Favorite Things Friday...

Today my favorite things is not a thing at all, it is a person- Jenny.

I met Jenny when I was nineteen. We were both sophomores at ACU and we were about to start working ACU Leadership Camps together. Over the course of our spring semester we went to a weekly meeting for camp counselor training and we began to know about one another there, but we still never talked much. At the end of the semester, when everyone was getting ready to go their separate ways for the summer, Jenny and I were getting ready to stay the summer. I really don't remember how it happened, but we ended up in her dorm room one afternoon talking about the upcoming summer, life, boys, families, likes, dislike, etc. I believe we talked for a couple hours- but really it felt like ten minutes. And I guess something happened during that conversation- we became friends.

Ever since then we have been close friends. We worked a summer of camps together, we started dating our future husbands about the same time, we met together for a weekly prayer breakfast with our other good friend Ashley, we took trips together, we worked out together, we know each others families, we were in each other weddings... and I am sure the list could go on and on.

In 2005 she moved to Colorado with her new husband to live for a year. It just happened they moved back to Texas to a place called Houston- a place I swore I would never live. Throughout their first year there we kept in contact and then we were asked to come interview at a little church called Southwest Central and who do you know went there- my friend Jenny. Long story short, we moved to Houston in the summer of 2007. We did not know too many people when we moved here, but really I was okay with that- one of my best friends who knew and loved me was already here.

We have had a blast living in the same city, going to the same church, being in the same dinner group. When we first moved here we walked every Wednesday morning together. Chris and Jenny were BIG helpers with the youth before we ever got here, so naturally they partnered with us as we loved on the youth a SWC. I got to watch her become a mother for the first time. And for the last several months we have shared breakfast together every Tuesday.

And today my friend Jenny moves to San Antonio and as I sit here type this I have to admit I am tearing up. Not necessarily because I am sad (although that is part of it) but because I feel so blessed to have had the last 3 years in Houston with her. Jenny gets me, we are so much alike. Steve often comments that he is amazed at how much we can talk when we are together- we never run out of things to talk about, but it has been like that since day one:)!

I said goodbye to her last night. I kept it together pretty well when we hugged goodbye, but I had a moment once I got in the car- I really do not like goodbyes. But today my tears are of happiness (mostly) because they are about to embark on a very exciting journey and I could not be more proud of the both of them. San Antonio is going to be a better place because they are there and I am excited to hear about all the great things that are going to happen in their lives over the next 5 years.

Plus San Antonio is not too far from Houston. Which is good- I may be the world's worst phone talker- I would much rather be with someone in person. So Jenny, you are one of my favorite people and I am going to miss you dearly! Now I am looking forward to this new season of our friendship...

Triathlon that turned into a Biathlon...

We had an extra special weekend- our good friends, the McCollum's, spent the weekend with us. Friday afternoon we drove down to Galveston and spent the night. Casey, Kasey and their beautiful daughter Clare got in that night. We all ate Italian food- Casey needed to load up on carbs for his triathlon the next day.

Saturday morning we got up early (with Starbucks in hand) and headed out to Moody Gardens to support Casey who was about to start a sprint triathlon, but when we arrived there was hurricane force winds- literally. So we waited around but the wind never died down, so they just skipped the swim part all-together. All 1500 contestants were pretty bummed, but the race must go on...

Here is everyone waiting around for the swim portion that never started...

Casey was number 13 in the race, so he was at the front part of the race. Here he is getting ready to start- I like he is supporting ACU...
And here he is finishing up the triathlon that turned into a biathlon. He did great and it was a blast being out at the event. The next day was a qualifying event for the Iron Man in Kona, Hawaii. Those are some serious athletes.
After, we all went back to the hotel and changed, we headed to the Sea Wall for some good seafood and then spent a couple hours at the Moody Garden's aquarium. My two favorite exhibits are the penguins and seahorses. The above seahorse and I spent some good time looking at each other.
Here we are in the shark tunnel, but you really can not see the fish swimming around us. After the aquarium we headed back to Houston. We rested a bit at our house then headed out to dinner at The Hobbit and dessert at the Chocolate Bar in Rice Village... and of course we made a stop at Half Price Books.
We loved taking Casey, Kasey, and Clare to meet our church family Sunday morning. Steve preached and we had a table fellowship service. It was food for my soul. And Steve did an outstanding job- I am so stinkin' proud of him.

After church and lunch at Fadi's, the McCollum's headed home. It was sad to see them go, but we are already looking forward to the next time we get to spend time with them.

