The New McGoughs

new website...

2010-07-18T20:38:00.000-07:00

Hey blog friends... I wanted to let you all know that Chase and I created a new website to keep everyone up to date with our latest adventures, our everyday life and other random things. We created it to have an easier way to keep our friends, family and supports in the loop while we prepare to move & for when we actually move.

We picked the website through godaddy and then downloaded wordpress. And then from there I probably tried like 50 different 'themes' to try and get something practical, easy to use and fun. I didn't realize how difficult it was to set up a website (probably not for all... but I have had troubles!- luckily wordpress is pretty easy). But I think we have it down for now- its super simple and will evolve over time, but I think it will be fun to keep it up.

Check it out and keep in touch with us! We would love to hear what you think about it!

www.somcgough.com

Hope you all are having a great summer! Can't believe it is already mid-July!

to our dads!

2010-06-21T07:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day!

We are blessed with three WONDERFUL dads!

Dad, thank you for showing me the greatest love of all- Jesus, thanks for always praying for me and for being a listening ear. Thanks for all that you do. I love you!

Andy, thanks for always making me laugh, for loving my mom, for working hard to provide for us and for loving us so well! I love you!

Cecil, thank you for raising such an amazing son that I got to marry! Thanks for your motivation, hard work, and advice! I love you!

summer busyness!

2010-06-16T13:11:00.000-07:00

can't believe it is already the middle of June! Summer has already been super busy for us... here are some of the things we have been up to... (not in the exact order order)

swimming, going to the park & enjoying the sun with these sweet boys..

celebrating my 24th birthday with this handsome guy...

spay painting our new patio set (only $50 bucks at a garage sale!) so we can have BBQs outside..

enjoying a great meal on Memorial day with our parents...

celebrating this cute girl (Kead= 3) & drew's birthday with grilled pizza & Italian soda...

celebrating Colt's graduation in Dallas...

the decor for the party...

camping with my family in Cloudcroft, NM...
we had a GREAT trip!

enjoying time with Paige outside...

buying fresh flowers, fruit & picking fresh herbs from Jord's garden...

hanging out with great friends...

planting flowers on our front porch (mom & I did this for my birthday again this year!)...

and baking lots of sour dough bread... so tasty!...

(another post on this later...)

diapers & wipes

2010-05-25T13:12:00.000-07:00

I have lots of baby showers to attend this summer... which is super fun, but can get expensive. So I decided to try to make a few home-made items. I have owned a sewing machine since I was a freshman in college, but have only used it like once until this project!! I hope to use it more and strengthen my sewing skills. (I can't tell you how many times I had to re-do the bobbin and re-tread the needle- ha ha.. practice makes perfect- right?)

Here are my projects:

a burp cloth using "tiny safari" flannel fabric

this is a little bag to keep diapers & wipes in!

I gave these to our friend Kristi Holman on Saturday

... so if you are having a baby in the near future-

one or both of these gifts might be yours - get excited! ha ha

the team!

2010-05-13T08:46:00.000-07:00

a few weekends ago we had a retreat with some friends. We had such a great time catching up with Mark & Stacy who live in Dallas, eating great food & sharing our hearts/dreams for the future. Chase and I are so blessed with our team. God has truly been great in uniting our hearts for his glory. I am so thankful that we really care for and love each other. Here are some fun pics from the weekend!

Spoonfull... sooo good!

of course we had a bonfire with somemores included!

the boys & girls

(drew. mark. chase. traci. me. jord. stacy.)

waffles, green chile & eggs, orange julius, & fruit for breakfast!

we are blessed...

2010-05-11T16:16:00.000-07:00

with our mommas! Happy late Mother's Day! We love you all and are super thankful for your love, friendship & support.

Until I started nannying I never realized how much work mom's do for little ones! It is a 24/7- full time job! Thanks moms for wiping our rears & tears, for teaching us to love Jesus while praying for us daily, for teaching us not to be brats (hopefully this is true :0) ) and for keeping up with us all those years and now... We really appreciate it. I can only hope and pray that I will be a momma like you all were to us one day!

too many...

2010-04-27T07:32:00.000-07:00

SHOES!!

I have started my clean out process before we move... and discovered that I have over 60 pairs of shoes! Craziness! As I was going through which ones to get ride of I kept saying, "I just have to..." to convince myself to be ok with putting them in the give away pile. I still didn't get rid of a ton, but plan to do this once a month and get my shoes down to the least amount as possible. So if you are wanting to buy me shoes- don't and if I want to buy shoes- tell me not to! As sad as that makes me, because I love shoes, it has to be true!

This is my "get rid of" pile... I added about 10 more pairs when all was said and done... I am getting there!

Here is a list of other items I need to start sorting through to get rid of:

work out clothes
scarfs
jackets (will I really need over 20 jackets in the desert??)
regular clothes
kitchen stuff
bathroom stuff
stuff in my guest room closet
craft stuff
my t-shirts
stuff in our computer desk
CD's
pictures/frames

I need my little sister to come help me with this project- she is the queen at getting rid of stuff & having empty drawers in her dresser- who does that??

nanny momma

2010-04-23T20:55:00.001-07:00

Chase has given me a new name: "Nanny Momma"... and I am actually quite fond of it! A few weeks ago we kept our friends, Drew & Jord's, girls (Kead & Sayla) for the weekend (Thursday afternoon- Sunday) and then this past week I had my regular two boys- Hays & Will plus Kead & Sayla on Monday & Wednesday while Jord was in Guatemala with our church & Drew was working... so I got to experience what is is like to have four kids under the age of 3!! Pure craziness I tell you... but super fun at the same time. Although I can't tell you Chase & I will be having 4 kids under the age of 3 anytime soon.

Here are a few pictures from our week...

popsicles for snack!

we also played "movie theater" and watched Aladdin - I actually got all of them to sit, watch and snack on cheerios and pretzels for about 5 minutes or so... at least long enough to get this picture. I also had about 20 minutes both days where all four kids were sleeping/resting- pretty amazing if I must say.

I had to take a picture of this book because I think I have it memorized. Hays loves this book. We read it almost everyday before nap time. He is even starting to quote it! I guess it is a good one because it is teaching him how to eat healthy food! But a new book would be nice every once and a while :) I guess not in a three-year-olds mind.

week with mom!

2010-04-21T18:30:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a whole week hanging out in Albuquerque with my mom, sister & Andy. It was so great. I got to sleep in, learned how to quilt! (well sort of.. a post on this later), cooked lettuce wraps, went to tea, got pedicures, decorated head bands, watched about 8 episodes of the new series, "Parenthood"- have any of you watched that? For some reason I got really into it!- saw great friends & did a little support raising and great quality time with mom!

As much as I LOVE my new job, it was nice to be kid-less for a week! Here are a few pics!

sewing in mom's awesome craft room... wish I had half her craft space/supplies.

my head bands! why pay $25+ for these when you can make them for less than $1.50?

tea at the new St. James Tea Room!

lettuce wraps!

Oh Glorious Day!

2010-04-06T14:53:00.000-07:00

Oh Glorious Day

"One day when heaven

Is filled with His praises

One day when sin was as black as could be

Jesus came forth to

Be born of a virgin

He dwelt among men, my example is He

Living He loved me

Dying He saved me

Buried He carried my sins far away

Rising He justified

Freely forever

One day He's coming

Oh, Glorious Day

One day they led Him

Up calvary's mountain

One day they nailed Him

To die on a tree

Suffering anguish

Despised and rejected

Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He

One day the grave could conceal Him no longer

One day the stone rolled away from the door

Then He arose o'er

Death He had conquered

Now is ascended

My lord evermore

Oh, Glorious Day

Oh, Glorious Day"

Happy Easter! Thank you for living Jesus!

Brooke & I helped cook Easter dinner this year. Really yummy ham...

Tangerine-Glazed Easter Ham

(we used orange juice & clementines instead of the tangerines)

Asparagus bundles.. loved these! We also had pistachio salad, green bean casserole & homemade sourdough rolls!

for dessert we had a hot pink Mint chocolate chip ice cream cake from Baskin Robins... a fmaily favorite!

My sister & I Easter morning! We spent it in Knott, Texas this year with my dad & Linda.

Easter night we had a dinner at Drew & Jord's house with our Arab friends... so fun!

rest

2010-03-24T14:33:00.000-07:00

Partnership development and support raising has been a tiring, but refreshing process thus far. The Lord has blessed us with sweet time on the road together and great time with family. We feel physically tired, but spiritually encouraged and renewed. We are excited to see how the Lord will provide in the coming months.

Last weekend we traveled to Dallas and had some really great meetings with a group of men from Chase's parent's church, Chase's old high school buddies, my cousin & his family. God has been so good to bring about great meetings with people are really excited about His work. Chase also got to go to the Mavs game with his dad and I got to go shopping and out for a drink with the girls!

We will be in Lubbock this weekend and hope to do some yard work!

the 505!

2010-03-18T15:15:00.001-07:00

we have started our partnership development process and our first out of town stop was Albuquerque! We had two really great & encouraging meetings and lots of fun times with family. I love going to visit family. They are such blessings to us. Here are a few pictures from the trip...

