All the Petty Stuff

17 weeks and other news

2012-02-09T14:07:00.000-08:00

(Dave was not available for a picture today, bathroom it is :)

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 17 weeks

Size of baby: About 5 inches long, weighs about as much as a turnip

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 12 ish lbs. EEK! (Doctor says I'm doing well, not gaining too much and am on track. Thank goodness!)

Maternity Clothes: Bought a pair of pants for school and they are the best thing ever!

Gender: It’s up in the air, baby Petty didn’t want to share the goods J

Movement: I think I feel something late at night when I’m still, but I don’t really know what I’m “looking” for.

Sleep: I sleep okay. I’m up about 3-4 times a night to potty.

What I miss: Having a beer HA! Coffee! (I have an aversion to it somewhat. I have to REALLY need a cup to drink it).

Cravings: Coke. Salads.

Symptoms: Feeling good!

Best moment this week: Going to the doctor. Baby is measuring exactly where he/she should be!

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In other news, the lights in the Master bath/closet have decided to simply. stop. working. Poor Dave has been trying to fix it for a few days now, but he is going to have to wait until this weekend. Getting up to potty has been quite interesting in the dark. Ha! Hopefully, it's nothing too serious and he will be able to fix it without calling an electrician. We'll see.

I did get cleared to go back to work, soooooooo that means I'll be heading back to work for at least two days a week. I need to go back, having a baby is expensive! I'm actually looking forward to it, I miss all those Roadies and regulars.

I'm loving The Voice! I didn't watch it last season because I worked on the nights it came on, and I'm kind of bad about watching DVR'd shows. Blake Shelton and Adam Levine are too cute. It might be my new favorite show!

16 Weeks

2012-02-01T18:09:00.000-08:00

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 16 weeks

Size of baby: About 4.5 inches long, about the size of an avocado

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 10 lbs. EEK!

Maternity Clothes: HAVE to go buy some this weekend.

Gender: I’m not sure yet……….we have an idea but we’ll see hopefully on Tuesday! J

Movement: None yet

Sleep: I sleep okay. I’m up about 3-4 times a night to potty.

What I miss: Tanning. Being proud of getting on the scale. Feeling pretty.

Cravings: Coke. Jalapeno chips

Symptoms: Feeling good!

Best moment this week: Being 4 months! Looking more pregnant than fat J

Pregnancy Info Overload

2012-01-30T17:33:00.001-08:00

Ok. I know they say you should read and be "educated" on pregnancy stuff and labor but can I be honest? It literally scares the poop out of me.

I've been given several books lately, all ranging from pregnancy symptoms, to labor advice, to breastfeeding techniques, and how to raise your child. I like the weekly updates on my pregnancy because I feel like at least I know what my baby is doing in there. Lol. Once I start reading about labor, I'm done-zo. It freaks me out. I'm for sure one of those women who would rather walk in without any expectations or "the book said this" mentality.

Truthfully? I'm terrified of giving birth. TERRIFIED. And I'm a pretty tough cookie with a pretty high tolerance for pain. I kind of think its part of the reason I was so resistant to even think about being pregnant for so long. Nothing about reading information on labor is helping me with this fear either. So my answer? Stop reading. And make sure to get an epidural.

Sounds good huh?!

I know, I know. It's not that bad, you forget about it once the baby comes..........it still does not reduce the fear of the unknown. And that my friends is what it comes down too. Not having ever been thru child birth and going in blind.

I'm hoping my fear will disappear by the time July rolls around, but I'm not counting on it. Ha!

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Weekend Wrap Up

2012-01-30T07:35:00.000-08:00

{Friday}

We went over to my parents house for some dinner and quality time with the family. Avery was already over there, so we got some play time in with her. She is at such a fun age right now. And, Dave was determine to win her over. She doesn't seem to remember him too much and every time he sees her, he just plays and plays with her. It drives him crazy when babies don't like him. HA! It's actually quite amusing.

{Saturday}

I had school all day (blah) and then Jenna, Jason, and Avery came over to bring us some baby stuff (all generic, we don't know the sex yet). They wanted to see our floors and then we went to eat at our favorite burger joint. Avery had a great time playing with the four toys we have here at the house. But mainly, she just wanted to sit on the bench we have in the entry way. "Ups!" she said about a dozen times.

{Sunday}

I had a busy day of grocery shopping and some cleaning. I did make an awesome dinner and then Dave and I watched this:

It's such a good movie. Funny, sad, real.........I highly recommend it if you haven't seen it yet.

I cried of course, but what's new? I seem to cry at everything lately!

Hope you have a great Monday! :)

15 Weeks

2012-01-25T16:31:00.000-08:00

(**Yes, I'm already in my pj's. Please forgive me**)

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 15 weeks

Size of baby: About 4 inches, about the size of an apple

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 10 lbs. EEK!

Maternity Clothes: None yet. I went shopping for some…….but I think I can wait just a tad bit longer. I'm in that awkward "too small for maternity clothes, too big for my own" stage, so I got frustrated and left. HA! Pathetic.

Gender: I’m not sure yet……….we have an idea but we’ll see in a few weeks J

Movement: None yet but Dave is determined to feel something!

Sleep: I sleep okay. I’m up about 3-4 times a night to potty.

What I miss: Tanning. Being proud of getting on the scale. Feeling pretty.

Cravings: Strawberry Mentos and Coke. Healthy, huh?

Symptoms: Little nauseous in the mornings, my energy is coming back though.

Best moment this week: All the love I received at a wedding shower this past weekend. It’s so nice to be able to talk about it with people.

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We've had a busy week! I did lots of hair this past weekend and stayed late several days last week at the salon, so tonight it feels good to just chill! I feel bad because my husband has been eating cereal every night due to the fact that I'm too tired and lazy to make dinner (not that we can't live off cereal, HA!).

An update on school, I have 14 weeks left! I can't believe it. I'm SO excited and SO ready to be done, done, done! It's been a really good experience though and I'm still learning a ton. I've started looking around at some salons in the area and hopefully I'll have an idea of the exact one by the end of February to mid March.

I wish I had more exciting things to share, but we've been pretty low key lately. I'll try to stir up something fun pretty soon. :)

14 Week Update

2012-01-18T16:53:00.000-08:00

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 14 weeks

Size of baby: About 3.5 inches, about the size of a lemon

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 8 lbs. EEK!

Maternity Clothes: None yet. I am having to wear a belly band now though.

Gender: I’m not sure yet……….we have an idea but we’ll see in a few weeks J

Movement: None yet

Sleep: I sleep okay. I’m up about 3-4 times a night to potty.

What I miss: Working out and tanning. Vain I know.

Cravings: Not really any sort of cravings. More like, if something sounds good I HAVE to eat it.

Symptoms: Still have fatigue, a little nauseous in the mornings, but other than that I’m feeling pretty good.

Best moment this week: Getting a Doppler from my friend so we can hear the heartbeat at home (don’t worry, we don’t over do it J)

No catchy title

2012-01-16T14:10:00.000-08:00

I'm so happy right now! My friend (who happens to be a nurse) let me borrow her Doppler so we can hear the baby's heartbeat whenever we want! I know some people are probably thinking "doesn't that take that special aspect of going to the doctor and having a sonogram?" to those people I say, "No. Not at all."

My friend and I are similar. She had a miscarriage right before she got pregnant with her 7 month old, and she was a little worried too about losing another baby hence why she bought a Doppler. I'm not going to lie, I try REALLy hard NOT to be paranoid and enjoy this whole experience but it's extremely difficult because it's always in the back of your mind that I'll start bleeding or lose the heartbeat. Unfortunately, that's the downfall of experiencing a loss, especially your first pregnancy. So, this helps to ease at least the worry of losing the heartbeat. And, it reminds me that there IS a baby in there. Ha!!

Other than that, we've been hanging out and taking it easy. My parents came over for lunch yesterday and we watched some football. It was such a nice time. And we spent the evening watching the Golden Globes. Or I spent the evening watching the Golden Globes, Dave wasn't so into it. Lol.

I'm off to go do some resting! Have a great evening all! :)

Big News!

2012-01-09T13:30:00.000-08:00

Yes, that's right. We're expecting! And, we are so excited about it!

I'm almost into my 13th week (shy of a few days) so I finally felt comfortable enough to share the news.

It's almost surreal. It's like it's not really happening until you start telling everyone. My family, of course, knew from the very beginning but we opted to not tell everyone until the end of my first trimester. Just a little cautious I guess.

I do have to take it easy though. I have something called placenta previa, which is very common at this stage, so I'm taking a leave from work and just going to school and doing lots of resting. I do have a bit of a stomach already, although it definitely looks like I've eaten too many donuts instead of like I'm growing a baby. I was put on some restrictions for the past few weeks, which meant I couldn't work out. I'm still adjusting to that one. HA!

As far as weigh gain goes, I'm up about 7lbs. I started at 140 and when I got weighed today, I was like 147.6. I haven't been super great at eating healthy foods though, mainly because all that sounds gross. Except bagels. Yum. And Subway. Yum. And blizzards. Yumm-o!

So, I'll keep everyone posted. I so look forward to July. I'm just so thankful for this time. I'm thankful God has perfect timing. I'm thankful my husband is such a hard worker and provider. He is beyond convinced it's a boy. We'll see!

Here's to many more preggo updates!! Should be a fun little journey.

Now. About that blizzard..........

No more vacuuming!

2012-01-01T08:03:00.001-08:00

Dave has been on vacation for the past week and a half, so he got the motivation to re-do our floors that I've been begging him to do. Just the way he would love to spend his vacation. Lol.

This project was a HUGE undertaking. It took four whole days, long hours, and the help of three other men (whose wives I'm sure were thrilled). Lol. Thank you to Chris, Corey, and Pat for helping Dave!!!

I stayed with my parents for three days because I still had to go to school and our house was a sandy, dusty disaster! I got home yesterday and we started cleaning away!

It's beautiful!!! It turned out so amazing. I'm one lucky girl to have a husband who works so hard to make me happy!! Thanks babe, I absolutely love it!!

(Just a side note: this whole project cost about $500. While I would love hard wood floors, the amount we redid would have cost us about five times that. And, I like to be different :)

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Christmas 2011

2011-12-26T12:12:00.000-08:00

This year was a little different as we did Christmas with Jenna, Jason, and the kids Christmas Eve. Avery didn't really know what was going on except that we kept showing her toys every two seconds.

Isn't she cute?! Mom had this peppermint box and wanted to get her picture in it. It was hilarious. Sugar cookies work as a distraction for a one year by the way.

Christmas morning we all got up pretty early and had my Mom's cinnamon rolls. Best part of Christmas for me, they are a-mazing!

Leslie and I ended up wearing gray dresses with boots and tights without even knowing it. It was such a twin thing.

After spending the first half of the day with my side, we headed over to the Petty's for Christmas.

Dave's traditional Christmas hat.

After the Petty Christmas, we met back up with my parents and Leslie at the movie. Dave and I were both pretty tired and took naps at different points in the movie. We're pathetic. Thankfully we were watching New Year's Eve so there wasn't a ton of "following" that was needing to happen. HA!

Today, Dave and I woke up and moved to the couch to continue our Homeland marathon. Thank you to my parents for getting us completely hooked. We are episode 10 out of 12..............who says a day of vegging out isn't okay every now and then?

Due date

2011-12-14T15:04:00.001-08:00

Dear baby,

Today is a bittersweet day for me. Today would have been your due date. I think about all the emotions I would have been feeling today. I think about if you were a boy or girl. I think about what your name would have been, what you would look like, how our lives would have changed forever today.

I still have moments of sadness but, I know that God is in control and there is a madness to some pain and loss we experience here on Earth. I keep imagining that God's plan was for you to be heaven and that one day, we'll get to meet.

I hope you know how much, even for a short time, I loved you. I prayed for you and thought about all the wonderful things you would bring into my life.

I pray for all the women who have experienced this type of loss, and for your "due dates."

Love,
Mom-to-have been

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A Christmas wedding

2011-12-11T16:43:00.000-08:00

One of our family friends got married last night and it was so. much. fun.

Brittany loves Christmas and wanted to get married around Christmas time so she could have Christmas trees and a red and white wedding! It was beautiful.

Avery was the prettiest one year old there............

Tim, the groom, is definitely all cowboy so it's fitting his cake was a cowboy boot.

Creme de la Creme. Yum!

Brittany and her dad did the cutest dance. Both are super reserved but she managed to get him to do a whole routine. It was a hoot!

Yay Avery! She loves to clap and pat herself.

Had to get a picture of the Whiteheads.

The next two weeks for us are busy, busy! I still have quite a bit of Christmas shopping to do and, unfortunately, I don't get a break over the holiday. Boo!

We have Dave's company party this week and I finally get to get my hair done. Thank goodness! My roots are lookin' a hot mess!

I've given my list to Santa and I'm really hoping for a certain one on my list.........................I'll keep you posted. :)

Pointless blogging

2011-12-06T16:46:00.001-08:00

So, like always, I don't have just a ton of fun things going on lately but I figured I should share something........since my blogging has become almost non-existent.

My new favorite thing in my house are the Scentsy candles I got. I absolutely love them. There's probably not a waking moment they aren't turned on.

I won Student of the Month last week for the month of October. This is a BIG deal because they only pick one student per month, considering there's like 120 students, I was proud! Yes, everyone at school hates me. Ha!

I'm so glad Dave remembered to keep the firewood in the garage because when I got home from work Sunday, we got to build a fire! Can you believe how cold it is?! I'm thankful, I mean, it's only December!

