AH!

Oh my goodness, I can't believe how long it has been since I last posted! Where did the time go?! Thanksgiving has already passed! I have so many cute pictures from Thanksgiving, but I am at work right now and don't have them on this computer. OH - there's some news! I HAVE A NEW JOB! I started on Monday and it is FABULOUS. I am so important here! Haha. I am the US marketing manager for a European company that sells journals, handbags and a plethora of sassy and fun accessories. Check out the website! Once you get to the english page, click on the boxes and you will get a description of our designers and such. http://www.miquelrius.com/

I am so busy here, but everything I do involves such interesting stuff. I just sent out a whole box of samples and a presentation to Oprah's magazine! I contacted their Publicity manager and we're in the running for 2009's O List. How cool is that?! The stuff here is so cute and fun. And it's so neat because I if I need anything, a new notebook, etc., I can just run into the warehouse in the back and grab something. And the super-duper plus side to my new job, is my new boss. He is SO nice and has really taken the time to make me feel welcomed and at ease. Such a change from my first week at my last job! I was practically thrown to the wolves there in my first week! God has really blessed me. One of my favorite parts of my last job was traveling to so many amazing places. Well my new company's headquarters are in Barcelona! How's that for an amazing place to travel?? I can't wait! And we have a tradeshow in California in March. It has been a whirlwind getting back into the working routine, but it has definitely been worth it.

I know there are so many other things to catch you up on, but I just don't have the time right now to type it all out! I hope you and yours are enjoying this holiday season to the fullest. Christmas is right around the corner! Ohhh I can't wait. Hopefully I will get up some pictures soon. Love and blessings to all of you!!!

"Why do bad things happen to good people?"

I know, heavy topic. A few years ago when I was a junior in college, a friend and I were having a discussion about my "faith". She didn't understand what I meant when I said I was a "Christian" and that to me being a Christian meant nothing about religion but about the relationship I have. We then proceeded into a pretty deep conversation about God, Jesus and the world we live in. I have often replayed in my head the question she asked me that day. She said, "If the God you believe in is so good, then why did He let the Tsunami (of 2005) happen and as a result kill 1,000's of innocent people?" All I simply said at the time was that we have to remember that with the good in the world comes the bad. I wondered why so many people automatically blame God. I figured if someone believes in a God to blame then they must also believe in the opposite, which is evil, or Satan. I thought, doesn't it then make perfect sense that the evil in the world is capable of killing 1,000's of people? I know that's a lot harder to understand when we are talking about nature. Which I suppose is why most people blame God. But even a death to someone you love, or a heart wrenching experience that you feel you can't overcome, God still gets a lot of that blame too. I told my friend that what I was sharing with her was merely based on what I felt in my heart, but that, who was I to try and prove this belief of mine? And honestly, I didn't know where on earth to go from there.

I'm reading The Shack right now by William P. Young. It's a fictional book that is nothing short of amazing. It touches on the question my friend asked me. As it says on the back of the book, "In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant The Shack wrestles with the timeless question, 'Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?'" It has become my new bathtub and bedtime read. There are so many quotable chapters in the book, but the one I read this morning really stuck with me. I want to share it - and I'll try and shorten it and take out the narration parts. It's important to note that the book is a fictional piece. It is about a man's personal experience with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit after experiencing one of the most tragic events one could go through. I won't go into further details in case you want to read it. And I do hope you get a chance to read it.

Mack, the main character, ask's God a series of questions about evil in our world and if God uses pain to try and force people back to Him or as punishment. God tells Mack how sad He is people even comprehend He could be that way. He says, "I understand how difficult it is for you, so lost in your perceptions of reality and yet so sure of your own judgments, to even begin to perceive, let alone imagine, who real love and goodness are. True love never forces." Mack then proceeds to say, "But, if I understand what you're saying, the consequences of our selfishness are part of the process that brings us to the end of our delusions, and helps us find you. Is that why you don't stop every evil?"

God responds...

"Nobody knows the horrors I have saved from the world because people can't see what never happened. All evil flows from independence, and independence is your choice. If I were to simply revoke all the choices of independence, the world as you know it would cease to exist and love would have no meaning. This world is not a playground where I keep all my children free from evil. Evil is the chaos of this age that you brought to me, but it will not have the final say. Now it touches everyone that I love, those who follow me and those who don't. If I take away the consequences of people's choices, I destroy the possibility of love. Love that is forced is no love at all. - Let me tell you one of the reasons that this makes no sense to you. You and this Creation are incredible, whether you understand that or not. You are wonderful beyond imagination. Just because you make horrendous and destructive choices does not mean you deserve less respect for what you inherently are; the pinnacle of my Creation and the center of my affection. Also, don't forget that in the middle of all your pain and heartache, you are surrounded by beauty, the wonder of Creation, art, your music and culture, the sounds of laughter and love, of whispered hopes and celebrations, of new life and transformation, of reconciliation and forgiveness. These also are the results of your choices and every choice matters, even the hidden ones. So whose choices should we countermand? Perhaps I should never have created? Perhaps Adam should have been stopped before he chose independence? What about your choice to have another daughter, or your father's choice to beat his son? You demand your independence, but then complain that I actually love you enough to give it to you. My purposes are always and only an expression of love. I purpose to work life out of death, to bring freedom out of brokenness and turn darkness into light. What you see is chaos, I see as a fractal. All things must unfold, even thought it puts all those I love in the midst of a world of horrible tragedies, even the one closest to Me." He means Jesus. :o)

This was on my heart and I wanted to share it with whoever (whomever?...hmm. no, I think it's whoever) is interested. I hope everyone has an amazing weekend. God Bless!!

sweet November.

I just realized it's November.  When did that happen?!??  Every month since we've been married, I recognize when it's our "anniversary".  Today I looked at my blackberry and saw it was November!!!  Phew, this year is going fast.

