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CHI's in HAITI

Think they even know what a CHI is in Haiti? I doubt it. Last night I was complaining about STILL not having a CHI (hair straightener - mine broke last week and I'm eagerly awaiting my new one to arrive in the mail) when I realized just how bratty it was for me to complain about something so insignificant when there are people ALL over the world with much MUCH bigger problems. When put in perspective, it was hard for me to feel even a tiny little bit sorry for myself. I have frizzy hair, big WHOOP. Many of the people in Haiti have nothing, literally. The more I hear on the news, the more I understand just how devastating the situation really is. I really worry that there is no way for the people of Haiti to recover from this. How will they rebuild?

The entire situation has been weighing heavily on my heart. I've felt a nagging to step up and contribute in some way. So instead of just feeling sorry for all the people in pain and suffering right now I decided I needed to take action. A famous person once said, "One man's trash is another man's treasure" and I believe it! These wise words inspired me to host a garage sale this weekend to benefit World Vision's Haiti Relief Fund. That's right folks, we are going to give our garage sale earnings (however little or much that should be) to support the efforts of World Vision to help those in Haiti. Hopefully we will have a good turnout and make some money! Not only that, I hope that bringing it to people's attention will help encourage them to do something whether it's give time, money or resources to the cause. It's all about raising awareness!

So if you're reading this and will be in the area on Saturday, please stop by! You might leave with a new treasure and you will definitely leave knowing you've done your good deed for the day!

Christmas Gifts and Goodies -

I am far too spoiled. I got everything (and more) that I wanted for Christmas. I got things that I didn't even know I needed until I saw them. It was a great holiday and just another reminder of how lucky we are to have such wonderful friends and family. Lots of my gifts were cooking/baking related so I am going to have to do a much better job of making homemade goodies. Here are a few of my latest creations:

Some of our other favorite Christmas Gifts:

-Roomba: it really does work and we LOVE it...bye, bye dust bunnies
-Beatles Rock Band: who knew Brett and I were so musically gifted?
-Bobbin Winder: I was winding by hand. If you know anything about sewing you know how INSANE that is! It's     a lifesaver!
-Coats: I got two cute new coats...just what I needed!!

-stainless steel mandolin: it will slice anything with ease...including fingers. I must careful. But now I feel like a real pro chef with it.  

Resolutions:

So 2010 is off to a great start…however my New Year's Resolutions are not. So far, I'm doing a pretty lousy job keeping most of them:

My 2010 Goals:

- Blog More (welp…clearly that one isn't going so well….it only took me 17 days to post my first entry of 2010.)

- Work out 3 times a week ( I worked out Jan. 1st and 2nd…but then it got super cold and I went back into hibernation. Brett says next week is supposed to be pretty. I hope so. I just HATE running in the cold!!)

- Get up earlier each morning and take time for a morning devotional (I always ALWAYS have a better day when I start it off right...but so far it's just not happening...I think I've only gotten up early 2 times.)

- Always leave the house dressed to impress (this one's going so-so…I've at least been trying harder to look cute-r no matter where I go. You never know who you will run into, but inevitably, you will see someone you wish you hadn't if you are looking scrubby!)

- Get organized (still a work in progress….I have much organizing still left to do. Luckily Brett is really good at helping me with this one)

Brett's Goals:

-Brush teeth 2 times a day (I'm proud of his new interest in dental health!)

-Run 40 miles a week (this is nothing new for him, but I still think it's an admirable goal...phew that's alot of running)

-Go to church 3 times a month (this gets hard when we are out of town but when we are here, we have no good reason NOT to attend)

-Get up earlier (clearly, this is a struggle for both of us)

The good thing is that we have the rest of the year to continue to work towards these resolutions. I really do want to do better. I'll pretend that we just waited so long to get started because we didn't want to burn-out too early and then not follow-through all year, yeah, that's it.

Below is a best/worst list that Brett and I both filled out. I meant to post it before the end of 2009…opps, didn't happen. Oh well, here it is now:

Brett's 2009 Best/Worst List -
Favorite Band of the year: Dredg
Favorite Song of the year: Jamais Vu - Dredg
Favorite sports team of the year: Texas Rangers
Best memory of the year: Christmas Eve at our new house
Worst experience of the year: mile 15-26 of Rock and Roll Marathon
One thing you learned this year: owning a house is hard work
Favorite movie of the year: Step Brothers
Favorite TV show of the year: Modern Family
Favorite recipe of the year: Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches
Biggest success: Cowtown Half Marathon
Biggest mistake: paying to go to the Texas A&M vs. Tech game
Coolest place you went this year: Town Lake in Austin

