update

Lots has happened since my last post. Our trip to Austin for the basketball tournament was cancelled, which was such a bummer. Our team has done so well this summer, but we are looking forward to the practices and tournaments to be over. We have a tournament this weekend and then nationals the next week/weekend. After that basketball will be over and football will start. We will put De'Von (the kid that was in my class last year that we have in basketball this summer) in football for the fall. He should be really good at football, and he is so excited to play. He will only get to play if he keeps his grades up and behaves. So, this will be a big test for him, and for us. It won't be easy to tell him he can't play, but it's the deal we have made.

Summer school has ended, I turned 26, and Russell and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary. I must say, I love being married. Russell ended up working later than expected the night of our anniversary, and I tried to not let that make me too unhappy. Sometimes I get unrealistic and expect the impossible. There wasn't anything he could do about it. Once he got there, I forgot all about him being late, and remembered the joy I felt the day I married him. We went out to eat with Kasey and Lee and had a great time celebrating. We are really going to celebrate our anniversary on the 19th when we go see Jerry Seinfeld in Dallas. That was part of my gift to Russell. He loves Jerry's comedy, so I thought that would be great fun. He's pretty excited. Russell got me a new iPod and lots of iTunes money to load up my new toy. On Friday morning I went and stood in line to get Russell the last part of his gift, the new iPhone. He has been talking about wanting this phone since they talked about coming out with the second one. It's been on his outlook calendar and he's been doing research. When I told him I would go get it for him, he got so excited. So, I got up super early, waited in the forever long line, and hoped they would have enough by the time I got in there. Luckily, after a few hours in line, I got him a phone. He was like a kid in a candy store when he got his hands on it. So, he has been playing with his new phone all weekend and I've been playing with my new iPod. We are such nerds. Luckily we are nerds in love.

The other adventure I've started on is trying to get over the abuse I went through as a kid. I was abused (in all ways imaginable) by a man that lived with us when I was in elementary school. I don't talk about it much (unless you happen to be my best friend or husband), but it's something I deal with daily. It's caused a ton of depression, anxiety, anger, and other negative feelings for my entire life. I didn't start talking about it until my senior year of high school, and I've never really dealt with it. Since it affects my marriage and my life in general on a daily basis, I decided it was best to deal with it and stop letting it control my life. We have tried counseling, but I always find an excuse or reason not to go. I just don't feel comfortable with it. So, I ordered a Beth Moore CD series about healing from childhood abuse. She is a victim of childhood abuse herself, so it all really hits home. So far it's been great and I feel much better already. I've had to have a few very difficult conversations with my mother, but hopefully it will help us both heal. I am confident I am on the road to recovery!!

Tonight we took our boys (De'Von and his two brother's) to the Air Hogs game. The Air Hogs are a new minor league baseball team in Grand Prairie. We had a great time. The field was really nice, the tickets were cheap, the seats were great, and we all had a good time. Russell took some pictures while we were there, but for some reason he only got one picture with the boys in it. It only has the top of their heads. I'll try to get a better picture of them next time...

This is them checking out the field from the outfield area. There is even a swimming pool at this place!! You can swim out in center field during the game! How crazy is that??

Finally, here are some pictures of Maggie and Maverick. These aren't the best pictures, just new. They are from Russell's new phone, and they won't stay still, but I just wanted to add them anyway.

Maggie sitting on the couch, ready to jump off and pounce Maverick...

Maverick sitting on his side table. Yes, his side table, he's claimed it as his own. It's blurry because he never sits still for longer than two seconds. He's pretty crazy.