Amazing...

My roommate won a free wedding yesterday...a FREE wedding. I am so excited for her!

More to come on my car. It's too long to write right now and I'm on hold with AAA.

Car Issues and Awesome Friends!

For a couple of months now, my car has been idling pretty hard, to the point where I feel like it's going to die. Well...twice in a period of two weeks, it did die - once at a stop sign and once as I was turning using a median. When my dad heard this, he of course wanted me to get it fixed ASAP. We took my car to Pep Boys on Christmas Eve so that they could do a diagnostic, hoping that it was only the battery that needed to be replaced. Sure enough it was the battery, not the alternator. The man at Pep Boys proceeded to tell me that it was going to cost $146 to replace my battery. Why, you ask? Because I have a car that requires you to remove the tire in order to replace the battery. What in the world were they thinking when designing this car?? This is also the car that requires you to unscrew the fender just to replace the headlight. Now I know at least two more things to look for when purchasing a new vehicle! My dad and I decided that $146 seemed a little (okay, a lot) high to charge for a battery replacement so we went to Wal-Mart which was right across the street. They replaced my battery for $37. I know three things as a result of this incident - 1) I will NOT be returning to Pep Boys, 2) I will continue to shop at Wal-Mart and 3) I will NOT be purchasing another Dodge.

Today, 3 weeks later, I got in my car and turned the key. It dinged for a millisecond and then completely went dead. My lights don't work (no...I didn't leave them on all night), my locks don't work, and not a sound comes out of the car when I turn the key. Thankfully I was able to get my friend Sarah to pick me up. Everyone that I've talked to said it sounds like my battery may have become detached. Thanks to Mike, I have AAA and will be contacting them to help me with my battery issues (hopefully that's all it is).

My friend Diana called me as she got to work and said she wanted to come by my office. She brought me a chicken biscuit from Chick-Fil-A and a sweet tea because she felt sorry for me. What an awesome surprise!!

URGENT - Opinions Needed

I am going back and forth on whether or not to leave my hair short or grow it back out. Based on the pictures below, please leave me a comment on what you think I should do.

Restylane, not Botox

I realized on my way to Donny's game yesterday that I meant to say "Who needs Restylane when you've got braces to do the trick?" Obviously I haven't had any work done or I would have figured that out sooner.

Last night was Donny's 100th Career Win as a coach. I picked up Pam and Melody and we made our way to Cranfills Gap. Pam made some awesome banners that we held up with 30 seconds left in the game. I spent the night at Pam's and was treated to coffee and a breakfast bar at 5:00 this morning. Here are some pictures from the game.

Donny in action. Why is he looking at the opposite end of the court than everyone else? Well...except for the little boy, that is!

Back Row: Mr. Hirsch, Wesley, Zach, Jacob, Derek, Matthew, Andrew, Caleb, Donny

Front Row: Tillman, Cody, Eddie, Drew

Post Game picture - Please disregard the extremely shiny face!

As I left Pam and Rebel's this morning, I heard a knocking sound coming from the left side of my car. I thought a rock had gotten stuck in my tire and decided not to worry about it. When I got to Fort Worth, I stopped at Sonic to get breakfast for the new interns. The lady that brought out my food informed me that I had a cord dangling on the outside of my door. Apparently, when I stuck my curling iron and straightener in my car this morning, I didn't get all of the cord inside the car. Amazingly enough, the cord is not damaged at all, even with it hitting the pavement as I drove. Crazy!

Who Needs Botox, when you've got

braces to do the trick?

Love is in the Air!

My roommate, Erin, and her boyfriend, B.J., got engaged over the holidays. They went to Colorado and B.J. proposed in the middle of a snow-filled clearing. They are planning on getting married sometime in October or November. I can't wait! Here are a few pictures of the happy couple (and the ring of course).

Christmas is Over?!


