Awkward post alert! Have Fun :)

Simple Woman's Daybook

For today, March 2, 2011...

Outside my window...it's dark and cool...it makes me excited for summer. Not that I'm ready for heat, goodness NO! I HATE Texas heat and if it weren't for my family I would probably not stick around! I think I was made for up north: I love hockey and cold weather and I don't have an accent.

I am remembering...I got a message from a friend of Tim's today. He just randomly messaged me to tell me that he had a random memory of talking to Tim the day after we had broken up in 2006. He told me how Tim was upset and he had given him some advice to wait for me because if Tim really thought we should be together, God would bring us back...SO, I'm remembering the sad times...but rejoicing in what became of them :)

I am thankful for... Friends and family in Arlington! We went to the Stars game for my birthday on Saturday. It was fun, but even more than that, I was surrounded by people I love! AND, I got to spend an afternoon just chit-chatting with my Granny and Papa. I adore them! <3

I am creating... Critical thinkers in my classroom :) Woohoo higher level thinking!

I am going...To Ennis to see the other side of the family this weekend! We haven't seen them since Christmas!

I am reading... Exodus, Job, Luke, and 2 Corinthians! Tim and I are reading through the bible in a year and it is the best part of my day to sit down and read and discuss with my wonderful hubinero!

I am hoping... God opens and closes doors! Tim has started sending out youth ministry resumes again and we just want clarity and direction! Join us in prayer!

On my mind...I wish I was talented with hair...I can't figure out getting it to wave or curl! Suggestions??

From the learning rooms... We have begun our unit on How to Eat Fried Worms! I branched out from the other teachers these next few weeks to do something fun! We are enjoying it! We need a little fun before TAKS!

Pondering these words... Oh death, where is your sting? Oh hell, where is your victory? Oh church, stand in the light! Our God is NOT dead, He's alive! He's ALIVE!

From the kitchen... Taco soup!

Around the house... I just cleaned the living room and kitchen. NOW, if I could just keep our bedroom clean! Our dining room table is a crap collector! I hate cleaning it off, but it looks AWFUL! I will get up to clean it soon.

One of my favorite things... I love makeup! I know this is silly and most days I only wear base, eyeliner, mascara, and blush...but I just love it! I love to enhance my features...it's like a blank canvas every morning! FUN!

From my picture journal...

Blast from the past...don't laugh too hard! Homecoming 2005! (speaking of Tim and I dating forever ago) LOOK AT THAT HAIR, on both of us! GROSS!

To all of my thousands of readers (ha!), I haven't posted because I haven't felt like I've had any exciting news...so I leave you with the plethora of thoughts that is, SIMPLE WOMAN'S DAYBOOK!

Tim Time!

Because it's almost Valentine's Day, and because my husband is awesome...I am dedicating a post to some favorite Tim memories!

1.) The first time I saw Tim, he looked like a hobo, ha! He had on cut off camo pants made into shorts, a dress jacket, high top converse, and long shaggy/curly hair.

2.) When we met forreal at the hospital, we went through 25 ways to fight fatigue together because he had been at Walmart counting mullets all night (see two posts ago for the full story).

3.) After one of our first big arguments, he showed up at my door wearing his nephew's plastic knight armor and went on to say, "I have traveled far lands to declare my love for you and tell you that I, Tim Darst, am an idiot and I am sorry." In his hand was a bag of peanut m&ms (jumbo bag).

4.) After the Stars had just come out of the NHL lockout, we were saying our goodbyes in my driveway one night and he said, "Jenni, I got you Stars tickets." Me, being the ridiculous Stars fan that I am started freaking out and he continues, "look up." DUMB! But, sweet in a way...

5.) The summer I got 25 bee stings at Children's Camp, I got home from camp to find my Tim with a gift bag. The contents of that bag were: Cortizone cream, peanut m&ms, and my true love-chapstick!

6.) In college, getting phone calls to come outside because he brought breakfast- donuts!

7.) Getting ETBU to plant flowers that spell out "Will you marry me?" in the main flower bed and proposing!!

8.) Tim promising before we got married, and still holding to it to scratch my back every night...best part of my day!

9.) Tim worked on the ETBU grounds crew, often having rough and long days just so I could get free tuition.

10.) When I called to tell Tim my engagement ring had been stolen, all he did ways tell me it was a dumb ring and could be replaced...this was on his way to Arlington. When he got there, he just held me and told me everything was fine...eventhough it wasn't (not to me anyways!)

11.) Tim coming to the wedding showers even though he didn't want to.

12.) Driving to our honeymoon and being so hungry that we stopped at an Arby's in the middle of nowhere! Our first meal as a married couple haha!

13.) Coming home on endless occasions with fresh flowers on the table and sweet surprises like white cheddar cheez-its or chapstick!

14.) Many songs written and recorded for me and about me...Tim is an amazing guitar player and singer!

15.) Calls saying, "change into something nice, we're going on a date!"