Okay, SO much to be thankful for in the world of sports.  The Phillies won the world series!  It was so cool to watch the parade.  And for my favorite sport, college football, Penn State is dominating!!  In fact, as much as I love UT (so many of my friends and family went there), I had the best time watching the UT vs. TT game.  I honestly got excited when TT won!  Sorry sweet friends, please no hard feelings.  It just means that much more of a chance for my Nittany Lions to shine.  We are going up for the last home game in a few weeks.  I CAN'T WAIT!!!  And if we make it to the National Championship game...my hubs and I are going!  Ah, too excited to even think about the possibility.

Something else I am extremely thankful for...I have a second job interview 2morrow for the most AMAZING position in the most amazing company.  I will write more about it later, but for now prayers would be great!!

Not really any pictures to post right now.  I haven't been feeling that great lately and therefore have been slacking.  But this weekend my sister and niece are coming to stay the weekend.  I know I will have plenty of precious pictures to post of little Addy Bear!!

I hope everyone has a great week.  Don't forget to vote 2morrow!!!  (Especially if you're voting for McCain! haha)  I am pretty nervous about the election, but I am resting in the fact that God is in control.  He already knows who will win.  Enjoy your day!!  :o)

truly blessed.

My amazing lovies. 

My sweet husband, me and J-Dub.

Robbie and his crew.

Me with Shannanigan!

This past weekend was beyond amazing.  Whenever I'm with my old roommates, my amazing best friends, it feels as though no time has passed since we last all saw each other.  I really feel so blessed to have such amazing women in my life.  Some day I will have to post our "love story" on here.  We have an awesome God story on how we all met.  It was also so great seeing all of Robbie's buddies.  They all have so much fun together and always make me feel like part of the gang.  Well, actually, I am part of the gang!  I married in.  :o)

Starting this weekend, I (we) have something going on EVERY weekend until the second weekend of December.  Isn't that crazy?!  But it's all so much fun.  NYC for a weekend (yay!), my sister and niece visiting us for a weekend, Nate and Shannon visiting, taking Michelle to State College for our last home game one weekend, THANKSGIVING weekend....and the list goes on.  This time of year is the best.  I have yet to visit a pumpkin patch this Fall, but Robbie and I have that on the agenda as well.  We found an AWESOME place right near where we live, complete with hayrides, corn mazes and everything else Fall-ish and wonderful.  I am seriously in love with Fall.  Every night while I cook dinner, I light our lovely fall scented candles, turn the fire on and put a good movie in the DVD player.  I love that our kitchen is open to the family room.  It's so cozy!  I also love how this time of year makes me want to cook all of the typical 'warm and fuzzy' fall meals.  This is where my amazing crock-pot comes in super handy.  Homemade chilli and meatballs have been on the menu.  Gosh I'm getting hungry just typing this.  I love to cook, but what I love even more is EATING.  I think that's why I like to cook so much - it's an excuse to have all of the awesome food!  Last night I made marinated beef cubes with sauteed mushrooms and onions and for on the side I made homemade sweet potato fries.  The sweet potato fries were AWFUL!!  I have no idea why, and plan on making them again soon to see what went wrong.  My mom said it's hard to get them to cook evenly, so maybe that was my problem.  I put on all the right seasonings (according to my recipe), but nonetheless, AWFUL.  My sweet husband poured ketchup on them and ate every little bit.  Next on my list to make is Split Pea Soup, and I have been dyeing to try a homemade Curry dish.  I cannot say I am a great cook, but I can say that I enjoy trying to be.  Okay, now I'm hungry.  If anyone has some awesome recipes they love, please let me know!!  I love exchanging recipes.  Haha, I sound like such a wife!  But I'm sure Robbie doesn't mind.  Have a great evening and enjoy the rest of your weeks!!

 

making progress!

I took a picture of our cute front porch so you can see it.  And the mums I planted!  I'm kind of proud of them.  :o)

This weekend is PSU's Homecoming!!!  Robbie and I both took the day off Friday so the festivities can start early.  My girls are going to be there, Rob's guys are all going...simply said, it is going to be an absolutely AMAZING weekend!  Not to mention that we are currently ranked #3!!!!  That's huge considering what we were ranked at the beginning of the season.  Man I love my Nittany Lions.  And Grandpa Joe.  :o)

Have a great week!

artistic flare.

Things have been awesome around here lately.  God has REALLY been guiding me in a direction vocationally that is a huge surprise and also a dream come true.  I am still trying to follow Him earnestly and wait patiently to see how, and if, this fully unfolds.  Until it does, I would like to keep it within a close circle and not divulge details on here.  But prayers are REALLY appreciated right now!  

I have been doing something on the side for a while now - graphic designing and web art.  I did a website for a private company and have been doing a few blogs for people.  It's so fun!  I don't think I'm THAT good at it, so it is strictly a hobby.  But one that I really love!  I think it's about time I change my blog up.  I made my header above in Adobe Illustrator a little while back and it took me forever.  I have since then been using photoshop and various websites like scrapblog and html feed.  I feel like I'm cheating when I use these websites, but MAN, it sure does make it go a lot faster!

I hope everyone is having a great week so far.  Over the weekend I put up our Fall decorations and planted colorful mums in our front yard.  I am so in love with how the house is coming along!  I really do need to post some pictures soon.  I want to wait until it's all finished, but in reality I don't think it's ever going to be FULLY finished.  At least not for a while.  :o)

Enjoy your Wednesday!  God Bless!

PS.  Please feel free to post a little comment!!  I miss them.  :o(

Oprah tomorrow.

I have to make this quick because we are walking out the door, but I want to mention that tomorrow on Oprah there is a segment on the Whitakers and the horrible tragedy Sugar Land went through six years ago, one many are still facing and healing from.  I went to school with Kevin and can't express enough how great of a guy he was.  Every memory I have of him includes him smiling.  The story that unfolded after that tragic evening is indescribable.  I know a movie has been discussed, but no movie can do justice to the portrayal of forgiveness and faithful humility Mr. Whitaker has displayed over the course of the past six years.  It was such a hard thing that people went through and part of me is not looking forward to it being relived on television tomorrow, but yet, it is something Mr. Whitaker has been going through EVERY SINGLE DAY since tragedy struck.  His wife and youngest son are gone and his only other son is now on death row, sentenced for the plot of the murders of his family.  Yet through it all, Mr. Whitaker has shown only forgiveness and spoken of God's faithfulness and love.  Please watch it.  To get the full story you can look at the article I'm providing below.  Please pray for the Whitakers, their family and friends and the alumni of FBBA that knew Kevin and loved him dearly.  

