This Christmas has been extra special for our family. On 12/17 we welcomed McClain Gore into the family, as Lindsey gave birth to her first child. This little girl has already brought so much love and joy to our family, and I thank God that she is happy and healthy.
Matt and I celebrated Christmas, but I was in West Columbia with my family and he went to Jasper to be with his family. It is very important to us to spend as much time with our family as possible, individually, before we commit our lives to each other. We love each other so very much, and love our families, too. Matt's family is turning into my second family, and I am so thankful that we both have families that we love and adore, and enjoy spending time with. We are so very blessed.
We had such a wonderful time on Christmas Eve, mass was absolutely beautiful, and the dinner afterwards with family was such a treat. One of my fave holiday traditions happens on Christmas Eve, when we all gather at Poppy and Yea Yea's for dinner. Poppy makes the most delicious CHILI, and we have that, and TAMALES. Yep, its quite the odd pairing, but my goodness it is divine. After dinner, we come home to another one of my most favorite traditions....the opening of ONE present each. Mom gets to choose the gift, and surprise, EACH year it is a new pair of Christmas PJs. The girls always match in their jammies, while Chad and my dad are the odd balls of the group. I love this tradition and can't wait to pass it along to my family one day. That evening Dad and I made our annual batch of peanut brittle, while Mom baked away. She made all sorts of sweet treats :) There is never a shortage of food in the Kresta house and my goodness Christmas was no exception. What an amazing feast.
That evening a few of us decided to go to church, and I am so thankful that I made this decision. This weekend was the feast of the Holy Family. The homily given by Father Tien was one for the ages. He truly struck a cord with me, reminding us to model our families (and future families) after the family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus. If you build your family on love and compassion, not only for the Lord, but for each other, then you will build a strong foundation for your family. You will be making not only your life better, but you will be enriching the lives of the people around you. He said you should take stock in your stability as a family, in regard to compassion and love, and should not worry about the financial security that our society gets caught up in. I am guilty of getting caught up in this as well. Matt and I discuss all the time what the future may or may not hold for us and our family, and now I truly understand, that I need to take stock in our Lord, and take stock in our spirituality as a family, and all will be ok :) It's a new outlook for 2011, and I can't wait to see what is in store.
BTW, I can't wait for Thursday to get here...MATT will be here and we will celebrate our Christmas together, as well as the New Year. WAHOOOO sooo happy and excited to see my lovey.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
One thing at a time...
This past weekend was jam packed full of major happenings for Matt and myself. Matt completed his math class, which will allow him to complete his certification as a LCDC in the coming months. I couldn't be more proud of him!! Hopefully with the new license, he will be able to follow through with his plan to move to Austin very soon. I am crossing my fingers and toes, and hoping for the best. I know God has a plan for our life, let's just hope the plan is Austin :)
On Saturday, I began to cross a major item off of one of my lists. I don't know about the rest of the world, but I have a list of things to do before "marriage." I don't mean it to sound like doomsday, that after marriage you can't do anything and everything, but there are certain things you can't do when married, and one of them happens to be living alone.
For the first time ever, I am living in a 1/1 cottage all by lonesome. This has been on my list since day one, because I want to prove to myself that I am independent, that I can take care of myself and that I am happy with it just being me in the house. Last night was my first night alone, and while it was a little odd, it was nice to know that the space was alllllllll mine, and no one else could mess it up or take it away from me. I didn't sleep very well, but I know after I get used to the feel of the place, and actually turn the house into a home, it will get easier.
On Saturday evening, Matt took me out for my birthday dinner at this wonderful downtown mexican eatery. It was DELICIOUS!! If you are ever in Austin, Corazon at Castle Hills is a must stop. We dined on fried goat cheese, guacamole, roasted chicken enchiladas in a suiza sauce, and red fish...not to mention the Tres Leches cake! All of it was wonderful, and the people were so nice. It was a wonderful evening with my lovey.
Matt has a tendency to ask, "What do you want for your birthday/Christmas/valentines present, " and I happily oblige and make it a bit easier by giving him some suggestions or by dropping hints. But this last year, I didn't have a clue what I wanted for my birthday... I feel like I have reached an age where I don't NEED anything, nor do I wanted anything. Anything that I've wanted in the last year, I have purchased for myself since I am pretty impatient.. Matt didn't like hearing those words, that I wasn't sure what I wanted, and he seemed a bit stumped in the weeks leading up to my birthday. Last weekend he told me that he had already purchased my present and couldn't wait to give it to me. Well, now I was intrigued, and like a little kid, asked, "Can I have it now?" Of course the answer was NO, so I waited the week, very patiently I might add, and as soon as he came over on Saturday, I asked, like the same little kid as the week before, "Can I have my present now?" Am I a brat? Probably, is it ok to be a little bit of a stinker on your birthday, OF COURSE! Well Matt, you blew my socks off this birthday! He got me the most amazingly beautiful Michael Kors watch...just like the one below.
