A Tribute to My Twin

It was my freshman year...her sophomore!! We had no idea what would be in store for our relationship when we met that first Alabaster Dance meeting!! Who knew we would become best friends, d-group leaders, dancers, partners in crime, late night chatters, boy problem fixers, bridesmaids, and twins!! My best friend, Kristen Robinson, is getting married on August 7 and I wanted to reminisce our journey together!! Some of these are old and embarrassing, but it is what made us so close!! So we begin Fall 2005!!

We were at a Dance Competition getting ready for a night on the town!!

First dance on the Chi Alpha Alabaster Dance team!!

Fall 2005 football season ((What were we thinking?!?))

Girl's Night in Little Rock!!

Chi Alpha Fall Down 2005

Football season!!

First Chi Alpha Christmas Party (2005)

Our homemade Christmas sweaters from our Alabaster Retreat!!

Alabaster Christmas Dance!!

Second year on Alabaster (Fall 2006)

We had so much fun dancing together...it made the 6am practices not seem so bad!

Chi Alpha Christmas Party (2006)

Jessica and Chris' Wedding (BTW...this is where Kyle and I first hung out together before we started dating) Kristen was along for the whole ride!! =)

South Africa Mission Trip Summer 2007 (Paris, France)

Best memory ever!! Shark diving in Cape Town, South Africa!

We were stuck in the airport for over 24 hours and the only place we could sleep was in the kiddie play area! (P.S. It was about 40F in the airport!! FREEZING!)

On top of Table Mtn in South Africa

We worked at Camp War Eagle after we got back from South Africa (Summer 2007)

Football Season 2007

We were masters on the Wii!!

And we had many great memories with our S-Words!!

Chi Alpha Video Music Awards- Spring 2008

Girls Trip to Gulf Shores - Spring Break 2008

We had so much fun there!!

Driving there....she was my navigator!

Our D-Group (Bible Study group) we led 08-09. The most amazing group of girls we could have had! We were so blessed and honored to lead them!! (Fall 2008)

Chi Alpha Olympics!!!

Chi Alpha Fall Down 2008!!

Chi Alpha Christmas Party 2008!!

My 22nd Birthday (December 2008)

LR Zoo Trip (Spring 2009)

Chi Alpha Video Music Awards - 2009 - with our wonderful D-Group!!

We gutted some apartments and refurbished them for a foundation through Chi Alpha!

Chi Alpha Leadership Retreat - Spring 2009

Chi Alpha Senior Banquet 2009

KRIS ALLEN - American Idol came home!!!

We were excited to see him and congratulate him on all he had done!!

Canoe Trip 2009

My Best Friend and Maid of Honor (She was the first person I called when I got engaged)

My Twin!

Kristen, I am so honored to be your Matron of Honor on the happiest day of your life! You have been such a blessing to my life, and I honestly don't know where I would be without you!!

As you can see....we went through UCA together!! We were together 24/7, and although we live in different cities now, we do the best we can to see each other! Some of the pictures were hilarious and many were embarrassing, but you can see how we grew through those years into the people we are now!! God truly blessed me with a fabulous friend!!

Classrooms, Crafts, Cruise, Construction and Cuteness

I know I have been a little behind on the blog updating....so here is everything in the past 2 1/2 months all rolled up!!

June 7 - Last Day of School...Here is my classroom as I am getting ready to leave. I had so many great memories in here with my babies! They were each so special to me!!

It's all boxed up now and ready for Mtn. Springs in a couple of weeks!!

Week of June 14-18....I went and had lunch with one of my wonderful childhood friends, Kristin Duckworth during this week and she got me all inspired to be a little crafty...so here goes!

Add all of those products up and you get a pretty fun picture frame, which I gave to my mother-in-law as a late mothers day present!!

I also decided I would try one of Shanna Moody's projects I had seen her do on her blog! She took a piece of tile to create a picture. Kyle had one left over from when he redid our floors a year ago.

I had planned on using buttons on the "B" but it was too much, so I decided to paint over the "B" with glossy Mod Podge and stick a flower on it!! I love it!!

June 20-26.....Cruise!!!

(New Orleans to Progresso to Cozumel and home)

Heading out to Bourbon Street for some dinner on our anniversary!!

When we got back to the room we decided to try our cake from our wedding...and it was delicious! We cut the outer edge off and ate the insides! We were so stuffed from dinner, but we enjoyed a bunch of this as well! It was so fun reminiscing about the wedding and the past year we have spent together! He's such a fabulous husband!!

