Contradictions of an Obsessive, Over-Analytical Dreamer

Meey Christmas from the Taylors

2011-12-21T12:34:00.000-06:00

Now that I am finally getting better about juggling motherhood and career woman, I am hoping to start blogging again soon. I hate that I haven't really kept up with Vincent's (now 7.5 months!!!) milestones as well as I was hoping to. We shall see. For now, here is my perfectly "taylor"ed family...

Who is this person?

2011-07-27T12:12:00.000-05:00

yeah, I know, its been a while. Im not sure if anyone even follows me anymore. Just in case you were wondering, this is the reason I haven't been blogging:

and this:

My little man (Vincent Rambo) is 2 and a half months old and the most amazing gift I have ever been given. I'll try to find the time to blog when I can, but between work and that guy, my plate is a little full.

I'm still reading blogs when I can and I miss so many of you!

Go Pack Go!

2011-02-07T12:29:00.000-06:00

So I'm a Cowboys fan. Not necessarily a "die-hard", but enough that I really wish they would get their act together soon.

My little sister has been a Green Bay fan since she was itty bitty (I mean like 5 yrs old). And she is a true die-hard cheesehead. No one really knows why she started liking Green Bay in the first place (we have no family or friends up there). Dad thinks it started out that she simply like green and yellow...and cheese.lol. But through the years, her obsession grew and grew. It was always hilarious to hear her defend her team to all the millions of Cowboys fans around our neck of the woods.

I digress.

My point is, this year her beloved Green Bay played the in Super Bowl literally 5 minutes from her apartment. Needless to say she was a little bummed she couldn't fork up the money to get into the stadium. Even to the point that Dad almost bought her tickets, but in the end couldn't justify spending that much money on a football game. So we decided to be supportive in her obsession with the Pack and be there with her to cheer them on in the comfort of my parents home...

...Well almost everyone. Hubby likes picking on her, so he bought a Steelers shirt and wore it just to piss her off.

But in the end, when the Packer's proved their worth, Austin conceeded and sported the Green Bay jersey while Ashley burned the Steelers shirt.

{While I tried to enjoy this moment with my sister, since Austin literally bought the shirt and wore it just this once to piss her off, we might as well have been burning $20...}

P.S. Can I please go ahead and say this one thing... The National Anthem should not be used to portrey vocal ranges. Just sing the words that are meant to be sung, without all the million different pitches, and maybe you'll remember the words. Thatisall.

Bohemian Cruise!

2011-01-12T21:25:00.000-06:00

Baby update here (its good news!).

The day after New Year's Austin and I took off on a cruise with his mom, sister, brother and brother's girlfriend as well as 8 more friends of the family. We cruised to Nassau and Freeport Bahamas and Key West. The weather as a whole was "eh". We had a couple of rainy days and a little more chill in the air than I would have liked, but it the sun warmed us up for a couple of days and more than anything, it was a great break from reality.

I read 8 books total, and watched while everyone else drank their ass off. I figure a picture recap is much better than words, so here ya go.

{View from our balcony first thing in the am when we ported in Nassau}

{Atlantis Hotel in Nassau}

{Uhh..thats one big-ass fish}

{remember my biggest fear? Yep, this solidified it}

{MY warrior}

{I never did look good in hats}

{Beautiful water, beautiful belly}

{"The years where you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you"}

{I love kayaking and this was the best kayaking experience yet}

{Message to the babe}

{This trip Austin came to the realization that he needs to lose a little weight. He's still sexy to me though}

{loved our stateroom animals. The monkey was my favorite. I actually jumped up and down when we got back to our room and I saw this guy}

{The best part about being out of the country...duty free booze. 4 liters of Crown for $67. Austin is required to save me a bottle for post-Baby T}

Penis or vajayjay?

2011-01-11T12:49:00.000-06:00

I'm so sorry I disappeared. First it was the holidays and then our cruise to the Bahamas (oh so wonderful). I haven't had time to update the baby blog or this one. But a few people have emailed me asking about the gender, and I figured I owed y'all a quick response.

On December 28th, Austin and I found out we are having a little BOY! We both had a feeling the little creature inside of me was a He, but the sono definitely confirmed it. We have a few names, but haven't made a definite decision just yet. So now I have 2 Taylor boys to put up with (Husband and Son), but I wouldn't have it any other way.

The anatomy appointment was actually a hugely awful day though. Our doctor found two things in the sonogram that raised eyebrows. First, baby boy's kidneys were in the normal range, but on the larger end of normal. She said its likely nothing to worry about and he could have been getting ready to go potty and larger kidneys are often found in boys. She wants to keep her eye on them to make sure there is no blockage. The second (supposedly unrelated) thing she found was an echogenic bowel. Some of you may or may not know, that is a soft marker for genetic disorders like CF and Down's. All of our preliminary bloodwork came back normal, so she says there is less than a 1% chance (given our age, lack of family history, and bloodwork) that it is anything we need to worry about but she referred us to a specialist who we see tomorrow afternoon. I'm hoping we can avoid amnio, but it will depend on what the level 2 sono shows.

I have faith the God will not give Austin and I anything we can't handle, but it is still something I'm struggling with. I wonder why when I worry enough about the little things does God throw a curve ball and give me even more of a reason to stress out. I know there is a lesson in there somewhere, I just hope it ends with a healthy baby boy and a husband saying "I told you so".

You Might Be a Hunter's Wife If... (not for the faint of heart)

2010-12-13T14:10:00.000-06:00

First off, if you are anti-hunting or squimish with dead animals, you might want to skip this post...sorry.

Now then, here are a few ways to know that you are a hunter's wife.

1. If you spend much of your weekends from Nov- Jan in an empty bed and you don't mind because its just a fact of life, plus you like the meat that the hunt brings.

2. If you own scent-free laudry detergent, fully for the purpose of washing camo and long-johns.

And my experience this weekend...

3. If you are awoken by a phone call in the wee hours of the morning with a wispering husband saying "I just shot the biggest buck I've seen on this lease. Babe its huge...", AND it doesn't matter that he is whispering, because you still can hear the child-like excitement coming from his voice.

4. If you want so badly to clap your hands when he pulls you outside in the freezing cold to show you his trophy, but the cold and the sympathy you feel for Bambi's dad are jerking at your tear ducts instead. (I used to be fine with seeing this sort of thing, but as I have gotten older, I have become a huge pansy).

5. If said buck head ends up pushing out the coke and beer in the garage fridge because "it has to be kept cold until I can take it to the guy to mount it".

But really, I hate that I have a deer head in my fridge, but I'm excited about all the yummy meat we'll have, and I'm proud of hubby for getting his"King Kong", because this is the first one he's had in a long time.

Stop reading now if you don't like pictures :)

{thats just red corn syrup}

{and there's the infamous cig again. Yes, I wish he would quite as much as y'all always comment that he should. It should be noted (if you care about these things) that his entire body can fit inside this spread}

Annnnndddd, I think he is such a little cutie with his overalls on. My little redneck.

My Eyelashes are a Winter Wonderland

2010-12-09T13:03:00.000-06:00

I would love to be able to dedicate this post to my pregnancy brain, but the fact of the matter is this isn't the first, second, third, or fourth time I have been so absent minded with my morning routine. In fact, I may have even done a post on this before (sorry if I'm a rundundant bore).

This morning while carrying some paperwork to a colleague on a different floor, a guy friend/coworker and I stop to talk for a minute and the conversation turns to our company holiday party this evening.

Coworker: So you have Christmas-y eyelashes today, huh
Me: Huh?
Cowoker: You know, white mascara...
Me: As I storm off to the bathroom You've got to be freaking kidding me.

Can anyone guess what I'm talking about?

Because I have blonde, thin, almost non-exsistant eyelashes, I wear this:

For those of you who have never used/heard of this...first, its awesome. second, its basically a WHITE primer for step one and a black top coat for step two.

Guess who forgot step two?

{Isn't that a creepy picture...haha}

Good news is that I learned my lesson the first 4 times I forgot to put on the black coat, so I have started carrying a travel size mascara in my purse. Now I'm back to normal again. :)

Decision Points

2010-12-08T14:04:00.000-06:00

Baby updates here.

Has anyone out there read President Bush's book yet?

Needless to say, I bought it the first day I could and was not dissapointed. I've gushed before about my love for this man and his family. His book solidified it for me even more. I read the whole thing in one evening. The only two poilitical based books that came close to being as enthralling are Condi's and Colin Powells. I have read quite a few, so I think I have a right to this claim. Poor hubby (who could care less) had to listen to me read quote after quote. Because, for a man who has horrible speaking skills (I'll admit that), he sure had some pretty profound things to say.

I served in the military while President Bush was our Commander in Chief. I have mucho respect for him and his decisions (even when they became unpopular). But what made me giddy inside about this book were two different things.

1. He gladly accepted responsibility for the mistakes he made (we all make them right?!?!) He wasn't afraid to say "You know what, I wish I would have done that differently". Love it.

2. Most importantly, and oh-so-honorable is his ability to keep from throwing others under the bus. (Well except Kanye West who totally deserved it...douchebag). Many of the mistakes made by our lazy ass Congress, previous presidents (ehem...a certain cigar-loving adulterer), and many others were not mentioned in this book, unlike the memoirs of past political officials who seem to openly bash whoever they can besides themselves.

So thats what I think. I'm sure I have some followers who agree and some who completely disagree. You can comment if you'd like, but please don't be an ass, or I'll simply delete it :)

Where the hell did it go?

2010-11-29T10:40:00.000-06:00

What have I lost, you ask? Now that our secret is out, I can talk about something that has been bugging the crap out of me… I’ve lost my waistline.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy that my waist has been replaced by an apple-sized baby, however I am a little disgruntled at this whole “in-between” phase. So many people have commented “You don’t even look pregnant yet” and all I can think is “oh my God, what did I look like before!!” At 15 weeks, I have no waist and my belly has a constant bloat that makes me look like I ate way too much pecan pie. I’m sooooo ready to actually look pregnant.

It doesn’t help that I haven’t been eating as well as I would like. I swore as soon as I found out I was pregnant, no more fried foods. Too bad baby Taylor only wants the unhealthy fatty stuff. I have been eating worse since being pregnant than I ever have before, so my face is already taking on a little bit more round shape. I’m still working out like before, but with a little slower running pace, so hopefully that has balanced things out at least a little.

Y’all know how self-conscious I am about my body. I want to be totally cool with the fact that my body is going to HAVE to change in order to make way for a tiny human inside of me, but I am struggling here. We are going on a cruise at the beginning of January. I’m pasty white. I’m praying my belly pops before then so hubby (who hates how self-consious I am) and I don’t fight over the fact that I don’t like my body enough to get into a swimsuit…

*Again, please don’t take this post as me being ungrateful for what I have been given. My blog is for venting my craziness, and that is all I’m doing here.

The Thanksgiving Reveal

2010-11-26T10:06:00.000-06:00

I honestly had no clue that EVERYONE would guess what was in the box. Clearly, I am the most transprent blogger in the world. Either way, you guys hit the nail on the head and I am happy to announce that Austin and I are EXPECTING! We are 15 weeks to the day and are enjoying every minute of it (well, I have been a nervous wreck, but I'm learning to cope).

Here's how we told our extended family yesterday:

{Mine is hard to read, but it said "I've got a turkey in the oven, when the belly button pops its done"}

When Austin and I started trying to conceive, I re-started our "family" blog. I thought it would be a neat thing to be able to show our little one one day. I will blog about baby stuff occassionally on this site, but I wanted to have a purely family page to be able to have as a keepsake (its the organizational psycho in me). I have written on there since we found out we were indeed pregant at 5 weeks (talk about keeping a secret for a long ass time). I will go ahead and make the blog public so if you care to keep up there, you are welcome... http://aperfectlytayloredfamily.blogspot.com/.

Guess whats in the box...

2010-11-23T10:28:00.000-06:00

I doubt I'll have many players, because I don't think many of my old readers read anymore because lately I haven't written anything of sustenance. My bad. Anysuckage. Can you guess what my darling husband is unloading???

{Minus the cig, isn't he a hottie!!}

The prize for a correct guess is the satisfaction of knowing my secret a little sooner than the rest of the blog world...

Shutterfly Bandwagon

2010-11-19T14:10:00.000-06:00

I'm sure so many of you have seen other lovely bloggie friends posting their Shutterfly Holiday Card wish lists. Well I jumped on that bandwagon fast. I made a promise to myself that when Austin and I got married, I would send Christmas cards every year. Last year, I accomplished that mission, but barely. I mean some people may have gotten their's the day after Christmas. I'm so bad with keeping up with correspondence.

So this year, when I started reading blogs about free!!! photo cards from Shutterfly, I knew I couldn't pass that up. The problem is that I feel like Austin and I are a little boring. Its possible that people could care less about getting a picture of us on a Christmas card. So I'm wondering if this year I should send just regular Christmas cards with no photo. Thoughts? I love getting everyone else's with their photos (even with no kids), so maybe others feel the same way. I know grandparents would really appreciate it at least.

I love this particular card (I insist my cards say "Merry Christmas" vs "Happy Holidays"), but that means I will have to choose lots of photos...

{maybe if we had kids, or even a kid}

I really like these next two for their simplicity and it would only force people to look at one picture of Austin, me and the pup...

Which cards would you pick from Shutterfly?

Out of the Country Cravings

2010-11-09T13:43:00.000-06:00

Do you ever crave something that you can't have simply because its not produced in your area? I have had this happen to me a few times, but usually its something from a resteraunt in a town a few hours away. Our company does a lot of business in Peru. We have quite a few expatriates there who love to bring me goodies. Clearly, they're trying to bribe me. Thats cool. Last week I got to try ChokoSoda:

They are basically soda crackers covered in chocolate. And they are tayyyyyyysteeeee. I finished off a package of four crackers and was left wondering how and the hell can I get some more? Nabisco makes them, and they are HUGE in Peru, but apparently not so much in Dallas/Ft. Worth.

I think I am going to have to make some of my own. It may be messy, and probably not good at all for my figure, but I have decided regardless of if I try to make them or not, life will go on, and life with yummy things is much more fun than life without. Right?

A New Era

2010-11-02T16:04:00.002-05:00

Let's face it...I suck at blogging lately. I have been traveling a lot for work and honestly just haven't been in the mood to write or even post pictures. Luckily, I realize those of you who read my blog don't live and breathe off my posts, so I'm sure you forgive me :) Right? Okay, now that's settled...