16.) During our wedding ceremony, we weren't sure what to do after the songs had gone on for a while, and whispering in my ear, "act like I said something sweet to you!" and we did.

17.) Tim crying as I walked down the aisle.

18.) Back massages after stressful days teaching in Marshall.

19.) When we first started talking, we'd stay up on AOL instand messenger talking until 3am...then progressed to the phone. Tim didn't realize that long distance cost money...so he racked up a big ol' bill and had to pay back his parents. Luckily, he got a cell phone not too long after that.

20.) Text messages every morning saying something to the effect of, "good morning beautiful, I love you!" or "I've got bad gas."

21.) Yesterday while I was getting ready, I noticed it was quiet in our apartment. I went downstairs to find Tim making pancakes. When I got downstairs, he put on a cheesy song and started dancing with me in the kitchen!

The list goes on...

all of this to say, I have the best husband any girl could ask for...sorry ladies, the best is taken!

Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday to my wonderful Granny, Lorene Francis! She is one of the most gentle, sweet, loving ladies I have ever met. Not only is she sweet and amazing, but her health is incredible! She is a breast cancer survivor and I only hope to be as strong and amazing as she is! Happy Birthday, Granny! I love you and can't wait to see you soon!

Supermanitus

I am self diagnosing myself with Supermanitus ....... a disorder I made up myself.

I fall victim of Supermanitus often. I'm sure I'm not alone here (then again, I wouldn't be surprised since I am odd). I have this tendency to think about life's possibilities...I think about how capable I am and how much I have to offer the world. Then, I start wondering, "What am I doing here?" I honestly and truly feel like I could have chosen almost any career path. I think God has blessed us all with many abilities and learning quickly and enthusiastically is one of my favorite abilities.

However, I start dreaming...like unrealistically. I start wondering what if I went back to school and became a doctor, what if I did broadcasting school and took the unpromising plunge into the interning world? What if I became a wedding planner since I love weddings so much! What if I could be a motivational speaker since I love to talk and get people excited? What if I went into business because I like to be challenged and work my way up to the top (I do love competition!)?

I WANT to do it all! I want to be a superhuman! Then, I wonder if what I am doing is really what God wants of me. I mean, I love learning so much it's fitting to be a teacher, right?? But what if there is MORE? There IS more...God calls us to more than our jobs...past those weird dreams and unrealistic future planning. God wants us to be obedient...He wants us ALL. I want it! BUT, what else does He want?

I.am.capable. I.am.smart. BUT, I'm also a child of God and Supermanitus can be blinding to truth. So...what will I do in my future? Still unsure. For now, I teach and soak up the blessings. Someday, heaven is all that's certain...

Now that I took that post in many different directions...I will stop before it becomes any muddier.

:)

Holiday

I have obviously been on a holiday from Blogger...but now I am on a holiday in real life! So, my holiday from Blogger is o-v-e-r.

We have had a wonderful break! I came to Arlington Tuesday morning and hung out with my best friend and cousin, Kristin Stapleton. I love her, I love my time with her! Thursday evening, we had Christmas at my parents house. Tim drove in after work and Jeff, Sarah, and the kids came over. I love our family time! Then we ventured out to Big Lake, TX for Christmas with the Darsts.

What is in Big Lake, TX you may ask? Ummm....Dairy Queen?





....and some awesome family! Tim's sister Mary and her husband and kids live there. If you aren't familiar with them, here is the story. First of all, Daniel (Mary's husband) and Mary were my youth ministers starting my sophomore year of high school. They were wonderful...like they came to Target when I worked there at age 16 and bought a bag of candy just to give to me! HA!

Anyway, from that youth ministry developed a friendship. Mary became one of my best and wisest friends! She's my friend that I can not see for years and we hug and start talking as if we have seen each other everyday of our lives. I LOVE HER and had such a great time talking like old times! One thing I will be FOREVER grateful for is her having her first son, Chaz. ( I love Hannah...but this particular story involves Chaz!) As Mary is in labor with Chaz, I decide to come up to the hospital to support my best friend...Who is in the waiting room? None other than the super handsome Mr. Tim Darst. He is sleeping in a waiting room chair. I sit caddy corner to him. Tim wakes up and says, "Whoa! When'd you get here?" I go on to explain I just got there and he explains why he is tired...well, of course he's tired he and our friend Greg had spent most of the night counting mullets in Walmart (duh, right?). Because he is tired, I decide to help him fight fatigue. It just so happened that there was a magazine on the end table with 25 ways to fight fatigue. So, we read through them and laughed. We then proceeded to play paper football where I definitely won...legitimately...(he will never EVER admit that). He let me win right? NOT. Ok...digression...anyways, we end up exchanging *GasP* screen names! BIG STEP, right? HA. Then we start chatting nightly...he gets my number, asks me on a few dates and...TADA! Married almost two and a half years...all thanks to my friends Mary and Daniel!

We had a very sweet time with both sides of our family! Tomorrow, Molly and I will pack up and head home to relax before our TAKS semester begins! Here's to a new adventure!