Cooler Weather & Holiday Season

What a great way to kick off the fall holiday season - cooler weather! We've had a great few weeks, but with its fair share of bumps in the road. For Halloween we were able to carve our pumpkin (squirrel was the design of choice this year) and make caramel apples & cupcakes. We also changed out our balcony plants to reflect the change in season. As great as Halloween began, it ended rough due to an unexpected trip to the ER to treat Katie for a bout of food poisoning (and no, it wasn't candy). On a positive note, we were able to watch a movie and Katie got to study IV insertions up close and personal.

That same week we found out that Katie's best friend's mother passed away, so she made a quick trip to attend the funeral. It was nice to see good friends and spend time with family. Our thoughts and prayers are still with the family...While Katie was away, Chris had the rare opportunity to go fishing with a group of guys from church. They caught a ton of fish and had a great time!

Finally, this past weekend we were excited to host Chris' Mom and Aunt here in Dallas. They arrived on Friday and ate dinner at our apartment before heading out for frozen yogurt and a trip to one of Chris' favorite stores: Academy. The next day we walked to a book fair before making it over to the Dallas Arboretum. It was beautiful and inspired us to get a membership so we can visit more often. That night we ate at our favorite pizza place and watched the Aggies pull out a great game. Sunday morning we went to church and ate some lunch before they had to head home. It was a wonderful weekend - we always love visitors!

"He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul."

-Psalm 23:2-3

Living in Dallas

It's hard to believe that we've been in Dallas for 2 years now. Seems like not too long ago we moved in and went to our first State Fair of Texas. This weekend we went to the fair for the 3rd time (which was a huge accomplishment considering the week leading up to it) and had a great time. We rode the rail in - a first for both of us - and thought it was pretty neat. It was a quick trip to the fair, but we were sure to hit up some of our favorites and of course grab some fried food along the way. We saw a BMX bike show, pig races, the butter sculpture, the parade, a light show, and made a short trip through the car show. Funny to think that last year when we looked at cars at the car show we were interviewed on the news while sitting in the 4runner we bought 10 months later...Now for the food: fried frito pie, corn dog, popcorn, real rootbeer, and pinapple whip. I think if we could buy a pinapple whip machine, we would. The fried frito pie was not bad, but we most likely wouldn't get it again. The corn dog is a classic and always a winner.

Thankfully this week will be MUCH slower than last week. We hope you have an amazing week and are enjoying the fall as much as we already are!

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."

Proverbs 3:5-6

Welcome Fall

So it looks like this once a week blog is now becoming a once a month blog...sorry! Where did this past month go?! We have been busy, busy, busy, but it has been good. Katie started back up with full time school and even finished her first exam last week. She is taking Women's Health and Adult Health this semester, so there should be many "firsts" in the near future. Today she successfully started her first IV and on her first try! She has also been working a couple shifts each week, so needless to say she is not bored. Chris has started playing in a men's outdoor soccer league and is loving it. He has proved himself enough to become a starter after his first 3 or so games. In the spirit of soccer, we went to our first FC Dallas MLS game. It was a great time!

It has been a month full of roadtrips for us - First, we were able to spend the weekend in San Antonio for a friend's wedding. It was a great time to let loose and have some fun! Then last weekend we had the chance to take a short, but sweet visit to Baton Rouge. We were able to catch up with great friends and get in a little LSU tailgating action. Amazingly, we actually packed in everything we wanted to do, including surprise Chris' parents for their anniversary. We are constantly reminded what the important things in life are, and we love to jump in and celebrate those things like we have lately.

Psalm 118:24 - "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Plenty to Share

Sorry it has been so long since our last post, but we have been busy, busy, busy...Let's see...where to start?...After family health issues began to resolve, we were both back to work and the schedule as usual. Our church class had a game night that next weekend where we were able to unwind and meet some new people. We also watched Blindside in the park behind our apartment, which was just as good as people said. With Chris' week off from work, we spent a couple days with Nanny and a couple days in Houston. While in Houston, we got to attend the MLS All-Star soccer game and visit the museum, which was a great time. The next week Katie had her follow up dermatologist appointment, at which they removed the entire area of concern and confirmed that it was all clear. She also finished her last summer school class and even tested out of one of her fall classes!

