Jen the Newlywed

Things I'm Trying

2012-01-30T06:45:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to wake up every morning and get fully dressed and put shoes on before I start my workday. I always felt that one of the perks to working from home is that I can wear pajamas and work in fuzzy socks and not put on any makeup. However, what happens is that 2:00 rolls around and I realize that my neighbor is knocking on my door and I am in NO SHAPE to make an appearance to the public. Yikes! So, I'm simply trying to get up and put on real-people clothes and even real-people shoes since I've heard that if you have shoes on you'll be more productive. We'll see.

I'm trying to not turn the television on until after the work day. We'll see how that goes. I really love my late lunch with the Ellen show but I'm gonna try to get some housework done during that time.

I'm trying to eat more fresh foods. This baby inside me loves carbs more than I do (I had no idea that that was possible) and I very rarely feel like eating any fruits, veggies, salads, or anything of a healthy nature. I want pasta and pasta and also I would really like some pasta. But today I'm going to try to eat something a little more on the fresh side!

I'm going to try walking. Yes, walking. Something happened last night and it was the most bizarre experience of my life. I was on the couch, my computer was dying, I stood up to go plug it in, I tried to take a step and then..... I fell. My legs didn't work!! My brain told my legs "it's time to walk!" and my legs were like "NO THANK YOU!" and then I hit the floor. I didn't feel dizzy or faint, I never blacked out, I just simply could not work and totally collapsed. Grant came running and helped me... the best way I can explain it is that it was as if my legs were asleep, but I didn't feel it. Thankfully, I mentioned it on the Facebook and lots of people told me that that was something that can happen during pregnancy (something about loose ligaments?) so I don't feel so crazy anymore. But seriously... WEIRD.

I'm trying to not be sad about Chuck ending. Grant and I started watching the show Chuck waaaay back in our very first apartment in Gonzales, Louisiana. It's been "the little show that could" as it has dodged cancellation more times than I can count. Honestly, it wasn't the greatest show in the history of television, but it was one of "our shows" that we've watched together forever and it was a sweet little show with a lot of heart. We didn't want it to end!

I'm trying to take a deep breath this week and realize I can only do so much. I was pretty discouraged at the end of last week. I felt like I wasn't doing all I needed to do for my personal life and my work life and I felt like I was disappointing people. I was having major anxiety about going into this next work week, but I realize I can't please everyone, I can't physically do everything, and some things are not as much of a priority as other things. I CAN'T DO IT ALL. There, I said it. That feels better. :)

I'm Growing!

2012-01-26T18:36:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much for your prayers for my dad! Everything turned out well. His heart cath did show some blockage, but fortunately it wasn't enough to require a stent. He'll be treated with medicine and needs to focus on diet and exercise. It was a scary situation, but we're thankful for a wake up call and are so glad that he is out of the hospital and feeling much better!

I've been having a good week, working a lot and eating a lot :) Tomorrow marks 14 weeks for me and I'm definitely starting to show a little bit!

We still have awhile to go, but I'm definitely starting to see a change in my body! We were cracking up the other night cause even my belly button looks so different. It's all such a weird, weird experience but I'm loving every minute of it!

Daddy's Girl

2012-01-23T07:10:00.000-08:00

That photo of me and my dad was taken on November 11, 2011. This was the day that I found out that I'm pregnant. I sang in a wedding that night and had to sit at the reception with my parents and Lindsee's parents and act like NOTHING MAJOR WAS GOING ON IN MY LIFE.

That's my dad. He's pretty much awesome. And Friday morning he had a mild heart attack. He's fine and has been monitored at the hospital all weekend. This morning he's having a heart cath done to see if there is any blockage and to decide what the next steps are, if any. I'm so thankful and so proud of him that he did something VERY out of character... he called 911 on himself cause he knew that what he was feeling wasn't good. I'm SO thankful that he did that and got help quickly. He's always been a smarty pants.

Prayers for my daddy would be much appreciated. He has been made fully aware that the next time any of us are in the hospital, it will be ME because I will be having this baby. SO WE ALL NEED TO BEHAVE OURSELVES!!!

And Also, I'm Pregnant

2012-01-20T10:45:00.000-08:00

Yes. I apologize ahead of time for all the pregnancy related posts that are going to be coming your way between now and late July.

Jen the Newlywed. Is having a baby.

We're thrilled. Excited. Blessed. Scared. Shocked. Tired. Nervous. Ecstatic.

