So Very Blessed

My family history is very rich with military service, my mom, dad, brother, grandfathers, uncles, aunts,  in-laws, close friends and their families you name it they have served this country, and many of them have gone to war be it Iraq, Afghanistan or others I am unaware of and many of them have gone several times.  On Memorial day we are to remember those who have died in the service and I can not even begin to imagine what that must be like.

Recently the Pioneer Woman has had people submit "coming home" photos of peoples families coming home from war and many of them brought me to tears because they hit so close to home.

 My so sweet brother in law has gone to Iraq or Afghanistan probably more times than I can count on my fingers because that is his job, he goes to war, when he's home they learn more about going to war he enjoys it, BUT he has a wife and two young girls and a son on the way...and he is once again going to be deployed and will probably miss the birth of his son. 

My best friend from high school just had a baby while her husband was deployed and had a newborn and two year old by herself for several months until her husband came home. 

So looking at those pictures brought tears to my eyes because the emotion of families being reunited is so raw and I can just feel the emotion and excitement of daddies seeign their babies for the first time and husbands and wifes being reunited...then there were the pictures of caskets, the men and women who didn't make it home alive....I can say I am so blessed that I have never had to experience that and I thank the Lord every DAY for that.  I don't want to ever experience that, but I do and always will have the utmost respect for those who serve and in honor of memorial day will take a moment of silence myself to send out prayers for those families who have lost friends and loved ones in the service, that they will have the strength they need to continue living and for healing for their broken and torn hearts.

Happy Memorial Day...I'll be at work...someone has to take care of the babies, even on the holidays :)

7 Quick Takes (VOL 1)

1

I have been working alot more lately as our census on the unit is finally almost to capacity so I can work overtime again YAY YAY YAY!!!  Its amazing what one extra shift per pay period can do for the paycheck! I also love that overtime means working 4 days a week instead of three...on the same note working 4 days instead of three is so much more exhausting

2

Crockpots are AHHMAAAZING this morning I came home from work and threw some chicken and some other shyt into a crockpot set the timer and when I woke I had dinner.  I dont even know what all I threw in the crockpot but I think it was along the lines of chicken, chicken broth, some kind of marinade, apricot preserves, mustard...and some other things I think...just writing that list makes me laugh because its so random but honestly it really does taste good

3

I have recently developed an obsession with online shopping, its pretty bad when you go to the front office to get packages and they are asking if your still getting wedding gifts...ummmm no I just shop online alot... and lately my obsession has been with Etsy, once I get all my purchases I will share, but many of them are still in transit, to be honest I have to save all my paypal receipts in my email so I can keep track of what Ive bought...I think I need to block that site for a while

4

I feel bad for not being very present here on the ol blog lately but I think my life is pretty boring lately...I work, sleep, read blogs, maybe run, cook dinner, go back to work...there ya go recap of the last few weeks in one sentence, maybe tomm since Im off Ill do something that people will be interested to read about...who knows, for all I know nobody even reads this blog HA

5

So You Think You Can Dance started again last night.  I am so beyond excited about this!! There are also alot of really good summer shows starting up again I can not wait (maybe I should watch less tv and become more interesting)

6

I am currently reading like 5 books at the same time, and no I never get them confused

7

hmmm not sure about this one, but its time to get ready for work

Life is Good

Angela at Craving Cupcakes gave me this Life is Good award this week!! SO thoughtful, Life IS good God has given me so many blessings I have a job I love, an awesome husband, and amazing family and friends!!

So I have to answer some questions and then pass the award on to 6 others

What do you do when you're bored?

Usually when Im bored Ill catch up on the shows on my DVR, read blogs, and sometimes clean, Im kind of weird I guess because I actually like cleaning

Are you an Autumn or a Spring?

Spring...I love spring the weather is perfect, and I love all the blooming flowers plus when I think of spring I think of pretty bright colors and happiness...plus I was a spring baby so i guess thats why I naturally love spring

Quick! You're stuck at an airport for hours, and the only options are crossword puzzles, or an old novel nobody's ever heard of. Which do you pick?

