Birthday Celebration Weekend

After an exhausting weekend, I was ready to get to work so I could rest!

How crazy is that!?!?

It was my "Birthday Celebration Weekend" so it was jam-packed full of fun!
Friday night I chilled out in the LaZBoy and wrote a bunch of Thank You notes. I took this night to take it easy before the craziness started early the next morning.
The insanity began at about 5:30am Saturday morning when I crawled out of bed. Not only did I have to do the normal morning routine, but I had to spend a little extra time and effort since I was prepping for a "photo shoot." Yes, it was the day Bobby & I picked to do our "maternity photos"....I don't really know what else to call them, but they weren't really "maternity" pictures. They were really pictures of us and the belly. We had a friend take the pictures, and we used a couple of our friends houses and a nearby park. Since the pictures were all going to be outdoors...in August....in Austin, we opted for an 8am start time to avoid the worst of the heat. After 3 "costume changes" and 3 location changes, we wrapped up about 10:30am.....just as it was getting a little too hot.
We got some really great pictures, and the sunlight was just right!
(Thanks to G & T for all their help on this!)

After the photo session Bobby and I headed downtown to hit up the big sale at REI. We bought our BOB jogging stroller and a couple of extra attachments. Since we waited specifically for this Labor Day Sale, we saved about 100 bucks! We then enjoyed at nice lunch in the shade on South Congress. If you have not yet had a Mighty Cone, do yourself a favor and do it! Yummy!

We had a Dog Training appointment at 2:30, so we loaded up Bobby's truck about 2:15. Didn't get out of the driveway before we realized we had a flat tire...a really flat tire. So we loaded up Holly in the Mama car and headed for the appointment.
When we got back home I had to get ready for that night's girls slumber party...which included packing a little bag, and taking a big nap. Bobby went outside to change his tire, but couldn't find the jack. Instead he found a tool box full of oil from a busted bottle. So he completely cleaned out the tool box and back end of the pickup while he waited for AAA.

After a nice long nap, I made a stop at the grocery store to stock up on junk food for the slumber party, then headed that way. We talked and laughed from the moment we got there until 2am!! It was a great night of girl bonding, and exactly what I needed!

Sunday morning we got up had a light breakfast and headed our separate ways. G & I went to my house to get ready for an afternoon of more food and Wicked fun.
Brunch was at 11 with my family and G & J. Thankfully I had allotted 2 hours for Brunch at Chez Zee...and it pretty much took up the entire 2 hours due to slow service. Good thing the food was outstanding!!!
We then headed to UT Bass Concert Hall to see WICKED! It was so AWESOME, and I was so glad we had paid a little more for the good seats at this show. I highly recommend seeing this anytime you get a chance! I am sure it is amazing to see on Broadway in NYC!

After dinner and a few loads of laundry, Bobby & I went to bed early.....exhausted.

Now I just have to rest up this week before another busy weekend with my Dad in town for the Holiday weekend.
~~~

Week 32: Baby Shower - Dr. Seuss Style!

Yes, it’s official. I really do have the best friends in the world! I am not sure how I got so lucky, or if I even deserve them, but somehow I have them and I will NEVER let them out of my life!

In all my life I have never had a group of girlfriends. I have always had one or two friends here and there in every stage of my life, but they have come and gone with the years. I never really thought it was possible to have a group of girls that actually get along with each other all the time. Of course I have heard of such groups, but I doubted they could sustain the years and changes in each other’s lives.

Our group is still relatively new, but I do believe we actually have one of those groups. We bonded so quickly and easily, and have already overcome adversity as a group, which only made us stronger. We all fully intend to still be the best of friends in 10-20----50 years. I think if we all outlive our spouses, we would be totally cool living out the last years of our lives “Golden Girls” style. :-)

Going through these last 7 months of my life being pregnant, has made me realize just how important these girls have become to me. They are all so different, but each has the same goals when it comes to our group…. Take care of each other, and make time to be together. They have definitely taken care of me, more than they know. I believe the reason my pregnancy has been so easy and even enjoyable is due to the support and love I have received from my husband, my Mom & Sister, and my girlfriends.

I had the most awesome Baby Shower this weekend! It could not have possibly been more perfect! They went with the Dr. Seuss “theme” to go along with Punkin’s nursery theme (which was the big secret they were keeping from me). Everything was decorated so bright, colorful, and fun! My girlfriends made it perfect right down to the smallest details, and it went off without a hitch. Everyone seemed to have a great time, even the ones who walked in not knowing anyone there. There was a ridiculous amount of food (always is with this group)….all the food was bright and colorful, and there was even green eggs & ham!!! The cake had the “Oh Baby the Places You’ll Go” theme, and it tasted as good as it looked. I got to take home some truly gorgeous flowers decorated up Dr. Seuss style. Probably the biggest perk was having a neighbor friend of G’s take all the pictures so I didn’t have to pose for 10 different cameras. :-) We played several fun games, ate delicious food, laughed and chatted, and I opened a ridiculous amount of baby gifts for Punkin. She is one really lucky girl to be loved so much….and she hasn’t even made her appearance into the world yet!

I went through all the gifts yesterday and tried to organize everything in the nursery. After doing that, I feel like we are now prepared to bring a baby home. I am only saying that we could bring her home anytime, and we would be able to take care of her and meet all her needs….. I am not saying I am ready for her to be here yet. I have actually enjoyed my pregnancy and I know our lives are going to change so much when she arrives. I know it will all change for the better, and will be incredible….but I am not yet ready to give up what “free” time I have left. I fully plan to enjoy these next few weeks and soak up the time I have with my husband, family, and friends before the big change.

BIG THANKS to everyone who made Saturday so special for me! I am so Lucky to have each and every one of you in my life!!!