I'm sitting in Starbucks right now, in the very chair I was sitting in on November 11 when my doctor called my cell phone and told me that I'm pregnant.

And now I'm 13 weeks. And getting a little bit of a belly, to be honest. And it's all just very weird.

And very amazing. And God is good and He has blessed us and this wasn't really supposed to happen but He blessed us because He is awesome. And He is bigger and better than any medical test or doctor's words. He is ABLE.

I'll tell the whole story over the coming weeks and months. Just know that we'd covet your prayers and can't wait to meet our little miss or little mister ;)

I Want to Be Friends With Them

2012-01-19T07:55:00.000-08:00

I love to watch the Ellen show. These girls (they are sisters) were dancing before the show started and Ellen saw it backstage and decided to share it with the rest of us. I'm so glad she did. Seriously. I love them. I want to be friends with them.

It's like they are dancing at a slumber party :)

Golden Globes 2012: Red Carpet Recap

2012-01-15T19:58:00.000-08:00

Words cannot express how excited I am to start award season. Y'all know I how I love award season. And I ESPECIALLY love the Golden Globes. Why? Because it's TV and Movies all together. It's a dream come true. I am definitely rooting for "The Help" to win big tonight!

To start off, let's review Jen's Red Carpet Rules:

1. I always love jewel tones, and I especially love red heads in jewel tones. Pick colors that compliment your skin tone!

2. Respect the award show that you're at. There are some dresses that are more appropriate for the Oscars, some that are more appropriate for the Grammy's. Consider the setting and the audience.

3. Stop trying to shock everyone. You'll regret it. Just keep it classy.

4. Smile. Stop making weird faces.

5. I don't need to see your business. Keep it covered, ladies.

6. Don't get too crazy with the hair. Simple is better.

7. Too much print is not a good idea on most people.

8. Jewelry can make or break a look. Wise choices, girls. Wise choices :)

9. Please don't make a dress out of a table cloth.

10. If you make a mistake, you can always redeem yourself at another award show. We all make mistakes. Just don't make them often!

Alright, let's begin!!

Oh, Amanda Peet. You've already broken my table cloth rule.

This is a totally normal couple.

Charlize. I need your lips to have some color. And I'm not sure about this dress. I get the concept but I don't love it. I'm sorry. Your head piece is lovely though.

Debra Messing. The dress is beautiful. I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THE NEW SHOW SHE IS GOING TO BE IN. It's a musical show (like Glee) but focuses on the behind the scenes drama of a new Broadway show. JEN IS GOING TO BE ADDICTED.

Emma Stone's belt had an eagle on it. Yes, an eagle. Not so sure about that one. However, I love her hair, eye makeup, and the color of this dress. The neckline could be just a bit higher though :)

The color of this dress is AMAZING on her. Stunning. And her hair looked pretty awesome too.

I wish this picture did this dress justice. I LOVED this dress. She's a best dressed nominee for me. So, so beautiful and classy.

If I were as beautiful as Jessica Biel, I would not have chosen this particular frock. And that's all I'm going to say about that.

This dress reminds me of a Fruit Roll-Up.

Julie Bowen is one of my favorite actresses. This dress is beautiful and so is she, I just wish the color was slightly different. It kinda washed her out.

Katharine McPhee. Beautiful dress. Beautiful girl. Again, so excited about her new show. (It's called Smash. Get Excited!)

Well Hello, Nicole! Look at you! She's just so pretty.

This dress would've been great in another color. COLOR CHOICE PEOPLE, COLOR CHOICE. But seriously, I love her :)

Yaaaay! Octavia Spencer (aka "Minnie Don't Burn Chicken" from The Help) won herself a Golden Globe tonight! This dress looks beautiful on her and is in a BEAUTIFUL color. She is so great.

Piper Perabo was definitely the shocker of the evening. Here's the thing.... this dress was quite impressive. Unique fabric, amazing structure... however I don't think it was very Globes appropriate, and it was a bit see-through and I'm just having mixed feelings. But she is lovely and she definitely made a statement!

Why is she so darling? Why does she look so beautiful in this color? Why is she so skinny after two children? When are my arms going to look like that?!?!?

Not my favorite.

The bodice of Salma Hayek's dress reminded me of the 80's. Not sure why.

Sarah Michelle Geller said her little girl picked out her dress. That is the only reason I'm not going to say anything unkind about it. :)

Tilda wows me every year with her.... interesting.... choices.