The look on my face when I opened it was pure shock! I love it, and can't wait to start building outfits around this wonderful piece. It is the perfect birthday gift from my lovey.
On Sunday, Matt helped me move a few items into storage, we purchased a christmas tree, and then he went back to SA. I was sad that he didn't get to help me with the tree, but he will have a nice surprise on Friday, when he comes back and sees our tree for the first time. I can't wait to show him. I will post pictures this week of the tree!! I love Christmas :)
On Saturday, I began to cross a major item off of one of my lists. I don't know about the rest of the world, but I have a list of things to do before "marriage." I don't mean it to sound like doomsday, that after marriage you can't do anything and everything, but there are certain things you can't do when married, and one of them happens to be living alone.
For the first time ever, I am living in a 1/1 cottage all by lonesome. This has been on my list since day one, because I want to prove to myself that I am independent, that I can take care of myself and that I am happy with it just being me in the house. Last night was my first night alone, and while it was a little odd, it was nice to know that the space was alllllllll mine, and no one else could mess it up or take it away from me. I didn't sleep very well, but I know after I get used to the feel of the place, and actually turn the house into a home, it will get easier.
On Saturday evening, Matt took me out for my birthday dinner at this wonderful downtown mexican eatery. It was DELICIOUS!! If you are ever in Austin, Corazon at Castle Hills is a must stop. We dined on fried goat cheese, guacamole, roasted chicken enchiladas in a suiza sauce, and red fish...not to mention the Tres Leches cake! All of it was wonderful, and the people were so nice. It was a wonderful evening with my lovey.
Matt has a tendency to ask, "What do you want for your birthday/Christmas/valentines present, " and I happily oblige and make it a bit easier by giving him some suggestions or by dropping hints. But this last year, I didn't have a clue what I wanted for my birthday... I feel like I have reached an age where I don't NEED anything, nor do I wanted anything. Anything that I've wanted in the last year, I have purchased for myself since I am pretty impatient.. Matt didn't like hearing those words, that I wasn't sure what I wanted, and he seemed a bit stumped in the weeks leading up to my birthday. Last weekend he told me that he had already purchased my present and couldn't wait to give it to me. Well, now I was intrigued, and like a little kid, asked, "Can I have it now?" Of course the answer was NO, so I waited the week, very patiently I might add, and as soon as he came over on Saturday, I asked, like the same little kid as the week before, "Can I have my present now?" Am I a brat? Probably, is it ok to be a little bit of a stinker on your birthday, OF COURSE! Well Matt, you blew my socks off this birthday! He got me the most amazingly beautiful Michael Kors watch...just like the one below.
On Sunday, Matt helped me move a few items into storage, we purchased a christmas tree, and then he went back to SA. I was sad that he didn't get to help me with the tree, but he will have a nice surprise on Friday, when he comes back and sees our tree for the first time. I can't wait to show him. I will post pictures this week of the tree!! I love Christmas :)
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Adulthood at its best
Well, so much for me whipping my late twenties into its rightful place. The day started out lovely, but then around 10:30am, I hear this loud POP. Everything was fine within the office, power was still on, so I went about my business of working fervently.
In runs DJ, "You aren't going to like what you see outside, LOOK!" And there lies my car, with a busted out back windshield.
Awesome. How in the world did this happen? We think it was a pressure change, hot sun beating down on the cold windshield. WHO KNOWS?!?! Maybe it was all those times Matt SLAMMED the back lift gate...HAHA Just Kidding, babe.
I am now sitting at Starbucks, working remotely the rest of the afternoon while the car is being repaired. Oohh the joys of adulthood....
In runs DJ, "You aren't going to like what you see outside, LOOK!" And there lies my car, with a busted out back windshield.
Awesome. How in the world did this happen? We think it was a pressure change, hot sun beating down on the cold windshield. WHO KNOWS?!?! Maybe it was all those times Matt SLAMMED the back lift gate...HAHA Just Kidding, babe.
I am now sitting at Starbucks, working remotely the rest of the afternoon while the car is being repaired. Oohh the joys of adulthood....
Upper Twenties
My favorite quote from my childhood came when Chad was born in 1992. I was 8 years old and I would tell EVERYONE, " When Chad graduates from high school, I will be OLD, I will be 26, married, and at have all my children by then!"
