Relationships

A sneak peak into the personal life of Kristin.....

One thing I have learned in life is that relationships are hard. They take a great deal of time, energy and commitment. Every relationship has its rough edges and delicate spots that have to be filed down and carefully worked on. I believe there is no such thing as a "perfect person", but I do believe in a perfect God who can take the lives of two people and make something beautiful.

Jarrod and I both have things in our past that we have to deal with and work through. These things may make our relationship different from some others or not "ideal" in the eyes of some people, but I know in my heart that it is exactly what we need. I believe that together God can work through us and use us to bring him glory. I belive that our relationship can be used to give people a glimpse of grace and eternal love.

With each new "romantic" relationship a multitude of new sub-relationships form. As we meet each other's "people" we seek to find commonalities to help us build a new connection. I feel like I have levels of "people" and how important the connections must be. For instance - it is most important to me that Jarrod is able to have a good connection and build a strong relationship with my family. (Seeing as how I think Kevo and MB would choose him over me I think he has that one covered.)

In Jarrod's life his sweet daughter, Ana, is the most important person that I build a connection with. I had the opportunity to meet Miss Ana early in July. After spending many hours getting to know each other and having the opporutnity to hang out together we have a mutual respect and love for one another. I love that little girl so much and miss her as much as I miss Jarrod. Together they make my life better - and I look forward to every moment I get to share with them.

Last night I met another very important person for the first time, Ana's mother. I am not going to lie and say that it was rainbows and butterflies - it was definitely a little awkward. I do however know that it will be very important for us to build our relationship. The good news is that we have a special commonality and her name is Ana.

I may not always understand every decision that she makes, but I do know that she is Ana's mother. I know how incredibly important my mother is in my life and I want nothing more than for Ana to have that kind of relationship. Although the situation at hand is not what God wanted for their lives, I know he will still be able to protect Ana's heart and create something wonderful out of our lives together.

Ana will be able to learn many things from her mother. They will have the opportunity to share in great mother-daughter experiences such as buying bras, shaving legs and getting mani/pedis together. With me Ana has the opportunity to see what it is like to have someone love her wonderful father. She can experience what a relationship is like that is built together on the foundation of God. She will see two people who choose God first - and watch him work in our lives.

I know my realtionship with Ana's mother will not always be easy, but I look forward to developing it in time. I pray that God will continue to work in my heart and give me confidence in who I am and the relationship I have with Jarrod and Ana. I also pray that he will guide us all as we seek to navigate these waters and that more than anything Ana feels loved!

How Sweet it is....

Update on the life of Kristin!

On April 30, 2010 I went on my first date with Mr. Jarrod Greening! It was the best first date I have ever had and I knew right then that he was someone extra special! I am so thankful to have him as part of my life and look forward to everyday that we get to share together and anxiously anticipate our future together! I am so in love with him and could never have imagined anyone more perfect than him to complete me.

Top Ten Things I Love about Jarrod!

1. I love that he puts God first in our relationship! I love that I know he is in constant prayer for us as individuals and as a couple. I love that worshipping together and serving together is important to him. I love that having a relationship and family focused on God is not negotiable in his eyes.

2. I love that communication is of utmost importance to him in our relationship. I love how he is willing to tell me what he is feeling and listen to me! I never have to question his motives or what he is thinking!

3. I love that he loves family! I love the importance he places on marriage and parenting. I love how important his own family his to him and how important my family is to him!

4. I love how important his baby girl is to him and the careful ways he protects her little heart and loves on her! I feel so blessed that he trusts me enough to share her with me and allow me to be a part of her precious life!

5. I love how he wants to be a part of my life and share what is important to me - from big things like my precious Peanut Buttercup to little things like dairy queen blizzards!

6. I love how he wants to be my protector. I love how he does manly things like help me with my car, my house, planning vacations, calling vets, etc.!

7. I love how he always sees the best in people and situations! I love how his confidence in people and love for them makes me want to be a better person! I love that no matter how much people hurt him or stress him out I never hear him bad mouth them! He truly has the gift of mercy!