Life for me is SUPER busy right now. This month has been crazy and fast. This week we have lots going on, more on all that later. Until then, enjoy the week ahead of you.

Work Zone Awareness Week...

This week in Houston it is Work Zone Awareness Week. At least this is what all the flashing billboards have been telling me on my commute to work all week. I did not know there was such a week- glad I now know. I have been waving at all the work crews I pass to work. Just trying to do my part in appreciating ALL the GREAT road work that is DELAYING my 290 route. I am sure a wider 290 will be great, but the next 5 plus years of the freeway being worked on is going to get old... just sayin'.

But I am glad they have a week to be appreciated....

2010 Parent/Teen Retreat...

This last weekend was our annual parent/teen retreat. I always look forward to this weekend. And each year I have the same job- food prep and clean up. Jenny has been my co-chair the last 2 years, this year my good friend Brandy came and was an excellent partner all weekend. The theme was Journey- what a cool topic for families to focus on. Lots of good food, fun games, great study, beach time, resting, laughter, and blessing were experienced throughout our two night stay in Galveston. Below you will find a tour through the weekend in pictures. I am already looking forward to next year!

Love these girls...
Working on the family banner...
Beach time...
Playing in the sand...
A time of blessing...
Getting Saturday night dinner...
Steve did an outstanding job this weekend. I am always so proud of him after a weekend like this one. He loves our group so much and put great effort into this weekend. I love the smile on his face in this picture.
Playing Apples to Apples...
Our group from the weekend...

Good things were experienced this weekend. I think my favorite part was working in the kitchen and hearing the laughter throughout the beach house- what a sweet sound. But I have to admit- I am worn out right now, so I think I will go to bed. Blessings on the week ahead of you!

Favorite Things Friday...

Today I am going to share some of my favorite organizations with you. All the websites listed below can be found by just clicking on the highlighted wording. I am big into helping others, but more then that, helping others in creative ways. Not just sending money, but doing something outside the box to help others. So here are a few of my favorites...

Toms Shoes: sometimes I want all my shoes to be Toms. Right now I currently own three pair. In fact, I wore my white pair to work Wednesday. And the reason I like this organization- every time you buy a pair of Toms they give a pair of shoes to a child who does not have shoes- how cool is that? What a creative way to give back. I would love to go on a Toms shoe drop...

Plant with Purpose: you might remember, this was part of my Christmas gift from Steve. Go to their website and check them out- it is worth your time. I got a grove of trees for Christmas. When you choose to donate, you pick the place and amount of trees you are giving- pretty cool.

Compassion: I have liked this group for a long time. I sponsored a girl in Kenya for 5 years. It was very neat to get her school pictures each year. I received 4 letters a year from her and Steve and I got to send her letters. I liked having that connection and I liked knowing where my money was going- her education.

World Vision: I love giving ducks to people as gifts. You have the option of donating actual items in people's names in this organization. Steve has received ducks and soccer balls as gifts. All of our youth group got ducks this year. My dad has a goat, a duck, and half a flock of sheep hanging out somewhere in Africa. And after you pick the item (or animal) you want to donate, the person whose name it is donated in will get a packet explaining the gift. Pretty unique...

IJM: International Justice Mission. I love everything this organization stands for. I have been familiar with them for a long time through ACU and their work is creditable. Check out their website- it will explain it way better then I can.

And if you want to check how responsible the organization is with the donations you give, you can check out this website and see how each charity spends it's money.

Enjoy the weekend ahead of you...

A Great Celebration...

Yesterday I turned 27 years old. It was a great weekend of celebration. I got countless texts, phone calls, and Facebook comments. Lots of letters and cards. A couple bouquets of flowers (my church family is too good to me...). And many thoughtful gifts. I am a gift person. I LOVE giving gifts. And I like receiving gifts. I fought this for a long time, admitting I liked getting gifts, but I think it is one of my love languages. Not because I get material things, but it means the person was thinking about me when I was not with them...and that means a lot to me. More than that, I like quality time with people I love and that is exactly what I got this weekend.

Saturday night Steve took me to McCormick and Schmidt- one of my absolute favorite restaurants. I had crab cakes, grilled shrimp, and flakey salmon. My tummy was pretty happy by the time we left- but there is always room for dessert! Crave, a cupcake store here in Houston, was next door, so of course we enjoyed. Above you will be the perfect cupcake waiting to be devoured...
Isn't it pretty...
And boy did it taste wonderful!!! It was strawberry and I think the best cupcake I have ever eaten- really! They were so big and rich Steve and I shared one. Glad we liked it, it was not a cheap little guy. But we both agreed- totally worth it! After our wonderful cupcake, we spent the rest of the evening at Radio Music Theater- one of my favorite things to do here in Houston. The show was hilarious... please go see it...