This is a great look on Tina. It's one of the best I've seen her hair and makeup. The color is SPECTACULAR on her and I thought she was just lovely!

I'm gonna get on a soap box for a minute. Meryl Streep is one of my favorite actresses. She is amazing and every time she appears in a movie, it is an Oscar-worthy performance. That being said, I think that every award show should add a new category called "Meryl Streep's Best Performance". She deserves her own category. She is amazing.

That being said, I REALLY, REALLY needed Viola Davis to win for her role in "The Help". I need her and Octavia to win the Oscars next month. She was so believable that I forgot she wasn't Abilene in real life.

And what a transformation she showed us tonight! HOW BEAUTIFUL IS SHE?!?

Absolutely amazing! Gorgeous eyes, gorgeous smile, gorgeous dress, gorgeous color!

It's good to be back, people! Leave your opinions and such in the comments!

And Then It was 2012

2012-01-06T22:00:00.000-08:00

Well, it's a new year. I'm 6 days late in writing about it, but here we are. 2012. For some reason I've always felt better about even years than odd years. I was born in an even year, I met Grant in an even year, I got married in an even year.... maybe I'm just a victim to the pattern!

So for our 5 year anniversary we went back to Hyatt Lost Pines Resort which we visited last year. We love it there. I mentioned that we were going there on Facebook, and their social media team delivered a bottle of champagne, chocolate covered strawberries, and a card to our room. So sweet!

The next morning we slept in and ordered breakfast room service. Room service is one of my most favorite things in the whole world.

We then drove to College Station to spend New Years Eve with our friends. We ate yummy food, sat around a bon fire, and the girls and I stayed up waaaay too late talking. Such a blessing.

And now it's a new weekend and I'm bound and determined to get some stuff conquered tomorrow. I'm purging the closets, folks. And the drawers. I have far too much clothing and I need to free up some space as our closet is overflowing. I don't wear a lot of things so they can just get on out of here.

Also, I'd just like to go ahead and say that if the maid comes, I will inevitably spill something sticky on the floor within 12 hours. But ice cream is delicious.

One last thing:

Today, I was sitting at Panera with my laptop getting some work done. I couldn't help but giggle to myself as I heard an employee of Panera announce "Panera, your order is ready, Panera... oh, wait...."

Now that's a cool feeling.

5 Years

2011-12-30T08:07:00.000-08:00

5 years ago today.

I became Jen the Newlywed.

I was finally his wife.

I still can't believe he chose me.

I'm still really, really, REALLY in love with him.

He still makes me laugh.

He still makes really great decisions for our family.

He still impresses me with his wisdom.

He's an amazing man of God.

He is strong. He is smart. He is handsome.

He's beyond anything I ever thought I could have.

I love that man..... that husband of mine.

Happy Anniversary, love.

You make everything better.

Christmastime Was Here

2011-12-27T19:30:00.000-08:00

Well it was Christmas.

And then it ended. WAY. TOO. SOON.

I'm sitting in my living room right now, knowing that I'll have to take the tree down in a few days but I DON'T WANNA! I love the smell and the pretty ornaments and all my Christmas decor. And also I'm lazy.

We had a great Christmas around here. Grant has been home all week and we've been lazy and productive which is the best way to spend our time. On Christmas Eve the two of us went to a late movie and saw the new Mission Impossible. The theater wasn't crowded and there was no line for snacks... it was nice!

Christmas morning we exchanged gifts. I got Grant an effects pedal for his guitar (he asked for it) and he bought me these ADORABLE Tory Burch flats that I loooove. My man is a good gift giver :)

After that we headed over to my parents and exchanged gifts with them and Jaclyn and her husband Jeremy as well as Grace and Dean. I got lots of cute clothes and gift cards and pajamas and shoes and lovely things. The kids were adorable. It's so fun to see them experience all this. Then we had lunch which included cheesy potatoes and I AM ALL ABOUT THAT.

Yesterday my other sister Shannon and her husband Jason and their twin girls Scarlett and Juliet arrived. It's always such a joy to see those girls. They are growing up so fast. We had a great time with them yesterday and then again with some extended family last night.

