MyLife

Bella

2011-08-15T07:45:00.001-07:00

Samson has a new friend! About 2 weeks ago we got Bella. She is also a Great Pyraneese so she will grow to be around 100 llbs but right now she is the softest, cutest little puffball ever! (until she pees on the floor)

Dublin Dr. Pepper

2011-06-29T14:05:00.000-07:00

I just heard that Dr. Pepper Snapple is suing Dublin Dr. Pepper. I find it ridiculous that an enormous company like Dr. Pepper would sue a small bottling company...Dublin DP must be doing well and making the big guys nervous! Possible because it tastes so much better and doesn't have high fructose corn syrup in it!! I will now ONLY buy Dublin Dr. Pepper!! If you are a Dr. Pepper drinker, show your support to our TX small businesses and buy Dublin DP!

http://www.nbcdfw.com/the-scene/food-drink/Dr-Pepper-Sues-Dr-Pepper-124675289.html

Closing

2011-05-05T08:10:00.000-07:00

So today is the day we close on our Grand Prairie house. I am beyond excited to do away with that mortgage debt! What a joy it is going to be to sign that dotted line and hand that over to someone else!

Rennovations are really taking shape. Wall is down and new end wall is in place for taking in the garage. Our living room is huge! And as of yesterday we now have sheetrock! It is starting to really look like a house!!! I will post more pictures soon.

Samson also got a makeover. We had him shaved for the TX summer and he has become much more playful! He won't fetch; but he sure will race you to the target! Jonathan also took him in for a check up and he is a perfectly healthy, now vaccinated, 1-3 year old weighing in at 110.9 pounds!!! Pictures to come on this one too so stay tuned!

Renovations

2011-04-20T08:49:00.000-07:00

In the midst of selling one house and adopting Samson, we are also in the full throws of renovating the house we will be moving to. My grandparents' old house built in 1964. Complete re-wire of electrical, lots of plumbing, new hot water heater, new air conditioner to meet the demands of building in the garage to have a much larger living room...did I mention termites? Oh yes, we discovered we had a termite problem so we had to get that treated; and we decided to tear out a lot of sheet rock to remove termite damage as well as making the electrical work a little easier for our contractor...if that is even possible with all of the craziness we have thrown at him. Our contractor is amazing though, going way above and beyond on everything! If anyone needs a contractor I have a recommendation!

Samson

2011-04-13T17:31:00.001-07:00

Jonathan and I have become proud parents to the sweetest most loving dog in the world! He is the size of a small horse and I'm sure my nephew can't wait to saddle him up and ride him around the yard! We rescued a Great Pyrenees that has been living on the streets for a while now. I wasn't sure what to expect of him having had who knows what kind of life so far; but he really is just a big 'ole teddy bear who only wants love love love! Samson has already captured my heart. I have been wanting a dog for a long time now and since we have sold the house and are moving to a 5 acre property, we have plenty of room for him!

He enjoyed a dip in the dirty pond just before this picture.

Where I have been...

2011-02-08T09:47:00.001-08:00

I found this cool service that makes a map of where you've been...It looks so dinky on the map. I need to travel more!

http://bighugelabs.com/map.php

I even have lots of places left in the US!

http://bighugelabs.com/map.php

I must add that is because of maps like this that some people believe that Alaska is where Mexico actually is and also that it is smaller than Texas, neither of which is true. But I myself am no geography pro so I shall not judge.

Married!!

2010-12-01T06:04:00.000-08:00

I don't keep up with this BLOG at all!!! So much time has gone by and so many things have changed! Difficult decisions led to stronger relationships and the passing of time led to a wedding! I am now happily married (one month yesterday) to my wonderful loving husband Jonathan Hill!!

Patience

2010-05-12T19:24:00.000-07:00

Most of you hopefully know by now that Jonathan and I are no longer getting married this summer. I appreciate all of the texts, emails, and calls. I feel so loved and supported! I have the best friends and family that anyone could ask for! I love you all!

Catch Up

2010-02-02T15:12:00.000-08:00

Time to catch up! I haven't posted in SO long! I have been getting reminders here and there from some of you that I need to update my BLOG so here it is!

What's been going on?

Same job, but I haven't had to travel since Christmas...I fly out on Sunday for my first trip of 2010.

House hasn't sold yet; but prices in my neighborhood are coming back up so according to my realtor my house is reasonably priced again. It has been showing more lately so that's a good sign.

Since my last posting I have started dating Mr. Wonderful! His name is Jonathan and he is more wonderful to me than I have ever imagined! Good looking, smart, fun...I couldn't ask for more!

We're working on his camera smile :-)

Nothing too Exciting

2009-11-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

Obviously from my lack of posting nothing too exciting has been happening around here. Work has taken me to Orlando, FL and Vicksburg, Mississippi in the past few weeks.

