Our Decision To Start A Family

Michael and I decided last September we wanted to try and start a family. Little did we know that we would get pregnant our first month of trying. I joked with Michael about how excited I was that “I'm a fertile myrtle!” We were beyond ecstatic when we found out we were pregnant in our first month of actually trying. I started looking on Pinterest for nursery ideas, mom tips, just everything you look forward to when you start to plan for the arrival of your baby. I even took my very first “belly” photo at a mere 5 weeks pregnant. Little did we also know how common miscarriage is. Which is just what miscarriage is... common. About 1 in every 3 women experience miscarriage and I was now that statistic of 1 in 3. We knew we were pregnant for one week before we lost the baby. Miscarriage is not something you think about when you find out you are pregnant. The last thing you expect to see when you go to the bathroom is that streak of red on your toilet paper. I may have only known for one week, but I loved that baby, and I was crushed. If you have ever experienced miscarriage, it is nothing to be ashamed of. There is nothing you could have done to prevent it. It happens, unfortunately. We learn to accept it (as much as we can) and we keep going. Now that may make it sound like I am saying miscarriage is easy and that it does not make you sad. I am not saying that at all. It is not something you just get over, just like the death of a family member or friend you have known for years. You do not get over it, you just learn to accept it, as much as you can. There were plenty of nights where I cried myself to sleep. Having to get up from my desk at work to go cry in the bathroom. Even as I type this my eyes are welling up with tears. It is still something you do not forget. There was still life inside of you and it was instantly taken away from you. 

Through all of this Michael and I have become that much stronger of a couple and felt ready as ever to tackle anything that may come our way. This is why we decided miscarriage was not going to stop us from starting the family we both want. After another 3 months of trying we found out once again that we were pregnant. This time, there were no tears of happiness or jumping and hugging. There was anxiety. Tremendous amounts of anxiety. Of course we were still ecstatic we were expecting another baby, but every time I sat down to use the restroom my heart would stop. Every little ache or pain made me panic. My anxiety caused me to break out into hives/rash on my back, chest, arms, and legs. Google is your worst enemy when you are pregnant and have experienced miscarriage. NEVER trust people on the internet! It was not until our first sonogram at 8 weeks that my rash subsided. Leading up to that appointment I kept wondering "what if nothing shows up on the screen", but sure enough... there was our little baby with an active heartbeat of 168 beats per minute. Now the rate of miscarriage drops tremendously, but I was still anxious until our 12 weeks appointment, and then until our 16 week appointment. The anxiety lessened with each appointment now I am trying to enjoy everything that is to come our way. We are having a baby BOY! And so far he is perfectly healthy. Becoming a mom (soon) and being pregnant has been one of the most rewarding feelings and I cannot imagine how I am going to feel once our little guy is here. The love I have for him is already overflowing. 

Besides the anxiety I have had a very smooth pregnancy so far. I was only nauseous for about 2-3 weeks. I only threw up once (which was at my mom's house when nobody knew we were pregnant yet). I did have food aversions for several weeks where I could not stand the smell of eggs, sausage, or chicken. I actually had to leave the house one day when Michael was cooking eggs. It was overwhelming and made me want to hurl. I pretty much dream every night and they are crazy weird dreams. My fatigue is getting better. I can actually pick myself up off the couch and do laundry, dishes, or cook dinner. The naps are not near as frequent. I wear maternity pants now to accommodate my growing bump. I think I have even begun to start feeling the little guy move. It just feels like little "pops" in my belly. It is an amazing feeling. 

Approaching One Year

So it is 2014...

A lot has happened in almost one year. We moved to Stephenville from Clovis. We have officially been in Stephenville for over a year now. Michael started working for the family company. I got a job in the school district. We celebrated my sister's baby shower. My dad died. Hanna was born (which has been a blessing). I honestly thought things would have been a lot different in the past year. I have learned a lot about myself, and others. I have learned who is really there for you in the time of need. It is actually quite surprising who will continually be there to support you when times are tough. I have mentioned in a previous post about how we forget about what others are going through. I have realized while grieving who is really here for me and who is not.