I have a few busy weeks coming up and can't believe Christmas is in only three weeks. Who has two thumbs and hasn't even put her tree up yet?! I hate to say it's me, so I won't. :)

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Thanksgiving Recap

2011-11-26T16:16:00.000-08:00

I can not believe Thanksgiving has come and gone already.

Technically, this was Avery's second Thanksgiving, but I don't think she remembers her first one since she was one day old. HA!

She spent some time with Aunt Leslie, who actually is home for a whole week! Fun!

And, Uncle Dave made time to read to her.

We ate a ton at my parents! And, we had Thanksgiving with Dave's side that night so we were stuffed!!

I decided to burn off some calories and venture out to do some shopping for Black Friday. Mom and I went and it was quite successful. Although, it was tiring so a nap was needed yesterday afternoon. I can see how people do it every year, especially if you have children. It's worth it. We, fortunately, didn't have anyone pepper spray us or try to fight us for what we were there for. Lucky us!

I guess it's time to start thinking about Christmas, who wants to come help me decorate? :)

My side of the family

2011-11-21T08:49:00.000-08:00

Today, I am thankful for my family. We're a small family, which I guess is why the older I get, the more and more I appreciate them.

I am thankful to have such great sisters and to have been blessed with a creative, serving mother. I never really understood my Mom's servant heart growing up, but as time goes on, I do. My mother is stylish and one of a kind. I wish I had her ability to think up great ideas all the time. I'm glad we all live so close and try to make time for fun things just the girls every now and then.

My dad is the best. He has always been someone who gives good advice and is the sound of reason. He somehow survived the past 26 years being the only man in the family. High five!! He will go out of his way for any one of us and I believe Jenna gets most of her wittiness from him.

I am blessed to have two sisters who I adore. Leslie is my other half and although we don't see each other often anymore, things between us will never change. Jenna has turned out to be such a beautiful person. She is a great mother to my niece Avery, funny, and the center of attention. She is always the life of the party!

Today, I am thankful for the Pecor side of my family! I love you all!

Avery's birthday party (Warning, picture overload!)

2011-11-20T17:43:00.001-08:00

Saturday we went over to my parents to celebrate Avery's first birthday!

Kate and Reagan came too!

Elmo was the theme since Avery loves Elmo. She kisses him all the time when she sees him.

Jenna and Jason did all the decorations. Aren't they awesome?!

And, here she is!

Jenna got her the cutest outfit to celebrate her first birthday in. Her tutu was too adorable!

We played games and opened gifts:

Dave got Avery the best gift. It was Cookie Monster and you feed him cookies. Avery cracked up at him! Kate kept her entertained with it too.

She loved the cake!

And, she shared with Pops too.

Thank you Avery for letting us come to your party! It was so much fun!

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And this is what I have been doing a lot of lately:

Buddy needed some time to rest too :)

I can't believe Thanksgiving is this week! Maybe I'll do a thankful post everyday this week............maybe..... HA!

It's only been thirteen days since my last post

2011-11-13T16:40:00.000-08:00

We've had a few big events going on lately!

Last Saturday we had the "Hood" shower for Brittany and Tim who are tying the knot next month and, of course, it was so much fun. We played lots of games and ate a ton of food.

Y'all remember this game? The bride-to-be and fiance, parents of the bride, and parents of the groom all played. The women had to "shave" their significant others. It was hilarious!

We can't wait to be apart of the big day!

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Yesterday marked the 12th Annual Cindy Tamplin Memorial Tea. It was a great success! Everyone asks me what exactly it is, it's not like a sit down and drink tea event. Cindy was my mom's best friend who unfortunately was murdered twelve years ago, so in honor of Cindy, my mom and her Sunday School class put on a "tea" every year. Cindy LOVED dishes and place settings so women set tables every year and they have an auction to raise money for the Brighter Tomorrow Women's Shelter. You'll have to come visit next year!

This little cutie came too!

She was the bell of ball. Avery had such a big day showing off for everyone.

Kristen's table. She does the cutest things!!!!

Jenna set a table this year with her china she received for her wedding.

And, TADA!!!!!!!!!!

Mom's table was just so creative. That woman I swear, never runs out of ideas!

I got the cutest Scentsy package!

We're missing Leslie because guess what?! She is out of town. Who would have thought right?!

With this ring, I thee wed

2011-11-01T19:01:00.000-07:00

"Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning "made them male and female,' 5 and said, "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate."

Matthew 19:4-6

Dave,

I am so thankful God brought you into my life. I can't imagine anyone else I'd rather grow old with. We were so blessed to have found one another and, so far, live a happy and healthy life. You are my life, my soul mate, and my best friend. I love you more today than the day we married. Thank you for being a great provider, a loyal husband, and my support. Happy Anniversary!

Love,

Your Wife

Anniversary Dinner

2011-10-30T16:29:00.000-07:00

We celebrated early for our three year anniversary Saturday night at:

We only go to "fancy" places once a year and it's to celebrate our wedding anniversary. So, we don't feel so bad spending some money on a good meal.

The salad bar was simply delicious! The California rolls were awesome! And, they had grilled provolone. Yummy!!!! I had been warned before we went not to fill up on the salad bar because the meat was like no other. And, it was good! Dave was in heaven since he loves any type of meat. They also serve the meat with fried bananas, supposedly they clean your pallet after each type of meat. Either way, not being a banana fan, I couldn't eat enough!

And we had to order dessert! We got the Caramel Vanilla Creme Brulee. Dave would have rather had flan but we tried it. I thought it was super, Dave not so much.

We had a very nice dinner and I can't believe it will be three years on Tuesday since we've said 'I do' :)

Rangers, Old Friends, and Thriller

2011-10-27T09:32:00.000-07:00

My husband has the best job! He called me Monday afternoon at 3pm and said "Leave school early, we're going to the World Series!" I was SO excited. I didn't get to leave until normal time (I was in a color class all day that was a-mazing!) but we managed to get home, change, and make it to the game in time for the first pitch. We could not have had better seats either. We were about 14 rows up from home plate. Simply awesome!

The energy at the stadium was pure craziness. I mean, non stop screaming. Hard not to stand up the whole time and cheer.

See that catcher? Well, I've already told Dave Napoli is my second husband. He isn't aware of this yet, but that's okay. I admire him from afar.

Love you David Samuel!

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I met some old friends out for dinner this week. Valerie (on the left) and I went to school from middle school through high school together and Brooke (in the middle, and yes the same name) was my bestest friend in elementary school. I haven't seen her since she moved schools in fifth grade. Is that crazy or what?! Thank you Facebook for reconnecting old friends. We figured out that Valerie and Brooke knew each other after Brooke moved to her school. Small World! So fun to get together after so many years.

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We have this thing at school every six weeks called Round-Up, which is a time for awards and some "fun" (depends on who you ask, HA!). This time Thriller was the theme, it being Halloween and all, and I must say that the costumes and make-up were phenomenal!

Everyone was required to incorporate the Thriller dance into their skits and that is much harder than it sounds!

Nikki and Vanessa from my class.

How awesome is this?! That's tissue paper they put make-up on. Crazy!

This is Nikki and Mrs. Lemoine with the Spirit trophy my phase won. Mrs. Lemoine might seriously be the funniest person I have ever met. She's from Louisiana and is the entertainment at school. We started Ogle Aerobics that we do in the morning and I am now known as "Aerobics Lady" opposed to Brooke. We even wear name tags at school and some of those girls still can't learn my name. Go figure.

Our class. My teacher is in the blue with the mask on. She's a little shy! :)

I played hookie from school today because the past two weeks have seriously left me sleep deprived and my body finally said "NO!". So while I feel a little guilty, resting is feeling so goooooooooddddddddd.

Dinner and Baseball

2011-10-23T17:49:00.000-07:00

This week was c-razy! I had something every night after school. I'm slowly catching up on my sleep............although, my success has honestly been non-existent. Blah.

Today when I got home from work, Dave had dinner ready and it was yumm-o!

He makes these potatoes that are to die for............don't worry, he takes all the calories out of them so it's super healthy. HA!

An adult beverage was called for after this weekend.

We are now watching the Rangers play, hopefully better than last night. Although, I personally feel the game last night was fixed. Way too many horrific calls by the umpires. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

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Guess who's three year anniversary is just around the corner?! Wonder if my husband has anything planned................................. :)

Have a great week!!

Shopping, Avery, and Injury

2011-10-16T18:42:00.000-07:00

So. I haven't been able to run for two weeks. Two weeks!! And this is why..........

My foot was really swollen so I figured instead of possibly injuring my foot more, I would let it rest. But no more! Back in the saddle tomorrow morning.

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Saturday night Dave and I had a date night with each other and the Rangers baby!!!

We went to local place and the energy was crazy. I mean, literally, I felt like we were there. It was so awesome. And, it was nice to spend some time with Dave alone. Yes, we are a married couple without children but, you'd be surprised how little we find time to spend with just one another. Rangers are going to the World Series!!!!! I'll be cheering on my other two husbands (Kinsler and Napoli) this upcoming week.

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Sunday after work, I stopped by my parents because a certain little girl was over there.

"What's wrong Avery? Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh, you want your headband!"

Much better.

I just love her.

She is doing the cutest thing now with her tongue when she eats.

Up-do time!

And, I had to share this...................

Mom and I went shopping Saturday and I found three great buys.

OK, so maybe everyone won't get this but I love it. Where I'll wear it is another issue. Don't worry, I'll find somewhere :)

Mom found this dress and it's adorable! Can't wait to pair it with some boots and tights. Ah, the fall season, it makes me happy!

Life lately without pictures

2011-10-11T19:17:00.000-07:00

Lately it has been all about hair, school, work, and trying to fit "life" into it all. I will say, I'm loving it. I love doing something I truly enjoy and evidently, I'm actually good at it (according to my teachers and some people who have allowed me to do their hair). But here are just a few things I'd like to do:

1. Go to the fair

2. Enjoy a FULL day off of work, school, or doing any hair for one full day (not that I'm not appreciative of the clients who let me do theirs).

3. Clean my office out. Seriously y'all, it's beyond ridiculous.

4. Run sometime this week! I cut my foot open the other night and have given it some healing time but I'm chopping at the bit to go run. Thank God I had a tetnious shot in '04!

5. Sleep!

6. Go shopping with my mom! This will be taking place Saturday! Yay!!!!!

Ok. Enough whining or complaining aboutvwhat I'd like to do. I'm about to take care of #5. Have a good week and go Rangers!!

Sundays are becoming my only blogging day it appears

2011-10-02T16:38:00.001-07:00

Not sure why I can't find anything to blog about during the week. Oh, wait. That's right. I have no life. Lol. Truth be told, I've done a ton of hair this week. I need to get better about taking before and after pictures to share. I'll work on that.

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We did do something fun this weekend though! Dave's friend from work got married last night and it may have been the most gorgeous wedding we've been too. It was downtown in Ft. Worth at the City Club.

They did the sweetest thing, which I wish we would have done in our wedding. The pastor had the bride and groom write love letters to each other, which he read to each of them. It was SO sweet. And quite humorous.

The reception hall was BEAUTIFUL! This is kind of a bad shot but you get the idea. Her center pieces were a-mazing.

They had a candy bar too. It was all pink and brown candy. She had this sign on the table and I thought it was quite cute. Someone, who will remain nameless, evidently didn't know the proper etiquette and helped himself as we were waiting for the bride and groom to make their appearance. Leave it to my husband. At least he keeps things interesting :)

And, they had their chairs at their tables labeled with these awesome signs. Everything was just so beautiful and creative. We danced and ate (good wedding food too) and had a great time.

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In other news, this is our new view from our garage.

Directly behind our house they broke ground for some new houses and there is a huge back hoe just chillin'. Kind of annoying if you ask me. But the neighborhood kids are having fun playing in the dirt and holes. Oy vay.

Onto another week. Here's hoping it's a good one!

Sunday Funday

2011-09-25T17:41:00.001-07:00

Today was an extra fun day. I was off work and got to see this cutie!

My parents kept Avery last night so Jenna and Jason could have a night full of adult fun and conversation. Aren't they sweet?

Then, we headed to the Ranger game! It was the last home regular season game and Dave scored us some awesome seats. Besides the fact that we were sweating our booties off the first half of the game, it turned out to be a great time!

It was Fan Appreciation week so we all got free t-shirts on the way in. Thank goodness! I wore a blue Ranger shirt and they gave us a white one, so it was kind of a life saver. Once the sun went down a bit and we were in the shade, it wasn't bad at all!

After the game we headed to go visit our neighbors/friends at the hospital because Heston joined the world last night!

We had to get a picture with our other neighbor/friend Heather and Landon. Landon is such a good baby, just hangs out and looks around. And he looks just like his daddy!

Hope your Sunday was as fun as mine! I'm looking forward to a shower and an early bedtime. Have a great week all!

The past week

2011-09-22T17:35:00.001-07:00

Oh Lord. I would blog if there was something exciting to blog about but there isn't. Just between school and work, I pretty much don't do anything that exciting. Lol. But..............................

I did give my handsome hubby a haircut..........................

And, I made dinner twice this week. Yes, a pat on the back would be lovely since I hadn't made dinner in forever.

But, most important news....................

I won 'Star Student' for the month of August! We have four phases to go through to finish school and each time we "phase up", they give out awards to a few of the selected students. To be honest, I was really excited. Mainly because all the teachers vote on just a few people, so I must be doing something right! :)

And now, we are enjoying the Must See Thursday line-up. Ah, I've missed Parks and Recreation and the Office. I haven't seen Modern Family yet, that is on my list of things to do. But did anyone see the THS of Bethenny Frankel? I watched it asap when I got home from school today and it was heaven. I just love that lady!

