Thank you to Justin Ray!

Every bit of credit for the enjoyment I get of having my hand picked bathroom goes to my wonderful husband. He has catered to my every want and has been patient with me changing my mind. He has done awesome and I am so proud and appreciative of him and his work!

Ok just in case you haven't seen or you forgot what we started with here is what the bathroom looked like when we bought it. Notice the pink and the carpet floor.

Now here are a few pictures of how we tore it completely down. We started with brand new sheetrock even!!! He basically built a brand new room. He moved plumbing and all!!!

Here is a picture of my shower head and faucet. Yes that is tile on the wall! Above this is what it use to be like!

This is my new mirror and cabinets! He put a hole in the wall so he could set this in it so that it would give the room a bit more space. This is a tiny bathroom and we used every inch!

Here is my sink! I LOVE IT!

I wanted to get a picture of the tile he laid. I know you can't see it to great cause of the rug, but you get the point!

Here are some before and after pictures!!!!

This was the ceiling vent before:

This is the new ceiling light/vent

This is the light above my mirror before:

This is my light above the mirror now!!!

This is my vanity before: (Notice where the toilet is. Yes we completely moved it)

This is my vanity now!!!

And my FAVORITE PART! This is the tub before (took FOREVER to warm that ceramic up!!!)

And this is my new jet tub!!!

This is a long view of it from out side the door.

There are still a few things we are doing to it. If you notice there were no plug covers. We have to get special ones. My dad is making trim to go around the shower tile to match the vanity and mirror. We also bought brush nickel accessories to match but have not put them up. The reason is because we are debating on whether or not to put a big towel cabinet next to the vanity. If we do, expect new pictures!
Hope you have enjoyed this as much as I have!!!

O Christmas Tree O Christmas Tree

Last year we were engaged at Christmas. We decorated a tree and bought everyone presents together but it was still my tree at my house. He still had to go home at night so it wasn't like 'ours.' This year is special. It is our First Christmas together married. We bought a 7 and a half foot pre lit tree and we used all of the decorations we already had from the tree last year. We need to buy more since this tree is bigger, but that will come soon. Also since we actually have a house this year, we are putting Christmas light on it. I will post that tomorrow (I still need to post bathroom pictures, I just get distracted! Terri calls it my Shiny things syndrome!) We stayed up late last night finishing up the house lights and then we decorated our tree together. I wish this picture showed some of the detail because it really is a cute tree! Last year we made that toppper (bought some at walmart then pieced thigns together) and we decided last night that it will be the one we use forever. We laughed because our moms both have toppers that we think are 100 years old and ugly, but it was tradition. I guess this will be the ugly topper our kids remember!
I love this season. I love Christmas. I love getting to be married to my best friend and getting to share all of my favorite times and moments with him. This will be the best Christmas yet I know because we get to celebrate it together!

YAY! YAY! YAY!

Just so you know, I got ready this morning in my NEW bathroom that my amazing husband built for me! I have not had a chance to take pictures, but I will be posting before and after pictures soon! He has put up with all my changing requests and has done it with an amazing level of kindness and patience! It is just perfect!!!!!!

Emma and the heater

Something you may not know about me is that I can be very cheap. I like having nice things don't get me wrong, but I would much rather save money. Every month I am in competition with the previous month. I try to save more than we did last month. I know I can get extreme!
Well I decided we are NOT turning on the heater until December. My mindset is that we could save more by not running the air or heater this month.
Well I have a very cold natured husband. He needs heat! So we compromised and got a spaceheater. It actually warms the room we are in so good that we have to turn it off because it gets so hot! Well I learned that I not only have a cold natured husband, but a cold natured dog!
Emma has been cracking us up! It doesn't matter what room we are in, she goes to where the heater is. She just lays in front of it by the hours! The other night the gate was open and I didn't know she had gotten out for about an hour. I run to the front door to go outside to try to find her and there she is sitting on the front porch just waiting on me to let her in! The second I opened the door she darted as fastest as she could to the heater, slid into position and was out cold within about a minute! It is the funniest thing!
We bought her a big dog pillow. She usually destroys anything with plush in it, but we take it away unless we are there with her and that has eliminated that. When I got home from class last night, Justin had brought that big pilliow into the living room (it is usually in her cage) and placed it in front of the heater and she was knocked out cold. I just looked at him, and he smiled and said "She loves them both and I didn't want her to have to choose between them so I brought them together." can you say SPOILED! Here are a few pictures to laugh at!