Well my friends, the time has come and Chad is a senior in high school and I turned 26 years old yesterday, no husband and definetely, no children. BUT I do have an amazing boyfriend, whom I love dearly and I am so happy to call my person. Life is truly a blessing, and you never know where your path will lead you.
Lets just say this for good measure.... 26 is NOT old, not even close! Heck my grandparents are proving to me every day that age is just a number and old is just a frame of mind.
I had a wonderful birthday, one that will go down in the history pages as best birthday ever. Yes, this sounds a bit odd, because yes, I did work all day, and no I didn't see ANY of my family, but it was still one of the best birthdays to date.
It all started when I walked into the office, and Diana, my lovely friend and coworker had a present on my desk. She had made a homemade cherry cheesecake and there was a note on top of the container....an amazing gift card to a local spa!! I am so thankful for Diana, not only as a coworker, but also as a very dear friend. She is my spring board for ideas, my voice of reason when I get frustrated, a Godly woman who guides me and prays with me at work....YES at work! She is an amazing woman, with a heart of gold. I am truly the lucky one of this friendship, and I am so thankful that God brought us together as friends.
My day continued at work, with a visit from Maria. Her and I started working at Xtreme within a few months of each other, and have been great friends since day one. She is another treasure here at XP, and without her, I wouldn't have been able to adapt to all of the changes this place had in store for me. She is a true friend, and again, I am a lucky person to call her not only my coworker, but my friend. Matt and I love having dinner with her and her husband, and our friendship with this couple is so very cherished by myself and Matt. She makes amazing biscotti, and guess what I got...HOMEMADE BISCOTTI, and a gift card to an amazing restaurant. Jolene and Maria also gifted to me a Target gift card...WAHOO, can't wait to buy a new holiday outfit :)
As the day went on, my wonderful boss Mike, emailed Diana, DJ and I, as he wanted to take us out to lunch for my birthday and for DJ's last day (which is this coming Friday). He didn't tell us where we were going, just said we are going to Austin, and I hope you don't have plans or meeting before 2pm. Well that intrigued me. Where in the world were we going? He pulls up to Fogo De Chao, downtown Austin. My jaw drops. I have been wanted to try this resaturant for years, but Matt hasn't been as sweet to oblige my desires. Well, we all walked in, had a table waitng for us and dined on every type of meat there is to offer. AMAZING, INCREDIBLE, DELECTABLE, DELICIOUS, are just a few words I will choose to use to describe the food. Let me not forget the fellowship....what an amazing group of coworkers (and friends) I was surrounded by. Mike has been my boss for a little over a year now, and has been such a blessing in my professional life. He has taught me so much, and I continue to learn each and everyday from him, as he is such a great leader for our company. DJ, what an amazing person he is, and we are so sad he is venturing off to a new company, but I understand the opprotunity was too good to pass up. He is such a treasure, and I look forward to many more years of friendship with him. And Diana, remember what I mentioned above...well I love her, she is wonderful :) We had an amazing time, and it was such a wonderful outing for my birthday.
Once we got back from Fogo, I was trying really hard to get back into a work mindset, but it just wasn't happening. Upon arrival, I was greeted by amazing flowers from my sweet lovey. I am such a lucky girl, as Matt truly knows how to make me feel special each and every day, especially on my birthday. He wasn't able to come to Austin for my birthday, but I knew he was thinking of me. I can't wait to celebrate with him this weekend.
Again, trying to get back into the mindset of work.....Cue in THE disaster of the day at our company. Let's just say the power went out, and was out the rest of the day. WAHOO, didn't have to work the rest of the afternoon. Remember that cheesecake I was talking about earlier, that Diana made, well here is a wonderful picture of it :) Of course I shared with everyone at the office (the office that had power) and man, was it delish. I was a cheesecake eating fool on my birthday!!
Once the day was over, I went to meet Jason and Laura for HH at 219West. I absolutely love this place. It is such an easy place to meet friends for amazing food and even better drinks, and talk about budget friendly. You don't have too many high end restuarants that are budget friendly that are located downtown, but this one takes the cake :) I had a wonderful time with Jason. He is moving to Indy this coming weekend, and while I'm happy for him career wise, I am quite sad to lose one of my very best friends to another city, another state! Laura was such a gem, and this girl makes me laugh so hard!! I am so thankful for our friendship and thankful that I got to spend my birthday with her.
As you can tell, it was a pretty awesome birthday. Bring it late twenties, I am ready!!
