HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRYCE!

Just wanted to wish my best friend, Bryce, a very happy birthday! B- I hope you had a wonderful birthday and I wish you many blessings this year. I know that everyone who has the priviledge to call you friend feels truly blessed. You make everyone feel as though they are your favorite and I believe that is an amazing talent. Hopefully we will be able to help you celebrate soon!

P.S. I am blogging from Reagan, TX- Home of the Tusas and the famous Texas Aggie Barn. Ingrid's baby shower is tomorrow so hopefully I will be able to post pics on Sunday or Monday when I get back to San Angelo. Sutton is doing some farming this weekend and probably catching up on his guy movies. Hope everyone has a safe and relaxing weekend.

THE TURTLE

Last week I did an overnight in Brown-wood and Sutton was able to come and meet me. We had a fun date night at one of my favorite places to eat in my territory called the Turtle. The food was good, but our favorite part was the delicious homemade gelato from their gelateria. In the fall, they will be opening a little wine bar, too. It is a cool place, and really neat considering it has a big city atmosphere in a small, friendly town. I highly recommend it for a quiet, relaxing night out.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, INGRID!

My baby sister, Ingrid, turns 27 today! We are all very excited because she is expecting her first baby in five weeks! This is an old picture. We took it over 2 years ago, but it is one of my favorites. Ing- I hope you have a great day and a wonderful year ahead. You are a great sister and a best friend! I love you! P.S. For all of our faithful stalkers, check out Ingrid's new blog, the Tusa Tales.

A SIGN

I can say that in 6 years of being a drug rep, I am fortunate that I have had very few people be mean to me and no one has ever been intentionally hurtful...until yesterday. That is probably pretty good considering the demanding nature of my customers' business and the fact that they often will see 10-15 (or more) reps in a day. Apparently one of my customers was having a really bad day and for some reason decided to take it out on me. It really shook me. I cried when I got in the car and it just made me question my abilities and my career choice.

It got to me pretty much the rest of the day, and then as I drove between Snyder and Colorado City, I came upon one of my favorite places in my territory. On the side of the road there is a grove of trees and someone takes the time to decorate the trees and post a large sign depending on the season. I always enjoy seeing what they have to say and yesterday it just fit. I had to take a picture because I just had to smile...Here is what it said- "Be kind to the unkind- They need it the most." As my good neighbor Wendy pointed out this morning, God often speaks to us through signs, but in this case He spoke to me through an actual sign on the side of the road. Even better, on my way home between Colorado City and San Angelo, I saw the most amazing rainbow I have ever seen and it made me realize that this was such a small thing in the grand scheme of things. I feel so blessed and even the biggest jerk in the world can't take away my joy. Hope you are having a good week and that God is revealing Himself to you through signs:).

MY TWO FAVORITE GUYS

Back in July, Sutton and our good friend, Bryce, went to Red River, New Mexico for a Farm Bureau Field Staff Conference. I had to stay home because of work commitments. They had a great time traveling together and one afternoon the group went rafting. Bryce sent me pictures today that I thought I would share with you. The funny thing is they ran out of individual boats, so they had to raft together in one boat that was jokingly called the "divorce boat", because it must be pretty hard to maneuver with two people. Bryce said it was a good thing that Sutton and I did not have to do this together and apparently it was a little stressful on their relationship that day...At one point, the boat tipped over and Sutton ended up being pushed down the river and Bryce could not find him. It all sounds very dramatic. Anyway, here are the cute pictures of two of my most favorite guys in this world...I am so glad that Sutton and Bryce are so close. I prayed that whoever I married would like Bryce as much as I do...The only problem is now I have to remind Sutton that Bryce was my friend first :).