I do not want to make this post totally about the death of my dad, but so much of this past year has been just that. He still consumes every day of my life. My lock screen on my iPhone is a wedding photo of him kissing my cheek. I absolutely cannot fathom the day I forget to think about him. I thought with moving back to Texas I would have more time to spend with my family, but with my dad dying, just the opposite has happened. It is hard talking with my mom. I feel the conversation is strained. It is hard going back home. When going back home and hearing the phone ring, my first thought is, "Oh dad must be calling to say he is on his way home". So much of my grieving process has been away from my family. They spend so much more time together they have more so grasped that he is not coming home. I, however, have not. I read in a recent post on the internet, with the death of their son, they are waiting for that hallmark moment, where someone says something encouraging to them and they feel better. I do not think a moment like that will ever come. When you unexpectedly lose someone, no "hallmark moment" can make it better. I will think of my dad everyday for the rest of my life. Or at least I hope I do. I do not want a day to go by that I do not think of him. He is a person I aspire to be. I want to be someone so selfless that they would do anything for their family if it made them happy. That was my dad.

I want to apologize to everybody for how selfish I have become. This is not someone who I wanted to become. Losing someone important to you changes you. I am someone who hates who they have become.

This year I want to become less selfish and more selfless.

As I write the last of this post a familiar song came on my Pandora... 

"What would you think of me now,
so lucky, so strong, so proud?
I never said thank you for that,
now I'll never have a chance.
May angels lead you in."

I hope I can be someone you are proud of, Daddy. I love you, 

If wishes were horses I'd have a lot of horses...

One of my favorite bloggers to follow is Jenny Lawson who wrote the book Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir). She has bit of a crude sense of humor, but she is real and she is honest. Her post today struck me, here it is:

If wishes were horses I’d have lots of horses because I totally would wish I had horses and then I’d end up with too many and I’d wish to get rid of some of the horses and that would just make more horses. Moral: Don’t wish for horses.

JULY 8, 2013

in RANDOM CRAP

The selfish things I wish for most often:

I wish I were a little less scared.

I wish I were a little less sad.

I wish I’d mastered subjunctives well enough to definitively know if I used “were” correctly in the previous two sentences.

Your turn.  What do you wish for?  (You cannot wish for world peace or for more wishes or give your wishes away.  So,really…what small – or large- thing do you wish for right this very moment?)

I should mention I also follow her on Facebook. In her post on Facebook, referring to the posts people made for wishes, she says "Some are clever & funny, some are simple & true, some are heartbreaking. People are so much deeper than we imagine, and they're fighting battles we never see."

It got me thinking about my daily struggles and wishes. I know, I know, sorry for the depressing blog posts. Face to face talking about what happened still is not easy. I laugh and make jokes about my dad, but when it comes down to the realness of it all, it is hard. Harder than I ever imagined this to be. We found out a while back what caused my dad's death; heart attack. Growing up, whenever we were sick, or even just a hint of sick, my dad rushed us into the doctor's office first thing. He was a bit of a germ freak. Ok, not a bit, A LOT of a germ freak. Anytime anything was wrong, we were at the doctor. Which is why what I am about to talk about it so frustrating and infuriating. My dad had been feeling "off" the whole day. He came home complaining of neck pain and a headache. He had taken medicine all day and still was not feeling well. He went to bed early that night, mentioning he was feeling better, but to never wake up the next morning. I WISH he had gone to the doctor. I WISH he was not so stubborn when it came to his own health and well-being. I WISH he, for once, had put himself first, ahead of everyone/everything else. I WISH my daddy was still here. I WISH I could hug him, kiss him, tell him thank you for everything he has ever done for me, and tell him I love him. 

