Happy Fall Ya'll-A Recap

Life has been a whirlwind lately. Once again, I blinked, and we are embarking upon 2014. I am currently on my school break and soaking up every minute of it. I am doing my best to relax, recuperate, and restore some energy before the new semester starts. The holidays have come and gone and my New Years Resolutions have been written.

Fall was fairly eventful with school and work and everything in between. The beginning of October brought the State Fair of Texas, which is always a big hit. Go with an empty stomach and an open wallet.  We were so fortunate to have incredible weather to visit Big Tex.  I only tried a couple of fried items (fried pulled pork sandwich and fried Nutella) and of course had to polish off a Fletcher's Corny Dog. Our night ended with the Lion King Musical--something I have looked forward to for years. Definitely was not disappointed...amazing music and amazing costumes. Can't wait to go again. 

Mid-October: Trip to Lake Charles! I've been kind of a homebody lately.  People keep getting married and having babies so it's hard to stay away. I got to celebrate two friends all in the same weekend.

1. Christine and I have ties from Baylor (where we met) and Louisiana (where we have mutual friends).  I was so happy when she decided to take a job in Texas, and we now live about an hour apart. Her wedding weekend started out with an elegant bridal luncheon and amazing rehearsal dinner out at the lake house and ended with a beautiful ceremony and reception complete with the most intricate of details.

2. Jennifer and I met in 6th grade and we have stuck together ever since.  She and Cory had a baby boy on December 9th and he is pretty much perfect. We had so much fun planning her celebration to become a mama and I know she is savoring every minute with her new little bundle. 

The last weeks of October brought my first Advanced Practice Provider conference, Kristina's birthday, and Halloween. The girls and I at work dressed up as "The Disney Princesses." My mom made my Mulan costume and it turned out amazing!

November officially kicked off the holiday season, which basically means Christmas decor is out in the stores and traffic gets a million times worse no matter what time you go out. The first weekend was spent at a fun wedding at The Belmont Hotel. Such a neat spot overlooking the heart of downtown Dallas. Jessica is a fellow pediatric nurse and she happens to be one of the lucky girls that I started my job with.  I'm so happy that she has found Andy and all the stars are aligning.

So...you all know how much I love the Pioneer Woman.   When I found out she was visiting Dallas on her book tour, I knew meeting her was absolutely mandatory.  I recruited Aren to come with me, and I'm so glad I had a friend, because we ended up standing in line for 5 hours. We got our books first, waited an hour...and then it became two....and then three...and finally we needed to go to the bathroom...so we took turns...and then we had to get pizza...and then we waited some more..and then finally....at 8:30pm....we made it! It was worth it. Ree Drummond is beautiful and gracious and funny and kind. Yes, I gathered that all in our one minute exchange where she signed my books and took a picture with me.   

The next week, I had an old friend from Louisiana come visit. It was a great couple days of catching up, eating yummy food all weekend, and watching my worlds collide.

Walks with Professor & dinner on the balcony with a fun boy. 

Having a heart to heart with my puppy. 

And there you have it. A fast and furious recap of Fall 2013 life highlights.

Twenty Seven

It feels like just yesterday when I turned 10 and was super excited to finally be an age with 2 whole numbers. What a privilege! 
I love birthdays because we get to celebrate the gift of living another year and reflect upon the past 12 months (if you are a sap like me).

September 26th consisted of...

Birthday puppy hugs and kisses from my little shadow

Birthday Starbucks

Birthday barbecue lunch with a good friend

Birthday sweet tea and snacks

Birthday pool time. Truly amazing birthday weather.

Birthday cake and flan and friends

Birthday card from my sweetest little buddies

Birthday Mexican food and a round of happy birthday sung in Spanish--Mariachi style too. With clapping and all. 

So thankful and couldn't ask for more.

Making It Count

Sometimes I wish my life would slow down a little bit. Maybe then I would get more sleep, exercise more, and be more healthy.  
When it all comes down to it, however, I wouldn't change a single thing. 
I had a couple weeks off from school in August and it was more than glorious.  I took a week off work to make a trip home to Lake Charles, and spent a week in Dallas working and gearing up for the Fall semester. 

Lake Charles happenings included a few things-

Time with my mom. Multiple lunch dates, time in the kitchen, massages, and mani/pedis...ya know. Girl stuff.  Fun recipes we tried included Vietnamese spring rolls, homemade granola bars, chocolate cake, green smoothies, and shrimp pasta. The word hungry does not exist around here.