8. I love how he knows every word to every song that comes on the radio no matter what the era or genre. It makes me smile everytime! He is loving life when he gets to sing to the radio! It is the best thing ever!

9. I love how he takes extra care to make sure that I feel loved and cared for! I love all the things he does in my life to make sure that I know how much he loves me! My life was absolutely wonderful before - but he has managed to make it a hundred times better!

10. I love how he loves to take me out on the town to do fun things together, but how much fun we have together just living everyday life together (running errands, cleaning house, taking care of laundry, etc.)

Great Plated Lizard - "Dixie"

Picture from Google Images

I refused to spend any extra time with the "Dixie" to take a pic.

Today was the day I was responsible for animal handling with the Great Plated Lizard, "Dixie". I was a little timid, but I decided I would be a big girl about it. My first 2 classes went great, but during the 3rd class she freaked out. After she violently thrashed back and forth, runny poop oozed from her rearend all over the place. My heart was racing and my entire body broke out in a sweat. I just kept thinking to myself "you must hold onto this lizard - there are 20 4-year-olds sitting right in front of you". I was so nervous. Dixie settled down for two more shows and then peed everywhere. It was not a fun morning. Needless to say when I finished my last class at 1:45 I was as happy as a lark to stick "Dixie" on the back of the golf cart and drive her back to her zoo home. Yuck!

I ended the day by informing zoo staff that one of them would HAVE to stay with me on Friday when I have "Luna" the American Gator. Today did not ease my fear about that adventure. :)

Zoo Adventures

I have completed my first two weeks at the zoo. The theme of the summer adventure is HOT. It is hard for me to put a smile on my face when my clothes are soaking wet with sweat and I feel sticky and gross all over. The one thing that makes each day worth while is getting to see sweet baby Baylor get his morning bath every morning. I also get to see the giraffes hundreds of times each day. My behind the scenes tours start next week - and I am so excited about that. My first BTS tour is with giraffes - my favorite animal. I can't wait! Other than zoo adventures I have had a wonderful summer! I have been able to visit the family several times and life is just plain fabulous! I am looking forward to July when I'll have a little time off.

Blog Update

Mom: My mother is making great progress. She gets better every week. A side effect of the current medicine they have her on is fear. She has become agoraphobic. It is interesting and takes extra patience for us to deal with. She is doing so good about making herself get out and about. She will have to go back to work in the fall, so we have a couple of moths to get her better. Please keep her in your prayers. I would like to add that I have the best daddy in the whole world. He is so in love with my mother and has been so attentive to her needs. It is a beautiful thing to watch.

Emergency Room: Wednesday, April 28th, I woke up around midnight with a horrible pain. I was convinced I was dying (overdramatic - I know). I really thought it was apendicitis, so off to the emergency room I went. When I first got there the doctor agreed with my self diagnosis, but after my CT scan it was determined to be kidney stones and blood work showed a uti as well. After spending a night in the hospital, I passed the stone and was able to report to work to finish up with TAKS. It is never a dull moment in my world.

Birthday: This was the best birthday I have ever had!!!! I couldn't have dreamed up a better birthday! I have such wonderful people in my life who helped make my day special and me feel extra loved! I am officially 27 years old and I am ok with that.

Work: The end is in sight! I have almost completed my first year of teaching and it was everything I expected it to be. I loved it! I will miss my kiddos so much this summer! I look forward to our playdates at the park.

Internship: I start my internship at the zoo on Monday. The first week I will be teaching a camp "It's Raining Wild Cats and Dogs" for 4 & 5 year olds. It will be lots of fun. I am sure there will be plenty of stories related to dropped gators and what nots. I anticipate the theme for the summer being "hot".

Summer: My internship will consume a great deal of my summer, but I am looking forward to some nice breaks. I have no "major" vacations planned, but several small trips to visit friends and family. I will be taking a trip to the hill country in July and I am so looking forward to it!!!

Hope Now

The dictionary definition of hope is "the the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best."

