December 30, 2006....

...was the day I married my best friend.

...was the day that I started the most fun adventure ever

...was the day I woke up sick as a dog and so did the rest of my family

...was the day I wore my very most favorite dress

...was the day that Grant kissed me alot, even though I was still so very sick


...was the day I started "forever"


...was the day I became a woman


...was the day that I made the best decision of my life


...was the day that got to marry my Grant

Happy 3 year Anniversary, dear husband....

Hello, World

As I backed out of my driveway (!!!!) this morning to start my new commute to work, I found myself eager with anticipation to get to my desk. Why would I want to get to work so desperately?

BECAUSE THE OFFICE HAS THE INTERNET.

Oooh y'all, I feel so detached. I don't know what's going on with anybody or anything. Our brand new house (which is AMAZING by the way) has no television (!!!) and no internet (!!!) until a week from today.

Thankfully, this is giving me and Grant alot of time to get some much needed work done around the house. I need to take a moment and just say how thrilled I am to have some SPACE. This whole "there is room for everything" situation is a new feeling for me and I am loving it.

The house is great. We need to paint sometime this week and all.... but we are just so happy. We were so blessed by family this Christmas who gave us plenty of gift cards to put our new home together. I bought a new Welcome mat at Target yesterday that is super cute.

Did you have a wonderful Christmas? Mine was just lovely. I was full of aches and pains due to the move but all in all, mine was wonderful. I love being around all my babies!

I would also like to take this moment to announce that my husband installed not one but TWO beautiful ceiling fans all by himself. I am super proud and super thankful!! He has been great the last few days and we actually have been getting along great.

Last night my Lindsee came over and visited with me in our home. I cooked our first meal in that house and Lindsee was the guest of honor!!

So this week we are going to keep getting work done while eagerly anticipating our trip to New Orleans this weekend to see Grant's family. We will be spending New Years there and are so glad to continue our holiday food fest! :)

If you don't see me around much, it's because AT&T is going to take their dear sweet time to come out to my house. I don't mind as long as they come out by next Monday so that I can start the new season of The Bachelor!!

Movin' On Up

It is 12:15 in the morning and the husband and I are about to hit the sack.

We walked through the house this evening for a final walk-through.... everything looks beautiful. The previous homeowners even left us a bottle of champagne and a card to welcome us to our new home. I am so excited!! I can't believe tomorrow is moving day.

We have been packing ALL NIGHT. We are 90% done. Thankfully we have a little more time.... we will close tomorrow morning at 9:00am and then the movers don't come until 1:00. So we have a few hours in there to get some more stuff finished.

Can I ask y'all to pray for a few things?

Pray for a smooth closing. This whole process has been full of surprises and I'd rather not have any as we are signing all of our money away tomorrow!

Pray for Grant and I with our stress levels. I'm sure you all can imagine that we haven't been the kindest to one another these past few days as we have constantly been in a rush and not having our best communication skills going on. He has been WONDERFUL and so helpful but I have been a little sassy lately! When I get overwhelmed it brings out the worst in me...

Please pray for us as the forecast says it is supposed to thunderstorm all day tomorrow. Not ideal moving weather! But I am just taking a deep breath... I know that if God brings us to it He is going to bring us through it!

It's finally here, friends! Moving Day!! Thank y'all for reading and sticking with me as I have whined, complained, poured my heart out and beyond. It has been a long road... and pictures will be coming soon! We won't have internet in the new place for a few days so this could be me signing off for a while.... But just know that I'll be decorating my new home in the meantime!

Love you!

I Love You, Tomorrow

Today is Monday.

Tomorrow is Tuesday.

Do you know what happens on Tuesday?

WE CLOSE ON OUR HOUSE ON TUESDAY.

Oh yes, we do.

And then you know what happens on Wednesday?

WE MOVE INTO OUR HOUSE ON WEDNESDAY.

Oh yes, we do.

I AM EXCITED.

Oh yes, I am.

Wake Up, Jenny

Hello, my name is Jen, and I'm out of control.

The thing is, I think I am out of control in a way that will eventually be beneficial for me. But right now, I am having some meltdowns in a daily way. Remember a few days ago when I mentioned that I was hoping for only 2-3 crying explosions? Well, we are beyond that and it is only Wednesday.

