Circle of Life?

It's ironic that the weekend our Best Friends got a new puppy we found out that Kenners has cataracts and is now blind. Now, I know that it is not exactly the circle of life, but it is close. I am head over heels for Hagrid the chocolate lab, yet I am full of (so it took me 10 mins and I still can't come up with an exact word.) I am reading articles to help Kenners and us adjust, but it has NOT been a cake walk. I have cried a ton and have rolled a few ideas around in my head, but I just can't seem to come to a conclusion. I know that doesn't make much sense and perhaps that is because this situation doesn't make much sense to me. I have decided to just post pictures of Hagrid.

Dewberry Farms, Here We Come!

Wooh Hoo! Our bestus friends are coming over for the weekend and we are headed to Dewberry Farms for a bale of fun! They have a corn maze, bales of hay, rope swings, amazing jams and the best part of all; they take you on a hay ride to a giant pumpkin field and you get to pick your pumpkin. So cool. I want to get a couple of pumpkins that vary in color and size and make a topiary display. I am giggly just thinking about it. This is about as close to a fall season as we can get here in Houston.

Justin Jones, I'll Miss You

My friend Justin Jones passed away just as the hurricane was about to hit.
I thought I would share a small story that really captures the essence of Justin.

I was about to preform my first solo in front of my fellow classmates. Since I was nervous, I made the mistake of telling Justin which song I was planning on singing. The song was Mercy Seat which references a lot of running. Well, he concocted a plan to have everyone in the crowd run in place, which he told me just as I was about to walk onto the platform. I took a deep breath and sent daggers (via my eyes) at Justin who was ginning obnoxiously at me. My song started and I clinched my eyes shut to keep from laughing as I saw everyone "running." Well the joke was on him because by the time I got to the second verse the Glory had fallen and people were running to the alter. Justin was among those. Knowing Justin, that might have been his intent all along. He believed in worshiping with your whole body and claimed to have a few theories about it.

You were a good friend Justin and I will miss you.
http://justinwaynejones.wordpress.com/

Quin Harman

It is with a heavy heart that I write about my granddaddy's funeral.

It was the last night of our vacation and I had just crawled into bed at 3:30 am. I know what you are thinking and it was due to an over-zealous game of cranium that we arrived back so late. Then at approximately 5 am my phone rang and my heart clinched into a terrible knot. I couldn't bring myself to answer because I knew what was awaiting me at the other end of that line. My aunt left a message and then immediately called back and this time I answered. It was true. My grandfather had passed away. Angela needed my mother's phone number and broke down a few times while trying to ask for it. As I hung up the phone with her, I prayed a short and simple prayer and waited for my mother to call. She called sobbing and distraught. I did all I could do to comfort her and reassured her that Shane and I would be there no matter what (there had been debate as to where the funeral would be held, North Carolina or Wichita Falls, TX).

I waited a short time and then began to make my own calls. I called Janice first as she is my constant, outside of God and Shane, and got the reassurance I was looking for. Then I called Nan (Shane's Grandmother) as I knew she would know exactly what to say and what to pray. I was a little blubbery after that and could not talk to anyone.

Friday night Angela asked me to put something together to say at the service and perhaps a song on a CD. Well that's easy you say, no, not at all. My g-dad wasn't overly demonstrative or loving. He wasn't a Christian man by any means and he wasn't big on civil duties either. No that just wasn't him. He did teach all 6 of his grandkids to drive and fish. He was always ready to give you a cold coke and a story, but he hide his true feelings more often than not. So what do you say about a man that wasn't cruel but wasn't loving, who had a very small family and almost no friends, who didn't do much in his community and didn't really believe in a life after this one? Yeah, I didn't know either.

I suggested a WWII song, sung by Billie Holiday that simply says I'll be seeing you in all our old familiar places, but that was turned down. Instead, I was asked to sing Turn! Turn! Turn! by the Byrds as we drove to the grave site. Luckily, my aunt had the words written down and I sang it a cappella which helped since I am only slightly familiar with it. Then my cousin and I sang Silent Night because he requested it every Christmas and it usually brought him to tears and caused him to leave the room. He was a navel man after all and as such should never cry.
At the service, I read the poem below and was able to get through it fairly well. Although, when my cousin Dustin spoke I drenched my hankie and had to dig out the spare I brought just in case.

At the grave site the navel men did a taps solute. The piece was originally purely instrumental, but I found these lyrics as I was searching the full significance of the ceremony.
Fading light dims the sight
And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright
From afar drawing nigh, Falls the night.
Day is done, gone the sun
From the hills, from the lake, from the sky
All is well, safely rest; God is nigh.
Then goodnight, peaceful night;
Till the light of the dawn shineth bright.
God is near, do not fear, Friend, goodnight.

The sound of that clear trumpet was so moving. Honestly, if this had been any other day and I saw my beautiful countries flag blazing in the sun and those men in uniform playing that clear sweet trumpet. I believe that my heart would have swelled, exactly as it did, and my eyes would have overflowed with the emotions that were transpiring inside of me.

After it was all over, I just could deal with it any longer. I didn't want to hear the familiar family bickering and snide comments. I really was too exhausted for any of that, so Shane and I chose to cowboy up and soldier on and make the long trip home. Well...with a pit stop in Burleson for some sweet tea and burritos (what a great combo).