In a crisis situation everyone clings to hope. They hope the doctor can find a cure. They hope their insurance will pay for the medicine. They hope the surgery can fix the problem.

The past 72 hours I have been filled with hope. I do hope for all of those things, but I am so thankful that hope is more than a feeling. I am so thankful that my hope is grounded in a faith that God is in the midst of what is happening and in complete control of the situation.

My family has been surounded by and loved on by people who share the same hope. I have been overwhelmed by the people who have taken time out of there lives to pray for us and to pray with us. So many people have called and come to the hospital just to show their support.

This morning things have been looking much better. She has been able stand up several times and has experienced no pain. The plan is that tomorrow morning they are going to do a procedure to scope the outside of her heart and determine if any damage has been done there. If all goes well and a private room is available she will be moved out of ICU. (I'm ready for this to happen - as hard as it is to admit - I think getting to see at least 1 grandbaby will be better than lots of medicine.)

Please continue to pray for her and my dad - that they will both get good rest and take care of themselves.

He fulfills my every need....

The last three weeks of my life have been rather eventful - to say the least.

Friday, March 26, 2010, I signed the papers for my new house. Yes, I am officially a home owner (in 2040 - hehehe). I don't want to write this blog about my new digs though (BTW - I LOVE my house). I want to write this blog about how God is always faithful to fulfill my every need.

During these weeks I have had more questions asked about getting married or finding that "special someone". Some people look at me in complete shock - almost as if to say "how dare you do something so crazy". These weeks have been incredibly stressful and challenging logistically and emotionally, but my besties and great parents have been available to help me every step of the way. Despite the negative nancys out there raining on my parade, I have been overwhelmed with the love and support that has been shown to me.

That Friday Will (Michelle and Megan came for moral support) helped me move everything from the storage unit and the house. We got it all done before 7:30 that night. It was a long afternoon, but we made it! Saturday morning everything was at the house waiting for Mom and Dad to arrive. This is exactly how I wanted it. I had Dad there to do manly things like mow the yard, hook up the washer/dryer, hang things on walls, etc. Mom was there to help decorate, which she does MUCH better than me. By the time I went to bed that night every box was unpacked and my livingroom furniture had arrived! Everything was coming together, but still lots of things to get done and....

Just like Dave Ramsey says, emergencies happened in the middle of this big adventure. The power steering and brakes had some major issues in my car, but I have had so many people help me out. Michelle and Mary Michele gave me rides to and from places. Bruce and Kristi let me borrow their car for a day until I could meet my Dad to get my Mom's car. This meant my mom has had to be without a car for a week now, so I could have a way to get around. My car has had to go to three different places for everything to get done. The last appointment is scheduled tomorrow at 2:00, so I should be trading cars again this weekend.

And a HUGE thank you to Mary Michele for sitting at my house (sans internet and cable) to wait for the gas man to come!!!!! There was no way I could take off of work, but without hesitation she gave up her day for me!

I may not have a husband or a boyfriend, but I have plenty of "special someones" in my life! I could have easily started feeling sorry for myself during these weeks, but instead I was able to see God work through the lives of people who were willing to be used by him. People who without reservation gave up their time and energy to help a friend/family member in need. I am so thankful that I have people in my life who have that kind of heart!

*Another Note*

After the marathon adventure the blisters on my feet were so bad that I was unable to walk for 3 days. Yes - I am talking about sitting in a wheel chair - it was RIDICULOUS. Everyone at school was so helpful and allowed me to go barefoot and limited the amount of time I had to spend on my feet. I was so thankful for the help, which allowed my feet to heal faster! I could walk again by Friday! (I was able to wear shoes for the first time 2 days ago - woohoo!)

26.2 miles

My alarm clock woke me up at 4:00 this morning in my freezing cold bedroom. To be that cold under my warm blankets and dressed in my cozy pjs was not a good sign about what it would be like outside. I quickly prepared myself for the morning adorned in my marathon gear - complete with thick socks, layered shirts, hoodie and ipod. I fueled myself up with a peanut butter sandwich, grapefruit and water. I was ready to go.

