The Sunday After Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving. I'm a Christmas girl, but Thanksgiving might be my second favorite holiday. It involves so many things that I love. Family, homemade food, expressing gratitude, and yes, I'm going to say it: shopping. I used to take offense to the term "Black Friday" but I think that it is used as a term of both scorn and endearment... it all depends on your perspective! So we all know about Black Friday, and if you are reading this blog, you probably know that it is followed by "Small Business Saturday". Well today I realized that whether it bears the title or not, this special weekend culminates in what I am calling "Sleepy Sunday". I'm exhausted!

Thankfully, all of the things that wore me out were good and worth it! But my goodness, it's been busy around here lately.

The girl that works in the office with me was out of town the ten days leading up to the week of Thanksgiving. Her family was blessed to go on a Disney cruise, and they are still on cloud nine! They've already scheduled one for next year =-) But her being out of town meant work was extra busy for me. That's the nicest way I can think to say it. She was back at work last Monday, thankfully, and last week was a three day work week - Praise the Lord!

But the busy really began last Saturday. We had much prep to do for the Thanksgiving party that was at our house on Sunday. Then Sunday was the party, which was incredible, by the way. Then a non-curriculum week at school, which meant field trips every day, but also a more relaxed vibe. Then Thanksgiving was Thursday. We had lunch at my parents house, which was a great time. Then I got up early to shop on Friday. Not crazy early, like years past, but I was out of the house by 7. I was home from shopping at 12:30, which gave me a few hours at home before we left to celebrate Thanksgiving with my dad's side of the family - cousins, aunts and uncles and all that. Then on Saturday I had to buy supplies for the first ever Parents Night Out at the school where I work. This took longer than I would have liked, but was a great morning because I got to meet my sweet friend Jeff for coffee while I was out! Yay for that! Then I came home and had a few hours to get ready for that before I had to go. And today was church, followed by a mission trip meeting, followed by a super fun mission trip fundraiser, followed by an errand and then dinner with my mother in law.

And in between all of that, there was crafting. Yikes!

I was signed up for the Deep Irving Market Days this past Saturday - Small Business Saturday. But it was rained out. Which means that my one and only craft fair of the season is this coming Saturday at North Hills Prep in my hometown. I have a LOT that I would still like to do, but we will see how far I get. I will post pictures once I've survived it =-)

I did visit my favorite local small business, The Curiosity Shop, on Small Business Saturday. I found a treasure. I've named him Pig. Shout out to all of the HP fans who know what he's named after. How cute is this!!!

I want to tell you more about the fundraiser that I had today, but it will have to come later this week. I've got to get busy!

Falling So Far

It's so nice to walk outside and it feel like fall. The leaves aren't really raining down yet, but there was a day this week that a few leaves rustled by every time the wind blew. Music to my ears =-)

October is mostly through. We have settled into our new routine. Work, school, dinner, church. A little too much work/school, for my taste! We are in need of some husband/wife adventuring and memory making. It's not quite a desperate need yet, but if we don't get to planning something soon, it won't be long before the word desperate applies.

The dogs still bark at us every time we pull up to the new place. It's just their way. We haven't had anyone over yet, outside of family, and that has only been one at a time, but this time next week, we will be in the middle of our first shindig at the new Casa de Bacon. That's right - a happenin' Halloween hoopla!

And it hasn't been ALL work and no play. Last Saturday we went to an event in downtown Irving that my dad happened to be doing karaoke at. Events with my family are my favorite! I snapped a few pics at lunch.

Today, while Brett was at class, I hung out with Robin and Rebecca, two of my favorite ladies! Last time that Brett had a weekend class, we went and saw The Intern, which I LOVED, and there is a small clip of Singin' in the Rain in that movie. So we decided to have another play date the next time Brett had class and watch that movie. Well these girls know how to do it right. First of all, it was raining today, so perfect timing. Rebecca roasted chicken and vegetables and we made sugar cookies and used rain and fall themed cookie cutters! Too cute! Here is a before pic.

