Jake and Amanda's Wedding

So I was inspired to be a better (more frequent) blogger this weekend!  Thanks Whitney!  So here it goes...

Gunnar's cousin Jake married the beautiful Amanda this weekend.  It was a beautiful wedding and I'm so glad Gunnar was off this weekend so we could attend!  I married into a pretty darn wonderful family!!  Unfortunately I didn't do so well at taking pictures and don't have one of the beautiful couple! :(

Gunnar looks so handsome dressed up! Maybe we should dress up more often….HA! yeah right! 

 With Mimi (Ann's mom) 

 I had only met this clan of the family at our wedding (which doesn't really count) so I really enjoyed getting to know them better.  We were seated with Whitney and Taylor, and Ben and Alyssa so I actually got to get to know them!

Mimi and her second cousin Gudrun, from Germany.  She is here visiting for 4 weeks.  I sat with her at breakfast and learned a lot about her past and the family connection.  Her dad and Mimi's dad were cousins (I think)   She was born near the Czech border during WWII.  After the war, her family was in East Germany for about 11 years.  She and her siblings had to go to a communist school and it upset her dad so much that his kids were forced to go to a communist school and wear uniforms.  They finally snuck across the wall to West Germany, claiming they were "visiting" family but never returned.    They had to go in pairs so it took a while for all of them to get back together.     

She remembers a lot about being a child in post war Germany and has been told stories about the things that she was too young to remember.  When she was in her young 20s she was a masseuse in a hotel in Germany and met a lady from New York who told her that if she ever came to the US to come to her first and she would help her.  So at 24, not speaking a word of English, she came to New York on a boat.  When she landed she handed a cab driver the address of her friend.  Later she came to Texas and stayed and met all her family and has visited many times now.  She now speaks English and so interesting to talk to!  She now lives in Munich and told me that the part of Germany she lives in (I don't remember what it was called) is to Germany what Texas is to America.  haha

Jake's groom's cake!! Pretty awesome!  Ha! 

Congratulations to Jake and Amanda!! The wedding was so fun!  We (yes Gunnar too) danced so much!! Even Sid danced!  We had fun getting to see all the family and cousins since we missed the annual family river trip this year!  I really did marry into a wonderful family!  

#HappilyEthridgeAfter

Pops Concert

Sara and I staked out a great spot for the Pops Concert last week.  See our blanket up there waiting in line in the sun for us??

We did end up scoring a pretty great spot!!

That evening Gunnar and I got there before everyone else so while the community band was playing Gunnar took a little catnap!  He swears this did not hurt his neck but I'm still not sure I believe him! Later we were joined by Sara and Wyatt, Julie, Rusty, and Clara, and Haley Pomroy.  

As we all sat there watching fireworks and listening to the symphony, I remembered back to two years ago when I was alone in College Station, Gunnar and all our friends were gone for the summer and the couple friends that were in town had all left to celebrate July 4th with their families.  I decided to go to the Pops Concert A&M puts on.  It was beautiful and I met a group of nice fun people who invited me to sit with them and enjoy the music.  Even though they were nice and friendly, I remember feeling very alone.  The fireworks and music were spectacular what with the fireworks bursting over the George Bush Library and the symphony playing lively patriotic music.  I eventually wondered off from the group I had met and decided to enjoy the show on my own.  

So, as I sat and watched the fireworks this year with my husband, family, and friends I realized just how grateful I am to not be alone, but instead, to be surrounded with people who love and care for one another.  To watch fireworks together.

Honestly, the show in College Station, was probably better than the one in San Angelo.  Bigger fireworks, more music and opening shows, booths, free museum tours, and great food, but it was missing something.  I was reminded that we really are often surrounded by the greatest blessing we take for granted… people!! People who know and love us, frustrate and irritate us, pray for us and help us, or just have fun with us and I wouldn't trade that for a better fireworks show any day!! (Sara might however ;)

Happy Birthday America!

Before and After

While looking for another picture yesterday, I stumbled across this picture on the left.  I took it on May 23, the day of the first big rain.  I was sitting in my front doorway watching the rain.  I knew it had greened up since then but seeing the comparison side by side is almost shocking!  (FYI we haven't watered our yard ever!)  Praise the Lord for the rain! He truly is faithful!

FINALLY, a Laundry Room!!

So I haven't had a washer and dryer in our house since we moved.  We've used the laundry mat, borrowed a washer from Sara, got Gunnar's grandmothers set, and used our family's.  About a week after getting Gunnar's grandmothers, the washer broke… Its amazing just how many things I take for granted!  It really wasn't a big deal except for Gunnar's work clothes.  He has to wear FRs (fire resistant) and he only has so many of them and they get really dirty so that was a little difficult to keep up with.

The washer wasn't draining, so I ended up taking it apart and found the problem…not fixable….so on to Amazon… found the part I thought we needed and ordered it with free shipping for $23…figured it was worth the risk even if it needed up not working…  Finally got the part in Friday and got the washer put back together Saturday and proceeded to do about 47 loads of laundry!! ha not really but a lot!

