Feliz cumpleaños mis amigo!

Hope you are having a great 27th birthday in the big city, John. Wow, we're getting too close to 30. For me, it seems like the higher the age, the lower the number of hairs on my head. Anyway, happy birthday and enjoy these pics from what I believe was your 24th birthday at El Rodeo. I think my memory is starting to slip too!

Jason

Almost there...part 2

Monday I took my last test for my nursing class and I only have the final exam next Monday until I'm totally finished with school! I am so proud of us, we have the largest graduating class ever. Today they threw me a little party at HomeChoice Partners where I currently work, they gave me an awesome gift-- a new pair of Dansko shoes for when I start working. For those of you who don't know I've accepted a job at Roanoke Memorial Hospital working on the cardiac surgical progressive care unit (Paige will be working here too). If you're ever around stop by and see me on 9 south, I will be starting on May 15. Other than school I've been busy playing softball for Parkway. It has been a lot of fun. I have wanted to play for a while and never had a team so this is really great. Paige is playing too, and we've run into a lot of people we used to play ball with which is neat. Paige's mom, Lynn, is keeping score for us so it's kind of like old times. The major difference is we're about 10 years older and a lot slower! We are also very sore and out of shape :) but we're having fun and so far we've won both of our games. If any one would like to come out and see us play you can see the schedule here. Thanks to Emily and all the others who have already come out to see our awesome skills. Other items to mention are a CONGRATULATIONS!!! to my aunt for getting a promotion as the manager of the DMV in Roanoke. Happy Birthday to Amanda... and I guess that about wraps it up.

Jennifer

Why I Love Dogs and Not Cats

Simply put, dogs are great. I have always loved dogs and disliked cats. Below are my five reasons.

5) A dog's tongue is not rough.
Sure, a wet slobbering dog can be a little disqusting but I would take that over a rough cat tongue any day. Nothing is more disgusting than having a hairy tongue lick your arm.

4) Dogs are happy to see you anytime.
Dogs are always happy...morning, day, and night. Cats on the other hand only care to see you when they are hungry or need their litter box cleaned, which leads me to my third reason.

3) Dogs use the bathroom outside.
Cats can too you say? Only if you leave their claws intact, which leads me to my second reason.

2) Dogs never slap you in the face.
How many of you have ever been petting a cute little cat and then the next thing you know you've been slapped across the face? I have...stupid cat.

And the number one reason...
1) Dogs are always there when you need them.
No matter how rough a day you have or how much you have ignored your dog, he or she will be right there, wagging their tail, and ready to cheer you up.

Follow the link to see some photos of my parents' dogs (Sally the Pointer mix, Lucy the Beagle, and Wilson the miniature Dachshund).

Jason

Weather in Roanoke

For you "out-of-towners" who frequent our blog and anyone who looks up the weather online, I have added a weather link to our blog. It is located on the bottom, right portion of the page. It tells the current conditions in Roanoke, links you to a more detailed forecast, and allows you to check the weather for any location. Enjoy!

Jason

Easter Weekend

First off, I hope everyone had a happy and enjoyable Easter weekend. We did, but were really busy. Saturday morning, I helped Josh change his car’s brakes while Jennifer went to her last nursing school fundraiser…a carwash in Rocky Mount. That afternoon, Jennifer went to Mary’s baby shower while I helped my Dad cut down a tree. Yes, cutting down a tree is better than going to a baby shower…much better. After dinner, we went to Paige and Nathan’s to play a little Uno, watch some TV, and stay up way to late. Sunday morning Jennifer found a bag of Easter surprises on our front porch. I guess the Easter Bunny is real. I’m not sure, but the whole issue is making me second guess my previous thoughts and perhaps misconceptions about Santa Claus as well. Anyway, we then went to the early church service, had biscuits at Bojangles, lunch at my cousins, drove to Moneta to visit Jennifer’s aunt and uncle, and finished the day lying in bed, waiting for Grey’s Anatomy only to find out that it was postponed a week. So, other than the postponing of Grey’s Anatomy, we had a great Easter weekend with family and friends.

Jason

Over the Next Couple of Weeks

My plan is to add a photo gallery every couple of days. We have a lot of photos that have been sitting around. This first batch is from a trip that Jennifer, Josh, and I took in May of 2003. We went to visit John, Tracie, and Elwood in Alexandria (Elwood is their dog). Of course, while we were there, we also spent a little time in the nation's capital. We had a lot of fun. Lifelong friends are the best! If you click on the Lincoln Memorial photo, it will take you to other photos from the trip. Enjoy and I promise to post more photo galleries every couple of days for the next few weeks.

Jason

Ten Years and Counting

As of today, we have been together for ten years. We became a couple during our junior year in high school on April 9th, 1996. That's right, high school sweethearts. I knew very soon that Jennifer was the one for me and that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. She is and will always be my absolute best friend. May God continue to bless us and our relationship for many more decades to come.

Jason

Racquetball Master

Last night I again was schooled by the racquetball master. Claiming that he had not played seriously in about five years, Chris performed quite contrary to his statement on the court. Matt from work also joined us, so we were able to play a little cutthroat too. Let’s just say I had a good workout. Chris, your day is coming…Once my knee recovers from last night.

Jason

Sunday, April 9th • Grand Opening

As I mentioned earlier, this coming Sunday is Parkway Wesleyan Church's "official" Grand Opening in the new facility. There are two services: 9:30am and 11:00am. We have been regularly attending the early service for about two years and very much recommend it to anyone. We hope to see some of you there! Need directions or more info?

Thought we had forgotten?

No way…just very busy. Jennifer is of course now in her last month of nursing school…Yippee! This is still consuming much of her time. I on the other hand have officially completed my teaching requirements, but have been very busy filling out paperwork, final evaluations, and other important forms. In addition to all of this, we have been riding our bikes at least once a week. It has been very fun, since the weather has turned much nicer lately. And yes, the pain from the bike seat does subside after a couple of rides. So those of you who say, “I can’t ride a bike anymore because it hurts my butt.” Get back on the bike. The pain will soon go away. Trust me, it hurt and it did finally go away. Anyway, the bike riding has been a lot of fun for the both of us. Let us know if you care to join us on a Sunday afternoon ride. Our bike rack carries four bikes, so we have room for two more. As a final note, this coming Sunday the 9th is Parkway's Grand Opening. We would like for some of you to attend if possible. Check back and I will have the details of the Grand Opening posted by tomorrow morning, the 4th. Have a great day!

Jason