Happy 5 Year Anniversary!

Friday, June 22nd we celebrated our 5-year anniversary. I can't believe we have been married half of a decade! Crazy! This year we decided to make it extra special, and we both did some fun things for each other. Here's a tour of the weekend, complete with pics...(some of them are fuzzy or blurry b/c I had to take a pic of a pic with my camera--no scanner in our house!)

It all started with the Anniversary cake. If you have been reading our blog, you have probably figured out by now that we are foodies. I love to cook, and we love to eat! We LOVED our wedding cake--it was made by a woman who makes all of her cakes in her home, and they are incredible. So, every year since we have been back here, I order a sample cake (a small 2-layer 6 incher) for our anniversary and we eat it all week long. Adam especially loves it, since his favorite cake is white-on-white. The cute thing is, even though I do this for him every year, he still forgets, so it is always a surprise!


Friday we left for downtown to stay in the hotel we stayed in the first day we were married, the Four Seasons. I remember walking into the room on our wedding day, and they had a plate full of goodies on which they had written "Congratulations!" This time we walked in, and they had this waiting for us...

I loved that is said "Happy Anniversary"...I take such joy in the fact that we have such a beautiful history together now, and we can look back on all of our memories as a married couple.

But I'm getting off topic...after we checked in and I ate a ton of this chocolate, we went and had dinner at Brennen's, a nice New Orleans style restaurant.

Some of my favorite things about the hotel were the fact that they turned down your bed for you in the evening, and the HUGE breakfast they bring to your room (once again, food...I know, it is kind of sad!) I loved the breakfast so much that Adam took a pic of me eating it 5 years ago, and we had to take a pic of me eating it now...it was just as delicious!

Then...

Now...

Funny how my hair is fixed and I look awake in the first pic, but 5 years later I look like I couldn't care less. How things change in 5 years!

In the lobby of the hotel with my sweetie

We also got our fill of movies...we saw Oceans 13 on Friday, and watched Spiderman 3 in the Imax theatre on Saturday. We rarely go to movies in the theatres, so we went all out for a double feature.

I am so thankful for the gift of marriage, and grateful for God's grace in giving us these 5 years. Who knows what He has in store for the next 5, but if they are anything like the last, what a blessing that will be!

We also saw my bubba (brother, Jeff) this weekend, and I will post pics of our visit soon!

Father's Day and A Piece of Pie

First, let me start with a story about the pie. Last Father's Day I made my dad his favorite pie--Lemon Meringue. It was a Paula Deen recipe and it tasted great...but it came apart as I served it and formed puddles of yellow on everyone's plates. Not very appetizing. My dad said it was the best pie he had ever had and thanked me over and over again...one of the many reasons I adore my father. Anyways, this year I thought I would give it another shot, and voila! It worked! I used a recipe from The Joy Of Cooking (an incredible cook book I highly recommend) and it actually set up! Adam took a pic of it because he knew how excited I was. My dad, once again, said it was the best pie he had ever had. I'm convinced he would have said that if it was burnt, tasteless or soupy again...but I'll say again, one of the many reasons I love him! Pics from our time with my fam last weekend...

Digging into the pie!


Snuggling with Dad





My beautiful, wonderful Mom

My adorable hub! (I just had to throw one in there of Adam!)

I love celebrating Father's Day, because it is such a great excuse to make a fuss over my dad. He is one of the most selfless and caring people I know. Some of the reasons I am crazy about my father...

• He loves Jesus with all his heart and partnered with my mom in raising us in the the Truth.
• He adores my mother, and she adores him. They share an incredible love and connection with each other, grounded in Jesus. They still hold hands in church, sneak a kiss in the kitchen, and enjoy just having fun together...I am so thankful for their example of commitment and love.
• He was the perfect dad of a little girl...he always reminded me that he loved me, and complimented me often. I am thankful that he made me feel so special, even at times when I absolutely hated the way I looked. (Can we say junior high? Amen?!?!)
• He is one of the quietest people I know, but not without a purpose. He is always observing and taking things in...and at just the right moment, he will say something insightful or funny.
• He is a snuggler. Some of my best memories with my dad are spent sitting on the couch, just holding his hand. When I was little, I had MAJOR fears of monsters in the closet, and he would sleep with me until I fell asleep. Most of the time he fell asleep first!
• He is a great example of a godly man. I have him to thank for the husband I have today, if that makes sense. Because of my dad's example, I knew it was possible to have a man who loved God and would be faithful to his family. And God brought Adam into my life!
• He can do a stinkin' awesome impression of Bullwinkle! Hey, Rocky...