Now to the biggest news: WE BOUGHT OUR FIRST VEHICLE!!! After years of talking about it, months of research and test drives, and weeks of negotiating, we drove home in our new 2010 Toyota 4Runner! We can honestly say, days and thousands of dollars later, we love it! If you are ever around, we would be more than happy to take you for a spin - We are always looking for reasons to take a drive now :)

To wrap out our eventful month, we spent last night at the Jack Johnson concert. It was awesome! We heard all of our favorites and lots of great new songs too. Best of all, not only did he play "our song" that we danced our first dance to, but he closed out the concert to it as his encore. Perfection! As the closing thought for this post, we thought we'd leave you with a taste of our concert experience:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWVnZAJaq4Q

Tough Week

We'd like to say that this week was more of the same, we're both doing well, etc, but sadly it's not true. Last week we found out that Chris' PawPaw passed away which was difficult for us both. Of course we are sad to not have him around anymore, but we are relieved that he is in a better place and his health has been restored. The past two years had not been easy for him or the family, so at last peace and healing can begin. We love and miss you PawPaw - Rest assured that you have made an unforgettable impact on our lives...

Upon returning to Dallas, we discovered that Katie's grandmother had been taken to the hospital in Waco, resulting in our heading right back out of town to be with her. She was not in good shape, but has since been tended to and hopes to go home today. Please continue to pray for her to regain both physical and psychological strength...

Seeing as this has not been the best of weeks for us, I feel it even more important to end on a positive note. We finished our book this past week, and here are some encouraging insights:

"...those most conscious of another world have made the most effective Christians in this one."

"Of one hundred men, one will read the Bible; the ninety-nine will read the Christian."

"Our wounds and defects are the very fissures through which grace might pass. It is our human destiny on earth to be imperfect, incomplete, weak, and mortal, and only by accepting that destiny can we escape the force of gravity and receive grace. Only then can we grow close to God. Strangely, God is closer to sinners than to 'saints'. (By saints I mean those people renowned for their piety - true saints never lose sight of their sinfulness.) As one lecturer in spirituality explains it, God in heaven holds each person by a string. When you sin, you cut the string. Then God ties it up again, making a knot - and thereby bringing you a little closer to Him. Again and again your sins cut the string - and with each further knot God keeps drawing you closer and closer."

4th of July

It was so nice to have a long holiday weekend - We hope you enjoyed your July 4th as well! Our celebrations started on the 3rd, as the fireworks in our town go off the night before the holiday. We watched from the top of our garage and ate some watermelon, just like last year. Katie also baked some homemade cupcakes and icing to share, although we ate a few too many on our own...The next day, we went to a wonderful churchwide service before Katie had to head off to work. There's not much new to report, but we're both doing well.

We're both a bit behind in our reading, so the last set of book quotes will have to wait until next time. In the mean time, here are some lyrics to a good song on Christian radio right now:

"I will trust in You

Even in the moments I can't find You

I will hold on to Your promises, oh Lord

You've never failed before
I know that You can hear me

When the silence is deafening

Even though You seem far away

I know You're here with me

But I just need the faith to see

Nothing can separate me from Your love"

Can Anybody Hear Me by Meredith Andrews

Quick Update

The past couple of weeks have been good, but busy for us, thus the reason for no post in awhile. Chris is in the process of becoming an official government employee, but is really most excited about the World Cup. We are renting a DVR for the month just so he doesn't have to miss any games (or quit his job to watch them). The most exciting would definitely have to be the USA game this past Wednesday. As last Wednesday was also our 3rd anniversary, he was lucky to be able to take the day off from work so we could watch the game together. It was a great anniversary present to both of us! Later that day, to celebrate the occasion, we went to our first really nice dinner as a married couple. We enjoy watching the TV show Top Chef together, so when we heard that one of our favorite past contestants was going to be the chef at a restaurant near us, we knew we had to go. It was so much fun getting dressed up and being able to watch him cook from our table, not to mention the food was AMAZING! Chris had lamb with jalapeno augratin, roasted apples, and a shiner reduction. Katie had grilled salmon with jalapeno jack cheese grits, iceberg and apple slaw, and a tequila lime sauce. We treated ourselves to dessert also - a mocha tart with peanut-bacon brittle. If you're ever in the Dallas area for a special occasion, try Chef Tre Wilcox at Loft 610 in Plano.