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/18/48hours/main3381002.shtml

I know!!

I know, I know...I have been terrible at this.  I'm sort of working on a big project right now and it's consuming a lot of my free time.  I pray that it will come to fruition soon and I will be able to tell you about it!  Robbie's birthday was a blast and our one year anniversary was BEYOND amazing!!!  I'm working at an awesome boutique right now since the job market is so slow, so there's a little update to share!  Pretty much, right now, Robbie and I are soaking in the pleasure of being married for a year now and we're enjoying every second of this Fall weather.  I love it!!!  My parents gave Robbie and I two rocking chairs we picked out to put on our front porch so we can sit and enjoy this awesome weather.  Haha, I know you're thinking we sound like grandma and grandpa, but in our neighborhood a lot of people have rocking chairs and sit outside and watch the kiddies play and sip lemonade or apple cider.  It's amazing!  AND, I'm putting out all of our fall decorations up tomorrow.  We decided to wait until October instead of rushing and putting it out on the first full day of Fall since it was on Rob's birthday and his bday decorations were still up.  Okay, this was a super quick update.  I hope everyone is having a great week and has a fun weekend ahead.  Blessings!

Happy Friday!

I wanted to post quickly and wish everyone a Happy Friday - I hope everyone has an amazing weekend!  Robbie and I will have our hands full with fun.  Addy turns five this weekend and we are going to her birthday party tomorrow.  She is SO excited!!  It is the cutest thing.  Also, my handsome hubby turns 25 on Tuesday so we are going to his parents house this Sunday to celebrate with them.  We have a weekend full of birthday celebrations and spending time with our families.  It's going to be a blast!  I can't wait to take pics of the chaos tomorrow and post them next week.  A party of four and five year olds is bound to be crazy.  I don't have a picture to post right now, so I will leave you with a joke that the cutest little boy told me a few months ago.  Happy Friday!

What did George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Christopher Columbus all have in common?

They were all born on holidays.

:o)

here I am.

Jena and Justin with the cutest little flower girl.

Jena and Addy with Karen and Steve.

My dad and Addy.  Precious.

Phillies game!

I love them both SO much!!

I think it's about time I sit down and post.  I can't believe it has taken me this long.  I vowed to write once a week!  So much has been going on that I don't even know where to start.  Right now I am sitting and waiting for my sweet husband to get home from work.  I spent the day cleaning the house in preparation for our visitors this weekend!  We are going to have a fun-filled weekend with friends and parties.  Last weekend we were in Philadelphia for a wedding (my sister was the maid of honor and Addy was the flower girl - so cute!!!) and we also took my niece to her first baseball game (that she remembers).  It was so much fun watching her observe the whole thing, she had so many cute questions.  The weekend before that we were in Reading.  We actually have something every single weekend from now until October 1st except for ONE weekend.  Can you believe that?!  It's crazy!  Everything is fun, but still oh so busy.  One of the weekends I am most excited for is the last weekend in September.  Robbie and I will be celebrating our one year anniversary!!  I am in awe of the fact that we have been married already almost a year.  I love Robbie so much more now than I did on the day I married him.  And if you had told me that it was possible to love him any more, I would have laughed at you.  We had all sorts of big plans for the big occasion, but as it turned out, one of the big home games this year is that weekend vs. Illinois.  We don't want to miss the Illinois game!  That weekend and the weekend of October 18th are the big weekends where all of our friends are going up for the festivities and MASSIVE tailgating.  So here are our plans: State College for the weekend to wine and dine and TAILGATE, and then on Sunday we are leaving from there to go camping in the mountains until Tuesday.  I am SO excited!  I love camping so much, and Robbie and I have never been camping together and I have never been camping as a married woman.  :o)  The mountains, a campfire and wine...it is going to be FUN!  Oh, and another weekend I am excited for is in two weeks, my hubbo is going to be a quarter of a century year old!!  WHEW!  Haha, Grandpa!  Babykins, this is the veryyyy last 12th day of a month that you will ever be 24!!  :o)

I could go on and on with other various topics in this post, but I don't want to bore anyone with a ridiculously long set of words.  So instead of writing, I will post pictures!  But of course, they will appear BEFORE this entry because for some reason my computer does NOT cooperate on this.   

I hope everyone has a great weekend!  I want to send my love to all of our friends and family and a big 'thank you' for being patient while this blog has been a tad dormant lately.  I also want to let my loved ones in Houston know that Rob and I are praying for you all earnestly while you prepare for Ike!  I rest in the fact that God is in control and will be looking after you!  Delaney, Big D, Alden and Baron ~ I love and miss you guys so much!  I wish you were up here with us instead of in H-town.  Be safe!!

where has the time gone?!

Ah, I will post soon!  I promise!  So sorry, things have been so full and plain right BUSY.  I hope and pray everyone is doing amazingly well.  I can't believe we are already in September!!  Happy Tuesday - check back soon!  Xoxo

live'n in the country.

One of the things that amazes me the most about where our house is, is that I can leave all of the windows open, and our patio door, and hear throughout the house birds chirping and the sound of the wind through the trees.  Seriously, I am in awe of this.  It is the most amazing thing ever!  Before this I lived outside of Philadelphia and before that I lived in Chicago.  The noises that frequented my ears the most were car horns, trains and basically just NOISE.  Granted, I loved all those noises at the time and actually missed them the first few nights in our new home.  BUT, as I'm sitting here on my laptop and feeling the cool breeze run through the house, I can't help but feel total amazement at the beauty and stillness I have found here.  And what's really awesome about it all, is that I'm not REALLY in the country.  I mean, I am - but, we're also right next to everything.  So it's a win-win!  God is so good.  

