Christmas Party & Golfing...In December??

We went to Matt's company Christmas part on Dec. 12. We had such a great time there and then took the party out to Fort Worth. It was so much fun hanging out with people we had not seen in a while and also hanging out with some new friends.


We also had the pleasure of going golfing that Sunday with Matt's mom who was in town from Kansas. Of course for her the 60 degree weather was tropical. She left Kansas and it was -13 I think and had just snowed for a couple days. Needless to say it was hard for her to leave on Monday. It was a great weekend with her.


I am so ready for Christmas! Tomorrow is the last day I have to work until Jan. 4 and I could not be happier. Today the coach that I work for gave me a present and I almost cried. Working for him has it's ups and downs, but I am sure every job does. I have worked with the team for over a year now and this is the first time he has every done anything to show me he appreciated me. So needless to say I was very shocked but also very touch also. I enjoy my job very much and I don't need a lot of reassurance that I am doing a good job but sometimes the little things do help.

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!! I plan on doing Christmas cards next year, we will see if that happens!

Is it really December already...

I have not been on in so long, things have just been so busy. Matt and I have moved again! But we are so happy in the new place. The house we were in before was more than we needed, so we are now in a cute little farm house. The landlord lives to the north of us and he and his wife are great. The houses share about 20 acres and Scout and Tiffany are loving roaming around. There is also about 8 horses on the farm that we will get to ride come spring time and I could not be more excited about it.
Thanksgiving was crazy. The family and I (minus Matt) were in College Station for the big game (as Emma calls it). We tailgated before the game with some great friends, and we all decided to make it a regular thing. So next football season we will get together for each game and tailgate. It is going to be so much fun. The game did not turn out the way we had hoped, but my Aggies sure did play a hell of a game. They fought until the end but came up short. I am not at all disappointed in their season, although I do look forward to next and hope for more wins.

Other than the aforementioned moving Matt and I have not been up to much. We are getting in the Christmas spirit thought! He has put lights up on the house and I have put up the tree. We are looking forward to the weekend because Matt's mom will be in town for the first time in about 6 months.

Today I am thankful to be an Aggie...

I still remember it like it was yesterday. I woke up in the middle of the night with knots in my stomach and I had no idea why. I figured it was nothing so I went back to sleep. My alarm went off that morning and I woke up to the most devastating news, Aggie Bonfire had collapsed and at least 8 were dead and others were still on the stack. I couldn't breathe, I just thought it had to be wrong and I was in a nightmare, but it happened. When the dust settled, we had lost 12 amazing Aggies. I had thought about going to A&M but it wasn't my dream school at the time, little did I know God had a different plan in mind. I thought I was for sure going to that other school in Austin with friends from high school. But on this day everything changed. My family and I met my sister down in College Station for the memorial service being held the night Bonfire was supposed to burn. I didn't really want to go, because deep down in my heart I knew what was about to happen. We stepped on that field and my life changed forever. I had someone come and light the candle I was holding and it ignited my fire for A&M. My heart had never been so heavy in all my life, as it was that night. I felt like I knew each of those 12 Aggies that had died on the stack that day. I felt a part of this Aggie family and that I had just lost 12 brothers and sisters. It didn't take 5 mins after my candle had been lit that I turned to my mom, with tears streaming down my face not being able to say a word and all she said was "I know." She knew at that moment I was going to be an Aggie, she felt it, my sister felt it, and my dad felt it. We got home after that night and I researched how to graduate from high school early so that I could begin my journey as a Aggie. Texas A&M University means the world to me. I know even if this tragedy had never happened I would have ended up there because my heart and soul was always an Aggie, and nothing could have changed that. There is so much more I could say about this special university, but today I am going to just be thankful that I can call myself an Aggie, and that I will forever be a part of this Aggie Family. "There is a spirit can ne'er be told, it's the Spirit of Aggieland."

To the 12 that were lost-you will always be in my heart. Your spirit will live on.

Today I am thankful for...

My family and my friends. I did not get on this weekend so this will be a 2 part post.

First I am very thankful for my family. They have put up with me for 27 years and it has not always been easy. My sister and I have had an up and down relationship but what siblings don't. She really did not like me at all when my mom brought me home from the hospital, she even tried to sell me at a garage sale! Today we are the best of friends. We have gone through many things together and she has forgiven me so many times I can't even count high enough. I have a close relationship with my brother now. It was hard to not have him around very much growing up, but he is making up for that now. He has such a sweet spirit about him, and is so loving and forgiving of everyone. I love hanging out with him because he is always making me laugh. My other sister is such a strong woman. She is a great mother to her 3 children, and even though I am sure it is tiresome she still finds the energy. My mom and I are a lot closer than we have ever been, and I am very thankful for that. I have started to see that our relationship is ok, even if it is not like her's and Lea's. I am not Lea, and I am different and that is what makes our relationship special. I could not ask for a better dad. He always had my back no matter what. I have taken him for granted many times, yet he is still always there. He means more to me than I could ever show him. I am so thankful for him and his unconditional love he shows me. I have done some very hurtful things to my family and for that I am sorry. I turned my back on them thinking I didn't need them, when in all honesty I needed them more than ever. When I finally came out of my funk, they took me back with open arms. It has been a long journey back but they are my family and I love them dearly.


My friends, what can I say about them. I have some of the greatest friends in the world. I can't even begin to name each of you that have had an impact on my life. Just know that I thank God for each of you everyday. I have friends that I can go months without speaking to, but the moment we are on the phone it is like nothing changed. When I am hurting they are there, when I have a joy to share, they are there, when times get tough, they pick me up. So many great things to share about each of you, I just don't have the time. I may not speak to you every day or every week, but know that I think of each of you daily, and I am so thankful that you are in my life.