BACK TO SCHOOL

I am so glad that school starts tomorrow! I know that probably sounds crazy since I no longer go to school, and we do not even have children, but for some reason I love back to school time. Maybe it is because our jobs do not mean summers off, so I find myself resenting the fact that I have to go to work when others get to stay home during the summer. I also love fall, and back to school means it is just around the corner. I love the gorgeous colors, the yummy scents, fall flowers, and just the feel of fall. I love football and I love that the new seasons of my favorite shows will begin soon. I have always loved fall, but the fact that Sutton and I fell in love 7 years ago during the fall and we got married 6 years ago in September make it that more special for me. Fall reminds me of home and it always makes me feel a little bit sentimental. Fall makes me want to start new routines and get back into the swing of things. Tomorrow, Wendy and I are going to start back to our early morning walking routine and I am so glad. I have been very lazy the last month and a half and I think the heat and the lack of exercise have impacted my attitude a bit (and not in a good way). I am looking forward to Labor Day weekend because that means my fall decorations and dishes can officially come out of the closet. I can't wait! Sutton took down the redneck pool today, so I feel like that is an official sign that summer is ending. I lit my apple pie candle and now we are just looking forward to the new season...

GOOD NEWS

Well, I am excited to share some great news! My sister, Jessica, called last night to tell me that she is expecting her 4th baby! This was definitely a surprise for them, as well as the rest of us, but we are so excited about this unexpected blessing. The baby is due around April 20th, a couple of weeks after Avery's 3rd birthday. Please keep Jessica, the baby, and the rest of the Dettens in your prayers. I just realized that she is going to have to change her blog name since it is called the Dettens 5...:)

THANKFUL

Sutton and I have enjoyed a wonderful relaxing weekend. I am feeling especially thankful today for-
-Quality time spent with Sutton
-Rain
-Good neighbors
-Dear, sweet, thoughtful friends who know exactly how to make my day and cheer me up (Thanks Ash & Lori!)
-A great dinner at Tumbleweedz Friday night enjoyed with dear friends
-My sisters who know when to call
-Lots of good movies expecially August Rush and the Bucket List
-the Summer Olympics
-Basically, I feel very inspired and very thankful for the little things...Hope you are having a good weekend too.

SYDNEY UPDATE

Ashley sent me this precious picture of Sydney today and I had to share it. It is hard to believe she is already 6 months old and crawling! It seems like just yesterday that she was born and I posted this...Look how much she has grown-

OUR VISIT WITH THE CHOIS

On our way home from Dallas this past weekend, we had the chance to stop by and visit our dear friends, the Chois, and see their new home. Their daughter, Allison, recently turned one and is absolutely adorable. It was great to see them. Here are a few pics...
Allison
Allison and Uncle Sutton
Allison loves bubbles.
Esther, Phil, and Allison (with 2 more baby Chois on the way!!)

FEELING VERY BLESSED

Well, I just had to brag on Sutton tonight. I have had kind of a down week and have not been feeling great, but tonight Sutton just lifted my spirits. I came home to a great meal and an empty dishwasher. He grilled steaks and jalapeno peppers. We have not had a meal together at home in several weeks, so the fact that he also cooked and did the dishes made it that much better. I feel so blessed to have married such a wonderful man and I thank God for him daily.

On another note, I just finished listening to the Strangest Secret by Earl Nightingale and I highly recommend it. In fact, I wish I would have listened to it at the beginning of the week. It is all about the fact that we become what we think about. It was recorded years ago, but the message is still very relevant today. I feel much better tonight after spending time with my sweet husband and listening to this great motivational message. If you are feeling blue, I hope you will check out the Strangest Secret on Itunes. It is only about 40 minutes long. I am going to start listening to it every Monday so that I start my week off in a positive way. Hope you are having a great week!

ONE MORE DAVY PIC...

If you can't tell, we are all so excited sweet Davy is here! Here is a picture of Davy with her PaPa (Davy's grandpa, and Suttons's dad, Paul)....

WELCOME GRIGGS HOLLAND!

The Page family is blessed to have another new addition today. Sutton's cousin, Julianna, had her baby boy, Griggs Bradshaw Holland, this morning. He weighed 9 pounds 2 ounces, and measured 20.75 inches long. Julianna and her husband, Bradlee, live in Mississippi and have another little boy named, Gardner. Welcome to the world, Griggs!

INTRODUCING MISS DAVY PAGE...