The house is coming along slowly but surely.  One of my mom's best friends does professional decorating as a side business and hobby.  She came over yesterday with my mom and showed me all sorts of fabrics - she wants to make us curtains for our great room!  I am beyond excited.  And my mom came in the door holding decorative vases and a rug she thought would go great with my guest-bathroom colors.  It did look great!  I am so grateful to my mom for all of the love, time and help she has been through everything.  I'm so grateful to my whole family in general, and to Robbie's family!  We were able to get everything moved in ONE day, and had the muscles of Rob and his brothers to make things go smoothly and quickly.  It was total success.  I don't have pictures yet of the rooms in the house because I really want to wait and show it when it's more finished.  But I do have pictures to share!  This past weekend we went to Reading, PA for a wedding Robbie was in.  The bride and groom were more than exquisite and we all had a blast.  I've left you with a few pics from the occasion.  Oh, one more thing, I would really appreciate prayers for me as I'm trying to find a new job in this area.  It's so weird not having my job and something to do every day.  While I am grateful for the time it allows me to spend unpacking and working on the house, I'm definitely ready to go back to work.  I'm too young to not work right now!  Until babies come along, I want to spend my days contributing to our household.  So please pray God will guide and direct me in the direction he wants me to go.  I'm wide open, God!  Show away!  :o)

Lots of love and blessings to all of you!

home sweet home.

It feels so good to be in our home!!!  I almost have everything unpacked, and I emphasize almost, because I'm not all the way there yet.  BUT, it's unbelievable how easy it is finding a place for everything.  We have so much more room now!  I realize now just how much we out grew our  sweet little apartment.  I couldn't believe how much stuff we acquired from only a little less than a year.  It has been a whirlwind these past few weeks, but everything has been SO worth it.  I am so excited to upload pictures of the progress, but first I have to find where I packed my camera cord.  I also vow to start updating the blog AT LEAST once a week.  No more of this continuous slacking on my part.  Today is Thursday and my mom is on her way over to help me with some decorating (fun stuff!!), tomorrow Robbie and I are leaving for reading for Dale and Lindsey's wedding.  It will be a fun and full weekend.  Christine may be coming over Sunday to spend the night.  I'm so excited for our first over night guest!  Guess I better get the guest bedroom under control.  :O)  I hope everyone has an amazing weekend.  Please be safe and enjoy yourselves!!

a billion days later.

Buddakan in Philly during the AAJ Conference.

Maine!

A girls night.  :o)

My little lovies.

They loveee their Uncle Robbie!

Mmmm, lobster.

I know!  It has been WAY too long since I last posted.  It is unacceptable and I do NOT plan on making it a habit.  If only you knew the chaos we have endured these past weeks!  But alas, things are now back on track.  We move into our house this Sunday!!  It's a few weeks past when we had originally planned, and you would think that would mean more time to have prepared and packed, but nope, not the case.  This week I am slaving over boxes and packing tape.  I am so excited to get everything moved in and placed.  We're moving into our first home!  It is SO exciting.  Over the weekend I took my sister and little niece to check it out.  Addy absolutely loved seeing where she will be sleeping when she comes to visit.  She was a little concerned that there was no bed, but we assured her one will be coming.

So much has happened since my last post!  Maine was SO much fun and a total blessing.  It was so amazing having a week with my whole family.  It has been way too long since I have seen my nephew and niece Baron and Alden - it was pure joy having the family together again.  I think I came back 40 pounds heavier though, ha, we ate more lobster than is probably legal and stuffed ourselves with blueberry pie, blueberry muffins and pretty much everything else Maine has to offer.  The weekend before Maine was Julia's wedding.  What fun!!  She was as beautiful as ever, of course, and she and Justin had an amazing time in Aruba.  I'm so happy for them and hope some day the four of us can make it back to Aruba together!

Can you believe it's August?!  Our 1 year anniversary is next month!!!!!!  I absolutely CAN NOT believe that Robbie and I have been married almost one whole year.  The time has flown by so fast, but hey, they say that happens when you're having the time of your life.  :o)

God is so good!  There is so much I am thankful for and so much I have to look forward to in these next months.  I hope everyone has been doing amazingly well and is enjoying their last weeks of summer.  I never mind summer ending because it means FALL is next.  I love fall so much and am even more excited to experience it this year at our home.  It makes me want to drink apple cider right now!  I love you all and can't thank you enough for reading.  Please let us know how you're doing!

(okay, I need to be realistic - this week is going to be so busy getting everything packed and ready to move this weekend.  Not to mention my sister and I are hosting a bridal shower on Saturday amidst the moving chaos.  And next week will be so busy UNPACKING everything, so it may be a little while before I get to post again, but I promise it won't be as long of a wait as this past time.  Promise!)  :o)

nonstop.

Holy cow, the past five days have been a WHIRLWIND!  I've completely lost track of what day it is and feel like I have been in a bubble.  I found out Brad and Angelina had their twins about THREE days ago!  That is a piece of information I would usually know about as it's even happening, lol.  The past few days have been a lot of fun, though.  It really is a crazy thing doing what I do at these conferences.  I'm at the American Association of Justice Conference which is in Philadelphia this time and hosts hundreds of attorneys from around the country.  Last time it was in Puerto Rico and before that it was in Chicago.  The next one is in Honolulu!  I thought it was pretty funny they were holding it in Philly, the city I'm so accustomed to.  The days consist of exhibiting and the whole rest of the night is NON STOP action.  There is a themed cocktail event every day in the exhibit hall, then a reception and party at city monuments, always a dinner we have to attend, and then the late night action is held a different club in the venue's city each night.  It's great getting to really experience so many different places, bands and food within the hosting city.  The Commodores played the other night!  I was bummed Lil' Richie wasn't there.  It's pretty crazy this is what I get paid to do, although not for long, and it has been the biggest blessing.  And I can honestly say I'm okay with the fact that I will be moving on soon.  It's fun, but EXHAUSTING!  I have met so many amazing people and have traveled to some awesome places and have eaten incredible food.  Now I get to embark on a new journey a little closer to "home" - LeHigh Valley, PA.  We're moving in two weeks!  I'm done with the conference tomorrow and then leave on Thursday for all of Julia's wedding festivities.  I am so excited to finally stand up next to my beautiful Jules and watch her say "I DO!".  Rob and I will be back on Sunday and then Monday we leave for Maine.  I can't believe how busy the month of July has been.  And August won't exactly be any calmer.  But life is great and God has really blessed us with all of these great experiences.  I have been staying at the downtown Marriott throughout the conference and was able to have Robbie stay with me and attend some of the parties.  He always hears about the craziness that goes on at these events but has never experienced it.  I felt so proud to have my husband with me and to show him off to all of our clients and my dear friends.  Everyone loved him, of course.  I don't have any pictures to post yet - I don't have my camera cord with me at the hotel, but hopefully in the next post I will have pictures of the conference, wedding and Maine!  That is if I can't post before I get back from everything - which is very well possible.  I hope everyone is having a great week so far.  There are quite a few of you that I will see this weekend and I am SO excited!!  For everyone else, please keep in touch and God Bless!

