Day 8 - 30 Day Blog Journal

Photos can bring all sorts of emotions to the surface. Some make you happy, so make you laugh but some also make you angry or sad. Today's topic is a photo that makes me angry or sad. Pictures or stories of this nature bring tears to my eyes and make my blood boil all at the same time.e

Child abuse makes me more angry and sad than anything in the whole world. It pains me to think that some children have to wake up, live their days and go to bed in a state of fear and without feeling true love. ALL children deserve a parent who loves them the right way and deserve a true childhood. All types of abuse are unacceptable and those that inflict child abuse deserve a special place in hell in my opinion.

Day 7 - 30 Day Blog Journal

A picture that makes me happy.

I seriously laugh out loud every.single.time I see this picture of my niece.

It's Ninja Natalie!

BAAAHAHAHAHAHA! I love it so much. Oh man ::wipes tears::

Day 6 - 30 Day Blog Journal

Awww shucks! I was recently "awarded" with this by my partner in crime, W.

Today's topic at hand is my 20 favorite things. I fear this may take a while to come up with so bear with me if my list seems a bit random.

1. Ryan - the hubbeast
2. Gunner - my child, my dog, the thing that makes my house furry
3. Family - <--self explanatory
4. Natalie - my niece :) I know that she is included in family but she's my goddaughter and she's brand new to this world and I'm completely smitten.
5. Lola - the bff
6. Pink - the color makes me happy, I love it and wear it frequently
7. ANYthing zebra print
8. Summer - Time off work? Beach vacations? Getting a tan? Yes, please.
9. Hao-Hao - My favorite restaurant, EVER. It's delicious Vietnamese food in Round Rock, TX. Go by and get some vermicelli if you're round those parts ;)
10. The beach - Any beach. I love going to my family's beach house in South Padre and I loooooved the beach on our honeymoon in St. Lucia. Ahhh, bliss!
11. My job - 7th grade math teacher and nerd extraordinaire
12. The internet - technology and I have a love/hate relationship but I love the internet and having instant access at all times
13. My iPhone - it was love at first click
14. Cheesy girl movies - I love a good romance that will bring a good tear to my eye
15. Hiking with my husband and dog
16. Harry Potter - books and movies
17. Getting pedicures - I think I might go get myself one after I finish this, actually.
18. Avocado's - my favorite food, hands down. Yum.
19. Country music - it just seems more constistent to me than any other type of music
20. World Market - FAVE store. I can seriously spend hours (and lots of money) there!

So there.

Day 5 - 30 Day Blog Journal

Today is favorite quote day. I'm changing it to favorite quotes day. I can't pick just one.

"Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic."

— Dave Barry
 


"Courage is being scared to death - and saddling up anyway."

— John Wayne



"If you can read this, thank a teacher."

—Anonymous

Day 4 - 30 Day Blog Journal

Ok, so this isn't really turning into a 30 day blog journal, it's more of a 30 blog posts. I just can't seem to get here everyday to blog. So here comes day 4: Favorite Book.

I love to read. Some of my recently favorite reads include The Help by Kathryn Stockett, The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom and The Secret Life of Ceecee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain. I also love anything by Sophie Kinsella/Madeleine Wickham and the Harry Potter series.

Which brings me to my favorite book; Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I seriously love this book. I have never before re-read a book before this. It carried me through all of the emotions. I laughed, I cried, I was angry, I was sentimental, I was frightened, I was uncertain, I doubted characters, I loved characters. Frankly, I loved the book.

If you haven't read this, I think you should. Even if you're just a moderate HP fan I think you'd seriously enjoy it.

Day 3 - 30 Day Blog Journal

Favorite TV show. Hmmm, this one might be difficult. I love learning so I'll pretty much watch anything on the Science or Discovery channel (like Shark Week, ha). Growing up I loved the classics like Saved by the Bell, Boy Meets World and Full House and I'll still watch those if I see them on. However my favorite show growing up was definitely The Cosby Show. Bill Cosby reminds me so so sooo much of my dad. Their humor and dancing skills seem to overlap.

My current favorites are Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, House, How I Met Your Mother, friends re-runs and Big Bang Theory. I love watching Teen Mom (terrible, I know) and The Bachelorette but those aren't necessarily favorites. My favorite show is one that I will also soon be experiencing live!

I get to see the tour on September 22nd! I'm pumped!

Day 2 - 30 Day Blog Journal

Let's go to the moooooovies! Let's go see the staaaaars!

Ok some of my favorites but not necessarily my favorite are:

Yes, I know there are some super cheesy and kid movies on the list but I love them. And by Harry Potter, I mean the whole series (I love the books even more).

