Camp Gaulke

3-5 month Schedule

2011-08-08T09:23:00.000-07:00

So apparently I am a fan of schedules ...who knew?

As a pre-baby adult I never followed a schedule...and I liked it ..

Being my mother's daughter, I am not good at being on time (love you, mom) and therefore just embraced the free feeling of the antischedule...

But now having a baby, I am kind of obsessed with a good schedule ..and I want to document it so that the future mommas can have an idea of what a schedule can look like..and also for me to look back on whenever I have more little campers :)

8:00-8:30 Wake Up and cuddle with momma (or daddy on the weekends)

8:30 Play in the jumparoo or roll on the ground over and over and over.. (play time)

9:00 Eat (right now he's at 7oz/bottle...no solids yet)

10:00 Nap ...let me stop here and explain how we got Asher to nap without help

So from birth to about 3.5 months, I held Asher for every single nap. I am talking every single time that child fell asleep during the day, he was in my arms (or my mother in law's when she was watching him).. and he liked it that way!..

The weird thing was ...he did not mind sleeping in his crib at night for 6-9 hrs at a time..but it was necessary to be in someone's arms during naps.

So we began to nap-train. Nap training consisted of me singing and rocking Asher or bouncing on an exercise ball for a few minutes to get him a bit drowsy and then laying him in his crib. At first he did NOT appreciate the change, so he would fuss and sometimes full out have himself a fit...I would watch the clock for about 15 min, and then I would go in his room, replace his pacifier and then leave...at first I did this up to an hour.. (yes ..an hour!..it was horrible) but usually it just took about 30 min...It took several naps for him to fully comply with sleeping in his crib, but now he sometimes fussed if I hold him too long..he wants to be in his crib MORE than in my arms.. and so the leave and cleave process already begins! :(

11:30 Play time

12:00 Eat

12:30 Errands with mommy/playdate time

2:00 Eat

2:30 Nap (for this nap he usually falls asleep when he is eating..so he is pretty drowsy when I put him in his crib)

4:30 Play time

5:00 Eat

6:30 Bathtime

6:45 Eat (last bottle)

7:00 Bed

He usually sleep until about 5 am and then wants to eat...we feed him and then he sleeps for about 2-3 more hours

This schedule really works for our family and Asher is VERY happy with it! I did read "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" to help me with sleep training..and I highly recommend it.

Anyways...if any new mommies have any questions let me know! The perfect schedule is one that works for you AND your baby..

LOVE LOVE

Asher Update

2011-07-13T13:12:00.000-07:00

A few new things about baby Asher...

He was dedicated to the church! :) ..this is a picture of the day.. and the preshy outfit that mommy got him for the occasion

This day was very emotional for me...and I totally did not see that coming!

I started weeping the second Roger asked for the families to come up on stage....because this is the ONLY spiritual decision we get to make for our baby.

We dedicate his life to our church family...we vow to raise him in the way of the Word ...we vow to lead a home where scripture is evidently lived out and upheld...but that's all we really can do.

..ultimately, it is his decision to believe and follow the Lord. There is just not a thing I can do about it if he doesn't (other than pray my little heart out)...I guess what I mean is that I cannot control it..and that is so hard!

All these thoughts raced through my head as Pastor Roger introduced "Erich Asher Gaulke" and told our church family how Hunter and I chose his name (which just reminded me of my love story with him..and made me even more weepy) and that the name Asher means "happy"...

I just LOVE my boys!

Other things Asher has been doing:

Obsessing over my red nalgene..loves to look at it and try and chew on it

Loves to play in his jumperoo and watch Regis and Kelly with mommy

Loves daily Target runs ..and how every check out clerk wants to talk and play with him

Loves bathtime with daddy

Sucking on his thumb, index and middle fingers on his right hand

Grabbing mommys hair and earings

Being in his bumbo so he can see us on "adult" level...he LOVES to be talked to and smiled at. He is an extremely social baby and unless he is super tired or hungry...will hardly ever fuss if he is with tons of people.

Loves the sound of his voice...he is constantly squeeking and squaking at the top of his lungs..just for fun

He is stubborn.. dangit! It is not surprise..his parents are two of the most stubborn people on the planet...it comes out most concerning sleeping. He LOVES to be playing, cooing, and looking at new things..and so sleep really just gets in the way...

I have been gradually sleep training him and he is now down to two naps a day: a really short one in the morning (hopefully that one will lengthen)..and a really long one in the midafternoon..

I really thought that I would never get him to nap in his crib (up until two weeks ago he was sleeping in my arms for most of his naps)...but he is now sleeping in his crib for both! and he is sleeping from about 7pm-8am every day with one feeding at about 5 am. YAY!

My little boy is growing up so fast!..

Asher- mommy LOVES the smile that you give JUST to her...she loves that you are a cuddle bug...she loves that you are so easy to please with random things around the house..my waterbottle, a coaster, a mini dorito bag...etc., she LOVES how curious you are!..she loves that "you are showing signs of intelligence" according to your doctor :) She just LOVES you!

We had a BOY!

2011-05-16T06:31:00.000-07:00

So this is old news...

Pregnancy and motherhood has made me a sorry excuse for a blogger...BUT! nevertheless..

WE HAD A BOY! and he is the BEST!

Asher Gaulke weighed in at 7lb 9oz and 22 inches long!! On my favorite day of the year : March 3rd (3/3/11)...

The number 3 truly is my favorite number so this was very special to me!..I mean he had no choice..we induced him..BUT! his due date was March 1st..so he did wait patiently for Mommy's favorite day!

Now for the delivery story:

I had been having some contractions in the days prior to the 3rd...but nothing regular and painful enough to be considered lets-book-it-to-the-hospital worthy. But actually the night before I was scheduled to be induced, I was contracting pretty regular and semi painful but we waited..because we were scheduled to be induced in the morning anways..

So we did wait until our scheduled time of 5:30 am to report to the hospital and we were in our hospital room by 5:35am...they were ready for us.

I got checked in, hooked up, and poked multiple times in the arm.. :( (that was not fun and I am not a baby when it comes to blood anymore after my time drawing blood for MD Anderson.)

What stunk actually the worst was that I had to have my blood pressure taken every 5 min (standard when in labor) and it was pressing on the same arm the nurse busted my vein putting in the IV the first time. Honestly, it was more painful than the contractions sometimes!

They told me I was 4 cm and 100% effaced and pretty much in labor already!

They still decided to start pitocin on me because my contractions were not strong, just consistent. After an hour or so, I could feel the contractions getting stronger and coming about 3 min apart consistently..and I definitely had to breathe through them..but I was making it...

At about 9:30, my OB came in and broke my water ..and at about 9:35 I could feel the contractions WAY more and they started to be way more painful. I lasted about half an hour of that and then asked the nurse for the epidural...I felt like such a wuss!

...of course...the anestheiologist was in another room with another patient..

..I literally was crying and telling Hunter I couldn't make it...the contractions were coming about a min apart at this point and they HURTTTTTTTTTTTTT. People say you won't remember the pain...um..I remember the pain like it was yesterday. It felt like someone was ramming a truck into my abdomen and back over and over and the same glorious truck was running over me and staying there for a minute at a time, reversing and coming back for more.

After 45 min, the anesthesiologist came in and I have never been so glad to see a man with a needle in my life.

They kicked Hunter out (apparently husbands have died watching epidurals being administered) and got down to business. I bear hugged my nurse Wai Wai (...pronounced Why Why) and thought I was going to be paralyzed for the rest of my life because I couldn't stay still during the contractions...I mean HELLO! how do they expect you to do that? ..but before I knew it, the pain was getting more dull..but still hurt. I told my Dr. that I could still feel the contractions pretty strongly ( I may have stretched the truth...but I didn't want to feel a thing!) and he gave me some more meds in my epidural line. After that, my legs were dead weight and I was in hog heaven!

I remember people coming in and out of our room and me just being so jovial! I was just happy to not be in pain anymore. I probably seemed a little drunk..but honestly I was just so relieved!

Then, at about 12:15pm, I felt the feeling that I needed to poo. Now I couldn't "feel" anything..but I could feel pressure...and there was definitely pressure in that area..

My nurse was on lunch, so I paged the other nurse and she came in and checked me...not really seeming to be in a hurry..and SURE ENOUGH.. I was a 10! That baby could have popped out of me and no one would have known!

My nurse came in...we practiced pushed..and she told her superior to get Dr. Z over here ASAP..this baby was coming!

I pushed 3 times when the Dr. got there and BAM! Asher arrived at 12:45! :) I remember his little pitiful cry...it was so adorable..I still think his cries are cute sometimes..and his little frowns..OMG that little boy has got me wrapped around his finger.

I will admit, I remember seeing him on the table as they were checking him out and it did not click to me that he was mine. There was just a baby on the other side of the room now. But yet, I teared up at the same time..and was very emotional..it was extremely strange. I also remember my love for Hunter exponentially increasing. I was so smitten with Hunter for the next month..I felt like all the love I was supposed to be having for the baby..was being directed towards Hunter..it was strange!

So all in all, my labor was 6 hours..and it flew by. I just remember being really hungry and the blood pressure cuff hurting..and the 45 min of pure torture of pitocin-induced-no-aniotic-fluid-to-soften-the contractions-labor...and then a baby boy!

It was worth it...but next time, if I am induced, I will have an anesthesiologist waiting in my room when my Dr. wants to break my water :)

First Trimester...check

2010-09-05T12:13:00.000-07:00

So I promised that I would update on my pregnancy...even the weird stuff....and there were some weird things that happened to me..

...apparently because of the hormonal tsunami that was occuring in my body.

So here we go:

I started to shed worse than a golden retriever...it was insane. I would literally pull handfuls of hair from my head at any point in time throughout the day. Eventually it became like a really disturbing party trick...

My sense of smell increased 1000%. I began smelling things that no human should be allowed to smell. This is actually one of the HUGE red flags that made me even take a pregnancy test to begin with. I am not a good smeller normally at all...and to be honest I don't know if that was really all that bad ;)

My gums became SOO sensitive. My toothbrush became like barbed wire to my poor gums. My whole mouth would just throb for hours after I brushed my teeth.

Brushing my teeth made me throw up...honestly, because of this and the aformentioned incident, I contemplated not brushing my teeth for a while. My doctor said I had to ...but it was horrible. Even to this day I throw up every single morning when I brush my teeth. EVERY MORNING. It has become part of my morning routine. I think that it will just be how it is for the next 6.5 months...but really I hope not.

I had INTENSE food aversions to anything considered meat: poultry, beef, pork...anything. If you even said the words: steak, hamburger, chicken breast...I would gag...and possibly throw up on the spot...I am not kidding..it happened. THE WORST! was stupid food commercials...grossssss. Like especially Burger King..or Dairy Queen..I would have to mute and look away if any of those commercials came on and displayed their gross meaty meat sandwiches..Luckily, this symptom is getting a little better.

