The Kenningtons

Looking Back on the Week

2012-02-12T09:44:00.001-05:00

I can't believe it's been since Tuesday that I posted.

This week was good, but busy at the same time.

Things are going well with work... I really love my internship, and it's such a blessing to me. I'm starting to think about jobs for next year, and this week I worked on updating my resume and portfolio.

Mathis and I are still trying to eat healthier, and I've lost a total of 3.4 pounds over the past few weeks. I've been trying to make an effort on some weight loss since Christmas and so it's nice to finally see some changes. It's all about the everyday choices, and since getting my iPhone I've been able to use the Lose It app to track my progress.

We've watched both Baylor men's basketball games this week, and it's been very sad to see them loose. Thankfully the Lady Bears are still going strong and handed A&M a big loss last night. Have fun in the SEC, Aggies!

The weather here this weekend has been crazy cold and windy. Only a few flurries, which makes me a little sad. If it's going to be this cold I'd love to see some beautiful snowflakes falling.

We saw 'The Vow' last night, and I really liked it. Mathis owed me a good chick flick after I went to see 'The Grey' with him a few weeks ago. :)

I'm so excited about Valentine's Day this week! I love that it's on Tuesday -- it's always fun to have something to celebrate during the week.

And to keep up with my February photo-a-day challenge,

here's a look back at the pictures I took from this week.

February 7th -- "Button"

I wore this cardigan with lots of buttons to work that day.

February 8th -- We didn't see much of the "sun" that day!

Instead we got some unexpected snow, and I took this screenshot from my office at school.

By the time I left school that afternoon the snow had all melted away.

February 9th -- "Front Door"

February 10th -- "Self Portrait"

On Friday night Mathis and I went out for Mexican food and Margaritas

February 11th -- "Makes you Happy"

This weekend the fireplace has made me (and the dogs!) very happy

And today's picture -- "Inside your Closet"

I hope you have a wonderful Sunday! Mathis is in the thick of writing his dissertation proposal, and I'm using the day to catch up on chores. I'll hit up the rec center and grocery store later on this afternoon. Grammy's are on tonight!

Deuteronomy 6:5

2012-02-07T21:17:00.000-05:00

My energy is spent tonight.

Today was a good day, but I am done doing all that I can...

anyone else feel me on this? :)

So tonight I thought I'd post a snippet of the letter we received this week

from Aldin, our Compassion child.

Definitely some truth to live on this week.

Where Did the Day Go?

2012-02-06T20:19:00.001-05:00

Today was one of those days that left me wondering where the day went. I had hopes of getting a lot accomplished, but I can only do so much. I'm still happy with what got done, but it felt like a crazy start to the week!

My photo-a-day picture from yesterday was '10am'. While I'm usually at church most Sundays, yesterday was a quiet morning at home for me. Around 10am I was sipping some coffee and reading the Bible.

Mathis had been in DC most of the week for a conference, and he finally got home yesterday afternoon. I spent the morning doing some cleaning, grocery shopping and getting ready for the Super Bowl. Mathis got home a little after lunch, and I cooked up some snacks for the big game. I made buffalo chicken dip and queso (rotel + velvetta) with chips and salsa. For dessert I made these no bake cookies -- they were easy and good! It was wonderful getting to catch up with Mathis and enjoy the game at home.

We especially enjoyed the commercials. The dog lover in me really loved the VW commercial with the dog loosing weight. And I also loved the Great Dane doritos commercial -- did you know that dog was from Virginia Beach? :)

Mathis has really started to like Pinot Noir, and this afternoon at Kroger I snagged this bottle. It's a wine out of Oregon, and we had it with dinner tonight. It's definitely a good wine!

And 'dinner' just happened to be today's photo-a-day assignment. Mathis does 90% of the cooking in our home, but I'm pleased to say that I made dinner tonight! I went with a meatless Monday theme, and I cooked this Basil Pesto Mushroom Lasagna. While we were waiting for the lasagna to cook I popped these skinny mozzarella sticks in the oven. I had made them yesterday for the game, but we already had too much food. These mozzarella sticks stay frozen until you're ready to bake them which was perfect for tonight! I thought about cutting the lasagna recipe in half, but I'm using the leftovers for lunches this week. This lasagna is healthy (aka low-cal) and it was easy to make. Double bonus!

Alright, I'm off to tackle more of my to-do list before bed. Have a great week!

[No Longer] Strangers

2012-02-04T18:02:00.003-05:00

Today's photo-a-day title was 'strangers'. Well after today I am pleased to say that I'm no longer a stranger to long distances in running. Today I ran 9 miles with Meagan, and my legs felt every minute of our 1 hour and 35 minute run. I haven't run that far since October! I'm also no longer a stranger to my two favorite recovery aids...

You can't beat organic Chocolate Milk and The Stick!

It felt good to run long, but I'd forgotten how tired I am the rest of the day. :) I did make one trip out to Chipotle for lunch, but otherwise I've been watching tv on hulu and chilling on the couch. I have a to-do list ready to go for tomorrow so I'm hoping to be a little more productive then.

By the way, have y'all seen the new TOMS ballet flats?

I think the pink are my current favorites. I would love to have a pair of these shoes one day. I love the mission of TOMS and they're soooo comfortable.

Earlier in the week I ordered some Keurig K-Cups off Amazon, and I decided to try a new blend. I went with the 'Breakfast in Bed' from Wolfgang Puck, and it's really good!

I had a cup before my run this morning, and I think I'll be brewing another one tonight. This is definitely a good medium roast in my opinion!

Hands

2012-02-03T18:28:00.001-05:00

Today's photo-a-day was 'hands'.

This is picture of Carter's paw in my hand.

His paws are huge (they always have been) and I love holding on to them.

I know this post is slightly weird -- but I'm guessing the animal lovers will get me on this one!

I love my dogs very much, and their paws are so cute to me.

(Plus the 'hands' picture was difficult so just bear with me) :)

Carter is an especially good snuggle buddy.

He is every single ounce of crazy, but I love him nonetheless.

The dogs have caused quite a bit of trouble in the last few weeks, but I'm still grateful for them.

They make our house a home -- even when it's a little nuts! :)

Have a great Friday night y'all!

February Photo a Day Challenge

2012-02-02T20:30:00.002-05:00

I decided that it might be fun to participate in the February photo a day challenge this month. I've seen other bloggers do this before, and I think it will help provide me with some blogging inspiration. :) Yesterday I posted about the rainbow, which was my view on the way to work. Today I'm posting my graduation letter approval as my "words". I was definitely grateful when these words arrived in my mailbox last week! :)

Shout out to both Baylor basketball teams. Last night the Lady Bears beat Mizzou, and the Men took down the Aggies. I thought it was a nice parting gift for both those teams as they leave the Big 12. Have fun in the SEC Missouri and A&M!! :)

And speaking of Baylor Athletics, this morning RG3 was in DC at the National Prayer Breakfast. Apparently he challenged President Obama to a game of basketball tomorrow. :)

We bought the dogs new beds online and they arrived in the mail today. Of course, they're sleeping right next to them right now, but hopefully they'll catch on here soon.

Please ignore Carter's "alien eyes" :)

I love to shop online -- you can't beat free shipping and reduced prices. I have an Amazon prime membership which gets me free two day shipping on tons of items. We don't live in a large city so online shopping is definitely nice!

I'm not all that particularly excited about the Super Bowl this year, but I am thinking it will be fun to make some special snacks for the game. I found some healthy options off Pinterest that I'm excited about. I would usually talk about the Puppy Bowl at this point, but we don't have Animal Planet anymore... so no Puppy Bowl in the Kennington home this year. :( For those of you fortunate to have Animal Planet be sure to tune into the puppy action. Maybe I'll throw a football around the house and watch Grace and Carter battle it out! :)

A Gentle Reminder

2012-02-01T19:06:00.000-05:00

Sometimes it's easy to get burdened down. Yesterday I got a little "antsy" about the future. I wish I could say this wasn't typical for me, but the truth is that I often worry about the changes that Mathis and I are facing this year.

And then this morning I didn't make the time to open God's word like I've been doing most every morning. Yet on my way to work today I saw one of the most beautiful and vibrant rainbows of my life. The picture I took above does not do this rainbow justice. It was breathtaking, and I felt God gently reminding me, "I'm still here. I'm still faithful, and I always keep my promises". It was exactly what I needed to hear, and I'm so grateful for the gentle reminder.

The Only Cure for a Manic Monday...

2012-01-31T07:22:00.000-05:00

...is wine and cupcakes with good friends. :)

Here's hoping Tuesday is a little less crazy!

Have a great day!!

Recharge

2012-01-30T06:58:00.000-05:00

The past few weekends have been so relaxing. My personality thrives on this kind of rest -- this time to recharge myself for the week ahead. Here's a quick recap on our lazy weekend...

Friday after work I stopped by an Amish bakery near my office. I picked up some fresh bread and some Amish peanut butter. Y'all this "peanut butter" is absolutely AMAZING! I refer to it in quotes, because it's really some kind of wonderful dessert spread made with peanuts. Marshmallow creme and brown sugar are listed in the ingredients if that helps you get a better idea of what I'm talking about. We have gone to town on this stuff over the weekend, and I don't regret it a single bit.

That night we were both in need of a date night, so we headed out to dinner at Olive Garden and then to the movies. We saw 'The Grey' because Mathis loves Liam Neeson. Needless to say that movie was not my cup of tea, but I think Mathis still liked it.

Saturday has become the ultimate lazy day at Casa Kennington, and I love it. I drive at least 100 miles each day for work, and this past Saturday I didn't even step foot outside the house. My new iPhone case finally arrived in the mail, and I feel so much safer having my phone protected.

That afternoon watched a few chick flick movies (in part to make up for the night before) and I crocheted, surfed the web, and attempted to watch Baylor basketball on CBS. I took this picture moments before I realized the ACC Network had taken over CBS in our area. Instead of seeing Baylor play Texas from the Ferrell Center I was forced to watch Clemson and Wake Forest. I was so bummed, but at least Baylor still won! The women won that night too -- yes, they're still undefeated! :)

By the time Sunday morning rolled around I was definitely ready to get out of the house. We used the last of our Starbucks gift cards for breakfast and headed off to church. Mathis and I were blessed to serve communion, and afterwards we went out for lunch. This afternoon we got my oil changed, Mathis played basketball with some guys and I did my long run for the weekend. Tonight we made a pizza, and opened up a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. I'm feeling good about the week ahead and thankful for such great days off work.

I Want Pancakes

2012-01-27T06:31:00.000-05:00

My friend Meagan sent me this motivation poster from Runner's World, and I thought it'd be the perfect thing to share on this wonderful Friday. Runner friends, tell me you've had some of the same kind of thoughts on your long runs. I know that I have! :)

Daily Bread

2012-01-26T06:57:00.000-05:00

One of my spiritual resolutions this year is to wake up a few minutes earlier and spend time pouring over God's word. This time is such a blessing to me, and I'm always grateful for it. At the beginning of the year I bought this One Year Study Bible, and I love the way it's organized.

I thought I would share one of the devotional messages from today's reading:

"Don't be surprised if you struggle to make sense of what God is doing in your life.

After all, the disciples spent three years with him, saw his miracles,

heard his words, and still had difficulty understanding.

Despite their questions and doubts, however, they believed.

When you face uncertainty, take steps in faith,

and trust that God will give you enough understanding for the next step.

Sometimes obedience comes before understanding."

There is so much that I take away from this message. Part of today's reading came from Matthew 17, and I can definitely relate to the disciples, who are often totally clueless at times! :) One of the parts that sticks out to me the most is the phrasing in the sentence above that says, "When you face uncertainty" rather than, "If you face uncertainty". It's almost guaranteed that we will be uncertain, but when we are can step out in our faith, trusting God through it all. This brings me such hope and peace today! My prayer is that it would do the same for you and your situation today.

Sunshiny Day

2012-01-25T05:53:00.002-05:00

Oh my goodness, yesterday was an absolutely BEAUTIFUL day!!

The skies were blue, the sun was out and the temps were in the 50s.

I know it might seem silly to blog about the weather, but it did wonders for my soul.

I enjoyed my long commute so much!!

As I do on most days I drove by horses...

And old abandoned homes...

And in the afternoon I got to run outside on my favorite trail in my new pair of shoes.

I'm so grateful for days like yesterday when the sun is shining, and everything feels good.

Praise God for these days (and praise him on the cloudy ones too)!

And yes, I'm having fun taking pictures with instagram on my new iPhone :)

A Little Each Day

2012-01-24T06:13:00.001-05:00

Mathis and I are settling into 2012 rather well. We've made it a top priority to keep the house clean and organized. Knock on wood, it's going really well. We do a little bit every single day to keep it up, and I love having things so together. It makes me feel good to have everything in order.

I know it won't always be this way, but I do think we're setting up some better habits at home. So far I have just done what needs to be done each day. Mathis takes care of the kitchen, I do laundry and everything else is picked up/cleaned as it needs to be. I love the idea of these cleaning charts off Pinterest...

I think I may implement something more scheduled, but so far we've been able to do what needs to be done along the way. I do think that doing a little everyday is definitely the key! Putting things away (clothing, dishes, misc. items) right after being used has also helped. Another neat idea I came across was this monthly schedule.

Do you follow a cleaning schedule? How do you stay organized??

Happy (Early) Birthday to Me :)

2012-01-23T06:30:00.000-05:00

For a little while my BlackBerry has been acting up. I don't get picture texts, and sometimes it doesn't update my emails, apps, etc. This week Mathis was determined to go into Verizon to have them take a look at it. I agreed I needed to have it fixed.

I got home around 5:30pm from work on Friday, and I was exhausted. Mathis said Verizon closed at 6:00pm and we had to leave right away. I immediately started complaining -- this was not something I felt like doing on a Friday evening! :) We got in the car, and I started questioning if Verizon could fix the phone or if we needed to go through BlackBerry. That's when Mathis told me that he had some more information on the my BlackBerry in the glove box of his car. I opened the glove box, and this was what I saw...

At first I thought it was the box to an old phone -- we have both had iPhones before. A few seconds later it clicked for me, and I was shocked. We've had a phone upgrade for awhile, but we both felt it wasn't right to make the upgrade. I love love love the iPhone, and I've missed it desperately BUT I had no intention of switching over. I was content to have a cell phone that worked, and I didn't see the need to upgrade.