Every day of this journey is different. My mood can switch instantly. I can have a good day, but hear a song that reminds me of him and my day is shattered. Not a day has gone by I have not thought of him, which is hard, but I am also afraid for the day I do not think of him. I do not ever want to forget him. 

This post was not supposed to be about just my wishes, or my dad. It got me thinking about the struggles other people in this world are dealing with. If you looked at me on the street, you would not know I am grieving the death of my father. So when someone you encounter may not be the most pleasant, just think about how maybe they are going through something you could not possibly know anything about. You never know. Simple... you just... never know. I have my bad days. While I do not mean to take it out on other people, some days are just not as easy as others. I know I can be a complete jerk to people I don't know, even people I do know. Mad props to my husband as I know I have not been an easy person to be around. 

Anyway, Daddy, I love you. I miss you terribly. I'll see you in my dreams. 

Your Memory Is My Keepsake

I would like to start off by saying "thank you" to everyone who has reached out to me and my family during our time of loss. Your thoughts and prayers are beyond appreciated and y'all have been a Godsend through all of this. 

I still do not really know what to say, or think, so I often stay quiet. My daddy was the first man I ever loved. He was the sweetest, most generous, most selfless man I have ever known. I miss him everyday and my heart still drops to the pit of my stomach when he enters my thoughts, which is numerous times a day... I am confused, mad; mad at myself, mad at him, mad at God, sad, and completely and utterly lost.

 (I apologize if this post seems all over the place. I am just thinking and typing. And I still do not really know what to say. I am truly at a loss of words in my grief.)

I honestly never thought about losing my dad, or anyone else I love for that matter. I thought my dad would live to meet his grandchildren and be just as wonderful a grandfather as he was a father. He was supposed to come with my mom and visit me and Michael in Stephenville. We were going to eat at Grady's Line Camp Restaurant. He has been wanting to try that place for ages because he has Chef Grady Spears' cookbook. We will still eat at the restaurant, and I am sure I will shed tears because he will not be there the way I want him to be there... 

I am going to end with this:

Your memory is my keepsake with which I'll never part. God has you in His keeping. I have you in my heart. 

And again, thank you for all of your love and support. 

Back in God's Country!

Let me start off by saying we are SO happy to be living in Texas again! We have missed the greatest state in the country. It's so great to be close to both our families - Michael's parents are just 25 minutes away and my family is about 2 hours away. Waaaayyy better than 6 hours and 8 hours away! It will be nice to be close again because I AM GOING TO HAVE A BABY NIECE! Addi and Reid are expecting their baby girl March 15. Right now Addi is almost 20 weeks along so Baby Z is around the size of an heirloom tomato. We went to Dallas this past weekend to find out the gender and got to celebrate at the Texas State Fair. Turns out it was a bad day at the fair with Big Tex burning down, people getting stuck on the Stratosphere ride, and a longhorn getting loose for about 4 hours. Here's some pictures:

Congratulations Addi and Reid!

Two weeks ago, we made our first big purchase as husband and wife... we bought me a new car! We have been researching the Hyundai Sonata for about a year now. We sold my car in New Mexico so we would not have to register it in Texas knowing we were going to buy me a new car in Texas. Searching the interwebs we found a deal we simply could not pass up. We made an appointment at a car dealership in Arlington, went over the weekend, test drove the car, fell in love, told them what we would pay, and four hours later (UGH!) walked out new car owners!

And now... the long awaited pictures of our new home. We are extremely happy to have this home. There is nothing I can find wrong with it... other than the miscellaneous items I cannot find a place for so please excuse the mess. Don't judge me. :(

 Entry Way

 If you are looking for a great fall Scentsy, I am using Pumpkin Roll and LOVE it!

 Living Room + dogs

 The dogs wanted to be in the photos

 Photo Wall in Living Room

 Fireplace and TV nook

 Dining Area

 My little window so I can see the TV when doing dishes

 Kitchen - please excuse the mess on the counter

Kitchen eat-in area

In the living room looking towards entry and kitchen

Well, that is all for now! I will be sure to update again soon. 

