I'm Pregnant!

It's true....Travis and I are expecting a new little bundle of joy in February and we couldn't be more excited. We returned to Dallas on Father's Day from a very relaxed, week long vacation in Florida with my parents. I knew I was a day late but was so scared to take a test because I didn't want to see "not pregnant" on there again. Travis convinced me to take one any way. So, he went to our neighbors house to get the mail and I ran to take one so I could be myself in case the results were not what we were hoping. When I saw "Pregnant" I started crying because I was thrilled beyond belief. I hurried up and called Travis to tell him to come home. He kept asking me if everything was ok. I simply said "Happy Father's Day!" Travis came running through the door with tears in his eyes. We just hugged and cried together because we couldn't wait for this day to come and then to happen on Father's Day made it more perfect for Travis. I think for the next hour or so while I called family, I carried the test around and kept looking at it because I couldn't believe we were going to have a baby. The first person I called was my dad. It was the best moment for me to tell him he was going to be a grandpa. I'm not sure who is more excited him or my mom. They are going to be amazing grandparents!

Travis is going to be such an amazing dad. I can't wait to see our little bundle arrive and how he interacts with our baby. We call it our little peanut and every day when he leaves for work and every morning when he comes home from work, he rubs my belly and says "I love you peanut." It's the sweetest thing! Of course, he's rooting for a boy and I would love to have a little girl but as long as it is a healthy baby then we will be happy with whatever God blesses us with. We are so excited about the next several months and are anxious to watch my belly grow. We go in for our first sonogram on July 10th and can't wait to see our peanut. Please pray for us as we go through this journey. Thank you for letting us share our wonderful news with you! We can't wait for everyone to meet Baby Terrell!

Love,
Mary

Good-Bye Brinker

Yesterday was my last day at Brinker Elementary. It was a day full of emotions. I was excited about my new career in Frisco but sad to leave my "family" of three years at Brinker. I came to Brinker in December of 2005 and was offered a job after I graduated in August. Saying good-bye to the kids was the hardest part. I have established special bonds with each of them and they have touched my heart in all different, but special ways. To my friends at Brinker....thank you for all of your support during this time. I cherish your friendship everyday and am so grateful that you are all a part of my life. I love you guys!

After the kids left yesterday, we had our staff party that afternoon. Barbara (our principal) got up and spoke about each teacher that was leaving Brinker. A book is dedicated in our name that goes into the Brinker library. Since I'm from Louisiana, it was only fitting that my book be "Zach's Alligator." The support and compliments that I received from the staff was amazing and it truly touched my heart.

I took some pictures with my kids when I said good-bye. This was one of the hardest things I had to do. I have written little blurbs about them and how I will always remember them. It's amazing how children can touch your heart forever. I will never forget them and the joy they have brought to me.

Gavin (2nd grade): You are the apple of my eyes. You amaze me everyday with what your knowledge. You have come such a long way since that very first day of kindergarten. I will miss seeing you in the hallways and you saying "Mterrel." It's amazing how you learned everyone's username in the school to their computer. I loved the fact that everytime you came into my room you went straight for the fireman that was on my shelf. You loved to play with him. I loved your hugs and your smile the most. You melted my heart. I will miss you so much and I am so proud of everything that you have accomplished!

Ana (kindergarten): Where do I begin? You have made such huge strides since your first day of kindergarten. I love that you are such a girly girl. I loved waiting to see you walk into the front doors every morning and you saying to me "Hey Terrell!" You brightened my day everyday. I never knew what you were going to say next which always kept me wondering. You could always bring a smile to my face even when I was having a not so good day. You loved asking Mrs. Brownlee everyday "Do I have speech today?" I will never forget the first time you came up to me and gave me a hug and said "I love you." That meant the world to me and I will never forget you and I will miss working with you next year.

Mikal (1st grade): You give the best hugs every morning. I love your smile and your willingness to never give up. I have loved watching you grow into an amazing student. You have so much to give and I know only the best is yet to come.

Matt (1st grade): You have made such huge progress this year. I remember how proud I was the first time you came in from carpool and stopped by room and told me Good morning and asked how I was doing. I was jumping for joy inside because you were generalizing your skills outside of speech. You amazed me everyday. I'll never forget the last day of school when you gave me my gift and said to me "I couldn't have done it without you. We are a team." I cried as you walked away because it was huge that you were able to express your feelings to me.