Today Grant and I have gotten work done around the house. The MAJOR highlight of the day was when we got a little visit from our other 3 kiddos! Yep, Chase and Ronda (Grant's brother and his wife) were driving through Houston on the way to San Antonio and decided to stop at our house for dinner. Although it was a short visit, we were overjoyed to have Evan, Emily, and Olivia here to eat some yummy Taco Cabana and have some quick snuggles and hugs and kisses. What a joy all these babies are!!

I've spent hours today filing and shredding paperwork from the last year. I'm determined to go into 2012 in a more organized fashion!

Well, Hi.

2011-12-22T07:37:00.000-08:00

Hello, my name is Jen. Many of you might remember me as "Jen the Newlywed" and I used to write here on the blog fairly frequently. However, as of late I've had what I like to call "a bad case of the lazies" and writing has just not been high on my priority list. Nothing has been all that high, to be honest with you.

Thankfully, I seem to be coming out of this funk and felt like stopping by to let you all know that I am alive and you don't need to send the search and rescue team. (If that ever happens, you know you can bait me with Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.)

I can't even begin to recap everything that's happened in the last month or so with any real detail, so I'll just do one of those quicky recaps so I can look back on this years from now and know what was going on in my life.

We had Celebration at our church... the big church Christmas thing. We had six performances. Six glittery, red-lipsticked performances. Everything went off beautifully. There was a minor glitch on Saturday night during my special song when the flying violinist (Flyolinist) got a hitch in her wires and had to float back down, but other than that the show was great. I had an awesome time, got to know a bunch of people even better than I already did, lost my voice, got it back, and have spent the last few weeks recovering!

During Celebration, one of the girls introduced me to the clip-less curling wand and IT HAS CHANGED MY LIFE. I have never been able to curl my own hair.... and now I can get some lovely curls without being embarrassed about the back of my head!

Grant and I were supposed to leave yesterday to drive to New Orleans to spend a few days with the family before Christmas. (We rotate which family gets Christmas Day every year, but we always see both families during the Christmas season). This year the rotation has us in Houston for Christmas day, but we were planning on spending Wednesday thru Saturday in New Orleans. Sadly, last minute, we all decided to postpone. Between bad weather, busy work schedules, sick grandparents and sick babies... it just was going to be more work than fun and we would have about 5 hours together total. We decided to wait and go in January. We are disappointed but feel like we all made the best decision.

Meanwhile, I've been frantically finishing my Christmas shopping this week. Yes, I am WAY behind and now get to start the joy of wrapping. I love seeing wrapped presents under the tre... it's just getting them wrapped that's the exhausting part. I think my back is hurting just thinking about it....

Well, who knows when I'll be back to write again. If you haven't heard from me by February, go over to Lindsee's blog and ask her where I am.

Love you, people!

And Now It's December

2011-12-04T19:36:00.001-08:00

So last month was seriously the worst blogging month I've had on record. I apologize for not being present. November was busier than October, and that's saying something. Plus, the last two weeks of November included the cold that would not end. Coughing and mucus and kleenex - OH MY! Not so much fun.

Today, when we got home from church, I ate lunch on the couch and then fell asleep. After I woke up feeling quite refreshed, I asked Grant how long my nap was. He informed that I had slept for 3 hours, totally snoring, and pretty much in a coma. Oops.

The good news is, I'm getting a head start on my rest for the week. This week is our big Christmas Celebration at church. I'll be at church every night this week, till well after 10:00, and it's super important that I'm getting all the rest I can. After last year's show, I got the sickest I've ever been and I REALLY REALLY do not want a repeat of that this year.

Another accomplishment of today: LAUNDRY. I've ignored the laundry for an embarrassing amount of time. I'm not even gonna tell you how long I've ignored but. But, it's all done, it's all put away. My handsome husband even cleaned the closet today and I am so thankful for his help. I think he realized during my 3 hour coma that I'm not fully functioning!

Now we're watching the Saints while resting and playing with the dog and having a really nice Sunday evening. This is the calm before the storm.

I am so ready for Celebration to get here. We've been working on this since summer time, and I am READY!

Twas the Saturday After Thanksgiving...

2011-11-26T07:53:00.001-08:00

... and I am still full.

One of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving are the days and days of leftovers. I can eat stuffing and mashed potatoes every day of the week. I love food. I love Thanksgiving food. I just love sides so much and Thanksgiving is all about the sides.

