Showing our Gratitude

This is the time of year, I like spending time celebrating with family and friends. Today, I have been hit with the hard fact that the men and women serving in the Armed Forces don't have that luxury. Yes, luxury. Until now, I thought of the joys of this festive time of year as a right. The truth is, that I am able to travel, cook, work, relax, and celebrate this season thanks to living in a nation that believes in personal freedoms. But more importantly, I have men and women that are willing to sacrifice their luxuries and comforts to protect them.

My dear friend's oldest brother is currently serving his third tour in Iraq. I remember watching the coverage of the first offensive on Iraq with Jenny and her mom in the spring of 2003. Then, they thought David might have to go. Now, that thought is a reality times 3. This year he is missing Christmas with his beautiful wife and three adorable children.

This thought has prompted me to action. And I'm telling you (my faithful readers), so that I have to follow through.

My challenge to myself: starting today through the New Year, I am collecting thoughts, thanks, and notes from any and everyone. I will mail these, along with some goodies, to David. He can enjoy our sentiments and gratitude and share them with his fellow servicemen.

My challenge to you: comment, email, or mail me your thoughts, sentiments, thanks, pictures, art, homemade happys, and what have you to share with those serving in Iraq. This can be whatever you want- including but not limited to name, age, location, everyday freedoms you enjoy, inspirational verses and quotes... The sky is the limit! If I see you in person between now and then, I'll have a little notecard for you to write on, so be ready!

Bring it....

The newest addition...

So we bought a house. Yessssss. After a few months of open housing on Sundays, we found this little gem right near where we currently live. We had probably driven past it a few times, but never really paid much attention. It doesn't really grab your attention from the outside and the pictures don't really do it justice either. We actually put it on the bottom of our list on the open house circuit that day, but we happened finish and decided to check it out since it was still open. I could tell it was a winner with Mary Margaret as we walked through it. We have walked through several houses together, but this one was different. We left both feeling excited and realized that we didn't really look critically at it because of the excitement we both felt. It's an old house, built in 1917. Surprisingly, it's in really good shape. The yard needs some TLC, but the house is livable as is. I'm sure we'll make some updates, but the house has a lot of charm already, including old pine wood floors, 12 foot ceilings, a nice front porch, and bead board walls in many rooms.

The kitchen.....

Guest Bathroom....
Our bathroom.....
The porch....
The Den....
The entry....

We've actually been holding off until we closed to post about it, but we did this morning and now it is ours. Sure it doesn't look as charming without the previous owner's nic-nacs, but we are going to get some of our own. And sure, I left out some of the rooms, so I guess you'll have to come visit to see it all. But we are very blessed and happy to have a place of our own. So come hang on our porch sometime. We'll be glad to have you.

Cheers

Three Cheers for this guy!

Today, Tyler is 25 years young. I am so amazed at how fast the years have flown by. This is our fifth birthday to celebrate together (cheesy, I know). But I feel like that first one was just yesterday. He has packed so much into his first 25 years, that I am excited to see what the next 25 hold!

That delicious cake (from last year) is Lydia's famous "Compromise cake" - most likely the most delicious thing you will ever put in your mouth. She made it for Tyler and his sister, Ginny, for various holidays over the years. Ginny liked divinity cake, Tyler liked chocolate. So creative Lydia made a devil's food cake with fudge layers surrounded by fluffy divinity, topped with chocolate shavings. Wow!

Happy Birthday Tyler!

What doesn't kill me only makes me stronger

On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of going to see Donald Miller at Hope Church. He is promoting his latest book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. Ever since reading, Blue Like Jazz, Don (we shook hands and shared an awkward joke, I can call him Don) has been one of my favorite "Christian" authors. He presents the Christian life in a raw, earthy way- nothing is sugar coated. I also highly recommend another of his works, Searching for God Knows What.

Anyway, Don's latest book is about making his life into a movie based on Blue Like Jazz. What a humbling thought... packing a life into twoish hours. A movie on my life would be incredibly boring. This has always been true, but I have never wanted to admit it. During his talk, Don made clear why my life is lame. Conflict. I have always fought my very hardest to avoid conflict of any type. Growing up, my brother, Scott, and I never fought. Ever. In fact, on more than one occasion, his best friend DS would look at both of us and say, "fight or something." I always thought (and still think) that this was a great thing, we just got along really well and had pretty chill dispositions. I also didn't have much of the typical teenage girl drama. I can only recall doing a few really mean things in Middle School (sorry, Britani). Most of my time was spent avoiding or appeasing the drama.

Don, however, noted that without conflict, life is not beautiful or inspirational. Conflict makes us feel things we don't want to feel. Conflict makes us grow and change as human beings. So my frantic running from fights, uncomfortable situations, letting others down, and not sticking up for myself has prevented some degree of growth. Sad.

So... I am working on slowing my roll when it comes to conflict. This will not be overnight. But I am going to tell you what I really think, give my opinion, and even say "no" when it is necessary. Challenges, I welcome you with (half) open arms, because I know that you are what makes life beautiful.

Sorry...