A couple of quotes that have inspired me lately...

Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.
- Berthold Auerbach

"Come to the edge, he said. They said: We are afraid. Come to the edge, he said. They came. He pushed them, And they flew..."
- Guillaume Apollinaire

I can't believe the holidays are here already! Thanksgiving is in less than a week! This year has gone by faster than ever. I look forward to the holidays with family and friends and am excited to see what 2010 has in store.

Coffee...

2009-09-10T13:53:00.000-07:00

I have never been a big coffee drinker. Just don't really like the flavor...well except for an occasional (sometimes too often) white mocha from Starbucks, which let's face it, really is more like sugar with a splash of coffee. I've decided lately to save money and instead of the occasional Starbucks mocha, make my own version at home. I had one this morning...yes-sir-ee Bob, I sure did! And now here it is 4pm and I am still wired through the roof!! I hope I can sleep tonight! See, this is why I don't drink coffee!!!

Excitement

2009-08-25T08:44:00.000-07:00

I love being excited about something. It is such a unique feeling. It changes the way you think about everything! My good friend Andy once told me that crushes make the world go around. I think that is so true! And it doesn't even have to be a crush on a person. I have a crush right now on all of the exciting possibilities in front of me! It is so awesome to look forward to something every day!

Plus I always have a crush on this cutie!

Change is Scary

2009-08-22T20:16:00.000-07:00

My life will be seeing some changes in the near future. I've made the decision to follow my dreams of owning my own business. With the decision comes a lot of fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of embarrassment. But the fear of continuing on my same path and looking back with regrets outweigh all of those other fears. Hopefully I can be stronger than my fears and I have the patience to see this through.

"The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible." Arthur C Clarke

"It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly, than to live an imitation of somebody else's life with perfection." Bhagavad Gita

"You have to be stronger than your fears if you want to get anything done in this life." Daoud Hari

"People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built." Eleanor Roosevelt

"No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit." Helen Keller

"A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world." Oscar Wilde

I don't know why, but I thought a picture of Hoover Dam went with this BLOG.

Ann

2009-08-22T19:36:00.000-07:00

"In the midst of our most painful memories, we find our most treasured ones." Erwin McManus

I have been going back and reading my journal a lot lately. It seems for me that it is so easy to allow myself to be completely open and honest there; and I am learning that if I try to have that transparency and vulnerability in my relationships, so many wonderful things can happen. Sharing on this BLOG is a start of that for me. I want to share part of an entry from March. I received a phone call this past week that made me remember this entry in my journal as well as a lot of other memories with my dear friend Ann.

Just for background...When I wrote this I was in a low place. Depression was setting in and the beginning of the entry focused on that. I was about to go on a trip to San Diego and then meet up with my college roommates in Arizona for Stacy's 30th birthday. So here it is...

...Maybe I'll have an upswing, or maybe I'll be able to fake my way through it. But then next weekend I'll be in Arizona with the college roomies. Most of them won't notice, I can fake it with them, which is best; but Ann, she'll figure it out. She knows it all too well. I want a miracle for that girl. I want pain to leave her entirely and never return. She deserves to live in happy painless bliss for the rest of her life. I would live in the black hole of depression for the rest of my life if it in some way could take away her pain.

Ann, I think about you all the time and I love you dearly.

Abilene Reporter News

2009-08-18T20:04:00.001-07:00

My niece Natalie goes to a wonderful little private school. My sister and family were interviewed for an article in their local newspaper so check it out...

http://www.reporternews.com/news/2009/aug/17/early-start/

Tennessee Vacation

2009-08-17T18:44:00.000-07:00

So I just got home from my Tennessee vacation! I had an amazing time! So here are some of the things I got to do. A HUGE thank you to the Sever family for taking me into their home for two weeks! You guys are amazing and went above and beyond taking care of me and making sure my vacation was wonderful!

Fishing off the Sever dock.

Deep Sea Fishing for the first time!
Bob and I caught a flounder and we had him for dinner the next night...amazing!!

We saw so many dolphins!
They were incredible and I got some amazing shots!

Thanks to Zach for hosting us in Daytona Beach!

Water skiing for the first time!!
I eventually figured out how NOT to snow plow.

Maybe someday I'll be able to do this...

Surgery Results

2009-07-29T17:07:00.001-07:00

I had my surgery today and everything went well. It didn't end up being polyps as they originally thought but instead was endometreal tissue (Pretty much that is tissue that shouldn't be there). The doctor removed all of it and I am recovering well. I have a check-up in four weeks and hopefully this is all over!

Thanks so much for all the thoughts, prayers, and well-wishes!!