Sunday was a great day at church. It was one of these mornings were I need to hear the sermon that was prepared. I left refreshed. Sunday afternoon was spent resting and watching the Masters. I loved watching Phil win, loved the moment the camera caught of him hugging his wife after he won. I might have teared up...
Sunday night Steve and I ate at Jenni's Noodle House and then went to see Date Night. Both were pretty good. One the presents Steve gave me was a restaurant guide to all the places to eat in Houston. Our new goal, to eat at them all!! We got to mark off Jenni's last night (and many others we have already enjoyed in our almost 3 years here). I love how Steve knows me so well, that was a perfect gift for me!

And now it is on to Monday. Such a refreshing weekend to launch me into the week. Enjoy the week ahead of you...

Favorite Things Friday...

Today I am going to share my favorite books. I have to confess- I have not been reading too much lately. I have found myself doing other things- like crafting- but I can feel myself starting to miss my books. So here are my favorites, in no particular order:

I Love You, Ronnie- The Letters of Ronald Reagan to Nancy Reagan. I am a total sap for romance. This book has the kind of romance I like- real romance. I read this in college and have picked through it several times since. It is easy and good. Plus I am a big Reagan fan, character wise.

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. I love all his books, but this is my favorite. My first assignment in grad. school was to read this book and then we watched the movie. Moving and set the tone for what was to come in my 2 years of masters work. Easy read, but make sure you have a tissue.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. This may be my all-time favorite. Her writing is beautiful and so believing. I get so lost in the story, at times I feel like I am actually there with the characters. And the movie was not too bad either....

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. My friend Libby suggested this one to me when we lived together in college. One of the reason I love it is because she loves it. It is also another one of those books you get totally wrapped up in the character. At parts it can be wordy, but the story she weaves is beautiful.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Interesting story. So creative and (at least for me) captivating. You have to stay on your game, it can be a confusing read, lots of time travel. Good book for a trip.

The Harry Potter Series- read them all and listen to them on my commute often. So good stories, can't wait to share these books with my kids someday.

The Twilight Series- as much as I fight it, I am a total fan of these books and movies. Stephanie Meyers as a new book coming out in June about a minor character that was in the third book- I am already looking forward to that read. AND Eclipse comes out in June- yeah.

So there you have it, my favorite books. I usually do not read books again after I have read it once, but all these books I have read multiple times of would read again. What are your favorites?

Happy reading...

An Easter Brunch...

We have had a great Easter weekend. I got Friday off of work- hey! I slept in. Ate lunch with Steve. Did a bit of crafting. Worked out and did our weekly shopping at Central Market. Saturday we spent the day at the Shell Houston Open- this was part of Steve's Christmas present. We got to follow some of the best on the PGA tour. The group we followed most of the day consisted of Bubba Watson, Jeff Maggert, and Adam Scott. So, no pictures- they were pretty strict on phones and camera. We had a great time- a even got a pretty wicked sunburn to prove I spent the WHOLE day out there. I would totally do this again- great sporting event to experience.

I love Easter Sunday. This morning after service we got to watch all our kids scramble for eggs... I think they cleaned up!

Running fast and trying to get eggs at the same time...
Some of our older kids after the hunt- it is hard to get them all to smile at the same time. And a good handful of them refused to get in the picture... you think taking a picture would be easier...
Steve going through the Easter loot with one of our kids- I really like this picture. As you can see Steve is wearing a pink polo- I like this shirt on him. He only wears it at Easter...

