Tuesday? Feels like a Monday!!

Do you have those days where you look back and say "man, I wish I would have handled that situation better?" Needless to say, I had an eventful morning. It took me quite a bit to get to work today and regardless of what actually happened, the real lesson in this morning was that sometimes life just happens to us and it's how we react that really matters. I, embarrassing enough, didn't handle the situation thrown at me very well. Shame on me. I felt this little voice in the back of my head telling me my reaction wasn't what it was suppose to be. And of course, I know who that voice was. God was telling me I should have used the situation and responded in a more positive manner. Lesson learned, and I for sure want to make sure in the future I remember that little voice and respond in a more loving and Christian like way.

On a more positive note, my day ended very well. I am in my new role as a CEL (Corporate Education Liaison) and got to spend some time today with a really nice lady who has been a CEL for a long period of time so I got some great ideas! It's so amazing to me to be in my new role. I have this great new opportunity to do really well at a job I think I have a knack for.

I'm kind of in a period of raising my self esteem again though. After being in a role that I think was a great learning opportunity but not something I was exactly excited to do I feel like my confidence level has dropped a bit. So I think it might take a while to build it back up to where I felt like I was when I was at Roadhouse. For some reason, I felt so comfortable like in my element at Roadhouse. And it's new at UOP. The culture almost feels the same though but in a different way. There is definitely more growth potential at UOP and has some really great people there.

I think it's going to be a long hard rode to get where I want but I'm looking forward to it!! So if anyone out there is interested in getting back into school let me know. I know a really good one ;)

Graduation Weekend

Today I officially graduated from the University of Phoenix.

It was held at the American Airlines center and I tell you one thing, what people did before access to the Internet on their phone isbeyond me!! Facebook, magazines, and games kept the family busy since there was almost 1, 000 people walking in the ceremony.

Yes, 1, 000; is that crazy or what!?! The ceremony was very nice and

I didn't trip walking across the stage so that was another plus!

We went out Saturday night with Leslie and her boyfriend, some friends and our new neighbor friends too! I am always very thankful for two people in my life, Amber and Mary. I have been friends with Mary since kinder garden and no matter what important event in my life is going on, she always makes it a point to come and celebrate. We don't see each other much so I always cherish that she shows up. Amber is another person who no matter what is always so happy for me when something good is going on in my life. And the two of them together is just hilarious!!

After graduation we went back over to my parents to eat some good food and spend some time celebrating!

Some pictures of today, enjoy!

My wonderful husband, I can't even put into words how wonderfully supportive and loving Dave has been. I am so thankful I get to share my life with someone like him. He is incredibly sweet, considerate, and loving. Thank you Dave for all your words of encouragement and for being such a great and positive person in my life. I love you more than you know and am astonished at how my love for you continues to grow with every day that passes.

I am the one right in front is this picture behind the blonde ;)

My mom and dad did such a good job planning it all and getting the food, Brian (Leslie's boyfriend) made ribs that were AWESOME along with probably the BEST potato salad ever. Gordon (my father in law), Corey (brother in law), Jenn and Bailey (sister in law and niece) and my aunt came too. It always feels so special to me when you have people around to celebrate and I feel so incredibly blessed I have such a great group of people to call my family. My mom and dad especially made this day great, thank you Mom and Dad
for encouraging me and being so supportive!

It's been a long weekend so I'm off to bed to try and catch some extra sleep for this week!!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Little playdates

We had an eventful weekend at the Petty house! We got to keep my niece Brenna and it was lots of fun! Maybe minus the 6am wake up call, it was like clock work with that kid. And when she was up, she was ready to play! We had a playdate Saturday afternoon with Amber and Logan and the kids had such a great time!

Thank you Amber and Logan for letting us come play at your house!

We ended the date with dinner at our favorite steakhouse, Texas Roadhouse of course! By then the kids were great friends, boyfriend and girlfriend to be exact! Here is Amber, Brenna, and I (it was girls on one side, and stinky boys on the other!)

Brenna LOVED the recording machine. She sang and sang! This little contraption is super cool, you can sing and play the piano and record yourself. Logan was a pro! He knew all the ins and outs and was very nice to have share it!

After some swimming, Amber brought out the very cool little "cars" for the kids. I tell you what, Logan already knows how to drive, he is SO good at it. Just goes all around! I feel he might be a speeder like his Mommy when he gets old enough to drive!

Logan had this huge water slide, so much F-U-N! Brenna was a little shy when we first got there, Amber ended up going down the slide first so Brenna would and after that it was over, they went down that thing over and over again.

Are they not just super cute or what! And yes Brenna is tan! She gets that skin from her mother, Kristen has flawless skin; serioulsy.

Thank you for letting us come to play Logan! Brenna had a great time!!