The old novel...I hate crossword puzzles my I think Im too young to do them or something because I just cant ever figure out the answers all the stuff is like people places and movies Ive never heard of

Jane Austen or Emily Bronte?

Neither

Who’s your hero?

I dont think I really have one but I look up to mymom and grandma they are great people who have done alot in their life and I hope to be as accomplished and well versed when their ages

Favorite word?

Fabulous

Are you one of those “checklist” people, or are you a “wing it and hope everything goes well” sort of person?

defanitly a checklist person...I make lists for everything...if i dont make lists thing will be forgotten or never get done

What phrase has stuck with you in your life?

I can do all things through Christ who strenghens me

If you were to choose between coffee and tea . . . which would you go with?

Defanitly coffee..I drink like three cups a day...and since we got our Keurig brewer I love coffee even more!!

Now for those I am passing the award on to

Erin @ Mama Said No

Pippy @ Life From Pippys Perspective

Chelsea @ Roots and Rings

Kristal @ Good Food, Good Friends, Good Life

The"Mama Hen" @ Mama's Little Chick

Bri @ Nap Time is The New Happy Hour

I think I'm convinced

I have a confession to make I cleaned with vinegar and baking soda yesterday...no no I am not green and crunchy but  I have heard alot lately about cleaning with stuff like vinegar and baking soda and such items and really felt like I needed to try it before I could slam it as disgusting and uneffective. 

Lately my cat has been getting sick every few weeks and I thought maybe he was getting cleaning chemicals on his paws and it was making him sick or something so I thought the next time I needed to clean something I would try this "organic cleaning" then I came across this blog Young House Love that had "recipes" for ways to clean everything using non chemicals.

Well, Yesterday once again my cat was sick and I was going to clean out the litter box so I could monitor how much he was peeing (he has problems with uring crystals and sometimes when he has a blockage he will throw up so I wanted to make sure this wasnt the problem) while cleaning out the litter box I discovered that once again he managed to pee UNDER the litter box I am not sure how the hell he manages this because there is no pee anywhere except under the box and there is no hole in the box so it beats, me but regardless it needed cleaened sooo enter stage left organic cleaning supplies I mixed up some vinegar water and baking soda in a bucket and got to it...

Sure enough it actually cleaned better than my swiffer and didnt smell like vinegar at all I didnt even have to scrub it just cleaned so easily....then I got really crazy and thought I would clean the oven, which was pretty dirty due to a baking mishap where I forgot to add the flour to my cookies (dont ask...ive lost a few brain cells in my day), so I looked at the recipe for oven cleaner and all you do is sprinkle some water and then baking soda in the oven and let it sit for 20 min, I think I might have accientally turned the oven on when I set the timer because when I came back into the kitchen my baking soda was sizzling and there was a cloud of smoke in the oven...I thought for sure I was going to explode something so I had a minor freak out and shut the timer off (and I guess the oven too) and everything was ok. But the crazy thing is once you wipe off the baking soda all the caked on burnt cookie goo came off so easily I didnt need any crazy oven cleaner or anything....now the oven looks like new

Thus I am convinced my "organic" cleaning supplies worked way better than my chemicals, the only problem is I love that fresh cleaned bleach smell so maybe I need to find a bleach smelling candle or something

First time for everything

SO this past weekend I was in a wedding as a bridesmaid for the first time, The first wedding I was ever in was my own, I think that made it even more exciting and special but anywho...this wedding I was in was beautiful and well thought out.  I had an awesome weekend and I know its already Wednesday and I'm just barely recapping my weekend buuut I have been known to procrastinate.

I got into Austin on Friday morning at 9am, I woke up at 4 am so I could get ready, head out and not hit Houston traffic.  When I got to Austin I was two hours early for the bridesmaid brunch which was at 11 so I checked in to my hotel, and drove around Austin I went to Starbucks, bought an umbrella, bought some jewelry for the wedding on Saturday, and bought a comb...pretty random I know but that's how I roll.

