Camping

This past weekend Donald and I went camping! We went just for one night, but we had such good time! We did get a quick storm Friday afternoon, but other than that the weather was great!

We got to see a lot of wildlife- a baby snake, lots of frogs, a lizard and a crane bird.  We also saw 2 very common animals that were acting very uncommon- a raccoon and a squirrel. These two animals would come about 2 feet away from us and when we tried to scare them off they didn't budge! Donald tossed a rock near the squirrel thinking it would scare it off, but it thought what he threw was food and he didn't go anywhere.  The raccoon creeped me out a little- he was too sneaky!

One time the raccoon was climbing on our neighbors table and Donald ran over there a little to scare him off and when he did he tripped over the rope that was securing our tent cover down and riped the tent.

A few things that we learned from our first solo camping trip:

• Bring 2 trash bags
• Spray foil with cooking spray before putting the burgers down- I even brought the spray
• No baked potatoes-  they take way too long to cook- we ate half raw potatoes with dinner
• bring a smaller cooler for drinks and stuff to take while fishing
• Coffee took 2.5 hrs. to brew- we should have gotten up a lot earlier
• My boss' grill is no good, we should have just planned on using the fire for everything- which we ended up doing anyway!
•  If the option is available, pick a campsite closest to the bathroom!

But overall, we had a really good time.  While it was raining on Friday, we drove around checking out the whole park. 

After the rain stopped, we went fishing for a few hours.  Unfortunately we didn't catch anything, but we saw lots of fish jumping!

On Saturday we wanted to go fishing but all the good spots were taken! So we went on a hike instead.  For Texas, it was a good little hike and we got to see some cool plants!

After the hike, we went back to our site, ate lunch, and packed up to head home! It was really nice to be "unplugged" for the weekend...no phones, no Internet, no TV, just us and the great outdoors! We would like to go one more time before it get too hot, but its already getting pretty hot.  But we will be going again in the fall!

Have a great Tuesday!



Anniversary Date!

For our anniversary we decided to go to Mellow Mushroom. 

We drive by it EVERY single day and have never been. I am so glad we did, it was SO good! We each got a calzone and they were just so good! Our favorite place to get a calzone was Mio's (a restaurant that use to be in Richmond) and since it closed we hadn't found a good place to get calzones, but we have now!

We sat on the patio and we had such a good time. 

After we had dinner we went to a near by park to collect some sticks to take camping with us this weekend.  I know that sounds a little crazy...we thought so too! Ha! But you are not allowed to gather wood at the state parks here, so we are buying a bundle of logs, but wanted to collect some sticks for kindling. We were dying laughing whole time we were collecting them because we thought we might have looked a little crazy walking around the park picking up sticks.  But we got some! 

We also took a few pictures and Donald climbed a tree.  I really wanted to, but I was wearing a skirt and flip-flops!

We had a great time celebrating our 4th Anniversary! I am so thankful for this guy!

May 19, 2007

We were married four year ago today and it was a beautiful day. The ceremony was held at New Convenant Baptist Church in Richmond, VA and the reception was held at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Downtown Richmond. We had friends and family stand with us as we vowed before God to love each other until "death do us part". I remember standing in front of Donald with our hands clasped together saying those words that meant forever, and thinking how am ever going to love him more. Four years later, I love him more then I did on May 19, 2007 and I still wonder how I'm ever going to love him more. My heart swells when I see him after work and he still gives me butterflys. I love that we still hold hands and that he hugs me when I get home from work. I am so thankful to be married to my best friend and can not imagine living a day without him. He still carries me away...

     It might seem like an ordinary night

Same ol' stars, the same ol' moon up high

But when I see you standin at your door

Nothin's ordinary anymore.

I get carried away by the look by the light in your eyes

 

Before I even realize the ride I'm on

Baby I'm long gone.

I get carried away

Nothin matters but being with you

Like a feather flyin high up in the sky on a windy day,

I get carried away.

Carried away.

Donald,

Thank you for the most amazing four years...so far! I fall more in love with you everyday and I am so thankful you have choosen me to be your wife.  Thank you for leading me and loving me everyday. I am so excited to see where God will take us in the furture! Happy Anniversary! I love you!

Lyrics by George Strait, Carried Away

Photos taken by Travis Gallahan

Saying Goodbye...

There are LOTS of great things about seminary, one that I love the most is the friends you meet along the way.  Your neighbors and classmates become an extension of your family, since most of us are all so far from home. But at the same time it can be one of the hardest things, because everyone has to leave at some point.

Because leaving and saying "see you later" is a part of seminary. 

Donald and I have been truly blessed by a sweet family that were our neighbors and friends.  Jenny and Herbert and their two boys are going back to Germany today.  They moved here about 3 weeks after we did, and we became fast friends!  I took classes with Jenny and we celebrated together when we both received our certificate.  Donald and Herbert survived Greek together.  And they always had an egg if you needed it (a sign of a great neighbor!) We've shared meals together, and celebrated with them when they had their second boy.  We watched their oldest boy go from a baby to a fast moving 2 year old.  They taught us about the German culture.  But most importantly they were our friends.

Right now it hasn't quite hit us that they are gone, mostly because we saw them last night and we know their flight doesn't leave until later in the day.  But in about a week when we no longer see their van or hear Jannis laughing outside, it will hit us.

Thank you for being our sweet friends, we will truly miss you! 

May 7, 2005

We had gone to a Richmond Braves Baseball game that day and we were looking forward to spending the day with family. 

There were a few things, looking back, that should have caused some questions; like why were all of my cousins that live in Richmond at the game, how come every time I went to the restroom someone asked me where I was going, why did everyone keep making me change seats, why was Donald wearing a nice orange polo and I was wearing shorts and a Nags Head t-shirt and why was Donald's dad still at the game during the 7th inning (he usually leaves during the 7th inning stretch)?

You know how at baseball games the camera people sometimes put the camera on a group of people to put them up on the big screen? Well, that kept happening to everyone around us, but not us and I kept saying "I wish they would put the camera on us!"

Well, sometime during the 8th inning, my wish came true! I see us on the screen and I stand up and start cheering (my mom is cheering with me because she was just as excited to see us on the screen too!) Then my sister says "Jenn, LOOK!"and points to the big screen where I see "Jenn, Will You Marry Me?" And I turn to Donald and he is down on knee asking me to be his wife! I went into total shock, I was speechless! Here's the picture to prove it:

And I said "Yes!"

Then we kissed! And everyone cheered!

Admiring the ring and still in shock

Then we got to take a picture with Diamond Duck!

It was a day that I will NEVER forget! For one, it was day that Donald asked me the question that every girl longs for in her life- to be his wife! For two, it was the only time in my life that I can remember where I was truly speechless- there were no words I could muster other than YES!

Favorite Vacation Spot- OBX

I'm linking up with Kelly's Korner for Show Us Your Life-Favorite Vacation Spots! 

Donald and I LOVE going to the beach, we are beach people! We could spend hours just sitting on the beach enjoying the sun and listening to the waves. We haven't been in a while because we in the middle of Texas and all beaches are pretty far away.  BUT when we head home this summer, we will be spending one day at the beach!

Our all time favorite spot to go is Nags Head, NC.  Donald grew up going to there, and I've been several times with his family before we were married! We spent our honeymoon there and went there on several long weekend trips since we've been married! We love it there- its quiet and there really isn't a whole lot to do, but that's what we love! We just go and hang out on the beach!

Here are some pictures from our various trips there:

The view from our beach house on our honeymoon!

 The beach house from our honeymoon