It was nice for me too, I haven't seen Amber in forever so it was nice to be able to do something fun with the kids while still hanging out. The kids were pooped after we were done, Brenna fell asleep about 5 minutes into the ride home. We finished off the stay with breakfast this morning before Kristen and CJ came to get her. Later we are off to Dave's parents to celebrate his dad's birthday. I think a nap will be needed before that event!!!

Prayer for this week

This was the devotional for Sunday and I just now read it but I think it's so good. Simple but true. I challenge you to pray the simple prayer towards the bottom everyday this week before you start working............may see a difference for the next couple of days.

From the Purpose Driven Connection Daily Devotional:

The apostle Paul says, "Do all your work in love." He doesn't say some of your work, but all of your work. He also says "no matter . . . what I do, I'm bankrupt without love" (1 Corinthians 13:3 MSG).

The point is, any job can be turned into worship when it is built on the model of Christ's love; that love is expressed to co-workers, clients, and customers. Mother Teresa said, "It's not what you do so much that matters, but how much love you put into it."

Think about it like this. Two-thirds of the word career is "care": C-A-R-E. John Rushcan once said, "When love and skill come together, expect a masterpiece."

So, I want you to pray a prayer every day this week. When you get up to go work—whether it's at home or at school, in your backyard or at an office or wherever you work—I want you to pray, "Father, today I want to worship You through my work. I want to express my gifts, I want to do it as if I'm doing it for You, and I want to do it in love.""

So then, my friends, because of God's great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to His service and pleasing to Him. This is the true worship that you should offer" (Romans 12:1 TEV).

I've been tagged!

Thanks Libby!! Let's see no children for me so confessions it is! :)

Five Random Facts about me:

1. I eat breakfast every morning because it's the most important meal of the day

2. I check the mail everyday, it drives me crazy not too.

3. I am addicted to being tan, drives me crazy not to have some color

4. One of the things I liked to do when I get bored is take our chuck wagon (like a golf cart on steroids) out for a little drive around the neighborhood

5. I still watch re-runs of 90210 almost daily, I can't help it I love that show

Six Things I wish I could do:

1. Win the lottery

2. Visit Germany

3. Have an endless amount of time to do all the things I want to do

4. Skydive, although this would never happen because I'm too scared to

5. Spend like a day or week in a different period of time, I would prefer like during the 1950's

6. Horseback ride without fear of being thrown off (I was when I was little, can't get over it)

Five Confessions:
1. I would still work as a Service Manager at Texas Roadhouse if the schedule fit my life style better
2. I actually do enjoy sitting in the deer stand with Dave hunting, now shooting isn't something I have grown fond of yet
3. I love my dogs but sometimes I wish they weren't so needing attention wise
4. I sometimes think the end of the world will happen in my life time
5. I don't ever want to visit Japan, China, or pretty much anywhere in Asia
Seven Favorite Movies of all time:
1. The Notebook
2. Walk the Line
3. Footloose
4. Sex and the City
5. P.S. I love you
6. Tommy Boy
7. Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion (sorry can't help it)
5 Favorite TV Shows:
1. Friends
2. The Office
3. Tori and Dean Home Sweet Hollywood
4. 90210
5. American Idol
Six Bands I want to see in concert:
1. Dave Matthews (I go every year and will continue for as long as he tours)
2. Faith Hill
3. Zack Brown Band
4. George Strait (I'm with you on this one Libby)
5. John Mayer
6. Rascal Flatts

Five Favorite Pics of the Year

Thanks for tagging me Libby!!!! Hope you all enjoyed it! :)

We're back and we survived!!

The past week has been amazing! Mexico was so great, very relaxing! And I must say the flight there and back were quite pleasant surprisingly. The entire week consisted basically of waking up, getting some breakfast and heading down to the pool for the day. I left the resort once, seriously. Dave went deep sea fishing and had fun despite him being sea sick the majority of the time. It's a pretty funny story so I'll leave it him to tell it,

it's always funnier when he does.

Here Dave is with the swordfish Dwayne caught and all the fish they caught:

This picture is for my Dad, he loves the Blues Brothers

Us on the first day in Mexico

In the lobby of our hotel

And the weekend before we left we had a breakfast to celebrate my Mom's retirement! It was yummy! We had a great time and great food!

And now it's back to work tomorrow........but there is good news!!! Before I left I found out I got promoted! I am now officially a Corporate Education Liaison for the University of Phoenix. It's definitely going to be challenging and hard but I'm very excited about it and hopefully I can work hard and do well. I feel very blessed and am looking forward to starting something new!

Home Sweet Home, feels good to be back in my own bed! But the best feeling is not having to worry about the water, I was so terrified of accidently drinking the water down there and getting sick, nothing yet but I'll keep you posted :)