Being Thankful...

How could this not make you smile!

I saw this idea on facebook (thanks Amber) and thought how great it would be to do...so until Thanksgiving I am going to post daily what I am thankful for. I may even extend this longer, we will have to see.

So today I am thankful for...My sweet husband.

Matt-thank you so much for loving me the way you do. You put up with all my crap, my A&M obsession, my wonderful dog Scout, and more. You have giving selflessly to me over the past few years and continue to surprise me everyday. My life was completed the day that I met you. You gave up everything you always knew to move to a big city to be with me. Leaving behind a life that you had always dreamed of, and for that I thank you. You have shown tremendous support for me during my darkest hours. You fought for me even when I stopped fighting for myself. You have put up with fatty bobatty (AKA Scout) even though he annoys the heck out of you. You even wear maroon, when K-State is not playing! I think I have even caught you wear an A&M shirt just for the heck of it :) You love me despite my flaws, and when I am mean or rude to you. You forgive me easier than anyone because you love me. There is so many great things to say about you and why I am so thankful but despite all I have said, I am so thankful for you because you saved me.

Our song is exactly how I feel about you. A few of my favorite lyrics from Wade Bowen's "Who I Am."

"Now that your in my life Baby I know exactly who I am...I love you oh so very much, love you more than words can say, and I don't know how or why but I love you more every day."

Thank you again for fighting for me when I said we could never date because I was moving back to Texas. Thank you for seeing in me more than I could ever see in myself. Thank you for making me smile and laugh when I feel like I can't. And thank you for loving me unconditionally. I love you!

This picture was sent to me with a caption saying...What has 2 thumbs and loves you move than anything in the world??? THIS GUY! :)

Sent from my iPhoneA beautiful sunrise in the hill country. It was a great weekend,
thanks to the Riley's hospitality. More pictures to come.

Waco Weekend

Matt and I ventured down to Waco this weekend to hang out with family and friends. It was Lea's 10yr high school reunion so there was a lot of Midway folks in town. She did not go to the reunion but we still had fun anyway.

Friday night we met Lea, Chris, Lisa and Randy out at George's and had way too much fun. Spending time with great friends helped when some of the people from high school showed up and completely ignored us. I was not too surprised because I knew they would be like to me but not to Lea. It did give her more of a reason not to go. She was able to catch up with some of the girls that she had not seen since high school and that was great. I spent most of the night just hanging out with Matt, Chris, Lisa and Randy while Lea caught up with old friends.


Saturday night was my dad's birthday so we went to Austin's on the Avenue for dinner and stayed to party the night away! I was able to finally meet Lindsay Uptmore, the wife of Pat Uptmore who was a great friend of mine in high school. She is wonderful and I look forward to spending more time with them when I am in Waco. Angela Faust Chouinard came out on Saturday night and I forgot how much I loved that girl. She was such a great friend of Lea and I in high school but we all lost touch. She is doing great and it was so fun to catch up her and Richard.

I had a great time this weekend, and had time to reflect on a lot of things. I truly can not say if I am going to go to my 10yr high school reunion that is coming up in a year. I saw how my sister was treated by people she was friends with in high school and I just don't know if I can handle it as well as she did. Lea, you are so strong and I admire you so much. I hope that my class will be different, but I am still worried about it and afraid that nothing will have changed. But we will see.

The best time of the year...COLLEGE FOOTBALL!

I absolutely love college football. I love the atmosphere, the games, and the rivalries. I look forward to this the entire year...and it is finally here! The past weekend, I took the drive down to the best place on earth...College Station Texas! I love this place so much that I could spend every weekend there for the rest of my life and be happy. Kyle Field is one of a kind place. The 12th Man has no other competition anywhere else. This is by far one of the best places to be on a Saturday. I may be a little biased but who cares :) I love the town, the field and all there is to being an Aggie. We have struggled the last few years in football, but I am hoping this is our year to begin the turn around to become a top notch program.

Lea and I on or way to the game!

Saturday started off with the family leaving Waco and heading down to College Station. The crew included, me, Lea, Chris, Emma, Mom, Dad, Jason, and Rose. Rose is a dear friend of the family that we have pretty much adopted as our Aunt. She is a wonderful person, great mom, great friend and die hard Aggie. We got down there and Lea and I went to the bookstore, and walked around outside the stadium while Chris and Jason set up the ATM's outside. We got our Maroon Out shirts, and then headed to meet the rest of the crew at Wing's N More. We love this place. They have the best pickle chips (fried pickles) of any I have ever had. There wings are pretty good also! We also make it a point to eat there when we are in town. After a great lunch, we headed back to Kyle Field to cheer on the Ags to a great win over New Mexico. We had a great time. Emma loved every moment of it and she is already starting to learn about being an Aggie. She kept talking about all the Corps boys and waving at them as they walked past us. It was so cute!

Emma, Lea, Rose, Mom, and I watching the Corps march in.

I spent the rest of the weekend at my parents house helping them fix some things up. We cleared out some brush so that mom can get her flower beds going, and we also installed a flag pole so that it is ready for Sept. 11. I had so much fun driving around on the tractor! Who knew that would be so much fun. Scout could not stand the fact that I was on the tractor and he was on the ground, so once when I stopped he jumped on and rode around with me the rest of the time. It was so fun.

Scout and I on the tractor working!

Matt did not go to the game with us this weekend because he spent his weekend in KS with his family hunting. He had a great time, I just hope that soon we can find a place for him to hunt around here so that he isn't always having to go back to KS. This trip he had is a yearly trip for the boys in the family so I know this will be one that he always attends, but I hope we can find some places around here for him so that he is not deprived of it like he was the last year.