You'll be happy to hear (or maybe you could care less) I have gone from a 40 mpg hybrid to this:

A 20-if-I'm-lucky mpg Ford Expedition

First off, I have to admit, it is much easier to manuever than I thought it would be. Hubs is still threatening to put a grille guard on it, but thats a big over-my-dead-body. We splurged and got the Eddie Bauer Edition, so the interior and all the other little "goodies" help me forget about the sucky gas mileage. There is a hands-free navigation system and other hand-free qualities that will hopefully help me keep my eyes and mind on the road. It's the perfect little mommy mobile.

So far I'm loving it. I refuse to let the tank get below 1/2 empty before I fill up- at least until I can get used to the fuel bill a little more.

Worst Driver Ever

2010-10-12T14:47:00.000-05:00

I promise to post about the Boston/NY trip soon, but something more important has come up...

Seriously, I'm a sucky sucky driver. I accept this, and I have tried on numerous occassions to convince the husband that hiring me a driver would probably save us money in the long run. Why do I say such things, you ask?

Last November, I was checking my email in stop and go traffic. Well you can guess what happened. The truck in front of me stopped while I decided to go. I got lectured from everyone about the dangers of being on the phone while driving. They are obviously right and I was wrong. The truck I hit didn't have a scratch on it, but my poor little hybrid ended up at a collision center for a few weeks.

I vowed to stay off of my phone... and I swear I really don't text/email and drive anymore. But I am one of those scary aloof drivers who is in lala land half the time. I had a lot on my mind yesterday on the way to a doctor's appointment. I looked down long enough to make sure I was still on course with where my GPS(on my phone) was telling me where to go, and then this happened:

Pretty sure this baby is totaled. The computer system that controls everything for the hybrid function was crushed by the battery. The computer system is probably worth more than my life. I hit an Explorer who barely had a scratch.

Austin has been complaining about me driving this little car for quite some time now (I drove a truck until I moved to Abilene 6 years ago and drove home every weekend to see Austin and my family). He thinks I might as well be driving a go-cart. He's annoyed that the airbags didn't go off. I'm grateful. Other than a little crick in my neck today I was quite comfortable with how my car protected me. I think the airbags doploying would have made me a lot worse off. I have now agreed to either turn my phone off or lock it in my trunk before getting behind the wheel.

I'm mad at myself because I was loving not having a car payment. And more than that, things could have been a lot worse. We haven't been officially told its a total loss, but I feel like the writing is on the wall. And clearly, my insurance rates are going to go up because I suck and if I were my insurance company, I'd hike up my rates so freaking fast.

TGIF-annoying coworkers addition

2010-09-24T09:46:00.000-05:00

Okay, so maybe I'm a little hormonal but here are some things driving me crazy lately:

- If you jam the copier, DON'T just walk away! Here's an idea- you broke it, you fix it. It's not that difficult. I'll even teach you how to "recover" your paper. (Not to mention there are instructions on the fancy thing telling you exactly what to do). I can't stand when I walk in expecting to make a quick copy and get back to my desk, only to spend the next 5 minutes fixing your mistake.

- If you get the last of anything out of the fridge, how about replacing it? Our company pays for all sorts of goodies that taste better when cold. The replacements are in a cabinet right next to the fridge. Quit being lazy and replace what you take and please God, don't leave an empty soda carton in the fridge. I don't even drink the damn things and that drives me crazy.

- Don't just leave your passport on my desk with a note that says "Peruvian Visa". I'm not your secretary; I won't fill out the paperwork for you. You wasted your own time because bet your butt you’re going to be coming back to my office to fill out the other paperwork needed to get your visa.

On a more positive note- I'm loving:

- Thank you CEO for letting us wear jeans in the most conservative company in the world because we had 100% United Way contributions. I know it makes you cringe to see everyone without a suit on, but we appreciate jeans once a year.

- Husband, thank you for loving me enough to fix my bathroom remodel catastrophe (blog world, I will have to fill you in on all that!!) It wasn't my fault that the sheet rock peeled off the wall like wallpaper. sigh

- Mom, you are the greatest (even though you're too "busy" to read my blog). I love that you know all the right things to say and do. We make one pretty awesome mother/daughter team.

- Boston and New York...get ready for me- only one week longer!

Shhhh...don't tell my Boss

2010-09-16T15:52:00.000-05:00

But today has just been one of those days where I haven't had the drive to get much work-related stuff done. I started out ready to go and as each minute passes I get further and further from being a productive employee.

I had a lunch meeting out of the office so that took up a little time, but now, here I sit here, watching the clock slowly inch closer to quitting time. I hate days like this. A. It goes slow B. I feel like a loser.

Anywho, thank you all for your sweet comments on my last post. I promise I have a more positive outlook than I made seem.

Want some random? OKAY! I busted my ass on a morning run this week. I tend to be a fairly clumbsy person, especially when walking or running. But a few days ago I got "snipered" by a gigantic hole in the grass when trying to cross a median. I tweaked my ankle and hard core fell flat. Luckily it was at 5 am and there were no cars (or people who could see me) for miles. My ankle has been a little sore and my pride a little wounded but other than that I'm all good. In my defense it was pitch black outside and I was nearing the end of a one hour jaunt, meaning I was paying less attention to where my feet were going and more attention to get home before I peed in my pants (this also happens quite often). Once I got home, I proceeded to get lectured from a nervous husband because I didn't take my phone (I hate carry a bunch of crap when I run).

Hmmm...what else is going on? Oh, yesterday I got to spend the first half of my morning performing a West Side story skit for a United Way campaign put on by my company. Which is another reason I really should be getting back to work instead of lollygagging the remainder of my afternoon away.

I'll leave you with a few action shots.

{I'm clearly the one with a pink scarf around my neck. The guy in the leather jacket is our VP of HR}

{Getting ready to pull our knives (switchblade combs) on one another}

{I think I just finished a twirl here. I love how flamboyant West Side Story is...cracked us up}

I got you babe

2010-09-10T13:48:00.000-05:00

Hi lovelies! Yeah yeah, it’s been too long, I suck, but let’s move on. My huge project at work went off without a hitch...literally, I am pretty amazed that something bad didn't happen. It seems like no matter how hard you plan for the worst case scenerio, some little devil problem sneaks its way in. Not this time. I kicked this projects ass -and definitely got noticed by notable execs. I've also been asked to speak at a seminar for our vendor next year as a best practice example. I worked late nights and skipped many lunch time workouts. But it was worth it.

That seems to be just about the only thing that has gone well lately. Hubby and I have had a fairly rough year (not to be compared to people out there who I am sure have it much worse than my whiney ass). We have had 3 major deaths in the last 7 months (My Grandpa, Hubby's Memaw and our sweet little Rilee Girl-yes, my dog counts, it was a devastating loss).

In addition, Hubby has been attending Paramedic school and not working. I like to spend money. Hubby no worky means me no spendy. The day after Rilee died, Hubby took a test and scored a 62. It pretty much fucked him. Yesterday he took his final. He scored and 80 (darn good for a comprehensive bastard of a test) bringing his average to a 78.4...this school's passing threshold is an 80. F. He is a shitty test taker anyways and I personally believe he has done pretty well considering the circumstances. His instructor agrees. He also pointed out that Hubs clearly knows what he's doing because when it comes to the practical application (you know, when they actually stick people with IVs and diagnose symptoms to provide on the spot relief) he is a pro. Guess what doesn't count towards the grade in the class? -If you guessed "practical applications" you would be correct. I mean, that makes sense right- because when I am in a car accident and a paramedic comes to save me I will be so grateful he could take a written test well. Who cares how well he did on the practical shit...[I'm bleeding sarcasm here in case you can't tell]. The thing I love about my husband is this- After 8 months of staying holed up studying one's ass off and then not passing a course, many people in his position would say screw it and go back to work for a family owned business where they would never have to worry about money. My husband [I'm beaming as I type this] has already made arrangements to start a new class...from the beginning. He’s following his dream and thats pretty darn cool. To me, the measure of a man is not that he can't pass a very difficult fast paced course, but that he wallowed for a half a day and is now back to taking on the world.

And finally, the baby making part (I'm sorry I'm just getting back to the many of you have emailed me to see how we are doing on this front). Last month I was a few days late. I did a little better with my POAS obsession. I started feeling slightly nauseous. We were pretty sure something had stuck. So much so that even my very cautious and laid back husband talked to my belly right before we took the test "Are you in there our little one?" Negative. The next day (coincidently Fri the 13th) Aunt Flow visited. I hate that bitch. Devastation ensued. Here's the thing. At first just a few close friends (and the blog world) knew we were trying, but then the word got out to what seems like everyone (prob because I have a huge mouth when I'm excited about something). I'm not really discouraged, and I am having a blast trying, but if one more person utters the words "Just relax and let it happen" or "as soon as you stop trying, it will happen"(clearly impossible because having a baby requires a certain amount of "trying") I swear I will throw a full out Godzilla tantrum. A- I'm not asking for opinions B- Do people think I don't know that it’s important to stay relaxed and keep stress far away? Thanks for the helpful tip. I know no one intends to be malicious, I'm just so tired of hearing it.

I didn't sleep much last night. I had a lot on my mind (hence the upchuck of Whoa is Me in today's post), but as I lay in bed with the love of my life I said " Babe, I know we've had a crappy year compared to the other 7, but I can honestly say I wouldn't want to go through these things with anyone else". He agreed and then we spooned :) I know in a few years I will look back and say, "Ohhhhh, that was what God has been planning!! That’s so much better than the plan I had for us".

Need Advice on Where to Stay in Manhattan

2010-08-13T13:38:00.001-05:00

I am going to New York in a few months on business. Most of my business will be done on the East side right around the UN. But I was looking at staying in the Times Square vicinity. There is a small possibility that my hubby won't be able to make it so I want to stay somewhere reasonably safe for a "small town girl".

I am so excited to get to go, but I am also terrified of the city. Dallas used to scare me when I first started working downtown and clearly, Dallas is NOTHING compared to Manhattan.

I'm hoping to be somewhere that accommodates an enormous amount of sight seeing in the shortest amount of time possible.

Any advice from my well traveled friends?

Love Is

2010-08-05T14:15:00.000-05:00

Love is...

Holding your best friend's hand when its time to say goodbye to the only grandmother he's ever known.

Wrapping your arms around a sister-in-law who might as well be your blood. Holding her as you cry together.

A funeral procession over 35 cars long.

Family driving 60 miles to support their son/brother/nephew...in-law.

Tears of sorrow quickly followed by grunts of laughter remembering the hilariously funny woman she was.

family- a husband and wife. Sisters and brothers. Moms and Dads, In-laws. Cousins, aunts, uncles.

Love is the realization that we are touched by angels throughout our lives and feeling comfort that this angel may have been the strongest one I've ever met. I never would have met her if I hadn't fallen in deeply in Love with her grandson. Through her example the last 7 years I was reminded that Love speaks so much louder than everything else.

We love you so much Memaw and although we will miss you, we are glad you're finally reunited with your Paul. Thanks for bringing your smile to my dreams last night.

Oh...hello!

2010-07-28T13:45:00.000-05:00

I have had a lot going on lately. I know thats not a good excuse because all you ladies have a lot going on too but what can I say, I suck. I prefer to blog on breaks at work and because I am responsible for the launch of our new training and development program in 2 weeks, breaks are not in the cards for me. So what else is new?

- Hubby's memaw was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer. They tell us it is down to days, maybe weeks if we're lucky. This will be the fifth immediate family member we have lost (combined) to lung cancer. She is such an anazing woman who has lived a great life, but that doesn't make it any easier to see my husband grieve. Lately, my dreams have been very vivid, morbid, nightmares involving the death of people close to me. I'm not sleeping well.

- The lack of birth control has gained me only one thing at this point...breakout mania. Seriously, I have never had an issue with my skin until now. Luckily the majority of the issue is small bumps not noticable to most people with the occasional ready to expload volcano. Either way its stinks and needs to stop. On a lighter note, we are still having a blast attempting to procreate.

- Lake time has been pitiful. We have made it out on our boat just a few times so far (I still need to introduce you to our boat).

- Saturday instead of working out and doing a little shopping after I cleaned like I had planned, I sat on the couch from 10 am to 2:30 am (yes, 2:30 in the freaking morning) watching streaming episodes of The Hills on netflix. I'm a party animal. I then proceeded to buy both of Lauren Conrad's books. What?! Didn't I just turn 28 years old, you say? This goes to show how juvenile I can be. I'm willing to bet my first born I will end up buying the third book as soon as it comes out.

Gonna Party like its My Birthday

2010-07-12T14:24:00.000-05:00

Today is my 28th birthday. Sadly, my version of "party" has changed slightly in the last few years. I only had one drink all weekend. BUT, you wanna know what I had lots of?

{red velvet with cream cheese icing, made by Chef Hubby}

In fact, "lots" is an understatement. I ate 8 cupcakes on Saturday and Sunday. As in 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8!! Hubs wanted to make me breakfast in bed and asked me what I wanted, and I choose cupcakes...I live life on the edge.

Friday night my MIL took us out to celebrate my birthday and gave me lots of presents. Yay! All through dinner hubby kept texting, but he was trying to be secretive about it. It was honestly starting to piss me off, so I finally yelled at him, and he not-so-politely told me he was working on a suprise for after dinner. I shut my mouth and remembered why mom always taught me not to be a bitch.

After dinner, two of our new favorite people came to the house to pick us up and I found myself at a tattoo parlor! Its true when people say that tattoos are addicting. I've been wanting a new tattoo for a few years, but I just hate spending money on that sort of stuff when there are more important things to pay for right now. Since I already knew what I wanted I was able to get them to get it together almost immediately.

Our friends just got married about a month ago, so they got tattoos to signify their union.

{Look after my heart...I left it with you}

She got the same wording but in a position that I didn't feel comfortable putting out on the blog without her permission, but it was way cute.

{I have to admit, this one hurt a bit more than my other}

Any tattoo I have has to be significant. My nickname has always been Sweet Pea. I got this name because when I was born, I was 4lbs and was so tiny my clothes were way too big AND I was so ugly, my grandma said I looked like the little baby from Popeye...Sweet Pea. I decided to have a sweet pea vine put on my foot. Most are pink, but I'm not a pink person, so I went with purple (Go Frogs).

I don't know why my foot looks so swollen, I swear it wasn't swollen at all, I think its just the angle of the camera. My poor honey was frothing at the mouth to get himself a new one and I am a sucker for tattooed men, so I give it until the end of the week before we drive back over there.

