Leaving ACU

I'm not sure how many of you know yet, but I've officially resigned my position at ACU. Jon and I made the decision that I would have to leave this next semester as I start to take classes at ACU full time. As unexpected as this was, I'm excited to begin this new stage in life. Nursing school is becoming more and more of a reality and I am so excited. Friday is my last day before Christmas, and my last official day will be January 8th. I hope to work part time next semester, and all during school. So, if you know of any part-time work in Abilene let me know!!!

Until next time...

Running/Skiing

After watching the season finale of 'The Biggest Loser' I have had enough. If these people can run a marathon, I sure can. For several years now it has been a I wanted to accomplish. I'm finally stepping up and making it happen, in moderation.

After discussing with Jon the how consuming school and work will be, we decided a good compromise would be for me a just run a half this time. So, a half marathon it is. The date is set for April 11th in Dallas, The Big 'D'(that is the name of the marathon, not how I refer to Dallas). I somehow recruited my friend Ashley to run with me for moral support. This morning was our 2nd run, so far so good! We've also been recruiting other Abilenians to join us! So far we have added 6 others, anyone else who wants to run just let me know. Jan 5th is the last day to sign up before the entry fee increases. If you don't want to run you can come and cheer us on during the race! We will need all the support we can get. Especially around mile 10. Posters and bull horns are preferable.

In other news, we leave to go skiing/ snowboarding this Saturday. FINALLY!!! I had so much fun yesterday getting out all our snow gear and packing everything. Snowboarding is SO much fun and I'm glad I get to go two years in a row. I'm just praying my legs hold up and aren't super tired.

This will also be the beginning to our Christmas break and time with family and friends. We can't WAIT to see Jace and Randy and have so much fun with them on the slopes. Then it is off to have some relaxing time with Jon's family. This will be my first Christmas without my family and I'm super bummed. But hopefully our amazing Thanksgiving will tide me over for a while. I'm excited to be with Jon's family and learn all their family traditions, and have some yummy Christmas food!!

Until Next Time...

Christmas Ready

I feel that I had a wonderful productive weekend. Saturday I was able to accomplish most of my Christmas shopping in 3 hours!!! And no, it was not all online!
I think this is a world record. Never have I been done so early and actually had presents under my tree for more than a few days!!


Yesterday we put up lights on the entire house. Poor Jon had to climb on top of the house because the ginormous bushes in the front yard don't lend themselves to ladders very well. I never realized how many lights are necessary to decorate a house. I always thought dad having 3000 lights on the tree was overzealous, but now I'm spoiled by the sparkling wonder. 800 lights on the front of the house just doesn't do it. Watch out Walmart, your after-Christmas sale lights are MINE! But I must say that our simple Christmas lights are very pretty. We waited until dark and then went out to the street for the best vantage point. I think we win the best house on the block prize hands down. Even without an inflatable snowglobe that lights up and snows inside.

I was also able to wrap all of our presents yesterday! I had to make a dollar store run for tape, and got the cutest present name tags! I might stock up on them for next year. I found the cutest stocking for Penny! I've been looking for a doggie one for a while, and who else would have one but the dollar store! I'm thinking about writing Penny on it somehow, but I think the stocking pretty much says whose it is.

We also had pizza night last night! Margaret and Jeff gave us the great idea to make our pizzas at home. Since then Jon has had a secret desire to make some. They actually turned out really yummy! Mine was Cheese, Pepperoni, Sauteed Onion and Mushroom! Mmmmmmmm. The best part is that there was a Harry Potter marathon on the rest of the night. Pizza and Harry Potter, what a great combo.

Now back to the study grind. I have my final tomorrow and have to get started on hard core studying. A part of me feels ready as these should be questions that I've seen before...but you never know with Pat. Wish me luck!

Until next time...

Giving Thanks for Thanksgiving

We're back. One week ago we began our trek up to NYC, the big apple. Smile planted, suitcase loaded, over sized glasses shading, I was ready to go. Here is a recap of the events as they unfolded.

Wednesday

Flew into NYC, took Jons 1st of many taxi rides into the 'The City'
Settled in then walked down Broadway to see the parade preparations
Subwayed it to union square, rain prompted cab ride to din din at Mole (pronounced Mo-lay)
Mole for mommy's birthday, several margaritas and appetizers later had birthday celebration including new Kindle

Thursday

Hit the parade route a 9 am, got to see the balloons!!
Walked back to Sarah's apartment to see the live performers at Macy's
Went to Kate's ex-boss Michelle's for champagne and cheese and 123 types of Salami
Dinner at Landmarc in Lincoln center, run in with American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert
Home to watch the UT/A&M game

Friday

Battery Park to see Lady Liberty, through financial district to see 911
China Town, had a few shady run-ins, and cops were busting people...very deterring
Little Italy for lunch, mmm pizza and canoles!
Union Square to look through all the booths
Back to Sarah's to rest
Met Ruth, Kate's coworker, for drinks
Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall!!!
Tree in Rockefeller Center, not yet lite though
Dinner at the French Roast

Saturday

Spin class with Kate
Brunch at the Grey Dog down near the Village
Shopping on 5th avenue, H&M was very disappointing
Back to Sarah's to rest
Chinese Takeout, watch Annie
Watch Elf

Sunday

Back to TX

So that was Thanksgiving in a nutshell. Sorry no pics, dad has the camera. It was a super fun trip. Thanks mom and dad!!!!

until next time

Prayer

I know it has been a long time since my last post. Life has caught up and blogging is the first thing to go when that happens. But, after last nights church service I feel the need to share.