Moving Back To Texas!

Well as everyone already knows, WE ARE MOVING BACK TO TEXAS! We have about 3.5 weeks left in Clovis, New Mexico. We never regret our move to New Mexico as we made many wonderful friendships here and will miss our neighbors tremendously. Michael and I have learned to truly rely on each other when the going gets tough. There will be many things we miss about New Mexico: the mountains, the cool evenings, snow in the winter, and our friends. There is also a lot we will NOT miss about New Mexico though: the nasty cow poop smell that sneaks up on you, all the brown sand, being far from family, and the snow. I know I listed snow in the likes and dislikes. Come on, snow is pretty, but people drive like idiots in the snow and that is one thing I will not miss.

We are excited for this new adventure and cannot wait to be closer to family and college friends! You may not hear from us for awhile after the move; hunting season starts and we have a lot of trips to see family, especially now that I AM GOING TO BE AN AUNT! Congratulations to my beautiful sister, Addi and brother-in-law, Reid! Baby Z is expected around March 15, 2013! I am so glad that I will be able to get my baby fix again. After quitting work and not seeing babies I am going through baby withdrawal. Haha. 

When The Husband Is Away...

I have time to blog without distraction! Well...the dogs seem to be proving just as much of a distraction. I am not sure whose distraction is more welcome. ;) I love you husband!

This blog is going to be an update by photos. 

(I am going to pause here and say my husband has just called me. Looks as though he can still distract me from 110 miles away.)

^And I'm not kidding, he really did call just then!

Onward...

I will start closest to where I left off last time. And as I said, it will be a blog update by photo and minimum (maybe) commentary. 

We witnessed a Solar Eclipse! It was magnificent and we may never see one again in our lives. I may have damaged my eyes, but getting this picture was totally worth it!

We surprised my dad in Abilene for his 60th birthday! He was totally shocked. We went to Frontier Texas and I made Michael take this photo with me. He looks less than pleased, right? 

Another photo-op at Frontier Texas. We are on some huge, fake skull.

Just a guy on a buffalo. YouTube it. 

Enjoying our summertime by the fire pit. Yes, it was during a burn ban. No, we did not get in trouble. And again, can't you tell Michael is just so excited to be taking a picture with me?! :)

We went to De Leon for an extended weekend for the 4th of July. Of course the dogs went swimming. Roy is missing a booty on purpose because he ripped one. 

We went skeet shooting. I borrowed Michael's socks and boots because I failed to bring decent outdoorsy shoes. I'm a girl... what can I say?? I forgot...

My dinner tonight. Pistachio Salmon with asparagus and mashed potatoes. Since my husband is such a picky eater I do not get to eat many different foods. I took advantage of him being out of town for the night.

Well that is all I have for you guys for now. I do not know when the next update will be as we do not have a whole lot else going on this month. I do promise it will be sooner rather than later!  

The last FOUR months

I know I say this a lot, but boy, I oughta update this more! Things in the Prather household sure have been crazy. Michael and I both have been working our butts off and traveling the sights of New Mexico. 


I do not know what everyone knows, but I switched into the baby room at work from the four year olds. My room has babies starting at newborns (6 weeks) to crawling (about 8-9 months). I absolutely love it! They are such a joy to see everyday and see them grow. They have captured my heart, truly. 

As for travel, over the past four months, Michael and I have traveled to Taos, Santa Rosa, Santa Fe, Dallas (just me on this trip), Roswell, and College Station.