AH.

So busy right now!  I'm getting ready for our huge AAJ Conference that starts tomorrow so I have been super busy.  I will probably have some down time during the day on Saturday or Sunday while I'm there to write.  I'm "working" this weekend, but my schedule includes concerts and parties with clients.  Life is rough.  :o)  We're hosting a roof deck party at Vango tomorrow from 10pm-2am!  If you're in the city, let me know!  I will write more soon!  Enjoy the end of your week!  God Bless!!  

busy bee.

Here's a picture from Julia's bachelorette weekend.  It was SO amazing to be with my girls again.  I love ya'll so much!

Ah, so, we're moving THIS MONTH!  I have not done a THING to prepare.  I don't even want to think about going through our storage closet.  We can't open the door anymore without becoming buried in debris of all sorts of random items.  It will be so nice when we are in the house, everything is put away and we can RELAX!!  Yay.  I'm also in the process of finishing up my job in Philly and finding what I want to do in LeHigh Valley.  I decided against working for Young Life full time.  God really put it on my heart that now is just not the time.  I will definitely keep you posted on what I decide to do work wise!  It's pretty exciting being in this position where I am leaving my current job with blessings and get to move on to something new.  The sky is the limit!  It is a little daunting at the same time though with everything on our plate.  And this month is ridiculously busy for Robbie and I.  Within the next few weeks we have: a conference I'm working for a week, Julia's wedding festivities (yay!), a family reunion in Maine and trying to move!  I apologize in advance if my writings tend to lack in effort.  It won't be forever!  

I hope everyone has an AMAZING 4th of July!  I'm excited for Friday.  My parents are out of town, so Robbie and I are taking over their house, with their blessings of course.  We're throwing a shindig and taking full use of the pool, hot tub, grill and fire pit.  Bring on the margaritas!  If you're reading this and are in the area, let us know!  The more the merrier!!  I miss the good 'ol days in TX when we used to shoot off fireworks in the driveway.  This year we will resort to sparklers.  I hope to get a lot of pictures to post!!  Have fun and be safe this 4th of July!  God Bless!!

ecstatic.

She stole the show!!!  Way too cute for words.

My little lovebug.

So, I just brought up my blog to see if my pictures had miraculously appeared on Thursday's post...and while doing so, I looked down at the bottom of the post, and saw that I had TWO comments!!!  I thought when you received a comment it gets emailed to you, but I now realize this is only the case if you have that as a setting.  And then!...I looked at the post before Thursday's post, AND 'LO AND BEHOLD, I had TWO posts there as well!  I feel like the luckiest woman in the world right now!  And it seriously makes me want to write more.  I have to give a HUGE shout out to my three amazing readers who posted and totally made my day. 

I decided to forget about the pictures in the last post and completely start over.  Here is a hodgepodge of pictures from last weekend, and then later this week I'll post pictures from THIS weekend.  We had Julia's bachelorette weekend and it was AMAZING!  The pics are on everyone else's camera so I will steal those soon.  And seriously, I love when others post pictures on their blogs with their entries, so enough of my "words only" theme - I will be sure to add pictures too! 

I hope everyone's weekend was so much fun!  Thanks for reading.  :o)

hotttt.

Well, I am now a Bikram Yogi!  I did Bikram Yoga when I lived in Chicago...during my pre-married, living young and in the city stage of my life.  I loved it but didn't get to pursue it once I moved back.  I researched and found a place on the Main Line.  I'm in love again!  I started Monday and I have gone EVERY DAY SINCE.  And that is dedication!  Each class is 90 minutes long, and for those of you new to the Bikram style, it means the whole class is held in a 105 degree room with humidity at 40%.  It is HOT and it KICKS MY BUTT.  But I am so in love with it again and am definitely wanting to do it for the long haul.  I convinced my sister to wake up early tomorrow morning and join me.  I encourage everyone to try it!  Robbie even joined me one time when he visited me in Chicago.  He had NO idea what the heck "Bikram" yoga was, and when I told him that a lot of football players came to the class too, he decided to give it a try.  He was shocked at how great of a workout it is.  I'm so excited for my newfound niche.

Robbie is back from his trip and I'm happy to have him home.   He had an awesome time and I had a great weekend too.  Addy was the CUTEST one at her recital.  My heart just melted watching her.  Oh, and I mentioned in my last post the block party I was going to on Sunday - they always have a firetruck come for the kiddies to ride in.  There was a good hour where the kids were off doing something else, so...let's just say Jena and I kept ourselves quite entertained.  Here are some pics!

(okay...my pics ARE NOT uploading right now.  Why is this?!  They keep going to the top!  Please let me know if you have an answer!  I'll try again later.)

Have a great rest of the week!  I'm off the State College to celebrate our sweet Julia and one of her last weekends as a single gal!!  Can't wait to post all about it when I get back!

hip hip.

