Our 1 Year Anniversary!

R.I.P.

My worst nightmare happened this morning...my blow dryer died. For most of you that don't know, I blow dry my hair every morning. This is like my life line being cut. Anyways, I want to post a memoir of my blow dryer.

I received this blow dryer from Matt Kelling at Project Graduation about 5 1/2 years ago. They had drawings for free stuff, and he got a blow dryer with some shampoo and conditioner. I told him I would give him all the money I had in my pockets for it. I had something like $15 and he gave me the blow dryer. Since then I have used it pretty much everyday. There were a few months in there I styled my hair differently (aka. pony tails), but other than that I was pretty faithful to it. So Rest in Peace my little blow dryer.

Prayer Request: I need to find another super duper blow dryer (although, it will never fill the gap left behind.) And, I hope this is not a premonition for my final!

Quick Update

Here is a quick update on what is going on:

Theresa: One more final on Tuesday...and then FREEDOM...until next semester. I think I am going to read a book for FUN!

Eric: One more final on Tuesday and then off on a week long bowling trip in Las Vegas. This is why I will have time to read a book.

Helen: GRADUATES on Saturday. WOOHOO! and her husband, Matt, will be returning from Iraq in February! She is going to have a pretty exciting couple fo months. Well...they will actually be pretty hard since she has nothing to do but sit and wait for Matt...but she is pretty excited about doing that, too. If anybody has an entertainment for her let me know (aka baby sitting, cleaning house, walking dogs, etc.) She is super sweet and will be staying with me while Eric is gone. Maybe she will get bored enough to clean my apartment?!?

Oh, Christmas Tree!

We got our first Christmas Tree today! We decided to get a tree today because it might start raining tomorrow. We don't really like wet trees ;) Thank you for the maroon and white ornaments mom, they look great!

Why I am Content (In a stressed sort of way)

• Eric is finally starting to feel better (Thank you for the prayers.)
• I made pop-overs and they were good.
• I am listening to the rain outside my window
• There is chicken baking in the oven

And the most important reason

• I may have a TON to do and only one week to do it, but my God who loves me made the world in one week...and I don't have nearly that much on my to-do list.

Theresa

I think this is post # 2 for me, Eric. Theresa has many deadlines approaching way faster than she can seemingly find time to meet. With me getting sick and her having to take care of me this week it has really put her in a bind. Please pray for her mind to be at ease and to be able to get everything she is required to do for school done on time. I'm not always able to help as much as I would like, and right now I know I can't. I couldn't even wash the dishes this week because I would have gotten my disease all over them. She has definitely done a great job of taking care of me...like usual...now we need some help for her to be able to write these papers, prepare for exams, etc. She is an amazing girl in case you didn't know. I thank God everyday for putting us together. Thanks to those who have been praying for my healing. I would ask that you still consider Theresa and myself, but now ask for her to have the mental clarity and relaxed mind necessary to accomplish the tasks in front of her at school. I can't believe she works 40 hours a week, takes care of a baby like me, and keeps a 4.0 as a full time graduate student. Wow I love her.

The Flu Blues

Bad News: Eric has the flu. This is a very sad state of affairs.

Good News: I already got my flu shot. Whoop!

You should get your flu shot, too!

Arkansas Here we Come!

Eric and I get to take a little vacation over the Christmas Break. We FINALLY decided where we are going to go. ARKANSAS! Very exciting. Apparently Arkansas puts a lot more money in their state parks than Texas does (which isn't very hard!) They have cool cabins and lodges in several of their state parks. We are a little late to reserve a cabin, so we are going to stay in a lodge. We had a choice between a lodge in the middle of a lake or a lodge up in the mountains. We choose the lodge in the mountains. YEAH!!! Here is the website if you want to be jealous! http://www.queenwilhelmina.com/

Still Craziness

Life is still pretty crazy for us. I am finding that it is hard work working full time and carrying a full load at school. I am really going to have to get down and dirty in school over these next few weeks. Everything is due the Monday and Tuesday after Thanksgiving.

I have finally stored up enough PTO time to take off of work! We get to go away for a few days over the school break. We are having the hardest time deciding were to go. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. We have 4.5days to get there, do something, and get back. Any suggestions?

Joke of the Day:
What does a monkey say when it sees a good-lookin' girl?

