We did it!!

On November 20th I married my dearest friend and the man I love more than I ever imagined I could. We had a very simple ceremonly with just the two of us and the minister. There was also someone there to take picutes, but we don't have a lot of great ones. I'll postone we took before the service in our backyard. We took it ourselves so of course it's not too great. But it's us and we are happy!! I'll post more when I have more time and I'm not heading to bed. We are babysitting for a friend of mine that had surgery today. Her five year old daughter is staying with us for a couple of days. She has kept us busy tonight, but we have loved every minute of it!!
I am so thankful that God brought Barry into my life. I look forward to soooo many happy years with him. Life is so good!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Thought I'd start with something funny!

I have so many things to be thankful for this year!

• I have the most amazing man in my life. He is kind, loving and supportive of my dreams. He has a sense of humor that makes me laugh out loud so very often. He has a faith in God and in our love that doesn't waver. For all of those things and so many more I am thankful that God put him in my life.



• I have the most supportive family a girl could ask for. My mom has always been there to encourage me when things were good and especially when things were not so good. She has been a role model for me and a true inspiration. My sister has been through a lot in her life, but has always kept a sense of humor. Julie will tell it like it is and though it may be hard to hear at times, it's usually what I need to hear. She is the most wonderful mother to the most beautiful baby boy! Our family has so much to be thankful for with the arrival of Cooper this year. It was a tough pregnancy for her and we were often worried, but God knew that we needed this little boy in our lives. I thank Him everyday for keeping Julie and Cooper safe.



• Friends....wow! I have some good ones! I've got the truest, bluest friends! My friends have also been there for me when times were tough! They have supported me in my worst times, cried with me when I needed that and laughed with me at all sorts of funny things. I truly do have the best friends. Not a day goes by that I don't miss my friends back in Michigan. Lucky for me, I have lots of minutes on my cell phone and what would I do without the internet?? I have also made some dear friends here in Texas. I am so thankful for all of you that are in my life.



• Barry's family has been so wonderful since the day I met them. They have welcomed me into their family and made me feel a part of it right since the beginning. His parents are the kindest, caring, helpful and thoughtful parents. I am lucky to be part of their family. I am thankful that they have encouraged and helped Barry to become the man he is. Barry's brother, sister-in-law and their children have also been terrific. They have made me feel so comfortable from day one. Their children are lots of fun and I love spending time with them. I am just thankful for Barry's entire family.



• I have so many other things I am thankful for, but those are the main ones. I have a very blessed life right now. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. Remember to take time to tell the people you love how much you appreciate them.

Choose Love

24 years ago yesterday my dad passed away. He was 48 years old and had a heart attack at work. His best friend was there and said it was quick and he was gone before he hit the floor. He tried CPR and said there was just nothing he could do. Given the choice between a quick death or a long and painful death, I think we'd all choose quick. My dad left behind two daugters, one 12 and the other 10, as well as a wife who loved him deeply. He was truly the love of her life and she his. How do I know this? Not just by their actions, but also because my mom still says that. After all these years, my mom has never remarried or even dated. It makes me sad at times that she is alone, but it also makes me happy. To know that my parents were so in love that my mom doesn't feel she could ever find anyone who would even compare to my dad is pretty amazing. We live in an age now where some people marry and divorce as often as some women buy new bras. It really is a testament to the type of love and committment my parents shared. That type of love requires a deep committment and dedication to one another. I know that there must have been times that weren't always easy for them. They had to have went through some struggles, but they made a choice. They chose to love one another each day, even when they were mad at one another or when times were tough. They chose to remain committed to one another and to take their vows seriously. They chose to honor God with their marriage and to raise a family where God was the center. I know this because in those 12 years I had with my mom AND dad, I had the most wonderful childhood. I felt secure in the love my parents had for us as well as for eachother. I never doubted my parents love for one another or for my sister or me. My childhood was happy and full of joy. So today, I honor not only my father, but more importantly my mother. You see, even after my dad died, she continued to raise us in a way that would have made my dad so very proud of her. She has truly been an inspiration to me. I know that my marriage to Barry will not always be easy, but I will love him just like my mom and dad loved one another.

Michigan in the Fall

There's just really no place like Michigan in the Fall. I absolutely love the beautiful colors and chilly temps! I miss waking up to that brisk Autumn air and watching the sunrise on my drive into school. I miss wearing a jacket or vest to stay warm. I miss the smell of the leaves and of the campfires the neighbors have. Yes, it's true, there really is no place like Michigan in the Fall!!