"Daffodil Days" that we bought mom from Flying Star... brings back so many memories!

Aubs & her boyfriend, Knate, at Sandiagos at the base of the tram!

Celebrating Aubs 21st birthday... finally! (it was on February 5th)...

better late than never I guess!

matching TOMS shoes. I love my "little one" even though she is not so little anymore.

Happy Birthday Aubs!

is it crazy that I still love the snow?!

2010-03-15T12:48:00.001-07:00

after getting stuck in Clines Corners, New Mexico for 3 1/2 hours because of the snow... I still manage to love the snow!

Here is the story of our latest adventure...

Chase and I went to Albuquerque this weekend to visit my family. We left Albuquerque at 5:30 pm on Sunday evening... it was snowing a little by then, but not sticking to the ground. We had heard it was going to snow, but weren't expecting this...

this was the side of the road coming through the canyon where we started going 5 miles an hour in one lane traffic... we stayed this way all the way to Clines Corners, which is only about 45 miles from my mom's house. (but took us 3 hours) Once we got to Clines Corners we decided to pull off to see what the weather and roads were doing & to go to the restroom. Once we arrived there it started dumping snow & we couldn't see 2 feet in front of us. So we decided to wait it out for a bit...

here is the parking lot at the gas station where semi trucks were packed to sleep, (probably 50 trucks!) families were piled in the only gas station open in Clines Corners, and where Chase and I hung out for 3 1/2 hours...

we decided to just relax, hang out, & wait for the storm to let up & for snow plows to come...

we had dinner (chips & dip) and a movie! So we were set...

Finally after we saw 3 snow plow trucks drive east we decided to hit the road to Santa Rosa where we got a hotel room at the Days Inn. We arrived there around 2:00 am. Paige made herself at home & we got a good nights rest (well if you call 4 hours a good nights rest).

What an adventure! We are thankful that we made it home safely and that we were able to make the best of it!

new blog title

2010-03-11T13:49:00.000-08:00

Chase and I have decided to call our journey to the AP, "Beyond the Desert". We came up with this because the reason we want to sell our things, pack our bags and move across the ocean is because we are hoping/praying for something beyond desert, beyond a "dry and weary land...." Psalm 63:1-3, hope for something that is better than life- Jesus. This is why we are pressing in and counting all things as loss as compared to knowing Christ.

There are days in this journey that I just want to give up all hope and quit, but then I am reminded of the cross and Jesus and the fact that He did not give up on me and that he endured so that I could also endure, that He suffered first, so I could suffer after, He was glorified so that I would find joy beyond all things in this world.

Please help us remember this truth and remind us of the reason we are on this journey. We love you all.. thanks for your support & love.

muffins...

2010-03-03T07:44:00.000-08:00

about a month ago I went on a mini-muffin kick. I think I baked a different kind of mini-muffin every week for small group for over a month! Who doesn't love mini-muffins? You can just pop them in your mouth & not get crumbs everywhere! I wanted to share my favorite mimi-muffin recipe with you all... I got it from this blog; Taste of Every Season.

Low-Fat Pumpkin Mimi- Muffins

-Non-stick Cooking Spray (I like to use Pam Spray)

-2 cups flour (all-purpose OR White-Wheat four)
-Tablespoon baking powder
-1 tsp table salt
-1 tsp baking soda
-1/2 tsp ground cloves
-1 tsp ground cinnamon
-1 tsp ground nutmeg
-2/3 cup unsweetened OR natural applesauce (I used low-fat vanilla yogurt instead & it was great!)
-1 cup canned pumpkin (I used fresh pumpkin my friend Jord gave me)
-2/3 cup sugar
-1/2 cup fat-free egg substitute
-2/3 cup fat-free milk
-powdered sugar, for making the tops look pretty

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a mini muffin tin with cooking spray. If you are using cupcake liners, do not spray the pan but spray very lightly the insides of the cupcake liner.

2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl.

3. In a mixer combine applesauce, pumpkin, sugar, egg substitute, and milk in a medium bowl; mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon.

4. Stir the flour mixture into the applesauce mixer until it is all completely incorporated-do not over mix!

5. Pour batter into muffin tins. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

6. Let cool for about 10 minutes. sprinkle on the Powdered sugar (I used a flour sifter).

Enjoy! They are really yummy!

a day in the life of a pre-k teacher

2010-03-01T12:38:00.000-08:00

a few weeks ago I drove down to Cahoma, Texas (small town about 1 1/2 hours from Lubbock) to join Brooke & my mom in her classroom! I had such a great time seeing Brooke "in action". She is such a great teacher and really has a passion for what she does. Her kids are lucky to haver her!

While we were there we...

Introductions- the called me "Mrs. McGoo!" - that thought it was a pretty funny name! & they call mom "Mrs. W"... I guess Wieczorek is just too hard for 4 year olds! ;0)
Played Letter Basketball
Played outside
Learned about Texas
Decorated a Texas state flag
Ate Snack
Took naps (I think there was like one kid that actually slept!)
Sang a "good bye" song

Brooke also gave me some fun ideas and websites to look at and do with Hays. We have already down a few of the activities she showed me... including out own version of letter basketball. I hope to make it out to her class a few more times before the summer!

Saudi Arabia Pudding..

2010-02-19T12:35:00.000-08:00

Jordan and I decided that on Wednesday afternoons we would get her girls (Kead & Sayla) together with the boys I am watching (Hays & Will) and bake! Jord bought this really cool book that has easy-to-make desert recipes from all over the world! So far we have only gotten to do one country- Saudi Arabia... we cooked vanilla pudding (I don't remember the real name) and the kids loved it! I am so excited that we are doing this... it gives us a chance to teach them about different countries, cultures, and food, as well as pray for the different countries. Hays keeps asking me, "Bret-ney, remember when we made that Saudi Arabia pudding?... that was good, we should do it again!" Hopefully we will get to soon!

a day of fun!

2010-02-16T17:59:00.000-08:00

this Valentine's day Chase and I decided to spend all day on Saturday together (we had all sorts of meetings & my mom came to town on actual Valentine's day)! The morning started out with Chase cooking me my favorite breakfast... pumpkin pancakes, fried eggs, Cinnamon Swirl Dunkin Donuts coffee, fruit & orange julius all while watching "When Harry Met Sally", then we went and saw 1/2 of "Valentine's Day" (the movie theater & the whole block that it is located on lost electricity... so we will have to go finish it another day!), had cupcakes & watched "Hangover" with Amanda, and we completed the night at my favorite place... La Diosa! (a really yummy wine bar with live music and great food!) Also, the bag at the top is the Valentine tote I made Chase... a spin off an idea I got from: kojodesigns. To say the least we had a full fun day! No matter what Chase and I do or who we are with I LOVE just being with him. I am blessed to be married to my best friend! Happy (late) Valentine's Day!!

FINALLY...

2010-01-28T09:27:00.000-08:00

it snowed while I was in town! For the past two winters it has seemed like we missed all the snow storms... whether it was in Albuquerque, Dallas, or Lubbock- we have been in the opposite place from where it snowed...but not today! I am loving it... I love how quiet it is outside when it snows, I love how clean it feels when it first snows (until it melts..), I love what snow brings.. scarfs, warm drinks and fires in the fireplace (not that we have one, but still...)

Anyway, just wanted to share a few pictures from our front yard!

scrapin' queens!

2010-01-24T19:50:00.000-08:00

Brooke & I got to scrapbook ALL day on Saturday! Do you know happy that makes my heart?.... very happy! I love to scrapbook, I love my sister, and I love that we share this hobby together now! Ignore our non-make-up faces and scrub clothes, but notice the matching paper cutters (which my dad thought was great! and I do too...) and big wonderful mess!

thanks for a great weekend Brooke, Dad, Linda, & Chase!

a new phase in life...

2010-01-22T08:53:00.001-08:00

my life is completely different than it was last year... I have a lot more free time to help prepare Chase and I to "go". We are starting our support raising and partnership development process. It is such a blessing that I have the time now to devote to all that this process entails. With this new found free time that I have, I have been trying to prioritize my time and make sure I make the most of it.. please be praying that I would do this well and serve Chase well in the process.

two weeks ago I started nannying the Hubik boys (Will- 9 months & Hays- 3 years old)! I am loving it! They are such sweet boys... I am learning how to play basketball, football, "bad-guys", and all sorts of other boy activities. Hays has a great imagination & is all about sports and Texas Tech- which of course I love! Will is a really great baby... he plays, giggles, pulls up, gets really excited when something funny happens or a toy makes noise... Enjoy some of the pictures I have taken thus far of these precious boys!

(left) Hays as "Raider Red"... Will posing for a picture at a game (right) Hays as Santa Claus... Will asking Santa for a book for Christmas- notice his beard... Jacob's sock! (all Hays' ideas!)

(left) Hays with his gift bag to collect gifts for all the children! (right) "Santa" eating his cookies

(left) sweet Will's toes! I love them! (right) Will pulling up on the chair

others Christmases...

2010-01-13T08:36:00.001-08:00

I know this is a little late up here are a few pictures from our "other Christmases" this year! We are so blessed that we got to see all three families this year! thanks for all the great memories-- we love you all!

