Testing Testing 124

Monday, March 26, 2012

Jessa goes to New Orleans, Richard goes to New York

New Orleans

 I had the opportunity to travel to New Orleans for my job! The retreat was fantastic. We received a tour of the city, looked at the work Capital One has been doing through various nonprofits in the city and experienced wonderful food and fun nightlife! The best part of the trip was doing a deep dive into Charter Schools in New Orleans (including Capital One's interaction model with them) and the amazing work our team has done with the Bayou District Foundation creating Columbia Parc (President Obama has even toured it...even if you don't like him, it's still pretty cool!).

Here is the story of the creation of the Bayou District Foundation:

In the Fall of 2005, in the months after Hurricane Katrina’s devastating hit on the Gulf Coast, a group of civic-minded New Orleans residents formed the Bayou District Foundation. Their vision was to assist in the rebirth of the City of New Orleans by helping to restore the areas in and around New Orleans City Park. Today that vision is a reality. Bayou District Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit whose members include highly engaged community leaders within both the City of New Orleans and the State of Louisiana.

Bayou District Foundation is constructing a mixed income residential community on the site of the former St. Bernard Public Housing Development and in surrounding neighborhoods. Bayou District Foundation is building a world class 0-5 early education center for 150 low income children and is working with New Schools for New Orleans to introduce a K-8 charter to the Pilotland neighborhood. To complete this 'cradle to college' pipeline; BDF is partnering with the Orleans Parish School Board and the Recovery School District to bring a world class college prep high school to the Bayou District. The Bayou District Foundation effort also includes the restoration of New Orleans City Park’s golf facilities.

 Pictures are on this website of the community that we were able to tour: Columbia Parc

Trip Highlights: Parkway Bakery & Tavern for Po-boys in Mid-City, Breakfast at Ruby Slipper (I had an omelet filled with shrimp), Meeting with the Bayou District Foundation, Tour of Columbia Parc (the place-based initiative Capital One has been working on to restore a post-Katrina neighborhood), Tour of Gentilly and Lower Ninth Ward, Lunch-n-Learn on Charter Schools with New Schools for New Orleans, Dinner at Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House, Karaoke Bar on Bourbon Street, Blue Dot Donuts and Lunch @ Emeril’s!

Bourbon Street, View from my hotel (Loew's), Street in New Orleans, and yummy dessert!

The awesome welcome kit our New Orleans team provided - all New Orleans-themed!

Columbia Parc

9th Ward - very cool eco-friendly homes....very expensive. Brad Pitt has a home in this area.

My first "chicken 'n' waffles" experience...it was good!

9th Ward - very cool eco-friendly homes....very expensive. Brad Pitt has a home in this area.

One of the new apartments in Columbia Parc (nice, huh?).

Columbia Parc

New York

 Richard had a busy time in NYC! He met with a broker Monday - Wednesday searching for an apartment...they looked at over 30 apartments! He said he was sore from all the walking. We are so happy that our #1 pick (based on location, price, dog-friendly area, square footage) is the apartment we got! It will for sure be a different atmosphere than we are used to, but we are SO excited ! On Thursday and Friday, Richard worked from the NYC Office and had dinner with his new team. He had the opportunity to try a variety of food each night and swears he lost 4 lbs from all the walking he did! He also saw dauchshunds everywhere he went. :)

The entrance to our NYC apartment building!!

Richard preparing for his 3-day apartment search in NYC...check out his super cool spiral!

When Richard wasn't apartment searching, he was exploring the city at night!

Our NYC Apartment!! WOOHOO! Upper East Side in Manhattan!

Food Highlights: Shake Shack, Gray's Papaya, Ray's Pizza,
Random Hot Dog Vendor, Mughlai, Nanoosh and BlueWater Grill

The crazy amount of paperwork we had to complete for our apartment!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

February Fun

Happy Heart Day!

We decided to go on a "duck hunt" this Valentine's! We've never cooked duck before...so we thought we would give it a try! We spent the Saturday night before Valentine's Day shopping at Whole Foods for a duck and yummy sides. Whole Foods now has a wine bar in the middle of the store...you can drink a glass of wine while shopping. So fun!

Duck Hunting!

Getting ready to put the duck in the oven!