For the past couple months our life group has been listening to a series by John Eldridge on prayer. We've been discussing such topics as God's will, and if prayer can really affect our lives if God all knowing. Can we intervene on the behalf of others or does God's will for them to suffer have greater purpose. Just to name a couple. Being a Christian woman, I know how necessary prayer is in my day to day life. And as a sinner I also fail to do it as often as I should.

Last night we had a group called Global Awakening come to church to speak about the amazing things that God is using them to do around the world. Things I've always dreamed of but never thought I would get to experience. My heart has always been aflame to see great works and miracles. Being raised in the church I never felt I had a powerful testimony about God's healing and restoration in my life. When I interned in Africa I had great expectations of seeing God's wonder and the magnitude of the spiritual forces that are at work around us. I came back let down, not understanding why God didn't show me the things that I earnestly prayed for. Since then I've heard stories and been jealous of God's intervention and restoration in other people's lives.

Last night opened up a whole new can of worms. We watched a few videos of the work this team is doing, healing people around the world. They are literally causing the lame to walk, blind eyes to see, and all pain to be taken away. Of course skeptical me thought 'well, maybe this is a coincidence, they just feel better for now but not permanently'...endorphins can do a lot after all. But I know these thoughts are from the evil one. After all Jesus told his disciples that they would do even greater works than he. A concept I have always struggled with. As the service progressed we began to see person after person say that God had healed them. Of course we were all astonished and I was skeptical. I've never been one believe the preacher who yells out that there is a person with a specific problem in a room of 5,000 people and not find someone in the crowd with the problem.

The whole experience was overwhelming, but at the same time I thought it was the answer to prayers that have for so long gone unanswered. At one point I suddenly felt the urge to pray for a woman sitting beside me with arthritis in her knees. We prayed for 10 minutes over this woman to no avail. I was crushed. I truly believed that when I looked up at her she would be smiling and overjoyed. But no. In James 5:13-16 it tell us to pray for the sick and our prayers will be answered. After this event I've come away with more questions than answers. Why does God choose to heal some and not others? Is my faith too weak to heal the sick? Does the Spirit not dwell in me that it might heal others with God's power? If anything, this has made me more hungry than ever. Yet with all of Jesus' promises I was still not assured.

However, in all my doubt God imparted a wonderful gift to me. The peace that I have been seeking for a while now. When doubting my ability to heal others He said 'there will be a time for healing. You will not only heal with your heart but with your hands'. What affirmation that Jon and I have followed faithfully in his direction over the past few months. I almost started crying. I have an overflowing of peace now that God has everything laid out before me. I didn't exactly get what I expected last night. But maybe God showed me what I needed even more than I knew. He tends to do that sometimes.

I am going to continue praying for Barbara, you can join me if you like. I know that she is also seeking restoration and affirmation from God. Both physically and spiritually.

Until next time...

The 12 days of 12th day: 1-6

I know that you have been waiting a whole year for this!!! It is finally here. The 12 days of 12th day are well under way, as is the gift giving around the office. Read the days to the tune of 'The Creation Song'

DAY 1
Day1, day 1, we can't rest till 12th day's done.
surprise: freshman common reading



DAY 2
Day 2, Day 2, we will bring a drink to you...
surprise: favorite sonic drink



DAY 3
Day 3, Day 3, lets go on a shopping spree
surprise: $20 at the campus store, here was my buy! looks much better in person, the ACU is embroidered.




DAY 4
Day 4, Day 4, Jeans on Friday that's for sure.
surprise: not really a surprise that we got to wear jeans on Friday



DAY 5
Day 5, Day 5, Campus Cash is your surprise
surprise: campus cash of course, $20 that I haven't spent yet




DAY 6
Day 6, Day 6, Halfway there don't let it slip
surprise: cookie bouquets! I got a little guitar cookie

That's all for now, I'll do the other 6 when we get them all. They just keep getting better and better!!

until next time

A year of work comes to a close

I can finally start the countdown to end this year of working with the Fall 2009 class. It has been long and arduous. Tomorrow freshman start moving into their dorms. Many of my students are on their way to Abilene at this very moment. I can't wait to see all of them on campus, in their dorms and making friends. The rewards of this job are sweet though it takes a long time to get them. I feel like the little Christmas elves on the movie Elf. They spent all year gearing up for this one day, they celebrate for about 4 hours, and then it is back to work preparing for next Christmas. So it goes with Admissions. Class of 2013, check, class of 2015 here I come!!!

