Thursday, December 24, 2009

It's Christmas Eve

And I still have shopping to do. I am not especially looking forward to this jaunt but it must be done or else poor Robert will have nothing to open tomorrow morning. We have been insanely busy at work and while most of my co-workers bemoan the crowds and the endless stacks of books and mags to be put back on the shelves, I absolutely thrive on the bustle! I'll probably be singing a much different tune when it's me out in it soon, haha. Tonight we'll hold up tradition and head to my grandma's house for her annual tamale dinner.

Every year on Christmas Eve, my grandma hosts an open house supper in which she serves her famous tamales. It's the only time of year she ever makes them and we all get together and make them about a week before the big event--usually about 60+ dozen. However, I always get stuck with the task of counting the dozens rather than actually helping to prepare the food. I think she must remember how much I dislike having messy hands wink, wink.

The bustle of the Christmas season is almost over for another year. I've worked hard this last week and earned these next two days off to be with my family and loved ones. I hope ya'll have a wonderful Christmas as well!




Monday, December 21, 2009

Brittany Murphy Dies...

I normally don't blog about celebrities. It's not my style. I don't care who they're dating, don't care what kind of car they drive or what designer they're wearing. They are people with careers that keep them in the public eye. Her death, though, kinda hit home with me. She's only two years older than I am and it got my mind racing with all kinds of different thoughts. Okay, maybe not "racing" but it made me think about life in general. If I died today, would I be happy with where my life took me? What lessons would I have learned? Would people know how I felt about them? Did I teach my boys to treat others kindly and with respect? Did I accomplish what I hoped I would? Did I have a more positive affect on people's life rather than a negative one? What would my legacy be?

I think about these questions some. Especially when I hear about a youngish person who passes away. Do I try to live my life to the fullest extent and get everything I possibly can out of every experience? I really hope I do. I know I try. I just hope that my life is never lived in vain and that one day I leave behind a legacy of love, laughter and genuine zest for the life I lived.

brittany murphy Pictures, Images and Photos

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

NPC 2010

And so begins my journey. Two years ago, I watched some friends compete in the NPC Lonestar Classic Figure Competition. From the moment I stepped into the facility and saw the bodybuilders and figure athletes, I was hooked! Figure is something completely different from women's body building. You lean out and gain muscle definition without building the massive man bulk that's associated with bodybuilders. (Example, pros Mary Elizabeth Lado and the late Amanda Savell, below)
Photobucket

I've slowly begun to transform my diet because it's a science that goes hand-in-hand with the workouts. Meals consist of chicken breast, ground turkey or tuna, oatmeal with flaxseed, brown rice, asparagus... Meals after 3 are protein and veggies. I'm not going to absolutely flood this blog with nothing but workouts and the same boring meals, but I'm going to do everything I can to chronicle this event in my life. I want to prove to myself that I have what it takes to be a figure athlete. I don't have many things I want to accomplish in my life, but I've always wanted to be able to train for an athletic competition. So, welcome to this journey in my life and here's to NPC in (November) 2010!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

The Most Wonderful Time...

Christmas is right around the corner, kiddies. I haven't done much to prepare for it. I'll end up procrastinating, getting presents at the last minute and dawdling away until December 24th because, hey, I have time! I'll be honest, this has never really been my favorite time of year. I think it's partly due to the cold--cold weather and I do not get along. BUT aside from that, this time of year makes me think about my blessings. It means that I have lived to see another full year come and go. I have gained new life lessons, made new friends, and created more memories than my mind can fathom. It leaves me hopeful for the year to come. Hopeful for the blessings, the memories, the laughs, the friends... This is what life is all about and I love mine.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

I Know, I Know...

It's been ages. I've been working. A LOT. I miss my blog friends. I miss my boys. But I am here now and hope that the next post will have a couple of pictures. So, here's what's been on my mind as of late...

-Thanksgiving was wonderful and it never fails to amaze me what a great family I have. I've bragged on them many times on this blog but I can't help it--they're wonderful. I am so thankful that no one is at the other's throat, no one avoids holidays because they don't want to be around a relative, we've always supported each other... that's the stuff to be thankful for. We hung out at my grandma's all day, ate until we were all in a comatose state and woke up just in time for the Cowboys game (which I tried not to watch because I'm just not a Romo fan).

