It's A Turduckin!!

Somehow during the Christmas (actually Christmas Eve) dinner with my family the Turduckin came into play. I had never heard of such a food and now will be quite happy to finish my existence acting as if I never knew of such an item. Apparently it is a turkey with a duck inside of it and the duck has a chicken inside of it... now I am sure this is very yummy when made by some one on the Food Network, but I am also sure that when it is a ball of processed meat inside ball after ball of processed meat as my sister described it that I would be found yacking shortly after introduction! My family has this weird quirk that whatever is the inside joke for the holiday is what everyone got for Christmas that year. So no matter what size present you get, before you open it some one will make the joke that it is a Turduckin! It actually is hilarious when it's late and you are full and your cheeks and sides hurt from laughing at too many dad jokes! Usually we all joke about having records and stuff because my mom always buys us calendars but really there is no sense to it all, just good ole Thompson humour. It's really fun then because when we went to the Lewis family Christmas we were able to successfully tell the joke and no one but us thought it was funny or even heard us for that matter.
So other than the Turduckin there was more to our trip home. I had been counting down the days and it was worth it. We had a fabulous time! We saw both of our families several times over the week and got to go on a fabulous bike ride in the 70 degree Tyler winter with our friends Joe and Emily, it was good to see them since we talk about them all the time. We also stayed with Devon and David, who we also speak of frequently, and it was great to laugh with them again... they are hilarious! We also saw the Nativity which I really enjoyed and I chopped off my hair over 8 inches! No pictures yet b/c I of course don't really like it yet and haven't figured out how to fix it. I really prefer it long and think that's the only way it likes to be, but with an actual (or at least what I thought would be) winter there is too many layers and static to go on with two feet of hair, so when I decided to cut it I thought why not go all the way and donate it to a good cause... so I did. I hope they like it because I'm not enjoying my own results... oh well!
My lil sis and Drew's big bro are now here in KY with us seein' the sites of louisville, thrilling I'm sure!! We have a big party at Drew's work, my bday and then school starts. Life is not as fun with jobs and school... I liked the honeymoon days better! Now begins the period of disillusionment I'm told, thanks.
Well, that's all the news for now in the Land of Lewisi!

Still Lacking Slick Hair

So I just started last week as a car rental consultant, which means I rent cars. I work in a management trainee program and if you know which one yes, we do pick you up. Picking people up is probably one of the coolest yet most random parts of my job. I have met a ton of interesting people (characters) already and a few of them are "regulars," which means that I will continue to learn more about predicting prices of gas, singing in the church choir, lawsuits, and banking.

I am not going to lie, if you rent a car from me I will shamelessly ask you if you want to upgrade to a bigger sized vehicle or if you need to get insurance from us. Also, if you decide to buy a used car from ask me about your options and tell them I sent you. Basically, I am turning into a salesman of sorts, but I promise I am lacking in the sleazy. They will let me grow out a nice mustache but I am resisting, which has to get me some credit, right? And, I have to wear dress clothes to work each day, but I am avoiding the suede ones, which again hopefully gains me some credibility.

Come on buy and rent from me, or give me a call and we will pick you up. *grin*

Job? What's That?

Oh, don't you worry, it is something that I, like a lot of our country's great population, now have. I am sure you already read the post from Lindsey so I will not bore you with all the details of my new car renting career. However, if you decide you want to buy a used car, Enterprise is a great place to do it and my name a is a great thing to give the person you buy it from, just for the record. One thing I will say about my job is that I am going to have to start wearing clothes that are a bit nicer that what I am used to...AKA suites an ties instead of thrift store and outdoor type clothes. I know this comes as a shock to everyone who knows me, but you will also note that I look great in both so this is not as big of an issue as it could have potentially been.

We are getting a week off for Christmas, which is great since I have earned no time off and yet I get some anyway. Getting to head back to Texas for a decent amount of time is exciting and we are both ready to see family and friends who we left behind in the move (that means everyone). I will do some working when I am at home for the parentals, which should be crazy, but it will get us a little more income for the month of December, which we have been lacking in the past couple months.

Enjoy your holiday, and mine.

Unemployed to Employed!