Been way too long

Sorry I have been out of the blogging world for some time now. Things have just been so crazy with school starting and everything else going on, so I will give a short recap here and then another post about the weekend.

August-
Was full of fun. I was able to go down to College Station the first weekend and celebrate with Sheena (Lea's sister-in law) for her 21st birthday. It turned into more of a time for Lea and I to hang out in our old stomping ground, let loose and have some fun. I have pictures but I can't seem to find the camera right now :) Lea and I spent most of the night together away from all the little college kids, but we still had a blast!

The next weekend, Matt and I went to San Antonio with Eric and Lindsay who are a couple that we hang out with a lot here in Fort Worth. We met up with my sister and some other friends for an adult night out. We ate at Dick's Last Resort and had a blast. Our waiter was great and the food was delicious! We then went over to Howl at the Moon for a party. Our friend Lisa had won a part for 20 friends and she invited us to go. We got in for free and had 2 free drinks and then half price drinks until 8pm. We all enjoyed the dueling pianos and the quality time with friends.

Another weekend was spent meeting up with an old friend from high school, Natalie (Huey) Riley and her husband Travis at the North Texas Fair. We watched the rodeo, the went to see Roger Creager. We had such a great time and I was so excited to meet up with Natalie. She was such a great friend in high school and I can't wait to get together with her and Travis more often.

The rest of August was spent getting ready for the school year. I am teaching a College Adjustment class this year at UTA, and have enjoyed it so far. I have some ideas for next year to make it a more enjoyable course, but for now I am sticking with what I have.

Sorry for being so bad at updating this, but I will be better at it from now on. I hope everyone had a great Labor Day Weekend, and I will blog about that in a little while.

Surprise Party for the Bro-in-Law

My brother-in-law's birthday is on December 25. Which makes for not many birthday parties for him. So this year my sister decided to surprise him with a party all his own. He will be turning 30 this year, so Lea did not want him to go without a big party. She invited so many of his friends from college, from San Antonio when they lived there, and from Waco. There was a great turn out and Chris was so surprised. It was great.

Great job Lea! We all had a great time celebrating with you and Chris for such a special surprise.

This is just a few of the people that were there.
Chris opening presents (Emma helping of course), Emma giving Chris all the balloons she found, and more pictures of friends.

Emma took a nap and made a friend. He was trying to hug her and finally she gave in but of course my camera had died by that point.

July 4th and a new truck

We went to Kansas for the July fourth weekend and had a great time. First we drove to Missouri to spend time with some friends at their lake house. It was little chilly up there but still fun. We went jet skiing, and out on the boat. That night we watched the fireworks, drank some beer, and just spent some quality time with friends we had not seen in a while.

This is Scout and Tiffany on our way to Kansas!

Saturday we went to Perry and met up with Matt's family at a bbq they were having at one of his Aunt's house. We shot of a few fireworks there but then headed out to their land to shoot off the rest. We also watched to Perry Lake firework show. I was in a sweatshirt and blanket because it was so cold up there! We had a great time with family and friends that weekend, and can't wait for next year to do it all over again.


Matt has been wanting a truck for sometime now, but we have been holding out waiting for the best deal. We were going to be trading in my car, and so we needed some good incentives to be able to do it since we would be upside down on the trade in. Well this weekend all the stars lined up and we ended up with a deal we could not refuse. John McClaren in Waco is one of the best dealerships I have every worked with. We will continue to buy our cars from them. Jamie worked with Matt for many months on this deal. He was not there on Saturday so we worked with Scott Eskew. He and I went to high school together so it was pretty fun working with him and catching up on how he was doing. We love the truck and are so happy we were finally able to get such a great deal! If you are looking for a new Chevy make time to visit John McClaren in McGregor. They are wonderful people and will do whatever it takes to make it work for you!

A few odds and ends

It has been a awhile since I have posted anything so this may be long.

We went to visit some friends in Longview last month (yes I just put the pictures on my computer) and their dog had recently had puppies. We were there with my sister, brother- in-law and Emma. Let me just say this little girl is not scared of anything. She loved holding the puppies, and she was so careful with them. It was precious. They also had a trampoline and we could not get her off of it.

Father's Day weekend was spent in Waco, without my parents. My mom took my dad to their favorite place for the weekend, VEGAS! And left the kids at home to put his gift together. My mom bought the grill, and we put together the bar top. It was so much fun, and great spending time with my sister. The bar top is made out of bottle caps...and no we did not drink them all during the weekend. A few but not all :) My dad loved it! We still have a few things to do to actually finish the bar, but we at least got a start to it. My dad is an amazing cook and I can not wait to eat some of the food he will prepare with his new grill!

Last weekend, Matt and I went to a bbq for his work. The house we were at blew my mind away! It was beautiful. But then again when you make the kind of money a Senior Partner does then you have the ability to have a beautiful house. The great thing about this couple is that you would never think they were that well off. They are so down to earth, and just great people. They graduated from Kansas State also, so that may have a little to do with it :)

We went to Billy Bob's that night for a Charlie Robison concert. It was great. Concerts are a little hard for me sometimes because I like to talk, but you can't really do that in a concert. But we still had fun listen to some great country music! Also Tuff Hedeman, world Champion bull rider, who also rode in 8 Seconds, came on stage and sang. It was awesome! I just wish we would have been able to meet him.

The previous owners of the house we are in had a doggie door going into the garage. So now when I come home Scout is poking his little head out waiting for me. It is so cute! He is too fat to fit any further. Also, after church we found Jackson, my sister's dog laying in the mud outside the church building. We go to a small church in Speegliville, so since we were heading out to my parents after church we brought the dogs with us. And when we were at my parents, their dog, Sully thought it would be fun to lay on me after he took a swim in the tank. It was lovely! Oh how I love my dogs!