As far as Katie's new job goes, she loves it! There is definitely a learning curve, which is never fun, but it has only been a week on the floor and she is starting to feel like she's got the hang of it. The staff are helpful and nice, and the patients are too cute. She even got to rock a 4 month old to sleep to round out her last 12 hour shift this week...not bad to get paid for that :) When school isn't in session full time, she will be working 20-30 hours each week and in the fall she will fall back to about 20 (unless there is an exam that week). We are so blessed to have this opportunity.

Our section of the book this time focused on how the church can do damage by not showing grace. It was a very insightful section, and I only wish that every church had to explore this book. Seriously, if you have any opportunity to read, pick up this book (What's So Amazing About Grace by Philip Yancey). It is a very easy read and goes very quickly. If you know Chris and I well, you will know how special Chapter 13 is to us. Here are a few thoughts from the other chapters in that section, as there are too many to address in that chapter alone:

"Somehow, he (Jesus) gained the reputation as a lover of sinners, a reputation that his followers are in danger of losing today."

"In other words, the proof of spiritual maturity is not how 'pure' you are but awareness of your impurity. That very awareness opens the door to grace."

"Jesus did not fault the Pharisees for extemism in itself - I doubt he really cared what they ate or how many times they washed their hands. But he did care that they imposed extremism on others and that they focused on trivialities, neglecting more weighty matters (justice, mercy, faithfulness)."

"Jesus condemned that pride, and also condemned the tiered spirituality that ranked some sins as acceptable and others as unacceptable."

Memorial Day Weekend Trip

This past weekend, we were able to take a much needed trip to Houston to visit family and relax. On Friday, we spent most of the day at the beach where Chris fished, Katie read in the shade, and Dixie swam. We had a picnic on the sand, under Chris' amazing improvised tent - sorry, no pictures. It is still amazing to us that our precious dog that is scared of almost everything will run full speed into the crashing waves and swim back to shore on her own! Saturday was packed full of fun things to do. First, we started the day with a great brunch at a Mexican restaurant downtown. After that, we headed to the Natural Science Museum where we watched an IMAX film and visited many exhibits. To wrap up the day, we went to a Houston Dynamos (soccer) game. Before heading back Monday, we spent Sunday evening with Chris' family (including aunt, uncle, and cousins) eating good food and playing in the pool. It was such a fun weekend! One more quick note: our baby birds learned to fly and now we are officially empty-nesters. We're so happy and proud, but so sad to see them go. It's not a great picture, but the one below is the last one we could snap of them as they practiced flying.

We are about halfway through our book for our Bible study group, so we've got more little nuggets of wisdom to share with you all. Hope your June is off to a great start!

"We forgive not merely to fulfill some higher law of morality; we do it for ourselves...When we genuinely forgive, we set a prisoner free and then discover that the prisoner we set free was us...The only thing harder than forgiveness is the alternative."

"By forgiving another, I am trusting that God is a better justice-maker than I am. By forgiving, I release my own right to get even and leave all issues of fainess for God to work out. I leave in God's hands the scales that must balance justice and mercy...Though wrong does not disappear when I forgive, it loses its grip on me and is taken over by God, who knows what to do."

"...by denying forgiveness to others, we are in effect determining them unworthy of God's forgiveness, and thus so are we."

"No matter how it looks at any given point in history, the gates guarding the powers of evil will not withstand an assault by grace."

Happy Birthday Chris!

The past week has been spent celebrating Chris' 26th birthday, which has definitely made for a fun one! We started out last Monday with some ice cream cake and ended yesterday with some horseback riding. It was such a great time and surprisingly relaxing...One more thing to note: the two eggs in our balcony planter have become two adorable baby doves. We hope you enjoy the pictures!

