As promised...let the parade of pictures begin. I should probably spread these out over a few days, but they would take too much time and planning. Enjoy!
My neighbors little girl, Kayla, turning 2 next week!
Mason, growing like a weed!
Beejae and Jim (Taris' parents) 
Alexis scrapbooking at her house
Me, scrapbooking away!
I stumbled upon this blog and video the other day. I am not sure why I am so moved or interested in this chromosomal problem that is Trisomy 18 (Edward's syndrome), but I am. I can't explain it. Maybe it is my own struggle with kids...or the lack there of. Maybe it is the idea that I might have this defect in my genes and don't know it...most of these cases abort themselves within the first trimester. Maybe it is their unfailing faith in God through the three months that Eliot was on this earth. Maybe it is the verse that appears at the end of the video. Whatever it is, may this video move you in the same way that it moved me. Grab a Kleenex!
"The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." -Job 1:21
To learn more about this syndrome go to :
http://www.trisomy18.org/
Saw this on Good Morning America today. CRAZY! Promise to post pictures of Mason this evening or tomorrow!
For those of you that may not have known...I attended ACU for two 1/2 years. It is a private university...which stands for expensive. My college roommate posted this link about the university and I found it interesting. The more interesting part are all of the comments down at the end. Because it is a private institution, tuition is charged per credit hour...nothing different there. Back in 1998-2000 the average was $298/hr. Now, it is $557/hr. Now that you are armed with the facts...enjoy the article!
http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2008/02/26/texas-university-giving-freshmen-iphones-and-ipod-touches
Well, I have made it home. I will be posting pictures soon! Can't wait to show off my vacation to you through pictures. I know that you can hardly wait!
Well, this evening I went to see Taris' parents out in Frisco. (For those of you not from Texas...that is the north part of the DFW area.) We had a great time catching up on all of the latest news and eating some dinner. The drive was smooth, with the exception that Hwy 121 is a toll road now...a rude awakening for a non-native! Good news no payment needed at a toll plaza, instead I will get a bill in the mail for $2.25. (They should come up with a way to pay online.)
Anyway, I have taken lots of photos to upload, but I forgot the USB cord to my camera. Something to look forward to when I get back home. Al and I are supposed to hit Hobby Lobby tomorrow and then a movie. Hopefully she will be feeling better.
I can't believe how big he has gotten! I mean huge. He doesn't even look like he used too...not in a bad way, but he has certainly filled out! I am so glad that I was able to spend a couple of hours with Rae, Mike, and Mason.
Abilene was windy...shocker! I ate at Ann's Thai with my dad on Friday night. (Taris and I have two places that we have to eat at when we come back to town...Ann's Thai and Harold's BBQ.) On Saturday, I made the rounds. I visited with Aida and Jeremiah (and of course Jacob and Kayla), then visited with Rae, Mike, and Mason. I was able to meet Kera in the parking lot of a local bank while her husband was at the ATM...the things you do! Kera's son, Zane, is becoming such a little man (at 20 months old). I had lunch at Mom and Dad's and Maw-maw came over. Then I hit the road again for Dallas. I am SO over being in the car! It is really making me look forward to driving all the way home to Florida in a few days. I took lots of pictures and will post them soon. Time to scrapbook some more. (I have to show Taris that I did something in Dallas besides shop!)
I arrived in Dallas around 7:30 last night. That was not the best timing I have done, but I had to pull over at one point and wait for about 30 minutes for the rain to clear! Did I mention that it rained the whole way until Shreveport, then it just became a foggy drizzle. I couldn't believe how busy it was for daytime travel across the country on a Thursday!
Anyway, plans have changed and I am adapting! Alexis got sinusitis on Tuesday, went to the doctor on Wednesday, and Rae and Mawmaw decided (per doctors recommendation) that they not come into Dallas. So...I am headed to Abilene this evening for a quick night trip and will be coming back to Dallas on Saturday afternoon. Hey, what is three more hours! Well, I better go...it's SCRAPBOOK TIME!!
...find out what it means to me. For those of you that may not know, I have been taking a class on Tuesday nights at my church on the Love and Respect book by Dr. Emerson Eggriches. It has been an excellent class and I totally recommend the book. So, in honor of Valentine's day I wanted to impart my wisdom of 27 years (with help from the book) on love. The main thing that I have learned is that men do not respond to the word love as women do. Men respond to the word respect. So, I challenge you...instead of telling your man/husband/significant other that you love him, tell him that you respect him. You respect him for choosing to provide for the family. You respect his willingness to protect you (and the kids and the dogs) at all cost. You respect that he chooses to be the head of your household. Choose a different way of expressing yourself and see where it gets you! Happy Valentine's Day everyone!
Kacey is our youngest dog. She is one and 1/2 and SO still a puppy. Yesterday while she and Roxanne (the middle dog) were playing "wild kingdom", Kacey got injured! It looked bad, but not terrible. She wouldn't let me really investigate it. When Taris got home from his cross-country, we cleaned the wound with peroxide and neosporin. She was so good about the whole thing. She went for her yearly wellness exam today at the vet's office so I had them take a look at it. She said that she would need to shave the area so that she could get a better look. Let me tell you...no hair at the sight of the gash makes quite a difference! I feel like such a terrible mother. We should have taken her to the dogie emergency room last night! It was MUCH deeper than we thought. I got some antibiotics for her to take and some ointment that is to be applied twice a day. She was so good. Hopefully she will heal up in no time! Below is the picture of the gash.
Taris is on another cross-country (Memphis, TN), but I have found a way to pass the time...shopping! Kathleen, Jackson (Kathleen's son), and I hit the open road for Destin on Friday morning. We were literally gone all day long, but we had the best time. We shopped, ate, shopped some more, and ate some more. I found some good deals and some GREAT deals. Kathleen scored some awesome stuff that I can't wait to see at the next girls night out! It is so nice to meet someone with your same passion for shopping. It was never a dull moment and Jackson was so good all day. I mean a real trouper! We even got to eat at PF Chang's. (It just opened in Destin. It feels more like home now.) If you are ever in the area, I recommend Destin for shopping...everything you should possibly imagine!
...in a non prostitute kind of way! I got the official call from AT&T this morning at 7:15. They made me an official offer and I (of course) accepted it! I am so excited. The job starts March 3rd. I can hardly wait.
God certainly provides! We received an email from the renters in our house in Abilene. They will be out of the house no later than March 1st. How amazing is that! Now, we can use the savings for the house and not to supplement the income! I can not tell you how blessed I feel. I am beside myself.
With that being said...Get my bed ready because I am coming to see ya Al! I will call you to work out details! See you soon!
And thanks to all of you that were so vigilant at praying for my situation and interview. I truly appreciate it.
I think that you are reading this from a girl who scored a job yesterday with her KILLER situational interviewing skills. I am supposed to go take a drug test today. (Not that I am worried about passing!) I will let you know more when I know more. I am SO excited!
