Winter Pictures

A little rosemary :)

A beautiful winter night.



Happy Feb. 14th!

Things I love:

1. First and foremost, I love my husband. Without him these last several weeks would have been a nightmare. He's what makes my life make sense. He's the chocolate to my milk. We're good apart but even better together :)
2. My dog, even when he sits grumbling at my feet because he wants to go outside for the 5th time within the hour.
3. My family. They made me who I am and although they drive me crazy sometimes, I wouldn't trade them for anything.
4. My friends. Past, present, with me and gone they are all with me in my thoughts always.
5. Chocolate. Dark especially.
6. Chocolate milk. See reference in #1.
7. I've really come to love working out. I go do some cardio and then do weights and I might throw in yoga or another class. It's a great way for me to relax.
8. Teaching. The job of teaching has it's challenges but I love the actual teaching.
9. Sleeping in. With these emotionally draining few weeks, sleep has become a wonderful friend of mine.
10. The internet. Who am I kidding? I nearly hyperventilated yesterday when my iPhone stopped working!

So, what do you love??

Whether today to you is Valentine's Day, Singles Awareness Day or National Condom Day, I hope your day is wonderful!

Interesting Article

A friend on Facebook shared this with me and thought I'd pass it along to the blogging world. You know, to my 2 readers and whoever else might stumble upon my blog :)

LINK

Dear Gunner,

I love you. You are the best furbaby I could ask for but please, for the LOVE OF ALL THINGS HOLY stop eating things that give you horrible horrible gas!

I know it's not your food. You've been eating the same food for 2 years. I know it's my rosemary and sage in the backyard along with whatever other flora you find in the yard or creek behind the house.

I know, I know, maybe I should be a better mother and supervise you while outdoors but it's tricky to do so all  the time.

So please Gunner, do us all a favor and take some beano or something.

He looks so innocent, but don't believe those precious eyes!

Love, Mrs. Slick

Dear World,

I know life isn't fair. I'm not here to ask why life isn't fair but I am here to complain about it.

There's something I want. Something we want. Something that some of our friends want.

But we can't have it. At least not when we want it. Some have to wait years for this.

But the age of instant access (thank you Facebook and Twitter) shows me that people who do not want this get it. People who are not ready for this get it.

It's just sad that some people, good people, want this, work for this, deserve this and they have to wait in line not behind the 'undeserving' but the unprepared.




What's up with that  world??

Quotes

Faith can move mountains, but don't be surprised if God hands you a shovel.


For nothing is impossible with God Luke 1:37


 
If you can’t find hope. Look in a new direction.
 
 
Let your tears come. Let them water your soul. ~Eileen Mayhew





These are a few quotes I'm living by here recently.





That's it.

COOOOOKIES!

Dear readers (or should I say reader?),

I apologize for my blogging sabbatical. Please forgive me.

I'm in a bit of a funk. So is Mr. Slick. But we're not in a funk together. We're wonderful together so don't fret your pretty little hearts.

I have some sever cabin fever. Like BAD. I've been cooped up in my house for 3, YES THREE, days now in the bitter cold. Northern friends don't laugh - but it's 17 effing degrees outside right now. The windchill is 5. Excuse me Texas!! When did you change latitude???

Here's what was on my vehicle earlier:

It has good length, but not much girth. The one next to it had some potential before Mr. Slick took it to work.

I have been so bored. While chatting with a friend online, she mentioned cookies and it dawned on me that I HAVE ALL THE INGREDIENTS FOR COOKIES. This is the end result:

Note the epically awesome oven mitts in the background.

They were delicious by the way.

<3

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.

Christmas!

Ok, here goes:

First we went to Houston. I got new boots and a great outdoor ice chest from my dad and stepmom. Ryan got tons of hunting stuff. I think I was most excited to give the gift to my parents though. They had an ancient, I mean ancient, TV. 20ish years old to be exact. So all my siblings and I went in together and got them a new 40 inch lcd tv with a new tv stand. They were so surprised.

Next, we came back up to Dallas to do Christmas with Ryan's family. We got some great gifts and I really really love being with his family. They're so close and I want my future children to be in a family like that :)

Lastly, we went to Port Aransas (the BEACH!!!) for a trip with my mom, stepdad, sister, and Ryan's parents. It was awesome! I freaking love purses and my mom and sister gave me 4, yes 4! amazingly cute and beautiful purses! I'm in love. The beach was a little too cold for my tastes but it was still a good trip. I think we'll make this a yearly thing.


I feel so loved.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is my birthday and how am I spending it? Alone. I went Christmas shopping and I'm wrapping presents. That's it.

