Christmas

Here is my beautiful family! It took us forever to get both dogs to look at the camera at the same time, but it was worth the headache. We really did have a wonderful time with Stefanie and Matt in Nashville. It was so nice to get away and be with family! We arrived on Christmas Eve, so Stef and I were able to watch A Muppet Christmas Carol! Yeah! I love watching that movie on Christmas Eve!

We spent Christmas morning opening presents and just hanging out in our pj's. We actually had bagel breakfast sandwiches first since Stef needs to eat as soon as she gets up. Nick scrambled some eggs, we pulled out the bagels, cheese, and lunchmeat. It was perfect!

We went to see Sherlock Holmes later on Christmas Day. It is kind of a Mahan tradition. We used to go to a movie on Christmas Day fairly often. I loved the movie, and I think that I got a sweet compliment from Nick. He told me that he was beginning to understand my little bit of crazy because really smart people are crazy. So, I'm choosing to take that as a compliment of my intelligence.

On Sunday we were able to meet up with my Uncle Mitch for dinner. He was driving through on his way home from visiting my cousins for Christmas. It was really great to see him! He got to meet Nick for the first time, which was great. Michele, his girlfriend, was driving through with him, so we got to meet her as well.

Great Christmas! Great times! So much to look forward to in 2010! Bring on the fun!

Three Dogs, Four Adults and a Two-Bedroom Apartment

Nick, Joey, Elway and I went to spend the Christmas Holiday with Stef, Matt and Elle in Nashville, TN. We started planning this trip right around the time that Stef and Matt moved in September. I was so excited to go see Stef and her growing belly. We drove the 11 hours it takes to get to Nashville from Fort Worth over night thinking that the drive would be easier on us and the dogs. Elway has never been away from home--EVER--other than trips to the vet. So, the night started with me trying to dragging him to the car and then shoving him into the car while Joey danced and pranced because she LOVES the car! After about a half hour of crying Elway settled down and was just fine! Both dogs were well behaved all the way to Nashville. I took this picture right as we got into Nashville. It was about seven o'clock in the morning, and we had been rained on the ENTIRE way to Nashville. We are not talking a light sprinkle either. It poured rain! So much so that I-30 was closed in Little Rock and we were re-routed through part of the city. We managed to find our way through with the help of a Good Samaritan at the gas station we found our way again. It took about 24 hours, but all three dogs managed to poop, pee and vomit in the house. Elway couldn't leave Elle alone. Joey couldn't decide whether she needed to protect Elway from Elle, Elle from Elway, or herself from the both of them. It was an adjustment living in an apartment when they are used to having a yard, but in all seriousness, the dogs were pretty good.

Why I LOVE Facebook!

You can look at this post and laugh, but I seriously, Facebook has opened up a whole new world to me that I knew exsisted, but never really knew how FABULOUS this world was. This world of which I am speaking is the world of my extended family. It is hard to get to know people when you spend your entire lives on opposite sides of the country. When we are separated by distance and even age, it is hard to get to know and relate to those people with whom you share blood but you are not sure if there is anything else.

Facebook has magically and wonderfully connected me with people I never would have known otherwise. Okay, so we might no have a close personal relationship that one gets by seeing people everyday, but we have some kind of relationship. I love reading the quirky posts, the kind words, the pictures and the likes and dislikes of my family. I feel as if I have a piece of them I never had before, and I love it all!

Nope!

I received an email this morning around 10:30 telling me that I was not selected as a candidate for the job I interviewed for last week. Sigh! I guess that this is okay. I was hopeful and wanted it, but I had a BIG sinking feeling yesterday that I wasn't going to get this job. Guess I was right.

It is a shot to the ego when you don't get a job you wanted. I think that Texas is just a shot to my ego, actually. One interview. No job offers. I am still not sure what I am supposed to be learning from this no work time, but I'm pretty over it.

So, I will just try and be patient and wait for the right job to come along. (Patience? Is that the lesson I am supposed to be learning?) I guess we will have to wait and see--WHETHER I WANT TO WAIT OR NOT!

Thanks Heavens for Little Girls!

I'M GOING TO HAVE A NEICE!!! Congratulations to Stef and Matt! They are going to have a beautiful baby girl! Can't wait to be an aunt!

We Are All Allowed a Little Bit of Crazy...

This is my confession of the crazy things that have been floating through my head for the past few days. I am totally blaming this on turning 30 soon, but I really could just be crazy!

