I miss my momma!

Wasn't she beautiful? This is a picture of my mom and dad, only months before Mom passed away of a sudden heart attack. The other is of her gravestone with the flowers we put on it for her birthday last year. I love the way my dad did her stone, it shows her love of dogs and painting...it makes it really representative of who she was. She has been gone for 2½ years, but there are days it feels like yesterday. Today is one of those days. As I sit here crying, I am reminded of how gentle and sweet she was. I miss her so much! Today is one of those days that I really struggle to understand why God chose to take her from us so early in life. When I lost her, I thought that my wedding day would be the most difficult day in my life without my mom, but now I think it may not have been as hard as others to come. As my husband and I talk about having a baby in the next year or so, I imagine getting pregnant and not having her to tell...not getting to hear the excitement in her voice upon hearing of a grandchild. And not to have my mom to ask advice from during pregnancy and parenting. I miss her voice, her hugs, her support, and her humor. I do not understand why I have to live the rest of my days without her, and I wonder if it will ever get any easier. Mom... I love you and miss you!!!
I'm sorry if this was depressing, but I needed to "write it down."

New Day, Same Story

We need a better fence...yesterday!
Two of our dogs have figured every way possible to get out of their chain-link fence, and we have since been trying to keep them inside by chaining them up. At first, it was just Bella, the smaller of the two. She would get herself wrapped around anything you can imagine...water hoses, two-by-fours of the greenhouse K is building, our well...you name it, she wrapped herself around it. This was even when she was tied to a metal rod stuck in the middle of the yard! She now only has a tether of about 10 feet! Well, now Mocha has figured out how to get out! So, the last two days has also had to be chained up. Yesterday, I came home to find her in the neighbor's yard! She was chained close to the fence, and slipped under it, while still on the chain, and wrapped herself (very tightly) a million times around the neighbor's tree nearest the fence. (I so wish I had thought to take a picture of it before I untangled her to post here!) Today, I returned home to find her tangled in her own foot! Yes, she had somehow wrapped the chord around just one foot, up to the middle of her leg. This time I felt bad, because she was obviously in pain as I tenderly tried to release her. I can't imagine how she got herself like that, or how long she had been there by the time I got home from school. She limped on it for a while...but never you fear, she is fine now! I wonder what tomorrow will hold!
Anybody need a dog...or two?!?!?!

Our "2nd Honeymoon"

While not near as elaborate as the Caribbean Cruise we took for our honeymoon, K and I did get to get away for a weekend for our anniversary. We have been low on cash (as most young marrieds, I suspect), so we just drove an hour and a half drive down to Galveston. We left Friday afternoon and went to dinner at a Sushi bar. K loves sushi, so it was a special treat for him, and they had a great (COOKED) Shrimp Tempura I liked. :) We then stayed at the hotel I had reserved online....it looked so nice online! To make a long story short, and website was misleading, and we checked out when we woke up Saturday morning. After finding a nice LaQuinta and making a reservation for Saturday night, we made our way to Moody Gardens. We had a great time there, especially in the Aquarium Pyramid, and at the 3D IMAX film. We then tried to dine at K's favorite steakhouse in Texas, but we didn't think to make reservations, and they were booked until after 9pm! (We were both now pouting.) So, we were forced to go to Landry's and have steak, shrimp, and much to K's excitement...King Crab. On Sunday we toured an old Victorian home built in the 1800's, it was BEAUTIFUL! It is a home that is now worth over $7 million dollars! Then we were forced to try out the "Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory" before we went home. What's a romantic weekend without some chocolate-covered strawberries, right? All in all, it was a fabulous weekend! It was so nice to get away for the weekend, to spend time just between the 2 of us!
When we got home...his family surprised us with a dinner at my sister-in-law's house with his parents, grandparents, and a few family friends. They had even ordered a wedding cake top (ours was destroyed when our freezer lost power during Rita) to look a little like mine. Our wedding albums and toasting flutes were also brought over there from our house before the gathering. It was sweet, and it was nice that they celebrated our year too!
Well, I haven't posted in a while, and now there is a book for you to read. Sorry...I will try to find a happier medium in the future. Thanks for letting me share my story!
By the way...Kim, thanks for the gentle reminder to post! :)

No Longer Newlyweds?

My Dear Husband and I celebrated our 1st anniversary this past weekend! I can hardly believe that it has already been a year since that beautiful day! This has truly been the best year of my life, and I am so thankful to be blessed with such a wonderful, God-fearing husband! He has made be a better person, a better homemaker, and a more prayerful woman. I pray that I have decades and decades left to share with him, getting to know him and loving him more and more each year. We have had the typical first year, getting used to sharing household chores and finances. But we also survived a 21-hour hurricane evacuation drive and 3 week evacuation from our home. We also survived the difficult finance issues that arose thereafter. I am amazed each day at his love for me, and for my love for him....I only hope it stays this wonderful for the next 50 years! I could go on and on about how wonderful my husband is, but I will spare you the mushy details! :) My only sadness is...Does this mean we are no longer "newlyweds?" :(