UNhappy Thought

So, I have been trying to lose a few pounds. Since November I have lost SEVEN! (Cyber-High 5!!) I have good days and bad days. I will go three days where I eat the best things I can eat and do all my crunches and then some. And then... then there are days where I am not such a good girl. Those are the days where I eat peanut M&M's for breakfast! :)

Last night, I was wearing a pair of blue jeans that typically are very snug. You know, the kind that you have to lay down on the bed and suck in to get them to button. And yet somehow, when you stand up and see yourself in the mirror wearing these "skinny jeans" you feel fantastic. No one knows your secret about how you got in them. The point is, you got in them, they are securely buttoned and zipped, and you look fabulous. End of story!

Anyways, last night, I realized that these "tight" jeans were actually pretty loose on me! HOLLA! I walked into the kitchen and said to Grant "Babe, look at these jeans! They are normally so so tight, but look how loose they are! They are sagging and everything, I keep having to pull them up!"

Sweet husband said "That is so great babe. You're gonna have to buy all new clothes!"

"I know!" I said.

"You may even have to buy a new swimsuit!" said my husband.

I just stood there. I'm sure I had a pitiful look on my face. For those of you who know me, I HATE buying a swimsuit. Hate it hate it hate it. I am not "proportioned" well and all swimsuits look goofy on me. I either look like I am wearing something from Little House on the Prairie or I look like a total hoochie mama. Swimsuits are my unhappy thought. It makes me cringe.

So I said to sweet darling precious husband, "Honey, when I am all motivated and excited about losing weight, please don't remind me that swimsuits even exist. Remember when we went shopping for a swimsuit for me last year right before Disney World?"

"Oh, yeah, that was awful. That sucked. You cried all the time" said husband.

" Exactly. So let's not bring that up anymore okay?"

"Okay baby"

I feel better now :)

It's Been Awhile!

Hey ya'll!

Guess what?

I go to go to TEXAS this weekend! And what a blast we had!

We got in very late Friday night and pretty much went straight to bed. Saturday morning I got up and went to the Willowbrook mall with my mom. I didn't buy anything, but I truly enjoyed just walking through and seeing all the new stores. It's amazing how much that mall can change in just a short period of time!

Then we met my sister Jaclyn and baby Grace at Chili's. I have been aching to hold that baby girl and I was so excited to get some quality time with her precious face. She is doing a new smile now where she scrunches up her nose. You can see pictures of it on Jaclyn's blog. It is truly precious!

My parents had wedding to go to on Saturday afternoon, so I stayed at the house. To make a long story very short, my mom's car got stuck in the mud and it took 2 husbands (mine and Jaclyn's), one jet ski rope and one Chevy truck to get the Lexus out! Yay for the husbands! But poor Lindsee was trapped in my driveway for a few hours. This was a fun conversation that took place between Lindsee and my husband:

Lindsee: Grant, I really need to get my car out.

Grant: Why, do you have somewhere to be?

Lindsee: Yes, I have to be somewhere at 5:00, and I am still not ready.

Grant: Oh, well, it's only 4:15, so you're good.

Don't you love men? :) So Saturday night we all went out to Napoli's for italian food. There is an item on Napoli's menu that is described as follows: "Tortelinni ala panna: tortellini served in our white cream sauce. Not for the weight watcher". But, to be real honest, that "not for the weight watcher" doesn't scare me. That just means "This entree is amazingly good and you will feel fulfilled after you have eaten it".

Sunday morning I went to Cypress Bible Church! I love going back to my home church from time to time and hugging everybody I see! I got to go to the Newlyweds class and see all of our old friends. What a joy!

Sunday was the bridal shower for Emily! I had not seen this gorgeous girl since I got married (over a year ago!) and hugging her neck was long overdue! I am stealing a few pics from Lindsee:
Here is Linds and I with the blushing bride to be!

You have no idea how much I love this girl!

Grant and I got back on the road really really late yesterday and didn't get back to our apartment till almost midnight. Needless to say, I am not functioning at a very high level this morning.

Back to work, back to the week! Love you ladies!