Going back to school

For the past year and a half I've been debating going back to school to pursue a degree in nursing. Well, I'm finally putting money where my mouth is... School starts in three weeks and I'm going to start on my leveling classes for nursing. I'm really nervous about it all, but I'm determined!! I've decided to go through the Patty Hanks program at ACU so I can get Jon's discount and still have time to work part time. Jon's been super supportive and wants to make it work too. I'm so excited about the prospect of this new career, and finally getting into the field that I initially was drawn to 6 years ago. There are still a lot of things that need to fall into place for me to start nursing next Fall, the main one being able to keep working full time as long as possible. Keep me in your prayers, the unknown is always scary.

until next time

Krystina

Bring on the Harry Potter Mahem

I FINALLY got to watch the 5th installment of the Harry Potter series last night. No, this is not the most recent movie that is out in theaters. I felt like I needed a refresher on where Harry's been over the past 5 years before getting into Movie number 6. I finally finished my marathon of Harry Potter movies last night YAY! It is interesting to watch how much the acting of the characters in the movies improve from year to year. I'm sure the next one will be great, although I've heard mixed reviews. I'm still trying to convince Jon to dress up with me when we go see it...but at this point I feel like all the avid Harry supporters have already seen it 3+ times and we've missed all the excitement that induces the urge to dress up. Shucks...well in case you were wondering how we would dress up, I made an artistic interpretation of how we would look.

Jon would be Harry, of course. I would go as Hermoine. And Penny would be Ron, she has the redest hair. The jury is still out on the awkward girl to my left. What was that you said? Possible Halloween costumes...I think so!


Until next time...

Penny learned how to sit!!!

Penny Update!!!

Mom and dad were AMAZING to watch our little bundle of joy while we cruised to Mexico. It was great to have a week of good sleep and no crying puppies. We were really excited to get back and see her though. I had weird dreams that when we got back she was full grown and we missed all of her cute puppiness. Luckily, she wasn't full grown but she did gain 3 pounds!!! She was so much bigger and she seems to be huge now. Luckily with her growing body comes a growing mind too! Jon and I decided to start giving her a treat every time she went outside and pottied. Well, she's caught on pretty fast. Now she runs to the laundry room and waits for us when she comes inside. We also decided to start teaching her how to sit. After just two days she is sitting on command without a treat. What a good girl!!! We do have a long way to go, but it makes me so excited that she is so smart with such a sweet little personality. Here are a couple of newer pictures of her! Her hair is starting to get lighter too.

She always does the little head twist...it's like she's saying 'huh!?'



LOVES the kitchen tile!



She's really good at the one armed, take it yourself picture pose.


I need to learn how to upload video, I have some great footage of her and Jon playing last night. So funny!!!

Until next time...

So much to update, so little time....

Where do I start. So much has happened in the past couple weeks. The majority of which has been spent on vacation! Which I definitely approve of. Let's start from the last post.

Jon and I celebrated our first year of marriage :) It is so hard to believe that a year has gone by already. Since our house was our present to ourselves...we took it pretty easy. Jon and I both had to work on Sunday too, so no out of town quick trip either. We just had a nice romantic dinner at Copper Creek Saturday night and then had our wedding cake top for desert. Sad to say it was awful. The frosting had detached itself from the cake and there was a 1/2 inch gap all the way around. We managed a few bites for photos sake then had cheese, wine and chocolate covered strawberries, yum! And yes, I did break out our champagne flutes and engraved knife and server for the occasion. I also tried to re-create our little toasting picture from the wedding, but that didn't turn out all that well.

Sunday through Tuesday was Passport Student Orientation. It was real long, but all my students showed up so I was really excited. No cancels so far! It was so great to see all the families that I've been working with, some for over a year, finally here and so excited. I can't WAIT till August Passport, Move-in and Welcome Week!!! Only a month to go...crazy.

Friday Jon and I left to go down to Lake Jackson and hang out with my family for the fourth of July. This was our first big trip with Penny and we were a little nervous how she would do in the car that long. Well, she did amazing!!!! She slept pretty much the entire way, and pottied every time we stopped for a break. good girl! I was most excited about her meeting Shiloh and Sophie. I knew that she and Sophie would be little pals and hit it off, and boy were they. They spent the entire weekend play fighting, tackling, pouncing, chasing. It was so fun to watch them, and a nice break from following Penny around the house for hours. That night we grilled out and Jeff and Margaret came over to hang out. It was great to catch up with them and have relaxing family time. On the fourth we just relaxed, mom and I shopped some sales, ate dinner at a family friends house, then went to watch fireworks. I have to give props to Lake Jackson, it was a pretty good show this year! Sunday we just relaxed and got last minute things for the cruise.