My baby sister's birthday was on Saturday (yes she's 4 years and 363 days younger than me). We did lots of fun things to celebrate the two of us, but I have so much going on at work right now, and I didn't take any good pictures, so thats the end of the birthday weekend.

I'll leave you with a few fun pictures from two weekends ago when my cousin and his girlfriend were visiting from St. Louis.

Me and cousin getting our tube on:

Food!!

{sis, sis gf,cous,cous gf,dad,mom,me,hubs}

{crazy sister}

The art one might find while roaming the Ft. Worth Stockyards:

{<3 it, btw}

{Davy Crockett and the poor Indian maiden}

{I really, really want these boots,please}

Old Tyme Photos

I had to try to sneak this in because you were absolutely not allowed to take your own pictures. My sister is in the process of telling me to stop before I get us kicked out. I'll have to post the full photo soon.

Groupon!

2010-07-09T11:46:00.000-05:00

I know some of you have heard of this before, but I just want to reiterate how much I love it.

Groupon is a neat site that allows for collective buying power. Every day they advertise a deal (and a secondary side-deal) for their users (free to join!). The deals are unique to your city. And they are always awesome. They don't always apply to me, but I have gotten some amazing deals. Like today I got 2 games of bowling + shoe rental for four people for $20 + 30% dinner at Splitsville...which if you have been bowling lately, you know it has gotten rediculously expensive. So basically thats $10/couple or $5/person for a few hours of fun. Awesome-blossom. Anyway, if you haven't already, check it out.

Giveaway Winner!

2010-07-07T09:32:00.002-05:00

I know, I know, I'm a day late. I am still attempting to recover from the long weekend. I did the whole random number generator thing so I could be fair.

The winner is no stranger to yoga...

Lindsay @ Lindsay's Hot Spot

Y'all should check out her blog. Lots of yoga fun and giveaways!

Lindsay, shoot me your mailing address and I will have your winnings sent ASAP.

The Day My Life Turned a 180

2010-07-02T11:22:00.000-05:00

We met in a little honkey tonk on the north side of town. The good 'ol Thirsty Armadillo. After you and your friend had been checking me and my friends out for most of the night, you walked up to me with a big smile on your face and asked for my number..for your friend who was too chicken to do it himself. At that time I was glad. He was cute. We all hung out again the next night. I discovered you were a wild little fella. Your friend and I dated for a short time and then went on our seperate ways. Not more than a month later, I ran into you at a restaraunt close to campus. You decide that gives you permission to start calling me. I don't mind, but I don't think we are interested in the same things. You probably want sex. I'm a prude. And I was having fun ~~teasing~~ seeing lots of different boys. I had no room for you. Case closed. Throughout the next few weeks we had several conversations that went something like this:

You: All I need is one shot.
Me: I really don't think its a good idea. rolls eyes
You: Just give me a chance. I promise, you'll be glad you did.
Me: What a cocky bastard. Na, just not a good idea.

See, the problem was two-fold. I was still a little hung up on your friend. He was over me and had given you full blown permission to pursue, but his allowance was not my acceptance. You also were not my normal cup of tea. Long hair. I mean, longer than mine...and kinda scragly. I was a woman of discpline, a year away from earning my bachelors degree and commissioning as an officer in the Air Force. You spit in the face of discipline and threw up your middle finger at authority. You.were.trouble.

You can thank H for convincing me to finally give you a chance. The day you called and said "Come out on the boat with us for the fourth", I protested, looked at H while rolling my eyes and she mouthed "Let's just go. It'll be fun".

JULy 4, 2oo3

I put on one of my favorite swimsuits. I was nervous your best friend (the one I was still a little hung up on) was going to be there. I got out of the car, headed to the boat dock and saw you waving like a 5 year old child flagging down the ice cream man. I looked at H and laughed nervously. I frantically searched for your friend. He was absent.

Ever determined to have a good time, you were loud and obnoxious, but so very very charming. I soon learned that I had made lots of assumptions about you. We were very different, but we had plenty of common interests as well. Music, whiskey (ahh the love affair of Jack and Crown), family, skiing, boating, athletics of all kinds, and adventure (we both jumped off the cargo bridge into the water below...although you may have been naked, and I was definitely not). As the night wound down, and I lay on the bow of the boat looking at the stars and occassional fireworks, you leaned over and kissed me. And I let you, not at all concerned anymore about your friend.

You were right (for once), My Love. All you needed was once chance.

We have both grown so much in the last 7 years. Our differences found a way to entangle themselves in our similarities, making us a powerful, unstoppable team. We've hit some bad lows and some great highs. We have created an amazing life together.

I thank God every chance I get that you never stopped trying to convince me that you were worth it. You were without a doubt more worth it that you will ever fully understand. I love you Husband.

COHEN

2010-07-01T07:55:00.000-05:00

http://sendlovetocohen.blogspot.com/

Summer Swap and Some Random Musings

2010-06-29T15:36:00.000-05:00

Recently, April @ dot...dot...dot hosted a fabulous summer swap. Due to a technical difficulty called life, I was just now able to go pick up my package from the post office (I actually made hubby go get it :o) My swap partner was Haley at Wide Eyed Smilin. I had such a fun time shopping for her! To see her goodies, go here.

I loooved my stuff!

- The Liar's Diary- this alone made it all worth while. I love to read and this book sounds like its a good 'un.

-Scentsy room spray (Sweetpea and Vanilla)-smells delicious

- Lip gloss and lip oil-I go through that stuff like crazy!

-Two travel perfume bottles- which just happened to be two of my favs.

-Homemade bracelet and ring- Hubby's response was "Where's mine?" I sweetly reminded him that it is NEVER about him :)

- Haley also listed candy, however I think the postman ate it because it was MIA:) that probably works out for the best since I am a sugarholic.

Tuesday Randomness:

I had been back to my office for about an hour after my lunchtime run when a coworker kindly informed me that I had my shirt on inside out. Classic blonde Chels moment.

It annoys the hell out of me that the Katy Trail has no restrooms. I'm not even opposed to finding a bush, if there were any cover. But alas, I just end up awkwardly finishing my run with pee running down my leg- I kid, but really its a close call.

Everyday this week I have woken up telling my husband I'm calling in sick so I can get some stuff done around the house(I used up a lot of vacation with the donation thing). But every time, my guilt forces me out of bed. Why can't I be one of those people who calls in sick even though I'm not?!?

My ring is clean and smells normal again. I'm still working out in it.

Don't forget to enter the Yoga Starter Kit giveaway!

Finally- My CSN Giveaway!!

2010-06-28T10:59:00.000-05:00

I think I mentioned this giveaway oh, about 2 months ago. Geeze, I'm such a slacker! But I think it was worth the wait, hopefully, you'll agree.

Y'all know I have never been much of a yoga fan. I like fast-paced, sweaty, high intensity workouts. I'm not sure if its a sign of me maturing (aka...my old lady hip), or just the fact that I was wanting a little more variety in my workouts, but I can now officially say I'm addicted to yoga. I feel amazing! I'm more flexible and I honestly feel "longer" (which is amazing because I have a short/fat complex). It may be all in my head, but who cares...what I think is all that matters to me. I still do the normal running, spinning and weight training, but I have incorporated yoga in at least twice a week and have noticed such a huge difference in all my workouts (and my sex life, but I'll spare you those details). You didn't think I'd jump straight into the giveaway without telling my life story did you?

I wanted this giveaway to be personal to me, but obviously personal to my lovely readers as well. So hopefully this will apply to you, whether you are a wanna-be yoga convert or an advanced yoga guru.

The Winner will win:

A Yoga Starter Kit

{4-mm yoga sticky mat, a high-density foam yoga block, a 6' yoga strap, a latex stretch band}

AND

A Cotton Mat Bag(with Pocket)

AND

Your Choice Of DVD

(Choose 1 (yoga only), from the CSN site)

Warning: There are tons- Everything from, beginner, advanced, prenatal, postnatal, strength, flexibility,etc.

Here's how you can win(please leave each entry in a separate comment, so I can keep track):

One Entry: Follow Me

One Entry: Tell me what DVD you would like.

One Entry: Tell me your favorite yoga pose OR your least favorite.

One Entry: Share a hilarious yoga moment.

Three Entries: Blog about my giveaway and leave me the link.

Ends July 5 at midnight. I will select/announce the winner on July 6!

A long way of Telling you I need to have my Ring Cleaned

2010-06-25T16:23:00.001-05:00

I am very proud of my engagement ring. Hubs designed it and I was floored when I saw it for the first time. Wanna see?

{soory for the crappy iphone picture and the gangly fingers}

I love it so much, I wear it constantly. Well, that's partially true. I do love to show it off, but I also wear it all the time because I have a very troubled history of losing jewelry- the first incident being on a 7th grade field trip. That'll teach a 7th grade boy to buy a ring for his way-too-aloof girlfriend. Most of the time jewerly has been lost when I am working out. I take it off, put it in a "safe" place, forget to put it back on, and the next thing I know I am desperately searching. 9 times out of 10, it never shows up.

Even though I insured the ring the day after it was given to me, I'd prefer not to lose this one seeing as how its pretty special and all. So I wear it every.single.time I work out- Lifting weights, spinning, running, yoga-doesn't matter, my ring is there. You're probably thinking "What the hell is the point already?!?!"

Fine! My point is that while I rested my chin on my hand to read yet another email about foreign taxes, I got a whiff of the most God-awful smell. I sniff at an armpit. Nope, not that. Then, sadly, my next thought was ohhellIhopethatsnotmyvaGIANT (gosh I love you Jenny Mac). Luckily, I take care of my girlie parts so that was not the culprit. I hope at least one of you pictured me sitting at my desk, sniffing my crotch :). After roughly two minutes of pure panic, I went back to reading the email, chin in hand. Then it hit me. The smell is my freaking ring. I have worn this puppy for over two years and never ever has it smelt like this. I use a jewelry cleaner on it pretty frequently, but I can only deduce that the smell is caught in the underside:

See all the detail? I'm thinking sweat got stuck up in there. Gross. So it looks like a trip to the jewelry store for a good cleaning is in order.

Has this happened to anyone else, or am I just an especially sweaty person?

Everything but the Bathroom Sink

2010-06-24T11:26:00.000-05:00

Late last year, I did a ~~cheap~~ quick remodel of our guest bathroom. I forgot to take pictures of the "before", but here's a few of the "after".

{Love the mirror!!}

{Red and bronze is one of my favorite color combos}

{Tear and stick wallpaper for the stone effect}

I really love how the bathroom turned out, but I am having a major problem getting to the more expensive part of the remodel. Remember, we are living off of me while hubs finishes school; And according to him, eating is more important than a new bathroom sink. So... I'm thinking of asking for one for my birthday. Isn't it sad when you get to a point in your life where you are considering asking for a sink for your birthday? But look at my sink:

{How old school is that!}

I want a new non bulky vanity with a bowl sink, like this:

Too bad my momma ignores my blog or this would be a great hint for her.

Wordless Wednesday-The Life of a Harley Rider

2010-06-23T11:51:00.000-05:00

Before anyone gives me any grief- No, I am not wearing a helmet because we were on State Park roads and weren't going over 30 mph. Any other time, my helmet stays on. Pinkie Promise

{Putting on the cover-he is so obsessive about keeping her clean}

{Momma and Me}

{Dad and My Love}

{Getting the details together}

{My hot parents}

{The Taylors}

{Beautiful- the roads through the whole park were like this}

{Scenic stop-My uncle, aunt, me, hubs, and my (dad doing his own thing)}

{The ladies}

Finally playing in Taylor's Top 2!

2010-06-22T08:49:00.000-05:00

I have been wanting to play for a while, but never really got around to it for some reason. I love the topic this week, because I am a reality TV addict.

Top 2 Reality TV shows I would be on...

1. Amazing Race...My dad and I would kick ass. I could see myself getting to snarky with hubby, so I'll go win the money while he stays home with the dog.

2. Dancing with the Stars...yes, I realize I am not a star, but I would love to learn all different types of dancing. I think I could actually be pretty good. And I would jump at the opportunity to tone my legs.

When did I Become Such a Snob?

2010-06-21T14:25:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking a lot lately(imagine that) about how I act. And I gotta say, looking at myself from the outside, I am pretty disappointed. I am not concerned at all about how I act with people I know fairly well. To be completely honest, I know I am a good, caring, compassionate, giving friend. Ask anyone who knows me well and they'll agree with me -although they will also likely admit that I am self-centered. Eg: Anytime I call my parents, my dad informs my mom that "Me" is calling.

Whoa, tanget. Moving on- I have discovered I have a bit of a tough time with new people. I recognized this a while back, but recently analyzed my behavior with my brother in law's new girlfriend. The first thing I did after being introduced to her is think "Damn, she's skinnier than I am". Who the hell does that?!?! How self-absored am I?! We had dinner and talked back and forth and I asked questions to try to get to know her a little better, but in the end, I gave myself a "D" in the subject of welcoming her into the family because I talked much more to my father in law and his girlfriend.

I do the same thing when I am around anyone new. I used to love to meet new people. And my loving husband will strike up a conversation with a brick wall. I love that about him. Its not like everyone I meet has to become a new best friend, but I find that anytime we are around a group of people, I always choose to retreat to the ones I know. If I get "stuck" with new people, I immediately go quiet and come across as a total bitch. What's worse is I have noticed that my actions have caused me to alienate new people (especially girls) who hang around our main group of friends.

Good news-I know the underlying issue here (and I promise its not a cop-out)- insecurity. I constantly over-analyze everything- how I look, what I say, etc. I honestly can't figure out where this insecurity came from, although I will say its getting better. I'm not a picture perfect 5'10 model, but I'm not an ogress. Husband is amazing at telling me how great I look. I am well-spoken and mostly intelligent (although the blonde roots occassionaly come out). I think I'm funny sometimes, but I'm not about to start touring with Chelsea Handler. My insecurity makes for uncomfortable moments (only for me; I'm pretty sure no one else notices crosses fingers).

In the last few years, I have gotten comfortable in my life and just decided it was easier to be content with the friends I have. Thats all well and good until I realized it has gotten to the point that I just stopped trying. I don't like the person I am becoming- a flat out snob. I imagine I am someone who gets described as "You'll love her once you get to know her". I want to be loved immediately please.

It's time to put the big girl panties on and come back out of my shell. I think I may even come up with a written plan of action the next time I know I will be around people I dont know.

Something like:
Introduce yourself to 5 people you don't know and have a real conversation with them.
Pay attention to someone who appears alienated,get to know them and introduce them to the people you do know.