The plan was for me to pick Kristi up at 4:45 and we would head out for our crazy adventure. By 5:00 I had already "pulled a Kristin". I stepped right into a deep mud puddle and my feet were soaked. No one was surprised. Around 5:45 we started the race with about 12 other "marathon walkers"(everyone else would start around 7:00). It was pitch black outside, the air was frigid and my ipod was being stupid and not working. Great!

Kristi and I walked the first lap together and I must say it wasn't that bad. The adrenaline was still pumping and the sun was coming up - by golly I was gonna make it. After the first lap she went on ahead of me and I started the second lap with a friend, Melissa, doing the half marathon. It was a nice surprise that allowed us to catch up with each other. By the end of the first half though I was hurting. The last 13.1 miles were very hard. Everyone there was so encouraging and supportive through the entire process. I might have been one of the last people to finish - but I made it. Kristi had finished way before me and her kids waited patiently for me to round the corner. They ran into the finish line with me and it was just a bundle of fun. We took tons of pictures.

The Blazines and I went to Mely's to eat a yummy lunch and Kristi and I could hardly stand up straight to walk in. My legs and feet are killing me and I have the most ridiculously large blisters all over my feet. I will be proudly wearing my flip flops to work tomorrow and hoping to get a little grace.

I am nervous about what tomorrow will bring, but I figure hot baths and tylenol/motrin will take care of it. I appreciate all the support via fb and text messages throughout the morning ~ overall it was a good day!

Short and Sweet

I would like to start off by apologizing to the 2 blog readers I have out there (hehehe) for neglecting my blog. I am more or less going to continue to neglect it, but I thought I would stop by and say hi. My life has been incredibly busy for the past month with lots of changes. You should be on the edge of your keyboard waiting some fun new blogs in March.

I will leave you with this tidbit: I have officially started my small group at CCCC and it has been great. For the most part the peeps in the small group are young, but they are fun. I am actually only about 3 years older than most of them, but I feel ancient. Since all my friends in the area are married with the babies I am super pumped about some new peeps in my social demographic. You know people to play Jenga with on Valentine's Day and stuff like that.

More to come.....

Achieving My Childhood Dreams

I am sitting in my room getting everything together to head to Livingston for a funeral tomorrow. My best friend's mother died Saturday night. Between that and reading "The Last Lecture" I have been thinking a lot about life lessons and leaving a legacy.

I watched the video of Randy Pausch's "Last Lecture" several months ago and awaited the book in my stocking. (I was with my mother when she bought it.) I have truly been inspired by the book to think about my life and my own dreams - not for what I can do for myself, but what my life will mean for others.

I have achieved many of my dreams already, but I sit here today and wonder if I fully understood what those opportunities meant. Did I fully appreciate the experience of achieving my dreams? I don't know - lots of journal entries logged in the past couple of days.

For my blog readers I will include a list of my childhood dreams (not yet achieved):

• Graduate with my PhD (or EdD)
• Become a News Anchor (I could really care less about this dream these days)
• Visit New York City
• Publish a book
• Own a house
• Be a wife and mother (although not yet achieved I have had the opportunity to love on and care for a number of children)

For the most part my childhood dreams are pretty blah, but I do hope that I will take some time to examine how I go about accomplishing these things in my life. I also hope that I take the time to step back from my dreams and help others achieve their personal dreams.

Take some time to check out the video or read the book - very good! www.thelastlecture.com

Christmas Vaca Quick Update

Just a quick update from the FABULOUS Christmas break! I would like to start off by saying I left work Friday afternoon, December 18, around 12:45 and did not return until yesterday morning. (Have I told you that I like this new gig?)

I had a wonderful time in Livingston visiting the fam. My nephews are getting so grown up and it was great seeing them. Little Roper is just precious! I got to love on him so much! Basically my week was just spent catching up with old friends and hanging out with the fam. I spent hours snuggled under a blanket and watching NCIS and Criminal Minds marathons. I cross-stitched things for my grandmothers and great aunt for Christmas. It was all pretty mindless and restful.