When Mathis ordered the phone earlier this week they said it would take a month to arrive. Well, it came in early and it needed to be activated right away -- hence the early surprise! I am very excited to have everything synced through iCloud, and I'm definitely going to be able to take a lot more pictures on the go for this blog. I had fun using it over the weekend, and I feel very spoiled to have such an awesome phone.

It's been awhile since I had an iPhone -- what apps do y'all love the most?

The Rural Life

2012-01-21T10:07:00.001-05:00

There are many things I love about living in a rural area.

The mountain driving I do on a daily basis takes your breath away.

Many of the kids I work with have accents and use phrases such as "I reckon that's the right answer".

Farm animals are everywhere.

There's plenty of good hiking.

You can pick your own fruit.

In the Fall you can pick your own pumpkin.

Heck, you can pick your own Christmas tree too!

Farmers Markets are stocked full of fresh, local produce.

And finally...
it's not rare to "go in on a cow" with friends and find yourself with 40 pounds of beef in your freezer.
Anyone want to come over for steaks? :)

Put a Cork On It

2012-01-20T13:30:00.002-05:00

Mathis and I love drinking wine. Going to visit wineries and learning more about enology has definitely become a hobby for us. For awhile I've been saving the corks from our wine bottles, but I had yet to do anything with them. A few weeks ago I finally made my first cork craft. Basically I bought a $3 frame at Walmart and hot glued some corks on the front. There you have it! Simple and cheap -- my two favorite things about a DIY project. :)

I know this isn't the best picture, but I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I used corks from our favorite wines, and we've been to many of these vineyards. The frame is sitting on our wine cabinet, and I framed the picture we took at a winery back in Texas.

We still have bags of corks saved up, and hopefully I'll continue to use them in creative ways. I've definitely gotten quite a few ideas from Pinterest.

102 Days

2012-01-19T18:24:00.000-05:00

Today was the 102nd day of school. I know this because I got to see many of my elementary schools celebrating the 100th day mark on Tuesday. It's hard to believe it's really been that many days! I asked one of my kindergarten students if it felt that long, and he said, "It feels more like a million". Well said, kid. Well said. This same student told me back in September that it's easy being bad, but hard being good. I guess it's true when they say that everything you need to know you learned in Kindergarten. ;) Lots of wisdom there!

And speaking of days at school, one thing we haven't had this year is any SNOW days! My district took 22 snow days last year. TWENTY-TWO!!!! While I'm not complaining with our mild winter, I would really love one or two days to stay home in my pajamas and drink coffee while watching the Today show. Yes, we make these days up. And yes bad weather is usually inconvenient, but it just feels weird to not have had much snow this year. I want some snow!!

But in all seriousness, I've been so blessed by my internship this year. I am finally at the point where I feel very comfortable in my role. I have made connections in all my schools, and I'm getting to know the kids so well. It's hard to think about leaving at the end of the year -- I know I'm getting ahead of myself, but it's not all that far away. I'm beginning to think about jobs for next year, and that makes me think even more about graduating. It will be very bittersweet to leave. I continue to learn so much, and I love love love my job. I love the flexibility, the variety, and all the ways I get to work with kids, parents and teachers on a daily basis. Mathis took a hard look at our student loans the other day and called me in a panic. It's certainly taken a lot of time, hard work and money to get our degrees, but I wouldn't change a thing. I feel very passionate about what I do, and I can't wait to learn even more.

An iPad Christmas For All :)

2012-01-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

I never blogged about Christmas with my family, and I've wanted to for the longest time. We celebrated Christmas with my parents while they were out here for Thanksgiving, because at the time we didn't think we'd see them again over the holidays. My parents gave me an iPad, and I was completely and utterly surprised. I definitely never ever expected such an amazing gift, and the next few pictures say it all.

what?!

seriously?!

pure happiness.

thanks mom and dad :)

Of course my parents had also bought an iPad for my brother, but he wasn't getting his until Christmas. I had to keep quiet about my gift so he wasn't tipped off. He was just as surprised when he opened his...

And my parents joined in on the fun and each got iPads of their own! :)

It was definitely a fun Christmas memory that I wanted to record. I have loved using my iPad, and I'm always looking for new apps! One of the things I love getting to do the most is face time with my beautiful niece Allison...

She just turned two, and she's at such a fun stage! One of the times we did face time with her over Christmas she saw us (on the iPad) and then ran over to the refrigerator where our Christmas card was hung. It was really cute to see her point to our pictures and make the connection with who we are. Technology is really amazing, and I love that it can help us stay close across the miles.

Thanks again for a great Christmas surprise, Mom and Dad!! :)

Our Weekend in Bullet Points

2012-01-16T17:53:00.000-05:00

I'm on a kick with the bullet points.

So here's an update on our weekend... :)

Friday night was relaxing. Mathis went to a poker game, and I stayed home and chilled. I always enjoy relaxing after a long work week! I did get a little crafty, and I made this wreath for Valentine's Day. I know the picture is grainy, but I took a stick heart wreath from Michael's, painted it white, and then tied a bunch of pink/red/white ribbons around it. I got the flower clip from Walmart, and hung it with a bow. It's not exactly what I pictured, but still pretty cute.

Saturday morning we slept in and headed out to Gillie's for our favorite breakfast. We stopped by the Farmer's Market before going to do a wine tasting at the Vintage Cellar. That afternoon we watched football and lounged around the house. Mathis made a delicious flank steak salad for dinner, and we opened a bottle of wine.

Sunday morning we woke up to a fresh blanket of snow. We did our own devotionals and made the decision to stay home from church. We ate breakfast together and then got moving on some chores/cleaning at home. I went for my long run in the afternoon before having some friends over for dinner to watch the Golden Globe awards.

This was a very quiet weekend, but I cherish these weekends. We made some plans for our 5 year wedding anniversary in May, and I'm getting very excited about our trip! :)

What's Up Wednesday

2012-01-11T19:08:00.000-05:00

Carter and Grace mean the world to Mathis and I -- I feel like I don't blog about them as much as I used to, but we are in love with our fur children. Carter loves to lay on Grace -- he did this as a puppy, and I think it's the sweetest thing to still see him do this. Mathis sent me these pictures while I was at work last week, and they melt my heart. :)

I am on a clothes shopping fast. We caught the Dillards New Years Sale in San Antonio, and IT WAS AMAZING! I had way too much fun getting great deals!!! I've already gone through my closet and given away clothes this month, and I feel perfectly content with what I have. Right now I'm telling myself I won't buy a single new piece of clothing, shoes, jewelry, etc. for the next 12 weeks. I'll reassess then and see how I'm doing. I don't feel like I spend a lot of money on clothes, but I think in general I spend too much time thinking about them -- does that make sense??? I definitely want to simplify my life this year, and this is a good start!

Today RG3 declared he'll enter the NFL draft. I couldn't be more proud of him and what he's done for Baylor. I am so thankful he played football at Baylor. A friend sent me the link to this picture last week, and I thought it was the coolest thing to see him with the Hokie Bird. This picture was taken at the Sugar Bowl. Definitely love seeing my two teams together. :) Now we're just praying that RG3 isn't drafted by the Redskins!

Speaking of Baylor athletics, let me just say that I am so proud of both Baylor basketball teams right now! It is awesome to see them doing so well. They're both undefeated, and last night the men beat Kansas State on the road to become 16-0. We get to watch most of their games on espn3.com, and I'm looking forward to a great season for both teams!

I love getting to work with resilient kids. I tend to work in some really difficult situations, and my heart is joyful when I find kids that have overcome their odds. Today I worked with a really fun child, and the experience brightened my whole day. I definitely have to cling to the positive moments in my job, and I'm very grateful for days like today.

Call Me Crazy

2012-01-10T05:01:00.000-05:00

For some reason I just didn't want to take the Christmas tree down this year. And so it's no longer a Christmas tree, but a traditional Valentine's Day Tree. :)

I already had the heart and silver ornaments, and I just bought the red and pink garland on clearance at Walmart earlier in the week. I really want to put an empty heart shaped chocolate box at the top of the tree, but Walmart wasn't selling those yet when I looked. I'll have to pick one up as soon as I see them!

Another Valentine's Day decoration currently on display in the Kennington household is this heart garland hanging on our mantle. My mom and I crocheted the hearts together, and I strung them together. I'm really happy with how they turned out -- here's the pattern we used if anyone's interested! :)

I really like having these fun Valentine's decorations out - it's such a fun holiday, and it definitely made it easier to put away the Christmas stuff.

Standing Up for What's Right

2012-01-09T14:00:00.000-05:00

Last week an important issue came to our attention, and Mathis went ahead and started a petition online. We would love for you to sign this petition here if you're willing. Below is some information I pulled from the online letter Mathis drafted...

In an online July article, GQ magazine named Boston as the Worst-Dressed city in the US. But, that wasn't enough. Instead, they thought it was necessary to describe the city's style like this: "Boston suffers from a kind of Style Down Syndrome, where a little extra ends up ruining everything."

Further, they suggested that Down Syndrome was the result of "so much local inbreeding." Not only does this magazine stand behind an article that victimizes diversity, they suggest that Down Syndrome "ruins" the people who live with it. It promotes discrimination and prejudice that is insensitive and irresponsible.

As a widely disributed publication that has material online, GQ has a responsibility not to demonize people with Down's Syndrome. This article promotes the idea that people with Down's Syndrome are "ruined," that it is something to be feared, and that it is okay to make light of people with Down Syndrome to sell material.

Like I mentioned, it would mean a lot to have you sign this letter. Once we reach 100 signatures, change.org will begin promoting this petition on their website. I know that other petitions exist, but this is the one we have recently started to once again draw attention to this important cause.

Last week I also saw a link to this great story which is far more uplifting and positive. It's definitely great to see companies like Target taking the right step, but when they don't (as in the case with GQ) it's important to stand up for what's right.

I Love You Period.

2012-01-08T14:15:00.001-05:00

Pinterest is definitely a fun place to get creative ideas. I really enjoy finding unique ideas, and I think it's a wonderful site. Recently I've seen this pin posted a lot...

And I've even seen a few blogs that have talked about making this identical frame. The idea in and of itself is simple and cute. You can frame a sheet of paper and frequently update the message with a dry erase board marker on the glass. I have often left Mathis notes on our bathroom mirror with a dry erase marker -- I think this is a fun, great idea. But I have to be completely honest that the wording of this particular frame really bothers me. Yes, I love that Mathis washes my car, cleans the dishes, takes care of our dogs, and cooks us meals. But I do not love him for these things. These things are nice, but they do not constitute my love for him. If they did, my love for him wouldn't withstand very much. I know I'm probably being petty about the semantics involved here, but it's a very important issue with me.

I choose to believe that true love -- the kind of love Christ has for us -- loves when someone hurts us. It's so easy to love someone who we admire and like. It's a far different thing to love someone when we don't like what they're doing, when we struggle with their faults and failures. To me a marriage is at it's most beautiful when you continue to love each other despite the sin -- when you live out your vows by loving through the "worse" times we so quickly sweep under the rug. I love that we romanticize marriage -- it is romantic, and it is wonderful BUT it is also really, really hard.

And it frustrates me when we aren't always honest about this. I get really irritated when we seem to talk about marriage like some big fairy tale. The expectations that we place into marriage are often far from the reality. And in reality I consider it much more romantic that we continue to love our spouses when they aren't perfect. And let's be honest, none of us are perfect. I am so far from perfect it isn't funny. I have a hard time with forgiveness, and I can hold onto grudges for way too long. I overreact to small things, and I have a hard time letting go of insignificant details and letting go of control. I can be very moody and selfish -- and that's only the beginning. But the fact that Mathis still chooses to love me and sharpen my heart towards that of Christ is so amazing to me. Mathis has many faults too. I'm not ashamed or embarrassed to write that. Yes, there are many wonderful things about him too -- things I appreciate and things I'm proud of. But if he wasn't all those things, I would still choose to love him. I made that choice four years ago, and I make it each and every morning I step foot out of bed. Sometimes it's a pretty easy choice, and other days it's the hardest choice I've ever had to make. Ultimately I can't do it on my own. I have to allow Christ's love for me pour out onto others, like Mathis. I don't always allow this to happen, but it's something I strive for. 1 John talks about this kind of love -- the love that comes from God.

We're so used to a society that attaches love to our works and our personality. We're liked because we dress nice, work hard, have money, tell great jokes, etc. God looks past all these things, and loves us period. It's something that I wish I could do better with others in my life -- love them regardless of their actions or superficial qualities. And it's certainly something I hope I can do in my own marriage.

Sic 'Em in San Antonio

2012-01-07T12:01:00.002-05:00

This post is LONG overdue! We had such a great time at the Alamo Bowl on December 29th. If you remember, this bowl game was a huge reason for our decision to travel to Texas for the holidays. Baylor's football team is finally a top contender, and I just had to see RG3 play this year.

My parents spent Christmas in Florida with my brother and his family, and they flew back to San Antonio on the day of the game. They hit some terrible traffic getting to the airport, and we were so worried they would miss their flight and ultimately miss the game. Thankfully they made their flight, and they flew into San Antonio late that afternoon. We met up with them, headed out to dinner and then downtown to the Alamodome for the game.

My Dad had gotten us such GREAT seats, and I was thrilled to be up close and personal to all the action. About 30 minutes to kick off they brought out the Heisman trophy right in front of our seats. It caused quite a bit of commotion on the field, and my Dad leaned over the railing to get this shot.

Just then a guy on the field offered to get a picture for my Dad, and so my Dad handed his phone on down. And that's how we got this amazing picture...

Mathis was pretty excited to be this close to the trophy. They didn't move it anywhere else on the field, and we thought it was so cool that it happened to be right in front of our seats. It was definitely a neat moment of the game.

Laura (my college roommate) drove down from Dallas to go to the game. She hadn't been to any games this season yet either, and she couldn't miss out on the bowl action. :) We've been to quite a few Baylor football games together, but this one definitely topped them all.

There was definitely a lot of American and Texan pride going on at this game. The stadium was packed with Baylor fans, and we certainly outnumbered the Washington fans.

The game was completely nuts. It had a lot of high and low moments. While I didn't enjoy the nerve wracking moments, it was definitely a thrill to be there. And the ending made it all worth it.

We love you RG3 -- thanks for everything you've done for the Baylor Nation!!!!

We stayed for the award ceremony, and it was an awesome feeling to hear everyone singing "That Good Old Baylor Line". Art Briles said something about how far the team has come, and the old days (of loosing games and being terrible) are gone. I'm so proud of Baylor -- win or loose -- but it's certainly nice to see us winning!