Well my friends, the time has come and Chad is a senior in high school and I turned 26 years old yesterday, no husband and definetely, no children. BUT I do have an amazing boyfriend, whom I love dearly and I am so happy to call my person. Life is truly a blessing, and you never know where your path will lead you.
Lets just say this for good measure.... 26 is NOT old, not even close! Heck my grandparents are proving to me every day that age is just a number and old is just a frame of mind.
I had a wonderful birthday, one that will go down in the history pages as best birthday ever. Yes, this sounds a bit odd, because yes, I did work all day, and no I didn't see ANY of my family, but it was still one of the best birthdays to date.
It all started when I walked into the office, and Diana, my lovely friend and coworker had a present on my desk. She had made a homemade cherry cheesecake and there was a note on top of the container....an amazing gift card to a local spa!! I am so thankful for Diana, not only as a coworker, but also as a very dear friend. She is my spring board for ideas, my voice of reason when I get frustrated, a Godly woman who guides me and prays with me at work....YES at work! She is an amazing woman, with a heart of gold. I am truly the lucky one of this friendship, and I am so thankful that God brought us together as friends.
My day continued at work, with a visit from Maria. Her and I started working at Xtreme within a few months of each other, and have been great friends since day one. She is another treasure here at XP, and without her, I wouldn't have been able to adapt to all of the changes this place had in store for me. She is a true friend, and again, I am a lucky person to call her not only my coworker, but my friend. Matt and I love having dinner with her and her husband, and our friendship with this couple is so very cherished by myself and Matt. She makes amazing biscotti, and guess what I got...HOMEMADE BISCOTTI, and a gift card to an amazing restaurant. Jolene and Maria also gifted to me a Target gift card...WAHOO, can't wait to buy a new holiday outfit :)
As the day went on, my wonderful boss Mike, emailed Diana, DJ and I, as he wanted to take us out to lunch for my birthday and for DJ's last day (which is this coming Friday). He didn't tell us where we were going, just said we are going to Austin, and I hope you don't have plans or meeting before 2pm. Well that intrigued me. Where in the world were we going? He pulls up to Fogo De Chao, downtown Austin. My jaw drops. I have been wanted to try this resaturant for years, but Matt hasn't been as sweet to oblige my desires. Well, we all walked in, had a table waitng for us and dined on every type of meat there is to offer. AMAZING, INCREDIBLE, DELECTABLE, DELICIOUS, are just a few words I will choose to use to describe the food. Let me not forget the fellowship....what an amazing group of coworkers (and friends) I was surrounded by. Mike has been my boss for a little over a year now, and has been such a blessing in my professional life. He has taught me so much, and I continue to learn each and everyday from him, as he is such a great leader for our company. DJ, what an amazing person he is, and we are so sad he is venturing off to a new company, but I understand the opprotunity was too good to pass up. He is such a treasure, and I look forward to many more years of friendship with him. And Diana, remember what I mentioned above...well I love her, she is wonderful :) We had an amazing time, and it was such a wonderful outing for my birthday.
Picture of the sweet (and I do mean sweet) dessert from Mike and the rest of the team. It was delicious!!
Once we got back from Fogo, I was trying really hard to get back into a work mindset, but it just wasn't happening. Upon arrival, I was greeted by amazing flowers from my sweet lovey. I am such a lucky girl, as Matt truly knows how to make me feel special each and every day, especially on my birthday. He wasn't able to come to Austin for my birthday, but I knew he was thinking of me. I can't wait to celebrate with him this weekend.
So gorgeous and so very thoughtful.
Again, trying to get back into the mindset of work.....Cue in THE disaster of the day at our company. Let's just say the power went out, and was out the rest of the day. WAHOO, didn't have to work the rest of the afternoon. Remember that cheesecake I was talking about earlier, that Diana made, well here is a wonderful picture of it :) Of course I shared with everyone at the office (the office that had power) and man, was it delish. I was a cheesecake eating fool on my birthday!!
Once the day was over, I went to meet Jason and Laura for HH at 219West. I absolutely love this place. It is such an easy place to meet friends for amazing food and even better drinks, and talk about budget friendly. You don't have too many high end restuarants that are budget friendly that are located downtown, but this one takes the cake :) I had a wonderful time with Jason. He is moving to Indy this coming weekend, and while I'm happy for him career wise, I am quite sad to lose one of my very best friends to another city, another state! Laura was such a gem, and this girl makes me laugh so hard!! I am so thankful for our friendship and thankful that I got to spend my birthday with her.
As you can tell, it was a pretty awesome birthday. Bring it late twenties, I am ready!!