We arrived home about 2ish in the morning and I thought I would fall over dead, but I didn't. I lay there tossing and turning and have continued to do so for many nights hence.

If I should die and leave you here awhile,
Be not like others, sore undone, who keep
Long vigils by the silent dust, and weep.
For my sake turn again to life and smile,
Nerving thy heart and trembling hands to do
Something to comfort weaker hearts than thine.
Complete those dear unfinished tasks of mine
And I perchance may therein comfort you.
A. Price Hughes

Vacation ants in my pants

We are down to 24 hours before Shane and I jump in an air-o-plane and head out to Las Vegas, Nevada. Woo-hoo!!! I am so ready to go it's silly. I can't wait to go hog wild on the state of Nevada. Our friends David and Bryony just moved there and have learned the ropes so here's hoping that we can pair it all down to the good stuff and forgo the retarded.

I will fill you in on the details as soon as I get back. Have fun at work this week...SUCKAS!!!!!

Fourth of July Fun

I got a call around 6:30 am that my mom and brother and his new fiance would be at my house around 1 that afternoon. Of course I was spazzing out! My laundry was on the extra bed, the house needed to be vacuumed and I was recovering from a cold. Ultimately, none of this matters b/c we are family and my goal as a hostess is to be peaceful and fun and an example of Christ's love, but I am still a girl and want my house to look pretty since my family hadn't seen it yet. Well to make a boring story short, I got the house in order and was ready to have some fun. Our weekend consisted of a trip to the beach, taking some engagement photos and an awesome fireworks show at our church. I was soo glad to have my little family at my home!!! I hope they come back soon.

Derek's Birthday Dinner

My half birthday

So a friend and a co-worker found out that I was...well let's say lacking in the birthday party area. Together we threw a hilarious half birthday party, complete with a Christmas theme. It was fun and fantastic. If only I was better at cookie decorating.

Shane's Birthday Cake

By golly Shane is another year older! This year I made a recent food favorite of Shane's. He discovered his love of molten lava cake on the last cruise we took, so I thought I would make it for him. It turned out to be a ridiculously easy recipe and a total hit. Shane loved it so much he ate 3 1/2 of the 4 cakes. One of the many reasons I love him...he appreciates my cooking/baking. He knows that I do it out of an expression of love and he receives it as such. Plus, he says it is delish. I am going to attempt a link to the recipe page to the title of this post.

Mini Road Trip

Janice and I took a quick trip up North to gather Joy's belongings and return home. We decided to make a little road trip out of it. We started at the airport and the weather was nippy, but not truly cold.

We got there and it was rainy and SOOOO COLD!! I kept looking for snow it was so cold. We trekked up and down 3 flights of stairs to load Joy's car with her stuff. It was full. Very full, so we kicked, squished, and smooched till it all fit.

For a very long time we saw only 18 wheelers on the road and no one else. I won't lie, a few times we contemplated if the rapture had happened there were so few people. We did, however, see lots of fields. We saw brown fields and green fields. Exciting stuff.

Finally, we saw the mighty Mississippi and the outline of the city's pyramid. The town we were entering? Memphis of course. About the only thing I liked about this city was the Slave Haven Museum we visited. Oh and the trolley, but we didn't get a chance to ride it.

Then we headed to Hot Springs for a refreshing hot bath before the long leg of the journey.

Woops!

OK so I feel a little behind. In effort to not just jump ahead in time, I am going to place a few "in between" post in.

Congratulations on your Graduation!!!!

Congratulations to Janice Mireles and Nick Rose on completing your Bachelor Degrees. Your hard work and determination has paid off, now to see the fruition of your labor in your salaries (Nick) and in the knowledge that you will pass to your children (Janice).

I am very proud of you both, if not a little jealous.

Austin and Round Rock

Christmas Break got off with a rocky start and in a sense it ended rocky too. I was only home from work 3 hours when I began to vomit. Boy did I ever vomit. 13 hours and 10 pounds later, I finished and managed to make it to the doctor's office. Of course there is nothing to be done for a short term virus and I proceeded to suffer at home for the next week. It was a bleak week as Christmas passed me by. Pooh! Why couldn't I have been sick on my unwanted birthday instead of Christmas? Or any other week where I could have taken time off from work? But no, it was not meant to be. Once I began to eat again, it wasn't long before I was back in what I like to refer to as Rachael form. That is a combination of long lasting smiles and an inability to not laugh. Just in time too because Shane and I were due to check J and D's new digs in Round Rock. They even painted the place for our arrival. Well the place looked great and while I was there we bought roman blinds and they look awesome!!!! We had so much fun. The Lord blessed us with fantastic weather and we took advantage of it. We took the pugs and hiked! We saw the original Round Rock and where the Chisholm Trail crossed a certain area (wagon wheel tracks included) and crazy people swimming in the river. Stupid crazy people. Though I did stare and laugh at you and that was probably mean, but I was in two sweaters and you were topless. It seemed only right at the time. Of course I was paid back in kind when Janice and I breached our canoe on a rock in the middle of the river and a large group of people gathered round and laughed at us. Actually, to be accurate they pointed and laughed. I realized that it had to be funny to watch us break free only to swing around and catch our other end on the same rock, but come one people do you really need to point? Be more constructive with your feedback.

Moving on. We did take a little time out to stop by a cool location and indulge in a small, collective hobby of ours...photography. I loved shooting the location and the people. I posted a small sample below.

Austin and Round Rock