Fellowship Team

DSCN0570, originally uploaded by cordeauphotos.

Brian and I have been hosting a fellowship team at our house on Tuesday Nights for the last 11 months. This has been a rewarding and challenging experience all at the same time. Rewarding because we have grown closer to the people that you see in this picture and we have had the privilege of watching them grow closer to God and deeper in their Faith. Which is amazing!! Challenging because we have times were we wonder if we are the right people for this job. If God was sure what he was doing when he entrusted us with the group of people. At the end of the day we are reminded that this and everything we do is in His divine plan.
This was our White Elephant Christmas party. We ate a Riley's BBQ in Blanco and then drove on to Johnson City to see Christmas lights. This group of people are the ones that we do life together with. We are there for each other, we have honest, loving relationships, even when the truth is not what we always want to hear. This is our family and we look forward to another great year of spiritual growth, deeper relationships with each other and LOTS of fun in 2011

This Year Will Be Different

Nearly every Christmas in the past has followed us around for several months after December and not in a good way... This year we resolved to pay for Christmas gifts in December, not in January through June like we have nearly every year we have been married. For me this was just standard, buy a bunch of things and then pay them off later. This year I want the good parts of Christmas to follow us around like memories, celebrations, etc, but not the bills LOL.

Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, not to celebrate Santa and making the credit cards work double overtime. So this year for the first time Kristi and I actually made a budget for what we can spend for each of our family members and are sticking to it. In the past we just went to Target, Malls, Etc and just spent until the day was over without really thinking about what the balance would be. We were just plain irresponsible with what God had provided us. We always have given to others especially through things like giving trees, and other charities, but we always spent money we didn't really have a the time, mostly because we weren't paying attention.

So this year we are doing a few gifts for family and some friends and giving to others, but mostly we are just going to make memories with our friends and family. We are going to have a great Christmas dinner, go see the lights at Johnson City and do little things with friends and family. The gifts fade, break, etc, but the memories will last forever. For instance one of my favorite memories from last Christmas was going to Johnson City with our friends and just hanging out looking at Christmas lights. Sure we exchanged gifts afterward, but the best part was just spending time with our friends and kids.

CHRISTMAS 2010

Colorful Joy 2010 Christmas

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I'm Thankful for.....

As I sit down to write this my daughter Aida has come to ask me to open her purse for the 150th time in the last 15 minutes. Kallison is looking frantically for her cell phone and along the way collecting as many bracelets as she can fit on one arm. And I can just think of how thankful I am for these beautiful little girls. Then I began to reflect on the previous years around Thanksgiving and what I was Thankful for in the Past. I soon realize that most of the life changing decisions, choices, and God's plans come to play out in the month of November. I think he does that so that I never forget how amazing He is and how EVERYTHING happens in his timing. My mind quickly races to November 2007. When we announced to our families that we were having twins. And being so grateful and thankful to our amazing support systems that surround us and how awesome our families were.
Then as I think about family I am reminded of November 2009. That November was for so many reasons one of the most life changing, eye opening, amazing months of my life. It was full of so many emotions that words really cant describe. But I will try and give you a glimpse in to the roller coaster month of my life that has forever challenged me and changed me and for that I am ever so Thankful.
After a year and a half at our church Brian and I were very much involved. I was in leadership, Brian served on set up team, we were in Fellowship team training, we had great friends. But there was something missing and by an weird turn of events, Brian and I were baptized by some of our closest friends. I am ever so thankful for their persistent love and encouragement. I know that I am most Thankful for God's Amazing Grace and his Unconditional love and forgiveness for his children.
In May 2009, I began a 6 month training program to run the Rock and Roll marathon. With encouragement from Brian and friends, I trained and focused my energies on being able to run 26.2 miles. Brian trained as well, but due to an injury he was unable to complete training. I could have and would have easily quit, however, I did not. Instead, I ran long runs on Saturdays and during the week. I was up to running 18 miles. The longest I had ever run. And no lie, it took forever. It was a challenge everyday. I hurt, I cried, I was dehydrated, I was slow, I smelled bad... you name it. But in August after 18 miles, I got sick. Quit training during the week and just did long runs, and thought about quitting. As a compromise to my ego, I settled for running the Half Marathon. So on November 15th I ran 13.1 miles through downtown San Antonio. It required determination that I was sure I did not have in my self, In that short 13.1 miles, I went through every emotion possible. For my fellow runners 13.1 is a walk in the park, for me, for someone who hates to work out more than anything it was an accomplishment of a life time. I know I will never do it again! I remember calling my dad to tell him I finished. I remember how amazed and proud of me he was. And I remember telling him I received a metal for finishing and I couldn't wait to show it to him over Thanksgiving.
He never got to see it. He died a week later. And that brings us to the most private, challenging and cherished parts of the last year. And ultimately what I am most Thankful for this year.
And that is Gods loving embrace in the darkest of days. Family support, love, care, kindness and compassion. And for friends that are always there to give encouragement, truth in love, and best of all HUGS.

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Remembering Granpa

DSC04410, originally uploaded by cordeauphotos.

Granpa would have been 68 this year. Granpa loved birthdays. He loved any celebration really. So this year no detail was spared in remembering him. The day was complete with chocolate covered strawberries, yellow message balloons and artichokes. I know that you are far to young to remember him and the time that you did get to spend with him. But I hope that the small things that we do to remember him and the stories that you hear about him will help you to realize what an amazing man he was.

First Soccer Game

DSC04382, originally uploaded by cordeauphotos.

Thanks Granpa for taking us to our first soccer game. GO DYNAMO'S

Hold that thought!

DSC04368, originally uploaded by cordeauphotos.

Kallison

Gloves

DSC04363, originally uploaded by cordeauphotos.

Aida loves to read. She also loves to make sure that her feet stay sterile as she reads and walks around the house. \
She wont keep shoes and socks on, but she will wear gloves on her feet all day long!

$20k paid since May!!!

16k car loan – gone

4k stupid (I mean student) loan – gone

12k stupid (I mean student) loan – in progress

We sold the car for what the loan was and paid it off, bye bye car payment. This car payment was a huge burden on our young family and was difficult to shoulder every month. When we first got the CR-V we thought we needed it for our family, its amazing how we were able to justify this huge purchase that we really could not afford since Kristi would not be working. I guess it seemed like a good idea at the time, but now that I look around on craigslist I see many many cars that are drivable and wouldn’t put us in the poor house. That being said having only one car is not without difficulties such as the pick up drop off schedule is different each day by a few minutes here and there. Luckily I have a flexible job in that respect, and being there past 5 is actually nice because there are fewer emails!!

The biggest change we have really made are that we stay out of malls, target, best buy, baby’s R Us…and all of the other stores unless we absolutely need something. Before we spent time wandering the aisles aimlessly and putting this and that into our cart, by the time we hit the register it was a $75 - $100 bill and oops we didn’t really need all of this stuff. Now we rarely venture into these stores unless there is a purpose and we have been paying cash for everything mostly not even using debit card except for gas. Small changes make a big difference.

Another big change was we stayed out of restaurants except for special occasions. We had been going out to eat 3+ times per week and one month we spent close to $500 on eating at restaurants. Wow that is a huge number, now we spend less than about $75 on going out to eat. We probably go out to eat or fast food less than 5 times per month. Well we have a long way to go still, but we will get there eventually. By the time it’s all said and done we will have an extra $1k to put towards things that really matter.