Hahaha, I know a written POA is so retarded- Austin, I swear if you make fun of me for this, no blow jobs for a month! But I really think it will help me go back to being more open and welcoming and not so stickuptheass-ish.

What are some ways you deal with meeting new people?

High School Reunion

2010-06-18T16:32:00.000-05:00

This Saturday is my 10-year reunion. I'm not going. I was a student council officer, a cheerleader, the captain of the track team- your basic gung-ho "I love high school" chick and I am not going to my 10-year reunion.

We have a family reunion out of town and my dad and husband decided it was a better use of my time. I am actually really sad I'm not going, but at the same time, FB has made it possible to catch up with those who I really care about, so I chose not to fight the battle. And its not like I have done anything as awesome as invent the post-it note to brag about.

But with all my old friends chatting away about the craziness in store this weekend, I can't help but take a look back at what my life was like 10 years ago.

{I'm fourth from the right and my bestie is on my left...your right}

- I was about 10 lbs lighter and 2 sizes smaller...damn you womanhood.
- I ate a McDonald's #5 supersized with a Diet Coke EVERY day after school with my best friend.
- I had chosen one of my favorite people to room with in college.
- I had a full scholarship for Computer Science to TCU with dreams of being an Air Force pilot (SR-71 was my plane of choice)
- I had been dating my high school sweetheart for almost 2 years.
- I had started a job lifeguarding for the city, not concerned at all about the possibility of sunburn after sunburn giving me skin cancer.
- I cried when they played our Senior Song "Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake, for the last time.
- I said goodbye to people who I thought were the best friends of my life.

Funny how things change.
- I am obsessed with being 10 lbs lighter and figuring out a way to make these child-bearing hips get the eff outta here.
- I'm still best friends with my McDonald's partner, but she's a skinny bitch that can eat whatever she wants, and I am not.
- I spoke to my old roomate for the first time in 6 years at a wedding last year.
- I have a graduate degree in HR and never flew anything other than a few Cessnas. The SR-71 has been decomissioned. I am in the inactive Air Force Reserve.
- High school sweetheart and I are both very happily married to other people.
- I analyze every mole on my body on a daily basis, swearing one of them is cancerous.
- I smile when I hear the Whitesnake song and then sing along with David Coverdale at the top of my lungs. and realize I am far from being alone.
- My mom, sister and husband, with a few others are now the best friends of my life, including only 1 from high school.

I loved high school. I love how simple things were. But my do I love my life now more than I ever thought I would. Of course, I mean no offense to my past, because without that, I would have never found my present.

Karma's a B

2010-06-15T09:57:00.001-05:00

Many of you probably know Kelsey at Lavender, Leopard and Lace. I love Kelsey. Her and I just click. When I click with someone, I may or may not make fun of them a little. Its all in good fun and I mainly make fun of her for things she is already making fun of herself about and vice versa.

For those of you who don't know her, she just had hip surgery. (So go send her some love). She has dyplasia and the surgery was meant to heal a torn something or another and calcification. I have fun laughing at with Kelsey as she goes through her hip fixing process -Hot doctors, cute panties, dumb ass nurses and much much more. But the bottom line is that she has an old lady hip and had surgery to help alleviate some pain. Which sucks, but at the same time has been fun for me to poke fun of her a bit.

Until now. Running last week I felt a pull at the top of my hip.

I think the pain is coming from the very top of what appears to be my tensor fasciae latae(google saves the day again!!)

I kept running as long as I could. Then the pain got so bad I decided to take a break and walk a little. Then tried running a little more... then walking and wanting to find someone willing to give me a piggy back ride. By the time I made it back to the office, I was at my very own "old lady" limp grasping my hip as I walked.

I got dressed and put my heels to go back to work-- Wowzer did that make it worse. But I was a gymnast taught to work through the pain, so I chose to ignore it. (You know the whole "pain is temporary, pride is forever" concept). I worked out as normal all week, barely able to walk by the time I finished any type of running. I also continued to wear heels because I have a short/fat complex so flats are not in my wardrobe.

I took it easy on the running through the weekend and by Monday morning I was felling pretty much back to normal. So I did what any obsessive person would do- I ran again. And as I got comfortable to lengthen my stride I felt the pull again. sonofabitch! You have got to be kidding me!

I have decided to take a week or so off of running and incorporate yoga as a way to heal my poor little pulled muscle. I hate taking time off my routine, but I know I have to take care of me or risk being in pain for much longer than necessary.

If you're looking for me, you can find me at the Bingo Hall with Grandma Kelsey. Love you Kels.

POAS Obsessers Anonymous

2010-06-11T14:50:00.000-05:00

Hi! Remember me? Remember how I am an obsessive freak?!?! Well, its hit an all time low. I am obessed with peeing on a stick.

Its virtually impossible that I am actually pregant, because we tried to avoid it until after I got done with the whole donation thing. But there is a slight chance and I seriously can't stop buying and peeing on these things. At the risk of making y'all see what I complete psycho I am, here's the conversation between Austin and I Wednesday night.

Your's Truely: "I think I should go buy some more tests".

My Love: "You just tested Sunday. QUIT WASTING MONEY".

Your's Truely: "But I just feeeeel like this is it".

My Love: Giving me that look "Thats because you are convincng yourself you are. Your brain can make the rest of your body do crazy things"

Your's Truely: "I know asshole. Why aren't you more excited about this?!?!"

My Love: "I will be ONCE YOU ARE PREGANT!!!"

slience. then pouty face.

My Love: "We need to see if Costco has them in bulk. At the rate you are going through these things, we aren't going to have any money to afford a child anymore".

Unfortunately, my Costco did not have them. So I went to Target. Then went home and tested. Big Fat Negative. You'd think I'd take a hint, but then I decided to test this morning (Austin, don't get pissed if you read this!) Big Fat Negative...

Before you criticize me:

Yes, I know I should not expect to get preggo first time outta the gate.
Yes, I KNOW I should not be overthinking this or it could potentially cause problems with conceiving. But I swear, I am only like this when its close to the time that I would be most likely to get a positive reading.
Yes, I know I should sit back and enjoy this...I swear I am!!

I know once the newness excitment wears off I will test less and less and just let things happen (at least I hope so).

Do they have meetings for addictions like these? I know I can't be the only one out there with this obsession.

Running Paranoia

2010-06-10T09:03:00.001-05:00

This morning was my first morning run of the year. It just got too damn hot to run any other time. Overall it was a great run, but I had a constant "oh shit, what's after me" sort of feeling. Here were the basic facts:

1. Its still dark at 5 am.

2. Apparently my neighborhood hates street lights and sidewalks.

3. We have lots of trees, which make for lots of rustling and occassional shadows from the moon light.

4. My husband was dead to the world so even if I called him while in distress, he wouldn't have answered.

5. Yes, I have a big intimidating dog, but there are two reasons he is a pointless running companion. First, he pees on everything. And he's not the type of dog who you can just "tug" for him to rejoin you on the run. He's a rock solid mass that doesn't move unless he wants to. Secondly, he has a mean bark, but in reality if someone was attacking me, he would lick them to death.

I started to run one of my normal routes which goes over two cute little wooden pedestrian bridges (going over cute little streams) surrounded by a ton of beautiful big trees. Well thats how it all appears when you can see. When its dark and you are a paranoid fareeeak with only an iphone with which to defend youself, the scene apparently turns to a trap suited for little red riding hood or a busty hot chick in Texas Chainsaw Masacre.

So, I turned my happy ass around and ran around a crappy little 3/4 mile loop 6 times. It was the best lit and not to far from the house. It was boring. Hey, but at least I'm alive telling you this snoozer of a story instead of chained to a pipe in a serial killer's basement.

Wordless Wednesday- Puppy Love

2010-06-09T14:17:00.002-05:00

Giveaway Winner

2010-06-09T08:58:00.001-05:00

Sorry I stink so bad at blogging lately. I just remembered I needed to announce the winner of the book giveaway. So without further ado...the winner is:

Comment #3--Mommy Loves Stilettos!! I know you will love this book girl, so congratulations!!

*Note- I used random number generator but didn't do screen shots or anything because I assume that you girls trust me.

Last Weekend of Travel and Car Accident and Our Anniversary!

2010-06-07T14:24:00.000-05:00

I left last Wenesday for what will hopefully be my last travel stint without my hubby for quite some time (I have been gone a little bit each week for the last month!) Anywho, I headed back to St. Louis for my cousin's high school graduation. He is the first of three boys in that family to graduate and he(being the oldest and more self-centered) is very much like me.

Ohhhh- before I show pictures, I should warn you - hubby loooves my hair short(weird, I know) and I know I look better with short hair, so as an anniversary present to him, I chopped it off and went back to my more natural color...yay summer do!

{Pretty sure mom was laughing about how we distracted Zach after he walked across the stage and he ended up running over a teacher.bahaha}

{Zach and his sweet girlfriend- they are coming to visit us in July!!}

{Me and Zachy- I accidently wore the school colors}

{Our fam minus my sister whose flight got in too late to make it to the ceremony}

{My three cousins and their parents..thats the aunt that almost passed away a year ago to the week}

{Mom,Grandma, Mom's sister}

{My fabulous fam-minus the sis still}

{An old military buddy of mine who is stationed a few hours away drove in with his son to see me. It was great catching up}

{Grandpa's gravestone was up...sorry if you think its morbid to take pictures at a cemetary}

There was a headstone by his who's name was Wyatt Earp...I refrained from taking a picture since it clearly wasn't the "real" Wyatt Earp.

A few things to take note in this picture:

1. The reason I loooove National cemetaries is the strait lines and clean look

2. The grass hasn't had a chance to grow since unfortunately the graves were so fresh

3. You can't see them but Grandpa's grave had deer tracks on them. Cool.

4. That backhoe is putting a coffin in its place. I was enthralled. Dad made me quit staring.

I flew home late Saturday afternoon to spend my anniversary with the hubs. (He had class again so he couldn't go with me). That night we went to visit friends and our God daughter and coincidently got slammed into while pulling into the driveway. Apparently the girl ,who was riding our ass through the whole neighrhood, didn't notice the blinker hubs put on OR the brakes when he went to slow down OR wait for it....the fact that we were turning into a freaking driveway. She was probably going at least 40mph and took a huge chunk out of my poor little car's back end whilst spinning us around for a notsofun joyride. Luckily hubs was able to control the car enough to avoid our friends cars(parked in their driveway). I hit my head (eye) on the side window, but other than that, all was okay. Geesh.

So Sunday (Our 1st Wedding Anniversary and 7th year together), I planned on doing a quick post of our wedding pictures, but started having far too much fun with my love, so maybe later this week I will get something like that posted.

We had planned on making it a pretty lazy day and then decided at the last minute to go have a "nice" dinner. We "dressed up" went and had lots and lots of sushi. I didn't even bother to put make up on. Classy Chels, real classy.

{don't look at my yucky face!}

{We pretended that Austin gave me the black eye instead of the accident}

{I hate Sake, barf}

{They gave us this cute little dessert for our anniversary.}

I love you baby. Thanks for a great year!

Wordless Wednesday- with a few words 0>:

2010-06-02T11:54:00.000-05:00

I can't even begin to put together a story explaining how chaotic our weekend was so I will just leave you with pictures. Let me preface this with saying that this was the first time in I don't know how long we haven't spent the weekend on our boat. I had fun, but it will never happen again. Never. I live for the boat.

Reminder- Book Giveaway ends tonight.

Waiting at the Corps of Engineers Building at the lake after our truck's alternator went out in the middle of nowhere with no phone service. Luckily a nice redneck gave us a lift where we could get service and call our friends for a tow. Austin wanted me to point out that we left everything in the truck except what he considered the nessessities: His wife, his dog and his beer.

My sexy man doing manly stuff. But really his truck is always the one to pull people out of jams, so for his truck to be the tow-ee, he was pretty devastated.

Finally made it to the cabin...3 hours late.

New day, same pissed off truck owner.

Clearly, I'm over it. It could have been a loooooot worse. Our guardian angel was looking out.

Preparing japs for the grill....tasty.

Someone was worn out...

Minute to Win it Games...drinking version.

Mom and Dad's neighbor

Hubs sure knows how to handle some ding dongs. You bet your ass I ate one when he was finished.

Austin's Dad's girlfriend

My Pops

Neighbor

Austin's dad...this was hilarious!

Sister's girlfriend

My Momma

This required spinning around really fast. Put that with the beer and copious amounts of crap I had put in my mouth up until that point and know that I was sick for the rest of the night.

Sis

Koonboy cuddles when he gets tired.

He's alseep in this picture. No joke, fast asleep.

Serious drunk conversation

No comment...also he dresses himself.

This was my Pops. He is crazy.

Brown Chicken, Brown Cow

2010-05-28T10:19:00.002-05:00

RN Mama@ 29 and Holding just gifted me with the perfect week-ending award. If you don't know this chick yet, you definitely have to go get to know her. She's hilarious, honest, kind(to me, not necessarily the stupid people she may occassionally blog about). I just love her. Go check her out. WAIT! Finishing reading my post, thennnnn go check her out ;) Happy Friday!

{hilarious btw}

The joys of accepting this award (besides flat out loving the attention) is that I get to post pictures of yummy men. I have to tell y'all 5 characters I would, ya know...bow chicka wow wow. How the hell do you spell that properly? I almost just wrote brown chicken brown cow, but I'm was worried you wouldn't have heard that joke and subsequently not know what the hell I was talking about. If you still need help figuring out my banter, please see the picture in the above award. And don't judge me for not being as funny as I like to think I am sometimes. Thanks.

In no particular order...

1. Sean Garrity - Rescue Me, played by Steven Pasquale

While Hubby is the hottest fireman I know, this guy runs a close second. I heart his arms (yep, I'm an arm fareeeak!) He's not the brightest bulb, but I can get past that. Plus, the soot covered face and sweaty hero piece doesn't hurt matters.

2. McDreamy-Grey's, played by Eric Dane

no.explanation.needed

3. Iceman- Top Gun, played by Val Kilmer

Everyone always disagrees with me on this- I'm an Iceman girl, not Maverick.

4. Connor MacManus- Boondock Saints, played by Sean Patrick Flannery

Tattoos-lots please. Abs-I'd lick em. Funny- I like to laugh. Catholic Bad boy-tugs little uniform skirt whilst biting lower lip. Irish accent-drool.

5. Roux-Chocolat, played by Johnny Depp

I love Johnny in pretty much every movie he does, but I really loved Roux. He appealed to my sensitive side.

