The Beginning of a Grand Adventure

As we prepare to welcome our son into the world, I have decided to take up blogging for a number of reasons.  We desire an easy way for family and friends (especially those far away from Houston) to keep up with us more easily.  We (well, Veronica) want a project to keep us busy (though I know my hands will be quite full when the baby gets here!).  We want to share our memories and life's little excitements with those we love.  And we hope to bring a few smiles along the way.

A brief history of us...

Jason and I met in March 2007 when I was still living and working south of Houston.  We love telling our story because it is a true demonstration of God's perfect timing.  Both Jason and I had previously been engaged but had not gone through with the weddings.  Though we had both been hurt in the past, we still desired to find the "perfect" one in our lives.  Thanks to some persuasive friends, we both joined eHarmony.com.  I had made a promise to myself that I would never try any online dating, but with my job, geographical location, and social circles, I knew I wasn't going to find my future husband.  Jason felt the same way.  (So, yes, we are shameless supporters of eHarmony).  "Love at first sight" doesn't even quite describe what we discovered in each other.  It was more like "love at first sight of an online profile."  Reading through pages and pages of emails and questions/answers, I discovered my true soulmate.  By the time we met in person, we had both decided in our own minds that this was IT.  Our dating relationship was short and filled with meeting friends and family until he asked me to marry him May 12, 2007.

We had a beautiful wedding September 8, 2007 in Humble, where we now live.  In fact, our reception was at the country club in the neighborhood where we now live (and his parents live, too).  I started teaching at a new school in 2007, and Jason continued his job in oil-field services.  Together, we started our new life as husband and wife, enjoying every second of it.

Our first dance

For that time, our family consisted of us and our three "children" with four legs and tails - Leddoux, Cooper and Baylor.  We love our dogs, and always will, but we will never ever have three at one time again!  Jason had the two bigger dogs and I had the little beagle before we were married.  Thankfully, our children took to each other very well.  Baylor and Cooper are inseparable!  You would think they were from the same litter and raised from birth together.  Even to this day, they follow each other from room to room.  When one goes out for a walk, the other waits expectantly at the door.  Leddoux, who is older, bigger and stronger, stays outside and doesn't get to socialize with the other two.  Don't feel too badly for him, though!  He has a playmate in Syrus (Jason's parents' dog) who he visits just about every single day while Jason is at work.

Leddoux

Baylor and Cooper

In 2008 we decided it was time to get a bigger home (though we loved our little cozy townhome).  Though plans for a family were not immediately before us, we knew we were headed in that direction.  We found a lot and built a house.  After a wonderful trip (with students of mine in tow) to Italy and France, we moved in to our new house in the summer of 2008.  Before we could even finish unpacking all of our boxes, however, we, and the rest of the Houston/Galveston area, were visited by Hurricane Ike at the beginning of September.  Thankfully, our new home was not damaged at all by the storm or the rains.  We lost a few tree limbs and were without electricity for 17 days (not fun in hot, hot, hot Texas!), but we thanked God every day that we did not suffer any major damage.  Christmas brought a special treat -  a Quick family trip to Disney World.

The Colosseum - 2008

Our neighbor's yard the morning after Ike

Our house decorated for Christmas

Family photo with Cinderella - Christmas 2008

In 2009, I continued teaching and Jason took on a management position with his job.  The summer of 2009 brought about another fabulous trip to Europe - this time to Italy and Greece.  Jason will tell you that his favorite place he has visited in Europe is Mykonos, Greece.  I hope that someday we will get to go back to the island together and spend some time there.  The fall of 2009 started what I knew in my heart would be my last year teaching.  Jason and I had discussed starting a family, and we both felt it best that I be a stay-at-home-mom.  How blessed I am to have a husband who supports me in my "dream job!"

Mykonos, Greece - 2009

I guess the real changes started at the end of 2009 with the marriage of my sister Liesl to Andy.  The entire Quick family feels incredibly blessed that Liesl found such an amazing husband.  They live in Lubbock where they both attend school.  We learned from Jon (Quick child #3) that he had met the girl of his dreams, Allison, and planned on asking for her hand in marriage.  A few days after that, my parents learned that Daniel (Quick child #4) was finishing up his deployment in Iraq earlier than expected and was due home in January 2010.

Liesl and Andy's wedding - December 2009

When we arrived home from the December wedding festivities, a few days before Christmas, Jason and I found out that we were pregnant!  Announcing to the family that a new arrival was coming was so much fun.  We surprised Jason's parents with bibs for Christmas that said "I love my Grandma" and "I love my Grandpa" on them.  All four grandparents are so excited to welcome a new grandson to the family!

Grandpa David and Grandma Brenda get the news a new grand-baby is on the way!  Merry Christmas!

I am not sure how my parents managed to not have heart attacks with all of that news!  As expected, 2010 has turned out to be a fantastic year so far.  Daniel safely made it home and is living in Lubbock with my parents.  Jon did ask Allison to marry him in the spring, and they will be married New Year's Day 2011.  We all (Mom, Dad, me, Jason, Andy, Liesl, Jon, Allison, Daniel, Donnie, and his girlfriend Sarah) got to spend Easter in Lubbock.  During the weekend, we were blessed to have an ultrasound so everyone could see Colt.  Allison graduated from Texas A&M in May and Jon will graduate soon.  Both will be working in Tyler this fall.  Donnie is still at Texas A&M and loving every second of it.

"Quick" family - Easter 2010 (preparing for the egg hunt)

At the beginning of June, I closed the teaching chapter in my life for the time being.  I will greatly miss my students and co-workers, but I know that staying home is the best choice for us right now.  This summer has been full of baby showers, doctor appointments, and preparing for a sweet baby boy.  We get to spend lots of time with Jason's family because they all live nearby.  I have been so blessed with amazing in-laws.  Brenda and David are wonderful!  I have a fantastic brother-in-law and sister-in-law, too, and two awesome nephews - Nick and Will.  We are very excited about getting watch Will play football this year!  Go Saints!!!

The McCullough Family Christmas 2009

My family has come down to visit us all summer long.  We have gotten to spend lots of quality time with close friends.  We have also spent time getting to know Allison better, and we love her more each time we see her.  We couldn't be happier for the upcoming wedding!

July 2010

Colt Daniel McCullough is due to arrive any day now.  The official due date is August 29, but we aren't sure when he will exactly make his debut.  Jason and I both very excited about our growing family, though we are handling it in different ways.  Of course there are some similarities in the way we have prepared ourselves.  We both pitched in making the nursery what it is (and we LOVE it).  We both feel incredibly blessed by the outpouring of love, support, prayers and gifts from our friends and family.  We both have been reading pregnancy/child development books avidly.  However, I have taken on many "artsy" projects this summer, including quilting, painting, and experimenting in the kitchen (yes, I am very excited to be a stay-at-home-mom and housewife!).  I have organized several unimportant areas in the house, but I admit I feel an overwhelming sense of accomplishment with each shelf or cabinet completed.  I have enjoyed countless hours of sitting in the nursery rocker thinking about Colt.  Jason, on the other hand, has been in more of the nesting "frenzy" as far as cleaning is concerned.  Just this weekend, he decided to scrub all the baseboards.  Neither of us (thankfully) feel stressed or anxious about the arrival of a newborn, but we know that our lives are about to be forever changed.  Please pray for us to get enough sleep PRIOR to his arrival.  Jason is having a hard time staying asleep at night, and I just flat out can't get comfortable these days.

Colt's nursery - ready for a baby!

Soon we will be posting pictures about our new baby boy!  Until then, God bless!