I'm so grateful we got to be at this game, and I'm definitely excited for next year. Baylor could have a new football stadium by 2014, and I just have a feeling that things are going to be good for awhile. I really hope they can keep building their program, and the Big 12 can remain a strong division.

Sic 'em Bears!!!!

Texas, Our Texas, All Hail the Mighty State

2012-01-04T20:26:00.001-05:00

We had such a great time in Texas for the holidays. We left Virginia early Christmas morning and flew down to San Antonio out of Charlotte, North Carolina. We had some trouble with flights, but we arrived late that afternoon in time for Mathis' big family get together. The weather was absolutely beautiful while we were in Texas, and I really enjoyed the sunny blue skies. We celebrated Christmas with Mathis' family and made a quick 24 hour trip to Houston to see more family. On our way out of Houston we stopped at the Galleria for some shopping...

Mathis' parents and two younger sisters

And we couldn't leave town without stopping by our absolute FAVORITE cupcake shop! :)

We bought Hope and Hannah their first Sprinkles cupcake, and they loved them! Soooo good!

My parents spent Christmas in Florida, but they flew back into town for the Alamo Bowl and New Year's. In addition to the bowl (which I'll write about in a separate post) we got to do some wine tastings with them! This is something we love doing in Virginia, but we'd yet to experience in Texas. Laura was still on her visit from Dallas for the Alamo Bowl, and she went with us on our Texas Hill Country wine tasting. The first winery was in an old cotton mill, and it was a really neat building.

My parents are so cute together :)

We really enjoyed the wines at this winery, and we bought two bottles with us back to Virginia.

Before going to the next winery we made a brief stop in Luckenbach. This town is known for being a small town with only a couple buildings, and it's a fun place in Texas to visit.

And of course, only in Texas do people ride cows. :)

Our next stop was Grape Creek Vineyards where we got to take an hour long tour and taste wines straight from the barrel! We had a great tour guide, and it's always interesting to learn what each individual winery has to say about their wines and the wine making process.

Laura and I tasting together on the tour

We got to taste three separate wines from the barrel, and this is something I'd never done before

That night we stopped in Fredericksburg for dinner before heading back to San Antonio. It was really a fun day, and I'm so grateful we got to do some things in Texas we hadn't yet done before.

2012 Resolution

2012-01-03T21:38:00.000-05:00

I just took a look back at my resolutions for 2011. I remembered quite a few of them, and others I had forgotten about. 2011 was a great year, but it was a tough year too. I feel very humbled and grateful in looking back over the past 12 months. Ultimately I'm thankful that God still loves me despite my numerous flaws and that He continues to pour out his grace on my life.

This year I am not going to list out a dozen things to do.

Instead, I'm going to focus on one word...

the word,

EMBRACE.

I have a feeling that I'm in for a heck of a lot change this year. I don't care much for change and especially change that's out of my control. :) But I want to embrace these changes. This year I will graduate and begin looking for jobs. I will celebrate 5 years of marriage to Mathis, and 10 overall years together. There are many things I hope to do this year (crochet, read, run, stay organized, forgive, eat well, drink good wine, create, travel) but ultimately I want to embrace each and every day with passion and purpose. This resolution will look completely different from day to day -- I'm sure of it. But hopefully I can rely on God's strength to embrace each moment He's given me. I don't want to complain, argue, regret, hold grudges or waste any moment of my time on insignificant details.

This year I want to EMBRACE! :)

Welcome 2012!!

2012-01-03T11:53:00.000-05:00

Is it really 2012? It's hard for me to get my mind around this fact! I have SO SO SO much I want to blog about, but it may be awhile before I get to sit down and record our Texas holiday and my 2012 resolutions. We got in to Christiansburg late last night after a LONG travel day. I'm home on a snow day from work, but I'll start back again tomorrow. I've just made a long to-do list for myself, and I'm off to put it into action. Until I find time to update the blog, here's a picture from one of the best parts of our time in Texas...

We had the best (although somewhat nerve wracking) time at the Alamo Bowl. It is such an exciting time to be a Baylor Bear, and I loved watching RG3 in action. Of course tonight we're cheering on the Hokies in the Sugar Bowl.... hard to believe college football is over for the season! :(

Hope you're all having a wonderful 2012 -- I look forward to catching up on everyone's blogs at some point this week. Happy New Year!!

Best of 2011

2011-12-31T07:00:00.000-05:00

I love getting to write this post each year. It's such a great way to look back on the year, and remember all that we got to do. It definitely reminds me of all the great memories we made, and I get excited for the memories we'll make in 2012. Before we look at 2011, click here to look at 2008, 2009 and 2010.

We started January off by heading to Disney World to run a marathon! It was a magical trip, and we enjoyed the week with my parents at all the parks. At the end of the month we were off in search of warm weather again as we headed to Los Angeles with our good friends, Jed and Stacie.

In February we went out to dinner at the Palisades on Valentine's Day and discovered our favorite wine! That month I headed to San Francisco for the National Association of School Psychologists conference. It was a great trip, and I got to run alongside the Golden Gate Bridge.

During March we headed to Charlottesville for a few days on our Spring Break to do a winery trip. We also headed out to Virginia Beach with some good friends to run the Shamrock Half-Marathon. And I passed my comprehensive exams that month which got me one step closer to graduation! :)

In April I ran the Blue Ridge Half Marathon, and I finished out my practicum in the schools. We celebrated Easter with friends, and we went to a food and wine festival in Blacksburg.

May brought a trip to Texas to see family, a girls trip with friends to Ohio (where I ran my fifth half-marathon!), and our fourth wedding anniversary!

In June we headed off to Hawaii for a week to celebrate my Mom's 50th birthday. Mathis' cousins came to visit us, and we enjoyed picking fresh blueberries at a local farm.

During July we celebrated Mathis' birthday, saw bears while hiking the Appalachian Trail, and got to spend a day floating on the New River. I traveled to Dallas to be in Erin and Mike's wedding, and I got to spend a lot of time with my best friend, Laura.

In August Mathis traveled to Bogota, Columbia for a research project. I started my school psychology internship, and we ran a local 8k together with some friends.

September brought football season for both my Baylor Bears and my Virginia Tech Hokies. Mathis passed his preliminary examinations and officially became a Ph.D. candidate.

October was a busy month! It really felt like Fall with pumpkin coffee creamer (which I'm still using!), and beautiful changing leaves. Mathis' parents came to stay with us for a week, and we went to a pumpkin patch. At the end of the month we traveled to Houston where Mathis was in his cousin's wedding.

During November our good friends had their baby, and we got to visit them in the hospital. My parents came to stay with us for a week at Thanksgiving, and we had a great time showing them around Southwest Virginia.

And in December we travled to Charlotte for the ACC Championship. I ran a Jingle Bell 5k, and we made plans to travel to Texas for Christmas.

These were obviously the highlights of our year. It wouldn't feel right to go without saying that this year certainly brought it's challenges, heartaches, and trials. These things aren't often included in the Christmas card or blogged about online, but they do exist. Like most, we've had our share of struggles this year. Although these often go unspoken (or I should say unwritten in this case), I know that these trials have shaped us and most importantly -- God had been faithful through it all. We're so grateful for the fun memories we had this year, but I'm also aware of how the struggles strengthened us and our marriage. My hope is that this next year will bring more good times than bad, but that we would continue to praise God throughout it all.

Happy New Years!!

Merry Christmas, Y'all

2011-12-23T10:21:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas Y'all!!!

We're spending the day getting ready to head off to Texas tomorrow morning!

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas filled with peace, love, hope and JOY!

"When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy."

Matthew 2:10

On Break

2011-12-21T17:00:00.000-05:00

I am officially on my Christmas break, and it feels good. This sunrise greeted me yesterday morning as I headed off to work, and it was a perfect reminder of God's beauty in my life.

I am so thankful for the time off, and I'm just hoping to enjoy it to the fullest. I want to be productive and lazy all at the same time... we'll see how this goes! Today I got to shop with a good friend in Roanoke, and we even stopped for cupcakes. :) It was a nice start to the break, and we have a few days until we fly back to Texas.

I hope to do a lot of reading over the break. I listen to audiobooks all the time in the car, but I'm excited to actually read a good book myself. Any good recommendations for me?! I'll either buy some books or download them to Mathis' kindle for easier travel.

T Minus 6 Days!

2011-12-19T21:34:00.000-05:00

Who can believe it's only a week until Christmas?!?!

After getting a few Christmas cards in the mail on Saturday, Mathis and I decided we just couldn't go without cards this year. So over the weekend we managed to order and address our cards. I'm glad we did them.

I am done with my Christmas shopping and wrapping. Woo-hoo!

Now we just have to pack our bags for SA-town.

Tomorrow is my last day of school before the holiday break!! It has been so busy preparing for this break, and I'm really looking forward to the time away from work.

I found out a few weeks ago that I passed my Praxis exam. I know I talked about it on here, and I just wanted to thank y'all for your comments and thoughts on that test. One semester left until graduation!!

Tomorrow is Carter's fourth birthday!!

I love this CRAZY puppy as much as the day we picked him up.

And on that note I'm ready for bed... going to be an early morning for me as I head off to school!

May you be blessed this week as you prepare for Christmas!

How College Football Changed Our Christmas

2011-12-17T10:07:00.000-05:00

Our plan for Christmas this year was to stay put in Virginia. We did this last year, and it was special to be at home and have our own white Christmas. We absolutely love being with our families, but it can be tough to travel around the holidays.

A few weeks ago the college football bowl games were announced, and I found out that Baylor would be playing in the Alamo Bowl on the 29th. Baylor has had such a great season (NOT TO MENTION A HEISMAN WINNER!) and I've desperately wanted to be at one of their games this year. Suddenly we began thinking of what it would be like to spend Christmas with family in San Antonio. We couldn't get our minds off the idea to fly back to Texas, and I began pricing flights that same evening. Our generous families offered to help with the travel expenses, and we booked our flights the same evening they had made the bowl announcements. :)

We originally hoped to surprise some of our families, but over the past few weeks the news has leaked. :) I am truly excited to spend the holidays back in Texas (especially since snow is nowhere in sight up here)! We will fly into San Antonio on Christmas Eve and fly home after New Year's. And yes, we'll be going to the Alamo Bowl to cheer on my Baylor Bears!!!! I am thrilled to get to see RG3 in action!!

It's funny how our plans can completely change from one minute to the next. We are grateful for this unexpected time to be with family. Living so far away makes these times together extra special. When our plans changed, so did a few other things. We decided to forgo cutting down our own tree up here to save on costs and hassle. Another thing I've somehow neglected is our Christmas cards. I haven't made the time to do our cards this year, and I'm learning it's okay to let go. I love tradition, but change is okay too. It's okay to do things differently around the holidays and adapt to each new season in life.

I feel so blessed this year. In many ways it's been a difficult year for Mathis and I, but our God is so good. He is loving, and He is faithful. I am grateful for my marriage, and I'm so thankful for the life Mathis and I have here in Virginia. We have no idea where we might be spending next Christmas, but I know that God will lead the way. And right now I am so content with our lives. I am healthy, happy and blessed beyond measure.

Winning the Lottery

2011-12-13T19:03:00.000-05:00

Yesterday morning Mathis and I received emails that we'd been selected to run the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler. This race is held in Washington DC as a part of the annual Cherry Blossom Festival. This race is a lottery race, meaning that not everyone is selected to enter.

I am so excited that we got in our first year to register! I am totally motivated to start my training, and I know this race will be very memorable. We're planning to go to DC for a few days so that we can spend some time there before the race. Spring is such a beautiful time here in Virginia, and I'm definitely excited to know that we'll get to see DC when all the cherry blossoms are blooming.

Another Reason to Love Trader Joe's

2011-12-12T21:25:00.000-05:00

When we stopped by Trader Joe's on our trip to Charlotte for the ACC Championship Game I picked up a fresh evergreen wreath. The wreath was made from local trees, and it cost about $7.00.

The wreath smelled and looked great, but I decided it needed a little sprucing up! I bought some red berries and gold accented branches at Michael's and whipped out the glue gun.

And here's the finished product!

I know this wasn't much of a DIY tutorial post, but it's definitely another reason for me to LOVE Trader Joe's. I paid a lot for my wreath last year, and this year's wreath was definitely more cost efficient! Now if only we didn't have to drive 3 hours to our closest Trader Joe's... :)

Right in Our Backyard

2011-12-11T19:49:00.000-05:00

Mathis and I had a great weekend. On Saturday morning I woke up early to go run the Jingle Bell 5K in Roanoke. I met up with a running buddy at Starbucks, and I got to see the lunar eclipse while driving to meet her!!! It was such a neat moment and definitely a great way to start the day. I grabbed my latte and we headed down to Roanoke for the race. This was my third year to run this 5K. It's definitely become a Christmas tradition, and I'm thankful I got to run it again this year. Meagan and I met up with Kim who was already in Roanoke, and we got to run the race together. I'm so grateful for my running friends, and it was fun to hang out with them both on Saturday.

The race shirt and bib

I took it easy that afternoon while Mathis gave a review session for final exams up at Tech. That evening we went out to a Christmas party before coming home to watch RG3 win the Heisman. It was a great night!! :)

This morning we were blessed to go to church and have lunch with friends. We took a nap this afternoon, before heading out to a Holiday Open House at Attimo Winery. This winery is new, and it's right in our backyard here in Christiansburg. I was excited to go and see what this place was like. They had the fire going, plenty of food, and live music.

I really liked their Traminette/Petite Manseng blend while Mathis enjoyed their Cabernet Sauvingon. It was fun to get to try a new winery, and I'm really glad we went to their open house. Tonight we'll be watching the Cowboys with friends. This was definitely a relaxing weekend, and I finally picked up on the Christmas spirit. I am so thankful this season, and I'm excited for all the great things we're getting to do.

800th Post!

2011-12-10T22:06:00.000-05:00

What a week! There have been many moments that I've wanted to blog about this week, but our internet has been out a lot this week. We can only last so long - Mathis and I are currently holed up at Starbucks. A tall caramel brûlée latte and free wifi... what more could you ask for?! :) I'll tell you what more you could ask for - how about a HEISMAN WINNER?!!!! What a great topic for my 800th post!

I am so proud to be a part of the Baylor Nation tonight. RG3 is such a class act, and I'm so grateful that he took home the award. I know that Baylor is not a football legacy school, but this program has made great progress the last few years. I'm thrilled to have a Heisman winner representing Baylor!!!!! There's not much else tonight to say except for...

