And Now The Moment You've All Been Waiting For:

Cary and Jenn's Christmas Apartment!

Remember--this apartment is about 500 sq. feet, but Christmas is almost everywhere you turn!
At some point I might try to get a more panoramic view, but this is what is we have thus far. Enjoy!

A Night Of Holiday Celebration

My, this weekend has been busy! I'm going to need a couple of days off of work just to recover from all of the holiday activity! Someone call work for me while I crawl into bed...

Truthfully, it hasn't been too bad. Busy, yes, but definitely not bad. On Friday, I started wrapping gifts. There are currently about 10 under the 3 foot tree, and more to go! And I'm a sneaky girl too--Cary likes to 'shake Christmas', so one of his gifts has a jingle bell on the gift. When he 'shook Christmas', all he could hear is the bell! And then his second gift, I put the jingle bell on the INSIDE--same effect! I need to think of things to do in this way every year!

Once Cary got off of work on Friday (yes he was one of the lonely ones...) we went to Southlake, where we found beautiful placemats from Crate & Barrel--I love that store! We then headed off to my parent's house, where we helped mom set up Christmas (dad was out of town for the weekend on business). Dad, Cary played around on the banjo to keep it warm for you!

On Saturday, Cary and I went to his parents' house to help them set up Christmas as well. I love setting up Christmas, so getting to help set it up with our parents as well as our own makes for great holiday spirit. Now, where is my Santa hat...

The point of this post though, is not to write about setting up Christmas (which we did ours this afternoon and I found my Santa hat!!!)

Last night, Cary and I went out to Ft. Worth to celebrate his graduation/our 1 year anniversary. I know, I know. He hasn't officially graduated yet. He has 2 class periods left, and a presentation to give on Tuesday night. AND our anniversary is not for another 15 days, but the event I planned was on this night.

My gift to him were tickets to the Ft. Worth Symphony Orchestra Holiday program. He had never been to a symphony before, and I didn't think anything would be better than to celebrate the early holidays, like it was done last year!

We started out the evening with dinner at Texas Land and Cattle. The meal, of course, was delicious as it always is when we are there.

After eating, we had an hour to get to Ft. Worth so we started our drive out there. But seriously, it only took 15 minutes from Euless! (maybe it doesn't surprise anyone but me though)

When we walked into the Bass Performance Hall, it was crowded, but so beautiful. We made our way around, looking at the tables that held a lot of angels and the Christmas trees. There was a girls choir that sang in the hall before the performance as we made our way up the stairs and to our seats. I chose the Mezzanine because it provided great priced seats and not to mention, I like that word ;o)

The seats were on the side, and our chairs were lined up one behind the other. We had an amazing view of the left side of the stage, but unfortunately the drums, piano, and trombones were out of our view.


The music had 2 sets which was 40 minutes long and a 20 minute intermission. The Music Conductor was Miguel Harth-Bedoya, with a choir, a bell choir, and a 15 year-old Soprano prodigy, Nicolas Gutierrez.

I was intrigued by the music the entire time, sometimes closing my eyes to just take in the sounds, sometimes watching Cary do the same. My favorite song? There were 2--Three Dances from The Nutcracker, Op. 71 (March, Dance of The Sugar Plum Fairy, and Russian Dance), but I also liked Sleigh Ride. It was comparative to the song you hear on the radio: fast, refreshing, and fun.

The end of the performance was a sing along for the audience with snow falling and Santa Claus. What an amazing night!

Afterwards, we went to Barnes and Noble to keep warm and let the crowd die down going to their cars. You could see the square from the window, and there was a big Christmas tree there, along with some store fronts covered in Christmas lights.

This night was a beautiful time, and there is not a more enchanting way to get into the Christmas Spirit!

Chester's New Friend

Meet Roscoe, the Corry's newest puppy!

Thanksgiving Day Blessings

Beautiful day everyone!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know I did. It was a day of time with family and friends, reliving old memories and creating new ones.

Our house, as always, was full of people. Mom and dad hosted about 21 people:

Grandma Wilson, Grandma Jarvis, Bill, Kim, Tom, Addison, Reagan, Erica, Austin, Deb, Faye, Eric, Cary, me, Kelly, Becca, Amy, Mike, Steven, Spencer, and Stacy. Add to that? 3 dogs: Nina, Roscoe (the Corry's newest addition!), and of course, Chester!