Bab-boon, Bab-boon, Bab-boon, Bab-boon

My Memory of Pat

A sweet lady from my church died in a car accident last night. Since I grew up in this church, I have many fond memories of her. The theme through out all of them, and what I will always remember her for, are her hugs and kisses. I always enjoyed getting a hug from her followed by a kiss on the cheek. (The funny part is that I always had lipstick on my cheek after her kisses. I thought of it as a love token from Pat. I will forever miss those kisses.)

Grandpa's Joke - He sure is a funny man!

What does the Lone Range say when he take out the trash?

To-da-dump, to-da-dump, To-da-dump, dump, dump (ascending)

To-da-dump, To-da-dump, To-da-dump, dump dump (descending).

UPDATE

Eric's give-away shirt total: 57!!!

The amazing thing is that he still has 2 drawers full of shirts.

Just Because

I ran across these pictures of my pups. The white one is Aspen and the Aussie is Lacey. I love these crazy girls. This was their first time at the lake. Now we can't keep them out of water.

Cleaning House

Every Saturday morning I watch at least one episode of Clean Sweep on TLC. I love this show. I love the feeling of getting rid of a bunch of unused clutter. Well, this morning I made Eric watch the show with me and then I piled all of his shirts on the bed and made him sort them into keep and give away piles. Sadly, it wasn't quite as exciting as the show, but it was very productive. I am very proud of my husband for humoring me. (I did say he could buy 1 new shirt for every 5 shirts he gets rid of. Marriage is about compromise!)





Here are a few pictures to show his good work:

Here is the give-away pile.

He still has some work to do...

On a side note: I have gained some weight since I got married, so I don't fit in almost anything that I had before the wedding. (I can still wear the things with elastic.) Well, we saved up enough money for me to go buy some more clothes, so I cleaned out my drawers, too. Here is my pile of clothes I am giving away. It is sad to see my skinny clothes leave, but there is no hope of ever fitting in them again...

Windows=Happiness

I have decided that windows equal happiness. I work in an office without a window. There is no way to know if it is raining, sunny, snowing. I am not getting any vitamin D or UV rays. I think tomorrow I might bring a chainsaw and make a sky light. Do you think I need to get that approved by administration first?

Answer to Prayer

Eric was offered a research assitantship on campus. He will be working on a water conservation project in Lubbock. He will be starting on October 1. There are about one thousand prayers that have been answered with this job. Praise God for his provision for his people. This means that Eric will be able to spend evenings at home with ME!!!! Well, when I am not in class... Anyways, this is an amazing thing. It won't immediately alleviate all of our trials, but it sure does cross quite a few off our list! Thanks for everybody's prayers. They are greatly appreciated.

Happy Birthday

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIC!!! I LOVE YOU BUNCHES!!

The Sweetest Things

Eric said the sweetest thing to me the other day. For background, read my last post. Things have been pretty stressful. Well, I asked him what he wanted for his birthday (Sept 18), and he replied, "Two Happy Days. [with you]" Those three words were the most heartfelt and meaningful words I have ever heard him say. I guess I'll forgive him for putting my pot in the microwave...long story.

Update

I just wanted to update everybody on what is going on in our lives right now.

This is Eric's first semester as an Ag Economics graduate student! WHOOP! He is currently taking 9 hours of classes. He is also working at Best Buy and Double Daves. His classes are during the day, so he works most evenings.

I am in my second semester as a Health Education graduate student. I am taking 9 hours of classes as well. I am taking one on-line class and two classes on campus. I am really enjoying the interaction I get through a "real" class as opposed to all the online classes I took this summer. I am also working 40 hours a week at Scott & White. (Both of my on-campus classes are at night, Monday and Tuesday nights.)

Needless to say that we are really busy. This is also bringing a lot of stress and separation to our relationship. Please pray for us. We only see each other late at night (when I am at my worst). Hopefully, next semester Eric will be able to get an Assistantship on campus and be able to work and take classes during the day. This would free up his evenings to spend at home. Mean while, we need all the prayer and friendly support we can get. This too will pass...

Eric made the news!

Eric made the local news on KBTX. Check it out! http://www.kbtx.com/home/headlines/8903037.html

Eric's 1st Post

Thanks guys for your support for Theresa while she was searching for a job and while she was beginning it at S&W. While I was in Portland Theresa got the letter from A&M saying I was accepted to Graduate School. While I was there a couple of professors were talking about some funding they might have available...very exciting times!