Speaking of the cruise...we had such a great time. It was super relaxing, so nice to get away for a while and have no worries except what to eat for dinner...oh yeah and my stupid sunburn. It was wonderful to hang out with Jon's family and go on a proper vacation with them. I think they enjoyed it too. I'm definitely up for another round of cruising, but we won't go on Carnival next time. A word to the wise, you get what you pay for. Anywho, I won't go into all the details now, but I'll post some pics from the trip soon.

Now it is back to work, I officially start my new position at ACU today. We'll see how things go...

Until next time.

Our newest addition to the family

She is finally here!! Saturday morning we went and picked up our new little bundle of joy, Penelope (Penny) Bruner. Jon and I were really nervous about meeting her for the first time, we hadn't really seen pictures of her since she was a tiny little 2 week old puppy. We went to the farmer's market in downtown Dallas to meet her breeder. (The farmer's market is amazing by the way! everyone needs to go there sometime and check out all the fresh produce and flowers, just awesome!) When he pulled her and her sister out of their kennel I started beaming. They were the cutest little puppies I have EVER seen. Unfortunately we had to choose between the two sisters, who looked identical. We seriously couldn't decide. Finally we made a decision and she said goodbye to her sister. Later we saw the another guy walking with the other puppy, I covered Penny's eyes so she wouldn't get sad. Saturday was a rough day for her and she slept a LOT. She finally perked up a little and we are starting to see her personality a lot more. She is really inquisitive, playful, smart and determined. But she is learning really fast and is already attached to us which I love. Here are some pictures!

cuddles


sleeping with daddy


tug of war


favorite toy "the beaver"



I'll have tons of stories to share, I'm sure. Jon and I are already having fun trading stories about her silly/cuteness. Hopefully you'll get to meet her soon!

Girls night out

Last night was super refreshing. After a long week me and a few gals from work hit the Warehouse up for a couple drinks. Although we were 4 of 8 people there for a majority of the night, and we could hardly hear for rave music blasting in the background, it was such a good time. There is something about sipping martini's with the girls every once in a while that reinforces our 'poshness'. After all, there are not many occasions in my life that I get to wear the fancy top I bought that one time cause it looked amazing, despite having nowhere to wear it to. Case and point, the floor length Grecian formal dress I bought Sunday which I'm already lamenting to have to take back. But Jon made me come to my senses. Stacey, Stacey, Ashley and I got in some great well-needed girl talk. Who would think that when you step into this place you are transported from Abilene, TX to an awesome chic place in some big city. It's a great feeling. Too bad the realization that these prices are ridiculous brings us down off of cloud 9 (no not the trashy strip club in Abilene), but it is worth it.

One thing to top of this night of pleasantry was seeing Kim Leedy's bachelorette party take place!!! It was great to see Cherry and Lauren Baker and the girls , it reminded me of my party back in the day. We decided that everyone should get more than one bachelorette party in their lifetime. We are now designating a once a month bachelorette party where we alternate being the 'bride'. Why not? You know you are jealous you didn't come up with the idea yourself, and yes you can come if you want. But you have to come to Abilene. Here is to more girls nights out to come. Cheers!

Jon=25

Today Jon turns the big two five. A quarter of a century! No big plans tonight, just a nice night at home. Maybe the new Terminator movie...we'll see.

HAPPY 25th BIRTHDAY JON!!!

New Job

Over the past few months I have felt really drained in my work and very unsuccessful. It has been a weird mental battle for me to keep working hard and not give up even though I know that it is highly unlikely that I will meet my enrollment goal in the fall. I've spent a lot of time in prayer about it because Jon and I just bought a house, so I couldn't quit. Plus there aren't a ton of jobs open right now. After a while, my big (higher up) boss approached me about taking a position that one of my coworkers, Ashley, left open. I was super skeptical because I knew how hard this job was on Ashley and the struggles she had, it did not sound appealing. But after a couple of long talks with my boss and big boss, I began to think that this might be a good change. Better than what I'm currently doing at least.

So, as of Monday I accepted a new job in the admissions office at ACU. I will now be the admissions counselor for pre-senior high school students. I am hoping that this will be a well needed refreshing change from what I am currently doing. My boss has promised me that this position is being recreated and he wants me to run with it and make it my own, which I am very happy to do! I am hoping to make this more of a marketing position, that was another promise made to me. Please keep me in your prayers because right now I really need a job that gives me purpose and that I feel I'm good at. I've been struggling to believe that I have the ability to perform and be good at my job. I hate that feeling! And in sales success is measured in black and white, not a good combination for me right now.

Also! Jon is up for a promotion at work. New hierarchical positions aren't created that often at ACU, so advancing in your career can take a long time. But it so happens that a new supervisor position opened up in Jon's department and he is in the running for it! :D We are keeping our fingers crossed that he gets it. If this falls through there is another guy that might be leaving, and we think Jon might get his job...so there may be a lot of changes happening for him too.

In case you haven't heard...