Annie (1st grade): You are so adorable and soft spoken. I remember when you came to Brinker you barely spoke a sentence and now you are talking up a storm. I am so proud of you. You are such a smart girl and you continue to strive everyday.

Penn (1st grade): You make me smile! I love your love for airplanes. You know everything there is to know about them. I love that you would come into speech and play air guitar and sing a song to me. It was always something different. The one that touched my heart the most was when you sang to me "I'm Yours." You are amazing and I will miss you so much!

Ian(5th grade-at the top): You are one of my favorites and I am so proud I was able to see you walk across the stage at our assembly as a graduate of 5th grade. You have made huge gains through the years. I love how you would get so excited to talk about dinosaurs and how you could name the different dinosaurs and tell me about them. Good luck at Renner next year! Your teachers will love you and you will do an amazing job! I will miss you!

Daniel (5th grade-at the top): WOW!!! I don't know where to begin! I remember the first day you walked in as a third grader and you weren't able to say anything but "Mama." In 3 years, you are now able to put complete sentences together. I am so proud of you! You never gave up and you always just pushed on so you would have a voice to be heard. I remember us sitting down together one day and you put your arm around my shoulders and said to me "You are my pumpkin." My heart completed melted. I told you that my dad called me his pumpkin and you giggled. You thought it was the neatest thing. In 4th grade, we started you on a communication device to help you form more clearer speech. The very first time you made a sentence and heard it said out loud back to you, you grinned from ear to ear. You knew that you would be able to communicate more with your peers. Mrs. Hughes and I started to cry because of how happy you were. You have come such a long way in these few short years and I am so proud that I have had the chance to know you and work with you! I will miss you next year! Good Luck at Renner! I know the teachers will love you as much as we love you at Brinker!

Now I begin my new journey in this path we call life...

Love to you all!
Mary

Staying Strong

This past week has been such a whirlwind for Travis and I. We went home for Mother's Day weekend to surprise my grandparents. It was so nice to be around our family. My Granddaddy and Mimi had their annual Mother's Day crawfish boil. They were so good. My Uncle Kenny cooked three sacks and I definitely had my share. Of course, the weekend came and went so fast and before we knew it we were back on the plane headed to Dallas.

Monday is when our life took an unexpected turn. I remember Travis calling me from work and asked if I was by myself in my office. My heart sunk because I didn't know what he was about to tell me. He told me that his company decided to have another layoff and they were just handing out letters to employers. I had faith that he wouldn't get a letter. He has worked so hard for the company. An hour later when I got home, he called me and told me he got a letter. I just broke down and kept repeating "What are we going to do?" You never think he could happen to you. He said he had until July to find something. I felt like everything at crumbled at that moment. He told me he would come home so we could just be together and figure out our next steps. When I got off the phone with him, I called the two most important people in my life....my mom and dad. I just cried to them and told them I was scared. I knew they would have the right words to say to me. I remember my dad telling me to just take a deep breath because I needed to stay strong for Travis. After talking with them, I finally calmed down and waited for Travis to get home. When Travis got home, we just stood there in each other's arms and said we would get through this together. It has been a tough week for the both of us. The thought of moving became an option but we didn't want to leave our house and our lives that we have made here. When you're going through this, you are filled with so many emotions and you're confused on what the best choice would be for the both us. Iam so proud of Travis for taking the initiative this past week and applying for jobs in Dallas area. We are just hoping for a call back soon. Please continue to pray for us as we travel down this bumpy path at this moment in our life. I know we will get through this with the help of our family and friends. We are so grateful for each and every one of you!

We love you!

Changes

Wow! It has been a while since I have written a new blog. Things have been kind of crazy lately. First of all, I have taken a new job with Frisco ISD for the new school year. It was such a tough decision. When I got the call that I was offered the job, I was so excited but so scared. I wanted to make the right decision and I was at a crossroads. Travis and I spent one weekend talking about the pros and cons for each job. By the end of the weekend, we had made the decision that I would move to Frisco. I cried many tears that weekend because I didn't want to leave my friends are my kiddos. It's amazing how some of my most challenging students were the ones that made the decision the hardest. In the three years, that I have been at Brinker, I have established some amazing bonds with my students and the thought of them being in someone else's hands scared me. They were my "little babies." Fortunately, my principal found someone to fill my position quickly and I had the opportunity to meet and work with her today for the first time. She observed me in therapy and we reviewed the paperwork/strategies that work with the students and teachers. I want it to be an easy transition for her since it is her first year. I remembered how I felt my first year....OVERWHELMED! I think the new SLP will do great. I will be working with more in the next few weeks. It will definitely be easier to turn my kids to someone else. I am scared about starting somewhere new and leaving my comfort zone at Brinker but I am excited about the new change. I know it is a great decision for Travis and I and for our futre family.