UPDATE: My dumbass forgot to pass this award on. Ooops. Here ya go:

First Comes Love then comes Baby...?

Lavender, Leapard & Lace

And I thought I loved you Then...

Herding Cats

The Holmes Home

Anything Fits a Naked Man

Confessions of a Yankee Girl

P.S. I forgot to put a closing date on the book giveaway...lets say next Wednesday(June 2). I was also contacted by CSN to host a giveaway over a month ago, but I just got too overwhelmed with life, so I should be doing a "real" giveaway soon. Stay tuned.

The Heart Mender + A Giveaway

2010-05-27T11:00:00.001-05:00

When Andy finds a historical treasure of sorts buried in his beachfront yard, he takes us down a path of history and fiction intertwined to create the ultimate example of forgiveness. Set primarily in WWII, Helen loses her husband as a casualty of war. At 25 she finds herself angry with everyone and everything in her life. As she struggles with her day to day pity party, her bitterness is shattered when her enemy lands right in her back yard.
I absolutely loved this book. I can honestly say it was one of the best books I have read in a long time. The writing style wasn’t my favorite, but that was easily over looked by the power of the story. I found myself feeling the emotions of Helen and her struggle to forgive (for her sake). It was a quick read that appealed to my sense of adventure and love of history. It inspires me to go dig up my back yard in an attempt to find a treasure-although my husband would probably prefer that I didn’t so maybe I’ll just stick to doing a little historical research in the library.
This is one book I would have no problem reading until the pages were faded, so I refuse to give up my copy, but I have good news for those of you who love books like I do- Booksneeze was gracious enough to send me a second copy to give away! So, if you are interested, play along!
1 entry- comment letting me know that you are a follower (you must be a follower to win)

2 more entries- comment telling me about your favorite inspirational book

3 entries- blog about my giveaway (leave a comment with the link)

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I was cleared!

2010-05-26T09:01:00.002-05:00

Lengthy post...

Life has been such a wirlwind lately, I haven't had time to post about the fact that late Friday I was cleared to go through with the donation for my recipient. Catch up here. My white blood cells were back up to normal...yay, no AIDS or leukemia for me. My hemoglobin was still low, but who cares...

So EARLY Sunday morning, I hopped on a plane back to D.C. The DoD allows for you to bring a companion so you aren't going through everything alone. Hubs has way too much going on with school and work, so we thought it would be a good idea to invite my grandma since she needs to get out of the house after loosing her husband of 52 years just last month. So I flew from Dallas, Grandma (RoRo as I call her) flew from St. Louis and we met at Reagan in downtown D.C.

Once in D.C. we got all checked into our beautiful hotel (in Fairfax, VA). If you are ever in the area, this is a great place to stay...esp if someone else is paying for it :) I stole all these pictures from their website because they did the hotel better justice than mine did.

(front lobby)

(business center)

(sitting area)

(bar/lounge)

(restaurant-yummy food)

(soothing waterfall courtyard)

(outdoor pond-had a great running trail, but I had no energy :( )

(indoor/outdoor pool)

(please read the tope rule-bahahaha)

(our room had 2 beds)

(crazy little Italian lady)

(lunch in the bar)

After we got all checked in and had lunch, we jumped on a shuttle to the closest metro station. RoRo has NEVER been on a subway before, so I captured her devergination experience...

(she was so antsy to get on, she almost didn't wait for it to stop)

(Big Smiles)

Then we headed to the national mall to see the typical DC things. We didn't have much time for sightseeing this go-round. I have been to DC three times in the last 9 years and everytime with different people, so I end up having to see the same things over and over. :)

(I am obsessed with this tree)

(Korean War Memorial is my favorite)

(its so much more sobering at night)

(haha- this was on the Metro ride back to the hotel)

The next day was donation day. We got up and had a yummo breakfast and then sat out in the courtyard and relaxed. Then it was time for my appointment. I found out that this center is now the #1 aphoresis center in the world. There is one in Germany that takes #2. But there still aren't near enough people needed(since its so rare to be a match), so if you are interested in being a donor, let me know and I'll get you hooked up.

(on our way-my eyes are very squinty for some reason)

The people here are all so increadibly nice. And they must really love it because all of the people who helped me out a year and a half ago (with the actual marrow donation) are still there!

(This looks so funny to me. They had hot water bottles all over my arms and then covered me up to allow for my blood to flow a lot quicker than it would if I was cold)

(Here is a better look. It looks like I am in pain, but I swear, I just suck at pictures at the moment.)

Quick explanation:

Left arm: This was the arm they pulled the blood. There is a metal needle in there the whole time for max blood flow, so I wasn't allowed to bend this one at all.
Right arm: my veins were good enough in my hand that they were able to put the catheter in the back of my hand so I could move around more. This was where the non needed stuff could be put back into my body.
Basically they pull the blood out of my right arm and put it through this machine.

Its a blurry picture, but this way you have a little bit of a visual. The deep red bag to the far left is the whole blood. The clear bag next to that is the saline they put back in me along with some of my plasma and red blood cells. The next (pee yellow looking) bag is my plasma, then the next (strawberry magarita looking) bag on the far right is my white blood cells--which is what my lady needed).

All in all they were able to get TWICE what her advocates were asking for. It only took roughly 3.5 hours which was insanely fast! I'm a white blood cell making machine! Hopeully since her body already has my marrow in her, it won't reject them. I'll know more in a few days. If you stuck with me through that whole post...thanks. If not, wake up and get back to work. Thanks for all of y'alls support through this and my grandpas death. Love you guys.

American Wife

2010-05-21T13:56:00.004-05:00

On my trip to DC last week, I decided to start reading a book I got with a buy 2 get 1 sale at B&N:

I read the summary of the book, but honestly had no idea what it was all about. I just saw that it was 550+ pages and figured it could keep me busy while I traveled.

As far as the book as a whole, I really loved the first half. It has drama, moral strife and my favorite-sex, all portreyed in a ~~somewhat~~ classy, well-written tone. About mid way through it started feeling very rushed and the writing seemed more and more sporatic. I wish the last half would have been as seamless and easy to read as the first.

Thats my opinion of her writing. My opinion of her story was, well... I am not really sure. Here's a little background on me, even though I really swore I would talk politics on this blog because I don't care to start a debate in this particular arena.

1. I am plain and simple a big fan of President George Bush. I won't go into details, but I appreciate who he is and what he has done. I'm also a big fan of Laura.

2. I traditionally vote Republican, because of the platform, not because of the party.

3. I grew up pro-choice and had the opinion "to each his own". I have slowly evolved to where I am now, which is strongly (but not fanatically) pro-life.

After reading a bit, I started realizing it sounded a lot like the life of Laura Bush. When I started coming to this realization, I decided to google the book. Apparently I was very in the dark about the whole thing, because I found out that I was reading a book written by a woman who had a ton of respect for Laura Bush and almost zilch for her husband. Which made Hubs and I laugh, because I typically don't spend any money on anything anti-Bush. It because clear that Curtis' novel is "loosely" based on Laura Bush. From the research I have done on Laura in the past, it seems like Curtis wrote something close to an ill-advised biography versus a fictional novel; Random facts thrown in with a little fiction. I don't know how to explain it, I just felt a little deceived.

I actually enjoyed reading it, but still cringed at times when her main male character (clearly intended to be modeled after Bush) did something ohsoembarrasingly rediculous. Quite obvisouly I realize neither George W. or Laura are without faults and in some cases, a few major ones, so it didn't bother me that this book showed those.

In the end, it got way too agenda-oriented for me-- especially when speaking out about the war. Which again, is something I am pretty passionate about, so that ruffled my feathers just a bit. Its not that I wouldn't advise reading this book, I just think a warning should have been attached to the cover.

Have any of you read this book? What did you think?

Picture Pictures Pictures!

2010-05-20T10:27:00.000-05:00

So much has been going on lately and I haven't had the time to post many pictures, so I decided to make this post a "catch up" of sorts--picture style.

A few weeks ago, we helped me memaw and pawpaw move rooms in their assisted living center(Memaw has had Parkinson's for over 13 years...what a shitty disease!!)

{sorry for the bad iphone picts- thats my memaw}

{Austin with Papaw in Memaws new room}

{In the courtyard}

I finally got a new rug for the living room!! Austin and I have been butting heads for months...he hates rugs and thinks they are pointless. Clearly you see who won that battle. Its a little wavy in the picture, but it has settled well in the last few weeks.

Next is the St. Louis trip. Obvisously it was a sad time for our family, but it was also one of my favorite trips because we all got to spend so much time together. We cried a lot, but we laughed a lot too. I thank God every day for blessing me with these crazy peeps.

{mom and my uncle soothing their puffy eyes}

{Hubs, me, my sis, her girlfriend at Pizza Hut after the wake}

{My love}

{Two of my cousins and a girlfriend-she's a sweetie}

{sis, mom and me at a park. we took walks there to get out of the house for a bit}

{My Daddy- If our accents don't give us away, his hat screams "We're not from here"}

{Sis and gf and mom and dad in background. I would like to point out that they hold hands like that all the time-this year they celebrated 32 years.}

{my sis, my aunt and me...This is my dads sister. She came all the way up to be there for my momma}

{love love love of my life}

{me}

{getting Grandma out of the house for a bit...grandma, me, my aunt(mom's sister)}

{I made mom be the pimp}

{having a little fun}

Then was the birthday party Hubby's mom hosted to celebrate the first 5 months of birthdays for the family. She just moved into her new house. Unfortunately, I didn't get any really good pictures of the house...just the people.

{Hubs' balloon is the green one on the far left-27}

{all the birthday people}

{no one else wanted to blow out the candles, so Austin stole their thunder}

{me and my SIL- she's about to be a Sr. at Tech}

{Austin and Sis}

{Austin and his Momma}

{Austin's little fire dude}

And in case you ever wanted to know how many shots it takes the Taylors to take a "normal" picture, I give you...

{1- Damn you babe!}

{2-sigh}

{3-Fish hook!}

{4-Really?!?!}

{5-His sister (the picture taker) was getting pretty impatient at this point}

{6- wasn't ready}

{7-He just had to have the last silly face}

{8!!! Finally!!!}

The life of a Hypochondriac

2010-05-18T16:40:00.000-05:00

I hate that I am admitting this because it makes me sound like such a whiney weenie, but it really is the truth.

I have a slight tendency to be a hypochondriac and the blogging world has only made it worse. You know, you read about so and so who is going through this and another so and so who is battling that. Its nice, because I see these stories and add to the prayer bank for that person. But I have also snapped out of the realization that "it won't happen to me". So now I worry about every.little.thing. Headache- oh hell, I have a brain tumor. Hip is sore from a workout- shit, I think I have bone cancer...

Yesterday, I flew into DC for the physical to ensure I was still healthy enough to donate T-cells to my receipient. (If you are confused, see here).

We already knew my hemoglobin levels were going to be a little low because A) I have chronic anemia (not just when I am period-y). B. My dumbass gave blood last Monday without thinking, and it can take a bit for your levels to get back to normal.

Remember, we are trying to get this done ASAP so we can get to baby making.

I call today to see where my levels are. Normal levels are 12.5-16.5. Without my iron pills, I am usually around 10.5 or 11. With my iron pills (every.freaking.day) I stay at about 14.5. perfect. This last week I upped myself to 3 pills a day to get my levels back up. My levels yesterday tested at an 11.6. They really don't like to do the aphoresis at anything less than 12. They decided since I still have a week before we want to donate that they should be up by then, so they plan on clearing me!

Yessssss!- or so I thought. Apparently my white blood cell count is low. Which is weird, because that is usually the ONE thing I have going for me in the blood making realm. We are concerned that they won't be able to take enough from me to be worth it for her. So I am sad. But then I hang up with my coordinator and think, "holy hell, what does it mean that my WBC count is low".

Naturally I did what any overanalytical idiot would do...I googled it. So now I am convinced I have either AIDS or leukemia. On top of that, I woke up this morning feeling fine. But since google, I have developed a "headache", I'm "weak" and my throat is swollen and I can barely swallow. Paranoia does stupid things doesn't it?!?!

What's Eating Gilbert Grape?

2010-05-13T13:57:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately ladies, this post is not about the 1990s era movie with hottie hotstuff. It was the first thing that popped into my head when I was trying to think of a clever title. But because I love you all so much, I will go ahead and throw in a picture.

Young Johnny:

Yummy Johnny:

But the true meaning of this post is actually only about fruit.

I big puffy heart all sorts of fruit. The ones I love the most tend to be a little bit more difficult to consume than others. Mangos for example...oh so tasty, but have you ever tried actually cutting one up? It really sucks. If it didn't suck for you, please tell this broad your secret. Thanks. Pinapples...I actually googled "the best way to cut a pinapple" because my way was miserable.

Why do I bring this up, you ask? Well, because yesterday I walked to the Dallas Farmers Market during lunch. Its about a 2 mile round trip but very worth it. Fresh local fruits and veggies at low prices. So as I am browsing and getting obnoxiously hit on by immigrant workers, I run across these bad boys:

{Globe grapes}

In case you can't tell just how big these beauties are, here's a loner by my regular size chapstick.

Every time my eyes cross paths with a bunch of Globe Grapes, I am in a trance over their appeal. Bigger grapes=yummy satisfaction. And every time I remind myself, they have seeds, and those seeds suck. And every time, I buy them anyway.

So here I am, munching on them once again and biting into seeds...no matter how careful I am to avoid them. These seeds came from TWO grapes. rediculous.

{sorry for the blurry picture-iphone}

I'm pretty sure I swallowed a few and will probably end up growing a grapevine out of my ass. And once again, I'm regretting not buying just regular sized grapes. Apparently I struggle with the "Go big or go home" theory.

Every Blog Needs a Little Bling

2010-05-12T10:37:00.000-05:00

I got an award while I was on hiadus!

Kathie @ Just a Happy Housewife created this beauty:

All I have to do to accept this award is pass on the love!

Thanks Kathie!!

I would like to pass this on to two people who made me smile and uplifted me so much last week. I love meeting people like them in Blogland.

Tami @ 29 and Holding

PartialEmptyNester

All of you ladies who I "talk" to on a regular basis make it so hard to be away from the blog world. I hope I am done with the hiatus for a while.