They were delicious =-)

Most of my evenings are full of felt and thread these days. My cousin Ragan asked me to make her a felt alphabet. I posted a picture of them on Facebook and someone else asked me for one. And it's pretty much continued that way for the past few months! They are so fun to make. And I'm getting faster and faster! I love the colors. I've also done a set of shapes and numbers.

And that's all the pictures I have to share. haha... tried to make this post a little prettier to look at! I thought I was in the mood to blog, but I'm being distracted by Friends on Nick at Night. Can't fight that! Hope your night was full of laughter and friends as well!

Happy October

And suddenly... it's October!

My favorite month =-) I love the fall. So many of my favorite things happen in the fall. The whole pumpkin phenomenon? Totally guilty of that. A teacher at school brought me a pumpkin frappuccino this morning. Good. Ness. It was delicious! And pumpkin pancakes at IHOP? Forget about it. Going this Saturday with my mom. Can't wait!

It's also the beginning of craft fair season! I'm not sure how many I'm actually doing this year. I hope at least one, possibly two. I need to get that figured out! It's part of my plan for this Saturday. Also part of my plan for this Saturday: going to a craft fair! With my mom, after eating pumpkin pancakes at IHOP. AND it's cooling off a bit. Woohoo!

Also, orange is my favorite color. I'm mesmerized by the leaves changing every year! Is there anything more beautiful??? I'd really like to take a trip to New England to do some tree ogling. Someday =-)

I'm excited about a new season. Brett and I are in a new season of life, so I'm happy that the weather is changing. We moved here mid summer, but fall will be our first full season in the new place. I realize that's a pretty random thing to be excited about, but there you go.

We are very happy in our new place. Brett is loving seminary and God has blessed me in so many big and little ways. I'm having a lot of fun with my current craft. There was the collaging, then the rope bottles and ornaments, and now I'm into felt alphabets. It's so fun! I've always wanted to learn to sew. Someday, I will buy a sewing machine and have my mom teach me. For now, I satisfy that desire with hand stitching felt with embroidery thread. Not fancy, but oh so fun! I feel like Betsy Ross!

I'm also really enjoying choir. It's good to be back =-) It feels good to sing and I love having that time with Rebecca!

The mission trip is getting close. I still have a little money to raise, but we're almost there. I can't remember if I have blogged about the trip yet... I'll do that soon! But I'm thinking about what I need to do to be prepared spiritually and physically for that trip. I'm hoping to start a regimen next week. Another thing to get figured out on Saturday.

Tomorrow night, Brett has class, so I'm going to dinner and a movie with three girlfriends. I literally cannot remember the last time I had a dinner and movie night with my girlfriends who weren't my actual sisters. I'm really looking forward to it!

And now it's time for bed. I leave you with some fuzzy pictures of my fuzzy felt creations. I got 6 orders this week, so I bought more supplies and will get started on that, you guessed it, this Saturday =-)

Happy Fall my friends!

Settling In

Well, we've been in the new place for a month now. That first month always flies by! How do I know this? I move too much =-)

But it's true. Your landlord says, "I'd like you to commit to at least a year", and before you know it 1/12th of that time is done! And you think to yourself, "I DO NOT want to move in 11 more months!" Right now, I perish the thought! But that was also true 12 months ago when I had been in our new place for a month. Moving is hard, and I REALLY hope that 11 months from now, God is not moving us somewhere else. But at the same time... it was a HUGE praise that he moved us after 12 months last time. And of course I will follow where God leads. What if 11 months from now, Brett finds himself on staff at a church in Nashville?

Random example. I know.

My point is, I am incredibly happy to be here today. Each day, this little apartment feels more like home. Each day I have at least one moment of extreme thankfulness that God brought us here. Today there were several =-)

Brett finished his first seminary class today. Well, mostly. He has a paper, which he has already written, due tomorrow, but then this one hour class will be done! One hour down, 139 more to go? I'm just saying that. I don't actually know how many hours his degree requires. But we're done with one! And he got an A. That's my baby!

