Who I Am...

Deborah's Wedding Pictures

2012-01-16T16:59:00.000-06:00

I haven't posted to the blog since November...whenever I finished blogging about my sister's wedding. So it's only appropriate that my comeback begins with a link to more wedding pictures. Her photographers (who are amazing!) just got some pictures up on their blog, so here's the link. Enjoy. They are pretty darn good at what they do!

Deborah's Wedding!!!

2011-11-29T12:00:00.000-06:00

The actual wedding. Probably the thing I have the least pictures of. But it was lovely. The ceremony was amazing. Deborah & Stephen's Young Life director Rodney did the ceremony. He did an excellent job. He made it evident that their relationship with Christ is why they are together and how their marriage will work. The bride and groom and their parents served communion to everyone and I loved that.

The reception was beautiful. My mom's friend Tanya did a most of the decorating and it turned out amazing. It was just what Deborah wanted and it was awesome. I wish I had more pictures, but I'll post a link to the photographer's pictures whenever they are up.

The before.

The reception decor.

Those are pictures of Deborah and Stephen as kids. Her dressed up as a bride, him in a little suit!

The triplets playing before the wedding! They played during too and did such a great job!

Bridesmaids and house party.

With grandma!

The head table.

Dad's toast.

The End.

And a link to all the pictures here.

Deborah's Wedding - Race to the Altar

2011-11-28T21:23:00.001-06:00

The day of Deborah's wedding a couple of her friends put on a 5k "Race to the Altar". It's become a tradition when one of them gets married. It was felt great to get some exercise in on the day of the wedding. We had brunch afterward and there were awards. It was a great start to a wonderful day!

OBU girls before the race.

Race director Natalie.

Race participants!

Welch girls. Yes, we parked at Hooters.

Deborah & Tina.

The real runners at the finish.

Kate & I were walking buddies.

The bride won! With her two race directors - Natalie & Alisha.

Deborah's Wedding Week - Friday

2011-11-24T18:00:00.000-06:00

Friday is kind of a blur. My aunt and great aunt threw a wonderful bridesmaid's luncheon. Once we got back to the hotel it was time to change clothes and get ready to head to the rehearsal. We rehearsed and then headed to the dinner. It was a great day before the wedding.

At the luncheon

NolaAnn & Joyce (the hostesses) with Deborah

Deborah with her mother-in-law and sister-in-law.

Mom & Sisters

The triplets at rehearsal.

Rodney with the bride & groom.

Deborah with Kate & Natalie.

Deborah's Wedding Week - Thursday

2011-11-23T07:00:00.000-06:00

Deborah got married this last weekend and I am so excited to blog all my pictures. There are a lot. So I am going to have to break it out a little bit. We got to Austin Wednesday night really late. Thursday morning we had brunch and then hit the ground running putting room bags for out of town guests together, working on last minute details, getting pedicures and having dinner with family that lives in Austin.

Jeff & NolaAnn (aunt & uncle) stuffing the room bags.

Lots and lots of bags.

Pedicures

Dinner at my great aunt and uncles house.

Dad & Deborah

NolaAnn, Joyce (great aunt) & Deborah

Cute parents

Erin got Married!!!

2011-11-22T21:31:00.000-06:00

My precious friend Erin got married a few weeks ago. It was a very fun wedding and great to catch up with a lot of my PwC girls. I'm thankful that we've kept up with these friendships!

me & the bride!

Allison & Molly - PwC friends

PwC girls - Kami, Molly, Jenny, Caroline, Erin, Allison, & me

The bride & groom.

Hideaway..the last one!

2011-11-22T07:07:00.001-06:00

We had our fall retreat out at Pine Cove the last weekend in October. I only had two of my small group girls, but we had a great cabin of senior girls. Hard to believe this was our 7th retreat together. I'm thankful I got to spend a weekend with the girls.

Senior girls & leaders - Kyla, Rachel, Katie, Katherine, Tori, Amanda, Karla

Tori, me & Rachel

Me & Kyla

Katherine & Rachel

Spectating warball

Announcers for kickball...I just love these two.

Giant Jenga

Three blind mice

Oh how I love these girls...they are so much fun!

And perhaps my favorite part of the weekend...Josiah - one of my all time favorite skit characters - made an appearance.

Make these...today.

2011-11-21T22:35:00.000-06:00

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies. From Eat Live Run. I made them for Deborah's bachelorette party and they were wonderful. I highly recommend them!

Evening at the park...

2011-11-21T22:06:00.000-06:00

My friend Lisa's little boy Jack needed a night away not long after his little brother came home from the hospital, so we went on a little walk to the park. It was a good night. We took some pictures and did a lot of sliding.

Deborah's Bachelorette

2011-11-14T14:11:00.001-06:00

And now I'm only a month behind. We had a great weekend in Dallas for Deborah's Bachelorette Party. This post will be a little picture heavy, but it really was a great weekend with most of her closest friends there. I know it made me excited for the wedding, and I hope it made her feel the same way.

We started the weekend with brunch (Dream Cafe):

Michelle, Natalie and Kate.

Megan, Kim, Leeann, me.

Natalie & Kate

Courtney, Megan and Kim

Alisha, Anna, Deborah, and Courtney.

Then we lounged around the pool:

Then we had the lingerie shower:

Then to dinner:

Then we made a pit stop at the Gingerman:

Where Deborah was convinced (it didn't take much) to get up on a table and dance the dance we have all officially dubbed "the Bird". It was what the singer had her doing and it was just hilarious!

We then hit up Karaoke:

Korean karaoke, that is. Private rooms are SO the way to go!

We had some very animated karaoke-ers.

Welch Sisters!

And karaoke turned into a little bit of a dance party. :)

Anna was the karaoke allstar!!!

And one more for good measure!

Typical Wednesday Night

2011-11-13T22:48:00.000-06:00

One night I was taking pictures at small group for an assignment for a photography workshop I've been taking. I thought I should post them to document what a typical Wednesday night in my living room looks like.

Karley and Tori

Rachel, Karley and Tori

Maddie and Rachel

My other Maddie.

Shower Time

2011-11-13T14:49:00.000-06:00

In September we traveled to Amarillo for a shower for Deborah. Some our great friends through a great shower and it was fun to see friends from Fritch and growing up and from high school days of working at Hidden Falls in the summers. We also spent a good amount of time working on wedding favors...let's just say there was a lot of burlap involved.

Beautiful table

Mom & Sisters

Deborah with mom and her future mother-in-law.

Nancy and Tina admiring the ring.

Hidden Falls friends.

Some of the hostesses and precious friends.

Me & Deb.

Favor making fun!

When I grow up...

2011-11-09T08:46:00.000-06:00

Oh my gosh...my friend Amy sent me this video yesterday and I probably haven't laughed this hard in a while. Fair warning - it is probably not funny unless you are a tax accountant or have spent a lot of time around tax accountants. But if you are one, you must watch, I think you will die laughing. Enjoy!

Harper turns 3!

2011-10-23T21:22:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the great blog catch up...which seems to be the only way I blog these days! So, Labor Day weekend (I know, SO behind) we got to celebrate Harper's third birthday. Harper is my college roommate Sarah's daughter. She is just precious, and I can't believe that she's three. It seems like just yesterday that she was born. Sarah blogged about the party here. And these pictures are from the same party, but here's a few more.

The cute family!

LOVE this gift!

This is what I made for her!

Precious college roommates Michelle & Sarah - so thankful for these girls!

Dancing it up!

2011-09-20T18:00:00.000-05:00

My high school girls are senior. We had our last Draw a couple of weeks ago. There was lots of fun country dancing - mainly line dancing, as two-stepping requires a partner. :) I always love this event. And it was a great way to kick off senior year with my girls! I can't believe it's the beginning of the end.

Me & Melissa - I heart her.

Leanne & Kyla!

High school girls are rough on phones.

They are seniors - craziness! Tori, Maddie, me & Rachel.

Jessica, Leanne, Katie & Shawn

Leanne, me & SarahBeth

Tour de Palate 2011

2011-09-19T21:58:00.000-05:00

Sometimes it's funny to me that it's 2011. And I'm not creative enough to make up fun blog titles. About a month ago Rebekah and I roadtripped it up to Oklahoma City for Deborah's big fundraising event. She puts it on every year, and it just gets bigger and better with time. It really was a fun night with family and friends. There was wine and food tasting, silent auction, a wine pull, a live auction and general good times had by all.

The organizer and her fiance.

Me and the dad!

The family!

My parents and some of their best friends Paula & Randy.

Deborah's friend Megan in one of the auction items. :)

Paula brings the party!!

Tickle Monster

2011-09-09T10:37:00.000-05:00

So, I still have a couple of things to catch up on, but I'm going to get a little out of order on the blog for a second. I got an email with a subject the same as this here blog title from Sarah last night. I opened it and found these pictures that Charlie took at Harper's 3rd birthday party. It made my night. I love that precious little girl - she's quite fun. And Charlie is becoming quite the photographer as well. Anyway, maybe this will make you smile on this Friday too.

