Rodeo!

So the Houston Rodeo and Livestock show is a BIG deal around here. We are talking a whole month of rodeo every night, huge livestock show, big name concerts and a big midway which means fair food!!

I went to see the first show of the last tour of Brooks and Dunn. A great friend from high school and her mom took me. We had a blast. We didn't get there in time to see much of the rodeo. We got stopped in the midway for dinner. Goo, did we do dinner.

First to be clear 3 people shared all of this, a lot of these things I just had a few bites! We had these items, all battered and fried: moon pie, oreos, snickers, nutter butters, avacado (with great herbs in the crust) chicken fried bacon (It was so bad for us, but tasted great) and topped it off with chili cheese fries and a corn dog. I will say the moon pie and avacado were my faves!

We got seated right as the mutton busting was done, an event where parents enter their 3-8 year old children up to cling on the back of a sheep. It's like bull riding, except there is no hardware to upset the sheep. It was pretty cute.

The concert was great. They sang a song called Only In America. They had soldiers who marched out and stood at attention for the song. almost all the crowd got to their feet and cheered for those brave guys. There was a big blow out of streamers, and it was great to see the guys walk out of the arena, dragging long streamers behind them. What a great country!

what's up?

So, not a lot has been going on here lately. A couple of weeks ago we went to the Battle Ship Texas. That was interesting, but I forgot my camera, so there are no fun pictures of John Paul manning the welded up guns on deck. We've been taking walks around the neighborhood because it's been so nice lately.

I have a friend from college visiting on her spring break next week. I'm really excited about that. We are going to go down to Galveston and check out the beach.

I've been eating a few sweets, but I've not been getting boxes of them and hiding them from John Paul, so Lent has been a very good thing for me. I've lost 2 lbs. I'm kinda sad about that. I figured cutting all those crazy little debbies from my diet would really help me loose weight.

Taking each day one at a time.

Lent

So, living so near to Louisiana I've heard more about Mardi Gras than ever before, and so that got me thinking about Lent.

I'd never given anything up for Lent, cause it never really made sense to me. This year, I'm finding I'm eating LARGE amounts of things I shouldn't, in secret. Whole boxes of Little Debbies, frozen cookie dough among other things.

So, I'm giving up crazy processed sweetness for Lent. My thought is every time I pine for some fudge rounds, I'll just think about Jesus' sacrifice for me. That's the point right? And I need the serious time to pray about this problem. John Paul doesn't get it, nor does he really know just how much food I hide around. I think all my stashes are gone, save one bag of brownies I have frozen. Those are going to work.

So, today I'm kindof suprised how much I already want to just pretend I didn't decide to do this. But, posting it where someone else will (may) read it I'm hoping will add another layer to I NEED to make this change in my life. I know it will help me feel better, and I'm thinking about Jesus more that I have recently, and that's been an awesome needed change too!

Valentines

I didn't get my hopes up. I love my husband, but he's not one to go big on gifts. I was delightfully surprised when I got home from work Friday night that he got me not only a card, but a heart shaped tin full of LINDT truffles AND a big Toblerone that looked like it had long stem roses on it.

Beyond that there wasn't a lot of excitement for Valentines day around here. I was sooooooo happy to have the whole weekend off. We just spent time together, and it was awesome. We enjoyed the nice weather and took a walk, played some very competitive wii, and enjoyed my take on Armadillo eggs.

Last weekend we did have a big busy weekend. Hit up a gun show, Texas independence battle monument, and had the most wonderful creation ever, Armadillo Eggs down by the ocean. At the restaurant they stuffed Jalepenos with chopped bbq brisket battered them, and fried them up.

For Valentines I made John Paul sort of the same thing. Jalapenos stuffed with chopped brisket, but I wrapped them in cresent rolls and baked them. The grease soaked the areas where I didn't get a good seal on the rolls, but man they were awesome. I'm not a big jalapeno fan, so I made a few just bbq pockets, which were AMAZING as well!

Other than that Valentines was spent at church (sitting with people I knew and who asked to do lunch this week!!!!!!) washing the truck, and enjoying the sunshine. I sat in my awesome zero gravity lounge chair, soaked up the sun and read. The weekend was full of bliss, but not much to report lol!

Hope you feel loved this week!

Getting better

I spent some girl time with a friend from high school and her college friends. She went to college on Galveston Island, so we went down there for sushi and socializing. It was so much fun! Her friends were nerds (which was a positive) and really friendly.

Monday, I went out to lunch with a lady from the Nazarene church which was great. I discovered there are Fazoli's in Houston. In college, I ate there all the time, but they closed the one in Stillwater before I graduated. I was so excited for the bread sticks, I think I would have been embarrassed lol!

I talked to the manager at work, and let them know I needed weekends off to be with John Paul. I think that change will be a big help. It is always so hard to leave him all alone on Sundays when I know we could be spending time together doing something, even if it's just sitting around talking.

So, I'm still a little blue, but maybe that's because it's been raining, and will continue to do so for days they say. At least our electricity was only out several hours because of the rain.

thinking...

I was thinking about what it means to be loved, how people show love, and what an impact it made on people.

In my extreme loneliness, I reached out to the big world out there, and found that there were more than a few people who cared for me. I really am blessed by that fact, and grateful.

I know I'd rather be near all those great people, but I suppose I'll make it knowing that they are sending their love in whatever way they can. It's a comfort to know that I'd have a lot of hugs if I just didn't live so far away.

So, I may be far away, but thanks for not forgetting about me and caring about me.

Oh, and I'm really glad John Paul is here to actually give me a hug. He's been so sweet in my crazy I just want to move away from Houston moments. Neither of us is crazy about this town, but at least we have each other!

love you! *hugs*

feeling sorry for myself

So the last 2 weeks John Paul's been at a training meeting for his company. They put him up in a hotel about 30-45 minutes away so he would be near the meeting center. I've got to see him a little when it worked out with my work schedule.

When I've not been up there or at work I've been lonely. Like pain in my chest just want to be near another person who cares about me hurts so bad sometimes its tough to breath. I feel like a total loser. I know I'm not all alone in the world. I know there are people who care about me, and I'm blessed by that fact. Right now I'm crying because none of those people are even close, and I don't know when I'll get to see most of them again will be. I know we will go home sometime, but not sure when.

I'm glad I have a job, and am helping pay bills, but a little part of me wishes I hadnt' found one yet so I could just go home, and get hugged every day (not that JP doesn't hug me, but I'm going on a big shortage here) I wanna laugh with friends, I wanna have a braums ice cream and share my heart, I want to go to church and visit my church family.

I'm still strugging with not finding a church home here. We've been going, but really haven't connected with anyone, and am finding it hard to figure out how to get plugged in. I don't need to know all 400 people, knowing one and developing a friendship would do my mental health a lot of good. there are nice ladies at the Nazarene church, but that's not where JP wants to go, and I've been working most Sundays anyway. Work is really awesome, and I get saturdays off so I can go to church.

Sorry, you had to hear my pity party. I know it will get better. I'm just in a valley. Gotta have the vally to know the mt top right? It still hurts, but we serve a great God right. I'm sure there's something better just up the hillside. Just gotta make it to the hillside to start climbing!