Molly's 2009 Best/Worst List -
Favorite Band of the year: Artist - Priscilla Ahn
Favorite Song of the year: can't pick one song but I've enjoyed listening to the Ingrid Michaelson station on Pandora
Favorite sports team of the year: Texas Tech football team
Best memory of the year: Our first night in our new home
Worst experience of the year: realizing that our Wii was missing and that we'd been robbed
One thing you learned this year: Despite hardships, we are so blessed!
Favorite movie of the year: The Proposal ( I didn't see many new ones this year)
Favorite TV show of the year: Modern Family
Favorite recipe of the year: Anything that Brett grilled...yum!
Biggest success: Saving enough to purchase our first home
Biggest mistake: ignoring the warning signs of a kidney infection
Coolest place you went this year: Opening Day for the Rangers….(not really but I can earn some points with this answer!) : )

UP - Not for the weak at heart:

Two weekends ago, while Brett was out of town I decided to pay our local Red Box a visit and rent some "chick flicks." Instead, I left with the cartoon, UP. I'd heard it was kinda sad but really good. I wanted to see for myself. Note to readers: Bring out the Kleenex before you even start the movie. It is a tear jerker…but worth the tears! For being a kid's movie it seemed to have a pretty grown-up story-line. I'm glad I watched it. I definitely came away with an important life lesson.

        -Life is an adventure: It's all in how you look at it: it may not be full of money, glamour or exotic vacations and "adventures" but that doesn't make it any less special. Sometimes the fun is in all of the little events and excitements that happen every day. If you are waiting for a MONUMENTAL adventure, you may miss all the mini adventures that come your way. I've been sad this past year that Brett and I haven't been able to go on a cool vacation. I wanted that to be our big adventure this year. However instead, we had so many other memorable moments and I wouldn't trade them for anything.
       

The Woes of Parenthood:

Maddie is in her "teenage years" and becoming a bit of a handful lately. Since it's been so cold, combined with the fact that she is our little Houdini, we've been letting her stay inside the house while we are at work. Well, she's been getting worse and worse about getting into things while we are away. It started off innocent enough but Sunday she took things way too far and made a HUGE mess on the couch. It was then that I decided we were going to have to do something to keep her out of our pantry and all our food. See her last (hopefully) mess!

New Furniture on the horizon?!?!

Brett and I have been patiently waiting till the day we could afford a new couch. Well, we are getting closer to that day and in preparation we have been testing "scenarios" on our drawn-to-scale floor plan Brett made for us. Now I'm not typically one that likes to plan big purchases…I'm more of an impulse buyer (ahem, my big plasma TV), but Brett likes to really think things over first. I guess it's really pretty smart of him…just kidding, it's extremely wise of him.

Here's what we did to plan out our future living room:

We did take the plunge and buy the furniture this weekend. Very exciting!! Sadly, it does not arrive until January 30th but it will be just in time for Super Bowl Sunday. I can't wait. We bought a couch and matching love seat as well as a rug. I think it will make our living room look even better than before. Here are a few pictures....but they of course don't do the furniture justice. So everyone will need to come see it in person once it arrives.

This is a swatch of the rug we bought:

Brett testing out our future couch..he looks comfy.



 

 

We're RICH!!

Brett and I were checking out at Walmart Sunday when we were reminded of the fact that we're RICH. Here's how the conversation went:

(Staring at a Snuggie made especially for dogs, we were contemplating getting one for Buster)

Me: I wish we'd thought of the Snuggie. If we had, we'd be rich right now.
Brett: Yeah, it's so ridiculous people just buy them as a joke. These people created Snuggies as a BIT and now they're making money off of it.

At this point the cashier interrupted and said that she realized long ago that she might never be rich in worldly things so she needed to be rich in the things that mattered. WOW! Pretty profound words to hear in the Wal-mart checkout line! Life lessons pop up in very unexpected places if you are paying attention. In this case, I'm sure glad I wasn't too pre-occupied with Snuggies to get the message.

I continued the conversation with the lady and told her that it sounded like her priorities were in check. She was definitely on to something.  As we walked out to the car, Brett and I discussed how RICH we really are. I began to think about this woman behind the cash register. If  she can be content with her life and circumstances and consider herself rich, why can't the rest of us? Most of us have higher paying jobs, and would consider it perhaps an embarrassment to work at America's favorite superstore. But the riches she spoke of had nothing to do with her employer but more importantly with her Savior, our Savior. We could all learn a thing or two from her.