It's Saturday morning and I'm sitting at the breakfast table in Grant's parents' house. We've had such a nice, relaxing few days here. I remember coming here when Grant and I were dating. The first time I came here was about seven years ago. I slept in a different bedroom, would say goodnight to Grant in the hallway before bed, and would get tours of New Orleans during the day. Now that we've been married almost 5 years (mercy!) this house feels very much like home. Thankfully, I now get to share a room with that handsome man, and take naps during the day at my leisure. The boys still go fish all day and the girls still chat and visit all day, but now there's 3 babies added to the mix!

When I met Grant, his family was just adults. Mom, Dad, Chase, Ronda, and Grant. And then I joined and we had a great time, just the six of us. But then the real fun started :)

Evan, Emmy and Olivia have turned this family upside down, but in the best possible way. I love their sweet faces, their big hugs, their loud exclamations when they see something exciting, and even when they start to crash. I love Olivia's curls. I love Emmy's big eyes and her ever-present "Pincess Cown" (princess crown). I love Evan's laugh and how he always wants his Uncle Gant.

I love that this whole house is child-proofed and there's toys everywhere. I love that a lot of the time someone has to help me get into our bedroom since the child-safety door knob is in place.

The thing is, sharing holidays is one of the trickier things about being married. You have to compromise, adjust, and embrace your spouse's way of doing things. Yes, I still miss my mom's mashed potatoes. On the years we spend Christmas here in New Orleans, there will always be a moment where I'll miss my parents living room and the noises there. Over time though, I have found that I no longer feel like this is "Grant's family." It's OUR family. It's MY family.

Clearly I'm Falling Apart Here

2011-11-21T18:56:00.001-08:00

Apparently this month is not turning out to be very bloggy.

Bloggy (def.) adj. - full of blogs.

I'm just not finding time to blog, nor the material to blog about.

At some point, I'll drum up the energy to do a recap of this weekend. Lindsee and I went to San Antonio with our moms for our friend Amy's beautiful wedding. It was an awesome girl weekend and Lindsee took some pictures and I'll share them at a later date.

Meanwhile, the clothing situation in our home is out of control. The drawers. The closet. The laundry room. Clothes exploding everywhere. I'm not so sure where they all came from. The longer it goes, the more daunting it gets. My goal is to conquer it before bed tonight but I'm not so sure that is going to happen.

We're getting pretty excited about Thanksgiving around here. I get so gosh darn excited about the food. It's full of sides and I love sides. Mashed potatoes. Stuffing. Gravy. Macaroni and Cheese. Bread. MASHED. POTATOES. (I'm sorry I just had to mention them twice)

Plus, we get to hold lots of nieces and nephews. We love them :)

And this concludes the most boring blog you've ever read in all of your blog-reading life.

Reasons Why I've Been Behind on the Blog

2011-11-14T07:23:00.001-08:00

Today is November 14th and it is only my second post of the entire month. I'm behind on blogging.

Ya know why? BECAUSE I AM BEHIND ON EVERYTHING.

You know how when I started working from home I started talking about how I'm on top of everything and I have no problems and my life is full of rainbows and unicorns?

Well, throw a major Christmas production that's less than a month away into the mix and you've got a recipe for exhaustion.

Ah, yes. My church has a fantastic, exciting, over-the-top, six performances of Christmas awesomeness every year and we are in full swing at the moment. Meetings, meetings, meetings, decorating, meetings, rehearsal, meetings, rehearsal, decorating, meetings, rehearsals. And meetings.

There's been a fully washed and dried load of clothing in the dryer for over a week now. While it would make sense to take the clothes out and fold them and put them away, I just keep going and getting out the specific clothing item that I need.

Anyways, I'll give you some highlights of the last few weeks:

Grant was traveling for a looong time and he's back for good now and that makes me happy.

I sang in a wedding last weekend. It was fun. I didn't have a microphone and I had no idea what to do with my hands.

Last night I made breaded chicken fingers and fettucine alfredo for dinner. I mostly ate the fettucine. Because it is delicious.

I've started wearing leggings. I'm pretty slow on jumping on the latest fashion trends.

We went to a Thanksgiving potluck on Saturday night. It was my job to bring mashed potatoes. Bringing mashed potatoes to a potluck is a pretty big job. Well, I started making my mashed potatoes around 2:30pm and around 3:30pm we had what I like to call "THE GREAT MASHED POTATO INCIDENT OF 2011" and around 4:00pm I finished crying and Grant finished cleaning up the mashed potatoes out of the stove and gas line and around 5:00pm I picked up several quarts of Mashed Potatoes from Cracker Barrel.