After months of preparation it's hard to believe that Christmas is over. I had a great time with family and friends and am looking forward to the New Year. Donny got me something I've wanted for a very long time...a charm bracelet from James Avery. I've been asking for one for several years now. I finally sent him a link to the James Avery website hoping he'd get the hint.I thought it would be nice for him to choose charms that were special to the both of us. Plus...I told him that he now has an 'out' for every other anniversary, Christmas, etc.! I think he did a great job!

My dad and stepmom came in from Georgia for the holidays. My stepmom makes her own sugar scrub for the shower and gave each of us a bottle. It is awesome! I was able to spend most of Christmas Eve and the 26th with my dad, whom I don't get to see much during the year. He and Donny like to talk basketball and did so for most of lunch yesterday.

Today, mom and I are meeting for lunch so that we can exchange presents. I can't wait to give her her presents. I love giving people presents and have always wished that I was rich so that I could walk around and give people money during the holidays. Wouldn't that be awesome?!

Merry Christmas!!

Birthday and Anniversary...

Donny and I celebrated our 3rd dating anniversary on the 4th of December. I knew beforehand that I was going to be in Milwaukee, so we had a romantic date at the basketball tournament the weekend before I left. We really didn't think this through when we started dating in the middle of basketball season. Those of you who are children of coaches, are related to coaches, or are coaches yourself, know that everything gets put on the back burner during the season. Don't get me wrong; I'm not complaining. I know the routine, but I'm thinking we should put more emphasis on our 1/2 year anniversaries in June. It's hard having my birthday in November, our anniversary, his birthday, and Christmas all in December.

_________________

Speaking of birthdays, Donny's 31st was on Sunday. We went out on Saturday night with 3 of our friends and had a blast. Here is a picture in front of the fireplace at the restaurant/bar where we ended up.

I'm back!

Well, I managed to make it back from Milwaukee. The flight back was much less exciting than the flight there, thank goodness! I took a lot of pictures, but forgot my digital so I had to buy a disposable camera. Once I use up the roll I'll post more. We formed a study group of 10 people including myself. From left to right you'll find on the first row: Kristine, Heather, Lindsey, Valerie, Joanna, and Jasmine. On the second row is: Me, Christine, Alanna, and Candace. We all had a blast. On this particular night, we chose to walk about 4 blocks to a pub to have dinner. 15 degrees + walking + snow is an adventure to say the least.

I also wanted to include an awesome (yet random) picture of a pinata that my friend's mom made. She is incredibly talented! In case you can't tell, or you're not from the country, it's a John Deere tractor.

Finally, I'll leave you with a picture personifying how I felt on Friday - tired, worn out, and disgusted with people's actions during the Christmas season (at Macy's that is).

Merry Christmas!!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

I arrived in Milwaukee today to find 4 inches of snow on the ground. Snow is also in the forecast for the rest of the week! It looks like a winter wonderland!

I decided to fly American Airlines (actually American Eagle) this time because Midwest was leaving too early in the morning. I'm pretty sure that that will be the last time I make that decision. I did without the comfy leather seats and fresh baked chocolate chip cookies for a tiny plane with a door that didn't work properly. That's right...we got on the plane only to find out they were unable to close the door. After having maintenance come out and unsuccessfully 'fix' the door, they had us deplane. We were told we were taking a new plane, only to find out 30 minutes later that they had fixed the old one. I was a little leery of getting back on the same plane, but thankfully the door closed and we made it safely here. While we were waiting to board again we heard an announcement that the plane going to Killeen didn't have a working lavatory. WHAT? I know the flight was probably the shortest flight known to man, but still...who flies a plane with a lavatory that isn't working? American Eagle apparently.

My mom is feeling much better and nothing appears to be seriously wrong. They think she has a hiatal hernia which can be regulated with medication. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers!!