Christmas traditions are not really traditions anymore. Too many others things going on. That makes me a little sad around the holidays, but life goes on I guess. I was abundantly blessed with presents. I got a camera and an electric toothbrush - which is my favorite. I got money from grandparents and other relatives, which was given as a gift to the family of my compassion child. I am so blessed to be in a life stage where I can pretty much buy whatever I want. It is wonderful - and stressful at the same time. I don't want to become consumed with things and forget the actual needs people have. I don't ever want to take for granted what is given to me - I sometimes remind myself of that 3 and 4 times daily.

I went to Austin to visit Courtney on Monday and got to see the capitol. (I also learned when to use capitol vs. capital - thanks to the Texas History teacher herself!) On the way home I visited some peeps in College Station and got to stock up on some new A&M gear. (Jenny - the 2014 shirts reminded me of you and made me cringe a little bit - that is 11 years past when I graduated - YIKES.)

I came back to Houston for New Year's Eve and hung out with The Wilson and Blazine Clan. We had a super fun evening. I am a little old for NYE I guess - I was asleep on the couch before 11:00. I slept and lazed around most of the day Friday.

Saturday/Sunday I crashed the outlet malls and got a new purse and a cute new dress! I also got to spend some wonderful quality time with an old friend. :) It was a perfect ending for my holiday!

Vaca Movie List:
Sherlock Holmes
Up In The Air
Nine
Did You Hear About the Morgans
It's Complicated

*I wasn't super impressed with any of them!*

Peanut Update: Things aren't looking up for my sweet girl. She will be having her surgery (which I said I was not going to do - but you see how far that got me) in 2 weeks. She is still on a no stair policy. They will be watching to see if the disc will go back in place - if it pops out of socket things are not good AT ALL!

BIG NEWS for 2010: I have officially decided to buy a house this year! I had my first conversation with my financial planner. I am excited and scared all at the same time!

Hoarders

I by no means live in filth like the families on the television show "Hoarders", but I must admit that I do like to hang on to things that hold sentimental value. I was especially proned to hoarding things in Jr. High and High School. Since I left for college (in 2001), my parents have moved downstairs and use my bathroom/closet and turned my old bedroom into a gym. During the holidays I spent some time cleaning out some of my "stuff" that had been shoved in every nook and cranny. I thought I would share with my blog readers a few of my favorite things that I found during the purge. These things have had a part in shaping me into the person I am today.

• "Marty (ex-boyfriend) Memories": I got a good laugh finding the Valentine's Day card where he wrote "You are so sweat". That was classic. Now that he is married I hope he has learned how to tell his wife that she is "sweet" and not "sweat". I also enjoyed reading the yearly Thanksgiving Day cards he gave me. This yearly ritual meant so much that I have started giving people Thanksgiving Day cards/presents. The most meaningful things I found were cards given to me by his mother. She died in 2001 and was an amazing woman who I think about often. It was nice to take some time to remember who she was and how she influenced my life.
• Awards and Recognitions: I found every old report card, TAAS test score, College Acceptance letter and all 500 medals neatly organized and separated by grades/schools. Along with those things I found yearbooks, stacks of school pictures and the 2 "Letter Blankets" I received for Academic Excellence. It was fun to look through these things and think back about how much I have changed through the years. I have great memories from my years in grade school. I kept all of these things - obviously.
• GT Projects: I found a binder I made the year I worked with the Special Ed department for my independent project. It was fun to look through the book and see how my life was change working with those guys. I laughed out loud when I read at the end of the book "I hope that one day I have the opportunity to work with special needs children as an adult. I learned as much from them as they learned from me." I would say that this year my life has been changed having the opportunity to teach - and I am teaching special ed!
• Letters/School Pictures: I found stacks and stacks of letters written from friends and passed in the hallways. Lots of BFFs and FFL. I loved looking at the pictures of Lee Ann through the years and all the letters we wrote back and forth. Drama - Drama - Drama - it is a miracle we made it through those years.
• Get Well Soon stuff: For my blog readers that are unaware - on March 12, 1996 I fell off my horse and had some serious injuries. I was lifeflighted to Herman Hospital. It was a life changing experience for many people involved. People from all over were praying for me and my family. God's power was made evident through the miracles seen during that time. I had a hard time getting rid of things from that part of my life. I had even kept the restraints used on my bed in ICU. I threw most of it away, but I did keep a binder I made of the cards sent to me during my hospitalization and recovery time. I had over 200 cards sent to me and received over 20 stuffed animals (flowers were not allowed while I was in ICU). It is nice to remember how people supported my family during this time, but more importantly a sign of how when people come together in prayer God's power is made known.