I love Thanksgiving food.

I'm gonna catch up on some work, but I feel much better now that I no longer have the "you haven't blogged in a sweet forever" feeling hanging over my head. :)

Help Your Favorite Non-Profit!

2011-11-07T14:23:00.000-08:00

Okay people. I usually don't do plugs like this but I think this one is actually kinda awesome.

So, we all know a church or a charity group or a ministry or some other non-profit organization that is running low on the money. And honestly, they really really really need a new website cause the other one was built by someone's 14 year old son but they just can't afford to get a good, custom website.

Well, you can nominate them to get a custom, awesome website FOR. FREE.

My friends at Immerseme (they are an awesome web design and branding company) are doing a website giveaway for a non-profit organization. (Seriously I think I'm going to nominate three of them if that is allowed.) (I just checked, it is).

Seriously, you should go there and nominate your church or your charity group or whatever. Spread the love, people. Spread the love!

The rules, FAQ and nomination form are here: CLICK HERE.

Good luck to you and your favorite non-profit! Happy nominating!

Diet Time

2011-10-31T07:17:00.000-07:00

Last week I decided that I am officially on a diet. A real one. I've seen a few photos of myself that were shocking to say the least and I am just not thrilled with how I look. It's important to be healthy and eat foods that are good for you and I need to jump on that train.

While I've loved my recent diet of Arby's, Wendy's, and pasta.... I feel like that may be part of the problem here. :)

I don't think I'll ever be able to cut carbs or stop eating sugar... but I think I can just make wiser decisions when it comes to what I put in my body and be more intentional and proactive about exercise.

I know, I know, I'm picking a really bad time to do all this with the holidays coming up (and y'all know how much I love mashed potatoes) but I will just cheat on those days. Anyone else dieting right now? Any helpful tips or pointers?

Things I Learned at Dinner Tonight

2011-10-27T22:22:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I had dinner with my mom, dad, my sister, her husband, and their children Grace and Dean.

My niece, Grace, is 4.

My nephew, Dean, is 2.

Grace and Dean taught me a few things:

Grace got her Pocahontas costume in the mail that Aunt Shannon sent her and "it is absolutely adorable."

Grace told me all kinds of things about her Pocahontas dress. She cupped my face in her hands and stroked my hair, and then tucked my hair behind my ears as she told me about how the shoes, the necklace, and the dress. She says they are "so wonderful".

When a little girl intends to order a corn dog but accidentally says "corn on the cob", she will be VERY upset when a corn dog does not appear but in fact sends vegetables in its place.

When a little boy gets new Batman pajamas, he really feels the need to talk about them. I mean, they are Batman pajamas. There is a lot to talk about.

When Captain Jack Sparrow and Black Beard have a sword fight, their swords fall out of their hands many, many times and there is lots of crawling under the table to find their swords.

Dean thinks that his daddy is "kinda funny".

They really are amazing and you should click here to see fantastic pictures of those darling little ones!

I Forgot I Had a Blog

2011-10-25T21:08:00.000-07:00

Um, there's a blog here and I forgot about it.

I'm sorry.

It's been a whole week.

Let's just say that I've been taking some drugs for some sinus congestion and that I've been less than coherent.

I also sound like a man and cough up a lung every few hours.

I've never been more attractive in my whole life.

But I'm not gonna talk about that.

I'm not really sure what to talk about.

This blog entry is going really well.

I can tell you that Grant's mom spent Sunday with us and that was wonderful.

I can tell you that 20 seconds into our pastor's sermon the fire alarm went off and the whole church was evacuated and everyone was sent home. I was sad.

I can tell you that I have Diet Cokes in my fridge again because I CAN'T DO IT. I have to have them in the house at all times. I tried to stop buying them but I just can't. I'm weak.

I can tell you that my calendar is super full but I'm not complaining cause everything is fun.

I can tell you that I have a really strong urge to go buy Christmas decorations.

I can tell you that it's not even Thanksgiving yet.

Alright, I have to wrap it up cause this could go on forever.

I'll try to remember that this blog is here and I should come visit more often. :)

It's Blogging Time

2011-10-19T12:54:00.000-07:00

Today has been super duper productive. I had a fantastic meeting with a new client, a fantastic lunch with my handsome husband, and a fantastic power-hour at Starbucks, my second office.

Yes, Symphony Social Media has two offices. I have a home office and a Starbucks office.