Michael and I purchased a Groupon for a two night stay at the Historic Taos Inn in Taos, NM. We shopped in the square, ate delicious food, visited the longest inhabited Indian reservation, and saw the Gorge Bridge which overlooks the Rio Grande River. Here are a few pictures from our trip:

Our next adventure was to Santa Rosa and Santa Fe. Michael work to do in a small town outside of Santa Rosa, so I traveled with him and we made a weekend out of it. We only spent one night in Santa Rosa and it was not very impressive... very small town. The next morning though we went to Santa Fe. We stayed at The Buffalo Thunder Casino and Resort. It was beautiful, the hotel and city. We visited Loretto Chapel, which has the mysterious staircase they do not know who built it. Here are a few pictures from this trip:

Our next trip was Roswell, NM. We just decided this trip on a whim. We went on the motorcycle because it is only about an hour and a half trip there. We went to the UFO museum which was a complete and utter bust. It was dingy and outdated. I only took a few pictures of this trip:

We both traveled to College Station for Boot Pull. Michael got to pull boots off what were his fish (now seniors). We stayed in Houston with some good friends, Ben and Jennifer Rush, and drove into CS on Saturday. It was great to see all of our friends! We have missed you all so much. 

Sorry y'all! I know this was a lot. I will update this again soon, this time, I mean it! 

As for now, my husband is insisting on a thumb war. Wish me luck. 

Geez it sure has been awhile!

We are so sorry, y'all! It was been like two months since we have updated this thing! I will just give the key points of where we have been and what we have been up to all this time! 

• Spent time in De Leon and Coppell for Christmas. We took about a week and a half off to spend time with our families and hunt. It was FANTASTIC! A huge thank you to both of our families for all the love and generosity they have shown us.
  
• While in De Leon we got to see Jenn and Ben Rush! We absolutely love spending time with those two. We miss you guys and hope to see y'all again soon!
  
• Also while in De Leon, I shot a doe and Michael got an 8-point! WHOOP! Now we will have tons of deer meat to enjoy.
  
• We left Roy in Coppell with my sister, Jenna, so she could spend some time with him. We lived together when I adopted him so she misses him. I only agreed to let this happen because we now have Allie and she is a great companion to have around. Speaking of Jenna, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to her today!! How does it feel to be in your late 20's??
  
• Since being back from out of town we have not had a whole lot going on.
•  We finally got our garage cleaned out and it looks fabulous. 
• I am finally not on the sick wagon anymore - thank goodness! 
• We booked a trip to Taos, NM which is about five hours away from us here in Clovis. We are going for a weekend at the end of February. We found a Groupon for a getaway weekend deal and we could NOT pass it up. We are staying for two nights which would originally cost over $400, and we only paid LESS than half that! 
• We will be traveling back to College Station in the middle of May for A&M's Final Review and for Michael to pull his fishes senior boots. We are SO excited to go back to CS as we have not been there in over a year! 

I promise to TRY and keep up more with this blog! Sorry it has been so long. We hope everyone had a joyful Christmas and that their new year has been going well so far. Here's to 2012: a new year! 

I Will Rise

I am going to start out this blog post by saying things that are positive because I am about to throw down some very negative things. 


1. It is October 27! (I started this yesterday. It is now October 28.) Do you know what that means?? Michael and I are one month away from being married for ONE YEAR!! Whoop! It has been a year of learning to say the least. You always learn the most about someone after you start living with them. Example: No matter how many times I show Michael how to fold the towels, he always gets it wrong. Haha. Or, no matter how many times he tells me he does not like a certain food I am surprised and give him a hard time. It has been a wonderful year and I cannot wait to see what God has planned for us next!


2. Allie is growing! She is almost 8 months old and weighs a whopping 60 pounds! I did have a lot of good things to say about her until 10 minutes ago when I was about to sit down and start typing out this blog and I found that she tore up a ziploc bag, empty the contents (which were Michael's hunting face paint), and was chewing on the tubes of paint. GOOD thing is that she did not puncture the tubes. WHEW! After my day, I think my blood pressure was through the roof at that moment...

And now about the raised blood pressure......... Please bear with me on this one. 