Pity party at the Slicker house tonight. Come by if you'd like to join. I have chocolate :)

I feel loved :D

Today was the last day before Christmas (ooooh exscuuuuuse me, Hoooliday Break) and I completely expected my students to be crazy and they were so well behaved! I am so proud! They also got me some great gifts. One made me a card and you can really tell he put some serious effort into it! He's not the type at all to do that. Gifts like that make my heart melt. I also got lots and lots of chocolate :) Oh! And a student gave me a scarf. She bedazzled it and put a cute button on it. I love it when they put in personal touches, it shows that they really care.

I love my job! Not because of the presents (they're a perk, I can't lie) but because I get to see these kids do thoughtful and kind things everyday. I get to see 'toughguys' write their favorite teachers letters and tell them how much they enjoy their classes. I get to see them at their best. Yes, I sometimes see their worst but seeing their best completely makes up for it!

Background

I firgured out how to change the background. I feel like a rockstar!

Warning! Lots of random below!!

I only have 4 more hours with my students for this semester! Woohoo! Don't get me wrong, I love all my students and I love my job but I'm seriously ready for a break! Tomorrow is a half-day (kiddos leave at 12:30) and I just hope they can just hold themselves together for that short amount of time.

My mom and youngest sister are coming up to stay with me this weekend and I'm really looking forward to it. We're going to get together with my oldest sister and my nephew and who knows what else???

So, I'm really disappointed with SYTYCD this season. I don't know why exactly. The dancing has been good, it's just that I haven't developed a 'relationship' with any of the dancers. No one has given an emotional performance really. Lame.

Christmas present list: The joys of a big family

Family I need to buy presents for:

1. Ryan - husband
2. Mom
3. Johnny - stepdad
4. Dad
5. Ginia - stepmom
6. Amanda - sister
7. Orrie - brother-in-law
8. Jonnie Lynne - sister
9. Bubba - brother
10. Sarah - sister
11. Ethan - nephew
12. Meemaw - grandma
13. Rusty - father-in-law
14. Sharon - mother-in-law
15. Stephanie - sister-in-law
16. Adam - brother-in-law
17. Madison - niece
18. Karen - Ryan's aunt (we drew her name)
19. Lauren - Ryan's cousin (we drew her name)
20. Kristen - Ryan's cousin (we drew her name)
21. Michael - Ryan's cousin (we drew his name)
22. Another person on my side of the family (we haven't drawn names yet)

Friends:

1. Secret Santa at work
2. Secret Santa for group of friends
3. Jessica
4. Holly (I just happened across a wonderful gift that I had to get!)



And I'm responsible for picking out and purchasing most of this. Oh and I am responsible for wrapping ALL of this. Wonderful. I'm going to be broke after Christmas. Maybe I should ask for gift cards to grocery stores so I can feed us after December bills come in.

For the record, I have completed seven of these so far.

Girls trip and Thanksgiving

So Holly and I went to San Antonio for a girls trip and I had a complete blast! We stopped on the way down in San Marcos at the outlet mall and it was fan-freakin-tastic. We got some awesome deals! Anyway, we got down to the hotel in SA and parking was horrible. I ended up having parallel park in a loading zone (in Ryan's big ass truck) but we eventually got into a spot. After we got settled in, we walked down the river walk (the wrong way at first) to downtown and had mexican food. It was delish. Then we went stalking, which is super fun by the way. We stalked several people and got completely lost in the process. We eventually found our way back to our hotel and crashed.
The next day we went to the zoo. I freaking LOVE the zoo. There were hippos! We also went shopping. That night for dinner we walked to downtown again and ate at the Rainforest Cafe. Fun experience! I had never eaten there before. We then tried to walk home and got so so so so sooooo lost. We had to whip out Holly's phone with gps to get home. When we FINALLY saw our hotel we were so excited and hauled butt to get back. We're pretty sure some people were following us a couple times but thankfully we knew their tricks after learning them while we were the stalkers. HA.
On the third day we went to The Alamo, the Wax Museum, Ripley's Believe it or Not and to the Witte Museum. I think we went to all of these this day, one of them could have been on day two. Now I'm second guessing myself. Anyway, at Ripley's there's this tunnel that looks like its spinning and you're supposed to walk through it. Um, yea. I almost fell over. I had to seriously hold onto the rails. Hilarious. We walked through about 4 times each. So. Much. Fun. At the museum, there's a children's science museum. That and the tunnel were probably my favorite parts. Then that night we bought matching HOT pink converse and ate at Saltgrass (mashed potatos = Heaven) and did NOT get lost for the first time! We were so proud. All in all a great trip! I've never had so much fun getting lost with someone before!