After the egg hunt we celebrated Easter at our house with our good friends Chris and Jenny (and Jude!). Jenny and I created a Easter brunch menu and we had a blast putting it all together.
The food spread. We set up all the food in the kitchen. Each place was labeled, so you could tell the yumminess you were about to indulge in...
Working on the table- I love spring clothes...
And we ate at the table in dinning room. We used my great-grandmother's china. I love that I have inherited so many wonderful things from generations past- what a blessing. The middle of our table consisted of bunny rabbits and a fun arrangement of purple and white flowers.
Brown was the accent color to the pink- in my opinion I think it looked pretty elegant.
Even though Jude was not technically at the table, he still had a name plate and spot!
Too bad Jude could not join in on the wonderful Easter Brunch spread. But he did enjoy yummy broccoli. He then enjoyed a sweet nap right after eating... which is starting to sound pretty good right now...
One of the special treats were these cranberry cocktails. You can find the recipe here. They were super yummy and added so much fun color to the table.
One of the side dishes- a yummy berry fruit salad consisting of strawberries, black berries, and raspberries. The berries at Central Market right now are divine...
Our main course was asparagus frittata. Oh my goodness... it was super yummy. Chris made this delicious main dish- I had never had a frittiata. You can find the recipe here. I would highly recommend this!
And these yummy scones topped off our main meal. They can be found in the Pioneer Women's cookbook. This was my first shot at scones and they were a huge success. I made a large batch and shared them with some of the elder's wives. They were topped with a great icing. I added a tad bit of red food coloring- they matched the china pink perfectly. And not pictured- our dessert. I made a beautiful fruit pizza. Full of kiwi, mangos, strawberries, and blueberries. It was a perfect ending to a fun, spring meal.
And here is my partner in crime of the day. She created the majority of the menu- way to go Jenny, it all went together so well! I love hosting stuff at my house and making pretty place settings- what a great excuse to be able to do that today!

Hope you are all have a great Easter Sunday. Blessings on the week ahead...

Favorite Things Friday...

Today I am going to share some of my all-time favorite pictures with you. They are in no particular order. Some of these you may have seen. Some are older, some are newer. Some are of people, some are still life. But all these pictures I love...
This is the first picture Steve and I ever took together- that alone makes it special. Steve liked me in this picture- I considered us just friends in this picture. About two months after this was taken he asked me out on our first date. This picture sits in our kitchen window.
I think this is a fun and unique picture. It was taken in Woodstock, VT on our New England trip. Steve found it on one of his early morning walks (I believe I was still sleeping). I would love to meet the person who owns this sign...
Again, another picture taken on our New England trip. We were browsing through a used book store in Hanover, NH. I love the angle in this picture. I love that we stop at used bookstores on our vacations...
Oh, Hawaii. What a great memory... and we took lots of great pictures there. This one is one of my favorites from the trip. I love the coloring on the pineapples and how the line of pineapples gets more out of focus the further down the row. This was taken in a farmers market in Kona.
Hope. We have lots of pretty cool picture of her, but this one is my all time favorite. I love the black/white, I love the playfulness of the picture, I love her personality captured on film. Steve took this shortly after he got our new Canon camera.
Another picture taken the night we got our new camera. I like all the details in this picture. It picks up my freckles and defines my eyes. Taken by my husband...
This picture brings me great joy every time I look at it. This is a picture taken on the day Sharetta (one of the youth in our church) got baptized. I got to be in the water with Steve when she declared Jesus as the Son of God and she vowed to follow him for the rest of her life. She came out of the water and into my arms. What a great memory to have captured on film...
I love my college roommates. I am missing them a lot right now. We are trying to do Kojie sing song faces here. But I like the laughter and silliness caught in this picture instead. It describes us better. Love you girls...
This photo was taken on our Arizona trip in March of 2009. This was my first glimpse of the Grand Canyon. It was breath taking. I think I stood there just like that for at least 10 minutes. No words can really describe the beauty of that place...
This is my middle sister, Christin. She came to spend a week with Steve and I when we first moved to Houston in 2007. We are at the Houston zoo in this picture- in a water tunnel looking at fish. I think this is a unique shot. It is one of the many pictures displayed on our refrigerator.
My wedding day. This was the last picture taken of me as a single women, as Chelsie Fletcher. I love it. I walked down the aisle barefoot- as you can see- no shoes. And I am so ready in this picture- ready to see Steve, ready to start a new journey, ready to be a Sargent. This picture holds so much excitement for me...
Every Christmas, in Abilene, Steve and I would help out with the Highland Christmas pageant. We worked with the Colonial Apartments and the children would come from the apartments and do the traditional Jesus' birth story. This is one of the angels ready to go out and get on stage. Precious picture, precious memories, precious child of God...
Steve and I getting ready to go to Kojie formal in Arlington. Steve's dad wanted us to do something funny and cute. This is Steve and I discussing how to do that. I like that Jim snapped a picture here... man, we look young...
And last, but not least, a picture of me and Steve's grandfather. I love Steve's granddad. He has always made me feel welcome and loved. We are at Steve's college graduation here. Steve and I had only been dating a couple months at this time. I like how we are looking at each other and laughing.

And I could probably post a couple dozen other favorites, but I will stop here. Enjoy your Good Friday...