Happy Late Birthday Mama!

My mama's birthday was last week - the day Andrew and I left for Phoenix.

We celebrated her bday the Saturday prior at Kate and Charles' place. We had a delicious steak dinner (thanks to Charles' grilling expertise) and a simple dessert... with two cakes. It was diversity day, so we had a white cake and a black cake. Ok not really, but I was craving chocolate, so I made an angel food cake (for strawberry shortcake) and a chocolate cake. :)

Two of my parent's closest friends - I will call them Peter and Jane - were staying with my parents for the week. It was such a pleasure to have them join us for the celebration!

My mom is without a doubt my closest friend. She just gets me, and that's cool. We share similar interests and we always have something to talk about. One of my biggest fears about moving away is not being able to spend time with her. I will miss her mucho.

I'm sorry it's late, but happy birthday Mama.

This is a blurry pic, but I love it anyway :)

I love you, Mama!

It's beginning to look a lot like summer...

Hola from Phoenix.

Hi there!

Andrew and I are in Phoenix. We arrived last Wednesday to a very hot, dry land. :)

Since arriving, I have enjoyed lots of pool time while Andrew has been at the store (only one car). On Thursday, we had dinner with the future operator of the store where Andrew is babysitting working for the next few weeks. It was nice to meet Jason and his family.

Friday night we treated ourselves to Benihana Japanese Steakhouse. Well, by 3 am Saturday morning, my dinner decided to revisit me... again... and again... and again... and again. Boo!  All day Saturday I had fever and an incredibly queasy stomach. I'm not sure if it was the food or a little bug, but needless to say I was sick and totally useless.

The main concern I had regarding the food poisoning/virus ordeal, was the VERY NEXT DAY (Sunday) we were headed out to Sedona and the Grand Canyon for a quick trip. By the grace of God, I woke up on Sunday feeling close enough to normal that I could manage the trip.

So Sunday morning we were out and on the road to Sedona. The trip was incredible and I plan to give you a thorough synopsis of all our exciting adventures once I can upload photos at home. Be on the look out for that post when I get back to ATL on Wednesday.

Anywho, I just wanted to give you a quick update on life's happenings for the Jones'.

Abiding in the Word.

"Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: 'Whoever believes will not be in haste.''"

Isaiah 28:16

We accept!

Today was Andrew's final interview for a CFA store in Colorado Springs.

After arriving at CFA corporate, we were escorted up to the 5th floor where we were asked to take a seat on the infamous blue couch (all operator candidates spend their fair share of time on this couch while waiting in between interviews). Throughout the day, Andrew and I met with two very important people in the HR department... the two who would decide our future.

After a good 5 hours, we were invited back in to a meeting room where John Adams and Andrew Cathy officially offered Andrew the store! (he accepted, of course).

So there you have it folks... Andrew is going to be CFA owner/operator of the Citadel Mall Unit in Colorado Springs, CO! Congrats, AJ. I'm so proud of you.

So what's next? Well, we're still leaving on a jet plane tomorrow that's headed for Phoenix. I'll get AJ settled in and come on home. Andrew will be in Phoenix for about 5 weeks, then he'll come back home for a 6 week class at CFA corporate - FRL - Fundamentals of Restaurant Leadership. After Andrew completes FRL on September 10 (and is officially an operator), Andrew, Lima Bean, and I will pack up ALL of our stuff and make the drive out to CO Springs. Let's just all pray that Lima doesn't decide to come early! Andrew's official first day as owner of the store will be Oct. 1.

Our first family photo (notice the dogs inside) with the future CFA operator

Thank you to all our family and friends who prayed for us today. We are so grateful for your support and have certainly felt loved with all of your encouragement. We send our love right back to you all.

(Oh, and just in case you were wondering, we're excited).

Change of plans... again.

Oh boy what a ride!

Technically, I should be writing this post to you from the lovely Resident's Inn in Phoenix, AZ.... but I'm not. I'm actually sitting at the snack bar in Andrew's parent's house. :)

Just a little recap: Andrew just returned from Sacramento, CA where he spent about 10-12 hours a day in a CFA kitchen helping train new employees. It was a tough job, but somebody had to do it and apparently Andrew was the guy for it. He flew back to ATL on Tuesday, May 31, where I picked him up from the airport at 12:15 am (I guess that means I picked him up on Wednesday, June 1?). Since then, we've been to another Lima Bean appt, soaked up some rays, gone for a bike ride, and celebrated both Andrew's g-mom's birthday AND my mom's.

On Thursday, as we were lounging by the pool (tough life, I know), we received a call from CFA Corporate informing AJ that he had been selected for a final interview for a CFA in Colorado Springs. (Did I mention to you guys that we've been in the running for a store in CO Springs that would become Andrew's permanently?). So, what does that mean? We postponed our Sunday afternoon flight to Phoenix from Sunday to Wednesday (for the fourth time!) and are now preparing ourselves for a day long interview at Corporate that starts at 9 am tomorrow - Tuesday, June 7. The interview includes both Andrew and me, and will consist of at least two major interviews, along with some quality sitting time on a blue couch. By the end of tomorrow, we will likely know if Andrew has been selected as the owner/operator of the store. If AJ isn't selected, then we will continue on with the IM program until further notice. I'll spare you more details until after the interview, depending on the outcome.

This is exciting news, my friends! If you think of us tomorrow, we ask that you say a little prayer for us... that God's will be done and that He, above all, be glorified.

I'll keep you posted on the outcome fo sho. :)

Love to all on this gloriously muggy GA day.

Abiding in the Word.

"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ."

Ephesians 2:13

Happy week to you!