I love my job. I do. I love going into work every day and hearing kids say "Ms. April" and give me hugs. I love teaching them and seeing them grow. However, I do not love being bit, spit at, having to chase you down the hall, telling you to not climb on everything in the room. I most of all, do NOT love being called a "stupid b****" ten times in one day. BY A FOUR YEAR OLD! Let me get this straight: this is not done by all of the kids - just one. One child. One child who has caused my heart to ache every day because I see they are hurting. They have not had the easiest life at only four years old. This one child has me contemplating why the heck I even want to be a teacher. How long can the good outweigh the bad?? This is something I am seriously struggling with. My heart is breaking. My patience has gone out the window. Granted, I do not want to teach four year olds. I want to teach 5th grade and beyond. Someone told me it is this child that will make you want to change your major. That scares, or now scared, me. 

After sitting for a night and talking to Michael I am feeling better about the situation. I need to pray to God for the patience and the understanding so I can try and get through to this child. I love working with kids and I would hate for one child to take that away from me. I just please ask for your prayers so that I can begin to start anew with this child and forgive them for what has already happened. I need to stop holding a grudge and move forward so they can move forward. After working with this child I will (hopefully) have nerves of steel. Right now I am just worn out, exhausted, and lost.

I will try and promise not such a debbie-downer for our next post. I am going to end this post with a song that came on the radio when I was leaving work on that defeated day - the exact moment I needed it. 

I Will Rise - Shawn McDonald (Click the link)

We hope everyone has a great rest of October!

It's OCTOBER?!

Man oh man how time just seems to be flying by! The other day Michael and I realized that it has almost been a year since we got married. Crazy, huh?? We sure do think so. I know it seems like I saw this every time I write a post, but I really need to get in the habit of updating everyone on what is going on in our lives. One reason it has not been updated lately is because, well... I GOT A J-O-B so my free time is very limited now between that and school. I work at a daycare here in Clovis called The Children's Center and I am in the four year old classroom. I work with an amazing lady, Becky, who has taught in the Clovis school system before working at the school. Our classroom is kind of like a pre-school classroom because we are still teaching the kids lessons, not just babysitting. Although... it does feel like babysitting sometimes. It is hard to hold their attention for long periods of time. I love my job so far, even if I am getting bit, spit on, spit UP on, or catching stomach bugs. Let me tell you though... by the time I get home I am exhausted. Completely and utterly exhausted. Our house shows it too. I am weeks behind on laundry.

I am behind on laundry because we have had neighborhood activities such as a one of neighbor's kids birthday parties. Micah had a blast. We got him a Nerf gun. What kid does not love a Nerf gun, right? Our other neighbors got him a pinata so that was fun for all the kids. There was also a silly string war. Which, I will admit, the adults did join in and have fun! 

I am also behind because we traveled to De Leon last weekend for opening bow hunting season! I am excited for hunting season. More so the rifle than bow season, but Michael enjoys sitting out and "being one with the deer". My words, not his, so no teasing (Toney)! That weekend was more than miserable for me. I started feeling sick towards the end of our drive Friday night. We did not get to leave until 5 that evening because we both had to work. I did not feel right asking off on my first full week there. When I woke up Saturday morning I was still feeling quite nauseous and actually began throwing up. For the rest of the day I was running fever and throwing up. Terrie gave me nausea medicine which made be completely worthless and I was in and out of sleep all day. Thankfully I woke up feeling better Sunday morning, but I was still weak and very tired. As of today, I am feeling WAY better! A big thank you to Terrie for nursing me back to health!! Michael's hunting was pretty miserable too. Saturday evening while hunting he had his bow pulled on an 8-point when SNAP, his release broke and scared away the deer. He came home and ordered new parts though so hopefully this upcoming weekend he will have better luck. We both have Friday off and plan to leave early early that morning so we can be in De Leon by lunch. Michael's buddy, Ben, from the Corps will be joining us that weekend for hunting! So wish him luck too! Jennifer (Rush) sorry that we will miss you, but hopefully another weekend we can see you when you are not busy!

