Happy CHRISTmas 2011

2011- THE YEAR OF THE BEST BURGER and BUCKETLISTS!
Hello Dear Ones,

As another year comes to end, it’s time to take an inventory of the many blessings in our lives. We tried new things, even crossed some stuff off of our bucket lists. Many of you were there with us on facebook or in person. If not, here is a re-cap of the main events of 2011.

Since Danny went first last year- it’s my turn to go first.

I’m now in the middle of my 12th year teaching in Ferris. It’s my 2nd year as a Title One Reading Interventionist and has brought many new challenges in my career/calling. I’m now working with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Grade struggling readers. I am using a curriculum that is teaching me phonics- sounds crazy but thanks to a gifted mother with a love of reading, I was reading before kindergarten. Phonics was not something I needed to learn-so my teachers didn’t teach me the rules. However, it sure would’ve made this year easier! I’ve learned that God made 1st Grade Teachers special. He gave them LOTS of patience. I learned that I can help plan, pack, and execute a last minute road trip to Florida in less than 24 hours. Even had enough time for a pretty good Disney blister/first aid kit. Danny and I celebrated our 10th Anniversary, and I finally got my digital SLR camera. OH! What fun that has been! I took some time during Spring Break to take “field trips” around Dallas. All of these were great experiences that have been burned into my memory.

Okay, now it’s Danny’s turn.

2011 is one to remember for sure. Two big changes this year, I got a new job and got really close to finishing my dissertation. As of August 1 I became Assistant Professor of Communication and the Program Director for the Communication Theory major. No more weekend events, and I get to concentrate on one thing now instead of two. As for the dissertation, I successfully proposed on August 2 and am shooting for a May 2012 graduation date. 2012 looks to be really interesting.

Burger Girl and Burger Boy
We decided that we needed to put our foodie skills to the test and find the best burger in Dallas. Now, these are not fast food burgers or food chain restaurant burgers. We scouted out random, small businesses to try to find the best burger in DFW. Some of you might have followed the blog. We still have a couple of places in Ft. Worth to try but, as it stands, here are our favorites:
5- Burguesa Burger
4- Who’s Who Burgers
3- Maple and Motor
2- Twisted Root Burger Company
1- Wingfield’s Burgers
If you want to follow the blog, here is the address: http://used2live2eat.blogspot.com/

Amy’s Favorite Bucket list Moments:
3- Seeing the Space Shuttle Launch
2- Walking the Red Carpet
1- Celebrating my 10th Wedding Anniversary

Danny’s Favorite Bucket list Moments
1.Celebrating my 10th with Amos,
2.Working stage crew for the Superbowl 45 Halftime Show. Made doubly fun by the fact that my brother was working the event as well (he was helping with security).

Top 5 iPhone Aps of the 2011
5- CU of Texas Ap/Mint.com
4- Password Keeper
3- Angry Birds
2- Instagram
1- Navigon- excellent GPS

With the CHRISTmas Season in full swing, we want to take some time to wish you and yours a very merry CHRISTmas. In our busy lives sometimes we forget to stop and breathe. Take some time during this season to really rest and reflect on all you have, all you have done, and thank God for His amazing faith, hope, and love for you. I thank Him for each of you and the importance you have in my life. If you are reading this, know that you are loved!

Again- we wish you a very merry CHRISTmas and hope your 2012 is amazing!
Always,
Amy and Danny Rose

Closing Thoughts
As a “planner”, sometimes I think through too much. This year, I’ve been working on increasing my faith.
Because, “if you ever want to make God laugh, make a plan.”
Here are some specific verses, concerning faith, that have spoken to me this year:
Hebrews 11:1“Now faith is confidence (being sure of) of what we hope for and assurance (certainty) of what we do not see.”
2 Corinthians 5:7
“We live by faith, not by sight.”
2 Corinthians 4:7“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”
2 Corinthians 5:21
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Stationery card

Mod Love Christmas Card

Shutterfly has classic, elegant Christmas invitations for your party.

View the entire collection of cards.

