Memories...

2 years ago, actually yesterday, Cary and I went on what was our first date. We visited 7 Salsas in Coppell, where we sat for about 2-3 hours, just talking and getting to know each other, one on one.

This was a first for us. We had been out with our Home team several times, out to dinner (including Mi Cocina and Razzoos), and to the movies (Pursuit of Happyness), but we had never been alone.

We had just started chatting on IM nightly, but this was so much more special because we were together. And let me tell you, I was nervous! I was witty and funny on the instant messenger (2 muffins were baking in an oven...) but how would I do without a keyboard to hide my true self?!

Well, the night ended with a hug (and he's a great instructor...) and then we went our separate ways, just to go home and jump on the computer for more chatting...yeah. I liked him, just a little. ;o)

The next morning I woke up to an icy day, and with the bad weather came the decision not to go to school because I would have to cross over the Lewisville Bridge--which is bad enough in normal weather! But it didn't take long for us to find out that the campus was closed to inclimate weather anyways.

I was sitting on the couch in my robe, soaking in the joys of not having to be anywhere when I received a text message: "It's snowing!" It was Cary, and so I picked up the phone and called him. I couldn't help but smile as I talked to him and then remembered the wonderful time we had the night before.

I spent some of the time on that day driving around to grocery stores looking for my dad a Red Velvet cake (2 years ago today it was his birthday--yeah, ironic!). Though I never did find one for dad and we settled for a marble cake, I was on Cloud 5 (WAY too early to be Cloud 9...).

As I drove around, I called my friend Beth, and told her about the wonderful date I had the night before, and how I liked this guy Cary. Whoever knew that 2 years later, I would be enjoying a relaxing Saturday with him, as a family, with our dog lying peacefully on the floor soaking in the sun?!

Happy Birthday Dad!!!

I want to wish my wonderful dad a very happy day. Today, 52 years ago, he came to this earth, and has touched the lives of so many.

He is the best dad anyone could ask for: loving, supportive, funny, and wise. My life wouldn't be 1/2 as great without him in it. Who else could say that their dad was really a clown, a fire man, and Santa Claus?! You are quite an inspiration to me!

So, 3 cheers to my great poppy. We love you!

Date Night With Helen

Friday nights are typically reserved for Cary and my date nights, which we have had for the most part since before we were married. But last night was a fun change-up when we took our niece, Helen, ice-skating!

Brad, Faith, and Helen came into town for the weekend, and on Friday night Brad and Faith had plans, leaving Helen with her Oma and Opa for then night. But we decided something different for them: we would take her out onto the ice for some fun, cold exercise.

Cary and I started out the evening by going and picking up my birthday present from him: a pair of new, NICE walking shoes. For some, it is not new news that I have flat feet. And the guy who assisted us last night said that they are 'pretty flat', so that requires a slightly different shoe to help me be able to walk and hopefully not feel pain while doing so. So far so good--the shoes feel great on my feet!

We then went for a quick bite at Baan Thai--a very yummy Thai restaurant in Lewisville. I love my Thai!

Around 7:15 we got to Gary and Brenda's, where Helen had already eaten and was waiting eagerly for us. We gathered her mittens, jacket, and ear muffs together, showed off my new shoes, and then off to the rink we go!!

Every Friday night, Grapevine Mills has a public skate, where A LOT of kids, teenagers, and parents go to to skate in the same oval shape for 2 hours. Cary and I have been many times, including on our second date (with our hometeam of the time), but this is the first time we had taken Helen. She had been twice before at the Galleria, so she was an old pro at the skates.

When we got onto the ice, Helen had a mittened-hand on both of ours, and everytime she fell, or was near falling, she would just pick up her feet, and we would hold her to where she didn't fall.

She did well, especially when she didn't hold on to either of us. Cary would skate backwards and catch her as she looked like she would fall. Being the special-flat-footed person I am, I did get off the ice for a time to rest my feet and watched them go around.

The zamboni made its grand appearance at one point and so everyone piled off the ice and watched it smooth the ice, and then the trampling to get back on! So after that, we literally skated in circles for about 5 more times, and then decided that we were tired. It was 9:00 and time for a treat!

So off the the closest Starbucks we went, and warmed up with hot chocolate (Helen's a regular, mine with cinammon) and peppermint Mocha. We also split a chocolate chip cookie while having conversation ("If you had a horse/alligator/frog/etc.., what would you name it?") By the time we got back to Oma and Opa's, Helen was on a chocolate buzz...time to give her back to her parents! ;o)

It was a joy to spend time with her. I don't get to see her enough, and I'm still learning how to be an aunt. But each time I get to spend with her, it gets easier, and more fun.