I guess I am getting out-numbered, So we may have to turn on the heater soon!

:)

Recipes!

Our favorite food is Italian and Mexican. I need EASY recipes! On some nights we only have about 30 minutes to cook AND eat before we have to be at school or something. We are getting tired of our same ol same ol things. Any ideas???

Hard Week

Have you ever had one of those weeks that you are so ready for it to end but on the other hand need it to last longer so you can finish everything? That was this week. It was a bad week. A very bad week. A stressful week. I am one that I want to figure out my job, I want to be the best at it. This week I realized that it may never happen with this job. I am not good at this one. It doesn't click with me. It is very busy and there is so much to do, but so much I don't know how to do. I have tried to learn it, and will continue to try, but it is not my niche. My boss was gone most of this week so I had to really step into her shoes and take care of some things that came up. I failed at them. I hate failure. I hate the feeling of trying to do great at something then finding out later that you messed up. It is a very defeating feeling.
But, on the bright side, next week is a new week. Last night my hubby and I came home and ate then went to bed at 7:30(it was just going to be a 30 minute nap but we were just too tired to get up!). I got up at 10:30 this morning. So lots of sleep may be what my body needed to shake that horrible week. I actually got to the point of being emotional from the stress and mess ups so I am hoping rest will cure that! I HATE being emotional!
So now I am about to drink a cup of capachinno to get me going, and get to work. Be prepared to see pictures of our finished bathroom by Monday morning. We have kicked butt this week and are almost done. This is something I can't fail at, it is just an effort game and I can put in effort!

So until the bathroom is done,
M

time.

This picture makes me smile. Not only because I think he is the cutest 20 month old in the world, but because it makes me think about the future.

I use to be a person that never wanted to get married and never wanted children of my own. I was too selfish to give up that much of my life. My feelings have changed. Now that I am married, I couldn’t picture myself happy without being with him. I couldn’t imagine my life any other way.

My feelings have changed about having children as well. I want to have children with my best friend. I want us to raise a family together. When that day comes I believe he will be a wonderful dad. He is kind, compassionate, patient, caring and selfless. He is sensitive but consistent. So when will that day come? I am not sure. We have talked a lot about it lately and have been praying really hard for God to give a peace when that time comes. So many factors come in to play. Financially we are ready. Emotionally we are ready. Environmentally we are ready (we have room for a baby in our new house). But time is the factor we get held up on. We are both going to school. He just changed to a complete online degree, so that helps, but you still have to factor in time for him to do it. I am his biggest encourager and supporter when it comes to him finishing his degree. I am halfway done with my masters, but do I really want the stress of school on me during a pregnancy? Will that be hard? Does pregnancy require you to have more down time then what we have? Do I want to continue on to get my doctorate? Can I get through that with a child? So many things go through our minds. There will always be a ‘better time.’ A time where we have more time, more money, more everything. But is there really a perfect time to have a child? So many people tell me if you wait until the right time to have a kid, then you will never have one. Is that true? I am 24. He is 21. Is that too young to have children? Medically I have always heard it would be better to have all the kids we want to have before I turn 30(We want more than 1). Is that really true though? The desire is there. The passion is there. The willing to give up what we want for what a baby needs is there. But how do you know when it is right? A baby deserves us to put the thought into when the best time would be for them to join our family. So we are thinking. We are praying. We are being patient. We are being hopeful. We are just waiting. What are we waiting on? Time. Will it come?

Any words of wisdom would be wonderful. Any criticism would be hurtful. So please choose the first one.

Great Birthday Weekend!

We decided we were going to take a trip to celebrate our birthdays. Mine was back in August, but we haven't had the time with work and school to get away. So we planned a double celebration! We both took Friday off and headed to the city. I use to think I would love to live in a bigger city, but after being there I don't think I would. I love the fact that we can go somewhere as simple as OKC on a vacation and have this much fun. If we lived there day to day, it would take more of a trip (which means more money) to have a getaway. So as fun as the city is to go to, I think I will stick with my smaller town!!!

His pick of fun thing to do was to go to a hockey game. I had never been to one, but it was a blast!