Dad, my list could go on forever. You are truly amazing, and I thank God for all you are in my life. I love you!

Weekend With The Fam

A couple of weekends ago Adam's brother, Neal and his family came and visited us. We had a blast! Our two nephews could not be more precious...Sam is 4 and a half, and Gabe is 2. Here's some pics of our time with them...

Here we are playing the guitar and drum with Gabe at our house. He loved playing the instruments!

Pool time at Mimi's!

The brothers

The sisters (in-law)

We had a great time with them and were sad to see them go. Since they live in Nashville, we usually see them twice a year, and we always have a blast! It was especially fun having them stay with us for the first time...I loved waking up in the morning to the sound of my precious nephews. They have the sweetest little voices! I also had a great time with my sister-in-law, Lindsay. I'm so thankful for her friendship...we are so similar in our styles and even in many ways our personalities, but just enough different to click. It is so easy to be around her...she is such an encourager and fun person to be with. It's funny with how different the guys are, and yet they picked two girls who are very similar. I guess they just have great taste, heehee!

Paint Update

We are on day 7 of painting and counting...I can't begin to express how tired I am of the sight of unfinished walls, paint brushes, drop cloths and paint cans! I am so ready to be done. We have just a few walls left. Every spare moment away from the church has been spent edging and rolling, edging and rolling, and we are almost there. Unfortunately this comprised our entire last week, so no fun news, but I still plan on posting on our weekend with the fam.
Ok, back to the paint...

Check This Out!

A guy I knew in middle school and high school is starring in this new show on ABC! His name is Matthew Bomer, and he is the character Jay, on the far left. We have been watching the show for 2 weeks now, and it comes on every Wednesday night. I'm pretty sure it is just an ABC summer miniseries. How fun! Matt and I went to the same church growing up (his dad is still en elder there, really sweet family) and were in some musicals together in highschool. He was a fun guy with extraordinary talent (all the girls in drama were ga-ga over him), and all of us are freaking out to see that he has gotten his big break! On last week's show, he was in a pretty cool fight scene, and all I could think was, "WOW! He is actually in a sweet fight scene on national television!!" Kind of surreal. Anyways, if you like suspenseful shows, check Traveler out, and root for Matt with us!

Paint Paranoia

I am preparing to paint my living room, entry and hallways all one color tomorrow. I get so stinkin' nervous about painting! I have a really light yellow kitchen I love, and a blue dining room I adore, but I think this room makes me especially nervous b/c it is bigger and will take a LOT more work. I know it is time b/c I am so tired of the cream walls, but the idea of colored paint everywhere just kind of overwhelms me. I will post pics of the results when we are done. It has taken me 3 days to just pick the color (we have settled on a very neutral brown called Cafe au Lait from Restoration Hardware--we will just do a color match) and now tomorrow morning I will slap it up on the walls. My dear friend Kristi is coming to help so I can get a lot done before the weekend. Whew, I'm nervous! Ok, I'm going to stop babbling and start taping for tomorrow.

We had a special weekend with family--I'll post pics and details soon! Off we go to paint!

Congrats, Kelly and Josh!

Our dear friends Kelly and Josh have welcomed baby Patriot into the world. What a wonderful blessing for an amazing couple. He was 4 weeks early and is currently in the nursery so they can monitor his breathing, so please pray for Patriot's health and Josh and Kelly's sanity. They are wonderful friends--please lift them up this week as they adjust, a month early, to parenthood! You can read more about them at Kelly's blog--see my link to the right!

Extreme Home Makeover

After months of neglecting our yard, Adam and I decided we needed to do some serious work on our beds to improve our curb appeal. We have watched all sorts of weeds spring up over the past few months, and recently figured out that the two large "bushes" in the front were actually trees that shouldn't be near our foundation. That meant we had to move them! Besides their large root systems, we also didn't like the way they covered up half of the front of our house. We also had some random plants in pots and did I already mention a forest of weeds? Anyways, since we were already buying the dirt and mulch, we also decided to make a bed in the back near our swing and add the bushes there. I can see the swing from our living room, and wanted to have some pretty flowers and greenery around it to see from our home during the day. Now that I am teaching from our house, I wanted to spruce things up a bit. Here are some before and after pics...

