HAPPY BIRTHDAY..

To my better half without whom I would not be complete --- the love of my life, Rob :)

I love you!!! Happy Birthday!!

Busy Past Week..

So, last week I was super excited to have my mother-in-law Peggy, her sister Ruth (Nan), and Rob's cousin Jalisha come into town for a girl's day. They came in Tuesday and we hit up tons of places to shop! When they got here, we were able to meet Rob for lunch at DoubleDave's - a first for Jalisha! That tended to be a trend over the course of the day - but I think that was ok with her! So we stopped by Charming Charlie's first which was good - although I didn't find anything I couldn't live without. I think once we left there we went to Garden Ridge where it seemed glass holders/jars were the big hit. Then we went to Sam Moon and Jalisha was in shock almost the whole time we were there just because there was SO much stuff (jewelry, bags, etc.) and at such good prices. I bought two bags and a couple of pieces of jewelry and everyone else seemed to have done pretty well there too. Let's see -- from there we went to Marshall's Home Goods. I found a couple of cute tops and a cat photo album (yes, I needed it!). There were quite a few good deals there. We came home after that and ate a yummy roast and vegetables. We watched Sister Act on netflix and then Rob went to bed soon after. The girls stayed up and talked but just for a little bit because we knew there was still a little bit of shopping to be done in the morning.  Once everyone was ready to go in the morning, we went to Pottery Barn (just to get some decorating ideas) and then headed to Kirklands - one of my favorite stores. Peggy actually pointed out some really cute oversized dice that were on clearance that I couldn't live without (and that Rob actually loved!). And, I bought a wire wall hanging - which Rob also liked! We went to eat lunch at SouperSalad after that and then we all headed home so they could get everything packed up and head back to Bridge City. I had such a good time and loved getting to spend some quality girl/family time with them! 

Cabinets

I know, I know! Two posts in one day! Amazing! Here are the before and after pictures - some of which are not the best, but oh well! Enjoy! 

BEFORE:

          

AFTER: 

     

                          

The 4th

A little late, but Happy 4th of July! We had a great time celebrating this weekend with family and friends. Rob's parents and sister Kelly came in Friday to stay the night at our house and spend some time together. We played a few games before going to bed that night which were a lot of fun. Saturday we ran a few errands (bead shop, book store, lunch) before heading out to Wes' house to eat some BBQ, play games, watch a and spend more time together. Rob and I ended up coming home that night (which I know made our kitties happy) but we went back to Wes' around lunch to eat a little more! That evening, we met up with my good friend Kim and her son Barrett to eat dinner and walk around Market Street. Her hubby joined us a little later and we eventually found a place to sit up on the roof of a building to watch fireworks. Kim invited us to go have a few drinks at her house with them which we did, and we stayed there until about 1. We had a great time! We got to sleep in on Monday because Rob didn't have to go into work -- observed holiday. So, we were able to run quite a few errands and spend some alone time together. 

Also -- we finished our bathroom cabinets on Friday (just in time for Rob's family to see them!) so I finally took pictures to post! :) I think they look really great, and our next plan is to do that to the kitchen cabinets. I'm not sure when we'll start though because it's been a nice break for now! Anyways, here's a few pictures!

Kim & Me

The Biddles :)

Happy Birthday.. and thoughts..

Happy Birthday, Brother Jon!! 

I can't believe it's already July! Where has this summer gone? And this year? It's hard to think we're already half way through 2010. But thankfully, for me anyway, I still have some time left before work (aka student teaching) starts in the fall. Rob and I have been working hard on the bathroom cabinets and frame and are hoping to be finished tomorrow. We've put layer upon layer of paint and I must say, I'm pretty impressed with how things are looking. I can't wait to see what the final product looks like, and I'll be sure to post some pictures on here within the next few days! 

Happy Birth to...

