Waiting on spring....

I have been a HUGE fan of all this cold weather and snow this winter but I am not officially ready for spring. Come on sunshine and warm weather! Show your face. I am ready to be able to sit on a patio and have a nice margarita. Texas has been blasted with unusually cold temperatures lately, including about 12 inches of snow a few weeks ago.

Lately, Colton and I have been busy with trying to get our life in order. Talking to potential employers, looking for houses,etc. Summer seems far off still but I know it will creep up on us quickly. Wedding mania is about to start as well so time will go by much faster with all these events we have coming up. I have three of my closest friends getting married this year and Colton has two of his good friends and his cousin's wedding. We will be busy bees pretty soon.

Spring break is only three short weeks away. Its sort of like a little blast of life support so teachers can make it to the end of the year. Boy, do I need this break! Although, I have been enjoying work lately, probably because I really love the unit we are wrapping up on Africa. I showed a documentary to my kiddos last week called Invisible Children about the use of child soldiers in Africa. They are really into it and its motivating to teach about some of these delicate topics. It makes me feel like I am doing something, however small, to make a difference. Its a really great documentary so check it out.

We went to church this morning and the service was really good. A guest minister from Scotland spoke and he was very good. His message was about finding oneness with God and focusing on what that means. He gave two stories about a relationship he formed with a Jewish rabbi and an experience he had with a Muslim imam. Both stories were inspiring because, even though the individuals involved were so different, they were all focused on serving one purpose and that was finding oneness with God. I really thought his sermon was a beautiful example of how we focus so much at times on what makes us different that we fail to recognize that which makes us the same. I really enjoyed it. Colton and I had lunch at our usual spot, Chilis, and then grocery shopped together. I think this is the second time we went through this exact routine and I told him I am really loving our Sundays together. Its nice to spend time with one another and enjoy each others company.

Until next time, blessings!

XOXO,
Devin

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope you are enjoying your Valentine's weekend with people you love. I was surprised with snow and a day off Friday so my weekend started early. Nice! Friday I attempted to make cut cookies with royal icing. Let's just say the experiment needs work. C does not like the taste of the icing so I am going to have to find a good tasting recipe for icing that decorates well. To be continued......

Mom was in wreck Friday. The snowy conditions caused another driver to lose control of his car and he came across the median and she hit him. Luckily, it was not on a freeway so speeds were low. It could have been a lot worse. Several good samaritans stopped to help her get out of her car and call my dad. The other driver had insurance and was apologetic so that was a blessing too. Mom's airbag deployed so she has a black eye and her face is bruised. Her car had to be towed and they are waiting to hear if it is totaled or not. I am so thankful she is okay.

Friday night C and I celebrated Valentine's day with a nice dinner out at Eddie V's Seafood and Steak house. We have been wanting to try this restaurant for awhile now and C surprised me with reservations there. It was delicious. I am not a big seafood lover but on our honeymoon I ate lobster almost every day because it was fresh. I am trying to expand my palette (sp?) so I settled for the appetizer sampler...crab cake, calamari, and lobster tail. It was yummy but I think I left about three quarters of my food on the plate. talk about huge portions! C had the snapper and it was great too. We went to see the movie Avatar after dinner and it was worth our money. I am not a big scifi fan but I enjoyed the story behind the people and the special effects. I don't think I will be renting it or anything but it was a good movie.

We spent Saturday sleeping in and being lazy. We had plans to meet friends for dinner at Cadillac Ranch in Las Colinas as a kind of group Valentine's Day date. I ventured out of my comfort zone again and ordered Texas Coast shrimp pasta. Very yummy. It was half price bottles of wine so we ordered a bottle of riesling for C and I. After dinner, we headed back to Fort Worth and went to Snookies for awhile. It was a fun night!

Today, C and I have spent the day cuddled up on the couch watching the Olympics. Not an exciting Valentine's but it is exactly what I wanted. I made beef stroganoff for dinner and we are now relaxing before bed, watching figure skating!

Happy Valentines! XOXO,
Devin

Love is in the air....

At least, that is what the grocery store screams at me every time I walk in. Flowers, pink and red cookies, a whole aisle dedicated to Valentine's candy. Talk about pressure! I enjoy Valentine's day but I don't really buy into all the hoopla. I like to be recognized but I don't need much. A nice dinner out will do. C is taking me to Eddie V's this Friday evening to celebrate. I think the magic of Valentine's is wrapped up in childhood. It is FUN to make valentines when you are young..the kind you drop in your classmates bags. I prefer homemade Valentines to store bought. I plan on trying to make cut cookies in the shapes of hearts later this week to take to school. We shall see.

Colton and I spent last weekend in the good ole LBK. We spent some time househunting..or rather "window shopping" for houses in neighborhoods around Lubbock. It as fun and frustrating at the same time. Fun to see what is out there but frustrating when you realize the picture online doesn't exactly match up to what you get. We did find some good areas to look for houses in so I consider the trip an overall success. Next step...meet with a realtor and actually start looking. Yay!

In other areas of our life...I am continuing to explore cooking and baking (a little more baking...what can I say? I am a chocolate kind of girl). It's fun for me and I am enjoying it. The challenge now is to cultivate my interest in cooking without expanding mine and C's waistline. We are both working on getting fit and healthy so chicken fried steak is out of the question for every day meals. We have been working out more, doing activities together and apart. I am enjoying it so far. Ask me again in a month.

Well, the pillow is calling my name so that is all for now.

XOXO,
Devin