-Black Friday came and went and luckily, I was making money rather than spending it. Yes, I was crazy enough to actually WANT to work on Black Friday and it was awesome! I love the bustle of the holidays, especially when I'm working.

-Yesterday was my "magic" birthday. 30 on the 30th. It's the birthday I've been looking forward to since I was about 15 years old. It wasn't as magic as I expected but it was still nice enough. We went out Sunday night to ring it in at 1201 a.m. and I was serenaded by my friend, Bernard. Good times! Saturday is the party and we're gonna do it right in downtown Ft Worth which I'm really looking forward to! Yesterday I worked all day. I didn't mind--it's money in my pocket and my parents brought the boys by to see me so that was nice.

-A friend of mine is engaged. We've been close friends since we were 8 years old so literally 22 years. I was not asked to be one of her bridesmaids and I'll admit, my feelings were hurt. Is it wrong, blog readers, to have expected to be asked? One one hand, I feel silly for expecting it and therefore silly for being upset by it. But then again, how do you not ask a friend of 22 years to be a part of your big day? I don't know. It's been bugging me for a few days.

Anyway, that's about all I have for now. I'll update with Thanksgiving pictures tomorrow since it's my day off. And as always, I read all the blogs I follow even if I don't always comment!

Monday, November 16, 2009

I Love You. I Hate You.

I'm talking about food. I love eating. I hate eating. I have gained back the 30+ lbs I lost three years ago when my husband had lapband surgery. I have always had an unhealthy love/hate relationship with food. I love to eat but then I immediately regret doing so and I angrily think to myself, "Did you really need to go there?" It was so easy to drop the pounds three years ago. We had a gym membership and we worked out together. Now, even though I'm motivated every time I look in the mirror, it's not enough to make me want to head outside for a run. I know what needs to be done, my problem is doing it. Don't we all do that in some way or another with something? And really, what is it that's holding me back? Why do I refuse to do it in the first place? Is it a subconscious fear that I have yet to identify? I don't know.

I just know that I hate food. I hate that I love it. When I eat, (in my mind) I feel my face getting fatter and rounder. I literally feel my chin expanding below. Sometimes I'll compensate by doing sets of lunges and squats after I eat even if it's in a restaurant bathroom stall. Or wall push ups. Sometimes all three. I don't really know why I'm putting this all out in cyberspace. Am I crazy? Yea, maybe. All I want is to feel good about myself just one day of my life. Authentically good.



Sunday, November 15, 2009

My Happy Place

Surprisingly, I never thought I'd ever say it, but it's the j-o-b. I can't stress how much I love being there. I love the people I work with, I love reading, and I am always happy when I come home. Even when I have to close and don't get home until 1230-1 a.m. on weekends. Even with the dreaded holiday season around the corner. Even when I have to RTS stacks of magazines like this
on weekends. Even when my very most favorite buddies aren't working but other nice people are. I can be my fun-loving, happy self where it's okay to get excited and I don't have to worry about, "tone it down, Marissa." I can be myself without having to worry about saying or doing the wrong thing. My co-workers get me and I get them. I haven't felt this way about a job since high school when I waited tables at Souper Salad. I loved that company so much that I followed a manager to a different store when he transferred.

Anyway, I know I've talked a lot about the job lately but I can't help it. I'm happy, I love it, and I am genuinely in a good mental place for those 8 hours of the day when I get to be where I feel the best about myself. What's yours?

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

A New Story

The boys and I started reading a new book last night. I know we're two chapters away from finishing The Mouse and the Motorcycle but it took us far too long to read that one (sorry, Beverly Cleary, but this was not a very exciting story). Besides, I've been dying to start reading The Phantom Tollbooth. I never read that one as a kid and it's one we've had on the shelf forever, patiently waiting to be read. I was hooked after reading the back cover and how Milo "visits the Island of Conclusions (you get there by jumping)" and how he embarks on a quest to save Rhyme and Reason.

