Bittersweet

Inhale. Exhale.

It is Monday night and the moving truck will be here Thursday morning. I decided to take a break from all the packing and fill everyone in on all kinds of things!

The past week has been exciting, and tearful, and stressful, and surreal, and just altogether emotionally exhausting! Tomorrow is my last day at work. Thankfully, I am only going in for a few hours. But it is very strange to think that I won't be working there anymore! I won't be making that 30 minute drive to the office 5 days a week.... SO WEIRD!

On Saturday, Katie and Ronda spent the ENTIRE day with me here at the apartment. Those two wonderful women boxed up my whole kitchen!!! I am so so grateful to them for all the hard work they put in. Girls, you definitely took a big burden off of my shoulders!

On Sunday we went to our Sunday school class Crawfish Boil after church. I was SHOCKED and OVERWHELMED when they showed us the cake they had made for us! There was a big picture of Grant and I kissing at the class New Years party (at midnight) and the cake said "Good Luck, We'll Miss You!". I got all teared up. I knew that this Sunday would be our last but saying goodbye to all the precious friends we have made got me all emotional. Everything is really starting to sink in. (By the way, I have pictures of the cake... but as you learned in my last post, Grant packed my camera cord in a box. Soooooooo you'll see pictures later).

While we are very very excited about where the Lord is so clearly leading us, we are also sad to be saying goodbye to our Louisiana home. Grant's family all live here in Louisiana and we are sad to be moving 4 hours away! Thankfully, it is only 4 hours and an easy drive. But still, we are sad. We have been spoiled to be able to drive into New Orleans for the weekend and spend some wonderful golf/shopping time with Grant's parents! And Chase & Ronda live just 5 miles away from us here and we are going to miss that luxury! We are sad and we wish we could take Grant's family down to Houston with us!

Katie and Mo have become very, very dear friends in a very, very short time. We do something with them most every weekend and that will be a big adjustment. However, I am beyond confident that they will be able to come down and visit us fairly frequently. AND, since Grant's family lives in Louisiana, we will be coming back up this way all the time and may have to have a quick meal with our precious friends!

The Lord has answered some major prayers these last few days. We FINALLY found a place to live today that is available for us to move into on Friday. We are downsizing to a one bedroom apartment, but it is a 6 month lease, a GREAT location and it is very pretty inside. We are so relieved to have found somewhere to move to! I am almost done training the girl that is replacing me at work and most of the house is packed up. I just have to finish packing up my clothes in the closet and get CLEANING!

Thank you so much for your prayers. Please continue to pray that we would feel excitement and enthusiasm. It is hard to focus on the big picture when there is so much to do and so many people to say goodbye to.

Also, I have responded to a few ads on craigslist for a job. A few people have called back, so we'll see where that goes!

Love ya'll, I'll keep you updated as best as I can!

Someone Else's Pictures

In the midst of all this packing of boxes, I decided to take a break last night and post some pictures from our vacation to Horseshoe Bay that we had with my family last weekend.

I could not find my camera cord for the life of me. Finally I asked Grant if he had seen it. His response was "Um.......... I may have just packed it". I look over to the massive pile of boxes piling up high in the dining room. I see "computer stuff" labeled on a box that evidently needed an entire roll of duct tape to seal it. I guess I can't upload my pictures.

SO.... I'm stealing some that Jaclyn sent me :) I'll upload mine when I move to Texas, which is next week!

Here are my 3 nieces playing checkers together.

This is a classic Jen & Grant moment. I am saying "Daddy, please.." cause dad was just snappin away when we weren't ready. Grantley could not be more disinterested.

Mom and ALL of her girls :)

This is quite possibly my new favorite picture.

I love that baby girl! It's almost her 1st Birthday!


My sister Shannon, and her husband Jason. They are not holding the correct child. The twins were asleep at this point :)

How cute are Jaclyn and Jeremy????

Aunt Jenny took the twins on a walk across the bridge. I was in HEAVEN! It looks like Grace is saying "Stop it, you silly goose!". Scarlett and Juliet are getting SO big and say the cutest things.

We finally got a normal picture :)

P.S., I am wearing some mega-cute white pants in the photo above, you just can't see it. Mega. Cute.

Hope you enjoyed my sister's photos :) Thanks Jaclyn, love you!

