It's all good...

Susanna posted on her xanga. They are fine there in Taiwan. The typhoon was I'm sure a scary thing to go through, but she and the other girls did fine. There was only one person reported dead as a result of the typhoon, but it was scary for us here stateside to hear that it was in the same town Suz was in.

We still haven't heard from Peru, but are fairly certain that all friends and family are okay...as they are situated a few hours south of the quake zone. Just pray that none of them were in the area when the quake occured, and just pray for the people of Peru in general...there were almost 600 people killed and there are thousands now without homes...so keep them in prayer.

In other news, things are going pretty well for us. I again no longer have a job...the receptionist position fell thru Friday before last...(yes, right in the middle of all the YUCK)...but the staffing place is hoping to get me placed very soon here...so it's all good. This at least is giving me a chance to get some much-needed cleaning and organizing done around the apartment.

My sis-in-law posted some CUTE pics of the babies on her ringo account...they are just SOOO cute!! I love being an aunt and can't wait till I have some of my own babies to love on too!!




Currently Listening To: Don't Stop Believin' by Journey

Please Pray!!

I don't know how many of you follow world news, but there was a major earthquake that hit Peru Wednesday and we are still waiting to hear if it affected anyone we know (it hit just south of Lima...so several hours north of where my parents planted two churches and where my BIL and SIL's relatives are)...

Now, though...please also pray for my sister Susanna and all those who are in Taiwan with the English Village...as well as for the Taiwanese people, of course....I just found out minutes ago that there is a major typhoon and the area where my sister is located is also the frontlines for this typhoon!!

Please just pray for all the people affected by both the earthquake and the typhoon...and particularly for my sister's safety...the typhoon is expected to make landfall today...if it hasn't already.

All of this, plus the news that my brother John may get stationed in Iraq later this fall kinda puts the whole drama of this last week into perspective, doesn't it?

Currently Listening To: When God's People Pray by Wayne Watson

My Thoughts—

Okay, I hate that there has been so much drama, and I hate that it has affected me so much, and yes, I even hate that I reacted so strongly to it---cause it only seems to feed the flames…

Here’s the whole deal…broken down…

When there was the whole thing between H and LJ a while back, it did distress me a bit…I hate it when things disrupt the normal order of things and it was making the PR a not-fun place….hence my blog post along the lines of “why can’t we get along?” I didn’t attack anyone personally, and in fact was able to have a nice chat with LJ…making sure that she wasn’t feeling singled out by my blog post…and it all eventually calmed down. Whew!!

Then one of the mods had to make a big deal about the new rules…not exactly the smoothest move, since people were getting worked up way to much before they ever even saw the rules. I kept fairly quiet about it though…till I saw how all the complaining was affecting Brack…who was already stressed at work. So yeah, I blogged about it…again naming no names. It IS my blog after all and I think that of all places online that I can speak my mind, I should be allowed to do so on my own blog.

THEN, just as most of the rules uproar seemed to be dying down, the same-old, same-old H and LK thing started back up…only this time, my husband was attacked….and for something he didn’t even do. He was not the mod who was deleting posts…and FWIW, a post or two of mine were deleted too…but whatever!! Then his morals were attacked for no good reason…and THAT is when I really stepped in!! I’m sorry, but accusations of that sort are just too much!! If there is ANYTHING that makes me upset, it is when my husband or my family are attacked. And I think I was perfectly within my rights to react.

That being said, I am blogging about it this one time and then letting it drop. The one person who comes out looking the worst in the whole mess I’ve blocked, the others I am still friendly with, and I am moving on. If the mess dies out….then that would be awesome. If people insist on dragging it out and continuing on with the personal attacks, that is their business.

My guy got me thinking with his Ephesians 4 post and I really want to walk worthy as well. I’m done defending, done fighting back. I am moving on with my face forward and refusing to let anyone get to me anymore. Thanks to those who did stick up for me and Brack…we love you!! Laters!!

Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.—Hebrews 12:14-15

Currently Listening To: Great And Precious Promises from Coram Deo

New job...ungrateful wretches...and family news...