Long time, no blog...and yet another crazy endeavor

2010-05-11T12:22:00.006-05:00

Wow, I was away for quite a while this time around. My Grandpa passed away Friday the 30th(no, I did not make it to St. Louis to see him in time). Yes, I was angry and then mom reminded me that this was God's timing, not my own. I was in St.Louis all last week for the wake, funeral and then just helping mom and Grandma tie up all the loose ends. I'm honestly not in much of a mood to talk about the funeral, but I will say that my Grandpa looked better than any dead person I have ever seen. They did an outstanding job fixing him all up. He was buried with full military honors and my Grandma was presented with a flag. The week was sad, but also a great time with the family. I took a few pictures of the fun times, but I forgot my camera at my parent's house, so those will have to wait.

As for the second peice of the title, I would like to once again point out that my plans, do not = God's plans. With all the stress of last week, the lack of birth control and crappy food I was putting in my mouth, I ended up starting my period a full week later than I was supposed to. At first, I freaked out, because we were honestly still trying to avoid pregancy for a few more months. But then by the third day, I confessed that I was hoping I was pregnant, even though it wasn't in the plan. Hubs agreed. God didn't ;) I started Monday morning. Thats okay though. I have discovered that my cramps are a lot less severe and flow is even better off of bc. But there is another reason I am glad God knows what He's doing...

First I need to back-track. About a year and a half ago I got a call from the Department of Defense Bone Marrow program. I was found to be a match to a 58 year-old woman with Hodgkins Lymphoma. Damn Cancer Devil. Well, long story short, I went through the process to donate bone marrow stem cells to this woman. Since then I have gotten periodic updates on her status (we do not know each others names or locations). Up until last Friday she and I were kicking cancer's ass. But Friday I was notified that the mother effer is trying to come back.

So the next two weeks are being spent going through the process to donate T-Cells to fight the cancer cells attemting to take over. They are bastards. The donation process is basically just like plasma donation (through aphorisis) but much longer. Its not nearly as demanding as the process I had to do the first time around. Piece of cake, right??... except last time I wasn't trying to get pregnant. My advocate (the center who looks out for my interests over the recepient's) has told me since white blood cells reginerate so quickly, there should be no issues with trying to conceive AFTER the donation. BUT, that also means that I can't try to get pregnant until then, because clearly they won't allow me to do the donation if I am pregnant. But I still want to talk with my OB to see what she thinks about the whole thing.

I do have a choice in all of this, but in my opinion, how could I possibly say "no sorry lady, you have to die now because I can't wait a little longer to try to get pregnant". No.way.in.hell.

So I will head to DC next week to start with the tests (to make sure my body can still handle it), will donate in about two weeks, have a blast at the Lake Memorial Day weekend, go to St. Louis for my cousins graduation the following weekend. Fly home ASAP to celebrate my anniversary with the love of my life(June 6) and immediately "get to work" on making babies. Who says you can't have it all ;)

I have missed all you lovlies over the last week, but I promise to catch up on everyone soon. Please say a few prayers for my marrow recipient. I am really hoping she can make it to see her 60s and then her 70s, 80s, and 90s.

When there is nothing left to do but pray

2010-04-28T10:39:00.004-05:00

My mom flew to St. Louis to see my grandpa on Monday. Monday I heard my mom utter the words "There is no turning this around. His body is shutting down". My Grandpa Vinny, who has always been a shining example of what it means to truely give yourself over to God, will soon be going home to his maker. He's calm and peaceful. My rock.fucking.solid little Italian fireball grandma is calm and peaceful.

I am working on it. Right now I am not too peaceful, and Monday I was about as far from calm as one can get. I have been angry too, but I'm over that. I'm very fortunate to have not lost any of my grandparents to this point. My grandpa is not old. He went to the hospital because they FINALLY discovered he was having so many problems because he had sleep apnea. Sleep apnea people. My Grandpa is dying because it took too long for the doctors to figure out that he wasn't breathing properly. Then he hated wearing the damn oxygen system that was supposed to cure him. The CO2 which has poisoned his blood and his diabetes have caused complications that are apparently unrepairable. Since hearing this news, with the help of those around me, I have returned to being a rational adult who realizes that this is God's plan and not the fault of a doctor.

At this point in my greiving journey, I feel its important for me talk a little more about God's plan. Last June while Austin and I were on our honeymoon, my aunt (mom's sister) was dying. She suffers from Crohn's disease and while hiking somewhere, contracted Legionarre's disease. It was a tough thing to diagnose and when I returned from our honeymoon I learned that my Aunt's condition was very bleak. Two weeks later she was released from the hospital and well on her way to a full recovery. By.God's.Grace.

My sister and I called my grandma last night to check on her. I think most of the time when someone is dying they are okay, its the one's they leave behind who I am concerned about. She is content. She is losing the love of her life, the father to her three children, the man who took care of bills and the lawn. She is peaceful. She has Jesus at her side, holding her hand. She said to me "Sweetpea (been called that since I was a day old-because I was as ugly as the baby in Popeye), I know that God helped [your aunt] get through that mess because he knew this was coming. He knew we needed each other when he called Grandpa home. I will be sad and lonely, and I will miss him, but this is what it is". I knew I picked her to be my confirmation sponsor for a reason.

God can't keep bad things from happening to His people. But he can sure comfort them.

Last night, my sis and I got together. We planned on bringing a bottle of wine to a little italian restaraunt by my house. We got a little side-tracked, and ended up at the park with this:

We dumped the soda out and filled our cups with wine. How's that for WT? It had us laughing so hard, for a brief moment we forgot to be sad.

A cardinal (think St. Louis Cardinals) landed on the tree a few yards from us.

Surreal.

Jeeze MAVS!!

2010-04-27T15:17:00.003-05:00

In case you aren't following the playoffs, I am sad to inform you that the Mavs lost BOTH freaking games to the Spurs this weekend. So now the series is at 1-3. Makes me want to hit something. Since I was asked, I thought you should see what our losses got us on Monday morning.

Can you tell I was a cheerleader? The man on the right (when looking at the video) is our VP of HR. All the spectators are the Spurs fans.

Never Let You Go by Erin Healy

2010-04-27T14:19:00.002-05:00

Lexi, a single mom to 9 year-old Molly, finds herself dealing with demons of the past-both her own and those of her estranged husband, Grant. Holding her and her daughter afloat with 2 low-paying jobs, Lexi is met by Ward, a drug dealer demanding the payment of Grant’s old debts. Not long after, Grant finds his way back to a very skeptical Lexi. He longs for his mistakes to be forgiven, yet struggles with the consequences of walking out of Lexi and Molly’s life as nothing more than a drug addict.

But there is a larger battle at hand. The epic battle of good vs. evil. Heaven vs. Hell.

I had a tough time putting this book down once I started. In fact, I read it in one day. Old school bible stories are great, but what really strengthens my relationship with God, is a novel that shows the grace of God through a really good fictional drama.

I will admit, I was expecting more of a traditional earthly “God is with you” sort of story. I was a little taken aback when actual demons and angels became players in the story line. It didn’t take me long to shift my thinking and begin enjoying the book again. The novel held my suspense right up to the end. I found myself taking on the same concerns of Lexi, only wanting to do what was best for her little girl. Yet a few minutes later I would relate to an angry, albeit innocent, Molly who simply wants to meet her father. And not long after that, I was in Grant’s shoes, thinking about the mistakes of his past and sharing in his determination to right his wrongs.

I thought the novel was a little hard to follow and found myself having to re-read a page or two to figure out what was going on. Overall, I was inspired by the ultimate message of forgiveness and washing out evil, including that which you have brought on yourself.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

My Husband is Old

2010-04-26T14:43:00.003-05:00

Today is the birthday of the man that totally rocks my socks off:

{The pup rocks too, but I'm talking about the cute sleepy man beside him}

This last weekend was his "birthday weekend". He won't accept just one day of whatever he wants. Fair enough as long as I get everything I want every other day of the year-which I do.

Today he turns 27, so for a few short months we are the same age. This post's title lists him as old because when I asked him what he wanted to do this year for his birthday, his exact answer was "watch Lonesome Dove,eat meatballs and drink some red wine". I have a feeling I have rubbed off on him a little too much.

So yesterday after marking off the frame for our new front driveway!!! We sat on the couch for 6 hours and watched one of the greatest movies of all times, crying ~~our~~ my eyes out for the last 2 hours. And because Marine Wife asked (in my first comment), I thought I should add that he ate my homemade meatballs (which I did surprisingly well on) and we drank a big bottle of Merlot.

In honor of My Love, I give y'all the top 27 reasons ~~the world is~~ I'm lucky to have Mr. Taylor.

1. He is hot, has yummy arms and amazing soccer-player legs.

2. He is going to school to learn how to save lives and he's a natural at it. (He is even spending his birthday practicing drug calculations).

3. He has a big... (get your mind out of the gutter! I was talking about his heart. but the other isn't too shabby either).bahaha

4. He has stuck by me through the worst of times.

5. He is a great friend to anyone who needs it.

6. He is patient with even the most STUPID people.

7. He can ride a unicycle like its nobody's business.

8. He's a loving Godfather to two little girls.

9. He's an awesome son-just ask his Mom. My Daddy exclaimed on our wedding day "I always wanted a son...and now I've got one"!! and they really are inseperable.

10. He eats my crappy cooking.

11. He doesn't back down to a fight when he feels its necessary to step-up.

12. He can eat probably 15 tacos from Jack in the Crack at a time- ensuring the staff at that nasty place keeps their job. Its probably a result of #10.

13. He has the best laugh of anyone I have ever known. You can't help but smile when he belts out a good laugh.

14. He could get along with a brick wall. He finds new friends wherever we go.

15. He is "green"- and pees off the back porch every morning insead of wasting water in the toilet :)

16. He is passionate about everything he does.

17. He calms me down on a daily basis, keeping idiots from getting murdered.

18. He snores so loud I never have to worry about sleeping through an alarm.

19. He has broken/lost at least 8 phones since I have known him-keeping AT&T in business.

20. He's an awesome Daddy to our furbaby.

21. He humors the craziness that is Chelsey.

22. He dances on the back porch, but not in public.

23. He never gets worked up over political climates. He just keeps his mouth shut and lets me debate on his behalf.

24. He cries when appropriate and wipes other's tears when appropriate (although he does laugh at me when I cry during TV shows like the Series Finally of Ugly Betty).

25. He can parallel park an 18 wheeler and dig a tank with a backhoe in his sleep.

26. I couldn't ask for a better father for our future kids.

27. He's grown from a guy who got my number for a friend in a bar, to the absolute love of my life.

Happy Birthday babydoll, I love you.

I should know better than to bet on the Mavs...

2010-04-23T11:14:00.000-05:00

I'm a Mavericks fan. I wouldn't ever consider changing that-even when they suck. I am hoping this year is going to be different. They have been on fire during the regular season. Enter the San Antonio Spurs in Round 1 of playoffs. They are a good team with an awesome history. BUT the Mavs are better this year. So when our department started a friendly wager(on a per game basis) I was totally going for the Mavs -especially because my new dotted-line boss is a Spurs fan.

Game 1 had my new boss pouring my starbucks coffee at my beck and call. Too bad I'm not a huge coffee fan.

Game 2 caused this:

{Spurs black instead of Mavs blue}

So to the Mavs, I say this: Please please please don't make me look like an idiot again. Wearing a sweatband in 1980's fashion kinda sticks. Happy Friday and lets hope the Mavs show their true colors this weekend.

Love Me Some Earth

2010-04-22T09:43:00.003-05:00

Happy Earth Day Bloggies!

The phrase "going green" honestly annoys me a little bit. I can't pinpoint exactly why. BUT I will gladly admit that I believe it has allowed for major progress in the "save the planet" movement. I have a tough time being green. I'm lazy. I like big trucks... and boats. And I'm cheap. But I really do want to try to be better. I am not all Al Gore when it comes to global warming(I personally side with geologists who have not skewed evidence and show that the earth has always had climate shifts, not caused by humans). But nonetheless, I do believe in making the earth a better place so my kids' kids' kids have something left.

In 2005, I was living in Abilene(thanks Air Force) and Hubs(then boyfriend) was still in DFW. Most weekends were spent driving back and forth. Because I am cheap and was ohsotired of spending insane $ on gas, I went from driving this:

To driving this:

{Civic Hybrid-this is not my acutal car, but looks just like it}

I bought it back when Hybrids weren't insanely expensive, so I really have saved $$$ on gas- and a tax break. Now days, if you see someone driving a new model hybrid of any type, they are helping the environment, but because of the markup of the hybrid models, its really not saving $. So I am openly admiting that my cheap ass probably wouln't pay for a hybrid now, but will totally take the credit for being "green" by default.

FYI, the hubs drives this (and it is such a turn on for this Texas chick):

That being said, I already do some things, but I think there are a few things I could change to love me some earth.

1. Right now we recycle, but here's the problem. The recycling bin stays in our garage and there are tons of times have a small piece of something to recycle and I think "eh, its just a piece, I'll just throw it away"...because I'm too lazy to walk to the garage. That "one" piece adds up. I have been wanting one of these for years:

Do you know how expensive these SOBs are? Horrible. Part of me wants to say that its worth the investment and part of me wants to say that I will just be less lazy- Im not ready to commit to either, but Im thinking about it! Like my avoidance on the first commitment to be Captain Planet?

2. I have a farmer's market 5 minutes from our house. I think I am going to start buying locally.

3. I have soooo many of these reusable cloth bags you see everywhere:

I tell myself every week when I go shopping, I am going to bring them with me, but then I forget and end up getting plastic bags instead. I'm going to really push to start using these more.

4. I have started migrating my cleaners to to more eco-friendly cleaners, thanks to Ria!!

5. I rarely buy botttled water, but since they are free at work, I go through about 4 20 oz bottles a day. Its way too easy to just fill up my reusable cup with water from the tap, so I will start doing that from this point forward.

I would like to do more, but this is all I've got for now. I figure every little bit helps.

Just in case you care, here are some tips for how to take small steps to "Go Green".

The Accidental Plunge

2010-04-20T16:39:00.000-05:00

Here's some insight as to what you would have to put up with if you were my precious hubs.

Two Sundays ago I was due to start a new pack of birth control. I forgot to pick it up from the pharmacy. I also forgot to pick it up Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I don't forget things. I am organized and on top of most of my shit. The problem this time around is that I would remember to pick them up at the most inopportune times, like when I was running down a trail in Dallas 30 miles from my pharmacy. I figure deep down this is a little case of my subconscious reacting to my baby fever.

To go ahead and put it all out there, Austin and I had decided to go off the pill in June. It was perfect timing and we both agreed (he originally wanted January and I thought it was better to wait just a little longer).

