Jack's Mannequin & why I love Andrew

I haven't posted in a few days. The hectic new schedule I am adjusting to can be blamed for that. I will try to be better this week.

On Wednesday, Colton and I went to see Jack's Mannequin (I will go ahead and put it out there, that they are my favorite band. Yes, I am aware of the fact that the CD has explicit lyrics, I own it. It is due to one song that has the "f" word in it. I don't want anyone to get upset.) It is, by far, my favorite band to see live. :) The pictures kinda stink because of all the fog in the venue.

Andrew (the lead singer) found out at 22 that he had Lukemia. I am 22 now and can't imagine how I would take the news. He battled cancer, chemo and the sickness that came with it all. I don't know if it was his attitude through the battle. His amazing piano playing skills, his lyrics, or the fact that he puts on an incredible concert, but I love him. We found out that he is going back to his old band, so there may not be anymore.

I wanted to upload a video, but it was taking entirely too long. Maybe I will edit and upload a clip or two.

We have an engagement shoot tonight and hopefully we'll be able to get things cleaned up around the apartment. It looks terrible. :/

Energy-less

Edit: No, the news is not that I am pregnant. haha. :)

This new job has kicked my butt. I literally have no energy left when I get home. Imagine that. Spending 8 hours with 4 year olds and not having energy at 5:30 pm. tehe.

Friday was a hard day. It was hard watching the snow melt away. Hard going to work for just a few hours. Hard day at work. Hard night at home. I did get beautiful tulips from my lovely Husband though.

Saturday, I worked in the morning and my beautiful sister in law came over and spent the night. We worked on math until late Saturday night. We also went to one of Colton's shoots. So much fun!

Sunday, we went to church and celebrated Valentines Day by seeing the movie at Studio Movie Grill (and all you can eat pizza).

Monday, I had to be at work at 6 am for a training in Arlington and didn't get home until 7pm. Whew! Long day. I did get some really exciting news I can't wait to share, but it will probably be this summer I can do it. (You can email me if you are curious, I just don't want to post it on the online world).

Tuesday was a lot better. The kids were rowdy, but I'm used to that. I had a schedule set up with lesson plans and it worked AWESOME!! Things are looking up. We also drove around downtown Wylie (so cute!) and looked at our house again. Then, we ended up at Rooms to Go and bought our BEAUTIFUL bedroom set. I am SO EXCITED. It is the one I have wanted for so long now...and it is ours!! Eeeeekk!!

Closing date is in 19 days!!!!!!

My next post may be more insightful, but I want to get things together for our concert tonight (Jack's Mannequin). I have been looking forward to this since December and it is finally here. Yay!!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

If you know me AT ALL, you know that I love (and I mean LOVE) the cold. I love hot cocoa, I love fireplaces, I love ice cream, everything cold. I really enjoy when it snows. We actually received record breaking snow. I could not be happier. When Colton got home, we bundled up, took Chuck and ran outside. We gathered snow for homemade ice cream, made a snowman, threw snowballs at Chuck and each other, made snow angels, ran in open fields by our apartment and had a blast. I am so excited it will still be here tomorrow so we can repeat the craziness. Enjoy these pictures. They are way overdue.

Look at those ears. :) *swoon*

I had to add some kind of chocolate. hehe.

And at last, I will leave you with this obnoxious video. Yes, we pegged Chuck over and over with snow, but he loved it. And yes I do say the word "sucks" so if that is a bad word don't watch it. hehe.

Ms. (Mrs.) Jessica

So I am officially Ms. Jessica. I have a classroom with 20 something kids (They haven't all been there at the same time, so I don't know exactly how many). No desk, no computer, no phones...just kids. Playing, reading, coloring and more. Right now it is super unorganized. They haven't had any structure at all. I am working on ways to get them quiet (give me a 5, "this is my ___ voice", red yellow green, etc). Right now they have minds of their own. I am working hard to break through their stubbornness and remembering they are all 4 (and a couple 5s). I also have a two hour lunch break. It is awesome that I live so close, because I can come home, let Chuck out, and relax...however, it blows once we move away and I will have no where to go (except the mall...which could be exciting. haha). The second half of the day is hardest. The kids are full of energy and unwilling to cooperate. Once I get the room together, this should change. I just need to bring in some organization and a clear schedule for them and the parents. It will be nice.

More updates on all that later. I want to enjoy my last hour with a banana split and some rest. :)

Weekend Update

We decided to put our apartment for rent on Craigslist to see if we can save on the last two months of rent. That would be SO AWESOME if we could. :)

Saturday- I worked in the morning. After work, Colton and I headed to the Old Red Courthouse for bridal portraits. They turned out AMAZING!! SO GORGEOUS. I am really excited about her wedding, because it will be beautiful (Colton can't post sneaks until AFTER the wedding, but it will be worth the wait). Then, we went to Cheesecake Factory (the first time at the Northpark one together) the Container Store (I could live there, seriously), and a few furniture stores.

Sunday- We had church, then an awesome engagement session at the Cotton Mill. Then, we went to Mandy's house for her Superbuckle party. She took this picture, and I stole it from her P365 blog, but it's the only one I have. I know you are tired of pictureless posts as well.