~~~

Week 30: Road Trip & Belly Rubs

Bobby & I finally made the trip to Lubbock this weekend to visit some of my family. I’ve been trying to work it into our calendar for months now, but it was getting down to the wire. Soon my doctor will tell me not to travel further away than 1 hour from him and the hospital I will deliver at. (Ha! Depending on the time of day/traffic….I live 1 hour away!)

So yes, we made the long, boring drive to Lubbock on Friday. And that drive is even longer when you double, no make that triple, the number of pit stops along the way....due to being pregnant (tiny bladder). What should have been about a 6 hour trip took about 7.5 hours. Ugggg! Fortunately the trip back to Austin on Sunday was better. For some reason the pit stops were less frequent so the trip didn’t feel nearly as torturous.

While in Lubbock we visited with my Dad, his wife, Amma (Dad's mom), an aunt, and my Papa (Mom's dad). Everyone was so happy to see me and Bobby, and especially happy they got to see me while pregnant. But since my family is not a touchy-feely family, they didn’t ask to touch my belly at all. One time Punkin' was moving around like crazy, so I did kinda force my Dad and his wife to feel of my belly while she was doing her gymnastics.

So No, the Belly Rubs didn’t come from within my family….. but rather a stranger working at Taco Villa. Taco Villa is the place everyone can’t wait to go back to when they’ve moved away from west TX. It is one of those places that you take for granted when you live there, but as soon as you move away you realize just how much you miss it. Anyway, when I went to the counter to place my order, two female workers came to the counter and one of them asked if she could touch my belly. (OK, at least she asked!) So my response to her was, “Ok, but I get to touch your belly first.” She was kinda surprised but agreed anyway, so I rubbed her belly before I let her touch mine. After she rubbed on my belly for a second she said, “It’s a Girl!” I smiled and confirmed that yes, it is a girl. She smiled a huge smile and laughed with her co-workers who didn’t think she’d be able to call it.

So yes, it happened….my first belly touch by a stranger. At least she was nice and fun about it.

After all the belly touching I turned to Bobby, he hugged me and told me I handled it perfectly. He knows exactly how I feel about strangers wanting to touch pregnant bellies. I really just don’t get it. No one would ever ask to touch someone’s non-prego belly. That is your own personal space….so why is it not considered your personal space anymore once there is a baby in the belly?

***Note to my friends….I am NOT talking about you! I am talking about people I don’t know! So don't get your feelings hurt. I know you are all touchy-feely people and I’d probably get my feelings hurt if you didn’t touch my belly!!! :-)

In other news, my Dad gave us a baby gift this weekend....the car seat. Bobby and I took it out of the box, learned how to snap it in and out of the base, and checked out the fit in our new Pilot. It's a big car seat, so it's a tight fit even in the Pilot. We determined it would have to go behind the passenger seat because there is not enough room for the driver if it is behind the driver's seat. Fun Stuff. :-)

~~~

BIG MILESTONE: 30 WEEKS!!!!

Hooray!!! I have made it to 30 weeks. It definitely feels different when I tell people I'm "30 weeks" rather than 29 :-) It feels like the big day is getting really close and we are running out of time to get stuff done. On top of our ever-growing To-Do List, my calendar is really filling up over the next 2 months! I have projects I need and want to finish....one being my mosaic bird bath.

Other things on my To-Do list include:
- dinners and happy hours with friends & couple friends we need to catch up with now....because it may be awhile before it happens again...
- baby showers!!!
- bi-weekly and then weekly doctor appointments
- dentist appointment
- hair appointment
- classes for me & hubby to prepare to bring a baby home
- dog training...as a group, to prepare our 4 dogs for Punkin's arrival
- get Dr. Seuss pages framed and up in the nursery
- get all my picture albums caught up...because I know there are going to be tons of new pictures soon!
- take all my photos now in individual frames and organize them into the multi-picture frames
- Church
- as many Yoga classes as I can fit in
- pack bag for Hospital stay
- my Birthday!
- lots of Girl Time with my Chicks: HHs, Movies, Slumber Parties, Plays, Shopping....SPA WEEKEND!
- of course I still have to work 40 hours/week

.....that is just in the next 2 months. And I'm sure I'm leaving some things out.

This isn't even touching on Bobby's own To-Do list....which is probably longer than mine!

I am happy to say that we are marking one To-Do off this list this weekend....road trip to see my Grandma in Lubbock. She is my FAVORITE grandparent, and always has been. I was her 1st grandchild and I always new I had a special place in her heart. I even suspected...and still do...that I was/am her favorite, but she will never admit it.
She hasn't been doing very well for a couple of months now and I have been trying to fit this trip in for awhile. So we are finally taking it this weekend....and I am really looking forward to seeing my Amma and other family & friends I haven't seen in way too long.
~~

Chicago Trip

We took our last vacation (for awhile) last week.
On July 2nd we flew to Chicago, rented a car, and drove 3 hours to Bobby's hometown.
We spent lots of time with Bobby's Mom, Step-dad, Sister, Brother-in-law, and twin nieces. It was so great to spend some quality time with all of them since we don't get to see them but 1-2 times a year.
July 4th was the big family reunion. We got to spend all day with Bobby's huge family. They all expressed (over and over) their surprise that 1) Bobby actually got married, and 2) Bobby is about to have a baby. Lots of jokes and laughs at his expense. :-)

Bobby & I headed back to Chicago on Sunday. When in the city, we returned our rental car, checked into our hotel, and had Chicago-style pizza for dinner at Lou Malnati's.
Monday we shopped til we dropped.....The Magnificent Mile of Chicago on Michigan Ave.



We paused shopping for a stop at Millennium Park to see "the bean" and the "spitting fountains".
















After a long day of shopping we decided to have an early dinner at highly-recommended Shaw's Crab House. Bobby enjoyed delicious oysters, and we shared some amazing king crab legs. We decided to stop for some dessert at Tavern near our hotel. We told the waitress to surprise us with her recommendation, and she brought us the BIGGEST chocolate cake I've ever seen in my life.....we were only able to eat maybe 1/3 of it.

Tuesday we did the Double Decker Bus Tour all over downtown Chicago. Our first stop was at the Sears Tower - Sky Deck. We stood in a super-long line to just get into the Sears Tower where several more lines waited for us. Once we got to the ticket buying line, Bobby noticed the "express pass" option and solidified his "Hero" status with me. By getting the express passes, we got to skip all the many lines and get right up to the top.




















For lunch we ate more Chicago-style pizza at the famous Giordano's. Yum! Yum!
After lunch we hit a few more top spots in Chicago that took up the rest of the day:
- Shedd Aquarium - The Field Museum - Navy Pier

After a relaxing breakfast Wednesday morning, we packed and headed for the airport.

Overall it was a great trip...I really enjoyed the few days Bobby and I got to spend together away from our daily life. We really do know how to make the most out of our vacations together. But hands down, the best part of this trip was getting out of the crazy Texas heat for a week***. During our vacation we enjoyed highs mostly in the 70s, and low 80s a couple of times. We took full advantage of the beautiful weather and spent most of our time outside. We even ate most of our meals outside. So Nice!

Trust me, it was not lost on us that this will be our last easy trip for a long time..... We did take time to appreciate not pushing strollers around the airport, or dealing with crying/screaming babies on the airplane. We know that we have lots of trips in our future that will not be nearly as effortless.

***Did you know that today is Day 28 of triple digit temperatures for Austin!?!?!? Of course I picked the hottest summer ever to be prego.......
~~~