But my favorite is:

Don't judge. I still cry every time Mufasa dies and get all giddy when Simba and Nala are reunited. Hakuna Matata!

Day 1 - 30 Day Blog Journal

Favorite song:

This one is easy. I love music but I am very relaxed in my taste. I like many types and my current preferences change with my mood (which can change several times daily).

 My current obsessions are Halo by Beyonce and  I'll Stand by You by the Pretenders

However the one constant is the song that Ryan picked for our first dance at our wedding. It's kind of an under the radar song and never really made it big on the radio but it holds a special place in my heart. It's Unbelievable by Josh Gracin.

If I had to pick a second favorite it would be Highway 20 Ride by Zac Brown Band. It reminds me so much of those (highway 290) rides between my parent's houses. It makes me think about how much I love my parents and how much they did for me when I was little. It's truly amazing that my dad drove 3 hours every other weekend just to pick me and my sister. He came in just for the afternoon for three Wednesday's in a row my senior year of high school so he could learn the Father/daughter dance for my spring show. And he even made the 3 hour drive in an hour and 45 minutes once when my sister and I were in a car wreck. This song reminds me of how much my dad loves me and how much I love him.


Oh, and if you're not watching Shark Week on the Discovery Channel, then you're seriously missing out.

30 Day Blog Journal

Ok folks, I'm going to be doing a little experiment. I might need encouragement and a kick in the butt to keep this going. What you're supposed to do: Update daily for 30 days about the subject for the day. I saw this somewhere a while back and copied the daily subjects but for the life of me can't remember where I got it from. So here are what my daily updates will be including for a while :)



Day 1 (Aug. 1) - your favorite song



Day 2 - your favorite movie



Day 3 - your favorite television program



Day 4 - your favorite book



Day 5 - your favorite quote



Day 6 - 20 of my favorite things



Day 7 - a photo that makes you happy



Day 8 - a photo that makes you angry/sad



Day 9 - a photo you took



Day 10 - a photo taken over 10 years ago of you



Day 11 - a photo of you recently



Day 12 - something you are OCD about



Day 13 - a fictional book



Day 14 - a non-fictional book



Day 15 - your dream house



Day 16 - a song that makes you cry (or nearly)



Day 17 - an art piece (drawing, sculpture, painting, etc)



Day 18 - my wedding/future wedding/past wedding



Day 19 - a talent of yours



Day 20 - a hobby of yours



Day 21 - a recipe



Day 22 - a website



Day 23 - a youtube video



Day 24 - where I live



Day 25 - your day, in great detail



Day 26 - your week, in great detail



Day 27 - my worst habit



Day 28 - whats in my handbag/purse



Day 29 - hopes,dreams and plans for the next 365 days



Day 30 - a dream for the future

Get excited folks, it's SHARK WEEK!

I've been looking forward to this for almost a year now. Seriously. A new life goal for me is to see a great white fly up out of the air while going after prey. Now, I would have to travel far far away (off the coast of South Africa) to do this but a girl can dream, right?

In honor of shark week, I am posting some pictures from my honeymoon. They have nothing to do with sharks besides the fact that a lot of them are pictures of the beach/water and our anniversary was a week ago.

This is our resort.

This was the (mostly) private beach for our resort.

This is one of the views from our many kayak rides.

Another view from the kayak.

Our roommate, Iggy.

View from the couples massage. Heavenly!

We dressed up every night for dinner :)

We braved Castries, the capital city all by ourselves. We don't need no stinkin tour guides!

This was a view from our horseback ride. Absolutely stunning.

PIRATES! Ok, not really. But it looks like a pirate ship.

Now, I have to get back to my leaping great whites on the Discovery Channel :)

Dear Lindsay,

I miss you so much sometimes. I can't believe you're gone most of the time. I like the beginnings of my memories of us because for a brief moment, usually just a fleeting second, I forget that I can't pick up the phone and call you or email you or see you. I love those moments when you are still alive in my head. But then it ends. And I remember that you're gone. It hurts so bad sometimes Linds.

I think about your parents all the time. I wonder how they are and pray for peace in their hearts. I hope they know that I love them too but I find myself scared to call them sometimes. I know it's stupid but it's so hard to talk about you. I like thinking about you by myself. It's probably selfish but thinking about you is sometimes my favorite part of the day.

I sometimes worry that people have forgotten you but then I come to my senses. There is no possible way anyone could forget you. It's an incredible understatement when people say that you were beautiful inside and out. I don't know if I'll ever find someone as genuine and wonderful as you. I was so blessed to call you one of my best friends. I am still  blessed to call you one of my best friends.

I love you Lindsay and I always will.

Angie

I live for days like this.