Oh, Fantasy Football......you will be the death of me.

2011-09-18T18:41:00.000-07:00

A few reasons I know it's football season:

1) My husband is glued to his computer and the tv, watching his stats.

2) Football is playing almost every day at my house.

3) No matter where I'm at, I can literally hear my husband yelling at his fantasy players on tv.

4) The Pumpkin Spice Latte is back

(Ok, this one doesn't have to do with football season but they do bring it back when it's fall). Just sayin'

I am now a football widow. Blah.

It's been a busy weekend

2011-09-12T16:13:00.000-07:00

These pictures are from last weekend but for Labor Day we stopped by our friend's house to visit.

This is Graci and her sister Gabi was taking our picture. They have the most beautiful, long hair. It's crazy. And, they are just so sweet.

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Since my director at school is an Air Force Veteran, we had a special ceremony at school on Friday for 9/11. They asked all the students at school for names of people in their family who are/have served in the Military. It was a very nice ceremony. She pinned us and they announced who served and in what branch.

We had several Firefighters and Police officers who came too, along with two veterans whose grand kids attend our school.

And this is Nikki. She is in my class and serves in the National Guard for the state of Mississippi. She's a hoot!

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I had a wedding to attend Saturday night dateless because Dave was out hunting all weekend. Boo. But I did tag along with a great looking couple who gave birth to me. So, I wasn't totally dateless.

I usually always take a picture (when I'm home by myself) to see how I look before I leave. Give me a break, I need to buy a full length mirror. HA!

Mr. and Mrs. Kelly Eddlemon

The cake was beautiful!!!

Kelly's favorite dessert is brownies and ice cream so, that's what the groom's "cake" was. Creative!

Our friend Jay and his son Case. He is the cutest thing! Very content with anyone holding him, until he sees his Mamma.

And this is Stephanie! Isn't she just gorgeous? They live out in the country but always manage to come out to all the big events.

*******************************************

Now, I'm going to cut my hubby's hair. He is finally letting me near his hair with some shears :)

Thankful

2011-09-08T18:43:00.000-07:00

I was reminded over the past few days just how good my life is. I don't mean monetarily, I mean lucky like, God really is taking care of me even when I think he forgets.

After we got back from Winstar the other day, I told Dave the thought kept crossing my mind at Babe's that the last time we had eaten there with my parents, it was to share news that we were pregnant. I had a few moments of sadness but quickly realized it's just a part of life. Although, I had received some news from a friend that she was having surgery today to remove two large cysts from her ovaries and may possibly have to get her ovaries removed too. My heart sunk. Any surgery is scary, but the thought of loosing your ovaries?

I prayed very hard last night. I text my mom this morning and asked her to pray for my friend too. I called my friend's mom this afternoon and as of now, things look good. The chance of them having to remove her ovaries are slim, at the moment, and I almost lost it on the phone. I was so thankful for her. And for me.

Sometimes things in life just happen when you need a reminder of who is in charge. I'm thankful that while I still ache at times for my loss, I still have the ability (hopefully) to get pregnant again. And I'm thankful my friend of over 16 years still has a chance too. God does some amazing things.

32

2011-09-05T13:55:00.001-07:00

So, my super handsome husband turns 32 tomorrow. Can you believe that?! Time flies when you're having fun, and we had a great weekend celebrating.

Saturday, we had dinner with his parents and watched the Oregon/LSU game. Sunday, we got up semi-early and headed to my parents because we were taking a day trip to the casino!! Hollar! But we had to stop and celebrate with a birthday lunch at:

We ate at the one in Sanger and it was gooooood.

We did pretty good. Didn't win a lot, didn't loose a lot. But we had a great time! Thanks to my parents for taking us! Can't wait to do it again!

Today was "our" day to celebrate together. Dave got to choose everything all day. What we did, where we ate, etc. and of course he chose a place we eat at all the time. Ha!

Cheers!

And since our favorite cake place closed, I took Dave to Nothing Bundt Cake this year. Have you been?! It's divine! Only thing I would change is I wish they had tables in there to sit and eat. We were out and about and had to eat our's in the car. Haha.

We're getting ready to head over to our friend's house to celebrate Labor day and me actually being off on a holiday! :)

Happy Labor day everyone!

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Day one (for me), day three for everyone else

2011-09-03T10:12:00.000-07:00

So since there isn't much going on with us except for work and school, I figured I would join in with Katie for her 30 day blog challenge. I did this last year with her but I think she changed up some of the topics. Go check her out!

Day 3: Tell Us About Your Job

Technically, I have two jobs. I go to cosmetology school during the day and work at Texas Roadhouse part-time.

Cosmetology school is very rewarding for me. I'm only 9 weeks in and I love it. It's everything I hoped it would be, plus more. Gives you a taste of what a real salon is like and is teaching me how to build my business. And, I now have a real addiction to buying products. Nail polish, shampoo, hair spray, color,................hey, it's for my growing business. :)

I've worked at Texas Roadhouse for 10 years. Yes, I know. Who works at a restaurant for that long! Texas Roadhouse is a really good company to work for. I started back in high school, continued through college, went into management, went back to being an hourly so I could finish college, left completely, came back in '09. You just can't get away! HA! But I'm hoping to as soon as I graduate. Truth be told, Texas Roadhouse was one of the best/worst things that happened to me. I've worked with some amazing people, eaten lots of free steak, had some major fun, and I've made some good money. Hope you all have at least tried out Texas Roadhouse. If not, GO! And if your service or food is bad, let me know! :)

Link up if you'd like. It's super fun!

My weekend

2011-08-28T18:58:00.001-07:00

This weekend was filled with lots of sleeping and working. Dave went out of town so it left me with some time on Saturday to hang out and relax. I slept. A LOT. I also managed to fit in a manicure and pedicure, which I did myself. Thank you money in my pocket. Ha!

I had to work the lunch shift today but got a nice surprise when my sister, brother-in-law, niece, and parents came to see me. And then afterward, I went over to my parents to love on Avery and cut my sister's hair!

Ta-da!!!!! Not too shabby! Then, Avery had to eat dinner before they headed home.

I decided Avery needed a new do so she got a Mohawk. :) It's a good look, don't you think?

I just love that little girl!

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Thursdays

2011-08-25T16:31:00.000-07:00

I love Thursdays. For two simple reasons:

Texas Women was filmed in the DFW area. I'll admit, I'm a reality tv junkie. Not really so much anymore since I don't have time to sit and watch it, but I do like this show. Country girls in Texas and they go out to some great spots in Ft. Worth!

I haven't really ever been into dating shows but for some reason I like this one. What can I say? It's a guilty pleasure.

One of the main things I like about Thursdays is that tomorrow is Friday! Yay!! We don't have super exciting plans for this weekend but I'm sure it'll be fun anyway.

What are you doing this weekend? Whatever it is, I hope it's good!

Shower, new truck (almost) and football

2011-08-22T16:08:00.001-07:00

So Friday was my last day as the newbie in school. It was bittersweet, mainly because I LOVED my teacher but I was ready to start taking clients! We had some free time so all us girls decided to throw the only boy in class a baby shower. He had a little boy almost two weeks ago so it was over due. He almost didn't know what to do!

Taylor opening his gifts. We surprised him and he was completely off guard.

This is my teacher Ms. Wiley. She definitely is up there with some of my favorite teachers. She's very real and talented when it comes to doing hair, of all types. And, she works really hard! She has her own salon and takes clients at night, teaches during the day, and goes to college to finish her bachelors degree. Very driven.

My classmates!

Saturday, we got up to go get Dave's truck out of the shop from our wreck. Although, after we tried to return the rent truck and the place closed at noon. Seriously?! We decided to go grab our annual pair of shoes since it was tax weekend and all. Saved like $25 bucks. Can't complain! :)

Sunday after work, Dave surprised me with Cowboy tickets he had gotten from a friend.

We left after the third quarter because, lets face it, we're old and tired. Ha! I'm very much looking to forward to this week. A much slower week with a little catch up for me.

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A little run down

2011-08-18T16:46:00.000-07:00

{Sunday}

Worked till 5(ish) and then came home to get started on my project that was due today. Whew! It was so much more work than I planned for.

{Monday}

Got up for school, went to tan, came home, went to the grocery store, worked on my project(s), managed to get myself into running mode, and passed out.

{Tuesday}

Woke up at 5:30 to go run (what's wrong with me!), went to school, had my second "model" day and her hair turned out fabulous, came home to finish my projects, cut my friend's hair, went to sleep.

{Wednesday}

I woke up SO late yesterday morning but managed to pack my bag, take a shower, get completely ready in about 30 mins. Score. Got out of school and went to work. Got off work at 11:30 and came home to pass out. A BIG thanks to my hubby for baking my "color wheel" (confetti cupcakes) while I was at work so I didn't have to do it when I got home.

{Thursday}

Turned in all my projects, did my presentation, went to tan, got some dinner, and now I'm watching my husband try to fix our DVD player.

And you know what? It feels great to just be sitting.

Although, I'm craving a blizzard but we are trying to decide how much I really want one. This couch is feeling pretty good!

Stuff

2011-08-17T12:06:00.001-07:00

I haven't disappeared. To be honest, I'm just busy. And really, I'm not doing anything exciting like traveling around or seeing friends (although, I did catch up with three friends yesterday while doing their hair. Score!).

Things are going well and I'll be back this weekend with, hopefully, some exciting news. Don't hold your breathe though. Lol.

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Yes. I am blogging about this.

2011-08-10T19:47:00.000-07:00

I don't even know what to say about any of this economic "stuff" anymore. My mom shared this video with me and I thought it was educational to say the least.

Regardless of your party affiliation, I would highly recommend that you sit through it and actually hear what he is saying.

I've always loved politics. Always. I think it's highly important to be involved and have a voice in what's going on with our country (with an open mind for BOTH parties). It really worries me and sickens me that I'll never be able to retire and probably end up working for other countries because we are simply headed in a down ward spiral very quickly.

If there is one thing I could say, knowing what's going with our country and OUR money is crucial. If you don't pay attention, start slowly. There is SO much information our there and it can be very confusing and intimating. Watch news channels which lean towards both parties, I watch CNN, NBC, FOX News, MSNBC, all of them. So at least you're getting both sides of the story. Somewhat.

A little girls trip

2011-08-07T16:33:00.001-07:00

I had a big week!

This is Brooke #2!

She was my very first client on Monday. I was so proud of myself too because she has beautiful, LONG, and very THICK hair so, it took me a good long while to give her a hair cut. But, it turned out awesome!

******************************************

Friday, Mom and I left to head down to Conroe, TX to meet Leslie and do some shopping. It was lots of fun!

We went to Old Town Spring and found this store! Mom is "Gigi" (not a grandma, grandmother, mimi, etc.) so we had to take a picture with her sign. :)

And, we did have to stop by this bridal boutique to check out some wedding dresses (just for fun). Leslie is not getting married right now but hey, why not? It's still fun to look!

We had to go by this store and get Avery a little something.........

For dinner, we called down to our hotel lobby and asked for a super cool, local hang out for us to eat dinner at and they sent us to Sam's Boat. It's right on the lake and had live music. I'm not going to tell you the name of what we ordered (it's a little inappropriate, you're welcome Mom) but the food was good and so was the atmosphere. If you're ever in the area, stop by there!

We got up this morning and went to Starbucks for some coffee and then headed back to Dallas. When we got home, Avery was there! She is now officially crawling. So cute. Oh, her parents were there too, but let's face it, once you have a baby it's all about your children, not you. HA! Even I know that one! :)

After a great bbq lunch, Dave and I ended the day with a snow cone. I got pink lemonade and it was so good!! Probably have not had a snow cone since high school but it definitely hit the spot in this heat!

Hope your weekend was just as good as mine! And, let's all pray that we will get some relief from this heat soon! If not a cool front, at least some rain.

Happy Sunday!

Let's Play Catch-Up!

2011-07-31T18:39:00.000-07:00

Oh my, the past week has been busy!! Between school and work and all the other "fun" (by fun, I mean necessary annoying tasks you have to do in life like laundry and cleaning) it's definitely been a balancing act for me.

Saturday morning started off with a nice breakfast for Dave and me at one of our favorite restaurants in town and ended with this:

Long story short, we got t-boned by a twenty year old who ran a red light. Everyone was okay but I think our truck is not. We'll see tomorrow. I'm pretty sure it'll be totaled out. She hit us in the left front tire and according to several people I've talked too, it simply won't drive the same even if they did fix it. I guess we will find out this week. What I'm not excited about is the fact that I'm driving around a car with hardly any a/c until we get a rent car. Man, I'm a nice wife. I told Dave he can drive my car to work since he drives so far everyday. (And yes, I deserve a pat on the back thank you very much!) HA!

******************************************

After a little nap, we got ready to head over to my parent's for a wedding shower! One of the "Hood" kids is getting married in September. I love going to showers with the Hood. Seriously, they are hilarious!

We had a nice dinner and one of the best drinks ever thanks to a certain clever Mamma! I'll have to share the recipe. It was delicious! After dinner it was game time!

The first game, Rhonda blindfolded Kelly and brought him into the living room where we were all sitting. The scenario was Kelly had lost his bride and he had to find her by feeling of her feet. Rhonda had gotten volunteers to play along, one of them being her son Jay! It was a hoot!!!!!