Just Call Me Ariel

Last night I took a shower after a day of heavy cleaning and some crunches as well. When I got out of the shower, this was our conversation:

Grant: Did you have a nice shower?

Me: Yep.

Grant: Do you think it was long enough?

Me: I'm sorry, I didn't know you were timing me.

Grant: I wasn't, but I think you sang every Disney song that's ever been written.

Me: I was in a Disney mood!

Grant: APPARENTLY!

:) I just wanted to be Part of That World! :)

Happy Birthday Sister!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACLYN!

Oh how I love my sister... Let me count the ways....

1. I love your dark hair and dark eyes.

2. I love the way you clap your hands when you get excited.

3. I love the way you love your husband. It has been such a beautiful example for me to watch and learn from.

4. I love to see you be a mommy. I feel like you've been a mommy since you were twelve. You always took such great care of me and I knew that you would be amazing mother, and I am SO right!

5. I love the way you dress up baby Grace.

6. I love your voice. It is so sweet!

7. I love your laugh. I love when we get laughing really hard how you start crying. I remember a specific incident where we were both dying in mom's kitchen and you had to sit down on the floor you were laughing so hard. I was laughing more because watching you was hysterical.

8. I LOVE that when we were little you couldn't say your "R's".

9. I love the way that while watching American Idol in two different states, you will call me, I answer, we don't say any words to each other, we just laugh for 30 seconds and then one of us says "OKAY BYE!" And then we hang up.

10. I love how even though we haven't lived in the same place for 8 years now, we are still as close as ever.

So Happy happy birthday to a beautiful sister who brings SO much joy to my heart! (By the way, I am bringing your gift next weekend. Consider this your birthday card!)


I LOVE YOU!

Oh Bless

It begins tonight.

It will take over my life.

But I cannnot help myself!!!

Who's with me?!?!?!?

Comfort & Joy

As I was walking into the office today, I realized that Grant & I have now been living in Baton Rouge for one year. We got married on December 30, returned from our honeymoon on January 5, and moved to Louisiana January 6. Grant started his job that Monday, January 8.


And oh, how far we have come. This year has taught me lesson after lesson. It has been a joyful year, but also a year of "growing up". Just a few things that I have learned in the past 365 days:


1. I put together our first home. I used all of our Bed Bath & Beyond gift cards (with some Target ones thrown in here and there) to hang curtains, nail art to the walls, and have a guest bedroom with it's necessary 8 pillows.


2. We got our first puppy, Moxie in January. He has been a joy, and melts my heart.


3. I got a job working as a legal secretary with some of the nicest people on the planet. God blessed me so much my placing me in a work environment that adopted me like a family.


4. The months of March & April consisted of Jen throwing herself a little pity party. The "fun" phase was over. I was lonely, and sad, and I missed my friends. I missed my mom. I missed the familiar, of knowing where everything was. I missed walking into church and getting hugs from practically every person in the building. Everything was just so new and I had to adjust. I pouted on the couch for quite some time until Grantley basically told me to get over myself. (In a precious, loving way, of course!)

5. A smiling, giggling, hairbow-wearing ball of joy came into my life. On May 2, God blessed us with Grace Parker. And my life will never be the same!

6. My repertoire of 6 rotating meals for dinner has now expanded to about 2 dozen or so. I am still learning!

7. My car now has four new tires.

8. Joanna Katherine got herself hitched and moved to Montana, and Sally and her men packed up and moved to North Africa. Lindsee is still in Texas and our "foursome" has officially split up across the world. Yet somehow, we still chat 4 times a week and keep up with each other! I love my girls!

9. The twins are now saying words and getting a little bit sassy, to tell you the truth. I think Juliet really thinks that we should let her be in charge of everything because she is smarter than us.

10. We almost moved. And then we didn't.

11. I lost my Aunt Donna to cancer. Christmas didn't have its usual jolliness this year. There was a distinct giggle that was missing.

12. I fell in love with my husband over and over again. Even on the days where I thought I was the worst excuse for a wife there ever was, he reminded me that he loved me just as I am. And that made me want to be a better wife!