Oh--I have my first 'kid moment'!!!

Driving home, Cary asked Helen if she wanted to drive the rest of the way home. Her response was a giggling/shrieking "NO!!"

When Cary asked why not, she said, "Because I could go to jail."

"But that's ok with me" (A very typical Cary response)

"But you don't want me hurt do you, with handkerchiefs on my arms!?"

It didn't take her long to remember 'handcuffs', but we still got a laugh out of it anyways. Please officer, don't take me away in handkerchiefs!!!

I Am Second

I would like to take a moment (in a very hectic week) to talk about a site that has touched Cary and me, and want to share with anyone who is interested.

It started as a billboard that we saw here and there as we drove down the freeway in the Dallas area, and then finally we decided to check it out online. As I have just found out, this is a Dallas-based project, and all the billboard says is:

I AM SECOND

An internet address that follows: http://www.iamsecond.com/. Have you seen these? Well, if you haven't, go to the site now. Make yourself comfortable, and click on one of the faces that race across the screen (you might even see a couple of celebrities mixed in). Here, you can see their testimonies.

I tell you this: some of these touch you in ways you cannot imagine. If I weren't at work when I watch these, I would be brought to tears (all of those interruptions!!!!). This is a beautiful site that brings people together with the Greatest thing in common: God.

My name is Jennifer McFadden, and I am second.

Chester's The Big...

One!!! Happy 'birthday' to everyone's favorite mutt!

While we don't have an actual birthdate on him, when we adopted him, we were told he was 5 months old. Keeping a pattern with our dating, married, and etc...dates, we decided that we can make his birthday on a date that Cary can remember.

As a little side note, from T-Ma and B-Pa he received a "Pup Treads" toy, which is a tire rubber-like ball with a pull toy rope going through it. He loves it! He loves it so much that 30 minutes after he got it, it looked like this:

So, here's to fun, love, toys, attention, and lots (and LOTS) of fur...

We love you ChestMutt!!!

Happy Belated!!!

I want to wish my Uncle Eric and Cousin Stacy a very happy belated birthday!!!

My Uncle Eric is one of the most fun guys you could ever meet, especially when he and dad get together. Some of my favorite memories growing up have Eric and his family in them.

Stacy is one of the cutest little girls you could meet (well, at 10, is that little?!). Very sweet and fun to be around as well.

I have been so busy with trying to keep up with the blog that I was not able to write a post sooner. I know it's easy to just buy a card or two, but hey! I'm trying to be creative here!

I love you guys!

Busy weekend!

It's been a while since I last posted. Why, you ask? (come on--I know I can hear it!) Because this last weekend was pretty much go, go, go!

It started after a long week of painful back pains (you can see that post below), and then on Friday night Cary and I decided to finish our wall paintings (again, great story below!).

On Saturday, we woke up early (thanks, Chester) and drove to Dallas, where we circled the UTD campus looking for the bookstore so Cary could buy a required book for his Ethics class.

There was construction all around, so we couldn't quite get to the spot we were looking for (which happened to be about 30 feet from where we were at one point...grrr!!!). Anyways, it ended up being a fun adventure, driving in places that I don't think we were REALLY allowed to go...it took us about 1-1 1/2 hours, but we were in the bookstore maybe 10 minutes.

The real fun began afterwards, though, when we drove to downtown Dallas and made a day of fun by going to the King Tut exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art. To me, the exhibit was amazing! Items that are over 3,000 years old, sitting right there, in front of you, protected but absolutely magnificent...I enjoyed every moment of it (EXCEPT for the very busy crowd, some more enamoured than me).

There were vases (that contained mummy's organs), statues, a child's chair, chests, and at the end, a video showing all of the coverings that were over Tut's mummified body. I counted 5 large coverings, and 5 sarcophagi (sarcophaguses?--I honestly had to look up the word just to make sure I spelled it right!!!). Unfortunatelyl the real sarcophagus was not there, possibly because it was to fragile to travel. But the other items they had there was really impressive. I encourage you to go see it and learn a little history if you can:

http://dallasmuseumofart.org/Dallas_Museum_of_Art/index.htm

Cary was wonderful. He really appreciates art, though museum exhibits like King Tut are not his favorite. But after visiting Tut, we wandered the rest of the museum, where I could see him light up like a child in some places.

We saw a Hopper painting, which is his favorite artist, as well as visited the Modern Art--where there was a fan (oscalating) hanging from a rope and just propelling itself around, a large glass entryway that lead to a blindingly bright yellow room. Cary's favorite (and mine for the Modern art) was a pitch black room that had a light in the middle. Misters were mounted from the ceiling, and the light shined on the mist brilliantly. Very entrancing and cool to watch!