If I did not get 8 hours of sleep or more...I would be sick all day. It did not fail. Thank goodness I had several weeks this summer to sleep as much as I wanted. On the rare occasion that I would have to wake up early or not get as much sleep at night.. I would feel awful and throw up a lot.

I threw up a lot...sorry if that is gross. But I did....my sweet Hunter would hear me and just rub my back. I told him that was gross to be in the bathroom with me...but he insisted..saying "if you have to be in here, so do I".. LOVE that. On one occasion, after we went and spent a weekend at a bed and breakfast (I did not sleep well at all), we were driving away and I told him that I was NOT going to make it to a gas station and the he needed to pull over. He did...and that poor poor side of the road didn't know what hit it. As I was completely emptying my tummy, I heard Hunter chuckle beside me. ..When I was finished I managed to ask "what the heck could be so funny right now"...and he then proceeded to tell me that my "throw up sound was cute"...Now that ya'll is love.

I became an idiot. Sometime people would talk to me...and I had no idea what they were saying. It's like my mind was not allowing their words to stick. I would forget what I was saying in the middle of my sentence. I would get severe ADD...oh yes, and Hunter's favorite...I would make up words. I would take a word and just add or subtract some letters...and make a new word. For instance..instead of "pigeon hole"...I would say "pin hole"...Instead of "surging"..I would say "sorging"...and Hunter never let me slip one past him ;)

But with all of those things that made me miserable...or made my husband laugh hysterically...we are truly blessed so far with a healthy little bean :)

I call it a bean because of our last ultra sound experience...the baby moved the entire time! Just back and forth and moved its head up and down in a nodding motion. We got to see all of the little body parts: brain, spine, heart, arms and little hands, legs...and little face!

We are hoping that they will be just as mobile at my next appt so that we can see the gender :) I cannot wait for that!

I will try to keep you update on more of the happier things from now on...but if you are experiencing any of the above symptoms...you're probably pregnant ;)

love love.

"THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER!!!!!"

2010-08-10T16:39:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, making people happy is pretty simple:

Thank you Cinnamon Toast Crunch for making this all possible... also thank you to the person who invented mini-desert cups and/or cream dispensers. Thank you Ashleigh for hours of laughter!

Love, Hunter

Camp Gaulke

2010-07-31T15:09:00.000-07:00

Camp Gaulke is now in preparation for March 2011! Pre-registration has already begun and we got so excited about our first little camper that we took a picture!

On the right side you will see the head :)

We are SO excited about what God has done ..in HIS timing ;)

I will update more on my pregnancy stories soon...they are full of hormones and throwing up and made up words...enough of a cliff hanger for ya?

Love Love.

Grandpa Bob

2010-07-11T19:30:00.001-07:00

After a really hard battle with lung cancer, one of the most treasured men in my life passed away today.

The story behind this picture reminds me of things I loved about him. My grandpa couldn't wait to see me get married. He loves Hunter and has told me over and over that he admires our relationship.

But first thing he said when I asked him to escort my mom down the aisle.. was a sweet and genuine question..." Do I have to wear a tie?"

"No grandpa, you wear whatever you want. :) " No tie it is. (What a handsome man!)

I loved this man like a father. When we were at the hospital around 2 am this morning, my amazing Uncle Kevin was intentional about discussing the things we adore about Grandpa Bob:

His laugh. As my cousin Bailey reminded us, his whole upper body shook when he laughed. It came from deep inside him. And he didn't laugh at just anything. He was very authentic when he laughed at something and it made you feel special when it was with you.

His hugs. Oh my gosh how that man could hug me. Honestly, sometimes I would have to hold my breath because my lungs were too squished. He showed his love through those hugs. And let me tell you, my grandpa loved the heck out of me.

His protectiveness. I went to Africa in the summer of '06 for 30 days. My grandpa worried constantly about me every single day. At the time there was a civil war going on around the area that I stayed and I know he watched every news clip there was and called my mom over and over to make sure I was alright. He would fight a bear...lion... or hormonal teenage boy for me or any of his grandchildren any day of the week.

His snarkyness. My grandpa was snarky until the very end. His entire left lung had collapsed and would make a little bit of a wheezing noise as he breathed. The doctors offered to give him medicine that would reduce the sound and classic Grandpa Bob responded: "Why? Does the sound bother you?"

He died about 24 hours later.

Grandpa Bob was extremely loved and respected. When we found out that he had cancer, the whole family put their game faces on. God knew the exact time to take him, and He did.

We love you, Grandpa, and we will miss you every day.

Summer in Corpus Christi

2010-07-04T22:18:00.000-07:00

Well hello there blog. I never forgot you, but there were some things that were way more important than you that I had to get done first.

Now I have NOTHING to do...but this. :)

Hunter and I are in Corpus Christi for the summer to complete an internship for Hunter's school. The good news is we are staying with his most WONDERFUL Aunt Patty who gives us amazing company and a roof over our head...and most nights when we are lucky...she feeds us!

Also, Hunter is loving his internship! His patients and staff are loving him too!I can't tell you how good he is at being a PT...and he will graduate May 2011! 10 months!

The bad news is ...I am kinda homesick for Houston and our apartment. I am contemplating making a trip back that way soon just to have a change in scenery. Let me tell you... all the movie watching and book reading I have been doing in the same spot has been exhausting :)

Other than being done with my first year of teaching and being in Corpus...nothing too new to report.

Oh yeah, like the new blog-do?

Post? OK!

2009-11-10T15:37:00.000-08:00

I am 100% not sure if anyone really cares...but I haven't blogged in FOREVER.

I haven't even told you where I work...what I am doing!

Well... I work at Katy High School and I teach IPC and Chemistry...which is basically 9-12 grade.

And it is amazing. I love my kids...there are some that are nuts and need....well I really can't publicly state what they need...but anyways...

Yay for blogs! I miss it! But I do not have time...I don't even have time to catch my breath 4 out of the 5 days of the week.

But know that I love it...and I love them...and I am SUPPOSED to be here with them...loving them and forgiving them...and being tough on them...and being empathetic to them...and most of all teaching them.

Miss Miss...Love Love!

One Year

2009-07-16T11:14:00.000-07:00

I’ll start with the most important event …

SEA WORLD…I mean um… our one YEAR anniversary…

It was a shocking realization that a year had passed that quickly…

I think the past year was amazing!! Honestly, it was way easier than I expected. I have posted previously how everytime I talked to older married folks, they would always ask me for an update, and wait with their faces distorted, ready for me to tell them how awful marriage is. It was so bizarre. I kept expecting it to get harder and harder. But it did not!

Don't get me wrong, sharing of vows does not instantly make you perfectly perfect for your spouse...you are still two broken sinful people who live in a confined space (atleast we did...in 777sq ft...sick) ...but its how you handle the miscommunications, the bumps, the moods, the circumstances of life...that makes marriage AWESOME.

We learned a TON about each other…it was a wonderful foundational year …We learned that we are very different…(lets be real, we already knew it, but we actually lived it out… )

Hunter is naturally very hospitable, I try, but I am not.
Hunter likes to try new things, I would prefer to not.
Hunter is pretty spontaneous, I am not.
He is an introvert, I am an extrovert.
I am fascinated by social interactions, he could care less.
I think/analyze until my brain short circuits, he can't even comprehend that, let alone do it.
I multitask, he cannot.
I am always looking forward, he is perfectly content with the present.

This is just the beginning.

Luckily, we learned that we are way similar too…

We have the exact same sense of humor. We have laughed until we almost peed... a lot in the past year.
We are both very clean.
We both are super frugal.
We both like to be listened to.
We have the exact same views on Christianity and apologetics…kind of bizarre if you think about how many ideas there are floating around.
We are both very low key.
We are both very compassionate people towards our respective causes.

It is such a blessing to have someone 100% on your team…who would fight for anything you wanted, simply because you want it. He has lived out what a best friend truly is. He has actively pursued me like Christ does his church. (Ephesians 5:23) He constantly seeks for peace in our home (Psalm 34:14)

The point is…my husband pursues Christ daily and lives it out in our marriage. That is why the past year has been strong.

We really try to constantly examine how to improve and grow in areas that are weak.

Let me tell you…it is WAY easy to be careless about weak areas in a marriage. Just living day in and day out…getting by. Or just being passive, not even realizing you’re upset until you blow up with 6 things on your mind that piled up over the last month. Passive people! How do you do it! Being passive is not found in my gene pool. Us Witthuhn’s, we’ll let you know when we are upset, immediately.

If that happens, you will be halted by a much bigger problem before too long. I gag at the thought of that.

So basically, I am pumped about the next 60+ years...my husband is the sweetest most servant hearted man in the world. I can't wait to be like the old people on UP!...so preshy.

Finally settling down...

2009-07-15T09:43:00.000-07:00

This is so me.

The last couple months have been nuts.

Total crazy town

Hunter and I celebrated one year of oneness, we went to SEA WORLD in Florida and had the time of our lives, we both turned 23, I chopped off 8 inches of my hair, I became certified as a teacher by going to 12 hours of class a week, I took my huge teacher test, I got a JOB as a teacher, AND we moved!

UGH.

What were we thinking!!

Now the good news is, well all of the above.

So I am going to back track and post my thoughts on all of the above...because I have time now. and I literally did not until just now.

YAY!

Birday..(Ya, I meant to spell it like that)

2009-06-19T13:35:00.000-07:00

Have ya'll given up on me yet?

Like life has taken over and I am just a passenger...and I am NOT ok with it.

I reallllllllly have a TON of exciting things to rant and rave about...but where the flip does time GO. It's like you add 12 hours of class onto your already full time job and marriage..and boom..before I know it...it's MID JUNE.

So...its my birthday. Or Birday, as Hunter and Erin say it :) And I am one year closer to babies. Seriously, that's how I gauge my life progression...I can't help it.

And for some reason, I really want a princess cake. Actually, I want a princess party.

Tomorrow, my fam and Hunter's fam are getting together to celebrate...and I kind of want them to dress up in prince and princess costumes...and I am really not kidding.

Maybe it's my unconscious really sick way of holding on to my youth...

Being realistic, I know that will not fly...with the men...surely they'd turn that idea down...so maybe I can just settle on a princess cake...

SEA WORLD ORLANDO

2009-05-22T20:36:00.001-07:00

We are waking up at 6 AM tomorrow...

to go to SEA WORLD! ..in FLORIDA

Do you know why?

Look at that picture...minus the weird looking (but lucky) little girl...

We are going there because they have POLAR BEARS...and SHAMU! and dolphins! and a hotel with a floating river that goes around it! and 11 restaurants in the hotel! and a spa...and polar bears!

