weekend recap.

I'm not sure where all the time is going these days.. I miss having the time to blog!!!

This past week Jery was in Virgina visiting his family! He had a great time, but I think he wishes he would have stayed longer! He got home Friday morning about 3 and later that afternoon we headed to San Antonio. *I personally don't know how he can stand being in a car, but he's a great sport*

Friday night we celebrated my cousin's birthday and then Samson and I went to visit my best friend! Emilee has a Godlendoodle - a golden and a standard poodle! He is huge and fluffy! Samson and Tucker are a month apart and both love to play with dogs their own size! Samson lives with little Miss Harlii and Tucker lives with two miniature Schnauzers! They played GREAT!

Saturday was spent preparing for and taking bridal portraits! Mom and I both had a lot of fun, and can't wait to see how they turned out!!! We were both exhausted by the time we went home and went to bed super early!

Sunday morning mom and I went to my bridal shower. My AMAZING aunts *Linda and Jenny* threw me an incredible bridal shower! They went all out! I LOVE it! I left there feeling so blessed to have such wonderful family members who would do all that for me! I promise to post pictures as soon as they send them to me!

Afterward we hit the road again! Back to Abilene for a few days! Later this week we are headed to the NASCAR race with some friends! It might be the last one we see live for a while so we're pretty excited!

And then the week we have been waiting for will be here!!! Jery's family and friends will be heading down and our wedding is THURSDAY!!! EEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!

home.

I'm stuck home while Jery is out explore the mountains in Virginia. One day I'll be able to pick up and leave whenever I want.. but while I'm still in school I can't. Jery went to visit some family that lives in a beautiful part of the country! *I'm only slightly jealous...another 18 road trip wouldn't be too fun though!*

Things have been pretty quiet with him gone, and I think I am finally caught up on school work! Maybe by the time he gets home I'll have caught up on house keeping duties!

I can not believe how close it is to the wedding!!!!! I've starting making plans for when everyone is in town! We WILL be touring parts of San Antonio!!! I pick my dress up tomorrow and have bridal portraits on Saturday!!!!!

I am going to take advantage of the opportunity and head to bed early! I'll post pictures when Jery gets home with the camera!

thankful heart.

Driving home tonight I stopped and realized all the things I have to be thankful for. I love those moments when God stops you in your tracks and reminds you how lucky you are. I am a very fortunate person and I sometimes forget that.

I am thankful that Jery and I are healthy and happy.

I am thankful that the truck situation has worked out in an amazing way.

I am thankful that I have a supportive husband who encourages me in every way.

I am thankful that I will have a degree in May.

I am thankful for my friends and family who are wonderful and supportive.

I am thankful to know my Lord and Savior.

I am thankful that my apartment has AC again.

I am thankful/span> for my dogs that bring so much joy to my heart.

I am thankful for life.

samson.

Samson and Mona! She is full grown, he was about six months and practically the same size!!!


At my moms begging to be let in..


Samson is rather spoiled... he LOVES a clean bed and will lay in his crate forever when his bed is clean.. he'll lay in our bed when it's not.

Samson is our eight month old Great Dane. He's a fantastic dog. He is a first for us both, and we have fallen in love with the bread. He was a trooper on the drive to Illinois and had a blast while we were there! We could let him outside and he knew to stay in the yard! *AMAZING for a dog who lives in an apartment!*

Today I decided that I am going to begin training him to be a therapy dog! I am doing some volunteer work with the Pet therapy department of a local hospital! It is incredible! One of the ladies who works in the department told me that this type of therapy originated in England!!! I am super excited and hope that he will be able to be a therapy dog in England some day!! Most places require that the dog be at least a year old.. so we have a little while before he'll be able to, but I'm gonna start working with him! He has the perfect personality and temperament to do something like this, and it will be great socialization for him!!

I am taking Jery to their pet visitation on Sunday and praying that he agrees this is something we should do!

I am so amazed at the doors God is opening in our lives and I am excited about what He has planned for us in England!

home coming.