(left) Ben & Hagan playing with their new toys! (right) the McGough/Walker boys!

the McGough/Walker girls!

(left) Wonder where Colt gets it from?? (right) the whole family! Yey for finally having a group picture! thanks for cooperating with me everyone :)

our "little" Christmas together.... we opened stockings and a few other gifts in our living room a couple days after Christmas.

Dinner in La Mesa with Dad, Linda, Shawn and Krystin

(left) on our way back for the Chipmunk Squequel!

Orlando fun!

2010-01-07T18:08:00.001-08:00

we had a GREAT time in Orlando! thanks for all your prayers!

the conference was super encouraging, we learned a ton and now have a grasp for what is next in our journey. due to the security in the area that we want to serve in one day, we will no longer be posting any specific information about our journey on this blog anymore. However, we will be starting to send out update newsletters and emails, so be on the look out for those. if you read this and think we do not have your email, please leave a comment with it on there- thanks!

we met a ton of great people while we were there. here are a few pictures of what we did...

amy, me, jord, & jenny on the dock at the lake

(this is also the lake the chase & drew went canoeing on)

we watched movies & played games with our new friends!

the campus was also a KOA (Kampgrounds of America)

the campus & a duck!

Urban Flats!... this REALLY good flat bread pizza place- delicious!

love these girls!

gotta love starbucks, scarfs, and sweaters on the beach!

afternoon tea...

2010-01-07T17:47:00.001-08:00

the tea above was a sparkling plum tea that actually sparkled!!

don't you love our hats??

the weekend after Christmas we went to St. James Tearoom to have an afternoon tea served by Miss Aubrey Lynn. She did such a GREAT job serving us... very proper. :0) It was so fun to see her doing her job that she had been doing for the past 6 months. I am so proud of her... she started Nursing school this week at UNM and so her career at the tearoom was short lived, but a good one!

I also got a super fun tea pot while we were there that matches our kitchen!

Happy 2010!

2010-01-01T07:46:00.001-08:00

as we start this new year, I can't help but thank God for last year. 2009 brought many great challenges, blessings, and memories. To name a few:

Chase started working for Blosser Appraisal in January
I became more used to the "working/real" world and was able to wake up on time and get to work prepared & ready to go! :0) ha ha
We got lots of little projects done around the house: Chase surprised me with a freshly painted and re-tilted laundry room, we installed a new a faucet in the kitchen, re-painted our bathroom, put together a desk in our computer room, re-decorated our guest room....
We traveled to the Arabian Gulf over spring break & fell in love with the country and people
We traveled from coast to coast attending and being part of friend's and families weddings (literally coast to coast- I had one in CA and Chase had one in Ohio and everywhere in between!)
I got to travel to NY for the first time!! (next time I hope the trip is longer than 22 hours- but it was still great!)
I resigned from my job so we could focus on getting ready to "go".
We have begun the process of serving our great King... we are finally not just "talking" but "doing"

thank you friends and family for your support, love and care over the past year! We are so blessed to have you in our lives.

tomorrow we leave for Orlando, Florida to attend a conference. We are looking forward to see what this process will look like and where God is continuing to lead and guide us. Please be in prayer that we would be challenged, that God would speak to our hearts and that He would be the leader in this journey. We are attending the COP with our friends, Drew, Jord, and Jenny- please pray that we would be united as a team. We will let you know how it went when we return!

Happy New Year!!

"God provides the wind, but man must raise the sails." - Saint Augustine

"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." - Hebrews 11:8

wonderful Christmas.... number 1

2009-12-28T09:49:00.000-08:00

this Christmas, just like last year, we are getting to spread it out for a few weeks with multiple different families!

Our first one was spent in Albuquerque with my mom's family! We had a WONDERFUL time. We ate lots of really good food (including smothered green chile burritos!), saw old friends, went to church, opened presents (I got a new camera- which I am loving!), went to an afternoon tea served by Aubrey (more on this later), played games, relaxed, and saw Andy's family. I had so much fun with my whole family and was reminded how blessed I am to have them in my life. Our time went by way too fast, as always... but it just makes me look forward to the next time we are all together!

Hope you all had a great Christmas and had time to reflect on our great King that was born to us!

next year's Christmas card...

2009-12-24T08:17:00.000-08:00

what do you all think??

Chase and I went to Tech campus this week to look at the lights and took Paige with us... and of course I wanted to take pictures of us. I found a perfect corner that had great lighting in the night and so I set up the camera to take a "timed" picture of us. While the timer was counting down Chase was trying to get Paige to join the picture and I kept saying, "don't worry about it... she is not gonna stay" and then all of a sudden the camera flashed and took this picture! haha... I really wasn't mad, just had this face. Priceless....

Merry Christmas Eve!

25 years...

2009-12-22T14:53:00.000-08:00

a few weekends ago I went to Albuquerque to see the 25th anniversary show of Christmas Joy! For those of you that do not know what Christmas Joy is... I will tell you! It is one of the greatest dance shows out there that is very near and dear to my heart. It is the true meaning of Christmas (Christ's birth, life, death, and resurrection) in dance. It truly is a God glorifying show and makes me want to worship and praise Jesus every time I see it. I was in this show from my 6th grade year until I graduated high school, so I have lots of memories related to this show and the girls I danced in it with.

For the anniversary over 60 alumni came in for the show! We had a little reception with desserts and mingling before the show- which was great to see everyone. Karen Alwin's, the owner of the dance studio I grew up in and the former Artistic director of Christmas Joy, dream was to have her alumni come in for the 25th anniversary and go up on stage again.. so that is exactly what happened. We all went up on stage and took a bow after the finale! Karen retired from Christmas Joy and so it was a really special time!

I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas and felt the true "joy" of the season through our Savior and King!

here are a few pictures from the night/weekend...

its been a while...

2009-12-20T16:06:00.000-08:00

wow! time has flown by! I can't believe I haven't blogged in almost a month! we have been pretty busy over the past few weeks....

one, I resigned from my job two weeks ago. Which I know some of you are thinking- what, in this economy?! It was one of the hardest decisions I have had to make in the process of moving overseas so far. However, I feel confident about it and know that God is going to use this time without a "full time" job to strengthen my relationship with Him, help Chase & I to prepare to "go", and allow us to focus more on where God is leading us. It has been a bittersweet time at work, because I have been blessed with my job, with the people I work with and with what I have learned since being there. I will miss everyone and hope to stay in touch. I am planning on nannying the Hubik (a couple from our church) boys (one is 2 and one is about 9 months old) starting in the middle of January. I may end up substitute teaching as well-- who knows! I know I will be doing a lot of reading with our RMP (more on that later) program with Redeemer- which I am excited about... my "bold" prayer this year for myself is that I will finish every book we are assigned to read! (not something I have always done in the past!)

two, chase and I finally finished our applications with an organization!! It was a long drawn out process for us, but we finally mailed them in and are headed for Florida for a conference on January 2nd!! We are super excited and can't wait to see what this is all about and to finally get this process started. We will be sure to update you on it when we return.

three, we have had lots of Christmas festivities... my work/client dinner at Cagle's Steak house, Chase's work/client party at the Overton Hotel & again at Double Nickel Steak house, I went home for Christmas Joy last weekend (separate post on this), our small group Christmas party, office Christmas parties, a December church-wide prayer gathering, Christmas with my dad and Linda this weekend and Christmas shopping in-between all of it!

four, we have both been sick! I got sick last Saturday with a cold/sinus stuff and got Chase sick on Thursday! We are both on the mend, but still stuffed up...

I think that is all that has been up with us. We are ready for Christmas (which we will spend in Albuquerque this year), for rest, and to reflect on all the blessings of 2009. We pray that you all find your hope in Christ this season and enjoy your time with family and friends!

turkey day in Dallas

2009-11-28T11:33:00.000-08:00

we spent thanksgiving in Dallas this year and had tons of fun with family and friends! we ate way to much yummy food, baked delicious desserts, chase went duck hunting three different times, I went shopping on black Friday for the first time!, and we all packed in Sherry & Scoot's room to watch our wedding video! it was a memorable trip! we are so thankful for our family.

BAM

2009-11-27T21:45:00.000-08:00

You all probably remember this little guy.... this is our nephew that was adopted into our family a little over a year ago. It is amazing to see how God has used Bennett to remind us all of His love and how He saved us when we were left for dead, He feed us, clothed us, cleaned us and adopted us into His family.

We got to see Bennett this weekend and watch him walk... well run around, dance and say a few words ("bye, bye", "da-da", "ei-ei-ei-o"). Being around our nieces and nephews makes me wish we lived closer to watch them grow! They are all growing up way too fast!

Bennett Walking and Talking

Bennett Dancing! (and me shacking the camera... sorry!)

thankful...

2009-11-26T04:00:00.000-08:00

there are so many things to be thankful for this time of year. In the spirit of "thanksgiving" I am going to list a few things I am thankful for this year...

