December 13, 1952= A great day in history

Tomorrow is the day that my daddy was brought into this world. I thank God that this man was chosen to be my dad. If you know my dad (and if you don't, you should meet him), you know that my dad is very special to my family. He was the only male for a LONG time. Thank goodness that Jesse and Trey came along or dad would have had to still pretend to care about make-up, clothes, and reality t.v. My dad NEVER complained about not having a son, he loves Amanda and I sooooo much. It is really amazing to know that your parents love you more than life. I have ALWAYS felt this from both of them. UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. Needless to say, my dad is an amazing person. He has always been a great father, but I think that I have realized this more since he has become a grandfather. To see my dad love on Will and Caroline is precious. I mean, they could totally get away with murder (or drinking gallons of sweet tea) with him. Yet, it is still precious. I can only pray that one day I will have children to be loved unconditionally by Poppi. Dad, you are the best and I love you more each day! Happy Birthday : ) Wish I could spend the day with you! Enjoy your day : )

Our new crib without the big screen T.V. but just add MOE...

Well, the Lloyds have moved zip codes and to the other side of the state. In June, we moved from our sweet, little townhome in C-ville to a spacious, downtown apartment in Chatt. We have been here almost 6 months, and we are loving it! Thanks to my sweet family and my precious in-laws, we moved ALL of our stuff to the apartment. How did we accumulate a huge U-Haul truck worth of stuff? I am still baffled by this, but we did manage (with help from 5 men) to load it all in. Along with moving in, starting a new job, and summer, we FAILED to decorate our house until 2 weeks ago. Yes. Two weeks ago, we finally decided that we hated the BLANK cream walls and decided to spruce them up a little. We went just a tad bit crazy at World Market. MY NEW FAVORITE STORE. If you have no clue what I am talking about, google it. NOW. We also bought a wonderful painting from ETSY. My new favorite ONLINE store. Just google, friends. Anyway, the pad is sweet. I really do love it. If you are ever traveling through Chatt, just dial me up and I will let you stay or just tour. Sorry guys, but I don't have any jags parked out front, but I do have one good lookin' ELK hanging in the living room. Yes. His name is Moe. Since marrying Trey, I knew that I would never get rid of him and would be marrying him also. You know, if you can't beat them, just join them and hang them in your living room for all to see. I know. I know. Enjoy the pictures: )


Our cute dining room with our ETSY painting that I LOVE



If you come to stay, these are your accomodations. I know you are thinking that it is nicer than the Hilton. You are correct in thinking this.


And this is where I get my Betty Crocker-iness on. By that I mean, I open up the refridgerator and get salsa for my chips. Dinner done.


And my cute living room. There is my wonderful tree that I decorated, and you can barely see Moe on the wall behind it. He is so tiny. I wish you could see him better.

Missed Flight, Lost Baggage, and a Birthday

Well, SEVEN months ago, I blogged about our future trip to Portugal, Morrocco, and Spain. Well, it happened and boy was it a trip. There is a long extended version of everything that went wrong, but I am not going to bore you on the blog. Plus, I really don't want to relive the events. I am being serious. FOR REAL.

To begin, we started on our trip on a Friday, flying out of Atlanta. Everything was great. We were pumped. Then, it happened. The flight attendant said "Trey Lloyd to the front desk." You know when you here your name over the loud speaker at an airport, it is not going to be good. Well, our flight was delayed 1 hour. No big deal, right? WRONG. We had a ONE HOUR layover for our international connection. Yes, you read correctly: one hour. I know--- STUPID. Well, in our defense, we did not book the flight, so not our fault. Anyway, we missed the flight by ONE minute, therefore, causing us to stay in Newark, New Jersey for the day. BUMMER. By the way, totally ran through the airport Home Alone style. Yep, I know people were laughing and I didn't even care. I was going to Spain. Well, since we had to stay in New Jersey we went to NYC for the day. So fun because Trey had never been. I know, the boy who has been to every continent, but Antartica, had never been to the BIG APPLE. Well, after our delightful day in NYC, we hopped on the flight to Portugal. At this point, we are certain, we had luggage. WRONG again. NO LUGGAGE. Yes, we had to buy all necessities in Portugal at H&M. I am not making this stuff up. I wish I was lying. So, we missed our flight, the beginning of our cruise, and had no luggage. Not a good start to the trip. Basically, I am pretty sure that I told Trey that I was never traveling again. Oh, because we missed our flight to Portugal, we missed our cruise at its first spot. So, we just had to take an 11 hour bus ride to the next city. Yes, 11 hours. LONG TRIP on a bus. Oh, and all of this happened on my birthday. Yep, Happy 24th to me: ) Anyway, it was a super fun trip after all the craziness and I am so glad we were able to go : ) One thing I did learn through all of this: Pack extra clothes in your carry-on. Especially undergarments. Yep, you WILL regret it if you don't do it. I promise. Take it from me.


Our unexpected, yet very fun day in the BIg Apple : )




BEAUTIFUL Spain!



