Autumn begins

I feel like football season always marks the turning of the season even though the weather does nothing exciting right away. Labor Day introduced our first football fun weekend. It was hot, but we all enjoyed being outside at the ranch. The girls did their thing while the guys went to the game. A&M won so everyone was happy.

I love this time of year – I think it is because everyone gets so festive and I love festive. Like everyone else I am sure, I have really been enjoying the weather change. Just crossing my fingers it does not regress, knowing Texas weather. Anyways, Cheri and I celebrated the perfect weather by going to a craft show in Bryan last weekend. She bought a few things for the ranch:

 

Along with my decorating mood, I have had my eye on some new furniture – Forrest and I never really purchased new furniture when we moved in our first house. I think we need to do some replacing … just a little at a time, and starting with a new bed. I have had my eye on these two:

Well that is it for now. Just enjoying the new season. Next I am off to work on some research for school assignments, then I plan to study (outside of course) for my pediatrics test on Monday. We will be in Austin all weekend for my first triathlon - will make sure to post pictures if Forrest gets any good ones. :)

September 21, 1980

Is the day my parents got married which makes today their 30th YEAR ANNIVERSARY.

I am proud that my parents are able to celebrate this milestone. It takes a lot of work to make a marriage last and I know it is not always easy. What matters most is that you make it through the hard times, learn from those experiences, and grow as a couple. You have to live as a team, learn to compromise, and be considerate of each other. Understanding these things and the many aspects of marriage, as a daughter and a wife, makes me appreciate and value this special day for them even more.

With that said, I just want to gratefully wish my parents both a very happy anniversary today. I could not be happier for ya’ll and look forward to celebrating when we are all together in Austin next weekend. :D

   

Wednesday night Bible study

I am so happy to talk about the amazing women’s Bible study group Nena, Cheri, and I joined at their church in Brenham. We have gone twice now and I am looking forward to next week’s already.

We are studying the Book of Esther. After sharing some of it with my Mom today, I thought I might share it on my blog too for anyone else interested (and for me to reflect back on as well).

Last week (day 1; Ch. 1) we talked about God’s presence in our lives and how we can trust him with our circumstances. One question I really thought about was “Do you ever give things to God and then turn around and take it back?”

This week (day 2), we discussed six of Esther’s queen-like qualities that Christian women should aspire to have.

1.) Grace filled charm and elegance

2.) Unusual restraint and control (ex: the ability to keep a secret for someone)

3.) Continual teachable spirit

4.) Unselfish modesty and authenticity

5.) Winsomeness (meaning pleasant and delightful spirit) regardless of surroundings

6.) Humble respect for authority

I really feel like I will grow as a Christian and as a woman, wife, mother one day from joining this study group….afterall “when you’re green, you’re growing; when you’re ripe, you’re rotten.”

:)

Hyundai, Kia…welcome to the family

Since Forrest and I have moved out of town, gas has been really brutal on our pockets. We commute about 30 – 40 mi back and forth everyday and both drive gas guzzling vehicles. We knew there would be quite an increase in our gas bill but after calculating last month’s, we realized something had to change.

So….we went out and got us the best deal on the most fuel efficient cars we could find. First, for me, we got a 2011 Hyundai Sonata which I am very much happy and in love with. It is a very nice car and in my opinion, a lot of bang for your buck. And most importantly, it gets a whopping 35 miles to the gallon!

And then today, Forrest got himself a 2010 Kia Forte. It is really funny if you know Forrest – truck driving, country boy driving a forte. It is the most basic car ever but it gets 35 mi to the gallon as well and he got quite the deal on it.

 

Last School Break!

Tomorrow I go back to school to finish my last semester of nursing school. I cannot believe this time has already come: we are talking exit HESI exam, graduation things, resume building and recruiting,  applying for jobs, NCLEX info….it is just crazy how quickly this semester is going to fly!

Anyways, we only received one week off in between semesters so I went to my parents house for a few days to hang out with them and see my sister and Reagan before they go back to CA. I am hoping I will maybe get to see them one more time though before they go!

I got there Sunday and stayed through Wednesday. We had fun just hanging around the house and the pool, did a little shopping and running around, ate out at some of our favorite places. I just love being with them and Reagan is just so fun I wanted to take her home with me! If I ever have a little girl, I want her to be just as full of life as Reagan is. She is just such a happy little girl.

      

         

Diary of a TRI-wife: Entry #2 Bridgeland Triathlon

Sunday, Forrest finished his second sprint triathlon. Technically this was his first FULL sprint triathlon since the swim portion of the last one was cancelled. It was a fun day starting off at 4:30am when we left the house along with Forrest parents to head off to the event. Once we got there, Forrest left to get his transition area set up, Big Forrest found a good spot for our chairs, and Cheri and I ran around trying to find where the swim started so we could get pictures and root him and Aaron on.

The 500m swim went well but Forrest said it was much harder than he thought it was going to be. He had been swimming around 1500- 2500m three times a day in a 25m community pool before the race but said swimming in open water is much different. He didn’t feel prepared enough; in fact Sunday night he went and swam at Lake Bryan to make himself feel better. He is so hard on himself!

For the bike, Cheri and I again were right there watching him as he transitioned. He seemed really calm and focused on getting his gear on. He set out for 14 mi and did really well. He averaged about a 20mi/hr speed which is an improvement from his last race. He was pretty content with his performance on the bike.

His 3.5 mi run went well but he felt as if he couldn’t reach his potential. He has had some cramping issues lately and if he cramps, it unbearably forces him to have to slow way down. He was trying to prevent that so he went at a steady pace – about 8:30 mile. He would’ve liked to have done better but plans to work on this too. I tell him it is not about speed for the next couple events he has coming up, it is about ENDURANCE! Which I think he knows. He has definitely been working on improving his distance for each sport.

Anyways, it was a fun day. I enjoyed rooting for him and watching him cross that finish line. He makes me so proud!

Trip of a Lifetime

I am a little behind on blogging and before I talk about Forrest’s triathlon this past weekend, I want to post some pictures from our trip from Iowa we took a few weeks ago.

This was a little bit of a spontaneous trip for us. My parents, sister and her family had all planned a trip to see my Dad’s side of the family in Iowa and I didn’t think we would be able to go. Well, luckily and at the last minute, Forrest and I were able to get out of school and work for just long enough to be able to go. I was just so grateful that it worked out because I didn’t know when the next opportunity would be for us to all be together up there.

And what memories we made! We enjoyed a picnic party for Reagan’s 2 year birthday which was like a big family reunion. We dug into some GOOD Iowa corn at my grandparent’s house. We stayed at my Aunt Terri and Uncle Andy’s house which was better than a bed and breakfast - they were just unbelievable hosts to us. We did a little shopping us girls (Mom and Aunts), dining out with the whole family, and one night Forrest and I along with some of my cousins went out for a few drinks. We really enjoyed the entire trip and made such great family memories.

Now its their turn for a trip to Texas so we can entertain them!! :)