We read the first two chapters last night and I really like the wisdom of Norton Juster--the author--and how he writes. For example, Milo comes upon a house, Expectations and encounters the Wheather Man. The Whether Man tells Milo, "Expect everything, I always say, and the unexpected never happens." I can tell this is going to be a great book and I'm really excited for story time before bed! I have made a list of interesting books I think they'd both enjoy which includes Superfudge (Judy Blume), A Wrinkle in Time (Madeline L'Engle), Where the Red Fern Grows (Wilson Rawls), and Howliday Inn (James Howe) to name a few.

Phantom tollbooth Pictures, Images and Photos

Monday, November 9, 2009

The Strangest Story

I'm an avid reader. I have been since I was a kid. Every night, I read to Drew and Brad before bed. I had to work last night so my mom was kind enough to put the boys to bed and read them a story. She was telling me about it today--a book she bought in the children's section of a bookstore called Baaa by David Macaulay. I hadn't read it yet but she was telling me how weird it is. Naturally, this piqued my curiosity and I had no choice but to read it. I was a little surprised that it's a "children's" book. It deals with overpopulation, heirarchy of society, government, etc. A little heavy for small children but for some reason, I can't stop thinking about it.



Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Happy (Belated) Halloween!

Here I am with my hubby (in the mask) and our friends Tim aka "Alexa" and Shannon. Hope everyone had a fun, safe Halloween!




Thursday, October 29, 2009

A Quest for Comfy Shoes

I've been working for about a month now at a local bookstore and I love it. LOVE IT! I am a total book nerd and it's widely known that I'd spend the bulk of my money on books if I could. No clothes, no makeup, no gadgets--books, my friends. Anyhow, I am on the hunt for comfy shoes. I've been wearing my Mary Janes by Docs which are cute but steel toes for 9+ hours? No way. Sooo... any suggestions, blog readers? If I had my way, I'd wear those little Isotoner slippers that look like ballet shoes. I wonder if anyone would notice that those particular shoes are actually slippers...?

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Bad Blogger!

I know, I know--I am a bad blogger. I have every intention of updating regularly and I can't tell you how many times a great blog topic pops into my head at random. Because it's at random, I am usually nowhere near my computer when I get these ideas and then they flee my mind. We have been busy lately! Drew's football season is in full swing, he made the A/B Honor Roll the first 6 weeks and last night was his fall choir concert (video links below). They sounded great and I was so proud of him! Drew is the one in the middle of the stage, front row with his shirt sleeves rolled up.

I almost cried when I saw him up there on the stage with his classmates. It seems like yesterday he was a little boy playing with his cars and talking to his imaginary friends. Now, he's well on his way to 13, texts constantly and plays middle school football. As I was watching him, I couldn't help but think how absolutely wonderful it is, this life and being able to watch my boys grow up. The time goes by so quickly and I always have to remind myself to hang on as long as I can to these fleeting moments. Tomorrow I'll wake up and my boys will be fathers themselves. It's funny--I always told myself that I'd never be a mother; I didn't want to go through all that. But now that I am one, I wouldn't trade one day of it. Those boys are such special people and I have truly been blessed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDTP4ZRzLb8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHLFc2dLGqg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0xYWPh9wjs



Sunday, October 11, 2009

I <3 My Church

We've been going to a new church for about two months now and started going before we moved to Plano. The series we're in right now is called "Waking Up In Vegas" which is about the biblical city of Corinth. Today, however, Jeff took a break from the series to focus on a message about marriage and the importance of sticking it out even if it's tough. It was a really thought-provoking message, especially since every marriage (including mine) has rocky "what are we doing?" moments. As I was walking out afterward, I noticed my parents walking with their arms around one another, a gesture I haven't seen out of them in a long time; it made me thankful that they had just a few weeks earlier celebrated their 34th wedding anniversary. God is good!

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Glitzy Rissy Designs

With the holidays painfully around the corner, I've decided I'm going to start selling the jewelry I've been making along with some small pieces of artwork. Today the hubs and I went to check out a local antiques store that rents booth space and... Glitzy Rissy Designs was born! I'm really excited about this venture and I hope it does well. I've been playing around with logo designs tonight and this is what I've come up with.