I dwindled my keepsakes down considerably, but I will never forget the memories made during my childhood. I look forward to looking back on these days and seeing how the memories I am making today will change the person I become. Stay tuned.

Princess Peanut Buttercup

I adopted my precious Peanut Buttercup 4 years ago and she has been the love of my life ever since. She is the most annoyingly yappy dog and has zero control of her bladder or licking, but I love her anyway. Sunday afternoon I walked in my parent's house and there was no sign of her. She never barked or moved out of her spot. I knew something was wrong. She had started feeling bad Saturday night, but my parents had waited to tell me.

I took her to the vet this morning. They determined that she has injured her back, mainly due to the fact that her spine can't support the extra 5 lbs. she has gained living with Nana and Puddin'. After several x-rays (and lots of $$$) they gave her a shot of morphine and some medicine to take.

When we got home she couldn't keep her eyes open and did nothing but sleep and lay around all afternoon. After taking her medicine tonight she finally started acting more like herself.

The vet found bladder stones on the x-rays and says that it is a result of frequent urinary tract infections (of which I had no clue she was having). The vet says they need to come out - which means surgery. I am leaning towards being a selfish pet owner and forgoing the surgery. I figure if mom has had 4 kidney stones stuck in her bladder for over 2 months now and lived without having surgery then Peanut can handle it too.

Her follow-up appointment is on January 2. I said I was going to send Kev-o to be the one to say "no" to the surgery. In the mean time Peanut is not allowed to jump, climb up or down stairs andd must remain on a strict diet. I hope that and her medicine makes her feel as good as new.

*History Update* My Papa has now called me 3 times to update me on history. I am required to stop by for a book to read before our history lesson. Just so you know he has twice commented on my degrees and how they obviously mean nothing (another jab against A&M for the Texas grad - with a history degree). If you know him you understand that the stupid comment now makes me a complete idiot in his mind.

Christmas Break - Part 1

My first Christmas break as a teacher has officially started. I must say the start to the break has exceeded my expectations. It has been fabulous!!!!

I got to leave school around 12:45 on Friday afternoon and went to Kyle and Mary Michele's house to hang out with Meredith. I had so much fun catching up with her! Friday night Kristi, Mary Michele, Meredith and I had a GNO. We went to Galveston to enjoy yummy Mexican food at Tortuga and the Festival of Lights at Moody Gardens. The weather was perfect and the company was even better. We laughed so hard the people at surrounding tables were giving us looks. Now that is a good time. It was fun to catch up and enjoy some laughs together. This was my first year to enjoy the Festival of Lights and they did not disappoint...well...there were some lights out which stunk....but overall they were beautiful and it was fun!

The night was made complete with frequent updates from Michelle and the arrival of baby Megan!

Saturday morning I got to meet my new roommate Megan Kate Tanner. She is absolutely beautiful and I can't wait to watch her grow up! After Will arrived with Madisyn I left to allow them time to hang out as a family.

Saturday was the girls' (Faith, Hope and Joy) 7th birthday. It is hard to imagine that they have gotten so big. When I talked to them on the phone it made my heart melt thinking about how much they have grown up! They had just turned 1 when I first started working for them. WoW - time flies!

I spent the rest of my morning running errands and taking a nap! This is one of the wonderful things about holidays/weekends....uuummmmm!