As promised, here are pictures of the newest addition to the Page family, Miss Kathryn Davy Page born August 9 and weighing 6 lbs. 12 oz. Isn't she beautiful?

Proud parents, Russ and Becky, with Davy

Becky and Davy (Becky looks fabulous!)

Russ and Davy

GG (Nancy) and Gpa Rick with cousins, Caroline and Davy

Uncle Sutton and Davy

Aunt Chelsea, Caroline, Jessi, and Davy

SWEET CAROLINE

A few weekends ago, Sutton's mom, Nancy, Sutton's sister, Chelsea, her husband, Casey, and sweet baby, Caroline, all came to stay for the night on the way down to Eldorado. We had a fun time hanging out and catching up. I had to post this great picture of Caroline. It is on our fridge and it just makes me happy every time I see it. She is already 9 months old!

A DAY AT THE CHICKEN ART FARM

Last Saturday I went with Ashley and Lori to check out First Saturday at the Chicken Art Farm here in San Angelo. It was a little hot, but a great way to spend a Saturday. We got to see the work of several local artists and also eat a great lunch at the Silo. It was very inspiring. I was excited because one of the artists gave me a box full of fabric swatches. I can't wait to put them to good use. Here are some pictures...

IT'S A GIRL!

Kathryn Davy Page was born yesterday at 10:00 a.m. Davy weighed 6 lbs. 12 oz. and she is beautiful! Davy, Becky, and Russ are doing great. Thanks for all of your prayers. We made a quick trip to Dallas last night after Sutton's meeting in Abilene. We spent the morning with Sutton's family and then we got to meet Davy. She has a full head of dark hair, a sweet face, and she is so dainty. We took pictures, but I am waiting on Sutton to get them downloaded, so check back tomorrow and I should have them up.

On our way home this afternoon we stopped by the Chois' new house in Arlington and had a nice a visit. Allison is growing like a weed. We are excited because Esther and Phil are expecting twins in January! They find out in September what they are having, but I am hoping for girls...I can just imagine Phil with a house full of women:). We are so blessed to have lots of sweet babies in our life!

CAN'T WAIT...

Ugly Betty and Grey's Anatomy will be back on September 25th!!! I cannot wait! Ugly Betty makes me so happy and I have been a big fan of Grey's Anatomy since the first season. I am so ready for fall and the new season of prime time t.v. I guess in the mean time I will just have to enjoy the summer olympics.

BABY UPDATE

Still no news on the baby front, but we'll keep you posted. I know Becky and Julianna are very ready. The heat has been miserable, and I can't even imagine being nine months pregnant in it! Please continue to pray for easy deliveries and healthy babies and moms.

Our week has been hectic, but good. I was worried that it might drag on because alot of the people we love are on vacation and we are stuck here. Our neighbors are in Florida, my partner and good friend is in San Antonio with her family, and my parents are in Alaska on a cruise. The week has really flown by though. I had a good ride-along with my manager on Monday and Tuesday and I am always glad when that goes well. Sutton has had several meetings this week and is actually juggling two tonight. He has a county convention in Abilene on Saturday night, tomorrow night we are having dinner with family, and besides that, our weekend plans are up in the air as we await the birth of the newest Page. Hope everyone is staying cool and having a good week. I should have time to post some fun pics from the past few weeks this weekend, so stay tuned...

PRAYER REQUEST

We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our new niece who could be here any day now...Please keep Becky, the baby, and Russell in your prayers. Also, we are awaiting the arrival of a new cousin, Griggs, who is also due any day. Please keep Julianna, Griggs, Bradlee, and Gardner in your prayers as well. It is an exciting time around here! I will update as soon as I can. I will be off line until Tuesday night. I am working with my manager tomorrow and Tuesday and will be staying out of town Monday night. Hope everyone has a good first part of the week and I will post again soon.

"You hem me in - behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me....I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well...All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be...How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!...Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalms 139: 5,14, 16-17, 23-24)

Becky shared these verses today and I am so glad because I was needing some uplifting. I know Becky is finding comfort in these words today, and I hope this gives you encouragement, as well.