My favorite animal in the whole wide world is a polar bear. and Hunter got me tickets to go back stage to meet one.

Ok..no not during feeding time like crazy lady in the news...but like a real life back stage hook up!

It is our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY this Sunday....and we are going on another vacay. = no work for 10 days!

When we get back...I will definitely have plenty to add on:

the past year..YEAR!? what!

where I am in my "career"...check last post for recap

um...another huge change...I freaking chopped off all my hair..like all of it..

and SEA WORLD!

love love..

I'm a grown up now..dangit.

2009-05-03T12:56:00.000-07:00

I made a big girl decision this past week.

As much as I wish I still this little, I'm so not.

Let me recap.

I have a major life decision going on right now: Where am I headed in my career and/or do I want to change careers?

Option one: staying at MD Anderson and being promoted within the institution doing research related jobs

Option two: change paths completely and start teaching high school science (preferably biology or chemistry)

For a few months now, I have been pursuing both endeavors wholeheartedly so that any burnt bridges were not my doing... but the Lords doing...

I am enrolling in an alternative certification program this summer, to be ready to teach by THIS FALL. what? that shouldn't be legal. But it is...and I am already preparing for this crazy opportunity...

I also applied for a promotion position at MD Anderson.. I would still be under a research grant (safe in this economy) and I would be working directly under a prestigious doctor in neuro-oncology (brain cancer) research. Needless to say...huge deal. I would be getting up to a 15% raise if I was chosen for this position...not to mention the endless professional connections in a medical area of interest for Hunter and I (brain and spine issues are an area of expertise that Hunter possibly wants to pursue).

This was a HUGE interview. I did not take it lightly at all. I took tedious and detailed notes because I knew that with the upfront perks, it would be hard to say no to this opportunity if it was given. (Perks are mischievous and they can trick you into choosing a job that you hate day to day)

Without going into too much unnecessary detail, I thought the interview was awful. I walked out of there feeling more unwelcome and socially cold than I have ever felt around living human beings in my life.

I have thought about this from all sides...I mean they could have been doing a scare or intimidation tactic...to see how much stress I was capable of. I get that. But if your going to do that...in the last 3-5 minutes of the interview...lighten up a tad, you know? Or just be warm and welcoming for 60 seconds. JUST 60 SECONDS. That would be enough for me! Just so I know that if I get the job, I am not going to work for unhelpful overcritical colleagues.

Twist.

I get a call from HR...and I got the job...if I want it...

Great. Not only did the doctor like me, he wants to give me almost a full 15% raise...

My thoughts: ...wait ...did I read this guy wrong? He liked me? Is that how he shows people that he likes them? AM I MISSING SOMETHING?!

I tell H.R...I need time.

They say...you have a day. 24 hours. go.

CRAP.

I then proceed and try to figure this out with my own wisdom. I weigh options...I do pros and cons....I talk Hunter's head off...even though he knew the answer all along...

See, the answer would be simpler if this was just a matter of..do I take the promotion or not...
I would surely meet with that doctor again and do a round two interview...this time with me in control...and see how personable he can be.

But there was more...I am choosing between career paths! Do I take a job where I am in a lab...not around a whole lot of people...and the people I am around...are ..well..lab people. (just a different realm of social ability, but there's nothing wrong with that! it just may not be plausible for an extreme extrovert like me to work everyday with just as extreme introverts)..

Or do I take a job..that I don't have yet...and am not even qualified for YET!..but that will be working with people everyday..(more than I probably want to) ..that will kill me daily..but also bring me to life just when I think of giving up..and that I will love...and that I continually am encouraged that I will be good at...and have so much passion to do!

With an hour until I had to call HR, I pried my fingers off this decision and let it go to the One who is way more qualified to decide. I prayed for half an hour straight..in the middle of a work day...and for some reason, I felt like I was supposed to check my email...

I had just emailed my former biology teacher an hour earlier, so I thought it pertained to that. But no.

Just sent into my inbox was an email from a scholarship website I had joined in highschool...and the title was : "How to evaluate a job offer".

Oh yeah. Chills? I had them...

I read it with my mouth wide open. Heart pulsing. In complete gratitude to the Lord. Do you know that feeling? When you are smacked into humility. That was me....I was so thankful for that COMPLETELY UNDESERVED guidance. The email broke down every aspect of a job: salary, job duties, boss, colleagues, etc. Every elaboration on each section pointed to NO. I would be settling with this job. It was not for me. Someone would love to have this job...but I was talking myself into it...

So, I turned the job down.

I am not done pursuing teaching. If I don't get a teaching job this fall..or if teaching ends up not being that path for me...then I will apply for another promotion later...I am at least very encouraged by the HR department. They completely respected my decision and actually think I made the right one. PERFECT.

Now I just have to convince everyone else who looks at me crazy when I say I turned down a promotion...in this economy ...

Like I said...I made a big girl decision ...but because of the graciousness of my sweet Lord, I am positive it was the right one.

Love Hung on a Cross

2009-04-12T19:45:00.000-07:00

"He looked around the hill and foresaw a scene. Three figures hung on three crosses. Arms spread. Heads fallen forward. They moaned with the wind.

Men clad in soldier's garb sat on the ground near the trio...

Women clad in sorrow huddled at the foot of the hill...faces tear-streaked.

All heaven stood to fight. All nature rose to rescue. All eternity poised to protect. But the Creator gave no command.

'It must be done...' he said, and withdrew.

The angel spoke again. 'It would be less painful...'

The Creator interrupted softly. 'But it wouldn't be love.'"

-In the Eye of the Storm, Max Lucado.

Change...

2009-04-04T19:15:00.000-07:00

I don't mean to sound like a defeated dolly...

but change is hard...

there are so many up-in-the-air questions right now in my life...

like a lame limbo era...

and I hate limbo...

I remember limbo like it was yesterday...with marriage around the corner..but no hubby ...graduation around the corner..but no diploma yet...limbo is lame....

Question one: Where is my career going? Should I look into progressing my current career? or Do I find something else I am passionate about? I am young and educated..and motivated...I could do anything! Now what do I do? and in this economy...

I have yet to blog about it...but in March, I started a part time job tutoring highschool kids in biology, chemistry and math. And I LOVE it. Yep, you read right...I am currently working 1.5 jobs. And yes, one full time job is plenty...holy crud, working is worlds apart from college...it'll wear you out...

...but, before you judge..and think I am crazy... my mindset before I started looking for a part time job was: I have little to no responsibility in the context of kids/house/etc., and I am already the bread winner right now..why not be the SUPER bread winner...

plus...if I am going to be the SUPER mom/wife I want to be ..I want to build my stamina..haha and who doesn't love emparting wisdom (spiritual or intellectual) to youth AND... a little extra cash doesn't hurt.

Tutoring has unexpectedly reintroduced my passion for teaching...In my first year of college, I signed up for a program that allowed you to take a few extra classes along with my biology degree and come out with a teaching certification by my senior year. I stopped this program, however, after a year because I was sure I was going into medical/PA school. I didn't need any extra classes...especially pointless ones...

Well...then I met my husband.

Not that all dreams have to stop when you meet your husband...I mean thats not optimal...

But my career path changed when I got married.

Our lives became one...

Suddenly, it became obvious that it was extremely unwise to go to a VERY expensive school..to invest in a career that would GREATLY compete with my current desire to be an amazing wife and mother...

I wholeheartedly DID NOT want to incur any debt on my family that was not DEFINITELY going to be made back in due time...

I DID NOT want to add any unnecessary financial stress on our family because I was "entitled" to my dream career.

How is that being a "wife of noble character"? How is that "bringing my family good not harm"?

Truth is...Hunter will be our bread winner for the family..not me. That doesn't mean I should NEVER make money for our family..in fact I should try and use all my creativity to bless Hunter with a supporting income...but after he gets his degree...the torch will be passed..and it will be passed with a HUGE smile.

Even if I was to practice medicine after I graduated from a 3 year PA school...I would be ITCHING to have kids eventually...

I know there are plenty of moms who can have kids and a full time job...but I can't.

I seriously would rather be doing NOTHING else than being home...even as much as I love medicine...hospitals...doctors...pagers...whitecoats...blackberrys..and cubicles...

I remember when my mom told me she missed some of my "firsts" because I was in day care when I did them....and she was a full-time worker (she was of course single and did not even have a choice to stay home)

The legit sadness in her eyes because she could not be there with me was overbearing...I still to this day have to remind her that it is OK that she missed a lot of my childhood...

With every opportunity in my life..if I am a student..I want to be a wonderful wholehearted student..If I am going to be a bread winner..I want to go above and beyond...if I am going to be a mom...I want to be a FULL time mom!!I would never want to spread myself out with a full time career and a full time family...SICK!

I know I know..there is always the choice of doing part time...but why would I pay all that money to go to school, just to work part time...when my position as full time mom is FREE! No debt!

OK..tangent..

The point was..I am loving teaching....

One of my students got a hundred on her quiz in class the next day after one of our sessions!! She was so excited!...Honestly, I was more excited. I wanted to hug her and jump around the room screaming! She had no idea what she was doing before she came to see me...and then BAM..she understood and killed the quiz.

So do I teach?..this is a career that I can stop and start whenever I want...it doesn't cost 100K...and I'll be able to utilize my experiences teaching when/if I decide to homeschool...which I am truly considering (not because I am scared of public school...bring on the wierdos...but its because I want to be 150% involved in my childrens education. Helping with their homework and teacher-parent conferences are not enough)...

It's an option...

Another option ...is moving up in the cancer research career path...

MDACC is a WONDERFUL place to work as far as the institution goes...

I get to work across the street from Hunter...I love being in the medical field...and cancer research is SO meaningful...and thank God...it is paying the bills still...

Question two: Do we take advantage of a plummeting housing market or not? Do we continue to throw rent money away every month to live in 800 sq feet...or do we invest in a cheap house that will give us a crazy return?

Do you know how much money it takes to live 3 seconds away from the medical center...it is expensive.

Luckily we have found great deals on apartments..but still..the cost of living is nuts...

Question three: Do I look dumb in glasses?

Well, too bad...because I have to wear them...for like ever

Not even joking...I have been diagnosed with chronic conjunctivitis...

In other words...as a poor college student..I did not take care of my contacts..and my eyes tried to fight off an infection that was my contact...and under a microscope they look gross...

So, no contacts for me for a long time...and now I am glasses-bound...

SEE all these changeeeess!

Too much for me...I like consistency..I like routine and predictability..with some spunk.. don't get me wrong..I don't like boring...just normalness...

Well..this is only the beginning...Way more to come...

Remember that time...