Saturday, December 4, 2010
The Boys of Fall
The Fall of 2010 will go down in our family as one to remember. It all started the first weekend of September, when Chad took the field as a Senior, with the Roughnecks to kick off the 2010 Fall football season. They lost to Brazosport, and as I talked to Chad after the game, he said to me, "Cortney, we are going to state this year." I laughed, said that there is still a lot of football to play this season, so lets get through the regular season.
Well, the Roughnecks started the12 game winning streak the following week, Chad played his heart out week in and week out, and I started attending every game possible starting the first weekend of October. My weekends revolved around Roughneck football, and I wouldn't have had it any other way. Matt attended some of the games with me, and he loved so much being apart of the excitement. He is so supportive of Chad and my family that it truly makes my heart melt to see him interact with them.
In my past posts, you have seen my posts, from the playoffs, and all of the wins! Last night we played Tyler Chapel Hill in the STATE SEMIFINALS!!! This was our first appearance in the semifinal playoffs in 40 years!! YES, 40 YEARS!! Our boys were ready, and they were pumped up to start the game, but the Chapel Hill team proved to be the better team and will be playing for the state championship next weekend. I am sad for our team, but I am also so very happy and PROUD of this team. I have watched these boys grow, week in and week out, into an amazing football team. Chad and his best friend Aaron, have lead their team each week, pumping them up on the field, making key plays, and have been incredible. These boys hold a very special place in my heart, and I am forever thankful to them for an amazing football season! #52 and #53 I love you boys!!
I need to say a few things about my brother, Chad... What an amazing young man he is becoming. Every time I am around him, I look at him and just smile, because he is that type of person that just lights up the room when he walks in. I love that he has a gentle spirit, a kind heart and a strong sense of integrity. He is applying to college in the next few weeks, and I am so excited for him to start the next chapter in his life. He is one of the most incredible people that I know, and I am so lucky to call him my brother. I spoke to him this morning after the tough loss, and he said it very well... I am proud of our team. I know Chad has such a bright future ahead of him, and I hope he knows that his big sister will always be here to support and love him. Again, I couldn't be more proud of him.
Of course, I couldn't complete a post without any pictures... Mom was the crafty one for this game and made Maroon Santa hats for the game. They turned out so cute!!
And to my wonderful Matt.... Thank you for being YOU... last night one the way home from the hard loss game, you were wonderful to me, while I was completely cranky and upset about the loss. I am reminded each and every day why God choose you for me, and I am so grateful. Thank you for being my person :)
Well, the Roughnecks started the12 game winning streak the following week, Chad played his heart out week in and week out, and I started attending every game possible starting the first weekend of October. My weekends revolved around Roughneck football, and I wouldn't have had it any other way. Matt attended some of the games with me, and he loved so much being apart of the excitement. He is so supportive of Chad and my family that it truly makes my heart melt to see him interact with them.
In my past posts, you have seen my posts, from the playoffs, and all of the wins! Last night we played Tyler Chapel Hill in the STATE SEMIFINALS!!! This was our first appearance in the semifinal playoffs in 40 years!! YES, 40 YEARS!! Our boys were ready, and they were pumped up to start the game, but the Chapel Hill team proved to be the better team and will be playing for the state championship next weekend. I am sad for our team, but I am also so very happy and PROUD of this team. I have watched these boys grow, week in and week out, into an amazing football team. Chad and his best friend Aaron, have lead their team each week, pumping them up on the field, making key plays, and have been incredible. These boys hold a very special place in my heart, and I am forever thankful to them for an amazing football season! #52 and #53 I love you boys!!
I need to say a few things about my brother, Chad... What an amazing young man he is becoming. Every time I am around him, I look at him and just smile, because he is that type of person that just lights up the room when he walks in. I love that he has a gentle spirit, a kind heart and a strong sense of integrity. He is applying to college in the next few weeks, and I am so excited for him to start the next chapter in his life. He is one of the most incredible people that I know, and I am so lucky to call him my brother. I spoke to him this morning after the tough loss, and he said it very well... I am proud of our team. I know Chad has such a bright future ahead of him, and I hope he knows that his big sister will always be here to support and love him. Again, I couldn't be more proud of him.
Here is to our Boy of Fall, Chad Kresta, #52!!
Of course, I couldn't complete a post without any pictures... Mom was the crafty one for this game and made Maroon Santa hats for the game. They turned out so cute!!
Mom with her sweet girlfriends, who all drove up for the game! So much fun!
And to my wonderful Matt.... Thank you for being YOU... last night one the way home from the hard loss game, you were wonderful to me, while I was completely cranky and upset about the loss. I am reminded each and every day why God choose you for me, and I am so grateful. Thank you for being my person :)
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