An old married couple!

So this weekend as Jason and I are pulling into Sears we realize what an old married couple we've become in less than a year...Here we are on Memorial Day going shopping for an appliance (more on that later) and we are dressed alike...Red Tech T shirts, shorts (mine denim, his gray) and black flip-flops! We totally cracked up!

This past weekend we shared another "married first" as I like to think of it...We bought our first married appliance together! We have decided to save more money and stay in our apartment for another year, and then hopefully move into a house next summer. This year we've been renting a washer and dryer because last summer was so hectic to buy one, so we took on the Memorial Days Sales, and with the promise of possible savings of tax on a washer set off to find a new washer and dryer!

I never possibly knew that selecting a washer and dryer could be so complicated...We went through the major question of top load or front load...Of course we both drooled over those gorgeous red front load sets, but thankfully reality and sanity set in and we begin to look at other options!

We found an incredibly helpful guy at Home Depot who explained the ins and outs of front loading washer dryers to us...We have been energy conscious with our light bulbs and have saved a good amount of money this year so far by doing so, so we were open minded about the savings in water and electricity that we could see in the long run. They tell you that you can save $200 a year in your electric and water bills...We went home and crunched the numbers using our water and electric bill, and even considering increased loads of laundry with kids (someday) we figured we would save about $150-$200 over about 7 years...and with plans to buy a house within the next year and all that comes with that we decided to stick with a top loader. We figure by the time we need a new one, there may be only front loaders, and even those will be cheaper! We got a good deal, because Home Depot does price matching with Sears and we got a $100 rebate for buying 2 GE Appliances, and 10% off...

So, drum roll please, our new washer and dryer...to debut in the Metz residence on June 10th!!!

New Job!!!

It's official! I have a new job! Next year, I will be an Assistant Drill Team Director! I am so excited! I will be the director of a JV Drill Team, the assistant director for a Varsity Drill Team, teach PE Dance, Child Development, and Nutrition. I originally applied for this job last year, but God had other plans for me. And although it has been an incredibly challenging year, I have learned so much where I am at in my first year of teaching, and am thankful for the experience. I know it has made me a stronger, better teacher. I was approached again about this job, and after much thought and prayer, felt through many doors that God has opened, he is leading me in this direction...When I decided my freshman year in college that I wanted to teach it was because of my high school drill team instructor and the difference she made in the my life, and that of my teammates. I hope that I can make such a difference in my students lives as well this coming year! I am excited about using my passion again!

I went to meet my teams for the second time today, and my JV team threw me a surprise party...It was so neat, and I was honored! The Varsity put together a basket, and gave me my first team t-shirt with my name on it! It was very thoughtful, and made me feel so welcome!

Mandy's Graduation!

I wanted to post a few pictures from Mandy's Graduation Party last weekend. I am so happy for her that she is done with school, and proud of her! She has overcome so much! She is truly my hero, and an inspiration of strength, courage, and determination, to me each day! Also, for those of you that are still keeping her in your prayers, they were able to take the fixator off today, and she is pretty much done with surgeries for awhile now, and will be able to slowly move on with her life! I am thankful for this day, and for God's tender love and care that has been and will be continuing to watch over her!

My cousin, best friend and "sister"!

The proud parents with their guns up!

Mandy's Graduation Cake!!!

Decorations for the party!

Jackson and Kaytlyn love Aunt Mandy so much!!!

Tribute to Mom

So this is a little late, but I wrote it before Mother's Day for my mom and still wanted to post it...

I was listening to the radio Friday night before Mother’s Day and people were calling in to share stories and anecdotes about their moms. One caller was asked to name the most important lesson she had learned from her mom…That got me thinking…What was the most important thing I have learned from my mom? There have been so many!

Most of the things I’ve learned from my mom have been through observation by the example she has given me in the life she leads. One of the things that stands out most about my mother is how she loves the people in her life with God’s love. And by God’s love I mean an agape type of love. A love that is unconditional and never ending. She is a true servant to all of those around her. One way I saw this growing up was in the time, effort, and dedication that my mom gave of herself and her family to take care of my grandparents. My grandmother suddenly passed away when I was seven years old of cancer. For the next six years my mother took care of my grandfather. He was in and out of the hospital sometimes multiple time each year, and she remained steadfast in her dedication to him to be able to continue to live in his home until he passed away. Many times this involved spending days, weeks, and even months in the hospital at his bedside and then in rehab. Each time he came home, we would go to stay with him until he was able to stay on his own again, and then she would go check on him each day. I do not know of another daughter who so greatly sacrificed herself for the sake of her father’s independence and quality of life. Through all of this however she continued to serve her husband as a loving wife, and be there in every way for me as a mom. My mom always made me feel like I was the most important thing in the world to her. She stayed home with me when I was young and then chose a change in career path in order to devote time to me during holidays and summers. She always supported me and encouraged me in school and is a big reason that I was blessed to achieve the accomplishments that I did academically. She also supported me in dance and helped me to develop a passion which has lead me to career I am pursuing today. I hope to be able to be the kind of mom that she was and is to me today to my future children. I hope to be the mom that encourages and inspires her children to be all they can be and more. I hope to be the kind of mom that teaches her children unconditional love, truth, forgiveness, integrity, and faith by example. And in my first year of marriage I have realized how much my mother taught me about being a wife. My mom has always built up my father in my eyes. She always respected him and taught me to respect him as well. She always encouraged my dad and supported him as the head of the household. She loved him and loved his family with the same love that she did her own. Through her I have learned to encourage my own husband and that marriage is a partnership which is held together by unconditional love and deep respect regardless of the circumstances of life. The phrase, “Actions speaks louder than words” truly represents my mother’s love and the legacy that she has past on to me. My mother has truly lived her life as a servant to God and those around her, just as Jesus once instructed, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.”

I got my mom this Willow Tree Angel for Mother's Day...It stands for Courage, but the inscription was for someone who has a triumphant spirit, shows courage, and is an inspiration through their daily life...I hope this is a reminder to my mom how inspirational she is to me and many others!