I got to Starbucks about an hour and a half ago. Since then I have posted all my dailies for my clients, written 3 proposals, 3 client agreements, returned several emails, wrote 4 blogs for clients, and now I'm blogging for you. See?

Fact: I am MUCH more productive at my Starbucks office than my home office!

I am glued to this gosh darn computer all the day long, but I am just so happy and thankful. Life is good. God has chosen to bless this business and I am excited to see what the future holds!

Also, thanks for the all the love I got yesterday about my Sports blog. I got lots of texts and emails telling me that I am not alone. One friend even said she never knew that the yellow line wasn't there! :) I will say that I know a whole lot more about golf than the average girl so at least I have that going for me.

One last thing I have to share: Earlier this summer I saw an ad posted on Craigslist for a real, authentic, gorgeous Burberry scarf for a ridiculously low price. I purchased it and have been waiting to wear it. The weather went below 80 degrees today (PRAISE THE LORD!) so I threw it on immediately. It makes me soooooo happy!

Sports

2011-10-17T21:23:00.000-07:00

I am what you might call a non-athlete. Athletically challenged, if you will.

I have never, ever played on an organized sports team. I was all-music right out of the gate and never really enjoyed being outside or sweating or running and I had a tendency to start wheezing after physical activity so my parents put me in singing and piano lessons and called it a day.

In middle school, a coach told me that I had two options:

1. Run the track with everyone else

2. Hug a tree for the remainder of gym class.

I love that he thought that this would've been a hard decision for me. Um, YES I WILL HUG A TREE FOR THE NEXT HOUR. It was a beautiful day and I thoroughly enjoyed my day hugging one of God's most majestic creations.

In college, a guy friend of mine called me BEGGING me to come to the Rec Center as it was the finals of their co-ed flag football team and they were short a girl and I just HAD to be there or they would have to forfeit. I assured him 13 times that he doesn't need me to be there and that they would surely lose. I finally agreed to come after he promised me I could just stand there. He then told me I needed to wear pants or shorts with no pockets and then I got REALLY stressed out about wardrobe. Long story short, I went. However, at one point someone mistakenly handed me a football and all these people were running at me so I promptly sat down indian-style on the field and closed my eyes.

I'm saying all this because this is the season where sports are on every channel and I am just underwhelmed. I enjoy the spirit of competition and I feel like I need to try to get involved and root for a specific team but I just find myself getting distracted from the game. I also spend a lot of time empathizing for the players, coaches, and family members of the players and coaches.

After seeing a wounded player: "You know his mom is freaking out right now"

After learning that a coach's job is on the line if his team loses: "Oh, well I'm totally rooting for his team. He needs to keep his job. He probably has kids!"

When a coach is mean looking: "Why is he always so unhappy?! A positive attitude would probably help."

When a generally unknown player makes a big play: "That's so exciting for him! I bet his wife is crying right now cause she's so proud of him"

"Do you think those refs have favorite players?"

"He just said a cuss word. Did you see that? He said a cuss word"

"People need to stop being so hard on him."

"I DO NOT LIKE HIM. His hair is HORRIBLE."

"Their pants are the color of a highlighter."

Anyhoo, all my friends are all worked up about sports and things and I'm trying to get there but I just don't know how I can do it.

I've learned that the World Series is about to start (found out about that this morning), something is going on with Basketball where they aren't playing right now cause they are boycotting something, and the Aggies won this weekend. I AM AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SPORTS INFORMATION.

Also, that yellow line they show on the field on TV during a football game? It's NOT REALLY THERE!

Please note that I am actually quite good at Air Hockey and I will take you down.

It's a Beautiful Day....

2011-10-15T06:49:00.000-07:00

....for some wedding showers!

Grant and I had a wonderful time at dinner last night with 2 friends who told us they were expecting and I flew across the table and hugged and screamed and I think the whole restaurant took notice :-/

Now this morning I have not one but TWO wedding showers to go to on opposite sides of Houston. It's gonna be a fun morning cause I don't want to miss either one!

I've got my Bed Bath & Beyond boxes for Bride #1, and my Dillard's boxes for Bride #2. I am trying to decide what to wear. I don't want to wear pants cause I'm in a skirt-like mood today, but I also feel like it's time to retire the pale legs for the remainder of the season. Sigh. Decisions, decisions.....

Y'all, I Have An Announcement:

2011-10-11T14:34:00.000-07:00

THE WEATHER: IT IS TOLERABLE.