Here are a few selections from the book we are reading for our Bible study group. We hope you find them hopeful, as we do:

"From nursery school onward we are taught how to succeed in the world of ungrace. The early bird gets the worm. No pain, no gain. There is no such thing as a free lunch. Demand your rights. Get what you pay for. I know these rules well because I live by them. I work for what I earn; I like to win; I insist on my rights. I want people to get what they deserve - nothing more, nothing less. Yet if I care to listen, I hear a loud whisper from the gospel that I did not get what I deserved. I deserved wrath and got love."

"Paul harped on grace because he knew what could happen if we believe we have earned God's love. In the dark times, if perhaps we badly fail God, or if for no good reason we simply feel unloved, we would stand on shaky ground. We would fear that God might stop loving us when he discovers the real truth about us. Paul - the chief of sinners he once called himself - knew beyond doubt that God loves people because of who God is, not because of who we are."

"In one of his last acts before death, Jesus forgave a theif dangling on a cross, knowing full well the thief had converted out of plain fear. That thief would never study the Bible, never attend synagogue or church, and never make amends to all those he had wronged. He simply said 'Jesus, remember me,' and Jesus promised, 'Today you will be with me in paradise.' It was another shocking reminder that grace does not depend on what we have done for God but rather what God has done for us."

"And grace means there is nothing I can do to make God love me more, and nothing I can do to make God love me less."

25% Nurse, 100% Author

This week has definitely been a week of accomplishments for us - Katie is officially done with her first semester of nursing school and Chris is officially published! Needless to say, we will be doing a lot of nothing the next few days and enjoying every minute of it :)

Despite a small setback, Katie came out with flying colors. One question on her Pharmacology final kept her from getting a 4.0 for the semester, but we'll settle for a 3.8 or so :) No rest for the weary - Summer school starts up Monday. She also begins her job at the Children's Hospital the next Monday. She can't wait!

Chris received the electronic version of his publication this week, and it looks great! We are so proud & would love to forward it on to anyone interested.

Now here are the lyrics of the week. They made us think of a book that we are beginning to read for our Bible study group about Grace. It is called 'What's So Amazing About Grace' by Philip Yancey, and it has great stories illustrating what so many Christians are forgetting about their faith:

If we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching
Why aren't His hands healing
Why aren't His words teaching
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going
Why is His love not showing
them there is a way
Jesus is the way

"If We Are The Body" by Casting Crowns

A new day, a new week

Sorry to be hogging the blog lately, but I figured I should do a follow-up to last week's quick message. Things are beginning to return to "normal" around here - class, studying, etc...The funeral was Saturday, which gave all of us some closure to begin to refocus on closing out the semester strong. My friend and I gave our big presentation over music therapy today to about 125 people, and it was a huge success! Whew...And finally, I got the job!!! I don't know the exact schedule yet, as HR hasn't contacted me "officially", but hopefully soon I will begin working at Medical City Children's Hospital. I'm so excited and feel so lucky for this opportunity to work with kids ranging from newborns to 18yrs.

I found out this week that one of my classmates is the spouse of a well known Christian group memeber: Dan Dean of Phillips, Craig, & Dean. How neat!?! In light of that, the lyrics this week are to one of their MANY songs. Look them up because I bet you've heard at least one of them in church in the past 10 years. Enjoy!

Mercy came running
Like a prisoner set free
Past all my failures
To the point of my need
When the sin that I carried
Was all I could see
And when I could not reach mercy
Mercy came running to me

Mercy Came Running by Phillips, Craig, & Dean

Riding the wave...

I just wanted to take a moment to share a difficult experience that I've been a part of this week, and ask for a favor. Today, a classmate of mine passed away. We were in class together Friday afternoon, but stood by her bed in ICU Monday afternoon. To make a long story short, on Saturday she became septic (her blood became toxic) and caused her major organs to progressively shut down. After coding (heart stopped) 3 times this weekend, she never regained consciousness. Upon arriving to class on Monday morning, we were informed as to the severity of the situation, and were asked to visit her. It was shocking to see someone that we treated patients with only a few days prior, as the patient...and in very, very bad shape. We were aware that she only had a short time, but as of around noon today, she was taken off life support and passed very quickly thereafter. I just ask for your prayers for the family and our TWU Nursing community. We are strong, but it is a very difficult wave to ride. She was an extremely kind woman that had such an impact on everyone she came in contact with. Thank you for your support & I love you all!