And for a bit of random... If you have not bought a Keurig, you should. They are the best thing since sliced bread!

We have some exciting news!

Well I cannot promise to you that this post will not be SUPER long! We have a lot to catch you guys up on. We will start with our trip to Dallas over the long Labor Day weekend.

Our trip started out great until we reached the Lubbock city mark... Imagine that, Lubbock making things difficult on us. Allie threw up for the first time of the car ride here. TWO hours she had already been in the car. Anyway... so we stopped so that I* (*April; just want to make sure y'all know it was me) could clean it up. :) Also at about this time, it was getting hotter outside (we left at 8 AM so it is now 10 AM) and we noticed the inside of my car was getting hotter as well. Well 2-3 more hours plus another throw up thanks to Allie we found ourselves stopped in Seymour, Texas to find a mechanic so we could find out why my car was blowing hot air. The mechanic told us my expansion valve was stuck and it would need replacing, but guess what? He did not have an expansion valve. All hopes were crushed at that moment. We had three+ more hours to go with an A/C that was blowing hot air because the coolant could not pass through the valve. Ten minutes outside of Seymour Allie gave us another nice present. At that moment, Michael and I were both hot, frustrated, and fed up stopping so that I could clean up vomit. We took all of our luggage out of the back, put it between the seats in the middle with Roy, took the dog hammock out and folded it up in the kennel and locked Allie in there for the rest of this oh so enjoyable journey. She could throw up for all we cared because now she was contained in a space that I did not have to touch for the next 3+ hours. Because the coolant was not getting to the A/C we would have to turn off the air and drive with the windows down to give it a rest. After we got tired of that, we would roll the windows up, turn on the A/C, and be cool for maybe 10 minutes. Then we got to Denton, Texas where Friday after work traffic was stacking up. Michael did not want the windows down because we were in stop&go traffic, so we sat for 45 minutes with hot A/C blowing on us. We were MISERABLE!  God must have been testing us on a personal and married couple level that day. Overall, our trip to Dallas was WONDERFUL! We ate dinner with my family at El Fenix on Friday (after we both got a shower because we stank so bad), after dinner we saw a fireworks show at Lake Grapevine. 

Saturday, Michael and I woke up early to take my car to Firestone so we could get it fixed. Well, it turned out that after they did a diagnostic on it, it was TOTALLY FINE, WHAT?! After that, we had lunch with Jennifer and Daron at Abuelos. We are so happy that we got to spend some time with those two! We do not get to see family enough. Michael and I then did some shopping for stuff we cannot get in Clovis and that night ventured down to Deep Ellum in Dallas for some sushi with Addi and Jenna. That was an interesting, but fun, experience. They had a car show going on so there were all these old, mob-looking, cars.

Sunday we had breakfast with my family at Cracker Barrel, YUM!! Later that day we hung out with the dogs, grilled up some burgers and hot dogs, and watched the Aggies BTHO smu! On Monday, Michael and I hung out with just my mom for awhile and then met up with Addi, Reid, and Jenna for lunch at BJ's. Our drive home went perfect, crazy right? Allie was locked in her kennel, Roy had a new dog car hammock to enjoy, and Michael froze me out. I kept wanting to turn on the heat. Amazing how sometimes we are never satisfied. We can be so spoiled in life that sometimes we forget other people deal with things like this on a daily basis.

Weeeellllll.... are you ready for the exciting news?!?! As of today, Michael has been at ENMR Plateau for ONE YEAR! As of last Friday, his title within the company is now Enterprise Support Team Lead! Yup, you read that right, MICHAEL GOT A PROMOTION! I am so excited for and proud of him! He totally deserves this and I cannot wait to see what this company has to offer him. He has learned so much already and continues to learn more everyday from this business. This is truly an amazing experience for him, and for us as a family.