I am FINALLY getting a puppy. The wait has been long and arduous but it is almost here!! Unfortunately I was misleading in my last post about puppies, and we ended up getting something completely different. It is called a soft coated Wheaten Terrier. Here are a few pics for you to fawn over:

Teenager



Adult



'Show Dog' hair cut, not as cute



We have heard nothing but wonderful things since we started looking at them a while back. Our little girl will be ready two weeks from tomorrow!! Jon and I decided to name her Penny, short for Penelope (pending it goes with her personality) . I will definitely post some pics once we get her. I can't can't can't can't wait. YAY!!!!!

House Update

There isn't that much to update on besides painting and being moved in. Everything is still in shambles and I'm so tired from cleaning the old house and getting it ready that I have no energy to set up the new one. Once we get things set up cute I'll post those pictures. But, here are a few before and afters to keep you satisfied for a while.

Kitchen Before:



Kitchen After:

Still need to paint the cabinets white


Entry Before:



Entry After:



Bathroom Before:



Bathroom after: (not quite done)



Stay tuned, there are more to come!!

Israel on my mind

So I can't stop thinking about this sermon that David McQueen gave at Beltway a couple weeks ago. To cap off a series called the Release Initiative, he talked about the faithfulness of God. Now, I have heard countless sermons on God's promises and his faithfulness. But David has a way of putting things together and conveying messages in ways that are so easy to relate to. These concepts that would usually be fairly difficult to understand and more than that articulate to others, seem to float wistfully from his mouth. This week was just one of those especially great ones.

Let me recap. He talked about the promise that God made to Abraham in the Old Testament. That he would bless him and his descendants would be like that stars in the heavens, a great nation. These people are of course the Jews, God's chosen people. Many people believe that God for some reason 'changed his mind' when he extended grace to the gentiles. I hope that you don't believe this, because if God changed His mind about a covenant with Abraham, then he could definitely change His mind about grace for the rest of us. However, this replacement theory has been believed and taught by many Christians for hundreds of years. Therefore procuring hate and prosecution towards God's chosen people. But even during World War 2, when Satan tried to completely wipe out the Jewish people God stepped in and eventually returned them to their homeland of Israel. Fulfilling his promise to them and prophecy. One reason I believe that Beltway is so blessed is because they bless Israel, as scripture says if we bless God's people we will be blessed, if we curse them they will be cursed. I think that is testament to the rapid growth and blessing that has come to Beltway. And of course God's faithfulness.

This has been weighing on my mind for the past couple weeks because I think it impacts us dramatically. So often I am not Kingdom-minded. I fall into the routine of my own little world and my sole relationship with God and I forget that there is a battle being waged and an even bigger one to come. The Jews returning to their homeland is a prophecy which begins the timeline of Jesus' return. Political events are starting to be eerily reminiscent of those foreseen long ago. I mention this because I believe it is so important to spur one another on and for all of us to start seeing the big picture here. It is not about your job, your relationship, your home, etc. it is about recognizing the signs that God has given us, and starting to fight. As the Israeli nation comes back to the Lord, we come closer to seeing Jesus return. Be bold in living your life for the Lord, what do you have to loose? If God is for us who can be against us? I know I am not as eloquent with words, but I hope this encouraged you to keep God's will at the forefront of your minds. And not just His will in your life, but His overall plan for our salvation. Many Blessings.

And the winner is...

KRIS!!!



I don't know about you, but Jon and I were so anxious to get home and see the results from this long awaited season finale. I thought this show had, by far, the best musical guests of the year. But, hey why not save the best for last. I thought it very fitting that Adam performed with Queen and Kiss, both of whom are awesome but lets face it...their prime was gone years ago. This is why I think Adam lost. Although he was talented indeed, he fits into an era that has passed. Rock and Roll is not what it used to be. Sure, we love to sing along with those good 'ol favs that everyone loves, but is it current? I think that many people are mad that a regular guy who doesn't have the creative genius of a 'rock god' won. But I happen to think that is precisely what the show is about. Sure, Adam is 'glam' and 'hollywood' and honestly he will still probably be a bigger hit than Kris...but I think that American Idol is about finding the undiscovered hidden talent in everyday people and making them into something extraordinary. I love that Kris was the underdog that got a chance and ran with it. Kudos to both guys who are super talented in very different ways. I think it could have gone either way honestly. I wonder how that 100 million votes breaks down, I really wish they would release those. Good season American Idol. Truly the most talented bunch we've seen so far!

oh....and how awesome that Kara DioGuardi totally showed up bikini girl in both talent and physic. You get it Kara!

Make a Move

This weekend Jon and I started making the first move into the new house. We still have a little sprucing up to do though. Saturday I spent 3 hours scrubbing a wall to get stupid wallpaper glue off. This dedication to my new little house came at a cost though, on Sunday morning I could barely lift my right arm :( However, this will save us time and money on the house which I am okay with. But my shoulder is not in agreement. We also learned how to replace a thermostat, yay us! I feel like this is going to be an awesome learning experience for us. Before now, I had no idea about appliances, flooring, roofing, foundations, landscaping, etc. But soon enough I will. We have a guy that is supposed t0 come by tomorrow to texture our walls and then the painting will ensue! I thought this would be a much faster process, but I am learning patience.

