Back to School

Never in my life have those words made me so happy. Undoubtedly this is because today was my last first day of school. Being the last and all, I couldn't help but recall my other 'first days of school'. In elementary school it meant new crayons, markers, lunch boxes, art boxes et cetera. I still remember the smell of Northwest Academy. I was in Mrs. Browning's Class. I had a snow white back pack, a lion king lunch box, & was the last kid in my class to write their name. It's nine letters people, NINE! I loved lunch time & would always get in trouble with Ms. Gladys for eating my chocolate-vanilla swirl pudding first. It was a K-12 school back in those days, & I would be so excited when I would see my cousins in the hall. I couldn't get enough of them!

Phillip's HS Graduation

In middle school it meant cheerleading, and well... plain survival. My real spiritual growth began during this time, and while that was awesome, I wasn't very "popular" among my peers.

As I look back on this chapter of my life, I feel so blessed. I have been surrounded by loving, supportive teachers, teachers who changed my life. Of course there were the teachers that were not so encouraging and in some cases the poller opposite; however, whenever I was in those situations, despite my typical initial response of tears, it only pushed me to prove them wrong (ok, maybe not the most Godly response). I have had a wonderful college experience and a part of me is so sad that it is shortly coming to end. (More about that later).

The best part of 'Back to School' is... duh the shopping. My mom always made a big deal out of back to school shopping. Needless to say it stuck, so for my last semester of school I headed over to Target and Office Depot with my momma and got the perfect pens, folders, notebook, & planner. Mmm wonderful.

There is nothing better than new crayons.

My first day of Kindergarten.

And those crayons need the perfect art box.

My first day of school Senior year.

"Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils..." You've Got Mail

While College Station is in no way comparable to New York, the anticipation of a new school year is the same. It's a new beginning, a fresh start, hope of cooler weather, the beginning of football season...I could go on & on. The little girl's heart inside of has been fluttering all day. To all of you with a child's heart inside of you I send a bouquet of sharpened pencils. Here is to you and a wonderful school year.

Family Vacation

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Psalm 19:1

So much has happened since my last post. We moved into our new apartment, went to Colorado, and summer school ended...finally. Our family vacation to Boulder & Breckenridge, Colorado is the purpose of this post. After a crazy weekend of moving, Wednesday August 11th we (Terry, Maren, Joe, & I) hopped a plane to Denver, CO for Joe's life-long best friend Alex Ralston's marriage to Leanne Hamilton. We had such a wonderful time. It was an honor to be a part of such a beautiful marriage celebration. It was one of the most fun weddings I have ever been to. Seemingly everyone danced the WHOLE time, including Joe and I. I definitely love dancing with my man. The time leading up to the wedding on Saturday we spent at Chautauqua State Park in a cute little cabin. We did a bit of shopping and hiking, but the highlight for me was a picnic the Ralston family hosted on Thursday evening. I got to hang out with sweet Caleigh & Maren, and Mrs. Ralston, Terry, & Mrs. Taylor. I love talking to older married women. I always learn something and share in a good laugh. I also got a chance to talk to Mr. and Mrs. Ralston about their move to Dubai. Joe and I are pr*ing for them daily, and I know they are being sent by the One with a purpose. I can't wait to hear all about it. We had a great time of fellowship. That night we laid in a field and watched for shooting stars. It was awesome and...FREEZING, in the middle of August. Oh what bliss. Sunday we took a beautiful drive through the mountains to Breckenridge. We stayed on Terry's friend Val's house. It was wonderful. So pretty and the hot tub in upper 40 degree weather was GREAT! Pretty much every morning I was able to get up before everyone and have a quiet time with the mountains as my back drop. Although I'm not really the out-door type, I do love taking in my God's awesome creation. It was a really, really fun trip, and I'm so appreciative to Terry for making it all happen. Here are a few pictures:

In Vail on Monday night.

With Mr. & Mrs. Ralston at Sunday Brunch

My forever groom & I at the Reception

Introducing Mr. & Mrs. Ralston!

Our cute, little cottage.

A Small Goodbye & A HUGE answer to prayer!

