...and we're back!

It's been a few weeks. I've meant to blog. I've intended to blog. I've planned to blog. But life sometimes gets in the way, as does laziness, exhaustion, and a number of other things.

Of course you handful of loyal readers know I got married, so why I felt I couldn't post anything till I did a wedding post is a mystery to us all....

a quiz!

I saw this quiz on Shannon's blog and decided I needed an update. Plus, I love quizzes. :)

What's Your True Color?

My Result: Yellow

You're yellow, the color of joy and energy — two things you definitely bring to everyone around you. It's hard for anyone to be sad or lonely in your presence; your sunny disposition and cheery outlook just won't allow it. The warmth of your personality shines through in the kindness you show friends and family (and strangers, too). Always ready with a lighthearted joke or heartfelt compliment, you know how to make people feel good about themselves, so they can't get enough of you. Yellow is a warm and inviting color for a warm and inviting person — you!

What are you?
http://web.tickle.com/jumpto?test=colorogt&c=50652

valentine's came early this year...

I was sitting at my desk, working diligently on about a million projects (or 3) when suddenly, Mark appeared in my doorway with these beautiful roses, chocolates, and the sweetest card ever.

What a delightful surprise!

I thought my flower quota had been met already with the pink roses Mark gave me on Saturday.

Am I raking it in or what?!

There are 30 days to go till THE BIG DAY and I just can't wait to marry this wonderful man. I am blessed beyond measure!

Tag!

My friend Shannon tagged me for this post where you share 7 random and/or weird things about yourself. You're supposed to tag 7 more people, but I'm lazy. Or my lunch break is short. Take your pick. Either way, feel free to tag yourself. I always find it interesting to see what people are willing to share about themselves!




1. I get on these kicks where I like to eat the same thing a lot. Right now, I'm into cereal.



2. Mark's and my wedding is less than 2 months away! I have fooled people into thinking that I'm on top of things and organized. So much so, that it might now actually be true. Fake it till ya make it?



3. Sadly, I've only been to 2 zoos in my lifetime. I need to get out more.



4. I think my verbal filter is on the fritz. I also believe this to be both chronic and hereditary.



5. It has come to my attention that I am the owner of a lot of stuff. Some of it is very nice stuff, and will be available for purchase, barter, or give-away soon. If you're interested in any of these options, let me know. I have already pre-sold my couch and oversized chair....



6. My latest addiction is checking our wedding registries online to see what's been purchased. I've rationalized that this is okay because it helps me plan better. And besides, it doesn't tell you who bought what, so it's still a surprise. I might need professional help.



7. I was thinking recently about how I don't really know people who aren't Christians. Some folks call this the "Christian cocoon." I wonder, do you find yourself in the same situation? If not, how have branched out?

Catching Up -- Nutshell #2

Christmas comes but once a year -- which is probably a good thing as I might need those 365 days to recover!

Mark and I traveled to Harlingen to spend the holiday at Pa Gary and Gram Ava's house (aka: The Whittingtons). Thirteen of us were present and accounted for!

I can't even begin to tell you how much fun we had. We spent the morning of Christmas Eve at South Padre Beach. Let me tell you, it was c-o-l-d! We saw all kinds of stuff from shells to beached portuguese man-of-wars. Very fun! We also went to a candlelight ceremony, which was my first ever. As a side note, it was so strange to be at a church other than Mac and to participate in something I had nothing to do with planning!

As you can see by the presents, not a one of us was lacking come Christmas morning. We had presents for hours -- literally! I haven't been at Christmas with kids since I was one of the kids, so this was a very new perspective for me. And of course I ate it up. Those kids are a hoot!

And these are the kids in question: Hallie, Cassidy, Reed, and Vivian. My life is already fuller with them in it and I can't wait to spend more time together!

Catching Up -- Nutshell #1

I wish I'd documented all the food I ate on my birthday. Mark picked me up from the car shop that morning and took me for breakfast tacos at Bill Miller. And then before I went to Christian Heritage to read at their Christmas Story-A-Thon, he took me for blueberry pancakes at the Magnolia Pancake Haus. And then for dinner, I had the best steak ever, plus yummy potatoes and bread (I tried asparagus, but...oogey) at Ruths Chris Steak House downtown. I even got this delicious key lime pie for dessert!


Of course the other birthday excitement revolved around the news that the major repairs needed to drive my car out of the shop would cost as much as the value of my car. Since Mark and I had already planned on me getting a new vehicle in the spring, we decided to not waste money in fixing Old Black. Our friend Hershel got us hooked up with a guy who owns a salvage yard and was willing to pay what we'd hoped for my car. Plus, he took care of towing it! All's well that ends well. And I am now the proud driver of a Honda CR-V!