Sky Diving Mama

Just as I did a few years ago, my sister celebrated her big 30th with a birthday morning skydive. My 50-something Mom decided to take the opportunity to put a check mark on her bucket list and did a skydive with my sister. Yes, my Mom went skydiving.....and she absolutely LOVED IT! I think she is already trying to figure out when she can go again.

My Mom's new boss was so impressed with her adventure that he told everyone he could "Guess what this Grandma-to-be is doing this weekend.....SKYDIVING!!!!"

I am super proud of my Sister and my Mom for doing such a cool thing. If it weren't for my "condition" I would have absolutely been there diving with them. In fact, I definitely plan to do another skydive during my 40th birthday trip in H-A-W-A-I-I!!! Who's with me?!?!?

This is a picture of my Mom coming down from her "high"

Actually, neither she nor my Sister came down from their adrenaline highs until late that night. :-)
~~~

Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you. - Dr. Seuss

It's official.........
Punkin' will be dreaming in Dr. Seuss world.
I made the 1st purchases this weekend....the crib bedding and a really cool touch lamp with the red lamp shade (shown):

The baby furniture will be delivered late this week.
My dad is coming to town next weekend for my sister's birthday but will be staying with us....and I have projects for him. :-)
He and Bobby are going to get to put the nursery furniture together and stain a bookshelf to match the nursery furniture. Good thing it's a long weekend....I think they'll need it! ;-)
~~~

I'm gonna have a Mini-Me!!!

April 28, 2009 - WEEK 16 (almost 17) - Ultrasound appointment

I can't believe we're gonna have a GIRL!!! We have been talking so much about it being a boy, that we are both still trying to wrap our heads around the fact that its a Girl and not a Boy.
The craziest thing is that now its not just a fetus (alien) inside me, now its more like a person...a little girl. And that fact has both Bobby & I floored. Now we are calling it "Her" and "She" and discussing girlie names. It's definitely making it more real for both of us.

We had an appointment with the nurse Tuesday...on our 2 year Anniversary. The morning started off a little rocky when I got a voice mail from the doctor's office. The message said that the doctor was out of the office, but that I could still have my appointment with the nurse. I immediately panicked as I called and left a message on the nurse line asking for a call back. I waited by my phone all morning for the call back. Finally at about 11:30am the nurse called me and made me feel better. She said that even without the Doctor, the nurse would still do the ultrasound and we would still be able to find out the sex of the baby.

Bobby & I both worked 1/2 day and met for lunch at Santa Rita near the doctor's office. After lunch we went to a nearby jewelry store where we picked out a new charm for my pandora bracelet. I chose a 2-tone one with 2 diamonds to signify our 2 year anniversary. :-)
After that we were off to the doctor's office. We waited eagerly in the waiting room for 30 minutes before the nurse called us in. The long anticipated ultrasound was finally underway. The nurse looked and looked around but did not seem sure enough of herself to declare a gender. She finally said she thought it was a girl. (I could see the color drain from Bobby's face out of the corner of my eye.) I was still skeptical because she didn't seem absolutely positive. The nurse went out and came back with our favorite nurse and she started looking around. She was much quicker and more decisive. She said that we were definitely having a girl....and they had all girls that day so far.
The nurse also informed me that I was at 16 weeks, 5 days...and the baby measured at 17 weeks, 5 days.....1 week ahead. She said that was a good thing because that means the baby is healthy.

Before the nurse could finish wiping the goop off my belly, Bobby was already on his Blackberry composing a message about the news. As we walked out of the office (in a haze) Bobby asked me who all he should send the message to. I could not even think straight so I told him he was going to have to give me a few minutes. I was feeling like I was in a dream...so many things in my life had just changed, and a new direction of my life had been set in motion with the words "It's A Girl!"
Bobby & I called our family and sent messages to our friends. After a flurry of congratulatory replies, we began the process of letting it all soak in...
We were both freaking out for our own reasons.
Bobby's first question was "What am I going to do with a girl?"
Bobby's 1st concern: "You and your girlfriends are going to spoil her rotten!"
My freak out: "Oh No! Now I'm gonna have to be the 'role model'.....great." (my tattoos were the 1st thing that came to mind.)