We took Gunner for a hike around a local lake and we had such a good time. Gunner led the way and got to go swimming. He also peed on everything and got to chase some ducks. He was in his own version of heaven. The trails were mostly shaded and there was a nice breeze so it wasn't really too hot.

Leading the way! He was so excited :)

He led us to the water's edge. Gettin his sniff on.

Cooling off and chasing feathers.

Uh oh, he spotted the ducks.

Coming back to shore after chasing ducks.

Such a happy boy after his swim!

I seriously think I have the best dog in the world.

OMG y'all, I just saw my first episode of Cheaters.

It was my first episode and holy moly, for real! And did you know that Cheaters is based out of Dallas??

I don't know their names so I'm going to rename the main characters.
Amy - contacted cheaters about her boyfriend
Will - boyfriend
Rachel - Amy's roommate

So Amy thought her boyfriend was cheating and Cheaters found out that he was cheating and it was with Rachel, Amy's roommate (GASP!). So Amy confronts them at a bar. Will and Rachel try to leave but Amy wants to talk about it. Rachel decides she's had enough and gets in a car to leave with another friend. Will doesn't like this and KICKS IN THE WINDOW OF THE CAR and tries to pull Rachel out. So the Cheaters bodyguard guys tackle him and hold him back. Rachel leaves.

So then Amy keeps asking him why, why, why and he asks why she's doing this on camera and she asks "When were you going to face this like a man?" His response? He punches her. In.the.face. She crumples down and makes a puddle of blood with her now bloody nose. Again, the Cheaters guys tackle him and hold him down until the police and ambulance get there. Whoa, lemme tell you that was intense. But it gets better, while they're loading Amy into the ambulance and he's in cuffs on the curb he gets up and tries to run. He's a reeeaaaaal winner.

In the follow up interview, Amy and Rachel both decide not to try to work things out with Will. Good choice ladies, good choice.



American TV at it's finest folks.

We went on Vacation and I have proof.

We went to the beach with our best friends for about a week for the 4th of July and this is what went down.
            
                              We watched fireworks from a boat on the 4th.

We went to the beach.

This is us after the beach.

We drove by this place. They apparently were open. And had tacos ::giggles::

The boys went fishing. Note: My dad showing off his 'catch'

We dressed up for a fancy schmancy dinner.

And right before they left we took a touristy picture.

On the way back home, Ryan and I stopped in Houston. He caught my sister.

And then he got to hold our new niece :)

There also may or may not have been an adventure involving jumping a fence to use a hot tub. Hint: there was.

t-minus 36 hours...

UNTIL WE LEAVE FOR THE BEACH! I am so freaking excited! Ryan and I will be there for about 8 days, maybe a little more, maybe a little less. We really don't know. He doesn't have to be back here for work until th 16th, so we can play it by ear. Lola (my partner in crime) and Mr. Lola will be joining us down there for about 4 days and I can't wait to see what trouble we get into ;)

So anyway, if you need me for the next week or so, check here:

I can't wait to relax on the dock, go to the beach, and hang out with Lola and Mr. Lola!

SHE'S HERE!

My beautiful niece Natalie Morgan McNeil made her grand appearance on June 18th around 5:50 pm. She was born right around 34 weeks and is doing great for a 34 weeker. She has a feeding tube but is still taking her bottles well. Her IV was unhooked yesterday :) but she is currently under jaundice lights but that should clear up soon. She's beautiful. Her mom is home and doing well and is excited to finally (after 7 weeks!) be out of the hospital.

Prayers for Natalie would be more than welcome! Hopefully they can take her home in a couple weeks!

Countdowns

• 5 days until the last day of school
• 6 days until Holly and Mary come into town. Partaaay!
• 13 days until Steph and Adam's wedding
• 17 or 18 days until Natalie Morgan makes her grand appearance!
• 20 days until Natty Mo's baby shower
• 34 days until we go to South Padre
• 56 days until our first anniversary

Lots of big things are abouto happen!

Update on my sister: She is being induced on June 16th or 17th (she'll be 34 weeks) which will bring her to a total of about 7-8 weeks in the hospital. You're so close Sissy! Natalie, your mama loves you bunches for doing this for you! And Natty Mo, we're now ready for you. You have diapers, a carseat, clothes and all that jazz needed for the first couple weeks just in case your mama and daddy don't get everything they need at your shower.


Happy Memorial Day everyone! Thank you to all service men and women and our vets for everything you do and have done for our country!

FAILure

I am a blogging failure. I seriously suck at this.