2009-03-09T18:49:00.000-07:00

Remember that time....

that time that I have not blogged about anything pertaining to my life...

the life that is flippin full of crazy awesome moments that I need to log into my blog...

well get ready there partner..

here we go.

2 words.

Lance

Berkman.

Do you know him?

He plays for the Houston Astros. (baseball). He is very very open about his love for Jesus.

He's fantastic. Even when he makes fun of Aggies 5,000 times in 15 minutes.

He's very funny. One time, an opposing team threw twinkies on the field at him because they think is fat....and he picked one up and ate it.

He makes me laugh.

Well, we had dinner together....me and Lance.

OK, we may have been about 50 feet apart, but we had dinner together.

Don't judge me. It was in the same room....so therefore...it was together.

This is him...eyeing me across the room. I waved...he waved back. Or maybe he was itching his forehead. Either way...we had dinner together.

This is me in front of his name tag.
Best night ever.

The real story for all you lack of imaginationers....Hunter's grandma and her boyfriend (yes, boyfriend) kindly asked us to join them for the annual Baseball Sports Writers Dinner.

We dropped everything to go. Lance got the team MVP award for the 5th time and he made a speech.

Worth every minute.

I interacted with him while he was speaking. Laughed at jokes about the Aggies that maybe offended me...who cares...he can joke...we sucked it up at football. if it was anyone else I may have tried to defend my alma mater..but not with Lance. I sighed when he recapped this past year...and reflected upon outstanding plays and future goals when he asked it of me.

We had a great dinner.

P.S. Hunter is aware of my slight obsession and is prepared for the worst when I actually do get to meet Lance.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now...more updating.

I have done some decorating and some bargain furniture shopping

I told you that we got a couch off craigslist....

75 BUCKS!

I basically feel as though we stole this from the people selling it. Don't tell them...but they could have gotten way more money for it if they just asked.

It's comfortable...it's beautiful...it fits perfectly...and makes me feel good about myself.

No judging...again.

I love saving money. I love finding a good deal. It really invigorates me. It makes me feel like a good business woman....and it makes my husband happy too.

I mean 75 bucks...come on! It was all a matter of circumstance...the couple was 9 months preggers with new furniture coming early the next week.

Thanks Jesus.

Oh yeah, and I also painted those panels above the couch.

Do like 'em? I'm picky so I am not ready to commit for life...but they will do for now...

I love painting..I want a painting room. I could do it alllll day. If I am not careful, I will.

Some other projects are:

Recovering our dining room chairs...this crazy fabric pattern!! I love it!

Like, words cannot express how much I love this pattern...and how spunktastic our chairs look right now...but I am super happy with the result.

Especially when I found dishes to match.

The etching on the outside of the dish and cup handle match the sophisticated victorian swirly pattern of the fabric. Makes my heart flutter.

I actually stopped decorating our apartment.

I ran out of room.

Hunter is happy about our checkbook...and I am sad about my halted hobby.

So, that leads me to my next update.

We are looking at some apartments to move to after our lease is up. haha.

I call it being "good stewards" of our money...because I think we could get more space for the same price we pay...but in all reality I do kinda just want more space to spread my wings...and to decorate the crud out of.

There is an apartment complex that is just for UT students/faculty and MD Anderson employees....and so we are looking into it. It would give us a ton more space for the same price.

I've also looked at some Duplex,Triplex, and Quadplexes in the Third Ward..

Do you know where that is?

Like it is the definition of crime.

We'll see what happens.

I have more to update but no one's attention span is this long. :)

Love love love.

Oh, Men....

2009-02-22T20:34:00.000-08:00

So, we are definitely watching the Academy Awards at the moment...and I'm sorry...but I have been bawling from the moment Penelope won the first award..and thanked everyone in Spanglish...ugh I am such a sucker for speeches.

Does anyone else cry?...like I have tears all down the front of my shirt...its embarrassing really...

I really wish I could blame it on hormones..or pregnancy....but alas...its just girly mushy emotions..awesome.

My purpose for this blog: I have proof that men know nothing about movie awards...nothing.

Hunter and I were discussing how 'Slumdog Millionairre' is sweeping every category...and we were mentioning how we need to see it and also 'The Reader'...

and then he says something that made me laugh hysterically...over emotion or not...it was blog worthy.

He says, " We need to compile a list of all these Grammy movies and watch them"...

Grammy movies!!! that would be like if I said we need to compile a list of all those Golden Globe songs and make a CD of them...

Oh, men...

Hunter's Post: They just don't make 'em like they used to...

2009-02-21T10:43:00.000-08:00

They just don't make 'em like they used to.... Either I'm getting old, old-fashioned or both. Probably both.

What am I talking about? Blue Jeans.

Yeah, I know. Whats the fuss, anyway? Over the past few years, I've noticed a trend developing in men's blue jeans: they are starting to look and fit like girl jeans.

I remember a few years ago trying to find some. I took a nice looking pair to the dressing room, attempted to slip them on and WAM! dead stop. Whats the matter with these jeans?, I wondered. I thought the crotch (aka inseam) had shrunk. They wouldn't go up any further! I knew... these definitely don't fit right. I felt claustrophobic... ya know... down there. And believe me (to all you eye-rollers) I'm not making any boasts about my inseam.

Well, a few years later, same situation. I attempted to find some new jeans last night with Ashleigh and I kid you not... every pair I tried on left me feeling claustrophobic and uncomfy. Whats the matter with people these days? Doesn't anyone like putting stuff in their pockets anymore? Am I alone in my desire to not hurt while sitting?

Needless to say, we left the store without a new pair of jeans. I'm not casting judgement on other guys who wish to be inseam-claustrophobic, but as for me and my inseam - I demand pants that fit. I will find the last surviving pair from the 'golden years' of jeans and pay whatever price is necessary to feel comfortable in my pants.

-Hunter

Adopted by God

2009-02-13T18:29:00.000-08:00

The Spirit himself bears witness with our Spirit that we are children of God.

Romans 8:16 NASB

When we come to Christ, God not only forgives us, he also adopts us. Through a dramatic series of events, we go from condemned orphans with no hope to adopted children with no fear. Here is how it happens. You come before the judgement seat of God full of rebellion and mistakes. Because of his justice he cannot dismiss your sin, but because if his love he cannot dismiss you. So, in an act which stunned the heavens, he punished himself on the cross for your sins. God's justice and love are equally honored. And you, God's creation, are forgiven. But the story doesn't end with God's forgiveness...

It would be enough if God just cleansed your name, but he does more. He gives you HIS name.

Max Lucado

Weekend in a Treehouse (Part 2)

2009-01-26T19:20:00.000-08:00

Yes...we DID come back from vacation...although it was beyond tempting to stay...forever.

It was all that I had hoped for...

It was all that we NEEDED.

We switched back and forth between calling it our 2H.M. and our 8M.E.

2HM= Second Honeymoon

8ME= Eighth Month Evaluation

Evaluation of course meaning on our marriage

It was soo nice just to sit and ask each other tons of questions pertaining to this VERY important entity...

like: What am I doing well at? What do I suck at? (be gentle) Overall, are you happy? Has marriage been easier or harder than you expected? What do you wish I would do more of? What area of my life do you wish I was more vulnerable with you? When can we have kids? (ok that one was from left field and obviously I asked that one...)...etc.

We didn't like write any questions down or pick up a cheesy marriage book at B&N on our way...

We just made time to sit ...look at each other...and stir up some conversation to evaluate/improve our beloved unity.

I knew we needed some time away from the city..but I didn't realize how much we maybe simply needed a thought provoking convo...sometimes its hard to sit still enough to think about the good and the bad...sometimes the bad gets swept under the living room rug while we deal with the hustle and bustle of life...and honestly...dirt under a rug is disgusting....just cause you can't see it...doesn't mean it isn't filth!..and I'm not even a germaphobe...

So the results of this fabulous 8M.E...are: we are very encouraged with this little...who am I kidding...HUGE blessing we call 'marriage' and we decided to keep going...haha for all those who were at the edge of your seats..

Honestly, sometimes when older married couples ask me how Hunter and I are liking marriage..I always feel like their faces are ready for us to say "It's awful!"..or when our answer is not negative at all..their faces change to "Just wait"...that's just not right!! Are our views of marriage and our expectations so distorted??

I am 100% sure that it will not be peachy fuzzy warm and sweet for the next 50+ years...meaning...we will probably go through LIFE...the ups and downs...births...deaths..financial tension...who knows..maybe some spiritual tension...but for some reason..our first 8 months have been shockingly easier than we expected and flippin FUN!

That boy cracks me up...

Ok quick story...

We have kinda a tradition started that on Mondays...we go get a doughnut at Shipleys (YES! the one we go to is open til like 9pm!) and then we go to Starbucks to read...and check up on Carl (a middle age follower of Christ who works up at Starbucks and struck up a convo with me after seeing me read the Bible..)

So tonight I wasn't feelin like leaving the house (we got a new couch! I will post all bout it!)...so the novelty of the couch is still fresh and I wanted to stay here and sit on it and blog :).. So I told Hunter, when he inevitably asked if I wanted to go get a doughnut...that I wasn't feelin it...but that he was free to go by himself ..and he ..paused for just a second...(I literally saw a light bulb go off in his brain) and he, with all the 3yr old he had mustered up inside, said... "Does that mean I can have two doughnuts??!"

How flippin cute...

The 411 (Part One)

2009-01-26T19:09:00.000-08:00

So...the details of the trip..

We stayed at a B&B (Bed and Breakfast) in Brenham...it was delightful...

It is basically a large piece of land with several cottage-like houses. Depending on how many people you need to sleep, is how big your cottage is.

With it just being Hunter and I...we opted for the wonderful "Treehouse" cottage....(ok maybe 'cottage' is too Great Britain for what these were...they were basically like really nice and modern cedar cabins...with cedar furniture..cedar floors ..everything woodsy..)

But the Treehouse was particularly quaint and beautiful...with a wrap around porch and awesome views...because it was basically a 2 story cabin with just the 2nd story being the 'cabin'.

The first story was open to the outside and had a small little deck with table and chairs.

We loved it!

The first night we got there...we planned to eat at the place called 'Ernie's' in downtown Brenham..(which... long story short...is where we were going to have our Wedding Rehearsal dinner when we were planning on getting married in Navasota...but 3 months before the wedding, everything went to poo so we changed it and had it in Bryan...moral of the story..we almost dropped a lot of money at this ritzy restaurant...) So we went there and the whole atmosphere and service and food was all in all not good...even their creme-brulee was not up to par...and I am wayyyyyyyy easy to please on that particular food item...

The next day, we topped off our weekend with a cool winery called Pleasant Hill...and tasted some REALLY good wines..I don't know if I am alone here but sometimes they're just unpleasant...especially red..(that is like blasphemy to my new family...Erin and Becca ..love you both) but I actually discovered what it was like to enjoy drinking wine..even RED!