HOORAY!  It's the weekend.  As sad it is that my hubbo will be leaving me for a guy-trip to the Adirondacks tomorrow morning, I am so excited for this weekend and the quality time I will get to spend with my family.  My little niece Addy has a big dance recital tomorrow (the first dance recital of my nieces that I've been able to attend!), tomorrow night Jena and I have a hot wine date and Sunday is my parent's annual block party AND Father's Day.  It's going to be such a fun and relaxing weekend.  I will miss Robbie terribly, of course, but I love having my family so close by and I know it will be harder to see them once we move.  This weekend will be spent making so many fun memories.  And let me mention all of the pool action I'll get!  I think I may possibly use my parent's pool more now than when I lived there.  I don't mind this heat wave at all if there is a pool to use at my leisure.  Bring it on!

So this is kind of random, but this is something I want to talk about...shopping cart returns at the grocery store.  Or really any store for that matter.  I strive to be one of those shoppers that always returns their carts, after they pack their car up, to the cart return in the parking lot.  Yesterday, after I finished unloading my Target purchases into my car and shut the door, I scouted the parking lot to try and find the nearest cart return.  It was seriously about five lanes over, and five lanes over separated by about three different mounds of pavement and grass.  What would you do in this situation?  Would you maneuver back to the main street in front of the store and walk five lanes over to the cart return?  Or would you simply put your cart in the empty parking space next to you where it so CONVENIENTLY fits?  Well, I just left it by my car.  And it consumed my mind all of yesterday and last night.  So today, I had to run to the store to pick up some pancake mix for the breakfast I want to make for Rob and his friends before they take off tomorrow (they leave around 7am - I'll let you know if the breakfast actually happens), and I made a POINT to ONLY park my car in a spot right next to the cart return.  It is my pact and promise to only park my car near the cart return from this day forward.  This way, I can do my part to be a loyal customer and patron by making sure my cart gets back to the appropriate spot.  I feel like this is such a brilliant idea, to make sure to park by the cart return at all times, that I just had to share this with all of you.  I know, I know...THIS is what consumes my mind?  Yep.

I hope everyone has an amazing weekend! Don't forget to take this awesome opportunity to enjoy and love on the daddies, uncles and grandfathers in your life.  Happy Father's Day!!

gooood.

Things are good!  I deleted my last post because it isn't applicable anymore. :o)

I woke up this morning feeling SO much better and my fever completely gone.  I logged on and read my last two posts and thought I sounded like an Eeyore with a huge rain cloud over my head!  I've never been one to ask for "unspoken" prayer requests - I'm usually the first one to just blurt it all out.  It felt a little awkward putting something so big in our thought processes right now out into the virtual world.  But really, isn't that one of the blessings about the internet?  If negative information can be spread so quickly, at least the opposite is also true. Bring on the virtual prayers!  

My job situation has taken a drastic turn - God threw something into my lap, an opportunity, that Robbie and I have NO idea what to do about.  And it's getting down to crunch time.  I would have to take a HUGE pay cut, which doesn't come at the best time considering we're moving into our new home next month, but it would be the opportunity of a lifetime and something that I would enjoy SO much.  But are we being realistic about all of this?  What are the effects later down the line?  What if God puts a baby into our life sooner than we would ideally want?  Would it be selfish of me to take the job and leave what I have?  AH!  These are all things consuming my mind right now.  This job would be an honor, and would put me in the position to be a mentor and leader for young women and teen moms.  How can I turn away from that??  Double AH!  Again, thank you for your prayers, this has been all consuming for the past two weeks, but praise the Lord that this is the biggest thing in our life right now!  We really are so blessed with our lives and that we are healthy and about to move into an awesome new home.  I have received some really sweet messages and have been able to keep people updated in a more personal manner, which has been great.  

Okay, enough about me, how are YOU?!  Let us know!!  :o)  

crummy.

...is how I feel today.  I am really not feeling well.  :o(  I wanted to write and say that I will post everything tomorrow.  Truthfully, it took a lot of energy to get myself up to get the computer on and write this.  I wanted to let you know I'm not following through with my last post.  I'm sorry!  I hope everyone had an amazing weekend.  Happy Monday, I will write soon.

PS.

DOWNLOAD!! - Love Remains The Same, Gavin Rossdale

weekend.

Gosh, it's already the weekend again!  I am so impressed with those who update their blogs on a daily basis - it is admirable!  I don't even have kids and still can't seem to find the time.  These next couple of weeks are going to be getting even busier.  I praise God for keeping us busy though, who wants a still life?  Although the key thing is to keep our hearts still.  So far we're good!  But it's a daily process of taking time out to pray and call on the Lord.  He's our Rock and the only one who can get Robbie and I through these busy days!

Hooray for the weekend.  Tonight Robbie and I are heading up to his parents house for the night.  I'm going to a bridal shower tomorrow afternoon and Rob is celebrating Father's Day with his dad and brothers since he will be out of town next Sunday.  My parents opened up their pool (yay!) so we plan on getting plenty of sun-time on Sunday.  I loveeeee cooking out on the weekends!  I am so excited for us to move into our house so we can start BBQ'n a lot more.  We've managed to do a pretty good job here at the apt, but it's just not the same.  My mimi bought Robbie and I a house warming present that I am super excited about - a standing fire pit!!  My parents have a big one at the house and she loves sitting around it and roasting marshmallows (I sooo thought it was spelled "marshmellow" because that's how I pronounce it, but spell-check insists otherwise), so she thought we would like one too.  Thanks mimi, we are so excited!  

I really appreciate everyone who has sent messages saying they are praying for us.  Truthfully, I am ready to post what's going on, but I don't have the energy to type it all out!  If people are willing to take time out of their day to pray for us, I can certainly take time out to write what we are asking them to pray ABOUT.  I will post it all on Monday, or Sunday if I can.  It's my goal.  :o)  It's a strange thing relaying thoughts to a computer - but I find my mac to be a dear friend and inspiration to me.  It's the means of communication by which people can read this.  I feel extremely connected and am so thankful to any and everyone who takes time to read about our lives.  It's pretty humbling.  :o)  Thank you.

Have a safe and happy weekend!

monday, monday.

Hi friends!  I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend.  Ours was a lot of fun!