Yesterday we also got some moving done! I packed up most of the office/2nd bedroom to move it over. After the first load, I realized how much longer this takes than just throwing it in the car. So we made 2 more loads of just packing whatever was not attached to something into Jon's car. The good and bad part about this initial move is that I now really understand what an extra 1000 square feet does, it dwarfs all the furniture you have. Honestly, the house looks the exact same as before we started moving things. This just makes me realize how much more furniture we need to buy, good for me and bad for Jon. Which reminds me! We made our first big purchase, other than the house itself. We got our fridge!! It is sooo pretty! We won't officially get it until next weekend though. Beal's has some great deals if you are looking for appliances. They have a 'damaged' room with really nice appliances that stores can't sell because of dings or scratches. Ours was an overstocked item in perfect shape that was about 30% off! Also, in case you are in the market...May 23rd is a "no tax for energy star appliance day" in Texas. Just fyi.

Well that's all for now. Hopefully I'll get some new pics soon of the house all painted! yay!!

Happy (belated) Mother's Day

This weekend I had the pleasure of visiting many moms! Luckily Mam-ma came down with a friend from church who was having surgery. She was helping her in her post-op and keeping her company during the several weeks she is in Dallas. I could not pass up the chance to see Mam-ma, so Jon and I packed up went to Dallas Saturday after graduation. On the way we had pleasure of eating lunch with Jon's family and seeing his aunts and Maw-maw (not to be confused with Mam-ma). We stopped to see them in Weatherford for a few hours, then eventually made it to Dallas. That night, me, Jon, Mom, Dad, and Mam-ma went out to eat at Houlihan's. I had a very interesting Noodle bowl, which I wouldn't recommend. I would recommend the stuffed chicken. YUM! Mom always knows best and picks the yummiest thing on the menu! We called it an early night.

Sunday we got up and went to church at Prestoncrest Church of Christ with the Wenzels! yay! I haven't been to that church before but it was beautiful! Mom and Mam-ma were, of course, adorned with their corsages. This was the first year Mam-ma had to wear white roses in over 55 years. What a blessing to have your mother around that long!! In addition to seeing the Wenzels, I also had the pleasure of running into Sarah Dean Smith! and I got to see her precious little boy. Happy first mother's day Sarah!!!

After church we went out to lunch at La Madeline with the Wenzels. Tomato Basil soup! yum!! But we had to hit the road shortly after. Many more moms to see!! Next we headed to see Grammy. Jon's grandma on his dad's side. We visited them for about an hour. Showing house pictures and catching up. Discussing the most reliable electricity companies, a civil suit against Michelin tires, etc. We left with two packs of rootbeer in hand, score! Then we headed over to aunt Jo's to visit Maw Maw. They had a brisket cookout, but seeing as it was 4 pm it wasn't really chow time. We again showed pictures of the house, and made it out of there with brisket and rolls. How are we so luck! So I'm sure you can guess what we had for dinner that night!

To all you mothers out there, I can't imagine where we would be without you. Thank you for your guidance, friendship, nourishment, reliance, support, sacrifice and unconditional love. You deserve more than one day of celebration, so just know that every day we succeed in life you are praised.

Today is the day

We are closing on our house in T-minus 1 hr and 41 minutes, that is as long as everything has gone through at the bank. We haven't gotten the official thumbs up yet and we are just hoping it all goes okay. I'm debating whether or not to take our camera...is that a weird thing to take into a meeting with the realtor, lawyers and bank people? I just want to document everything. I can't wait to get our little picture with the SOLD sign in front of our house. Hopefully I will get to put up a post with that later.

My mom and dad are so excited that they are coming into town tomorrow night to stay with us and see the house/help with ideas. The last thing I want to do tonight is clean house :(....I actually wouldn't mind starting to pack! Maybe mom can help with that a bit too! I'm debating taking Friday off to hang out with them. It would stink for them to be in town and us have to work all day. I love when they come up to visit so I'm super excited! Hopefully they will bring Sophie for a visit too!

Dog search is commencing tomorrow! Yes, it is true! Jon has finally approved our search for a dog with money in hand. We are still open about which kind of dog to get, but we are leaning towards a Labradoodle or the new dark horse in the race, an English Springer Spaniel. If you know of anyone selling them pray tell asap! Here are pics of the two types of puppies. Which do you think?


Springer Spaniel



Labradoodle



Have a blessed day!

Krystina

The good/bad weekend ahead...

So Monday I almost had an emotional breakdown. While talking to Briana on google chat I realized that wedding dress shopping weekend in Abilene is THIS weekend, while I'll be in Nashville. As much as I was excited about a fun weekend with Jon in Nashville I slowly realized that he will be going to bachelor parties and golf outings while I am in a hotel for 3 days, missing one of my best friends shining moments. I literally almost started crying...and I'm getting a little choked up now too. AND to put the cherry on top I'm missing Brooke's birthday and her fun chillin and grillin party before everyone leaves Abilene forever. As much as I want to be excited about being away from work for a few days, I can't when I know what I'm missing. ARGH!!!! Hopefully we will race back in time for a little bit of Brooke fun Sunday night, fingers crossed!!!