Front Yard Before

Front Yard After

I think I am most excited about the pink knock-out roses and my crepe myrtle (which up until last week I thought was "crate" myrtle. Wow, shows you just how much I know about plants!) I also chose plants that would attract butterflies, like pinta, lantana and butterfly weed. I'm hoping we will have some pretty visitors this summer! I just want to add a hydrangea to my doorstep and then I will be done with the front.

Here's the back before...

And the back after...



I still need to move the swing back to its spot (diagonal against the bed) and buy a climbing rose for the trellis, and then we are done! The swing is a special spot for us...this swing used to be in Adam's parents' back yard, and it is the honorary spot of our first kiss! (And wow, it was a good one! :) When his parents moved, they passed it on to us, knowing that it was the first place sparks flew for the Watsons! Haha!

Anyways, stay tuned for more pics on our home makeover this summer. I do not decorate year-round, rather, I choose to do it in spurts over the summer when I have more time to do so. This summer we are painting our living room/entry/hallways one color, hanging curtains, and getting some furniture, so I will post the changes as they take place!

It's Over!

Wow, I can hardly believe it. My first day of summer is finally here! After a couple of days of sadness (missing the kids, mainly), I can confidently say I am LOVING this. Thank you, Lord! I can go to church with Adam Sunday and actually focus on him and our ministry instead of rushing home to get ready for school the next day. I don't think the fact that I am not going back has fully hit yet...I think the reality of not going back will really hit me when August arrives and I can continue doing what I am doing now. My voice studio is close to full already, and I am thankful for that as well. Job security is a good thing!

Anyways, today we are doing some yard work and picking up the house...I will post before and after pics later of our yard. We have really neglected it this year and decided to spruce it up a bit. Have a wonderful summery Saturday!!!!

Decisions, Decisions...

I hate making them. I am kind of a go with the flow, do whatever sort of girl, unless I have a particular craving. I love it when my friends pick where to eat, what movie to see, what game to play...I prefer to just go along for the ride. It is kind of embarrassing, but sometimes the smallest decision can stress me out, especially if I'm tired, and the big ones just completely overwhelm me. I am thankful, however, that whenever those big decisions arise, God is always faithful to guide me, and gave me and incredible husband to make hard decisions with.

All that to say, I have been praying about a huge decision since last fall--whether or not to work full-time next year. Financially, it made sense for me to keep working full-time until we had kids. But schedule-wise, it has been killing us. Because Adam works at a large church as a minister, he is gone 3-4 nights a week, and is understandably gone all day on Sundays. Thankfully, he has Fridays off to compensate and rest, but I do not. I get home wasted on Fridays and fall asleep ridiculously early. The first year it was okay, but this year, we have really missed the time together we used to have in the middle of our busy schedule. We are lucky if we have a few hours on a Saturday to relax...other than that we generally end up working 6 or 7-day work weeks. We never get to go out of town to see friends or family (he can't be gone on Sundays and I can't be gone on Fridays, so we never leave), and I have had to step back from my church involvement on Sunday in order to be energized enough for my very physically demanding job as an elementary teacher (Adam is generally gone from 6:30 a.m. to 8 or 9 p.m. on Sundays, and I usually get groceries, do laundry and get ready for the week during that time.) We have also had to turn down singing jobs because I work full-time, and we still desire to pursue a singing/leading worship career on the side.

I love my school. I love the kids. I love everything I do there, and I love everyone I work with (the pics are of me directing our 1st grade program this year). I love my principal--she is an incredible, godly woman who has been at the school for 25 years--and I couldn't imagine a better place to work. But my spirit has felt led to serve alongside my husband, to be an available wife again, so regain some quality of life...

So two weeks ago, I resigned. I officially have 5 days left. Half of me is celebrating, the other half, mourning. I think about all the great stuff we will be able to do now because I won't be pulled somewhere else 40+ hours a week, but I also think about the precious faces of 700 students I have taught (I teach music, so I see all of them!) and how much I will miss hearing their precious voices singing and watching them grow from year to year. I don't have children yet, and these were, well, my kids.