What if instead of counting our money (or lack there of) we counted all of our blessings?  We would be millionaires many times over!! What if instead of tallying our hardships we tallied all of the important life lessons we've learned? We are blessed beyond imagination and we forget daily of everything that we have.

Society has taught us to focus on what we are lacking. The media wants us to feel like we un-whole if we don't:
-have the product they are promoting
-watch the shows they are advertising
-share the beliefs they are broadcasting

I am ashamed to admit that I often find myself throwing pity parties when things in life are less than perfect. It can be defeating to focus on all the negatives. Instead we should really think of all the ways we are RICH.

I am happy to say Brett and I are:
(just to name a few)
RICH IN LOVE - we are loved and in love
RICH IN MEMORIES - already we've shared new experiences that we will never forget
RICH IN LAUGHTER - we find ways to laugh in the midst of stressful, difficult times
RICH IN FRIENDSHIPS - we have lifelong friends that bless our lives each day
RICH IN FAITH - we recognize where our blessings come from and we are thankful

None of us know what the future holds. We can not count on being wealthy by earthly standards. Possessions do not hold their value. Look closely at your life and you will see so many new ways to count your life fortune.

Our Halls are Decked!
Christmas is only 17 days away and we have donned our gay apparel and really gotten into the Christmas Spirit!! Here are a few pictures...we only have 3 trees this year but I'm hopeful for more next year. Can one have too many trees?!?!

A Wii-ly Wii-ly Bad Emergenc-wii

I suppose in an attempt to make our lives into more interesting stories, God let hardship come our way last week. Last Thursday night while Brett and I were watching TV, we both realized, almost at the same moment, that our Wii console was not in its usual spot in the entertainment stand. Brett automatically thought I was up to something and had moved it. I quickly assured him that I had not. My heart stopped. Had someone really broken into our home and stolen things that belonged to us? Slowly we put the pieces of the puzzle together and realized that they had. Along with our missing Wii and Wii games, we discovered the following missing items:

-Brett’s Texas Tech Ring

-Some of Brett’s luggage/backpacks

-Brett’s watch

-Our piggy bank with our life savings in change ($35 dollars in change!!!)

-2 ipods

-My Dad’s High School ring (given to me as a wedding gift)

Now, everything above, except my dad’s ring, can be replaced. So you could definitely say that it “could be worse” but it’s still pretty crappy and disturbing when someone comes into your property and violates you by taking things that do not belong to them. I am really having trouble having any compassion for this low-life LOSER. I should be praying for them, or something but I don’t want to. I am so angry!!

So we filed a police report shortly after our discovery and were basically told that there was nothing they could do and that we most likely wouldn’t see our things again. Gee, thanks!

We have filed a claim with our insurance company and hopefully they will decide to reimburse us for some of what we’ve lost. It’s just a shame that people think it’s ok to take things that don’t belong to them. It is important to remember that stealing is stealing no matter how big or small the thing is that you are taking. If it’s not yours, DON’T TAKE IT!!

Brett's Big Race

Brett ran the Rock N' Roll marathon last weekend in San Antonio. I was proud of him before but seeing him turn the corner and run the last 100 yards to the finish line was one of my proudest moments as his wife. What an accomplishment! I think marathons are quite emotional. You literally see thousands of people pushing their bodies to the limit. It's incredibly inspiring! Brett has more determination, perseverance, and motivation than anyone else I know....including me. I have a lot to learn from him. Although I don't have any desire to run a marathon, it does help me realize the importance of setting goals and working hard to achieve them. If Brett can do it, so can I. GREAT JOB BRETT. I COULDN'T BE PROUDER!!!!!!!

While in San Antonio, we stayed with our good friends Kelly and Ryan Moody. They are expecting a little girl soon but were so accommodating to us! They showed us a great time and we are so grateful to have them! Ryan was our navigator on race day so he drove us all over San Antonio to watch Brett at different mile markers. I am NOT familiar with San Antonio and couldn't have gotten around without him. He was great!! And Kelly was such a trooper. She's 9 almost 10 months pregnant and walked all over the place with us and never once complained. She was a great cheerleader and I was glad to have her. Thank you thank you Moodys! I CAN'T wait to meet little Moody!!

Give Thanks!