The quality of the picture kinda sucks but I had to take the picture of my word document with my BlackBerry. When I replace my printer ink, I can print the image and scan it for better quality. I just got so excited about it that I had to post it now, though, haha!




Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Rachael Ray I Am Not...

BUT we made one of her "30 Minute Meals" tonight for supper and it turned out well. It's called Quick Chicken in Wine with Brie Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes but it took a lot longer than 30 minutes to fix! Link to the recipe is here and I will say that rather than chopping the veggies and sauteeing them whole, we combined them in a food processor and finely chopped them together because... we have picky eaters in my house. I really liked the flavor of the dry white wine in the chicken and combined with the mashed potatoes, YUM!



Friday, October 2, 2009

Fall

It's my favorite season, it's my favorite month. I love fall and I LOVE October! This morning was pretty close to perfect; 55 degrees and a gorgeous Texas sunrise. I love how October isn't extremely frigid and there are still sunny warm-ish days. I love the colors of fall--reds, oranges, browns, yellows. They mix so beautifully creating my favorite color schemes. I love decorating whimsically for Halloween. Not scary, not grotesque, but with a bit of orange or black glitter here and there and a friendly jack-o-latern face. Happy Fall, ya'll--I absolutely love it!

FALL LEAVES TRANSPARENT Pictures, Images and Photos

Sunday, September 27, 2009

You Say It's Your Birthday

Happiest birthday wishes tomorrow to my precious grandma! I really enjoyed spending today with the family celebrating her birthday and the birthday of my cousin's little boy, Konner who turns 2 on Wednesday. I can't say it enough--I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family.


(Grandma and I probably 1980ish)

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

I'm Back!

Yes, it's been a couple of weeks and boy have we been busy. Tomorrow will be a week since we moved out of our small town back to "the big city" and it still just feels like we're on an extended vacation. The boys are adjusting well in their new schools and the hubs and I are on the hunt for... jobs! It's insane, the working world run around. Resumes are flying like a 90 mph wind, apps are being filled out; faith and prayer have seen me through.

Not much else has been going on. I've been making lots of jewelry lately now that I'm not packing/unpacking and you can see it here. Also, thanks to Janna and Steph for your sweet comments on my previous post! I continue to read your blogs daily even if I don't always comment.

Friday, August 28, 2009

So Long, Farewell

It looks like it's time for our family to move on, Ladies and Gents. My husband had been working as the sports editor for the newspaper in the town where we live and unfortunately, he was laid off this week. I'm not sure how to take this. On one hand, I wasn't too keen on small-town living. However, our boys are situated in school here, they have lots of friends and our oldest is on the middle school football team.

The tides have turned now and as the hubby and I have talked about--do we stay and commute or do we leave completely? There really isn't much to stay for if I'm being honest. Most of our friends live out in the Metroplex and we find out quickly in times of turmoil who our real friends are. I love the people we've come to know but people have really shown their colors. I really think our purpose has been served in this town and I am a firm believer in the old addage, "everything happens for a reason." It's ironic. 2 weeks ago, we were having dinner with my sister-in-law and I was telling her how I'd become used to the idea that we would be there for the long haul. The last time I was at the office with my husband, I literally had the thought in my head of how long it'd take to pack up his desk.

I can't say that Wise County hasn't been good to us because it has. But I think it's time for us to move along and not look back. Time for a new adventure in this chapter of our lives. I think we're ready.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Pee-Wee Basketball




My youngest child plays basketball. He plays basketball through a local YMCA and the season is concluding with a tournament which we're in the middle of. Our family is no stranger to round ball. My husband has coached the sport in some form or fashion for the last 13 years or so. Needless to say, he is coaching our youngest's team. This tournament is supposed to be fun; they're 5-7 years old and right now, they're learning the basics. Tuesday night we played a team that we'd previously beaten. I should mention that at the time, we were that team's only loss. The rematch was UGLY. Little boys were pushing, throwing elbows, illegally double-teaming our boys... I think the worst is that when we lost by two in overtime, the opposing coach walked out onto the court with his arms up in the air as if he'd just won the NBA Championship. Give me a break, dude. Compose yourself with a little more humility.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Another Summer in the Books

And so it goes. The summer is 7 days from being over as the boys start school a week from today. Already the madness begins! Tonight I have to go to a football meeting for my 7th grader and they'll give us the ins and outs of the middle school football program, what's expected of our athletes, they'll make sure the boys have had their physicals... Should be interesting. Tomorrow is Meet the Teacher Night for my 1st grader and he's more than ready to start back. He had his official countdown going as of August 1.