Getting Away...

2011-09-05T10:00:00.000-05:00

...From It All. Otherwise known as GAFIA. Our yearly college girl get together. I'm kind of like a broken record when it comes to my time with these girls, but I just could not be more thankful for them. I knew that these girls were a huge blessing in my life during college, but I had no idea what it would look like for us to walk through life together all these years later. Through weddings, kids, people living in different states and different countries. Through hard times, and struggles, and disappointments in life. These girls have become a constant source of encouragement in my life.

I am so thankful for the way God placed each of us together through our time at Baylor. I'm thankful for a weekend where we are all together. I'm thankful for time set aside to look back at the year before and share with friends what God has done and where I've struggled. I'm thankful for people who know me. People with whom there are no pretenses. I love you girls and I wish we could go back to the lake house!!!

We started out our time at the lake house with some exercise. Yes, we did Tae Bo. It was like 108 degrees outside. You do what you've gotta do!

Loaded Questions has become a staple of our weekend. It's really fun to play with people you know well!

Michelle was the winner!

It was stinking hot!

The lake was low, so we spent a lot of time in the pool and playing games in the backyard.

We played Bocce Ball - we were clearly the winners!

Sad, sad losers!

And there was ladder ball. We one that too.

I should probably note that the other team did actually win our final game of Bocce ball.

Love you girls so much!!!

Sarah (Franks) turns 30!

2011-09-03T20:54:00.000-05:00

So, apparently my blog is going to be in the world of 30th birthdays. But I love it...all these people turning 30 before me. :) I kid, I kid. My dear friend Sarah turned 30 back at the beginning on August. Sarah loves all things Paris and French, so we went to Toulouse, a wonderful French restaurant in Dallas to celebrate her. Happy Birthday Sarah!

Me & the birthday girl!

Cake! It's blurry, but I still kinda love it!

Leanne & Jen

Sarah & Stacy

Our whole group!

Mike Turns 30...

2011-08-26T22:25:00.000-05:00

...and the Masowiches move to Texas! I mean, they've been here for months. And I can't believe I never blogged about our welcome to Texas party. We celebrated the fact that Mike & Elisa moved back way back in May.

But to the subject at hand, back in July we drove to Fort Worth to celebrate Mike's 30th birthday, and to surprise him, none the less. Let's just say, surprises might not be Mike's favorite, but I had a blast hanging out with friends and getting to celebrate.

Mike & Elisa

Michelle, me, Natalie & Elisa

Natalie & Elisa - our Ft. Worth friends

Showering Erin

2011-08-11T21:52:00.000-05:00

I realize that might sound a little funny, but really, I went to a shower. For Erin. Thrown by her wonderful bridesmaids. She's already blogged about this blessed event. I am a little behind - seeing as this happened in the middle of July. Oh well. It was a fun shower. They had it at Mattito's, so there was mexican food and margaritas. Such fun.

My homemade part of my gift. The P is for Pendarvis!

Me & the Bride!

Erin's sweet friend Dana flew in from D.C. Dana and I go way back. It was good to see her again.

Molly & Allison - A couple of the many PwC friends I got to see!

Carolyn, Kami, & Diana - sweet bridesmaids!

Erin likes presents. :)

Family Vacation - St. George Island

2011-07-24T21:26:00.000-05:00

It's time to get caught up on the month of July! Over the week of 4th of July my family and the Sauer's, some of our good friends, headed to St. George Island, Florida. The parents rented a house on the beach and we all got to spend the week together. It was a great time to get away. We sat on the beach, the guys went on a fishing trip, we played lots of games of Nerts, watched the crabs come out of the sand at dark, and basically just relaxed. Thank you mom and dad for such a great vacation - it was a blast!

Sunrises from our deck.

Welch girls.

The guys...and their beer and cigars.

The girls went to brunch while the guys fished.

Donelle, Angela, Deborah, Rebekah, Valerie, me.

Welch girls.

The parents - Eddy, Tina, mom & dad

We really enjoyed our quality time...

My dad rekindled his tennis skills.

Tina & Mom

Group picture - love these people!

Such an Honor...

2011-06-29T06:15:00.000-05:00

I got a package in the mail this weekend asking me a very special question in a most creative way. My sweet sister asked me and Rebekah to be her Maids of Honor. I am super excited to stand beside my sister on this special day. It's going to be wonderful! I couldn't help but put a few pictures of the cute box up here.

Picture of Camp Lucy and a "G" for Gary!

If you can't read the writing on the picture, it says "Trading in 16 dresses for something in white, please stand by me on my special night?" Yes, she's been a bridesmaid 16 times.

A Ring Pop

Journal with a sweet note...so thankful for family!

Mountain Fun Time

2011-06-28T06:13:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, me and five girls from my community group took off to Red River to my family's condo for a long weekend out of the heat and full of mountain fun. We went white water rafting, hiking, enjoyed fires every morning (because it was below 40 degrees outside!!!!), spent time with the Lord in His creation, and relaxed in the hot tub. It really was a great weekend. I always love time with these girls, and I loved escaping the Dallas heat for the weekend!

Our home for the weekend!

Quiet times in the park.

We're ready to raft...I have no idea what I'm doing in this picture.

Hiking fun!

Yes, we crossed this stream with our shoes off...it was COLD!!!

Not One, But Two

2011-06-27T06:40:00.005-05:00

My sweet friend Amy, who I worked with at PwC and Brinker, is having twins! I got to take a trek over to Fort Worth with Erin & Kami for a baby shower for the precious little babies. Her sister and friends threw a great Two Peas in a Pod themed shower. It was adorable and every detail was taken care of. I can't wait for these babies to get here!!!!

PwC girls...I love all the showers that are excuses to see them!

With the Momma to be...isn't she cute!?!

Perhaps the cutest party favors ever.

Precious Taylor...I can't get enough of her!

Boy & Girl!!!

I love cake...especially when it's cute and tiny!!!

My gift for baby girl Davis...baby boy had one the same color with a tie on it. Somehow I didn't get pictures.

Pictures by Erin & Brandon.

30 (or 20) before 30

2011-06-26T06:30:00.000-05:00

So, I've seen this idea on other people's blogs, and I love the idea. I started a list of things I want to do before I turn 30 next year. A lot of the lists I've seen are 30 before 30, but I couldn't come up with quite that might many. And some of these are kind of cheating because I know that I'm going to do them already. :)

1. Stick with eating healthy and get to my goal weight.
2. Run at least one half marathon.
3. Take a class and learn to use my camera on manual mode.
4. Go camping (it's been so long!)
5. Go wine tasting...preferably in the wine country.
6. Paint pottery
7. Throw more dinner parties.
8. Get Mama's piano tuned and start playing again.
9. Make my own peanut butter.
10. Make fruit rollups from scratch.
11. Finish sewing a piece of clothing for myself.
12. Go on all my student ministries events, including ski trip, because it's the girls senior year.
13. Stand by my sister as maid of honor while she gets married (blog post to come).
14. Make an awning for the back patio.
15. Paint the one hallway in the house...it's the only thing that's still white.
16. Find an antique phone in a fun color for the phone nook in the said hallway. I see to only be able to find them in black.
17. Get settled in my new job (yeah, I haven't blogged about that) and build into relationships at work.
18. Go the beach and not get sunburned (next week!!!).
19. Make a fancy looking cake that actually looks good. (Maybe this one).
20. Get my sewing room/office organized.

Erin's Getting Married!!!

2011-06-25T18:30:00.000-05:00

A long time ago...I mean almost 2 months ago...some friends threw an engagement party for Erin & Craig. We were also celebrating them moving back to Texas. I always love these get togethers with my old work friends. I love these people and it's crazy that it's been five years since I've worked with them. Whenever we get together, it's just like old times.

I'm excited for Erin & Craig's wedding in November...until then we'll just enjoy all the fun parties!

There were lots of precious babies...this is sweet Taylor.

Me & the guest of honor...just love her.

Bride to me and momma to be.

Jenny & Miss Taylor...as always she was a great hostess!

Molly & Mr. Rhett...she was the other mastermind behind the party.

Congratulations friends!!!

All pictures taken by Erin.

Birthday at Top Golf

2011-05-22T21:03:00.000-05:00

We celebrated my birthday on Easter Sunday evening at Top Golf. I love that place (it's like the combination of a driving range and a bowling alley). Lots of my sweet friends showed up and it was a blast. Apparently I am really bad at taking my camera places lately. So, again, I have no pictures. Luckily Erin came to the rescue and took a few pictures, but I'm sad I don't have any of all my friends who were there.

Erin brought me birthday balloons!

And Jen made me pretty cupcakes!

Crazy

2011-05-11T20:43:00.000-05:00

Leanne emailed this to me today. It's from DTown back in February. I had no girls sign up, so I was just there helping out.

Let's make a few observations here:

I make ridiculous faces...they aren't cute funny, they are ridiculous.
Are we really related?! She's like 18 shades darker than me. Hmmm...I wonder if there were some artificial measures involved?
This makes me really glad that we serve together. It's crazy that our childhood friendship has now transferred into adulthood. I love her!

