Pat and I are announcing the opening of our new business, Clear Choice USA Fort Worth! Google the ad and website. If you or someone you know need new windows for your home give him a call. 817. 568. 8900. and see the ad in the Fort Worth Star Telegram and Burleson Star.

Pat is so excited about his new business and God, who never seizes to amaze me, gave him this opportunity just after he left Kinro after 30 years. This company is nationwide and has a great reputation.

Thanks for allowing us to share this new and exciting venture with you!

Hugs!
Paige

Happy 25th Anniversary to Us!

Today Pat and I celebrate our 25th anniversary. This is a lot to brag about! I remember years ago thinking how far away our 25th would be. It came in such a hurry. I have never written in the blog how we met. It is a really cute story, and a memory I love to play over and over in my head. I was 19 and in between my freshman and sophomore year in college at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, Oklahoma. I was living at home in Madill and working at Lake Murray Lodge as a reservationist. It is a resort near Ardmore, Oklahoma. On July 8th, Pat came in to the lodge to check in. He was a “business man” with the corporate car and was in sales. According to him, he was to go to Mexico with a friend that backed out at the last minute, so he joined his mother, Aunt Virginia and his sister, Dianne and her boyfriend. Pat arrived early and because he was so good looking, I was trying to impress him and I upgraded their small villa to a large villa. After all, this was one of the most major requests that we had with our visitors. He proceeded to hang out in the lobby and wait around on his family. By the way, he had on hirachi sandles (what I call Jesus sandles). That struck me as odd because I had never seen any guys around my town wear those. Oh well, he still had my attention. You know what he noticed on me? My yellow pants. Now, I would like to think I could be remembered by something else like my perfect hair, or my wonderful personality. Nope….just the yellow pants or as Pat calls, britches! We kept making eye contact while he hung out in the lobby. His Mom finally arrived and she came to check in. I informed her that her son had already got the keys and I had the pleasure of upgrading he reservation. Bad mistake! She got furious with me and really let me have it. She said that she did not want the large villa because she did not want to hear Pat's Aunt Virginia snore. So, I fixed the reservation. A little while later, Pat called to ask for a roll-away and before he hung up he asked if I was able to date my tenants? Yes I said. So, he asked me out on a date. Well, I had some fixing to do as I had already accepted a date earlier that day with a guy named “Matt” who hung out at the lodge a lot. I had to break the date. I told him that I had to go back to Madill and return money to my mom that I borrowed. After I broke my date, Matt and Pat were playing pool or something in the game room and Pat said “I got a date with that girl up there". Matt's reply was“oh really?” Matt confronted me and I was caught. Oh well! Pat and I went to Ardmore and ate the Pizza Inn. It was great date as we got to know each other. It was Friday now and Pat was leaving to go back home to Arlington. I asked him if he wanted to go to a rodeo and watch my mom ride? He said yes. We went to watch and then he came home to my Mom’s house and spent the night. I must say that looking back on this, this was totally out of Pat's character to spend the night at a strange house with people he barely knew. We continued to have a three year long distance relationship as I finished college. I was cheerleading and involved in sorority for a while, but eventually dropped it and made many trips to Texas. Three years later on April 24, 1984 he proposed and I said “yes” and I would say it all over again!

This is our engagement announcement and picture that

was made for the local paper, The Madill Record

The wedding chapel at Lake Murray Lodge

.

September 8, 1984

What Have We Been Up To?

It has been busy! Matt got home from Colorado on August 15th and he is now going to school at TCC and working at my church in the after school program. Elizabeth resigned from the bank and will start a new job on Monday with a financial investment firm. She is excited and so thrilled that she does not have to work on Saturday mornings anymore! Garrett has adjusted to high school and he says that he really likes the freedom. The freshman class has 770 freshman. This week he was nominated as the top three boys in the class for the homecoming court. How exciting for G! Oh, one more important event in G's life...he got his drivers permit two weeks ago. Fortunately, he has had a lot of experience driving at the ranch, so his driving skills are not too bad. I just keep wishing time would slow a bit! As mentioned in the previous blog, we put our house on the market a week ago. Pat has been working hard in the yard and around the house to get it ready. We got new carpet to replace Cash's gel pen fun. I have also had to do several florals for my house. I should have done this long before now. Trying to keep the house cleaned and picked up has been a challenge, but I love coming home to a clean house and made beds! Looking forward to a great, long weekend and I am anticipating my 25th wedding anniversary next Tuesday! Pat, you and I rock!

xoxo

Our Journey Part II

I hope you weren't expecting part II of our journey too soon here on my blog! It has been awhile.  I love blogging and miss it so much!  I do want to continue writing and remembering this journey.  If nothing else, I have it recorded as a reminder of God's faithfulness.  I began work at my church on June 1st and now have been there three months.  About the time I started working, things for Pat at his job was unraveling.  Each day was getting tougher and tougher. There were so many changes and changes that were hard to swallow for him.  One Friday morning in early July I got a text from Pat that said "I can't do this anymore".  It was time for him to leave.  That weekend we prayed and felt a huge peace about our decision. The following Monday morning he resigned from his job of 30 years not knowing what was next. We took a huge "leap of Faith".  I was amazed at the peace I felt and I can honestly say that I have never felt more peace about anything in my life before now. I keep telling Pat that "God didn't deliver you from cancer to drop you off at the curb"! My prayer for Pat is that God would give him the desire of his heart.   I know that God has big plans for Pat and our family.  I definitely knew that life as we have known it changed overnight...which was a repeat from a year ago when Pat was diagnosed with esophageal cancer....change again. I could clearly see how God was placing each puzzle piece of our life in place.  God orchestrated the job at the church four months earlier than planned so that Pat could resign and I could carry the health insurance.  Insurance is a must for us and God made sure that insurance coverage would not be a worry for us.  Pat took an extended vacation to see what God has in mind for him now.  He kept thinking of real estate for a couple of weeks, but God had something else in mind and he revealed that to Pat. It was Clear Choice USA, a residential window replacement business. Keep in mind that he has been in the window business (manufacturing and RV) for 30 years.  He was practically a kid when he started selling windows!   You know what another cool thing is? This is a dealership type of business and the only available territory was Fort Worth, Johnson and Tarrant county (the counties we live in and nearby) and surrounding cities.  Wow! That is another confirmation that God gave to us.  Another one...Pat's former company's motto was the "The Clear Choice" and our new business name is "Clear Choice USA of Fort Worth".  God is amazing isn't he?  So since he decided to start this business he has been busy.  We put our house on the market a week ago. We also are selling some land in Hico.  This morning before I started my quiet time, I asked God to show me something. I wanted to hear from him and he spoke.  The message was "Expect the Unexpected". Just as the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, that is where we are. We are trusting God to direct us as we do not know what the future holds.   We are trusting God to allow our house and land to sell quickly. We are trusting God to provide financially until our business kicks in. We are trusting that God has the perfect house for us. We found a house, the first and only house we looked at, but we have to be certain that this is God's will.  We are trusting Him again.  In the meantime, I am so very thankful.  One of my prayers that I prayed right before I started working was "Lord, if I have to work full time, I just want to love it".  That prayer has been answered.  I love my job so much and the people I work with.  What joy and peace I have and to know that I get paid to do what I love!  Our church just launched our brand new website www.fbcburleson.com two weeks ago and I have the privilege of being the webmaster.  I have also realized that I am a huge computer nerd.   I also work for the Associate Pastor and the two music ministers.  It is a very busy job and I have a new perspective and appreciation of the church as a staff member. (More thoughts on this in the near future.)  ......to be continued

Hugs!