so much has been going on....2011

Wow, I cannot believe it has been so long since I've blogged..but at the same time, I know that I have been so incredibly busy and I am STILL so incredibly busy. I always feel like I have a million and one things

to do, that at the end of the day, sitting down on the computer to blog or do pictures is the last thing I want to do. I guess, I will have to forgo a lot of the pictures like I normally do so I can just write and catch everyone up on what's been going on. 

So I haven't even blogged about this, but around late October/early November I started making shirts. Applique shirts, is what they are technically called. They look like spirit shirts and are just really fun to support whatever you want really-schools, teams, sports, teachers, whatever you like. A lot of teachers had been wearing them at my school and I was thinking about buying another one. Well it dawned on me, hey, I have always wanted to make one of those and now's a good a time as any so why not? So I did. That night I went home, and set out to make my own applique shirt. Well, I did and I really liked it! I was so proud of my work, b/c I have always wanted to get into sewing, but just not sure how. Well everyone at school loved the shirt too-and they started asking, so can you make those shirts? And without even thinking about it I enthusiastically said-YES! And that's when it began....

 Before I knew it I was selling them on Etsy, where I now have my own shop and I sell a lot on there (feel free to check it out! )

r8chel06.etsy.com

 I am blessed to be  receiving orders from people, and am constantly making shirts in my free time. I have my own DBA now, 'Rachel Carl & Co' that does a variety of different things. I am still doing a lot of wedding calligraphy as well:

So I'm very excited about where all of this is heading. I also started giving piano lessons in November at my school and have 5 students. I give lessons after school on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. They are all girls and they are really doing a great job. They range in ages from 4-13. I am excited to continue with them, and hopeful that in the future I will be able to have more students.

Needless to say, I guess being the wife of a medical student doesn't faze me much since I have certainly found ways to keep myself busy where I don't notice that he is studying all night when I'm there. I feel that God has really led me to do these things for that reason, among others. Although I do wish I had more time! =) In our house near the master bedroom there is a utility room. I was doing my sewing back there on a table that Jordan made me back in high school, but it was really just getting to be too small and the area back there was cramped b/c it wasn't organized and there was just a lot of stuff everywhere. Since I started sewing it had gotten worse. I spent all my nights back there working, so Jordan was sweet enough to do this for me (it was my birthday present!!)

He took me to Ikea to get this awesome sewing desk and shelves and then put it together and helped

organize this whole room!!!

This is the side view where the washer and dryer are...he also put shelving above

this sink here, but they aren't pictured b/c they weren't up yet.

Closeup look at the sewing desk-it has a 'hidden' table that pulls out and allows

me to work at the side too-that is where I do most of my ironing and stuff.

The awesome white bins are from Ikea, they are made to hang at an angle-totally cool!

*I just had to give Jordan this shout out and post these pictures, b/c he was SO awesome

to do this for me when he is so busy with school and I appreciate it SO very much! 

(Love you babe=)

Christmas was so awesome with our families, it was great to see everyone and get to just

hang out with friends and family in Dallas. We really miss being there, although, we definetely

feel like Galveston is our home right now=) I got to see my friends from High school:

Which by the way, one of my best friends-Lauren Coats is pregnant! (which is why we are touching her

round belly-in case you couldn't figure that one out!!) We are so excited for her! She is due with

her new baby girl, Sawyer, in April!

And we got to hang out with Gabe and Emma one day and go bowling which was SO fun!

We had a birthday at my parents house one night:

and one at the Carl's house another night:

I can't believe I'm 25 by the way!!!!

Jordan and I went with the Carls to see a musical Junie B Jones-it was so funny!!!!

We blew our own glass ornaments in Grapevine...that was an interesting and fun thing to do!

Of course, Madeline had her special time with Zeus:

Christmas morning on the steps-we got to see the Landers on Christmas day only-it was

such a fast time with them=( but it was fun:

It's Hayden's first Christmas:

and Tillie's first Christmas too!

We went to the Transiberean Orchestra with my family!!!!!!

There are tons of pictures on my shutterfly account from Christmas,

carlscorner2.shutterfly.com

If you want to check them out.

The day after Christmas (aka my bday=) we got up early and left to go back to Galveston.

Once we got home, we put away all the Christmas decorations and finished our

packing for Peru. We left around 6:00pm that night to go to someone's house near Houston to

get a few hours of rest before our flight left the next day to Peru.

Yes, I said Peru! Jordan and I had the wonderful opportunity to go on a medical mission trip

with UTMB's Hands and Feet Ministries to Peru. We were there from December 27-Jan 2nd

It was an amazing trip, and such a blessing from God. I am going to write another blog about that

experience. But, I just wanted to catch everyone up on what was going on in my life right now.

Jordan is still, of course, doing so well in medical school. I couldn't be more proud of him and how

hard he is working. I am still teaching at the same school, and I have some pretty bad days,

but I know that it's only for a season and it will get better over time. I did a big Christmas program

in December and it went really well! I will be doing another one in March with the little kiddos, 

it should be interesting.

2011 is already here and we're almost one month through it. I can't believe how the time flies.

I also can't believe my big brother is getting married this April! I am so happy for him=)

For now, that's all I have. Have a blessed evening!