A time in Manhattan...Ks that is

Matt and I spent the last weekend in Kansas, having a family reunion and then hanging out in Manhattan with friends for a Pub Crawl and celebrating a birthday. The Schafer's have a family reunion every year and this would be the first one I have ever attended as a Schafer, or at all really. It was fun getting to know those in his family more and just be there as his wife. That night we went to Manhattan to have a pub crawl/mini reunion. It was so much fun. Being able to hang out with old friends, and catch up means so much to me. It was also our friend Corey's birthday so I was fun spending time with him and helping him celebrate his day. I miss all my friends from KS but it has been great starting our lives her in Texas.

Birthday Fun and more

Matt's birthday was last week and we had 2 parties for him. The weekend before his birthday we invited friends over and cooked out. We played horseshoes, the Wii and just had fun hanging out. Then this past weekend we were in Waco and and hung out with my sister, her husband and another couple Saturday night. We went to Crickets and ate then played some shuffle board. It was a blast! Then on Sunday after church we went out to my parents and my dad cooked great food and we just talked and hung out. I love being able to do this now with friends and family. We hardly ever had people over when we lived in the apartment because it was so small and cramped. Now with the house it is fun having people over. Matt and I really enjoy cooking out and socializing so it is a great feeling to finally be able to do this. Now that I am closer to family it is great to be able to go home for a day or a weekend and spend time with them. I love being back in Texas and hope that we will be here for a long time.

Some pictures from the weekend at our house. Matt had not blown out candles in years. He enjoyed it. Even Scout got in on the fun!


This group is so much fun. I love going down to Waco to hang out with my sister and Chris. We always have a good time. And Matt even got to blow out candles again. Thank Lea for making the cupcakes for Matt! They were delicious.

Matt and I have enjoyed his birthday gift from me. I got him Mario Cart for the Wii. We have had so much fun playing it. We are still kids at heart.

Matt, I love you and I hope that you had a great birthday! I look forward to spending many more in the years to come.

Warning: Many pictures ahead...

there are a lot of pics below, but I just could not choose less :) I hope you enjoy.


These are just a few favorites of Matt and I. I had so much fun doing these shots, and I can't wait to get them in an album!


These are of Matt and the guys. The ring bearer was my nephew Matthew and I just love the top picture. He had such a great time hanging out with all the boys all day and taking pictures. he looked great in his little tux!


These are of me and my girls and family. I just love all of them, especially the one with me and my dad and then me, my mom, sister and Emma. Our photographer captured some great photos.


These are just some of the other ones that I liked. Emma and her Elmo Easter basket is definitely going in a frame! And the one where Chris is holding her is precious. She was my competition in the wedding for sure :)


The large group pictures is of all our friends, or actually I think it is mainly all Matt's guy friends from college and Kim. Matt made some great friendships and I am so thankful they were able to make our wedding. The picture of the older couple at the bottom is Matt's grandparents. Roland passed away only a few days after our wedding and at the funeral we were told that those last few days all he talked about was our wedding and how thankful he was that he was able to make it. Roland you are missed everyday!

And just a few more of our favorites. The one on the bottom left is Nick, Matt's brother doing his toast. To start it off he gave us a toaster and said if you want a toast then you can make it yourself. It was really funny, but then he did a very heartfelt toast.

Matt-you are the most wonderful husband in the world and I thank God everyday for you. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you and make many more memories. I love you!

Reality TV

So I am going to admit something that I have just admitted to myself. I love reality TV. Not all the shows but just a few. I don't think I am obsessed but I do tend to watch every episode and if I am not home at the time I have either recorded it or I watch it on-line the next day. I know I am a sucker. But for some reason I really do like watching it. With that said I am going to talk about/vent about a few shows I have seen recently.

The Hill's
So I began this journey by watching Laguna Beach and then following Lauren on to The Hills. I loved this show...at the beginning. Towards the end I just became more frustrated, yet I still watched it. I watched this show and was a little jealous of their lives but now I am so happy that I live a modest life without lost of money, or drama. I like where I am at and would not live in a place like that for anything. I enjoyed the drama to an existent but sometimes it just became dumb. The last 2 seasons I think may have put me over the edge. I am tired of hearing about Spencer and Heidi. He was such a jerk and Heidi was so dumb. He finally became somewhat nice in this last episode but I just wonder how true it is. Although I did not understand why, I do wish the two of them the best in their marriage. I am happy for Lauren though. She has grown up a lot on the show and I know she will do great things. I liked watching her because I did feel like she was really and easy to relate to. She also had some cute clothes :) With her leaving I don't know if I will watch it anymore because I don't like Kristin, but I am sure I will end up watching just to see what goes on.

The Bachelor/Bachelorette
Yes I am one of those that watches this show. I don't know why because I think only 1 out of the 10 or so have even worked out. I love Trista and Ryan :) But anyways I do watch it and root for the people I like. Last season I was devastated with the rest of the country when Jason did what he did to Melissa. She was such an amazing girl and I can not believe he did that to her! But great for her for moving on and doing great! She has such a great heart and she deserves the best. This season Jilian is kinda getting on my nerves. She is keeping guys that just don't seem right, or truly seem like they are on the show to promote themselves. I know she doesn't see everything that goes on, but really can someone be that naive?? I think Wes is on there just to promote his music career, I don't trust Juan, Tanner's foot thing is getting a little ridiculous but I think Ed, Kypton, and Dave (I think is his name) are great. So needless to say I will keep watching to see how things turn out...I mean it is summer what else is on :)

PS-I can not believe I just used an entire post on reality tv! I have no life...and wedding pics will be on soon.