Here's my life recently in a nutshell:

Two weeks ago: Stephanie's (sis in law) bridal shower and bridal portraits. She's gorgeous!
Last weekend: Steph & Adam's wedding party luau.
This weekend: Steph's bachelorette party. Ohmygawsh! Lots of fun most of which was seeing the awkward faces of a certain someone b/c it was a Passion Party. Loooved it!

Next weekend: Hopefully (::fingers crossed::) I'll be going down to Houston to see my seester and the rest of mi familia. I miss them so much. My sister has been in the hospital with complications due to her pregnancy for a while now and she's probably going to be there for a while longer. Please keep her and little Natalie in your prayers. Hopefully Natalie will cook about another 6 weeks longer.

Oh and there are only 20 more school days left, two of which are half days! AH, so excited!

And I'm not trying to make anyone throw up with what I'm about to say but I seriously love my husband. He is so amazing and wonderful and I'm lucky to have him.

Ok, end of gag fest and HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Tis the season

Tis TAKS season. I am stressed. Really, really stressed. I love my job but it stresses me out. I know all of my students are capable of so much and I just feel like I'm not doing enough to help them sometimes. When they fail, I fail. When they succeed, I succeed. I just feel like it's the first that's happening more right now. Looking in my gradebook, I can see that this isn't true when it comes to their grades but I really don't feel like I'm doing as good of a job as I should be doing. But I'm at a loss. I don't know what to do. I don't want them to just pass my class, I want them to excel in my class.
This is so frustrating! How do I make 12 and 13 (and the occassional 14/15) year olds care about math? I've managed to convince (or trick muahaha) most of them that math can be fun and it isn't as hard as they think but I still don't know how to get all of them. Some people say, "Well, you'll never get them all" but why shouldn't I try? Just because you have that attitude, doesn't mean I should! Maybe I can get them all to reach success in my class and then again, maybe I can't. However, I KNOW I won't if I don't try. How can you not try?

Oh goodness, I'm rambling and I apologize. I have a sleeping dog at my side, just got home from the gym and a math meet in the morning so overall life is good.

In other news, my sister is having a baby girl! Her name is Natalie Morgan. She's going to be pinked out with the help of her Aunt Angie :D

Snow, snow, snow and more snow!

DFW broke the record for most snowfall! I have never seen this much snow fall, EVER! It is so incredible. Snow has NEVER stuck before and here I am, a day and a half in and there is still about 8 inches outside. It is so strange looking outside and seeing white. The creek behind our house looks beautiful with all the trees and snow everywhere. I just can't believe this!

These were all taken from my backdoor. This southern girl doesn't take to the cold very well :)

It's raining, it's pouring. The old man is snoring.

hehe <-- I love this person.

Let's go to the movies!

Let's go see the stars!


Ok, enough of that. I want to see The Lovely Bones. However, a friend recently pointed out that I may be disappointed and she is completely right. I tend to be disappointed in movies if I see them after reading the book. I loved loved LOVED the book and now am slightly worried that it won't live up to my already high expectations. Know what I mean? I'll still see it, it just might not be in the theater. It might be one of those I wait to rent via video on demand. Oh man, I love that feature from Verizon. One of the very few things I love about them. Ok, back to the topic at hand. I also want to see The Book of Eli. It looks good and Denzel tends to pick good ones. Other movies I want to see are: Sherlock Holmes, The Princess and the Frog and Leap Year. Judge me all you want for the last two but I stand by my decision!!


Now, on to movies I have recently seen. First, The Blind Side. Absolutely amazing. For realz people. Sandra Bullock was awesome, Tim McGraw is really starting to grow on me as an actor and the rest of the cast was equally great. But it was the story that was truly inspiring and wonderful. I love movies that make me cry in a good way. This one had me doing that more than once during. I also love good endings and I am really tired of the new trend in Hollywood to make movie goers depressed. This had a good ending and I feel like it was definitely worth my $8 ticket! I hate it when I waste the money to be given a crappy ending and feeling depressed afterwards! Secondly, I saw Avatar. I had no clue what it was about and thus had zero expectations. I really enjoyed it (however I saw it in 3D and kind of got a headache) even though I don't typically go for the scifi type of movies. Now, I'm not going to go see it again or scramble to purchase it when it comes out on Blueray but I did enjoy it and would recmmend it.


That's all folks!

OMG!

I am so so so so soooooo excited for several of my friends! Lots and lots of good news today! 2010 is going to be uhhhmazing!

New! New! New! This just in!

Ryan got me a new computer :) It's beautiful and fast. I love it! I have the best husband ever. It was time for the other one to go. It was 6 years old, completely scratched up and the monitor was coming unhinged from the keyboard. He also got me a removable harddrive with everything from my old computer on it :D I still have everything but don't have to clutter this computer with all of it.

I love that man.