July 15, 1985 10:10 AM

Twenty-seven.  I've made it to another birthday!  I've had a wonderful year, and I'm so thankful for the gifts that God has blessed me with over the past year.  My birthday was perfect in every way.  Aaron made French Toast for breakfast.  It tasted just like my mom's - what a treat!  We went to church, then to lunch with friends.  Aaron made a funfetti cake (my favorite!) with funfetti icing.  We had plans to go out to dinner, but I opted for staying home and just spending time with my husband.  Aaron and I were at Youth Camp for the week, and we arrived home on Friday.  Saturday was a busy day for us, so I just wanted to be at home and enjoy relaxing.  Aaron gave me some perfume, which I'm so excited about!  I had been given a small bottle of this perfume at Christmas, and I recently ran out.  Aaron got me a large bottle, so I'm set for a while!  We'll celebrate my birthday this Friday with our families.  Here's to hoping that 27 is just as good, if not better, than 26!

This Journey...

From May to August 2011, I lost 22 pounds.  I was extremely proud of myself, and so thankful for the weight loss, but I wanted more.  As the beginning of the school year started, I kept going to the gym pretty regularly.  However, I stopped seeing weight loss, and this was discouraging.  Then, I let myself believe that life had gotten too busy, and I stopped going to the gym.  I gained about 5 pounds back over the course of the school year.  And now, I'm bound and determined to lose again.  This is a journey.  A long one.  I know that I am so much better off than I was a little over a year ago, but I'm not where I want to be.  When I look in the mirror, I still see myself at the original weight.  Obviously, clothes fit differently, so I know that I look different.  I can see it in pictures.  But, I can't see it in the mirror.  I started doing Couch 2 5K.  People that know me know that I do not run.  Until now.  I just finished week 4, and it was kicking my butt!  Monica and I talked yesterday about running a 5K together in October or November.  Guess it's time to start finding one to run.  I also started Weight Watchers at the beginning of the summer.  There has been a little bit of weight loss, but not much.  I'm hopeful that it's partially because I am gaining muscle.  I'll try to remember to update some progress.

A Fiesta!

As I've said before, Monica and Matt are getting married in October.  I can't wait for their big day to get here.  In the meantime, showers have started, which is so much fun!  We kicked off the showers in a big way - with a Couples Shower Fiesta!

The decorations were great, and the food was better!  Monica and Matt received some really wonderful gifts, which they will love using once they're married!  We loved having everyone over to celebrate Monica and Matt.

Adelina took more pictures on her camera, but here are a few from the night!

Sweet Summertime!

School has been out for 2 weeks.  I loved my kids this past year.  They were great.  This year went by so quickly.  But, by the end, the kids were just about done with each other.  And I was a little done with their bickering.  They get so comfortable with each other, which is really great because it makes our class so much fun, but it also means they start acting like siblings toward the end of the year.

I've done a couple of workshops this summer already, and I have curriculum writing tomorrow and Tuesday.  But, then, I have nothing scheduled until the middle of July!  Hooray!  I love the summer, and the sleeping until I feel like getting out of bed.  I love the relaxation and absence of stress.

I hope that you get some moments of relaxation this summer!

Spring Break Project

This last week was Spring Break, so naturally, I started a new project.  Some people take vacations or relax while on a break, but I almost always start a project.  I cleaned my house, and then  I painted my coffee table.  For Christmas, Reed built Aaron and me a really great TV frame.  After we stained it, we decided that my thought of just painting it black was a better option.  So, we painted it black.  Aaron hung it a couple of weeks ago, and it looks fabulous!

Thanks Reed for the TV frame! I love it!

Since it looks so great, I decided  that our coffee table really needed an update in order to really tie the room together completely.  Let's be honest.  I'd really love a large, square, black coffee table, but Aaron would appreciate it more if I spent less money and more time on updating what we already have.  I didn't want to sand the table (it's the worst part, and the most important so the paint can really take hold), so I thought probably I wouldn't get the coffee table painted for a long time.  But, then I found a link on Pinterest that showed me how to paint the table without sanding!  Aaron and I went to Home Depot to buy the primer that was needed, and I was off to work!  It took me a couple of days from start to finish so that I could allow enough time for drying, but it turned out great!  Another project finished!