My dad. The smartest man you'll ever meet. If he doesn't know the answer, he'll find it, and become an expert on the subject. My brother is like him in that respect. My mom and I are lucky to have these two boys taking care of us. My dad had a birthday and we celebrated with cake. 

I went to a wedding!

 What an awesome couple of days and an amazing reunion for my Louisiana friends. Eternally thankful for each and every one of them. It was so fun growing up with with this crew and even more enjoyable to be reunited and see how our group continues to grow. Wishing my Kari and her new husband Shamus the very best.

Arts and Crabs Festival with Aaron. Crab, beer, art, and my little brother. What could be better? Afterwards, we hit up Millennium Park with Rebecca.  It's always fun pretending to be little again.

After that, it was back to Texas Reality and back to business as usual. 

First, I had Jury Duty on my day off. 

Tips for all who have to serve Jury Duty in Dallas:

1. Arrive early. The cheap parking fills up quickly.

2. Don't get lost because downtown is filled with one way streets. One wrong turn will result in taking 10 minutes to get back to where you started, only to find that the cheap parking is now full.

3. Bring cash. The cafeteria does not accept credit cards.

4. Even better, bring snacks. Sitting and waiting makes you very hungry and antsy for candy and chips. 

Then we got to celebrate another birthday.

Can't believe it is September already. Who cares that it's still 100 degrees outside? It's Pumpkin Latte Season! 

Checklist

When I was younger, I marked time by holidays, dance performances,  and school breaks.  Now that my summer class is over, I feel like "summer" is quickly coming to an end. Thus, I give you my Summer 2013 check list:

Frozen Yogurt Runs? Check. My must have toppings include fruity pebbles, strawberries, mangos, mochi, and heath bar. This isn't a summer only thing, but quickly becoming one of my favorite sweet treats.

Road Trip With the Girls? Check. The end of July brought a lightning fast trip to Austin. 

Highlights include food, of course! The Salt Lick Barbeque in Round Rock and Katie's Custard in Waco. So yummy and so fun.

Wedding Showers? Check. I am way too lucky to always have many amazing friends to celebrate. Bring on the wedding cake!

Concert? Check. Our 3rd annual Train concert in Houston was a hit. Pre-concert traditions always include shopping & The Cheesecake Factory. 

 It never gets old listening to my favorite song (Drops of Jupiter) live. Gavin Degraw and The Script weren't half bad either. By far a highlight of the summer. Plus, I got to visit with Heather, whom I don't get to see often enough.

Finish My Summer Class? Check. Hopefully this was my very last summer in school forever. Unless I fall, hit my head, suffer a severe concussion, and decide to pursue my doctorate one day. Or change careers. Not going to worry about that for now as I am currently on a mental vacation for another week and a half. 

Family Time? Check. Lots of fun events back in Louisiana that brought me home this summer. Here's Professor hanging out in my parents' backyard. What a tough life for this little puppy. 

Summer 2013=Success

Here's to an even better Fall...

Mentoring

Meet: Tamia.

Two and a half years ago, I started mentoring this little girl, who actually isn't so little anymore.  We met when she was finishing up 4^th grade, and she is now on her way to the 7^th. 

Tamia, her little sister, and I recently went on an outing together. We rode the Mckinney Trolley down to Klyde Warren Park, had lunch at the food trucks, visited the Dallas Museum of Art, and ended the day with frozen yogurt. The Texas heat was definitely out in full force.  Even though I corralled them all around Uptown, they were such good sports and didn’t complain once about the fact that we were sweating buckets.

More than anything, I want these girls to grow up to be strong, independent, and kind.  I love that they dream big but at the same time, are so laid back about life.  Here's to many more fun adventures to come...    

Sweet Summertime

Although summertime in Texas has been pretty sweet, it has not been as carefree as Kenny Chesney describes it. So far, I've clocked in not enough hours by the pool (still pale as a ghost) and zero trips to get frozen yogurt.  Instead, my days off from the hospital have been spent at a children's clinic where I am learning all about how to be a pediatric nurse practitioner.  Four and a half years ago, I started my first grown-up job as a Registered Nurse. Back then, I had trouble believing that moms and dads were actually trusting a barely 22 year old (me!) with their sick child.  Now, they are looking to me for advice on parenting and asking me how to deal with picky eaters. I get to be the one doing the checkups, diagnosing illnesses, and educating parents with anything you can think of. From stapling a busted head closed to counseling a mom with postpartum depression…it's kind of crazy, yet also kind of amazing. 

