Updates on Kate

Here is the link to the website that Ben and I created so that everyone can keep up with Kate's progress.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kategarner

Thanks!

I love it when we're cruisin' together

After I finished with my masters (YES I AM DONE!!) and before Ben entered into "busy" month we went on a Caribbean cruise. It was a 5 night vacation with a stop in Cozumel and Calica (Playa del Carmen), Mexico. We were so excited, but a little nervous about hurricane Alex.
Being our 1st cruise we were not sure if either of us were prone to seasickness...and with the hurricane waves in our path we would soon find out...

Night one: After standing in line for 2 hours to board the ship, we spent most of the afternoon exploring the ship. There was so much to look at and people everywhere wanting to take our picture. We chose to have late dinner at 8:15 so that we could eat dinner back on the ship the nights that we were docked. I am so glad that we did because we had an awesome table! Here we are at dinner on night 1:


Day/Night 2: We got up and lounged at the adults only pool for most of the morning. In the afternoon we bounced back and forth between the pool and various activities on the boat. That night at dinner was the dressy night. We both had lobster and it was super yummy. So far no seasickness...

Day 3: We took a taxi to the shopping area of Cozumel with some friends that we made on the ship. We pretty much spent the day walking around being haggled by the local merchants. Super fun! We ate a late lunch at Senor Frogs and then headed back to the ship.


Here is where the seasickness begins: After we left Cozumel the boat ride to Calica was only about 1 hour. However, when the boat is docked in either port the casinos have to close. So instead the boat floated around for the entire evening. Now lets remember the hurricane waves- the news said the waves were like waves in a bathtub. They bounce off the sides and clash into each other. This made for a very long night. Even walking to dinner we had to be holding on to the railing or walls. You could hardly stand without falling over. After dinner I had to go back to the room for the rest of the night... thankfully I have a super loving husband who didn't mind chilling with me for the entire night in our tiny room.

Day 4: LAND!!! After a long night we finally got off the ship in Calica. We chose an excursion that takes you to a private beach and there were activities and chairs and you could just sit on the beach and relax. There was also snorkeling and water activities but they were all closed because the waves were too bad. Once we got back to the ship we ate lunch and decided to get back off the boat. (Mostly for my sake to prevent getting sick).

So, Ben and I jumped in a taxi and headed to downtown Playa del Carmen. The shopping was very similar to Cozumel, but the merchants were very aggressive. We heard it was because the ships only dock there 1 day a week instead of everyday like in Cozumel. Regardless, it was a blast! We ended up getting massages in the upstairs of a shop on the strip for $15. (That is another story for another day). Here is Ben once we got back on the ship:


Day 5: The last day was at sea. Thankfully the waves had calmed down a little and we were moving at warp speed to get back to Mobile. The morning was beautiful and we spend the day at the pool, but by afternoon it started to rain. It ended up being a great day because they had a lot of great indoor activities since it was raining.

After we got home it took my head a solid 4 days to not feel like I was on the ship. Overall- it was a great trip. I will always love spending quality time with my hubby on vacations.

Thanks for checking in!

15 days!

I am officially deeming today as the "beginning of the end." I have 15 days of Master's classes left and then I AM DONE!! I no longer have to be a stranger to the world! I finished my internship hours today, received my formative evaluation, and will submit it all tomorrow. Whew... I still have a few papers and small assignments left but being done with the internship hours is such a relief.

So now what?

Shannon's wedding is June 19th
Cruise June 28-July 3
July-??? Enjoy life, read books for leisure, whatever I want....

Yard Work

So, it has been a while since I last posted....but Ben and I worked WAY to hard not to share our weekend project. I have been wanting rocks put around the flower beds in the front. We went out yesterday and found the ton (literally a ton, 2000 lbs) of rocks that we liked. Ben spent all day today laying down rocks while I weeded the flower beds. Then we went together to pick out flowers. I then planted while Ben mulched. These pictures are really dark but you will get the general idea. A full picture is to come...

In other news...school is out in 5 days! And I have less than 6 weeks until I am done with my masters!

Snow Days!

