Under Construction

While my house is under construction, I thought I might try a few new things with my blog design... Stay tuned. Until then, here are few more pictures of the kitchen...

The floor hasn't been grouted yet, but Zach got the tiles glued down today.

He will be doing the backsplash tomorrow...
So that hopefully we can put everything back into the kitchen, and OUT of my dining room!! I am going crazy!

Sneak Peek

Ok, Ok... I am so excited I will give you a sneak peek of what we have done so far! I'm glad my cell phone has a pretty good camera on it!

Coming soon...

Yesterday we got granite counter tops!!! Our house is a complete and total wreck while Zach puts in tile floors and the tile back splash. Pictures will come soon... (My husband broke the part on my nice camera that you plug the USB cord into by pulling it out too hard! Grrr! :)

Here are a couple of "before" pictures...

This first one was the picture they used when trying to sell the house...

Then, we got stainless appliances (there were none to begin with) and painted the walls a pretty blue...Until next time... It looks amazing!!!!!! I am so excited!

Life is good.

Ok, so I'm sure you realized that I was freaking out in my last post. Our life is so chaotic and totally uncertain right now. All we know is that we have each other, our hairy baby (Zach's nickname for Sadie), food to eat, and a roof over our heads. And you know what? Maybe that's a lesson we needed to learn. Everything is in God's hands. I tend to overplan things too much. Zach and I loooooove to daydream, especially on road trips. We love to talk about what we think is going to happen in the future... I read somewhere recently that if you want to make God laugh, start planning! Ha!

I have even more of a renewed faith that God will take care of everything in time. We will be fine, and I am okay just leaving it up to him. I know he has our best interest in mind. It is actually kind of fun having to leave everything up to him- it's liberating just letting go.

The support of friends and family has been more than amazing. Thank you so much for all of your referrals, prayers, and love. I can't even begin to tell you how much it means to us.

So, to sum it all up, life is good. God is good.

Love you all-

An Awesome Start to 2009

For those that know me, you know I tend to be sarcastic. Just a bit. :) So, keep in mind the title to the post is definitely a reflection of my sarcasm. Zach and I have been so optimistic about 2009 and how great it is going to be... Well, Tuesday morning after Zach returned to work, he got laid off. He made it through 6 layoffs last year and they are literally down to a skeleton crew now. He has no clue how they are going to function. He's thinking they won't for long. I thought 2009 was going to be awesome!!!

I also try to pull the positive out of any situation. Usually. Zach is being the positive one because he is so happy to be done with some of the crap and shadiness he's had to deal with. He gets paid through February and I am the one freaking out. Yep.... we kinda role-reversed there! I guess that's how we balance each other out. I think I can be my positive self when I can breathe because he has gotten a job.

It must be nice to have a wife who did some recruiting! I have been on the computer all weekend and Zach has been on the phone all week trying to get any leads he possibly can. I have to say, I am pretty impressed with myself (and Zach too)! Zach has made the networking connections, and I have submitted him (cold-with no contacts at the company) to like 20 companies. Granted, he has a much better chance getting on with a company with which he knows someone, but it's a numbers game!

He is trying to leave residential construction and get into the commercial side. Residential doesn't promise much for a while... probably not smart to go in that direction. The job he was doing suited him SO well, which is why he wants to stay in construction. He is unbelievable at time management, and is extremely detail-oriented. He is really good at putting systems into place to make things run efficiently, and he's also really great at the customer service side... dealing with both the trades and the customers. He has a fantastic memory... it's crazy what details he can pull out of his head about any one contractor or customer he's had in the past. He still remembers TELOS club members' names from 2005/2006!!! WEIRD!

OK, I know I am bragging on him... :) I'm not just saying that stuff because he is my husband! It's absolutely true! Considering the market situation, we have expanded our search beyond Dallas in order to give him a chance to get the best possible opportunity long-term. He really doesn't want to just take something to replace a paycheck. He really wants to find somewhere he can stay and grow. That is ideal. So, if you are reading and you happen to know someone in commercial construction (anywhere in Texas) that might be hiring, please let us know!

I am trying to leave my worries in God's hands and continuously pray for his guidance to help us get through this. Thank you so much for all of your prayers too...

"Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:6-7

Key to a successful marriage...

I was watching Oprah the other day and Cate Blanchett was promoting the Benjamin Button movie. In her conversation with Oprah, she cited that one of the keys to a successful marriage is laughter.

I think Zach and I have that one down!

Merry Christmas!

In lieu of the current market situation and the fact that Zach has made it through 6 layoffs, we decided not to send paper Christmas cards this year. (Yes, I know! It practically killed me!!!) So, here is my digital version...

2008 was quite a crazy year...I was able to pass all 3 certification exams and got a 4th grade teaching job at my school. Zach started getting into triathlons with his friend Taylor and completed 3 triathlons plus the Dallas White Rock Marathon. We had TONS of weddings and several new babies born to our friends and even celebrated 2 years together ourselves. We have been in our house just over 2 years now, and it feels like such a transformation. Landscaping really added a finishing touch to the house. It doesn't feel so much like a house in progress anymore, which we are so proud of.

I hope that you and your family had a wonderful Christmas celebrating the birth of our savior, and I pray for many blessings upon you for the coming year.