Lizzie Pictures

2009-07-28T07:46:00.001-07:00

For those of you who know Lizzie...definitely check out her BLOG! She's due to have baby Levi in two weeks and she posted some pictures. Adorable pregnant girl! I can't wait to meet Levi! And what a wonderful name you guys chose! :)

http://lizziekim.blogspot.com/

Doctor Update

2009-07-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

So I had my appointment this morning and it didn't turn out quite like I hoped. I was thinking positively and hoping that my body had taken care of everything but the ultrasound showed that wasn't the case. I will be having an outpatient surgery on Wednesday morning and hopefully after that everything will return to normal. Or "normal" :-)

Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers and well wishes. My depression is much better and I know that is because of all of you guys who show me the love!

A Good Day

2009-07-23T09:30:00.001-07:00

I thought you all should know that I'm having a good day. I feel better than I have in a long time. My symptoms are minimal today and I feel like tomorrow will be even better. Look at me being optimistic! It's Thursday...which means tomorrow is Friday and then the weekend! It was so nice outside this morning that I drove to work with the convertible top down and let the wind blow through my hair. (I know, I'm a brat for driving a convertible) Today I cry about good things...I cry about everything these days. :-)

I'm really looking forward to my vacation to TN in a week. I am ready to not work for an entire week, relax, go fishing, have fun on the lake, and most importantly see old friends (Can't wait to see you Laura and hopefully Melanie too!) and new ones too (my wonderful and gracious Sever hosts!). I think it is going to be an awesome vacation and truly relaxing and rejuvinating as a vacation should be.

I had forgotten how much I love to fish.

It is so relaxing and peaceful and a great time to think.

Check out my catch!

Old Friends who have become new ones...Love you Severs!

I love this picture. So just deal with it Jason!

(I don't think he looks at this BLOG so he can just get over it)

On a random side-note, there are some people I am really missing right now. Just to mention a few...

Jerry...long weekeend trip minimum...soon!

My Abby who is serving us in Kuwait and Iraq right now.

I can't wait for you to be home safe Abby!

Not to mention my awesome family! I got to go to dinner with my mom, grandma, and cousins last night...why didn't we take pictures?!

An outdated picture of the Jones Family.

Mom probably hates this picture but I love it and I took it so you need to love it :)

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. I truly believe it is making a huge difference. My next doctor's appointment is on Monday so I will keep you all updated.

An Honest Update

2009-07-20T12:50:00.000-07:00

Most of you crazies who read my BLOG probably already know this; but for those of you I don't keep up with as well...probably my fault...I have been having some health issues lately. Girl stuff, which has had me stressed out considering family history. I went to a new doctor on Friday and have a follow-up appointment a week from today (Monday). The good news is that we think we know what's going on and the doctor thinks my body is trying to take care of it. So thanks to all of you who have been praying. They ruled out all of the really bad stuff so at this point we're just trying to get me back to "normal" again. We all know I'm not normal; but you know what I mean.

The not so good news is that the stress and hormone problems that have come with all of this have been a trigger for my depression. For those of you who didn't know I struggle with that, surprise! I've been able to fake it for years and I have decided not to do that anymore. I can only be who I am and those who love me will take me as I am. So if I don't call you back, or email you back, or act happy enough when you talk to me. I'm probably trying not to cry so just bear with me. I'll be back to normal eventually. I appreciate prayers.

30th Birthday

2009-06-25T11:30:00.000-07:00

I realized I never posted about my 30th birthday. I had a lovely BBQ at my house with friends and family. It was a great way to enter my 30s! Thanks to everyone who was able to make it out! It was wonderful to spend time with all of you! I have gotten terrible about taking pictures...I will try to do better.

My college roommate Hilary went against the direction I had given of "no gifts"...not a big surprise for those of us who know Hilary! But I absolutely love what she got for me! It is a beautiful tin sign that says "Wherever you go, go with all your heart" I love it! Thanks Hil!

My Fingernails

2009-06-25T11:25:00.000-07:00

I don't know what's going on with my fingernails. They look worse than they ever have! I swear they are terrible! I don't know if I am not eating as well or if I need to start on a multi-vitamin or what! Ugh. I used to have such beautiful fingernails. I would post a picture but you would be horrified.

Reimbursed!

2009-06-01T09:23:00.000-07:00

Good news! My bank investigated the I-Tunes fiasco and determined that it was in fact fraudulent charges and reimbursed me!! Wohoo! Less money towards the "stupid" tax!

Itunes AAAAAHHHH!

2009-04-29T10:27:00.000-07:00

For all of you I-Tunes users out there, I had someone use my account today and charge $100 in gift cards to my debit card! I don't know if it is a security problem with I-Tunes or what but I HIGHLY recommend that you not save any of your credit card information in I-Tunes and if you already have info saved out there I would go to your account information and remove it!! It just cost me $100!!