Fall 2011

October 2011
10.8.11

The winds of the hottest summer on record have shifted and school is in full swing. Danny is very happy with his new position at DBU and is cruising along in his dissertation. He’s collecting data and will be working on chapters 4-5. Hopefully he will have a rough draft by January! I am treading water with my new curriculum for reading intervention. BUT- I feel confident that this curriculum is just what our struggling readers need. It’s less of a guessing game and more of a prescription for struggling readers. It’s perfect and will fill in the gaps to get them reading on grade level.

We had an interesting October 1-3rd Fair Day Weekend. We’ve both been working so hard that we have been meeting ourselves coming and going. So we needed a road trip. The best medicine was getting in the car and heading to Austin for the day for some Saltlick BBQ and a few of our favorite Austin places. It amazes me that Austin is truly becoming a hop, skip, and a jump from Dallas. I find this exciting- I miss Austin a lot and it’s nice to get away!

We got back on our bikes to work off the Austin Calories last Monday for 19 miles of blood, sweat, and tears. Then we had a wonderful afternoon at the zoo with Eddie, Misty, Reed, Hayden, and Maddie Grace.

With the State Fair in town, you can bet we'll be getting our fair fun and fried foods fix on real soon. Keep a look out for those pics. The food to try this year: walking taco, fried pop tart, fried bubblegum, deep fried bacon, my old faithful corny dog, and the ever fabulous tornado taters. I plan on taking my camera and getting some pics for “All Things Fair 2011”.

Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, We hope you are well and enjoying a break in the summer weather. We are looking forward to Halloween and Turkey Day.

Love to All,
Amy and Danny
Spooky, Buster, and Dixie

Celebrating "The Dime"

I thought long and hard about this posting. I am amazed at the funny way time presents itself to us. When we are children, time seems to pass so slowly. Christmas seems to take forever, as does the last day of school. Something happens to time when you graduate from college, it seems to speed up and you wish it could slow down. I really cannot believe it has been 10 years since Danny and I stood in front of friends and family and pledged/vowed to be together. So much has happened. We've learned and we've grown. Made smart decisions and stupid ones. BUT- we are a team.
We've seen some exciting things and we have been to some amazing places.

Here are some of my favorite memories:
~Our Honeymoon in Disneyworld and cruising on the Disney Wonder
~Seeing The Producers on Broadway
~Having a beer in Mexico after learning we should never kayak together- we need our own boats
~Road-tripping to Destin playing Radio Russian Roulette in the car and only finding CCR
~Biking Trips to Central Market,Twisted Root,Tour Dallas, On the Trail of Lee Harvey Oswald
~Finding random restaurants and giving them a shot.
~Seeing Wicked
~Finding "Patty O'Brians" in New Orleans
~Danny's homemade festivals/celebrations as excuses to send flowers
~Sitting at home and just watching a movie together with Pizza Patron

God had a plan for us- I pray we are on the right track, he continues to bless us. Danny will be moving to full-time faculty in less than 2 weeks and a new adventure will begin. I'll continue as a reading interventionist in Ferris.
I hope in the race that is the next ten years, time might slow just a tad. Either that, or we will need to take some advice from Ferris Buellar, "LIFE-take some time to stop and look around- otherwise you will miss it."

Spring 2011

Hello Family and Friends.
I hope this blog finds you well. Hopefully you are able to enjoy the wonderful weather! Today is a gorgeous day and I am sitting on our porch at Casa Dolorosa enjoying NATURE TV. We have a ton of little squirrels trying to find the nuts that they buried in the fall. It always gets me thinking about something Danny said once- it made me giggle. “Trees should be so grateful for the forgetfulness of the squirrel”. It’s so true. I’m looking out and see little shoots coming up that hope to be trees. Unfortunately, they will be mowed down. But-I often wonder how many trees in Oak Cliff are standing thanks to squirrel ADHD…….

So much has been going on during the first few months of 2011. Danny has been offered a full time faculty position at DBU. He will leave Media Services August 1st, and begin a new journey teaching in the Communications Department . He was also awarded Staff Person of the Year at DBU. Anyone who knows Danny, knows how committed he is and what a heart of gold he has. This Spring, I finally saved up and got my digital SLR camera. I’ve been having super fun learning to use it. I’m hoping to take a photography class this summer and learn more. It’s so relaxing. I’m still hacking away in Ferris- thankful that Ferris is financially sound. The State Education Budget Crisis is affecting so many districts. There will be shuffling from campus to campus but everyone will have a job! PTL!

