Has it really been that long?

Yep! It's been over 2 months since my last post. I sincerely apologize to all of my die hard fans out there (Yeah, right?!). Anyway, things have just been crazy for us and I apologize for neglecting all of you out there in blog world. So...what has been going on since my last post?

Showers...Weddings...Bachelor and Bachelorette Parties...Trips...Regular Parties...Reunions...and more Weddings and more Showers! Yes, pretty much for 2 months straight. It has all been a great time but has made the past 2 months go by in the blink of an eye. We actually still have 1 more wedding and 1 more trip this month but things have seemed to calm down quite a bit. One of the most exciting events was the Lingerie Shower and Bachelorette Party that I planned for one of my dear friends, Tammi! Tammi is one of my greatest friends and we have been friends and roommates for the better part of the past 11 years (of course I don't live with her now though - I live with Brett and she lives with her new husband of 3 weeks!) So anyway...the shower/party was amazing and SO much fun! We held the shower at a suite at the Gaylord in Grapevine. This place is to die for! Beautiful, amazing, gorgeous, huge, and....expensive! Sheesh! Who knew that a king bed and a foldout couch could cost so much for 1 night?! It was a VERY nice and very spacious room and we were able to sleep 7 comfortably, but still. So, after the shower we relaxed and got all dolled up to go out on the town (well, to go out across the street to the Glass Cactus that is part of the Gaylord!). Luckily there was a shuttle that takes you from the hotel to the club because after 5 straight hours of dancing, our legs and feet were not liking us very much! But, as we were dancing the night away, I turned to see another bachelorette party right next to us. I felt like I recognized the bride but I couldn't place her. Then, I saw one of the partygoers...Holly! Holly Chandler (Erwin) and Megan McCavitt (Colby) were there celebrating with their friend Carrie whom I had met a couple of times. It was the coolest thing to see them there. We danced a little, snapped a few pictures (which I would post if I had them on this computer or knew how to post on this thing!) and had a great time! I didn't really get to say bye to Holly that night but I sure had fun hanging out with her for a while! We rode back to our room and had a slumber party back in the suite. We all woke the next morning with very sore legs and barely managed to make our way down to the Riverwalk Cafe for a fabulous brunch before we said our goodbyes and ended the festivities. It was such a great night and I know we made some lasting memories for Tammi! I loved every minute of putting it together and being with all of our friends.

Some other things that we have been up to for the past 2 months include: a wedding shower for another dear friend, Elaine, who is marrying Brett's best friend Will at the end of October; a trip to our friends house on Lake Michigan (a dear friend of mine from work has been inviting Brett and I for years now and we finally made it!) He and his wife have a beautiful home there and we had a great time just relaxing, walking on the beach and eating some amazing food!; a trip to College Station (which is one of my favorite places to go now!) to watch Brett's cousin play soccer; Tammi's wedding which was a beautiful, beautiful day that I was so honored to be a part of; a bowling birthday party (for an adult) - too fun!; finally having my parents over to the new house for dinner (there are still a lot of little projects but we felt it was in good enough shape for company, especially since it was Mom's birthday!); Brett's 10 year high school reunion (talk about crazy!); and just some overall good times with my husband fixing up the house, catching up on some of our favorite TV shows (sorry Leilanni!) and just enjoying each other.

These past 2 months of "busy-ness" have really shown me how blessed we are. The things that are keeping us busy are very, very good things. We are blessed to have a warm home that we get to fix up together, we are blessed to have the talent and ability to do that, we are blessed that we have parents that are supportive and so willing to help, we are blessed to have good jobs that we enjoy, we are blessed to have so many good friends, we are blessed that those good friends are falling in love (sometimes with people we set them up with!) and committing to spend their lives with them, we are blessed with friends with generous hospitality and welcoming us into their home and into their family, we are blessed with the freedom to do what we choose, and we are blessed to have each day that God gives us together to enjoy one another, our friends, our family, our jobs (sometimes!) and everything around us.

Ok...so now that you are updated on the lives of the Berend's, I have a dilemma that I need some advice on. Let me make this as short as possible: My current boss is the Manager of People Development (Training, Career Development, Succession Planning, etc...). She is changing roles and will now be heading up Employee Relations (employee problems!). So, her current role is open! I am the only other one in our department currently and this would be a natural progression for me. I have been told by her boss (VP of HR and my old boss) that if I want this promotion, it is basically mine. She is still interviewing other candidates but I think she wants me because I know the business and she can tell I have a passion for training and teaching other people. So that is the very, very short version with lots of details left out. Ok, so here's the question. What do I do? I would love to be the head of the department and make decisions, make necessary changes and improvements to what we have in place, and be responsible for creating new programs. BUT, it's a lot to take on. They have a lot of expectations and really want our training to be bumped to the next level and be even more than it has even been. Although that challenge is exciting, it is intimidating and I think there would be a lot of pressure and eyes on me. I don't know if I want that (or how much of it I want, rather). I would not be alone in my new endeavor - I would be able to hire a staff (2 or 3 people) and I know I would have the support and help of the executives here, but it's scary. I also have to consider the fact that someday Brett and I hope to have kids and although we haven't decided with 100% certainty if I will stay home, it's something we definitely would like to happen. Now, that's not to say that I couldn't be the manager for a year or two and when the time comes, quit to stay home with the kids, but is that fair? Should I take this on knowing that in the future I may not be working full time. Is it better to take it on, put everything I have into making it better for 2 years and then pass the torch to someone else or not take it at all, and stay in my current role and continue doing what I'm doing, making the greatest impact I can under the direction of someone else? I have prayed about this and I know my parents are praying for me too, but honestly I am not getting any clear answers or direction yet. Maybe something you say or advice you have will help me with this decision. I welcome all comments and criticisms! I love you all and I value your opinions. Thanks for looking out for me!

Take Care and God Bless!