The past few days have slowly been filling with time spent packing up our precious little apartment. Bit by bit it is morphing into the plain, impersonal apartment Joe moved into one year ago. I have to admit, I am full on nostalgic. This will always be the first home we shared together, & I'm not sure if I'm quite ready to leave. Our next apartment will be fine. It is campus housing, so you lease month to month; but, we will only be there for four months. It is just going to be a stepping stone to where we move in December. Now, I know that we will many wonderful memories in our new home. The first of which will be my fighten' Texas Aggie Ring Day/Dunk! Whoop! None the less, my heart strings are being tugged a bit. We are moving on Sunday, and I have some major school work to accomplish before we go to Colorado-for the Ralston wedding!! Needless to say I don't think I'm going to have much time for blogging, and I wanted to pay homage to our first place.

On a completely different note, yesterday Joe found out they he will be full time until October. This is a huge answer to prayer. Our rent is going up, and Joe's pay was supposed to go down. Of course I have experienced answer to prayer before, but this feels slightly different. I'm humbled my the grace of the Father. As I sit here and contemplate it I'm getting chills. Thank you to all of those who prayed for us.

Isaiah 25:1

O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago.

Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans?

It has been entirely too long since I last blogged. July was crazy. Joe was out of town for basically all of it, so I was in Houston hanging with my parents. I was also working on my two online classes that will finish August 20th. Yes, you can complete 15 hours over the course of two summer sessions. Whew, it hasn't been easy though. My time in Houston was really special actually. I was able to have a last kid summer with my family, a last hooray if you will. Finally, my travel itch was somewhat satisfied the third week of July. For about a year I had been saying I wanted to celebrate my 21st in New Orleans. The timing wasn't right, so we waited till July to make our trip. It began as just Joe and my parents, and evolved into a big family affair. I say for the most part it was a success. It was a bit hot, ha a bit. However, that did not keep us from experiencing multiple parts of New Orleans. I got to experience a side of New Orleans I never had before, being a minor and all. Don't misunderstand me, the classy side... I guess. I also had some really, really good french toast (apparently my thing on vacation) & AWESOME bbq shrimp from Mr. B's (one of my grandmother's favorites). It was a great trip, and I appreciate everyone who came to celebrate with me- it really means a lot! Here are a few pics. from our trip.

Dinner the first night at Irene's Cuisine. It was a beautiful restaurant, and would have been better if they had given me what I ordered.

Day 1: Our adventure to The Garden District. We rode the St. Charles street car and experienced classic New Orleans architecture. We went to awesome antique shops, The Columns Hotel to have a drink, and walked a lot!

That afternoon we got back to the hotel and Karen and John had arrived. We all had a great dinner at Mr. B's Bistro. My grandmother, Mere, would go to Mr. B's for lunch when she worked in the city. She died my Junior year of HS, so experiencing something she loved in the city makes it a whole lot more special.

Day 2: A trip to NOLA is incomplete without a trek to Cafe Du Monde!

The three of us hadn't ever been to Casino, and I guess second to Vegas New Orleans is the place to go. We only played the slots, and only won about $6-we put in $20 ;) .

That night we went to my Aunt D and Uncle Sim's house for a family get together. Little did I know they had planned a little birthday celebration as well. It was so, so sweet. Three of my dad's cousins were able to come, my dad's sister and brother's families and it was a really special time. My dad's cousins were telling stories about my Grandpa Sim, who died when my dad was 14. It was great to hear his legacy. This pic. is the classic pose for my dad & his siblings.

This is everyone (minus Karen & John) that was in attendance. I can't say enough what a special time it was. I love you all so much! I am blessed beyond words. Thanks Aunt D & Uncle Sim.

Cousins! (and few cousin in-laws) These are my Louisiana cousins, and we had a great time catching up. It's so fun now because it's like we are all the same age. The night ended with some great home videos, which never disappoint.

Day 3: My dad really loves where he comes from, and so do I. I love going back with him, and it is always a special time. I'm so proud to be a Diano. This is Lake Pontchartrain where my dad spend a lot of his childhood. The morning we leave we always take a little driving tour of my dad's favorite spots.

This was my Mere's house when I was a baby. I took a picture like this back in the day, and have been wanting to re-create it for giggles. I think because I didn't spend a whole lot of time with her and she is gone now, it means a lot to reconnect- in a way.

It was such a wonderful trip, and I look forward to another Diano family reunion.