Merry Christmas!

I want to wish you a Very Merry Christmas! I hope you have a wonderful day celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Behind

Some of you may know that I like to make cards. In fact, the past few years I have made our Christmas Cards. It is my biggest card making venture of the year. But this year may be different. I have not even started my cards and may only make a couple for some family members. This fall has been crazy busy for me with some of my church activities and our football season.

It looks like I won't put up my tree as well. I have my other decorations up in the house but because of getting some new items for our home, I could not put up our tree when I put up our decorations. So my yougest kitty will not have the joy of trying to eat our tree and play with the ornaments. (I am not lying).

I really want to enjoy this time of year, so it means that I am going to have to put off some off this year.

2 Days Behind

Well I knew it would happen but not this soon. I am two days behind on my December Daily posts. Oh well.

We lost last Friday. It is always hard to lose in the playoffs. But when you get so close to the State Championship, it is even harder. I am so proud of our team (players and coaches). Kaufman has gone the furthest it has ever gone in the playoffs. We definitely have something to be proud of. Now I just hope Liberty Hill beats the pants off of Celina! =)

The fun football part of our weekend was finding out that Ole Miss and Texas Tech are going to the Cotton Bowl. Gerald Harris is someone Wendell has taught and coached since 7th. He has come so far and now his junior year he has had the opportunity to play for Ole Miss. Wendell has also taught a girl named Audrey that plays in the Red Raider band.

So because of this - we are going to the Cotton Bowl! I am so excited. We got to go to the Cotton Bowl 2 years ago when Auburn beat Nebraska. I am also glad we are going since it will be the last time the Cotton Bowl will be played at the Cotton Bowl Stadium. The 2010 game will be played at Jerry World (aka as the new Cowboys stadium).

Wendell is teacher of the year at Kaufman High School!

I am so proud of Wendell. He works so hard to teach his kids. He does not want to have the stereotype that coaches have when teaching History. He is always looking for innovative ways to teach and help his kids learn History.

So I hope this is a great start to a great day as we play Celina tonight in our toughest game yet!

More Pictures from our last playoff game

Here is the score in the 4th quarter - notice how much time is left:

Here we are at the line of scrimmage:

TOUCHDOWN!!! Kaufman wins the game 21-14!!!

Let me tell you that was an exciting game. Tomorrow we play our toughest opponent yet - Celina!

Favorite Christmas Shows & Movies

A Charlie Brown Christmas - I love Peanuts!!
Frosty the Snowman
Scrooge - the version with Albert Finney. We performed this version of Scrooge when I was in elementary school.
White Christmas
A Christmas Story - I have to watch this every Christmas. "You'll shoot your eye out!"
Friends - the episode where Ross is the Holiday Armadillo. It cracks me up every time.


What are some of yours?

Post # 2

Ok - now I am caught up! Ha Ha!

Today I will write about one of the things that has been a blessing to me lately - Fly Lady! I don't know how to make it were you can click on the word and go to the site so I will just tell you. It is flylady.net.

Fly Lady is a website designed to help get your house in order. I don't like to clean. I think it has more to do with I get overwhelmed with everything that needs to be done and how it can be such a constant battle. But with Fly Lady it has helped me conquer what needs to be done in increments. Sometimes it is in 2 minute, 5 minute, or 15 minute increments. She breaks up your house into zones as well and you work in a different zone each week. I get emails everyday and I actually look forward to seeing what needs to be done for that day. It gives me a sense of accomplishment. So if you hate cleaning as I do, check out Fly Lady and see if she can help you get your house in order.

December Challenge

Ok - so I have been challenged by one of my good college friends to post on my blog every day in December. This will be a challenge for sure. But since I am a day behind this is post #1!

We are still in Playoffs!

We won in the last 10 seconds of the game to win 21 to 14! It was so exciting! This Friday we play Celina. This is the farthest Kaufman has ever gone in the playoffs.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I love Thanksgiving. I love the Fall colors. I love the Food. I love remembering my heritage - my ancestors really did come on the Mayflower. I love being with family and friends. This year since we are still in the playoffs (YEAH!), we will be spending Thanksgiving with our coaching family. Since Wendell has to work this morning and my mother's plans, it worked out better for us to each with our coaching family. But they are family as well.

Here are some things I am thankful for:

• My relationship with God.
• For the things the Lord has done this year in me.
• My husband. I am very fortunate to have him as my husband.
• My family.
• That Wendell and I have good jobs.
• I have a house to live in.
• I have food in my refridgerator and my pantry.
• I can pay my bills.
• That we are still in the playoffs. Go Kaufman Lions!
• That I live in the USA! I love this country.
• That I am Texan. I love being from Texas.
• Freedom (the freedom I have in Christ and the freedom I have in being an American.)
• My friends.
• That I have reconnected with a lot of people this year through Facebook.