We talked and freaked out all the way to the movie theater. We watched Monsters vs. Aliens in 3D....just because nothing else really jumped out at us. I did find humor in the fact that we chose a "kids" movie...since we're going to have plenty of time to watch "kid" movies in the future. The movie wasn't great, but it did manage to get us out of our spinning heads for a little while.

After the movie we went to Eddie V's downtown for our anniversary dinner. Since the menu at EVs mostly has fish on it, I had a lot of questions for the waiter. I could tell he was getting a little annoyed so I explained that I am pregnant and can't eat some things. He immediately understood and his annoyance seemed to lessen. Bobby told him that we just found out the sex of the baby so our stomachs were a little twisted....thus not sure how hungry we were. The waiter congratulated us and asked about the baby's gender. Bobby told him we are having a girl. (The first time he said those words out loud, other than on the phone to his Mom.) The waiter smiled and called her a princess. (I was thinking to myself, "oh no, don't say that word to Bobby yet!") But surprisingly Bobby didn't cringe at the princess reference and just smiled. Sharing our news turned out to be a good move...at the end of our meal the waiter brought us an awesome huge chocolate dessert with "Congratulations" written in chocolate....on the house. :-)

Bobby and I ended the overwhelming day watching our Wedding Day DVD and reminiscing about the events. I think we both dreamed of pink things and sweet smiles that night.
~~~

*New* Truck

Bobby has been driving the same SUV for about 10 years...and it was used when he bought it, so it's time to retire the poor thing.

So Bobby did get a "new truck" this weekend. At least it's "new" to him.
It was my Grandpa's truck...at a very young age I gave my Grandpa the name "Appa" that stuck with him. Appa passed away in 2005.
A few months after my Appa's passing, my Grandma (Amma) gave the truck to my sister. Her and her husband were in need of a second vehicle and the timing worked out great for them.
Recently my sister decided they were tired of paying insurance on a vehicle that they no longer use. So my Dad had planned to come get the truck and take it back to my Grandma for her to sell.

Lately Bobby's SUV has been having some transmission problems, and he found out that it would cost about $3K to fix. Besides the transmission problems, there are other things wrong with it...such as the A/C. (an A/C that doesn't work in Texas is never a good thing.) The estimated value online was lower than the cost to fix the transmission, so Bobby was weighing the options. We aren't really wanting to add an additional car payment right now with all the home improvements we've been doing along with prepping for a a new member of the family. However....with 4 dogs, we really NEED a "dog car".

So my Appa's truck was the solution. Bobby went over to take a look at the pickup on Saturday and was pleasantly surprised. He had never really paid attention to the pickup before, so when he went to look at it as a possible vehicle for himself, he got excited. He cleaned up the old battery that was covered in acid and put in the battery from his car...just to make sure a new battery would make the truck run. It did, so he took the truck home and we later went back with the battery to pick up the SUV. He washed off the top layer of dirt and gunk so he could see what the truck looked like (and what color it was). It still needs a major cleaning both inside & out.
Bobby couldn't wait to go "show it off". So last night he went over to help a friend haul away some trash from his house after moving to a new house. He was actually pretty giddy about putting his new pickup to use.
I can't help but find this terribly cute and endearing. :-)
~~~

Pregnant Easter

We spent Easter Sunday with my Mom's family at her house in Lampasas. It was great to see my Grandpa and Aunts and Uncle. This was the first time they had seen me since finding out I am pregnant so they all wanted to see my belly bump and ask a million questions.

We discussed how the next time we celebrate holidays together there will be a baby in the mix. Everyone is very excited about that and can't wait for Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny to start making appearances in our family again. It's been awhile.

My sister & her husband gave us and the baby an Easter present...our baby's 1st Dr. Seuss book. (There will many, many more to come because Bobby loves Dr. Seuss.)
Oh, Baby, the Places You'll Go - a Dr. Seuss introduction book meant to be read to baby in utero.
So cute! I can't wait until Bobby reads it to the baby. :-)