Saturday afternoon I got my hair done for the holiday season. I love the new color and the girl did a great job on the cut! I'll take pics to show the new do later. Then I went to The Woodlands to hang out with an old friend. We had a great evening catching up and hanging out with each other. Good Times and a fun evening to start the break! :)

I traveled to Livingston this afternoon - just in time to catch the last part of Sunday lunch. I made a stupid comment about not knowing when the Civil War was, so now I get to spend Tuesday morning having a history lesson with Papa - woopee! This will teach me to keep my mouth shut.

I am snug as a bug in my warm bed and happy to be spending time with my family!

Controlling my Emotions

This week I have been a little bit emotional....ok, ok - I'll be honest with my fellow bloggers - I have been an emotional wreck. It seems like every little thing has made me either cry or be angry.

At school my kids are wired on a Christmas high and teachers are losing patience. It has been a looooonnnnnggggg week in special ed. I have had to deal with some pretty intense situations that some kids are going through, which really I have no control over. It makes me angry at parents and adults that innocent children are hurt physically and emotionally - instead of cared for and nurtured - it literally makes me sick to my stomach.

I am super excited about my very long Christmas break, but I feel like my life will just be a crazy mess for two weeks. I will have fun visiting everybody, but my homebody self will be a little freaked out. I will be spending a lot of time in Livingston - not that I am not in love with my family - but there really isn't much to do there. I am accustomed to going and doing - whatever and whenever.

I just came in my room and decided to do my Advent devotional before heading to the gym. I opened up the book to the wrong day and started reading about accepting the Peace we have, because we know that God is in control. The focus of the devotion was controlling our own emotions. I lost control of my emotions and started to cry. I pray that I will be able to control my emotions throughout this holiday season and that stupid things like Billy Joel cds falling out of books won't make me cry for 30 minutes. (Yes, I do realize that I am stupid - you don't have to tell me.)

I pray that I will trust God's plan for my dad. I pray that I remember that comments made by family members are not intended to hurt me. I pray that my children (from school) will be safe, not afraid and fed during this vacation - and that I remember that I have done all I can do. I pray that my focus for the holiday season is simply to love - and to be loved! :)

I know, I know - I am a total nerd!

Role Models

This year, on top of how much I have been sick, both of my parents have stayed sick as well. It has been a long semester for them. The past two weeks have been especially stressful with my dad's illness. Last Monday he went in for probably the 800th test in 8 weeks and they were going to test for pancreatic cancer. The wait from Monday-Wednesday was long and scary for me. We were glad to find out that he does not have cancer, but there is still no definite reason for the pain he has been feeling. He is currently on a new diet and taking pig enzymes - weird. He says that he feels better. I am so thankful!

The past two weeks I have thought a lot about my life and my parents. I really had a hard time thinking about what my life would be like if/when something happened to my parents. They have been such amazing people in my life. Through the good times and the bad times I have never had to question their love for me. I would not have been able to accomplish the things I have done in life without their continuous support and encouragement!!!!

Mom: My favorite thing about my mom is that I always know how she feels. She never hides her feelings - good or bad. I don't think she can. I love to be cook, sew and craft with her - I love to laugh with her!!! She is the best!

Dad: I love the way he loves my mother. Throughout my entire life I have always known, no matter how hard things were, that he was/is completley in awe of my mom. Being able to see that allowed me to have feelings of complete security growing up. As an adult, knowing how hard relationships can be, I know that if I ever get married I want that kind of love!

I am so in love with my parents and thankful for the times I have with them!

Thanksgiving Holidays Update

This is my first "teacher holiday" to experience and it has been a BLAST! Before I left Houston I got to spend some quality time with Kristi, MM and Michelle. I also got housekeeping things completed - like changing out my summer clothes for my winter clothes (which required 2 trips to the storage unit).