We are moving...

So we have finally found a house that Matt likes. He has been so picky! Even worse than me :) (But I still love you honey)But we have the place and we have started to move in a little at a time. I don't have pictures yet, but as soon as I have them I will upload some. It is just a rental house but right now that is fine with us. We did not want to buy and leave in 3 yrs or so since Matt works in construction and the company he works for can not promise anything after the current job he is working on. We hope that he will be able to stay with Linbeck and move up the ranks, but it is not certain, so renting is our best option. The house is in Fort Worth right off 35W. It will be about a 30 min drive for me to get to work, but I am ok with that. We both like the house, and the neighborhood, so the drive is nothing!

Now that we are moving we will have to figure out what we are wanting to do about church. We have been attending Gateway Church in Southlake and absolutely love Pastor Robert. He is so real and to the point, that we ALWAYS get something out of the sermon. And he makes us laugh! Gateway has 2 different campuses, one in Southlake and one in North Richland Hills. I mapped them both today from our house and the NRH campus is only like 30 mins. They have a 5:45 service on Saturday nights which would be great because Matt and I could go to that and then to dinner or something. It could be our date night. So I think that is what we are going to try and hope that the drive does not get to much. But I drive 30 mins for work, I think I can drive 30 mins, for God. Keep us in your prayers as we take on this new adventure.

Jamaica here I come!

I can not wait until June 21, 2010 when I will be in Jamaica celebrating one of my best friends getting married! I will have the privileged of being a bridesmaid in Amber Lee and Chris Perry's wedding! Amber has been like a sister to me for so many years. We met back in the 6th grade when she was my big sister in volleyball. We had so much fun that year giving gifts and making memories that our friendship just continued to blossom. We remained friends through high school and even after she graduted since she was a year older than me. I hung out with her a lot during my senior year while she was a freshman at Baylor and made such great memories. I went off to College Station the following semester but our friendship stayed the same. She has been there through everything. Bad boyfriends, crazy family times, a very hard divorce, and more. Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your big day Amber and Chris. I can not wait. I love you both!

Relieved...well kinda

So for the past few days I have been feeling sick every time I ate something. And so of course most people jumped on the pregnancy band wagon, and all I could think was no way! We just got married, we don't want a child this soon. I had all sorts of ideas of how bad it was going to be if I was pregnant and how the timing was all wrong and so forth. Finally I made a doctor's appointment, because it was getting pretty bad. Food, the smell of food, weight gain and so forth. I had prepared myself for a positive outcome...and it was negative. The doctor confirmed there is no little schafer's growing just yet :) She concluded that it was the pill I was on and changed it again.

So you would think I was relieved right? And I was a little but then another part of me thought of how great being a mom would be, and how much fun it would be to watch our baby grow, and learn new things, and all that fun stuff. So needless to say I am relieved that we are not having a baby because we did just get married and I want to just be with Matt for some time before we start a family.

I just get to keep being the best aunt in the world now! Some day when Matt and I are more ready (because is anyone ever really ready for a baby) we will try for some little one's. But I guess it is still ok to be a little upset that it wasn't positive.

Lea sent me this picture today and it made me realize that even though I don't have a little one yet, I can still spoil this adorable little girl.

Something good

I have been trying to get out of this funk that I have been in and trying to find something good and happy to write about...but still nothing! There really is not much going on with the Schafer's lately.

I think we have finally found a place to live though. I have been so tired of looking and coming up with nothing. It is a little more than we were looking to spend on rent but it is a nice house and in a good neighborhood. So once I know for sure that we are getting it, I will update everyone.

I am ready for school to be out. I am not in school anymore and not a teacher, I just work with college students. And it seems lately they all have some sort of excuse for EVERYTHING! I do not think I was like this in college, but then again I was not an athlete and not trying to get out of study table. I truly enjoy my job and helping these students, but sometimes they just get on my nerves! If it is not one thing its another, and all I really want to say to them is that if they were smarter and made better grades they would not have to find excuses to get out of study table. But that would be really mean of me so I just bite my tongue :)

I am looking forward to the summer, because Matt and I are planning a few trips to go and visit friends. In July we will head up north to Minnesota to visit my best friend Alisha and her boyfriend Kirk. I am so excited because I have heard so much about Minneapolis from Alisha and I can't wait to explore it with Matt. Then in Aug. we are heading to South Carolina to visit Amber and Chris. It is going to be a great time because 2 other friends from high school are going to be coming in with their significant others. We are finally going to have a chance to all catch up. I can't wait!

I have a few things to look forward to this summer. Less students around, trips to visit great friends, and fun places, and just spending time with Matt being married. It should be a great summer.

Long Weekend

Well it was a long weekend, and one that no one wants to have. We drove back up to Kansas to be with family during this loss. Roland was such a great man and is going to be missed. I was not able to make my great-uncle's funeral because it was in Florida. Both men will be truly missed.

One thing that kept us going this weekend was spending time with family. Matt's has a cousin named Olivia that would put a smile on anyone's face. His Unlce Cal and Aunt Linda adopted her from China about 4 or 5 years ago. She is full of life and always bringing a smile to anyone that is sad. She kept Grandma smiling through this loss.

Being with Matt's family so much has been hard on me because I have not been able to spend much time with mine. I live closer to them now, but seem them less than I did before. It is very hard to understand why this is the case. I get so frusturated and upset that I don't see my family very often, hopefully now that the wedding is over I will be able to see them more.

Our relationship needs to be rebulit and that can't be done if I am always gone. Growing up is hard, but I see others who are so close to their families and it hurts. I wonder why I am so different. Why I didn't stay as close, or why I am not as close. So many thoughts running through my head. It just hurts!