The Before... This just didn't quite "go" with the rest of the furniture.

New favorite product.  This was the best discovery ever!

In the process

After one coat of black paint

The final product!

Our coffee table belongs now!

Monica and Matt are getting married!

My little sister, Monica, and her fiance Matt are getting married in October.  I've mentioned this very briefly in a past post, but the time has come to write just about them!  This engagement has been a long time coming, and our family was overjoyed when Monica and Matt finally got engaged.  They met in Lubbock about 4 and a half years ago when they were both working at Cricket's.  Matt had just moved to Lubbock from Nashville, and Monica was at Tech.  Their relationship has been so fun to see grow and change over the last 4 years, but even more so over the last year and a half since they've been back in Dallas.  They got engaged at the end of August, and the planning has begun!  I absolutely can't wait for October to get here so we can celebrate them in such a big way!

Monica has 6 bridesmaids, including Adelina and me.  We are her Matrons of Honor, and it is so fun to be a MOH!  This past October, Monica had this wonderful plan for asking Adelina and me to stand by her on her wedding day.  However, things didn't go according to plan.  We were on our way to San Antonio, and Monica's plan was to ask us in the car as we drove along a stretch of 35 that is almost to the exit we always took to get to my grandparents' house.  We would always start chanting, "We're almost there!" as we saw a chain link fence that let us know that we wouldn't be in the car much longer.  Monica was going to start this chant as we got closer to San Antonio, and naturally, Adelina and I would join in.  Then, she was going to ask us to be her Matrons of Honor.  It was such a good plan!  About half way to San Antonio, Monica found out that we were going to be exiting before we got to San Antonio so we could stop by my cousin's house.  So, Monica thought that she would start her chant when we exited.  Adelina and I did a great job of ruining her plan by being crabby and telling her that we weren't almost there.  So,  Monica let us know her plan and asked us to be her MOHs in the car on a random street.  We are so sorry we ruined your plan, but we can't wait to stand by you!

Yesterday, Monica's 4 other bridesmaids gave a wonderful engagement party for Monica and Matt.  We had a great time, starting all the fun celebrations to come in the next few months!  Matt has 2 nephews, Rustin and Travis, that he is very close with.  They live in Lubbock, and they came to Dallas this weekend to celebrate!  I'm so glad they were able to be here!  We had delicious food and desserts, and the wine was great too!  It was such a blessing to be with so many people that love Monica and Matt and can't wait to celebrate them!  I've included some pictures from the night.  Thank you Mary, Sarah, Megan, and Heather for hosting such an awesome party!  Thank you, Bobers, for opening your home to us!

Monica and Matt

Sarah, Heather, Monica, Mary, and Megan

Matt, Rustin, and Travis

Rustin and his girlfriend, Dani

Happy New Year!

I hope you had a wonderful New Year's Eve and that 2012 has started off well for you!  Aaron and I went to Sharon's cousin's house just south of Sherman, and it was so relaxing!  We've gone up there for the last few years, and it is so fun for us.  The year has started off well, and we've done nothing all day!  Aaron and I are going back to work tomorrow, so we wanted to just lay around today.  I made sure that all my grades were done before I left for the break.  I finished all my cleaning and laundry by the time we left our house yesterday.  Today, I've been anything but productive.  I'd say it's a good start!

I must say, 2011 was a good year for us, and I'm hopeful that 2012 is just as great, if not better.  I haven't mentioned before that my sister is engaged, but she is, and her wedding is just 9 months away!  I pray for many blessings for Monica and Matt as they prepare to be married.  I know that their wedding is going to be wonderful, and I pray that the planning continues to be fun and relatively stress-free!  I pray that Claire continues to grow as a healthy, happy baby girl.  She is so much fun, and I love watching her personality blossom a little more each time I see her.  I pray that Aaron and I are blessed with health and happiness.  I look forward to the things that God has in store for us.  I pray that your 2012 is blessed.  May you have a wonderful year!