Kelly did really well and picked out Lindsey because "her feet are cold". I know games like these are more fun for everyone else than the ones it focuses around but hey, we did these types of games too! Everyone needs to take a turn and be the center of attention! :)

Now onto the best wedding shower game ever!!!

This has become a tradition with the "Hood". We played it at our wedding shower and it's so. much. fun. I told Dave last night on our way home, when I hold a couple's shower, this WILL be on our to-do list.Rhonda explaining the rules. Basically (for those of you who may never have played or seen it on tv), they take the men and women out together and ask them questions, bring the significant others back in and see if they answer the question with the same response. It's super funny! A typical question might be, "Where was your first kiss?"

You will be happy to know that the "newly" weds won. I think we won too when we played, although, you will be surprised how much our parents remember things way back when. Lol.

*************************************

We left a little early since I had to be at work this morning. After waking up super sore and working almost the most boring shift ever, I headed to meet my handsome husband for some dinner.

We decided to visit a certain crab place who is having a special on their crab dinner! You know crab is Dave's absolute favorite food and, he said yesterday since his truck may or may not be totaled, he deserves to eat some crab. Who can argue with that?!

I'm hoping I don't stay sore for too long. I get to do my first "official" haircut tomorrow on a real person. Wish me luck!

Happy a great week!

Food and hair, but not together

2011-07-22T12:12:00.001-07:00

I'm glad SO glad today is Friday! I have had a few accomplishments this week. My first official hair cut all by myself:

(it's a long layer hair cut)

I've made dinner each night I have been home this week.

Fried Ritz Chicken. It's Dave's favorite meal of all time, not mine though. My house still smells like fried chicken. Lol.

Italian chicken, one of my favorites. And my new favorite thing is grilled corn. Yumm-o!

I also made spaghetti and roast. We've eaten great this week!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

It's all good

2011-07-21T06:09:00.001-07:00

Thursdays have turned into my weekly Starbucks day. After working Wednesday night, I need a little "treat".

I'll be honest, I was worried about me only working three days a week. I worried if it'd be enough for me to still contribute towards bills and stuff, but it's going well! I guess that goes to show you, when you put faith into something you feel is right, God provides. I got home last night and just thanked God for allowing me this opportunity to do something I'm passionate about. And, for my husband who works so hard for his family. Work has been stressful for Dave the past two weeks, I'm thinking a little treat of some sort is in order for that man.

I'm loving life at this very moment. Have a great Thursday!

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36 Years and Counting

2011-07-19T19:13:00.001-07:00

My parents celebrated their 36th wedding anniversary today!

It's crazy to think about being married for 36 years. Dave and I only have 33 more to go! :)

Thank you Mom and Dad for always being such great example of what the true meaning of marriage is. It's not always fun and it's not always easy, but it is always special. You two show us the importance of serving others, being committed to each other and your families, and that after many years of marriage, it is still possible to have fun together!

I hope you both have a great anniversary!

We love you!

Dave & Brooke

Rollin it up

2011-07-18T14:43:00.001-07:00

This post is really for me, I wanted to document my first official "style" so I can look back and see the progress I make along the way.

Aren't these heads a little freaky? Lol.

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Sunday night already?!

2011-07-17T16:18:00.000-07:00

Last week was busy, but this weekend was even busier!

Saturday morning I had to get up and go get some comfy shoes for school this week. We get to start doing practicals, which means we'll be on our feet all day! I love these shoes! And I got a good deal on them so I got a pair in black glitter too. :)

I must say, shopping for stuff you have to have is not as fun as buying stuff you want. I had to pick up a few more black clothing items too since our uniform is all black. Glad it's not 100+ outside cause we would be really hot! HA!

***************************************

After a trip to the grocery store (blah), we got ready to head out for dinner with some friends of mine. April used to work with us and brought her new boyfriend so we could meet him. Brian is from Boston and has a great accent!! We enjoyed asking him questions and then hearing him speak. I learned very quickly, don't call him a Yankee. Boston peeps do not like that!

April and Brian met on EHarmony and have been dating for about five months and they plan on getting married sometime in the near future. I tell you what, that EHarmony works. They are trying to get on the commercial but want to receive royalties. HA!

I had to get up early this morning and head on to that little thing called work. But it was a great time out with friends!

I'm now cooking some dinner and studying for a test I have in the morning. Can you believe that? We actually have tests in cosmetology school! :)

Happy Sunday you guys!

(As our new northern friend would say)

P.S. Wanted to say Happy Birthday to MeMaw! She is 81 today!! Hope you had a great birthday MeMaw!! Love you!

Quick little update

2011-07-14T19:06:00.001-07:00

This week has been busy!

I've been adjusting to my new schedule.

I LOVE school. I absolutely, positively, definitely, totally, utterly, completely love school.

It's only the first week and it's been mainly theory and the science behind cosmetology, but I love my teacher. I love the environment. I love that next week to get to start practicing all we've learned. I just love it.

Other than that, we've been getting back into the routine of being home together and me getting up at 6AM. It's been a little weird being home at night on days I normally work, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Hope your week has been just as awesome! I promise to come back with some pictures very soon. :)

It's the simple things......

2011-07-10T18:29:00.001-07:00

Is there anything better than a sweet, sleeping baby?

I think not.

A new beginning

2011-07-07T18:44:00.001-07:00

So, remember when I told y'all about how I had something exciting happening about two weeks ago? Well......................

I'm excited to share that I will be going back to school! I'm starting Monday on the journey to get my cosmetology license! I'm so stoked!

This decision came, really, after my miscarriage. For some reason, I really starting thinking about what it is I want out of life. I love hair. I love to get mine done, try new things (which I haven't in a long time!), I love nails, pedicures, all of it.

It's something I've always had in the back of my mind, even before I went back to finish my bachelor's degree. After my miscarriage I was kind of in limbo for a few weeks. I kept thinking this was an opportunity for me focus on the future. There are so many things about doing hair I love. The main thing is the flexibility. I want a job that is flexible when we do have kids. I want to be able to take and pick my kids up from school, attend their school events, be off when I need to without worrying about how much vacation I have or being at work on time.

I'm also really excited about doing something I truly love. I had orientation today and it totally confirmed my decision. I thought I'd be super nervous or scared, but I was really excited. I also like that I'm not oldest person in class! That's always a plus.

'A Place of Yes' came at such a great time for me. It reminded me that we are never too old to try something new, to do something other's might not agree with but we feel is the right move for us, and to change what you don't like about your life. I've never had a book that spoke to me at such a significant time.

It's going to be a long (but not really) road. It will take me ten months to complete. So, that means by the time I'm 30 (eek!), I should be on my way to my new career. Cheers for moving forward and the BIG change I need! :)

One year

2011-07-06T22:43:00.000-07:00

It's officially been one year since I started working out, so I thought I needed to document this!

I started working out because I was just out of shape and wanted to feel good in a swim suit again. HA! It always hasn't been easy, and there are definitely days that I would rather eat, eat, eat than go to the gym. I'm not perfect and my eating habits aren't always the best, but I just try to remind myself that it's only an hour and a half out of my day, so get up and go!

When I started working out, I weighed 158lbs. Yes. That was a lot for me, probably me at my highest ever. I'm now between 133-138lbs. (depending on the day, HA!) and I feel great! If I lost anymore, I'd probably look a little sickly.

I think working out is something you really have to commit too. It's not just going to happen. If you are unhappy with your body or just want to tone up, you have to make a conscious effort to make it happen. But looks aren't everything. I'm not perfect and there are still so many things I'd change about myself if I could. I try to remind myself that God created me the way he wanted me to look and gave me the personality he wanted me to have, so keeping things the way he made them is nice too! :)

Happy Thursday y'all!

Wife lesson #6

2011-07-05T10:00:00.001-07:00

Just when you think the romance was slipping away, your husband says:

"You look so beautiful right now, I love the way you look without make up on."

Sometimes, husbands can surprise us. The simple words that can make you feel so good about yourself, that reminds you he does pay attention, that he says something without even knowing how special it is to hear as a wife.

I underestimate that man sometimes. :)

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Breakfast, fireworks, and swimming

2011-07-04T16:14:00.000-07:00

{Saturday}

I worked. Nothing exciting there at all, trust me.

{Sunday}

We got up super early to meet the "Hood" for breakfast. Not everyone came since they had a big party for Brandy the night before. Brandy and her parents live next to my parents and we have all been friends for years. She just graduated with her PhD in Physical Therapy!! I was so sad I had to miss it because of work, but that's life.

*Brandy is on the right in the white shirt*

Afterward, we went to my parents for a little pool action. Leslie, Mom, and I had a great time visiting and catching some rays. Then, we left to pick up this cutie:

Jenna and Jason were taking Jordan and Sophia to go do some fun things outside and it was just too hot for Miss Avery, so they called to see if Mom and Dad could keep her. We sure do have good timing! We got to love on her some.

Then, we headed home after eating at Dave's favorite mexican restaurant to shower so we could see fireworks!

Our city has a fireworks show every year evidently, so we pulled over to watch them on our way to the movie. We ended up seeing Transformers in 3D and it was awesome!! A little long for my taste though and definitely not fit for anyone under the age of 16 in my opinion.

{Today}

Dave and I woke up and headed over to the Petty side for some swimming and food. Even Corey was in town, which was a nice surprise! I laid out for a little bit while the kids played with Uncle Dave and then, we ate some shrimp.

Brenna boo decided to wear my hat around and I had to get a picture because she is that cute.

We came home early and have been doing some things around the house. I doubt we will go watch fireworks tonight. I have already showered and there is some laundry and vacuuming calling my name. Don't be jealous.

Celebrate: Rule #10

2011-07-02T10:33:00.000-07:00

"Celebrate what you want to see more of."

-Thomas J. Peters

Celebrate. I believe, by nature, people tend to celebrate things quite easily. Birthdays, anniversaries, milestones, graduations, whatever it might be. I think most everyone always enjoys a good time.

The final rule in Bethenny's book 'A Place of Yes' is all about how to celebrate. Why would we need to know how to celebrate, I can party pretty easily. HA! But she states something powerful in this chapter: whether it be something great or horrible in your life at the time, you have a choice in how to respond or react. She says we have three choices:

{one} have anxiety about it

{two} come from a place of yes

{three} focus on the goodness in the situation, what lessons where learned, what did you gain...

Life isn't always sunshine and roses, I'm pretty sure we can all agree on that. But we do have a choice whether or not we come from a place of yes or a place of no. Do we always see the negative in situations or find that small piece of joy in whatever horrible thing that is happening to us? I have really tried over the past few months to see my glass as half full. It's made a world of difference in my mood, although, I do still have days that would rather lay in bed and not speak to anyone or do anything.

Bethenny talks about worry noise in this chapter. We all worry. I try not to, but it's inevitable. I worry about money, time, not seeing everyone I should when I can, something happening to me or someone in my family. Sometimes in the mist of everything, we forget to celebrate the "small" things in life. The ability to get up out of bed, go to a job (that other's would be incredibly happy to have), having food in your pantry, a new shirt to wear...........I feel like we all take things for granted. And those are the small wins in life, the things we become accustomed to and forget that are blessings.

"No matter where you are right now, no matter how far along you are on your own path, don't wait to have it all to celebrate. You're never going to figure it all out."

-Bethenny Frankel, A Place of Yes

I'm just an ordinary girl, trying to navigate through this thing we call life. I make mistakes, I mess up but I'm trying to live my life to the best of my ability. I'm happy. And that my friends, is something worth celebrating.

Thankful Thursday

2011-07-01T08:20:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was such a good day! I woke up and headed over to my friend Amanda's to spend sometime with her and Maddox!

He is such a good baby! Sleeps a lot and eats a lot! We had a good time catching up. Then, I left to get:

I needed a pedicure so bad! It was lovely.

Dave and I then met up at Joes Crab Shack for some dinner. I have to work tonight and tomorrow, so we used last night as our weekly date night. I think its so nice to spend some one-on-one time together. I love him so much!

Happy Friday! I'm getting through these next days and then off to celebrate the fourth! Woohoo!

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-29T09:27:00.000-07:00

A normal Tuesday

2011-06-28T23:03:00.001-07:00

Today was kind of, blah.

I woke up and made myself some cereal and a bagel, along with some coffee. I love mornings that I get up early enough to just enjoy the morning.

After emptying the dishwasher and vacuuming, I headed off to my noon aerobics class (that I've taken a break from the past two weeks) and it kicked my booty! Today we did abs and arms so I'm sure I'll wake up super sore tomorrow! Then, I came home, showered, and headed off to work.

I've got something exciting happening for me in two weeks (which I'll share later on) and the past days have really validated, for me, my decision was a good one. I'm really excited and nervous about the next chapter in my life but I think it's going to be a great "move" for me.

I'm now off to bed to hopefully catch some zzz's. Happy Tuesday y'all!

Rule #9: Come Together

2011-06-27T22:41:00.000-07:00

"Coming together is the opposite of a codependency. When you seek to come together, what matters is your wholeness. When you become someone in your own right and are no longer dependent on the labels and opinions of others, you can get a grip on the kind of lasting contentment that carries you for a long time. Together, the two wholes becomes greater than the sum of their parts. You are complete, and so is your partner, and together, you become something even more amazing."

-Bethenny Frankel, A Place of Yes-

I think figuring out what type of person we all want to become is a life long process. Like I've said in so many posts, life is about lessons. And you can change with each lesson you experience, hopefully for the better.