Well, I only ended up being jobless for about a week and a half as it turns out. I'd let the staffing place know to be on the lookout for a new job for me before I even left the old one and as it turned out...I left the old job on a Thursday and interviewed for the new job the next Friday and started training for it the very next Monday!! I've been at my new job now for almost two weeks and really like it. I'm a receptionist, so basically just answering the phone and directing calls, with a few other things here and there to do. It also pays a little more than the nurse recruiting job, which is nice. The only downside is the commute...I really don't like driving in city traffic. At least my hours (7:30-4:30) mean that I can miss the worst of the rush-hour traffic, anyway!!

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Now, on to the ungrateful wretches part!! I am getting fed up with the attitudes of some people on Crossings toward the moderators. I admit, I think I've probably gotten annoyed at every moderator for something at one point or another (even Brack...hehe)...but I don't go badmouthing them on the forums or accusing them of power-tripping!! I don't know the other mods work schedules or how hectic their life is right now...but just want to say that yesterday was the most stressed I've seen Brack in a long time. They had some computer issues at his office that he spent ALL day (7am-7pm) working on...barely having time to get his own estimating work done...then had to bring one of the work laptops home with him to wipe the harddrive and reinstall everything (which took all evening)...and then on top of all that had to put on his mod hat and deal with 13 pages of whiny people griping about the new rules. (FYI, the mods were already moderating basically according to those rules already...they just wanted to get them out where the general Crossings population could easily find them...so that if there ever was a complaint about something being moderated, they could point to the rules and say that no one had the excuse of not knowing the rules). Today, my poor guy still needs to finish up the computer issues at his office, catch up on all the estimating work he didn't get done yesterday, and go to his second job this evening...on top of continuing to deal with all the Crossings crap!! Give the poor mods a break, you ungrateful little wretches!!

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Family stuff...
Steve...he called me from Korea the other day...he and Syrena are doing well, he's going before the sergeant board soon, and he's working on his master's.
John...haven't talked to him lately...but Dayana has posted a few pics...they look happy and healthy...and Luke is really growing!!
Melo...another sib I haven't talked to in a while, but from what I hear, Michael has been able to visit her almost every weekend...usually taking the babies with him so they can see their mama. Hopefully she'll get a permanent assignment soon so their little family can be together again!!
Suz...Suz is in Taiwan, working as an English teacher...check out her xanga blog (SusannaKT). Isn't she a sweetie?
Beka...My other little sis Beka is at HQ...and seems to be enjoying herself as well. I miss her silliness though and want her home soon so she can come visit me!!
Andrew...My "baby" brother Andrew is looking forward to the possibility of a visit to the farm by his buddy Hartmut (our former foster brother).
Mom and Dad are doing well...adjusting from having three kids at home to suddenly just having one!!
My Grandmas...Grandma Buckner and Grandma Seale got to visit about a week ago and Mom said they really enjoyed it. They are both doing okay health-wise, considering Grandma Buckner's age (97) and Grandma Seale's health.
The St. Clair side...Brack's family is all doing well...we got to see all of them about three weeks ago in Lubbock...such a big bunch of little ones running around...5 nieces and 3 nephews...all 5 years old and under!!

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That is it...I'm done blogging for today...hopefully though it'll be a bit shorter of a time between now and my next blog entry than between my last one and this one!!

Currently Listening To: Mr Zoot Suit by The Flying Neutrinos

Yeah...I quit...

So the nurse recruiter job was just not my thing. It was getting me all stressed out and I just wasn't that good at it...so I quit last Thursday. Now I'm at home...catching up on all the stuff I'd gotten behind on while working 40 hours a week!! I've got the music jamming on the compy and a chat room open...so it's all good!! I have let the staffing place I had been working with before know I'm open to interviewing whenever they can line interviews up for receptionist positions...as that is something that I can do well that also pays decently well...and I can do that all the way up till we decide to start a family...at which time I'll stay home and be a mommy!!

We just spent the weekend up in Lubbock with all of Brack's family. His brother Josh was down with his wife and 5 children from Colorado and his sis Jana was there as well with her three children. With the two of us, Brack's parents, grandmother, and youngest brother...it was quite the crowd!! It was nice to actually be called "Aunt Julie"...as the kiddoes on my side of the fam aren't talking much yet!! We went to a museum with the whole crowd on Saturday and had a lot of fun while in Lubbock...but it was nice to get back yesterday to our own home, sweet home!!

