Our Weekend Treasure

Well Steven and I just got back from a trip to Dallas (as in last weekend). We did a lot... visited sisters and brother, shopped and visited the Dallas Arboretum. We went to about five different Half Priced Bookstores looking for a book for our summer book/bible study. While at the largest Half Priced Bookstore I have ever seen, we found a gardening book!

It's called "Joy of Gardening" by Dick Raymond. It is a companion to a TV Series, but I looked on YouTube and I couldn't find anything. It was published in the 80's so it's over 20 years old. We got it for $8 and amazon.com has it for &16 used.... so I got a pretty good deal.... whoop!

The knowledge inside is crazy invaluable. He has some great techniques that we can't wait to apply. Some of the ideas will have to wait until we get a bigger yard and some we have started now. There are garden layouts (salad size, summer size and eat & store size), tool guides and entire sections devoted to each vegetable. Steven and I are learning so much!

He encourages you to stretch out the growing season and tend to plant closer than recomended. He uses the back of the package as a guide, not a hard and fast rule! With the plants close together in his "wide row" it shades out weeds! I really like the idea. So when we got home I planted garlic, radishes, broccoli, cauliflower and two types of lettuce. :) We will see how they do in Texas heat. I only planted three of each... so it's more of an experiment.

Anyway. If you are looking for a good how to start my vegetable garden book... this is it!

Budgeting, always fun.

Steven and I are entering a transition in our lives. We haven't really been married that long, but sure enough a transition is coming. I will graduate in a little over 6 months and we will, hopefully, both be working. It will be different for sure and we will get a taste of it this summer. Unless.... of course we get pregnant. Either way.... a transition is still coming.

All debt is not wanted, but we are blessed in only having students loans to deal with. And even better it's not a huge amount. We are big fans of Dave Ramsey and Crown Ministries and we are excited about being debt free. As soon as I begin working we intend on dumping my entire paycheck into paying my student loans.... unless.... we got pregnant. So I believe it's only wise to look ahead.

We want children a lot but if a child came along the debt would not be paid off as quickly as possible. Just guessing I thought it would take us like 5 years.... which seemed like an eternity to Steven... which caused.... well, friction. We sat down with our budget and did some basic number crunching this morning and discovered that would only take TWO years.

Two years is longer than ideal.... however, I realized today that it's not entirely out of God's will. Recently we considered moving to San Marcos to help with a church plant. After prayer and Godly counsel, we felt God was telling us to stay put. Steven has a good job here and he hope to obtain his licence with the organization he is currently with. So we know FOR SURE that God wants us here.... for now.

All of that being said, he has two more years to go until he is eligible for his licence. The biggest problem with the debt is that it hinders us from being mobile.... to go where God wants us.... with little warning.... which may be how God tell us. However, knowing that we are going to stay here for a least two more years we have time to pay off the debt even if God gives us a little blessing (a child).

It's encouraging to me.

Our weekend project turned out great!

So we finally got around to building the arbor on the deck. We built it to block out some sun. The side doors on the house get pretty hot during the day. It took us about two days. We purchased most of the lumber and tool, and began last weekend. Then Steven's boss helped us get the 16 foot 2x6s to our duplex on Wednesday. This Saturday (5/9) we got started at about pretty early and finished just as the sun was going down.

In this picture, Steven was contemplating where to begin...

We had to clamp the boards together in order to notch out the places for the 16 foot boards. We didn't have clamps (and I told Steven that we couldn't buy any because that would make a good Christmas/Birthday gift...) so we used ties. Below I'm marking the spots where the boards will be...

Steven started to make the cuts...

Then we used a chisel to knock out the notches...

I told Steven that I felt like Jesus. All the wood working was fun!

This picture is day 2. We rearranged and, again, contemplated where to begin.

We had to cut the boards so that they would have that traditional "arbor look"...

Steven did most of the work... I was just his little side-kick.... helping him move boards, bringing him sunblock or water...

We were beginning to assemble the first side...

hmmm... which toy to play with next...

one down (or up), one to go...

attaching the post to the deck...

I was so happy because we were almost done!

first board...

The clouds and sunset was AMAZING...

from underneath...