Washer taken apart with a couple stowaways!!

It honestly was kinda fun taking the washer apart and fixing it.  I really do enjoy working with my hands and being "mechanical"!  Gunnar as going to do it but I asked if he would let me try first anyway… :)

Sara, Arielle, and I were recruited to decorate for Nic and Emily's baby shower at the McClellans, so I borrowed some of the paper scraps we had left over and made some cute letters for my washboards.  

Turned out pretty cute and now I finally have a laundry room that is functional, clean (for now haha), and cute!!  (this picture is terrible, makes the laundry room look yellow which it is, in fact, not at all!)

Oh and I just had to include this picture for the record.  Gunnar got to hold little Silas today and it was pretty adorable!! He has now officially held two babies…as an adult anyway! 

Project Fish Tank Table

FINALLY finished my latest project!! Its been bugging me because our fish tank has just been sitting on an ugly patio table, in our living room getting dirtier and dirtier until I could get this table redone!  We even had a plate inside it to make the water spilling from the filter quieter….people thought it was a frisbee.

This is the only picture I have of it, I should have taken a "before" pic but I was just so excited to get the living room DONE! So, notice that in this pic you can see how the water is semi clear…. yeah it wasn't like that by yesterday!  Our poor fish...

So here's the table before.  It used to be Gunnar's grandmothers and maybe great grandmothers, I'll have to ask again, and has been passed around the family.  Ann told me it used to be taller but somewhere along the way someone cut the legs off to make it shorter.  Gunnar had it when he was young for his fish tank, when he went to college, he gave it to my brother for his fish tank, then, when we moved back, Jonathan wasn't using it anymore so we got it back.  I love furniture with history!  It used to be white (and apparently blue at some point) but all the paint was peeling off and chipping, so it was time for a makeover! 

I thought I could maybe just sand it but it proved too big of a job so I asked my husband to pick me up  stripper to help me out.  This is the text I got from him later… funny husband...

Getting all bubbly from the stripper...

So here it is after A LOT of sanding, A LOT of stripping, and A LOT of sanding!  Those legs were rather a pain…so many grooves!  I also took it apart and reenforced the bottom of it, it was getting a little wobbly.  I want to stain it someday, the wood is really pretty, but because it will have water on it for a while I thought I'd paint it for now to protect it.

So it took me FOUR hours to get the fish tank cleaned, tables switched out, new water put in, and everything cleaned up!  Sheesh! The water's still really dirty in this picture but I was making progress!!

I had some left over paint from our bathroom in Leakey, who wants to buy new paint when you can just use some you already have?!  Plus this blue/grey works great in the living room and is more subtle so that the fish tank stands out and not the table itself.

All finished!  Now to buy some new fish to add to the shiny clean tank!! Ours need some new friends...

Before and after…

Another perk was that I finally got to hang up my cross from John and Jonathan!  :)

Happy Monday!

Gunnar periodically texts me pictures from work.  These are two of the recent ones.  I love that he appreciates the things in life that we often miss or gloss over.

This was a sunrise on the way to work yesterday.  So beautiful!  

A group of colts he passes regularly.  I love their curiosity!  "Hey there! Whatcha doing? Got anything for us?"  

Happy Monday everyone!

May-ness

So the second week in May in always kinda overload in our family.  Mom's birthday was Wednesday, Gran's Thursday, Mother's Day Sunday and Penny's birthday Sunday!  Whew... Its always a little challenging to get all the celebrating in well!  And you know what?  With all the celebrating I didn't get ONE picture!! I really need to work on that!  haha

Wednesday we took mom out for "ice cream" (everyone ended up eating too) after church and work. Penny made her a scrapbook of all their China pictures so we all looked at that and listened to China stories!  Fun!

Saturday we all went to Sara's for a cook out game night for Penny's birthday.  The original plan was to swim too but the pool was only about knee deep so we waded around some (which did feel amazing) and played games instead.

Sunday my family came to our house for lunch.  It is fun to be back in San Angelo so I can easily have family and friends over to our house.  I really enjoy feeding people :)  That evening we took Ann out to Zero One Ale House.  Yum!! It was a great new fun place to try!  I would recommend it!

Here are a few pics I could find to celebrate all our May people!!

Happy Mother's Day Ann!! Thanks for raising such a fine young man!

Happy Birthday and Mother's Day Mom!   You're the best!

Happy Birthday Penny!! Good luck this summer!

 

Happy Mother's Day Mimi! Love you!

Happy Mother's Day and Birthday, Gran! Love you!

Happy Mother's Day to Granny, Grandmother, and my Mimi as well!! (sorry I don't have any pictures!)

Also Congratulations to two new former students!!  Two of our close friends, Shea and John, both graduated from A&M this past weekend!! 

Now all five "Roommates" are former students!  Congratulations to all of you and here's to the years ahead!!