So the first blog back after a long hiatus is really a difficult one. It is like calling an old friend when we haven't chatted in a while. I want it to be just right. I want plenty of time, no distractions, and deep topics from both sides. Needless to say... this is just a little much to ask these days. Hearing that voice, even for 2 minutes, is better than nothing at all.

This all goes to say, I am letting myself give up this expectation in the blog world. Go ahead, be disappointed. But hopefully you will hear more from me soon now that the awkward silence is broken.

Hi everyone, I'm back :)

Coldplay Part 1

So I know Mary Margaret mentioned that we went to Coldplay last month, but we don't think we have done blog justice to the experience. Last November, we went to see them perform in Dallas on the first round of touring for Viva la Vida, prior to the release of their EP Prospekt's March. The show was in the American Airlines Center, and it was quite a show. The excitement built as we entered the arena, with massive jumbo screens outside reminiscent of the lights of Times Square or Tokyo. Opening with Life in Technicolor, the band stood behind a mystical black vale with lights beaming form behind casting their silhouettes and igniting the excitement in the crowd. The vale dropped as the song built and the show began.

Opening....Life in Technicolor

We danced and sang as the band dipped into their older stuff with a performance of In My Place. The show continued with references to Andy Warhol pop style projections of the show appearing on three screens dangling from the ceiling and these cool paper lantern style screens spinning above our heads with performances of Lost, Viva la Vida, and Strawberry Swing.


Viva la Vida......

Speed of Sound....

Cemeteries of London....

Perhaps the most dynamic portion of the show came as the band performed Talk and The Hardest Part in an unplugged style with the piano and a synthesizer. The band then made an attempt to draw the crowd in more, something unusual for a band of their magnitude by slipping into the back of the audience and playing an all guitar set with Death Will Never Conquer sung by Will, and Sweet Child of Mine, after Chris made a reference to the Dr.Pepper sign and kindly reminded everyone to pick up their free Dr. Pepper (http://www.nme.com/news/guns-n-roses/41267) with the long awaited, or perhaps not, new Guns N Roses album.


42 Part I....


42 Part II....

Talk...

The Hardest Part....

The Scientist.....


Death Will Never Conquer....

The show finished up with a definite must, a live performance of Politik, complete with synced up flashing lights and a riveting performance of Lovers in Japan, with a twenties' style film playing in the background and confetti raining down throughout each chorus. The encore consisted of a very yellow performance of Yellow and Death and All of His Friends. All and all, it was a great show and I don't think my words can do it justice.

Lovers in Japan....

Yellow...

the j-o-b

So, I am at the end of my first week on the floor at my new job. I have to say, life is pretty good. This is a pretty good summary of my day:

Wake up 7 am (optional)- eat breakfast/ drink coffee/read then exercise/ run errands (depending on what time I got up) get ready for work

Role into the office at 10, wearing essentially whatever I want. Turn on some jams and get to work.

Laugh at whatever my neighbors say/do (including spraying "I can't believe it's not butter" on rice cakes) change the tunes, have a snack

Go shopping for an hour at lunch

Come back, put on some tunes, push through for a few more hours and then head home to see Tyler.

Pretty chill really- but I need some new music asap! Recommendations/playlists are welcomed and encouraged!

I'm not one to brag...

Ok- yes I am! So this past weekend, Tyler and I took at roadtrip to St. Louis. We met up with bro and Michelle and saw COLDPLAY on Friday night. It was incredible! I will post pics soon. We had great seats and were really into the show. The result- Tyler and I had a cameo in the St. Louis Post Dispatch! Of 18 total pictures, 10 are of Chris Martin and 1 of yours truly, the Rogers. Check it out.

Now honestly, this is not the best pic we've ever taken- but we were having such a good time! (and at least we're not clapping along like the lady behind us!)

So after about six months of planning, a few of my good friends/roommates from Ole Miss got together. Much thanks to Margie (also a new blogger) for hosting us in the Shreve! All in all, we hung out by the pool, shopped and had a great time! Food of course was a must- the Humphrey at Counter Culture, drive through daiquiris, and delicious dinner at Bistro Byronz (free- thanks to the creepster at the table next to us! Here are some shots!

Horne Road, reunited

Chickasaw!!

FYI- I have never put that many hyperlinks in a post before- sorry!

Moving and Such

So it's been a little while since we posted anything and that's because we have been busy! Last Tuesday we packed up our tiny apartment, loaded it all up in the moving truck, ate dinner with some friends, and slept our last night in our first place in sleeping bags on the floor. All I can say is that now I know why people shell out the big bucks to move. It's terrible. We awoke Wednesday and headed to Memphis. Thankfully it was just a few steps inside our new place and less issues with stairs to climb as we unloaded. We got everything inside in about 2 hours, which I thought was pretty darn good. Then we headed to Central BBQ for some dinner before coming home and trying to make the house livable for at least a night. We left Thursday for the lake and spent the Fourth with MM's parents and brother and his wife (and their "peanut"). It was a good time for most with the exception of my shoulders (sunburn.....oh yea...). Sunday we headed back to our new home in Memphis to prepare for MM's first day of real work! Yee haw! I got to spend the day being lazy and making a trek across town to the nearest branch of our bank. We ate some Mexican food for dinner, my favorite, and then went home and watched Yes Man. It was alright.