Thanksgiving.
My grandma called me fat (not a biological grandparent). Not exactly those words, but still the same message. One of my aunts gave us a sob story trying to get everyone to feel sorry for her like every year. We haven't fallen for her tricks in years. Same grandma mentioned before drank too much and nearly face planted on the way out of the house going down the steps. My parents fed my dog lots of table food and he now knows hot to beg (thanks, by the way). But best of all, my mom taught me how to make some of the candy that she makes every year. I feel so special to have been taught this. She even made me a copy of my great-grandma's recipe cards to take home. I had a good time catching up with my youngest sister and cousins and Ryan got to hang out with my uncle and some cousins that he really likes. Overall a good Thanksgiving! I'm very thankful for all my blessings in life! (even cranky grandmothers)

While the boys are away...

Ryan and Gunner are gone huntin' this week. They left this afternoon and will be back Wednesday. I'm all alone (and there's no one here besiiiide me) and it's dark and stormy outside. I don't have a husband or dog to protect me so what do I do? I decide to watch back to back episodes of Criminal Minds. Great show, however not a great show to watch alone when you're house is kind out in the boondocks and you're a big wimp. Great job, Angie. Now I won't be able to sleep. C.R.A.P. I do this sometimes when Ryan is working (nights) but then I have the dog and I'm okay. He sleeps in bed with me and I know he would let me know if something wasn't right. But now I'm here all alone, watching scary shows because I'm dumb and can't turn them off now because I'm hooked.

On a better note, I took my mom to World Market today and I think I created a monster. She had never been and it's pretty much my favorite place to shop so we went. I think I like the monster I created (says in evil voice). Now I'll have more excuses to go. Muuuaaahaha.

I almost solved a Rubik's Cube today.And by almost, I mean everything but these two pieces. They're even in the right spots, just not turned the right way. I REFUSE TO TAKE THE STICKERS OFF but I also don't know how to solve it. I threw away the solution manual that came with it because I didn't want to be tempted to use it. I just don't know what to do. If I turn it upside down and turn it around then it looks complete but I know it's not and it's going to eat away at me until it's fixed or I start over. I'm so dissappointed in myself. Dang Rubik's Cube.

My to do list.

My to do list: (some of these are short term and some are long term goals)


1. Clean the house
2. Clean my car
3. Eat healthier
4. Drop about a billion dress sizes before SIL's wedding in June
5. Move the living room furniture around
6. Make something new for dinner that I've never made before
7. Become a mom
8. Get another puppy
9. Be more patient with Ryan
10. Get a new vehicle
11. Fix up the back yard
12. Put more money towards savings
13. Try to reconnect with 'lost' friends
14. Go on more dates with Ryan
15. Make more friends
16. Try to stay out of drama at work
17. Go to church more often
18. Be a better friend
19. Try to be nice, even when I don't want to be
20. KEEP UP WITH BLOGGING

Lots of random below.

Today I had the hiccups almost all-freaking-day. From about 10:30 until almost 3:30. I felt like I was going to die.

I was also having hot flashes all day. Today sucked in that aspect.

Now, on to more positive things:
1. I love my husband!
2. I'm going to Houston this weekend for Ryan's cousin's wedding (did I use too many apostrophes?)
3. I have a sweet puppy sleeping at my feet right now.
4. I ate delicious sushi tonight.
5. I also had a delicious snow-cone for dessert.
6. I'm wearing jeans to work tomorrow and the next (and I did today too :))

I love my job. My kids (students) crack me up everyday. Even when I'm having a terrible day, there's always one that can say or do something to put a smile on my face. Whether it's making an unexpected A or a cheesy joke, they really do brighten my day.

I really really really want to see the movie "The Blind Side" with Sandra Bullock. Now I just need to find someone to go with me...

Oh.emm.gee.

Hilarious! <--go watch that. I would have peed my pants.

I miss my husband. He's never home. He leaves for work before I get home and gets home after I leave. He's also been gone every week during his 'weekend' (mon-weds) for the past month or so doing boy things; hunting, fishing, more hunting. It'll start slowing down after Thanksgiving (hopefully) and then I'll finally have him back.

Tonight I made lasagna and while it was cooking I ate some string cheese and cashews and now I'm not hungry. I have an entire lasagna going uneaten. Ryan's not even here to eat 3/4 of it! I'll have to freeze it I suppose.

I can't WAIT until Thanksgiving break! Holly and I are going to San Antonio for a nerds, I mean girls weekend. We're going to The Alamo, shopping on The Riverwalk, possibly to Sea World and to a Science/History Museum. Getting excited!!

Nerds R Us

Today was the first UIL meet of the season! That's right ladies and gentlemen, I am the math coach at school. I am training others to be nerdy like me :) One day we'll take over the world. In the mean time, we're just going to meet after meet in hopes of winning some medals. While we didn't win any medals this meet, my students did great! It was their first competition ever and most made scores good enough to qualify them for state! They don't actually qualify until January but things look very promising! I'm so proud of all of them!