The great news is, whether I am celebrating or mourning, I have a peace. God made this clear, very clear to us over the last 6 months. My husband is ecstatic, and I'm looking forward to seeing him, as well as the rest of our family and friends, more! I will still work part-time, from our home, teaching voice lessons, a few days a week. The rest of the time I will be up at the church planning youth activities or scheduling singing opportunities for us elsewhere. July is already packed with 3 camps, so we are excited about that. We move forward, trusting that God has led us into a new season.

Monday Milkshakes In May!

This might just be a H-town thing, but for those of you who LOVE Chick-fil-A, they have an AMAZING special right now! If you get one of their milkshakes on a Monday in May, which, btw, are incredible and worth every calorie, you get an 8-pack of nuggets FREE! Like I said, this might just be at ours, but why not check it out? That is at least a $3.00 value, and what a great excuse to indulge in a milkshake alongside some delicious nuggets? I highly recommend the chocolate. :) I have been sick all week, first with stomach issues and then a nasty chest cold, so while I was home by myself last night, mad about being sick, my mom picked me up and took me to take advantage of this awesome deal. Suddenly everything seemed better! How many Mondays left in May? 2? 3? You'll know where to find me...

An Aspiring Gardener Seeks Advice...

Dear bloggers, who have beautiful blooms filling their yards...I need some gardening advice! We have no beds in the backyard, and I am making it my summer project to beautify the area. We have our swing back there, and the plan is to put some beds on either side of it. You can see the swing from our big living room window, and I'm thinking it would be nice to see some color out there as well. I might also throw out some hearty herbs like rosemary and parsley for my cooking. Anyways, any advice for healthy, strong flowering plants that do well in full sun? Maybe some big "stay away from these" or "make sure you don't do this" ?? I need some hearty suggestions...I am new at this, and have a tendency to not take care of my yard as well as I should. I guess that's why this is my new project. Since we don't have kids yet and we can't get a dog (Adam's allergies) I've decided I need something to nurture!

Lightning!

We had an amazing storm hit our area last night. It went from a light, bright day to a dark, ominous stormy one in a matter of 5 minutes. I have been ill this week, and my mother-in-law, Lynn, had brought us some dinner. We sat together watching T.V. when a flash of light ran across our living room/television! It was mix of red and white--truly amazing and freaky at the same time. Our T.V. flashed off and on (we are surprised it is not fried!) and our alarm system went off. Nothing we could do would shut off the alarm, and it is loud! We finally reached someone from our security provider, and they are working on fixing it today since the system appears to be baked. I am thankful that nothing else in our house was ruined (our computer was plugged in at the time but it is OK) and that the hail missed us, too. What a night!

OUCH!!

I am such a klutz. I've known this all my life...if there is something to trip over, I will trip over it; if there is something slippery on the floor, I will slip on it; if there is a thoughtless driver out there, they will hit me (ok, I guess that one isn't my fault, but the many car accidents I have been in never are...but I digress), if there is a pole to run into, I will run into it...you get the picture. I must admit, I had forgotten about my clumsiness because it has been a while since I had injured myself...until yesterday. I was walking out of a very important meeting (of which I will be able to discuss in a few weeks, but not yet) and was deep in thought when my platform shoe gave out on me (ok, my foot rolled over) and I lost my footing. As I fell towards the concrete, my purse and the papers I was carrying went flying into the air, along with my body. I managed to hit every possible joint on my way down...knees, elbows, hands, even my toes have scratches. I quickly got up, afraid someone might have seen me (and extremely embarrassed!). As I started my car, I noticed my knee was throbbing, and my hand and elbow were bleeding. I called Adam and told him what happened...for some reason I felt like I needed moral support on the way home with my minor bleeding injuries! A few hours later I noticed a rather large bump on my knee that isn't normally there, so I put some ice on it. I did however manage to still teach voice lessons upon returning home and triple a recipe of homemade spaghetti sauce, but after that, I was down and out! Today at school I oddly resembled many of my precious little boy students who often bear scrapes and band aids...and many of those adventurers were anxious to hear how I got my wounds.
Suddenly I remember just how klutzy I really am...

Dreaming of Summer...

...it is just around the corner! I got tired of seeing my Dove lotion on my blog, and decided to post about something else. This week has been pretty uneventful, and all I can think about it that summer is only 5 weeks away! 5 weeks until freedom--I can't wait! I love summer for so many reasons...