We came home, did some laundry, watched Supernatural and went to bed.

Today, I have been talking to our new insurance agent (who I found out I know. He's married to one of my knottie and IRL friends. He isn't married to two people they are the same person. haha). We are so excited about finding home/car insurance in our (below our) budget for great coverage. Woohoo!! It just means we THAT MUCH closer to our house. We still close on March 8 (so exactly 28 days!). We found out they are going to fix the roof, so many good things are happening.

I start my new job tomorrow. I met my assistant teacher today. He is a doll. I am excited to work with him and think we'll make a great team.

I'm that girl who...

I saw this on my friend Sandy's blog and thought, "what the heck. I'll do it."

I'm that girl who...

- is a Christian and hopes people see that in me

- drinks caffeine (frappachino) less than 4 times a year and hasn't had a coke (soda, pop, whatever you fancy) in almost 10 years.

- can't imagine life without a dog

- sleeps in the winter with the ceiling fan on, but buried in a comforter

- loves things to be organized, but can't keep it that way

- doesn't like french fries

- tends to exaggerate

- puts on a happy face, even when things are going wrong

- can live without radio music, but loves musicals

- misses the stage with all that I am (theater and plays and such)

- answers "anything ice cream" to "what's your favorite food?" and "what brand/store?" to
"what's your favorite flavor?"

- enjoys compliments, but feels awkward receiving them

- likes the simple things in life

- some may call a Drama Queen

- spreads herself to thin, and takes on everything at once

- still doesn't understand why terrible things happen to good people

- loves to dance, but can't do it well

- enjoys reading nonfiction, but never has time for it


What kind of girl are you?

Where did I leave off?

Oh Lyly...

We got it! They accepted our offer with a few minor and livable changes. (One being we have to close a week earlier. woohoo!) Closing date: March 8, 2010. So on March 8, 2010 Colton and I will be homeowners. Praise the Lord!!

We signed all the paperwork Wednesday night for the final contract. Yesterday, we met with the mortgage person and signed all the loan paperwork and turned in all our stuff (check stubs, bank statements, etc.).

That afternoon, we had the inspection. I was really nervous because they didn't look so good (Colton and the inspector). Come to find out, there was water damage around the windows and most importantly in the kitchen. Apparently, there is roof damage that is causing a water leak. We have sent over an amendment to the contract to find out if they will get a roofer over to take care of it, or if they will knock some off of the price. Either is fine, but we expect something to be done in order for us to continue with the house. We both love it, but we are already going to have to do a lot of little stuff that we want the big thing to be taken care of.

We also found out that the original owners didn't do a very good job at keeping it clean/nice. There are many things they neglected to take care of (replacing air filter being one). We are going to have to go in, room by room and scrub down all the baby germs. ;) I hate cleaning (love organizing), but I am so excited about cleaning our HOUSE.

After the inspection, we went to Best Buy and Home Depot to look at washers/dryers and refrigerators. Those will be our next big purchase for the house. While at Home Depot, we found ceiling fans that we really liked and were on sale (Wish I could find pictures online, but I can't). So we bought them. Not before driving 20 minutes to the next one because they were out of stock at our Home Depot. We also looked at paint colors and I believe we picked out our main color and accent wall colors. Woohoo. That excites me. We want to warm up the colors a little and I think we found a good color (that we agree on by the way, which is HUGE).

So no new pictures, just boring information post... Oh well.

A less home informational post and about me post coming up next...

God is SO COOL

I left Colton's work today (where we signed and faxed all of our paperwork for the counter-offer counter-offer) feeling extremely anxious. I closed my eyes (at a red light of course) and prayed quickly "God, please put my mind at ease. I want peace." I immediately felt a warm calming sensation and decided to sing along to KLTY (Christian radio station) to keep my thoughts on Him. I happened to turn it on right as a new version of "It is well" came on. The very first thing I heard was

"When peace like a river attendeth my way..."

(Although I couldn't figure out what the new version was called...it didn't say "attendeth my way" in it. However, it had the same meaning so I posted the original hymn).

I'll be the first to tell you that music isn't a huge part of my life. I could live in a life without it just fine (well, except musicals. I love them). So the fact that God chose to speak to me through music is awesome to me. He took something so unimportant in my life and made it into something extremely meaningful.

Seriously. God is amazing all the time, but it's in these small times I really feel his presence.

I just thought that was a cool story to share.

Waiting...

As of right now, we are waiting to hear back about Lyly.



Yesterday at work, Colton called and asked if we wanted to go see it, since a time opened up for it. I said "sure!!" I got off work early, and we headed to the house. We drove around the neighborhood and saw all the young families out jogging, bicycling, and even playing rugby. haha. We knew that this was the neighborhood we could see ourselves raising a little rugby playing kid. Driving around only made me like the neighborhood more. Honestly, it isn't as "nice and new" as Frisco, but it isn't as busy either. It's more quiet and humble (though the homes are beautiful). There is a lot of land nearby and even a woodsy area behind the house.