At 11 I headed to the nail salon where the bridesmaid brunch was held, it was the most adorable little salon ever!!! It was called embellish nails and it was all pink and sparkly which if something is pink and sparkly I'm totally there!!

This was a chandelier that was hanging in the entryway at the salon

Then we had some time to kill so we went back to the hotel, rested, and got ready for the rehearsal dinner

The rehearsal dinner was at The Salt Lick, it was deeeeeelicious, I love some good barbecue, and this was indeed, Julie (the bride) had arranged charter busses for the whole weekend (complete with Sam Adams on board) to take guests and wedding party to all the events since everything was pretty spread out and since mucho drinkin would be involved it was safer, and I must say the buses were an awesome idea

Here's the Mr and Mrs to be, with the sign The Salt Lick had for the party

The tables were all set up so cute with custom cups and bandannas

As a wedding gift the bride and groom got matching belts with their name...so adorable

We got back to the hotel and the hubs was supposed to fly out of Houston to meet me at 10 pm welll his flight was very delayed and he got to the hotel at 3 am!!! I had to be up at 630 to be at the hair salon by 730...the trend here is very little sleep was had this weekend

The salon we had our hair and makeup done at was super cute and they did an awesome job on some of the girls' hair but I was NOT pleased with my hair and I fixed my makeup when I got back to the hotel but that's besides the point it was fun hangin out with all the girls and such

Me all done up...prior to my minor tweaks later

( My hair is not how I wanted it AT ALL, it didn't match picture I showed her in the slightest, but I suppose it looked ok, anyways it wasn't about me as it wasn't my wedding and Julie looked so beautiful and that's what mattered)

More sparkly chandelier love

We went back to the hotel because once again we had a ton of down time before we had to catch the bus and head to the church 

Soon enough we headed to the church to get the bride dressed and ready to head down the isle...she was absolutely beautiful!!!

Bride!!

Me and my bridesmaid friend

The ceremony was beautiful and once again after the ceremony we had about an hour and half down time so we went back to the hotel bar for a lil bit until we had to go to the reception which was beautiful it was at a place called Austin 71 and it was up on this hill and let me tell you the sunset was AHHHMAAAZING!!

Here's me and the hubs at the reception

Congratulations Julie and Ryan your wedding weekend was Fabulous and I wish you only the best!!!

Ten On Tuesday

1. What was your high school superlative (if you didn’t have one- what would it have been)?

 I didn't have one the high school I graduated from was very small it was on a military base in Japan so we didn't do those in our yearbook and the first high school I went to in Ohio was a huge school and unless your friends with someone on the yearbook committee then you really wouldn't be in the yearbooks so thus since I wasn't friends with any of the yearbook folk I don't think I would have received one there either and honestly I don't think I can think of what it would have been either.
2. What sports did you play in high school?
  I was a cheerleader I was on an all star squad that did only competitions, I seriously loved it and when i watch cheerleading competitions now I miss it dreadfully, when I moved to japan I cheered on the high school squad which left much to be desired coming from a squad like the one I cheered on in Ohio.  My senior year I also ran track, everyone else was doing it and I needed something to do so I ran track I did the long distance runs and it was so much fun since it was a military base in Japan we would travel all over japan to track meets, come to remember cheerleading in high school was fn in the sense that we also traveled allllll over japan for the football games it was so much fun!!
3. What was the best part about your wedding (if you’re not married yet, what are you looking forward to)?
Everything, I loved my wedding, it couldn't have been better, I loved my dress, my bouquet was absolutely amazing, and the fact that sooo many family and friends came to celebrate and so many came from so far even family I haven't seen in many many years traveled across the country to come to the wedding and it was such a joyful happy day!!
4. It’s your last meal– what Appetizer, Soup, Salad, Entree and Dessert would you choose?
  appetizer- queso
  soup- the gumbo from this Captain Toms place in Houston it is AMAZING
  Salad- one of my dad's salads they are so delish
  Entree- mac and cheese, spaghetti, crab legs, and meatloaf
  dessert- chocolate cake with buttercream icing
5. What song is your guilty pleasure?
  oh geez I have so many I cant even begin to think