I think one of the best things that happened to me was finding Dave a little later in life. We got married when I was 26 (I know, I was an old hag huh?!), but if Dave and I would have met any earlier I doubt we would have made it down the aisle. He had a lot of growing up to do and I had a major life lesson to learn: being independent isn't wrong, but finding someone you can trust and love is worth so much more. I'm still a very strong-willed woman who, at times, needs to be reminded that I can still be cared for. Dave is my lobster (for all you Friends fans!). He completes me in every way possible. He is the ying to my yang. Where I am weak, he is strong. He makes me calm down when I want to loose it. I break him out of the norm when need be, I keep us grounded while he is a dreamer, and we truly enjoy each other.

I think Coming Together is virtually impossible unless the first eight steps are followed. It's hard to know where you want to be or what you want to do all the time. Working with other people is a necessity. We were made for fellowship. No matter what job you have, you will have to work with other people. It's ten times easier to work with other people when you are doing what you were made to do. Think how much happier people are and pleasant to be around when they are doing something they love to do. When you come together, it's about surrounding yourself with people who matter to you and in turn, help you to be a better person, business person, partner, daughter, friend, etc. If we could all survive on our own, we wouldn't crave social acceptance or relationships. But these things are a lot easier when you know who you are, what you want, what your goals are.

"The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime."

-Babe Ruth-

I need approval. I need it from my husband and my parents, this much I have learned about myself. But, I'm also learning that I can't strive for that. I will make choices my husband may not agree with and vise versa. But even if the approval I'm seeking isn't there, it doesn't mean what I'm doing is wrong. I can still come together with him and co-exist and be happy. It's about finding what works and doesn't work. It's about finding our "normal", not his parents and not my parents.

We need other people in our lives. I'm just glad I have a great husband, great parents, awesome sisters, and "second" family that all love me so much and encourage me to be successful and happy.

Weekly Recap

2011-06-26T18:25:00.001-07:00

Friday was my first day off since Father's day (our busiest day ever!), so needless to say, I was slow moving. I had a few errands to run and then Dave and I had a date night! We hadn't seen each other for five nights so it was needed! We went to Primo's in Dallas and it was yumm-o!

Saturday, I had to be at work at 10 but headed over to my parents during my break. I know how to time it I guess because Jenna, Jason, and Avery showed up shortly after and Jenna made dinner. And we all spent some time watching and kissing on this cutie:

She is just growing up so fast! She loves her jumper and grinding her teeth. Eek! I couldn't listen to it, I cringed! But, I love her still.

Saturday night after work, we made it to a very late dinner at P.F. Changs. We were originally trying to make it to Top Golf but they had a an hour and a half wait. What?! We walked into the restaurant at about 15 mins. till close so I'm sure our server hated us! Ha! We took care of her though. And this was my fortune:

Today we woke up and went to watch Dave's nephew play in the "World Series" of baseball (at the age of 7). They ended up loosing and getting third place. Not too shabby.

After, we went to get Dave some new shirts for work. I don't care of what anyone says, men are much worse shopping partners. I'm in and out of the store pretty quickly so sometimes I have to remind myself that not everyone shops like I do. And we went to Marshall's, so you have to be patient in those types of stores. He'll be well dressed for tomorrow though!

I came home to do some cleaning and took a much needed nap and then worked out. Days off go much faster than any others! :(

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Own It: Rule #8

2011-06-21T08:53:00.000-07:00

"At every stage of my life, I've owned it, and owned it big. Sometimes it stung in the moment, but it was always better in the end. I've never pretended to be somebody else, denied anything I've done, or refused to admit to something I actually said, even when it might have benefited me in the short term to do otherwise. Sometimes, I've even felt as if my life depended on owning it."

-Bethenny Frankel, A Place of Yes-

I'm not super great "owning it." I make the mistake of letting other people's feelings and emotions change the way I feel at times. I think mainly because I struggle with hurting other people's feelings.

I've done a lot of changing in the past four years. I guess I've started coming from A Place of Yes awhile ago. When Dave and I first started dating, we had some major communication issues. I mean, MAJOR. His family has always sat down and discussed issues and always use the phrase "No one can make you feel a certain, you choose too." Ugh, I still hate that phrase to this day!

But, there is truth to it. We choose to let other people's actions hurt or not hurt our feelings and then we should own how we react to it. I've learned how to be a better communicator. Dave and I still have very challenging arguments because of how differently we were raised, but I guess that's what makes it interesting.

I've learned to be a better listener and try, really try, to listen. I used to have arguments that were so counter productive because I was more worried about what my response was going to be and being "right", that I wouldn't even listen to what people were saying. I've learned that we are never really what we might think we are. My aunt says that a lot, "We aren't ever really who we perceive ourselves to be." And, I think there's so much truth to that. So, being a little introspective every now and then is a good thing.

I try to own it at work. I've always have. If I do something wrong, I admit it. But, I also try to learn from it and fix it. When it comes to work, I try really hard to remember it's business. It's not personal. When I do something wrong or handle a situation incorrectly, it's about the business, not how I personally did something. It's really help me and put work into perspective for me. I used to (and still do some days) get so angry and upset at work. And, to be honest, it's just. not. worth it.

Bethenny talks about truth noise in this chapter, explaining that truth noise can be painful. It's the noise you get when you are trying to do anything else but own it. You make excuses, think of how other people contributed to the situation, and avoid owning it because it's easier to point the finger at everyone than yourself.

"Truth noise is common because owning it is so hard, but here's what you have to realize: owning it is always easier in the long run than the alternative, even if it doesn't seem like that in those first moments of coming clean. Everything comes out in the wash, and the truth will always come out eventually."

-Bethenny Frankel, A Place of Yes-

I think one of the best things she said in this whole book is this, don't pretend to be something you're not. It's not like you have to shout your problems or the truth to anyone and everyone who will listen, simply own it. Don't be someone you're not. We all have issues. EVERYONE. Even the people who blog and their lives look so glamorous and perfect. We all have noise. Body noise, relationship noise, self-esteem issues, jealousy problems, whatever. It's about being real. Own it.

Flip Flops and Golf

2011-06-18T17:54:00.000-07:00

The past two days have been busy, busy!!!!

Mom, Kristen, and I went to McKinney trade days for a little retail therapy and we had a lot of fun!

I got these awesome camo flip flops, which I'm in love with!

We shopped in the morning and then grabbed some lunch at The Pantry and it was goooooooddddddd.

I had to get a piece of chocolate pie too. Mom and I shared so I didn't feel too guilty! ;)

*********************************

Friday afternoon we had a sister night and this little cutie came too!!!

Buddy loved Avery. Once he got used to her and her smell, he was obsessed with giving her kisses! Avery also liked C'mere, she thought he was pretty funny!

We had a great time visiting and just spending some time together. We haven't had a "sister" night since probably Jenna and Jason got married. It was long overdue and much needed.

*************************************

Today we got ready and celebrated Father's Day with my dad at:

Imagine bowling but with golf, you basically hit the balls into these holes and get points for it. It was so. much. fun. Seriously. And, I'm not even into golf. But my dad is a major golf guy!

It. was. hot. I'm so glad we are starting to do things on these types of days that involve quality time versus gift giving. I think we all enjoy spending some fun time together! For Mother's Day we did this and it's always good to be able to spend a little time together with each parent separately to celebrate them on their day!

Dad,

I couldn't say thank you enough for the everything you have done for me and Dave. I know how incredibly lucky I am to have a dad like you. Thank you for loving me unconditionally and loving my husband the same. Both you and Mom have meant so much to me, especially the past few weeks. You're one of a kind!

Love,

Brooke

Rule #7: Separating from the Pack

2011-06-15T08:56:00.000-07:00

"Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else."

-Judy Garland-

I think this rule is good just in general, mainly because whether it be in business or with your kids or your marriage, you have to find what's right for you instead of what "society" says is normal or right.

I've never been a follower, well, as far back as I can remember anyway. I do have leadership qualities that tend to come out when need be, but I can also be part of the Indian crowd. Somehow I do still separate from the pack when I have my Indian hat on. Separating from the pack is solely based on the idea that you do what's right for you, not anyone else. You find the qualities you have to offer that differ from everyone else and you capitalize on them. Focus on the things that make you different and use that to find success.

I see this a lot at work (mainly because everyone's really young). For example, when one person quits, the whole social circle does. Why in the world would you do that? But they do. I think you either have it in you to be a leader and know what's right for you, or you don't. Sometimes it takes people longer to figure their inner leader that allows them to separate from the pack.

"I believe that separating from the pack is the reason why my career has been so precisely my career. Each person's life unfolds in a unique way, but the best way to let that happen naturally is to take your own path, not anyone else's. It's your career, your health, your relationships, your journey, your blueprint, your life, so why should you ever act like anybody else and miss out on what could happen for you?"

-Bethenny Frankel, A Place of Yes-

All about Avery

2011-06-12T15:52:00.000-07:00

This weekend my parents kept Avery so Jason and Jenna could have a little alone time, so we took full advantage of all the time we got to spend with Avery!

Saturday night we went to go eat at Aspen Creek (our "sister" restaurant) and had a great time! Avery did great at dinner. Mom came prepared with lots of food for her to nibble on. We had such a great time watching her.

Sunday we went back over to my parents for a day of swimming!

"I'm ready for the pool!"

I LOVE this picture. She looks like she is just thinking away.......

And then it was nap time! :)

She is such a sweet baby. It takes her a minute to get used to Dave though, but once she does, she figures out he is pretty fun!

I love you Avery Grace!

Go for Yours: Rule #6

2011-06-10T15:37:00.000-07:00

"Going for yours is about pursuing something with such a singular focus that you put all your energy into getting there. You'll have to sacrifice some thing. It might be tough, tiring, the hardest thing you've ever had to do. But if you keep rule #6 in front of you like the proverbial carrot in front of the horse, you'll be developing a valuable skill-a skill that can bring you success."

-Bethenny Frankel, A Place of Yes-

It's funny how this part of chapter six stuck out to me above almost anything else in the book. I feel like sometimes, people (me) loose focus on what it is I want to achieve because it is hard and takes longer than I want.

The majority of successful people reached success because of hard work and dedication. Very few are successful simply because they were in the right place at the right time, although this does happen.

I think back to my college days and know that if I would have kept that goal as my number priority, I would have finished in the typical four years versus eight. That's not really here nor there but it is true. If I would have put my all as a Service Manager, who knows where'd I be today. I feel like things happen for a reason because who's to say I'd be happily married right now if I had? That's the real reason why I don't regret any of it, I could have married some guy who really wasn't meant for me and be incredibly unhappy right now.

Bethenny talks about desperation noise in this chapter too, which goes so well with going for yours, don't you think? Mainly her explanation of desperation noise is that when you go for yours, make sure to be realistic about what it is you are going for. Are you setting out to achieve the unattainable? For example, some people become so desperate to be rich they sacrifice everything for something that really won't make them rich in the first place. She does say though, if you are following the first five rules, chances are you won't be doing something that's wasting your time anyway.

"Losing is the price we pay for living. It is also the source of much of our growth and pain."

-Judith Viorst-

Life is full of all types of lessons. Marriage, patience, money, education, friendships........you name it. I always ask the kids at the work (high school kids) what they learned at school today and their response is always "nothing." Seriously?? You were in school for 7 hours and learned nothing? I think about that alot, what have I learned for today?

The quote above really makes me think, if we never do anything that allows us to live, what do we really learn?

I've learned through my recent miscarriage that it's okay to be sad. I'm typically a very private person (and I blog, I know), by private I mean, I'll talk about what is going on in my life but I try to remember that people get tired of hearing about "stuff" (good or bad). I was talking to my sister last week and we were discussing how you can get sick of reading about people's lives who seem perfect and easy, so it goes both ways I guess. I also learned that through this healing process, it didn't just effect me. Dave is still struggling with our loss, my friends and family worry about me, and I've changed. I'm becoming a much more compassionate, tolerate person. I'm seeing life in different ways I never thought possible.

I was talking to my boss today and he just kept saying "It's okay to be sad and allow others to know you're sad Brooke. You don't always have to be strong." That really stuck with me today, I guess because it came from him and it made me realize I haven't talked to anyone at work besides telling them what was going on.

I'm also learning that this is my time. Go for mine. Seize the moment. God uses certain circumstances to allow for growth. I truly believe that, maybe I wouldn't have ever gotten another to chance to chase my dreams/goals. So, to sum it up..........I'm going for mine. :)

Aren't babies the best?!

2011-06-09T19:03:00.000-07:00

Remember when I told y'all about my dear friend Amanda? I got to go see her today and visit sweet little Maddox Cooper!

Maddox was born very early Tuesday morning. He is such a precious little baby and looks just like his brother (who is a spitting image of his dad)!

Amanda is doing well too but ready to get home and out of the hospital.

I also got to visit my friend Heather and Landon yesterday! Landon is just adorable and looks like his daddy in my opinion. Funny how moms carry the babies but somehow they turn out looking like their dads!

I'm glad we are so close to them because I can visit whenever I want!

I'm glad I have so many friends with babies to cure my baby fix! :)

Good read for today

2011-06-09T09:32:00.000-07:00

I know the majority of you read There's No Place Like Home, but make sure you read her post today.

I've never quite thought about miscarriage in that way. Maybe that's why God gives glimpses of heaven to certain people, so they can share their experiences with us!

There's not a day that goes by I don't think about it. When I see a pregnant lady I think about what I would have looked like 9 months pregnant, how far along I'd be every week, when I hold newborns and think about how that would've been me in December.