National Champions!

Congratulations to Eric and his Quiz Bowl team. They are the Quiz Bowl National Champions. They competed in Portland, Oregon at the AAEA, WAEA, and CAES joint annual meeting. He went with the Agricultural Economics Department at Texas A&M University. It kinda feels like being married to the quarterback. In a geeky sort of way.

The New Vibe

We just bought our first NEW car. It is a 2007 Pontiac Vibe. It is the same thing as a Toyota Matrix. We wanted something that drove like a car, but had the storage of a SUV. So far, we love it. We traded in Eric's Ford Focus and kept my Civic. Here is a picture I pulled off of the internet of a Vibe. Ours is black just like this one.

One Month!

Wednesday was my one month anniversary at Scott and White. It was a crazy month, but I learned a lot. I really like what I do and who I work with. This is not my final destination, of course, but it is a great starting point. So far, here is what I have learned from working at Scott and White for a month.

• It takes about 10 different programs to get one task done.
• The real world waste a lot of paper
• I don't know how to transfer people on the phone, even if I do exactly what my supervisor showed me
• Even important computer people don't always know why a computer is broken
• You must dial the 979 area code to get to Brenham
• The ladies I work with have a bunch of crazy stories.

We will have to see what I learn in the next month...

$5 Books

John Piper's website DesiringGod.org is having all their books for $5 on June 27 and 28 (Wednesday and Thursday). Pass on the word and go buy some good books!!!

http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/690_all_books_for_5/

In Loving Memory of Macey

Please pray for the Achesons. They just lost a very dear, sweet companion. I learned how hard it is to lose a companion like that when my 14 year old dog Sparky died last August. Pets are a blessing from God.

http://www.achesonfam.blogspot.com/

Here is me with Sparky. I think the date is wrong.

Theresas

I rarely run into another Theresa. That has changed this week.

I now have a step-sister named Teresa. (Jim's son Wayne is married to a Teresa.) And of course, she has a wonderful personality and a wonderful name.

The weirdest yet. One of my office mates is named Teresa. There are only three of us in the Coumadin Clinic and two of us are named Theresa (or Teresa). This isn't even the weird part. We are both have the middle name Lynn. Neither of us had nicknames and the only difference in our names is the "h" (and our last names), so it took us a couple of days to figure out how to decipher between us. I am now Theresa Lynn. She has bad memories of her mom calling her by her middle name, so I got the middle name too.

Oh yeah, her birthday is June 7 and mine is June 3. How weird is that?

I"VE GOT A JOB!!!!!

I finally got a job offer. It was kind of an exciting job offer too. I applied to Scott and White for a Patient Educator job with allergy and interviewed with an HR person and a woman above the allergy department. They decided to hire a nurse instead, so they passed my application on for a pediatrics patient educator job. I went in for that interview and was told that I would pretty much be the nurses' b---- and would be sticking babies with needles all the time. Umm...not very appealing to me. Well, I just decided to forget about S&W and move on. Today I got a call from their human resources lady and she just flat out offered my a patient educator job for the Coumadin Clinic. Apparently the allergy lady really like me and was upset about not being able to hire me, so she made a patient educator job in the Coumadin Clinic that fit the description of what I wanted to do. She call the HR lady and told her to call Theresa and offer her the job. FINALLY! I start Monday, June 11. Now I have to worry about working and getting my class work done instead of how we are going to pay rent. I don't mind the change. PRAISE GOD!

Another Interview....

I have a second interview with the Rape Crisis Center. That is a good sign. I didn't feel very confident after the last interview. Also, I will hear back from the library tomorrow. I like both of these jobs. The library is very flexible and the Rape Crisis Center would give me tons of experience. We are very much ready for me to get a job. Eric starts working full time at Best Buy on Saturday, so that will help our situation. Just keep praying that I will remember that God as a will and a time. Both of which are perfect.

Job Update...

I still don't have a job, but I wanted to update everyone on how the interviews are going.

Interview 1: Exit Teen Center The interview stopped for me when she asked me "What would you do with a room full of 40 teenagers with nothing to do?" I had to bite my tongue to keep me from saying "quit my job." It was only a low paying seasonal job anyways. I never heard back from them.