1. Do I really want to have babies?
Gasp if you must and run to grab the thermometor to make sure I am feeling okay, but that is actually something that has been running through my head. Why? Well, I like our life. I like being home and hanging out with Nick and not having to worry about anyone else. I like sleeping through the night. I like being able to pick up and run out the door at a moments notice. Besides, this world is a crazy, scary place where there are crazy scary things. I'm worried enough about me handling it! How can I expect to prepare my own children?

2. If I can guarantee that we have girls...
I might reconsider. However, I have a theory about how sons steal a mother's heart and her sanity and then spend all of their adult life stomping on her heart strings. I am terrified to have sons. I don't know what I would do with them or how to handle them or if I would even like them. Sigh! Not a pleasant way to spend a lifetime.

3. If I get this job and go back to work...
We will just have to push having kids off more anyway. As soon as I begin working, I will need to stay working for a long time. Longer than I originally thought. School loans and cc debt and wanting to buy a house and establish some roots are all pressing on my mind. BIG TIME! Not to mention that I am watching my husband melt under the stress of making his budget for next year which determines our income. I can't let him stress like that anymore. I need to contribute to us more.

4. Really, I am getting too old for this...
I know. Thirty! So what? Right? Nope. I'm scared to have kids in my 30's. What if something is wrong with them or me? We already tried this once and it didn't keep. If that happens again, I can't promise that I wouldn't want to give up.

5. I'm afraid to do this alone and so far away from my family. I don't think I am strong enough for that.

I Hate Waiting...

My interview went well. And now we wait!

I hate waiting. I hope we will know next week.

Interview...Frustration...Life

Random title for a post, I know, but I am updating on a few things, so here it goes.

That is right! I finally have an interview. You know, part of what has been so hard about moving here was giving up my job. No one ever thought that I would move to Texas and have SUCH a hard time finding one, but it has been a nightmare. I applied to probably 15 school districts and approximately 100 different specific jobs without any calls for an interview. And now, here we are, the middle of the school year and I have an interview for a HS Eng position. CRAZY! I tried to play it smart tonight and went to go find this school. It is quite the drive away, and I wanted to be 100% sure that I would be able to find it in the morning. So, I got directions and headed out. It is a good thing that I did too! If I had made the attempt to drive out there in the morning without any knowledge of where I was headed, I would have had a mental breakdown. Oh, wait! I did have a mental breakdown. You know, people keep telling me that the highways and biways in Texas are great and make so much sense! They are lying through their teeth and probably laughing at me as I flounder around. I don't get lost easy. I can navigate pretty well around places, but this place has me all twisted up and confused. Don't ask Nick about it though. All he says is, "It's so easy, Jen." LIAR! However, I found the school, so I hope that I will be able to make it with no problem tomorrow.

Tomorrow is the Christmas Party that Nick and I are in charge of organizing. This is the first time we have ever had to do this, and there are a MILLION things I would do differently next year. However, we will survive this one, I think. I hope. I went and started to set up the tables and such, and I am going to spend the better part of my day there tomorrow as well. In fact, I bet that if I was smart, I would go shop for the remaining items that we need right now. I'm tired and really not that smart though. Dang it! I guess I am headed to the store! I'll take pictures and share them with everyone. I hope it is an event to rememeber.

My Crazy Little Girl

My darling, dog, Joey is amazing! I named her Joey simply because she is an Australian Kelpie Mix which reminded me of kangaroos and baby kangaroos are joeys. Anyway, this named proved to be fitting in more ways than one because she can jump like a kangaroo. She isn't a big dog. She is very athletic, and demonstrates this by running and jumping like crazy! She is also an escape artist.

Joey has never been one to enjoy being caged--seriously, who does? However, if there is a way out of somewhere and something...she finds it! We have another dog, Elway, who likes to get into things and desroy pillows and chairs when he is angry with Mom and Dad. In order to keep them contained, we bought a baby gate that confines them to the kitchen and the backyard via the doggie-door. Joey has decided that this arrangement is no longer to her liking, so she has started jumping the baby gate.

She stands in front of it, crouches down, jumps up like it is nothing, and CLEARS the gate with no problem. Lucky for us, her brother has never tried to jump up in his life, so he is stuck on the other side. I honestly don't mind that she jumps to the other side. I just hope we can teach her to jump back!

Here is Miss Joey probably two years ago. I will have to post some pictures of the babies now! She has changed so much, and Elway is a beast! I love them both, but she will always be my little girl. She is even sitting under me right now relaxing and hiding from her evil brother. Silly girl!