Anyway...the deep cleaning and organizing is calling to me...maybe I can actually get the house dusted, vacuumed, and mopped thoroughly for a change...and the bathroom awaits its sparkles too!! I WILL try to be more consistent with my blog....but patience with me is required!!

Currently Listening To: Honey Please by Sonichrome

Thank God for weekends!!

Well, I have survived the first week of work!! I filled in one last time on Monday at Brack's office, then started training on Tuesday and finished up yesterday. Today I arrived just after eight...to find that neither of my bosses had arrived yet..and they didn't show up for another 30-something minutes. Ahh, well...it gave me time to get a few things set up around my office.

After they showed up we discovered that somehow the internet and outlook weren't working on my computer. While we were waiting for the tech guy to show up, I tried to clean up the outlook box from all the junk that the previous recruiter had left behind...and I think there MAY be a virus on there that replicates emails in the deleted folder, cause the more I tried to delete, the more there was to delete!! Anyway, I finally had outlook and internet all up and running and had everything all organized just so by 2pm or so...

I actually made a couple of phone calls today...left one message and talked to one nurse who I emailed an application to after we got off the phone...fingers crossed that she will actually apply and I will have my first commission. HA!! If it actually did happen that easy, it'd be total beginners luck!!

Anyway, now I have two weeks to work on getting up to speed with selling nurses on our company before my one boss gets back from vacation (and the other boss isn't as pushy about making calls...she just expects you to do it). So...I just gotta push myself these next two weeks till the one boss gets back and by then it'll all be old hat and no big deal!!

Other than that, everything is going great...both Brack and I are tired from the long week and definately looking forward to chillaxing this weekend!! Movies, leftover mexican and leftover pizza, and just lazing around all weekend...YAY!! And with that...I'm off to relax!!

Currently Listening To: My Lovely by Eisley

I've Got A Job!!

I finally have a job that I think will work till kiddoes come along...full-time, $11/hr plus commissions, and practically around the corner from home!! It's for a company that recruits nurses to work in different hospitals. I will have to really apply myself...no goofing off during work hours...cause I've heard straight from their best rep that the first couple of months are brutal till you get into the swing of things...but then it should be great...and that much sooner till we are out of debt!! Yay!! I start training this next Tuesday...so please pray that I can learn it all ASAP and can get into the swing of things as fast as possible...and please keep on praying for me...just cause I have a job now doesn't mean I don't still need job-related prayer!!

Currently Listening To: Bring Me To Life by Evanescence

Why Can't We All Just Get Along?

Okay, so all this PR drama (which has moved from the PR to rants on blogs) is really getting old!! I mean, hello!! Shouldn't girls in their 20's and 30's be OVER the junior high catfights and namecalling? Especially if you call yourself a Christian. If you have a disagreement with someone because of a real or perceived wrong...then by all means go to that person and try to make it right in a peaceable manner. But please, PLEASE.....if the original argument had nothing to do with you...DON'T take up offense on the side of one or the other...it's too much like "Return to Junior High--The Movie"!!

"Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement." Philippians 4:2 (New Living Translation)...

Currently Listening To: Lean On Me by DC Talk

Where in the world have you been?

So I discovered a site where you can click where all you have been in the world...and what states you've been in...pretty cool!!

I've been to 29 states (56% of the states)...and actually lived in five of those (Arizona, Texas, Indiana, Ohio, and Tennessee)...

I've also been in 18 countries (8% of the world)...and actually lived in four of those (US, Mexico, Romania, and Peru)...which is pretty freakin' awesome....

Obviously, there is a HUGE part of the world where I have never been...someday I hope to visit some more countries and experience some new cultures...

Oh, yeah...and the site is here...

Currently Listening To: So Long Toots by Cherry Poppin' Daddies

It's like I'm proud, or something...

Okay, so I finally have pics taken of our new apartment...all beautiful and everything. If you wanna see the layout, scroll down a few entries. We actually ended up with that exact floorplan, versus the mirror-image of it...cause the lady who was supposed to move out didn't...so we ended up with a second floor apartment on the front side of the building, instead of the third floor apartment on the back side of the building. Not so bad as far as level is concerned, it's just not as private as it could have been...ahh, well!!