SIC 'EM BEARS!!!!!!

ACC Championship Game

2011-12-04T19:03:00.001-05:00

On Friday night Mathis and I headed down to Charlotte with some friends for the ACC Championship Game. We were so excited to go to this game, and I was definitely looking forward to a weekend out of town. On Saturday morning we woke up and ate breakfast at a wonderful local bakery.

The decor inside of this bakery was really cute, and the food was great too! We talked a lot about the game and made our plans for the rest of the day. At lunch we met up with some more friends at a bar-be-que place, and they had some really great macaroni and cheese. :) We met our first Clemson fans there, and they were very nice to us. From lunch we headed downtown, and we spent some time walking around.

There were already quite a few people gathered to tailgate, and we spent some time in the team hotel. I got to watch parts of the Baylor game in the hotel lobby, and I was thrilled later that night when Baylor beat Texas!!!!! It wasn't too cold that night, but I also was wearing two pairs of socks, two shirts, two jackets, gloves and a hat to keep me warm. :)

We had great seats, and I always get so excited to watch the teams warm up on the field. I liked the Bank of America stadium, and there was definitely a great crowd.

Me and my good friend Lisa

Unfortunately the game was awful. There's just no other way to put it. Virginia Tech played terribly, and it was heart breaking to watch them lose after such a great season. By the fourth quarter I was cold and cranky from watching all the annoying Clemson fans. We didn't get in until after midnight, and I've been really tired today.

To cheer ourselves up we headed to Trader Joe's and Jamba Juice on the way home this morning. We LOVE LOVE LOVE Trader Joe's, and it was even better today because all their holiday items were out! I bought an evergreen wreath from them, and tonight I'm finally getting out some of our Christmas decorations.

I still love my Hokies, and I'm excited to see how they do at their bowl game. And of course, I'm just as excited for Baylor and another chance to watch RG3 play. I just can't believe college football is coming to a close!

Quote Worthy

2011-12-01T21:29:00.000-05:00

Today at the rec center I was reading a magazine while on the treadmill, and I came across this quote. I immediately thought of all my "kids" at school, but I realized that even I needed to be reminded of this quote today.

You're braver than you believe,

stronger than you seem,

and smarter than you think.

Anybody want to take a guess where this quote comes from? :) I really love quotes, and I'm not embarrassed to admit that I ripped that page out of the magazine. I will definitely be posting this quote near my desk at work as a reminder to myself and to the kids I work with.

Talented Mom

2011-11-29T20:58:00.000-05:00

My mom has always helped me with my style. In middle school (even some of high school!) she helped me straighten my hair in the mornings while getting ready. When I was in color guard she helped sew our flags and our costumes. And now she's making me scarves to wear!

Isn't that scarf beautiful?!? I really like it! The color is slightly deeper in person, but I think it's perfect for the holidays. I'm definitely excited to get to wear it this season. My mom has been crocheting since the summer, and one day I came across this scarf on pinterest...

We didn't have any sort of instructions to follow, but my Mom was able to come up with a pattern all on her own. We chose the yarn and button together while she was in town, and she whipped out this scarf within a matter of hours! I am still learning to crochet, but I would definitely love to be able to look at something and replicate it like my Mom did. She's very talented, and I'm grateful that she continues to help me out with my style even as a grown women! :)

Not Quite Ready to Put Away the Pumpkins

2011-11-28T10:00:00.001-05:00

I love Fall. It is by far my favorite season of the year, and I'm a little sad to see it go. I'm just not ready to put my pumpkins away this year. Technically I already have our VA Tech tree up in the kitchen, but I haven't done any other Christmas decorating just yet.

I'm not sure why I'm not ready to let go of Fall decor. Changes and transitions are always a little difficult for me, but this year feels different. I think it might have to do with the fact that I have no idea where we'll be living next Fall. It's hard for me to even type that statement, and I know it's a part of my resistance to move forward with the seasons.

Mathis and I have fallen in love with our life in Virginia, but next year I'll graduate and begin looking for jobs. Mathis will need to complete an internship, and then he'll graduate and begin the job search as well. I have an absolute trust that God will be faithful (he's proven this over and over again in our lives), but I'm also struggling with my emotions on where we'll end up. I feel so torn and confused about where to search for jobs, and ultimately I'm just trying my best to rely on God's direction.

There's certainly several months before we begin our search, and I'm definitely seeking contentment through this process. We are so happy to be living in Virginia right now, and I'm trying to soak up each and every moment we continue to have here.

I'm not sure where I'll be unpacking my pumpkins next year. It could be in this very same townhouse, or it could be in Washington DC, Texas, California, Colorado... only God knows what the future holds. I would have never imagined we'd live where we do now, and I'm so grateful for this kind of journey. I love living in new places and experiencing new things -- I guess that's what happens when you have lived in 4 different states by the time you're 13 years old. :) But as exciting as it can be, it's also very bittersweet. Those who have moved around the country know this feeling well. And for right now I think I'll let the pumpkins stay out a few more days.

Enjoying Friday

2011-11-27T13:47:00.001-05:00

On Friday we took it easy. We stayed in our pjs most of the morning, and relaxed together. My mom and I continued to crochet, and she helped me finish a baby blanket for baby Jake -- I had started this blanket a long time ago, and it feels great to have finished it! The weather was so nice that afternoon that we decided to go for a walk/run on the Huckleberry Trail. I talk about this trail all the time, so it was nice to get to take my parents there.

It's a long story, but my Mom loves the number five. So of course we stopped to get her picture next to mile marker number 5 of the trail. :)

That night we went to see a movie at the Lyric theater downtown. Our church used to meet in this theater on Sundays, and it's a really cute. And even better -- tickets are only $5!!

We saw the Ides of March, and it was definitely a good movie

-- not real uplifting, but good writing and great acting.

My parents had to leave early Saturday morning, and it was really hard for me to see them go. I didn't expect to be as sad as I was, but it was tough. :( I love living in Virginia, but it really is hard to only see our families a few times each year. To help cheer ourselves up, Mathis and I headed out to Gillie's for brunch.

They have the BEST banana walnut french toast, and it's always a special treat to have it. That afternoon we watched Virginia Tech stomp on UVA!!! We are thrilled that they played so well, and we're definitely excited to be headed to the ACC Championship. I couldn't watch my Baylor Bears yesterday, but I kept up with the game online. I really hope RG3 will be okay to play next week -- I nearly had a heart attack when he was taken out of the game, but I'm so proud that Baylor continued to play so well.

Today is a day of getting ready for the week ahead... laundry, dishes, grocery shopping and some report writing for work. I'm planning to get out for an afternoon run at some point too. I cannot believe it's the last week of November!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-26T18:43:00.002-05:00

We had such a great Thanksgiving week with my parents visiting us here in Virginia. I still can't believe how fast the week went by. We had a lot of relaxing moments playing cards together and my Mom spent some time teaching me how to crochet.

And oh my goodness, the food...

Mathis' family always smokes their turkey, and its a Kennington tradition we've continued in our own family. We bought our turkey fresh and organic from a local farm, and it was sooooooo good! The brine that Mathis used on the turkey helped it stay juicy, and the smoky flavor was delicious.

A lot of work went into that bird, but it was all worth it! We did plenty of other cooking, and the table was filled. The weather outside was beautiful, and my Dad and I even managed to sneak in a game of corn hole that afternoon. Our good friends Chris and Hannah came over with their sweet baby, and we had a great meal together. My dad said it was one of the best Thanksgiving meals that he's ever had -- huge success!! :)

And of course we watched the Cowboys win that night! My Mom loves Texas, and she's always willing to support her Texas teams, including the Cowboys. We were happy to see them win, and it was fun to watch football while continuing to go back for more food. :)

We had such a great day, and I was definitely reminded of how much I have to be thankful for.

An Unreliable Forecast

2011-11-23T17:32:00.001-05:00

We've been keeping our eye on the weather this week to help plan our daily activities. Yesterday it hardly rained during the day, and they had forecasted 80% chance of rain. So when the rain chances for today read 10-30% chance, I thought our chances for dry weather were pretty strong. I knew it was going to be cooler and windy, but we bundled up anyways and headed off to hike the Cascades.

The Cascades are one of our favorite hikes, and even though the leaves have fallen it's still beautiful to see and hear the rushing water next to the trail.

It was drizzling when we first started out, but I was optimistic that the rain would let up as we kept going.

Unfortunately the rain kept getting heavier and heavier as we went on. It was clear that it wasn't going to let up. This is what most of the trail looked like during our hike.

We made it to the half-way point and decided that it'd be best to head back. I was pretty disappointed that we didn't get to finish the hike and see the falls, but it was still fun getting to do part of the hike. I was so surprised that it rained on us and definitely frustrated with the forecast.

We spent the rest of the day relaxing at home. I went out shopping with my mom, and we picked up some last minute items for our dinner tomorrow. Mathis has the turkey in a special brine for the next 16 hours, and he'll start smoking it early on tomorrow morning.

It's hard for me to believe tomorrow is already Thanksgiving. I'm very, very excited about all the good food and time with family. We have so much to be thankful for!!!

Thankful Week

2011-11-21T20:34:00.000-05:00

I am so thankful that my parents are here to visit for an entire week. And I'm especially thankful that I have the whole week off work. My district is in school until Wednesday, but my supervisor gave me this week off so that I could spend the time with my parents. We haven't seen each other in nearly 6 months, and it's wonderful to have this time together!

Today we ventured up the Blue Ridge Parkway to one of our favorite wineries to visit...

Chateau Morrisette!

The weather here is surprisingly warmer than usual, and today was also a bit cloudy. It wasn't crowded at all this afternoon, and we were the only ones on our tour. We had a great tour guide, and we enjoyed getting to hear all about how the wine is made.

After the tour we got to do a tasting of the wines.

We tried nearly a dozen different wines and each ranked our favorites.

It wasn't long before we got to meet the two winery dogs! Chateau Morrisette is famous for their love of dogs, and these dogs were very sweet.

On the way home we stopped at a lookout off the Parkway, and took a few pictures. This is such a beautiful view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

We've had a relaxing afternoon today, and I'm so thankful for this time to kick back. We're not sure what the next few days will be like depending on the weather, but I know we'll have a great time no matter what. Happy Thanksgiving Week!!!

They're Here!!

2011-11-20T14:36:00.000-05:00

Yesterday my parents arrived for their visit with us for Thanksgiving. I have been anticipating this week for such a long time!!!! We had a great dinner last night (courtesy of Mathis), and then we went to bed early. I woke up at 2:00am and checked my phone to see if Baylor had won. Much to my delight, they had beat Oklahoma in the last minute of the game!!!!!!

I am thrilled that they won, and so proud to see this team coming together. I really wish I had been watching the game, but I was sure to watch all the highlights this morning before church. I made Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls this morning for breakfast, and we had a great time at church.

After church we walked around downtown -- it is beautiful here today! We had lunch at our favorite fish taco place, and then we visited the Tech bookstore. Right now we're relaxing at home and cheering on the Cowboys! I am so happy to have the week off, and I know we're going to have such a memorable Thanksgiving.

It's Going to be a Long Winter

2011-11-17T18:47:00.001-05:00

It is soooooooo cold tonight!! Our high today was in the low 40s with lots of wind and even a few snow flurries. I'm reminded that this is only the beginning... while I love the changing seasons I'm slowly adjusting to the cold. Thankfully it's supposed to warm back up next week. Mathis is at the VT game tonight, but I'm watching the game from the comfort of our WARM living room tonight. :)

And apparently we're living in the best place to raise kids in the US...

...which is kinda funny considering that we're not planning to have kids for a long time. We are very content with our lives the way that they are, and we'll just see what happens. Although I'm not sure that my mother-in-law would agree that this is the best place for us to raise our kids if we do end up having children one day. I'm guessing she would prefer for us to live in Texas rather than Virginia. :)

Time to Breathe

2011-11-16T19:59:00.000-05:00

Tonight I feel like I finally have some time to breathe. This week has been great, but it has been busy! On Monday night we went to one of the homegroups for our church. Last night we went to see the Avett brothers in concert.

Mathis and I had dinner before the concert at one of our favorite local restaurants (Boudreaux's) in downtown Blacksburg. They have really good cajun food, and their drinks are fun too.

The concert was really really really good! I was a little disappointed that they didn't play my favorite song, but they played so many other great songs. My favorite was hearing them cover "Just a Closer Walk with Thee". I definitely woke up singing a lot of their songs, and it was a fun night to go listen to some great live music.

Tonight Mathis made some red snapper for dinner, and it was very good. We buy a lot of our seafood from these women who drive down to North Carolina to get it fresh off the Atlantic coast. I definitely love eating fresh fish! While Mathis cooked dinner I put up our first Christmas tree. I'm doing a Hokie themed tree this year in our kitchen/dining room. We're waiting to cut our fresh tree from the farm next week after Thanksgiving. Here we are last year with our tree...

And speaking of Thanksgiving, my parents are coming in THREE days to visit for an entire week!!!! I have a lot to do to get ready, but I am sooooooo excited about their visit. :)

Studying & Shoe Boxes

2011-11-13T19:02:00.001-05:00

I am happy to say that my days of studying for the Praxis exam are OVER!!! I took the exam yesterday, and I'll find out in approximately 4 weeks if I passed. I felt pretty good about it, and I'm hoping it went alright. It was wonderful getting to see so many of my cohort again over the weekend. It's interesting to see how different, yet similar our internship experiences have been thus far. This picture was taken of my cohort (minus a few) at our state conference last year.

After taking the exam yesterday Mathis and I headed out to Target to shop for our Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes. I shopped for a girl aged 5-9 and Mathis shopped for a boy aged 5-9. We had a lot of fun going around the store gathering up all kinds of items.

Mathis went all out on his box... he wouldn't let me unpack it for the picture, but it was filled with lots of cars, trucks, stickers, a wallet, balls, wooden blocks, socks, and gloves.

This year we went ahead and printed labels on-line so that we can "track" our boxes. We'll receive an email letting us know the destination of each box. We took the boxes to church this morning, and my prayer is that God would deliver them to just the right child.

And earlier today my Mom finished her first half-marathon! My Dad ran and walked along with her, and I'm so proud of both of them!!! They ran the San Antonio Rock 'n Roll Half, and despite a little heat they really enjoyed the race.