It's been a really great summer for all of us. The hubs and I have enjoyed lots of play time together, the boys have had several mini-vacations of their own, they've gotten to spend lots of time with their friends, and we took our annual family trek to Port A. Today after lunch the boys and I will be cleaning out closets making room for new school clothes and getting rid of anything they don't use or want anymore. School starts in 7 days and my boys will be ready.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Busy Bee!

Check out pictures of some of my recent projects!



Sunday, August 2, 2009

X, K, Z...

A couple of weeks ago I bought some papier mache letters from a local craft store. Here's what I did with them. (Pardon the quality of the picture. I was trying to hold the letter and take the picture with my BlackBerry for easy uploading to my Facebook page).











Saturday, August 1, 2009

Bejeweled

Today I spent about an hour or so browsing the jewelry aisle at Michael's. Ever since I was little, I've had a major thing for jewelry. I wouldn't even hit the toy aisles as a kid; it was always jewelry, shoes and purses. I love it so much that I'm going to start making it! I found a really pretty piece at Michael's and the possibilities in my head are endless. I wish there was a way to upload mobile photos from my BlackBerry to my blog. I'll have to figure that out. Jewelry pictures coming soon! :-)


Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Screamin' Muscles and Clean Food

I am in massive amounts of pain today. I had one hell of a workout at the track this afternoon and I'm definitely paying for it. I wouldn't have it any other way, though! In keeping with this lifestyle change, we're now eating at home rather than out. I love this so much! Not only do I get an amazing workout in the afternoon while the hubs stays with the boys but I get to chow down on clean meals when I get home! It's such a wonderful feeling to be able to be satisfied after I eat rather than stuffed. AND I love knowing that what I put in my body is healthy. I've decided to post a picture of myself (this first one really makes me cringe) once every 3-4 weeks and here's the first one.



On the topic of what I'm eating, I made the most delicious clean pizza yesterday! It didn't take long at all and honestly, it's the best pizza I've ever had.
Marissa's Clean Pizza
I preheated my oven to 375 and cooked about 2 lbs of lean ground turkey (what I didn't use on my pizza slices, I refrigerated for other meals) and seasoned it with fresh grated garlic. I then toasted two slices of whole grain bread and placed them in the center of a baking sheet lined with wax paper. I used roughly two TBSP of low-sodium tomato sauce on each slice of bread and then topped each with about 1/4 c. of the ground turkey, a small handful of low-fat feta cheese, chunked up portobello mushrooms and a nice handful of fresh baby spinach. I then baked it in the oven for 10-15 minutes and oh boy was it de-lish!



Unfortunately I don't have a picture of today's clean meal--I was too hungry to take the picture! It was a small whole-wheat tortilla filled with ground turkey, fresh baby spinach and one clove of garlic. If you can't tell by now, I am a huge fan of garlic! I'm loving the groove of my cardio workouts which consists of mileage at the track, sprints, sometimes lunges, old interval stuff from my cross country days, and running bleachers. I also guzzle the water. Today, I've literally had about a gallon. I am so excited about the direction I'm going with this; I can't explain how happy working out and eating clean makes me!

Saturday, July 18, 2009

I'm Embarking on a Journey...

I'm not technically going anywhere--I'm just shrinking my body. I'm almost 30 and I am NOT ringing in that milestone birthday as a 147 lb cow. I talked to the hubs about my plan and bless him for not objecting! Day 1 begins Monday. I'm not joining WeightWatchers, Jenny Craig, or any other insane diet program. I'm taking the Marissa approach of cleaning up my diet and hitting the weight room again. It's that simple. I don't need someone giving me a certain amount of points to count, I don't need to drink meal replacement shakes for 30 days... that's just silly. It's time to be accountable to myself (and any subsequent readers of this blog) for what I choose to eat. I've been reading all my favorite bodybuilding/fitness websites extensively for motivation and it's time, ladies and gents.