On Wednesday night, Cary and I went to my parents, where we baked M&M cookies and 'dog

food' cookies (a.k.a. No Bake). This is a tradition for mom and I to do together, with dad usually kicking back, watching tv, and being our official taste-tester. 'Poor' Cary got to join that position this year.

Cary and I also made a buttermilk pie--it was the second time I have made it! To add to the feast, he and I also made baked macaroni and cheese from a recipe I found in a magazine. At the moment we got into the kitchen to make it, I realized the dish was for 2 servings--uh oh! I hope I have enough ingredients! (Turns out that I bought more than enough ingredients, and everything was fine--I even got some compliments on it!

Thanksgiving day in Dallas was a beautiful fall day (the most perfect you could ask for ), and throughout the day there were people both inside and out, and the 3 dogs were romping around, playing...well, trying to play.

Poor Nina kept chasing Chester playfully, but Chester was intimidated by Nina's size and kept running away from her and into the door (literally). When he finally learned that it was all play, time was winding down and they didn't get to play much more.

It was wonderful to see my family, especially those whom I haven't seen in almost a year, since the wedding. Kim, Tom, and the girls drove in from Colorado to celebrate and early Christmas and to join us. Addison and Reagan get cuter and cuter everyday, and keeping up with their blog helps keep us in touch, but pictures don't describe how cute they are!

After dinner, we headed to Cary's parents house, where we got to meet and visit with Brad, Faith, Helen, and Mema while waiting for Gary and Brenda to get home. Helen and I even played a couple of games of Chinese Checkers, something I have never played before! Unfortunately, Cary's Granny wasn't able to join us at the last minute, but it saved me more turkey ;o)

The feast was delicious with turkey (marinated in orange juice), sweet potatoes, bacon-wrapped green beans (Faith--I would love the recipe!), broccoli rice casserole (another something I put together), stuffing, and cranberry sauce (one of Cary's favorites!). For dessert, homemade pies of every kind you can imagine: blueberry, chocolate, buttermilk, apple, and pumpkin! Needless to say, I ate very well yesterday!

I am still new to the family, but I love these guys! If I got to choose my in-laws, I most certainly would choose them again! I definitly gave thanks for them yesterday. Granny--I do hope you are feeling better!

I have to say thank you, as always, to those who contributed to Chester's restful night. He is still groggy today!

Happy Thanksgiving to all, and to all now time to set up Christmas!

Giving Thanks

This holiday season I want to give thanks:

To God, who is my Everything
To Family, for being my rock on which I stand
To Friends, for making me laugh, and calling on me to be their shoulder
To Pets, for the soft, warm cuddling that you do!
To Food, for keeping my belling (extra) full!
To Life, which is not meant to be unlived
To Employment, which I thank my lucky stars that I have during this time!

To each one of you on this Thanksgiving day, please remember to give thanks for everything around you, big and small.

Now...let's eat up!

To My Parents:

So, 33 years of marriage, are you really that much wiser? Hmm...Hard to say.

Looking more alike? Hmmm...slightly (we should have taken mom's hair that she cut off and given it to dad)

That much sillier? No doubt about it!

I want to wish my example, my inspiration, and my best friends the very happiest of anniversaries.

Everyday, you two showed love and did your best for your family. Today, it's about you two. I know God has blessed you with this everlasting love and togetherness.

Thank you for being such great parents, but better yet, thank you for being such great examples of how to love and live life together.

I love you guys!!!!


**Note: since mom hides from the camera so much, I can only find them in clown getup...so much for the serious touch!

2 Years Ago...

Tonight, Cary and I were eating Thai food and I began reminescing about my journey 2 years ago at this time. November 20-28 marked a really exciting time for me in 2006: My first visit to Europe.

The purpose of the trip was to attend the wedding of my high school best friend (or one of them), Steve. He met Marika while he was based in England for the Air Force, and now was the time to join the two together. Marika is from Finland, so the trip consisted of me flying into England and then meeting up with Steve, Clay, and Steve's family and continuing on to Finland.

