Our Last Few Days in The Falls......

  September 6, 2013


It's starting to sink in that we are going to be moving away from the only place that we've really known as home, in our adult life,  in a few days.  This week has been an emotional one for both of us.  We've done a lot of "lasts" with friends and sometimes it has made us question if this is the right decision for us and our family.  Deep in our hearts we know that it is as everything has fallen into place so easily and we know that this is what God has planned for us.
  Our entire married life we have waited for this and now that it's here and happening it's exciting, sad and scary all together.  You see, we've always felt like we've been in a waiting mode and now it's "go time." This town has been more than gracious and wonderful  to the both of us and the people that make up the community are unlike any other.
  Dan began his career here, even though he didn't know it at the time, it was just a job while he figured things out as a 24 year old guy.   First Bank has been great to him and we both feel honored to have been part of such an amazing family.  He literally has grown up there, they've been a part of our wedding and the welcoming of our precious baby Holt.  We couldn't ask for more of a blessing than sharing it with them.

 The bank had a going away party for Dan on his last day.  Thank you! It was appreciated more than you know.  I know we will both miss the family of First Bank.

Dan's last day at First Bank

  I began my career here back in the year 2000 when I started as an assistant for a stylist/ salon owner and then eventually in 2009 opened my own salon.  I am so blessed to have had the support of all my customers throughout the years, most of them knew me right out of school and stuck with me until I quit in May of 2013 to stay home with Holt.  I never knew when I began at 19 years old how God would bless me with so many wonderful people that I consider friends and extended family.  They also watched me grow up and stuck with me through all the growing pains of any typical 20 year old.   They celebrated with me as I married Dan, the opening of the salon, starting back to school after 10 years and the birth of Holt.  Wow! How awesome are they?  I love my customers and am forever grateful!
  We started a bible study over marriage and our great friends that we went with all got together and threw us a going away party.  I was so surprised because we thought it was just an end of class party.  It was so great to do this study with such an awesome group.  We got to know everyone a little deeper and share ideas and thoughts of what works in our own marriages.  I'm sad that I didn't get any pictures of our group at our party! :(
 

Our group got us this cute pumpkin to put on our new door.  It's great to have a little piece of home every time you walk up to our apartment door.

  Recently, or really over the past year, Dan and I have got involved in Crossfit and that has become a family within itself.  I can only speak for myself, but not only is it the best work out, it's amazing how it transforms so many areas within your life.  Dan started when I got pregnant so unfortunately I didn't start until about a year later, but I saw such a difference in him, mentally and physically.  The group of guys that he worked out with, were Godly men, family men who encouraged each other, held each other accountable and celebrated when they did something big.  What other place can you really go to work out and build healthy friendships like that without a bunch of meat heads?  LOL.  I go to the women's group and even though it took me a while to get into the Crossfit mind set, I met some great women that did the same for me, they encouraged me and motivated me.  I not only got a challenging work out everyday but we got to have play groups for our little ones while we had some adult time.  Since I was new to the mommy world and new to the stay at home business, this was exactly what I needed, mentally, physically and emotionally.  Yeah, who would have thought Crossfit would do all that for you?  I know, it's crazy!  We will miss our groups tremendously and look forward to those posts of muscle ups and pull ups that they will achieve.

I was so excited last week when I finally got on the leader board! I beat the original record of KAREN,  which is a workout that consists of 150 wall balls.  Wall balls- throw a 14lb medicine ball to a certain mark on the wall.  The original time was 7:31 and I finished in 7:26!  To be on the leaderboard was a goal of mine, only originally I wanted it to be for squat, however I never got to max out towards the end.  I'm sure it would be nowhere near my once max of 325lbs, but I was curious to see where I stood, of course I'm not 18yrs. old anymore either. Haha!  

Holt and his friend Nora.  He looks a little nervous!  HAHA!  They were such good buddies and we will miss her!

Pam and Nora on our last day.  Pam was my partner for the final workout below.  It was so great to end my Crossfit Wichita Falls journey working out with her, she is the one that made my mind set change so much.  She also does the childcare and makes every mom's day!  Below was our last workout at Crossfit Wichita Falls. 

  Now it's time for a new chapter, one that we will write together as a family.  When we got married we were that couple that said we didn't want children and boy are we glad that God convinced us otherwise!  Holt is the biggest blessing to us and there isn't a love any greater than the love we have for him.  We want him to have opportunities and to experience things that we didn't get too, or at least me.  I grew up in a town of 3,000 people and we didn't have the zoo, the rangers, museums, or numerous parks to choose from.  We couldn't go canoeing on the weekend or go ride our bikes on a bike trail.  I can't wait to experience things like that and see that through his eyes.  I love that I grew up in a small town, where everybody knows your name, but I am looking forward to the amenities of a larger city.   This is the biggest decision we've ever made and a lot of it is for him.
  Our friends here will forever be our friends and we will keep in touch. We will continue to celebrate each others childrens birthdays, help when they need help, encourage when they need encouragement and listen when they need a listening ear.  I love to know that God put each person in our life for a reason and I am excited to see his master plan at work in our life and theirs.