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching. Brett and I are having our first Thanksgiving feast in our new home and we are so excited. My family is coming in town for the holiday and we hope to impress them with a great meal. Here's our menu:

-Butternut Squash Soup (served in little pumpkins)

-Turkey (this will be my first turkey to cook)

-Brisket (Brett makes a mean brisket)

                                   -Green Bean Casserole (it's a classic)

                                   -Broccoli Casserole

                                   -Mashed Potatoes

                                   -Brown Gravy

                                   -Pink salad (the kind with the marshmallows)

                                   -Dressing

                                   -Pumpkin Pie

                                   -Pecan Pie

                                   -Baklava (my dad is famous for his baklava)

I'm excited already. It should be a yummy meal! We will feast and be thankful for all of our many blessings. HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!

Life Story

Fifteen Things God Won’t Ask
  by: Author Unknown, Source Unknown

God won’t ask what kind of car you drove, but will ask how many people you drove who didn’t have transportation. God won’t ask the square footage of your house, but will ask how many people you welcomed into your home. God won’t ask about the fancy clothes you had in your closet, but will ask how many of those clothes helped the needy. God won’t ask about your social status, but will ask what kind of class you displayed. God won’t ask how many material possessions you had, but will ask if they dictated your life. God won’t ask what your highest salary was, but will ask if you compromised your character to obtain that salary. God won’t ask how much overtime you worked, but will ask if you worked overtime for your family and loved ones. God won’t ask how many promotions you received, but will ask how you promoted others. God won’t ask what your job title was, but will ask if you reformed your job to the best of your ability. God won’t ask what you did to help yourself, but will ask what you did to help others. God won’t ask how many friends you had, but will ask how many people to whom you were a true friend. God won’t ask what you did to protect your rights, but will ask what you did to protect the rights of others. God won’t ask in what neighborhood you lived, but will ask how you treated your neighbors. God won’t ask about the color of your skin, but will ask about the content of your character. God won’t ask how many times your deeds matched your words, but will ask how many times they didn’t. I found this online the other day and it really got in my head and made me think long and hard about the priorities in my life. It's good to remember what really matters and what doesn't. Sometimes it's easy to get the two confused. I can't tell you how much time I've wasted thinking about such trivial things: my job, money, and popularity. Worrying about what everyone else thinks really doesn't matter!!

This Sunday, Donald Miller, a popular Christian author (best known for writing Blue Like Jazz) spoke at our church. He is on a big tour for his new book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. He was great and his words were thought-provoking. I had never had things presented to me in the way he did but it was very enlightening. Again I started to question my priorities and the "story" I am living.

Miller's new book is all about living a life that matters...even if that means re-writing your life "story" to make it incredible. What a concept! According to him, life shouldn't be easy or conflict free.(It's the commercials and society that teach us that life is supposed to be simple.) If it is, then we are merely coasting along through life. 

I know I am guilty of avoiding conflict like the plague or not doing things I know I should because I don't want to feel "uncomfortable." I stay in my little comfort zone so as to not have to experience anything scary. Yes, I'll admit it, I'm a WIMP and currently my life story is pretty wimpy. What do I really do to challenge myself? What remarkable things do I do for others?

I am currently reading Miller's book and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fresh outlook on life. Miller's definition of a story is this:

A character that wants something and overcomes conflict to get it.

So simple, yet so profound. Think about all the good movies out there, they are all about a character wanting something and facing challenges to get it. If there isn't a challenge, we won't watch the movie....however we still think initially that conflict is bad. Maybe it's not so bad afterall. Miller says conflict "serves us well." I think maybe he's right!

So how will I make my life a good story? How will I make sure that when I leave this earth, I lived a life that really mattered? Well, for starters I can stop being selfish and give more of myself. 

While at Miller's event, I had the opportunity to sponsor a child in need, no, make that two children in need. One is a boy in the U.S. that is growing up in a father-less home. I joined a program (actually Miller's non-profit called  that is going to provide him with a mentor/father-figure. Did you know that 85% of the prison community in the U.S. grew up in father-less homes? Just think if every child in this country had a father or mentor to guide them through life, we could greatly reduce the number of prisons in our country. Pretty cool initiative he's started. If you are looking for a good cause to support, this is definitely one. The video shows more:

Mentoring Spotlight - Ben and Dennis from The Mentoring Project on Vimeo.

The other child I'm sponsoring through World Vision is Jose. He lives in Honduras. Although I know very little about him now, I should be receiving more information in the near future. I do know that he has a birthday coming up, December 24th. I hope to send him a birthday card!

Knowing that I am making a difference in two lives is a great feeling. I hope to be able to do more in the future, but for now I am excited to know that I am helping others instead of just worrying about myself. I've tithed my money in the past but this is the first time it feels real to me that I am directly helping someone else. I know exactly where my money is going and who it is helping. It's pretty cool!

