Thursday, October 28, 2010

Attitude of Gratitude

In an attempt to rid myself of my "negative Nelly" attitude, I'm dedicating this post to things that I'm thankful for. Here's to gratitude:

1. A fiance that loves and adores me, even when I'm having a tough week (or a tough several weeks).

2. A night spent with family, celebrating my granddaddy's 74th birthday. Happy Birthday old man. :)

3. Surprise phone calls throughout the week from my sister, whom I love dearly. She's been such a great support to me in the last few weeks.

4. A yearbook survey that my kids filled out that ended up reminding me how much they like me. One of the questions was "Who's your favorite teacher?", and at least 90% of them had my name on there. It definitely was a reminder of the fact that I'm doing a good job, even when I don't feel like it.

5. Some kind/concerned words from 4 of my sixth grade girls that showed me I've got to snap out of this bad mood I've been in lately. If sixth graders are noticing, there's definitely something that needs to be fixed.

6. Tuesday night's dinner with our mentor couple from our Sunday morning class at church. We have such a good time whenever we're around Tom and Suzy, and Joe and I are so grateful for their words of wisdom and encouragement. Not to mention, Suzy makes a mean coconut pie!

7. My friend, Betsy, who's always there to offer a listening ear and never thinks twice about spending time with me. I always enjoy spending time with her, and she offers some great advice! Love that girl!

8. That I wasn't involved in the car accident that slowed down my commute home this evening.

9. That I grew up in a home where I never doubted that I was loved and going to be cared for daily. Not all of my students have that comfort, and it definitely shows in the classroom.

10. I get to spend time with some of Joe's family this weekend and see the newest addition to the Clifton clan. Joe's cousin, Megan, had a sweet baby girl about a month or so ago, and we get to meet her on Saturday. I can't wait to hold her!!! She's absolutely precious!!!

11. The phrase "I'm not going to let Satan win" that I got from one of the other mentor's in our class this past Sunday. She was referring to times when her and her husband have arguments. She said that she will stop in the middle of a fight and say "I'm not going to let Satan win". She was referring to the way that Satan uses petty arguments to tear apart marriages. I think I'm going to coin it as one of my "life quotes". They are such good words to remember. Satan's trying to win in many areas of our lives all the time, and I refuse to let it happen.

12. That being said, I'm most grateful that I have a God that I can turn to and plead for extra doses of patience. I know He's with me every minute. And I know that He is going to work in me if I will just let Him. "Let go, and let God".

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Productive Day

You're not going to believe this!! I found a dress and booked a venue all in one day. It was amazing!!! I was so happy to have my mom, my sis, my aunt and cousin and Mary Kay (Joe's mom) join me for such a special day. We had a lot of fun and took a lot of pics, but I can only share a select few.

Dress - Absolutely beautiful! That's all I can say, because obviously, it's a secret (from Joe). Here's the pic Mal posted on facebook to taunt Joe.


Venue - Old Red Museum - June 26th, 2011 - I can't wait. It's going to be gorgeous!



Friday, October 8, 2010

Christmas Eve

I know it's October, but tonight feels exactly like Christmas Eve for me! Tomorrow morning, I have an appointment at 10:00 am to try on dresses. I have an entourage of family joining me for the exciting event, and I can hardly wait!! After that, we're going to look at two wedding venues, that I'm very hopeful about.

Joe left for Utah on Wednesday night, and is currently on the top of a mountain, with zero cell service. And he won't be back until next Saturday... So, needless to say, this weekend's wedding plans are the perfect distraction from missing him.

Also, I got the link to my engagement pics today, which totally brightened my Friday! Here's a few to enjoy. Thanks Betsy! You are amazing!!




Monday, October 4, 2010

Engagement Pics and Wedding Trip

Here are a few pics to show what I've been up to.

Engagement Photo Shoot at the State Fair of Texas



My cousin's wedding in Arizona




We had such a fabulous weekend. Arizona was beautiful, and the wedding was amazing! I'm looking forward to next weekend because I get to go look at two wedding venues and dress shopping with my mom, Joe's mom, and hopefully Mal. Joe's going to be out of town for the next two weekends, so he's trusting me to look at the venues without him. And then, on Sunday, we're going to the Bridal Show here in Dallas. Looking forward to hopefully finding the venue and being able to set a date!