Chad and I had such a wonderful time in Washington DC this past weekend! First, it was amazing just to see him and be near him. (I would've met him anywhere!) Second, our nation's capital is a very interesting place. We definitely had a whirlwind trip, but we saw so many interesting things. I would recommend DC to anyone, with or without kids. However, I might recommend a spring trip, as our winter trip was a bit chilly. I've never wanted long underwear more! We did take in quite a bit of walking....DC is a great cardio workout!
I'm not sure if you can tell, but there is quite a bit of shivering going on! Brrrrrr.....
Here's my tough guy! This was taken at the World War II Memorial, with Lincoln's Memorial in the background.
Abraham Lincoln is very large! His memorial is very well done, and everyone in it shows respect by staying quiet. There is just so much history to see and take in. It makes our lives seem small to think about what America has been through.
Why, you ask? Because I get to see my husband on Friday! I can hardly wait! He's been away since last Monday because of work training in Delaware. We are meeting in Washington D.C. Neither one of us has ever been, so we are really looking forward to sight-seeing. Mostly though, we are excited about seeing each other! I'm expecting some really great photo opportunities in D.C. during the Christmas season!
I've tried to stay busy since he's been gone. Work obviously keeps me busy during the week days, and in the evenings I don't have that much time to kill until bed time, so it's not too tough. This past weekend was made much better by family. I spent Friday and Saturday nights with Mom and Dad. It's comforting to be in their home...so cozy and warm! My cousin Brice also stayed; he is in the area for work. It was good to spend time with him and catch up with what's going on with his family.
On Saturday we drove to Crowley to have lunch with Josh, Amber, Mary Alice and Major before attending Mary Alice's play. She is playing ZuZu Bailey in the Cleburne production of "It's a Wonderful Life." She did such an amazing job! I realize she isn't my child, but I had tears in my eyes at the end of the play when she said her last line, "Teacher says, 'Everytime you hear a bell ring, an angel gets his wings.'" I remember crying last year in her play also. I get so emotional when I see our neices and nephews doing something so well, I can only imagine what I'll be like when Chad and I have our own kids. Yikes!
Saturday night I went to the Christmas party for my class at church. I had a nice time, but I really did miss Chad there. It's hard to be at a couples' party, participating in a Chinese Christmas gift exchange all alone. I ended up with Scrabble, so watch out Chad! It's on when you get home!
Sunday was a pretty usual day. I went to Prestoncrest, enjoyed worship and class, and went to lunch with the Johnston clan. Charley and Kathy also take excellent care of me when Chad is gone. It's such a blessing to have loving in-laws!
On a side note, Prentice's sermon on Sunday was about Surviving Parenting. He brought up some excellent points, and although we don't have kids yet, I love hearing lessons about it. It also reminded me of what a great job Josh and Amber and Wade and Amber are doing raising their children. Chad and I have awesome examples! If anyone has a spare half hour, you should go to www.prestoncrest.org and listen to the sermon.
Well, work is calling. I will definitely take pictures in Washington D.C. this weekend. Happy Wednesday!
Yes...it has been a while since I've posted. With Thanksgiving last week, I let blogging slip to the back of the priority list. Also, I must admit, I usually blog at work. I took a few days off last week, and I have been incredibly busy this week, so I'm just now slowing for 5 minutes to write. (Okay...really I'm just tired of the project I'm working on, so I'm procrastinating!)
We had such a wonderful time with our family last week. We had Thanksgiving dinner at Wade and Amber's in Allen. His parents, as well as mine, were also there for the feast! A fun addition this year was Jerry and Suzanne from Florida. Jerry is Chad's uncle (Kathy's brother). Jerry and Suzanne are so fun to be around. They definitely brightened our festivities! Of course, the Crazy Kids (the name Chad and I affectionately gave Addison and Davis) were there for Chad and I to torture. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures. Maybe one day my slacker sister-in-law will actually email pictures so that I can post like a proud aunt. (Amber A. has just been waiting for me to say something tacky about her in my blog...there you go!)