If I don't do it now, I'll never begin my journey for my ultimate goal to participate in a figure competition and that's something I hope to accomplish next summer. Yep, it's time to get my stuff together, quit just saying I'm going to slim down and just do it!

Sunday, July 5, 2009

4 Months and Counting...

That's how long (give or take) until my 30th birthday. I don't know why it bothers me so much, but it does. Maybe because I know I'm rapidly reaching... MIDDLE AGE! I had planned to look like this Jen Hendershott Miss Fitness Olympia 2005 Pictures, Images and Photos (that's fitness competitor Jen Hendershott by the way) but unfortunately, I'm still not where I want to be. I get so down on myself. I know I shouldn't but really, it's my own fault. I do not eat at all like I should, I do not make time for myself and I don't sleep much. I guess I think that I'll obtain my ideal body through osmosis via websites like this and this. It's time to focus on me. I won't get there by November BUT, I could be well on my way. The dream of a figure competition still looms in my heart and won't be quelled until I achieve what it is I want.

Friday, July 3, 2009

Testing Signature

Mic check, mic check--1,2,1,2. Test, test, test.

Iowa Pictures

There's no way I could post all 73 photos to my blog, so here's a link to the Facebook album. Enjoy!

Thursday, July 2, 2009

July Already?

This summer is flying! We got home from our second family vacation yesterday and now I'm ready for my "grown-ups only" trip to Destin at the end of the month.

We've taken the boys to San Antonio, Corpus and Port Aransas every summer for the last 7 years and we had a nice time. The boys enjoyed swimming in the ocean--a good time was had by all until my baby was stung by a jellyfish!

I knew it really hurt the lil guy because that child has an incredibly high pain tolerance and hardly ever cries; he cried when he got stung.

Despite the mishap, he got back in the water the next day. Now I get to do all the "fun" stuff--unpack and start laundry. Woo. Hoo.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

The King of Pop

Michael Jackson has died today. I wasn't a fan of his in recent years and there was no denying that he was a very strange individual. However, I will never forget today. There are only two other celebrities that, when they died, I still remember exactly where I was and how the news hit me--Princess Di and Selena; Michael is the other. The guy was an undeniable musical genius.


Michael Jackson Pictures, Images and Photos

Boring?

I think it's time to re-vamp my blog. I see tons of other cutesy, personalized blogs out here in cyberspace but I'm usually left scratching my head wondering how they do it. Right now I find the overall appearance of my corner of the cyber world boring. I'll make this my new project as soon as we get back from Vacation #2 next week. Iowa pictures soon to come!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

My Next Meal...



Will be this--Pesto Tortellini

" You can make this delicious meal in 30 minutes. That means you can feed a hungry crowd a home cooked meal and still spend the day at the pool or on the beach! If you are so inclined, grill up some steak or chicken to accompany the tortellini, but with with some fresh bread and a nice wine it's perfect alone. A nice crisp Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc will pair well with the pesto."

Ingredients:

* 2 packages (9 ounces each) refrigerated cheese tortellini
* 2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
* 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
* 1 small garlic clove, crushed with garlic press
* 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, each cut in half or into quarters if large

Directions:

1. In saucepot, prepare tortellini in boiling water as label directs. Drain tortellini, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water. Return tortellini to saucepot.

2. In blender, combine basil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and reserved pasta cooking water and blend until mixture is smooth, stopping blender occasionally and scraping down sides with rubber spatula.

3. Add basil mixture and tomatoes to tortellini; toss until evenly mixed.

4. Top with shaved Parmesan cheese and pine nuts


Preparation Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 25 min.
Serves 6

(Recipe found via poshmama.com)

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Headed Home

That's right. We're currently somewhere in Kansas headed back to Texas. It was a wonderful visit and our last evening was spent watching my cousin, Tanya's son, Trenton's t-ball game followed by a great steak meal at The Open Flame in Gilbert.

It was cool--the novelty is that you cook your own steak. Good times, good food! Earlier in the week, Robert and I had stumbled on a bar in the Campustown part of Ames called Capone's and loved everything about it. We found out that Wednesday nights are their karaoke nights so we headed there from The Open Flame and Tanya met us up there.