I'm only gonna post a few pics of our main living space and our kitchen here...the bathroom is nice, but it's a bathroom...and the bedroom is still a work in progress....





Last night Brack and I watched "Borat". Seriously, if you have not seen this movie yet...DON'T!! It is extremely crass, it pokes fun at just about everybody, and is a horrible portrayal of people from the former communist bloc nations. The movie makes them all out to be perverse backwards people with no social skills who don't even know what a toilet is...it frankly sickened me. The only truly funny thing for me was that this was supposed to be about people from Kazakhstan (and some of the people may very well have been speaking Kazakh or Russian)...but the woman who plays his wife was actually cussing him out in Romanian...though she wasn't saying what the subtitles were saying!!

We also had a freakish storm blow thru yesterday evening. The sky turned all greenish and the wind was howling. I tell you what, we have had a TON of rain blow through here this spring. I'm hoping that this doesn't mean we've already gotten our allottment of rain for the year and that we have a freaking hot summer ahead!! Yeah, I wanna lay out by the pool, but I don't wanna have to turn into a fish just to survive the heat!! Thank goodness it'll be much easier and cheaper to keep this apartment cool though...last summer Brack and Adrian had an electric bill for over $300 one month, yet it never got below 80 degrees in their apartment!!

Well, I guess I've run out of things to say...hehe!! Now just watch...it'll be a while till I blog again unless something comes up...I just do not have that exciting of a life. I mean, Brack and I are happy as clams in our still-fairly-newlywed world...we just do not have big exciting lives to blog about these days!! Ahh, well....maybe one day we will be living the jet-set life and have all kinds of adventures to blog about...and then the alarm will go off and we'll start another day!!

Currently Listening To: Under Heaven's Skies by Collective Soul

The return of the prodigal...To blogging, that is!!

This morning I woke up at 3am and just could NOT go back to sleep!! My brain was just too active, so I made up a to-do list for today of all I want to accomplish...plus a couple of things I need Brack to do when he gets home. I STILL couldn't sleep after that, so I decided to go ahead and get up. Since our apartment is small and I didn't wanna wake up Brack by washing dishes or starting laundry...I decided to spend this time doing the stuff online that I normally do later in the day. I also decided I needed to blog. I have realized several times during these last three months that I really should start up blogging again...but the sad truth is that I've gotten lazy about it!!

But I've determined that it is time for a change...several changes, actually...and I am gonna blog about them to try to help me be accountable...which will in turn get me blogging once again!!

Brack and I have decided that we need to get in shape. On nice days we will go for a good walk...on really hot or yucky days we will walk on the treadmills in the apartment exercise room while watching "Scrubs"!! Once it gets really hot out we will spend alternate days out at the pool getting some fun exercise in. I'm also trying to come up with some nice, healthy foods that Brack (picky eater that he is) will actually eat!! I've got a nutrition journal that we are gonna use to keep us on track, and am gonna try to get together a recipe box and meal plan for all of this.

I'm also going to get serious about finding work to do. I have gotten into mystery shopping, but so far have only done one shop. I need to get a little more aggressive about speaking up for jobs the second they become available. I also need to see about getting a Starbucks job for at least 20 hours a week, cause that will give me insurance (and Brack free coffee)...as well as bring in some money for paying off more debt.

I am also going to try to read more...I am a voracious bookworm, but have to admit that lately I've spent more time in front of the TV or the computer screen than with a book in my hand. Admittedly, I do tend to read a good bit of what might be deemed frivolous (like a fun christian romance novel) versus the classics, but I also try to read non-fiction books that deal with such things as managing your finances, dealing with migraines, and living healthy lives...as well as books on spiritual growth, marriage, and family. To me, reading a book that is going to help me live a better life (or as in the case of a fun fiction book...just enjoy a nice summer afternoon) seem a more worthwhile use of my time than reading any old book that is deemed a "classic"...unless that particular classic is of interest to me.

There are some other things I plan on doing as well, but I haven't come up with my "Master Plan" in full yet...so those will be forthcoming...

So much has happened since I last blogged...but that will have to go in my next blog entry!! I think this one is long enough!!

Currently Listening To: I Want To Know You by Sonicflood

Mexico...I wish!!

Brack has mentioned before that he'd like to move to Mexico someday in the future...and I would totally not mind if it was on some quiet beach somewhere...yeah....