End of Preview Days!

Ahhhhh...I can finally breathe a sigh of relief! Today was our last preview day of the year. After about 8 preview days, 5 presidential days and 1 big Premiere weekend I am one tired girl. From this point on I do not have to worry about going out of town on a Monday or Friday...finally! I can plan my vacations in peace.

House Pics

Okay okay already. Here are some pictures. Not of everything because we only had a few okay ones. The best news is that the appraiser from the bank went by today and said that we got a really great deal on it! woo-hoo! We close in exactly two weeks as long as nothing happens. Anybody up for a house warming party?

















Keep our new address in mind. 1333 Summoner Abilene, TX 79602!

Krystina

House Update

Okay, so the house buying is in full swing. Last Wednesday we put in an offer on our potential house. Then they counter offered, then we counter offered, then they accepted it. YAY! We already had the inspection taken care of, no major problems. All that is left to do is square away our financing with the bank and the close! Our date set to close is May6th, so pretty soon. Anyone who will be in Abilene and loves lifting heavy objects please let me know! I will post pictures once things are more finite. Also some good news, Jon and I got our tax rebate in the mail yesterday! The even better news was that it was for $600 more than we had estimated. What joy! I am actually getting a present from the government! I have already mentally allocated this money for a new puppy. Thank you IRS!

Tea Party?

Last night I had the pleasure of participating in Abilene's Tax Day Tea Party protesting the outrageous spending by our Federal government. It was refreshing to see all those Abilenians supporting our founding fathers. I always get really sentimental when I hear of courageous soldiers fighting to preserve our freedom. I stirs up the American inside of me and makes me so proud of our country. Well yesterday I had the same thing happen. After work I ventured to downtown Abilene to show my support. I didn't have any signs or tea bags, unfortunately, but I think the other participants more than made up for me. There was a sea of red, white and blue and flags waiving in every direction. The statement in our national anthem 'the land of the free, and the home of the brave' took on a new meaning to me. We are an outraged people demanding our freedom. Our freedom from the tyranny of tax burdens and a government that doesn't care enough about our hard earned money to read the bills they are signing. Why are congressmen and women from other states, not Texas who represents us, signing off to take our money and spend it as they choose. When will the 10th amendment be reinstated instead of rejected? We are a people who are also brave. We will stand up and fight for what we believe in since our elected officials won't. We will stand up against slander and spoil and defamation because what we believe in is the foundation of this country and we wont sit back while Washington stops on the dreams of our founding fathers. I am so proud of my fellow Americans who are fed up and finally doing something about it. Praise God that there are still people willing to take a stand to keep His name as a governing force of our Nation.

Some of my favorite posters from yesterday:

"If God only wants 10% who does Uncle Sam think he is?"

"The Government is my newest dependent"

"Taxation WITH representation aint so hot either"

"Don't tax what I haven't even earned"

"Tea party today, tar and feathers tomorrow"

"Give it back freedom doesn't need change"

"Save our trees stop printing money"

And here are a few pics:










Update on the house soon!


Krystina

House!

Okay, so today is the day. In t-minus 4 minutes Jon and I are driving across town to put an offer in on a house. I'm super nervous and I lost sleep last night. I'm a little hesitant to move from our cozy little duplex into the unknown. Fingers crossed, here we go!

It's about that time again...

yes, I must do some venting about the political circus going on. I can NOT begin to understand how our government is functioning right now. We have begun a downward spiral with the economy which, lets face it, has been inevitable. The way Americans have been taking the 'American dream' instead of earning in has short changed all of us. Now all of our dreams are turning into nightmares. I don't feel sorry for people who have stupidly taken out ridiculous loans for houses they could not afford. People may have lead you to believe it was a great deal, you could afford it, etc. But the reality is you put your name on the dotted line and are responsible for your ignorant decision! They outsmarted you by convincing you something was a good idea when obviously it was not. Okay okay, I know that the house values have plummeted and so on. But, if we knew all of the outcomes before we made decisions then we wouldn't be human would we. We know that in investing, in houses, stocks, whatever... we are taking a risk. You know when you buy a house it can depreciate or appreciate in value. So deal with the consequences of your decisions. Now, maybe I'm being a little harsh. Some people are in a heap due to job losses, 401ks disappearing. I know all that. The fact of the matter is we aren't guaranteed anything in life. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

The thing I don't think people realize is how during our time of crisis the government is slowly sneaking in and taking over! Once we are dependent on the government they can run our lives!!! Here is an example...why are so many people in this foreclosure situation? One reason is because banks gave loans to people they knew could not pay them back. What is the solution, bail out the banks who are struggling and then force them to make more loans! Isn't this what got us into the problem in the first place! I just don't get it. What will happen to our free enterprise when we dictate what a company can and can't do. It will disappear! It is happening with our banks and lenders, it is also happening with education. Next year Obama plans to make all student loans direct lending. Who agrees that our K-12 school systems are amazing. There has to be competition in the marketplace! There has to be the ability for success and failure. Do people not see that when there are more businesses there are better-made products, better prices. There is incentive to make themselves the best.