Chad was such a super-sweet husband and painted our 3rd bedroom this weekend. He even painted the crown molding and the newly-installed baseboards! We still don't have furniture in the room, but we're making great progress.
Our tree is up and the Christmas decorations are out! I love the Christmas season! I love coming home and turning on the Christmas lights so I can sit and enjoy them. We're actually almost completely done with our Christmas shopping! I haven't wrapped anything yet, but I definitely feel ahead of the game. We are supposed to get a major freeze tonight, so tomorrow should feel quite Christmas-like. I can't wait! There are some cute sweaters I've been itching to wear. (Hehe)
Okay, my project is calling me back. I can't handle leaving stacks on my desk at the end of the day.
On another note, Mavs are on a 10-game winning streak! Yea!
Chad and I are so blessed by our parents. Both sets are such wonderful examples of Godly, christian marriages. We are so grateful for the influence their marriages have had on us. Thank you!
Here's some pictures!
Sweet Mary Alice. She is growing up so fast!
Don't be too intimidated by our beauty.
Mom and Amber...such gorgeous ladies!
Mary Alice took a few pictures. She loves details!
Having fun with Grumpy!
Boys being boys
Mary Alice and Major made everyone same great pictures!
What a whirlwind our weekend was! After such a long work week, I really could have used a bit of quiet time at home. Alas...I think I was only home in time to go to bed.
We did have such a fun Friday night, though. We went camping with our class from church. There were several couples, which always makes the trip fun. The campsite was near Cedar Hill, which is very nice because the drive is so short. Chad and I arrived late due to a migraine I decided to get on the way home from work, but by the time we were at the campsite, I was much better. We met with Mom and Dad for dinner on our way out...I'm not sure if they thought I would make it or not. I was struggling through, but the worst of it was over, so I was determined not to miss a fun night with friends.
Chad and I actually slept in LaFonda. (Perhaps I should clarify here...LaFonda is my car. Any Napoleon Dynamite fans will understand.) The seats lay down in the back, so there is almost as much room as a full-size bed! Chad wasn't in the mood to set up our tent after dark, just to take it down again the next morning. I was heavily medicated, so I had no opinion. It actually worked out nicely! We made a pallet of sleeping bags and quilts, so we remained warm throughout the night. I'm not sure if everyone can say the same, as their tents were blown by the cold wind. We will definitely take advantage of Hotel LaFonda again!
Saturday morning we had an amazing breakfast courtesy of the former Boy Scouts in our group. It was a full spread! Biscuits, bacon, sausage, eggs, hashbrowns. I was so impressed with the Dutch Oven. I've never seen biscuits cooked in that way. I much prefer the full breakfast to a package of powered donuts. Yuck!
It was so nice to be outside on Saturday, although the day remained quite chilly. As long as we were moving, our temperature was fine. I played horseshoes for the first time. In fact, my friend Allison and I actually beat our husbands once! It was very exciting, but largely due to the 2 "ringers" she scored. I was mostly moral support, but a winning team member nonetheless!
But the highlight of the weekend was definitely sleeping in my own bed on Saturday night. Chad went to ANOTHER camping trip with the boys in the youth group, and I happily stayed behind.
I didn't take my camera, but a few others did. Maybe I can post pictures once I receive them.
Happy Monday!
All I want to do right now is crawl under my desk and take a nap. We had our annual company meeting and dinner yesterday, and I was not home until midnight. As mentioned in a previous post, my bedtime is usually much earlier, especially after a 16-hour work day!
I've only worked for this company since June, but I'm pretty comfortable here. I don't think anyone would mind if I nodded off for a bit. Do you?
Why is it that as people age, sleep becomes less of a priority? I think it should be standard that everything shuts down from 1:00 - 2:00 in the afternoon so that we can all take a nap. I believe we would all be much more productive!
Does anyone else love going to bed at 9:00? That is when I went to bed last night. I don't know if it was the time change, or just my body reminding me I had to come to work today, but by 9:00, I was ready to call it a day. As soon as Iron Chef America was over, my lights were out and the TV was off. I woke up feeling so rested and wonderful. (Sorry, Brenna.)