7 Randoms

Well we are back from our trip! We had a WONDERFUL time and are so grateful for the few days we got to spend with my family. I will post many many MANY pictures in my next post...

Moving to Houston happens very, very soon. In the past week I have had three nervous breakdowns and twenty chicken mcnuggets. (I'm a stress eater, what can I say).

I will take a small break from my stressing about the move to Houston to do this MEME that Ronda tagged me for! Thanks sweet Ronda!

So here we go..... 7 random facts you may not (or may) know about me:

1. When I was 14, I got lost in Venice (Italy) all by myself for several hours. I was there with the Houston Children's Chorus, and our group split up into two groups and both groups thought that the other group had me. I wandered around a foreign city frantically trying to find someone to speak English. I eventually found myself in St. Mark's Square, where I sat myself down by a flag pole with my purple backpack and prayed that I would see someone I knew. Thankfully, I did, and my group ran to me and we hugged and cried. The adult leaders were also crying... I think they thought my parents were going to sue. :) It was all an adventure!!

2. I have certain songs that I "practice". Being the musical theater girl that I am, I used to hear certain songs and kinda place them in my mind in the category of "sing this for an audition some day". I would practice these songs in the car, in the shower, wherever, just in case I needed to audition on a whim and needed a power song. While I no longer perform, I still practice songs, for that big Broadway stage in the sky! :)

3. The first time Grant kissed me was on my 20th birthday. Earlier that evening at my birthday party, Joanna and Lindsee asked me if I thought Grant was going to kiss me that night. My response was "oh no, that is a long long way off". When he was leaving my house that night we talked as he walked to his car. After we had a mini-argument in my driveway, he interrupted me by kissing me. I walked back into the house, and had to tell Jo and Lindsee "Ya'll, he just kissed me!!" and they said "WE KNEW HE WOULD!!". I haven't thought about that night in so long. (Joanna and Lindsee, it's time to 'fess up if you were looking out the windows! I have a feeling you were!!)

4. I don't drink milk. I don't eat donuts. I HATE HATE HATE pickles. And the smell of tuna fish makes me gag.

5. I have never, ever, ever, ever, colored my hair, or highlighted it, or put anything into it at all. I think I am the last living woman to say this.

6. When I get out of the shower, I wrap my hair in a towel and put on my robe. Then I q-tip my ears. Then while I'm waiting for my hair to go from wet to damp in the towel, I make the bed and then check my email. Then I blow dry my hair, followed by the Chi, followed by makeup. This is my morning routine.

7. It took me four attempts to pass college algebra. I had straight A's in English and History though! I'm just mathematically challenged!!

Alrighty, that's it!

I tag:

Katie
Rebecca
Nat

Have fun ladies!

Big News!

Hello my dear friends,

Yes, as many of you may have heard by now, we are moving to Houston, and we are moving SOON.

A little background info: We have been praying about a new job for Grant for over a year now. It has been a LONG process and lots of back and forth stuff. But the last several months we have just been on our knees about it and felt God saying "It's time". Grant started applying for jobs in March.

A GREAT opportunity came along and on Tuesday Grant accepted a job offer in Houston.

Yes, I am very excited to return to my hometown! Most of my family lives there and so does my Lindsee. We are very excited to be going but right now we are STRESSED.

Grant starts his new job Monday, May 5 and we are moving Friday, May 2. Yesterday I put in my two weeks at work and it went over about like how I thought it would.

I am asking for a few specific prayer needs if you would be so kind:

1. Please pray that we are able to find an apartment in a nice area that is well priced.

2. Pray for my job, that they would be able to find someone QUICKLY that I can train. I am leaving my employers in a very sticky situation and I would hate to leave them high and dry.

3. Pray for our friends Katie & Mo. We are attached at the hip and are having a very hard time saying good bye to them, even though I KNOW we will still see them all the time!

4. Pray that I would be able to find a new job in Houston quickly.

5. And finally, our stress levels are pretty high. Pray that Grant and I would be calm and not overwhelmed. The Lord has provided for us thus far and He certainly is not going to stop now! This is an exciting time that does not need to be bogged down with Jen having a minor (okay, sometimes major) meltdown every 48 hours!

Tomorrow Grant and I are going out of town for a few days with my family for a vacation, so we are looking forward to putting "the move" on the back burner for a few days.