Update

I'm not sure that I ever updated about my mom's surgery. The doctor was able to remove all of the cancer and as far as we know, it hasn't spread elsewhere. Though that is AMAZING news, I am requesting more prayers for her. Last week she started having some chest pain. When it persisted for 5 days, she decided it was time to go to the doctor. He told her she had esophagitis, which is an inflammation of the esophagus but can also be an indication of heart disease. With medicine, the pain has subsided, but yesterday she had her first migraine. After taking medicine for the migraine, the pain was still there this morning. Her primary care doctor told her to go to the ER to have a complete diagnostic done today. Hopefully we'll have some answers soon. This is all pretty scary, since heart disease runs in our family.

My sister also found out today that she fractured her foot a couple of weeks ago. She stubbed her foot on her iron bed in the middle of the night. She finally decided to go see a doctor and has to wear a boot for 3 to 6 weeks.

Never a dull moment around here...Wait! Didn't I just post about not having anything to post about? Maybe I should take that back.

He still is, The Bachelor

Did anyone else watch The Bachelor last night? I was shocked that Brad didn't choose Jenni OR DeAnna. On the other hand, I respect him for not getting too caught up in the frenzy and proposing just to propose. Unless I'm mistaken, he never told either girl that he loved her, just that she had qualities in a wife that he was looking for. What are your theories as to why he didn't propose?


On another note, see Elizabeth Sullivan's blog. Elizabeth is the daughter of one of my coworkers and also happened to grow up with Jennifer. Read her story about meeting Brad in Austin. Crazy!

100th Post

After almost two years of blogging, I am finally at my 100th post. I must admit, sometimes I feel like my life is pretty uneventful. I'm not saying that in a 'poor me' sense, but it seems as if most people I know are either married, having children, or trying to have children. Obviously, for people who are experiencing or have experienced any of those things, there is a lot to talk about. My life consists of going to work at Northwestern, going to work at Macy's, seeing Donny approximately every other weekend, and then starting the cycle all over again. As a result, I don't feel as if I have a lot to share. I know the time will come when I'll experience those things. Until then...you will have to be content in reading everything from me getting braces, to the craziness of the Christmas season at Macy's, to who knows what.

Here they are...

Sorry for the extreme close-up, but I wasn't able to take a decent self-portrait. I finally got my braces put on on Monday. I will go back in January/February to add the bottom ones. Luckily I was warned by everyone that my mouth would hurt for days, so I have religiously been alternating Tylenol and Advil every 2 hours. I also ate soup on Monday night and for breakfast and lunch on Tuesday. The one thing I wasn't warned of, is that I have to relearn how to chew my food politely. I find myself smacking or eating with my mouth open because I can't get it quite right. It's humorous and gross at the same time! I feel like a little kid who has to be reminded to close my mouth and not to smack.

I surprised Donny and showed up for his first basketball game of the season last night. They won by 40 or so. It looks like this is going to be a great season for them!

Other than that, things are pretty steady around here - work, (work at Macy's or go to Donny's basketball games), sleep.

Have a great week!!

I Fixed It!!

I finally figured out why my formatting bar disappeared. I won't bore you with the details, but if you ever have the same problem I can help you fix it.

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Tuesday was my 26th birthday and possibly one of the best ones yet. I was surrounded by many friends and family and ate more than I've eaten in months. Here are a few pictures of the festivities.

Brette, Mom, Me

Brette and Jared

Brette and Me

Mario, Mom, Mema, Me, Donny, Aunt Marie

Friends from work: Shannon, Tina, Me, Diana, Sarah, Natalie

Flowers from two of my coworkers.

Card from one of my coworkers. The inside says "Happy Birthday, you young whippersnapper."

Okay...I wanted to post pictures from my birthday weekend, but somehow my formatting bar is missing. Can anyone tell me how to add the font options back onto blogger? Until then, it's driving me crazy that I can't make my title larger than the text in my post.

Help!

I received an iPod for my birthday and can't think of a lot of songs (other than what are on my CDs) to add to it. I would love to hear everyone's input on the song or songs that make them want to dance, smile, etc.

Make a slide show, scrapbook or ecard

Make a slide show, scrapbook or ecard