Then Tuesday I began my trek back down to Jackson as I continue to work on finishing my schoolwork. It's a bummer. I hate driving. I hate sleeping in unfamiliar places. I hate being away from my wife. Oh well. Tomorrow I head back to Memphis for the weekend. I pray for the Lord's protection and strength. It is difficult to be in this position and frustrating as well. Adding to this discomfort is my final project for school that is due next Friday. Yikes. Definitely waiting till the last minute on this one, but I have lost movtivation.....and I'm not sure I'll find it. Oh well, enough rambling and griping. I know that in the end we are blessed.

Put a fork in me...

That's right, we're done! This has been a big week for the Rogers... On Monday I took my National Pharmacy boards. The were tough, long, and exhausting but I passed! Yeah! Six years of school payed off, I am officially a pharmacist!

Today, Tyler finished his 500 clinical counseling hours required to finish his Masters! Yeah! He has been working on this for over a year, getting through clients that are inconsistent or no-shows. Five hundred hours is so much more than it sounds. I am actually more excited about him being finished than myself. For the past year, Tyler has been at the clinic until 8 or 9 almost every weeknight. We ate dinner sometimes as late as 10 pm and every now and then our schedules were so off that I wouldn't see him for 2 days straight. Thank you, RTS, for returning my husband!

The hunt

So, we are headed to Memphis tonight in search of a new abode! I have mixed emotions about this. I know it is going to be a tough day, long and full of decisions. I hate making decisions. I am also excited about the next chapter of our life together, so I'm anxious to see where we will land. If anyone has some good recommendations about neighborhoods and such in Memphis, please let me know!

On another note, I have been studying for the NAPLEX lately. I hate studying more than I hate decisions. This is the most important test I've ever taken, yet I have zero motivation to do the necessary work. I miss the good ole days when passing without studying (or minimal) was possible. Anywho, if you're lucky, I'll post pics from graduation etc soon!

What's up with the Rogers

So I decided to post on our blog because I haven't in awhile and realize that MM and I have many new things happening in our lives. First, we both graduate again in a few weeks and that is exciting. It seems like we just got here and dug into married life along with school and work. We like a challenge, what can I say? However, we are both relieved at the thought of having these things called "free time" and "real jobs", which brings me to my next point. We are planning to move to Memphis this summer. Mary Margaret is set up with a job, while I am still looking, or starting to, but for some reason a fresh out of graduate school non-licensed therapist doesn't draw quite the attention of a pharmacist. That being said, if anyone has any good leads for me, I appreciate them.

We are thrilled about moving for many reasons... Memphis is a new city for both of us, perhaps a place to call home. It is a quick jump to Oxford and nearly equidistant between in-laws. Memphis seems to have lots of things to do and smooth streets, both of which Jackson is lacking. Most of all, I think we are excited about what the Lord has planned for us. I think we both feel ready to be able to pour ourselves out into serving, something that we haven't been able to do as much as we would like to due to our busy lives.

However, there are a few endearing things we will miss about the Bold New City that is Jackson. We love our friends and have enjoyed the fun time we have had with them. We love our church, Redeemer, and feel like we have not invested ourselves as deeply as we could have because we knew the day would come that we would leave. Jackson is, and always will be, where we lived as newlyweds. This tiny little apartment with it's quirks and inconveniences will always hold a warm place in our hearts.

Tyler and Mary Margaret

We're separated...

Caught ya freaking out! It's not what you think... I just wanted to let all of you out there know that Tyler has started his OWN blog. As many of you know, Tyler is a very thoughtful person. He can mull over an idea for hours or even days until he has figured it out, put a spin on it, or applied it to his life. So on his blog, Mirroring Christ, you can keep up with his latest shelling out of thoughts, ideas, etc.

Don't worry, you'll still be getting lighthearted stories from me here. Hopefully my husband's posting will encourage me to write more!

On another note, I'd like to do some PR for Jenny Hardin Bradley. She has just jumped into blog world and needs some encouragement. She is probably the best writer I know, and the world needs to enjoy this art she possesses. So please, go check out Team Bradley and leave some comments. Don't do it for yourself, do it for me. Thanks!

MM

Why 2009 is looking up...

1. Graduation from Ole Miss, again, this time with a degree I can use... PharmD!

2. Tyler will graduate from RTS with a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy!

3. I will take my last standardized test that matters... the NAPLEX!

4. The Rogers will both become gainfully employed!

5. The Rebels already won the Cotton Bowl and are on to big things!

6. Jack is back! 24 Season 7 has engulfed our Monday nights!

7. The switch to DTV occurs on February 17. This is big, seeing as we rely on the bunny ears!

8. Paige and Scott are finally tying the knot after a decade of being together!

9. We will hopefully visit dear friends that have moved far away!

10. I will FINALLY use my fabulous Kitchenaid Mixer that has been in a box for far to long due to lack of counter space!