God's abundant grace and patience upon my life as I press into Him during stress and worry about work.
God continuing to lead us to pursue moving to the gulf in about 14 months and attend a conference in January! (more on this later)
Chase.... he loves me, cares for me, listens to me, supports me, prays with and for me, makes me laugh, takes care of me, shows me Christ's love daily...
Paige... I know this may come as a surprise to some, but I really am thankful for her, I have grown to love her and enjoy her company :0) (this is our dog for those that don't know)
Our family-- who continues to support us, love us and pray for us. We are so blessed to have three wonderful sets of family to care for us. (wish we could see you all more often!)
Our Friends--I appreciate their love, laughter, and company.
Sweet blessings-- for example, a few weeks ago, jord drew me a bubble bath with candles and everything (in a best friend sort of way...), just because she is great and wanted to bless me! another example, my mom's care packages... for thanksgiving we got fall decorations- which I love! another example, my sisters and old friends calling, "just to say hi and to see how things are going!

... and so much more!

"Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances..." 1 Thes. 5:16-18

enchanted rock...

2009-11-15T16:15:00.000-08:00

a few weekends ago we went camping with our good friends amy and geoff vernon! amy and i had been planning this trip since march-- i can't believe that it is already over! we had a great time cooking yummy food on the fire, drinking coffee from our french press, sleeping in our tent from our wedding for the first time, hiking for 3 and a half hours on the "rock", playing cards, roasting some'mores, and walking around Fredericksburg on Sunday! thanks for a memorable trip amy & geoff... we love you guys!

happy halloween!!

2009-11-01T10:44:00.000-08:00

this year for Halloween we did lots of celebrating! it started with carving pumpkins with our neighbors (bottom of post), then we went to an awesome "H" themed Halloween party on "hallows eve" thrown by drew & jord (middle) and then we went to the Tech football game, cooked chili, made caramel apples and passed out candy with my family on Halloween night! it was a ton of fun with lots of great memories...

Kristen dressed up as a "brats" cheerleader!

Don't those apples look delicious?!

Some of the great "h" costumes... (left to right) H1N1, Hula girl, Heln the Horse Jockey, Hermine from Harry Potter, Homeschoolers!

"Half Pint" the horse with "Helen" his Horse Jockey!

The picture to the right is a tribute to all my dance girls... from the Jockey dance!

Harry Potter, Horse agian, Hedwig, (Harry's owl)

pumpkin carving with Kayla, Michael, & Mason!

The boys added "blood" (red candle wax) to their pumpkins.. boys will be boys!

Chase's pumpkin is on the left!

fall is in the air

2009-10-24T11:32:00.001-07:00

fall is my favorite time of year! i just love the smells.. pumpkin, cinnamon, crisp air, apple pie... the weather, the food, the clothes, football, the holidays, the leaves falling, family, friends, and so much more!

in celebration of the fall this morning chase and I made pumpkin pancakes from Trader Joe's- my new favorite!

and last night I made my "Martha Stewart" fall wreath out of corn husks!!

the mountains!

2009-10-20T17:44:00.001-07:00

Lone Star Lodge in Red River, New Mexico

Gorgeous lake we rode by on our four hour 4-wheeler trip!

a family of deer we came upon!

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burden, and I will give you rest"
Matthew 11:28

... this is the life...

balloons, birthdays, family, and friends!

2009-10-18T19:45:00.001-07:00

a few weeks ago we went to Albquerque for the Ballon Fiesta! it was super fun because all the people we love were there! that weekend we also celebrated brooke's 25th birthday and chase's 26th birthday! thanks for a GREAT weekend everyone!

ballet flats by kojo designs!

2009-10-03T10:08:00.000-07:00

my friends j ordan and kirstin have this amazing craft blog called kojo designs! They post so many different creative, fun and practical ideas on how to be craft-y! Since I love to do crafts, but usually can't come up with most of them I love visiting this site and I now you will too! Jord is one of my closest friends and so I get the honor to craft with her often (not as often as we would like though!) Anyway, for the month of October they are doing a giveaway for these adorable little ballet flats with little embellishments. I want to win a pair! Check out their blog to see how you can win a pair as well. They asked for name ideas for these fabulous little shoes and the name I gave them was:"petit pirouettes". I think this would be a great name for these ballet flats because it means, "small turns" in French- which is a ballet term and something you do with your feet while wearing ballet slippers! Please check out their blog for all your crafting needs and ideas- I promise you will LOVE it!

Thanks for sharing your craft-y minds with us!

Mr. & Mrs. Koehn

2009-09-07T11:56:00.000-07:00

a few weeks ago I met my family in Albuquerque and flew to Denver for my cousin's, Lindsay, wedding! I had such a great time seeing family, meeting Paul (who is perfect for Lindsay), staying up late talking, decorating the tables, and of course eating delicious food!!

It was been 3 summers in a row now that we have gotten to see family over the summer because of wedding celebrations! Next summer we want to plan a "non-event" reunion where we can all just be together without having the busyness of a wedding. Any suggestions of where to go?

Congrats Lindsay and Paul! I am so happy for you and can't wait to see where God leads you in life. May God be glorified in your marriage! Below are a few of the 100's of pictures that I took!

With the Bride-to-be at Cheeseburger Lindsay & Paul :0)

Cheeseburger!

Cousins & Grams!

more cousins!

Brooke was the hair dresser! Didn't she do a great job?

Marci and me! Sisters!

The table #s that Lindsay made The tables with goldfish in the bowls!

and favor= jelly beans!

It was a gorgeous wedding in the mountains of Golden, CO!

Enjoying the yummy Italian food! So in love!

resting in Christ and not in stress..

2009-08-21T09:55:00.001-07:00

i have been behind in posting lately because, well to say the least- my work life has been a little crazy lately. Since I work with school foodservice we are in crunch time just like all you teachers out there. I now have a new appreciation for teachers preparing for school.... it is a bit overwhelming!

Something that a dear friend of mine, Heather Weaver, told me a few weeks ago (who is an early childhood teacher in Lubbock) was, that she was not going to let stress, worry and anxiety rule her August, but instead Christ was going to be the center and ruler of her life. I have been thinking about this ever since then and have been finding rest in Christ as the ruler and King of my life and not letting 12 hours days at work, working on the weekends, and unnecessary drama get me down or be the ruler of my life. Christ is good and sustaining me through this time.

Thanks to all of you that have been praying for me and caring for me during this season. I have been so blessed with wonderful friends and family who pray, speak encouraging work and make "back-to-school"/de-stresser gifts bags! (thanks jord) and husbands that let me cry on his shoulder and comfort me through it all!

"come to me all who are weary and burdened.... and you will find rest for your souls." (paraphrase of Matthew 11:28)

Happy Birthday to you...

2009-08-03T16:41:00.001-07:00

MOM!!

I wish that I could be there to help celebrate, but since I am not I thought I would dedicate a blog to my mom! Here is a list of a few things that I appreciate about my mom:

She is just a phone call away to talk about everything or nothing at all
She loves her girls unconditionally...
She is my best friend- I can tell her just about anything
We are pretty much the same person... ha ha
She has the most caring loving heart I have ever known
My friends love her because she takes all of them in as her own
She loves Chase like her own son
She loves the Lord and encourages me to do the same
Her hugs
Our special "voice" we share :0)

There is so much more, but we would be here forever. I am so blessed to have the mom that I do. I hope that I will love and care for our future kids as much as she does one day. Thanks mom for who you are. Hope your birthday is wonderful! I can't wait to celebrate it in Denever in a few weeks. Love you...

our anniversary "stay-cation"!

2009-08-01T08:23:00.000-07:00

a few weekends ago Chase and I had a "stay-cation"- (its where you stay in town but act like you are out of town... ie just hang out with each other) to celebrate our first year together! We had a great time and plan to do it more often!

This was not part of our "stay-cation", but a few weeks before

in Albuquerque our bakery that made our wedding cake made us

a fresh topper for our anniversary! It was delicious!

typical...

Las Brisas for dinner on Friday night!

the food was amazing!

Dion's green chili & ham pizza, salad and wine for dinner on Saturday night at

Homewood Suites in Lubbock! - our favorite meal together...

the "grooms" cake I made for dessert...

(red velvet cake with a cream cheese middle and chocolate frosting)

Homewood Suites for the night!

Sunday we slept in and then went to lunch at Home Cafe!

Next we took Paige to TECH campus to play catch with her,

play cards and read... We had a great time.

I love this picture of Paige Marie.

We are dorks, but the cards say- "7-19" and are a

King and Queen of hearts :0)

update...

2009-07-22T20:22:00.000-07:00

the whole reason we started this blog was to keep you all up to date on our progress with moving... needless to say, I have done a terrible job in doing that. Mostly because until recently nothing much has happened- except still desiring to one day go. However about 3 weeks ago Chase and I filled out a "preliminary information form" with an organization and then had a question/answer phone interview. During this conversation we learned a lot about the organization, the process they have in place to help people get overseas, and that our goal of leaving in Sept. 2010 will most likely be pushed back until at least January 2011. At first this made us sad... but then we remembered that this whole process is in God's hands and He is leading the way. We are putting our trust in Him and believing that this is His plan for our lives and so we are going to have faith in it.

We are now in the process of filling out the "formal application"- which is quite lengthly. Please pray that we would be diligent in filling this out and allowing God to lead the process.