I'm still going to think about my "Story" and what I can do to really kick it up a notch but for now, I am pleased with my new outlook on life.

I'll leave you with this final thought from Miller:

If you think life is meaningless, you should consider instead that maybe your life is meaningless. And only YOU can do something about that.

So get out there and Do Something That Matters!!

Kidney Infections = Nothing to KID about!

As many of you know, the last few days have been rough for Brett & I. However, I have been so overwhelmed by the love and support of my friends and family. I really didn't want the extra attention but I can't deny that it has been nice. Sometimes I feel invisible and wonder (hopefully this is normal) if people would notice if I was gone. Now, I can happily say that I think they would!! Brett & I want to thank everyone for their phone calls, messages, visits, gifts, food, and flowers. It really did feel nice to know so many people care about us and would go out of their way for us! THANK YOU!!

Here's a not-so-quick run down of what happened:

On Thursday of last week, I left work after lunch because I wasn't feeling well. I was feeling nauseous and having sharp pains in my lower right abdomen area. I really didn't think much of it but since I was uncomfortable at work, I planned to go home and sleep it off. Around 4 I was ready to call the doctor. My doctor wasn't taking any more appointments for the day so I called Brett crying and told him we needed to go to a clinic. He was a dear and came straight home to take me to a Care Now Clinic (also referred to me by friends as a "Doc in the Box"). After about an hour wait, I was taken to see the "doc" and about another hour later I left with a diagnosed UTI and some prescriptions that were supposed to make me feel better by the end of the night.

We immediately filled the prescriptions and I took them according to my instructions but by midnight that night, I was feeling just as bad if not worse. I was in so much pain and I couldn't eat or drink anything without getting sick. I woke Brett up and was finally ready to throw in the towel. I told him we needed to go to the emergency room.

We didn't have to wait long in the emergency room (less than 5 minutes) before they took me back and started assessing me. Within a couple of hours they were admitting me into the hospital with a kidney infection and an infected kidney stone.

Friday around noon, I was taken into surgery for a quick procedure to help eliminate the infection in my kidney. They put me under and I am happy to report that I don't remember a thing about it. I spent the rest of Friday in the hospital and then was released Saturday morning.

I slept most of the weekend away and let Brett take care of me...which he completely did! He went above and beyond the call of duty and I am so grateful to have him! He really is an incredible man and I don't tell him enough how much I appreciate what he does for me. But I've already nominated him for HUSBAND OF THE YEAR. Here's just a few reasons why:

While in the hospital -

- He held my hand and did his best to be brave while they put in my IV (he's the one afraid of needles)

- He talked to me while we waited and tried to keep me entertained so I wasn't focused on the pain

- He tied my hospital gown closed (knowing I'm modest and didn't want to show the world my tushie)

- He wheeled my IV for me and made sure it didn't get tangled when I wobbled to the bathroom (countless times)

- He combed my hair for me when I had visitors so that I looked a little more presentable

- He cut up my hospital food into small bites so that it was easier to eat

- He spent the night on a crappy fold out chair and never once complained

- He answered multiple phone calls and kept friends and family informed of my condition

- He stayed on me to do my breathing exercises as instructed so that my lungs would return to normal

- He came home after filling all of my prescriptions with beautiful tulips for me

- He cooked a wonderful dinner for me and my friends on Sunday night

- He cleaned the house while I slept

The list could go on and on. He is WONDERFUL!! As we share new life experiences, like hospital visits, it just brings us closer and makes me realize how lucky I am to have him to journey though life with. We are a team and he is a solid teammate. I'm so blessed he chose me!

The good news is that I am back at work and feeling much better. I return to the doctor on Friday afternoon so that we can re-evaluate my condition. I'm hoping that the kidney stone is gone...but we shall see. I'll keep you all posted!

I tried to find the humor in the situation. Here's a clip from a Friends episode where Joey gets a kidney stone:

A few pictures to document the event:

Beautiful Flowers from friends  


Lovely orange tulips from Brett










                          


 Proof that I was actually in the hospital

  

Flowers below from a thoughtful co-worker

So, needless to say, this week has been pretty much all about me at home. But next week is going to be ALL ABOUT BRETT week. Next weekend we are traveling to San Antonio and Brett is running a FULL MARATHON on Sunday, November 15th. I am already so proud of him and the hard work he has put in training. And I know I will be so excited to see him cross the finish line!! Anyway, next week I want to make sure that he is mentally, emotionally and physically ready for the big run....so next week will be all about my little runner boy!