Last night Bobby and I were sitting on the couch relaxing after a busy weekend and we started talking about how next Easter our lives are going to be so different. No more just jumping in the car to go grab a bite to eat, or to browse Home Depot just because. Everything is going to have to be planned out and time allowed just to pack the car. Wow! We are such goers and doers right now. But I guess, at least we understand that a major adjustment to our free lifestyle is in our very near future....

~~~

Holiday Update

I FINALLY got my Christmas stuff down and cleaned up yesterday. I am glad Christmas is officially over at my house. I am already starting to look forward to springtime!!! Winter Solstice has come and gone, so slowly but surely the days are starting to get longer. Whew! Once again I made it through the hardest part of the year for me. The holidays and a few trips always serve as a good distraction.

After the Costa Rica trip I had about a week at home before our trip to Georgia. During that week I hosted my girls group Christmas party (the only reason I even decorated this year at all). We had so much fun laughing and having good girl-bonding time. I hated that the evening seemed to go by so quickly. A few of us stayed up late after the party was over...guess we weren't quite done with the girlie night....we watched the Sex And The City movie. Due to a slight hangover, work the next day was long and torturous. I warned the girls that future parties MUST be on weekend nights! I am getting too old for this.....

Bobby and I spent Christmas at his sister's house in Georgia. We flew in Christmas Eve, rented a car, and drove 2.5 hours to just outside of Evans/Augusta. His sister her best friend had recently finished painting and decorating their beautiful home. We had the perfect Christmas holiday with lots of eating, drinking, games, eating, Wii tennis/golf/bowling, movies, drinking more.....and did I mention eating? Bobby loves to remind me that his sister and I bonded over 4 bottles of Champagne we drank on Christmas Day alone....he thinks there were 7-8 empty Champagne bottles by the end of visit....but who's counting?!?!? (that isn't including the wine and misc other mixed drinks.)
I loved spending quality time with Bobby's family, but especially his sister. She, her husband, and their two girls only recently moved back to the U.S. after living overseas for about 3 years. Before this visit she and I had only hung out one other time....which was the week of our wedding. It was great to just sit and talk and find out more about each other. Of course when I've been drinking I get all kinds of chatty...so she probably learned more about me than she really cared to know.... :-)
Bobby has twin nieces....and I absolutely love them! The were little princess flower girls in our wedding and they called me the big princess. That is when they stole my heart. I was slightly concerned that I wouldn't get that same kind of admiration without the big white dress, but that wasn't the case. They warmed up to me again quickly and were soon calling me Aunt and wanting my attention as much as I wanted theirs. :-)

We stayed indoors all but one day of the visit, which we took a day trip to Stone Mountain. I can best describe it as a theme park, without the rides. Well there were two rides, one was a cable car that takes you to the top of the mountain.
The main thing about this place is the Confederate Memorial Carving int he side of the stone mountain. For all you locals...the actual Stone Mountain was like Enchanted Rock times ten thousand.
In the same concept as Mount Rushmore, there is a carving of three figures of the Confederacy on horseback.

I won't bore you with the details...however, I do want to mention the 2nd "ride"... a train that goes around the mountain. OMG! The headache we all acquired by the end of that ride was indescribable and unforgettable. The brakes on that train needed several gallons of WD-40!!! Ridiculous that people were actually standing in line to get a massive headache. The important thing was that the girls had a blast and we all got to spend the day together....and got out of the house.

Sunday we got up extra early and headed for the Atlanta airport. We were at the airport over 2 hours early and it's a really good thing that we were. We walked in the door to see the Delta check in-line was super long and full of pissed off people. So remembering that we had booked 1st-class for this flight, we found the first class check-in line. This line was not nearly as long, but it hardly moved. Evidently many others had not allowed that 2 hour cushion and missed their flights home. So now they stood at the check-in counters trying to change their flights. Unfortunately, we were unable to check-in online or use the kiosks for our check-in. Bobby had purchased the tickets using credit card rewards through Continental for this Delta flight, so long check-in line for us....at one of the busiest airports in the U.S. on one of the busiest travel days of the year.
The airport was no problem at all once we finally made it through the check-in line. After about an hour flight delay we finally made it home....so happy to see our four furry kids.

We ended 2008 at a dinner with some friends, and we started 2009 at family lunch at my Mom's house. Friends and Family....the most important things in life.



~~~

Lubbock Tx in my rear-view mirror...

I spent the Thanksgiving weekend in Lubbock visiting my Dad's family. Since there just isn't much to Lubbock, I decided to make a list of my favorite Lubbock things...

* visiting my Dad and Amma (Dad's Mom). I only see my Dad about 2 times a year, and I only see my Amma 1 time a year (when I go to Lubbock because she hates to travel).

* Taco Villa! Why Oh Why do these only exist in the Lubbock area?!?!?
I even joined a Facebook Group titled "I Miss You Taco Villa!!!" It is compromised of 1,126 members. Description of the FB Group: To all of those who miss it so much. You could order with out looking at the menu. It's the first place you go when your back in town. You can't understand why your city doesn't have one. You belong here....

** Dixie Chick Natalie Maines hails from Lubbock where her family is still strong in the lively Lubbock music community.
She documented just how much she loves Lubbock in the Dixie Chicks Song "Lubbock or Leave It" Check it out! ;-)



* Rosa's Cafe - Again, why isn't there one in Austin!?!? There are several locations across Texas, but the closest ones are in College Station, Killeen & Waco. WHY???









* Buddy Holly -this guy has a statue, a street, and a museum in his honor. The biggest "buddy holly" glasses you've ever seen are sitting in front of the museum...pretty cool.




* South Plains Mall - it isn't the best mall...but it does serve the purpose. I spent many hours shopping and working in that mall. ...all good memories.






* and my favorite thing about Lubbock........seeing the city limit sign on my way out of town, and back to AUSTIN!!!


~~~

Christmas Affair & Date Night

If you didn't make it to the Jr.League's Christmas Affair, you missed out and now you will have to wait until next year. My sister and I enjoyed the event Friday after work. We parked at the Barton Creek Mall, rode the shuttle to Palmer Event Center, and shopped until it closed at 9pm.
We found some great gifts as well as a few things for ourselves. We did not eat dinner before we went, but we kept our tummies happy by tasting all the samples of dips, soups, crackers, and chocolate. Since that was our 3rd year to attend, we have now officially named it our yearly tradition. :-)

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Upon advice of our interior decorator, we are now looking for an "accent piece" for our living room. On Saturday, we went to a furniture store that neither of us had ever been before....FourHands. We were both expecting a MUCH bigger place, with lots more to look at. Nope, obviously the time to hit up FourHands is when they do their warehouse sale (at a different location). I have been to that sale one time. One of my friends works the warehouse sales, so I am expecting her to let me know when the next one is!
After a quick look around FourHands, we decided to check out The Khanza. That is where we got our dining room furniture, which I LOVE! They were having a warehouse sale at their extra space off S.Lamar and Oltorf. So we made a run down there as well. We didn't find what we were looking for, but it was fun just browsing. Totally fine with me....now I get to keep shopping!!!

After furniture shopping, our date night began....
Earlier in the day Bobby asked me where I wanted to go for dinner, and I told him we should try the new restaurant Maria Maria (owned by Carlos Santana). He wanted to make reservations, but I told him not to since we would be getting there before the dinner crowd and I wanted to just sit in the bar for awhile and chat and drink while we wait for a table.
We walk in the door at Maria Maria about 6:30p, and it looked pretty empty. HA! There was a 2 hour wait due to being booked solid with reservations starting at 7pm. My bad. Sitting at the bar and people watching for about an hour is one thing....2 hours is something entirely different.
So we headed to one of Bobby's standby favorites - Fleming's. He called to see if they had availability. The chick on the phone put his name in the system and confirmed his information and seating preference....all of a sudden he was a VIP at Flemings ;-)
We both had the specials...everything was amazing!

After dinner we walked around the block for dessert at The Melting Pot. We ordered the Original with extra peanut butter. 1 Word: YUM!
I had a fabulous girlie martini there that I intend to try & duplicate for the Girls Christmas Party. ;-)

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ooooooo.......love me some Bobby Flay!

Austin Statesman reported this on Saturday, Nov 22:

Stars come out in Austin

Downtown Austin was the destination for three celebrities this week: chef Bobby Flay, actress Claire Danes and rocker Chris Martin.

The Food Network's Flay dropped by Cuba Libre then dallied at Lamberts. We hear that Flay is opening a restaurant near the Mean-Eyed Cat.