Thanks for your support and prayers. Keep praying....

eighty more to go...

2009-07-19T07:53:00.000-07:00

today Chase and I are celebrating our ONE year anniversary! We cannot believe how fast it has flown by! We have had a wonderful first year and look forward to 80 + more years!!

I have always heard people say, "I am more in love with my husband today than I was when we got married..." and I always wondered what that would feel like... I can honestly say that that statement is 100 % true. I think this is because we know each other on such a different level now- Chase has seen me in my worst and my best days, has seen me steal covers in the nights, has seen me get stressed out when I haven't had time to clean in a week, has seen me not like Paige at all and then the next minute love her to death, he has seen me when I am consistently spending time with the Lord and when I have gone through dry seasons.... We have traveled overseas together and have decided with the help of our Savior that we want to move there and share Christ with those who don't know him - this is a huge reason I love him more today... I love seeing his desire to see the lost come to know Jesus, his drive to research how to do business overseas, his heart to meet with the lost here in lubbock, his desire to pray with me to seek the Lord for direction and answers. There is so much more I could write about, but I am just going to say that I have LOVED my first year as a McGough and I still get butterflies when I get called, "Chase's Wife"!

I love you Chase Matthew- thanks for a wonderful first year!

Pictures from our "stay-cation" this weekend coming soon...

July 2009 July 2008

"We do" Forever and Ever!

summer...

2009-07-18T06:58:00.001-07:00

we have had a wonderful/busy summer so far. Since this is the first summer that both of us have had to work our full time "grown-up" jobs we have had to be creative between all the wedding celebrations on how to enjoy the summer... we have had many late nights with friends (trying to pretend we don't have to go to work the next day), have traveled to Albuquerque, Ohio, California, and Dallas for weddings on the weekends... I love summer time, but this summer has been so hot (108 degrees somedays)... We are hoping to spend more time outside and hopefully at the pool before the fall.

Bennatt Adai McGough turned 1 when we were in Dallas!

Happy Birthday Sweet boy!

4th of July firework show with Glenda and Cecil...

Chase enjoying his time with his dad!

Reid and Lesley's Wedding in Dallas

We got to spend sometime with Jeff and Cara!

They are expecting a baby in 8 months- so excited for them!!

Nails/Girls Day with my nieces, Glenda and Sherry...

Ben came along for the day as well and was such a trooper!

Miss Amanda has come down to visit a few times...

it is becoming more and more often- which I LOVE!

Girls night with Suzan who just left for Saudi! :0(

Hanging out with Aubs in Albuquerque- look how green it

is there! I love it!

DELICIOUS Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas and Sandiago!

I miss these...

with my love through it all...

CRAFTS!

2009-06-13T12:29:00.001-07:00

mom got me this book for my birthday!

i can't wait to have some free time to start crafting!

jord and kristi you inspire me! check out their craft blog:

kojodesigns

home improvements

2009-06-10T16:03:00.001-07:00

Slowly, but surely Chase and I are making improvements in our house. We made a list for what we need to do in each room of the house and are starting to check things off!! I love that feeling. I will update you as we get more completed!

we finally got our dripping faucet replaced!!

I love it!!

new light fixture in the bathroom- we still need to paint this room and then it will be complete!

chase put together this desk in our study

mom and I fixed up our guest room! - Please come stay with us!

addition: painted the double T mirror black

additions: white curtains, Texas Tech quilt (mom figured out how to use a power drill to hang all of this!!), 3 framed pictures hung above the night stand

Additions: two picture frames with updated pictures and Aubrey's red pointe shoes!

flowers for my birthday!

2009-06-09T18:06:00.000-07:00

mom came in town for my birthday this weekend and helped me surprise chase by planting flowers in our front yard! dad and linda had bought me some zinnias for my birthday- which became our inspiration! we had so much fun. these flowers have become my "babies" now- I don't want them to die so I have started to water them everyday at 6:30 AM!! we'll see how they do! thanks for your help mom!

BEFORE

AFTER

Chase was out of town for my birthday, so he sent these

beauitful flowers to my work!

What a sweet husband I have!

kead's 2nd birthday party

2009-06-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

love me some Kead!

Happy Birthday sweetie!

Enjoying ice cream sandwich cake!

precious Sayla Grace enjoying the party as well!

Mr. & Mrs. Jones

2009-05-31T14:21:00.000-07:00

Hannah & Curtis got married on May 28th in San Clemente, California! I had such a great time. It was such a blessing to see how God brought them together and so encouraging to hear the Gospel spoken and displayed at their wedding. Thanks for sharing your special day with me Hannah & Curtis! I love you both!

lunch at the beach with the bridesmaids!

isn't she GORGEOUS?!

coming back from taking pictures on the beach!

beautiful beach flowers & bride

gotta love Coffee Bean!

"Better Together"

delicious Greek food for dinner

Hannah's nephew- the entertainment at the reception!

sweet summer!

2009-05-29T21:31:00.000-07:00

Chase and I saw the cover of this "Better Homes & Gardens" magazine and decided we had to buy it to make the yummy looking strawberry peanut butter dessert. Brooke and I decided to make it for our Memorial Day dinner. It is super easy and delicious- Chase said it was definitely a repeat dessert!

Fresh Strawberry Bars

PREP: 25 min. BAKE: 25 min. OVEN: 350 degrees

3/4 cup butter, soften

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

(we used almond instead- highly recommended)

2 1/4 cups all- purpose flour

1/2 cup strawberry jam (we left this off)

4 cups small whole strawberries, halved or quartered

1. Heat oven 350 degrees. Line 13 X 9 inch baking pan with foil, extending foil beyond edges. Set aside.

2. Beat butter and peanut butter on medium to high for 30 sec. Beat in sugars, baking powder, and salt until combined. Add eggs & vanilla (almond); beat until combined. Beat in flour.

3. Spread dough in prepared pan. Bake 25 min. or until top is lightly browned. (we baked it for 30 min., but next time I will probably do 35-40 min.

4. Cool completely on rack. Remove from pan by lifting foil. Spread jam and top with berries. Cut into bars. Serve at once or refrigerate up to 6 hours. (you can also wrap the base in foil; store at room temp for 24 hours or freeze in a freezer container for up to 3 months!

Let me know if you make it! Enjoy!

GREAT weekend

2009-05-25T20:59:00.001-07:00

This weekend we drove to dallas for a bachelor/bachelorette party, but the real fun was seeing family! We also go to see mom, andy, aubs, brooke & clint on Sunday night because they sold their Lubbock house & had to move out! It was such a great weekend. We are so blessed with a wonderful family!

little Bennett swimming for the first time!

my sweet boy!

he loved the baby pool with his big sister haley!

Happy Birthday Hagan! We celebrated his 2nd birthday Elmo style with the whole mcgough family on Sunday! Happy Birthday to Cecil as well! We love you guys!

birthday boy!

On the back from Dallas we stopped at Braums for ice cream- Chase said we could do this because he only had a small bite of his mom's chocolate cake! They ending up being a LOT bigger than we expected... but still so yummy. (don't worry we only could finish half)

Clint, my brother in law, brought his chain saw and helped Chase finally cut down & pull out our dead tree in the front yard~ thanks Clint!

...they did some in the back yard too!

our pouch outside was clean enough to eat dinner on! soon it will have an awesome painted rug designed by jord... look for pictures in the near future!

our delicious dinner with Brooke & Clint!

our dessert will have it's own blog! :0)

Happy Mom's Day!

2009-05-10T13:47:00.000-07:00

We love you moms!! Thanks for who you are- for your hearts, your love, your care and your prayers. We are so thankful for you and cherish all the memories we have with each of you! Sorry we couldn't spend the day with you! We miss you and love you!

day three

2009-05-06T16:35:00.001-07:00

about a week ago I started a program called "couch to 5K" (C25K)- which is a running program that helps you get from couch shape to being able to run a 5K in 9 weeks! Jord recruited me to join her and we continue to recruit more and more girls to join us as well!

I just finished "day 3" of the program and I love it! This may sound strange but I love sweating again! It makes me feel like I am healthy and getting back into shape (which is going to take a while, because I am in true "couch shape"). I will keep you updated on the process... please keep me accountable and ask me if we are still doing it when you see me! The goal is to all run in a local 5k in 9 to 10 weeks!

he's back!!

2009-05-01T15:47:00.001-07:00

just wanted to say that I am extremely happy that chase is home! :-) I missed him a ton. Life seems to be better when he is around... thanks to all of you that took me under your wing while he was gone. I am so blessed with such great friends.

weekend with mom

2009-04-27T15:06:00.001-07:00

Since Chase had class in Dallas all weekend for work, my mom decided to fly me home to Albuquerque to have a "national spoil brittany" weekend! (or at least that is what she called it!) And that is exactly what it was... I am so lucky to have a mom that wants to spoil me because it blesses her. I hope that I can be that way with my kids one day.

It has been such a great weekend. Some of the things we did:

Had dinner (green chile chicken enchiladas at Gardunios- my favorite) with Grams & Andy
Went to Hobby Lobby,
Watched Gilmore Girls
I got to scrapbook
We visited my old dance studio
I got my hair cut & highlighted
We shopped at Ann Taylor Loft (my new favorite store)
We went to church & dinner with Andy
I got to share my Oman pictures & stories with mom & andy
We finally picked out our wedding album & pictures

Thanks for a great weekend mom! I love you and miss you already!

missing chase..