Oh, and in case my parents are reading this: I promise not to discard you so casually when your repairs get costly. :)

indiana in the fall

Mark and I visited my parents over Thanksgiving. Our days were full of nothing much, quite frankly. Time for naps, watching football, taking walks, snapping photos, baking, cooking, and eating till we were about to burst. And we even got my parents' Christmas decorations up, tree and all. All in all, it was a good time and I'm glad we were able to spend it together!

Of course what I'm most thankful for in the world is Jesus and the gift of salvation He has given so freely.

But in the spirit of Thanksgiving, here is a Top Ten of some other things I am especially thankful for this year:

1. Mark and the way he loves me

2. My family for their tremendous support

3. My friends who never stop laughing

4. My coworkers who radiate the love of Christ

5. My job which allows me to think of others rather than myself

6. The children who surround me and bring me true delight

7. My iPod, so I can jam out any ol' time I want

8. Diet Dr. Pepper that feeds my caffeine addiction

9. My space heater so I can stay warm

10. My car, that amazingly is still running after all these years

Here Comes The Bride...

Last weekend, Becky, Debbie, and I ventured out for a day of wedding dress shopping. We spent 7 hours among three stores (plus a yummy lunch at Formosa!) and approximately 8,000 dresses, give or take a million.

We forgot to actually tally the number of dresses I tried on, but figured it was somewhere in the vicinity of 45. I never expected it to be so hard. There were a lot of really pretty dresses out there, and I liked almost all of them. And by the end of that exhaustive day, I could hardly tell up from down, let alone distinguish what made this dress different from that dress.

On Sunday, I decided to "chew the elephant in bites," so to speak. I set up a plan to go back to each of the stores on my lunch break and/or after work during the week so I could look through the dresses, try on the stand-outs, and then make a decision.

But as luck, fate, or God's graciousness would have it, it only took me 30 minutes to find THE dress at lunch on Monday. I won't post a picture of it here since Mark occasionally sneaks a peak at the ol' blog, but I absolutely love it and knew it was the dress for me as soon as I put it on. I got goosebumps and tears and didn't want to take it off!

Now that that item is checked-off on my To Do List, I can move on to other seemingly less significant things. Incidentally, I am taking all the help I can get with referrals and recommendations for affordable photography, cake, flowers, and invitations. :)

it's true!

Well, ladies and gentlemen, the day has finally come. I am officially engaged! Woohoo!!! As you can see, my ring is gorgeous and I am blessed beyond belief to be marrying such a wonderful man.

Getting down to the nitty gritty, here's how it happened:
Yesterday was Mark's birthday and he'd taken the initiative to plan a little b-day celebration for himself. Feeling like a terrible girlfriend, I offered to help and was relegated to the measly tasks of making dinner reservations, decorating his house with balloons and streamers, and buying ice cream.




After dinner, we went back to Mark's house for cake and ice cream and presents. The very last present, it seemed, was for me. Mark opened the little white box to reveal a little blue box that held the sparkly, diamond-encrusted promise of our future together. In front of everyone, Mark asked if I'd marry him and of course I said yes!

We are planning for a March 15th wedding, so stay tuned for details!

fall

If you know me even remotely well, it will come as no surprise to you that I sometimes struggle with decision-making on ridiculous, trivial issues such as favorites. It's almost painful for me to pick one single, solitary thing as my absolute favorite of whatever category you choose. I don't know exactly why...but it feels confining to me in an odd way to have to narrow every option down to just one that I love more than any other. Why can't I have them all?!

One exception to this rule: my favorite season. Without a doubt, hands down, my favorite season is fall.

Fall is a glorious time of year when the temperature cools (unless you live in south Texas) and the leaves turn colors (at least they will this year since they didn't burn out in a dry summer) and spicey scents fill the air (thanks to my candle collection). It signals the fun holidays of Halloween and Thanksgiving with Christmas not far behind. It just plain makes me happy.

And because it makes me happy, I like to celebrate the first day of fall with its very own party. This year, that included Mark making me a lunch of roast, potatoes, carrots, and such -- topped off with carrot cake for dessert. I loved it!

If you didn't yet celebrate, have no fear. Fall is so fabulous you can celebrate it all season long. Just grab your fall must-haves (pumpkin bread, wassail, a scarf?) and get to it.

"This is the day that the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."