This is something I have been wanting to share for so long and I'm so glad the cat is finally out of the bag!

Love you ladies, you'll be seeing me waist high in moving boxes very soon!

French Quarter Fest

We went on down to New Orleans on Saturday to spend the day with Grant's family. We rode down with Chase & Ronda and spent the day there for Grant's dad's birthday. His mom and dad met us there, and we had a wonderful time! I ate FAR too much food, but I justified it in every way possible. (It's Saturday.... it's a special festival...... I need to try new things..... I'm hungry...... the Taco Bell I already had for lunch today doesn't count...)

This is a Jazz Band I enjoyed listening to.

The Riverboat, "The Creole Queen"

Me and my Darling Sister-in-Law, my Godsend, Ronda!

Every festival needs a dancing termite with an umbrella.

Yummy Jambalaya!

Precious Chase & Ronda

My Handsome, Handsome Husband

Just the Two of Us!

That darling tank top I was wearing was adorable when I put it on... but girls, I am SUNBURNED! It was pretty overcast that day and it wasn't all that hot, but my red-headedness prevailed and I am now red on my arms, chest, shoulders and back. YAY! :) I am pretty lobster-esque but I have been ALOT worse!


We had a very peaceful, relaxing weekend. Grant spent the majority of his free time watching The Masters. My favorite part was when the guy won, his little 2 year old red headed little boy ran up to him squealing. ADORABLE!! I got all teary eyed. Grant turned to me and said, "Are you kidding me?". Golf can be emotional!


I hope that you all have a wonderful week! God has been teaching me so SO much these last few days. I am overwhelmed by His incredible peace and comfort, and I am so relieved to know that I am not in any kind of control of my life. I humbly lay my burdens, my desires, and my needs at His feet. We serve an amazing God my friends! I love Him so!

I Just Need a Moment...

.... to discuss my husband's hobbies. If you want to call them that. I will never, ever, ever in my entire life understand how that brain works.

I know that the Lord made men and women different. I love that. We compliment each other so well. But men are just weird. I'm just sayin.

Lets start with FISHING. Hubby loves to fish. He does this activity in several different variations. I've created an outline for you:

I. BOAT FISHING

A. Grant, his dad, and his brother will wake up at the butt crack of dawn to drive 3 hours to a marina, and put the boat in the water. THEN they will drive the boat 2 hours out into the Gulf of Mexico until they find the right spot. THEN they will spend 4 to 5 hours in the heat, with no bathroom facilities trying to catch fish on hook. If they catch the aforementioned fish, they put their fingers into his nasty Gulf of Mexicoed mouth to let the hook out. THEN....they throw the fish BACK INTO THE WATER. I mean honestly...

B. After they decide they've had enough hours in the heat and they are bloody enough, they drive the 2 HOURS back to shore, load the boat up onto the trailer, drive the 3 HOURS back to the house, and then spend the rest of the evening cleaning the blood out of the boat. They typically finish their day's activities around 9-10:00 at night. I am just bewildered.


II. POND FISHING

A. Grant and I were recently driving down I-10, and if you looked to our right, through the trees, you could see a small pond. Grant went bonkers. "THERE! How do I get THERE!?!". He proceeds to exit onto this random road and we drove around for 30 minutes trying to find this pond.

B. Once he finds this pond, he typically will get the fishing pole out of his car, or perhaps he will use the collapsible fishing pole he keeps in his golf bag (cause you know, there are small bodies of water on golf courses that may contain things that swim...turtles included). Again, he throws these fish back. Astonishing.


III. KAYAK FISHING- His Newest Obsession.

A. This one is the weirdest to me. Have you ever sat in a kayak? You are sitting in a little hole. You can't turn to the right or left. You can't stand up. You can't even stretch. I mean what if your back starts to hurt? Grant got up this morning to go kayak fishing, and he left earlier than he gets up for work during the week. Crazy.

B. Not to mention the pre-fishing and post-fishing work out that has to happen to get the kayak on and off our HONDA CIVIC. Crazy men. (Also, the guys Grant have been kayak fishing with have been opting to bring their DOGS with them and they put their dog into the small kayak hole with them while they fish. I mean really people...