But, time is healing my wounds and with lots of prayer, I'm seeing the positives about all those things. I get to get my hair done again, I'm not gaining weight, I get to drink a Skinny Girl Margarita every now and then, and when I hold all my friend's babies, I get to give them back. LOL.

Find the silver lining. There's always something to be thankful for. :)

All Roads Lead to Rome. Rule #5

2011-06-06T08:30:00.000-07:00

"There's no getting around it. Sometimes, in life, if you take risks, if you go big, you're going to screw up. You're going to do the wrong thing. And the beauty is that sometimes, the wrong thing can lead you straight to what's right, even when you think there's no hope, or that you're going completely in the wrong direction."

-Bethenny Frankel, A Place of Yes

I have had many times in my life that I took the long road. The much more challenging journey opposed to the straight and narrow. My biggest example of this would have to be the 8 year journey to finish my college degree. It was a long lesson and one that I am proud of because it was something I needed to learn on my own. It took several years of hard work and a meaningless job that got me back on the road to "Rome" in order to finish my degree. But, I'm incredibly happy I did it. And I did it on my own. It was difficult. And challenging. And rewarding.

I think there is something to this chapter, about how even if you do take the longer road, eventually you will get where you are suppose to be.

Bethenny enrolled in culinary school mainly to avoid her fiance at the time and give her something to do. She had always loved cooking and so she thought this would be a good way to {one} pass the time {two} learn more about something she was interested in. Did she ever think she would end up making a career out of healthy living and eating well? Absolutely not.

Bethenny shares her rise and fall of Bethenny Bakes, a cookie company she ran solely by herself and how her great idea failed. She worked hard to make healthy cookies by renting out the kitchen of a near by restaurant, packing and delivering them (in a $500 Blazer), along with marketing them to some big name/mom and pop stores in the business. She put her all in this business but evidently she couldn't keep up with the physical demand of it all or the inability to make a profit. Her problem? Bethenny says she never had a plan, wasn't able to move on to a bigger market or hire a real crew.

But she eventually found her great idea. And eventually made it. The point is, she found her "Rome" and learned alot along the way. And while she took the longer road, she still somehow ended up where she needed to be. With a little bit of extra knowledge too.

This makes me feel a little better about my road to Rome.

"Winning isn't everything, but the will to win is everything."

-Vince Lombardi-

I am learning that if you don't give it your all, if you don't go for your's, if you sit on the sidelines and wait for good things in life to happen to you, you might possibly be waiting your whole life. You may miss out on so many opportunities and lovely mistakes that your family and friends will remind you of forever, but isn't that what makes life interesting? :)

Our. Weekend.

2011-06-05T18:29:00.000-07:00

{Friday}

Headed up to the Roadhouse in McKinney to do a Teacher Appreciation luncheon and afterward met up with my sister and Avery for a little dinner action.

How cute is this little girl?!!!

I got home to find our neighbors having a party and a parking lot in front of our house. Boo.

{Saturday}

We woke up and had some yummy french toast and then went to watch my nephew play some baseball. It. was. hot. We then had to hurry home and get ready for a wedding! But not before eating the best hamburger in the world!

We also got to meet Erin! She is Corey's new girlfriend and is also getting her graduate degree from Texas Tech. She is very smart.

{Sunday}

Went over to my parents for some parental time and a little pool action!

**this is Leslie by the way. LOL!*

All in all, a really good weekend!!!!!

What did you do this weekend?!

Everything's Your Business

2011-05-31T22:59:00.000-07:00

Rule #4

Everything's Your Business

"Everything's your business doesn't mean you are a busybody, and it doesn't mean your life becomes all about work. When I say everything's your business, I mean treat everything you choose to do with as much importance as if you career depended on it. Everything's your business means that every job, person, and experience is worth your full attention."

-Bethenny Frankel, A Place of Yes-

I love this chapter. Mainly because Bethenny talks ALOT about how no matter what you are doing, do it to the best of your ability. This can be especially challenging when you are doing something that doesn't necessarily "fill your cup", say working in a restaurant as a 29 year old college graduate. Hmmmm, sound familiar? Lol.

The first three rules are vital when moving along to step four. Everything's your business means treating everyone you come in contact with, employees you may have, people you sell a house too, parents of students you deal with daily like they can all have a direct impact on your "business" later on in life.

She shares about a particular employee whom she hired as a coat check girl for an event several years ago who is now a very successful party planner for high end events and celebrities. This same girl worked her tail off checking those coats and going above and beyond to do it to the best of her ability. She came from a place of yes, the place where deep down you know you should be coming from even at jobs that "don't matter" or feel "unimportant". She later ended up taking Bethenny's job as a different company when Bethenny left and is now the marketing manager for Red Bull North America. Not to shabby!

I also really enjoyed this chapter because she talks about knowing what you, as an individual, stand for. It is also important to know what exactly is your business? How can you have a clear vision of what your business is if you don't know what your business is? Confused yet? :)

"Having your own personal mission statement focuses you in a very powerful way. It helps you see exactly how to make everything your business, because you see what fits with your mission."

-Bethenny Frankel, A Place of Yes-

A recent event took this statement close to home. I dealt with a situation where a person in power said something highly inappropriate to a young lady. We all have situations like this, and we all have to ask ourselves what we stand for. What is okay in our eyes? What type of work environment is okay to work in? When do you stand up for people who feel they are treated poorly? I think this is very important in any business: to make sure even when other people may not act with integrity or honesty, I still do. I stand up for my beliefs and what is right, because that is my business. This is an extremely specific example but, hopefully, you get the point.

One of the best things she says in this chapter is this: She realized the supreme importance of producing high quality and learned to do everything well no matter what the job or task. Take time to do the small things. Go the extra mile, show people why you're different and stand above the rest. She also talks about how if you don't do whatever job you're doing well, you won't ever know how you truly feel about it. I can vouch for this one. I do my job (or strive to) the best of ability daily and still know, I'm meant for something much bigger than this one.

When you make Everything your business you shouldn't be afraid to take risks, try something new, put yourself out there. Because regardless if it ends great or horribly, you still tried something! And, you never know who you may encounter or make contact with along the way. Could lead to bigger and better things!

I'll leave you with a great quote Bethenny used in her book (this one's for you Dad!):

"The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field."

-Vince Lombardi-

I have faith that regardless of what I'll do, I'll succeed. Because one things is true in my life, I grew up learning the value of working hard, doing the right thing, and putting my all into whatever it is I may have to do (versus choosing to do). I think that's part of maturing. And learning that, as my dad loves to tell us, life isn't fair. The fair only comes once a year, and that's in October.

Weekend Wrap Up

2011-05-30T09:46:00.000-07:00

This weekend flew by!!

[Friday]

Woke up, Mom came over to take me to my doctor's appointment and, of course, grab some lunch. We also did a little bit of shopping and found a ton of cute things I'd love to have. After, Dave met us and we headed off to the Grand Opening of Texas Roadhouse in Hulen. Free food is also good, regardless if I eat it every. day.

[Saturday]

Woke up before the crack of dawn and drove my parents to the airport. I actually made myself go to the grocery store on my way home so it was over with and headed home for a nap. After I came out of my coma, we got ready to meet some friends out for a movie and dinner. We met our 3D movies buds to see the new Pirates of the Caribbean at the Movie Tavern in downtown Ft. Worth. We also wandered over to the cute restaurant down the block. It was our first night out in several weeks so we had a good time.

[Sunday]

After sleeping in (and I mean, sleeping in till noon), I got up for a little breakfast action to start the day. We kept telling ourselves we felt like we were suppose to be somewhere, but couldn't figure out anything so we chilled out a little bit.

MeMaw flew in today so we headed over to my in-law's house to make some dinner and wait for her arrival. It was good to see her since we haven't since our trip to Georgia last year.

We also went to visit Dairy Queen after dinner for a little blizzard action. Yumm-o!

[Monday]

I woke up for my morning run and ended up bringing home this sweet girl:

Although, I don't know what her future holds since she is a Houdini dog and keeps escaping! Maybe that's how she got lost in the first place! She's super sweet and very timid, so that tells me she's been on her own for awhile or was abused at her last home. Most dogs aren't that skid dish. Dave's immediate reaction was "She can stay till tomorrow but after that, we're calling the shelter." He is now leaning more towards, "Maybe this is a new running buddy for you."

Hmmmmm.........

GTKYS

2011-05-29T14:30:00.000-07:00

[one] Would you rather go to a bbq or picnic?

BBQ. I like picnics and all but unless it's 75 with little wind, it's too hot and windy during the Texas summer heat to attempt a picnic. BBQ's are fun because they are usually held in some one's backyard :)

[two] Would you rather go bra-less or panty-less?

HA! Bra-less, for sure.

[three] Would you rather go on a $5000 shopping spree at your favorite store or go on a $5000 vacation?

If someone wants to give me five grand to spend on a vacation, I'm packing as of now!

[four] Would you rather eat escargot or sauteed crickets?

Ewww. Neither.

[five] Would you rather go on amazing race or survivor?

Good question. Probably Amazing Race. I'm all for "roughing it" but I don't know if I could survive in some of the conditions of Survivor.

[six] Would you rather be hot or cold?

COLD! Dave and I keep our house pretty cool, mainly because when I'm hot, I'm cranky!

[seven] Would you rather go to the beach or the lake?

Either one is good for me! I love them both!

[eight] Would you rather not shave your legs for a month in the summer or your armpits?

Strange one! I don't know I could do either. I shave just about everyday. I wear too many dresses and sleeveless shirts in the summer to not shave. I think my husband appreciates that too! :)

Act on it, Rule #3

2011-05-26T10:29:00.000-07:00

I sincerely hope that if you do read my blog, these little snipets from Bethenny's book are as helpful to you as they are to me. I find myself anticipating the next chapter of her book, just ready for the next rule and how it unfolded in her life.

Rule #3 is Act on It.

Rule one and two aren't super important unless you take Rule #3 and actually do something about it.

"Act on it means taking positive control of your life, and actually doing something about your goals. It means taking real, tangible steps forward. You stop thinking about start doing, even if you aren't sure where it will lead. It's time to start shaking things up and making changes in your life, big or small. Rules #3 helps you put things in motion, so your life can start unfolding the way you want it to."

-Bethenny Frankel, A Place of Yes-

She talks all about her many jobs in this chapter and how each job played a role in her career as it is now. The jobs you may hate at the time but somehow found their way into what she is doing present day. Whether it be contacts she had made years ago helped later on in life, the skills she acquired while doing event planning helped her to be a better business woman, or how she attended bartending school to pass the time ending up being crucial because now she has a liquor empire and figured out so much about drink mixes and the demands women have for a good drink with low calories.

I feel like in today's society, sometimes it's so hard to make a job switch. You get stuck in a rut of having to make "x" amount of dollars to pay the bills, you have responsibilities as an adult so people just stay at whatever they job have because they simply. can't. move.

I'm very lucky in the sense that Dave found something {one} he is great at {two} allows me to take some time and think about what it is I want. Dave and I have also been smart about our choices. We don't live outside our means, we aren't extravagant people who spend our money on things we simply do not need, nor have we tried to create a life that simply is not us. We have been smart with what choices we make. Do I sometimes wish I had a SUV I can drive around? Yes. Does Dave wish he had a bigger boat he could cart people around on? Yes. Do I wish at times I had new furniture, new flooring, a fully decorated house? Absolutely. But you know what, as nice as those things are to have, we have both agreed not to put ourselves in a hole in order to get those things. Immediate gratification rarely has a positive outcome at the end.

We have put ourselves into a place where I can go back to school if I choose, be picky about what job I take, take time to look inside and find my choice of what I want to do. And, that's what this chapter is about. Going outside your comfort zone to try new things. Sometimes you'll love it, sometimes you'll hate it. Bethenny is big in this chapter about getting out there and doing something about it. I think it's interesting to read about her life, all the mishaps, failures, achievements, and how she turned each one into a good thing because she was coming from A Place of Yes. Not sitting around crying about how her great idea failed or didn't turn out the way she hoped.

She also shares about Focus Noise, which to her definition is "noise that can get in the way of this process of self-discovery and taking action." (Bethenny Frankel, A Place of Yes). And yes, I'm making sure to give her the credit! HA!!!

This can come from yourself, people in your life, people you encounter along the way, people who tell you it's a horrible idea or plan. Whatever. It can be TV, that little voice inside you that says you'll never be skinny so stop trying, the Internet. All of it. She also discusses excessive worry. It's like she wrote this book for me, because that pretty sums me up to a tee. I doubt myself with any new idea I have, question if I could even do it, give in to what others might think of me. But I've come to this conclusion, none of that matters. None of it. Who cares what my friends think? So what if people think I'll fail. At least I'd be doing something about whatever it is I want to change. And, I'm sure there is a lesson along the way.

"Take a deep breathe and calm down........so you can be sensible. Do it now. You don't have to have a master plan. You just have to muster the will the act. It all comes down to saying yes. Acting on it-making real things happen in real life-coming from a place of yes."

-Bethenny Frankel, A Place of Yes-

Rule #2: Find Your Truth

2011-05-24T13:26:00.000-07:00

Bethenny's second rule is all about finding your truth, whether it be related to relationships, career, friends, how ever "finding your truth" relates to you.

"You have to ask yourself what's genuine and true for you-not for your parents (break the chain), not for your friends, not for your siblings or your school or your society, but for you. It's the question of a lifetime, and it can take a lifetime to really answer it, but you still have to keep asking."