Easter Weekend

2011-05-11T19:49:00.000-05:00

My family spent Easter weekend in Dallas. It was a crazy full weekend in which I took no pictures, so we're going to go bullet point style.

The parents came over to my house and helped with a few projects.
Did some shopping at Northpark.
Dinner at R+D Kitchen to celebrate my birthday.
Wedding dress shopping with Deborah.
Lunch at Eno's so that Stephen could meet the family. The whole family.

We took a family vote about whether Stephen could stick around. Yes, my grandfather said no...but he eventually changed his mind:

At least he's a good sport:

Easter church service at The Village.
Dinner at Medina Oven to celebrate Rebekah's birthday/graduation.
A nice after-dinner party on the porch of the hotel watching a thunderstorm.
Brunch with the out of town family before they headed back.

It was a great weekend. I love having my family here.

Rebekah's Birthday

2011-05-11T19:18:00.000-05:00

Over a month ago I spent the day celebrating my little sister's birthday. This is what she wanted to do:

Yes, we ran a half marathon for her birthday. The Big D Half. It was great...for the first half anyway. I ran with Rebekah and her friend Bre. Then around mile 6 I started feeling sick. It was about 85 degrees at that point - way hotter than I like to run in. I did actually finish - even if I did have to walk a ton the second half. After the race, we went to Breadwinners with Rebekah's friends. Overall it was a great day. Happy 25th Rebekah!

Bre, Rebekah and me at the finish.

Sisters!

The girls in front of Breadwinners

Me, Rebekah & Rachel

Me & Brooke - Her & Rebekah have been friends since middle school. We love her!

The Sister is Getting Married!!!!

2011-04-19T22:42:00.000-05:00

And now for the most exciting catchup post. This weekend my little sister got engaged. Stephen proposed to Deborah Saturday night and then threw a great surprise engagement party with sixty of their closest family and friends - they are both a bit social. So we all piled into the car and road-tripped it to Oklahoma City. Deborah was surprised by the proposal and the party. Stephen did a great job - we're excited to welcome him to the family.

In the hotel room - getting ready to surprise!

Deborah when she saw mom.

Sweet engaged couple!

The dads - they formed their own private party on the balcony.

Deborah and the OBU girls - love them!

Deborah and one of her best friends Kate, who flew in from Houston.

The Welch girls!

Bling

The Welch family with the newest member.

Both families.

Baby Madison's Shower

2011-04-19T22:16:00.000-05:00

My coworker Alex is having a little girl in a few weeks. We had a shower for her last week at work. Her husband Nick got to come and it was a lot of fun. I can't wait to meet miss Madison!

Part one of the gift - my first attempt at dyeing a onesie!

And probably my favorite burp clothes I've ever made.

The setup. The cake and the cupcakes were my responsibility.

Sweet Nick and Alex - I think they are adorable.

Ashley's Wedding

2011-04-19T21:48:00.000-05:00

Way back in March, my cousin Ashley got married. Yes, I have a lot of blogging to catch up on. The family all came to town and we had a great weekend in Arlington. Sadly, I forgot my camera. And I had to steal the ones I have from my sister. And we have none of the bride. So, this is a little bit of sad post. But I do have fun pictures with the family.

Silly sisters.

Welch girls.

At one point they were short handed, so I ended up serving ice cream.

The precious parents.

Grandparents...I love them.

Living He Loved Me...

2011-03-30T12:05:00.000-05:00

Do you ever have one of those songs that just gets stuck in your head and it seems to play over and over again? This has been one of those lately. I've heard the Casting Crowns version on the radio a lot, and I believe we've sang it in church. I just absolutely love the lyrics, especially leading up to Easter and thinking about the sacrifice that was made for me.

The Village Church's worship leader, Michael Bleecker wrote the song. They are releasing a worship album this Friday, and I am super excited about downloading it, as our worship leaders wrote several of the songs with them, so they are songs that we sing in church too. Anyway, on their website, they have a "behind the song" about all the songs, but I especially loved this one. Go read it!

Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me)

One day when Heaven was filled with His praises

One day when sin was as black as could be
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin
Dwelt among men, my example is He
Word became flesh and the light shined among us
His glory revealed

Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day

One day they led Him up Calvary’s mountain
One day they nailed Him to die on a tree
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He
Hands that healed nations, stretched out on a tree
And took the nails for me

One day the grave could conceal Him no longer
One day the stone rolled away from the door
Then He arose, over death He had conquered
Now He’s ascended, my Lord evermore
Death could not hold Him, the grave could not keep Him
From rising again

One day the trumpet will sound for His coming
One day the skies with His glories will shine
Wonderful day, my Beloved One, bringing
My Savior, Jesus, is mine

Oh, glorious day

Weekend Happenings...

2011-03-28T22:11:00.001-05:00

So, I had another busy weekend. But it was packed full of good things.

Friday night with three of the four Sherman's. We loaded up the kids and took them to Jeff's baseball game. I took a ton of pictures, you can see more of them here. There's a ton of Harper making some pretty funny faces!

How does she have two kids?!? It's just crazy!

Me with the precious kiddos...I want to steal little bubble mouth!

Precious Brody. He's the sweetest little baby ever! Especially in his team gear supporting his daddy!

Oh sweet Harper. Up and down and all around in the four innings we stayed for!

Eleven miles at White Rock on Saturday morning - race in two weeks!
Grocery shopping, cleaning, laundry, and cooking for a dinner party. Productive Saturday afternoon.
Dinner party with good friends Saturday night. I tried two new recipes, both of which seemed to be big hits. Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Caramelized Onion and Rosemary Rolls. We also played some telephone/pictionary...always a hit!
We also watched a little of this video and really laughed hard at the Watermark Student Ministries parody of it.
Church and Shoreline and working in the yard on Saturday. I cleaned out and planted three bushes and some flowers in the front flower bed. Here's the finished product. It was really overcast, so the picture didn't turn out great.

Spring has sprung!

2011-03-22T17:17:00.004-05:00

I love Spring! I love all the trees blooming and the flowers everywhere. This weekend I spent time working on my yard, enjoying some of the random flowers that pop up in my flower beds, planting some in my pots in the backyard, and some herbs that I'm super excited about.

Flower bed surprises.

The peach tree (at least I think that's what it is) is blooming.

Basil and cilantro!

Hopefully I don't kill them!

Turkey Stuffed Zucchini

2011-03-21T21:15:00.000-05:00

I had a super productive weekend. I ran 10 miles on Saturday, worked in the yard, spent some good time with friends (some of it on a patio), grocery shopped, and I cooked. I made this great recipe to eat on all week. I happened upon this blog this week. When looking through the recipes I happened on this one, which involves zucchini, which is one of my favorite vegetables! So, here's a few pictures of the process. If you like zucchini, you should totally try it!

Lookie Lookie

2011-03-10T10:30:00.002-06:00

Look what got delivered this morning!

I've been looking for a new couch off and on since I moved into the house. The IKEA one from when Julia and I moved into our apartment five years ago was starting to look a little sad. While I wasn't actually looking for a couch on Saturday, I wandered through Weir's on the way to lunch and fell in love with this one! I took Jen back later that day and bought it. Just crazy. But I'm so excited about it!

And excuse the sad iphone pictures, I'll try to take a real one soon!

Catching Up

2011-03-08T19:27:00.000-06:00

Wow - it's been a long time since I've posted. I think we'll go bullet point for a little catch up session.

I watched the Super Bowl with the college roommates, their husbands and children. Really, I spent more time walking around with sweet Harper than I did actually watching the Super Bowl or commercials, but it was fun all the same.

Isn't she precious?!

I hung out with this guy a little too...he's such an adorable little chunk!

I ran a 5K with Jen, Shawn, and Vicky. It was a fun, really early, and cold Saturday morning. The race raised money for IJM, so at the very least we did it for a good cause.

I've been doing a lot of running. I'm training for the Big D Half Marathon - I'm going to run it with Rebekah and one of her college friends. I've also been keeping up with my New Year's goal of Body Pump twice a week...I really love it actually.
This week was the two year anniversary of Wanda being gone. Crazy. In some ways it feels like it was yesterday.
This coming weekend is also the anniversary of home ownership for me...I closed on the 11th. Looking at this picture - oh how I love how my house looks with green leaves on the trees. But those same trees have been wreaking havoc on my life since the fall...dropping leaves all the time. Non stop. So many of them.
And I cooked these Spinach Feta Turkey Burgers this week and they are awesome. You should try them.

Charlie turns 30

2011-02-04T12:55:00.000-06:00

Before snow and ice took over my life, last weekend when it was a wonderful, sunny, and warm weekend, I got to celebrate Charlie's 30th birthday with the college roommies and Meredith & Afshin. It was a fun night - Michelle made a wonderful dinner and a delicious cake, and of course the company was awesome. I always have a blast with these sweet friends!

Michelle and I getting the appetizers ready!

