Lame Excuse of a Blog

I know Christmas has passed, and I know I should tell you all about it. Butidontwanna….

Between Dereks family and my own, we had probably somewhere in the ballpark of seven Christmases. That’s just a lot! I don’t mean to make them sound like they weren’t important enough to write about, or fun, or filled with delicious food- because they were- and I don’t mean to make our gifts seem like they weren’t a big deal, or make it seem like our friends and family don’t mean the world to us both. I'm just being “blog lazy”. So sue me.

Christmas was wonderful. We ate, we drank, we were surrounded by our loved ones, and I could not have asked for a more perfect way to spend the holidays.

Er… maybe I can.

In the arms of Edward Cullen?

I know. I'm 25. I know, its silly to have a “thing” for a vampire. But I do. There, I said it. I have previously written about how long I resisted jumping on the Twilight bandwagon- but when enough was enough and I caved, I had NO idea what I was getting myself into. I have literally read myself well into the 2 AM hour on work nights, I have woken up and grabbed my book before I could even think about hitting the snooze button, and my books have been coming with me to work. I have had countless dreams I know this book has literally swept the nation, and perhaps reached even further than that- but did all of you react like this? Am I crazy?

Do I need to be fitted for a straight jacket?

Twilight

You knew it was coming... for weeks now I have tried to resist and have been succesful in my attempts. Until our flight home from Mexico.

I had read an entire book, cover to cover, over the 5 days we were on our trip and so I gave in and bought the first in the Twilight series in the airport on my way home. I love to read while flying and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to see what all the fuss was about. I had no idea how quickly I would be dreaming of vampires and wishing away dinner parties for just one more hour of quality time with my book.

I think it goes without saying that I have not set the book down and that in a little over two days, I am almost done with the first book. Book 2 is already in my trunk and I feel it may be calling my name. Possibly even at this very moment.

If you havent already given in and read these books, be sure that you do. You will be glad you listened.

You May Now Return to Your Regularly Scheduled Blog

I cannot believe it’s the week of Christmas already. The weather today makes it easier to believe but because this is Texas, the weatherman has informed us all that Christmas day will be spent at an even 75+ degrees. Whats up with that?!

On December 6th, Stephanie had her annual Christmas party- SO MUCH FUN. Per usual, there was lots of delicious food, tons to drink and fantastic company to share it with. The white elephant exchange was nothing short of awesome (like it is every year) and Derek and I left with a set of wine glasses and a 13-inch TV. Derek was insistent on going home with said TV as he “doesn’t have one in his garage”- never mind the fact that he has about 3 billion other ones in his house, he needed another.

December 10th was my first Christmas party with my new company and they sure did a good job of keeping us all entertained. There was face painting, balloon animals and hats, caricature drawings (yes, we had one made and no, it looks nothing like us), wax hands, food catered from a number of local restaurants, and a Santa for the kiddos. Did I mention lots of booze as I work for a beer company? That part was the best.

December 13th through the 17th was spent in Puerto Vallarta Mexico with 6 of our friends and it was amazing. Seriously. No other word will even come close to describing the amount of fun we had together Bottomless amounts of food, drinks, beach, sand and fun and we soaked up every dollars worth. We were nothing short of heartbroken to return home to work and reality, not to mention the 30-degree weather here at home. Molly did indeed survive her stint in the “slammer” a.k.a. the doggy kennel. She seemed a little miffed with us for a few days after our return, but she seems to have forgiven us. Funny how dogs never remember to stay mad like us humans do.

Almost as quickly as we had returned home from Mexico, we had to leave again. On December 19th, my dear friends Katie and Richard tied the knot in a Catholic ceremony that took place in Fredericksburg. The ceremony was the longest Ive ever been to, but the reception was by far one of the most fun I have been to in a long time- and trust me, Ive done LOTS of weddings at this point ;)

Saturday December 20th was a dinner party at my friend Patrick’s house- I call him “Baby Clothes” so you will all know him as just that. Baby Clothes and his wife Allison have been inviting us to their dinner parties for quite some time now and turning them down is next to impossible. Derek and I always joke that its one of the few times we get away with feeling “adult like” or even fancy. The night usually starts off with a cocktail hour; dinner follows and is always perfectly planned and pristinely served with bottles and bottles of wonderful red wine. After we eat, the men will sometimes step outside to smoke Cuban cigars (movie like, eh?) while the ladies sit inside and gossip around the table and pitch in with dishes. Sometimes well play a game after dinner or watch a funny movie and talk all the way through it- but this time we played in yet another white elephant game. This week we left with a “Das Boot” (seen Beerfest?) and a bottle of Wild Turkey that will never- I repeat- never be consumed.

