Four years and you still have the receipt?

During my last trip to the mall, I went into to Sears for the first time in, well, possibly ever. I was excited to find a nice, heavy-duty, non-stick roasting pan on clearance, something that I had needed for a while. As I made my way up to the check-out counter, I immediately knew something was amiss. Across the counter from the store clerk was a fragile and very elderly lady sitting in a chair that had obviously been provided to her from some dressing room or office. The clerk standing on the other side of the counter was staring down at the elderly woman with a blank expression, holding a crinkled receipt. In between the two of them was a sewing machine. As the clerk reached for her intercom phone, she said, "I understand ma’am, but I don't know how to refund your money for this sewing machine because it was purchased in May of 2004." Upon noting that the frail woman was comfortably seated, as if to say, "I will sit here until you figure out how to refund my money," I decided to find another register. The next register was surrounded by at least 6 people. The woman at the head of the line was slowly explaining that she had been searching for the perfect bathing suit. Finally, she had found it at Sears, but alas, there was only one in her size and that one bathing suit had a small hole and ink stain where some prior shopper had attempted to steal it by ripping off the alarm sensor. The lady still wanted the suit but was attempting to bargain with the clerk for a discounted price. The clerk was at a loss, as were the other customers in line. And that's when I decided that my $8 roasting pan was not worth the hassle. No thank you Wal-Mart, uh, I mean Sears.

My Big Hat Debut

The only thing I really remember from the movie Pretty Woman is Julia Roberts and her hats. I always wanted to wear a hat like she did in that movie.

Well, this past weekend was the perfect opportunity for me to live out my very own scene from Pretty Woman. Here I am at my cousin Sara's wedding in my big hat debut.

The best part about wearing a hat is that you get compliments from all the cute, old men. The worst part about wearing a hat is smashing it in people's faces when you try to hug them. One of my uncles jokingly asked me if I was going to the Kentucky Derby after the wedding. No, I was not going to any horse race, however, that was the look I was going for.

As for the wedding itself, this was the first wedding Chris and I went to as a married couple. Our attendance at prior weddings always prompted the same question from everyone we ran into: "So, when are you going to get married?" Now the questions have shifted to, "So, when do you think you are going to start having children?" Chris loves this question so much that he has a pre-determined response. He says, "Let's see," as he squints his eyes and stares off, as if he's thinking real hard. He then starts counting silently on his fingers and, with a questioning inflection in his voice, says, "seven months?" This response always catches people off guard.

We had a great time at my cousin's wedding. And although I was fond of my hat, it paled in comparison to the beautiful bride. I now wish my cousin the same newly-wed bliss that I have immensely enjoyed.

Texas Hill Country

Final Destination: Hondo, Texas.Enjoying the Hill Country.
Driving through Sweetwater, Texas
Soon to be another of the hundreds of wind turbines in Sweetwater.
Massive turbine propeller.
My Cousin Sara and her Marine, Ed.

The backdrop at the wedding site.
Me
My brother Casey and his girlfriend, Casey.
Four Generations: My mom, my grandma, my great grandma and me.

Month Five: Silliness & Seriousness

Married for five months and counting. This past month was full of traveling and laughter. We traveled to Fort Worth and to White Sands, New Mexico. With the school year ending, I found myself to be in a much lighter mood, which translated into carefree and somewhat silly behavior. One night Chris and I were lying in bed when Chris decided to emulate our neighbor. Our neighbor, whose bedroom is right next to ours, likes to entertain male visitors from time to time. Needless to say, she is not a quiet entertainer. So, there we were, lying in bed in complete darkness and silence, with a good foot between us, when all of the sudden Chris lets out a loud, drawn out, "Ohhhhhhhh," followed by a few seconds of silence and then another groan of passion. His goal was clear: wake up the neighbor. My attempts to silence him by reprimand were futile. The groans became louder and longer. Finally, during the silence between groans, I yelled out an agitated, "Ouch!" I hope our neighbor laughed as much as we did. On the serious side, I've come to realize the tremendous power of the biblical analogy comparing the marriage relationship to the relationship between Christ and His church. Our decision to follow Christ is a daily decision, not just a one time decision made at the time of conversion. So it is with marriage. The wedding is only the first step. Each day both husband and wife must decide to remain committed to each other. Both relationships require a huge commitment, with huge implications. But what an amazing blessing each relationship can be – especially when that relationship is filled with laughter.

I Won!!!

Today I was listening to the radio when the announcer said the station was giving away scratch cards for free gas at a gas station near my apartment. The cards were worth $5 to $25. I ran out of the apartment and jumped in the car. As I made the 2 mile trip to the gas station, I was praying that I would get a $25 card, and I did!!! Those six and a half gallons of gas will last me almost two weeks. Praise God for blessing me with two weeks of gas.