Natalie double fisting it!

Michelle and Natalie with precious Brody - my date for the evening!

I love this little boy - I think he's precious, and I might have made him that onesie!

Party favors - the fixings for Charlie's favorite drink, a mimosa.

We wrote notes for Charlie for Michelle to put in a book.

The birthday boy and his wife - I love them!

Happy Birthday Charlie!!!

Snow Day #4

2011-02-04T11:15:00.000-06:00

I've been to work for a grand total of four hours since I left on Monday. There's been a lot of ice, and now there's snow. Snow is a lot prettier than ice - even if the one inch they predicted turned into five or so.

Snow (Ice) Day

2011-02-01T15:08:00.000-06:00

Snowpocalypse 2011 equals working from home, fixing the heater, Nutella hot chocolate, fuzzy blankets, and PJ's all day!

Weekend in Bullets

2011-01-31T20:57:00.000-06:00

This weekend was wonderful and great and I wasn't ready for it to end.
The temperatures were in the 60's and 70's...could not have asked for better weather.
Went to an event on Friday night and learned some more about sex trafficking. I also watched a CNN special called Selling the Girl Next Door last week. I'm completely floored by all of this. Even though I've heard, even though my dad is working with it all the time, there's something about it that just kind of slapped me in the face last week. I want to do something. I'm starting to think and pray about how I might get involved here in Dallas.
I walked 9 miles around White Rock with Shawn Saturday morning. We didn't set out to go that far, but the weather was almost too perfect not too.
I got a hair cut. A much needed hair cut.
I read for fun. One of my favorite things.
I celebrated Charlie's 30th birthday with great friends. Pictures to come, but it was a special time celebrating a wonderful friend.
I went on a run in my neighborhood Sunday morning. I'm kicking it into training mode again to see if I can handle busy season and training in order to run the Big D half with my sister on her birthday. Busy season isn't really busy yet, so I'm going to give it a few more weeks of training before I actually sign up.
I got a ton of stuff accomplished around the house. Changed air filters, packed up old dishes, grocery shopped for the week, and made chili in anticipation of the cold weather.
And topped off the weekend with acoustic worship at Shoreline...always a favorite.
Is it Friday yet? I'm ready for another weekend!

Lists, lists, lists

2011-01-26T11:15:00.001-06:00

Apparently only list posts will be happening in the month of January.
I spent last weekend out at Possum Kingdom lake with all our girl leader's for student ministries. It was such a great weekend out of Dallas hanging out with friends and meeting new people. I didn't take a single picture, but it was wonderful.
I found out I don't like brussel sprouts, but I love cooked bell peppers. This is news people. But I still won't eat them raw.
I also faced my fear of putting air in my car tires. It was successful. Thank goodness.
I am doing The Journey (a bible reading plan through my church) this year. We are in Isaiah right now. I can't say that I've ever read all the way through it. I think I always give up, but I'm really enjoying it this time around and learning a lot.
One of my friends from high school started a blog. It's way fun for me, because of course, I know him. But their life is crazy. He and his wife are my age, have three boys, two of which are twins on the autism spectrum. I love reading their story and reading how they figure out what it looks like to love these boys and follow Christ in the midst of it all. You should check it out.
I've been a little bit of a funk lately. The cold weather, some frustration with different areas of my life, and I don't know what else have played a part. I'm thankful that I got a chance to lay it all at the feet of Jesus this weekend at the retreat. This week is better.
Lindt Dark Chocolate with a touch of sea salt is heavenly. You should try it. Sounds weird, but it is amazing!

Random Tidbits

2011-01-10T20:13:00.000-06:00

My tire pressure light has been on since the temperature dropped below freezing. Happens every time. But I have a fear of putting air in my tires. There was an incident in college. Let's just say I did more harm than good.
Oh, and my car needs gas. Desperately.
It snowed yesterday. I heart snow. And it wasn't so much snow that the whole town of Dallas thought they needed to shut down...which was even better.
I wore athletic tights to work today. And Uggs. I mean, the high was 35 degrees. But at least I put a nice sweater with them.
I love peanut butter. I've already eaten small amounts of it twice today. I might see if I can work in a third. Earth Balance chunky is my favorite kind...in case you care.
Body Pump might be my new favorite form of exercise.
I got to meet these little guys this evening. They are absolutely precious and tiny! I might steal one...she has two...she can share, right?
I bought brussel sprouts at the store today. I'm going to try and find more vegetables I like, so I'm going to try a new one every time I make a grocery trip.
I cooked dinner in the crock pot. I think I should do it more often.
I've made some great food lately. You should try them both!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-08T11:47:00.000-06:00

Christmas this year was so wonderful. Before I left time to spend time with family Jen and I through a little party at our house. It was fun to hang out and spend time with friends, but we didn't take any pictures. Which is a little sad.

But for actual Christmas, I headed out to Granbury for Christmas Eve and day then headed to Amarillo the day after Christmas. Between the holidays they gave us and a few days of vacation, I was off work for a week and a half, which was absolutely amazing. It was some much needed rest and time away from Dallas and great time with family.

I always love Christmas. I love time with the family, remembering the reason that we celebrate Christmas, and relaxing time off of work. And this year was no exception.

Christmas Eve and Day in Granbury:

Uncle Jeff and Mom...the last in the running in the "When will the Munger part of the family arrive?" poll, but someone stole all the cash. They were sad.

Dad and Rebekah...in their element!

Me and the madre.

Dad and PapaDub...it's kind of scary how much they look alike!

Sisters!

All the food...

The parents...aren't they cute?

My plate...yum!!! Green chile stuffing, stuffed pork chops, green bean bundles, grilled veggies, red pepper risotto, and poblano pumpkin corn pudding.

Aunt Pam, mom, and my other aunt Nola Ann.

The sisters with Jeff and NolaAnn.

Christmas in Amarillo:

I love Spode Christmas dishes!

Mom's beautiful mantle.

Dad opening gifts!

And the mom.

Goals for 2011

2011-01-01T21:14:00.000-06:00

I don't usually do resolutions, but I decided that I do have a few goals for 2011. So here they are:

Learn to use my camera on manual mode. No more automatic!
Use the envelope system for budgeting eating out, groceries and clothes shopping.
Run at least one half marathon.
Go to Body Pump (or do strength training) twice a week.
Lose the last 30 pounds to get into the healthy BMI range.
Eat healthy on a more consistent basis.
Be "all in" for my last full calendar year with my small group girls.
Bible study and journal consistently.

And last night at midnight I toasted to going on a date in 2011...that's not too much to ask, right? :)

Mr. & Mrs. Droogsma

2010-12-30T20:43:00.000-06:00

Natalie and Amory got married almost 2 weeks ago...I'm a little behind on the blogging. It was a wonderful day. From pedicures with all the girls in the morning, to lunching and doing everyone's hair and makeup in the hotel suite, to pictures at the church. A wonderful, God-honoring ceremony and a blast of a reception.

I couldn't be more excited for my friend. Amory is a wonderful guy and I know they are going to have a full and wonderful life together!

Pedicures!

Getting ready!

The most fun van ride ever! We might have come close to death on the way to the church!

Sparkling grape juice!

I took very few pictures of the reception...I guess I was doing too much dancing. I loved their little private table...although it didn't stay private too much of the time.

Wonderful Baylor friends Stephanie & Brittney!

More Baylor girls - Steph, me, Sarah, Emily & Elisa.

The End!!

The Day Before...

2010-12-30T12:13:00.000-06:00

The day before Natalie and Amory's wedding was wonderful fun! We went to the bridesmaids luncheon. We decorated the church. And then headed for the rehearsal and dinner. It was a busy, but great day getting ready for the big day!

Natalie and her new sisters at the luncheon. (Abby and Alex)

Marci, me & Michelle

Brody made an appearance!

All the girls!

Me, Michelle, Sarah, Emily, Marci, Natalie, Abby & Alex.

The Baylor girls...goofy as usual.

Decorating Time!

Rehearsal!

The wonderful mariachi band...they were excellent! Making Guacamole!!!!

The bride & groom!

Baylor girls...again!

A little post-dinner trip to Walmart for a scavenger hunt of sorts!

Natalie's Lingerie Shower

2010-12-29T06:18:00.002-06:00

The Wednesday before Natalie's wedding, we through her a lingerie shower. We had to wait until Emily got in town from Paris, of course, so it was definitely crammed in there with all the wedding festivities. It was a really fun night, she had a ton of friends show up, and she got lots of good gifts.

The cookies I made for the shower...

All packaged up as favors.

The Grandview girls.

Baylor girls!

Me & the bride!

Roomie Christmas

2010-12-28T17:30:00.001-06:00

Every year we have Baylor roommate Christmas. I love our little tradition. We don't do over the top gifts or anything, but we always have a good time. This year we crammed it in before Natalie's lingerie shower. Here are a few of our annual pictures.

The scarves I made for the girls...Sarah getting a little bit silly with it!

The scarves...they turned out a little longer than I intended.