2009-04-26T21:00:00.000-07:00

chase has been in dallas for 7 days now... and I miss him so much it hurts. He as only 4 days left and then we get to embrace again!

Things I didn't know I appreciated about Chase now that he is away:

That he takes the trash out when it gets full
That he makes us coffee in the morning
That he makes me feel safe and sound in our house at night
That he encourages me to stay awake when I am falling asleep while reading
That he cleans the dishes/kitchen after I cook
That he makes the bed in the morning when I leave for work
That he keeps me company even if we aren't doing anything but sitting
That he encourages me to read my Bible and seek the Lord
That he looks so cute in his flannel footie pjs! (picture below)

katie roo...

2009-04-21T19:17:00.000-07:00

This blog is in honor of my sweet childhood dog, Katie Roo

(I always added the "roo" part).

She died on Saturday night, April 18th.

We had her for 14 wonderful years. She was such a playful, friendly dog, that loved being in the middle of everything. When we first got her I always used to say her and I were a lot alike because we had a lot of energy and didn't like to miss any of the action going on. It is not fun losing your childhood dog. I miss her a lot and it makes me sad to think about never seeing her again. However, she is no longer in pain (she was going blind and had thyroid problems)- the cause of her death was falling into our swimming pool...

We will miss you Katie Roo!

9 months today

2009-04-19T14:57:00.000-07:00

Chase and I have been married for 9 months today! I can't believe how fast time is going! In honor of our nine months together I am going to share 9 sweet moments we have had together since we said "i do"...

saying our vows in the rain and lightening! (rain will always have a special place in our hearts)
ordering pizza and watching a movie while the sun was setting over San Francisco on our honeymoon
Having dinner on the floor in our living room for the first 3-4 weeks of our marriage
the first and only time we took Paige to the park to play catch since we got married it started pouring down rain and we had to run back to the house soaking wet!
road trips to see family over the holidays
going to Post, TX to stay the night at Hotel Garza
ordering Dion's pizza and eating it by candle light for our first married Valentine's day
smoking Sheesha with drew and jord in Oman while telling them our desire to return
sharing Bless Your Heart ice cream an hour ago, just so we could pro-long saying goodbye for 12 days! (chase just left for dallas for 12 days for work)

i love you chase matthew! thanks for the past 9 months!

I will glory in my Redeemer

2009-04-12T12:11:00.000-07:00

I will glory in my Redeemer

Whose priceless blood has ransomed me

Mine was the sin that drove the bitter nails

And hung Him on that judgment tree

I will glory in my Redeemer

Who crushed the power of sin and death

My only Savior before the Holy Judge

The Lamb Who is my righteousness

I will glory in my Redeemer

My life He bought, my love He owns

I have no longings for another

I’m satisfied in Him alone

I will glory in my Redeemer

His faithfulness my standing place

Though foes are mighty and rush upon me

My feet are firm, held by His grace

I will glory in my Redeemer

Who carries me on eagle's wings

He crowns my life with lovingkindness

His triumph song I'll ever sing

I will glory in my Redeemer

Who waits for me at gates of gold

And when He calls me it will be paradise

His face forever to behold!

Happy Easter from West Texas!

henna fun!

2009-04-11T14:43:00.000-07:00

I have been slacking on posting the rest of our adventures from our trip- sorry!

Our last night in Oman Jord, Stacy and I all went to a beauty shop and got henna tattoos on our feet and hands! It was so fun. I got it done once in Morocco, but it wasn't the good kind (it only lasted for about a day). This one lasted for about two weeks!- I am actually quite sad that it has almost faded now. Henna is a temporary tattoo that the women in the Middle East and India get done for fun and for special occasions like weddings, just like we do with pedicures and manicures here.

Enjoy the fun pictures of it!

The finished product!

Jord had two girls working on her hands!

It was relxing to get done and it only took about

20 minutes to do and cost about $12.00!!

the people..

2009-04-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

of Oman were my favorite part of the whole trip.

We got to meet Drew and Jord's friends and hang out with them on three different occasions. It was such a blessing and so encouraging to know that you can actually make friends in a foreign country.

One night when we were sitting in Humda's house (Jord's best Omani friend) with her sisters and I was just listening to them all talk (not understanding them) and I started to get tears in my eyes... it was such a serial moment- I remember thinking these are such great, welcoming, sweet girls that have no idea who Jesus is, what their worth in Christ is, how they were beautifully and wonderfully made by Him, how His grace is so abundant it amazes me daily... I desire for them to know the truth of the Gospel. This is why I want to go back- not for the gorgeous beaches, not for the fun touristy things, not for the great people on the team (although all GREAT perks), but for the women to know Christ as their Lord and Savior. I miss them already and don't even hardly know them...

The boys at Hasal's date farm

The girls at a picnic in the dessert!

The Arabian Gulf...

2009-03-28T13:44:00.000-07:00

what a beautiful place!

I was amazed at how gorgeous the Arabian Gulf was. We saw pictures from Drew and Jord, online and in a book, but none of it did justice to actually being there. It sort of reminded me of Albuquerque actually... with it being a dessert, surrounded by mountains (without trees though), and the dry heat, however the capital had one addition... the GULF (water), something that I am not familiar with in New Mexico. One of the nights while there we got to ride in a glass bottom boat (which we had all to ourselves and where Mark proposed to Stacy!) and watch the sunset in front of the coast line. Hope you enjoy these pictures as much as Chase and I do!- Let us know if you would like to vacation here??! :0)

The 7 Star hotel in Dubai, U.A.E.

(on a man-made island)

at a hotel in Dubai

The Sultan Quboos mosque

Countryside

Arabian Sunsets

on the glass bottom boat

the marina

we're back..

2009-03-28T10:01:00.000-07:00

and had an amazing time!!

We have been home since last Sunday and are still trying to catch up on sleep, finish laundry, clean house and get back into the routine of life. This is why I have been slacking in updating our blog- sorry!

There are so many stories and pictures to share that there will probably be several posts about our trip. First, we want to thank all of you for your prayers, support and love before, during and after our trip. God made a lot of things clear for us and we are excited to share it with you all soon!

Below are a few pictures/stories...

stuck in at Atlanta for 24 hours... we went to a pub

and came upon a St. Patrick's Day celebration

our first language class... "Salamalecum" (sp)

"camel crossing"- you don't see that everyday!

a date farm we toured with one of drew's

friends

loving it here..

2009-03-18T10:59:00.000-07:00

we have been here for 3 days now and have had such a great time. We have managed to cram 4 days worth of stuff into 3- since we lost one because of the travel mishap. Some highlights of our trip so far:

a mini-language class at the G.A.P (we had a 45 minute private class with a super cute local woman- I will just say we have lots to learn!!)
tour of the mall/Carrefour in Al Ain
coffee, dates, oranges, & omani bread with some of drew's guy friends
a tour of a date farm
ate yummy bread & cheese
a night out with drew & jord's Omani friends
a tour of a mosque in Muscat
beach time at a P.D.O.
a sunset boat ride with soft drinks & snorkeling & an engagement- congrats Mark & Stacey!!
a great stay with drew & jord's best friends: John & Vic

We have done a ton more, but we will just have to share stories when we return. We are all healthy and well. We are excited for the weekend here (Thursday & Friday) and will be sad to leave on Saturday night. We love you all and miss you!

missed flight...

2009-03-14T07:46:00.000-07:00

we were supposed to get to Dubai at 7 pm tonight (Dubai time), however, becasue of weater we missed our flight by 10 min!! We had high hopes for a while that we would make it, we even ran through the air port barefoot only to find an empty gate.. :0( So, we stayed at the Days Inn Atlanta airport last night with planes taking off and landing every 10 min.. haha, but we are looking up and trying to find the positive side of all of this. We know that God has a plan and is guiding our trip, so we will put our trust in Him. We are planning on spending a few hours in downtown Atlanta- in the rain!- and then heading back to the airport to catch a 9:35 pm flight to Kuwatt (sp) and then to Dubai- so we should get to Dubai at 10:00 pm on Sunday night (Dubai time- they are 12 hours head of Texas time).

Please pray for safe and on time travel. Also, pray for our patience and for our "team bonding" we are going to do today with Mark and Stacy! :0)

We love you all! If you don't hear from us that means we made it!

hitting the road!!

2009-03-13T11:15:00.000-07:00

Ok maybe we aren't going to be "hitting the road" per se... but today we are finally leaving!! We are sitting at Chase's parent's house hanging out with the family before we take off in 4 hours! We got to enjoy a taco lunch with all the McGoughs (Scott, Sherry, Colt, Hannah, Haley, Bennett, Cicely, Hagan, Glenda, Cecil, Rob and McGuire- we were only missing Colin). It was so nice to see everyone. We are so blessed to have such a supportive and loving family. We got to spend some time with mom, Andy, Brooke, and Aubs last weekend and Dad and Linda the weekend before. I know we are only going for a week, but it was nice to pray with, talk with and share our hopes and dreams with our family. Thanks for all your care for us!