Ms. Hailey Rae Strain!! My cousin Jennifer and her husband Jeff had their sweet baby girl today!! She was 6 lbs 12 oz and was delivered around 7:30pm. I don't have much else to report yet, but I will add pictures and info as I get more! CONGRATS STRAIN FAMILY!!!!!!  

Summertime

Well, it is in fact my summer break from school, but it doesn't quite feel like it sometimes. Because I've been taking my online classes, I can't officially be a bum quite yet. This week, however, is my last week of classes and I couldn't be more excited!! I'm not sure what I'll do once I really do have complete free time, but I'm sure I'll find something to do...

Speaking of -- Rob and I have decided to paint our bathroom cabinets - sort of as a precursor to painting the kitchen cabinets. We're painting them a color called "Black Magic" which is black but not dark black. It actually is mixed with black, white, and maroon! Whoop! :) We have only done one cabinet door for now - just to see how it is going to look and I will say that I am very impressed with how it is turning out. I can't wait til we get more done and see what it looks like when it is finished! I took before pictures, and will continue to take pictures and will upload them as we make more progress!! 

School's out.. for.. the summer!!

Yay! We are done with another school year! Our last day of school was Friday which was a workday with no students, so we had to say our goodbyes to them on Thursday. It's definitely been an interesting year, but I am happy to get to move onto bigger and better things next year. I don't have any real plans for the summer, but I am going to try to get some things on ebay so we have a little extra money. We are planning a big family trip to Vegas - and Kelli and Andrew are coming for the weekend to see Garth Brooks!! I'm super pumped!! Other than that, I'm sure Rob and I will be visiting family and I'm going to try to clean and sort through things around the house. 

I did forget to post last weekend about our 2 year anniversary :) But, I will say it's because we were busy having a great time in Austin! I planned a little weekend trip for us to celebrate and relax, and boy was it awesome. We stayed outside of Austin in Buda - which is about 15 miles from downtown. We got there on Saturday afternoon, and went to an Indigo Girls concert that evening. I speak for myself when I say we had a great time - Rob is such a sweet husband to let me have my indulgences every once in a while. On Saturday, we went to go see Shrek Forever After in 3D, and then we went to peruse a local winery. Rob and I always talk about going to one and never make it out, so I wanted to be sure to have that be a main event that weekend. We got to sample about 10 different wines and even bought a bottle. We had dinner on site at a wonderful restaurant and had some amazing food. The next day we met my wonderful longtime friend Tyler who now lives in Austin to eat lunch. It was a nice treat getting to see him and talk about some of our funny memories together and make new ones with Rob. We drove back home after that, and Rob cooked a wonderful dinner - coq au vin and french onion soup. We exchanged some presents - I got Rob a traditional children's book and picture we had taken of us a few weeks prior for him to take to the office. Rob got me a gift certificate to Massage Envy which I totally plan to take advantage of asap! What a perfect gift for the end of the year! :) 

That's all I have to report for now - be sure to check out our photos link to see some of our favorite pictures we had taken as well as pictures from our trip to Austin! 

Happy Summer!! 

It's official...

I will be student teaching 2nd grade in the fall!! I am super excited that I will  get to student teach at the same school I've been working as a para at for two years! It's so nice because it is close to where I live and I already know pretty much everyone there. I haven't heard anything official yet from Region 4 (who I am getting my certification thru) because the principal just submitted all the information, but the principal told me that she just sent in all the paperwork and that I would be at Broadway! Yay!! I am so excited! And especially because I'm going to be with a great teacher (Kim Gomez) and be apart of an amazing team! Now I just have to prepare over the summer and be ready to give it my all when August arrives! :) Go Broadway Stars!!! 

Been a while.. again!

Ok, it's been a while again. But, life is calming down so that's going to help! First of all -- HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to my two wonderful mothers in my life! Rob and I got our mothers picture frames with two new pictures we had taken recently for our upcoming anniversary. 