13. We now watch our television shows in High Definition. I have decided that Detective Benson on Law & Order SVU has very large pores.

14. We went to Disney World! Grant and I had the sudden realization that there was a really good chance that the next time we went to Disney World it would be with our children. WEIRD.

15. I met Katie, my Godsend! The Lord blessed me with a precious friend who needed me as much as I needed her. Our instant bond and connection was such a comfort to me. I now have a Baton Rouge bestie!

16. We discovered the "back way" to get to Chase & Ronda's house, which cuts the time in half if the highway is full of traffic!

17. Major purchases of the year: 1 Television and 1 Guitar.

18. We had our first "split" Christmas between Texas and Louisiana. It's all about rotation, ya'll!

19. I learned that Jesus is always my greatest comfort.

20. I have learned that Jesus is the only thing I need. I don't need Texas. I don't need Taco Cabana, (honestly though, Louisiana needs to jump on that bandwagon), I don't need kolaches (if you don't know what a kolache is, then I feel very sorry for you and you are in my prayers), I don't need Highway 290 or the fireplace in my parent's living room. I need Jesus.

I surrendered everything to Him. I surrendered the familiar, and my comfort zones. I surrendered it and in return I have peace and the joy of knowing that the future is not in my control. I have the joy of knowing that the wisest One of all, He is the One who gets to decide where my life is headed.

This year I have prayed for 3 very distinct things- 1) a Holy contentment. I prayed that I would be content in this town and that the Lord would cover me with it. 2) A pure and compassionate heart. I want to be a servant more and I want my sins to be revealed to me. 3) An enthusiasm and a passion for knowing Jesus and growing closer to Him.

1 Peter 5:10-11 says "And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To HIM be the POWER for ever and ever. Amen."

I can't even begin to tell you how much that verse has comforted me. I don't want His power. I am not smart enough nor selfless enough to do anything right with it. Jesus has restored me, and He is continuing to do so, so that I may be strong, firm and steadfast.

Rejoice in the Lord always!

One Option

I have mentioned before that I get a daily devotional every morning in my inbox from Max Lucado. Well, he doesn't email me himself, of course, but it's his inspiring words of wisdom that greet me each morning as I sit down at my desk at work. This one appeared Sunday, and really spoke to me:

When you recognize God as Creator, you will admire him.
When you recognize his wisdom, you will learn from him.
When you discover his strength, you will rely on him.
But only when he saves you will you worship him.

It's a "before and after" scenario. Before your rescue, you could easily keep God at a distance.... Sure he was important, but so was your career. Your status. Your salary....

Then came the storm... the rage... the fight... the ripped moorings.... Despair fell like a fog; your bearings were gone. In your heart, you knew there was no exit.

Turn to your career for help? Only if you want to hide from the storm... not escape it. Lean on your status for strength? A storm isn't impressed with your title....

Suddenly you are left with one option: God.

Just thought I would share.

Have a great day, dear friends!

Thoughts

1. I am loving the cold weather!

2. The past couple days, I have had an extremely hard time getting out of bed in the morning. Maybe it's because I was off work for a few days and my routine is thrown off. Who knows...

3. No matter what I make for dinner, no matter how long it takes to cook and how much Grant loves it, nothing tastes better than Kraft Macaroni & Cheese.

4. Being married for a year makes me pretty proud!

5. My two bedroom apartment feels as if it is getting smaller and smaller by the hour.

6. I am so over this writer's strike. I am doing far too much housework for lack of better things to watch ;)

7. I love being a daughter of God. I love the security of knowing Him and also the mystery of all the things I don't know. It makes our relationship so exciting!

8. Sometimes, Grant will go into the guestroom and play his guitar with the door shut. I hear him singing in there. He shuts the door so he isn't bothering me, but I usually stop whatever I'm doing and just sit on the couch and listen to Him singing praises. It is one of my most favorite times of day, hearing Him sing to Jesus!

9. I talked to both Lindsee and Joanna on the phone yesterday for an extended period of time. There is something about chat time with your best girlfriends that puts a finishing touch on your day! (Speaking of Lindsee, go buy one of her plates!)