Katie

The Waiting Game

We can hardly believe how time is flying by...Last weekend, Katie's mom came to visit and we had a great time! One of our favorite parts was going to see Alice in 3D. It definitely reminded us how much we enjoy going to the movies together, but how rarely it actually happens. We also helped out at a church picnic by letting the kids hold the church bunny. It was a beautiful day to be outside!

This weekend brings a waiting game for us both - Chris on the possibility of getting benefits, Katie on the possibility of a new job working with kids at a hospital. Katie's interview is Thursday afternoon, so keep the prayers coming. Either way, it is nice to have the hopes of both! Oh, one more exciting thing this week: Chris' journal article was accepted for publication. We're very proud!

That's about it for now, but we'll leave you with this week's lyrics and pray that they find you happy & hopeful...

Give me your eyes for just one second

Give me your eyes so I can see

Everything that I keep missing

Give me your love for humanity

Give me your arms for the broken hearted

The ones that are far beyond my reach

Give me you heart for the ones forgotten

Give me your eyes so I can see

Give Me Your Eyes by Brandon Heath

Hoppy Easter!

We had a great time celebrating Easter this past week or so - The Sunday before Easter, our church put on an amazing concert to start off the week, the tulips in our neighborhood have been blooming like crazy, Katie made Easter cupcakes while we watched movies on Friday (believe it or not, it was our first time to use Redbox), and we spent Saturday and Sunday with family in Waco. Other than that, it has been more of the usual here: school, work, and some fun with friends. Hope you had a wonderful Easter as well!

Here's the "song of the week":

It ought to be more like falling in love
Than something to believe in
More like losing my heart
Than giving my allegiance
Caught up, called out
Come take a look at me now
It's like I'm falling, oh
It's like I'm falling in love

More Like Falling In Love by Jason Gray

Back to Reality

So Spring Break is over for those of us who had it, and it's back to the usual. Not too much exciting has been happening around our house this week, which isn't a bad thing at all :) The biggest blessing has probably been getting to spend time with good friends...dinner, happy hour, birthday parties with cute babies, and much more! Chris was even able to rope a friend into helping him fix his vehicle. They spent the afternoon Saturday replacing the distributor on his Blazer. We also had some sweet friends unexpectedly bring by a very thoughtful gift. They have no idea how that touched our hearts. In return, we made cookies together for some of our amazing friends. It was such a fun art project!

The song for this post is one that really keeps me in check, I guess you could say. It helps me feel like I am normal, but also that I am ridiculous at the same time. It makes me feel special & unique, but reminds me that sometimes I let the meaningless things in life become meaningful. I don't know how applicable this may be to the guys out there (other than making the woman in your life a more joyful person), but feel free to pass on the sentiments to the women in your life who might need to hear it. Chris can verify that I cannot make it through this song without crying, no matter how many times I've heard it...maybe it's just me though :) Enjoy!

One final (random) note: I heard the most amazing lecture in school this week on hospice care. It really solidified some experiences I've had and opened my eyes to so many new things. If you ever want me to share some of it with you, just let me know. As amazing as this sounds, it has already been put into practice this week as one of my mom's close friends "went to Glory". Now here's the song...

"So turn around you're not too far

To back away be who you are

To change your path go another way

It's not too late you can be saved

If you feel depressed with past regrets

The shameful nights hope to forget

Can disappear they can all be washed away

By the one who's strong can right your wrongs

Can rid your fears dry all your tears

And change the way you look at this big world

He will take your dark distorted view

And with His light He will show you truth

And again you'll see through the eyes of a little girl

There could never be a more beautiful you

Don't buy the lies disguises and hoops they make you jump through

You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do

So there could never be a more beautiful you"

More Beautiful You by Jonny Diaz

Spring Snow?

Since when does it snow at the end of Spring Break...in the middle of March...when the temperature was 40 degrees higher 12 hours before??? Yes, in case you have not heard, Dallas received a good 2 or so inches of snow last night that lingered on until this evening. There were light flakes being swept around by the wind when we went to bed last night, but imagine our surprise to find a winter wonderland when we opened our windows this morning! Good thing we took in all our new plants yesterday afternoon...