6. What is your favorite professional sports team, and why do you like them?
  gotta love the spurs even though they didn't do so hot this year, living in San Antonio for 5 years will turn you into spurs fan and its so fun to be a fan of a team that does well and has such dedicated fans!!
7. What is your favorite reality show and why do you like it?
OMG I love so many its kinda sick I love The Real Housewives, currently I am loving the Jersey wives, I LOVE LOVE LOVE The Biggest Loser, So You Think You Can Dance, America's Next Top Model, 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom, Toddlers and Tiaras, Project Runway ...yeah like I said its kind of an addiction
8. How would you classify your home decorating style (modern, classic, french country)?
  Nothing...haha right now we live in an apartment and being that we just got married all our money went to the wedding and now we are hoping to buy a house and start a family in the sooner than later future decorating hasn't really been on the front burner...but i love clean lines, bright colors, and minimalism, Im not a big fan of trinkets and clutter
9. Pizza- deep dish or thin crust? White sauce or red sauce? What toppings?
Thin crust tomatoe sauce cheese and mushrooms, I also seriously am in lurve with some BBQ chicken pizza
10. Favorite weekend getaway within a two hour driving radius?
   Um nowhere...San Antonio and Austin are three hours and have only been to Galveston once and so I cant say its my favorite, soooo how about nowhere the park or the pool? Being somewhat new to Houston we dont really venture out much because we dont really know where to venture.

Mothers day weekend

This weekend was awesome, I had a great weekend celebrating mothers day with my mom, and while I am not a mother except to my little fur baby Keegan

I was able to spend some time with my own mother, who is amazing.  She taught me so many important things in life like how to use the potty and silverware, those things have been invaluable in my life and thus I don't know where I would be in life today if it weren't for her!!

But back to this weekend, it started off going to see our BFF Jen Lancaster, it was pretty much awesome!

Then on Friday we went out and about in Houston, did some shopping in Rice Village and around the Galleria area, we had lunch, relaxed and then went to dinner at a little Mexican restaurant by my place, it was pretty good.

Then on Saturday we were up bright and early to run in the Lonestar Stampede put on by the Houston Chapter of the Texas Exes.  We ran in the 10k, and it was a lot of fun, I didn't do nearly as good as I did on the last 10k I did, but I also haven't been running as much, which has to change.  Regardless we both did well and enjoyed beer, doughnuts, and tacos after the race (which is actually the real reason we run is because of the free beer and food afterwards)

It was so nice to be able to just hang out with momma and not really have an agenda just kinda hang out and do as we please, we always have fun together and since moving to Houston I haven't been able to spend as much time with her.

Love you mom!!

Meeting my BFF

SO Yesterday my mom arrived in town so we could go to Borders and meet Jen Lancaster, my BFF, She is promoting her new book My Fair Lazy which I can not wait to start reading!! If you havent read any of her books, YOU MUST, she is absolutely hilarious!

In person she is even more down to earth and hilarious than in her books, she's the kind of person you just wanna go get drinks with and hang out and chat. The event was very laid back she read a portion of her new book, did a Q&A session and then stayed to sign books until everyone there had their book signed, she's such a sweet person and it was a great night!

And since I read her blog, books, twitter, and facebook I feel like I know everything about her and thus we ARE BFFS!! Call me creepy but Whatev she's hilarious and we all need our daily dose of laghter.

mom, Jen , and Me

under construction

under construction

Busy

This weekend is going to be lots of fun, I just need to get through work tonight and I'll be good to go.

