The Train to Charleston

We took a trip on the train from Savannah to Charleston. It was fun. It was easy. It was inexpensive. It was however a long day, because we did not get home until 9:30 PM. I assume we will be riding the train again. Maybe to Miami next time. Or Orlando. We'll see. I wish it was easy to take a train to Texas, that would be nice. I would probably go once a month.

We went to the Aquarium while in Charleston. It was a nice one.

All Aboard

The stick lady

This girl loves sticks. She loves to pick them up and pretend to paint with them. We have sticks in our car, our backyard, and in her playroom.

Doesn't she look adorable in that coat? What a doll she is.

Is everyone a gift from God?

Lately, I have been doing some soul searching. I have had a lot of time to really examine where my life is and what I am doing with it. The thing that has helped me start this thinking is being able to do some work that I feel makes a real impact in the World. I used to sit at my desk and stare at the computer and know that God had bigger plans for me. What were they? How would I know what the right one was? Well, thanks to the rental properties, the question was answered in a way that I did not expect. I was forced (by time and sanity) to quit my job at the Architectural firm to help my husband and in turn help our family. Well, the Summer was extremely busy, but then during the "down" time I have had time to help with Urban Hope with great strides. I have also found time to pick up side jobs in design.

So, now that I am in the full throws of my soul searching, I had an epiphany the other day. I get so frustrated with some people, one being my husband, and sometimes I get so wound up over the most irrelevant things. At the time, they seem important, but in the grand scheme of things they are not.

So here is my epiphany. It will sound like a Church sermon to some, but hear me out:
I believe God has a plan for us all. I believe that some plans are not followed through in that direction, because of human pride, error, or just plain confusion. I now believe that every person that enters our lives is a gift from God. This might seem silly or totally off base, but if you really think about, they are. Not all gifts are wrapped in pretty ribbons and have a retail value. Some gifts are learning experiences for us. We ourselves are learning experiences for other people.

For instance, you are a waitress and you are working very hard and doing the best you can, but you have a customer who no matter what will be rude to you or disregard that you are even alive. Well, it sucks, but what can you learn from it? I have actually been in this situation and it made me feel so little. Looking back, I also learned that I did not want to be like that to other people. I did not want to make anyone feel little.

I think marriage is the hardest of these situations for me. I love my husband. We have a great relationship, but there are times (weeks, days, months) where I would rather not have to worry about being respectful and kind to him; however, he is truly a gift from God. I have someone to share the rest of my life with and this someone happens to be a hard working, loving, generous, fun person. How could I not enjoy this gift? I am now waking up everyday and reminding myself that God personally gave me Kevin and Sallie Rose. And for that matter all my family and friends. He hand picked everyone in my life for me.

I hope that from this day on I will remember that everyone in my life is in my life for a reason. They are all gifts from God and I need to look for the positive in them, not necessarily what is positive about them, but rather what I can learn from them to improve my attitude or give back to someone else.

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Will I ever blog again?

Well, the answer is yes, but shorter version maybe? I tend to go too long between blogs and then I end up writing a short novel, that I am sure everyone gets lost in. Not today peeps, just a short hello and tell you all we are doing great and we are really looking forward to a new year and exciting things happening. Maybe this year we will be millionaires (doubt it and we don't need it, we have everything we ever needed), run marathons (doubt this too, I do not enjoy running), or maybe give Sallie Rose a little brother or sister (this might actually happen, but don't hold your breathe), and maybe I will find a paying job again. That last one would be nice. I am working round the clock on my volunteer jobs and I am enjoying it, but it would be nice not to have to ask my husband if I can buy an US Weekly magazine.


I head to a secret destination this weekend (can't tell because it is a surprise to the person i am going to see) and am very excited.


I'll leave you with this little picture of Casey sleeping in Sallie Rose's chair. Sallie Rose ran in and told me Casey was in her chair and I thought, "What?". Then when we went in Sallie Rose said "How'd that happen?"

I am Blessed

I am Blessed with a little angel! She had a pageant this morning at school and it was super duper adorable. I took a few pictures, but I did more videoing than picture taking.

The first song, she had her finger in her mouth the whole time. The second song, she did the hand motions for Away in the Manger. And for the third song, she cried her little head off. That was actually super duper cute too. You'll have to see the videos on Facebook, I never can load them on here. Sorry.

Christmas is slowly approaching, and I love this time of year. Although, I usually always miss my Grandma Rosa most at this time, we have so much to be thankful for and so many wonderful family members and friends to enjoy. We head to Texas on Christmas Day and I will be so glad to be in my home(s) for Christmas, even if it isn't the day of.

This is her school picture. So cute, I could eat her up. It reminds me a lot of this little guy below.

Christmas Decorating

This year I wanted to do a little more than usual for Christmas decorating. We will actually be here for Christmas Day and then we are flying off to Texas. I usually don't do much for decorating, because we usually leave a week or even two before Christmas and stay gone after Christmas is over. So, I decided to do a candy land. I think I will add to the decorations every year and build up the collection. Many of these things are not hard, but are tedious and time consuming, especially the gumdrop tree. And, it took a lot more candy than I would have imagined. Sallie Rose's gingerbread people she made with Susan

My Grandma Rosa Lee's angels

Of course we have a Texas ornament


Kevin's ornament from when he was a child, these are very cool

Apple O's and peppermint trees

Peppermint garland over the mirror

This is our outdoor tree, furnished with giant peppermints, candy canes and large ornaments

Ribbon Candy, my favorite

Our first nativity scene, this is of course the real meaning of Christmas

Oh the gumdrop tree. 4 boxes (1 of which Kevin ate) later and lots of hot glue, this is Kevin's favorite.

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope everyone has a wonderful time and that we all remember as cheesy as it sounds, "Jesus is the Reason for the Season". My sisters love it when I remind them of this as we all are pulling eachother's hair out because we for one slight minute forgot what life is about, love.

We are still here

Yes, we are still here and we have had a wonderful Thanksgiving week, but for some reason I have been extremely busy. I am trying to study for my first exam that I take on December 9th, trying to plan a fundraiser for Urban Hope (which is a lot of work), volunteering 2 afternoons a week at Urban Hope, still managing the properties, decorating our house as a Christmas Candyland (hopefully will finish this weekend and have pictures) and trying not to miss a single minute of my precious baby's life. She is unbearably cute lately. I think we have moved past all the temper tantrums and now we are in that waiting period of pure joy before we hit terrible threes (I hope not).

Oh, and I am trying to think of how to buy all my special people Christmas gifts on a budget of $10. That will be the most challenging. I will have to be creative or just steal some of my gifts. If you get something really random from me as a gift, just know that it was the only thing I could get the courage enough to steal.