We waited till the morning to take pictures of the completed project. It got dark pretty quick...

The rest of the picture are from different angles around the house...

And if you are interest, you can enlarge these (click on them) and see it up close.

Well, I'm glad we are done and we love having it. It feels like we acquired a third room! We are going to set up our grill and Steven wants to add a counter/rail next to the house. It will be a pretty fancy place to hang out!

Mother's Week!

I NEED a study break... so I thought I would share my opinion on Mother's day.

I think it's funny. Mother's Day isn't just one day. Lets be honest... it's really a Mother's week. Of course every department store advertises for it and the media has a story or two about it. Even my pop ups are in on it.

I was thinking about this earlier and began to go down the poor Dad route. Then I realized. Moms totally deserve it! Now, Dad's are wonderful, and they do have their day. I so appreciate the things my Father taught me.... more things than he probably realized. However, specifically for me, my Mother worked hard for my success.

Thinking back on some of the things my Mom did for me... I hope I'm a mother like her! One of the things I do appreciate is transportation, because we lived in the country and it was difficult to get to things. My Mother took us to church and even my first job. I worked late hours when I was in high school and she picked me up at 10pm... in order for me to save money to get a car. Getting into college was another success my Mother supported. It would have been very reasonable to go to a community college... I would have saved money. But when I announced I was going to a four year University, my Mom supported me. I'm not idolizing Moms... they aren't prefect, and I'm sure I won't be. I'm just saying... they totally deserve a week.

Speaking of deserving... Steven's Mom (or Madre). You can tell that Steven learned so much from his Mom and is grateful for the things she did for him. Just like me, I know he was a busy teen who had things to do and in need of ... well... things! Resources such as money and transportation and support. Mental support takes effort. She has even taken me in... as crazy and complicated as my desire are, she still supports me and us. I think parenting will be a difficult time for us. You have to sacrifice so much selfishness in a marriage... now multiply that times two or three or how many children are in your family!

Moms,
You need to go out and pamper yourselves! You deserve it! I wish Steven and I could be there in your respective towns doing wonderful things for you... like dinner or shopping trips or working the yard for you. I wish we could spend an entire week honoring you! We love you so much and are so thankful for you! Have a wonderful day!

I got a J-O-B !!!!!!

After the stress of interviews subsided, I got an offer for an internship!!!! It's at the same place Steven works (different city), and I gratefully took it. I will commute while he car pools with a co-worker.

I'm really excited to work, because I need a break from school. I was looking at our calender for the summer, and it looks too short! I can't believe the summer is only three months long. The semester is four and a half months long and it flies by every time. I'm going to try to savor every minute.

My plan is to work out (probably swim) in the morning, head to the job-o, then come home and relax with the hubby and play in the yard. Doesn't that sound like a prefect life! Maybe we will throw in a few visits to the Padres or my Mom over the weekend, but they will be 10 times less stressful because I won't have to be balancing school and the family. I love that work will stay at work. Oh... I can't wait.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to turn into workaholic. I can't wait for the time in my life when I can stay home with my kiddos and teach them about Jesus and gardens. However, I'm can't take classes in the summer and since we don't have a baby in the works, working is a great alternative... plus who doesn't need the extra money?

AND.... I'm excited about the end of the summer! We are taking a trip to Colorado with the Padres. We are going to hike, maybe swim, and just chill in the mountains. I LOVE the mountains. I wanted to go for our honeymoon, but Steven didn't want to deal with driving in the snow (we got married in the winter). The hill country of Texas was a great alternative. Anyway... it will for sure be a good finale for the summer.

I have such a great life. Thank you JESUS!
(((now I just have to get through finals)))

The mystery of the rings... SOLVED!!!!

Before we left for Italy, Steven decided it would be wise to hide my engagement ring and Aggie ring. I was planning on leaving them here because I knew I would lose them in Italy... Yes, I'm just that clumsy. After the trip, I came home and wanted to wear my rings. So I asked Steven where they were. HE DID NOT REMEMBER!!!!!

Well folks, after 36 days of hiding... we have found the rings!