We, the Lewisi, are both currently employed in the magnificent state of Kentucky!! YAY! We BOTH have jobs!!! It's hard to believe but a couple of days ago Drew finally got a call for the third interview and went the next morning. Then we got a great call last night and he is accepting their offer today!! We thought he was going to have to work in southern indiana... they call louisville kentuckiana b/c this is very common... but he's actually going to be working downtown which I think is pretty cool!!
I had my first day at work...sort of...yesterday and sat in a corner and observed for a couple of hours. Once I got to talk to some of the tutors I think I got a grasp on what to do and they were all really nice in encouraging me that you have to just jump in even if you don't have all the details! So, my boss thinks I'll have some clients starting the beginning of January... so I have to savor my last few weeks of freedom!! Luckily I will be busy I think because I just registered for classes and can get on my spring reading!! I'm taking Spiritual Disciplines in the Jterm and then Systematic Theology III, Into to Philosophy, and Greek in the spring! I'm super pumped and even have a class with one of my new friends here, yay!! I'm waiting for the profs to post the syllabus so that I can get the books and get started!
Lately we've actually been party animals! We had girls/guys night out on Monday which was fun, and then last night we had lunch and dinner with friends and watched a movie and today I am having lunch with friends and tomorrow is community group and we have two other couple friends that we have to set up dates with before Christmas! Basically, translation, our community group is so amazing and perfect for us and we are making some great friends!!!
MORE good news, we are going home in a week and a half!! Drew is going to start work this coming Tuesday and then we are leaving the following Sunday after church! We are going to stop in Nashville I think to visit friends and then meet some friends in Memphis and then stop for the night in Tyler!!!! Hopefully we'll get to spend all of Tyler with our favorite friends there and then head to Fort Worth so I can get started on CHRISTMAS!!! I can't wait to cook all of our favorite things and see all my hometown friends and see my sis and her new boytoy!! We'll spend some of that time in Dallas too I suppose and then start the real holidays!!
Well, soups on so I'm out!

Ok, I really have time this time...

Dillards.
First when we were engaged we were afraid that we wouldn't get anything we registered for at Dillards. Actually, we were over blessed and got double of almost everything we registered for at Dillards and thus have tons of Dillards gift card money. At first this was exciting b/c I could have any kitchen things I wanted... well... I have it all... and we still have a ton left... we bought some Christmas gifts, we got some ipod gear, and we still have lots left. I thought this was exciting b/c I could have all the clothes I wanted.....well... Dillards doesn't have any clothes that I want! I never shop there but figured they'd have something... nada. We go every two weeks or so and there is nothing that fits or that seems quality. I could just go shoe crazy... but my hubby doesn't seem to like the idea too much! Hopefully it'll truly come in handy when the hubby gets this great Enterprize job, that we have been put through the ringer with, and get a bunch of work clothes for free to us. The problem is that since we don't have jobs really and only Dillards money I can't go buy clothes at other places either b/c they don't take Dillards money. The grocery store won't take my Dillards card, the gas station too!! What?! So we decided we are going to find people in the mall paying with cash or check and then buy their purchases for them and let them give us the cash! Creepy? NO resourceful! So today I have the Dillards blues!
However, we did have our partner meeting today with the pastor of our church and I think we might now officially be Sojourn Partners!! ta da! They call it partners instead of members b/c they say there is nothing in the bible about the church having members... but there is about partners! haha. They are hard core. Hopefully we are going to get to help launch the college ministry and I'm going to put my baked good to use through the cheer squad, encouraging other ministry's stomach's!
Anyways..
Beware Dillards and come visit for some great food!!

The beautiful couple, that's us...

So here we are, the happy couple. this is on our honeymoon at the luau we went to. Welp, that's all she wrote... for now!!

My favorite Christmas Tree ever!! I finally figured the picture thing out but of course my computer is about to crash b/c it's out of battery and I am no where near an outlet!! So enjoy!
More to come!!