Moving on to GOLF. I don't think there is something my husband spends more time thinking about and fretting over than golf. It's the game he loves to hate. This hobby I don't have as much confusion over. But it is just so HOT and he will get up SO SO early on his ONE day off and spend the whole morning in the HEAT. (Can you tell I'm not a hot weather person?). He also takes golf lessons, where someone basically stands there and tells him all the things he is doing wrong and Grant gets SO excited. He likes to hear that he is doing things incorrectly. It "improves his game". Okay, weirdo.

POKER. Let's play a card game that steals your money. Sounds fantastic.

I think what really just perplexes me is that all of these activities are so LONG in length! They all take up entire days and they are all outdoors and I just cannot be outside that long.

I am married to a very logical man. But none of these activities seem logical to me. Really. I am not trying to be a hater, but I definitely am not a participator.

I spent last Saturday enjoying the excellent movie "The American President" on Lifetime. Love that.

I will leave you with husband's favorite picture:

That big stick he is holding onto has a giant hook on the end of it that they stick into the side of the fish. It gets them all bloody. Also, apparently that fish Grant is torturing is called a dolphin. I was really upset when he first told me that he caught some dolphin. There are two kinds, so that's okay. I would be really mad if it was the Flipper kind. And I think Sea World would also have a hey day with him over that.

Oh, and one more thing... The "Inga Mystery" has been solved. World's Craziest Coincidence!

Puzzled

So a few months back, my cell phone rang at work. The woman on the other end asked for Jennifer, and I said "yes?", and she said "This is Stacy from the H20 Salon & Spa, I wanted to confirm your 2:00 haircut and pedicure for tomorrow?". I asked her to repeat what salon she was calling from and I informed her that I did not have an appointment there, nor had I ever even been there. This salon is more than an hour away from my home. We figured she had just mis-dialed and it was just a coincedence that my name was also Jennifer. Funny.

Well I blew it off and haven't thought about that conversation since. Well, I went to check the mail this week, and I had a letter from H20 Salon and Spa. It was my address, but the name on the envelope said To: Inga. No last name. Just Inga.

So I open the letter and it says "Dear Inga: Thank you for your application to join our team. At this time, the position you applied for has been filled."

So I call back to the spa and I am now REALLY confused. I explain to the girl who answered that she called my cell a few months back. NOW they have my address and apparently an application from a girl called "Inga". The receptionist was just as confused as I was and said that she would look into it. That was Tuesday. I call back this morning and they are now saying that they don't remember any of this.

I am SO confused! Who is Inga? (The other weird thing is that Inga sorta/kinda sounds like my last name).

The twilight zone music is playing in my head!

Any ideas as to what in the world is going on?!?!

Cute

I heart this dress. I appreciate that the girl in this picture is also red headed and pasty white, it helps me envision myself wearing it. However, my legs are not all gorgeous and glamorous like that. My knees are awkward. She is all long and leggy and I am all short and squatty. Excellent color though! I think I may have to indulge myself at Ann Taylor Loft.

Cute huh?

In Christ Alone

I often feel like I'm teetering on the edge of "losing control". I get worried about something that may or may not happen on Tuesday, or next week, or 2 months from now, or 5 years from now.

Life is not certain. Things that you assume are going to happen may not come to fruition. I do not adapt well to change. I need things to be constant, and that is not something that can always be. Consistency is not guaranteed, in fact it rarely happens.

In church this morning we were singing in worship and the lyrics "My Savior loves, My Savior lives, My Savior's always there for me, My God He was, My God He is, My God He's always gonna be". overwhelmed me. I have ONE constant in my life. I have one sure thing. No matter where I'm living, how much money we have, how many children, no matter what state of health, or what I'm doing, God IS. He is there and He is my constant.

Worship was especially amazing this morning, and I fell in love with the song "In Christ Alone" all over again. I hadn't really listened to the lyrics in their full capacity in a long time. I'd like to share them with you...

In Christ alone
my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone,
this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

What heights of love,
what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled,
when strivings cease!

My comforter,
my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone,
Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love,
and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.

Till on that cross
as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;

For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!

And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me!!;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.

No pow'r of hell,
no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

To God be the glory.

I Would Rather Impress Mama, But I Love Dolly

So I was very excited that last night was Dolly night on American Idol. I think Dolly Parton has an amazing voice, LOVE HER!