I can not believe how many snow days we have had so far this year! These days have come just at the right time for me. I have been able to use them to get papers written, journals and discussion questions answered, and my house cleaned! All of those are normal "stressors" for me. The time off has let me catch up AND get ahead.

I am almost done with my masters! August 22nd is the official last day. If these next 6 months go as fast as the last 6 months then it will be here before I know it.

I wish that snow days applied to Ben, but his job is pretty flexible so he has been able to spend some time at home too. We have watched tons of movies and played lots of games. (Yes- we are dorks and like to play card/board games).

Up next...Valentines Day!

A long overdue update

It's not that I have forgotten about my blog. In fact, I frequent my blog page with the hopes that someone has updated theirs so that I can read it and it can provide temporary entertainment for me. I have come up with multiple excuses as to why I have not provided an update, some are good and some are not. The fact of the matter is...I am a terrible "blogger." I talk all day, come home and do schoolwork on the computer, cook dinner, and by the end of all that I just want to do something...mindless. (I know that sounds like an excuse...maybe it is?) Thanks to the ice, I have checked everything off my list...except for this. So, here it is! I brief update about what has happened since October 4th (my last blog entry).

1. Ben...after much studying and even more prayer, Ben passed the CPA exam!!! I am so proud of him. This is a huge achievement, glory to God!

2. Engagements...both of my 2 youngest sisters got engaged! We will be welcoming 2 fine young men into our family this year. With these two fellows the boys will finally outnumber the girls (7 to 5) after 28 years of holding the record (5 girls and 2 boys).

Shannon and Kyle, to be married June 19, 2010

Rebecca and Ben, to be married December 31, 2010 (I don't know why this picture is so small).


3. Carter...my favorite nephew. We were able to see the Pigg's quite a few times over the holidays. Here is a picture of Aunt Sara, Uncle Iceman, and our favorite little pigg over Thanksgiving.

4. Beth Moore...I love this woman. In October, Beth Moore's Living Proof came to Memphis. I had never done a Beth Moore Bible study until last spring when I did the Esther study. It changed my life. So, when I heard Beth was coming to Memphis I was overjoyed! I was so glad to attend with my favorite Bible study partner and dear friend...Whitney. After the conference we hopped on a plane to Atlanta for a girl's trip over fall break. It was a much needed getaway for me. (Please excuse the red eyes).

5. Old friends...my bestest friend, Emily Wade Wilson, had her sweet baby Miles Lee Wilson back in December. I was able to help throw her a baby shower in November and then go for a visit over the Christmas break to meet this beautiful little man.

6. Thanksgiving...I just had to put this picture up. Ok- my Dad used to live in flannel shirt. Every shirt that man owned was flannel. Dad has recently gotten rid of his flannel shirts and slowly built a more fashionable wardrobe. Well, now that flannel shirts are all over the stores we thought it would be funny to all wear a flannel shirt to Thanksgiving. Here are a few of my favorite pics from the day, the boys, the siblings, and then the girls.

7. Kate's graduation...In December, we traveled to the big town of Durant, OK for my sister-in-laws graduation. We are proud of you Kate!


8. Holidays...we had a fabulous Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. We are so blessed with two wonderful families. We were able to make it to every family "event" this year. I wish that I would have taken more pictures, maybe next year.

I can't think of any other big events that we have had since October. I feel like we have traveled the United States between Atlanta, Nashville, Oklahoma, Searcy, Little Rock, and Jackson. Thankfully, our spring is not so packed with events. My hope is that I will be able to provide an update about what we are doing now sometime soon!

September is over!

Never in my life can I remember a month that went by faster than September. If you ask me what I did in September I really can not name any significant event. If you ask a few of my family members they would respond that this is something that happens "as you get older." However, I am not quite ready to accept that as the explaination.

Labor Day weekend Stephanie, Michael, and Carter came to Jackson. It was great to see them, but even better to snuggle with my sweet nephew.

Later that week we went back over to Jackson for Q's football game.

Can you tell that these 2 are siblings?

Me, Quentin, and Ben after the game.

Dad, Carter, and Quentin after the ballgame. Quentin loved the fact that I was making him take pictures with everyone after the game. Thanks for being a good sport!