Leader Christmas Party

2010-12-24T22:12:00.001-06:00

The Student Ministries Leader's Christmas party is always one of the highlights of my December. I love the way that they make us feel appreciated for the work that we do. And I love just seeing everyone outside of the normal context.

Some pictures from the evening:

The old running buddies...me, Kyla, & Lisa.

The Community group minus Katie. Alex, Karla, Leanne, Sarah F., Caryn, Jen & me.

Sweet friends!

Shawn!!

Me, Robyn, Sarah J. & Julie

Sweet Katie Davis - love this girl!

The whole crew!

Small Group Christmas

2010-12-23T22:11:00.000-06:00

This year we had to have small group Christmas a little early because I had wedding festivities right before Christmas. We decorated Christmas cards to send with the prison ministry. And we did our annual gift exchange. As always, I had a blast with the girls. They are so great, and it's crazy to think about how old they are getting.

Karley's card is a little goth...

And a creepy santa!

Just love these girls. Me, Maddie, Karley, Maddie & Rachel!

Their gifts from me this year.

Longing

2010-12-15T14:24:00.000-06:00

So, I realize this isn't the first time I've broached this topic here on the old blog. And really, I could be doing something more productive, like posting pictures from Christmas parties and Christmas presents made. But this is what's in my head and heart right now, and I think I want to get it out. In writing.

Lately, I've had the privilege of spending time with my friends who have kids. I absolutely adore getting to hang out with these families. Monday night, I was keeping one of my friend's little boy while they went to her husband's company Christmas party. Sweet boy is growing through some separation anxiety. So as soon as mom and dad walked out the door, he was hysterical. It didn't last too long, but there was absolutely nothing I could do to comfort him. Because I'm not his mom. Sure, he likes me. I get told often I'm good with kids, we play well when mommy and daddy are around, but I am not mom, the one who brings the most comfort.

I was struck sitting there a little later that evening as the boy slept, how much I long to be the one who comforts my child, the one who some child needs more than anyone else. (Wow...that sounds codependent...but really, I just long to have a family). I have a longing, a desire, that is most definitely not being fulfilled right now. And deep down, I'm okay with that. But there are moments like Monday night when it just hits me that those desires are still there. I desire to be a wife. I dream of being a mom. I long to have a family all my own.

I am tempted in the midst of these desires to sucked into discontentment, comparison, jealousy, and maybe even a little anger. But throughout all of these thoughts, the truth that I know runs through my head. Delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4). My God has always done what's best for me and He does not change (James 1:17). As cliche as it may be, my God has a plan for me, one I know that I can trust (Jeremiah 29:11). And so many more, but this post is getting long.

The things that encourage me most (other than truth from God's Word, of course) in times like these:
- Community. Single girls walking through the same emotions I am. We are reading a book right now called Shattered Dreams. I'm not very far into it, but I can tell you for sure that this book is going to touch deeply on my dreams of being married and having a family.
- Married friends. It might seem crazy, but I am never so blessed as when my married friends let me step in and be a part of their families. Let me sit down at the dinner table with them like I belong there, because sometimes I feel like I don't. Let me love on their kids and not feel like I'm completely missing out on a phase of life. And just being my friend. I read an article on Relevant's web site not to long ago that sent me to tears as I was reminded of how blessed I am by the married friends in my life.
- The simple reminder that God's not done. He doesn't have a timeline that looks like mine. And for that I am thankful.

What encourages you when you find discontment growing in your heart?

The End

2010-12-08T21:55:00.000-06:00

I did it! I am all done with 30 for 30! 30 different outfits out of 30 pieces of clothing in 30 (or really 31) days. I kind of can't believe I actually did it. I'm glad I did. I helped me appreciate what I have in my closet and want to shop a little less, realizing that I do actually have clothes in my closet that I can make cute. I definitely won't miss adding extra time into my schedule in the mornings to take pictures of my outfit, but other than that it has been a good experience. Here's the last three days of pictures:

The End!

What a Weekend

2010-12-05T21:03:00.000-06:00

Wow...it has been a busy weekend. I have sewed, put up Christmas lights, raked a ton of leaves, tried a new restaurant with great friends for dinner last night, ran a half marathon, bagged up all the leaves (9 thirty gallon bags...just for the front yard), and went to a fun Christmas party. And my goodness am I tired. I did actually get dressed in something other than yard working/ running clothes for dinner last night and for the party tonight, so I actually have outfit pictures. Only three more days!

Changing Colors

2010-12-03T14:11:00.000-06:00

So...I have these great trees in front of my house. I've actually been excited about fall to see what they would look like when the leaves change color. But fall came, and they stayed green. This week they are finally changing colors and I absolutely loved it. I got home and took advantage of the last little bits of daylight yesterday to snag some pictures.

I'm going to have loads of fun raking these up this weekend!

And today's outfit:

Christmas Time is Here

2010-12-02T11:41:00.000-06:00

I can see it when I look at my calendar and there's something almost every night. I can see it in the lights when I drive through my neighborhood. I can see it pretty much everywhere I go. And while I love this time of year, I don't often take enough time to really focus on the reason it all began. So I decided to fight against that this year and be proactive. Yesterday I started this reading plan. It's called Rediscovering Christmas. It takes you through different places in the gospel, and I'm excited to have a tangible reminder of why we celebrate every day between now and Christmas.

Today's outfit I like. And I'm kind of laughing at myself that I took all three different pictures...I'm a goon. And that I didn't get my shoes in...I'm wearing the gold flats...just use your imagination.

Christmas Wreath!

2010-12-01T13:15:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I bought stuff to put together a Christmas wreath. While the roommate & I watched Glee last night, I went to town with the hot glue gun and ended up with this:

And today I'm wearing this. Only 7 outfits to go...and I'm started to get a little excited about seeing my other clothes, although I probably have more than 7 outfits left in my head...which is a good thing...hopefully things won't get desperate around here!

30/30: One down...

2010-11-30T10:35:00.000-06:00

One crazy blogging challenge down, one to go! I'm glad that I did NaBloPoMo again this year...I feel like my blog has been a little bit neglected, and it really spurred me to do the 30 for 30 because I knew it would help me have something to post about. After today I still have 8 more outfits to complete, so no worries I will be back.

Speaking of outfits...here's today's. And I have now officially worn every piece of clothing I put in the challenge at least once. This skirt has been a challenge, since for some reason I didn't try it on beforehand, and it was bigger than the last time I wore it, and it being grey, like pretty much everything else I picked out for the challenge, it was hard to mix with things...I think the colored tights help.

And also, I finished Hunger Games last night...it was as good as I expected. And I downloaded Catching Fire - the second book. You will probably find me curled up on my couch with my Kindle tonight. I'm an addict.

29/30: I love books!

2010-11-29T18:32:00.000-06:00

I love to read. I'm not highly discriminatory in my book choices either. I just love transporting myself to another world and getting lost in a good book. When I would come home on Christmas break during college I would read constantly...maybe even 10 books. I've been thinking lately that I need to read more and watch TV less. I mean, I'm not cutting out any of my favorite shows, but maybe some of the ones that have gotten really bad lately (can anyone say, THE OFFICE?!?) and not watching TV just to have noise.

Over Thanksgiving I read two and a half books. And it was wonderful. I finished up my book club book from last month, the one for this month, and I'm about 90% through Hunger Games. And oh my gosh - if you haven't picked that last one up, you should. I've had it on my Kindle for a few months now, and I just haven't been doing much reading. It's the first in a trilogy. I started it last night, and read it on the plane this morning, and on my lunch break. I will most definitely finish it tonight.

And today's outfit. Yes, the red sweater was worn Saturday. With totally different people. And as I was trying to get my suitcase zipped at 4:45 this morning, it was imperative that I wear the things that would take up the most room...aka the sweater and the boots. The the aforementioned hour at which I woke up to catch a flight this morning can explain my overall appearance this evening.

28/30: I Love my Family

2010-11-28T19:50:00.000-06:00

I'm sure you know this...but my family is great. I have loved spending the last several days just pretty much hanging out with them. An article in the Amarillo magazine came out about my dad and the organization he does all of his work overseas through today. I loved sitting and reading it. I didn't need another reminder of why I am so thankful for my parents and the way they raised me, but if I did, this would have been a great one! I wish you could all see the full article in the magazine, with all the pictures and everything. They do at least have the article online...you can find it here.

And no outfit picture today. I stayed in my running clothes until about 4:00, when I showered and put on lounge around the house clothes. I'll resume the craziness tomorrow!

27/30: Today

2010-11-27T16:17:00.000-06:00

Another great day at home. We...

...bottled and brewed some beer.

....decorated some birthday cake.

...grilled on and enjoyed the fire pit.

And now we're headed to church and then to celebrate Tina's birthday. Wearing this:

26/30: In a Tweet

2010-11-26T21:53:00.000-06:00

I saw this on a blog I read and couldn't help but copy it. Describe yourself. In 140 characters or less (the length of a tweet). Here's mine:

Single girl. Loves God. Strives to know His will and who He made me to be. Compassionate, loving, growing, serving, ever-changing, His.