Let me say this first: I have the GREATEST parents in the world. If it were not for them, the trip there would never have been possible at all. They knew that Steve and I were close through high school, and that attending his wedding meant a lot. They even allowed me to have an extra 2 days in London, so I can visit my absolutely favorite city in the world.

Here are some highlights of the trip. I started writing out the full events, but trust me: it is too long!

• I left on a Monday. I had a hard time letting dad go, as I am afraid of flying. I was determined to do it, but I was scared! I was going to be on a plane for 8 hours...by myself! No matter how afraid I am of flying, though, I refuse to not live life. I trust God. He will hold me, no matter what the situation.


• Finally got to London after landing about 10:30 and getting refreshed at the hotel, but since it was about 3:00 in the afternoon, not long before the sun was to start setting. I walked around Victoria Station and as long as I kept it in 'view' I felt more comfortable looking for souveniers.








• My credit card got declined! Apparently, I had forgotten to tell my bank that I was heading out of the country! No worries, though. My dad got the call, and he handled it immediately (Remember: GREAT parents!)
  
• The next day I went to hop on a big red double-decker bus and see London in style! It was a dreary, chilly morning, they way so many imagine London. Most of the time I was the only one on top of the bus (the ones without the top...), and I must have looked like a fool when it began raining! But this was my only chance to see this place, so I refused to budge (well, I did get off twice, once to visit Harrod's, and another to warm up inside a toy store in Picadilly Circus).







• I got a call from my mom that night (it was about midnight). I had been fighting the urge to call home because I was feeling slightly homesick. But her call was a mission: Clay's flight to England had been cancelled, and he was having to fly from Dallas to Chicago and then from there to Heathrow (everyone else was flying into Gatwick, like myself).


• The next morning I met up with Steve and Mr. Christensen. With them were Colleen (Steve's half sister) and Ellen (Colleen's mom). We all hopped onto a bus to drive to Stanstead Airport
  
• My main meal that day was half of a turkey sandwich--it was Thanksgiving here in the states, and I had to celebrate somehow!
  




• While at Stanstead waiting to be able to check in, I had my first cup of English tea--must add sugar! And so much shopping around us! We had to wait for about 5 hours, so the shops were a good thing!


• The entire time we were at the airport waiting to check in (Ryan Air does not allow it until 1 hour until the flight) we never saw Clay. We started to wonder if he was going to make it or not! Turns out, he was way ahead of us somehow....
  
• On the flight to Finland, I saw my first 'winglets' on a plane, and had my first Butter Popcorn Jelly Belly--but certainly not my last!


• Our hotel was tiny, but it was really nice for the nice 4 days. The symbol on it was an Apple (made it easier to find). I slept on the pull out couch with a cushion that was about 1/2" thick. When the guys (Steve and Clay) walked around, they had to climb up on the bed, or they knocked their heads on the tv hanging from the ceiling!



• The lifts (elevators) in this hotel were so interesting--they are like closets (and about the size of one too!) and you pull the door open like a regular door on a spring. Once inside, you can see the doors moving past you as you go up or down. One night Steve got off on his 3rd floor, and I still had to go to the 7th...so for those who know Steve, you know what happened next. As he got off the lift, he pushed EVERY button. And once the lift stops on a floor, you have to open the door to get it started again. So I was going up (very slowly), and swung open the door to get it moving again. Now, his sister, Colleen, has elevator nerves (I can see why!) and so she climbed the spiral staircase. This is how slow the elevator moved: Everytime I opened up the door, she was starting up to the next floor!


• We ate McDonalds for dinner that night--the last time I can recall eating a full meal at that fast food restaurant.


• The next day, we learned where the wedding and reception would be at. We also spent a couple of hours at the Spy Museum...
  
  After the rehearsal, we had dinner at an Italian restaurant. It was fun trying to translate the Finnish into Italian. Clay, Colleen, and I shared a table with Marika's sister and her father (sorry! I forgot their names!) We laughed so hard--sweet people!
  
  The bachelor party we had for Steve consisted of going to a pub and played a game of Trouble. What a bachelor party for Steve!
  
• Once Clay and Steve left to get dressed for the wedding, Colleen and I went to Hesburger for a quick dinner. Sorry, Finland, but Hesburger can't hold a candle to the hamburgers in the US...or maybe I just got a bad one...
  