Last night marked the first of many family Christmas celebrations and this one took place at the Bohls’- like everything else we have been to in the last few weeks, tons of food, drinks and company poured over and Derek and I were sad to leave as we seemed to be the only people that had to work today. Boo.

From Way Out in Left Field

I dont feel like Ive written a worthy blog in quite some time. They all seem like worthless ramblings... and so, I copied a survey from Sarahs blog but have decided to do something a little different with it. Enjoy!

I cannot do a cartwheel. Ever. I have never been able to- feels like I missed some important part of being a kid

I was very happy when I woke up this morning- I leave for vacation tomorrow and am busy trying to convince myself I am not sick and that this too, shall pass.

The last movie I saw in the theatre was "Role Models" and as I expected, it was a let down. In fact, I fell asleep while watching it.

I love getting fun mail- catalogues, cards, pictures-anything with a personal touch makes my day! Handwritten notes really warm my heart!

The word grateful doesnt quite shed a light on the way I feel to have Rhonda (Derek's sister in law) in my life. All signs pointed to us having a rocky friendship for reasons I wont get into, but she let me in the way some would never have done. I feel so blessed to have her around- be it with Derek, their family or just the two of us. She is one cool girl to spend my time with and our friendship has grown into one Im not sure I could do without.

The last person I took a picture with was Lottie and her little growing baby belly. I still cant wrap my mind around the fact that she is going to be a mom. When did we all stop riding our bikes and start running businesses and raising children?

Deer heads and other stuffed dead animals freak me out- no offense if you like that, its cool. I just dont. I always feel like they are seconds away from springing back to life and Ill be the person they exact their revenge on.

Im not very good at telling jokes, Im better at quoting movies. Something about the punch line (the most important part) always gets lost in translation and I mess it up. One liners are more my style.

I almost never have cash. Always have change- just never cash. I think vending machines should take debit cards.

I cry at commercials, award shows, movies and music videos. I am a sap of epic proportions.

My cell phone is almost always right by my side but I HATE picking it up to talk on it... many of you can attest to that.

I have almost perfect vision, but when Im tired my eyes simply stop working. I have glasses for this exact reason but the lenses have got to be the silliest and most useless ones in comparison to those who actually need glasses.

Though I have been very vocal with my apprehensions about marriage and all it comes with, I do hope to be married with a (big) family someday soon. Before you read too much into the word "soon," I mean when the time is right and when I am ready. I do believe I have met my person and I am so grateful for all the work he has done to tear down my walls, and ultimately, I know that our time will come. I am enjoying the ride and the fact that neither of us feel rushed. I feel lucky in love.

I am terrified of matches. Lighters are okay, but matches really and truly make me nervous.

Its not very often I drink sodas- so if you see me doing so, I am either deathly hung-over or just feeling "plum crazy"

I have been on countless airplanes. I started to fly alone, cross-country at the age of 8. Since then I have been blessed to travel to some of the coolest places on this green earth. Traveling, though expensive, is something everyone needs to do in his or her life. Seeing the world is very important in my book.

I love my life. LOVE my life.

I am very ticklish in some of the most random places. Ill never tell you where, but I can promise that theyre odd.

I get frustrated with myself when I think about my past mistakes. Sure, we all live and learn, but I feel like I have such better tools now that would have helped me out back then- I tend to beat myself up over poor choices. Do we all do this?

I dont like wearing makeup- actually, Ill rephrase that, I dont like putting it on. Sure, everyone can use a touch of sprucing up every now and then, but I really hate the whole process and all I really wear is powder and eye makeup. Whoa is me, right?

I have a friend, Sarah, that I have known almost my entire life, and I can honestly say I miss her every single day. She is in Boston and just a phone call, text or email away- but its just not the same. She provides me with a certain comfort that has not and most likely will not ever be matched. She feels like my sister and I wish she were closer. I hope she knows how much I love her.

My showers can range from 5 to 30 minutes in length. Something about the hot water feels like it reaches my soul. Sounds so silly, but its so true.

I love water with lemon. Be it winter, summer, fall or spring, it refreshes me more than any beverage out there.

I will never forget my friend Troy. We lost him too soon and he will forever be in our hearts but what I wouldnt give to have another day with him. Words cannot describe the void he has left in all of our lives.

I have some of the most amazing and wonderful friends. Ever. I don’t ever doubt for one single second that they would drop what they were doing and come to me if I needed them. Not everyone can say that about their friends and I count mine as blessings every time I can.
Three things I will always eat too many helpings of: queso, mashed potatoes and Janets macaroni. Hands down some of the best food ever.

Finally- I have decided to open my blog to the public. I know some people are against this for risk of employers reading/finding it, or offending someone you dont even know when you blog about a touchy subject...I could go on forever. Lately though, I have found myself reading the blogs of my blogger friends- sometimes I cant even remember how I ended up on these pages- but its SO FUN! They are funny, touching, educational and can provide inspiration. So here you go world, take a peek into my life. Just dont judge me, thats all I ask.