Bad things happen in 3's...

That is how the saying goes and I never really experienced until yesterday. And let me tell you I wish it was not the case.

First Matt and I woke up around 5:30am to water dripping in our apartment. When I went to check it out I saw there was standing water all in our bathroom, kitchen and the carpet was wet. I called maintenance and they told me that the 3rd floor apartments water heater busted over night so all the water in it had been leaking while we were all asleep. They just shut the water off and have called a clean up crew. Not really a big deal, just sucked having to wake up to that.

Second, while Matt was getting ready for work his dad called to let us know that Roland, his grandmother's husband (Matt's grandfather passed away when he was very young, and so Roland was all he really knew as a grandfather, and he had been around for about 12 years) had passed away. He had congestive heart failure, but we were told he was doing better and that he would be going home. He woke up around 5:00 or so and went to the bathroom, the nurse asked if he needed anything else and she went out to get what he requested and came back and he had passed. It has been hard on the family because his grandmother is sick also, and we are going to have to figure out where she is going to be able to live. She is not going to be happy about not living at the house anymore.

And then third, my mom called me around 3:45 to let me know that my great-uncle Oscar had also passed away. All of this in 1 day. Oscar was my grandmother's brother and the closest thing we had to my grandmother after she passed away. In the last few years we had not seen him very much but he was always my favorite. It is really hard to hear about someone in your family passing away, and it's even harder when it comes twice in one day.

Needless to say I am having a rough day. I hope that the bad things are done for awhile because I just don't think I can handle anything else right now.

Softly Call the Muster, let comrades answer "Here"

It is April 21 every year that my favorite Aggie tradition takes place. This tradition to me symbolizes what it truly means to be an Aggie. Aggie Muster is held once a year, and always on April 21. The main one is held in College Station, but there are thousands held around the world. Aggies gather together to remember those who have passed within the last year. They speak their names aloud and their friends answer Here. It is their last roll call as an Aggie. It gives me chills just writing about it now. This will be the first time in a couple years that I have not attend the Aggie Muster in College Station. It will be hard to not be there, but of course I will be there in spirit.

Some say Aggies are crazy, but I love being a part of such a wonderful school. I will always bleed maroon, and it will always be a place near and dear to my heart. I know that some day, my friends and family will gather together on April 21 and answer Here for me, as I have my last roll call. So in honor of all the Aggies that have passed this year, I answer "Here" for you. May God be with you and your families during this time.

"We gather today, Aggies all, to recall our past, to strengthen our ties, to honor those who have passed before us....We come today to affirm our commitment, our love for this place and all that it represents."

Jack M. Rains, Muster Speaker 1984

And if you want to know more about the history of Muster, you can check this website Aggie Muster History.

I am MARRIED!!!

So yes it is true I am married! I had such a great weekend. Who knows why we both have goofy expressions on our faces in this picture! We could not have asked for it to go any better. I don't have any pictures from our photographer yet, but I will soon I hope. Some friends took a few pictures and I have posted them below.

I spent the week before in KS getting last minute details together. It was a little stressful but it all turned out ok. My family got there on Friday and it was so great to spend some time with them. I was not able to spend as much time with them as I had hoped but I guess I was a little busy :) I was very worried about the weather. It had been cold and rainy ALL week and all I could think was that my outdoor wedding was about to moved indoors. Neither Matt nor I wanted it inside so we were just praying the weather would change. Friday was beautiful. It was sunny and about 65. My nerves calmed a little with that but I still didn't know what Saturday would be like. Well it was great! It was sunny all day and in the upper 60's. It was still pretty chilly for my bridesmaids but they kept telling me not to worry about it, they would stand out there for me with no complaints. And they did. When the ceremony rolled around the sun went behind some clouds and the wind picked up a little, but we were not out there as long as we thought we would be, so I think everyone was ok. We really felt God was on out side when the weather became so beautiful, since it had been nasty all week, and then sunday was rainy and cold again. We got the 2 best days of the week for our rehearsal and wedding. I am going to take away so many memories from this past weekend. I can't wait to start living my life with Matt and making more memories as a family.

I love this picture! Emma would NOT walk down the isle unless she was able to carry ALL her Easter baskets. This includes her Elmo easter basket. It was precious!

Our first kiss as husband and wife! The roses were part of a Rose Cermony that we did. It was a great way to start our life together.

Heading down the isle with my dad. I was so excited and could not wait to be Mrs. Schafer.

Checking things off the list...

Well I have been checking things off the list of things left to do before the wedding. I had my final dress fitting and it looks great! Well at least my mother in law and her friend Patty said it did :) I will spend the rest of the week in Kansas working on last minute things. Last night Kerry worked on the finishing touches for the flowers for the table decorations, and worked on the bridesmaids bouquets. They look great! Even though they are fake flowers I think it will turn out all right. Real calla lilies were just to expensive. I wrapped all the presents, well I at least put them in bags and filled them with tissue paper. I still need to get bags for my bridesmaids gifts and 2 other gifts. All we need to do now is get food, drinks and ice for the rehearsal dinner and wedding. For some reason I feel like there is a lot to do, but i guess there really isn't.

On Friday before I left we had the programs made, got our picture that guests will sign, picked up the a few more decoration items, and made sure everything was packed. The only thing I left was my camera, but Matt will bring that with him when he comes Wednesday. I think we are ready to go, I just hope the day goes smoothly and that the weather corporates. Right now the forecast says 66 and sunny. So lets just pray it stays that way!

Friday is Here!