I am so proud of the way my Mom has embraced her 50th birthday, and it's inspiring to see her accomplishing so many new challenges this year. I love you so much, Mom!!

My parents will be here on Saturday, and I'M SO EXCITED for them to visit. They haven't been here since they moved us here two and a half years ago... We have so much we want to show them, and I know it will be a very memorable Thanksgiving holiday. Now I just have to get though this work week! :)

Internet + Short Commute = a Good Wednesday

2011-11-09T21:50:00.001-05:00

Mathis and I haven't had internet at home this week, and that's definitely been a factor in my lack of blogging -- that and the looming exam I take on Saturday! I think I'll do fine, but I would certainly appreciate some prayers as I continue to prepare. Thankfully we got our internet up and running again this morning, and tonight I've been ~~catching up on blogs, pinterest, and everything else I've missed in the past few days~~ somewhat distracted from studying. Tonight, I came across this idea to spray paint wine bottles for a Christmas center piece, and I'm thinking I'll have to do this...

Today I got to attend an all day training on the ADOS (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule) at Virginia Tech, and it was really fascinating to me. I love my job so much, and I'm so excited about the years and years ahead of me in this career. It was also pretty nice to commute 5 miles as opposed to 50 miles. :) Another perk was getting to meet up with Mathis for lunch!

Tomorrow should be a fun day... I'm running a counseling group at an elementary school, doing a classroom observation in 1st grade, and of course continuing to study for the Praxis. But come 8:00pm I'll be cheering on my Virginia Tech Hokies!!!

Hope you're all having a great week. Let's goooooo Hokies!!!

Only 48 Shopping Days Left...

2011-11-06T16:33:00.000-05:00

I love the holidays, and I'm a firm believer that Thanksgiving and Christmas can be celebrated harmoniously together. I don't want to see Thanksgiving be passed up early for Christmas, but who says you can't enjoy some turkey while humming Christmas music?

Yesterday I briefly ran into a few stores and they were bursting with Christmas decor. In addition to the holiday merchandise the stores seemed busier, and it definitely felt like the holidays. I am trying to get my Christmas shopping done early this year in an effort to be both meaningful with my gift purchases and to spread out the spending as much as possible. I'm already really excited about the gifts I've chosen, and I can't wait to continue my shopping.

I'm also searching sites like Pinterest for some fun DIY projects to give. I really love this time of year -- it always makes me feel so blessed. I'm so grateful for the family and friends in my life and the memories that are made this time of year. Have you already started preparing for the holidays?

She's Here!!!!

2011-11-05T19:49:00.000-04:00

Our close friends Chris and Hannah had their baby on Thursday, and we got to meet her today!! She is breathtakingly beautiful and getting to hold her made my entire weekend. :) We have anticipated meeting Baby Steele since late February, and we're thrilled that she's finally here. We're already looking forward to getting to babysit her!

This Week...

2011-11-02T14:30:00.000-04:00

...Feels incredibly short -- I took off both Monday and Tuesday and now I'm struggling to fit everything in at work in just three short days! Good thing we get an extra hour this weekend huh... :)

...I'm trying to use a lot of my free time to study for the Praxis exam I'll take next weekend. I need to pass this exam to graduate and become nationally certified as a school psychologist. I'll definitely be dedicating my weekend to studying and reading these lovely books.

...I started a new diet. New month, new diet. Over the summer I had a free-for-all with food and my running decreased. Those two things kept going, and I noticed the number on the scale creeping way up. My plan involves calorie counting, meal planning, eating morning/afternoon snacks, cutting out fried foods/desserts and running 15-20 miles a week. I'll give myself one "free" meal out each week. Once I reach my goal weight (I'm thinking around New Year's) I'll go back into a maintenance mode. I know that "dieting" during the holidays is risky, but I really think I can manage it alright. I've definitely got to make a change -- I'm not feeling as good as I know that I could.

...my niece Allison dressed up for Halloween, and I'm pretty sure she happens to be the cutest kid I've ever seen. Not that I'm biased or anything... ;)

...has been cold! This morning I had to scrap the frost off the windshield, and we used our fireplace some today as well. It was nice by the afternoon, but the nights are pretty cold. I'm all for chilly weather, but I'm hoping we have a few more weeks of "mild" temps before winter arrives.

...I brought out my turkey decoration. I keep all the pumpkins out, but take away any jack-o-lanterns. I love November, and I'm really excited about Thanksgiving this year. We've already reserved an organic turkey from a local farm nearby. Can't believe it's only a few weeks away!

Hope you're having a great week!

A Fall Texas Wedding

2011-11-01T17:55:00.001-04:00

Mathis and I flew into Houston Thursday afternoon for Ben and Chelsea's wedding weekend. That night we got to spend time with his cousin, Cliff, and our friend, Jared. The next day we got to sleep in before starting the wedding festivities! I headed off to the bridal luncheon where I got to see my two younger sisters-in-law, Hope and Hannah.

They are such beautiful girls -- and it was Hope's birthday on Friday! :)

That afternoon Mathis and I got to spend some great time with our newest "nephew" Jake. Mathis' cousins Chase and Erin are such proud parents, and we were soooo excited to get to hold baby Jake.

We headed off to the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner that evening. They served fajitas at the dinner, and I couldn't have been happier to begin my fill of Tex-Mex food for the weekend. It was fun watching the wedding party rehearse (Mathis was a groomsman) and then seeing everyone at the dinner. We watched the Rangers loose that night, which was definitely disappointing!

We got to the church bright and early the next morning. The wedding started at noon, and we were there in plenty of time so that the guys could all hang out -- I helped pass out the boutonnieres, and I got to spend some time again with Hope and Hannah (who were greeters for the wedding).

The ceremony was short and sweet. Chelsea's dad gave a beautiful blessing when giving her away to Ben, and I'm not sure there was a dry eye in the entire church.

We headed over to the country club for a dessert reception with dancing. It was fun watching Chelsea and Ben have their first dance, and cut their cakes! Although we wished the Rangers had won the World Series, Ben is still a fan regardless...

I know it's not the best photo, but here's one of Ben and Chelsea cutting the groom's cake. They have been dating for the past five years, and this wedding was highly anticipated from their family and friends! I absolutely love weddings where the couple has known each other for awhile... there is such a level of comfort and closeness between the families and the couple themselves. It definitely feels like you're watching two best friends get married.

The rest of the weekend was spent with family. We managed to sneak in some breakfast tacos a couple of mornings, and on Sunday night we indulged in some Texas BBQ. I love Texas food! It was certainly warmer in Houston, but the weather was overall really beautiful. I'm was surprised by how flat and green everything was -- it's not that I expect Texas to change, I've just become so accustomed to the mountains and colorful leaves here in Virginia. I'm so grateful for such a great, large family and we certainly wish we could see each other more often.

Home For Halloween

2011-10-31T20:41:00.002-04:00

Eek! Nearly a week's gone by since I posted, and that's almost hard to believe. On Thursday morning Mathis and I flew out to Houston, Texas for a family wedding. We flew back this afternoon, and we're slowly starting to unwind from the trip. It was a great weekend filled with lots of fun family memories. I'm pretty sure my favorite part was meeting the newest member of the family, Jacob Rex Power.

Jake was at the center of attention this weekend, and I'm so grateful that I got to steal a few precious moments with him! :) Tonight we have the fireplace going, and we're about to watch a Halloween movie. I was completely in awe of the beautiful fall leaves and mountains this afternoon when we flew into Roanoke. I'm so grateful to live in such a beautiful place, and I definitely love all the holidays time of year.

Happy Halloween Y'all!!!

Three Things Tuesday

2011-10-25T21:56:00.000-04:00

Y'all, I am so tired. I had two very long/intense eligibility meetings today, and they wore me out. This afternoon I literally tried to unlock my office by pressing the unlock button on my car keys. Then on my way home I turned on my car, and then started looking for my keys. Does any of this make sense?!!?!

Thankfully, tomorrow is my Friday. We are flying to Houston on Thursday for a family wedding, and I am ready to spend some time away. Until then, here's a few random things on my mind...

1. The New Bruno Mars Song... go get it from iTunes now! It's definitely a little emo (it's on the new Twilight soundtrack, so what can you expect?), but it's soooooooooooo good. I think Bruno Mars has an AMAZING voice. He is so talented, and I listened to this song at least 6 times today while driving to and from work. LOVE it.

2. Sic 'em Bieber?! Apparently, Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez are Baylor fans? They adopted a puppy and named him Baylor, and Selena's been sporting a Baylor sweatshirt around. This is so weird to me... I have absolutely no idea what their connection to Baylor is, but I just had to share this strange Hollywood news. :)

3. The verdict is in. After several taste testing, I have decided that I prefer the International Delight Pumpkin Spice coffee creamer in comparison to the Coffee Mate Pumpkin Spice creamer. Don't get me wrong... both are good, but I definitely prefer International Delight. And judging by how this week is going, I'm probably going to need a lot of this creamer in the morning!

Have a great week, y'all. Go Rangers!

Make Mine Virginia Wine

2011-10-24T19:41:00.000-04:00

I talk about Virginia wines a lot on this blog, and it's definitely a big interest for us. We just love the culture and the local feel of these vineyards and wineries. In honor of Virginia wine month I thought I'd post about some of our favorite Virginia wines.

1. 2006 Lovingston Reserve Merlot

This is hands down our favorite wine. We are definitely big on red wine, and this Merlot has such a distinct taste. We first tried this wine back in February, and we've been to Lovingston twice since then. It's a very small winery, and it's only been operating in the last 5-6 years. On our last visit we got to talk one-on-one with the main winemaker, and he had a fascinating history with wines from around the world.

I also really love the Lovingston Pinotage, but the Merlot is definitely our favorite.

2. Veritas Viognier

Virginia grows some of the best viognier grapes, and this white wine is known for being great throughout the state. Veritas is a winery outside of Charlottesville, and it's been around for 9-10 years. This winery is a little more well known than Lovingston. Much like Lovingston we love a lot of the Veritas wines -- it's rare for us to like white wines the best, but this white is wonderful.

I think this wine goes well with fish or chicken, but it's said to especially pair well with spicy foods.

3. White Rock Cabernet Sauvignon

White Rock is a small winery about an hour away from us, and it's run by a retired couple who had a dream of owning a winery. Mathis absolutely loves their Cabernet Sauvignon.

4. Virginia Mountain Vineyards Holiday Spice

This wine is just a fun holiday wine. It's got a lot of flavor to it, and it's somewhat sweet. Mathis doesn't care much for it, but I LOVE IT! We bought two bottles of it last year, and I brought it with me to a few holiday parties.

Virginia Mountain Vineyards is fairly close to us, and we've been out to their winery twice. I have a bottle of Holiday Spice stored away for Christmas, and I'm thinking of heating it up in the crock pot as a mulled wine this year... would be perfect for a cold snowy evening. :)

5. Horton Vineyards

A few weeks ago we celebrated Wine Wednesday at Boudreaux's in Blacksburg -- all wine bottles are half off! I'm almost positive we tried the 2007 Norton, but I know that it was one of the wines from Horton. This wine was really good, and such a pleasant surprise to us!

I love it when local restaurants serve Virginia wine. It gives us a chance to support the industry and to discover new wines that we love. This wine was another great red, and it's definitely a winery that I'd love to visit someday!

Finished

2011-10-22T13:22:00.001-04:00

This morning Mathis and I drove into Roanoke for the Greenway Memory Miler. It was a ten mile race, and neither one of us was feeling that great about it. My running has been so sporadic since starting my internship in the schools, and I haven't been running as much as I'd like. Here I am smiling at Mathis, yet giving a thumbs down for my lack of training.

I was so tempted to pick up the race shirt and head out to IHOP for pancakes instead of running for the next two hours. I was tired, cold and not very motivated to run. But thankfully Mathis encouraged me to get my butt out there -- it was a cold start (in the 30s) but it warmed up as we started running. The first few miles are ALWAYS the toughest for me -- after mile 3 I had to stop and walk. My legs were already hurting some, and I couldn't find my groove. I was battling the mental part of knowing I still had 7 miles to go. But again, Mathis stuck by my side. We walked some and then kept running.

By the half-way point I knew that I could finish. I was starting to find my running groove, and the miles went by much faster. We still walked from time to time, but overall I was making it. Mathis' legs hurt pretty bad from the lack of training, but we pushed through. It totally amazes me how your body can adapt when you run -- of course when you don't run, your body looses some of that adaptation. But I feel that overall I have a much stronger base for running then when I began. I started running exactly three years ago, and I've run 5 half-marathons and one full marathon in that time. This year alone I've gotten to run through the Magic Kingdom, alongside the Golden Gate Bridge, and next to the Atlantic Ocean. I wish I was running more often right now, but I'm still proud to call myself a runner. I want to commit to running throughout my entire life, and I just know there are more 26.2 races in my future! :)

We finished the race in 1 hour and 50 minutes, which is an 11 minute pace. Not my fastest, but not my slowest either. I'm really just proud to have finished. After the race we headed over to Starbucks where I treated myself to my second PSL of the season. I definitely kept thinking about coffee during the race, and it was a great reward.

This afternoon we'll be watching the VT game with friends and resting our sore legs. :) Hope you're having a great Fall weekend!!

In-Laws in Town

2011-10-20T18:11:00.000-04:00

We had such a great time with Mathis' parents in town. I have some pretty great in-laws, and I am so thankful that they took the time to come and visit our home in Virginia. Yesterday I got to take some time off work, and we headed out to one of our favorite wineries.

It was foggy and cold, but we still had a great time. This winery is off the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the drive is beautiful. We took the winery tour, and they were actually still harvesting some red wine out on the balcony! It was fun doing the tasting, and seeing what Mathis' parents liked the best.

Chateau Morrisette had some beautiful Fall decorations!

We stopped in Floyd on the way back for some shopping and lunch -- it was a very relaxing day, and I really enjoyed this one-on-one time with Mathis' parents. Mathis is one of 6 kids, and it's rare that we get this kind of time alone with his parents.

Last night we hosted a chili dinner at our house with some close friends, and Mathis' mom cooked for us. I was able to tidy up the house while she cleaned, and I was so grateful for her help in the kitchen. I do not enjoy cooking, but I do love having people over. It was a nice way to spend their last evening, and I'm so happy that we got to introduce them to our "Virginia family" while they were here. :)

Today on their way to the airport Mathis and his parents visited my office and had lunch with me at a great local BBQ place in Galax. It was sad to see them leave, but I know Texas was calling back for them. We'll get to see them next week in Houston for a wedding so that definitely helped.

