Good night sweet boys; we are so proud and excited for you both.
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Night Before Kindergarten
Friday, August 21, 2015
Meet the Teacher Night!
We are excited to be starting a new school year in Galveston; tonight we got to meet Everett & Emory's teachers.
Check back Monday because I'll be posting pictures from the 1st day of school!!
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Good Bye Stuff; Hello Abundant Life
For the past 2 years (maybe more) Deona and I have been questioning where we live, how we live, are we making any improvements to ourselves and/or our community? Are we living intentionally? What is our purpose? And Why the hell do we have all this stuff?!
These questions kept surfacing, over and over and over again. We work to afford "stuff". Stuff that most often brings joy and a smile, for maybe 15 seconds. We both knew it was time to start living and working towards getting off the proverbial hamster wheel. But how does a family of four take that leap of faith? We weren't sure, so we continued in our day to day routine. In the meantime we decided to make the most of our summer and spend some time with my parents in the Hillcountry and Grammy at the beach.
The boys love to visit Granmom and Granpop in Wimberley; there they can run and play until they are out of breath. Sweaty, dirt-streaked faces is completely acceptable at Granmom's house and when it rains Ev and Em have an awesome babbling brook to play in. Riding Big Wheels down the windy driveway, is a favorite too. A family favorite is to ride the golf cart at dusk, around the neighborhood and we are always treated to sights of deer, coyotes, rabbits, roadrunners, all in their natural habitat. Visits to Granmom and Granpop's is a treat and I feel at peace when we are there.
In July we visited Grammy at the beach. Grammy retired in May and living on Galveston Island for 6 months. We spent two weeks in her beautiful furnished condo overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Our visit was perfect; our days were filled with swimming, building sand castles, trash hikes, boogey boarding, snorkeling, surfing, looking for ghost crabs, star gazing and much more! There is a feeling I get when I'm near the ocean; it's another world. It has magic. It's where I can best hear that little voice inside that tells me to close my eyes, breathe and relax. The sounds of water, seagulls and the waves carry my stress out to sea. It's where I regain my faith and recharge my batteries.
Both visits, although very different, were exactly what we needed this summer. These visits were our opportunities to experience what life feels like, off the hamster wheel. I cant help but compare the quality of life we create for ourselves in the metroplex and the quality of life we experience while we visit my parents in the hillcountry and Grammy at the beach. Yeah, I get it, we shouldn't compare our day to day with vacation; but what I do know is, when our family is out in nature, we are happier people.
As a result, Deona and I made the decision to move. Years and years of talk finally happened; once we decided to take that leap of faith, everything seemed to come together. Within a week, Deona had a job in Galveston, we had a condo picked out and approved (same complex as Grammy), and thankfully our apartment re-leased within a couple of days so we walked without any penalties or fees , even though we just signed a new lease! This was our sign, we were doing the right thing.
We had 1 week to move; this would allow us to arrive in Galveston the day before Deona would have to report to work. This meant we had to move fast and really consider what we were taking with us. Because we were moving to a furnished condo, we took only the essentials and items that were treasured; the rest was donated to a local charity. Letting go of 50+ large bags of household goods, boxes and boxes of clothing, furnishings, gear, etc was difficult, yet freeing.
1) Pray about it
These questions kept surfacing, over and over and over again. We work to afford "stuff". Stuff that most often brings joy and a smile, for maybe 15 seconds. We both knew it was time to start living and working towards getting off the proverbial hamster wheel. But how does a family of four take that leap of faith? We weren't sure, so we continued in our day to day routine. In the meantime we decided to make the most of our summer and spend some time with my parents in the Hillcountry and Grammy at the beach.
The boys love to visit Granmom and Granpop in Wimberley; there they can run and play until they are out of breath. Sweaty, dirt-streaked faces is completely acceptable at Granmom's house and when it rains Ev and Em have an awesome babbling brook to play in. Riding Big Wheels down the windy driveway, is a favorite too. A family favorite is to ride the golf cart at dusk, around the neighborhood and we are always treated to sights of deer, coyotes, rabbits, roadrunners, all in their natural habitat. Visits to Granmom and Granpop's is a treat and I feel at peace when we are there.
In July we visited Grammy at the beach. Grammy retired in May and living on Galveston Island for 6 months. We spent two weeks in her beautiful furnished condo overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Our visit was perfect; our days were filled with swimming, building sand castles, trash hikes, boogey boarding, snorkeling, surfing, looking for ghost crabs, star gazing and much more! There is a feeling I get when I'm near the ocean; it's another world. It has magic. It's where I can best hear that little voice inside that tells me to close my eyes, breathe and relax. The sounds of water, seagulls and the waves carry my stress out to sea. It's where I regain my faith and recharge my batteries.