I've been keeping busy because I've been studying for my EC-6 exam to be a teacher. It had been a little stressful because they moved the deadline from June 1st to May 1st, so I had to double time my studying. Of course, I had to work as well as and finish my homework assignments. So, yes. Busy. I took my test on April 30th, and found out the following Tuesday that I passed!! Yay!! I am so thrilled because I don't have to take it again!! :) So, now all that should remain is student teaching in the fall, and then getting my teaching certificate! Pretty exciting.

Also, pretty exciting news is that my brother Jon and his wife Amber had a sweet baby girl! Her name is Channing Sinclair and she was born May 1st! She is adorable and I can't wait to meet her!

Nothing too much else has been going on here.. I am counting down the days until school gets out - but we've been doing that in our classroom for about a month already! My last day is June 4th - although I do have to work on the Friday, but it's more of a clean up day without the kids so I'm not really counting it. The next big exciting event that is coming up is our anniversary. Two years!! We are going to Austin for the weekend - although Rob only knows about a concert we'll be going to, and the rest is a surprise! I'll be sure to post about that whole weekend once we've lived it! Hope everyone has a great week!! 

A little behind

So.. It's been exactly two months since I last posted. Oops :) I guess that is a good sign in that I've been busy! Let me think.. what has gone on for the past two months.. 

Rob and I had a babysitting adventure towards the end of February which was quite successful in my eyes! Kelli and Andrew had a wedding to attend with several duties to do while there - so they needed someone to babysit! I, of course, jumped on the chance to get to hang out with sweet baby Jackson. We babysat at their house and ended up staying the night there. Jackson was a great baby to watch because he is so relaxed! Rob did a great job helping out with many things - including diaper changing and preparing the food! 

The most exciting thing that happened in March was Spring Break! A whole week of off work! Well, for me anyways.. Rob was not as lucky. But, I convinced my mom that she needed to come visit me that week - especially because it was my sister Claire's Spring Break too. And - she did decide to come! She drove in that first Saturday of my break with my sister Carol - just in time to see my other sister Catherine who was in town for the weekend. We had a great dinner at my Great Aunt's house - with my Aunt Colette and Uncle Bill in attendance too. It was great to get to hang out with lots of family - especially those who I don't see all that often. It was great getting to hang out with my mom for that week - she showed me a bunch of cleaning techniques that I plan to use to make sure the house stays clean! I really think they had a good time just relaxing and spending time as a family. I really wish they lived closer so we could all visit with each other more - and maybe one day they will! :)

Aunt Jo & MahmThe sisters: Catherine, Claire, Christine, and CarolAt the beginning of April, we celebrated Easter with Rob's family in Bridge City. While we were there, we celebrated Tommy's 3rd birthday which was a lot of fun. I love getting to hang out with those kids! Since it was Easter, we did do a few traditional things like color Easter eggs and go to church. We also had a crawfish boil (I ate shrimp!) among other things. 

Billy & RobTommy & ChristineChristine & Rob

Most recently, last weekend, Rob and I went to an Astro's game with Wes and Sherri who had won some good seats from a silent auction. We had a lot of fun watching (and not watching) the game! We really enjoy getting to spend time with those two because they are a lot of fun. That Saturday, Rob and I went to the Woodlands Art Festival which was on the waterway. We went two years ago, and had a lot of fun looking at all the pieces of art. This year we bought two really cute things. We bought a pet feeder for our cat Wooter that matches the cat feeder that feeds the two other cats. We were actually pretty lucky to find it because it was the last one they had displayed - there were lots of dog ones, but only one cat! We also bought a little monster made out of parts like nails who is holding a broken flamingo in his hands. Rob and I both thought it was pretty cute and funny, and we couldn't pass it up!

At the Astro's game!

Our cute findings at the Waterway!

One of the MOST exciting things that happened on this day was.... that Wes and Sherri got engaged!!! :) I couldn't be more thrilled about being able to call Sherri part of the family! I haven't heard all the details on how the proposal happened, but I know Wes, and I know it was probably pretty romantic! Congrats to you both!