Our realtor came by and we finally got to see inside. I was so nervous that it wouldn't live up to our expectations and I would be severely disappointed. Nope. All we kept saying was how perfect it was. From the huge backyard for Chuck and his future sister, Lucy to the beautiful living room and kitchen (my favorite part!). The bathrooms needed tile floors and the spare bedrooms needed paint. Otherwise, it is perfect. Colton actually likes that it needs those things so he can feel more manly. haha.

We couldn't stop dreaming of all the fun things we would do to it when/if we got it. We left and went to the nearby Whataburger for the paperwork. Colton and I signed and sent our offer with our realtor.

This morning, she sent it to the seller's realtor. Now, we are just waiting to hear back from them to see if they made any changes. We fully expect them to counteroffer, but have enough room in the contract to play with. I am so excited to see where this leads us and the plans God has for our lives.

I was asked why I don't put pictures up. I eventually will, but I don't want to post pictures of a house if we aren't getting it. The only house I will post will be the one we get. Also, only people who know my address will know why its called Lyly. I don't want to give the street name away for security reasons. (FYI, its pronounced Lily.)

Good Things in 2010

I started to do this last year and didn't get past January, so let's see if I can do it this year...
I encourage you all to think about something positive from every day. Even if it ends up being a bad day and write it down. At the beginning of each month, share your positive "good things" with everyone else. :)


January

1- Quiet night to ourselves. Great way to ring in the new year.
2- Blessed to have a great job, even if I do work Saturday mornings.
3- AWESOME day with my favorite ladies.
4- Quality time with the sister and Kandice.
5- Day off spent catching up on Bible studies.
6- Worked with awesome people.
7- Decided to apply at several preschools and see where God leads me.
8- Thank you for the gorgeous cold weather today. I love it.
9- Got to catch up with a high school/elementary school friend during her engagements.
10- Another fun couple Colton got to photograph.
11- Thank you for another Monday.
12- Day full of interviews (3). How lucky am I that I have a job and have so many interviews? Thank you, God, for allowing me such a great opportunity.
13- God has really been speaking to me today.
14- Had a wonderful day off getting ready for the cruise.
15- Worked hard one last day before vacation.
16- Made it to Galveston without a problem.
17- Had an awesome time with my family before leaving on the ship.
18- A great first day full of fun, food, and amazing new friends.
19- Beautiful day at the beach. God is AWESOME!

20- Swam with amazing stingrays. What beautiful creatures.
21- Witnessed more of the beauty God created for us in Jamaica.
22- Had a wonderful time taking pictures with all my new friends on the ship.
23- Won $80. :)
24- Left the ship with nearly 30 new friends.
25- Blessed to have the day off to recuperate from our trip.
26- AWESOME news from the doctor. Thank you Lord for healing my kidney.
27- Wonderful first day back at work.
28- Worked tonight, which means extra money in our pocket.
29- Got a new job, which means we are able to get a house.
30- Bought amazing new furniture for our future house.
31- Amazing service at church. Saw many people proclaim their love for Christ in baptism.



A post about Lyly is coming soon, I promise...

Anticipation

I am so excited. We are FINALLY going to be able to see Lyly. Eeek! I really like the outside of this house and hope the inside doesn't disappoint. Of course I will be praying that God's will be done in the whole situation. It is a perfect little place for us.

Weekend Update:

Saturday- I worked while Colton shot an engagement session for my gorgeous friend Meredith and her fiance Danny. I cannot wait for him to put the previews up. They are awesome! Then, Colton and I went "furniture" shopping. We figured we would just window shop and price things for when we did get a house. However, we ran into a fantastic deal at Rooms To Go and had to go ahead and purchase. It's so exciting. Just waiting for us to get a house and will be shipped. We picked out our couch, chair, ottoman and a 50' Plasma HD. I am so ready for our house now.
Although we didn't buy anything else, we picked out our washer/dryer, and our bedroom furniture as well. We are ready to get this show on the road. :) Then we hung out with Jen and Sam (ate dinner and watched Supernatural). I am so gonna miss them being in our apartment complex (but they are leaving at the end of this month, and we are actually moving a lot closer to their new place than our apartment. Meaning, we'll still see them all the time).
Here's our living room stuff...

Sunday- Colton played the djembe at church in all three services. I went to the second service and watched as many children and adults were baptized. It was awesome. They had all the children on stage cheering when the person was brought out of the water. It was a celebration on earth just as the angels celebrate in Heaven. So cool! We had another awesome engagement shoot with an adorable couple last night. Then, we went furniture shopping, got a redbox movie and came home to watch it. Colton, Chuck and I snuggled in our bed and watched "The Invention of Lying." It was interesting. Parts were funny, but I wasn't too crazy about how they brought in "religion."

This morning I went to the preschool I will be working at to pick up my info sheet for my training tomorrow. Then, I came to work. In approximately 15 minutes, I will have to tell my supervisor the news (that I got the job). Starting tonight, we are going to clean the apartment and take pics of our current furniture. Once we put an offer in and have a contract going, we hope to sell everything. Hopefully I will be able to post pictures of the inside of Lyly for everyone.