What's yours?

And today's outfit:

25/30: Thankful Thursday

2010-11-25T18:56:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving Edition. In pictures. I'm thankful for this whole day and all I'm so privileged to be a part of!

Dad & Eddy celebrating Tina's 50th at the Turkey Trot. It was 20 degrees. And yes, dad's hat says "Tina is Old". He opted for that over a t-shirt.

Birthday girl and her oldest!

Mom and her homedog, Angela

Sauer and Welch girls! (Michelle, Angela, Deborah, Donelle, Rebekah, me, & Valerie)

Dressing - my favorite!

Deb - making delicious sweet potatoes.

Dessert

Sisters

Pretty.

And the outfit. The boots were only on for pictures, but you know. :)

24/30: Amarillo by Morning.

2010-11-24T12:45:00.000-06:00

Or really, Amarillo by evening. But I'll take what I can get. After work today, I will be hopping on a plane and headed to Amarillo to spend the rest of the week and weekend with my family. And I am SO, beyond ready. Ready to eat, and rest, and just hang out with the fam!

For my traveling outfit, we have this. Trying to not have to pack the boots in the suitcase and deal with the fact that it is almost 80 degrees in Dallas, but will quickly be approaching the 30's when I get to Amarillo tonight. Yikes!

23/30: Harry Potter Excitement

2010-11-23T17:51:00.000-06:00

Tonight is the night - I get to see Harry Potter. And I am so, so, very excited about it! In case you're wondering, I LOVE the whole Harry Potter series. I've read the books (multiple times), and when the last movie came out, I went to the midnight showing opening day. I waited a few days for the dust to settle this time, but I am SO ready to see it. I've heard it's great!

Here is today's outfit. I've never worn it with jeans before, which makes me excited - I love wearing things I wouldn't have necessarily put together before this challenge!

22/30: Where would I be?

2010-11-22T15:06:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was such a full day - both literally and figuratively. I was at church most of the day for different things and when I wasn't, I was with my roommate and/or friends. It was pretty much busy non-stop, but I was continually reminded of God's work in my life and how everything I've done, everywhere I've been, every step I've taken has been because He working in my life. I really couldn't have asked for a better day. And to top it off, Mike (our senior high director) presented the gospel at Shoreline last night. And I got to pray with a girl who is pretty new to our church to accept Christ. Talk about a cool ending to a great day! Looking back on the day - the chorus of a song we sang yesterday morning couldn't be more fitting!

Where would I be without my Savior

Where would I be without His unending mercy.

I have life because His life was laid down.

I won't look back now.

And today I am officially halfway through the 30 for 30 craziness! I was pretty wiped out from my non-stop weekend, so I went with an easy, go-to kind of outfit. And, there's no way I could have put on a sweater, since the high here today is about 80 degrees. Ewww. That's all I have to say about that.

21/30: O Christmas Tree

2010-11-21T21:13:00.000-06:00

Last night a couple of friends came over and helped Jen and I decorate the Christmas tree. It was a fun night. We watched Aggie and a little Baylor Bear football and just enjoyed each others company. Thanks Alex & Shawn for your help!!!!

Cheesy tree-trimming pictures!

I was having some star issues.

Alex is a goof ball!!

And I took advantage of the tree for the outfit picture today.

20/30: Showering Nat

2010-11-20T14:58:00.000-06:00

This has been a great weekend so far, and it's only Saturday afternoon. The relief I was looking for has definitely happened. This morning Sarah, Michelle & I carpooled over to a shower for Natalie. It was really fun celebrating Natalie, meeting people from other parts of her life, and just spending time with friends. Here's some pictures from the day.

Nat & Sarah hanging with Mr. Brody.

Nat's high school friends and her aunt.

This little boy is a snuggle bug!

College roomies!!!

I've been waiting to wear this great dress, but it's too short for work. Today seemed like the perfect opportunity. I love it, but I didn't realize quite how short it was until I saw it in pictures!

19/30: Sweet Relief

2010-11-19T09:56:00.001-06:00

Relief is coming for so many things. Relief from the sinus infection - thank you drugs. Relief from the busy week - thank you Friday. And relief from the go, go, go of like - thank you Thanksgiving break.

I am absolutely ecstatic that it is Friday. I haven't felt the need for a Friday so bad in a while. I'm sure being sick hasn't helped that in the least. But here we are. We made it. And I can't wait to crash out with sweet little Harper tonight while her mommy and daddy go out to dinner. And celebrate Natalie's wedding at a shower for her tomorrow. And even put up my Christmas tree! (I know this is controversial. And I still love Thanksgiving and am not skipping it. I just don't really have any time to do it after I get back from Thanksgiving). And spend some time with good friends! So relief, the weekend, I am so glad you're here!

Today, I wanted nothing more than to put on a Chili's t-shirt (since that's acceptable work attire) and call it a day. But I stuck with the rules, and put on my comfy J. Crew tunic. I mean, it's probably even more comfy than a t-shirt. So here you are, my very little thought or effort outfit.

18/30: Thankful Thursdays

2010-11-18T17:13:00.000-06:00

Tonight, I'm thankful for:

God's provision in my life. I have a house. I have food to eat at every meal. I have a job. I really do have everything I could ever need.
The sinus infection finally starting to go away thanks to some lovely antibiotics.
And most of all, that this time next week I will be at home with all of my family. Can. Not. Wait.

And today's outfit. Another day with tax lawyers and accountants, another day figuring out how to dress semi- business like when my wardrobe is pretty much devoid of business casual anymore. Today I actually wore things from my 30 for 30. Yay! I love this dress. Deborah gave it to me for Christmas last year and I've already gotten a ton of wear out of it! Today was really cold this morning, so I added the scarf and the cardigan. And really, it was so cold inside our meeting that it didn't come off until this afternoon when I got in my car.

17/30: Daily Stops

2010-11-17T13:18:00.000-06:00

There are some blogs that I visit daily. Okay, maybe more than some. I can't help it. I'm addicted. And, of course, they come from a wide range of interests. Food blogs, healthy living blogs, style blogs, sewing blogs, house and decorating blogs, and many more. And this is in addition to reading all my friends who have blogs (see sidebar). So, I thought I'd introduce you to some of my favorites, in case you've never seen them.

The Pioneer Woman, of course. I mean, if you haven't heard of her, go. Now.
Eat, Live, Run. Food blog/healthy living. Jenna is one of my favorite stops. Probably because in addition to healthy food, she has plenty of dessert recipes to balance it out.
Young House Love. Obviously, home & decorating. I like it because they live in an old, ranch style home like me. And they have great taste and decorate with things that I would really buy. It's fun!
Under the Sycamore. Her name is Ashley. She has a lot of mom/kid stuff, but she also has a ton of cute crafty, DIY, and photography things.
Annie Blogs. She's a writer. Lives in Nashville. About my age. Single. Crazy, awesome heart for the Lord. She has a book coming out. And I just like her writing.
MADE. Pretty much my favorite sewing blog. Even though a lot of her stuff is for her kids. Always so, so cute!
Kendi Everyday. Obviously you've heard about this one from me, but it definitely has caused me to recently add style blogs to the list of the kinds I read.
(never home) maker. Another healthy living. Great recipes, and a lot of stuff about running, which I enjoy.

Okay, I could keep going, but I'll stop. And move on to today's outfit. Really wanted to wear the pink H&M sweater. Also really wanted to wear my black pant/tights, but once I got it on, I felt like in order to wear it to work I needed to have on something over the sweater. Never, ever would have mixed these two, but I kind of like it. And I kind of don't. I can't really decide. But it's what I'm wearing, regardless.

16/30: Mama's Cornbread Dressing

2010-11-16T09:39:00.000-06:00

Last night I made dressing for a Thanksgiving potluck at work. I don't think I'll ever be able to make dressing without thinking about Mama. I know most everyone has a dressing recipe, but in case you don't, here's a look at making my Mama's recipe:

What you need:

2 packages of cornbread mix, prepared
1/2 package white bread (dried, or toasted if you're last minute like me)
8 eggs
2 boxes chicken stock (approximately)
2 onions, chopped
celery, chopped
poultry seasoning (about 2 tablespoons)
sage (about 1 tablespoon)
salt and pepper to taste

First, you chop up the onions and celery and saute them in a little butter. Ignore the fact that there's no celery in my picture...I kind of forgot it.

Next, tear the bread and crumble the cornbread into a very large bowl.

Then add the onions, eggs, and chicken stock until it's a bit soupy. Then season to taste.

Then stick it in the oven at 350 for a long while - 45 minutes or an hour.

Then bake until it's cooked up and brown on top.

Today's outfit. It's a bit monochromatic, but I ended up liking it. I do wish I could have found a colored cardigan before this 30 days of no shopping began. I went in Target yesterday to pick up a few things and had to avoid the clothing section like the plague for fear that I would walk out with something I shouldn't!

15/30: Hanging in...