Please pray for a safe and restful travel. We leave for Atlanta at 5:30 tonight and then leave for Dubai at 9:40pm and arrive at 7:30pm on Saturday night. We are SO SO excited! We will try and blog or send an email letting you all know that we got there, but if we don't just know that "no news is good news". We love you all and appreicate your prayers, love, and financial support. We can't wait to come back with lots of stories and some answers!

2 more days!

2009-03-11T18:17:00.000-07:00

Only 2 more days!!!

one week away..

2009-03-07T08:10:00.001-08:00

. This time next week we will be on the plane crossing the Atlantic Ocean! And we can't wait!

(this is a stolen picture from Jord- as will probably be

most of the pictures I will post for the next week)

coffee

2009-03-04T18:33:00.000-08:00

I am so thankful for coffee....

The other morning I was sitting at my desk at work, checking my e-mail, and sipping on a delicious cup of coffee- it was nice and hot and had the perfect coffee/cream ratio (if you have ever had coffee with me than you know that there is prob. more cream than coffee- haha) Anyway, I was sitting there thanking the Lord for coffee. It tasted so good and was fulfilling its purpose- waking me up. It is very strange to me to think that just 3 1/2 years ago I did not like coffee- I couldn't stand the smell, the taste, and it made me feel shaky. It is amazing what college and the need to stay awake to cram for a test will do...

My favorite types of coffee:

At Starbucks: Cinnamon dulce latte
At Sugarbrowns: "goody two-shoes" (non-fat/sugar free carmel latte)
At Daybreak: Vanilla latte
At home: Dunkin donuts cinnamon spice coffee with coffee mate french vanilla creamer
At Drew & Jord's: Decaf southern pecan coffee with milk and splenda

warm weather in February...

2009-02-25T17:44:00.000-08:00

For some reason Lubbock skipped the 70 degree weather this year and moved straight to the 80s! I have been thinking about this a lot this week and wondering how I should take the warm weather (i love the cold and wish it would snow!) we have been having and the lack of a winter that we had... Some of my thoughts come from Jord's blog a couple of weeks ago ("I am grateful, I am grateful, I am grateful"- not sure how to reference it so you will just have to check out her blog) Anyway, she talked about enjoying cold weather and not so much enjoying this abnormally warm weather we have been having, but trying to be grateful for it...

I am trying to do the same thing.. here are my thoughts on how God is using this for His glory and my joy...

Since Chase and I are seriously considering moving to the middle east (where they have 130 degree summers)- he is slowly preparing us, so we can be more effective for the kingdom
I can go for walks/runs after work again, which Chase and I did last night and ended up seeing a muslim woman walking her baby (which means she probably lives in our neighborhood & hopefully I will see her again and get to talk with her).
We also met some of our neighbors who were grilling outside. I have been wanting to meet our neighbors and find opportunities to love on those around us, but everyone has been inside since it is cold. It was such an encouragement to my heart that we meet these people- we have been wanting to pour into non-believers that are completely different than us & God gave us the chance last b/c of the warm weather. I hope that we can get to know them and be the gospel & a light to them & their kids
We don't need the heat or the air conditioning on- so the electric bill is going to be low this month!
It causes me to stop and evaluate my heart- is it really that should b/c it hasn't snowed all winter I am unsatisfied & desire something more/different or is the fact that my heart is selfish and in need of the cross & to find Joy in Christ in all circumstances?

I am not sure if this blog made much sense, but I do know that I am going to choose joy and be grateful for the weather and for God's grace and beauty in it! And embrace the 100 + degree weather we are about to encounter in less than 3 weeks!

Post, TX- who would have thought?

2009-02-17T14:30:00.000-08:00

A couple of weekends ago Chase and I stayed at Hotel Garza, a bed and breakfast in post! We had such a great time just getting away from cell phones, internet, laundry, cleaning, etc.. We got to read, rest, I got to take two baths in less than 24 hours (if you know me at all- you know that I LOVE bubble baths and currently Chase and I do not have a bathtub in our house, so this was a real treat!) and we ate a really yummy breakfast.

We also got to talk to the sweet couple that owns the B&B - the husband is from Ireland! Meeting and talking with new people is one of Chase and I's favorite things to do, so this topped off the great evening!

We would recommend this B&B to anyone and will definitely be returning to Post soon!

Chase reading in our 2nd room (the first room we were in had no

hot water, so we moved down the hall!)

the claw-foot bathtub- I want to own

one of these one day!

the first tub (with no hot water)

our first "living room"

the hall way

four weeks from now...

2009-02-15T20:06:00.000-08:00

Chase and I are headed to to the Arabian Peninsula in four weeks! We are super excited about the opportunity to go see, taste, feel, hear, and smell the culture and people that we have been talking about and praying for. About 80% of our conversations have been dedicated to the subject of going overseas together since we started dating over 2 years ago.

We leave on March 13th and return on the 21st. We will be traveling with Mark Daniel and Stacey Ball (a couple from our church) and meeting up with Drew, Jordan and Sayla Remke. This will be a very short trip that will hopefully give us some direction on what is next for us. We will be visiting the language school that Drew and Jord attended, visiting/meeting with some locals, hanging out with other workers that are currently out there, and perhaps some touristy things.

We would like to ask you all for your prayers as we prepare to go and for our time there. We are seeking Christ for direction and timing of his will for our lives. We will keep you all updated and blog about our trip when we return!

happy birthday aubs!

2009-02-05T20:33:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday "Little One"! I am so thankful to be your big sister... thanks for your sweet heart! I love you...

bit-b and chace...

2009-02-03T18:32:00.000-08:00

Sayla all ready for bed! she is such a sweetheart...

chase reading to kead before bed- one of her favorite things to do :0)

...he is going to be such a great dad...

chase and la-la cillin on the couch

kead trying on my slippers

I just wanted to post some really cute pictures of Kead and Sayla from when we watched them for Drew and Jordan the other week. Kead is starting to talk a lot now and calls me "bit-b" and Chase "chace". I absolutely love it! (she has been doing this for a while, but it is still melt my heart!)

tagged

2009-01-31T19:55:00.000-08:00

I love these games. I was tagged by jordan

Here are the rules:
1) Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer. **
2) Select the 4th picture in the folder.
3) Explain the picture.
4) Tag 4 people to do the same.

**No cheating (cropping, editing, etc.) Have fun!!

This is from my "fall 2008" folder, it was taken at our couples shower in Dallas (which actually wasn't in the fall, but since I had to get the new hard drive, I have not organized all my pictures completely yet). Clay and Lindsay are the couple that is with us- Clay used to be one of Chase's old roommates and is marring Lindsay this spring! (she was also a former OSU pom girls- so we get along great!)

people I am tagging:

1)amanda

2)Britney Drumm

3)Marcella

4)sherry

a taste of New York.. and Philly!

2009-01-27T15:38:00.001-08:00

a really fun NY cafe enjoying cappuccinos and New York Cheesecake! Yummy!

South Central Park... the pond was frozen over

Rockefeller's Center/ice rink

Radio City Hall- I want to see the Rockettes so badly one day!

times square & starbucks (a must have when walking around in NY)

getting excited for NY!!

eating a philly cheesesteak!

besty ross's house

yummy dessert at the cutest chocolate cafe in philly

the liberty bell

This week I am in Villanova, PA for a leadership conference for work... One of my best friends, Lauren Bernard, goes to school up here, so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to come visit her. I came on Saturday... here are a few pictures from my trip! Oh and did I mention this is my first time to visit NY and it has ALWAYS been a dream of mine to go!! We will definitely be returning again soon...

6 months...

2009-01-23T20:09:00.001-08:00

Chase and I just had our 6th month anniversary on Monday! I can't believe how fast these past six months have flown by...

Some of the things I am thankful for these past six months are:

getting married in the rain :0) (it really actually turned out to be such a beautiful blessing!)
marring my "cowboy prince"- well, he is not exactly a cowboy, but my prince none-the-less and he is from Texas so that sort of makes him a cowboy!
getting my first job- it is great- it keeps us off the streets
spending quality time with Chase at night
continual sanctification and abundant grace through it all
making arrangements to go to Oman over spring break! (more on this later)
Chase's new job
new friendships
deeper friendships with old friends
cooking dinner together
date nights that never end...
getting to wake up next to chase every morning

There is a ton more, but I will leave it at that...

Thanks for all you do Chase! I love you.

Crafts with Jord!!

2009-01-11T18:09:00.001-08:00

So I have this friend Jordan (most of you know her) and she is super creative and craft-ie.... I would call it a gift. Anyhow, as most of you know I love doing crafts and creative things as well, so this Christmas Jord let me join her in a few crafts she was doing. And with her help and guidance I made (almost finished) stockings for Chase and I and a wreath for our door! I hope to do more next year with her! Oh and she helped me make stationary for gifts for my sisters! Thanks Jord- you are great!

Jord and her sister have a craft blog and an etsy account that you all should check out- they have some great stuff and craft ideas:

www.kojodesigns.etsy.com

www.kojodesigns.blogspot.com

2009-01-08T18:30:00.000-08:00

sisters and their boys

the fam

goofy family pic

matching pjs!

another goofy pic.. typical

more pictures that i just got from Christmas #4....

four christmases...