Hershey park was awesome - it rained a lot in the morning, but luckily during the thunderstorm I was enjoying my self at the spa in Hotel Hershey (so posh!).  I mentioned before that I was getting a 'Chocolate Bean Polish'.  OH MY WORD!  I have never, EVER been touched by a woman like that before.  Haha!  It was so sensual, and I couldn't help but laugh and ask the lady if she felt as akward as I did.  Of course she said no (it's just ME) and helped me relax and ultimately fall asleep.  Basically you get rubbed down in chocolate shavings and melted cocoa beans, then they use a warm shower head and rinse off all the chocolate, lay warm towels all over you to soak up the water and then use cocoa butter while they massage.  I met Robbie back at the hotel after he finished golfing and I was done with my woman-on-woman action and he looked at me said, "wow, it really DOES smell like chocolate everywhere!  You can even smell it in the rooms!"...to which I responded, "Nope, that's just me."  I seriously smelled like chocolate the whole rest of the day and night.  Robbie didn't mind!  I forgot to charge my camera battery and managed to leave without any pictures.  At the end of the night after we hit up some roller coasters, we went around and tried all of the impossible games they have.  The last game we hit was the basketball hoop that's a gazillion feet up in the air (yes, a gazillion) and lo and behold, my studly husband made TWO shots, 'swooshes' right down the middle.  I was so proud and SO bummed I coudn't take a picture.  I'm convinced now that if we have a son he will be a pro.                                        

All in all, It was a great weekend.  Now here's to a great week!  

bring on the chocolate.

I'm so excited for this weekend!  Tonight my sister Jena and I have a hot date to see SATC.  We rarely get to go on dates these days, so I'm really pumped.  D, I wish you could be with us too!

Tomorrow morning Robbie and I are off to Hershey Park for the rest of the weekend.  His company is having a "fun in the sun" weekend shindig for their employees and families - to start the day off, Rob is meeting all the guys for golf in the morning and I'm going to the Hershey Spa with the ladies.  I'm getting a Chocolate Bean Polish (sounds a little risque, but I'm still excited!), then we're spending the day at the park, having a BBQ at night and THEN we're all getting rooms at the Hershey Hotel for the night!  His company rocks!  Thanks, Rich!!  I am so excited.  God is good. 

Rob and I are in the middle of making an important decision right now, please keep us in your prayers!  We're already moving into our first home in July, which is a big enough thing in itself, so this other thing comes with funny timing - I'll definitely write all about it once we make a final decision.  But yes, prayers would be appreciated!

Before I end this, I have to make a super-special shout out to the soon-to-be Mrs. Napper - thanks for your patience!  I LOVE YOU!!!!!  

almost.

God is doing some awesome things in our life!  I can't wait to sit down and pour out everything that is going on.  We appreciate everyone's prayers and would like to ask you not to stop!  I also appreciate those who have asked to bring the blog back asap; it means so much to have people out there who care about us so much.  This blog is actually a stepping stone to a website in development.  I was going to wait until everything was complete before posting anything new, but I'll use this in the meantime as a temporary home.  I will post more SOON!!  Promise!  :o)

break.

Sorry gang, this blog is going on a hiatus.  Blessings to ALL!!!  Don't worry, we'll be back.  :o)

random.

I think today should be called "Great Friday".  It's really unbelievable what today means, and so often we forget to stop and think about it.  Naturally, on Sunday when we are sitting in church, we are reminded of what this weekend is all about, but today often gets overlooked.  Praise the Lord He died so He could rise!!!  I love Easter for what it symbolizes, and I also love it because it means it is SPRING!  I love that our wardrobes suddenly become brighter.  I love that no matter what the temperature is, I will still pull out my flip flops and sundresses.  Maybe I won't wear them, but atleast they will be out and ready!  On an entirely different note, I realized for the first time today that I have had the "comments" section of our blog turned off.  How lame is that?!  I always want to hear how everyone else is doing and here I had an instant means of communication turned off!  Alas, it is now turned on.  Tell us how you're doing!!  Last night, Rob and I were invited to watch the evening basketball games at another couple's place.  It was so fun!  We had wine, ate pizza and talked basketball.  Rob knows it's in both of our best interests to have me fill out a bracket for March Madness.  It gets me really into the games.  I never want to take the time, but then I always do and become an avid basketball fan overnight.  In fact, two years ago, our senior year of college, I WON!!!  I picked all of the winning teams strictly based on colors and if I had friends who went there.  Low and behold, I won the whole thing.  I'm not getting my hopes up for this year, but it would be nice to win again.  :o)  Should I be using paragraphs for all of these different thoughts I am writing about?  I probably should.  But I think this makes it more relaxed and informal.  I am one of the first to admit I am not the best writer in the world.  The way I can best express my thoughts and ideas is through images.  I wish every story I thought of could instantly be put into words on paper.  It's funny, my sister and I were in Barnes and Noble's the other day having coffee and doing work.  I was so frustrated about a project I was working on.  I was creating a logo and newsletter design for an assignment I had.  I spent so much time on the pictures and colors; I wanted it perfect.  That part was finished and I was pleased with the outcome.  Now, I was faced with actually writing the dang thing.  My sister grabbed my computer and started writing it.  In about ten minutes she had a whole rough draft done.  She hates the artistic part and loves the writing!  Do I sense a business partner in the making?  I THINK SO!!  Okay, this is getting long.  Now is when paragraphs would be better.  Next entry, I will use them.  Happy Great Friday!  Rob and I wish you all an amazing and happy Easter!!  GOD BLESS!!  xoxo   

okay.