A Good Reminder

2011-10-17T21:26:00.000-04:00

Tonight I came across this quote, and it really resonated with me. I am absolutely loving my internship in school psychology this year, but it can be so challenging at times.

It's not easy to work with "broken" kids, and it's certainly not easy to hear about some of their struggles and situations. At times I feel completely overwhelmed and lost. But then a small thing will happen... a small change that impacts one moment of one day for one child. And all the hard work is very much worth it.

God has been teaching me so much, and I only hope that I can continue to improve my knowledge and skills to positively impact the lives of young children. My passion and purpose is to advocate for the children that don't fit the typical mold. And tonight I'm reminded that I need to do what I can with what I have where I am. Such a simple, yet utterly profound mission.

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-16T18:23:00.000-04:00

On Saturday Mathis' parents arrived to visit us. We are so excited to have them visiting us, and the weekend's weather has been absolutely beautiful! This afternoon we headed out to pick some pumpkins! This is the same farm we got our Christmas tree from last year...

Mathis with his Mom and Dad

These next few pictures are so beautiful that they deserve to be full size :)

We picked up three pumpkins at the patch along with some apple cider.

It was sunny with a cool breeze and it felt great being outside.

I am loving this Fall weather right now, and I'm hoping it's awhile before we see anything too cold. :)

In Love

2011-10-14T19:14:00.001-04:00

I'm so in love with Fall right now.

These are a few pictures I snapped earlier today on my way driving between schools.

This is just a taste of what I get to look at every day. I feel so blessed to live here!

This Week...

2011-10-13T18:23:00.000-04:00

I have been so tired, and I have no idea why. I definitely went to bed at 9:30 one night this week.
The leaves are peaking, and it's absolutely breathtaking. I am in awe of God's beauty through nature.
I got to run 5 miles with my running partner, and it felt great. She gets married this weekend, and we had plenty to talk about during our time on the trail. :)
Mathis brought home fresh Fall flowers from the Farmer's Market.
We're cheering for the Rangers right now -- it's exciting to see how well they're doing!
I have been listening to a new audio book, and I love it! I'm close to finishing and I'll be sure to share about it soon.
I finished my first bottle of Pumpkin Spice coffee creamer, and I cannot find any more. We're making a Trader Joe's run this weekend, and I'm crossing my fingers that they'll have some!

Marathon Mom

2011-10-11T15:24:00.000-04:00

I know that last week I shared another marathon video, but these stories are too amazing to not pass on! I cannot believe this woman did a marathon at 38 weeks -- she is my hero! :)

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

While my running has slowed a bit since starting my internship in the schools, I'm still very passionate about the sport. I am signed up to run a 10 mile race on October 22nd, and I'm looking forward to running some more half-marathons in the Spring. It may be a few years before I'm ready for 26.2 again, but I will run definitely run more marathons in the future!

Outside My Office at School

2011-10-10T18:05:00.000-04:00

I snapped this picture this morning on my way into school. It's days like today that I'm actually grateful for my hour long commute through the mountains! :)

Great Fall Days

2011-10-09T21:18:00.000-04:00

We've been enjoying a lot of great Fall days around here. The weather has been beautiful, and the leaves are nearing their peak! Here's a quick update on what's been going on over the past week:

On Thursday Mathis bought us new living room furniture!!!! We've been looking for awhile now, and I've been hoping to grab something off craigslist. Well, the other day I saw an ad for a local store on craigslist, and Mathis went to check them out. A couple hours later the store was delivering new furniture! :) We got a new coach, chair and ottoman. Mathis purchased it all on his own, and I LOVE IT! It was an amazing surprise, and we are LOVING it. I was a little sad to see our old couch go, but it was time. I had hoped to find something second hand, but we weren't finding anything. It's definitely a blessing to have furniture that's brand new. I'll be sure to post pictures soon.

We tailgated with friends on Saturday, and Mathis made two dozen breakfast tacos. We love Virginia, but it's certainly lacking in it's Mexican food availability. :) The tacos were great and made for the perfect TX addition to our tailgate. My personal favorite is potato, egg, and cheese. Mmmmmmmm..... :)

The Tech game was VERY exciting -- so exciting that we got to jump twice to Enter Sandman. I am sooooooo glad that we won, and a big shout out to my Baylor Bears for winning their game against Iowa State.

On Thursday and Friday Mathis got a lot done for us with the house and my car. I am SO grateful that he took the time to do all this work. It has been a great weekend knowing the house is clean, and my car is in great condition. I'm definitely more relaxed when things are taken care of! :)

This afternoon I went shopping with a sweet friend, and I picked up some great Fall items for work. It had been awhile since I'd perused Target, TJ Maxx, Ross, and Old Navy. I had a great time looking around, and I'm so excited about the clothes and shoes that I got.

This week I'm hoping to get a lot done at work, run at least 3 times, and get things ready for Mathis' parents. They're coming into town on Saturday, and we're very excited to show them around Southwest Virginia. This is one of the best times of the year here in our neck of the woods! Have a great week, y'all!

Inspiration

2011-10-05T09:00:00.001-04:00

My Coffee Just Became Seasonal

2011-10-04T18:15:00.001-04:00

For weeks I've been searching Kroger, Walmart, and Target for pumpkin spice coffee creamer. Everyone has their favorite seasonal items, and this is definitely one of mine. Today I came home to THREE bottles of this delicious creamer.

Mathis actually called stores today, and Target had a stock!! I am so thankful for a husband who loves me in this way. The bottles are good until January, and I'm sure I'll buy more of them in between time. But for right now it's nice to have some stored up at home. :) I cannot WAIT to drink my coffee tomorrow... I'm actually looking forward to the alarm clock going off!

He Passed!

2011-09-29T18:57:00.001-04:00

Yesterday Mathis passed his prelims! This is a HUGE accomplishment, and we are both so glad that it's over. :) Mathis is now officially a Ph.D. candidate and one step closer to graduation.

Pumpkin Lover

2011-09-28T17:05:00.000-04:00

I love love love pumpkin, and I love seeing it around this time of year. One of my traditions each fall is to make this pumpkin bread, and I made some for the first time last night. It's one of the only things Mathis ever asks me to bake, and it makes me happy that he likes it so much too! In addition to bread, I'm loving the Starbucks Pumpkin Latte...

Ben & Jerry's Pumpkin Cheesecake Ice Cream

When I lived in Waco I would love to go to Katie's Custard and order the Harvest Cyclone. They took an entire piece of pumpkin pie, and put it into their custard. It was soooooo good! I know that Sonic and other places offer a Pumpkin Pie Shake... I've got my eye open for these!

A few other pumpkin recipes I plan on making this year include...

Brown Sugar Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins (made them last year -- great recipe!)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (relatively healthy!)

And if I'm really feeling crazy then here's a recipe for Pumpkin Cream Cheese!

Do y'all love pumpkin as much as I do?

What foods do you look forward to this time of year?

The Life of a School Psychologist

2011-09-27T18:49:00.001-04:00

A lot of people ask me what a school psychologist does. My role within the schools is often behind the scenes, and a lot of people confuse school psychologists with guidance counselors. Even I didn't know what a school psychologist was until the last few years! You can read an official statement about school psychology here, or you can read my version below. (Or you can skip this whole post all together!) :) Every approved school psychology graduate program has two years of coursework and a year of internship. I am actually earning two degrees right now -- a Master's of Science in Psychology and an Educational Specialist degree in School Psychology. I will graduate in May of 2012 with these degrees. Right now I'm in my year of full-time internship in the schools.

Of course every school psychologist works a little different, each district is a little different, and each state is a little different. But this is what I've been trained to do and how I think of school psychology. There are four main aspects to my job.

1. Assessment

This is the traditional role of a school psychologist. When a child is referred for special education, a school psychologist will typically assess the child to determine whether or not the child has a disability and the level of impact this disability is having on the child's success in school. School psychologists have often referred to as "the gatekeeper of special education" for this reason. In a typical assessment I will often interview teachers and parents, observe the child in class, "test" the child using standardized tests such as IQ testing, give out checklists, and compile all of this information into a psychological evaluation report. These reports can take a long time to write and last anywhere from 10 to 20 pages. After writing the report I will sit on an eligibility meeting with other teachers, administrators, parents, etc. to determine whether or not the child will receive (or continue to receive) special education services.

2. Counseling

This is the part I personally enjoy the most. Obviously this role provides some overlap with guidance counselors, but school psychologists are also trained to provide one-on-one or group therapy to students. I feel very passionate about mental health concerns in children and adolescents (see here and here for my previous posts on working for 2 years as a community mental health case manager). I already have a small caseload of students that I'm counseling this year. They have all been diagnosed as having an Emotional Disability, and counseling is an important part of their Individualized Education Plan. Some school psychologists prefer not to provide therapy, but this is a role that I strongly desire to have throughout my career.

3. Consultation

Consulting with parents, teachers, and administrators is another important role for school psychologists. It is not uncommon for a school psychologist to work at a few different schools (or even district-wide in smaller districts such as my placement this year). My supervisor is often called in to "look at a student" and come up with a behavioral or academic intervention to meet the student's needs. Consulting with others about a student's behaviors and making recommendations is another important facet.

4. Intervention

This component is closely tied to the previous three roles I've mentioned. Counseling is certainly considered an intervention and both assessment and consultation often lead to intervention. My goal as a school psychologists is to help children succeed in school. Not every child learns the same way -- children often need specialized interventions to learn or behave, and it's my job to often develop and help implement these interventions. I have done academic interventions before in both Reading and Math and tracked the progress of these interventions through progress monitoring and data collection (another big push in education right now)! Even if I'm not the one implementing the interventions, I aim to create interventions that can be utilized on a daily basis. This year I have already developed a behavioral intervention out of a consultation case I have with a defiant kindergarten student. We track the progress of these interventions and adjust them as needed.

Right now I'm working at all levels of K-12, and I love the variety of ages. I also love bouncing around from school to school. My office is at a middle school, but there are plenty of days that I never step foot inside my office. My job is very flexible -- I have flexibility with my hours and I often lay out my own schedule on when I'll see kids. I get to decide which schools I will visit on what days, and I often work on reports from home. I love the balance I get on being alone to work on things alone in my office and spending time with students and parents. Some days I am called to work with a student in crisis, and you never know when to expect these moments, except they often come on Friday afternoons. :) It is often very difficult to determine exactly what is going on with a student and what will help them improve. But it's this challenge that keeps me excited and motivated to put forth my best effort. The kids I work with have very special needs, and I feel blessed to be a part of their lives!

Baby Steele

2011-09-26T15:05:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we threw a baby shower for my friend, Hannah. She is expecting her first baby, and I'm very excited for her!! I made my first ever diaper cake for the shower, and I think it turned out pretty cute...

Hannah is such a great friend to me, and I'm so grateful to have the blessing of living right down the street from her and her husband. Back in March I ran the Shamrock Half-Marathon with Hannah, and she was just 9 weeks pregnant! Since that day we've run two more races together (in May and in August), and she continues to amaze me!!

Hannah and I have been great running partners, and I cannot wait to run with her again after the baby is born. She is due on October 22nd, and I cannot believe how quickly that date is approaching. We had a great time at the shower, and I'm definitely getting very excited about Baby Steele!!! :)

We Are Marshall

2011-09-25T21:40:00.002-04:00

Mathis and I had such a great weekend. If only these weekends could just last longer! I'm so grateful for my job, but it certainly keeps me busy Monday through Friday. Saturday and Sunday seem to fly by! On Friday night we took it easy, and set up a pallet (using the guest bedroom mattress) in front of the TV. We watched a couple of movies, ate pizza, had ice cream, and relaxed. It was wonderful.

On Saturday morning we woke up bright and early to head off to Huntington, West Virginia. Virginia Tech was playing at Marshall, and we went to the game with our good friend, Stacie. Her husband, Jed, works for the team, and they are devout VT fans. Huntington is just about 3 hours away, and it was a really beautiful drive. Some of Stacie's family drove behind us, and we all met up together in West Virginia.

Our first stop was to go eat lunch at Hillbilly Hotdogs.

This place was unbelievable, and I think the pictures will describe it best... :)

This place was unreal... it was so much fun! Stacie had seen the restaurant on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives and we just had to check it out. I ordered the West Virginia dog, and it was soooo good.

Yes, we're eating our hotdogs in a school bus. :)

And below you'll see that Mathis has found a Texas license plate.

From lunch we headed on over to the Marshall memorial at Spring Hill Cemetery. Two of the Marshall coaches (including the head coach) who died in the 1970 plane crash had previously played football at Virginia Tech. One of the coaches had even played football alongside Frank Beamer. In honor of the victims, Coach Beamer placed a Hokie stone at the memorial prior to the game.

There were a handful of VT and Marshall fans at the memorial, and it was really sobering. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to go. We made our way over to campus and visited the memorial fountain on campus as well.

The campus was really beautiful, and it was nice getting to walk around before the game. Everyone at Marshall was SO nice to us -- we had fans going out of their way to welcome us to Huntington and THANK US for coming to the game. We walked by one tailgate and they offered us some of their food. Even after we won the game, the Marshall fans were so classy. It was an awesome experience, and it definitely made me respect Marshall's program even more than I did before.

I am so proud of my Hokies -- both Virginia Tech and Baylor are undefeated right now. And both schools are also in the Top 20! This is such a great season for football, and I'm thrilled that I'm getting to go to so many Virginia Tech games. Baylor's next game on Saturday is televised on ABC, and you better believe I'll be watching! :)

After the game we went to a local bbq place (soooo good!) and then headed back to Virginia. We got home a little after midnight, and I was exhausted. It was such a great trip, but it definitely wore me out. :)

Lately...

2011-09-21T20:18:00.000-04:00

My commute is starting to wear on me just a bit. It's been really rainy and cloudy here this week, and that hasn't helped much either. But I do get to listen to Kidd Kraddick for an hour each morning, and I definitely like that part of the drive! And in a few more weeks I'll have some beautiful Fall foliage to admire. :)

Mathis bought me a pumpkin scented Yankee candle today... I definitely love those fun surprises! I've been burning pumpkin candles for a few weeks now, and it's definitely my favorite candle scent ever.

Tonight's the premiere of Modern Family, and I'm definitely excited! I haven't been watching much tv lately, but I am planning to watch this show tonight. Another show I love is Parenthood, but it comes on at 10:00pm which is definitely past my bedtime. :) This post is pretty boring... life is good right now, but it is pretty busy with work. I wanted to check in, but I'm off to relax for the rest of the evening. Happy Wednesday!!