I just spent an action packed weekend in Michigan. It was a fast trip and I was busy most of the time, but I am thrilled I made the trip. I spent most of my time with my family, specifically the sweetest baby ever...Cooper. I was also able to see a few friends and many students from last year when I stopped by the school that where I used to teach. Since there really weren't many big events to tell about from the weekend, I'll let a few pictures do the talking!

Have a great week everyone!

Look at Cooper's blue eyes!

Soooo serious! He wasn't loving those leaves.

He is just such a cutie!

Look at that smile!

Me with my mom and Cooper

Ready for some cool weather...

The title says it all. This sweet little guy is ready for some cooler weather. I am heading to Michigan tomorrow night and can't wait to see him!!! I feel like I am missing so much of his life and it is hard. Don't get me wrong, I am extremely happy right now, but I can't help but feel like I am missing out on so much of Cooper's life. Good thing I love to fly. I'll have LOTS of pictures to share from this weekend.

Proposals, Weddings, and More...

Life doesn't always make sense when we are in the midst of it, but later on when we are able to look back, it makes perfect sense. At times, my life hasn't taken the course I expected it to, but now I know why!! Barry asked me to marry him! He is truly the man I prayed for God to send me. I've never believed there was just one person for everyone. But, I have always believed that God would lead me to a man I prayed about and asked Him for. He did! Barry has so many amazing qualities. I wanted to marry someone who was a christian that would be a spriritual leader for our family and Barry is that for sure. I truly wanted to find someone who I could trust and would never betray me. I know how important that is to him as well. Barry makes me laugh...sometimes at things he says, sometimes at the way he says them. He is kind and thoughtful and quite the romantic. He loves his family...and mine....and he wants to have a family of his own...I know he will be a wonderful father. Most of all I prayed for a man who would be my friend....who I would just enjoy hanging out with and he is definitely that man!
During his proposal, Barry said a lot of things, but one that really sticks out is the fact that he wants to keep God at the center of our relationship and that he knows that if He is, then we can make it through anything. Even though he knows we will have tough times, he knows we can make it if we trust each other and God. I couldn't agree more!

We've decided on a date for the beginning of our life together...December 31st. It might sound a bit cliche, but it has some special meaning for us. We had been talking for a while and that was the day we realized we liked eachother and wanted to spend some time getting to know one another better. We spent the entire day talking. :) We don't have many details yet, but we hope to make some decisions soon. We know it will be small and very meaningful to both of us.

Here's a picutre from a couple weekends ago. We went to his parent's house for his mom's birthday. What a fun day!

Odds and Ends

I just can't seem to make time to update my blog on a regular basis. I was going to make a new header for the fall tonight and then couldn't stay with it long enough to get it done. Soooo....I went with a default format for now with some minor adjustments to the color. Let me know if it's too hard on the eyes.

School has been keeping me busy! I am enjoying it, but once again I seem to volunteer for too many things! Ha! Some things just never change. Barry didn't have any games to officiate on Saturday so we got to spend the entire day together. It was great! We went to lunch and then just ran some errands. We also stopped and checked out some new developments closer to where I am teaching. Well, let me just say that the developers must not think people want a backyard. The yards were soooo small!!! His current house has a great backyard and also a pool. The houses we looked at have a TINY backyard and not even room for a kiddie pool. We just couldn't see paying so much more for so much less. His house is older, but he has done soooo much work on it and it is really perfect for us right now. It has an open floorplan which we want in anything we buy down the road. For now, we have decided that we aren't going to make any plans right now. We weren't planning on doing anything right this second anyway....just for anyone who is curious. We aren't engaged yet, just doing some planning for the future. :) We are enjoying spending time together and seeing one another more than once a month. As hard as it was for me to move, my moving here has been a wonderful opportunity for us to get to know one another even better. We know that God has great things planned for us. I feel very blessed to have Barry in my life.

I'm flying back to Michigan at the end of the month. I'll get to see my family...especially one adorable little baby!!! Julie is even going to let me keep Cooper overnight. I can't wait to see everyone. It will be a short, but fun trip. Hopefully, I'll have some great pics of Cooper to share. Julie isn't too good at taking pictures and forwarding them on to me.
I'll try to update more regularly for those few who actually read my page. For now, I'll leave you with a couple pics.

A cold evening visit to grandma's house needed the fleece one piece outfit. Not even sure what to call it. I think he looks so sweet sleeping in his carseat. Of course I am bias!!

Sam and KC playing around the pool. Sam would not leave that poor girl alone!