~~~

Where did the Weekend go???

I had a really awesome weekend! It was over way too fast!

Friday night Bobby & I had our usual debate about dinner. We eat out often (too often - we know) and we get tired of the places around the corner from our house. If he lets me pick, 90% of the time it will be Mexican food. So Friday night we were headed to Chuy's until I mentioned Hooters shrimp....Bobby jumped on that idea since it was something besides Mexican.
Driving north on Mopac I realized just how glad I was that we had ventured outside of our little area. THE MOON WAS MAGNIFICENT! It was dark orange, low, and huge...just over the skyline of Austin. It was one of those moments you know will not happen very often. I only took my eyes off of it long enough to text a few people to tell them to check it out. It was absolutely beautiful.
Hooters was not great. I used to always love to go & get the buffalo shrimp. This time, not nearly as good as I remember. I only make it there once every few years....it will probably take a few more years until I'll try it again.

Saturday afternoon I met up with some friends at the Hill Country Galleria for lunch, girl time, and some serious shopping. We all found a few good deals and spent too much money on Christmas decor. :-) Some of the husbands met up at a bar in Austin for some live music.
While the rest of us were out shopping and listening to live music, Bobby was home slaving away in the kitchen. Don't feel too bad for him....he really enjoyed his afternoon cooking for friends. He cooked a "practice turkey" along with some sides in prep for next week when he will be cooking the turkey for my family's Thanksgiving meal. The food was all (of course) delicious.

After dinner we all rocked out to Guitar Hero World Tour. Most in the group were newbies, so it took us several tries to make it through a song and not get booed off stage. But once we all found our niche, we jammed through lots of songs we knew and even some we had never heard before.
Surprisingly Madison was the Rock Star of the night on the drums. She rocked those drums for over 5 hours straight! Very Impressive!
We were all wiped by 1 am...Madison and N even stayed over. I am pretty sure Madison's hubby did not believe her when she told him she was staying over due to too much GHWT.

Saturday morning we got up early and kicked the girls out about 6:30am. Bobby & I headed to San Antonio to watch my sister run a half-marathon. Not exactly something we were all fired up to do after a late night of drinkin' & rockin'.
We cheered for my sister at the 8 mile mark and again at the finish line. Then we waited for her to get through all the post-race stuff. We all had lunch on the riverwalk then split our separate ways. Sister headed home to re-coop. Bobby & I headed to the mexican market and browsed around for while before heading back home.
On the way home I thanked Bobby for pushing us to make it to the marathon. It was really cool to see my sister complete a goal she has been working toward for a while. It really made me wish I had not given up running & training with her.
This made me think back to when she and I first started running. It was about 2 years ago when I found a beginner runner training group to train for 5Ks and 10Ks. I forwarded the information to her and asked her to go with me to the information session. She was pretty hesitant, but I finally did talk her into just going and listening to the spill. While there they handed out separate sign up sheets for the 5K & 10K training groups. I told her I wanted us to sign up for the 10K...she was like NO WAY! I finally convinced her to just sign up for the 10K, with a promise that we didn't have to actually run the 10K, we could always just do the 5Ks. We training together for about 7 months and then ran the Cap10. I remember what a huge accomplishment we both felt afterwards. I am sure she felt that x 10 yesterday.

I am so proud of you sis!

~~~

To Breed Or Not To Breed...

my ramblings...

Bobby and I had a quick, but thought provoking conversation over dinner last night. I am not even sure how it came up, but he absolutely pegged the feelings I was having. He shares my worry and anticipation.

I worry about being a Mom. Will I be a good one, or just completely terrible at it? I already feel too busy...never enough time to finish all the projects I've already started. Not to mention all the ones I want to start and haven't yet.

Am I too set in my ways to change my lifestyle as necessary for a child? I have been living my life for me (and screwing it up) for over 30 years, how do I start living my life for someone else (and not screw theirs up)?
I appreciate my quiet evenings at home surfing the net, or watching TV, or reading a book....that will be gone for many years. I appreciate my alone time with Bobby...how will that be affected with a new edition?
I love to shop and get a high buying new clothes or things for the house. There are still so many things I'd like to get for the house, and home-improvement projects that we've talked about doing for awhile. Will that all fall to the wayside? I know priorities shift, but those things are important to me too.

Will there ever be enough money, or will it be a constant struggle? I've seen the dollar amount they attach to the price of raising a child and it freaking scares me! How do people do it? We are fine financially, but I still get grounded from Target from time to time...and Bobby feels that we are never putting enough in savings.
And then there is this... I really want to give my child/children everything. Everything. My husband & I have already begun that battle. And it doesn't look good for my side.

Will I regret it? Will I always wonder how our lives would have been different if we had not fallen into the trap of thinking we had to pro-create?
Worse than that......Would I regret it even more if we don't have children?

Is it even fair to bring a child into this world? Is it completely selfish not to?

My feelings about this are pretty much on a non-stop roller coaster and they have been for awhile. The highs and lows are not daily or weekly...each turn of my feelings lasts much longer than that. Usually something gets in my head to cause the change in direction.
Obviously I am currently in the questioning phase... It just so happens that I will be spending some time with a friend and her 6 month old this weekend. I wonder if that will change my direction again....or put me deeper in my current phase...

I think if Bobby was super excited and completely sold on the idea of having kids then that would most likely sway my feelings. Problem is, he is not. He has the same worries and questions I do, and he goes through his own phases with this.

Since we are now both in the same phase, maybe we are making the right decision by going to church on Sunday. It might be best to take this to a higher source.
~~~