Finally, since when is there reward for failure. Is this what we are going to teach our children about America. When you fail there is always someone there to hold your hand and make it right. That is what our government is doing with our economy right now. The reality is that sometimes you fall on your face and you have only will power to help you get back up again and succeed. It is also in our school system where we don't want to use red ink or give Fs because its too 'harsh'. We are raising people, a workforce of tomorrow, who have been babied and won't be held responsible for their mistakes. We need to teach our kids that it is not okay to fail, but sometimes it will happen and you learn from it. Otherwise...why is there motive to succeed. If there are no repercussions for the things I do wrong, then why do what is right. Why make the extra effort to be great when there are no consequences for being lazy and failing. Children who have no motivation for success is to our economy like children who have no motivation to keep laws is to our society. Detrimental.

Okay, I'm done with my rant and rave...for now. These are completely opinions so take them or leave them, what have you.

GREAT FIND!!!!

So here is an update on the vacation search! last night Jon managed to find a goldmine!!! There is this new, to us, website called www.bookit.com. This website has amazing deals on hotels and all-inclusive resorts for literally half off, plus they include flights! We found an amazing 5 star all-inclusive resort for only $1350 total for a week, including flights!! This deal was less than half the amount when we priced it straight from the resort website. So definitely check it out sometime and get some great deals. You're welcome.

Summer Vacay

For those of you who have sadly grown out of the 2.5 month summers and month long Christmases, I'm sure you share my pain. Vacation is a valuable commodity that must be used wisely! However, that always crucial decision of what to do with your precious time can be a tough one. Relaxed/adventurous, expensive and short/longer and cheap, with family/without family...This has been the debate amidst the Bruner household as of late. Let me bring you up to date!

Several months ago the opportunity was presented to maybe go to Hawaii with our family! winner! but plane tickets are not cheap, I don't have to tell you that...so we opted for something a little more realistic and in our price range. What flashback comes to mind when throwing around vacation ideas?...duh! My roommate cruise senior on the Carnival Fantasy. All-be-it it was semi-close to being at a drunken spring break extravaganza, but you get what you pay for right? Well, we girls had fun so I figured we Bruners could conjure up some fun too. Well, we found the seemingly perfect option! Leaving out of Galveston, late May early June, we could even afford the Oceanview!

We've been rolling it around for a while and had pretty much decided when out of the blue our plans go awry. Who was the culprit you may ask? A stingy 'reviewer' who claims cruises are awful and woke Jon up to the reality of the expenses on board. So now we are back to square one. I can't complain because we are looking at some all-inclusive resorts in Mexico, and Jon is willing to spend more money. Honestly...never thought I would say that. So, if you have any feedback on affordable places to go, please divulge. We are very open to suggestions. If not, enjoy some pics from senior year on the Carnival Fantasy!



In front of our boat, I know it looks pretty but don't be deceived...it was about 23 yrs old.



Our fun table buddies. Not pictured, older man who we believe had a total alcohol bill of over $800 by the end of the cruise...nice.



Some of the entertainment. Yes, this is a talking chair...no, we were not in camp Carnival for the little kidos.


I ran into Paris while in Cozumel, and got a pic with her.



Brooke and I practicing our emergency evacuation skills while trying to withstand the wind


Oh snorkeling...what a joy!



Don't forget to leave any vacation advice!!!

xoxo
K

Post Valentines High

What a day...valentines. A most loved and hated holiday by singles and romantically attached alike. Jon and I have found excuses in the past to have a very low key valentines day. The last time I even went out to dinner for valentines it ended tragically. After driving around from restaurant to restaurant for hours...literally...we opted for fast food, we had to eat at some point! Plus, how did we know that restaurants in Abilene actually take reservations!

No, this year Jon and I opted for the traditional low-key celebration. However there was a pleasant addition to our homemade meal. I somehow convinced Jon to get us each a massage to, you know, celebrate our love by relaxing. It was magical! I haven't had a massage in some time, so I made sure to work up a ton of knots to make it more worth while. If you happen to like the idea of a massage and live in Abilene, go to Healthy Skin. They offer you wine and a fruit plate while you wait! nice, I know. After falling asleep and becoming acutely aware of how relaxed I was it was over. On to grocery shopping and cleaning. Note to self, do not schedule anything after a massage for the entirety of the day. ever.

We ended up cooking a wonderful dinner at home, just the two of us. AND! BONUS! I got to use my china for the first time. I was honestly really scared to use it, but it was beautiful and did not break when I picked it up. Woo-hoo! However I did manage to singe my pretty Gerbera Daisies to the point of no return with tea candles. I think one may have survived though!

It was a wonderful valentines. Thank you Aphrodite!