Anyway, it's still pretty cold here at night...brrr...but fairly sunny during the day...so that's pretty nice...

Since joining Crossings almost a year ago I have made a few friends and "met" tons of cool people...not to mention my dear husband!! Last fall I also joined another online forum...this one for MK's (missionary kids). It is cool to me to be a part of both forums...cause I can relate with people on tehC because of the whole ATI and homeschooling thing...and with people on MKPlanet cause of the whole missionary kid and loving another culture thing...

The crazy thing is that I think that both groups (for the most part) have funny ideas about the other...not personally, just in general. The weird thing is that both seem to think that the other group, because of how they live, are the ones who are socially inept. I was reading thru one thread on MKPlanet and it seems that the general consensus is that homeschoolers wear flannel jumpers, bake their own bread, etc. Anyway...just something I observed...heh...

Latest news on the homefront...Brack and I are selling off more stuff, gradually paying off debt... We're also looking forward to seeing Liz when she heads through the Metroplex next week...and meeting up with a TON of people at the wedding of the lovely Kates~*...just over a month away!!

Currently Listening To: No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem by Kenny Chesney

Yes, Yes...It's been forever...

Yikes!! I have become downright lazy when it comes to keeping up with my blog!! I really have no excuse since I am only working a few hours a week. Ahh, well....

Brack and I made a goal that we are getting our finances in order, paying off debt, and downsizing. We made up a budget and have managed to pay off a couple things already. We have also been selling off furniture and other things that aren't necessary and have found a new apartment to move to in March. The new place is a good bit smaller, so we are sorting thru and getting rid of things right and left!! The floorplan here is just like where we will be moving to...except our apartment is a mirror image. It's also on the third floor, so we will definately be getting our exercise!! Our building is pretty quiet, on the edge of the complex...but just across a drive from the office, the mailboxes, and the pool. The best thing about the new place is that it's only like a five minute drive from Brack's work!! This saves on both time and gas money...plus what we are saving from the cheaper rent.Yay!! If we keep up the pace, based on what we've been able to do so far...we should be out of debt by next year.

I am working at Justice still...but am barely getting 5-10 hours a week. I've applied at a few places and posted my resume on monster.com and there have been a couple bites. Right now I am waiting to find out more on two jobs...one as a personal banker in Fort Worth and one as an operations coordinator for a company just north of the DFW airport...so we shall see....

My grandma had an operation in December and isn't doing so great...so please pray for her. She will be going to East Texas in a couple months to live with my parents and my youngest three siblings. When my family had to move back to the States a few months ago they were pretty sad about leaving the mission field for good, but it really worked out for the best...as my dad is the only one of Grandma's children who can really take care of her on a regular basis. She and my other grandma will then both be within a half-mile of each other, which will be great for my younger siblings who didn't get to be around their grandmas much when they were younger.

Brack and I spent Thanksgiving in East Texas with my parents and my youngest three siblings..we really pigged out and had some fun!! We then spent Christmas with Brack's side of the family and then came home to our own little tree and exchanged our presents to each other then. New Year's was very low-key, with us sitting on the couch watching the ball drop in Times Square at 11pm, then again at 12pm for us central time zone people. In between we watched Sabrina on DVD...and fell asleep on the couch before it was over!!

We've had some nasty weather lately...ice and such from last Friday on thru yesterday...and it's still pretty cold and grey out. This isn't so fun when we need to get out to the store and work...but when we don't need to be out, it's a great time to snuggle on the couch with a blanket, a mug of spice tea, and a good movie.

Brack and I have also gotten addicted to a lot of these home shows on HGTV and TLC. The home flipping shows are on every Saturday afternoon and evening and we watch at least a couple of them a week!! It'll be a while before we are in a house...but it's still cool to watch and get ideas!!

I am hoping to get down to San Antonio here soon. Some of the PR girls are getting together the first weekend in February, and I'd like to get down there then...both for that and to see my fam in SA...my bro and his wife and baby, my sis and her husband and kiddoes...plus my dad's whole side of the fam.

Anyway, that basically catches me up to now...and I will attempt to blog a little more often now (at least once a week, right?)!! La revedere si Domnul cu tine!!

Currently Listening To: Despre Tine by O-Zone