So... basically we LOVED this vacay. We are fully aware that one day we won't be able to do stuff like this with the snap of our fingers ..but for now...we are already planning our next one...May 24th (1 yr anniversary ) is right around the corner!

VACAY!

2009-01-17T10:02:00.000-08:00

Ok the Gaulke house/apartment has been CRAZY lately.

So much to tell...

So much excitement and fun!

Such as ...I had dinner with Lance Berkman on Thursday night!...LANCE...my flippin FAV sports celeb EVER. that is actually an understatement. ...

I know you're like WHAT!? nuh uh!..

um...yes huh..

So anways...I can explain that later..

I am packing..

We are going on vacay....(vacation)

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

Honestly, we need this.... I am dying to go somewhere with my Hunter...

Somewhere...where I am not thinking for hours how I can decorate/clean/change....

and with all of the wedding/holidays....we have been around each other...but there has been a deficit in the amount of set aside 'us' time. Where we talk...indulge in each others lives....just able to connect and refill our spouse cup.

I can't wait!!

I will tell you every detail when we get back! We have soo many fun things planned...and lots of just chill time planned! woo woo!

Ok ...We are off..

Unavailable for the next 3 days...

We love you...don't call :) haha just kidding...no but really..

speakin of just kidding...watch this..

Have you seen this!?

2008-12-30T20:12:00.000-08:00

Hunter and I are obsessed with this video...

So while we are on the subject of videos and since I just learned to add these videos...

You have to watch this preshy preciousness :)

My BFF is in England

2008-12-30T20:00:00.000-08:00

This is a tribute to her....

She may be the only one in the world that understands how crazy this video is...

if anyone is a Chris Brown fan...then you'll understand..

and I miss her like whoa and shes been gone like a day...

lah-me...

Congrats Bob!

2008-12-29T18:54:00.000-08:00

So ...my cousin got married 2 days ago.

WE ARE SO HAPPY FOR HIM!

But what is pretty awesome about the whole thing is...they got engaged maybe a month ago?....planned on marrying in the summer of '09...decided that was way too far away and set the date 2 days after Christmas!

Now... I know that may have been a little rough for the parents (I love you sweet Robyn)...considering it was a tad unexpected and super stressful so close to Christmas...but holy cow, how awesome!

Honestly, Hunter and I learned a ton about each other in the 7 months we were engaged. It was enlightening and fun at times...but ooooooooooohhhhhhh man how uncomfortable it was! I mean ..you are betrothed to each other...but in all reality you are still single....that person is not "yours" yet...you don't get to share everything yet...you don't get to completely combine hearts yet. ALL I felt the whole time I was engaged was...I can't do that YET!

I hated that.

I adore couples who do not fall into the temptation to "do" their relationship according to the worlds standards. If you are going to prevent unnecessary stress and hardship...then go for it! Don't undergo intense emotional tolls apart because the world says you "need" time to plan an intense extravagent wedding.

Go get married in your living room! ..

..and that is just what they did. :)

Ok I know all the older generation is like tensing up in the shoulder region...because holy guacamoly! (did you know that there is actually a brand of pre-made guacamole named 'Wholly Guacamoly'...genius..anyways)...what about the unknown!!?? what if they find out they can't stand each other and they are total opposites and get an annulment in like 9 days...right? you know that's what comes into mind.

Sure..there may be things they learn about each other during marriage that they may have discussed during engagement if they had a longer time...

..but here is my view...

if you are committed...with all you have (I mean some intense sacrificial love)...if you mean what you say in front of all those who raised, supported, and love you...and if divorce was never an option to either of you...no matter what...

then.... if you learn something about this person during marriage...that maybe you would have during engagement...if you had longer...then in marriage you now have EVERY means to work through it.

You have a house that you share...and that you cannot run away from...you have a bed that you both sleep in and that is rather uncomfortable if your going to sleep upset....you have confidence in knowing that your spouse will never leave you...even if you don't worship Star Wars :)...and you have the intimacy that you began the very first day you were joined as man and wife. ( ..ya I am talking about sex...)

...What wonderful tools to work with!!!

Bob and Lauren...if we were able to go to Minnesota..we would have in a heartbeat (Bob, I know how hard it was for you to come witness our wedding :) )...but in our absence...we want to say this now:

Marriage is the BOMB.com ...and never ever ever give up on each other. Keep seeking the Lord and allow His standards of marriage to infiltrate yours!

LOVE LOVE LOVE!

Holiday Memories

2008-12-28T15:41:00.000-08:00

I promise ...I have an excuse for not posting anything in like what feels like a month. I have been drafting a post on another topic ...and am a little bit stuck on what to say..which means that I haven't wrapped my mind around the subject...which means..I am going to come back to it later :) forgive me?

..you don't care...you have been busy too, I am sure.

I don't know about you, but I have LOVED this Christmas. This Christmas more than any previous one, I found that I enjoy giving really meaningful presents. You know...the ones that I know the person receiving is going to be PUMPED about. OOoo and also the gifts that people don't even realize they need!! I love that.

For instance...for Hunter. He did not know that he needed a new Nalgene. ..Do you know what that is? It is a glorified waterbottle that is extremely popular in the more southern universities/colleges...I say southern because those are the places that actually have students that get dehydrated truckin it from class to class..even if those classes are only 20 steps from each other...and therefore need a nalgene.

Hunter was using a really old Nalgene...that not only was ugly...but would allow for him to spill all his water all over himself. Ya I know..you'd think since he's um 22? that he could drink water without any drama. oh no...there is spillage almost every time. So I got him..

Another wonderful Nalgene! it has a smaller mouth to aid 22 year old spillers...and! it's hunter green! LOVE IT. Hunter didn't even realize he needed another nalgene...but oh my did he need it. I made him throw away the old one the minute we were done opening the new one...you know for his own safety.

And ...I got a beautiful bible ... with my new name on it. and what is even more precious...is the amount of time Hunter spent picking it out. Now being married to me for 7 months...he knows how I study the bible, and got one specific for how I learn....it's perfect and I freaking love him.

Anyways.. so Christmas was fantastic. I absolutely love the fact that our parents live less than 3 miles away from each other...and therefore we get to truly enjoy Christmas with family.

Hunter's cousins came up and over from Corpus and Atlanta and we had a ball. My favorite memories:

greenbean casserole

Andrew and Nathan sleeping outside in a tent

the over-use of the phrase: Christ-followers

the over-use of the phrase: innocuous

talks about tattoos that end up in talks about gay marriage

Jess' infamous envelope tradition

Andrew's narration

Joan beating Ozzie and Doug at poker in the same sitting as her learning to play

Jess crying multiple times while reading Twilight in mid-living room

being characterized into a gingerbread cookie along with all the cousins and then photoed

Baker's Street Pub and talking politics with my parents

Erin showing Pizza Hut who not to mess with

China Inn goodness

being really akwarded out and then comforted by the women in my awesome new family

Benjiman Button

Andrew holding out his arm for me to palpate his vein and simply saying "I read your blog"

talking Aggie tradition with a Longhorn :) (Ozzie)

seeing Bagwell tear up a t.u. stuffed animal...specifically when she ripped open the crotch area

seeing Bagwell plop onto Erin as she about died from all the excitement of the holidays..

It was so fun and full of love. I was born into such a loving and caring family...and I married into one as well. The Lord is so faithful. Love Love Love!

Day One

2008-12-01T19:21:00.000-08:00

Today was my first day in a LONG time without any kind of coke...ok.. Dr Pepper mostly.

I never thought I could be an addict. I always said I could quit if I wanted to...

I lied. I had a hard time today. I brought a capri sun to work. A CAPRI SUN! How did I think that a capri sun could compare to a Dr. Pepper? Well it did not compare. So, I went to the drink area in the Cafe and wanted a coke so bad. I felt compelled. Literally, I just stared at the Dr Peppers and had to consiously stop my hand from reaching up and grabbing. I honestly felt as though it was necessary to my quality of life. I was 3 seconds from giving in, when I saw the fruity V8 and it barely tempted my taste buds ...so I opted for the heathier, not 3 million calories, doesn't stain my teeth and surge my body full of yummy caffeine goodness option.

So, I guess I am trying to limit my coke habit ...just trying to be healthy really.

But it is clear to say that I am an addict.

Oh yes, and because of this...I carried around advil with me all day....knowing that I was going to be miserable by about noonish... And I did indeed pop some advil...

No one warned me that you can get addicted to this stuff!

...

Oh yeah, I am behind on the holiday shot outs...Happy Day of Thanks. We had a wonderful time with my parents and Hunter's family in Corpus. Sharing recipes and laughs is what I call a holiday...

I have too too too much to be thankful for. Aggie football is not one of them. WHO8P!

Love Love Love..

So, I'm a Vampire...

2008-11-16T13:16:00.000-08:00

Weirdly, I am often called a vampire at work...

Why?...no, it is not because I am obsessed with that book series now movie, Twilight...

no friends...that obsession is, however, confessed by one of Hunter's professors...creepy? Am I the only one that thinks vampires are creepy??

Ok no..I am called this because...I draw blood now!

with NEEDLES!

Some of you are already passed out...right now..on the floor...

When you come to, maybe you should sit this post out.

Ok so..for some reason...people who take blood at my hospital are termed 'vampires'. For fun...just lightheartedly. I would never call anyone that! even if they were taking my blood...who just names someone a creepy thing like that.

I thought it might be a cool Halloween thing...you know ...you call me a vampire..I'll call you Frankenstein...

Oh no...I am still being called a vampire by patients...which is just weird. right?

I am actually shocked by my lack of freak-out-ness concerning sticking people with a needle. I really enjoy it...it is like a challenge each time I tie the little turnicate...palpate the vein...and BAM! stick the needle in...

Everytime I get it...I feel like the queen of blood drawing...um...which is sort of the definition of a vampire..dangit.

Oh ya. I notice that at random social functions with my family and/or friends...I have the urge to check their veins and palpate them to see if they are good...thats probably weird. Most times...I just grab their arm...and without warning, slide their shirt out of the way and start pressing my finger right in the middle of their arm.

OOO YAY! I just thought about how awesome the holidays will be...all these new veins to look at!

Ok so in other news, we joined a church! This actually occured a few weeks ago...and after 5 million prayers towards this subject...we finally feel at peace. It's like we are home now. Like we actually live here...and aren't just visiting from College Station.

Our church family is incredible. Coming from Living Hope..we had some high expectations...and we are encouraged by their complete fulfillment.

Ok so yay finally a positive and happy post...

Welcome to Pleasantville...although I can't promise that all my cynicism is gutted out of me...one day I pray it will be ;) ...