I realize it has been about three weeks since my last post.  I found a quick second to write up a little St. Patty's day shout-out, and after I submitted it, I realized what a cop out it was!  I feel bad and obligated to write a little more.  Why is it so difficult for me to write more often?  Well, I know the answer to that, but still.  Life will always be busy.  And even so, I want to make sure I take time to "chill out" and write.  In fact, this is a slow time for me!  I have two weeks without conferences and trips.  I need to embrace this time. Today is St. Patty's Day, and while I certainly wouldn't mind being at some hole-in-the-wall pub celebrating the green in me, I am very much content with my current state.  Robbie had a HUGE surgery today and was nervous all weekend anticipating it.  I wasn't expecting him home until late, but he called and is able to be home a lot earlier.  I just put together a chicken parmesan dish and am waiting to put it in the oven.  I wasn't planning on cooking tonight, but now I'm excited I get to.  I'm excited to greet him with a glass of wine and have him sit down for dinner and tell me all about his day.  As a little girl, I dreamt about nights like this.  Maybe that's strange, but I always watched my mom and dad with awe.  I love being a wife, and more importantly, I love being Robbie's wife.  Of course there are the things I didn't dream of when I was little, like cleaning the bathroom sink after my husband shaves (ew).  But at the end of every day, I know life is too short to not appreciate everything on our plate.  God has given me a huge helping of blessings, and I truly intend to devour and enjoy every bit of it.  I know this is much easier said than done.  But I have to look around.  Two years ago today, I was sitting in a bar at State College drinking green beer, shaking a shamrock rattle and laughing 'til my stomach felt it could burst.  And all of this with the bestest of friends.  Time flies!  And those same people are still in my life and are still the bestest of friends.  What an awesome thing to have.  God blessed me then and He is blessing me now.  I can't wait to see what I am doing this time next year!

Lots of blessings and best 'o luck to all of you, today and always!  Happy Green!

oh to be Irish.

A St. Patrick's Day Wish For You

May your life be long

May your heart be true

May your path be clear

and your skies be blue.

May your soul be happy

and your spirit light

May you know deep joy

May your dreams take flight.

May God bless you on this special day and always.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

Love,

Rob and Anna

fun, new things.

This has been an exciting week in terms of new toys! Rob and I bought a new car!! We bought a 2008 Honda Pilot...with leather interior, heated seats, sun-roof, GPS System...the whole works!! I'm super excited about the Satellite Radio and rearview camera that will show if I'm about to hit something (not that I will EVER need this, of course). We went to pick it up on Monday but I changed my mind on the color while we were there. So, now we will get it tomorrow. I am SO excited. This will be my new baby! Robbie has been so amazing through the whole process too, he wants it to be exactly how I want it since it will be my new toy. Another awesome purchase this week was my new MacBook Pro! And we bought everything I will need on it for my new business. I am SO excited to start designing on this one. My trusty PC Laptop has been faithful to me, but it is time for bigger and better things. It was the biggest blessing how it all worked; a guy at the Apple Store befriended us and gave us so many great deals. We also got a brand new printer/scanner/fax machine with everything for free! We really were spoiled this week!

Rob and I are leaving tomorrow (weather permitting) for Penn State. This weekend is THON and Nathan, Rob's brother is dancing. Rob danced his senior year and it was actually the first time I ever met Rob's parents! We are so excited to go support Nate and see everyone. It really is one of the most incredible experiences. I will take TONS of pictures!! For those of you who don't know what Penn State's Dance Marathon is, I will do my best to explain it. But trust me, there is not a better way to understand it than by experiencing it in person. THON has been a Penn State tradition since 1973, though it has changed drastically since its first year. The mission is to "conquer pediatric cancer by providing outstanding emotional and financial support to the children, families, researchers and staff of The Four Diamonds Fund". In 2004 PSU pledged to raise $10 million over the next six years to create a new Pediatriac Cancer Pavillion at the Penn State Children's Hospital. Last year in 2007, THON raised over $5 million! This weekend, for 48 hours, dancers will be awake and on their feet. It's an awesome experience!! I will definitely post all about it when we get back. Happy Thursday!

overdue.

WOW...I give myself a big, fat "F" in keeping this thing up. My apologies! First off, Happy New Year! I can't believe my last entry was in December. And if you only knew how much has changed since that entry, you would understand the lack of writing!! I pray everyone has been doing well and you are all enjoying this New Year, thus far. Yesterday was my first Valentine's Day as a married woman and it was FANTASTIC! My husband is so romantic, we had so much fun!

January and February have been FULL. We've celebrated a few birthdays, hosted some fun shindigs and have been doing a lot of traveling. I was in Puerto Rico for a week with work (FABULOUS) in January and last week Robbie and I were both away for work, Robbie in Denver and myself in D.C. Work has definitely been keeping us both busy, but our jobs have been the biggest blessings. It's hard when we are away from each other, but it always surprisingly goes by so fast. And when we aren't away from each other, our days are filled with so many fun and new things. Right now Rob is on a kick of cooking (sooo loving this). I came home on Wednesday and Rob met me with a glass of wine and the aroma of Chicken Parmesan cooking in the oven. The table was set, and I mean SET - with candles and the whole works. I melted into his arms the second I stepped into the door. I have an amazing husband!

My job situation has actually taken a huge turn towards AMAZING. God is SO good and I am so incredibly excited. I started my own Creative Marketing Consulting business and am currently employed as the full time Marketing Consultant for the company I was previously working for. I told them I was quitting because of my new business venture and they hired me on as their full time Marketing Consultant! I am managing the marketing department and conference division. I get to do exactly what I love, while working from home and traveling the country! Can I say it again? GOD IS GOOD!!

Rob was picked out of his whole sales territory to attend a conference in Denver, Colorado. It was a huge honor to be chosen and was a tremendous opportunity for him. I'm so proud! I don't know that I've ever really mentioned what either one of us does for a living! Rob is a Medical Device Sales Rep for Spinal Concepts, a division under Johnson & Johnson. He's the guy in the ER and OR giving and selling implants and medical devices to the surgeons as they operate. His specialty is the spine and neck. He loves it, and he doesn't even mind if he gets a call at four in the morning for a trauma. Luckily, he's only on call one weekend a month. Thank goodness!

I have really strayed from my last entry by posting so much about ourselves. My intentions are to provide a detailed update about our lives for those we have not been able to tell ourselves. I wish so badly I could press a button and hear how everyone else is also doing. PLEASE let me know what is going on in your life and how we can be praying for you. OH, that reminds me of a huge praise! Robbie and I found a church that we are really excited about. Thank you so much for your prayers; this has been a continuous prayer request and God, of course, has been working ten-fold. He never ceases to amaze me. :o)

So much love,

Annabelle

PS. I'll be back soon this time. I promise!