2009-01-08T15:20:00.000-08:00

Finally, I will post some pictures from our first Christmas together! We had a busy one, but it was a great one. We are so blessed with 3 different sets of family that love us very much and remind us of Christ every time we are with them. Thanks for all the great memories for our first Christmas together! Enjoy the pictures...

Christmas #1

We went to Dallas with the McGough's for Christmas eve through the weekend

Gleanda and I in Ft. Worth walking around enjoying the Christmas lights

charming charlies with the girls using our gift cards from glenda

(haley and i got matching purses)

reunion with Chase's childhood friends, their fiances & little sloan

opening gifts with the McGough's!!

(we had 11 adults and 8 kids for dinner... so much fun to be around kids again)

hannah grace & uncle chase

papa, hannah, collin

BAM & met at dinner (more of him later!)

i made my mom's Sour Cream Cinnamon Coffee Cake

for the McGough's on Christmas

Christmas Eve midnight service

Christmas #2:

We had two dinners with my dad & linda's family

dad bought his sons matching shirts with him~

just precious...

Christmas #3:

Chase and I gave our stocking gifts to each other on the 1st

and are going to a bed and breakfast in february for the rest of our gift to each other!

(above Chase got me chocolates & a gift card to a spa... he is so wonderful!)

Our new traditions for Christmas (until we have kids):

- eat 'whole-in-ones' for breakfast

- make orange julius's

-watch a Christmas movie while opening stockings

aren't they cute?

Christmas #4:

Rudioso, NM to snowboard with my family

yoummy... green chile chicken tortilla soup

opening gifts... so spoiled

homemade chai tea with aubs and her "chai elder" (me)

the boys playing the wii!!

(some good male bonding time)

2009-01-05T18:33:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year friends! We have been absent for a while due to busyness of the holidays, traveling, and my computer temporarily died... I am not really sure what happened to it, but I had to get a new hard drive for it and am still waiting to get it back! :0( (i may have also lost a years worth of pictures and if you know me at all that means it is probably over 2ooo pictures!! ahhh) So, until I get it back there will be no Christmas pics.. but those are coming soon... for now I will fill out this fun questionnaire that Jord put on her blog this week....

5 things I hope to accomplish in 2009

1) get certified to teach yoga/Pilates= getting back in shape

2) read the Bible in a year- study it more in depth

3) paint and get new knobs for our kitchen cabinets (along with other random projects around the house)
4) get more involved with internationals in Lubbock (join ESL at Redeemer)
5) read more

5 things I am proud of accomplishing in 2008
1) marrying Chase :0)
2) graduating from Tech
3) traveling to Morocco and Spain (first time overseas)
4) starting a new job with ARAMARK
5) setting up our house & getting adjusted to our new life together

3 things I am not so proud of in 2008
1) getting so out of shape! ( i can barely touch my toes anymore)
2) only completing one out of the four books we were supposed to read for our mentorship program through Redeemer
3) not enjoying my last semester of college to its fullest... (i wanted to grow up too fast- real life is tough!)

I'll try to convince Chase to fill this out as well! Put it on your blog so we can read your answers!

adventures in Austin

2008-12-16T17:43:00.000-08:00

the view from my hotel room

our typical face together!

in Gruene, TX

in Gruene Dance Hall

Tom- my nephew

Last weekend I had to go to Austin for business (I feel so old!) and I got to go a few days early to see Amanda and Maureen. It was so great to see them again. We went to lunch, hung out in Gruene, Texas, went to a movie, had tea at a coffee shop, cooked dinner... just had a great girls weekend! I miss those girls and am so thankful for them! I also got to see my brother, Sally and my nephew Tom on Monday night fro dinner.

For my "business trip" I got to rent a car and get a hotel room all paid for by ARAMARK! It felt like I was playing "grown up"- the only thing missing was Chase.

so much to be thankful for...

2008-11-29T11:42:00.001-08:00

Friends,

family,

a loving husband,

sisters,

and yummy food!!

"be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for us in Christ Jesus." 1 Thes. 5:16-18

more pics..

2008-11-27T21:17:00.001-08:00

he's in trouble.. already watching football at such a young age.. at least it was the Red Raiders he was watching!

pre-game nap time with uncle chase!

trying to figure him out..

i love being their auntie!

precious...

we finally got to hold him...

2008-11-23T10:30:00.000-08:00

he loves to giggle!

the littlest Red Raider I ever saw!

Well, Bennett is about as sweet as he is cute! It has been such a joy to be in Dallas with my new family and to get to hold the newest addition. Bennett truely is a gift from God and such a blessing. This weekend I have been reminded of God's abundent grace and love for His people. I have seen what it means to be without hope, lost, abandoned and left for dead, but then redeemed, loved, cared for and adopted into the kingdom of God. Bennett has taught me that we do not deserve any of this, that it is all a precious gift from God. I want to live my life believing this and sharing it with my community, my family and friends. Adoption is such a beauitful picture of the gospel. I am so thankful to get to join in this journey with the rest of the McGoughs to pray, care, and bring Bennett, Colt, Hannah, Haley, Hagan, and Collin up in Christ. I pray that we all remember God's never ending grace and find rest in it today and always.

more pictures from the weekend to come! :0)

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!

2008-11-20T21:19:00.000-08:00

Our first annual Christmas decorating party... with "Love Actually" in the background and hot tea! I just love Christmas time.

Bennett Update...

2008-11-17T08:52:00.000-08:00

Below is an email that we recieved this morning from Glenda, Chase's mom, about Bennett's status:

Well, our little BAM finally arrived in the USA on Wed., Nov. 5. What a joyous occassion it was. I had to leave town the next day due to a death in my family in Tulsa. We arrived back home on Sun. evening and then left again on Wed. for Austin for a wedding there. While we were in Austin we received word from Scott and Sher that Bennett was going to be put into the hospital in Dallas because our Dr. Harpavat, after reading his records from Uganda, saw that they had not treated him with the type of antibiotic that is used here in the states. She said that what they used would have made the symptoms better but would not have cured him, just plain old penicillin. Anyway, he was put in on Fri. night and after many tests, including a lumbar puncture that showed it in the spinal fluids, they started treatment last night. IV port in his little foot with penicillin being administered every 6 hrs. Our understanding is that this regiment will be followed for 10 days. We are hoping, and praying, that they will be able to have Home Health come and not have to stay in the hospital for the whole 10 days. But, whatever is needed will be done. They are also running a full battery of tests again, from sickle cell to HIV (again) and on and on. Cecil and I finally got to spend time with our new grandson on Sat. to give Scott and Sher a break. What a beautiful boy he is. He is now taking 4 ozs. of formula and is gaining an ounce or two a day. He now weighs 12 1/2 lbs and is 4 1/2 mos. old. He has a long way to go, but God's hand has been on this little boy from the beginning. You all have been such wonderful prayer warriors for this little guy, thank you so much.....keep it up for a while longer.

Just thought you all would want to be updated! We'll let you know if we are making the trip on Friday.

prayer

2008-11-15T13:01:00.000-08:00

Bennett in Uganda!

We ended up not making the trip to Dallas this weekend to meet little Bennett ;0( Friday, Scott and Sherry took him to the doctor and they found out that he still has syphilis.... he was diagnosed with it in Africa and the symptoms were treated but not the actual disease. Because of this the doctor wanted to submit him into the hospital to run some tests to make sure there was not anything else wrong with him. So we decided to wait until next weekend to go meet him. I was quite sad last night about it, but we just want Bennett to be healthy and taken care of, so we will just have to wait till next weekend to get our hands on him!

I just spoke with Sherry about his status and he is doing well. They ran some blood tests and are going to hook him up with penicillin to get rid of the syphilis. Now they are just waiting to get the blood test results back. Please be praying for him and their family. The kids (hannah, colt and haley) are not excited about mom being away from home again. We will update you as we find out more. Thanks for all your prayers.

welcome to America

2008-11-06T06:19:00.000-08:00

Our Precious little newphew Bennett Adai McGough arrived in America yesterday afternoon along with Sherry and Bre. They had a safe flight and are so glad to be back at home. We can't wait to meet the newest little addition. We will be heading to Dallas next weekend to hold him and kiss him. We will post pics and more about him after that trip! Thanks for all your prayers!

wreck 'em TECH!!

2008-11-04T17:37:00.001-08:00

TECH beat the #1 team last weekend (Texas) and moved from 7th in the Nation to 2nd and is still undefeated!!! Pretty amazing.... we can't wait for this weekend when we play OSU (#9 in the nation).

In honor of our Red Raiders I am going to post the fight song:

Fight, Raiders, Fight! Fight, Raiders, Fight!
Fight for the school we love so dearly.
We'll hit'em high, we'll hit'em low.
We'll push the ball across the goal,
Tech, Fight! Fight!
We'll praise your name, boost you to fame.
Fight for the Scarlet and Black
We will hit'em, we will wreck'em.
Hit'em! Wreck'em, Texas Tech!
And the Victory Bells will ring out.

GO TECH!!