After visiting what felt like only a very small amount of the museum, we were starving, so we left and found ourselves some food.

The rest of the afternoon was spent resting and getting ready for church. Tonight, they were introducing their new series: Crazy Pill. What a laugh! And Ed had a great message with it....

The rest of the evening was spent with my parents, relaxing and winding down after a super busy, but fun day...

And Sunday? On to Brenda and Gary's for more fun!! (which consisted of a broken clock nearly fixed, and a puzzle being put together--I think I got 20 pieces together--go me!!!)

It Is Complete--Finally!!!

Our wall above the couch is finally finished in decoration. Cary has said for a while, even before we were married, that he wanted something to go above the couch, but could never find the right thing. So for his birthday last year, I bought him 6 11x14 canvases, several tubes of paint, and brushes.

We started out just painting some of our favorite picutures from our honeymoon: one of each of us, and then a beautiful house we saw along the drive. After that, we stopped for a while, clueless on what other pictures we wanted to paint. Just recently, after Brad, Faith, and Helen bought Cary more canvases and paints for Christmas, the interest has re-sparked.

And I now present to you, the completed wall:

My favorite part about this is the fact that we did this together, as a team. I hope that doing this together will bring great memories for our future, and maybe we can even do this again when we have more walls to decorate!

What Pain Is This?

The last couple of days (now moving into my 3rd) I have had this weird, very uncomfortable back pain. It all started on early Monday morning when I woke up feeling some weird sensation in my body.

At first I thought it was heartburn, but heartburn is in the chest, and this pain was coming from somewhere around the bottom of my ribcage/lungs. I tossed and turned, kicked the covers off of me, woke Cary (unwillingly), and then finally found comfort in laying on my stomach...

So, since this has happened, I have had the back pain. Sometimes its towards my left, sometimes directly in the middle. When my back is straight, I can't bend over; when I'm bent over, I can't straighten up....

But the worst is when I am sitting down for a long period of time (or even laying down), I get more sore, and I can barely move at all. This morning was bad (and hopefully no more like this!). I could hardly make the bed!

So I hope that this will soon subside. I have had a heating pad on my back since yesterday afternoon (thank goodness for the microwave/freezer pads!). I do feel some relief, but I am ready to be Jenn again!!!!!

The Greatest Co-worker!

Look what the greatest co-worker, Penny, got me!

She told me this morning that while she was at Kroger, she found this cute frog vase with beautiful flowers in it, and it had my name on it (she knows I love frogs!). She even went through the trouble of taking out the 'Get Well Soon' piece and replaced it with a Happy New Year's hat.

I have said it already, Penny, but I don't think you know what it truly means to me, but THANK YOU!!!!

(Looks like Wall-E found a new friend!)

New Year's Resolution

Every year, I am faced with the fun task of making New Year's Resolutions, just like everyone else who enjoy or believe in these. And of course, every year I have a list of things I would like to accomplish, including:

learn a new language
learn a new hobby (knitting, blogging, sport...)
read more
remember and mail out cards for everyone's birthday
and so many more...

This year, instead of making a long list of what my resolutions are going to be, I'm going to stick with 1 major resolution that I have had for so many years: lose 40 pounds.

Sometimes I put it in the goofy form of "Lose ___ pounds, and I don't mean British money!". Of course, for this year, that is a good idea as well, as who wants to lose money? Especially foreign currency!

When I was at my highest weight in 2006, I managed to lose 20 punds just before going to Europe for Steve's wedding, and then a year later I lost 20 more pounds before walking down the aisle myself. But in the comforts of marriage, I added some (fortunately not all) of that weight back, and I am DETERMINED to lose it again, plus much more!

This comes around for so many reasons: I want to be healthy for my husband and future children. I want to go out hiking, biking, play hockey, walk Chester, and get on the floor and PLAY without getting lazy and tired quickly.

Being healthy is important to me because of the diseases and illnesses that run through my family history: I want to be better prepared to fight these if I come face to face with any. And I do not want my children to fight weight issues throughout their lives, like I always have. So now is the time to get it under control.

With all of the people around me with the same struggles, I hope that I can be an inspiration and also have the will power to fight off the temptations around us. I also ask that for all that follow this blog to say a prayer for me (and Cary, as he is trying to be a strong influence without bringing me into a depression) as I am praying daily to God to help me with my struggle.

I have a year to lose 40 pounds and become physically healthy. I know it can be done, and I am posting a recent picture of me so that maybe it will show positive changes as I go through 2009. Here's to a Happy and Healthy 2009!