-Bethenny Frankel, A Place of Yes-

As I read this chapter, the past year just really stuck out to me. Bethenny talks alot about her relationships in this chapter. What she learned specifically in each one and how she found her passion for cooking, along with finding her Skinny Girl calling. For me, finding my truth is defined as what is my true calling career wise.

Over a year ago, I felt a real calling for teaching. I had graduated from college and was seeking the new step in my life. I gave teaching so much thought and prayer and really felt like it was what I was suppose to be doing. After a few very disappointing events, I re-evaluated if that was what the next step for me would be. Looking back, I'm glad it worked out the way it did. If I had gone through the summer training and landed a job, I would more than likely be laid off right now with everything going on in the education world. And then I would have been so upset I paid that much money for my certification and been unemployed. Funny how life works out huh?

I've been floating around the past 8 months, applying for job after job with no real direction. Things I think are working in my favor haven't, jobs I thought were perfect for me simply didn't happen, and so I just stopped. For the past few months I've been stuck. Of my own doing. No real motivation to look inside and find out what it is I love. What could I do for the rest of the my life (or at least the next 20 years) that I would find joy from?

This is something I've especially given alot of thought to over the past two weeks. Having time to rest and let your mind wander has been really a blessing for me. And something I've learned from reading this book is, sometimes you just don't know until you've tried it. People have great ideas sometimes, but never act on them simply out of fear. What if I fail? What if no one wants what I'm offering? What if I put in all this effort and turns out I'm horrible?

If you live out of fear, I think a very important part of the journey is missed. If you never try anything new, you're settling. Now, this isn't to say that people who do have a calling and truly enjoy their jobs should go out and try something new. I'm simply saying this as it relates to me.......someone who really hasn't found her "career" yet or what she wants to do.

"Everything that happens to you, each experience, each stumble or achievement, is another piece, and the more the puzzle comes together, the more clearly you start to see where the next pieces should go. But nobody would blame you for not knowing where one puzzle piece out of a thousand is supposed to go, when you've only got one corner of the puzzle put together. Be patient. Your life is the puzzle, and it's challenging to put it together, even if you sometimes spend too much trying to shove a piece into the wrong space. At some point, you figure out that you're doing it wrong, and you try a different piece."

-Bethenny Frankel, A Place of Yes-

So simple isn't it? HA!

The waiting is over

2011-05-23T18:46:00.000-07:00

Just giving you an update on my status.

I worked yesterday and started really cramping during my shift. I made it home, ate some dinner, and prepared myself for what was to come. I knew this was it.

Sunday night was probably the most painful, worst night I've ever had (physically speaking that is). I didn't sleep at all, but did manage to watch Sex and the City 2 twice along with Runaway Bride (so at least there was some good entertainment on tv!)

My dad came over mid morning to take care of me and my mom headed over after she got off work. Today has been spent sleeping and resting, but I'm so glad the worst appears to be over. I'm also so grateful my parents were able to come over and just be here for me. It was very helpful and the dogs even enjoyed it!

I'm doing surprisingly well emotionally and feel pretty good. I'm still in some pain but I think tomorrow is going to be much better!

Thank you to everyone who has prayed for us, checked in on us, called and text me with kind words. We have definitely felt those prayers and I can not say thank you enough. We feel so blessed to have so many people praying for us!

I'm looking forward to feeling back to normal and get back in the swing of things. I must say though, I have enjoyed having people around waiting on me! :)

GTKYS

2011-05-22T22:04:00.000-07:00

{one} What is your favorite rainy day activity?

Ah, so simple. It's called my bed and sleep. :) Who has a different rainy day activity?

{two} What time do you go to bed?

It depends on what day it is. If I'm working, not till late. If I'm off, give me a blanket and my couch and I'm snoozing before the tv is on. We usually lay down about 10 though.

{three} How many magazines do you subscribe to?

Zero.

{four} Did you sell all your belongings before you thought the world was ending yesterday?

Um, no. I'm sorry but anyone in their right mind would know (regardless if you're a believer or not) no one can predict the world ending. The bible tells us no one will know, not even the angels in heaven.

{five} What's your beauty obsession?

Getting my hair done, nails and toes done, tanning, make-up. I LOVE IT ALL!

{six} If you could wear only one designer/brand for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Any sort of sundress with yellow box flip flops. I'm not super into labels, what ever I find that looks good on me, wins. I prefer a bargain!

{seven} What's your summer must haves?

Flip flops, sunglasses, sun dresses, tank tops, jean shirts :)

{eight} Do you make weekly dinner menus?

Yeah, so I've tried this. And, no, it does not work in this family. My husband eats about 2.5 things so trying to create a menu around those things is pretty boring! I'm thinking I need that Deceitfully Delicious book, then I could cook all sorts of fun foods without him knowing! And, my mind is turning..........HA!

Breaking the Chain

2011-05-21T09:51:00.000-07:00

The first chapter in Bethenny Frankel's book is all about breaking the chain. What chain do you ask?

It's all about childhood. You read the whole first chapter and just feel so sorry for her. She tells about her relationships with her mother, father, and step-father, how each of them treated her, made her feel, and how now that she is a mother, breaking the chain of how she "could have been" is so important to her.

I'll be honest, I had a great childhood. My parents were so wonderful at creating memories for us and with us. We took trips every summer to different places all over the country, they were at every game we cheered at, every recital, every volleyball game. My mom took us Wet 'n Wild so many times over the course of my life I can't even count. We never had to worry about being clothed, feed, or un-loved. We were surrounded by grandparents and an aunt that adored us and would do anything for us. My parents did a great job and still to this day do a great job creating memories.

I'm not going to say everything was perfect all the time, nothing is. We did things to push their buttons and make them mad or disappointed, we made poor choices I'm sure made them so upset and heart broken. But, as I read about her life, I look back on mine and feel so grateful. She took so many of her childhood issues into future relationships with her as an adult, which caused much heart ache and dismay.

What I took from Break the Chain, according to Bethenny, is simply your past hurts, failures, disappointments, do not have to affect your future. It's about coming from 'A Place of Yes' and controlling how you want to re-act in situations, treat your children, husband, friends, etc. It's about deciding who you want to be and breaking the chain of who you think you should be.

"Break the chain means recognizing the patterns you are carrying forward in your life, patterns that belonged to your past, and choosing to go a different way when those patterns are destructive."

-Bethenny Frankel-

Friday Five

2011-05-20T10:11:00.000-07:00

[one] I have had a few days this week to rest and get some things done around the house, which makes me feel SO good. I spent a little time going through my closet and purging! It was time. I had so many clothes that I never wear and needed to get rid of. A little spring cleaning is always good.

[two] I got back into the gym this week and while it felt great, I LITERALLY (insert Rob Lowe from Parks and Recreation) had to drag myself there. It's going to be a slower process than before because all I feel like doing is sleeping and watching tv. Just laziness. :(

[three] My favorite shows ended last night:

I hate season finales, really because that means cheesy summer shows and bad fill-ins. But, I'm glad we have the DVR so we can watch them over and over again. Dave will hate these shows by the end of summer. HA!

[four] My girl Bethenny was (or is) in Dallas today doing a Skinny Girl signing. I'm sad I didn't go! Truth be told, I didn't feel like standing in line for hours and hours plus I didn't have anyone who was able to go with me. Oh well. Sometimes it's almost better not to meet your favorite celebrities because they almost never live up to what you have in your head. I say this as if I know from a previous experience, and I don't. Lol. I'm just sayin'!

[five] I'm making myself get up on this couch and do a list full of things I need to get done.

-vacuum

-clean my bathroom

-dust

-get ready for work

-eat some lunch

***I'm thinking if I can just get some lunch, the rest will take care of themselves? :)

A Place of Yes

2011-05-19T15:35:00.000-07:00

So, I started this yesterday and already love it. What's funny is that she writes exactly like she talks! It's awesome. And, she gets straight to the point about what it is she is talking about. It's all about 10 rules for getting your life where you want it to be.

[one] Break the Chain

[two] Find your truth

[three] Act on it

[four] Everythings your business

[five] All Roads lead to Rome

[six] Go for Yours

[seven] Separate from the Pack

[eight] Own it

[nine] Come together

[ten] Celebrate!

I'll keep you posted and hope to write a little about each rule as it relates to me. Should be fun and interesting!

I'm off to go make some dinner for the hubby!

Just sharing

2011-05-15T19:44:00.000-07:00

How I'm doing..........

I never thought going through this would be so emotional and sad. You read all these stories of women going through the process of miscarriage and while you feel for them, you don't really understand it until you are the one experiencing it. I find when I'm surrounded by people, I'm ok. I worked yesterday and it went pretty well considering the circumstances. I think it's just helpful to stay busy and keep my mind on something other than "When will it happen?"

My sister came to stay the night last night. She really just ended up driving over after I had called her when I got off work and all we did was watch a little tv and fall asleep on the couch. It was still helpful though. I went over to my parents between shifts and it felt good to be surrounded with people who loved me. My mom has been just great through this. And sometimes being hugged by your dad is just what you need.

I also got a really sweet message from a friend sharing her experience. I thought it'd be hard to hear stories about other people but I could relate to so many things she shared. And, it made me feel better about the grieving process. It's amazing to me how sad you can be about a baby who hasn't even fully developed or you felt move or anything. My heart really aches for the moms out there who loose their baby or child further along in pregnancy. I couldn't imagine.

As for today, I spent the majority of the day watching bad reality tv and napping. Dave doesn't really nap, his therapy involves work. Crazy man!

He spent his day doing this:

He moved all his "manly" stuff out to the newly decorated garage. I actually prefer it this way. He spends hours out there! He trimmed out the entire back wall of the garage with old fencing. It has a nice cabin feel to it.

And, I love this sign. My mom found it. It's hanging above the door when you walk in. Just a little reminder for him to see every time he comes home. :)

Sad News for Friday the 13th

2011-05-13T18:38:00.001-07:00

I really debated on writing this but I feel like I should. Mainly, because I started this blog as a way to document what has happened in our lives and this is part of it, so here I go........

April 4th I took a pregnancy test after I got off work and I was so surprised when it said "Pregnant". I was not expecting that at all so I was shocked to say the least. I ended up waking Dave up super late because I just couldn't believe it, I almost needed someone else to validate it or something.

We told my parents and Dave's parents that same week. They were uber excited as were we, but opted to not tell everyone for awhile.

We had our first appointment May 4th, which made me 8 weeks. The baby was measuring two weeks behind but had a strong heartbeat so we left optimistic but cautious. The doctor wanted to see us again 10 days later so here we are today.

Today's appointment proved what the doctor had talked to us about, the baby had grown but we lost the heartbeat. I kind of expected it to be honest, just had a feeling I guess. I was proud of myself for not completely loosing in front of the man, I waited until after when we got to IHOP instead. HA!

We now have two options, wait to miscarry naturally or have a D&C. Dave and I told our doctor we were going to digest it all and we'll make a decision. I'm sure we'll schedule the appointment but I have a feeling I'll miscarry before that will happen, even if we had scheduled the D&C today.

It's been a day of different emotions. Anger, sadness, confusion........I have to say Dave has been extremely loving and caring today. I'm so thankful for my husband. He is such a great man and so supportive. My parents have also been a great strength to me, somehow they always know what to say. Leslie said she knew I was calling to tell her bad news, maybe it's a twin thing?

On the positive side, we did get pregnant so that's a good sign. I'm trying very hard not to focus on the future and the 'what if's' though and just take it a day at a time. For now, I've been eating horribly all day and resting. Funny how food makes you feel better, even when it doesn't.

Tomorrow is a new day and I'm hoping to feel better.........I'm thinking that will take some time but positive thinking is the one number key when going through hard times. I know God has a plan, sometimes I question what exactly is in his plan for me, but I chalk that up to human nature.

Besides this post and talking to family about it, I'm really not into speaking about it all the time. It's exhausting and emotionally draining just thinking about it, little lone telling the story all the time.

I'll keep you posted though. And maybe say a little prayer for me and Dave? Just for some peace and strength to get through the next part. I know we'd appreciate it!

Spring is the time for babies!!

2011-05-09T18:48:00.000-07:00

I've been to more babies this spring than ever I think! Everyone is having babies! :)

The latest shower I attended was for my sweet friend Amanda. She is having her second baby, a little boy (still nameless!). It was held at my work and we had lots of good food. The best thing about having showers at work is that there is already everything you need besides the food!

Gavan is the big brother and he got presents too! He wore a crown that said "I'm the big brother" along with a shirt. He was very impressed.

Erin and Charlotte did a great job at having lots of activities for the kids who came to keep them occupied (although, the best entertainment for them were the boys who showed up!).

I'll be sad when I don't have any more babies showers to attend!

Mother's Day and 29

2011-05-08T09:04:00.000-07:00

First and foremost, Happy Mother's Day to three women who I highly admire and love dearly!

My mom, my sister Jenna, and my mother-in-law Sherry. I hope you all have a wonderful day and I'm sorry I can't spend time with you today due to that thing called "work".

You all are such great mother's and I'm thankful everyday for each of you in my life!

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This is our first official Mother's Day picture with three generations of Pecor women!

(did anyone else notice that Avery and myself match?)

Jenna found this awesome place called Painting With a Twist (they have a TON of locations in the area btw) and it was SO much fun! They have the painting for the day on their website so you can pick which ever day you want depending on the painting. It just happened to worked out I picked a great painting for our birthday and Mother's Day.

Ta da!!!! Didn't they turn out great? Leslie's was actually the best. She is naturally an artist!!