Otherwise, June has been filled with the usual—putting love in motion and living love.  Lots of dinners with friends, long walks with my puppy buddy, and trying to keep life balanced. I recently had the opportunity to visit with a good friend who is on her 3^rd year of travel nursing. She has lived all over the country, and has a certain spunk and zest for life that I admire. 

Chronicles from the past couple weeks:

A coworker’s husbands surprise birthday dinner. We made him a checkerboard cake that turned out amazing. I had my doubts, but was pleasantly surprised by the result. We used a cake mold from Michael’s and a recipe from Pinterest. 

A trip to Louisiana to celebrate…

Aaron’s 22^nd birthday. He has been a busy fella. From starting his first “big kid” job, applying to “big kid” school (Yay. Grad. School.), and going on road trips with friends, we saw each other for a few hours before he had to head out again. My mom and I made him a Pioneer Woman Chocolate Nutella Strawberry cake.

A sweet friend getting married in August.  Lots of wedding cake for me to eat this fall... :)  

Best Buddies

On June 24^th, 1991, my baby brother was brought into the world. I was 4.5 years old. A few days after he came home, I walked into his room and peered in between his crib bars.  He was sleeping soundly and I decided to poke his arm with a toothpick to see what would happen.  When nothing happened, I lost interest and left.

We have come a long way since that faithful day when I tried to stab Aaron with a toothpick.  We've been best buddies pretty much from the start.  

This picture makes me smile. Let’s take a moment to giggle at my wild hair. Must have been a fresh perm.   

Aaron has graduated from college and is growing up to be an amazing person who always handles himself with grace and kindness.  I loved spending graduation week with him.  I think my favorite times were spent shopping for a new graduation outfit (even though he grumbled through it like most boys do), where we found a fun LSU themed bowtie. 

Our smiling faces were tired.

A big congrats to my little brother. Can't wait to see what life has in store for him. 

When I Grow Up

When I grow up, I want to be the Pioneer Woman (PW).  

Forget about becoming a Nurse Practitioner or a 2^nd grade teacher (my first dream). I want to live on a ranch, have a fruitful enough of a garden to sustain my family, cook all day, bake all night, play with Professor’s brothers and sisters (the basset hounds), and live the simple life.  High aspirations for this girl, right? I’m totally kidding…sorta.  Actually, no—I've always seen comfort in living just like they did on Little House on the Prairie (plus indoor plumbing and electricity) or even The Grapes of Wrath (minus the Great Depression).  I think I just miss being a little kid, because now that I really think about it, those people had plenty of life stressors. Just different ones like "I hope a bear doesn't come and eat me tonight." Real probs, huh? 

 

Anyway, yesterday, I invited my friends over for a PW dinner. I've been seeing more of these girls lately, and here’s how we do it. Every once and a while, we sit down with our planners and mark off dates and important events months in advance.  Otherwise, it’s fairly difficult for the 4.5 of us to get together at the same time.  It's a little kooky (yes, kooky) that we have to do this, but it works well for us. 

Aside from the dessert that would not quite cook properly, everything was a success. The PW does not wear an apron, but I tend to spill things on myself pretty often.  Too bad this apron is fairly nonfunctional, and it was probably meant to stay cute and clean.   Therefore, it was twice as hard to cook with it on.  Let’s be real. I cook in my oldest tshirts and shortest shorts and that's the way I like it. 

Here’s what was on the menu: brisket, mac and cheese, greenbeans, mashed potatoes, and monkey bread for dessert.

After dinner (and before and during), we all watched baby A (well, she’s 2 now) run around and explore the wonders of my home. Then she decided to take a “nap” on the floor.

It was a great way to celebrate the end of taking 11 hours and working full time for 4 months (yep, my brilliant idea..) and to kick off the start of the summer. It almost made me forget that my brave puppy got picked on at doggy day care and had to get stitches on his right ear.  He's acts big and tough on the outside (and he is), but on the inside, he's so so sweet and has the best heart.  I love him to pieces.