Happy Thanksgiving Again

So I don't know who is reading this, if anyone, but I hope you have enjoyed the female postings thus far. I am guessing that mine will be shorter and much less interesting but feel free to read on. As Lindsey said, this was our first married holiday, apart from Halloween, but that doesn't really count (sorry Chris) and it went swimmingly. We have adopted parents of sorts out here in the good ol KY who have been such a blessing since we have moved up here. They introduced us to our church, gave me my temporary job, and have treated us to dinner a few times already. Then on top of all of that, they invited us over so that we could be thankful together on that great day of thankfulness. I, apart from building Bill's deck, am still jobless and pretty clueless as well as to what exactly I want to do with myself. I have applied with Enterprise, yes the car rental place, and I am floating aimlessly around in the world of limbo. In my spare time these days I like short walks to the computer lab (short because it is getting cold), paint thinner (to remove the deck stain from my entire body, and working entirely too much on a near impossible puzzle. I am at the peak of my life mind you, so these things represent me at my very best. Until next time.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Well, I know it's a little bit late, but better late than never right?!
This Thanksgiving was officially the hubby and my first real holiday together and though we were really sad not to get to go home for the holiday, we were truly blessed through our alternative! We have some great adult friends here who have taken us under their wing and I got to go grocery shopping and cook and everything just like I would've at home. We had a total blast!
I have MUCH to be thankful for this season but I will fill you in on the most recent... I GOT A JOB! Finally after almost two full months of semi-searching the Lord has placed something into my lap.. hurrah! It couldn't have come at a better moment either because I was starting to feel the symptoms of worry approaching our jobless situation! I actually applied to this place, ERTutor, three weeks ago and didn't really think I had a chance. All they wanted is for you to send in your resume via email and then wait... so I didn't really have a good resume so I just whipped up a new one and sent it out to a billion different tutor places and clerical stuff too that I thought would work with seminary stuff too. So I got an email about a week later saying they were really interested in me and thought I was a good fit b/c they needed an English/Communications and Bibilical Studies person and well... if you know me you know I was an English major with a communications minor and am now starting Biblical Theology at the seminary... woah that is a God thing for sure. Well she said in the email that she was out of town but would contact me the next week to set up an interview... amazing... so I stopped applying other places. Well, over a week went by and I still hadn't heard anything, so I started to look other places. Finally I decided it couldn't hurt to email her again and stress the fact that I was still interested and inquire if she was still in need etc... so it turns out that she HAD emailed me and it just didn't go through and she was wondering why I hadn't responded!! So she called me the next night and set up an interview for the next evening... fast pace! So I went and she seemed amused at me and said I was just what they needed and had a great smile and that the job was there for the taking. So I got a tour of the place... which it is really close to my house and in this little building and decorated really cute/schooly... and I'm waiting to hear from her to see when I go in to shadow some one before they pair me up with a student! She just got a new student too that she thinks will be perfect for me so it really is obvious that the Lord put this together exactly perfect. YAY! THEN.... I was worrying that they hadn't told me how much they pay and what would I do if it was too low... so I had decided that with me previous experience and all I would expect roughly $10/hr and then I found out they pay $13 to START! Praise the Lord, He knew I didn't want to deal with that kind of confrontation!
So... that's the update and my Thankfulness this season.... not to mention my fab husband and apartment (those two are not equal!)!! We are also really grateful for our new friends here in KY!!

Adventures in the land of newlyweds!

Hello world!
We made it to Kentucky, we moved in to our apartment, we unpacked our apartment and actually had people over! We have joined a church and thus a community and helped them move into a new building! We have looked and looked and looked for jobs....
Being married is great, people who are unmarried very rarely understand its greatness... most think that it'd be nice to not have to search for boyfriends...which it is... and others want to know the great mystery... which we are still getting to know... but most people don't understand how truly wonderful it can be!
I can't imagine that I wanted to come to Kentucky by myself... I would be so lonely. It's so great to now have a permanent, live-in, best friend!! It's nice when you are feeling lonely and out of sorts to not feel so lonely because he is there and he reminds me of Him, which is always a plus! Also, I have some one to cook for and who really appreciates what I cook, even if it's not really the way the receipe said it should be. Also I have a permanent door opener, box lifter and shelf reacher! He is pretty lucky too though b/c he gets a permanent chef and house cleaner and love giver, though we both do that I think! It's just nice to feel protected and it doesn't matter what snooty girls say when they give you nasty looks for no reason (why do we girls do that?) b/c you aren't competing, you've already won. It's nice to have constant iron to sharpen my faith by and some one who listens when I just need to ramble. It's nice to NOT wonder whether each semi goodlooking guy that passes is THE ONE (I don't even believe there is a ONE until you are married... then he's THE ONE!)... instead I think how much cuter and more loveable my man already is.. hahaha it's great!!
So, marriage is great, tough, and great and this will be the story of ours! Hopefully we will be able to post more pictures soon of us and our new places! Til then, love hard.