Secondly, Travis and I are in the process of putting flooring down in our house. WHAT A MESS! We are so excited! The past two weekends, we have been busy pulling up all of carpet and some of the tile. We had no idea how much of a mess pulling up tile would be. It took us forever to get everything free of dust. This past weekend, we finally finished getting our floors ready for when the flooring arrives and we painted our room which looks great! I am so excited to see the outcome! I will post pictures of our new floors as soon as their done and I promise to be better at blogging! :)

Love Y'all!
Mary

An Answered Prayer

As most of you know, last Thursday was a big day for Travis and I. His company was having a layoff that day and we had to wait for the outcome. It was such a nerve-racking week for the both of us...more so for him. We knew about a month ago that there would be a layoff but we didn't want to think it would happen. The day finally came and he was safe!!!! Travis told me when they got to work, his supervisor pulled several of them into his office and told them that they still had a job! WHAT A RELIEF!!! When hecalled to tell me the news, I couldn't stop screaming and I was beaming from ear to ear and completely speechless. It was such a relief for both of us and it felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off of our shoulders. He is such a hard worker and I am so proud of him and all that he has done for the company, I knew he didn't deserve to be laid off. We were pretty confident, but there was still that little bit that kept tugging at us to be prepared if it went the other way. We turned to our faith and knew we had to leave it in God's hands.

Thank you to all of our friends and family who supported and prayed for us during this difficult and stressful time. I especially want to thank all of my friends at work. You guys were such a huge support for me while I was dealing with my job which at times can be stressful. Thanks for keeping me upbeat and positive. To my mom, thank you so much for listening to me cry countless nights on the phone because I was so scared of what could happen. You and dad were such great supporters for the both us. We love you!

Pig Roast 2009

A couple of weeks ago, Travis and I and a couple friend of ours, Meagan and Matt, went down to Louisiana for the Pig Roast. We had such a great time. We drove down there on Thursday night and got in early Friday morning. The guys had to get up shortly after to for the Pig run. It is an all day affair. They go and get the pig and then on the way back, they stop at several bars and eat lunch. They make it back HOURS later! They go straight to the scout hut where the pig roast is being held and get ready for guys night. While they were doing that all day, my mom had made so many delicious dishes that I was craving to eat. Family came over and we ate and drank and then that night went out for some amazing seafood. The guys finally made it back home around 1:30am on Saturday. I'll put it this way....they weren't hurting! :)

On Saturday, it is family day at the Pig Roast. Of course, there is more delicious food and that's when they get the pig ready to eat. I'm not big on eating the pig as you will see in the pictures why. They have a lot of things for the kids to do and the adults visit, eat, and drink some more. It's a good time for everyone! Saturday night, is adult's only night. They get a band to play and there's more food and drinks going around...imagine that! My friend Ashley ended up surprising us at the pig roast. I had no idea she was coming. It was such a great surprise! By the end of the night, we were all exhausted. We finally got home around 3am on Sunday and then woke up for the 8 hour drive back to Dallas! Needless to say, it wasn't a fun trip home. Next year, we are definitley flying to the Pig Roast! Here are a few pictures from that weekend...

Do you see why I won't eat the pig??

Crawfish boil

Hey Y'all! Last weekend Travis and I went to a crawfish boil with some friends that I work with. We had a great time and the crawfish were SOOO good! We always have a great time when we hang out with this group of friends and it makes it ten times easier when all of our husbands get along! We are very fortunate to have such a great circle of friends!

For Travis and I not having family here, we realize how much our friends mean to us. We know we could call on them at anytime if we needed to. Our friends are what surround us here in Texas and each day we realize that this is where we need to be at this point in our lives.

The girls....Meagan, Sara, Jamie, Tracy, me, Carol, Ashala, and Alaina

We missed you Adriane and Marisa!

Carol, Tracy, and me