Here we are in our room on the boat (many more pics on facebook)! This was our formal night, so we got all dressed up and ready to head to our dinner!

They had shows every night and they were great! We are sitting in the theatre getting ready for one to start! This boat was huge!!

Mayan Ruins...this is where the dancers and shows performed, so of course Kyle had to snap and quick pic of his favorite dancer! =)

These temples were amazing, and the intelligence they had when building these far surpassed their time!

The Carnival Triumph in Progresso....it was so big!!

Nothing is more beautiful than a sunset on the ocean! You just cannot grasp how far the horizon seems to go when you are out there with nothing in your way!

Cozumel Beach Party!! We met some great people here, Ronnie and Allison, and we had such a blast with them our day on the beach!!

We get magnets everywhere we go, so please meet Squirt, our newest neighbor to Refrigerator Neighborhood!!

June 27 - Our Family of 2 became our family of 4!! Here I am with treats so excited to go pick up our newest additions!

The names of our new puppies are Kooper and Kole! (With "K's" of course). And here are our sweet trouble-makers!! Kole is on the left and Kooper is on the right!

Our newest picture of them...we have decided that Kole (in the front) looks a lot like Yoda with those ears!! They are such a great addition to our family and we are so happy to have these sweet things to come home too!!

Week of June 27 - July 3 (Yes...it only took him one whole week to finish this whole project!)

Kyle and I have really been wanting somewhere to sit out side. We have a little front porch and a little back porch (as you will see). We were wanting some more space to sit outside...especially with the new babies!!

Here is the before picture of our back yard...no place to sit down or put a grill except in the grass!

So Kyle decided to build a deck...a small one of course, but once I got involved and he got brave, it became a little bigger than his original intentions!!

Here he has killed the grass where the deck will go!

Workspace built and frame going up!

Outer edges of the frame up!! Day 1 is successful!

Rest of the frame up and ready!

Boards laid down...it's beginning to look like a deck at this point!!

Day 2 successful!!

First set of stairs are going up (took some practice to get the puppies to actually use them...they were scared of them at first!)

Posts up for the handrail!! Day 3 was a success!!

Second set of stairs being built and ready to use!! Lattice board up as well! Day 4 = check!

Handrails up and all is beautiful and finished!!

Day 6 = a beautiful new deck for us to enjoy with our new puppies!! Thanks to my hubby for working so hard to build this and make our home even better!!

Here is the past 2 1/2 months summed up into one blog! I promise to try and post more often than this!! New pictures from my new class will be coming soon!! It's been an amazing summer and I have loved my time with Kyle! He is now back in school and I am getting ready to be back in mine!! Boy...summers get shorter and shorter every year! =)

Mountain Springs Elementary!!

This is where I will begin my new job in August! I just got hired today to start at the new elementary school in Cabot, AR!! It will hopefully be ready to move in by June, and I am so excited about beginning here!

I feel like this was definitely a lesson from God about working hard and how you must go down random roads to get to your destination! I did not get hired until August 8 last year. I had 10 days till the first day of school in Pre-K....a grade I knew nothing about! I then spent this whole year trying to figure out how to teach a Pre-K class and help these children grow and learn. I have loved every minute of it, and I love my babies.....but my heart was not content there!

When I found out about this new school being built, I began to question whether I should apply or not. Kyle and I began praying hard about what I was supposed to do! I felt like I should apply for it and let God do the rest. I went in for an interview and with God's blessing...they called with a position!

I have learned so much my first year of school, and I feel like God placed me at Westside to make a name for myself and meet people that would help me get this new job! My Lord is so good to me and taught me so much about being content in my position in life. I have also learned that God listens...no matter how long it takes for Him to answer... He is listening!!

Thank you Father for the blessings in our life! Thank you for 2 successful years of Medical School and for answering my prayers for a position You have pulled my heart towards!!

I am a 3rd grade teacher at Mountain Springs Elementary!! =)

Anniversary Trip

The Carnival Triumph is what you see above. This is what Kyle and I will be boarding on June 21 this summer!! After the BIG Step test that Kyle will be taking on June 16...we will be home free for a nice vacation together! After that, we will only have a few weeks before Kyle begins "Year 3" of medical school. July 7 is the day he starts his clinicals, which will begin a crazy year of random hours and a lot of new adventures.

We figure before he starts his third year, we should begin on a good note....like a cruise for example!!