Other than that, it has been a pretty regular week for us. We went to dinner with Katie's Dad this past week, which was a nice treat. Katie kept busy with yoga and circuit training, and Chris continued to work and unwind with his hobbies. Note to anyone curious about yoga: it's harder than you can imagine, but it's very rewarding. Try 90 minutes working out in 98.6 degrees and 60% humidity...bring it on swimsuit season! Not only that, but after this month's circuit training, Katie might qualify to try out for a collegiate football team (ok, maybe just high school). Her trainer has her flipping tires, swinging a sledgehammer, and doing all sorts of intense stuff that Chris would love to witness for himself. Finally, the Aggie Basketball team made a good run for it in the NCAA tournament, but fell just a bit short tonight. Like we Aggies like to say, "There's always next year!"

Instead of a Bible verse this week, here's the chorus to a song that has meant a lot to me recently. There are tons of songs that have touched my heart since starting to listen to Christian music radio, so this will probably continue - heck, I might just make a special post if God has touched my heart with a particular song that day. I encourage you not only to look up these songs and listen to them online, but try tuning into those radio stations. It's a great way to redeem driving time, calm down, and refocus. Hope you enjoy!

"Be strong in the Lord

And never give up hope

You’re gonna do great things

I already know

God’s got His hand on You

So don’t live life in fear

Forgive and forget

But don’t forget why you’re here

Take your time and pray

And thank God for each day

His love will find a way

These are the words I would say"

The Words I Would Say by Sidewalk Prophets

Feels like Spring

Things are beginning to bloom everywhere we look and the weather has been beautiful. Winter just might be over for us. All of this motivated us to start up our balcony garden once again. This year we will be growing jalapenos, dwarf eggplant, 7 or so herbs (rosemary, chives, thyme, basil, mint, parsley, dill), and some pretty flowers. It is so nice to see life again outside our window!

It is officially spring break for Katie, although it has felt like a vacation since her exam last Tuesday. She is loving nursing school and doing quite well - out of 8 exams, 7 A's and 1 B! The hospital experiences have been wonderful for her and we can only hope that it continues. A couple weeks ago she even put her anxiety aside and gave her first injection successfully. She is starting to find balance between life and school by starting yoga and baking more frequently. We know who benefits from extra sweets sitting in the apartment...but we are also giving some away to friends, neighbors, and coworkers.

Chris continues to enjoy tying flies and has even started brainstorming on original fly patterns. His practice really is paying off as his flies look better and better every week. It is amazing that he only began this a little over a year ago and now we are busting at the seams with all things fly fishing. Hopefully he will get to go fishing sometime soon, as his plans to go this past weekend were ruined when his car wouldn't start. Maybe that new vehicle is coming soon...we will see.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths."

-Proverbs 3:5-6

March already???

Is it possible that 2010 is going by this fast?! Things have been going well in our little corner of the world, but we have been keeping fairly busy. Between work, school, a little fun time, and relaxing a little bit, our time is all accounted for. Katie continues to do well in school and is finding it not only interesting, but very rewarding. She will be doing shifts at the hospital every week for the next month and a half or so, which is exciting. Can you believe it is already time to start giving injections?! Please pray for her (and her first few patients...haha...). Chris has been practicing his fly-tying skills even more lately and has become quite accomplished. Hopefully he'll get a chance to use them out on the water pretty soon. Other than that, we've had some fun visiting with friends and family this past month. The pictures below are from a party with our church group where we played a newlywed-style game. We were proud to come out with a high score - only missing 2 of 10. One of the missed questions was related to who caught the bouquet at our wedding. Maybe one husband actually got it right out of 20 or so, while a handful didn't even remember that they didn't have a bouquet toss. It was a fun time!

"And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."

-1 Corinthians 13:13

SNOW!!!!

Not just snow, lots of snow. It was a beautiful day and we took many opportunities to get out and enjoy it. Today we've seen tons of new things: kids sledding outside school, Dixie bounding through the mounds of snow, 5+ life-sized snowmen, our very own snow angels...We both got off work and school early enough to partake in a friendly snowball fight too! Here are some pictures from Dallas' official "snowiest" day ever...