changing lanes

I have moved a bit. Check me out:
http://occupationaljoy.wordpress.com/

Road Trip 2013

I was able to take off a few days over the Fourth of July holiday, so the husband and I invited another couple to take a Texas road trip with us.  The other couple did a much better job of taking pictures than me...so when I receive them I will add them in!

Thursday, July 4: Fredricksburg, TX

Fun shopping, eating, and catching up with some amazing friends!

 Friday, July 5: Driftwood, TX 

Salt Lick

This was the husbands stop. Salt Lick is known for it's open fire pit BBQ and has been frequented by Food Network and Travel Channel. It was delicious!

Winery

Joseph in his element with some great BBQ

Hammock Garden to sleep off all the meat

Friday, July 5: San Antonio, TX

 Shopping along the River Walk.

River walk outside our hotel

 

Sat-Sun, July 6/7th: Austin/Round Rock, TX

Cute stores and fun food trucks

 We spent the evening and night in Round Rock, TX. We had to stop by Round Rock Donuts for the husband. 

Overall great trip with some great friends!

Catching Up

Let's catch up:

1. Husband: Starting school year 2013-2014 he will no longer be coaching with the high school to begin Principle-ship! I have had to clarify this lots lately. This means he will no longer have late nights with football in the fall, nor will he be on the school's ball field coaching in the Spring. However, husband's mission is through his coaching and he will continue to bless young men/boys through select ball. Classes start today for him and we are excited about the direction God has provided. 
2. Jordi: Has grown so much since the last time I posted.

 

   We decided a couple of weeks ago that he needed a friend. I am excited to introduce our newest fur baby: 

  Scooter

3. Me: I have transitioned locations to a rehab facility closer to our home. It has saved me 3 hours per day on commute. I am working in the inpatient rehab setting instead of acute care and love it! It is amazing to see the transformation of a patient from beginning to end. 

 That is where we are now! So excited about what is to come.

newest blessing

6 weeks old

Merry Christmas

Dislikes car rides...now he rides in kennel

 Playing with Levi

11 week old vet visit

And when one closes....another one opens

I officially have traded the student role for a direct deposit to the account every two weeks! I am blessed to be working for a fantastic company with mission and vision very similar to the reason I love healthcare and occupationfal therapy. God Thing! I have not stepped foot in the actual clinic and have no idea what population I will be working with but am thrilled. ( only 2 weeks left til test, ahhhh)
So after my first day guess where my amazing sister in law let me tag along ....The Cowboys Stadium!

Life these days

This is life these days ...Coffee, Studying, and lots of prayer!

Christmas 2011

 

 

Christmas Eve with most of the cousins fixing Chinese! 

Matching PJs Christmas Morning!

Birthday Dinner to Babins. 

There was a HUGE bread pudding, cupcakes, and Sherlock Holmes movie.

The family has a new hobby! 

Any guesses where we are and who hit the bulls-eye a couple of times?

Why God Created Me

In high school I had a life group mentor who gave us this poem. It has touched my life in so many ways as a woman. I do not know if you remember giving this to a small group of girls back in the span of 2003-2005 but thank you!

“Why God Created Me”

I made her…she is different. She’s unique. With love I formed her in her mother’s womb. I fashioned her with great joy. I remember with great pleasure, the day I created her.

Psalm 139:13-16

I love her smile. I love her ways. I love to hear her laugh. And the silly things she says and does. She brings me great pleasure. This is how I made her.

Psalm 139:17

I made her pretty and not beautiful,

 because I know her heart, and knew she would be vain…I wanted her to search out her heart and to learn that it would be me in her that would draw friends to her.

1 Peter 3:3-5

I made her in such a way that she would need Me.

I made her a little more lonesome that she would like to be…

Only because I wanted her to turn to me in loneliness…

Only because I need for her to depend on me…

I know her heart, I know if I had not made her like this she would go her own way

And forget Me…her Creator.

Psalm 82:5-8

I have given her many good and happy things…

Because I love her.

Psalm 84:11, Romans 8:32

Because I love her, I have seen her broken heart…

And the tears she’s cried alone.

I have cried  with her and have had a broken heart, too.

Psalm 56:9

Many times she has stumbled and fallen alone

Only because she would not hold my hand.

So many lessons she’s learned the hard way

Because she would not listen to My voice.

Isaiah 53:6

So many times I have set back

And sadly watched her go her merry

Ways alone,

Only to watch her return to my arms sad and broken.

Isaiah 66:2

And now she’s Mine again…

I made her and then bought her…

Because I love her.

Romans 5:8

I have to reshape her and remold her

To renew her to what I had planned her to be.

It has not been easy for her or for Me.

Jeremiah 29:11

I want her to be conformed to My image…

This high goal I have set for her,

Because I love her.

2 Corinthians 2:14

Author Unknown

Reflection

I apologize for the absence of pictures over the last few months. I went on a sabbatical from writing and thus taking pictures. I have been told that family is to send them my way so hopefully they will be interspersed at random. The husband and I started our relationship with the one saying "its a God thing". Our spiritual journey has blossomed with God things over the course of the past year. 