Last stop before Pleasantville.

2008-10-27T20:36:00.000-07:00

Crap.

I know I am not making your day any more pleasant with this one...but just bare with me.

I want to take this opportunity as a blogger with freedom to unleash some thoughts on a topic very dear to me…

The following is not meant to offend anyone, especially my beloved family and if you find that you disagree with my thoughts…GREAT! Let’s enlighten one another. Coffee…my treat.

So let us jump in…

adoption.

One fact about myself…is that I am, indeed, adopted. This adoption, however, was a very rare and unique one that fortunately led me to be raised in the same family that I was born into. My birth mom bravely chose to have her sister raise me as a daughter in place of herself.

This may seem negligible…as in..ok? so what’s the diff….you have the same aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents…you’re good to go.

Well yes, but my upbringing was DEFINITELY different …and far from “normal”…

Yes, I am BLESSED to have the same wonderful family and to not have the weird reality of trans-family relationships that several adopted children have to deal with…if they have an open adoption.

But the reality is… I was one decision away from being aborted.

Whoa..right? …I think I just got a hot flash.

No…no one has ever told me that this was a very real option 22 yrs ago. I don’t really think it’s healthy to dwell on that…so I won’t and never have. However, it’s reality. I am all about being hardcore deep and dirty real. Adoption and abortion are directly related. And I was one selfish decision away from being aborted.

My logic?... It was already decided that my very humble birth mom did not deem her present situation a healthy one to raise a child. Whether it was her economic situation, her age, a stable father…she came to the decision that all women must face when they become pregnant out of wedlock: ’Can I raise this baby?’.

She decided that she couldn’t. Praise the Lord for Humility! We need more...However, instead of erasing the child…she invested in finding a situation that WAS healthy.

HOW HUGE.

Once you come to the question: ‘Can I raise this baby?’…what if you come to the answer ‘No’?

Well in America…we have options…you can either get an abortion…which means removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus before it can reach a full term pregnancy…. (I say the definition not because I think anyone reading this is dumb…I just want to be real.)

…or you can give it up for another person to raise.

So, abort or adopt…

Why do we have options? Why are there so many things under our current legislation that we have no choice over…but for this we have an option. Because it’s “our” baby? Ok? But the money I make at my job is “my” money…but why does the government claim a percent of it? The car I drive is “my” car, but I do not get the option to not wear a seatbelt when I drive it…the government makes that decision for me…and of course of course…this law is in place to perhaps save my life!...but whose decision is it to say that my life …now a 22 yrs old maturation of cells is more valuable than it was when I was only a few months post conception.

It’s not even about when does life begin…it’s about the POTENTIAL life that is to be had…

I am here…I am living..I am in love with the most wonderful man I have ever met…I feel things…I have hurt people and I have helped people. Therefore, I have always had the potential for life…from the second cell biology did it’s thing…there was always a potential for life…because I have it!

That is why I think abortion is the termination of life. And it is very real to me.

What is also real…is the future legislation that will be passed in the next four years.

Several people are justifying their hunger for change by saying that their favorite candidate is “not for abortion”…he just doesn’t see how he can restrict a woman’s right to choose. Therefore, he voted against banning partial-birth abortion and trusts women to make own decisions on partial-birth abortion. (This is directly off www.ontheissues.org)

However, in Texas:

It is illegal to take more than three sips of beer at a time while standing.

It is illegal to dust any public building with a feather duster.

Urinating on the streets is illegal.

Beer may not be purchased after midnight on a Sunday, but it may be purchased on Monday.

In Mesquite, TX, it is illegal for children to have unusual haircuts.

In Minnesota:

It is illegal to stand around any building without a good reason to be there.

Red cars may not drive down Lake Street.

It is illegal to sleep naked.

It just doesn’t sit well with me that the government can tell us what to do and what not to do with our money, our behavior, our cars, our bodily functions, our hair…but doesn’t feel right about telling us not to terminate our pregnancies?

I may not be smitten with either candidate…nor how the state of our country is right now…but I won’t settle on an issue that could have meant I wasn’t brought to full term life.

Unrest: Socially, Politically, Everywherely

2008-10-19T19:26:00.000-07:00

This past week has been nuts. Seriously, from the second I left our church small group on Tuesday...I have just been royally smacked in the face.

Not only the smacking...but I am so exhausted over the constant politcalness of America right now. I can't get away from it. Can you? Give me tips. It's on everyones lips, in their yard, on every T.V. in the waiting room at MD Anderson, all over any website, all over peoples facebook profiles...I can't escape it.

Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to belittle the fact that our nation will be lead by a new entourage in two weeks...this is huge. But it's too much nonsensical information that I don't need to decide that both nominees are at the same time capable and scary. both.

Hunter and I want to move to Canada...we made plans.

So, ok...more on the smacking...

I came home Friday EXHAUSTED...not because of lack of sleep...I get PLENTY of sleep...but simply because of an emotion toll. Just one very large toll that drives me nuts. I wish you could wallow in my toll with me...oh how I want to wallow in the stupid tolliness of this freaking dumb toll...but I can't yet.

Ok, then to add a little kick...I got hardcore food poisoning last night. Hunter and I cooked some mussels...which we have done several times in the past...and I was up till 1 AM introducing them back into the world with two wonderfully opposite routes of transport. Don't you just love options. I woke up a dehydrated mess and Hunter had to use his PT skills to get me out of bed.

I promise I love being positive. I adore the good side of things...the brighter side of live. I am Mrs. Brightside really...

So on the brightside, I think the awesome weather is helping to soothe at least part of my soul... so maybe I am getting my filter back. I haven't felt the need to yell at anyone...

..OK except maybe that kid on the commercial that drops a HUGE meat ball in his moms spaghetti and gets sauce ALL over the kitchen...I kinda wanted to yell at him a little..

It's going to be OK, right?

OOO! So a good thing that happend!! I got one!

So, Hunter had to go out of town on Friday for a church Men's Retreat andpicked me up after work. I immediately dropped him off where he needed to go before then going home. He told me he had a surprise waiting for me when I get home. LOVE that.

I walk in the house and in the bathroom is a note that says..."I love you, Angel. Please relax and take a bubblebath.-Hunter"

I look at our amazingly awesome huge tub and see candles all around it...a lighter...and towel hanging up and a bottle of bubble stuff... He knows me too well. OK OK...I know..all the sympathy you ever had up til now is like completely gone. :)

Even if everything is feeling out of sorts or unrestful...First and foremost, the Lord is faithful ...and of course, Hunter is pretty fantastic.

On another note...

2008-10-16T20:13:00.000-07:00

Update time.

So, I still love my job....as in my job description. Other factors related to my job are very stressful at the moment which I will definitely go into in the future. So due to this very intense emotional toll on me at work...I am finding that my filter is attempting to utterly disappear.

Example one: So Hunter and I ride the metrorail every morning together. I love it. We get to work/school without having to be stressed about awful med center traffic. We actually get to "spend time" together in the morning (and probably gross a lot of people out with our newlywed interactions with each other). Anyways, this morning on the rail I we are sitting down in two seats right next to the doors and at one of the stops, a woman in her late 20s walked in and stood right next to us. I noticed her the very second she walked in because of her EXTREME non-modesty in the bust area. She had on jeans and a tank top and was WELL endowed in the aforementioned area. I mean c'mon I have seen plenty of non-modesty (is that how you even say it?...ill-modesty...amodesty...?) but this was CRAZY. Like she might as well have been topless, there was no difference. NONE.

So my lack of filter part....I almost yelled at her. Right in the middle of the train. HA that would have woke everyone up at 7:30 in the morning. I really almost did. Was she joking!? My husband is sitting right next to me....other womens husbands are sitting and standing all over the metrorail....WHY! did she feel the need to wear that. I wanted to yell on behalf of every wife out there, " Hi Miss!... because you are very comfortable wearing VERY LITTLE...and men are wired to enjoy the body of a woman very much. You are making it VERY hard for them to be faithful to their wives...ARE YOU CRAZY!"

Praise the Lord...He completely covered Hunters eyes..with a messed up contact...I noticed Hunter fixing it as she walked by...

I asked Hunter when we got home tonight if he noticed her honestly..and he said honestly no...he didn't see her pass him.

Now looking back..I don't want to yell but I just wished she knew...someone tell her if you see her...

There are other examples of my lid about to FLY off in the past few days. Those will come soon.

Hunter and I are very close to claiming a church as our home. We are pumped. He is finishing his first round of tests and is doing very well. I really want to post some pictures of our wedding SOMEWHERE anywhere. So maybe those will show up one day soon. And work is hard right now. Not my job...just the environment my job falls in.

More to come...we love you all.

Wonderful Memories, Mixed Emotions

2008-10-12T19:49:00.001-07:00

I can't stop thinking about my baby boy. I just can't get his precious face and innocent voice out of my head. That shirt he's wearing...probably his only one. It's filthy...can you tell?

I wish I could give him better. Not pay someone to do it for me. ME! Me...going to him and bringing him back and giving him everything I have. I think Hunter is thankful we don't have the money to go to back right now, because he knows I would come home a mother.

As for now, praying for him is all I can do. Lord, be real to this baby boy. He needs you.

For anyone whose like...who is the kid and why are you so emotional?..He is my Enule (Eh-nool-eh) and I met him two years ago. He was in my group of boys... when I went to Zambia for a month to hang out with AIDS orphans... and to show them they are worth time, love, care, tears, hugs...eternal life. It pains me to even think of what he has to live with every day. He was one of the VERY rare children who has both parents. Thank you, Lord.

There are so many awful things that happen over there...UNHEARD of things that would shock the crap out of you... And when I think about him...I always cry. ALWAYS. Not always in sadness, sometimes just because I am so happy I got to hug him and spend time with him. I just miss it.

OK more positive happy things...I'll tell you the story of this picture.

So, this was the day that all the kids (3-18 yrs of age) at the camp were getting a NEW shirt, a NEW bandana, and a NEW pair of shoes! You have no idea how huge this is. I mean these kids are ECSTATIC. It's like if American kids all got a 4 puppies, an ipod/iphone/ixboxplaystationnintendogameboy, and a years supply of icecream!

It's that big.

Enule...and all my boys for that matter..were so genuinely excited. I mean ...there were the occasional groups that would have some kids that would say they didn't like their new shoes and wanted another pair...but hey newsflash (there is sin in the world)..

My boys were about to pee there pants waiting their turn. When they came into the big meeting room...Enule ran straight up to me and hugged me so hard and just had these huge wide eyes like..."Really?" "You promise?" "Shoes! and a shirt!" "Please be serious!" He didn't stop smiling the whole day. He was so proud.