It's been a crazy month. I tried to think of a more sophisticated sounding word just now, but nope. That's the one. Crazy. But also amazing. I'm trying to settle into a more healthy routine. Working on it. Just beginning. But it's my focus right now. My spiritual and physical health. I want that to be the emphasis of this year for me. I feel like a new phase of our ministry as a couple has begun, and while Brett's job is school, mine is my health. Father, God, guide me towards better health.

I would love for you to pray for me as I work towards that.

I'm hoping to have lots of time for thinking this weekend. We'll see how that goes!

Happy Friday Eve =-)

Back in the Game

So remember last Tuesday when I said that I was going to start choir the next day? Yeah. That didn't happen. I went to church, and then realized that I had SO much to do to get ready for the first night of Bible study on Thursday, I put the car in reverse and got out of there! And it's a good thing I did. I was up until midnight.

But I went tonight. SO MUCH BETTER!!! I sat with Rebecca, who sits next to the three sassy choir ladies, and it was wonderful! This is definitely the right thing. I'm so happy to be back =-)

In other news... I still have a few last boxes to shift around - there's not really any room left for unpacking, just storing - but the apartment is feeling a little more like home every day. I'm looking forward to this Saturday. It will be the first time that Brett and I get to wake up without an alarm clock. We don't have to be anywhere til noon. Last Saturday he had class all day, so that had us both up at 6 a.m. I got to go back to sleep, but it will be so nice this Saturday to wake up late TOGETHER. I also think that we are going to both be home this Friday night, and that will be our first Friday night at the new place with no plans and no boxes to unpack. Sigh... just the thought is relaxing!

We have Open House at school tomorrow... it's going to be a crazy day! I need to head to bed, but I'm working on a little design job for someone, and I want to stay up a bit longer to see if he emails changes. I sent him new proofs and final files, but the instructions were really unclear on one of the changes, so I'm not sure I interpreted them correctly.

Okay. This post got boring! Mainly I wanted to say, yay for choir! I'm off to watch some Friends on Nick at Nite. I suggest you do the same =-)

When I Grow Up...

If I could do absolutely anything in the world, I'd be a Broadway actress. Is that the dream that I chase? No. Could I see myself getting into community theater someday? Probably =-) It'll be on my list if I end up 100 pounds lighter and still childless someday. Would I rather be a mom? Heck yes! But it would console me some... maybe.

I ended up seeing "Into the Woods" at the Irving Art's Center this past Saturday with Rebecca and Robin. LOVED IT! I love those girls, and the show was amazing. What a fun treat!

Long post to come at some point this week... most likely =-)

Happy Monday! Glad it's over =-)

When You Sing You Begin With Do, Re, Mi

Some of my earliest memories of being in church with my family are of my sisters and I singing on stage with my dad. He would play his guitar, or a cheesy 80s tape of keyboard background music to an Amy Grant song would play, and we would sing along, staring at the microphone so we wouldn't have to make eye contact with anyone. That was the beginning. And for two decades, church choir was a part of my weekly routine.

But in college, I never found a church to plug into. I was one of those kids who grew up in church, going with my family every week, and when it came time for me to go on my own, to find a church that fit me, I didn't really know how. My freshman year, I went to a couple of different churches, but by sophomore year, I gave up. Now, as an adult who attends a church with a healthy, thriving college ministry, I realize how much I missed out on. But alas...

So for those four years, church choir was not in my life. But as soon as I graduated and went back to my home church, choir was a given. I LOVE the choir at my home church. Attendance at that particular church has dwindled quite a bit over the last decade, but the choir is still going strong.

When Brett and I got married and ended up joining a new church, we took a break from serving. We wanted the first six months to be about becoming the Bacons - learning to serve each other, before we learned to serve a new church body. But when six months was over, it just so happened to be time for the church choir to start rehearsing Christmas music.