After our CRAZY trip, we came home to the flood and saw this from our house. Yes, it was pure craziness. SO thankful the water did not come into our house.

I am so embarrassed....

WOW. Seven months without one blog post. I know. I should be kicked out of the blogging world. I am pretty sure that I only have 2 followers and those followers are related to me, so I am sure that I have not been missed in over half of a year.

Anyway, lots of think have gone on in the Lloyd household since my last post. Well, for starters, the Lloyds have a new household. We made the move to Chatt in June. I can honestly say that I am loving living here. We have a cute, downtown apartment where we enjoy living close to the city and my work.

I am going to update all our new updates with a new blogpost each. So the rate that I am going, you will all read about it in 1.5 years! Enjoy : )

Countdown is on....

So, I know that I haven't updated in forever. I apologize. For real. I have been super busy with being a wife, a teacher, looking for a job, and getting ready to hit the road again on Friday! Oh yes, Friday is the day that my hubby and I leave for 10 days on our CRUISE : ) Woo Hoo! I am not sure if you can tell that I am excited. We just found out today that not only are we going to Portugal and Spain, but our ship will be also making a pit stop in MOROCCO : ) Soo excited that I made Trey clear our memory card from our camera so I will have enough to take as many pictures as I want. Plus, I know if I don't that a certain person who's name starts with a D and ends with IANE will not be happy with me. I will post after the trip with pictures and hopefully news of a job. Please say a little prayer for some good news : )

Go and Do Great Things

Tomorrow is important day. The person below is going on a BIG trip to do BIG things.






My big sister will be waking up super early in the morning. She will get her bags and kiss her husband goodbye. She will give my precious niece and nephew big hugs and kisses to last for one week. Then, she will drive to the airport to get on a plane to go here.







She is going to spend 7 days away from her husband and kids. She is going to spend 7 days away from her town. She is going to spend 7 days away from her comfort zone. Yet, she GETS to spend 7 days loving God's people and serving an AWESOME God in a foreign country.

I am so proud of you, Amanda. We are praying for you and your team. Go and do great things : )


P.S. Tomorrow is also another special day for another reason. My husband and I will celebrate our "We have been married for 9 months Anniversary." The other night at dinner, I mentioned to Trey about this upcoming celebration. This is pretty much how the conversation went.
Me: Guess what?!?
Trey: What?
Me: On Saturday, it will be our 9 month anniversary. Isn't that crazy?
Trey: Oh, yeah. That's cool. (not even looking up from his steak dinner.)
Me: Isn't it crazy that we have been married for nine months, and if we had gotten pregnant on our honeymoon, we would be having a baby right now.
Trey did not say anything else. He pretty much looked like this.








Yep, that is definitely the look that he had. I would have had the same look if we had been pregnant. Thank goodness!

Guns+My Hubby=Jen sipping drinks with little umbrellas on a boat : )

So, a few posts back, I bragged about my awesome husband who won some great awards in Las Vegas. Remember? Well, along with winning some money and trophies, he also won this for us-



No, we did not win a huge boat. Instead, we get to go a Windstar Cruise in April! Yes, I am so super pumped. I will be on a boat from April 24th to May 1st. I can not wait : )

You may be wondering where this boat will be taking us. Well, we will be traveling here-



Yes, the Lloyds will be traveling to Portugal and Spain : ) Woo Hoo! As of now, parts of Portugal and Spain are underwater because of flooding. I saw this information on the Weather Channel last night. Yet, hopefully, in two months, it will nothing but clear skies and beautiful water.

P.S. I will be on this boat for my birthday. What a great birthday present. Can you tell that I am a little excited?

Heavy Heart

My heart is very heavy tonight. One of my dearest friends lost her mother today. I hurt for her. I want to hold her and cry with her. Yet, I can not comprehend her loss. I want to tell her it will be okay and I know what she is feeling. Yet, I can not and do not know how it feels. This person was an incredible woman. She was like a second mother to me. Yet, I know she is in such a better place. This does not make it easier. I ask you today to pray for this family. They are such a strong family, but no family is prepared for such a loss. So, today, please say a little prayer for their strength through this difficult time. My second family, please know you are very loved and you are all in my thoughts and prayers.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.
-Psalm 46:1-2

My Momma : )

Well, today is a very special day for someone who is very special to me. Today is my momma's birthday. If you know my momma, you know that I love her A LOT! My mom is so very important to me. For starters, she helped create me (with a little help from dad), she carried me for nine months, and she brought me into this world. My mother has loved me from day one, and has continued to love me more each day. There has NEVER been a day that I have not felt my momma's love. Even though I was not fun to be around between the ages of 13-18, or during the entire six months of my engagement, she has loved me unconditionally. So, in honor of my mother's birthday, I decided to write 10 of the most important things she has taught me.