Flying By

2011-09-18T21:18:00.001-04:00

This month is FLYING by! I really don't know where the time is going... I feel like I haven't been keeping up with the blog as much as I'd like, but life is so busy right now. It's hard for me to even keep the days straight!

On Friday night Mathis and I went out to dinner around 7:30 and didn't get our food until 9:30. It was crazy, and I was exhausted. There was a big mix up in the kitchen, and we both went right to bed after getting home. The next morning I woke up bright and early to run 7 miles with my friend Kim. I had to wear a jacket, because Fall has definitely arrived. It's been very cold here since Friday, and I have mixed feelings about it. :)

After my run I came home and got ready for a baby shower/tailgate for my friend Sarah. I made Mathis snap a picture before leaving the house, because I was wearing the scarf my mom had made for me. Isn't she talented?

The shower was a lot of fun, and it was great to catch up with Sarah. I got to tailgate with Mathis, Stacie and some other friends for a few hours before the game, and then we got to watch our Hokies beat Arkansas State.

You can tell just how cloudy it was -- we took blankets with us into the stadium, and I was so glad.

It got pretty chilly as the game went on!

They honored those in the military and had a special flyover before the game began.

I really love going to Virginia Tech football games. I love Baylor, and I loved going to those games in college, but this is just a whole different level of college sports. It is so exciting, and we love getting to be a part of this. We had such a great time at the game, and we are so proud to see our Hokies 3-0.

Today we enjoyed a nice Sunday... church, lunch with friends, afternoon nap, watching football... and of course a little laundry and cleaning thrown in. Somehow there's always more that doesn't get done. I'm trying to learn how to balance it all, and to be okay when it doesn't all get finished. Mathis just made some homemade cookies, and we're watching the Emmy's. I'm really grateful for the weekends... I just wish they could slow down a little!!

Three Things Thursday

2011-09-15T17:34:00.001-04:00

1. It is really cool here today! I was stuck in my office all day at work, but when I stepped outside this afternoon I was pleasantly surprised at how cold it felt. Tomorrow's high is 58 degrees!!!!!! I am getting excited about Fall, and I have a lot of baking I want to do this weekend. :)

2. Mathis' cousin Chase and his wife, Erin had their first baby this week. Jacob Rex Power was born on Tuesday, September 13th and we cannot wait to meet him!!! Mathis and I were both in Chase and Erin's wedding, and we feel so close to them. We'll get to hold Jacob at the end of October when we go to Houston!

3. Speaking of birthdays, today is my brother's birthday. Happy Birthday Christopher James!!! I hope you have had a wonderful day and that you get to continue celebrating long into the weekend.

My Heart Verse at the Moment

2011-09-12T20:34:00.000-04:00

“Trust God from the bottom of your heart;

don't try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen for God's voice in everything you do,everywhere you go;

he's the one who will keep you on track”.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Short But Sweet

2011-09-11T23:01:00.003-04:00

This weekend went by just as fast as the week. I knew that a two-day weekend would fly by after having been spoiled by having a four-day weekend last week. :) But even though it was short, it was also filled with some sweet moments.

Saturday morning I went for a short run, and then Mathis and I headed off to Lovingston Winery for the day. This is hands down our favorite wine, and we thought it was the perfect day to visit and restock. The drive is two hours, and along the way we enjoyed the beautiful sunny weather and green mountains.

We got to taste several wines that we hadn't when we last visited in March. Someday we'll do another tour of other wineries in Charlottesville, but Saturday we had our sights set on Lovingston. I was pleasantly surprised by the Petit Manseng, and of course we love love love their Merlot. We got to talk with the main winemaker this time, and we learned a lot from him. He's from South Africa and was exposed to the wine business at a very young age. For a long time it was just Mathis and I at the winery, and we had a nice time walking around. It was a very relaxing day!

That night we took it easy at home. I love this part of the weekends. We went to bed pretty early, and made breakfast together earlier this morning. We watched a little bit of the coverage on 9/11... cannot believe it's been 10 years. We really enjoyed our time at church, then did a little grocery shopping to get ourselves ready for the week. I haven't gotten out the Fall decor just yet, but I did invest in some pumpkin candles today. The house smells heavenly!!!

I tried working on a psychological evaluation report for work this afternoon, but I didn't seem to get much of it done. This evening I headed off to a clothes swap with some friends at church, and we had a great time. I got a few new items for free which is always a fun deal! All in all, it was a great weekend. A little too short, but I love my job so I can't complain too much.

Where Did the Week Go?

2011-09-10T09:04:00.000-04:00

While long weekends are fun, the short work weeks that follow are C-R-A-Z-Y! Where in the world did this week go?!?!!! Here's a bulleted list of some things I did this week:

Had a real tornado drill at school Tuesday morning. There was a warning in my county, and driving in that morning I definitely had that eery feeling. The wind was VERY strong, and the power flickered some. And can I just let you know that keeping twenty 5 year olds calm and against the wall for 30 minutes is nearly impossible. :)

On Wednesday I shut the car door on my right thumb. I've never done this before, and I'm still not quite sure how it happened. I was in shock when I first did it, and then later on it was so painful. My nail is turning black, and I'm pretty sure it's not going to stick around. :(

This past weekend I ordered a new Baylor shirt. It was time. It came this week, and I love it! But now I'm feeling superstitious about it. Shouldn't I just wear the same old shirt I wore last weekend when they beat TCU?

And my superstitions don't stop with Baylor. Last weekend I was painting my nails maroon for the Tech game, and I just happened to paint Gracie's nails too. I've never painted her nails before, but she was sleeping right it front of me. Now I'm wondering if I should paint her nails every weekend too since Tech won last weekend. Fortunately she still has most of her polish on. :)

Last night we went to see Contagion. It was fun way to kick off the weekend, and I thought the movie was pretty good. I love almost any movie with Kate Winslet.

Slowly but surely I'm getting my running mojo back. And with that last bullet I'm headed out the door for my morning run. Have a great weekend!!!

Can I Let You in on a Little Secret?

2011-09-05T20:44:00.001-04:00

I really love Halloween, and I'm sooooooooo excited to see the Fall decorations up in stores! It's taken some serious will power for me to resist throwing everything I see into my cart. :)

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How long do I have to wait before I start pulling out the decorations from the basement?

PSL

2011-09-04T20:07:00.003-04:00

We've had a good weekend. I'm loving the extra time I've had off work, and the fact that I still have tomorrow to relax and get things done! On Friday I got to spend some time with a very close friend, and I was so grateful for this opportunity. That night Mathis and I watched as Baylor put the smack down on TCU. :)

Saturday morning I did a nice seven mile run with my new running partner before heading off to the first VT home game of the season. We don't have season tickets this year, and we weren't quite sure if we'd make it to this game. I am SO glad we got the opportunity to go!

Our second season cheering alongside Stacie :)

Me with my main squeeze

We were blessed to have some pretty great seats.

Somewhat of an upgrade from the student section last year. ;)

It was a great game -- VERY hot (at least by Virginia standards), but we had a lot of fun. Tech played Appalachian State and won 66-13. I am so happy that college football is back, and I'm hoping that both my Bears and Hokies have great seasons.

We took it easy Saturday night. I had only gotten 6 hours sleep the night before, and I was exhausted after having been out in the sun all day. This morning I woke up feeling refreshed, and we decided to make a special run by Starbucks on our way to church. Mathis asked if they had the ingredients to make a Pumpkin Spice Latte, and they quietly whispered, yes. They said it wasn't officially on the menu on Tuesday, but if we ordered quietly then we could have it. :) It was a really special treat.

Here's a picture of my first PSL of the season!

This afternoon Mathis has been studying away for his prelims, and I've enjoyed a relaxing day watching movies. Tomorrow is Mathis' last day of prelims, and they're an important step in his Ph.D. process. If you could lift him up in prayer that would be much appreciated! He will orally defend his prelim writings in two weeks, and then we'll know if he passed. He's felt really good about the process up until this point which is a great thing!

Hope you're all enjoying a great Labor Day Weekend!

Upset

2011-09-03T08:36:00.000-04:00

Only in College Football can the word 'upset' actually be a very good thing! :)

Sic 'em Bears!!!!!

Goodbye August, Hello September

2011-08-31T20:10:00.000-04:00

It's happening. Although they won't peak until mid-September, the trees are beginning to change. Look very closely and you'll see a few yellows, some orange. The nightly temperatures are cooling off quickly. We're turning off the A/C more and more. Mums are popping up everywhere. Fall is around the corner. :)

Taco Tuesday and Other Random Thoughts

2011-08-30T17:17:00.001-04:00

In Abilene Mathis and I often hit up Rosa's on Tuesday nights for their taco deal. Tonight we're headed out to Chipotle, and I'm very excited!!! Chipotle is one of the closest things we have to Mexican food out here, and it certainly hits the spot.

Yesterday I left for work without wearing my wedding rings, packing a lunch or bringing my WALLET! Then in the car I split coffee on myself and got ink from a pen all over my arm. Can you say Monday?

College football starts THIS weekend, and I'm so excited to see what my Baylor Bears and Virginia Tech Hokies do this season!

I am really loving my job right now. I must sound like a broken record, but I love waking up and going to the schools every day. I am grateful to have taken classes the past two years, but my heart belongs to working with kids day in and day out. Today I got to do a couple of classroom observations, and tomorrow I'll do a few more. I am starting to build up my own caseload of kids to test and kids to do therapy with -- it's really exciting to me!

You know you work in a small town when the school closes for the FLEA MARKET! That's right -- I have a four day weekend coming up, because the flea market is in town. Of course, it's also Labor Day, but I've also been told that they can't get the school buses through during the flea market days. Gotta love good ol' Southwest Virginia! :)

Mathis' beautiful cousin, Chelsea is getting married in October to Ben (who we love just as much!) and we recently bought flights to Houston for their wedding. Mathis is a groomsman, and we're so excited to be a part of this special day! Their engagement pictures were just posted, and you can check them out here!

Hope you've had a great Tuesday!!

Don't Mess with Texas, Virginia is for Lovers

2011-08-29T17:15:00.000-04:00

Last week I had the opportunity to meet an older gentleman who was a wealth of knowledge about this area of Virginia. He asked me where I was from, and we got to chatting about Texas. (Of course I've also lived in Colorado, Florida, and California, but I usually just say Texas when people ask where I'm from.) In my short conversation with this man I learned that there are a lot of Texas connections to our friendly little area of Southwest Virginia. So here's some interesting history for all my Texas and Virginia readers... :)

The Alamo

Second to Tennessee, Virginia had the most soldiers fighting in the Battle of the Alamo. I always knew about Davy Crockett from Tennessee, but I hadn't realized that a lot of other Virginians also fought in the battle.

Dr. Pepper

Texans love their Dr. Pepper. Every Tuesday afternoon Baylor set aside a few hours of the day for Dr. Pepper Hour, and I still dream of these heavenly floats. I always knew that Dr. Pepper had been created in Waco, and I even visited the Dr. Pepper museum my freshman year at Baylor. But did you know that the founder once lived in Southwest Virginia and worked for Dr. Charles Pepper at a pharmacy in this area (Wythe County)? Legend has it that the founder named the drink after the man (Dr. Pepper) who he had worked for in Virginia. Apparently he really liked Dr. Pepper's daughter and had hoped to one day become a part of the Pepper family. I found this to be so interesting!

Austinville

In my school district's county there's a town called Austinville. I've seen this town on the map before, but not given it much thought. Last week I learned that Austinville, Virginia is the birthplace of Stephen F. Austin, also known as the Founder of Texas! How cool is that?! I never knew that he was born in our neck of the woods, but I think it's really cool to know!

I love all these shared connections to Texas. I have some very fond memories of living in Texas, but I'm also loving this stage of my life in Virginia -- the temperatures alone are something to be proud of. :) We're on the verge of my favorite season in Virginia, and I cannot wait to watch the leaves change.

Racing and Relaxing

2011-08-28T14:19:00.000-04:00

I was really grateful by the time Friday rolled around this past week. It was a good week at work, but certainly a long week as well. Mathis gave me the gift of doing absolutely nothing on Friday. I was exhausted, y'all! He went to a few picnics that we had been invited to before bringing dinner home for us to eat on the couch in our pjs. :) We tried a new bottle of wine that evening from Amrhein that was very good! I'm pretty sure I was in bed by 9:30 that night.

On Saturday morning we got to sleep in before heading out to run the 8K Race for Hope. This race benefits our local Pregnancy Resource Center, and it's a race that I've run before. I got to run this race with a new friend, and she really motivated me to keep on going. I am a little out of shape, but hopefully I'll start running more now that I'm getting settled into my new work schedule.

Mathis also ran the race, and afterwards we headed out for breakfast at our favorite place in Blacksburg. Kim and Hannah joined us, and it was a fun way to celebrate finishing the race.

That afternoon Mathis and I took a nap and relaxed around the house. We went on a double date with some friends that night to The Palisades, and it was sooooo good! We got to order a bottle of our favorite wine, and enjoyed the feeling of getting away for a little while. The sky was really beautiful as we left dinner.

This morning we decided to stay home from church to have some extra time together. We had blueberry pancakes for breakfast and enjoyed the beautiful weather outside. Mathis is studying hard for his upcoming prelim exams, and I'm working on running errands, cleaning, and getting myself ready for the upcoming week. Hope y'all had a great weekend!!

Earthquakes and Fire Drills

2011-08-23T21:04:00.000-04:00

This week has been sooooo unpredictable, and it's only Tuesday! Although the impact of the earthquake was minimal for our area, it was certainly big news for the day. I did feel the quake at our school, but life soon returned to normal. That is until the fire drill 10 minutes later. :) And of course fire drills always occur when you're counseling a student one-on-one.

Mathis started back at Tech this week, and we're both trying our best to adjust to our new schedules. I'm still loving my new job, but I'm also wondering when I feel settled in this new routine.

In more exciting news, we are having the best weather right now. Fall is definitely in the air... it's getting into the 50s during the night, and we've been able to shut off the A/C which feels lovely. We both really love this time of year, and I'm definitely enjoying the change of the seasons!