I have been in Livingston since Sunday night. It has been the longest amount of time I have spent here since I was in high school. I always had to work in college, so I never spent this much time at home. I thought I would go crazy, but I have kept myself busy and had a great time.
Sunday night - FBC Priase Banquet
This is an annual tradition that I have not attended in 8 years - strange but fun!
Monday - Lee Ann, Mason and Megan = 1 happy Aunt Kristin
Tuesday - Mannafest and Calobe's Basketball game (his team kicked tail - it was fun!)
Wednesday - Dinner with the Wood family women
Thursday - Wood family Thanksgiving and great night with old friends (Alice, Chris and Calobe)
Friday - Breakfast with the family, Christmas tree shopping and Jones family Thanksgiving

Tomorrow I am going to help my parents decorate the tree and then I am headed back to Houston. I have had a lot of fun, but I must have a day to get ready for reality. I have several things that need to get done before school on Monday.

I have been worried about making it through Christmas holidays, but I think I'll be ok!

I am thankful for...food, clothes and shelter

This morning I worked at the local shelter to help them prepare for the holiday madness. The work I did was pretty low key - I just packed up boxes to be shipped out on Thursday to shut-ins. Although I didn't have social interaction with people needing assistance, I did have time to think about the blessings I have. One of the things we packed up was water bottles filled with powdered laundry detergent. Little things like that get taken for granted so easily.

Two things from today:
1) I need to be more grateful for the "things" I so easily have in my life.
2) I need to spend more of my time and energy helping those who don't have the luxury of running to the store to get anything you want much less need.

So far it has been a GREAT Thanksgiving holiday and I have a lot to be thankful for!

I am thankful for...2008-2009

I am certain I will miss thousands of people/things I am thankful for, but just to name a few.....

• I am thankful for my (constantly growing) family and the support and love they give me.
• I am thankful for my education and the freedom it gives me to try out new things.
• I am thankful for Deani Quick and the countless hours of her life she spent helping me get a teaching job.
• I am thankful for Sarah Hale and the constant support she gave me at UBC as a friend and as a faithful volunteer. I am also thankful for her heart for preschool families and willingness to give so much of her time to the preschool ministry.
• I am thankful to UBC and their generosity towards me as I changed jobs with very little notice.
• I am thankful for my new friend at Bay who have helped me learn the ropes and taught me so many new things....especially: Cathy, Carolyn, Nelda, Amy, Erin and Kristina.
• I am thankful for friends and their love and support this past year....especially with my job change: Michelle, MM, Kristi, Lee Ann, Alice, Shawna, Sarah, Melissa, Colette, Jenny and many more....
• I am thankful that my new job allows me to spend even more time with my family and friends.
• Last, but definitely not least, I am thankful for Robert and the love and support he showed me this past year. It was difficult with the stresses of interviews, let downs, job change and being sick so much. I couldn't have asked for better support!

I am thankful for...Michelle (Will, Madisyn and Megan)

My first week of work in June 2006 was incredibly scary for me. I moved to one of the biggest cities in the world and didn't know anyone. This small town girl was a little bit overwhelmed. After a couple of weeks of cold sholders from the girls (Courtney, Julie and Michelle) we finally broke through the awkwardness and became friends. These are friendships that I will be eternally grateful for.

The years past and people moved - life situations changed - but Michelle and I have stayed great friends. There is very little about my incredibly complicated life that she does not know - and she still loves me. :)

We have had plenty of times being insanely silly together and times where we just cried together. She has been with me through good days at work and bad months at work, plenty of relationships, nights of OGKL, and crazy nights with Krystal.

The past year has been busy for both of us. She got married, is having a new baby and changed jobs. I well.... I guess all I did was change jobs - but I must be a little more dramatic than she is. Anyway our new jobs took us away from spending the days together at work. It was a sad thought. The even worse news was that Dave Ramsey required us to make plans with the new salaries we would be dealing with (both less than we were making before). Michelle, Will, Madisyn and Megan graciously allowed me to move in with them. YEA!

We don't get to see each other much, but I am so thankful for the time we do get to spend together. I can't imagine how little we would get to spend together if I didn't live in the guest room. Because of their generosity, I am still able to plan vacations and go out to eat. More than the money they save me I am thankful for the friendship we have!

I love you, Michelle!

Happy Thanksgiving!