And I bet you want to know the point--> That Thursday I talked to Austin about the fact that I had already missed so many pills (which is crazy to me because I am always so diligent about this) and how I was a little nervous that trying to get caught up would throw my body out of whack. I had also decided that I wanted to aim to concieve in June, not just simply go off bc.

So I thought if we can avoid getting pregnant through other means for the next two months, my body might be a little more used to no pill and maybe would get pregant in June like I hope. Not that I think this is absolutely necessary, but I figure it might help. I do know plenty of people who end up pregnant THE month they stop taking the pill. Two weeks into being pill-free, I am a little nervous. Obviously, we would be thrilled if we got pregnant no matter what but, because I am such a planner, it will still throw me for a slight loop if it happened before I was ready.

And then of course there is always the dreaded "What if we have trouble getting pregnant when we are really trying?!?!?!" I think most women worry about this and because of the blogging community I know of many couples who had a tough time conceiving. I know its in God's hands. I'd like to not worry about it, but as Austin says, that would be like telling snow not to be white.

Welcome to the chaos that is my brain.

Bittersweet Friday

2010-04-16T15:10:00.001-05:00

I got back from a stellar lunch workout to find out one of my favorite smiley faces in our building had been terminated. He is the sweetest person ever and I think he was just having trouble keeping up with his role. I don't know the whole story, but I really am just ready to cry. You would think I would be better at the whole firing and laying people off thing since I have been in HR for years now. I'm not. I'm good at disciplining, especially when someone's attitude is the problem- You get that way when you are the section commander of a cop squadron that deploys year round. But actually completing an action that makes a good person (albeit incompetent) lose their paycheck makes me literaly feel like I am going to hurl. I can't even stand to think about it.

Taking a complete 180...it was officially announced today that I will be taking on the additional role in implemeting a new talent development tool for our company. I'm stoked. I left my old position in recruiting because frankly, I hated it. I moved to this new role in the International realm and I love it, but it is more administrative than I care for. I dont like behind the scenes. I need to be in the limelight. sad...but true. Plus, I think development and training is one of the most important functions HR can provide its people(besides payroll of course) .

So I bitched to my husband (mainly because I took a huge paycut to expand my career) and worked my ass off for a year and it looks like I will finally be getting to put my MS degree to good use. It will mean lots more hours at the office because I still hanging on to my current responsibilities, but I'm not afraid of that. Its part of life.

I love seeing God work. I have been praying asking for help to make a decision about the whole SAHM thing. (Mainly so we could decide if we needed to hoard money). I feel like this is God answering my prayers. Now we just have to get pregnant... Happy Friday ladies...and my one gentleman :)

Do you ever...

2010-04-15T15:10:00.001-05:00

...make huge life decisions on a whim?

I don't, because I am anal retentive and sorta break out in cold sweats when things don't go as I plan(but I plan well so that doesn't happen all that often). But lately I have been making more and more big decisions without really over-analyzing them like I normally would. I'm sure its because the hubs' laid-back approach to life is rubbing off on me.

Then as I sit back and realize what I just did, I think "ohholeyhellwhatdidijustdo" gasp. So maybe I'll have some interesting news for you guys in the future, maybe I won't.

...eat a mini cupcake and halfway through decide to go ahead and pick up another one cause you know your fat-ass is going to go back and get it in less than 2 minutes anyway?

Because I did that today before I ate lunch. Clearly, Lent taught me nothing about moderation.

...look at facebook statuses and think "What in the hell makes you think other people would want to know that?!?!"

COME ON PEOPLE. THINK BEFORE YOU UPDATE! Do you reeeeealllly want people you knew in high school (and aren't really friends with anymore) to know that about you? I'm not ashamed of anything in my life, but if my life made me write updates like I have seen lately, I might crawl in a hole.

Free Drinks

2010-04-13T13:19:00.003-05:00

Free drinks are one of the many reasons I enjoy bachelorette parties. But the memorable ones are the ones with crazy girls who go wayyyy back. Last weekend we headed to Austin for the bachelorette party of a good friend from high school. It was a little like a mini reunion (we have our real 10 year reunion in June).

We left early on Saturday morning. Thankfully, my mother in law let me trade my Civic Hybrid for her Navigator so we were able to get the whole group down there in 2 cars! People were not so thankful that I had to drive. I almost killed us twice on the way there because I get to talking and forget to pay attention :)

First stop was lunch at Abuelo's (forgive the iphone/fb picts, I wasn't paying attention when copying some of them):

{They had cuuuute t-shirts made, I wish we would have gotten a better picture of them}

{This is my best friend from high school who is still a best friend today. I used to hate her, because she stole my boyfriend, but then we ended up becoming inseperable}

Then we headed to get mani/pedis:

{thats the gorgeous bachelorette in the pink, and naturally, those are memosas in their hands}

{I have a battle wound from a day with the above bestie on my foot, so I opted for the mani and then the walk around}

Then we checked into our hotel:

{The famous bridesmaid. We tried to keep her on the DL. Kidding-she's not famous, but we tried to make people think she was}

{Getting ready to "tip" the bellhop. Yes, I agree she is crazy for putting $ in her mouth}

Next up: Lingerie Shower!!

{hmmm, whats in that box? It was a boa with lots of goodies attached}

{mmmm, cake. You bet your ass that got torn into after the bars}

Finally we went to dinner and out on the town. I think I bought one drink on my dime, everything else was covered by guys and bar promoters who wanted us to come to their bar. Here are a few notable moments:

{ready to paint the town red. }

See the girl two people to the right of the bachelorette? The one with the short blonde and black hair? Its the bachelorette's sister...who I used to help babysit when she was 5. When we were at the first bar, the DJ rocked awesome 90s music(think salt n peppa). We were loving it. I looked over to see little sister just standing there.

Me: "Whats wrong?"

Her: "Oh, nothing"

A lightbulb goes off

Me: "Holy Hell, you don't know these songs do you?"

Her:"ummm, no"

This was the moment we all realized how old we really are. So we drank more.

{HOT bride}

{HOT bride with out HOT bellhop}

{Shots}

{What stands out here? Oh the hoochie spandex dress? Yeah, she looked hot and I'm pretty sure she's half the reason we got so many free drinks. I bet thats how she stole my boyfriend in 9th grade too. The bitch is the size of my pinkie. Don't ask me what I'm doing, because I couldn't tell you}

{Again- I have no clue}

{This singer was yummy. Not as yummy as you hubby!}

{Playing Captain Planet with our rings...yep, that dates us as OLD too}

{We got a little preoccupied with him for a bit}

{Some guys begged us to take a picture with this "bachelor"...Pretty sure thats Colin Hanks(Orange County)}

What do you think?

My Man

2010-04-12T16:47:00.002-05:00

It has been a crazy day because I had a doctors appointment (yay for a preconception OBGYN appointment!!!) and have been playing catch up since I walked into the office. I saw this little Man Survey on Taylor's blog and I thought it looked fun...especially because my husband deserves some extra attention for finally focusing and studying his butt off for his pharmacology test. He took it this morning and feels very confident about it!

Who is your man? Austin Rambo...yes thats really his middle name (its his mother's maiden name).

How long have you been together? 7 years, married for almost 1!!

How long did you date? 6 years, 2 of those were long distance(thank you Air Force) and 1 year we were engaged.

How old is your man? turns 27 in 14 days!

Who eats more? sadly, me.

Who said "I love you" first? he did...and it was way too fast, so I told him he had to take it back for a few months. He waited a few more weeks and said it again...I said it back

Who is taller? he is

Who sings better? he sings country really well. I sing NOTHING well.

Who is smarter? I am because I have more of a desire to learn, but he has more common sense by far

Whose temper is worse? his, but my fuse is shorter

Who does the laundry? uh..me, I don't let him touch that shit

Who takes out the garbage? he does after I put the bag in the walkway of the garage so he either has to trip over it or pick it up and take it out.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? he does... I intrude every night though.

Who pays the bills? I do. we would never have electricity because he would forget to pay...I am his secretary, and Im not kidding at all.

Who is better with the computer? me, he stays away from the computer as much as possible

Who mows the lawn? He does, and I have to say, he is the hottest lawn man I have ever laid eyes on.

Who cooks dinner? I do most of the time, but he is my chopper.

Who drives when you are together? He does...I hate it and quite frankly, suck at it...ask all the girls who I drove to Austin last weekend (more on that later).

Who pays when you go out? he does, but it comes from the same account

Who is most stubborn? me

Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Actually, we have both gotten good at this, but seeing as how Im never wrong, its usually him admitting his errors ;)

Whose parents do you see the most? mine...but we are grateful to get to see both families pretty frequently

Who asked who out? he begged. "Once date is all I need", when I finally gave in , he proved he was right...for once.hehe

Who proposed? him- but I was on the brink of doing it myself (just kidding, sorta)

Who wears the pants in the family? Austin does, but I buy them :)

To give some insight as to how lucky I am, after partying it up in Austin on Saturday night, I got this text for my honey: "Our bed feels empty without you. Love you more, goodnight". And to show how corny we are, we are addicted to Words with Friends, so he followed that text up with "Oh, and its your move"...we're old.

Epic Fail Friday!

2010-04-09T12:18:00.001-05:00

You know I thrive on working out. I love it. The gym is my home away from home. You wanna hear what is virtually impossible? Working out in these heels:

Wanna know why I bring this up? Because I got all the way downstairs, changed and ready to run to the gym when I realized I forgot to throw my running shoes back in my gym bag last night. This workout was even more important because I am headed to Austin for a friend's bachelorette party this weekend and I doubt I will fit much of a workout in while I am gone.

So what did I do? What any self-absorbed masochist would do. Went to our cafeteria and got this:

Now that I have snapped out of my self-wallowing and am feeling the effects of way too much cheese (I'm finishing the last bite as I type), I am thinking some flights of stairs[in my cute peep toes] are a requirement.

Have a great weekend everyone!!! I love the spring weekend activities starting to pop up like camping, BOATING, bachelorette parties, weddings (I do a little part time wedding coordinating because I love weddings so much)! Is anyone doing anything exciting?

UPDATE: For those of you who, like me, really struggle with your body image, my great friend just sent me this article about Demi Moore. Its a quick read and really helps reaffirm things we already know deep down.

The Bad Side of not Blogging Anonymously

2010-04-08T15:23:00.003-05:00

Today was the first day since I started blogging last October that I really wanted to vent about something, but couldn't because of the possibility of a certain person reading it - yes Hubs, I'm talking about YOU- quit playing around and study before I kick your ass. I had a long, whiney post written and just deleted it because I would hate for the message to misinterpreted by someone I love deeply. I have already discussed the issue with this person(because its the only thing we ever freaking fight about) so its not like I would be talking about them behind their back, but then again, it sorta is. Sigh.

On to other random stuff.

I was offered a free 60 day membership to the Swanky Althetic Club I went off on early this week. My friend (who is a member there) pretty much tore into one of the owners who told her he was prepared to fire the guy who effed up. The idea of this frankly made my heart sink... I could not believe I might have gotten this guy fired. NOT. COOL. I mean, everyone should be allowed to make a mistake. He called and apologized profusely. I ended up apologizing to him for sending a rude email instead of just picking up the phone and letting him know politely how inappropriate his actions were. It was something I had been regretting ever since I went home that night. I feel like there was a much better way for me to have been the bigger person. I also wrote a letter to his boss explaining that while his actions were inappropriate, I don't feel they warrant anything more than a slap on the wrist.

I have been toying with the idea of becoming a STHM once we had our first child. Austin is willing to support whatever I decided, but I have been hung up on two very crucial things:

1.Money- I would want my kids to start getting a good education (one which I am not trained to give) surrounded by other children by the time they reached one or two years old. If I keep working, I will miss the first year that I wanted with them, but I will be able to afford the school envionment that [I feel] will help them to be more well rounded adults in the long run.

2.My pride- I worked hard for my masters degree. I know(especially through some of your lovely blogs) that being a SAHM is/can be more challenging/rewarding than any desk job I could have. But at the same time, taking a few years off from my career would pretty much make my masters degree obsolete.

And this is another example of how much I worry about things that are completely out of the picture. I mean, last I heard you had to actually have a child(or be preggo) to qualify for the position of SAHM.

And that my ladies...is some randomness for your Thursday afternoon. hahaha :)

Wordless Wednesday- Yearning Uterus

2010-04-07T09:00:00.010-05:00

Hubby took our Godbaby out of Mass a few minutes early because she was a little restless. This was what I encountered when I went to meet them outside. Can you see the sweet little grin on his face?

Quit pissing me off...

2010-04-06T16:32:00.005-05:00

Dear ex boy of one of my besties,

Quit being a douche. Seriously, pull up your big girl panties and start acting like a real man. You'll find it will get you much further in life. Ask all the other men who are better for her than you will ever be.

Dear Wind,

You kicked my ass on my run today. You're lucky I was so happy about the temperature that I chose to ignore you even though you made me run in place a few times, you strong thing, you.

Dear Knees,

Quit acting like you are 50. You're 27. Suck it up.

The kicker(this was an actual email I sent today):

Dear swanky gym,

I gave my email address when I visited the club a few weeks ago with a friend, so I feel it is absolutely fair that you contacted me about interest.

I however, find it grossly inappropriate that you emailed colleagues of mine under the pretense that “Chelsey thought you would be interested”. Seeing as how one of the women you contacted is handicapped and it is a slap in her face to send her an invitation to an athletic club when she lacks the ability to workout, I would have NEVER “thought she would be interested”. You could have emailed her and simply said you got her information from my out of office, but to flat out state that I said she might be interested is a bold faced lie which could have gotten me fired for solicitation within my company.

Your Club is a beautiful, all-encompassing facility that I had considered becoming a part of, but to answer your original question, no, I will not be joining a club who will sell me out to reign in a few extra clients.

NOTE* Never in my life have I been this rude via email. I'm usually not this confrontational in writing because I give myself time to cool off. I gave myself 2 days before I responded but this guy really pissed me off and it was at the wrong time.... I never planned on joining the club, but I thought I should make it clear that he was an ass.

Man, PMS is raging today ;)

Easter!!

2010-04-05T16:19:00.000-05:00

I got so behind on blog stalking over the Easter weekend. I'm worried I may have to do a "mark all as read" to catch back up. yikes! It was such a fun weekend with the family.