YUM

Beard Contest

Richard's beard contest has come to an end. The official voting began this week on TPN's facebook page. Richard is up for: "Best Named Beard", "Best Lumberjack Beard" and "Best Ultimate Beard"

"The Wife Shield"

Kristi's Baby Shower

Our close friend's Kristi and Ben are about to have baby #1! We are SO excited for them. We can't wait to meet Miss Kaylie Petty!

Babyshower Fun!

Jude's 2nd Birthday

We can't believe our sweet little nephew is already 2 years old! Time sure does fly. =)

Such a funny picture! Jude wasn't too sure about his new bike and helmet.

Jude LOVED the balloons!

Mindy's Bachelorette Party

Richard and I are in our friend's Mindy and Evan's wedding this upcoming April! We are so excited for them. :) We celebrated with manis/pedis at Polished, the Omni Dallas, dinner at Hattie's and nightlife nearby!

One of my closest friends is getting married! Fun night out in Dallas with the bridal party.

Pink Pandas

Richard joined a kickball league with another CARES Team that we have become friends with over the past 2 years! They are named the "Pink Pandas"...ha!

CARES

This is our second to last month serving as a CARES Team - very bittersweet as we are just getting to develop relationships with residents in the Corners/Corners East community.

Homemade Italian Night was a huge hit!

Dessert Night for Valentine's Day!

Pickle and Sundae

Pickle and her new toy! She loves playing with Richard!

Sundae is such a lap dog! What a cutie.

Monday, February 13, 2012

We're Movin' To NYC!!!

We are beyond excited to announce that we are moving to New York City!! As you know, we have been talking about our huge desire to move to NYC for over 2 years now. This is a move that we have been in deep prayer and research about... God has provided direction and we are ready!

Here's the how, why and when:

How: Job relocation. Richard works for an Omnicom Marketing/Advertising Agency, TPN. He has accepted a NYC-based position on the digital marketing team supporting Bank of America. Jessa works in the Community Affairs department of Capital One. They have agreed to transfer her position to a work from home position in the NY-market!

Why: Big dreams. Richard's desire to move to a big city came true when he was offered a full-scholarship to UT-Dallas. His big city dreams have continued to grow and since his first visit to NYC in 2007, he fell in love with the largest and most diverse city in the world. Not to mention, this is a huge career opportunity for him! NYC is the heart of the Ad Agency world and gaining experience in the NY market is huge. Jessa has never moved outside of the Dallas area. Throughout college, the CARES program and her career, she has continued to meet people from all over the world and all walks of life. Her desire to experience new culture has continued to grow with each passing year. NYC is also a hub for the nonprofit realm. Just like Richard, gaining experience in the NY market is huge for her career.

When: Soon. Richard's transition period is April. We will fly up to NYC in March and lease an apartment and begin the move the following month. We are so blessed to know people in the area and more specifically, people that have made the move from Dallas to NYC. This will help guide our new journey.

***

Are we anxious? Of course! Who wouldn't be with such a life-changing move! But, we are so excited for the opportunity to meet new friends, experience a new way of life, enjoy one of the most dog-friendly cities in the world and dive into history, culture and food!

What about the dogs? They are getting excited. Ha! We are in the process of buying warm winter clothes, shoes and rain jackets for the little ones!

Are you coming back to Texas? Eventually, yes! I mean c'mon....we have to come back for the Mexican food at some point. =)

Does this impact your plan on starting a family? Absolutely not! A valuable lesson we have learned by example from friends and family is that you can start your family anywhere! Whether that be in Nicaragua or Japan while on a long-term mission, Michigan for a job relocation, or Texas after leaving your friends and family up North. This has no impact on our timeline.

What about a church? One of our top priorities! We already have church recommendations for the area and can't wait to get plugged in! We ask for your prayers on starting our church search.

Are you no longer a CARES Team? This chapter has come to a close. We have been a CARES Team through Apartment Life, Inc. for over 2 1/2 years. Most couples commit to a 2 year period. We are very sad to leave apartment ministry, but have gained so much from the program. It was a life-changing experience that we will never forget.

So, when are you buying your plane ticket to come visit us? :) Everyone is invited!