I was in =-)

I wish that I could say it was just like old times. And parts of it were... same comfy choir chairs, same stiff choir folders, and even some of the same songs. But when I found myself in a choir full of people that I did not know, and didn't immediately connect with, it broke my heart. I was hoping to make friends, and I sort of made a couple, but they were girls who started at the same time as I did and didn't plan to stick around after Christmas. So when the opportunity came to sing with the praise team, rather than the choir, I was thankful to make the switch.

This particular praise team had several musicians, a few singers, and then a rotating group of back up singers called the "mic team". I was a mic teamer. But when summer came, and the college students went home, the mic team was put on hold, and never really recommenced.

So for the past few years, I have not been singing. I have thought several times about going back to choir, but I couldn't face that loneliness again. Choir was supposed to be a place to fellowship - it was a place for friends. And I just didn't have any there. So I told myself that I needed to make some friends, and then we could all go to choir together.

Guess what all of my current church friends do? That's right! Our ABF class is a musical one! So it's time. Tomorrow night I'm going back to choir. I've been thinking about it for a few months, and have had two things keeping me from it, but one of them is no longer an issue and the other one, I'm getting over. Mostly because Rebecca is in choir, and an alto, like myself. So going back to choir means one night a week where we can definitely hang out. Yay!

I hope it goes well!

In other news - Brett said the neatest thing about one of his professors today. His Exposition class (I don't actually know the name of this class, because he calls it something different every time he talks about it... but it's a Bible class, duh) happens to be taught by the president of the school. He said watching him teach is like watching a kid talk about his favorite toy - let me show it to you and show you what it can do. I wish I could have recorded Brett saying it - he was so genuine and so genuinely touched. We feel so blessed that Brett is able to sit under such an amazing man and scholar his first semester!

Now, to check the laundry.

Two nights in a row! Are you impressed?

Back to the Bacons

Well, this last one was my longest stretch of silence. I was just in a season of privacy. Our life has been an interesting journey these last two years, and this past year... well... I just didn't feel like explaining. I didn't want to feel obligated to defend. I'm thankful for the year that we had with a roommate. Rebecca is one of the coolest chicks I will ever know, and we had a BLAST being the Rebacon's. She absolutely kept me sane this year. But our next chapter has begun. In fact, I am sitting at my new computer desk (the vintage yellow table that I got from my mom two birthdays ago), with the last few unpacked boxes a foot away from me while Brett reads a text book on the couch beside me.

Let me unpack that statement for you. I am too tired to unpack any more boxes!

We moved 16 days ago. Well, I guess 17 because we started on a Friday. And by we, I mean Brett and I. Rebecca is no longer with us. She's alive, just living elsewhere. So that means, we are back to being the Bacon's!

I will never regret the year that we had with Rebecca. But when we realized that year was coming to an end and we asked ourselves if we wanted to renew our lease or look for something new, an opportunity for Rebecca to live with some other awesome ladies in our ABF class came up, and God led her there. In the beginning, this broke my heart. I loved seeing Rebecca every day. She was absolutely a sister to me. But even through the tears, of which there were MANY, I knew that it was right. It was time for Brett and I to just be Brett and I again.

But. That meant another move. We couldn't afford the house that the three of us were living in, and though I dreaded the thought of packing up and moving again, we were all relieved to get out of that house. It wasn't in the ghetto, but the house was kind of a dump. No, wait. That's not fair to say. It was just kind of falling apart. Dumpy. Not a dump. Is that nicer?

We ran through several housing possibilities, and began an apartment search, but as we prayed about where to look, God opened an amazing door for us! Even now, after living here for two weeks (I feel like we've only been here a few days!) it seems too good to be true.

We are renting an apartment garage. Here's the story. Rebecca serves in a ministry at our church that goes to Dallas every Tuesday night to feed the homeless. Anyone can volunteer and go anytime, but Rebecca is one of about 10 regulars. Two other regulars, are two ladies who are long time members of our church, are both single, and happen to be roommates. They live in a house whose previous owner was a married couple with twin sons. When the boys became young men, they needed to be out of the house, but couldn't live together. So the couple built a four car garage, with two identical 900 square foot apartments above it. Our landladies were living in the house behind this family, and when the family eventually put the house up for sale, our landladies snagged it for a great deal! A great reason to get to know your neighbors!