Both visits, although very different, were exactly what we needed this summer. These visits were our opportunities to experience what life feels like, off the hamster wheel. I cant help but compare the quality of life we create for ourselves in the metroplex and the quality of life we experience while we visit my parents in the hillcountry and Grammy at the beach. Yeah, I get it, we shouldn't compare our day to day with vacation; but what I do know is, when our family is out in nature, we are happier people.
As a result, Deona and I made the decision to move. Years and years of talk finally happened; once we decided to take that leap of faith, everything seemed to come together. Within a week, Deona had a job in Galveston, we had a condo picked out and approved (same complex as Grammy), and thankfully our apartment re-leased within a couple of days so we walked without any penalties or fees , even though we just signed a new lease! This was our sign, we were doing the right thing.
We had 1 week to move; this would allow us to arrive in Galveston the day before Deona would have to report to work. This meant we had to move fast and really consider what we were taking with us. Because we were moving to a furnished condo, we took only the essentials and items that were treasured; the rest was donated to a local charity. Letting go of 50+ large bags of household goods, boxes and boxes of clothing, furnishings, gear, etc was difficult, yet freeing.
I had to keep reminding myself, "It's just stuff"; I am hopeful our "stuff" blessed someone or some family out there.
So how does a family of four live intentionally?
So how does a family of four live intentionally?
Here are 5 easy steps:
1) Pray about it
2) Talk through it
3) You load up the 5x8 UHaul, attach it to your vehicle, get everyone loaded, (don't forget the cat!)
4) Say Goodbye to your stuff &
5) HELLO ABUNDANT LIFE!
A HUGE thank you to Grampy for helping us make the move! Don, I can't tell you how relieved my parents were to hear you would be driving down with us. We very much appreciate it! (((HUGS)))
3) You load up the 5x8 UHaul, attach it to your vehicle, get everyone loaded, (don't forget the cat!)
4) Say Goodbye to your stuff &
5) HELLO ABUNDANT LIFE!
A HUGE thank you to Grampy for helping us make the move! Don, I can't tell you how relieved my parents were to hear you would be driving down with us. We very much appreciate it! (((HUGS)))
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Beach Vacation
Spending the next two weeks on the beach, with Grammy!
We love summer and we love Grammy's retired; AT THE BEACH!
Friday, June 26, 2015
Supreme Court Ruling Makes Same-Sex Marriage a Right Nationwide
We woke up early Friday morning learning today would be the day we'd hear the much anticipated news that would affect our family and livelihoods, forever.
In a long-sought victory for the gay rights movement, the Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage!!
In a long-sought victory for the gay rights movement, the Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage!!
We cheered, we cried, we celebrated....
as did many others in our nation...
The many "rainbows" supporting demonstrations, in our country today....
and then, THIS at Levitt Pavillion in Arlington, TX tonight....
How appropriate.
A special "Thank You" to those of you who have reached out to us today. We know you didn't have to, but can't express how appreciative we are that you took the time, even if you don't agree with the ruling. Your (unprompted) act of being happy for us and sharing your congratulations with our family (via phone calls, texts, messages, Facebook / Istagram posts and likes); then subjecting yourself to backlash from people in your social circles, is lovingly appreciated AND noted. You are our village.
And for anyone repulsed by the SCOTUS ruling and/or having difficulties being happy for our family, please unfollow our blog. And if you're our facebook or instagram friend, de-friend us there, too please, because: (1) you will be torturing yourself following our posts, ( 2) you don't want to be a creeper (3) your actions will make it easier for us to make that break, as well. If this applies to you, I'm sorry and will pray that you learn to love everyone; not just those in your social circles.
This is our blog,
our story
and joyfully share it with anyone who genuinely cares about our family and/or our stories.
our story
and joyfully share it with anyone who genuinely cares about our family and/or our stories.
We are Equal
We are LEGALLY married!
#LoveWins
I Am So Much More Than Ok
What an awesome day to celebrate that my marriage is legal. 20 years
ago to this exact day, I (Deona) came out to my parents. It was terrible. It
changed our family forever. Hurtful things were said; things that made
me feel less human; things that made me question my own existence. I
moved out immediately and didn’t speak to them much over the next
several months. It was to date the roughest part of my life. I had
nothing except the clothes I left the house with and Shelby (my
car). I could’ve stayed at home if I agreed never to see my ‘gay’
friends again, go to counseling and leave that life behind. For me it
was the first time I felt like I understood who I was, and I wasn’t
about to give that up. I slept on friends’ floors and sofas in Denton.
I relied heavily on those friends and my camp friends who stuck by me
for guidance and acceptance. I struggled daily with my decision and
cried often about what I was putting my family through. It meant I
would never be married, never have kids, never have happy times with my
family again, never be comfortable in a job…lots of nevers. My how 20
years can change things. I am so grateful today to be able to celebrate
my love and life with an amazing wife and our 2 incredible boys. I am
continually energized by the love and support our family receives by our
parents, our friends and most of our family members. I wish I could
tell my 19 year old self not to worry, that it would all be ok
eventually; that I would be ok. I am so much more than ok. #lovewins
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