We want to share this experience with you! We appreciate your support, prayers and excitement as we enter this new chapter in our lives.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Warm Winter Days

Winter in Dallas has definitely stayed in the warmer temperatures!

I love the weather...Richard would rather be in the middle of a snow storm. ;)

The Village Apartment Community - we love having our own lake, walking trails and gorgeous views. Pickle and Sundae have been chasing the ducks on our walks lately. :) It has been so nice being able to enjoy the outdoors!

CARES

We are wrapping up our first month as the CARES Team at the Corners / Corners East in The Village! So far, we have held a Breakfast & Mexican Food Night. We have already met a ton of new residents with truly fascinating stories (most from overseas or different parts of the US).

Preparing for our Mexican Food Night!

Even though we are no longer the CARES Team at the Cliffs/Bluffs, we still see Sonny on a regular basis.
She also frequently drops food off on our door step. haha

The Beard Contest

Yes, you have all heard and seen....Richard has entered into a Beard Contest at work. He has now entered into his final days before the big shave!

The Beard of 2012

Pickle and Sundae

Pickle's favorite spot - our bed!

Sundae's favorite spot - our laps!

Family and Friends

The Grants are having a BOY!

Such a fun painting class!

Wine Tasting Party at Bren's House!

Richard's wonderful homemade lasagna for my parent's birthday celebrations.

Uncle Richard "teaching" Chloe and Jude to play the piano with dog sounds (Turbo = Right; Pickle = Left).

We said a final farewell to Richard's Grandmother this month.
"To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord to those who love him and know him."
- 90 Minutes in Heaven

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Wrapping up 2011 and ringing in 2012!

Christmas was definitely "merry" during our six different celebrations with family and the multiple Christmas gatherings with friends and co-workers.

Volunteering to take photos of kids with Santa...that was no easy volunteer task!

While the holidays can be stressful with crowds, busy schedules and travel...it always seems to be rejuvenating for the year to come.

My boss sent out the below inspiration for 2012. I had to share...

"In 2012, the world population will surpass 7 billion people. In the United States, a child is born every 8 seconds. When we pause and reflect on the world around us, it is not hard to feel insignificant at times. We read success stories in our media. Talent is idolized on TV. Personal struggles that seem insurmountable are surpassed in our films. And we wake up some mornings wondering if we have the strength, the conviction and the courage to make it through the day.

On most occasions, we muster the energy within to rise up and face the day head on. We attend to our family obligations, we check ourselves in and out of meetings with colleagues and clients, we meet deadlines and we return home prepared for the routine to begin again the next morning. We often leave ourselves little time to nourish our well being – physically, mentally, spiritually—and to reflect upon all that we have accomplished in the last 24 hours. Some of us become victims to the routine that takes us out of alignment with our passion and that leaves us questioning ourselves: what am I doing…where am I going…who am I?

Many people today lose sight of the fact that they matter. Children go to schools that are under-resourced and inadequately staffed…schools that resemble and feel more like detention centers than learning institutions. Students are shuffled from one class to the next in hopes that they will retain some of the knowledge being poured into their minds and with the expectation that they will regurgitate that information on standardized tests. There is a limited focus on inspiring children through fostering their imaginations, developing their critical thinking and problem solving skills, and challenging them to set and achieve goals and dreams.

We, as a society, often choose to play the blame game, pointing our fingers at teachers, emphasizing what they are not doing instead of acknowledging their progress, supporting their mission, and partnering with them to nurture the whole child. We blame parents for not providing for their children their basic needs, yet many parents are struggling to obtain a living wage across multiple jobs. Their loyalty is expected but not reciprocated. Respect is demanded but not earned. Fear festers, and hope waivers.

Hardship can fall upon anyone at any time. Some share their stories with others in hopes of finding support or an open door. Some remain silent and choose to quietly seek a solution. I believe it is important for us to remember this in our interactions with each other. Our stories are complex but what we all need is simple.

We need our basic needs met. We need compassion to feel connected. We need reminded of our purpose and impact. We need the truth to make grounded decisions. We need hope to remain committed to our dreams. We need respect to feel valued. We need time to reflect on where we are going, what we are doing and who we are.

We need to accept and appreciate our significance."

Cheers to a new year, creating lasting memories and making a positive impact on society by sharing our gifts, time and talent with others.