I could go on and on. But I need to get ready for today. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Choosing Hope over Fear!

As you know, I was not happy about the election results Tuesday night. I did not vote for Obama. I was frustrated and upset. But I woke up Wednesday morning with relief and determination.

Relief - because this election is finally over. I feel two years of stress gone from all the events this election entailed.

Determined - to pray for our President, Congress, and our country. No matter if you voted for Obama or not, Christians are commanded to pray for our leaders.

Who knows - this may bring the Revival our Country so desparately needs!!!

2 Chronicles 7:14 says:

"if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

I think we can all agree that our Country needs healing. I believe if Believers would do this and pray for the leadership of our country, we will see the CHANGE our Country really needs!

So let's band together. Put away our despair. Put away our fear. Let's choose hope! Hope in the Lord. Because we all know He is the only one to bring real change!

Join with me and be committed to pray for our future President, our outgoing President and our present and future leaders of this country. Let's see God do an amazing thing in the United States of America!

What we must do now....

http://livingproofministries.blogspot.com/2008/11/united-house.html

Election Day

Well it is finally here - Election Day! In a lot of ways I am nervous about this election but there is also a big part of me that will be glad when it is officially over. I have grown weary and I am ready for the phone calls to stop. I wish they realized that I already voted and stop calling me!! Oh well - life goes on.

Even though I am nervous about the outcome, I can have peace that no matter what happens, God is ultimately in control, He loves me and will take care of me. It just breaks my heart at what could happen to this country that I love so much.

No matter what happens, I will pray for the new president. Christians are called to pray for our leaders no matter who they are. Please remember that - no matter who gets elected.

My Story

I became a Christian in college. Growing up I had a knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ. I had gone to church some and learned the stories of Noah, Moses, the birth of Jesus, His crucifixion, and His resurrection.




I was a pretty happy go-lucky kid. Nothing really rocked my boat until my senior year in high school when my Dad passed away. You see, I was Daddy's Little Girl and derived a lot of security from that. So when that happened I started searching for something to fill this void in my life.



Like I said, I grew up with a knowledge of God. So when I went to college at Texas Women's University and was going through Rush, I prayed that God would help me choose the sorority He wanted me in. So I pledged Alpha Gamma Delta. My freshman year I was enjoying everything my sorority had to offer: friends, parties, drinking, etc. Then came my sophmore year. I was realizing I was wanting something more. I thought I needed to go to church to get my life straight. Well it did not happen. So my Spring semester, there was a girl who worked with Campus Crusade for Christ who wanted to start a Bible Study in my sorority. So at that point in my life, I was eager to do it.



Through this Bible Study, I learned what it meant to be a Christian and that I could have a relationship with God. I learned that God loved me and wanted me to have a relationship with Him. The problem was that I am a sinner and separated from God but He provided a way so that I could have this relationship with Him. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay for my sins and to bridge the gap that was between me and God. But in order to have this relationship with Him, I have to individually accept Jesus as my Savior and Lord.



I knew some of this before but did not know I could have a relationship with God through what Jesus did for me on the cross and accept His payment for my sins. But when I heard this, I knew this is what was missing in my life. So I accepted Jesus' payment for my sins and made Him my Savior and Lord!



My life has not been the same since!

What's your story?

My Friend Gayle

This past Sunday I got some awful, shocking news. My good friend from work, Gayle, had passed away in her sleep. I am still in denial that she is gone. She was a wonderful friend and sister in Christ. This was totally shocking because she was in good health. She was engaged to be married in April. She has two wonderful kids (one out of college and one in college). If you could, please pray for her fiance, her children, her family and friends. We are all in shock. But my comfort is in the Lord and that she is with Him. I will see my friend again and what a joyous day that will be!!

This is a startling reminder that the Bible says we are not promised tomorrow. And we need to be 100% sure of where we are going to spend eternity.

I love my friend and miss her dearly. I will see you soon Gayle.

A Good Scripture for the Times

"He will be the sure foundation for your times,
a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;
the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure."

-Isaiah 33:6

More Pics

I love this picture. The statue is Christopher Columbus. I think it is cool how he is looking out onto the bay and the American Flag is there in the background.

Alcatraz
Alamo Square:

San Francisco

The smokiness in my pics are from the fires that have been in Northern California.