Engagement!Hopefully I will find more time to post more regularly - I've been busy with work, going back to school to get certified to teach, and studying for my teacher exams. June 4th is my last day, and I am already counting down the days to summer!!  

Love is in the air...

...and beads too!

For Valentine's weekend, Rob and I went into Bridge City to celebrate Mardi Gras and Valentine's Day with his family. It was really fun because everyone was in town - us, Kelly, Wes, and Sherri. On Saturday evening, we went to a Mardi Gras parade with Nan, Carrie & Daryl and the boys. We had a lot of fun waiving to all the people on the floats and of course, catching the beads. I was pretty proud of all the ones I caught - though, Rob did help me catch quite a few. On Sunday, all of the "kids" (except me) gave blood at the church which will be a nice Valentine's gift for some people!

Valentine's Day was great for me, and I'm pretty sure Rob enjoyed his gift too. I got a dozen beautiful red roses, a box of chocolates, a gift certificate to restaurant.com and a super sweet card. Rob was pleasantly surprised with a gift certificate to Brew It Yourself so that he (ok, we) can make our own wine! I can't wait to learn more about doing it - and even more excited about tasting it!

Update

It's been a while since I've updated, but it's mainly because Rob and I have been busy - mainly with working. Rob especially has been pretty busy with work helping out with lots of other clients he is not assigned to, but because he is so good as his job, they need him to help. He's such a good and hard worker. The weekends tend to be our recovery time, and a time where we can just be together. We've also been playing games at different places with different people. We even had some friends over for a Super Bowl party. Well, we had the game on - though we played games of our own. It's hard to believe we're in the second week of February already - time flies when you're working.. and having fun :)

Eddie Izzard!

This past Thursday, Rob and I went to Dallas to see one of my favorite comedians - Eddie Izzard. We actually had the opportunity to see him last year but laughed so much we decided to check him out again. We had a lot of fun, and many laughs were had.

How it's going..

Well, a few updates to our lives to talk about. First off, Rob and I got to spend some time with my brother Steve the weekend of January 9th and 10th which was great. He came home from Afghanistan just in time for the holidays and we were all very thankful for that. I am back in full swing at work - it's been nice so far because we have had 4 day weeks so far. I wish every week was like that! Rob's family came into town this past weekend for some good old fashioned family time. We were excited to have them in so we could show them all of our new furniture - and of course they approved! I don't think I mentioned it before, but we also got a new entertainment center which was delivered this past Tuesday. Anyways, while they were here, we went to go eat at Cheddar's mainly because Rob had never eaten there. Crazy, I know, because their food is SO good. We had a good time played some video games and just hanging out as a family.

On a sad note, Rob and I finally decided that it was time to take the cats in to get declawed. We actually called our vet and set up an appointment in December but that appointment only lasted about 20 or 30 minutes. I made Rob call back and cancel - we figured we could deal with scratches here and there and on the furniture and that declawing wasn't necessary. Well, after we got our new furniture, one of our kitties (who will remain nameless...) was walking across the back of the headboard but had some coordination issues which resulted in the falling off of the headboard with Rob's face as the landing spot. Not good, all around. Rob had a gash on his forehead above his right eye to a bit of the cheek. I woke up to the sound of him screaming because of the cats, and well, the cats got scheduled to be declawed. As hard as it was to take them to the vet this past Friday to get it done - I know there are many more pros to doing it than there are cons. We get to pick them up tomorrow and I am REALLY hoping they don't hate us for the rest of their lives. :( Don't worry - I'll be sure to update to let everyone know how things went. But I must say - my life has felt a little empty being at home without them. It just goes to show what a big part of my life those three cats are! I can't wait to get them home!!

Happy Birthday to...

Rob's dad (and my wonderful father in law!!) - SAM!!! :)

Happy New Year!