Halloween Party Weekend!

--- TGIF! ---
I am so glad it's finally FRIDAY! I am especially excited because this is the weekend of our big Halloween party! This is the 3rd annual and it has really become our group's big event of the year. It's one of the few events that everyone shows up for because no one wants to miss it. Something good always happens, and someone....or several someones get completely obliterated. Last year I happened to be one of those someones...so that made for a short night for those who rode out there with me. Not This Year! I have a plan this time so I will be the one laughing at the drunk people....not one of them! ;-) oh well, it happens to all of us!
This year a few of the girls and I are dressing in Moulin Rouge costumes. A couple of weeks ago we had a little costume party of our own...we all tried on our costumes and helped each other with final touches. We all had so much fun that night...kinda felt like I was in high school again! We intrigued our men by telling them that it was the kinda party guys fantasize about: lots of wine & bubbly, sexy costumes, naked chicks, hot tub...more bubbly. We didn't even have to mention the pillow fight! ;-) Just kidding, we are saving that one for next time! And now that I've seen the other girls costumes, there is no doubt that we are all gonna be some hot-ass chicks! Or maybe we'll be the cold-ass ones since there really isn't much to our outfits. ;-)

I have been studying the Lady Marmalade video with Christina Aguilera, Pink, Lil' Kim, & Mya.....for make-up tips and tricks. Doing makeup on others is one of my little-known passions. I love to play with shadow colors on eyes. Of course I don't do it daily, or even weekly....just usually for special occasions, but I do love it! In fact, my most favorite job in my life was working for Lancome as a "Beauty Advisor." I also did a stint for a while as a "Featured Make-Up Artist" at other Lancome counters in Texas. Those were my good 'ol days.

Since some of us girls decided to do our own theme, that left the guys to their own devices....I am interested to see what they come up with!

CHEERS to the Party of the Year!


Enjoy the Lady Marmalade video for yourself. It's a classic! :-)



~~~

30th place.....

The top 25 teams in each city qualify for The Great Urban Race Championships in Las Vegas. Every team had the option to skip 1 of the 12 challenges, but we kept saving our skip one....and ended up doing them all! Over Achievers. If we would have skipped the challenge that involved the Bob Bullock Museum (30 extra minutes out of the way) we would have TOTALLY been in the top TEN!!!! Kinda Frustrating. Too bad we didn't get extra credit for completing them all.

We were in teams of 2...our group of four placed 29th & 30th out of approximately 100 teams....maybe less. That was our first attempt at anything like that and NOW WE KNOW!!! We plan to be fierce competitors next year! All in all, we got some serious exercise, had a great time with my sister & brother-in-law, and did pretty well as a team.
We did learn that good communication is absolutely necessary.....as in life.

~~~

The Great Urban Race - Oct 5

My sister almost has me & my husband talked into doing
The Great Urban Race with her & her husband this Sunday 10/5.
Shape Magazine describes it as "a one day version of The Amazing Race."
This actually appeals to me because in my life before the husband, I watched The Amazing Race among other reality shows such as Survivor, Big Brother, The Bachelor. However, since the husband hates reality shows, our Tivo only records the SciFi channel. great.

If you have ever watched The Amazing Race then you have an idea what the Great Urban Race is about...it's just a scaled down, 1 city version of The Amazing Race (which is world-wide).
At $60/person it does seem a little pricey....but it is approximately 4 hours worth of entertainment and the memories made from will most likely be priceless.
You have to sign up in 2 person teams, but they allow teams to work together. Teams can use any means available to them to solve puzzles, do challenges, and complete the race....laptops, blackberries, GPS, etc.
Check out the website and let me know if you are interested in joining in the adventure!
http://www.greaturbanrace.com/
~~~

Things I Learned from Mom

Sunday was my Mom's Birthday, so my sister and I and our husbands took her out for a nice Brunch at Chez Zee. If you have never been there for brunch, you must go! Make sure someone at your table orders the Creme Brule French Toast and try it...it is to die for! Don't order it yourself....or else you'll have to do lots of extra cardio to burn those calories!!!
Chez Zee has lots of other wonderful brunch dishes...some amazingly good omelets and eggs benedict like you have never had anywhere else!

Back to Mom. I really hope she enjoyed her brunch and the rest of her birthday weekend. Since I was busy with ACL, I did not get to spend as much time with her this weekend as I would have liked. But I'll make it up to her....now that she only lives an hour & a half away it's much easier to do than when she lived in Lubbock (7 hours away)!!!

I could never express how much she means to me, so I decided to create a list of things I learned from her.

Things I Learned from Mom
- Patience
- Never completely rely on a man
- Get your College Degree
- To clean the house before the housekeeper comes over...at least pick up the clutter so they can spend time cleaning rather than picking up your trash and dirty dishes.
- To hover and/or cover toilet seats
- To use a paper towel on the door handle of a public restroom
- In your purse always have: tissue, aspirin, lip stick, powder, comb, pen, gum, cash
- Chocolate Pie for Holidays
- Chocolate Biscuits for special breakfasts
- Chicken noodle soup, crackers and Sprite when I'm sick
- Keep a towel or roll of paper towels in your car
- Kitty Litter in your trunk when it's icy out (or anything that adds weight to the back of the car)
- Thank You cards
- Always say "Please" "Thank You" and "Excuse Me"
- Be considerate of others even when they aren't of me
- Cook a nice breakfast on important days
- Birthdays are not complete without a Birthday Cake
- Birthdays are important - they are your special day and you don't have to share them with anyone else
- How to get away with extending your Birth-Day to a -Week or a -Month
- Make your kids believe that you are in control of the situation....not them
- Anti-bacterial wipes
- Celebrate the little victories as well as the big ones
- Green is a good color on me
- Clarks shoes are comfy
- Appreciate your sister - she'll be your best friend for the rest of your life
- Don't sweat the small stuff...it's just not worth it
- If I set my mind to do something, I can do it
- Sometimes you just gotta cry it out
- I can pick my friends but not my relatives
- I'll never understand the connection between a mother and daughter until I am a mother myself.

This list is just off the top of my head...so this will likely be an ongoing list that I will add to in the future....

I just hope I can be half as good of a Mom when I have my own kids someday.