2010-11-15T14:06:00.000-06:00

So, I'm still feeling the sinus infection. Yuck. I finally called the doctor this morning and got an appointment for tomorrow morning. Yay!

Random what-I'm-learning-right-now moment: God never leaves or changes. I know, pretty basic stuff. But it keeps hitting me. We've been talking about it a little at community group. I've been reading Hosea - talk about a reminder that the Lord is ALWAYS there. And there are some harsh words used in there about how He feels when we choose to walk through life apart from Him. All that to say, I've been encouraged and reminded and thankful that our God is always the same, He never lets go of us, and He never stops welcoming us back whenever we come to our senses after walking away. Thank goodness!

And today's outfit. This is one of my favorite sweaters. I pretty much always feel cute when I wear it. And I needed the extra help today - you know, with it being Monday and feeling blah.

14/30: Sad, sad game

2010-11-14T21:17:00.000-06:00

So, while the game didn't quite turn out the way I would have liked for it to I had a blast hanging out with my friends and getting to do a few of my Waco favorite things! We stopped in West for kolaches, got Common Grounds, saw the bears, browsed the book store for t-shirts, and then headed to the game. We stopped by my aunt and uncle's tailgate and then went and enjoyed the first half and suffered through the second half of the game. (I did anyway, I think Jen's scenario might have been reversed).

Katie, Michelle & me

Jen, Steph, Katie

Roommates!

And today's outfit. I got home from Waco really late and got up for church and just threw on some clothes. I haven't been feeling the best today...I think it's a sinus infection. So, isn't the most exciting outfit, but it will totally do.

13/30: Sic 'em scarf

2010-11-13T12:32:00.000-06:00

My dear friend Sarah knows that I love crafty projects, so she sent me this tutorial a couple of weeks ago. I am heading to the Baylor v. A&M game this afternoon, so I decided this week would be the perfect time to make a Baylor scarf. I will most definitely be wearing it to the game this evening. Oh, and it is really easy to make if you like it!

And here's what I've been wearing today to run errands, I figured I should tone down the Baylor spirit while I ran in the mall and Joann's. Don't worry, the mall was to return things, not to do any shopping.

12/30: Full Disclosure

2010-11-12T07:04:00.000-06:00

This is not what I'm wearing to work today. Not the pants and boots at least.

I get to spend a full day with tax accountants and lawyers, and therefore have to dress like one, which I normally don't. This only happens once or twice a month, and I only have one outfit in my 30 for 30 that would really work, and I'm saving it for next week. When I get to do it again.

I am wearing this outfit tonight to hang out with friends and go to a movie and probably dinner. So there. I am a cheater, but only a little.

11/30: Thankful Thursdays

2010-11-11T10:16:00.000-06:00

Continuing on with Thankful Thursdays. This week I am thankful for:

Cool(er) weather and fall colors showing up on the trees. I feel like fall has FINALLY come to Dallas!
High school small group girls. They never cease to challenge me and make me so thankful I signed up to serve in this ministry five and a half years ago. (And yes, I'm thankful even when they frustrate me!)
Family. I got to spend a little time with both of my sisters on Saturday before they headed to a wedding. I love them and love getting little bits of time with them. I can't wait for Thanksgiving when everyone is at home!
And of course, on Veteran's Day, all those who have served and are serving our country. I am so thankful for the sacrifices that have been made so that I can live in a free country.

And today's outfit. I kind of love it. Everything in the outfit (except the shoes), I've had for a long time and have never once put any of it together. I like that this little challenge is making me think outside the box.

10/30: Nerd to the max!

2010-11-10T13:38:00.000-06:00

Yes, we all know I'm a nerd. We also know that I will put almost anything into spreadsheet form if given the chance. So, here you have my 30 for 30 Remix spreadsheet. Made to, of course, keep me from wearing the same outfit twice and make sure I'm wearing everything that I included in the challenge.

I couldn't get the spreadsheet to print to print in pretty color, so I put in in a google doc. If you're interested in my extreme nerdiness, you can see it here.

And outfit #3 pictures were a little bit better. I took advantage of the fact that my roommate was around this morning whenever it was picture time and used her skills! Thank goodness!

9/30: Pain in the...

2010-11-09T11:05:00.000-06:00

...feet! I got new running shoes in the mail this weekend. I went to the gym last night to start breaking them in. OH MY STARS! My feet have never hurt so bad in running shoes. Ever. They are the exact same shoes I've always run in...probably my 6th or 7th pair of them, just the new model. I think there's something different. Ouch! I'm going to keep trying, but I don't know if these are going to last.

And outfit #2. Welcome to my backyard...it's a jungle. Still feel awkward taking pictures of myself. I should probably pay more attention to how other people pose when they take their outfit pictures...seeing as how they don't end up with the awkward claw that I did in this picture. And also, don't worry. A spreadsheet is being made to make sure I don't double-wear outfits. I know if you know me you aren't surprised!

8/30: Bulk Food & Outfit #1

2010-11-08T20:23:00.000-06:00

So...since I've been eating healthier, I've been buying a significant amount of bulk foods from the bins at Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Central Market. The thin little plastic bags were starting to take over my pantry. So, I stole the idea I've seen on several blogs and grabbed some canning jars. Poured in the goods, and set them on the shelf. It's food decoration!

And, of course, the first outfit of my 30 for 30 remix. I feel really awkward taking pictures of myself. And this was my first adventure with the self timer and trying to get the whole outfit in the picture, so please excuse the grill, it was the best shot that I got!

7/30: The Kickoff

2010-11-07T16:19:00.001-06:00

Consider this my 30 for 30 kickoff. I was surprised at how easy it was to pick out 30 items, but I think that's because I tend to wear the clothes I like the most over and over again. Friday night Jen and I came home from dinner and started picking out my clothes, which turned into an all out closet clean out. As in trying on every article of clothing that I own and having Jen tell me whether it was too big, out of date, or just plain not flattering. It was glorious. My closet is greatly less cluttered, and I now have this pile that needs to be delivered to Goodwill...

...and a whole lot of empty hangers...

...and some interesting outfits just for entertainment...

And don't worry...that is a skirt. And none of these articles of clothing made it into the remix.

And now...on to the real stuff. My 30 for 30 remix picks:

And there you go. I promise, I will blog about some things other than clothes as well. Here goes nothing!

Updated: I totally felt like something was missing earlier when I was taking pictures, and I was right. It was my lovely red Anthro sweater cardigan. I set it out this weekend to have in the 30, and somehow it escaped to pictures today, so here's a picture of it and the shirt I took out to compensate. Gotta love it!

6/30: Christmas Firsts

2010-11-06T23:08:00.001-05:00

Today I bought my first Christmas tree. I mean, I've had tiny little ones, but today I bought the real thing and I'm quite excited about it. Especially because it was 50% off. I love a good sale.

So...here it is. I can't wait to see it set up in my front window. It's going to be great!! I'll have to try and hold off a couple of weeks before I put it up.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

5/30: A Challenge

2010-11-05T21:18:00.000-05:00

I can't believe I'm even saying that I'll do this, but here we go. I've been reading the blog Kendi Everyday for a few weeks thanks to my roommate. She's so witty and she's always putting together super cute outfits. And this month she's hosting a challenge on her blog. 30 days. 30 pieces of clothing. Turned into 30 different outfits. Oh, and no shopping for the 30 days either.

This challenge scares me just a little. My friend Kasey is doing it, and she's inspired me to do it as well. Especially because I go into my closet every day and feel like I have nothing to wear that fits me. And a lot of my clothes are a bit baggier than they were last year, SO I'm going to do this in an effort to make the most of the clothes I have and not feel like I need to go shopping every morning whenever I get dressed.

So, here's the details on 30 for 30. I'll be posting my 30 pieces of clothing tomorrow or Sunday and starting on Monday. Yikes! Wish me luck!

4/30: Thankful Thursdays

2010-11-04T22:07:00.000-05:00

I'm stealing an idea from Amy and making Thursdays in November about being thankful. I have so much to be thankful for, so here's what comes to mind today.

My friends, specifically tonight my community group. I just came from meeting with those girls, and I can't even tell you how much I love them. I am so thankful for the fact that these girls have walked through life with me for the last four-ish years. I'm thankful that they know me and that I get to process life with them. And most of all I'm thankful that they are the friends God has placed in my life.
I'm thankful for Sudafed. I appear to be allergic to mold. Every time it rains, I end up miserable with congestion and sinus pressure. I've started taking Sudafed regularly when it rains seriously and it is amazing!
I'm thankful for a weekend at home. I'm thankful for not having many plans this coming weekend other than getting to spend some time with friends and doing some serious resting. I'm not sure I've recovered from this last weekend.

There are obviously so many more, but for today, those top the list!

3/30: I'm no Rebekah

2010-11-03T22:22:00.000-05:00

So...I've been working on cooking healthier the past few months. I've gotten brave and tried some things I never thought I would. Like quinoa. And squash soup. And steel cut oatmeal. Some days I don't know who I am, and then I go and make banumpkin bread. Then I feel like myself again.