{my adorable parents. I loved mom's dress. Either she's getting more "hip", or I'm getting more "square" because I seem to have almost the same taste as she does now...God save me}

{We took our sweet little Goddaughter to church. She wasn't having the picture taking though.}

{Me and the Hubs after Easter Mass}

{Our great friends (and parents of our Goddaughter) came over for brunch after Mass}

{She loves kissing her Daddy}

{beautiful ladies}

{Koon hanging out with his Easter bone}

{Dad and Hubs...I obviously married a classy fella}

{I got bubbles in my Easter basket, so I played with them and Koon ate them}

{Sis and her girlfriend getting ready to dye eggs}

{If you tilt your head to the left and look at the bottom blue one, you'll see my work of art. "The Taylors"}

Austin's mom and brother came over later in the day where we ate a late lunch and:

We went searching for...not eggs, but little liquor shooters. "egg" hunting never got so competetive :)}

{sis showing off her loot}

{Mine and Austin's winnings}

{Dad cutting the ham}

{mom getting the last peices of dinner together}

And of course I got my RED VELVET CUPCAKE (or 5), because my momma loves me...

{yeah...it (they) were that good}

Mom and I took two pretty long walks with the big boy after breakfast then after dinner. I think someone was a little worn out (yes, I know he needs a bath)...

Hope everyone had a joyful and thankful Easter weekend!

Worst April Fool's Prank EVER

2010-04-01T10:51:00.002-05:00

I suck at tricking people. I'm not a good liar. I am also one of the most gullible people alive, so I'm always the butt of pranks. Bcause of this, I was always bound and determined to "win" on April 1st. You know, like the kid too small to play football, but insists on showing how tough he is, only to get plowed over by every other player on the team. I'm that kid.

It was 2005, I had graduated college, commissioned and been in the Air Force for just under a year. I called my mom first:

Me: Momma, I have some news.

Mom: ooookay???

Me: It looks like I will deploying in two months.

Silence

Me: Momma?

Mom: Where are you going?

Me: It looks like Kirkuk (Northern Iraq)

Mom: oh

Me: We knew this was always going to be an option

Writers note** I was actually foaming at the mouth to deploy, because thats how I am built...Mom was much less enthused (but supportive) about the possibility.

Me: Okay, mom, I gotta get back to work. We'll talk more tonight.

Silence

Me: Momma?

Mom: Okay. Love you. In an almost wisper

Then I called my boyfriend (now husband) who was living a few hours away.

Me: Babe, Guess what!!

He didn't like the idea of me deploying anymore than Mom did, but I wasn't afraid to hide my interest in it from him like I was Mom.

Hubs: What?

Me: I got a tasking! I'm leaving in two months!!

Hubs: You're full of shit.

Me: Changing to a more somber tone No honey, I'm serious.

Hubs: Chelsey (he never calls me by my whole name) I know its April Fool's Day, and I know you're full of shit.

We bantered back and forth until I finally convinced him that I was in fact, deploying. He gets short and tells me he'll call me back in a little while.

I decide to call Mom back.

Me: Hi Momma

Momma: hey

Me: April Fool's!!! I'm not deploying yet. just kidding. hahahahaha

click

Me: Momma? ... Mom?

I dial her number again.

Mom: Chelsey, I'm not talking to you right now.

click

Oh hell.

So I call Austin back.

Me: a little frantic I was just kidding. I'm not really deploying yet. hehe...hehehe

Hubs: That's not really funny at all.

Me: Maybe a little?!?!?

Hubs: No, not even a little. It's bullshit. Not funny.

click

oops

Needless to say, I messed up. and I'm not allowed to play pranks anymore because apparently I don't know how to use discretion. Happy April Fool's Day---some of you're blogs have tricked me. I'm way too gullible.

Wordless Wednesday-Giving Thanks

2010-03-31T09:31:00.000-05:00

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ABCs of Me

2010-03-30T13:50:00.003-05:00

I have seen this floating around the bloggy world and I think its cool because its quick and simple and I love talking about myself ;)

A. AREA CODE : I don't like this one...sorry I already effed up

B. BED SIZE: King, but I still sleep on my hubby's side with him.

C. CHORE YOU HATE: sweeping-and the majority of our house is tile or hard wood :(

D. DOG'S NAME: Koon, Koonboy, Big Dog, Bubba, and when he is in trouble its GD Koon

E. ESSENTIAL "START THE DAY!" ITEM: Humungo glass of water

F. FAVORITE COLOR: Horned Frog Purple

G. GOLD OR SILVER: Silver, but I like bronzy gold now too

H. HEIGHT: 5'5

I. INSTRUMENTS YOU PLAY: does Mary had a Little Lamb on the recorder count?

J. JOB: boo

K. KIDS: can't come soon enough

L. LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: house with hubby and puppy

M. MOM'S NAME: Momma

N. NICKNAME: Chels, CiCi, Sweet Pea and Hubs now calls me Bangs

O. OVERNIGHT HOSPITAL STAY: I was born a month and a half early

P. PET PEEVE: I tend to be a high-strung bitch so pretty much everything, but currently it is people with potential but no drive.

Q. QUOTE FROM A MOVIE: "Communicating. Keeping up foreign relations. You know. Giving him the bird.." - you get a cookie if you know what movie this is.

R. RIGHTY OR LEFTY?: righty in most things, but as a gymnast, Im a lefty.

S. SIBLINGS: younger sis

T. TIME YOU WAKE UP: workout days 4:30- 5:15, slacker days 6ish

U. UNDERWEAR: most of the time(unless I'm spinning)- but bras only when I have to

V. VEGGIE YOU DISLIKE: ummm, I like em all I think

W. WAYS/REASONS YOU ARE LATE: husband-ALWAYS- which sucks because being late makes me break out in hives and hyperventilate

X. XRAYS YOU'VE HAD: ankle, nose, knee- but no breaks so far! knock on wood

Y. YUMMY FOOD YOU MAKE: my new shrimp dish!!

Z. ZOO ANIMALS YOU LIKE: tigers and monkeys(unless they try to throw poop at me, which has happened on 2 seperate occassions).

I'm his biggest fan...sometimes.

2010-03-29T09:23:00.001-05:00

My first weekend back home was just what I needed. Friday night we drove west to spend sometime camping with a few great friends. We played spot-light hide and seek in a cemetery (it was a little disrespectful, but I was too much of a woose to stand up for my beliefs because I would have been left standing by myself in the dark...My friend Sarah and I kicked butt though). We stayed up until 5:30 am sitting around a fire, chatting and laughing our butts off at our redneck men.

The next morning, we parted ways with our friends to get some stuff accomplished. We ended up napping off and on for the rest of the evening. Apparently, we are a little old to be staying up until 5:30.

Sunday I went to Palm Sunday mass which is one of my favorites because we read the passion. Easter is less than a week away!!

After another nap on the couch, we headed to my parents for our weekly Sunday hang out.

My sister and her girlfriend always go too.

{Sis is on the right}

{Thats Sis' dog, Cash, laying on Koon's butt. They were all played out. Its tough not to see my little munchie in the picture- she would have been on the ground with a ball, begging for Austin to throw it}

Its definitely one of my favorite times of the week. I love hanging out with my family.

After my pops made some awesome venison tacos (I opted for a venison salad because I have eaten like total poop these past few days), and lots of giggling by the girls and beer-drinking by my dad, hubs and sis, we headed to Austin's soccer game.

Now here is the point of my post:

I love my husband. And I love watching him play soccer. He is a great athlete and he will play soccer until he dies. What I don't love is a soccer game at 8:45 PM on a Sunday night. My opinion is that by 8:45, I should be getting my things together for the impending doom of the workday and then relaxing for my last little bit of weekend freedom. Well, the Ft. Worth Adult Soccer League feels that its in my best interest to sit on a freezing cold metal bench to show support to him:

{please note the hair that needs a cut and the tiny beer belly poking its way out}

The soccer association doesn't make me go, but Austin gets his feelings hurt when I back out, so essentially when they schedule a game at 8:45pm for old men to play soccer, they are also signing my night away as well.

{After the game}

{re-enacting my super-fan stance}

Guam

2010-03-25T16:28:00.003-05:00

Thank you so much to all of you for your kind words regarding our little Rilee. I got home last night and needless to say, it was a pretty rough night for me. I know these next few weeks will be tough, but I will get better with each day. Again, I am so thankful to have such an amazing man by my side.

I know I said I would try to stay up with my reader while I was away, but that didn't happen too well. I skimmed a few, but didn't comment on many...so sorry about that.

Now for the good stuff...

I had a blast in Guam. I love that little family so much. My bestie and I picked up where we left off and little A is growing so fast and is so fun. I'll let the pictures do most of the talking.

We had to stay in a hotel my first night there because the power was out at bestie's and it was too hot for the baby. Guam is a huge spot for Japanese tourists so this area was very commericialized and all the signs were in Japanese. This is a view from our balcony my first morning there.

While walking to breakfast the next morning, we ran across these classy establishments:

It was also bestie's birthday!!

{haha, we were only on the beach for a few hours, I think we look worse than we really were}

Kayaking in a fake river:

Love this little girl! I almost snuck her back in my carry on.

{Chilaxin}

{With her Daddy}

{At 4 am in the hotel lobby so mommy and daddy could sleep in a little..and I was still on Texas time}

{Talking to Mommy while she took the picture}

{She's cool}

{I love her face in both of these}

Hiking and beaches: We didn't spend much time just hanging on the beach. We were pretty active, which to me is better than relaxing and lounging with a drink. Plus it helped keep my mind of Ri a little more.

{We snorkled here after hiking down. This was on a private beach on the Naval Annex so it was pretty much empty. I kept a keen eye out for SHARKS}

{See that shell? There was a hermit crab trying to hide from us. He was HUGE! Bestie and I tried to pull him out, but we were both too concerned he was going to atack us}

{Hiking back up}

{Gorgeous oulook}

{If you look hard, you can see a cross at the very top}

{Getting ready for our long hike to a few waterfalls. Bestie pointed out that we looked a little like a lesbian couple here :) If I swang that way, I'd totally date her.}

{Little sweetie all ready to go}

{crossing a "treacherous" river}

Minding our own business, hiking along, this lovely carabou pops up out of his mud hole. Scared the ever living crap outta me. I was ready to stab him with my stick.

{I didn't zoom in on him. He was that close to us. Even though he looks like a bull, it seems their demeanor is more similar to a horse}

{While our goal included waterfalls, all we found was this red sandy stuff. After about an hour of hiking in the wrong direction, we turned back and found where we should have gone, but decided to get the baby out of the sun and hiked back to up the Jeep. Great hilly workout, FAIL at reaching our desired destination. The views were still spectacular though-looks like we could both use some orienteering lessons}.

{Inarajan Pools. Salt water. Decided SHARKS could definitely still sneak in there. Over the back you could see the huge waves. Bestie said they were the biggest she had seen since they have been on island}

{brave surfers obvisouly not afraid of SHARKS}

{look how blue that water is!!}

Around the island:

{The Cathedral where we went to Mass. If we would have gone at 5:45 AM, we would have heard the mass in Chamorro(local language). We choose to sleep in}

{It was all sun-lit}

{love stained-glass}

{Had to stop in and get a few Harley shirts-its a requirement}

{In honor of my man. I'm thinking of starting a black and white collage of fire houses in cities we visit. I got good ones when we honeymooned in St. Lucia too}

I had such a great time with them and can't wait for them to move back to the mainland in about a year. Bestie is one of those people who I couldn't live without. When we commissioned and the Air Force moved us seperate ways, we promised to try to see each other at least once a year. So far, we have kept that promise. I wish I could have stayed for a few more weeks, but I didn't want to use up too much vacation time when I wasn't vacationing with Hubs.

Very Sad Day

2010-03-19T02:06:00.002-05:00

I made it to Guam just fine. The flight was pretty long and my butt is really sore.

Unfortunately, I got pretty sad news early this morning. Rilee (the mini weenie- see side <---) who had a case of pneumonia, started getting more sick a few days before I left. When I called Austin to check in, he confessed that Rilee had passed away some time last night. Obviously I am devastated, but Austin said he is so thankful I wasn't there to see it. He buried her with her favorite orange ball and when I get home we are going to find nice cross to put up for her.

I am having trouble focusing on anything else at this point, but bestie is helping me take my mind off of things as much a possible. I feel so bad that Austin had to deal with all of this on his own. He has a huge test tomorrow and had trouble focusing enough to study. I hated that I can't be there with him. He's always been a pillar for me, but I guess I never realized how he makes me feel so much better at even the worst times.

I have cried periodically throughout the day and I know I will have quite a few rough days once I get home. I get most emotional when I think about how I couldn't wait for her to snuggle up beside my one-day pregnant belly. She was my little cuddle baby.

Its days like today that I wonder why I ever wanted to get a dog in the first place. Humans always out-live animals. You always have to watch your pet(who I seriously loved like my child-judge if you choose) die. I can't even stand to think about the things I loved about her because it just makes me break down again.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

2010-03-17T09:00:00.009-05:00

I'm trying out this whole scheduled post thing. Its supposed to post when I am flying high over the Pacific Ocean, so we'll see how it worked out.

I leave Dallas at 6:30 am, fly to Houston, then Hawaii, then Guam:

{Are you tired of seeing that picture yet?}

I packed up everything over the weekend so I had plenty of time to remember the things I might have forgotten. Rilee tried to get in the suitcase at one point, but when I tried to take a picture of her in the act, she sprinted to get her ball. She thinks that is a better photo op.

I went to the library before I left to get plenty of books because its about 24 hours of traveling. I hate buying books because I go through them so quickly and since one of my Lent promises was to read only Christian-based books, I had to stock up.

4 of the 5(the other one was checked out) Francine Rivers books I have heard about-each booked is based on influential women in the Bible.

I have never read anything of Robin Lee Hatcher, but these three looked good.

I just realized the cover of all these books sorta makes me look like a feminist :)

The last thing I packed was my carry-on:

- Camera and charger

- iPhone/Pod charger

-Wallet

- Eye mask in case I'm sleepy on the plane

-Earplugs, in case I'm next to a loud-mouth

-4 of the 7 books I checked out...I bet you I finish all of them before I get to Hawaii

-Notebook

-Bag o'girly stuff

-Sunglasses

-Gum

-Coin bag because you never know

-my Nano

- TSA approved ziplock with lotion, sunscreen, antibacterial gel, and body mist

-passport

-The Pills and a bottle full of iron...pathetic much?

I am going to try hard to keep up with all of your lovely blogs when I can, but I doubt I will have time to post anything. I'll see if I can get Hubby to do a guest post :) See y'all in a week or so!!