I think this was probably our best trip Iowa to date. I'm so happy to have been able to spend time with the fam and see the sights. I mentioned in my last blog that we took a ton of pictures so my next task will involve uploading and posting them to my blog.

Up next: Father's Day!

Monday, June 15, 2009

Iowa (Part I)

We've been here since Friday and I am having a wonderful time!

Iowa is where I spent many happy childhood summers and tonight I'm remembering why. Cool, breezy nights, ball games, trips to Starbuck's fast food for legendary cheese balls, and hotdog roasts at my grandma's house to name a few.

I'll post pictures when we get home--we've taken a ton--as I can't wait to share my adventures. Today we walked the Iowa State campus, loaded up on new ISU gear, had supper at my cousin's house in Gilbert and went to watch her daughter, Taylor play softball.
I wish we could stay longer. It's so great that the boys have cousins close in age to them and when they get together, it's like they pick up where they left off; they don't miss a beat.

Well, we're in a theatre about to watch a movie so I guess I'm gonna end this blog for now. Pictures coming soon!

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Foodie

I love food. I've always said that I could never have anorexia because I love food too much to not eat. That being said, I think I own a million cookbooks--I buy them all the time--but am sad to say that they just don't get much use. We are NEVER home because we lead a very busy life. The boys are involved in their activities which keep us busy and with The Hubs being the one-man Sports Editor for a newspaper that covers every sport for 8 schools in the county, there's always an activity that keeps us away from home.

I found a great website with some beautiful recipes for Mozzarella cheese. I love Mozzarella (and Ricotta and Feta and Cheddar, etc.)! I like to read my friend, Amii's blog because she frequently posts pictures of the meals she cooks and they all look amazing. Anyway, silly entry but I just felt like throwing in my two cents about food. Now... let's eat!

Saturday, June 6, 2009

A Little Slip

Yep, I put my foot in my mouth. We've all done it. Thursday I was helping a friend at her restaurant (waitressing). She owns a little mom-n-pop cafe in a small town and Thursday's special was calf fries. For those who genuinely don't know, calf fries are what I refer to as "bull balls". Anyway, I have slogan a t-shirt that I wore for the occasion that reads Pine Inch Nenis. Flip around some letters and you'll get it. I was waiting on a table full of cowboys who brought the owner her bull balls and as I was re-filling their sweet tea, I got to the last cowboy and asked, "Would you like a top off?" There was a very awkward silence and no sooner had the words come out of my mouth and I realized what I'd said so I quickly followed it with, "Of your tea!" I probably wouldn't have been so humiliated but given the fact that I am pretty well endowed, it definitely came out all wrong. I laughed it off and they were nice enough to do the same.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Summertime!

I am really looking forward to summer as I do every year. As of tomorrow, I will officially have a first grader and... a middle schooler (7th grade)! We have many exciting things planned in the coming months and the first of our adventures starts Friday. The hubby and I are headed to our favorite Texas city, Austin for a weekend getaway--okay, okay, so he'll be working while we're there. Regardless, it's a time to get out of the confines of the DFDub, work on my tan at the UT track, hit my favorite hot spots (Coyote Ugly and Mesa Rosa top the list) and of course, visit the Capitol building.

We're also taking the first of two family vacations next Friday. The hubs, the boys and I are driving to Iowa with my mom to visit her side of the family and I couldn't be more excited! We haven't been there since my youngest was a baby and I am so happy to get to see everyone. The hubs has never been to Iowa so we have a lot that we're planning to do and see. I really need to get better about posting pictures on this blog. Speaking of pictures, Son Number One--one as in firstborn--had a photo shoot yesterday with a good family friend who happens to be the photographer at the paper where the hubs is employed and I can't wait to post the pictures! My child and a group of his skateboard buddies headed to the old Intermediate school where they frequently sail down stair sets and sidewalks and Joe did a fantastic job capturing the moments. It's summertime, ya'll, and I LOVE it!

Monday, May 25, 2009

The Dance

Here are some pictures of my son at his dance. A good time was had by all and it really brought me back to my middle school days!

With his "date", Kelsey


Doing the Chicken Dance


Hammin' it up!