1. The fresh fruits and veggies are delicious and in season, which means they cost less at the grocery store!

2. When we are in town, I have time to cook more and try out new recipes.

3. I never have time to do spring cleaning with school and our annual mission trip, so I'm looking forward to summer cleaning...those who know me well know that I find cleaning to be very therapeutic, especially when I have the time to do a good deep scrubbing. I'm most looking forward to organizing my kitchen!

4. Visiting family...we are planning on seeing some family this summer, and I just love catching up and spending time with them.

5. Our anniversary! We were married on June 22nd, so June remains my favorite month of the year, even with the heat. This year is the big 5, so we are planning on doing something really special.

6. Cold treats. I always feel that it is necessary to dive in to ice cream and snow cones during the hot summer months, more so than usual. Bring on the sugar!

7. Camps, camps and more camps! Adam and I have prayed about leading worship at camps together since we got married. We have been able to do one or two every summer, but this summer we are completely booked in July with three camps and a mission trip. I am so pumped! I feel like we are watching a dream come true.

8. My best friend Amanda and her husband Chris are coming to stay with us. Although we will be gone quite a bit in July, I can't wait to spend quality time with her when we are here. We have been best friends since I was in 3rd grade (our 20 year anniversary is coming up next year) and I love spending time with her...they are family to us. Here's to the 3rd annual McMaster/Watson Summer Retreat!!!!

9. Swimming. I have to admit, I have not taken advantage of our neighborhood pool since we moved here. I am dead-set on enjoying it this summer!

10. Visiting my friends...I have a lot of friends who have become mommies in the past year, and I am dying to see them and meet their children. I'm hoping we can find a way to do that this summer.

Might I Suggest...

...this fabulous tanning lotion?!?! I have never tried self-tanners before because I was afraid of the end result (you know, orange, blotchy, darker areas and lighter areas with uneven application). However, with all the information on skin cancer and wrinkles, I have decided to say "No!" to looking like a raisin at 50 and having surgery done on my skin because I had to tan and got skin cancer (a dear friend of mine just had a patch removed from her face). Don't get me wrong, I am not saying "No!" to time outside. Those who know me well know my time on our swing in the backyard or outside by our lake truly revives my soul, and I believe the sun is good for us, in ration. In fact, I don't know what I would do without it! Yet I admit, although I do not want to fry my epidermis, I do long to have a healthy summer glow, even in the early spring when I pull out my bermuda shorts, skirts and capris. This self-tanner beckoned to me because it was "subtle" and takes a week to show a huge difference. Also, I LOVE Dove's Real Beauty campaign. Bring it on, ladies...that's right, real beauty is on the inside, and how God created you on the outside, not how we feel we have to make ourselves look. Be proud of your curves, gray hair, and cellulite! Anyways, so I thought, why not? Here are my results after a week and reasons why I like it SO much:

1. It truly is gradual. Every day I noticed my skin getting slightly darker, but nothing too substantial or scary. I liked feeling like I could stop it any day and not have too much damage done if I didn't like the results.

2. It is a great moisturizer. Light and soothing. One of the ads is "tan while you moisturize" and it's true!

3. It smells nice and clean--not too strong. I feel clean and rejuvenated! I have bad allergies to many smells, but this one is great. No sneezing here!!

4. I have heard that self-tanners can be sticky, and this one is not at all. It dries within 5 minutes, and you are good to go!

5. Indeed, I have a tan now, and it is not orange! Adam said he noticed a difference, and it looks natural, too.

6. It was one of the cheapest self-tanners. Yeah, Dove! Some of them were as much as $20.00 (like I am going to pay that for something I might not even like!) and this one was around $7.00.

7. It comes with a facial tanner as well. I have been unable to find it, but when I do, you better believe it will be on my face!

8. You can choose your type, either "fair skin" or "medium skin." I picked "fair" because I didn't want anything too dark, and even with the "fair" type I have seen a difference.

Well, there's my analysis of this fabulous product. I wish I had taken before and after pics! Oh well, maybe next time. Happy Tanning!!

Happy Easter!

This was too funny, I had to share it!

Yeah For My Little Singers!!