Wendell in Alcatraz:

Lombard Street - the Crooked Street

I will post more later.

Life Long To-Do List

When I was on our trip, I was looking through my issue of Real Simple on what little down time we had. And there was a section that posted writers top 3 life long to-do's. Every issue they ask a question of their readers and they post the answers a couple of issues later.

So when I read this, I thought it was a good question. What are my life long to-do's? I also asked Wendell this as well.

So here are my top 3 for right now:

1. To learn more about interior decorating. My father was interior decorator so it is in my blood. I just wish he was around to help me develop it.

2. To develop my own personal style of cards to give out as gifts.

3. To go on more mission trips. This is one of the things I miss the most about not be on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ. I love missions.

So there you have it. What are your top 3 Life Long To-Do's? Let me know!

San Francisco

We had a great trip to San Fran. We probably did just about everything you could do there. At least the main touristy stuff. We walked all over that town and rode the Muni all over the city. I will post pics soon I promise. I am just not that handy with my digital camera.

What is also overwhelming is we still have so many Paris/London pics we need to develop and now we have a ton of S.F. pics to develop. Let alone put in a scrapbook! Ugh!

So please be patient. I will get to it. =)

"Quirky Me"

I found this on blogger friend's blog (if that makes sense). I met her through my blog. I am to list 6 things that are quirky about me. So here it goes:

1. I am a girl who loves football.

2. I hate soggy eggs. I want my eggs to be nice, fluffy, and cooked!

3. I also hate soggy bread. Can't stand it.

4. I don't like to clean. If I could afford it, I would have a maid in a heartbeat.

5. I am not a morning person. I so wish I was but I am not there yet.

6. I have really sensitive ears. I am always asking Wendell to turn the TV, radio, etc down. But it also allows me to pick out sounds really easy. I can name a song I know in a couple of notes. I can pick out an actor by their voice pretty easily. I guess it comes from playing the violin from elementary school through high school that it makes me sensitive to notes and noise.

So there you have it! Now you do it!!

Fredricksburg, Tx

We went to Fredricksburg this past weekend for a wedding of one of the coach's Wendell works with. We had a good time and got to experience a lot of what this town has to offer.

We do miss the hill country. We think about going back but Wendell also wants to go back to Houston some day. The atmosphere is so much more laid back in the hill country.

We left on Friday and stopped off in Round Rock to do some outlet shopping. Got some really good deals on clothing for the both of us. We rolled into Fredricksburg around three and immediately went walking around on Main Street. We stopped in so many stores. We even went into one of the wine shops and sampled some wine. I bought a sweet wine from Wimberely. I am so inept when it comes to wine.

We had German food that night.

Saturday we went to the National Musuem of the Pacific War. That was very interesting. I learned some new stuff. Of course, I have my wonderful history buff with me. There was so much information. You could also see alot of parallels of what happened then to what is going on now. While we were touring the musuem there were a couple of gentlemen that had served in World War II and it was so neat to overhear their experiences. I am so proud of our military and what they have done and sacrificed for our freedom. I get teary just thinking about it.

We did some more shopping and the wedding was early that evening. The reception was at Hondo's where we got to hang out, eat, and dance. They had a local band play in the area outdoors. So I even got to hang outside and listen to music and dance with my wonderful dance partner.

Did not take any pictures. But I will when we go to San Francisco. I promise!

Need a new pic

Man - I was just looking at my blog and my profile pic. And that jacket makes me hot just looking at it! It is too hot to be looking at a jacket like that! =)

Maybe I will get a new pic after we go to Fredricksburg or San Fran.

I can't wait to see this movie!

If You Came to My House....

I got this off of a friend's blog. Since I have not posted anything in a while, here it goes:

You Would See:

The stray black Persian kitty that we feed and lays around in our backyard. We call him Mangy kitty because he was really mangy when he came to us. Since we feed him on a regular basis, he looks a lot better. But sometimes, he will have a mangy day.

We also call him our version of Smelly Cat. (For all of you Friends fans) There have also been times he has fit this name as well.

We Would Probably Feed You:

Enchiladas. Wendell makes great enchiladas. Or something from the grill. And I would make some fun dessert.

We Would Undoubtedly Ask You If You Have Read:

Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerich. We are reading this in our Growth Group.

We Would Play This Music For You:

Maybe some George Strait.

We’d Would Want To Tell You The Latest About:

Our summer plans. Playing Tennis. And football of course! =)

We Would Probably Suggest A Game Of:

The Friends Board Game

We Might Show Off:

Our kitties - Chloe and Chelsea. Especially Chelsea's lastest shenaningans.