We had a lovely day spent with family (boys included) with a nice lunch and some relaxation. I have a feeling we will be doing this again soon!

Friday Five

2011-05-06T19:20:00.000-07:00

[one] This week has been EXHAUSTING. And, we have the "Super Bowl" of the restaurant industry coming up on Sunday. Mother's Day is the biggest day of the year for us so this week has been spent getting ready for that. I'll be one happy girl Monday because the only thing on my agenda is to lay around all day and rest. It's going to be great! (Sidenote: For all you people going out to eat that day, please be extra nice to all the restaurant people working. We would much rather be at home spending time with our mom's but instead are working hard to make your day nice. Just sayin').

[two] We went to eat at Razzoo's tonight and it was oh. so. yummy. And I'm not even a cajun type of girl. I think it's been years since I've eaten there. We also had great service, which I do not say very often.

[three] The weather has been gorgeous the past few days. I'm sad though I haven't had time to soak up a little sun and enjoy this beautiful weather. I'm hoping, starting next week, things start slowing down for me. Is it just me or is spring an extremely busy time of year?

[four] Starbucks has been my saving grace the past two weeks. I just don't know what I would do without my Skinny Caramel Macchiato.

[five] Tomorrow is my birthday. 29. I'm so upset. I'm definitely grateful for another year but can't believe I'm already a year away from 30!! We have some big plans for tomorrow too. It should be lots of F-U-N! We are combining birthday plans and Mother's Day since I'll be at work. Guess I should go to bed early to rest up for our busy day!

Getting to know you Sunday

2011-05-01T09:31:00.000-07:00

It's Sunday. Time for a little Getting to Know You!
[one] Did you watch the royal wedding?Yes, I did. I actually watched parts of it on Friday but they replayed it on Fox News so I DVR'd it and watched the whole thing.
[two] tea and crumpets or coffee and scones?Definitely coffee and scones. We (mom and I) actually had those exact things for breakfast Friday!
[three] Who's cuter......Prince William or Prince Harry?I'd have to go for William I think. Harry is too much of a rebel for me.
[four] Can you speak in an English accent?For a sentence or two. I think it's so cool to have an accent that isn't Texan! HA!
[five] Do you own a fancy hat?No. I wouldn't have been in the "cool" club at that wedding. :)
[six] Would you rather live in a castle or an English cottage?I'd have to choose cottage. I don't think I'd be uncomfortable having servants or a huge castle. I'm sure I'd have no problem if I was born into royalty though.
[seven] How old were you when Prince Charles and Princess Diana got married? Were you even born?I'm pretty sure they got married in '81? So no, I was born the following year.
[eight] Have you found your prince?Yes, I have. And I think he's cuter than Prince William. :)

Just a normal Saturday

2011-04-30T18:59:00.000-07:00

Today was just an ordinary day at the Petty house. This week has been busy for us so it's good we had a day to chill out.

Dave got new boots!

And, I got new brakes. Not as much fun as boots but it'll do!

Buddy got a hair cut! He needed it. I think he was getting a complex......

One last thing, guess who came to stay with us?! Baxter is here for a few days visiting while his Mommy is on vacation.

This week has consisted of C'Mere escaping from the backyard twice, two different early morning meetings, Dave working his booty off with a ton of work, and several sleepless nights. We are now enjoying a movie with me slipping in and out of consciousness. I love nights like this. :)

Easter Sunday

2011-04-24T18:45:00.000-07:00

The day started off really well with a visit to early service at church and then we headed over to my parents for some lunch.

Mom made these cute decorative eggs for her center piece on the table. Aren't they adorable?

And she made Boston Creme Pie.........

And these AWESOME cake eggs (they were, of course, red velvet) and so yummy!!!!!!

Avery got no attention what's so ever...................

She took a little nap after lunch and I think Leslie dozed off a few times too.

Afterward, we went over to Dave's parents house to say hello to everyone and spend a little time on Easter with them as well. Holidays have got to be the most stressful thing ever, the days just aren't long enough sometimes!

I'm turning in for some much needed rest and a little Real Housewives action. Happy Sunday!

Airplanes and Birthday

2011-04-23T13:01:00.000-07:00

My nephew Ethan has the coolest birthday parties!!!

He is turning 5 this year (geez, time flies!) and this year they had his party at the Frontier of Flight Museum at the airport. It was very cool!

(p.s. Dad, Dave got lots of pictures of the planes and cockpits to show you!)

It was super windy today, (what's new right?!) but Kristen and I tried to get a picture together. We had a mini photo session after the party outside. HA!!!

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Did anyone watch Parks and Recreation and the Office this week? Love them both. P & R, I believe, is my number one favorite show with Modern Family coming in a close second. I have always loved the Office but I'm not ready to say goodbye to Micheal Scott.........it's just not going to be the same. I'm so sad!

Terrific Tuesday

2011-04-19T08:18:00.000-07:00

You know one of the things I love about Bravo? When they come out with a series, all episodes are new for the entire season of that show. Which is why I love this so much:

I've discussed my admiration and love for Bethenny Frankel before but this season is sooooo cute. I love they show Bryn (her daughter and I love her name!). It's the little things in life we enjoy isn't it?

Is anyone else following the whole Prince William wedding? How could you not? It's EVERYWHERE. I'm all about it but come on people, beat a dead horse already!

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On another note, I went to yoga this morning and we had a new teacher and I must say, digging the yoga today. It's alot harder when you actually do the poses correctly! HA!

I am looking forward to this weekend. We have Ethan's birthday party and of course, Easter! Avery's first Easter!!! Exciting. I told Jenna she needs to prepare her daughter for some major egg huntin'! :)

Getting to know you Sunday

2011-04-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

I found this blog and thought I'd join in! I love answering questions! :)

{one} What's something you've eaten and liked but didn't think you would?

Hmmmm......... I really like California rolls and didn't think I would. Still not big on sushi though.

{two} Plastic surgery....yay or nay?

I'm pretty sure once I have kids and we decide we are done, I'll be getting new ta-tas! :)

{three} Two things you like about spring are........

I like the idea about cool nights and hot days, I like it when it rains (preferably, when I'm sleeping)

{four} When was the last time you went on a picnic?

I don't know that I have ever been on a real picnic.

{five} What's your favorite app?

Pandora, by far!

{six} Who does the grocery shopping in your house?

I do all the shopping in our house. And, it's my least favorite thing in the world.

{seven} Would you rather take a spin class or zumba?

Depends, if I take zumba with my old instructor I'd take zumba.

{eight} How often do you go to dinner?

Dave and I try to go out to dinner at least once a week. It counts as our date night and to be honest, it's almost cheaper for us to go out to eat than for me to cook. Unless we ate spaghetti every night. HA!

Sometimes, you gotta be bad

2011-04-16T13:08:00.000-07:00

So. This was our lunch today.

I know, I know. Neither one of these is healthy. But you know what, sometimes you just have to be bad. We don't eat pizza and wings hardly ever. It was yummy and it hit the spot!!!

What else hit the spot?! This!!

Caramel Turtle Fudge is Dave's favorite ice cream and we haven't been able to find it anywhere in probably 3 years. We hit up HEB last night and there it was. It was like Christmas!

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I gave in and decided that I should try and read Water for Elephants. I've debated on it for awhile now because I just couldn't stand reading about animal abuse (which I know is included in this book) but, it's gotten awesome reviews and many people I know have read it. So, I'm going to give it a try. I hear the love story is amazing and I definitely want to read it before watching the movie. Reese Witherspoon is gorgeous in the previews so I'm sure it's going to be a great movie.

Dave has been working hard today on the yard while I have ran a few errands and been taking it easy. I'm feeling a nap coming on too.......... :)

Stormy and early

2011-04-11T08:17:00.000-07:00

I got a call and text around 1:45 in the morning to warn me our county was under a tornado warning. My sister in law called to tell me they were in the bathtub along with their power being out and we were dead asleep! I did wake up right before she called because the storm was so loud!

I had turned the news on and watched a bit (all while my hubby was sound asleep) until I felt comfortable enough to go lay back down. I was wide awake again by 6:00am when Dave left for work so I figured why not, let's go for a run!

This is what I stepped outside too. It turned out to be a great morning!! And I spent a little time running and it felt great.

Although I love a rainy night, anyway we could keep it to just rain and leave the thunder and lightning out of it? Thanks! :)

Our weekend

2011-04-10T13:53:00.000-07:00

I had a great weekend!!

Dave went out of town to do some turkey huntin' so he has been gone since Friday but made it back this afternoon.

Saturday was full of fun stuff! Zumba, naps (my most favorite thing I don't really get to do anymore and yes, I said naps!), dinner with my parents and Leslie, and then a movie! Leslie bought a new car yesterday too! It's super cute. I'm a little jealous! HA!

We saw The Lincoln Lawyer last night and it was so good! Matthew McConaughey is just too good looking. And this movie reminds me of his earlier films that weren't the cheesy chick flicks like he has been doing. I highly recommend it. It's full of surprises and keeps you guessing until the very end.

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Sunday I had brunch with some of my favorite girlfriends!

I met Elizabeth and Morgan when I worked at University of Phoenix. I always enjoy an afternoon with them because they are full of great conversations revolving around books, shows, life, marriage, whatever! I think we are going to try and get together for sure on birthdays since we don't really get the chance to see each other so much.

And now, I'm watching some TV, enjoying my new Circle E candle and waiting on dinner to cook. Oh Sunday, how I love thee!

Friday Five

2011-04-08T09:15:00.000-07:00

{one} This week has been a great one! We have been working alot but did have time to have dinner with my parents and in-laws. That never gets to happen in the same week. Luckily, I had a workshop I had to attend so it freed up two nights this week.

{two} I also got to have lunch with two of my friends followed by coffee hour at Barnes and Noble. We went to Bakery On the Hill in Uptown Village and it was yummy! I wish they played music in the background though because I feel like everyone listens to our conversations. LOL.

{three} Shout out to my Mom for the awesome red velvet mini cakes she made. Dave and I both ate our pieces and he just kept talking about how great they were.

{four} My patience with our lab is running extremely low. He keeps digging, eating our fence, and refusing to go outside. Besides tricking him with food, he won't go outside to save his life. I'm so. over. it. If anyone has any suggestions, hollar!

{five} Leslie comes back today and I'm SO excited!! I haven't seen her like three weeks!!! I need some twin time bad.

Hope you all have a great weekend! I'm off to shower and get some things done. Peace out!

Baseball and Fish

2011-04-03T18:34:00.000-07:00

Dave went fishing all weekend and had lots of success! He decided he was going to get this picture blown up so he can put it in his room. By the way, doesn't he look great?! He has lost 15 pounds so far. He's so hot! :)

I met up with some members of my family for lunch Saturday at this place. It's definitely a good place to eat for a nice lunch with some friends! We caught up and had a great time.

After that, I headed over to watch Braiden play in his baseball tournament. His team is awesome! He plays on a select team and they are serious about some ball. He hit like a champ!

It's pretty cool to watch kids grow up. I remember watching Braiden play tee ball and they looked like little bobble heads running around. This is his fourth year playing and they just keep getting better and better!

Saturday night we watched the Ranger game with our neighbors (minus Whitney, but we missed you!). I'm so thankful we have good neighbors, who we actually know, and get along with. How 'bout them Rangers!!! Swept those Red Sox! I'm predicting a good season.

I hope you all had a great weekend and were able to get a little rest! I can't believe it's already Sunday night and another week starts tomorrow.

Friday Five

2011-04-01T22:40:00.000-07:00

{one} Our benefit last night went really well! I was very happy with all the people who came out to Support Our Troops!

We did camo and Army shirts to show our support and mostly everyone dressed up. It's always nice when you do something for a group of people who do so much for us!

{two} I'm having lunch tomorrow with my mom, aunt, and some cousins and I'm really looking forward to it. We are going to a nice little tea room, you know, those places you hated going to when you were a kid but grew up and now enjoy! I remember one time my aunt took us to one and all we kept asking for was Dr. Pepper and chicken nuggets. HA!

{three} I'm physically exhausted tonight. Work was crazy, I made myself get up and run this morning when I probably should have slept in, and I only ate once today so I forced myself to eat something when I got off. I need a vacation! Who's with me?!

{four} I've only had Starbucks twice this week. You guys, that's a record for me! I think I'll stop in the morning and grab one on my way to lunch. I'm craving it as I type this.

{five} We got some AWESOME news today! Well, Dave got some awesome news this morning. My husband has been working his tush off lately and he was told he would be getting rewarded with a raise!! Praise be to God!! Hard work does pay off and Lord knows that man works hard to provide for his family. I had to say a little prayer of thanks. God is good! And, thanks to my husband for working so hard. Dave, I'm SO proud of you and glad your hard work was noticed!

Now, I'm off to bed! After lunch tomorrow, I'm going to see a certain 7 year old play some baseball. Maybe I'll work on my tan while I'm out there too! :)

Supporting our Troops TONIGHT!

2011-03-31T09:47:00.000-07:00

Y'all come visit Texas Roadhouse tonight in Grand Prairie!

“Support Our Troops”

Fundraiser

Order our legendary cheese fries and tonight we will donate a portion of the sale to 82^nd Airborne Division for the Family Readiness Group. This group helps families with deployment, sends care packages over seas, and holds activities for children with parents in the service.

We are holding this in honor of one of our very own who is being deployed in a few weeks! Everyone will be dressed in camo and it should be a great time. AND, you are supporting a great cause!

See ya there!