Thursday, June 14, 2007

Heat

Dry Heat that is!

I'm currently in Sacramento, California! The high yesterday was 103 and today's was 105!! It felt like an oven, heat blast every time you left your car, hotel, vendor's office, you name it, it felt GREAT!! I could sweat, and it evaporated right off of me. No clinging wet clothes, just a nice dry heat. I know that some people are thinking I'm weird. So maybe I am a little weird, but it has been sooo nice to have felt what I grew up with for all my life.

I have eaten at In-N-Out burger three times in the last two days! De-li-cious! I asked Princess what I could bring her and she said a burger. Too bad I can't get that through security tomorrow morning!

Also, I got upgraded on my rental car. Ready...

A brand new 2007 Infinity G35! Sweeeeett! I have been in heaven for the past two days - I'll post a picture of it later.

Gotta run - early flight to get back to Texas, heat, humidity, sweat - Geez, I'm missing the dry heat already! :-)

Saturday, June 09, 2007

Family

We just got back from Sydnee's first Birthday party! She didn't know what to do with herself and all the presents, it didn't help that she is walking sooo fast, that I stepped one way, she came back into my path quicker than you can say walk, and I knocked her flat on the floor. She cried, big sister Ava cried, and I felt horrible.

While at the party, I got to thinking about family. We go throughout our lives worrying and caring for our families, Mothers, Fathers, Siblings, etc. Somewheare along the line in this journey, we meet people, acquaintances at first, then friends, then family. Sometimes this process only takes a minute, sometimes much longer with much laughter, and some tears. Above it all, I'm thankful for the "friends" that are not defined by blood relations and have become family.

Such was our case today. Princess and I went to the Blackhursts to celebrate the festivities. Everyone else that was there were tied to them through blood or marriage, except us. But we never felt like outsiders, just the contrary. We felt, feel like family, and they also to us.

This scenario has played out for us all our married lives - friends that are family. There is no other word for it. How grateful we are for this miracle in our lives. Dear friends we've watched you start families, in some cases, been at your weddings, been part of Baptisms, confirmations, ordinations, etc. We are so appreciative of the time that you spend with us, and the joy you bring into our lives.

Whew! That was just a little too deep for me - so I'll just say thanks - you've blessed our lives immensely - and we had fun at the party too...boy can that girl scream when she doesn't get her way!

Not enough

Blogging that is! That's what I was told by a friend of mine last night. I was amazed and confused. I really guess that my friend hasn't been reading thoroughly through my posts to find out that for all but three weeks of this year, I have been doing two, yes two jobs at work. My own lovely job, and that of my boss.

Quick recap "gilligan, gilligan, gilligan" as we move back in time! December and my boss has a beautiful baby boy, is out three and a half months. She comes back to work, and three weeks later, is promoted and moves sites and I am "awarded" the position of interim group manager. So the group has been without one person now for 6 months, I'm working tons of hours , not counting the travel (around 10 to 11 hours each day, sometimes more), the laptop up at home, fielding calls at 8:00 PM at night, and now checking on work things with the east coast, so that I can assure supply to one of the plants.

I certainly did not mean for my dear readers to think that I was neglecting my blogging duties, it's just hard to type when you come home from work, eat dinner, do the dishes, sit down for a few minutes and you're asleep in your easy chair.

Now back to the present - I'm typing, Princess is lying in the Mickey room, and we have a super busy day - so we're off to shower, hit the Golf Tournament to help set up goodie bags for kids, then on to Sydnee's 1st birthday party, then who knows what we'll do next. It's going to be a busy day and a very "bumpy ride". It's also become hot and muggy here - can you say 77 for an overnight low with humidity around 80% - YUCK! Summers here, Summers here!

Saturday, June 02, 2007

SIX...

...years!!!

Happy Anniversary!! Today is the day six years ago that we boarded a plane at McCarren International Airport and began our journey in Texas! I swear to you that Princess cried for half the plane ride from Vegas to Austin (we flew in there, and then drove up to Waco). We joked then and still laugh about it now, "that we had soap in our eyes, stinging them, and that is why we had cried.

What an adventure we have had so far! Our first Texas friends were the Blackhursts (newlyweds at the time and we called them "the kids") and the Estradas (definitely not newlyweds at the time, but their kids were small enough we could pick on them without fear of getting beat up). We spent many a night with these couples playing games and eating, learning new sayings, like "ya'll", "fixn'to", and "howdy" come to mind right now.

We fed a huge portion of the Missionaries here in the area, gone on discussions with them, and been invited (post mission of course) to many wedding receptions for them.

We've had to stand on our own two feet (parents and family being 1,350 miles away and all) and learn to "cleave" together and be united.

So, a big thank you to the following who have helped shape and share our journey here:
The Rich Whites, The Frank Duty's, The Josh Whites, The Shumates, The Sterling Jones', The Collingwoods, The Blackhursts, The Estradas, The Ameney's, The Schlitts, The Works, The Moore's, The Hodsens (both sets), The Jacobsens, The Heath Nielsens, The Mocks, The Lackmeyers, Lynn, Laurie, Ken and Nancy, The Merritts, The Carters, The Bacchus, The Johnsons, The Lockes, The Watts, The Askeroth's, The Castenedas, Dr. Miller and K-Paul, The Loggins, The Plasketts, The Milligans, and a myriad of other friends. We love you and thank you for your friendship, time and energy with us. We are truly blessed and our lives richer because of you!

Princess and I are truly blessed to have all of you and those I can't remember in our lives. This journey called life is a great blessing from Heavenly Father and living here in Central Texas is a little slice of Heaven on earth because of our friends, neighbors, and those we have even met and befriended at our local HEB!

Here's to another 6 great years of fun times and supporting one another!

Jim