I can't remember how long they have owned the house now, but a while. Recently, the two apartments were being rented by two girls who were both teachers at a school in Irving. At the end of this past school year, in May I think, the girls let our landladies know that one of them was planning to buy a house over the summer and the other was going to move with her to be her roommate. So one Tuesday night, when Rebecca went to serve at SEALS (that's the name of the ministry that feeds the homeless), she asked if she could take the boxes home with her because she was moving. That comment led to these two ladies asking her if she had found a place to move, to which she said, yes, but my roommates are looking. And now, a few months later, here we are!

I have never felt safer in my life. It's a gated entry, and the ladies have 8 dogs. That is not a typo. 8 dogs. 8 dogs that run out to "greet" whoever comes through the gate into the yard, and they are not quiet about it!

The other apartment is being rented by the niece of one of our sweet landladies, and so far, she's been awesome! She came down and showed me how to use the fancy washing machine when I couldn't get it to start.

Here is the other part of the story.

Brett started seminary!!!!! He is a full time student at Dallas Theological Seminary, going for his Masters of Fine Arts in Christian Leadership. I think that's all the right words =-)

So he and his mom were at lunch one day, talking about job hunting and general future stuff, and she said "if you want to start seminary, I would pay for your first semester". That was the beginning. A few weeks later, we heard a commercial on the radio for a preview day at DTS, which Brett actually went to last year, and the door just didn't open, but with his mom's comment in mind, he signed up for the preview day, and a few days later, was applying to be a student.

Brett's mom is not paying for the semester, because DTS is crazy expensive, but she did make the first payment of the semester, and has helped us a lot along the way. I have no idea how we are going to pay for seminary, but I am 100% positive that this is where God has led us, and he is going to provide.

He has already provided this amazing apartment. The rent here is $210 less than we were paying for our portion of rent at the house, AND it includes electricity, water, gas and cable/internet. Can you believe that?!? I can't! I seriously can't. I am overwhelmed by God's grace and provision. Finding this apartment is what confirmed in my heart and mind that seminary was the right move. When we moved into our first house, even as renters, it felt like a step forward, and I hoped that we would never end up in an apartment again. But this is different. We are students. Well, Brett is a student, but we are partners. One flesh. I even got to go to new student orientation! haha.

I am thankful for this season and eager to see what God teaches us while we are here. A couple of days ago, he reminded me that every trial has purpose.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." 2 Corinthians 1: 3-4

You'll be hearing from me again soon =-) I'm ready again.

A Very Merry Christmas

Four day weekends are the best! Three day weekends tend to wear me out, because I try to cram a lot of activity into them, but a four day weekend... that's the stuff! It has been a very good holiday season, full of God's provision, good friends and family and fun!

I think the last time that I posted I was getting ready for craft season. It was a good season overall... I'm definitely still learning and I didn't start crafting as early in the year this year because of the summer moves, but I feel like it was successful, and I'm still enjoying the journey. I'm going to post more about that on my Gypsy Rhetoric blog. But I liked the spacing this year. I did a small craft fair in late October, then the big craft fair, Funky Finds, in mid November. Then two weeks later a small outdoor craft fair in Irving and then two weeks later my final craft fair at The Academy in Irving. I did a lot to get ready for the first two and then just made more of what I ran out of for the third and fourth. It was a good time frame. But I wonder if having so much crafting going on is what made my holiday season feel like such a blur, because I really truly feel like it FLEW by!