This week has been a tough but rewarding one for me. All week long my co-worker and I were gearing up to take 90 (yes, that is 9-0, 90) 3rd, 4th and 5th graders in our school choir to sing at a vocal competition in Brenham, an hour and a half away. They have worked all year for this...we meet twice a week before school (7:15-8:10, before classes start--it makes for long Tuesdays and Thursdays!) to rehearse. They prepared two pieces, both with two parts, and truly sounded incredible. I was praying that they would do just do their best Friday and have a positive experience. Well, after we sang, the monitors brought out the scores and were carrying a trophy. "I don't remember a trophy being a part of this" was what I thought as they walked towards us. Come to find out, not only did my little ones get straight "ones" from the judges(which is the highest rating they can get) but they won "Outstanding Elementary School Choir" (hence the trophy)!!!!! I was so surprised and proud at the same time that tears sprang to my eyes, and the kids just hooped and hollered. It was such a great moment. I am so thankful for their sweet spirits, beautiful voices and hard work. Gosh, I love those kids.

Girl Time is Divine!

(Above--mom and I celebrating our b-days together and hamming it up in Nov)

Ah yes, the importance of girl time in my life is all too often forgotten. With our busy schedule, my rare free moments are spent with my precious hub (which I love!), so time with the gals is all too rare. Except for last night...I enjoy having girl time with friends, and I also love just hanging with my mom. For the first time since we moved here, my mom and I had a girls night all to ourselves. Adam left town for a ministers' retreat, and my dad traveled off shore for his job, so it left just the two of us! We had a ball. Because I have choir on Monday evenings, we met up for an early dinner, ate way too much, and topped it off with Starbucks. I'm surprised I didn't fall asleep in the middle of choir! Once I got back home, she spoiled me with a luxurious bath and we laughed our heads off about random things. We then went to bed (I took my dad's place so I didn't sleep alone!) and I found out this morning that Adam isn't the only one who claims I am a cover-steeler (oops, sorry guys!) To top if off, she correctly assumed that I didn't take my lunch to work today because I wasn't home last night, and surprised me with lunch (and another Starbucks, ahhh, the joy!). Wow, what a treat. I have learned to embrace the moments I have with my mom...it may sound negative, but we don't know when God may decide to take any of us home. Also, in the ministry we don't know when He might move us away from Houston! I have decided to savor these moments with our parents nearby. Mom, I love you! Thanks for being you. I cherish our time together. You are amazing.

Ok, What's Next?

"O Lord, you are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot."
---Psalm 16:5---

This is an excerpt from a book I was reading this morning that really encouraged me...

"In my own pictorial view of seeking God's will I see a rushing stream in the mountains or fields, with stones big enough to put a foot on to cross. I picture God showing me on stone big enough to start across on, and then one stone on which to put my foot next. And then the waters whirl around, and I am to stay where I am, on that particular stone, until He shows me the next step. To rush ahead on my own would be disastrous...It is a warning to watch out for impatience in wanting to "get on with it," whatever "it" happens to be. God tells us that to be in a fog, a dark place, to have no clue of what comes next, is to be in a place where we need to trust Him and keep our hand in His hand, waiting for Him to show us where to go or what to do next...
All right--you and I often want to know, "What comes next?" God is saying, "Trust Me." He is saying, "Stay in the place where you are until I show you [in a variety of ways, usually not mystical at all] what comes next." He is saying, "Blessed is the person who waits in the dark, holding My hand." (Edith Schaeffer, Common Sense Christian Living)

This devo summarized our life so well right now. I love how she says God will lead us, and not in some "mystical" way. Adam and I believe that God gave us His word, prayer, and brains to discern His will. Not that miraculous things do not occur, but I think most times the answer we are looking for is right there in scripture, and we are searching in vain, looking everywhere else to find it. And sometimes that answer is simply "no" or "wait". We have been in a place of searching for the next thing, both in our professional lives (although NO, we are NOT looking to leave our church, we love it and Adam loves his job there!) and personal lives. We have been asking, "God, what is next? What do you have for us?" And we have been resting in the place of feeling like we do not know anything, except that God is faithful, and His Word is true, which actually, is knowing everything. I love Wayne's song that says "I'd rather walk through the darkness with Jesus, than walk in the light alone." I am willing to wait, Lord, wait for Your perfect plan to unfold. And we cherish this time in the unknown, because you are with us.