My poor husband. My poor friends and family. They have gotten so many whiny, complaining phone calls where I am just falling to pieces. Most of the time I'm upset because of un-met expectations or the fact that I don't have it all together. But, let's face it, sometimes I'm just coming unglued because "I don't have a Christmas tree and it's depressing".

We received news today that we will not be closing on our home on this Friday as was originally planned. Nothing "happened", it's just that we were trying to do this really fast before the Christmas holidays and it seems that the title company and mortgage company just can't seem to prepare everything by the deadline we initially agreed upon. At this point, our broker is "hoping for a Christmas Eve closing". We are preparing ourselves for something after Christmas, or even after the New Year.

None of this is bad, it is just disappointing. It kinda throws a wrench in our moving plans. The dates we were having the water/cable/utilities/electricity switched over all have to change. The plans we had for painters and movers are going to have to be rearranged.

As I was having a hissy fit today, I realized that alot of this breakdown I'm having... scratch that... all of this breakdown that I'm having has to do with the fact that I feel out of control. We started house hunting in June. I started Christmas shopping in October. As we have gone through the process of getting approved for a loan, Grant and I have been extremely on top of everything and did our part to make this process go as rapidly as possible. I am struggling right now that although we have put so much hard work into buying this home... even though I have felt relatively like I've been "on top of everything".... at this very moment I am feeling like everything has been turned upside down and inside out.

And then I talk to people like my mom and my sister and my husband and they all tell me that I need to put on my big girl panties and deal with it. This is not as bad as it seems and it is okay to be disappointed.... but I am in a wonderful place in my life. I have written so many posts about wanting a house so badly and now, that has been provided for us. No, the timing isn't ideal and we will possibly spend Christmas Eve/Christmas Day unpacking boxes. But that's okay. I mean what I'm essentially saying here is "Oh Boo! I'm getting a big, pretty, beautiful home of my very own on a Wednesday and I wanted it on a Friday! Life is not fair!!!!". Um, yes, hi, allow me to introduce myself: I'm a ridiculous, bratty child.

We are blessed beyond measure. The Lord has provided for us abundantly. It is Christmas time. Whether or not I have a tree, whether or not I was able to send out Christmas cards.... this is the time of year where we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.... Emmanuel, God with Us.GOD WITH US. I am most satisfied in Him. The gift of His Son is more than enough for me.

Thank You, Lord for that Holy Night over 2,000 years ago where You gave us Your Son. Thank You, Lord for choosing to love me even when I am so unworthy of it. Thank You for teaching me and being patient with me when I'm being immature and throwing a fit. I choose You and I choose YOUR plan. Your way is better than my way, Your thoughts are higher than my thoughts.

HE HAS NEVER LET ME DOWN. EVER. EVER. EVER.

My friends, if you are going through something (and chances are, it is a heck of a lot heavier than this little tantrum I'm throwing over here)... I encourage you to take a step back and thank God for all He has given you. Stop panicking over the small things that aren't falling into their perfect place. Focus on the HUGE things that you've been given that you don't deserve.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" -Romans 15:13

"Fulfillment of every longing of man... it's YOU, God, it's YOU. You're able". -Christy Nockels You Are Able

Keep your eyes on Him.

That's the Christmas Spirit!

There are entirely too many people out on the roads. TOO MANY PEOPLE.

Now, I know that I live in the great city of Houston, population 4 million+. Traffic is to be expected on our congested little highways.

But the parking lots. The check-out aisles at grocery stores. The restaurants. It makes me claustrophobic and angry.

CAN WE ALL JUST GET OUR CALENDARS TOGETHER AND DIVIDE UP SOME TIMES? I mean I think that 50% of us can go to dinner at a restaurant while the other 50% of us stay home and cook dinner since that is better economically and everything.

Also, the good folks at Kroger can only handle so many people at one time. They are not capable of overflow cause then one by one you start hearing "I'm gonna take my break!" and the only person left is the sweet guy who bags the groceries and he is darling, but he is also very deaf and he can only do so much lip reading. When I start in on the whole, "I have 3 coupons.... and also put the cold stuff in the plastic bags and the dry stuff in paper bags...... I know that is not green and y'all want me to use these cloth bags but that ain't happenin..... cause I'm lazy, oh wait those aren't my lemons, and that is NOT my cottage cheese.... but the peanut M&M's are mine" gets a little lost on poor Andrew.

I mean people are acting like it's Christmastime or something.

Weird.