Moments from 2011

• The husband received a text late one night about a job opportunity, he woke me up that night to pray over the opportunity....He is now teaching and coaching at an amazing school with godly men. He has grown in ways we never imagined. This position has allowed him to plug back into Fellowship of Christian Athletes (this is the very way we met) and further pursue his passion for ministering to kids.  GOD THING: He was not the most qualified for the job...
•  I graduated! It has been a long road but I finally graduated with a masters degree in occupational therapy. God has placed this vocation on my heart for such a long time and the fact that all I have left is a test is ...GOD THING
•  I have a job! I received a job offer from a big hospital in the area that will provide me with mentoring, learning, and opportunities for professional growth. GOD THING: I have never worked/interned in this setting before. I am clueless but excited!
• GOD THING: Our marriage. The husband is leading our family in ways I never imagined. When I stop to reflect on our relationship I am amazed at how God is growing and using us for His kingdom. Old dreams I once had are coming out of the woodwork in the husband's dreams and pursuits. God is using our marriage in a mighty way and I can only imagine what next year will bring. My passion now lies with being the wife of an amazing man. That role is not easy but it yields beautiful fruit. Our desire is to allow God to use us.(the end) We are the vessels in whatever way He desires to share His gift! 

Why start writing again?

 I was talking to a special family member who was expressing excitement of a God Thing moment that occurred in our life . This person was blessed by God working in our life.  The reason behind the blog was to minister to others through our faith story. It has been incredible and God has blessed us more than I ever dreamed. I know he will use us in big ways in the upcoming year. 

Where to go from here...

Lately I have been in the reflective mood. Maybe it is because of the new year or maybe it is because so many blessed changes have occurred. I think it might be time to start again. Here is to new changes with old roots!

Unbroken Blessings

Hi friends...I have decided to go back to the scrap-booking route once again. To include all the family in what we have been up to I will publish the pages on the blog.

Love ya~

Football in Full Swing

Well we live in Texas which means high school football is king. 

First a little background: I went to a big football school. The whole town shut down for the games. I arrived 2 hours early just to get a seat. My parents have varsity season tickets and no child of theirs has ever played. They schedule their visits around high school football games. It's kinda a big deal.

Well as seeing how important high school football is the husband is required, he is not complaining much, to coach it. It is a new experience being a football coaches wife.

First the Family pictures: 

Note to self: horizontal stripes are not flattering and that recent hair cut was well needed.

 

 

Next seeing him on the sidelines:

Oh and best part...HOMECOMING. Now if only I had a wife mum. 

 

He was Right!

The husband decided that Stevie, my blue Corolla, needed a bath from the inside out. My first thought was no way, too much money for something so cosmetic. After "discussion" he had convinced me how getting your vehicle cleaned is not just cosmetic but important in preserving the life.

So...I went...wow he was right. It was worth my panic in the above drive through car wash ( I hate driving through car washes. I talked to myself to calm down. It must be something with the enclosed space or lack of control.) to see the end results.

Stevie is beautified!

And the dust remains....

 Since I am off this week my goal is to get as much as possible packed up. You can tell that 1. we live in an old apartment with vents that blow white dust and 2. I do not dust well.


There is something beautiful to me about the outlines that are left behind when the dust settles. It shows that something was there...memories made...traces of what occurred. 

I love how peaceful and still an empty shelf looks without the busy clutter.

and on a side note...I think I will miss the wall art the most

Back Home...to stay

I made it through the entire 12 weeks!

Gifts from the husband and C.I.

Three major things I have learned...

Home is where the husband heart is. I do not plan on doing this long distance thing again.

God is in control...I am not.

I love the profession I have chosen, no matter the setting 

(unless it is pediatrics)

Kinda excited only ONE more to GO!

Beauty from Ashes

 

^{Isaiah 61: 1-3}

^I1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
   because the LORD has anointed me
   to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
   to proclaim freedom for the captives
   and release from darkness for the prisoners,^[a]
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
   and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
³ and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
   instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
   instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
   instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
   a planting of the LORD
   for the display of his splendor.

 

 

The above picture describes my work week.

Beauty in the midst of chaos

I arrived in East Texas to smoke and destruction: the fires had hit. All over Texas wildfires are out of control, destroying homes and memories. a constant reminder that THE God of ALL is in control.

How fitting is it for THE only God to give us this reminder as the 10th Anniversary of 911 occurs. I remember, geography class my freshman year. I did not even know what the Twin Towers were until then. A nation on its knees…And now? I hear all the stories and see the memorials but my heart is only saddened: They have forgotten…forgotten who is in control of it all. May we never forget the Savior of all!

As the craziness of this world continues as the nation struggles to overcome its pride and bow to the God, Judge of all, may we look for the beauty amongst the ashes and see the ultimate Comfort for us all!

Where I am and where I inspire to be…

 

This weekend has been a JOY. A cold front came through which means the high was in the 80s today! We have had record heat in Texas this summer with multiple days in the 100s and NO rain. I am looking forward to fall…and enjoy my morning cup of coffee even more!

 

We are moving in October. The boxes have started and we are getting excited. No not a house (that is next) but a newer apartment in a new location close to the husband’s school.

 

I have finally started my shutter project. It is coming along, but note to self: Just because something is dirty does not mean it is old.

Labor Day weekend 2011 unfortunately did not include dove hunting or Bryan, TX but we did check multiple things off the “TO DO” list and had a great dinner with some new friends. If only I did not have to return to East Texas early tomorrow morning.

TWO more weeks!

 

Where I inspire to be: A weekly post with a picture a day. This blog is meant to be a scrapbook of our lives, let it be!

New Appreciation

Joseph’s Classroom (yet to be decorated)

I now have a new appreciation for teachers, especially at the beginning of a new school year. It is crazy around here: (for the husband that is)

Monday thru Thursday:
4am wake up for 6 am football practice.
Meetings for teaching throughout the day with home arrival around 6pm.

Friday:
7:30 am be at school for meetings
12 pm football work with pictures and game until 12am

Saturday:
7:30am meet up for football video
12pm pep rally
5pm family pictures followed by dinner until who knows

Sunday:
1pm-5pm at school to catch up

REMEMBER: school has yet to start…the jeep is in the shop…and I am only home Thurs-Monday early early.

What a CRAZY ride this LIFE is!