Also, I think that Dolly is kinda like a cartoon character. You know those movies that start off in animation and then they come to "real life"? I think Dolly is like that. A cartoon character in human form. A blond Betty Boop perhaps!

Immediately, when I saw that it was Dolly night, I said out loud "PLEASE someone sing Jolene!". I wanted to hear the following songs:

1. "Jolene"- Brooke sang this and rocked it. She is very sunshine-y. I proceeded to sing this song for the rest of the evening and even a little bit this morning. Grant begged me to stop. I begged Jolene not to take my man. Please don't take him just because you can.

2. "I Will Always Love You"- Syesha sang this (of course) and did pretty well. I was grateful she didn't do the Whitney version entirely. I love Whitney, but that is Dolly's song. Do you know what musical that song is from? The person who knows the answer to this question gets a prize! And no, you can't google it.

3. "Smoky Mountain Memories"- David Archuleta can SING. End of story.

4. "Hard Candy Christmas"- NO ONE SANG THIS SONG! I understand that it isn't Christmas and the song is kinda ridiculous ("Me, I'll be just fine and dandy, oh it's like a Hard Candy Christmas".....strange lyrics) but I was really looking forward to singing along. I wanted to pack up a suitcase and walk through a field singing "I'm barely getting through tomorrow, but I won't let sorrow keep me waaaay dowwwwn". (If you've seen the movie, you'll understand that little scene I just described).

5. "Here You Come Again"- although I am not a big Carly fan, I think she sang this song well. I wanted to jump through the screen and slap Simon across the face though for telling her she looked bad. I mean, I am not a big fan of the super skinny jean but still, that was mean and unnecessary.

I liked that Dolly was wearing a little tiara-like thingy in her hair during her whole interview section. I mean, why shouldn't she wear a crown? She is Dolly Parton!

I wish I could count how many times Grant asked me last night "How do you know so many Dolly Parton songs?!?"

Paula said "True to who you are" in some variation a total of 13 times last night. (Note: there are only nine contestants).

Favorite Paula/Simon moment:

Paula: "You are adorable, you are fun, you are true to who you are, You are Brooke White".

Simon: "Yes, she is".

My prediction for the bottom 3: Syesha, Ramiele, and perhaps barefoot Kristy Lee, mainly cause when Dolly told her that her Mama would be proud, Kristy said that she'd rather impress Dolly. RUDE! Respect your mama!

Thoughts? Comments? Opinions? What Dolly song would YOU have sung?

Beautiful Arms

Good morning and happy April!

Thank you all for your sweet comments about the wedding video, I am glad I could share that with all of you, my precious friends!

It has been a lovely few days! This weekend included: Olive Garden, breadsticks, and alfredo dipping sauce, relaxing day with my Katie, 2 loads of laundry, lots of naps, my husband buying a KAYAK, my husband strapping this kayak to the top of my HONDA ACCORD, my husband and Mo not returning from Academy until after 10:00 at night, Sunday school, walking my dog three times, and lots and lots of cleaning!

So yes, my husband bought a kayak. I was actually kinda excited about this purchase because Grant and I went on a kayaking trip on our honeymoon. We went at 10:00 at night and kayaked through the Atlantic Ocean into this lagoon. What was SO COOL though, was that the plankton in this lagoon would light up, so when you dipped your oar in the water, or even if you ran your hands through it, these neon lights would start glowing. It was absolutely incredible! This is a picture I got off of a travel site to kinda give you an idea of what happens:

Although, I think I was annoying Grant the whole time we were in this kayak cause I kept singing the song "Kiss the Girl" from the Little Mermaid. ("Yes..... you see her. Floating-in-a-blue -lagoon"). Good song. It was very romantic and one of the coolest things I've ever done. I probably tolerated it a little more though because it was night and it wasn't hot!

Anyhoo, the kayak we now own is not going into glowing waters, but probably more like the LSU Lakes. :) It is quite funny to see that thing strapped onto my Honda. Cause ya'll know I am SO outdoors-y!

I hope to post pictures of our many kayaking adventures. I am hoping that these pictures are not limited to the kayak in our garage, sitting there month after month! Katie & Mo also have a kayak, and Katie was convincing me that we should take the kayaks out by ourselves, because, as she puts it, "Oh my gosh Jen, we'll have such beautiful arms!". Indeed.