I figure I will also show how big Allie is getting. She is now six months and around 50 pounds. She is starting to test her boundaries a bit. She has not chewed anything of ours, but we have found that she likes paper. Hopefully I will not be having a "my dog really did eat my homework" scenario. 

And Roy, is.... well, Roy. Spoiled as ever, but we love him. This is him enjoying a massage.

There's Gonna Be Brighter Days

The title for this post seemed appropriate for what I am about to say. As I was about to begin this post, Mercy Me's "Move" came on the Christian radio station I am listening to at the moment. Here are some of the lyrics:

When life won't play along
And right keeps going wrong
And I can't seem to find my way
I know where I am found
So I won't let it drag me down
Oh, I'll keep dancing anyway

Michael and I recently attended a new church with our neighbors. It is The Vine Community Church of Clovis. They broke off from Central Baptist and created a modern service which we both really enjoyed. The church community seems more geared toward our age and priorities as a young, married couple seeking for God's eternal love. Becoming involved in this church will allow me to grow a stronger relationship with God and therefore a stronger relationship with myself and Michael. Having a stronger relationship with God will make the tough times here a little easier. We will also be able to meet new people and hopefully make some new friends out here. We really need this because lately we are missing Texas along with our family and friends.

I am not making this a super long entry. I just wanted to share a little of what is in my heart at the moment. :) 

Joshua 1:9

Being away from Texas and family is really starting to sink in. Saying goodbye to friends and family is always dreaded because sometimes we do not know the next time we will see each other again. I have not made many friends out here and that is starting to take a toll. I love meeting new people, but I can be so dang shy at times. We both love all of our neighbors because they are so kind and thoughtful. The fact that we are a decade younger than all of them is starting to be glaringly clear. They have kids... We have dogs. They are military... We are civilians. I just feel like "the young one" and that I don't fit in. I really need to make it a goal this upcoming semester to make some friends and feel young again. We are 22 and have a long life ahead of us. The Bible verse that stands out to me at this time is Joshua 1:9 "This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."  Well I apologize for being such a Debbie Downer... sometimes I just need to vent - even if no one reads this thing. Ha Ha. 


Last weekend my mom and sister, Addi, came for a visit! We have not seen them since the middle of April so it was great having a long weekend with them. When they came in Friday Michael made beef/venison burgers and brau chips... yum! On Saturday, I showed mom and Addi around Clovis and we went shopping at Roden Smith. Roden Smith is a neat store that has a lot to offer: Hallmark cards, furniture, kitchen tools, decor, all sorts of gifts, a coffee shop, and an assortment of candy. For dinner that night we drove to Portales to eat at Vines, an Italian restaurant. Their appetizer, Fried Ravioli, is DELICIOUS! I wish I could say the same about the rest of their food, but I just cannot. The menu is overpriced and simply sub-par. Before we went to eat though I got to show them Eastern New Mexico University's campus. On Sunday we showed them our local park, Ned Houk, which has two separate areas. One side has playgrounds and a small pond while the other side has a disk golf course, playgrounds, a walking trail, dirt bike/ATV trails, another small pond, and a fishing pond. For dinner we showed them what New Mexico Mexican food is all about. It is certainly NOT Tex-Mex that's for darn sure! Then on Monday I took them to one of Michael and I's favorite breakfast restaurants, Don Maria's. That place is so yummy. They have been low on my list lately, but after the last couple of visits they are back towards the top. Yay! Here is a look in pictures of what our weekend consisted of: 

Addi got to take a ride on Michael's motorcycle

Mom and Addi made Belgian Waffles for Sunday breakfast! 

We had a neighborhood block party this past weekend and I made some Cupcake Cones to bring for dessert. 

While looking around the mall one day I found these shoes by Steve Madden, the Tblanket Moccasin Boot. Call me crazy, but I love them and want them REALLY bad! I think they are amazing and I would totally wear them. Ahh...a girl can dream can't she??