Steven was in the second bedroom moving of stuff around. I thought he was clean and was thinking, "This is great! Maybe the entire room will finally get organized! :)" (The second bedroom is the official landing of everything random) I went to the back to work on the computer while he cleaned. After I was done on the computer I left the room to get ready for church.

THEN BAM! My husband, intercepted me in the hallway on one knee, "Fallon, will you marry me all over again!" I responded, "OH MY GOSH, YOU FOUND THEM!!!!!" (for the record, I would marry him all over again) He said my face was fun to watch as I realized what he was holding.

The crazy thing is that earlier in the morning I was looking on the computer at my engagement ring. We took a ton of pictures of it when he proposed. I can't believe he found it!

The question of the day... Where was it?!?!?!?!!?!?

In short... plain site! He had found some collar stiffs in the second room that needed to be put away in the bedroom. In the bedroom closet he has a bag of shoe pollish on the top shelf (of coarse somewhere high). Next to that bag, on the shelf, in plain site, was where the rings were happily resting.... for THIRTY SIX DAYS!!!!!

Thank you Jesus!

Thank you Lord for such a wonderful husband!!!!! Somedays I wonder where he came from... then I realize... he came straight from You to me! You sent him to me to help me laugh more, love more, and learn soooo much. I love him, and I'm very thankful. Thank you for giving Steven the location of those silly rings. We are smiling sooo big. You are wonderful to bless us soooo much!

This is what's up...

So I have some time in between classes and I thought I would update.

Our old computer and printer (for sure) have seen better days, so Steven and I ordered new ones a couple of weeks ago. We got it in last night. It was fun... and fancy. We purchased a wireless printer... which is ingenious. We were setting up everything and rearranging stuff... then I looked up and it was already 11pm. It totally reminded me of two kids playing with toys, and then Mom yells from the other room, "Time Up!" That's what we were last night... two kids.

I don't quite know what to do about something.....
I need to take another PE class before December. Steven wanted me to take a swimming conditioning class. I hesitated, because I have heard it's suppose to be difficult. I mean, who really wants to stress out, their last semester, about a PE class. So I signed up for racquetball.

While I was swimming laps the other day I saw a class a few lanes down. So in the locker room, I asked a girl about the class. She said it was a great class as long as you could swim a 500 in 12 minutes. So the next time I was at the rec I timed myself. I swam it in 14 minutes. I thought, "Maybe this could happen. I just have to shave off two minutes of my time during the summer." Then I went again.... this time I did it in 13 minutes. I'm definitely getting back into swimming shape and thus I'm more open to the class. After all, it would be really good to keep me active.

Well today I talked to a girl about what class she was taking and explained the choice I needed to make. She recommended water aerobics because you do more than just swim laps, you also get a great total body workout. Gosh... I only have one semester left, I can't be getting all these recommendations! Now I'm REALLY confused.

Swimming laps have been great for my shins. Today I had to run to catch the bus and it was very comfortable. I was really excited... then 10 minutes into the bus ride, my shins let me know how unhappy they were. However, it was nothing compared to when I was running last. I'm afraid there might be some jumping up and down in the water aerobics class.... which my shins probably wouldn't appreciate. Then again, I think I'm also afraid of not making time in swimming conditioning class. I'm still going to swim laps this summer to let my shins rest, so maybe if my time is killer, I will take the class.

I really just want to run again. You can do it anywhere. Sometime I wish I wouldn't have messed up my shins the first time... However, I know that God wants to teach me to work my way slowly into things. I'm the most impatient of all his children.

All the exercise has been good though. Last week (and a little into the weekend) I felt like I was beginning to get sick. Then I drank a lot of orange juice (simply orange... my fav) and continued exercising. My body feels stronger. I feel less tired. Exercise is so strange. You beat your body until you can't move anymore... then later on in the day you have more energy? Can someone explain that to me?

This weekend should be pretty excited. Tonight we are headed out on the town with the homegroup... whoop. Then we hope to build our arbor this weekend. There will definitely be a post about that if it happens. I also heard about a wine tasting in a town near here... that would be fun. Overall it should be a great weekend, which is much needed before finals.

Well... I've gotta head to class now! See ya!