Recent Happenings

Shoot...another 3.5 weeks gone by without a blog post. I'm not doing so well with recent postings!

Since I last posted, we had a wonderful visit from David's mother and her boyfriend. They live in Moab, Utah and while they have made several trips to Texas to see family, they haven't been to Dallas to see how we live our lives...or where we live our lives!! So it was an extra special treat that they came to town for this purpose.

David's mom got us a pasta making machine for Christmas so we had a pasta making class...of course! We made gnocchi, tagliolini and ravioli pasta. It was so YUMMY!

Kristie making gnocchi!

They were here the weekend after the George W. Bush library opened so we went to see that...of course!

David's mom and David in front of museum.

And my mother-in-law was a Science teacher for years so we went to the Perot Museum...of course!

Tony and David about to race a T-Rex at Perot.

And my mother-in-law's favorite musician, Jimmy Buffett happened to be in town that weekend so we went to the concert...of course!

Other fun things were: taking them to our church, introducing them to our sweet friends, had a dinner with my parents, rented a boat and got on the water and played ping pong at Klyde Warren Park.

Playing ping pong at Klyde Warren Park.

Tony and Kristie on the boat. 

It was one of the best weekends ever!

This past holiday weekend we packed it in full....David ran in a Race trying to raise awareness of Melanoma in Ft. Worth.

We went to the Colonial PGA Tournament and had Joe T's.

We celebrated our dear friends, Daryn and Matt's recent nuptials in Paris, France over a dinner reception at La Calle Doce.

We met up with my friend Maggie and her hubby, Kosta who were in town from Kansas City.

With Maggie, Karah and her daughter Londyn.

We went to the Farmers Market for the first time and my mom helped us plant flowers in all our pots.

Love my hydrangeas and Layla's photo bomb.

I will leave you with a funny story...we were standing at the nursery looking at flowers and I said "I really wished I had a long, rectangular flower box to fit this awkward spot on our front porch."  I was about to go look at the pots and David goes, "if you're just wanting a wooden box I can build you one." Oh ya! I forget I have such a handy husband! So we went home and he whipped up this flower box in a couple hours. :)

Trip Down Memory Lane

I have mentioned this a few times before but I'd like to share the full story. It's a story of provision and grace. I know my family is not alone in feeling the Lord's provision in our lives. I'm so thankful we serve a God who's grace and love flows down on us even in times of great trial, and sometimes we see it most in those times.

My parents moved out of my hometown of Rockwall, Texas the summer after I graduated from Baylor ('08). My dad had a business in Denver, CO and since all the kiddos were out of the house, they decided to move to Denver. Then the economy crashed and unfortunately so did my dad's business.

It was definitely a hard, ugly, emotional time for our family. I think it affected each of us in a different way. I can speak to my own journey in that David and I were getting married the year they lost their business and home. The Lord provided through my job a commission that covered the cost of a beautiful and perfect wedding. Also in his perfect timing, I also was given the leasing agent position over a building downtown with a private club at the top of that building. That's where we had our reception and were graciously given a discounted rate. I still get teary when I think about how he provided so abundantly during that time.

So back to my parents, they stayed in Denver for five years. During those five years, they Lord used them to impact many lives in that city. He stripped down many comforts and "idols" in their lives bringing them to the foot of the cross of His son Jesus Christ. Although we are all still learning how to really live this way, I think the Lord wanted our family to learn that Jesus is enough. He is all we need.


"But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."  2 Corinthians 12:9-10

My brother and I now both live in DFW and I think my parents saw and heard from both of us how much we'd love to have my parents close again. They still have a wonderful community of friends in Dallas and Rockwall and it would be a perfect place to come back to. My parents were both torn. I think on one hand they wanted to be back here but didn't know how to make it work with jobs etc. I kept encouraging my parents to just start sending their resumes out. You never know what will happen. So my mom started sending her resume to schools seeking administrative assistants and she got a call for an interview from the Dallas Theological Seminary. They held a couple rounds of interviews and she got the job! Not only did she get the job they wanted her to start in two weeks. Okay Lord, we hear you.

My dad had become certified as a chaplain while in Denver so he started applying for chaplain positions. He found out the hospital in Rockwall was looking for a chaplain so he sent his resume but I think truly didn't think he'd stood a chance. Then he got a call for a phone interview. It went really well and they asked for an in person interview. That went really well. Then he interviewed with the hospital president and THAT went really well. Sure enough he got the job!

So within about three months they have moved back, started their new jobs and bought a house in Rockwall!

My sister and niece came in town from NYC this past weekend for future sister-in-law's wedding shower and it was a trip down memory lane for all of us. Just driving around our hometown, going to the Aspasians craft show at the town square, seeing old faces. We even drove by our old house.

We are still getting used to it all but feel so very thankful. My heart is truly happy.

Below are some fun pics from this weekend!