Wherever you are this Easter, we hope you are blessed!
Always,
Amy and Danny

Let's Hear it for Gentrification!

Let's Hear it for Gentrification! (No it's not a disease)

Gentrification(jĕn'trə-fĭ-kā'shən) n.
The restoration and upgrading of deteriorated urban property.

When Danny and I bought our house in Spring of 2001, we got a few "surprised" looks. "Oak Cliff, really.... are you sure it's safe?"
Both of us were born and bred in Oak Cliff. During "white flight" in the 80's, neither of our families fled to the suburbs. So when it came time to set down roots- Oak Cliff was the only place that really felt like home to both of us. So we took a chance and bought a house in Elmwood. The houses are tudor-styled and not unlike what you would see over off of Greenville Ave. and the "M" Streets (at a fraction of the cost). We have been living happily in this wonderful community since. The street where we live is amazing and we are surrounded by neighbors who care and watch out for each other. It's not uncommon to drive past and see us gathered on a lawn just shooting the breeze or helping each other out. Don't get me wrong, I don't live with rose-covered glasses. We set the alarm and I don't set out anything that we don't want stolen, yada, yada, yada.
But in the past couple of years, some remarkable things have been happening in this area. Today we participated in one. Bishop Arts is an area that has been around for quite some time, but in the past 7 years, more and more restaurants and businesses have opened. There is a wonderful, eclectic group of people you can see there. Today was the second annual Mardi Gras Parade. Our church entered a float inviting people to "Come Grow With Us". We have a community garden planted, maintained, and used by members and non- members in the OC. We paraded down Davis Street and I was shocked at the number of people crowded into Bishop Arts. It was truly an amazing sight. No one was in danger, no gun shots rang out, perfectly safe and full of many kinds of people from all walks of life.....How amazing that Bishop Arts is fast-becoming a destination for people from all over the Metroplex!
It reminds me of a biking tour we took last fall, "On the Trail of Lee Harvey Oswald". We took the route that Lee H. Oswald used following the assassination of Kennedy into Oak Cliff. We were by the Texas Theatre when a woman looked at our tour guide and asked him when we would be in Oak Cliff. Our guide stifled a giggle and explained that we had been in the OC once we crossed the bridge. Her reply was a shocked look. I laughed (in my head- I didn't want to be rude).
Anyway- we are a small community- BUT- we are a strong community. I thank the Lord everyday for such an opportunity to see Oak Cliff get its second chance! Having grown-up here- I am proud for Oak Cliff! So come on down and give us a try….Seriously- what are you afraid of?

Hey Everybody!
It’s February 1, 2011.
Fun Fact: It’s 21 degrees outside with sleet freezing on the road as we speak.
Fun Fact: Sunday it was 80 degrees and I actually turned on the AC.
Prediction: The Groundhog won't see his shadow. (POOH)
Opinion: I don’t believe in this global warming mumbo jumbo- just sayin’.

I’m sitting here on a snow day- actually an ice day and thought it would be time to get down with 2011. The first month has past and I still haven’t made any New Year’s Resolutions. However, I’ve gotten a lot accomplished. Looking at what I’ve done- I’d say I am resolved too….

1. SAVE MORE! We have a plan with mint.com to get debt knocked out and savings built up. IT’S WORKING PEOPLE! If you haven’t looked into this website- do it. It’s free and very secure using the same security software as banks…..It’s a great organizational tool. There is an ap for your Iphone if you are so inclined.
2. READ MORE! I’ve killed off 2 books already and working on the third. I’d like to read 20 books this year and thanks to my NOOK from Barnes and Noble- it seems I just might reach this goal.
3. RELAX MORE! I’ve actually napped. NAPPED- this is unprecedented.
4.FIND THE BEST BURGER IN DALLAS! We’ve tried 2 new (well- new to us) places. Angry Dog and Maple and Motor. I must say, Maple and Motor is FABULOUS! Dublin Dr. Pepper on tap and an incredible “Austin” vibe.

Have a great Valentine’s Day and here’s hoping that SPRING 2011 comes quick! I’m not built for this weather.
Cheers,
Amy