You know when you wear an oufit...a new outfit...that you just love. You feel so comfortable in ..and you just know that its awesome...you are just so excited about the day because of your new outfit...you want to go everywhere and just strut your awesome outfit..that was him.

I miss him.

Critical Analysis of Ike (Part Two)

2008-10-08T19:51:00.000-07:00

Sorry...its been like a week. And of course, it is because we FINALLY GOT POWER. (Or as a lot of people in the downtown Houston area call it..."We got lights!" ..that cracks me up.. All around me I heard people say... "You got lights?" "I don't got any lights!"..

Anyways...So I left off with my incredible idea to get us a working fan so I could catch some Z's.

We took a 50 foot extension cord and two 20 feet extension cords (thats all they had at Walmart)...plugged in our oscillating fan and ran it all the way across the parking lot/street to the apartment building that actually had power! Boo ya..yes. WONDERFUL. That is the ONLY way we survived Ike.

At some point during our 17 days without power, Hunter and I both lost our patience with CP....(CenterPoint). They were notified of our situation an average of 3 times a day. Each evening, we came home... flipped on a light switch...sighed...called CP...put our purses/backpacks down...and left to go eat/live out the rest of our night at Barnes and Noble.

OK. The positive side? Hunter and I got to invest in each other more. I found I like conversations more than TV. I finished 3 books and found another at B&N. We found a few restaurants that we really like. We got to watch the Astros a few times when we were out. We got to go to Katy and spend time with family and Baggie precious face.

We got to pray about our church home more. AND, I got paid for 3 days that I wasn't even there...(YES! SALARIES ROCK)

..I could go on...And I do think that the Lord showed me a neat thing as well.

During the lack of power state...I couldn't help but notice that our lives felt at a halt. Like everything I thought of during the day, that would be considered progression...was ended in my mind with the thought "Oh, I'll do that when we have power"...

Many days on the rail, Hunter and I would play the 'When we have power' game ...where I would say "Fill in the blank...When we have power, __________." Everything felt stopped. Nothing was progressing...no hint of productivity...in fact just the opposite.

The house was getting messier...and clothes dirtier...the air more stale...the fridge more smelly ...and the showers colder (ok that has nothing to do with productivity..it just sucked).

The point...I feel like that is a TOTAL depiction of our life without the Lord! What are we doing without Him! Where are we being productive? How are we progressing our lives? We're not! We just get more disorganized and confused. More chaos arrives. Sin...guilt...condemnation are knocking at your door with muffins and a pumpkin spice latte. Mmm..But with the Lord? Redemption... enrichment... depth...

Of course, our lives clinging to the Lord does not make circumstances peachy perfect...BUT it does heal our heart.

Seeking the Lord daily provides us with growth...progress (eventually)..and spiritual productivity. All of which are good things.

"I said to the LORD, 'You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.' " -Psalm 16:2

Our interpretation of Ike (Part One)

2008-09-28T19:46:00.000-07:00

Ike.

I am writing this in the local Barnes and Noble…because for Hunter and I, this is day 16 without power.

16 DAYS! What?!

I realize we survived Ike with no damage to our possessions…and a non-existent energy bill for the month of September, but I am finding it hard to be thankful for this!

We honestly have nothing of too much value … we are poor. So our enjoyment is not found in our stuff…

And a small energy bill means nothing when we have to eat out every night because we can’t cook. If only Center Point knew the obscene amount of money I would pay them right now to have the power back on…

Ok. Ok. I know I seem like I am ungrateful urma…but lemme just unpack the past TWO WEEKS.

The Friday of the storm, the power went out the second any wind started…awesome. But somehow, I managed to fall asleep with no circulating air. After assessing the damage the next morning we just had some minor wind forced-in water in our front entry way…and no power or water. After playing a game of LIFE and reading a little in our sticky still-aired apartment, we booked it to Katy. (My parents had power; Hunter’s did not)

We spent the next 4 days with Hunter’s parents (we weren’t gonna let them stay there alone with no power)…So the major point here is NO AC. I don’t mind the lights. Lights can be bypassed. I am a fan of candles…I have dozens of them…I do not have one battery powered fan. WHO DOES? Tell me where I can find one…in case of a recurrent Ike.

So, in the midst of this …I do have to brag on Hunter a little. So, Saturday night…at the Gaulke’s...Hunter and I were going to bed and 3 seconds after we hit the pillow, Hunter is out. Me?…I am DYING without a fan. I lay there for 5 hours…5. From 10 PM to 3 AM. Finally, I am so tired and just ticked…that I finally wake Hunter up half crying and half yelling that I can’t fall asleep. So dramatic.

My fantastic husband…simply wakes up gets me a cold water bottle to put under my neck…and tells me to relax…and before I can object…he starts fanning me with a pillow and does not stop until I fell asleep. Yes. I do thank Jesus for Hunter every day.

So the next four days are OK. We went to my parent’s house to watch some baseball and enjoy some AC. You know..it’s Texas. And finally, the Gaulke’s got a generator so we were able to hook up a fan for me at night. GLORIOUS.

So, the next Tuesday after the storm, I have to go to work. So Monday night, Hunter and I drive to our apartment and see the half the building at our complex have power and half don’t. Ours doesn’t.

So we do the whole candle and flashlight thing…but I keep thinking how the heck am I going to sleep without circulating air….and finally an idea comes!...

Ok but I have to save it for the next post… Hunter needs the computer to study for his FIRST TEST tomorrow! :)

Pray for test…pray for power!

What a Wonderful Day...

2008-09-10T19:17:00.001-07:00

You know when some days are just flat out good?...

That was my day today ... so refreshing. Nothing went wrong...work was fairly stress free...(which by the way...is an answer to prayer...)

We have been going to this small group from church, and for two weeks now, I have felt the effects of prayer tremendously after leaving!.. I feel like they are super duper prayer warriors and it challenges me so much! I love it...

Anways, I also got to do some extra early Christmas shopping on my lunch break with plenty of time to eat as well...so speaking of my lunch break...

My coworkers and I went to eat at this common area that is usually PACKED with dental students, medical students/residents, PA students, MD Anderson employees, etc. and because it is in a MD Anderson building... it is pretty prestine for like a cafeteria (and again well funded)..and so when you order your food they give you that buzzy thing. So my buzzy thing goes off and I walk up to the counter...

...I am getting gitty just thinking about what happend next....

..so I am waiting in line to pick up my food and this little black boy (maybe like 3 or 4) is kinda wandering around waiting on his dad (who has another baby in his hands) to get his food...and I see him...and of course I just want to steal him...no but for real. And I said, " Hi sweet boy! ". And to my utter shock and pure joy ...he simpy walked over to me and hugged me. HE HUGGED ME. He came barely to my knee, but he just wrapped his tiny little black fingers around my legs and squeezed!!!!!

...At about this time, the boys dad looked at us...(his son... embracing a stranger like it is his mom)... and looked a tad embarrassed...to which I wanted to say...I will take him sir...right now. No questions asked...a child off of your hands...deal? kapeesh? You have two..you can spare this precious bundle full of preciousness...

But I resisted and just hugged back and parted...so his dad wouldn't call security...

This moment caused my day to be wonderful and I thought it couldn't get better...until!

PRESLEY WON GREATEST AMERICAN DOG!! (for further clarification see my very first post)

How awesome is he!!

I told Hunter every week, that Travis and Presley were on the brink of going home...that if they kick off Presley, I am not watching this show to the end...because I was such a huge fan... but HE WON!! He was by far the most lovable, playful, smart, and full of personality dog on that show! Go Boxer Dogs! as a former and future boxer owner...I always knew they were the greatest American dogs!

So small update:

Hunter likes school...he is learning...not like a ton...which is hard for him. But the classes that are actually challenging keep him suited for now. There are some very interesting people there that we can't wait to love on ...so more to come on that.

I feel like it is hard for me socially to have an 8-5 job. I feel like my socialness is plummeting. After talking to patients for most of the day, I like quiet time. I want to say I like alone time...but I don't know if it is that so much .... just not a lot of talking and chatter. and that's hard...because I miss my beloved friends.

We found a church that we are enjoying sharing community with and learning from. We don't want to stay church homeless for very much longer so...more to come on that.

I guess thats it. Yay for a wonderful day. :)

Bread Winning

2008-08-25T18:12:00.000-07:00

So far, I love my job...

This may change...considering I want babies ..tons... of babies.

Babies that do things like this.. http://allthingshendrick.blogspot.com/2007/02/that-poor-boot.html...

But for now, I like my job. For anyone like.."Ok, what's your job wierdo?"....Basically, I work at MD Anderson recruiting patients for studies to hopefully gather enough research to one day cure their cancer. HOW NEAT!

First of all, I thrive off the medical center. It's huge...it's prestine...it's the best. Second of all, it's MD Anderson...they kill cancer like whoa.

Everything is so ...whats the word....'well-funded' there. Like, I swear their bathroom sinks are heated...LOVE THAT. For every employee, they make a plastic name thingy...which normal people are like..ok? so. But, I am like COOL! A PLASTIC NAME THINGY!...

And I got my own cubicle! and it's big. More pics of that to come.

So, the perks of my job..other than the aforementioned ones are:

I wear a whitecoat
Every patient thinks I am their doctor
I do not HAVE to correct them
Some doctors think I am a doctor
It is probably wise to correct them, but I don't HAVE to
Every day, I am working towards cancer prevention
I am actually using my degree!
I am not mentally exhausted or even tired for that matter when I get home
Hunter and I get to ride into town together and back home together every day
Hunter's school is literally across the street from my office
I get to put Hunter through school while he tries to become the best DPT ever
and
Whitney is near me too!

it is the perfect first job...for me atleast.

Considering how many times Hunter and I prayed and prayed and how I applied to 40 million jobs and got only 2 interviews in 2 months, I shouldn't be surprised to realize how much the Lord knew where He wanted me...but I am.

Finding a job stinks. NO ONE tells you that. There isn't a college course on "the REALITY of finding a job when you leave our comfortable walls! "

For the 2 months of endless job applications, I just wanted to call any # on A&M's website and say..."YOU DIDN'T WARN ME! "...

Luckily, Hunter and I had 2 months of wonderful bonding time. I will forever think of that time as set apart and special. We may have watched a little too much TV and probably could have been classified as bums...but we had fun...

So, cheers to my job. I hope all of those who are trying to find one, find the perfect one...however long it takes.

Astros, the ER... a good week!

2008-08-18T20:07:00.000-07:00

Well, the last week has been hectic and so I (Hunter) get the honors of telling the story. This is my first post, and let me tell you... Ashleigh is so geeked up :)

Last Tuesday night, Ashleigh and I had a little encounter with the St. Luke's Minor Emergency Clinic... Yeah.