Thanksgiving weekend was a four day weekend, and it was SO nice! All of November, I worried about money, but God sent me a sweet reminder the week of Thanksgiving. One of my co-workers, on her way out of the door one day said "Kim, is this your purse?" And I said yes, and she said "I'm putting a Christmas gift in it from Mark and I". It was a few hours later, when I was leaving that I was able to open the card and I couldn't believe it. There was a card with $100 cash and $100 Lane Bryant gift card. I immediately burst into tears and sent her a thank you text. This was her response: "You're welcome. We were praying for you the other day and I just felt God telling me that our tithe was for you. He wants you to know that you are special to him and you are always on his mind." 

Friends, that money was an amazing, well timed gift that we were very thankful for, but that text message.... changed my life. He loves me =-)

Then on Thanksgiving day, my sweet parents gave us some money to help us Christmas shop. I couldn't believe their generosity. I love my parents so much, and they love me TOO much. It's one of the things that makes me want to BE a parent so desperately... to know that love personally.

Those two gifts went straight to rent. I know that is not what my parents intended it for, but we were hundreds of dollars short. So short that I had no idea what we were going to do. I had been worrying all month, but God provided in abundance. That money, combined with the November craft fairs covered rent and got us started Christmas shopping. And then December fell in such a way that I had three checks from work instead of two.

You would think that I would learn to just never worry. Ha. That would be nice. Maybe this year. Maybe 2015 will be the year that I recover from my addiction to worry. We shall see.

So anyway, back to Christmas. It has been such a good long weekend =-) We did the usual. Christmas Eve with my dad's extended family. I missed it last year because I was home with the flu, but I always enjoy it. And then Christmas morning we went to my parents house. This year was different in one way - Brett's mom was out of town. Normally we are at my parents house in the morning and then have a late lunch with his mom, but this year, we stayed with my family til mid afternoon. My niece's birthday is Christmas day, and this year she wanted to celebrate her birthday by going to a movie after we opened presents. So we all loaded up and went to see "Into the Woods", which I enjoyed. I think as a stage production, I would love it! I'm glad I got to see it.

The rest of the weekend has been pretty perfect. Christmas was perfect and we have had no rushing around, no "we have to make sure to...". Just taking our time and enjoying our blessings. I did a lot of cleaning, a bit of shopping, a bit of gaming (Lego Batman 3 - love it!), a bit of reading (The Fault in Our Stars... a Christmas gift) and plenty of movie watching. Just how I like it =-)

I hope that you have all had a Merry Christmas. I am looking forward to 2015. 2014 was a year of challenge and change. 2015 will no doubt have it's own set of challenges, but I am looking forward to the changes. I am looking forward to fighting for my life again - I have been lost in unhealthiness this year, unhealthy habits... but I'm ready to fight again. And Brett was just hired by our church. It's only 5 hours a week, but it's a foot in the door, and will be a HUGE mental boost that he really needed.

I've done a lot of hiding from my blog this year, but I am ready to record life again. I'm looking forward to 2015. I am ready to make it a good year =-)

I leave you with a couple of pictures from Christmas morning. I'll have some New Years pics for you soon!

Sweatin' Like an Oldie

Did anyone else out there ever do the Sweatin' to the Oldies videos? They're for big people... in case you're wondering. Big people like me. I bought the set a year or so ago and it's been sitting, wrapped in plastic, on my shelf. In between moves, that is. I am desperate to improve my health. Activity has never been so difficult for me before. I'm so embarrassed and so worried about my health. And eating healthy seems pointless, so I haven't been trying. But it's got to stop.

So tonight, after dinner, I did the first video. I had to sit down during the 6th or 7th song and just do some stretching. But I stood back up and finished it out. When it was over, I got a big glass of water and watched the first "bonus feature", which was an interview with this guy.

He really is a nice guy. And his story is so familiar. I cried a little. Of  course.

I'm sure you're tired of hearing it, but I really need to change. Feel free to roll your eyes when you read this. You're not alone in that action! But say a little pray for me also. That "the God of hope will fill (me) with all joy and peace as (I) trust in, so that (I) may overflow with hope, by the power of the Holy Spirit".

Thanks friends.

Sorry I don't post more. It's the same old story. My bad health is always at the front of my mind. Let's hope that won't always be the case.