As a military wife I know a particular kind of home coming. The excitement in standing there amongst a bunch of other military families..waiting.. Waiting to see the ones we have been missing for so long. Waiting to touch them, hug them, hold them, kiss them.. The tears that flow in that moment when they say their plane has landed.. they are within feet from the building. The joy that is present when the first one walks through the door.. The type of home coming that is unimaginable, that seems to take forever to get here but is worth every second when they are in your arms again.

But as Christians we have another home coming celebration.

I sat in chapel a few weeks ago and listened to a great message. The speaker had a great point I'm sure, but that is not what I remember. At some point during the message the speaker used the words - home coming - in reference to a Christian being united with Christ. I was captivated by God's voice from this point on.

This world is not my home and one day I will leave this place and rest in my eternal home - Heaven.

If you know how incredible a military home coming celebration is, imagine what kind of celebration we will have in Heaven. When our Lord and Savior, our Creator, the King of Kings is doing the planning. I can not even fathom what that celebration will be like. I know it will be incredible. Look at the second picture of the father reaching for his daughter. Imagine that It is Jesus reaching out for you, His child. Beckoning you to run into his arms.. how amazing will that moment be.

Jesus says in John 18:36 "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."

One day we will rest in His Kingdom, and we are promised that His Kingdom is not of this world. This world can be a dark and scary place, full of disaster and disease.. but as Christians we know our time here is short..

What an amazing God we have. We each get our very own Heaven home coming.

oklahoma.

I despise you.

Can you do that? Truly despise a state?! I don't know... but I think from now on I will opt to avoid Oklahoma. It is a dreadful state! I have several friends who are from Oklahoma and they promise me it is a wonderful place. I just can't agree.

The very first time I drove through Oklahoma it was AWFUL! We were in an RV and we eventually had to pull off the road and wait for the storm to pass. My uncle pulled off the road... he NEVER stops on a road trip.. and it was bad enough to make him stop. I honestly thought the RV was going to be blown over.

The second time I drove through Oklahoma again.. AWFUL! Jery and I were headed to Illinois... driving 30 MPH on the highway because we couldn't see two feet in front of us..

The last time I drove through Oklahoma.. we got sideswiped at 70 MPH! In a vehicle that should potentially be getting on a boat to sail away to England.. LOVELY. and the crazy highway patrol didn't even file a report.. I mean honestly! We didn't just call you out here because we wanted to meet you.

I refuse to drive through Oklahoma again. I think I may actually be in luck seeing as we are moving to England and will probably not drive from Texas to Illinois again.. or at least not for years.. and at that time flying will be my first option.

Like I said I have great friends from Oklahoma.. it is not necessarily the people.. although the gentleman who hit us was........an interesting person.

It's the state!

ending.

I am still amazed at how fast time is flying by. I feel like we just got to Illinois and tomorrow we'll be packing to go home. Spring break is ending and I'm kinda sad.

The week before spring break we had a departmental chapel. They read us this little story:

Is Your Hut Burning?

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions.

But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. "God, how could you do this to me!" he cried.

Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad. But we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering. Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God.

I think it is a great reminder of how easy it is to forget that things are in God's hands. We were asked to think about our life. When will our hut burn? The week before spring break - amidst the tests and papers due - or after spring break - in the last stretch to graduation. I know that the next few months are going to be hectic and busy. My hut is going to burn after spring break. I think that is why it is sad that it's ending.

It's not easy knowing that it could be a while before we are back here. We live a different way of life when we are here. Partly because we are on vacation when we are here, but partly because the way of life here is completely different than what we are used to. It's relaxing. I know that Jery enjoys being here, and that leaving here will be even harder this time. We know that we will come back to the states.. we just don't know when. I will probably come back more often and sooner than Jery, but again we don't know when that will be. It's easy to say bye to people when you know that in a given period of time you will see them again. Not so when you aren't sure when that will be.. months.. years..

Anyway.. reality is knocking on my door and I would rather avoid it. But being the military wife that I am.. I will put on my big girl panties and get done the things that have to get done. And pray that it does all get done.

Just remember - if your hut is burning.. God has a plan.