Interview 2: TAMU Admissions I thought the one hour interview went well. Although, I could tell that they were looking for someone who was more "settled" than I was. I didn't hear back from them, so I called them and they said they found someone else and that I should have received a letter. I received it about 3 days after calling them (oopsy to whoever was supposed to send those!)

(I forget the order after this, but you get the drift...)

Interview 3: College of Agriculture Decent interview, but I could tell they were looking for someone older. She called and told me they found someone else.

Interview 4: Scott and White This was for a patient educator position, but S&W does not know the definition of "patient educator." They want a nurses aid. There was no education involved. Very disappointing. They called to say they found someone else, but will pass my resume on.

Interview 5: ??? I forgot what this company was called, but they advertised for an office assistant but really wanted a bookkeeper. Umm...not me. She never called back.

Interview 6: TAMU Library This interview went really well. It is not in my field, but I have always dreamed of being a librarian since I was a kid. They are very flexible, which would be great for grad school. And they actually pay you to go to three hours of class. AMAZING! I should hear back from them late next week. I am actually crossing my fingers on this one.

Interview 7: Scott and White (Again) They passed on my resume to pediatrics. Again...they don't know the definition of "patient educator." What they want is someone to poke babies with needles (immunizations). No education involved.

Interview 8: Brazos Valley Rape Crisis Center I have this interview tomorrow. It is for the position of education prevention coordinator. This sounds good, but as well found out, people have weird definitions. This position is part-time (30 hours a week), so that would be good for grad school. Plus...I would be making the world better. Pray for this one! To be continued...

Graduation

I am officially a graduate of Texas A&M University.

More Interviews...no Calls

I am going to my fourth interview. So far, two of the jobs were not for me and the other one seemed to be looking for someone a little older than me. I haven't got any calls yet, so who knows. The interview I have today is for a clerical job on campus. I still have an application out for a patient education job. This is the job that we are crossing our fingers for.

I am still trying to be patient for God's timing with a job. Sometime I am weak and start to get upset about not having a job yet. I have to keep reminding myself that God has something great planned that will come and the best time. It still is hard to be patient.

Painting is OVER

I am officially done painting. My grandfather decided that he did not want me to paint the ceilings in the rooms with paneling, so I won't. I think he is ready for me to stop messing up his house. All I have to do now is put everything back together. All the rooms have the furniture back in them (except my grandfather's bedroom, which I painted today), so all I have to do are the little things. Whew---that was a job. Pictures are soon to come. I was good at taking before and after pictures at first, but then I only took after pictures. I would always forget to take the before pictures.

Also, my interview went well today. It was for the department of Admissions. It seemed like reasonable work. There is a patient educator job open at Scott and White. That would be my dream job. I am hoping and praying that is the job that God wants me to have. Who knows. My will is not always Hiswill, but Hiswill and timing is always right!

Interviews!!!!

Today I painted my grandfather's bathroom. I thought it would be an easy job, but I was wrong. Thankfully, Eric came and helped me finish the project. I have 4 more rooms to go, and two of those rooms have panelings on the walls. I am almost done!

Which is a good thing because I actually got calls from two different people to schedule an interview. One interview is with the Exit Teen Center and the other is with Admissions at TAMU. Exit Teen Center is like a YMCA run by the city, I guess. I am interviewing for a program coordinator position. This one would be the best experience for what I want to do later in life. The other position is for clerical work with the office of Admissions. I would be the front line person for all the angry parents with rejected kids. Not much experience there, but better pay and benefits. I guess we will see how the interviews go. I am still applying for a few more graduate assistantships that pop up. I really want one of those, but God knows what is best. Keep praying!

O Where is my jo-ob. O where is my jo-ob...

o where, o where, o where, o where, o where, o where ... is my jo-ob. (To the tune of O Where is my Hairbrush)

Still looking for a job. I just got my fee statement for the summer and now we are really praying for a job. Those McDonald's employment commercials are starting to look more appealing. Too bad I watched Super Size Me last night and in my hate Mc Donald's mood right now. Well, until I want a $1 Sundae.

Job Woes

I am now done with my internship and my undergraduate career. WHOOP! I have been looking for a job for about 2 months now and have not found anything. I have a college degree and cannot find a job. This is very frustrating for me. Especially since I just went three months without earning a penny.

