Sunday, March 27, 2011

Movin' On Up

Movin' on up...but not to the east side.

We are moving to San Antonio!

The home of the mighty and awesome San Antonio Spurs, the mecca of Mexican food and margaritas, and my fav: in the heart of the hill country!

To sum it up in 500 words or less, here it goes:


  • 2004-2008 Travis worked as a Superintendent for a large production builder (starts with a P and ends with a ulte).
  • After surviving 5 rounds of layoffs, he was finally given the 'boot'
  • God is always faithful, right? Well, about 2 weeks later Travis was given an incredible opportunity by some great friends ( you know who you are) to work as a catastrophe insurance adjuster. So happened, Hurricane Ike hit about this time which immediately supplied T with some work.
  • He was gone for a couple of months and when the storm cleared, he came home.
  • 2009 was a pretty calm year- no big natural disasters or big storms (hail, hurricane, tornadoes, etc.).
  • 2010 was a different story. Still no huge storms, but we were blessed beyond measure and God provided again. T worked in the DFW area doing daily claims for a few months and was then asked to work a storm in Minnesota. He left for Minnesota in June, worked a storm in Chicago from July-October, and was back in Minnesota in November. I saw him 4 times during the 6 months he was gone. 
  • All while T was gone, he was (and me too) very thankful for the work he was given and the opportunity as well, but he hated being gone from home for so long and living in a hotel, alone in a city with zero friends. We spent many nights praying for God to bring us the right opportunity, wherever that may be.
  • T still had a passion for building, but knew God was using this insurance adjusting career as a great stepping stone and learning opportunity.
  • Fast Forward to January 2011, T was dreading another year of traveling and being far away, so he started putting out resumes and hitting up any connection that might lead him to an interview. T's Aunt Debbie put him in contact with a guy (Jim) at a large commercial construction firm in San Antonio. At the time, they did not have any openings, especially for a guy with only residential construction experience. Jim said he would ask around and see what he could do as he knew Aunt Debbie so well and felt like Travis was a good guy.
  • So February is here and there was some bad flooding in Indianapolis, so T packed up his bags and headed up north for more adjusting work. 7 days later T had written 50 claims and was able to come home! Only one week apart. Glorious!
  • While he was in Indy, Jim called and said he might have an opportunity for him and to call him when he gets back home.
  • T had an interview on Monday, March 21st and was offered the position as Quality Control Manager with MapCo. MapCo mainly does governmental projects with the Army Corp of Engineers. We are both so thrilled with this opportunity! He will even have the opportunity to transition into Superintendent/Project Manager position within the next year.
  • He starts on March 28th. That is just 7 days from when he had his first interview. God is good and always provides and is faithful. He might do things in His own timing, but He will direct you down a path if you submit to follow His will.
So that's where we are now. Travis just left for San Antonio and starts the big job TOMORROW! I am not able to join him right now since I'm a student again. I finish on May 12th, and will then move to SA. T will be living with his parents for the next couple of months while we look for a residence. Notice, that I will get to pack our house alone...anybody else think that's unfair?!?!? :)

We ask that you pray for us over the next few months as we adjust to this new life in a new town. Specifically, that we can find a new church home, a house to live in with some acreage for our horses, and to make new friends. 

This will also be the farthest I have ever lived from my parents...eeeek! I know I can do it, but I am super close to my mom and dad. I am comforted knowing that our time spent together will be that much more special.

That my friends, is the life of a Riley.

Crazy Like You

Three years ago on March 15th, I said "I Do" to the cutest red-bearded guy in the world. Clearly, that's just my opinion, but I consider myself pretty durn lucky to have been blessed with such an incredible, patient, kind, loving, hard working, determined, cowboy of a husband. He rocks my world.

One of my good friends from Baylor, Josh Grider, is an extremely talented singer/songwriter. He had a band in college named Riverside and changed the name several years ago to, The Josh Grider Band. Makes sense. Well, he wrote a wonderful song a few years ago for his precious wife, Kristi, and it is a song that has meant a lot to Trav and I over the past few years.



Crazy Like You
By: Josh Grider

Well people sing songs all the time
Bout fallin in love and losing their minds
But it ain't love that drive folks mad
It's livin this life day in, day out
Tryin to figure out what it's all about
The who's, the when's, the where's, the why's, and the maybe's

I say everybody's crazy so what you need to do
You need to find somebody crazy like you
Someone you can fuss and fight with
And when you make up, then you can love all night with
Someone who shares your particular point of view
Oh their bound to be crazy, just make sure they're crazy like you

I looked high, I looked low, looked far, looked wide
B'for I looked in a mirror and I realized
I spend my time lookin for the wrong thing
A perfect insane would be so mundane
A man like me, I'm subject to change
And I'm lookin for someone who's track's'll fit my train

I say everybody's crazy so what you need to do
You need to find somebody crazy like you
Someone you can fuss and fight with
And when you make up then you can love all night with
Someone who shares your particular point of view
Oh thier bound to be crazy, just make sure they're crazy like you

I found me a girl and she's five foot four
And I never found a girl that I adore more
We are in tune and out of touch with all the same things
And she's as wild and mean as a deep blue sea
And pure and sweet as honey from a bee
And I love her to death, cuz that girl's crazy just like me

I say everybody's crazy so what you gonna to do
You need to find somebody crazy like you
Someone you can fuss and fight with
And when you make up then you can love all night with
Someone who shares your particular point of view
Oh their bound to be crazy, just make sure they're crazy like you

That is us in a nutshell. I have had the best 3 years as a Riley and I wouldn't change it for the world. God has blessed us beyond our wildest dreams.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Nothin On But The Radio

T and I just returned for our 3rd annual trip to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo with T's cousin and her hubs.

This year was a little different because T had been working some storms in Indianapolis and didn't think he would be able to join us.

Well, T finished all his work and got on the road around noon Friday and started his trek down south for a 20 hour journey to Houston!

Friday night I went to the rodeo with the cousins to hear Lady Antebellum. They were great! They put on a great show and can sing great live. So worth it!



It wouldn't be the rodeo if we didn't have a corndog, so after Lady A we indulged in the yummy treat



T finally made it to Houston around 4am after downing several Red Bulls and coffee. He climbed into bed and was up for the day around 8. Not much sleep for my road warrior.

Saturday was a big rodeo day! It included the steer auction with all proceeds going to college scholarships. The grand champion sold for $350,000!!

After the steer auction we headed over to Reliant for the rodeo and to hear Gary Allen. He was even better than Lady A! His band was awesome, the sound was clear, and everybody on key. Great show and would recommend him to anybody.

Cousin Stacy and I



Stacy and Kellye


Some interesting boots I saw on the escalator. Meow and purr. It's clear they are custom boots, but really?!




My best friend, Erin, and her hubs also met us at the rodeo Saturday night and we all had the best time. So glad to see everybody!

If you've never been to HLSR I suggest you make plans to go in the future. They have a great carnival, fantastic rodeo and concerts after each rodeo. This is the last week and the headliners are Miranda Lambert, Zac Brown band, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, and Jason Aldean. They bring the heat. Seriously, make plans to go next year-- you'll be glad you did!


Posted from my iPhone