  The wedding had to be one of the most beautiful I had ever attended. Marika looked absolutely beautiful in her gown, the church atmosphere was breathtaking, and the bride and groom were perfect for each other. I love how personal it was: there were 25 guests total. I have attended many in my years, and this ranks among the top.






• The reception was held at a winery, and there was a ton of dancing and Finnish traditions. One of them was that the bride was kidnapped (and taken to the pub for a drink) and Steve had to come up with 30 reasons to give to his father-in-law as to why he should get to keep his bride. Trying to watch Steve translate to him was great. One of the reasons he gave--Because Marika is ticklish--and YES! he did tickle his new father-in-law!

While cutting the cake, whoever stomped their foot first after reaching the bottom of the slice was the head of the household...I don't remember who won that, but I can tell you, Marika is going to be! (sorry Steve, but I know you too well!)

• Clay was tired while dancing and was going to sit down and relax. Marika's sister pulled him back up and said to him "We're Finnish, not finished"...Great quote!!!!

• I bought a cute stuffed bunny in a store in Tampere, and named it Pintu. We found Steve's video camera, and sent Pintu on an adventure throughout the hotel...I wonder if they still have that...







• The next morning (or should I say noon) we woke up and all went to dinner at the Viking restaurant in town. Then afterwards, Marika walked all of us (minus Ellen and Mr. C) to the observatory. On the way there, we came upon a park that was full of art, including a tree that was carved inwardly in the shape of a body...very interesting!


• The observation tower was closed for a party, but the cool night air and friends made the walk very refreshing!


• The next morning, I woke up at 2:15 (what time is that in the US?!) and could not go back to sleep. Clay woke up not much later than that, and we turned on the tv and watched music videos for several hours until we heard signs of life from the other rooms.


• Together Clay and I parted ways on Monday to head back to London, where our flight to Dallas would leave on Tuesday morning. Ellen, Colleen, and Mr. C were off to Paris for a couple of days themselves. When mom and dad found out that they went to France, mom said, "well, if I knew they were going there, I would have sent you there as well!"...like I said--GREAT parents!
  


• Clay and I arrived in London mid-day on Monday after the 'cattle-prod' procedures of Ryan Air. We caught a train to our hotel (the same I had stayed in a few days earlier). On the way to the hotel, we decided to stop by Kings Cross--a.k.a.--The Harry Potter Train Station!

• Nice room, however, it was on the first floor, and we liked to have the window open. While waiting for Clay to switch our rooms, I spent much time literally jumping in and out of the huge window...the people at the restaurant across the field must have thought I was nuts!





• The next room had bunk beds--I claimed those for myself and Pintu (remember the bunny from above?...) Clay again got the big bed.


• We had intentions on going out and me 'showing' Clay London, but we were both exhausted. I remember being so excited about the Simpsons coming on tv at 7:00 in the evening, but once the credits were over, I was asleep!


• The flight home was 10 hours (that is not an exaggeration) and I was stuck in a seat between my best friend and some guy who wanted to chat the entire time...while I just wanted to read my book!!!

• After my parents picked me up, I remembered my favorite part about Thanksgiving: The cookies and IBC root beer--I was so thankful to be home again!

Wow...that's quite a story, even though they were just 'short' points...But all in all, the point of this story is: Happy Anniversary Steve and Marika! That, and I got some time to goof off in Europe with WONDERFUL memories!!!

Such A Beautiful Story...

I want to wish everyone a beautiful day as I sit in the apartment, enjoying the amazing Fall weather and taking in God's love.

A few days ago, I stumbled upon the most heart-touching, emotional tug-of-war blog. I want to encourage everyone to check it out. So if you do, have a cup of coffee (hot cocoa, hot tea, or whatever gives you the feel good feeling inside), a warm blanket, and a box of Kleenex with you.

The woman who writes this blog knows how to tell a story. But the most amazing part of this is, she tells the story of her family. And God is a very strong part of that family.

So, if you choose to read this blog, go to http://audreycaroline.blogspot.com/ and find the months on the left hand side (you need to scroll down a bit). Choose January and the very first post (the lowest one) and work your way up. I'm in the month of June now, and I have been so touched by this family's story. I feel like I have known her for years and we are the dearest friends.

