Maggie has arrived!!

Finally, on Friday afternoon I was able to go pick up Maggie from the animal rescue shelter. All her friends had been adopted and she was the only one left! I am so thankful that no one decided to adopt her because it took Patrick and I two weeks to get everything worked out with our land lords. I had picked her out two weeks ago because she was so sweet and had been abandoned by her owner. She has been really shy the past few days but when you finally get her to come out from under the couch she is SO sweet and cuddly. Today she came out by herself and decided that she was feeling a little braver and tried to drink our coffee, eat our cereal and last but not least.....tried to slide down our new curtains with her claws. Awesome! She really has been alot of fun. Thanks Patrick for a wonderful one year anniversary present!

No, this isn't going to be our Christmas card. I would do it but Patrick would be mortified. :)
(of course I would put a santa hat on Maggie and wrap lights around her to make it more festive but whatever...)

yes, that is my husband acting like another cat on my shoulder.....

This was her first day home. She hid behind the litter box for an hour.

Robin's Engaged!!!!

Friday night was Robin's 30th birthday party and surprise....she got engaged! It was so exciting and I can't wait to help plan for the big day! Robin is one of my dearest friends here in Dallas. We met the first day Darrah and I went to church when we first moved here. Since then our friendships have grown and we have all walked through the past 7 years of life together. I am so happy for Robin....she deserves the best!

Robin with her new beautiful ring!

Me, Robin and Darrah

Karis, V, Me, Robin, Darrah

Darrah and I

Donut Day!!!

My kids are so great! They did such a good job on donut day....I felt so proud! This is only a few out of my 180....They make my job a fun place to be. :)

New House!

Yay! We finally have a home! I love our little house and have been working every weekend to get it looking more like "home". I thought I would share a few pictures - it is still a work in progress but it is nice to come home to something other than boxes.

First Anniversary and Freezer Burn Cake!

Hi Guys! Yes- we made it a year! Yay! I felt really excited yesterday when we celebrated being married for a year. Our first year of marriage has really challenged me to work on issues I really didn't know I had- and for that I am thankful. I am also thankful for my husband who is always quick to forgive and move on. (I am still working on that one....) I could write a novel on what I have learned this year- and maybe I will someday....but for now I am happy to say that we made it through year one and are so excited to start year two. I can't imagine what God has in store to teach me this year but I know it will be "to prosper and not to harm".

We exchanged gifts last night and I am sure I acted like a 5 year old on christmas morning when I got mine. I have been asking Patrick for a kitten for a year now and last night when I opened my gift it was filled with mice, (stuffed of course) cat toys and cat food. I looked at Patrick and said "Does this mean what I think it means??!!" He had been keeping it a secret from me - which is really hard to do. We are going to pick one out at a shelter as soon as we can.

We also ate our way gross freezer burned wedding cake. Don't get me wrong....a year ago that cake was the best cake I have ever eaten but I guess a year sitting in a freezer didn't sit well with our creme' brule cake topper. The real flowers were still sitting on top of the cake - we ate a few bites and then mutually agreed to toss it.

So- I inclued a few pictures of my fun gift and our not so fun cake....enjoy!!!

Baby Sea Turtle!!!

Yes! I just was able to finally get a picture to upload here in Mexico. I absolutely love this picture. Patrick was taking pictures of the baby sea turtles right after they hatched out of their shells and this one actually looked up right at him. Isn't he adorable??!!! Watching them struggle down the sand to the sea was amazing. They have a hard life ahead. It is incredible to think that they have to make it on their own - from birth. The mom lays the eggs and that is it. Patrick, me, and my family loved watching them wiggle their way down to the ocean and then get swept up into a wave and then swim out to start their life. I came up with a motto that I keep repeating to myself. "If a baby sea turtle can make it, then so can I." I know it sounds corny but I have been feeling overwhelmed lately with life and what not and watching this event here on the beach in Akumal really made me think. These little ones have to first, break out of their shell and struggle to get down the beach to the water, and second they have to make it out in the ocean being so small and new to life and everything around them. They grow to be so huge and mighty- but they start so small. I don't know why it is sticking with me.....I keep repeating the motto and Patrick keeps laughing. I think I may be the only one in the family that got inspiration from the baby sea turtle but I think God speaks to everyone in different ways. Anyway, I am ready to go back to the US with inspiration from a baby sea turtle. Yes, I am!!! So- if you are feeling down, look at this picture of this little guy! I can send you a copy! :)

Akumal, Mexico....

We have spent this past week in the most beautiful, peaceful place in the world! Akumal is about and hour and a half from Cancun and a hidden treasure. We have had no agenda and haved loved every minute of it. Our condo is right on the beach and we have spent countless hours sitting watching the ocean or the amazing stars at night. It is just another reason to thank God for His creation. Patrick has been loving taking pictures of the scenery and was lucky enough to get some great shots of a lightening storm last night. We also saw baby sea turtles crawling to the ocean for the first time in their life from their little nest in the sand. It was incredible!! I will update more later but I wanted to blog about this because I have been a lazy blogger this summer. We fly home tomorrow but are trying to live up what is left of the time we have here today. I have tried to post pictures with this but for some reason nothing is attaching. I will definitely post some when we get home to the states! Hope everyone is well....those of you that are still checking this blog. I promise I am going to get better at updating!!!