially relaxing since I found out that I passed my final CPA exam. Unfortunately, I didnt get very many pictures, but I posted what I have...

This past week, I spent my time getting reacquainted with San Antonio. I got to see all my old friends at church for the first time in over a month. It was nice to catch up and meet new people. Work is pretty slow right now, and I am enjoying the downtime before busy season starts up again. I wish everyone a Blessed New Year in 2008!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2007-11-26T08:14:00.000-08:00

After an arduous few months studying for the final exam of the CPA, I finished this past week. What a relief to be done!! That made this Thanksgiving celebration all that more special. I went down to Corpus on Wednesday night after work. Thursday we spent the whole day in the bluff eating, chatting, completing a puzzle, and eating again. I was lucky enough to have Becky, Ada and Jenny spend the day celebrating with my family. We had so much fun and I had so much to be thankful for. Friday night Becky, Garrett and I had a mini-reunion at Applebees. Its been so long since the three of us hung out... we just talked and laughed all evening. Then we headed to the movies to enjoy August Rush. It was a sappy but wonderful movie. Oh, and did I mention I bought a new camera while I was in Corpus? First time I have ever been shopping on Black Friday. Thankfully the crowds wern't like I was fearing. Well, I hope that you had a blessed Thanksgiving like I did!!

My car hit the 10,000mi marker on my way back to San Antonio this weekend. Check it out!

Marathon Weekend

2007-11-12T08:24:00.000-08:00

The San Antonio marathon was this weekend in San Antonio, and my friend Ada and her friend Jenny came up to give it their all. We spent saturday afternoon and evening hanging out and catching up/getting to know eachother. My new friend Amy from church also came over to hang out with us. We all carpooled to the race and headed to church afterwards. It was wonderful to have the break in my marathon of studies for my FINAL exam next Monday. What a relief it will be to be done. Let's just hope I pass!

Halloween and Game Night

2007-10-29T08:51:00.000-07:00

This Friday Jenny invited some of us over for a game night. We had a blast and she was a great host! Saturday night some people from church threw a costume party for Halloween. I had a great time getting ready with Amanda and spending time with friends.

My New Home in San Antonio

2007-08-12T18:15:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone! I am taking a little break from studying to post some pictures of my new apartment in San Antonio. I start my new job tomorrow... pretty excited!! Hope all is well...

Here is the Bedroom...

Here is the Bathroom...

Here is the Dining Room...

Its kind of messy cause I have been studying there. :o)

The Kitchen...

And Decorative Bookshelf...

The Living Room...

And finally, the study...

I havent finished unpacking, so this room is more like storage for now. :o)

Windwood Ranch

2007-06-16T22:07:00.001-07:00

Tonight I went to Windwood Ranch with my college/career group at church. There was so much to see on the Hay Ride. Then we had a bonfire. Here are some pictures...

Its the Small Things...

2007-05-20T23:29:00.000-07:00

Well, its hard to believe that this week is already over. And what a wonderful week it has been. I have made some progress on developing the schedule I want for myself. I have been waking up and spending my time with God in the mornings before work. It has made the days much better, and helped me to focus on His will for my day instead of my wants. My studying habits are developing too, although much slower. I had a couple of off days, but overall, I feel like I am learning. I hope that I can pull it all together in time for this coming Saturday... I did much better this week with the kids at Sunday school. They recognized me and for the most part they listened to me. It just makes me happy to be around children and remember how much fun and how simple life was (and still should be). It makes me realize just how important a child-like view of life is...

The sermon for this week was so uplifting. Pastor Micah and Lori (his wife) spoke on the importance of thankfulness. It is so easy for me to get bogged down with all the things that are "going wrong" I forget to look around at the things to be thankful for. As they were flashing family pictures up on the screen, I thought back to what seemed like much simpler times. I realized all those happy moments are around me all the time I just have to focus on them instead of the negative things that go on around me. Which brings me to this- I am going to start listing all the things in my week that lifted me up. Remembering these will help me to see how blessed I am for the family and friends that I have around me.

Its the Small Things...
- Mandy's great listening skills.
- Midnight dinner with Amy at TGIF.
- Tea Time at B&N with Becky. Peachy-Awesome!
- Any random conversation with Jered...
- Sushi/Hibachi with the gang... Wassabe is so GOOD!
- Late lunch at Jezebelle's with Eva.
- The New Moon... Inputting into Jeeves.
- The pseudo-free lunch with Suzie.
- Love of inside jokes...
- Laughing at nothing.
- Two left feet.
- Marble Slab- memories.
- Talking to Sara-laughs-alot on the phone. She graduated!
- I cant believe Harrycaine finished High School. Congrats!
- Random texts, calls and emails from friends just to say hello.
- JJ and Garrett... I am laughing already... at nothing. =)
- You keep me young...
- Laughing at all the wrong parts.
- Psych!
- Texing Conversations with Sarah.
- A long-awaited conversation with wonderful Lindsey...
- Daisy, Lily, Buttercup, and Sweet Pea.
- Annie's wedding dress and conversation on the phone.
- Random smiling faces on the elevator.
- "I'm sorry, I forgot".
- Rita's face greeting me every time I come home.
- Blondie was so excited to see me.
- Dinner at my parent's house on Monday.
- My mom's attentiveness to anything I share.
- My parents love for me.
- Passing plates from under the table... I really dont like peas.
- Wikipedia is not a reliable source of information. What?!
- They didnt eat on benches and tables in the Bible days... I feel deceived.
- Understanding the difference between production and price efficiencies on budgets.
- Catching up with the cousins on Mother's Day.
- Seeing so much family on Mother's Day.
- My group of kids at church and the leaders that see potential in me.
- My church family.
- Sharing the biggest piece of German chocolate cake with GG. we both LOVE chocolate!
- Who doesnt go Tea shopping at midnight?
- My friends and family believing in my ability to pass this test.
- Lifegroup rocks my face!
- Bend and Snap!

Wow,Praise God for the small things. Thanks to everyone who impacted my life this week. I look forward to returning the favor. Have a great week! God Bless!! :-)

Signed Up

2007-05-17T08:19:00.000-07:00

Allrighty... I'm into the blogging now. Let's see how this goes...

My sister signed up for this a little while ago, and I cant be out of the loop, so I signed up too. I will do my best to keep this thing updated with pictures and fun info as long as I recieve lots of comments!!!

Current events: I am working on the BEC section of the CPA exam. I sit on May 26th. The study routine is slowly developing... hopefully a healthy routine instead of all night cramming sessions...

I am getting pretty involved with my wonderful church, Real Life Fellowship (www.reallifefellowship.org). I spend my Saturday evenings there working with the Children's Ministry and attending service with my friends. I also spend way too much time hanging out with the career/college group-- Encounter. We do all kinds of fun stuff that I cant do right now (see aformentioned test).

On the side, I work as an accountant at a local accounting firm. I have been with them for 3 1/2 yrs. Its hard to believe that I have been working at a real job for that long.

Well, I better get to work, but I will try and post a picture update sometime this weekend, so keep a lookout. Much love!