Thank you Smith family, for touching my life and reminding me that God is truly here and working in miraculous ways.

He Really Preached That?!

Yes my friends, it's true; for those of you who do not attend Fellowship Church, you need to check out the website and Ed Young's blog. There has been a lot of media attention for it!

For the current series, Ed has stepped over a boundary that would shock so many: he is promoting Sex (for married couples) for 7 Days. His message is to try to bring God back into the bedroom, and how this physical interaction between a man and his wife are seen as worship in God's eyes. Ed and his wife Lisa are trying to remind everyone (married and single) of the importance of marriage:

Genesis 2:24
Ephesians 4:29-32

Shocking though it may be to some of the more traditional church-goers (or even those who don't attend church and need a relationship strenghtener), I encourage you to check out the sermon:

http://www.fellowshipchurch.com/currentseries

http://www.edyoungblog.com/

?!?!?!?

So, admist a very hectic end of the week where several of the agents I speak with have made me feel worthless, I leave the apartment this morning with Chester to take him to doggie daycare. Every time he visits, he gets a raving report card, telling us how much fun he is. They are even starting to have nicknames for him, like 'Ears'.

So as I am ready to lock my door, I see an envelope on the front door, which has come from the apartment complex. I opened it up, wondering if it's because we were short somewhere in rent or something else. Inside? A letter:

We have several reports that the dog in your apartment has shown aggressive behavior towards other residents. It has also been seen off of a leash. Your pet is always required to be on a leash, and should not threaten other residents. Please remedy this situation and keep the dog under control, or we will have to pursue further action.

Now, for all of you who know Chester first hand KNOW that this is not the dog described in the letter. Sure, he has no manners, but aggressive? Sure, to get attention! He's great with adults, children (he loves Helen!), and of course, with other pets (well...my parents' cats might say otherwise!)

But of course this has me concerned. People think Cary and I own an aggressive dog! For anyone who truly knows me, I would NEVER allow an aggressive animal in my house. But now, I have a dog that has a reputation!

So, as we continue to pursue to train him and make him listen to us (incuding not barking) I will choose to laugh at this incident and say it came from a resident that is afraid of dogs, including stubborn, playful ones.

Let no stranger come near me, or I'll sic my vicious dog on you!

A Day In The Life Of A McFadden Gathering

Yesterday, we got together with Cary and his family. Brad, Faith, and Helen were in town from Sulphur Springs, so we decided to get together at his parents' house and eat and do what we do best--play games.

These gatherings are fun, and but can also be tiring from all of the activity. When Cary, Chester, and I showed up around 11, it was just Gary and Helen, as Brad was at work and Brenda and Faith went shopping.

Once Brenda and Faith joined us, it was time to start the hotdogs and hamburgers!!! And of course, as soon as we do that, Brad calls, ready to be picked up. So off Gary and Faith went to retrieve him while Brenda and Cary watching the food on the grill and I played (watched Meet the Robinson's) with Helen.

Close to 45 minutes later, everyone was gathering around the table to eat our yummy grub. Oh, and thanks Faith for the great idea of 2 hotdogs in 1 bun! I'm using that everytime I eat them now (unless they are jumbo dogs!). Helen led us in prayer, and then the food went down the hatch!

I don't remember the conversation much, but I always enjoy sitting around the table with them. Brad usually has some wild story to tell!

After lunch, Faith went off to shop again (taking advantage of the numerous shops in the area) and the rest of us played a game of Cranium (Brad, Gary, and Brenda against Cary, Helen, and me). Somehow (don't let this go to your head!) Cary, Helen, and I lost (bad!) against the other team. Next time guys! :o)

After that, it was Cary and Helen's turn to play a game of Battleship. I had not played in several years, but trying to help Helen beat her uncle was a lot of fun. Let me tell you--Cary is a great uncle, but a loud winner at any game!

Chester? He had himself a blast with a 7 year old to chase him around. After that visit, we went to my parents, where he got to chase cats and run around a freshly watered back yard. He had a great day!

And I would like to thank everyone who helped in wearing Chester out, and giving Cary and I a very restful night's sleep!