10. One of our clients from work brought us homemade Gumbo for lunch. I am thankful for yummy little surprises like that.

11. Doing crunches everynight is totally overrated. It hurts, and it is not fun. Exercising is not fun. Blaaaah.

12. I've lost six pounds :)

13. I have a Diet Coke every morning. Call me disgusting. Whatever. It is my lifeline!

14. Yesterday, I was walking into the courthouse for work. A sweet little homeless lady was sitting on the courthouse steps. We made eye contact, so I smiled at her as I walked by. She hollered out to me "HI PATRICIA!". I stopped, and turned around, and said "I'm sorry?". And then she just said " I feel so bad for Patricia......". I went into the courthouse and did my errands, and as I left to head back to my car, I tried to avoid eye contact as she shouted across the sidewalk "BYE PATRICIA!". Alrighty then....

15. Yesterday at lunch we were talking about children who mispronounce things. When I was a little girl I called the Marble Slab "Bubble Slob". Also, my cabbage patch doll was "Cabbage Catch". Jaclyn's cabbage patch doll was named "Suzie Betty".

16. On my desk at work I have 5 framed pictures: One of my parents, another of Me, Lindsee, Sally, and Joanna, another picture of Grant and I on our wedding day, another picture of the twins, and the last one is of the Parker :)

17. Right now my toenails are painted a very bold shade of red. The name of the shade is called "I'm Not Really a Waitress". HAHHAHAHHAAHAHAHA!!!!

18. I'm hungry.

19. I've lost six pounds.

20. Have a nice day! :)

2008 and an Update!

Oooohhh girls! It has been TOO LONG! I miss all of you! My apologies for the lack of updating. But I have the motherload for you today... with pictures!!

Lets start off with CHRISTMAS! Husband and I went to Texas as you all know, and it was wonderful. I had some amazing, extended quality time with my parents, sisters, and ALL THREE of my nieces. Scarlett and Juliet are talking like crazy and the Parker is getting cuter by the second! We came home with all kinds of goodies. I got a new watch, a fabulously soft bathrobe from Bath and Body Works, some new clothes for work (Thank You, Jesus), and a plethera of gift cards. I also got to see my Lindsee, my Joanna, the precious Lamberts, and my Tiffany, who I had not seen in a whole year. Thank you God for Texas visits!

We came on home and turned right around to head to Biloxi, Mississippi for our One Year Anniversary! That's right my friends! Jen the Newlywed has been married for a whole year. Grantley surprised me by taking me to the Beau Rivage resort for a little overnighter. We had a ball. AND I got to wear the dress and shoes he bought me for Christmas. Remember these shoes? Well sweet precious husband took the hint and got them for me with a matching dress! Here are some pics from our trip:

This was the view from our room

The dress and shoes I got for Christmas from my husband of one year!

Ya'll, this dessert was insane. It was compliments of the chef, and it included vanilla icecream, milk chocolate ice cream, dark chocolate ice cream, a chocolate chip cookie, a macadamia nut cookie, an oatmeal cookie, a red velvet cupcake with cream cheese topping, a peanut butter graham cracker and devils food cake. For reals.

Well, all that took place on December 29. Our anniversary is December 30. We spent the vast majority of December 30 in the emergency room. Grant was dehydrated and needed some fluids and it reminded me very much of how I felt on December 30, 2006. Remember that? He is fine now! We are more laughing about it now more than anything. Happy Anniversary to us!

Last night was New Year's Eve! Our friends from church, Matt & Julie threw a little shindig and we had a ball!

Here are some of the girls!

The guys, watching football. We were annoyed.

Sweet baby Jacob!

Me and Katie, ringing in the new year together!

Happy New Year! (We were trying to get the fireworks in the background, it wasn't happening!)

So, as for me, I have decided that instead of making a New Year's Resolution that will never be kept, I am going to establish a general theme for 2008 that I hope to keep up with. This is going to be the year of organization for Jen. It is something I've always struggled with and this is the year for it!

I have missed ya'll. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and I pray that we all have a blessed 2008!