I love bricktown! Since the game was in the Ford Center, we got there early to eat in bricktown. It was so pretty now that it is fall and the leaves are changing colors. Here is a picture I took that doesn't even come close to catching the beauty I saw.

We never have enough self-portraits I guess!

Yes, my mom put 21 candles in the cake she made cake. Garrett was impressed with the fire!

And what is a birthday without a bunch of strangers at a restaurant banging pans and singing happy birthday while you wear a sombrero? He obviously thought he could live without the embarrassment, but I love him to much to not treat him to this tradition and fun! HA! Ok ok ok, I guess the fun was more for me, but now that I am sharing the picture, it is fun for EVERYONE! :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JUSTIN RAY!!!

Today is Justin Ray's 21st Birthday! Wish him a Happy Birthday if you see or talk to him!

God Bless America

Here is the end of John McCain's concession speech that I thought was great:
MCCAIN: Today, I was a candidate for the highest office in the country I love so much. And tonight, I remain her servant. That is blessing enough for anyone, and I thank the people of Arizona for it.
AUDIENCE: USA. USA. USA. USA.
MCCAIN: Tonight — tonight, more than any night, I hold in my heart nothing but love for this country and for all its citizens, whether they supported me or Senator Obama — whether they supported me or Senator Obama.
I wish Godspeed to the man who was my former opponent and will be my president. And I call on all Americans, as I have often in this campaign, to not despair of our present difficulties, but to believe, always, in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here.
Americans never quit. We never surrender.
We never hide from history. We make history.
Thank you, and God bless you, and God bless America. Thank you all very much.

I hoped and prayed McCain would win, but my prayers and greatest wishes goes to President Elect Barack Obama, Joe Biden and their families.

VOTE!

Well first I just want to say that my nephew Rece won thier game last night! They are the elementary school football champs! :)
Today is an important day! GO VOTE!
But here is some security just in case it doesn't go the way we want and pray!

Top 10 Predictions No Matter Who Wins the Election:

1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost when they come to Him

Have a great day!

J&M

November????

I cannot believe it is already November! Time has flown! It feels like we just got married yesterday! It will be 10 months on November 4th! Then on the 5th Justin turns the big 21! I cannot wait because I cannot keep presents I get someone a secret! I had 6 to start with and I only have 2 left! I keep giving them to him to open! I am worse than a little kid!!! We are going on a Birthday celebration this weekend! We both are taking Friday off and heading to the city! we have hockey tickets on Friday night. I have never been to a hockey game, but Justin loves it and has been trying to get me to go for a few years. So I got some tickets and we are going! Then we are going to go to the Riverwind casino in Norman on saturday night. We will hit the movies and go eat at all the fun resturants and just have a fun weekend! We have so many things on our list to do that I think the weekend will fly, but it will be fun. We have been trying to knock Christmas our early this year, so we are going to try to finish all of our shopping this weekend. I know that is pushing it, but we won't get a chance to go shopping before Christmas again because we will be to busy!

Life has been soooooooo busy this semester. Between work and school and teaching classes, we just haven't had 2 seconds to rest! This weekend we finally got some house work done. We have not had the time to spend on our house and we are really anxious to get some things done to it. So we are just going to start making time now. If it takes not having time to sleep, that is just the price we are going to pay! It is driving both of us crazy having so many things we want to do, but no time to do them! We got our frotn bedroom transformed from a storage unit to an office this weekend and we got all the trees cut down and removed. Now we have to finish the bathroom (it is getting so close!) and then tile the kitchen, and ad a part to the fence and we are done! That is until we find other fun things to do! HAHA!

Starting December 1 and going through January 7th I will be super busy with Intersession. Our college is really putting lots of effort into it this year and I think it will keep up busy. It kind makes me feel trapped to Altus since I can't go to far over the holiday, but I know in the long run it will be worth it!

Tonight Rece is in the Championship Little League Football game. I have had to miss all but 1 game because I have class Monday and Tuesday night. But tonight I am going to make it happen and go because he is so excited about it! He asked us a million times yesterday if we were going to go. He is so cute in his Football Uniform! I will post a picture of him in his uniform and Kenzie in her cheerleading outfit!

Ok well that is the catch up of our lives! If you have Justin's Cell shoot him a text on Wednesday and wish him a HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!