1. She has taught me to love unconditionally. To love when I don't want to and when I don't think that I can. She is a true example of this.
2. She has taught me how to love the Lord. My mother is such a wonderful example of a Godly woman. She is growing in her faith each day. I love to learn after her example.
3. She has taught me how to be thankful for a sibling. My mother is an only child and has always longed to have a brother or sister. When I was younger, I was not the biggest fan of Amanda. Although I love her so much now, it took many years of my mother's begging and pleading for us to get along for that to happen. Thank you Mom.
4. She has taught me how to be selfless. My mom is the most selfless person I know. My dad would have to tie with her. She gives and gives, even when I can not return. I admire my mom for this character trait.
5. She has taught me how to be a bargain shopper. This is probably my most favorite thing about my mom. My mother's favorite stores include The Dollar Store and Dollar General. I love it. I also have become a bargain shopper when it comes to sales. Thanks to my mother. : )
6. She has taught me how to be a loving child. If you know my mother, you know that she loves my grandparents, Nannie and PaPa, more than life itself. She would do absolutely anything for them. I hope that I will always follow in that example. You too, Amanda!
7. She has taught me to love McDonald's sweet tea. My mother has an addiction to sweet tea, not just any sweet tea, just McDonald's. Do not try to give her any other sweet tea. She will tell you it not as good as MickeyDs.
8. She has taught me to always have my toenails painted. I know this sounds funny, but it is true.
9. She has taught me to have confidence in myself. My mother believes in me, like no other. I am slowly learning to believe like she does.
10. She has taught me, even though I do not practice it, to always wear lipstick. I detest lipstick. I think the only two times I have ever worn it was for my prom and my wedding day. Well, Mom, you may have lost out on me, but at least you taught Amanda well.







Have the best day today! You deserve it! I can not wait to celebrate with you this weekend : )

Love,
Jen

Oh yeah, I married a stud....

So I am not a bragger. In fact, I detest people who brag about everything in their life. Yet, right now, I am about to brag. Not about me, but about the person pictured below.






My husband, Trey is one of the most hardworking people that I know. In fact, sometimes, I think that he works TOO hard. He works hard at his job, at home, and in our marriage. This quality is probably one of main reasons that I absolutely adore him. Well, anyway, Trey's job is very important to him. He started working for this job when he was still in college and went full-time after graduation. He sells guns, ammo, flashlights, all things that pertain to hunting. If you know Trey, this is the PERFECT job for him.

After graduation, Trey was given the territory of Eastern Kentucky. When he was offered the territory in Alabama, they let him keep this small territory to finish the year for BENELLI. If you do not have a spouse that hunts, you may be wondering what Benelli is. Well, Benelli is probably the best gun out on the market. Trey has loved selling them because he loves using them. Anyway, fast forward to this past Thursday. Trey has been gone for the entire week to Las Vegas. Shot Show (which is the biggest event for his company) was this past week. On Thursday night, it was the Benelli awards show. I knew that this was an important night because Trey could win an award. Well, Trey not only won one award, he won FIVE awards. Trey won the biggest award which is the Benelli Sales Leader of the Year! This means he sold the most guns out of any sales agent in the United States : ) Woo Hoo! I am so proud of him because he worked so hard and it definitely paid off!!! So here is my bragging for him because I know that he won't tell anyone at all. So, Congrats my love!!!

New Year brings New Changes

So, the one reason I was against starting a blog was because I am a slacker. I would rather watch "The Biggest Loser" or play on FaceBook. I know, I know. Well, my mom and sister have been pestering me to post. So, here goes. I hope I remember how to do this.

Well, I haven't blogged since December 13. I know. It is embarrassing. Anyway, much has happened on the homefront since then. To begin, we had a wonderful holiday season. I LOVE Christmas. I love the tree, presents, and most of all, celebrating the birth of Jesus. We spent much of our time on the road, traveling from Chatt-town to Franklin. I love visiting both sides of our families. It makes me wish I lived closer to them. We rang in the new year by staying here in Clarksville. I know, real exciting. Be jealous. Anyway, it was fun just having a low-key evening with my husband.

On to bigger and better news, my husband is awesome. Back in September, Trey was offered a full territory with his company in the great state of Alabama. Yes, you read correctly ALABAMA. Trey has worked so hard for this company and it is very exciting for us to have a FULL territory servicing Alabama and the Florida panhandle. Well, as you all know, we live almost in Kentucky. You can imagine that this a LONG haul for him to work. So, we have decided to move. Yes, move to Alabama. I know. I can't really believe either.

VOL fans: Please know that you will never catch me saying "Roll Tide" or wearing anything crimson. I promise and cross my orange heart.

Anyway, we are super excited about this new adventure : )

I wanted all my blogging friends to know about this because I have a favor to ask ALL of you. Please pray for us. I do not have a job in Alabama yet, but I am starting to apply. Please join with us in praying for a job for me and a home for us. We are so pumped about this opportunity and we know that it will all work out. Yet, we know that prayer is important in any time where there is change. Thank you so much! I will keep you updated with any info. :)