I also really enjoyed the sunrise earlier this morning. It helps me realize that I'm not driving to work in the middle of the night. My commute was a few minutes shorter as well; perhaps people drive faster in the daylight???
On another note, I must say how proud I am of my Red Raiders. We almost had those pesky Longhorns! Maybe next year...
Seeing as our lives are fairly boring right now, I'm writing a top 10 list of my favorite things today. Here goes!
10. The change in the weather. Yea! I love when seasons change. It is nice to have cooler evenings, although it's harder to hop out of bed in the morning. I love my warm covers and my warm husband!
9. Heroes: This is a new show on Monday nights on NBC. It's part drama / part comic book. Very entertaining! Chad and I love to watch it together (another bonus!).
8. Racquetball! This is one of the fun things Chad and I are doing together at least once a week. It's one of our dates. We have a membership to LA Fitness, so racquetball is one way to break up the the workout monotony. Chad played in college, so he's really good. I, on the other hand, had never played until our first match. We play to 15...he wins everytime. I did score 8 points last week, though! Go me! I was really excited. Last night I actually won for the very first time. It was one of the best moments of my life...seriously. Then I found out that Chad played with his left hand the whole time. I lost my edge after that.
7. Nieces and Nephews: I absolutely love our two nieces, Addison and Mary Alice and our two nephews, Davis and Major. It is truly a blessing to be here close to them to watch them grow up. We love those crazy kids!
6. Grey's Anatomy: I know....it's one of my vices. Give me a break, okay. I so look forward to Thursday nights when this show comes on. The writing is so clever, and the characters are creativly developed.
5. My job: I truly enjoy what I do to earn a living. I enjoy the people I work with and the tasks I take on during the day. Plus...it gives me some blogging time! God has truly blessed me with this position.
4. Thanksgiving: Yes, I know it is a month away, but I am eagerly anticipating all of the yummy foods and the fun times with family. I love the smells and tastes of Thanksgiving. Defintely one of my favorites!
3. Allergy Pills: No, I'm not an addict. But, after having allergy tests done last week, I've been taking some great medication. It is such a joy to breath normally!
2. Baseboards: Chad put some more in our house this weekend, and they look so nice! He's such a craftsman, and I love that about him. We've done so much work on our house; it's very satisfying to see the fruits of your labor.
1. Spending time with my sweet husband: Chad's new job is accompanied with some out-of-town travel, so I cherish the days when he is home. It is so nice to come home and have a nice dinner together and just hang out.
I hope everyone is having a wonderful day!
Psalm 28:7
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy, and I will give thanks to him in song.
The Beginning Sounds Like a Good Place to Start...
1 comments Posted by Miranda at 10/09/2006 12:02:00 PMHello! I'm not really sure what I'm doing here...I suppose I'm giving in to all of the Blogging peer pressure. I've thought for some time that blogging was only beneficial to people with kids and really interesting lives...a club I am not a member of. Seriously...who would want to read about a fairly normal twenty-something living in Texas with a fairly normal life? Then I realized that I spend so much time reading random things about random people, that interesting must be in the eye of the beholder.
I'll try my best to be interesting, but honestly, there are some days when nothing much goes on. However, those days are usually my favorite, so chances are, I'll write about them. I have absolutely no problem curling up on the couch in a blanket all day and watching my favorite shows on DVR (no commercials - genius idea). I wish I had more days like this! I love catching a T.V. marathon on Saturday. What's sad is, I'm not specific. I just love a good T.V. marathon. Marathons I've seen in the last few weeks: Scrubs, Airline, Sell this House, Flip this House, Friends, Season 1.
(Okay, I can't count Friends since I watched those on DVD. Thanks to Josh and Amber, I was able to go back to 1994 when it all started. Thanks guys! I've ordered Season 2 and am eagerly awaiting its arrival.)
Chad and I love to just hang out. Sometimes we have plans, sometimes we don't. I have more fun with him than anyone! It's hard for me to believe I didn't even know him a few years ago. He's my best friend, and I feel like we've known each other forever!
All in all, I think "random" will be the best word to describe my posts, so you are officially warned.
More to come...