There is the big question of whether I should find a part-time or full-time job. If I went part-time, I could get out of grad school faster, but I would not be making very much money. If I went full-time, it would take longer to get out of grad school, but I would be making more money. The ideal job would be a graduate assistantship through the University, but all my contacts have fallen through and I cannot find one. This would be a part-time job with benefits and my tuition paid. That would be nice. ...but right now, I don't really have a choice because there are no offers!

Due to the lack of job and the impending end of my internship, I decided to paint my grandfather's house. I love painting. It is relaxing for me. Last summer I painted the windows at my mother's house, so I have some experience. The inside of my grandfather's house has not been painted in some 25 years, so I expect to see great improvement when I am done. This is why I like painting. He has chosen a color, Cool White, which is a very, very, very light green. He wanted something almost white but with a color in it. I was a little worried about the color, but it looks good.

Eric and I prepped the back bedroom on Friday and I started painting on Saturday. I finished the entire room!!!! Painting was the easy part, I don't think the furniture in that room had been moved in 25 years. Use your imagination...

Now I am starting to believe that God hasn't given me a job yet because he wants me to finish this job. It looks like it might take me one or two weeks. Half of the house has paneling on the walls, so it isn't has bad as it sounds. Maybe I should just become a painter with a bachelor's degree in health education.

Wedding Announcement

http://www.theeagle.com/stories/032507/announcements_20070325005.php

My Internship

This semester I am interning 40 hours a week at the Bryan-College Station Community Health Center. I LOVE MY INTERNSHIP!!!! I am working in the health education department. I teach two family planning classes a week, develop programs for outreach, reformat and update brochures, attend health fairs, and teach outreach programs. This is exactly what I want to do! I don't want to worry about writing grants and all the background stuff. Someone has to do it and I respect them, but let me interact with people! I love it! My prayer is that God will provide me with a job like this. This is exactly what he wired me for. Praise God for helping me find something I love to do. It is a wonderful feeling to know that there is something out there just for me. I just need to find a paying position!

Congradulations to my mom and Jim. They are engaged to be married. This means that all three of us (helen, me, mom) are getting married within a year's span! Pray for the upcoming planning....again!

Wedding Pictures

To see our wedding pictures, go to photos.walmart.com/groups/hubley-mantheiwedding and enter the room code 12/30/06.

The Apartment

Here are the long awaited pictures of our quaint apartment. It has one bedroom, one bathroom, and no pantry (to the dismay of many women at church). We like it here. It is our place. I didn't take any pictures of the living room because it is a little messy right now. The funny thing is that I only moved about 6 inches to take all these pictures.

Here is our dining room with my beloved baker's rack

Here is the kitchen. I wouldn't have enough room if I didn't have the pot rack.

Here is our hallway. The bathroom is on the left and the bedroom is on the right.

This is a picture of the stairs while it was sleeting.

The Honeymoon

Eric and I stayed at Log Country Cove on Lake LBJ near Kingsland and Burnet. Marble Falls, Llano, and Fredericksburg are also a short drive away. I love the hill country. Everyone was very nice to us.

This is the front of the cabin.

This is the back of the cabin. All of the cabins are built in Canada and then shipped here. They have some cabins that can hold 20 or more people.

This is the view from the cabin. This was taken on Thursday. On Wednesday, all you could see is rain.

This is a picture of a dirt road with cattle guards every 1/4 mile or so. We ended up on this road when Eric decided to take a short cut from Fredericksburg. It didn't help that it was raining cats and dogs.

The is me and Eric at Longhorn Cavern. We both really enjoyed the tour because of all the history this cave has compared to other caves. This one was a club during prohibition while most caves only have formations that are millions of years old.

1 Week of Marriage

We made it through the wedding and the honeymoon. Everything went wonderfully at the wedding (well, I don't really remember that much, but everyone else says that.) I have to give a big thanks to Brian and Janelle Franklin. I would have been a wreak if it wasn't for them.

We had a great time at Lake LBJ. We shopped in Fredericksburg and went to the Longhorn Cavern. It rained hard on Wednesday but was beautiful on Thursday. The hill country is a really beautiful area. I'll get pictures up once I organize all of them.

The apartment is coming along great. We almost have a place for all of our belongings. We have been so blessed with all the presents that everyone has given us. Of course, that means I have a lot of thank you notes to write this week. Thanks everyone!