Im Starting to Feel Like Jessie Spano

T minus 2 days until we leave for Puerto Vallarta. Am I ready, you ask? No.

This week has been jam packed with many events that have kept me from the one place I need to be spending the bulk of my time: the gym. Monday night was our last family dinner before my grandmother flew home to Massachusetts. Tuesday night I was up to my elbows in laundry and other random household chores to make it to my class on time. Sure, I could have hopped on the treadmill myself and made a go of it- but then what would I be able to complain about? Of course, then there was Last night (Wednesday), which was spent at my work Holiday Party. Tonight I just might stand a chance at burning off some last minute calories, but then I stop and look at my to-do list that seems to get longer by the day and must be completed by tomorrow. There is always Friday, which would work for a truly last second option, but at this point- will that even help? I may as well order a large, deep-dish cheese pizza for dinner and eat it all myself. I don’t think it would make me feel much worse than I already do.

When it comes to packing, I tend to bring everything I own minus the kitchen sink- and believe you me, if it would fit, I just might bring that too. I have made my list, scratched things off and convinced myself “I wont need that” only to replace it with something else. Something that probably takes up more space… like, say, 6 pairs of shoes. I need some flip flops for everyday wear, some for the beach, some going out shoes, some nice shoes for the restaurants that have a “casual elegant” dress code (no, I don’t know who coined that term), some tennis shoes for walking around in the city or if we decide to go on one of the excursions that include hiking and maybe some cute flats. RIDICULOUS, I know. Someone please slap me.

I plan to pack my ipod for the plane ride though I suspect I wont get much listening done. It just so happens that some friends of ours, who are flying to Hawaii, will be on the first half of our first flight on Saturday. On top of that, Derek is a nervous flier and unless he is entertained or kept busy by his laptop or something, I think I might be keeping him distracted. I like to read on planes if I can stay awake long enough, but the only book I have in my possession that has not already been read cover to cover three times is Harry Potter. I don’t know that I want to lug a fourteen-pound book with me all over Mexico. HAH! I guess I do have a practical side. Kinda. Anyone have any suggestions for an easy read while traveling or parked beach side?

December?! Really???

Its been so long since Ive made the time to sit down and update you all on my oh so exciting life. I'm sure you have all been on the edges of your seats waiting to hear every detail of my life and I am sorry to have kept you waiting.

Of course, Thanksgiving was wonderful. We ate until we were all on the verge of exploding- there was lots of family time spent together and just as fast as it crept up on all of us, it was over. One very cool thing about Thanksgiving is that my Grandmother comes every year and stays for about two weeks- so while the holiday has passed, she is still here and Ive gotten to see her a lot.

Not only did Thanksgiving come and go, but its almost time to leave for my vacation! I leave for Puerto Vallarta on Saturday morning for a much needed escape from the real world. Derek, Ryan, Rhonda, Kelby, Karin, Allena and Brent are all staying at the same resort and we could not be more excited about the adventures were sure to have. I have been busily preparing myself to put on a bathing suit during the time of the year none of us would like to. Its been hard to make the gym a priority but Ican honestly say its made me feel really good. Golds Gym has a sign on their front doors that reads “know that showing up is half the battle” and when you leave, the other side of the sign reads “know that youll be back for more tomorrow”- and boy are those true!

In leaving town, that means our poor sweet pup, Molly has to be looked after. By people we don’t know. For the first time in her year with us (it was one year ago yesterday that Derek and I brought her home!) she will be boarded and taken care of by strangers for SIX NIGHTS. Last January my Uncle Scott and his wife Merae took Molly in and looked after her for a week despite her not yet being housebroken. During football season, Dereks friend and neighbor, Chris, would check in on Molly at night and in the mornings making sure she had food, water, and some attention. I think the only time shes been boarded was in April for Erin and Aaron’s wedding. We stayed overnight in a hotel in Grapevine and all of our dogs stayed at the same “hotel” but that was for one night. Just one. Do you think she will ever forgive us? I made her reservation and took notes on what to bring with us and I know she will be in very capable hands, she will be loved and paid attention to, I just wish there was some way to make sure she knew we were coming back for her.

Christmas will be here before we know it. Seriously, time flies when youre having fun. I sat down and penciled in all the parties and events we have committed to for the next few weekends and I could not believe how booked we are. Sure, I feel grateful and blessed to have friends and family to spend the holiday season with, I just feel overwhelmed with all the places we need to be! I guess what I really needed to say at the start of this paragraph is that it will be the New Year before we know it!

I suppose for now (mostly out of fear my readers have given up on my boring post) that will be all.

More again later this week before we leave!