So it is finally Friday and it has been one heck of a week. I feel like I can't get caught up. Work has been so busy and then trying to get everything ready for the wedding I feel like my head is spinning! I am leaving in the morning and will have all next week off to work on wedding stuff. I know that most everything is taken care of we just need to get our last minute stuff together. Tonight Matt and I will be going over everything we have at home, packing it up in bins and putting it in the jeep for my trip up to Kansas. There are a few presents that still need to be picked up and wrapped and a few more decorations to get. His mom has scheduled me a spa day on Thursday so that should be fun. I will probably need it :) Other than that I can't believe my wedding is only 8 days away. I just hope I don't forget something and that is all goes smoothly.

So on to something other than wedding news. Wednesday night Matt and I watched Marly and Me. And let me tell you, I have not cried that much in a movie in a long time. But even though I cried as much as I did I would see it over and over again. It was such a great movie and showed the unconditional love of a pet. I just kept laughing and crying through out the whole movie. It was by far one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. At one point when I was crying Matt looked at me and said, "what is wrong? You read the book so you know what is going to happen.?" And I was like I know but that doesn't mean it still doesn't make me sad. When the movie was over I let Scout up on the couch (which Matt hates) and I just loved on him for as long as I could until he got down. As much as Matt hates dogs on the couch he knew I needed that at that moment so he just didn't say anything. So even if you know how it ends I highly recommend the movie.

Oh Mondays...

I had such a great weekend and I wish that it was not Monday! But I have been busy at work so the day has gone by fast. I had my Texas Bachelorette party this past Saturday and we had such a great time. I will have to post pictures later because I don't have them on my computer yet. We first went and ate at PF Chang's, and it was so yummy! Then we headed to City Streets. It is a bar in Fort Worth that is like 4 clubs in 1. We stayed in the karaoke club the whole time and had a blast. My mom, sister and friend Lisa dedicated a song to me since I was marrying a farm boy from Kansas. It was "She thinks my tractors sexy." They sang it to me as well and it was so fun to watch. I never got the nerves to go up and sing because, well I just can't really sing! But even though I did not get up there I still had fun.

Only 13 more days until I get married!!! I have to work all this week, but I will spend next week in KS finishing everything up and getting ready for the big day. It is going to be great! At least I hope so!

19 days to go!!!

Yep only 19 more days until I am Mrs. Matt Schafer :) I am getting so excited but also stressed at the same time. I am trying to figure out the music for the ceremony and I am having the hardest time figuring out what I want. We know the songs for our first dances and things but just not for the ceremony. Any ideas???

Other than that things are falling into place. I am actually taking the week before the wedding off and spending it in KS finishing up last minute details. I was just going to go up there Wednesday but now I am glad I am taking the whole week.

I had my bachelorette party in Kansas last weekend. We had such a great time. We went and ate at Buca di Peppo. It was so much good. The waiters sang to me (You've lost that loving feeling) and we just talked and got to know each other more. Then a few of us went out to the Power and Light District. Nothing crazy happened but we had fun! This is me with Matt's gradmother, Aunt's, and 2 family friends.
(Only his mom and her friend went out with us after dinner :))
The crazy group :) Not really, just great friends!
The whole gang taken by the waitress! And yes that is the Pope in the middle of the table!

This week I will just be finishing up things like programs (once I fugure out music), sending out rehearsal dinner invites(that should have gone out last week!) and finishing up the wedding day schedule. I hope that does not make me a bridezilla, but I just like to be organized. Also this weekend my mom and sisters are coming up to have a Dallas bachelorette party with some of my friends from up here. I am very excited and can't wait to hang out with everyone and enjoy a stress free night!

1 month and counting...

I have one more month from today until I am Mrs. Schafer! I can't wait. I get more and more excited everyday. There seems like there is so much left to do, but I am probably just being a crazy bride :) Ha ha, I just hope I am not being a bridezilla! I am heading to KS by myself this weekend, for a shower and bachelorette party. I am so excited to see my friend Alisha. She moved to MN to pursue her PhD and I am so happy for her, but miss her like crazy. It will be so much fun to hang out with her again. The shower is going to be a Pampered Chef party. I have already picked out the things that I would like to have, so the guest will just pick from the board. It will be a lot of fun, well at least I hope. Matt's cousin Kim has put this all together for me. She is the best! I am finished with the gifts, we just need to get parent gifts. We are stumped at what to get them though. I am sure we will come up with something.

I just gave Matt a gift, because I knew I could not wait a month, and we had agreed on no gifts for each other. I made him a book on Shutterfly and had a blast doing it. I really was just playing around one day, but it turned out so cute I had to get it! He loved it. I had all these pictures from the past year and made it into a story called How an Aggie and a Wildcat Fell in love. It was perfect! He also said it was good I didn't give it to him on our wedding day because he will already be full of emotion and he wouldn't have wanted to cry. I thought that was so cute. So I am not counting down from a month! It is going to be such a long month I am sure.

Busy Busy Busy

I have been so busy lately that I have not kept up with this at all. So a little about what has been going on.

First the wedding is only weeks away and I am getting so excited. We mailed out invitations a few weeks ago so its happening! We also bought Matt's ring last Sunday. He was so picky, but it was cute. He kept saying that he wants what he wants because he will be wearing it for the rest of his life. That made me smile. We are heading up to KS this weekend for another round of counseling. This is the second to last one so that just shows us how close the big day is. Matt is also having his bachelor party this weekend, so I am sure I will be the one driving back on Sunday and letting him sleep :) Other than that we are getting the last few decorations togther and the last few payments with our vendors. We are so excited and can't wait to finally be husband and wife.