~~~

I LOVE BIRTHDAYS!!!

Let me start off by saying I LOVE BIRTHDAYS!!!!!

Today I turn 33.....WOW! I can't believe it myself, & I am pretty certain my family can't believe it either. Time Flies.

I stole the idea to blog about "stuff" from a friend of mine - Madison. She has been blogging for about 3 months now and her blog is my favorite site to visit every morning...I never miss it! So sometime in the last few months while getting to know my friend through her blog, I decided that I could do this. Maybe some of my friends would want to read my blog as much as I love to read hers, or maybe they would at least get to know me better through random thoughts about my life, or maybe not. Either way, I thought I would give it a try and see if it becomes "therapeutic" for me or just a pain in the butt.
I have never been good about keeping a journal. Every New Years I think a journal would be a great "resolution" for me, so I start them and then forget about them. So yes, if you want to know about my life in January of every year, I have that documented...it’s the other 11 months that got lost along the way... Whatever. C'est la vie.

So let’s get back to my birthday...my FAVORITE day of the year....yes even as I get older. I thought that as I got older I wouldn't want to celebrate my birthday like I used to, but that has not been the case at all. A friend of mine said it best when our group of girls was gathered to celebrate her birthday...
She told us that when she was growing up her father hated birthdays and never wanted to celebrate his own. On one birthday she called him up and told him that even though she knew he didn't want to hear it she wanted to wish him a Happy Birthday.
On this particular birthday his health had deteriorated due to cancer, and his reply surprised her.
He told her that he had it all wrong all his life.... He told her that birthdays should be celebrated; they are a gift from God to celebrate another year on this earth. Another year to celebrate your life. Her father died shortly after that.
My friend will never forget the words her father said and shared with us her feelings - Birthdays are important occasions and should always celebrated and shared with your friends and loved ones.
Needless to say we girls could not fight back the tears in our eyes in that moment we shared. We toasted and I think we all secretly vowed at that very moment to always celebrate each other’s birthdays in a big way.
I guess it was more of an affirmation that our celebrating each other’s birthdays for the last year was important and appreciated and necessary.
Soon after her birthday, we changed our strategy for birthdays...but that's another topic for another day...

I remember when I was turning 23...I can't believe its been 10 years!?!?!?!
I remember specifically thinking on that birthday:
What a great age! 23! Just the right age so people won't say "oh, just barely old enough to drink" anymore. Too Funny. Honestly, I was quite a knock-out at 23...its funny how you don't realize it at the time...

So now I'm 33...I thought I'd be much "further along" in my life by this age. You know, a couple of kids and a mini-van....like the LeeAnn Rimes song "Something's Gotta Give." I especially thought that song fit when I turned 30....before I met my husband. (Even my Mom thought it fit me...she is the one who told me about it.)

awww...That takes me back to my 30th Birthday...what an important birthday in my life that was!!! To start my 30th BirthDay: Sky Diving over the North Shore of Hawaii! To end my 30th BirthDay: the major breakup of a 3+ year relationship (THANK GOD!) Possibly a topic for another day...

Now I don't want you to misunderstand and think I am not perfectly happy with where I am at this point in my life...in fact, its quite opposite.
I have NEVER been HAPPIER with my life! EVER!
After a long, broken road I finally married the man of my dreams! The people that know my husband know he is Not Perfect, BUT he is absolutely PERFECT for me. On one hand I think: I don't know how or why but somehow I finally hit the jackpot in the love department. But on the other hand I think: Hell, I have done my time on that long road of bad relationships and I freakin' deserve a good one to finish out the rest of this amazing life with! More on my wonderful man later....

Another thing in my life that has never been better is my circle of girlfriends. Truly.
I have never been able to keep relationships going. It always seemed one-sided and friendships really take two to make them work. Most my friendships broke down because I got tired of always being the one making the effort. Of course there were some that ended for other reasons...but none of those are important enough for me to re-visit.
My Girls Group is unbelievably amazing! It's really crazy how we all ended up together, but now that we are...I really think we will be friends forever. (If that sounds cheesy...I don't care!) I will absolutely blog more about my Girls in the future!
Last but not least, my family. My family helped to shape me into who I am today and I am pretty happy with that person, so I have to give them a little credit ;-)
My family has been through some rocky times, but today I can say we have all reached a point in our relationships that we are comfortable with, and for that I am glad.

~~~