My mom is coming in town tommorow, we are going to see our good friend  blogland friend Jen Lancaster at Borders I am so excited!! Such a geek I know but whatev... Then friday who knows what well do but I know well find something fun and Saturday we are doing a 10k its called the Lonestar Stampede and I am kind of nervous as my running has dwindled slightly over the past few weeks but its only 6.2 miles so I know I'll finish with no problems but as far as beating my last 10k time...defanitly NOT!

Anyways its going to be a fun weekend and I need to go clean this wreck of an apartment up and get ready for work!!

Ten On Tuesday

1. Do you prefer markers, crayons, or colored pencils?

Crayons, I always loved a fresh box of crayons and I was very possesive of those new crayons because I hated when people crammed them down and dulled the tips or broke them in half, then I would need a whole new box

2. As a child, how did your parents celebrate your birthday? (Parties, cake, you pick the dinner, etc.)
We sometimes had parties sometimes just went to a restaurant of our choice, but we always had a cake ...and even to this very year on my 25th birthday my mom made me a cake with the little number candles

3. How do you feel about leggings?
I do not like leggings, they only look cute on very pregnant women, and that is the only people who should be aloud to wear them

4. How do you prefer to follow directions? With a map? Words?
 I need left and right not north and south and landmarks are good but not stuff like go to the light before the KFC or something because if its before the KFC then HELLLOOOO how do I know its the one before KFC if I havent come to the KFC yet anyways im a pretty good navigator sometimes I can just use common sense and figure out directions without a map or GPS.

5. What do you eat for snack?
Whatever is closest and easiest, but I love me some cheese

6. Have you ever ordered anything from an infomercial or bought any As Seen on TV products?
We have a magic bullet and I freakin love that thing it is so awesome

7. What’s your favorite thing about summer?
The pool, beer, and cute clothes

8. Do you have a tattoo? What and where is it?
Not a single one!!
9. Are you good at journaling?
I guess I try to be good and do it often but honestly my life is kind of boring so there isnt much to write, but I do have a prayer journal that I write my prayers in and its really cool to see them answered and to look back and see how many of my prayers have been answered, not always in my timing but always in God's perfect timing.  It also helps me to not worry about things I write it in prayer journal say a prayer then I can stop worrying

10. What’s your favorite way to eat a hamburger?
With cheese and a lot of ketchup

oh yeah I got married a few months ago!!!

So, I FINALLY got my wedding pictures on a cd so I can share some of them with yall. The day was amazing, I honestly could not have changed anything to make it better.

To start with, during the rehearsal we did not even practice outside because it had been pouring rain and the night before the wedding showed no signs of stopping and all weather reports called for rain. I prayed my ass off gave many a shout out to my God and sure enough when I woke up the day of the wedding I ran to the window like it was christmas morning to open the blinds and see what was in store...IT. WAS. GORGEOUS!!! Not a cloud in the sky temps in the 50-60's, a little windy but I can deal with wind. Prayer number one answered I could not beleive it, and I also couldnt believe I was getting married!!

We went to the salon me and my massive wedding party, got ourselves all pretty and headed to the place to get dressed and ready for my first look photos.

Then we went out and about downtown to take some wedding party photos it was so much fun a little windy but well worth it we got some great photos

Then it was time to get back to where the wedding was so we could freshen up and not run in to any guests.

It was time to begin.  That moment was so surreal I could not believe it was happening I was getting married and family and friends had come from all over the country to witness, it was PURE BLISS!!!

The ceremony was short and sweet it covered all the important stuff and we did comunion together, it was a sweet moment for us to share with each other

Then it was time to PAAARRRRTTTTYYY!!! And that is exactly what we did it was such a fun reception, now, I know I am biased because it was my blood sweat and tears that put it all together it was the most fun I have had at a wedding and the consensus from the guests was the same.

we cut cake

we danced

did tequila shots (blech)

And everyone had an awesome time

By far the best night I could have asked for!!!