Next weekend I will be going up to KS alone for the first time since decemeber. It will be so weird to travel it by myself. I will be heading up there for a shower and my bachelorette party. I am very excited and can't wait to hang out with friends and family up in KS. I am sad that my mom and sister can not go but I will be able to hang out with them at the end of March. It just stinks because I really wanted them there to meet Matt's family and to just be a part of what is going on, but I also understand their reasoning.

Other than finishing wedding details and work not much else is going on. The one big thing that has happened lately is that one of my closetest friends in the world got engaged last sunday! She and I have been friends since like 6th grade, which is a long time. She means the world to me. Since high school we have both lived in different cities or states until this past year when we both lived in Arlington for a short time before she followed her heart to South Carolina. Even through the distance she has remained one of the most important people in my life. She is like a sister to me! So Congratulations Amber and Chris. I so happy for you both! Below are a picture of Amber and Chris, her beautiful ring, and their own private beach where he propsed. They met in Jamaica so he wanted to propose on a beach, it was cold in SC so he brought the beach inside. So sweet!

2 months and counting...

I can not believe that in 2 months from today I am going to marry my best friend. I can not wait to be his wife. It is so crazy to think it is only 2 months away. If you can not tell I am getting very excited!!!!

We are heading to KS this weekend for our second pre-marital session on Valentine's Day. How funny is that going to be. We don't really have anything else planned, but Valentine's Day has never been a big thing to either of us. Matt is so great at sending me flowers or doing sweet things just because. He is great at the romantic part of things. So even if we just hang out at home with his dad it will be fine with me.

Sunday we are going to lunch with our friends Joey and Leslie. Joey just got back from a year long tour in Iraq. I am so thankful for him and all the service men and women. Leslie was such a tropper throughout the whole process. She is in her last year a vet school so she had a lot going in the last year while he was in Iraq. Thank you both for your sacrifce!

Hump Day

Oh man this week has gone by so slow. We had last tuesday and wednesday off due to ice. Well at least that is what the forcast called for :) So this week having a full week is taking forever! It is only wednesday and I so wish it was friday!

Things have been getting better each day. I am still a little upset, or sad with a few situations that have been going on in my life. I don't know if someone just doesn't care that I am hurting or that they just don't think it is a big deal. I feel so akward when I am around this person because I don't think they care, or that they really know me. I want this person to a bigger part of my life, but how do I make that happen when I don't think they really care. I think they are fine with the relationship that we have but I am not. I want more, I want to be closer with this person, but then again I feel like it is a lost cause. So I just keep waiting...

I am reading the 4:8 Principle and I am only to chapter 2 but I hope that it helps. It is about living a joyful life with God's help. Taking each day as it comes and have happy thoughts. It is crazy to see how one bad thought can ruin everything. I really hope that I can stick with this book, and not put it aside like I normally do with books like this.

And below is one of the things that can put a smile on the face of anyone who is having a bad day. I have this picture the desktop picture for my computer and it just makes me smile everytime. Love you Emma!

One of those days...

Ever had one of those days where you felt like no one cared. Well today is my day. I have done a few things the past few days such as send emails, text and so forth to people and have heard nothing back. This really upsets me and it makes me feel like they just don't care about what is going on with me. I don't even like to bring this up because when I have brought it up in the past it just gets blown off. I am told I am over reacting but I don't feel like I am, but I guess maybe I am. Who knows, all I know is that I am upset and hurt by some of the events that have been going on in my life lately.

On a brighter note, I was in KS this past weekend for Matt and I's first pre-marital counseling appointment. It went great! We actually chose the pastor from his dad's suggestion and this was the first time we had ever met him. We both like him and know he will do a great job. We were both very comfortable with him, open and honest, and he was the same with us. It helped calm our nerves a little once we finally met the man that will marry us.

I also spent Saturday night over at Matt's cousin Jenny's house with Kerry (my future mother-in-law), Kim (Matt's counsin), Gayla (Matt's Aunt), and their friend Patty making our invitations. It was a lot of fun, but also took a long time. The invitations are not perfect, aren't cut perfectly but they are home made and made with love. We had fun just sitting around telling stories and having girl time.

Kerry had been great through this whole process. She has helped out a lot and I can't thank her enough. She and her sister's are very crafty so a lot of the things that are being made they are helping with. It is hard because so much is being done in KS that I feel like I am leaving out my mom and sister. Kerry doesn't have any daughters so this is something she will only do once, and I guess I feel like my mom and sister have already done it that I don't want to ask them to do it again for me. Maybe I shouldn't see it that way. Things are tough when it comes to this. I just don't know what to do anymore.

Lately I feel like everything I have been doing is wrong. I need to get out of this funk soon. I hate feeling like this, and I hate being hurt by the people that I care about the most. Life...ugh!!!

I need to get better at this...

I have such a hard time getting on-line and posting anything. School started this past week and I have been busy with schedule changes, class excuse letters, and students getting eligible for the meet this weekend. I love my job, but this time of year is very stressful. But it keeps me on my toes!

Matt and I worked out a budget, which was pretty interesting. We finally figured out how we are going to finish paying for the wedding in the next 3 months. It actually was not as bad as we both thought it would be. We are heading to Kansas this weekend to begin our pre-marital counseling, so it should be interesting. We are both very excited for this time, and very ready for April to be here. We have everything together such as location, catering, cake, decorations, dj and attire. The only thing left is flowers and I am still trying to decide on them. Below are our table decorations. I will be making the decorations so it will be very special to see it all together on our wedding day. Thanks to my mom for helping me figure out what would look best. I think we spent over 2 hrs in hobby lobby one day. They also had an employee come watch us :) I guess they thought we were up to something. But Thanks Mom! I really enjoyed our day together.

I hope 2009 is going great for everyone! Things are falling into place for the Soon to be Schafer's.