Now, I'm holding my breath because October has a habit of melting us into a sweaty mess towards the end of the month. But, so far, we have had RAIN, BREEZE, and TEMPERATURES BELOW NINETY-FIVE DEGREES. In the last week I have worn a long sleeve shirt and on another occasion I wore a scarf. (Okay I wore a scarf with a tank top but that is neither here nor there.)

It almost feels like summer is thinking about taking himself elsewhere. We encourage him to do so.

In other news, my hair is at that awkward length where it doesn't rest well on my shoulders and it bothers me so I wear it in a bun or a ponytail every single day and that is getting old. Just left a voicemail with my hair stylist so hopefully that will all end very soon.

I watched the Kim Kardashian Wedding Special and I just need to say that I'm glad he shaved his mustache. And also her skin is ridiculous. It's almost the same as my skin. Just ignore the 4 zits I have on my chin and then it is like we are twins.

Highlights of Today

2011-10-09T19:58:00.000-07:00

It rained the whole day. Praise Him.

The High 5 kids choir sang in all 3 services. So much fun. They are too cute for words.

My husband got out of bed and got dressed just so he could walk me to my car using his giant golf umbrella as it was storming bad.

I had Starbucks twice today.

The drive to church was super scary. I couldn't get my windshield wipers to go fast enough.

I parked near a drain so when I got out of my car in the pouring rain, I also stepped right into a flood. Water was almost to my knees! I literally had to pour out my shoes in a bathroom at church. Seriously. Also, I was freezing the rest of the day.

Grant and I ate lunch in the food court of the mall. We also went into Target and bought me a long sleeve shirt and socks before I had to go back to church.

We had a great rehearsal for Christmas this afternoon. I had some really dorky socks on but at least I was warm during rehearsal.

Long days at church are super fun when you have good friends with you the whole day. I love choir people :)

I finally got home around 6:30. Grant cooked steak, I made corn and a salad and we sat on the couch together watching the playoff of this weekend's golf tournament and now we're watching Planet Earth.

I'm so thankful for the rain. And now that I'm home and not going anywhere and not driving anywhere I like it even more.

Looking forward to a rainy, productive, calm week!

Girls, We May Be Jumping the Gun

2011-10-04T07:30:00.000-07:00

It happens every year.

Houston has a few days where the high is 85 degrees and we just go bonkers.

We bust out our cable-knit sweaters, scarves, and let's be honest.... boots.

On the one hand, I am quick to jump to our defense because WE TAKE WHAT WE CAN GET HERE. Not to mention we've been wearing our summer clothes since April and we are flat out tired of wearing the same thing every day. (CAN I GET AN AMEN?!?)

However, I also have to remind us that the short burst of cool, breezy air is definitely a relief from the brutal heat, but this first one always fades away. I've lived in Houston a loooooooong time and we always seem to climb back up into some warmer temperatures later in the month. And then we're going to be miserable in our cute jackets and scarves.

I hope I'm wrong.

I hope this beautiful weather is here to stay.

BELIEVE ME, I have a Burberry scarf that I am just dying to wear.

As long as we're willing to sweat it out, I say let's just buck up and pull on our tall, leather boots.

I am currently wearing long sleeves.

Have you pulled out your fall wardrobe yet?

A+ for October

2011-10-01T11:56:00.000-07:00

October is starting off in the best possible fashion: COOL.

As 2011 has broken every heat record here in Houston, we have been praying for rain and for some relief. When I walked outside this morning to walk the dog, I felt BREEZE and crisp, COOL air! I couldn't stop smiling. Seriously, it was like a whole new world. When Moxie and I go on long walks, I usually sing (quietly) to myself and this morning my songs were "A Whole New World" from Aladdin (naturally) and "What Joy" by Generation Church. You gotta keep some variety in there :)

Many of you have asked which movie I chose to watch. I am happy to announce that I watched both :) I watched Fried Green Tomatoes last night and Sense & Sensibility this morning. The first film makes me want to yell "Tawanda!" all the time and the second film has made me want to name my house. I really like the fact that every estate and cottage had a name. Perhaps I will talk to Grant about what we could name our house. I'm assuming we will end up with a name of a golf course. "Blackhorse." "Houstonian." "Bethpage." Something along those lines.

I would prefer to call it the Magic Kingdom, but that's just me.

What would you name your house?