It's Beginning to Look Alot Like We're Moving

Packing has officially begun.

I am counting 4 boxes that are sealed with tape and have words written on the side in the necessary sharpie. "Fragile". "Kitchen Decorative". "Medicine". Don't worry, I left the Midol unpacked since I figured this would be a good week to have that magic drug at the ready. I've already had many a meltdown for no specific reason.

Today we went to Home Depot to buy some more boxes. As we walked back to the storage section, I stopped in the paint area to look at some colors that I'm considering for the kitchen. Then, I wanted to stop at the wood floor area to price some wood laminate. Then, I again stopped at the area rug section since that is something we definitely need for our tile-floored living room. Again, I wanted to stop and look at prices on light fixtures since I am not really a fan of the existing living room and master bedroom light/fan piece. Poor Grant kept saying "This is not what we came here for! We came for boxes!".

So much to think about. This is starting to get so exciting! I'm trying not to think about all the stressful things, such as the fact that I still have atleast 7 Christmas presents that I still need to purchase. Or how we still don't have living room furniture. I'm trying to focus on the fun things. Like the fact that my closet rack won't fall on me anymore! And that I will be able to dry a load of clothes in half the time it takes me now. And I'll have a coat closet! And Moxie will have a whole yard, bless his heart.

As I was trying to sort through my (very) disorganized closet this afternoon, I started to think about how glad I am to have a fresh start. There's something nice about starting over. I really am going to try my darndest to have a more organized lifestyle now that we are tripling our square footage and actually have some space!

Tomorrow starts a new work week. It is going to be hard to focus when I have all these details floating around in my little bitty brain. I am just praying that this week, the Lord will give me focus, motivation, stamina and peace. And also I'm praying that I only cry 2 to 3 times, not 7-10 as I am currently predicting.

In 3 minutes it will be 6:00. At that point, Grant and I are getting back to work, we are not stopping until 7:30 and then we are going to stop for the night. A little bit at a time will keep us from going crazy and biting each other's heads off. In all seriousness, he has been such an amazing help to me and I am so thankful for him. I couldn't do this with anyone else. I just love that man of mine...

Enjoy your last "full" work week! Christmas will be here soon!

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

So, my BFF Lindsee recently did a post of her favorite things because she is just like Oprah. It just so happens that I love the Oprah Show (I did not say I love Oprah. I love the Oprah show.... home decorating/dramatic human interest stories/surprising people with fun dream-come-true moments... not the "you are your own god" crap) and I also love Lindsee, so I decided to follow suit.

Let's begin, shall we?

These is the Febreze Flameless Luminary. LOVE. THESE. They have a scent but they are flameless (hence the name flameless luminary) and are delightful for the ambiance of your home. They glow and flicker like a candle but you don't have to worry about catching things on fire.

However, my dear darling husband (who is not a fan of strong scents) always tells me to "turn it off for now"...... I am constantly explaining to him that the scent is ALWAYS on and the flickering candle does nothing other than make it look like a candle. He cracks me up.

Cranberry juice is my juice of choice. No, no, not cranberry juice cocktail. I like the Oceanspray 100% stuff. It's what I drink when I'm trying to be healthy. Plus, I've never had a urinary tract infection and I'd like to think it's all thanks to this yummy beverage. Was that too much info?

Since it has been ever-so-chilly here in Houston, I have made good use of my seat warmers in my car.

The majority of the year the seat warmers only serve as a tool for Grant and I to aggravate each other. When one of us is distracted, the other one will quickly (and in a subtle way) turn the other's seat warmer to high and then wait and then crack up hysterically when they start to squirm and then look down and see that their seat warmer is on when it is 98 degrees outside. It never gets old!

I'm just gonna come out and say it, I do love me some antibiotics.

Last Wednesday I woke up and felt like I had been hit by a train. Twice. Then, I felt like some magical little fairies had flown into my throat and scratched it up with their fairy wands. Then, the fairies proceeded to stab me in the throat with pricks from a cactus and then bounce from cactus prick to cactus prick. Also, they poured maple syrup into my ears.

Anyhoo, I went to the most awkward doctor this side of the Mississippi River who prescribed some drugs which I happily took and when I woke up Friday morning I felt like a new woman.

I can't believe we haven't talked about this till now. Did you know that Panera is now serving macaroni and cheese? OH YES THEY ARE.