Now I'm just taking things easy, waiting for trick-or-treaters! I can't wait to see all the cute costumes!

Grow Up

Why must people create drama at work? Yes, let's make up stories and tattle to the bosses about your make believe world so you can get attention and stir up trouble. Too bad you didn't get the attention you wanted! Instead of getting other people in trouble like you set out to do, you got a taste of your own medicine. Kinda bitter, isn't it? Why do you want to make things awkward for tomorrow? Why do you want to make no one want to sit with you at lunch? You work with a bunch of women. Do you think they're all going to just shrug it off and forgive you immediately?? You were one of my better friends at work but I just can't keep up with this or support this kind of stuff. You're turning into a toxic friend and it hurts me that I'm losing you as a friend but I WILL NO STOOP TO YOUR LEVEL. I will not act more immature than the children we teach. Grow up.


I'm done complaining now.

Tomorrow's Friday!

Tomorrow is Friday! This means lots of things; 1. I get to wear jeans tomorrow, 2. I get to stay up late tomorrow and sleep in the next day, 3. It'll be the start of my 4 (yes 4!) day weekend and 5. I'm going to get a massage tomorrow afternoon! Hoooooray! I love wearing jeans to work because jeans also mean I get to wear comfy shoes. I love staying up late because Ryan's not here and I get scared at night (I'm a wimp, I know). It's going to be a 4 day weekend for me because I'm going to Houston to go to the SYTYCD Tour with my Jessica Lynn! And oh my goodness, I love massages. I have a gift certificate and I'm spoiling myself tomorrow.

On a side note, I'm being serenaded by my dog's snoring right now.

Bad, bad, bad.

I'm a bad blogger. I really need to try to keep up with this!

In exactly one week I'll be at the So You Think You Can Dance show in Houston! I am so so so so so freaking excited! Our seats are incredible (7th row I think) and it's all I could think about at work today! Ahhh! I can't wait. I have the best best friend in the world for getting me this ticket and taking me with her! I lub her. Now, what do I wear???

This is going to be a loooooong week.

Breakfast in bed.

Ryan served me breakfast in bed this morning :)


That is all.

Weekends

Weekends are so boring. Ryan sleeps all day and most of my friends have things like children to attend to or actually have lives and go out on weekends. I instead spend my weekends, catching up on all the shows I missed during the week, on the internet, and I occassionally throw in the random cleaning/laundry session. I take Gunner on walks and read books, I cook things that can be frozen and then eaten on a later date but I am so incredibly bored. I know some people would kill for all this and I'll probably miss it someday but right now it sucks. All I have to talk to is my dog and he just looks at me like I'm crazy (no comments on that one please :D). I wish Ryan didn't work nights so I could see him more often or so we could have fun on the weekends. He works Thurs-Sun. On the days he works, he sleeps until 3:30pm, leaves at 4:30pm (I don't get home from work until 5 at the earliest) and doesn't get home until 7-7:30am (I leave at 7:15). I'm just lonely on the weekends. Buuut, all this completely pays off come summer time. I get to see him tons more! So I guess it's a trade off. Enough complaining now, I need to go switch the laundry anyway.

13 hour work day

I was at work for 13 hours today. Yay? I'm pooped. But I am super excited that tomorrow is Friday aaaand Holly is coming in this weekend! This weekend I'm also decorating for Halloween. This is my first year to have trick-or-treaters and I'm pumped! I'm sure I'll be completely over it after the first couple of times I have to get up for the door but I don't care. I have a house in a good neighborhood where kids can go outside after dark and it's ok! YAY Halloween!!

Technology: A love/hate relationship

I am writing tonight from my ancient laptop that took me about 20 minutes to turn on and get fully functioning. Why, you might ask? Because our other laptop is being difficult today. It won't turn on without going straight into safe mode. It keeps telling me that it's because of the recently installed hardware and that it needs to be uninstalled. Well, first off, there isn't any newly installed hardware and secondly, I tried uninstalling everything that's been installed on that computer in the last 3 months and it still didn't fix the problem completely. I can now get the computer to start normally but it freezes within a minute or two. I keep trying to run the antivirus crap but the computer keeps freezing so I can't get all the way through and then I have to restart the computer and start all over. AAAAAAND I'm pretty sure Ryan will blame me b/c he says I'm the only one who uses it (but that's a lie!) I only use it for going online and I only go to safe sights. I've visited 2 (yes, I know the exact number) new sites in the past month and this just started happening today. He uses it too, just not daily.
So here I am typing from ole reliable. Her monitor is starting to detach from her keyboard, she doesn't scroll beautifully anymore and it takes her about 20 minutes to wake up and will sometimes fall asleep at inconvenient times but she's there when I need her. I've had this laptop for 6 years now. That's what? 84 in computer years?