It all started (or so we thought) at dinner with my parents earlier that evening. We had mexican food and about midnight as we were going to bed, Ashleigh began complaining of very hurtful stomach pains(and she has a really high pain tolerance). She couldn't sleep and for 2 and half hours she lay writhing in pain while I slip in and out of sleep waiting it out for her to stop hurting. After some nausea and a trip to the bathroom, around 2:30am we headed for the 24 hour emergency clinic. Praise the Lord I had noticed it while we got familiar with Houston!

The clinic was pretty awesome.... We got to see the American women lose the gold in gymnastics again (thanks to poor judges... of course :)) while Ashleigh continued to writhe in pain. Our doctor was really nice though. His name was Jesus Arroyo, but I like to think that Jesus helped us. He got us an IV (overkill?), some pain meds, nausea meds, and we waited it out for the blood work results. It turned out Ashleigh didn't have food poisoning from her delicious enchiladas, but a viral infection in her GI tract (ouch!). Thanks to the meds, we walked out of there pain free and got back in to bed at a groggy-eyed 5:30am.

Phew, am I glad that was over! I was really glad to be there for her and care for her health. I never thought we'd have to go the emergency clinic, but she needed it and so we did it! She's feeling much better now.... In fact, this Saturday we got to go Minute Maid Park to see Lance Berkman talk about the real Jesus (not the dr.) and hear a Stephen Curtis Chapman concert! What a sweet gig and thanks to my wonderful in-laws, it was all free of charge!

Hey there ya little papasan...

2008-08-06T15:22:00.000-07:00

We got a papasan chair!

Ok to preface...we have this strange cubby area in our bedroom that is really hard to decorate if your poor...

..or not really that creative.

So, Hunter and I have gone to Ikea, to Target, to Bed Bath and Beyond...to come up with ideas for this space!...

We found things we liked ...but they are soooo expensive...We almost gave in and bought this chair from Ikea that really was too much ...but we justified it with the fact that we would have it forever ...

UNTIL! We were in Rice Village last week to have some awesome TCBY (1$ cone Wednesdays..YES!) with the Phillips' and we went into Pier 1. Yes. Too-Expensive for newlyweds that are definitely not trust fund babies Pier 1. I like looking...so I drug Hunter in there ..and immediately he is trying to find a place to sit...

...and there...is.. the coolest papasan ever!

I always envisioned papasans as really fluffy oversized looking space-like pods...but this papasan was like revamped. It was modern..it was flippin comfy!

...and best of all ..it was affordable! at PIER 1! Well, being good stewards of our money...we went home to think about it...and got it just in time for good 'ol Edouard! Considering that every channel we have (all 6 of them) were over-covering the "tropical storm"...I read for hours as Edouard did nothing but give us some much needed rain...and give me some much needed book-time. Here is our saweeet papasan! :

Speaking of reading...I just finished 'Four Loves' by C.S. Lewis...

Of course, he is such a good communicator and gives the best literary analogies..but I am not gonna lie it wasn't my favorite book of his.

However, the bits and pieces that were good were REALLY good. Extremely deep and thought provoking...you know classic him. But the rest...I wanted to skim through.

Maybe it might take reading a second time to appreciate...

In other news, Hunter is sicky sick. I am gonna go tend to his aches and pains. :(

Date Night

2008-08-02T12:04:00.001-07:00

I love dates.

They are vital for any good relationship...including friendships and family.

I am the type of person that needs dates with my friends...my mom...and especially Hunter. I need them. I remember growing up, my mom took us on dates. I remember they halted when I was embarrased of being with my mom in public. (especially when she wanted to hold my hand...do you remember that stage! oh the humiliation)...ok maybe not everyone held hands with their moms, but I did... Well the dates with my mom resumed once I became an adult..and I love them.

I love dates with my friends. Going on candy runs (I always got more candy then everyone else..), watching movies, going to dinner, ordering pizza and bummin' around. Those are dates too.

Individualized set apart time...spent with those you love.

Last night, Hunter and I went on a date...lemme just say, for me, going on dates as a married couple is far superior then when not married. It probably has something to do with the fact that Hunter and I didn't kiss before marriage, and now I can kiss him whenever I want! Before dinner, during dinner, after dinner, before desert, after desert, during the movie...I like kissing.

Also, there is so much fun stuff to do in downtown Houston.

We went to Prima Pasta for dinner.

Then, knowing I adore creme brulee, Hunter took me to Grotto for dessert. Of course, they were out...BUT!! we sat in the fun-happenin cocktail bar area..and the 'Stros were on.... So we watched them and had coffee and tiramisu!

Then! went to the Edwards Cinema and saw WALL-E. Ok seriously, presh. We spent an hour just saying "Waaaaaalllll-E" and "Eve-A". Hunter can do it really good.

Then to top it all off, we went on a candy run! He got 1 package of Reese's and I got 2 Big Laffy Taffy strips, 1 peanut butter twix and a box of Milk Dud's. (Ok, I warned you, I always get more candy then everyone else. ) and I am really not a sweet tooth.

DATES ARE FUN! They are needed. I need them. You might not need them, but I do.

Which is why I am super pumped..more pumped then I can express in words..that Danielle is coming to visit me tomorrow!! We haven't gotten to hang out since right after I got home from my honeymoon. and that wasn't a date...that was me dishing about my honeymoon. :)

ME! + Danielle! = DATE! Tomorrow!

I need this. We need this.

Pumped.

Ok...it is official

2008-07-30T10:07:00.000-07:00

We are bored and poor.

Ok we're not that poor. Trust me, I have seen poor. But we kind of decided that we are too poor to get Hunter a hair cut..SO I DID IT!

It started a couple days ago when we were watching American Gladiators...LOVE THAT SHOW..(especially considering Hunter knows the guy that holds the record in the eliminator! Go Tim!) and I noticed that Hunter was pushing back his bangs and seemed miserable with his hair in his face. So I took out some hair ties and played :)

He is so excited..right?

I know how to make boys excited...I told him he looked like a gladiator!

and he got happier..

and we decided that if Hunter were an American Gladiator, he would be the SOURDOUGHER! or the BUFF BAKER! Haha. But since I think he is pretty awesome and muscley and in love with Star Wars, I have him another name. So here is ...the ONE..the ONLY...the INTIMIDATING...SKYWALKER!

Ok so as you can see, his hair is LONG. Like really long. He hasn't cut it in like 3 months. Which for guys, thats nuts!

So , he convinced me to cut his hair so that we didn't have to spend any money on it. Whatcha think!?

I am SUPER proud. I wish I had a better before and after picture. But, I mean first of all..he does not have a mullet. YES. Second of all, he does not have a bowl-cut. YES. I think I completed this with at least a passing grade!

Ok before I go, I wanted to show a pic of the sourdough he made yesterday! IT IS SO GOOD.

YUMM-O!

Oh yes, and shot out to my MFEO BFFE LOML Danielle, from which the baking stone that Hunter bakes the bread on everytime, and this wooden bread thing that Hunter uses to cut the bread came from as a wedding gift! We love you!

My Husband Bakes...A Lot

2008-07-27T15:40:00.000-07:00

Hunter is a baker...

I am not even kidding you...he bakes sourdough bread every single day that we are home and not out of town. Sourdough that looks exactly like the picture above. He is soooo good at it, too. Seriously, if you want bread...anytime...just come over. Because it is either in the oven or it just came out.

Honestly, I think he may be obsessed with soursough bread...and thinks about it constantly...and as a wife, I might need to talk to him about this. But I don't want to! Why deplete my life of yummy carb goodness?! It is soo good. We use it for sandwiches or just snack. Sometimes even breakfast. Heck, we would starve without his baking of sourdough. And there is no way I can bake like him, so I don't think I will talk to him.

Go on baking, you king of the oven!

Oh yes, and today is a special day here in the Gaulke house! (um...apartment?) .. Two years ago Hunter took me on our first date!

Anyone who knows me, knows it was one of the best days of my life...and I thought it would never happen. Our first date was a full YEAR AND A HALF after Hunter became set apart to me...and for real, that is a long time. Luckily, I know now I was not alone and he felt the same way (duh! we got hitched!)..but the Lord did some things in our single lives that we would have missed out on had we been together.

So today marks the day of celebrating:

patience
the Lord as our FIRST love
prayer
perseverance
growth
being happy where you are
our friendship
and dates!

Happy 2 Years my bestfriend.

I smell the sourdough coming out of the oven RIGHT NOW! :)

The Best Show of Summer...Just a Few Reservations

2008-07-25T14:52:00.000-07:00

Ok...so I found my favorite show of the summer.

I recently found that there are a few things that really tug at my heart-strings: the olympics (specifically swimming events), the idea of having children or finding out other couples are pregnant, and THIS DOG SHOW! It is precious! I love the boxer named Pressley because I have a boxer!! (well at my parents house..but it is mine.) Pressley is SO well behaved and BEAUTIFUL! Look:

It is a brindle coloring, which makes it stunning.

I am seriously rooting for this dog and his owner, Travis. You have to watch them. Travis doesn't treat Pressley like human...because after all he's a dog...but he is a wonderful owner. And Trav is a Christian!! or so it says on the shows website..I haven't talked to Trav or anything.

My reservations:

There are a few people on the show that are the classic obsessive dog owners that treat their dogs like children or BFFE's...and in all reality worship these four-legged animals. Oh yes, and did I mention that on the trademark advertisement for the show...it has "In Dog We Trust" under it...yeah it doesn't have it in the version up there...but come on that's just weird. They seriously exchanged the word God, to dog. Is anyone else creeped out by that?!

I am totally pro-puppy...I mean seriously I can't stop begging Hunter for a boxer every single time I watch this show...(I know he melts everytime he sees Pressley...He may cave!!)..but seriously people...has America become a nation of dog-worshipers?! Have we really started to invest our feelings/time/money/devotion/and loyalty into animals with huge personalities but no souls!?

One time during Hunter and my HGTV watching days (when we had cable)...we saw an episode of House Hunters in which a retired couple took their dogs to every potential house and they ended up choosing a house SOLEY because they felt as though their dogs liked it the best! Hunter and I were a tiny bit disgusted to tell the truth. I believe that the house was even some 100K out of their price range! WHAT!? ...

I love dogs...well only the cool ones. They are precious, sweet companions and valuable.........as PETS! :)

Yes...it is time.

2008-07-25T12:40:00.000-07:00

So, here's the thing...I CAVED.

I'm a blogger. I have always loved reading blogs...and I definitely have my favorite bloggers...they make me laugh and cry and feel things...it's better than T.V.! and so I caved. I want to record the ups and downs of life/post really neat videos off YouTube/and talk to a potentially non-existant audience! ...it's liberating really.

So here goes...the Camp Gaulke journal...that will hopefully last until we actually have the camp Hunter and I so desperately want :)