What I love most is that when I was googling an image to use for Panera's macaroni and cheese, this image turned up from someone else's blog. A fellow blogger was so impressed by the macaroni and cheese that she took a picture of her meal and blogged about it. IT IS SO GOOD. You simply must try it.

LASH BLAST LUXE, by Covergirl. It make your lashes explode and it has just the tiniest bit of shimmer.


Please pray for me as this morning my LASH BLAST LUXE by COVERGIRL fell under the seat of my car (with the lid on, thank goodness) and I have yet to be able to retrieve it.

Does anyone else watch "How I Met Your Mother"?

We now own all the seasons on DVD and are almost finished with Season 4. WE LOVE THIS SHOW. Cracks us up. It's a good premise too and I am anxious to see how it ends. They have the same chemistry that the cast of Friends did.

What you are seeing below is my cookware, made by famed chef Emeril Lagasse. To be honest, I don't think he had much to do with these pots and pans other than put his name on them. Regardless, my sister Shannon gave them to me as a wedding gift and I love love love them. I wish they still looked like they do in that picture though...

The Chi iron. I've had so many posts about the chi. It is a gift and I think women all over the world have better hair thanks to straightening irons in general.

While we're on the subject of hair, I'd like to introduce you to Aussie Aussome Volume hairspray. I very much enjoy it. So does my dog. He goes nuts when I spray it!

Lastly, I am currently a big fan of cardboard boxes.

Fun fact: the ONE good thing about moving around Christmas time is that all of your online Christmas shopping is delivered to you in a giant cardboard box that you can use to box up your housewares! :)

So it's not exactly "girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes" or "toybells and sleighbells and schnitzel with noodles", but these are a few of my favorite things!

Less Than 2 Weeks

We close on our home in less than two weeks. LESS THAN TWO EVER-LOVING WEEKS. You must be thinking "well surely she has done everything she can do to prepare for this big move!".

Surely, surely, I say unto you, I HAVE DONE NOTHING.

I have not started packing. Everything hanging on the walls is still on the walls. I have not scheduled movers. I have not called a company to get a quote about removing the most horrid wallpaper in the world. (Grant thinks we can wait on this and just "deal with" the bad wallpaper for "a few months" but THAT IS NOT HAPPENING). I have not selected living room furniture. We are down to DAYS here people and I am equally as close as being ready today as I was two weeks ago.


I'll admit it, I am procrastinating. I have ALOT going on this week. Two Christmas parties for work are on the schedule, and for one of the parties I am in charge of making banana bread, chicken salad sandwiches, chips and queso, and sausage balls. However, I will not have too much time to make all that since we are having dress rehearsals this week for our big Christmas production that is taking place this weekend. My kids are singing two songs (that aren't well-polished just yet) and I just can't start a new project while I am working on this project.


I was thinking about how we need to call the electricity company, the trash company, the water company, the security alarm company, the cable company..... all these companies that need to set us up in our new house..... and again, I would rather not do that this week.


Did I mention Christmas shopping and gift wrapping?


The clock is ticking. The whole "this is actually happening, you are actually moving" is starting to sink in and I'm considering eating a lot of fettucine alfredo for lunch to make myself feel better. Or maybe a hot dog. Haven't decided yet.

Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

Well, folks... it is officially snowing here in Houston, Texas. And not just like little sleet things that kinda look like snow. REAL snow. LEGIT snow. BIG BIG snowflakes. I'm on the 14th floor of my office building and have watched the Lord show off this morning. It has been absolutely beautiful. AND, I get to leave work early today! WOO HOO! For your northerners I know this sounds silly to you but I can count on one hand the amount of times this has happened in my 25 years of life, so we are kinda excited down here in the great south!

I plan on getting in sweats and drinking hot chocolate, WITH MARSHMALLOWS, THANKYOUVERYMUCH, and putting the Snuggie to good use. Hooray for a SNOW DAY!

Grant is already at home today and he just took this picture with his Blackberry and sent it to me. That's our little Moxie, enjoying his walk in the snow.

That is outside of our apartment. Ya know, our new house (that we are closing on in TWO WEEKS) has a gas-log fireplace in the living room. If we lived there right now... tonight would totally be a fireplace night :)

Merry Christmas everybody. Thank you Lord, for this fun day. STAY SAFE out there people. You know we Houstonians are absolutely stupid when it comes to driving in cold weather!