Significance

2011-08-22T20:55:00.000-04:00

This morning I woke up to the news that a teacher in my school district had been killed in a house fire last night. My supervisor called me around 6:30am as I was getting myself ready for the day. I had yet to meet this teacher, but I was certainly impacted by this tragedy today. I participated in a debriefing meeting this afternoon with teachers at the alternative school, and tomorrow I'll be helping prepare grief packets to have on hands for teachers, students, and parents. While I am deeply saddened by the situation, I am also grateful to be involved in the response at school today. I was trained for such crisis situations in grad school, but dealing with this first hand is entirely different.

Yesterday at church I heard a wonderful message about becoming a disciple of Jesus. A portion of the message talked about finding significance in our calling as Christ followers. I believe this to be universal -- we all want to have significance -- in our families, friendships, careers, and faith. I strongly believe that God has a purpose for each one of us, and that He desires for us to find and use our God-given strengths (or sweet spots as Max Lucado refers to them!). I love that God has gifted us with so many unique personalities, talents, and passions. At this stage in my life I am constantly discovering who He has created me to be and praising Him for His provision and certain direction in my life. On my drive home today I was contemplating the uncertainty of this world -- there is so much that happens here on Earth I can't make sense of -- the situation in Libya has also weighed heavy on my heart today. BUT, I place my hope in the Lord. I know that He is sovereign, and I'm thankful He has called me to follow after Him. My prayer is that I would let him transform my heart and mind to become the person He has created me to be -- this is the truest significance I can fathom.

Weekend Lovin'

2011-08-21T21:55:00.001-04:00

The weekend always takes on a new meaning when you work a 40 hour work week and spend 10 hours commuting Monday through Friday. I was so ready for this weekend! :) On Friday night I got home around 6:00pm and headed over to my friend Hannah's for a 31 party. I bought a couple of Christmas presents and had fun looking at Hannah's progress on the nursery.

Saturday morning I woke up bright and early to go for a run with a new running partner. I met her a few weeks ago while running, and we finally found time to meet up again. We ran 6 miles together, and it felt so good to be running again!! I came home and took a quick nap (I had been up at 5:45 that morning to get ready for the run).

That day Mathis and I spontaneously decided to head out to Roanoke. We went to the farmer's market and picked up some breakfast sausage, eggs, and vegetables. We didn't need too much since we had just been to the Blacksburg farmer's market on Wednesday. We ended up using a groupon for lunch at Thelma's Chicken and Waffles... so good!

After lunch we headed over to the mall to do some shopping. We don't have much locally so it's always nice to shop in Roanoke. Mathis picked up a lot of great back-to-school clothes for teaching and working this semester. I bought a pair of black pants, a new top, and some J. Simpson heels. I was in need of a new basic pair, and these are some good shoes.

Carter wanted you to know he was actually really close when I was snapping this picture.

Over the weekend Mathis got a new grill, and we used it twice! He was really wanting a charcoal grill, and we use our grill all the time. Tonight we he grilled wahoo and corn on the cob.

All this food was local!! Fish came straight from the coast to us, the potatoes and corn were from the farmer's market and you know that's Virginia wine I'm drinking. :) The wahoo tasted great, and I'm so glad I married a good cook!

Tonight we're cheering for the Cowboys and making smores with our new grill. Hope you enjoyed a great weekend yourself!

She Works Hard for the Money Hours

2011-08-18T22:17:00.001-04:00

Wow, where has this week gone? It's definitely flown by for me! Work is really starting to pick up, and I'm thankful to be learning so much -- I kinda joked in my title that I'm working hard for the hours, rather than the money. This internship year is a requirement for my graduation from Radford. I need to do a specified amount of counseling, assessment, consultation, and intervention in addition to having 1200 hours of work. I'll end up earning more than 1200 hours, but it's just a minimum requirement.

Being gone from the house 10-11 hours daily certainly an adjustment to make, but I'm getting used to it. I do love the consistency of being in the schools 5 days a week this year versus 2 days last year.

Here's a few random things going on this week other than work...

We saw The Help last night at the theaters. I finished the book yesterday with only hours between the last sentence of the novel and the opening credits of the movie. My verdict? I pick the book hands down over the movie, but the movie is certainly a great representation. Can movies ever do books justice? It's just so hard to do!

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Remember when I talked about us getting rid of TV? Well since that time our TV has started working fine again. We still didn't want to pay monthly for DirecTV so when our two-year contract ended earlier this week, Mathis called to cancel. DirecTV really didn't want to let us go -- they gave us 5 months free of basic cable, and we'll see what we do after that time period is over. We actually feel blessed to still have the TV since football season is upon us.

Yesterday my mom accepted a new position at her elementary school. She is now moving up into the position as principal's secretary, and I couldn't be more proud of her! She loves her school so much, and I know this will be an exciting change for her. This is a picture of us in her school last May...

Mathis is doing a lot of cooking for us right now. Tonight we had sea scallops with pasta... sooo good! We love getting fresh seafood from these ladies that travel back and forth from the North Carolina coast. As much as I'm looking forward to Fall I will miss all the good food of the summer! But of course Fall brings it's own fun with food. I love pumpkins, and I cannot wait to try out some new recipes this year. It's really been cooling off here -- Monday's high was in the low 70s, and it reminded me to soak up these last few weeks of warmth. Well, this post is ALL over the place... guess that's what happens when I don't blog all week. Have a great weekend, y'all!!

Weekend Wrap Up

2011-08-14T19:46:00.000-04:00

Mathis and I had a really good weekend. I have loved having him home again. Even though Mathis and I had a long distance relationship for 4 years in college we don't like being apart now that we're married. After a week of communicating over gmail chat, it was nice to spend some quality time together over the weekend. :)

We had a low key, but fun weekend...

Dinner with friends, breakfast at Gillie's, VT Football scrimmage game Saturday afternoon,

Church on Sunday, Picnic on the Drillfield in beautiful 75 degree weather,

Sleeping in, Taking naps, Watching movies at home,

Cooking dinner together, Opening a bottle of Virginia wine,

Listening to the rain outside, Spending time with Carter and Grace

Getting the house clean and organized for the new week

I'm actually looking forward to work tomorrow and to the week ahead. I feel very blessed right now, and I really love this time of year. Life is certainly good!

Never Give Up

2011-08-12T07:00:00.001-04:00

I am in the middle of ~~reading~~ listening to The Help, and it is nothing short of wonderful. So wonderful that I cannot wait to hop in the car and drive for miles each day just so I can keep on listening. It's narrated so wonderfully, and Octavia Spencer narrates for the same character (Minny) that she plays in the movie. I desperately want to finish the book so that I can see the movie!

I know that I am not the only one to love this book. But did you know that Kathryn Stockett was rejected SIXTY times before The Help was finally accepted for publication?? Sixty times, y'all. And now this book is a movie and has sold over 5 million copies. Amazing! I am so encouraged by stories like this, and it reminds me to never give up.

I'm not as confident in my skills and knowledge right now in my internship, but today I'm reminded to keep on going -- keep trying, keep on editing myself and my skills, do my best and let God do the rest. Who knows -- if I press on long enough then one day I just might succeed in a big way! :)

Happy Homecoming

2011-08-11T19:28:00.000-04:00

Mathis has been out of the country for the last week, and I'm thrilled that he's coming home tonight!! Since last Thursday he's been doing research here...

I know that Mathis really enjoyed his week in Bogota, and he's so grateful to have had this opportunity. He met with several families to discuss their experiences with the political unrest and violence occurring throughout the country. Mathis is part of a small team from Virginia Tech that received a grant to do this research. They met with parents, children, school officials, and other community agencies while they were there, and Mathis had a great opportunity to exercise his Spanish speaking abilities. :)

He could tell you so much more about the trip and the research -- my knowledge is limited. But I am very proud of him, and I know that he learned a lot during this past week. Right now he's on his was back from DC, and I'm counting down the hours. I really don't do that well on my own -- I get bored, the dogs drive me crazy, I don't seem to eat as well, the list could go on... Basically I'm just ready for my other half to come home!!

Our Two Year Virginia Anniversary!

2011-08-10T07:05:00.000-04:00

As of today Mathis and I have lived in Virginia for two years. In many ways it feels much longer to me! We've made so many good memories here, and I've really come into myself while living here. It's here that I've become a school psychologist and an avid runner (not too mention a Hokie!). I've learned to love local food and Virginia wine. I've experienced a true four seasons and fallen in love with the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Here's a look back at the past two years...

I cannot end this post without a HUGE HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Dad! It was also two years ago that my Mom and Dad helped move us to Virginia. I will never forget that day -- it was CRAZY, but we got through it together. I cannot imagine what it would have been like if my parents had not been there to support us.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!!

I hope you have a great time celebrating this weekend -- I wish I could be there with you!

New Job Tired & Other Randomness :)

2011-08-09T19:55:00.001-04:00

I am new job tired. You know the kind -- you're excited and bursting with energy, yet slightly overwhelmed and unsure about your new surroundings, schedule and expectations. I am really happy to be working again, and I certainly love school psychology -- but any new job brings about it's own stresses and fatigue.

So far the commute isn't bothering me a single bit. I think I really prepared myself mentally for this drive, and the audiobook is really helping! I love the time to gear up in the mornings and debrief myself in the afternoons. And Virginia is so beautiful that I soak up all the trees and mountains along the way!

A few weeks ago I finally made my first Pinterest inspired craft! I printed out this verse, grabbed some scrapbook paper, and a .99 cent frame from Goodwill.

I hung the frame in my bathroom so that I can meditate on this verse as I'm getting myself ready in the morning. It's definitely helped me get myself into the right mindset for starting off the day!

Another new thing I've been trying lately is to curl my hair. I've worn my hair straight for as long as I knew straighteners existed. :) My hair is naturally wavy, but I've never been able to control the frizz that comes along with the wave. I straighten it because I know how it's going to look -- there aren't any surprises or difficulties in me styling my hair this way. Ladies, do you feel me? I hope I'm not the only one stuck in hair rut. Any other style has always been a risk for me, but I'm trying to branch out some in the last few weeks. I'm still using the CHI to curl it, because the CHI will always be my BFF when it comes to hair.

I'm still figuring out if I like it and how to best curl it -- any helpful tips are always appreciated!!! :) I have been using the spin pins occasionally, and they definitely work best for me when my hair is slightly wet. I think this will be my go-to "style in under 10 minutes" look! What hairstyles do you like? Which products do you swear by?

It's Time

2011-08-08T08:42:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe that it's already time for football season to begin. I love college football, and I especially love the Hokies. Of course, I'll always cheer for Baylor too!

Yesterday I got to have dinner at the Welcome Back picnic for Virginia Tech football, and it made me really excited for the upcoming season. This is Frank Beamer's 25th season with VT!

The weather was beautiful (sorry, Texas), and it felt great sitting back in Lane Stadium again. They introduced the new freshman and the seniors to everyone. We don't have season tickets again this year, but you better believe we're going to be at as many games as we can! We cannot wait to cheer on the Hokies -- here's hoping for a great season!!!

Settling In

2011-08-05T19:01:00.002-04:00

I'm starting to get my office at work set up...

Remember when I made that bulletin board? There it is next to a dry erase board I purchased along with a school psychology poster (nerd alert). Coming up soon I'll do a full post on my role as a school psychologist -- get excited for that one! ;)

My "office" is really a large empty classroom that I share with my supervisor. It's at one of the middle schools, and even though I won't be there much it's nice to have a space to call "home". In this next picture you can see how my supervisor sits to the right of me.

My desk is small, but I have two big tables to spread out on either side of me. On the table to my right I have a lot of pictures put out along with a storage box filled with lots of important info filed away by relevant topics (assessment, consultation, intervention, counseling, etc.)...

The other table is where I see myself scoring up protocols, and stacking up books, files, etc. that I'm using. It will be a good workspace for me.

This morning I attended the district-wide convocation meeting, and then I took a computer email training. In the afternoon I sat in on scheduling meetings at the high school for some special education students. It was a great day, but it wore me out! ;) I know it's going to take awhile for me to get used to the go, go, go again. Coming home the GPS took me a very crazy Southwest Virginia backroads way, but with views like this it's hard to complain.

Of course once I got home Carter decided to spice up the weekend by locking Grace and I out of the house. I usually take them out one at a time so I'm not outnumbered, but while I was taking Gracie out Carter jumped up on the sliding glass door and hit the latch to the lock.

This has happened before, but thankfully this time I had my cell phone. I called up a good friend who was over in minutes with a key. Gracie and I hung out on the porch together until she arrived.

And tonight I have plans to watch a movie at home, eat some brownies and have a glass of red wine. It is the perfect low key Friday evening. I'm sure I'll be in bed by 9:00pm. ;) Have a great weekend!!!

Thankful Thursday

2011-08-04T12:45:00.000-04:00

Is it really already Thursday? I find this so hard to believe! I have the day off today, and I'm certainly thankful for a day to sleep in! Tomorrow I'll be up bright and early to head off to the district wide meeting for my school, and in the afternoon I'm hoping to finish setting up my office.

In the meantime I'm thinking about all the things I'm thankful for today...

My new job
A husband who makes me breakfast each morning

Beautiful summer sunsets
The support of our families
My health
Air conditioning
Trader Joe's powerberries
Fresh fruit
A great summer filled with family, friends and lots of traveling
Mountains
My cell phone, computer & car
Gracie & Carter
My friendships
God's word
Green monster smoothies
The promise of Fall

A random list, perhaps. :) But I do think it's good to sit down and list out these blessings from time to time. On days when I'm so quick to complain about the BAD I really need to be reminded of all the GOOD. And there is always so much good.

Tuesday Tidbits

2011-08-02T16:06:00.001-04:00

Today I got to come home from orientation at lunch, and it's felt really nice to be home this afternoon. I really want my body to adjust to my "new hours" so I only allowed myself a quick 20 minute nap. After that I headed to a coffee shop with Mathis to do some reading on school counseling with narrative therapy and executive functioning skills in children and adolescents. In lieu of coffee (had two cups already today) I had a lavender lemon smoothie, and it was delicious!

Over the weekend Mathis and I entered into a lottery for Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds concert tickets in Charlottesville on August 20th. We'll find out on Thursday if we got tickets or not, and I'm really, really hoping that we'll get tickets. Fingers crossed!

Did y'all know that it's Shark Week on Discovery Channel? Shark Week has become an annual tradition in our home. We get the biggest kick out of the commentary on these shows, and of course we always learn new knowledge about sharks.

I got an email this morning that it's Friends and Family week at the Loft. Just use the code "FRIENDS" while shopping online or go to their facebook page to print a coupon for in stores. :)