We Might Get On The Computer And Show You:

Our pictures from Paris and London. Since we have only developed a handful of pictures. We took over 400!!

If It Was A Long Enough Visit, We Might Watch:

Lost, Sports, old movies, or possibly George Lopez.

What Would A Visit To Your House Be Like???

Oh....If you read this and want to do it, then YOU'RE IT!

Scripture Memory

One of my New Year's Resolutions was Scripture Memory. I have not been that great with it. But I am keeping at it.

Here is the verse I am memorizing this week:

"The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit"
- Proverbs 18:21

Fun Weekend

I had such a fun weekend. Wendell and I went to Kaufman's Baseball playoff game in Rockwall. The bummer was we lost. But I had a good time catching up with some of the coach's wives I have not seen in a while.

Saturday I went to Canton with my good friend Tonya. We had a great time. The weather was perfect. I got some fun stuff too.

Sunday after church, Wendell and I played Tennis at the Tennis Center in Mesquite. We bought racquets a few years ago and had not used them until yesterday. We had a lot of fun. I think we are going to try to play regularly this summer.

So I guess you can add that to my list of things I am looking forward to this summer: Playing tennis with Wendell.

It was so nice to have a fun weekend. We had a stressful week financially this past week. We had to replace our A/C unit in the house and we had to get some repairs on Wendell's truck. So it was nice to have some fun!

I hope you had a fun weekend too.

What I am looking forward to this summer

1. For School to be out and Wendell's schedule to slow down a little before football.
2. Baseball - Rangers and Astros games.
3. Going to Fredricksburg.
4. Going to San Francisco - I have never been to California.
5. Our nine year wedding anniversary!
6. Football being around the corner.

Things I am not looking forward to:

1. Higher electric bills
2. Higher water bills
3. The price of gas.

Of course all of the things I am not looking forward to have to deal with money. =)

A few more pics

Here is Wendell with our good friend Mario Cerda, who serves with Campus Crusade in Paris.
It was fun to see him.

Wendell is trying to have a little fun with the phone booth.

More Pics

Versailles

Paris and London Baby!

I am back! I am still trying to get over jet lag. The trip was great. Will post more later.

What happens in life is not by accident...

Do you ever just look back on a certain time in your life and all of a sudden God shows how some pieces of your life fit together? I do this every once in a while and I am just amazed to see God's hand on my life.

One of the things I love to do is to dig deep into the Word of God and to teach others the Word of God. I was working on one of my lessons for Colossians and having a blast looking up meanings of words and cross referencing Scripture. Then I thought about how when I was a young girl, I would try to read the Bible. I would start in Genesis. I knew some of the stories but I really did not understand the Word. So I would only get so far and would give up. Then some time later, I would go through the cycle again.

Then I became a Christian in college, God's Word came alive, and I was excited. I started to learn how to study the Bible inductively and I was hooked. I loved my class on Bible Study Methods when I was going through New Staff Training for Campus Crusade for Christ.

God planted a seed sometime when I was a little girl. A seed that was love for His Word which sprung into a desire to teach others His Word and how to study His Word.

God does have a plan for each of us. He designed each one of us in a unique way. How has God designed you? See if you can find pieces in your life that fit your puzzle.

Simple but Fun

I made these cards for the Bible Study I will be teaching on Colossians. I thought it was a simple but fun way to remind the women of the readings we will be doing.

My Valentine

I am so grateful for my Valentine, my husband. He is my best friend and my favorite person in the world! I tell him regularly that he is the greatest! I am so thankful that the Lord put him in my life. And I cherish everyday that I have with him.

Happy Valentine's Day Sweetheart! I love you!

Coach's Wife Poem

This is a poem I found on a message board I frequent. It is written by a fellow coach's wife and it sums up my life:

The Coach's Wife Fight Song

I am a coach's wife, I wear my team colors bright
I'll travel any distance to see my team play tonight.
No matter what the "season", I will be a faithful fan
Because I stand beside the coach, the leader, the man.
So bring on the fun - I'll even face the strife
'Cause I know God will give me strength to be a coach's wife!

My Comfort Today

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will counsel you and watch over you."

--Psalm 32:8

First Post

Okay - here is my first post on my first blog. I wanted to have something here. It is going to take me some time to get this thing set up, so please be patient with me.

If you have any tips to make my blog pretty, please do not hesitate to let me know. I could use all the help I can get!

I named my blog "Joyful Laughter" because I love to laugh and I want to carry with me a spirit of Joy.

Well that is it for now. Thanks for the tips!