This week I attempted something on a whole new level. Smitten Kitchen's spicy squash salad with lentils. I think I might have gone a little too Rebekah with this one. (She is definitely the healthy cook in the family.) I don't know. I think I might have done something wrong. Using feta instead of goat cheese? Omitting the smoked paprika because I didn't have any? Or just trying to fix something healthier than I would ever like. I'm not sure.

All that to say, it didn't look too shabby, and if anyone loves butternut squash and lentils, there is a whole big Tupperware full in my refrigerator.

2/30: Hideaway Retreat

2010-11-02T21:38:00.000-05:00

This weekend we got away for our yearly Hideaway retreat at Pine Cove. I always love this weekend and the great, intentional time I get to spend with my girls. This year Mike talked about Noah and how the way he lived his life on this earth as somewhat of a freak. I loved the way he dug deep into the story and it created some great conversations with my girls. We had a blast and as always I am so thankful for the place where I get to serve, and the girls God has placed in my life.

Spoons tournament...so much fun!!! (I love Karley's face in this one!)

Me & Rachel - Can't even begin to tell you how much I love this girl and her heart for the Lord. She consistently challenges me.

Karley & Maddie. Crazy girls. Karley is Maddie's friend from school and just started coming to our group in August...and I'm so glad she did...she's great!

Our best attempt at self photography. Still not great, but I'll take it. Gotta love Laura.

The finale of the spoons tournament...played with large cards and flamingos instead of spoons. All you really need to know is that Laura's husband is at the bottom of that pile...he was intense...of course!

Me & Lisa - can't believe this is our last year serving together in student ministries. She's the first person I met when I showed up my first day. And this was taken just hours before she started puking her guts up.

Flamingo Football with the cabin. The boys legs are tied together...we still lose. Gotta love it.

Cute shirts...courtesy of Brittnye's skills.

Halloween dress up night. They are funny...I won't lie.

If my Dougie Halloween costume confuses you go here, or even here (cracks me up every time).

1/30: Sic 'Em

2010-11-01T21:50:00.000-05:00

I think a perfect way to start of the month is talking about my Baylor Bears. Because, for now, we are sitting atop the Big Twelve South and ranked number 21 in the BCS Poll. Now, as a true Baylor fan, I have a healthy amount of skepticism about how long it will last. But I can at least be hopeful. And a little excited. It's quite fun to be a Baylor fan these days. This weekend, even though I was at the retreat and didn't get to watch Baylor beat Texas, I enjoyed checking my iPhone and seeing the score and wearing my Baylor gear proudly. Sic 'em bears!!!

Me & Brittnye - proud to be Baylor alum!

NaBloPoMo 2010

2010-10-30T10:00:00.006-05:00

I can't believe I'm even typing this post. But I think I'm going to do it again this year. I'm committing to a post a day for the month of November. I've done it the last two years and have enjoyed myself...so I guess I'm going to go at it again. I am also going to try and post a picture every day. One that I've taken. Ideally on my camera, not my phone, because I want to practice more. I want to become a better photographer, and I'm pretty sure practice is the best way to get there. I'll be back Monday ready to go!

NaBloPoMo

New Tunes

2010-10-29T13:07:00.000-05:00

I bought two new albums this week. Is it weird that I wanted to type CD's there? I would have, but that would be a lie, since I tangibly did not buy a CD. Anyway...I'm thoroughly enjoying both of them and thought I would share in case you're missing out.

Now, don't judge, but the first is Taylor Swift's Speak Now. I know, I know. But really, people, how can you work with high schoolers and not have a little Taylor Swift on your iPod?! Ignore the fact that there are now three Taylor albums on mine. No one needs to know that. It can be our secret. We'll call it a guilty pleasure.

And can someone please get me this dress...or at least one that color. It's quite lovely. Moving on to why I enjoy it. It's catchy teeny bopper music at it's best. I listened to it the first time through on a run, and I have to admit I laughed out loud at some of the lyrics. Cheese at its best. But I like the cheese...obviously. See above remark about working with high schoolers.

The second album (still, want to say CD) is Shane & Shane's Dare to Share: Unending Worship. Honestly, this could be a new favorite.

Okay, Shane & Shane's worship ~~albums~~ CD's back in the day were pretty much the soundtrack of my college years. I loved them. I wore them out I listened to them so much. But since then I haven't just loved anything they've come out with. Enjoyed, yes, but over the top loved? No way. But this. It's a ton of the worship songs we sing at church right now and some new ones I had never heard...all sung by Shane & Shane. Bonus in my book. I love every single song. I can't stop listening. Buy it. Now.

I'm spending the weekend with the aforementioned high schoolers...I'm sure there will be plenty of Taylor Swift jamming in our cabin. Pictures to come! And my roommate introduced me to one of the funniest blogs ever this week. I love witty people. It's a style blog, but with humor, you should check it out if those kind of things interest you!

Nike Women's Half Marathon

2010-10-28T14:42:00.000-05:00

We did it! A couple of weekends ago, my sister Rebekah and I finished the Nike Women's Half Marathon. The trip to San Francisco was most definitely a fun one. The parents came along and Deborah was working the race for Team in Training, so it was really a full family affair. We had a great couple of days in the city before the race. It was fun to shop, do a little sight seeing, eat great food and take in a new city.

Family pic after dinner Friday night.

Deborah and her friend Natalie in the giant chair in our hotel lobby.

Saturday morning at the Embarcadero.

Foggy view of the Golden Gate bridge.

The run itself was awesome. Hard, but awesome. You can read Rebekah's race recap here. She totally rocked it. A great time and I know she felt good about it. My time wasn't anything to be impressed with (never is, I'm slow and proud of it), but I finished, and that's what I set out to do. I felt great for the first 6 miles (from Union Square, down to the water, through Fishermans Wharf and toward the Golden Gate bridge). There were a few small hills, but it was mostly flat. When you hit mile 6, it was like a whole different race course. A solid mile of steep up hill, then a significant downhill (which was awesome), and it pretty much went on in the same up and down fashion until close to mile 10, where it levelled out for the most part. I saw Deborah at mile 10.5. I was feeling rough (some lovely stomach cramps), and I'm quite sure I looked it as well. Apparently the sister has a picture from this time, but I haven't seen it yet. Another mile and I started feeling a little better and finished the race strong after passing through the Ghirardelli mile at the 12 mile marker. It really was a great race. It was super scenic and there was always something going on all through the course. I would definitely do it again if given the chance.

Rough morning before the race pictures.

The massive amount of people lined up that morning. It took me 30 minutes to actually get to cross the starting line after the race started.

Me & Dad at the finish.

Me & Rebekah at the finish...I was cold...it was raining.

After the race I wasn't feeling so hot, but once I got some food in me I was MUCH better. We walked around a good bit in the afternoon, and then had a wonderful dinner at a Greek restaurant. It was a wonderful celebratory dinner! We spent a couple of hours at the top of the Marriott soaking up our last views of San Francisco. (Deborah has pictures of that night as well, I believe.) After a great breakfast, we headed back to the airport. (By the way...all the restaurants we went to while we were there...awesome...I highly recommend them all!)

I am so thankful for a fun family to travel with and parents who cheered us on. (Although, I think my dad will be running next time...he wasn't as much of a fan of the cheering as he is the running).Thanks Beks for wanting to do a half marathon...so glad to have number two under my belt. Here comes White Rock in about a month for the third. Yikes...I better get to running!

Dancing the Night Away

2010-10-13T22:11:00.000-05:00

Our student ministries event The Draw was last Sunday. I love The Draw. Who wouldn't love getting to do some country line dancing and attempting to teach some kids (and perhaps some friends) how to two step?! I actually had such a blast just dancing and singing fun, old country songs with friends.

Me & Laura - I love that we're at student ministries events again now that her girls are in high school!

One of the girls friends, Amanda, Rachel & Tori.

Karley, me & Maddie.

Laura & Spencer - right after my attempt at two-stepping lessons. Let's just say it was a bit less than successful!

I just love when they throw in a random techno song...it seems to elicit the most response from the kids.

Madeleine, Tori, Rachel, & Maddie.

Julie, KJ (our wonderful new student ministries intern), & me.

Ten Years...

2010-10-13T10:30:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago I flew home for my high school reunion. If you don't know, I grew up in Fritch, TX. A tiny town close to Amarillo. Sometimes I have a hard time believing that it is where I came from. It is so different from my life now. This weekend made me so thankful for my childhood and my upbringing. There are so many things about growing up in a small town that I am grateful for now, but I certainly didn't understand the beauty of whenever I was there. I graduated with 67 people, and I think over the course of the weekend I got to see and talk to about half of them. We went to the football game on Friday night, the Howdy Neighbor Day parade on Saturday morning, and then had a dinner in Amarillo on Saturday night.

Now, on to the pictures...

The drive from the parents house to Fritch.

Two of my good friends from high school - Margaret & Lesley.

Lesley was the mascot in high school. They got a new uniform for the Eagle...and it has teeth...she didn't like that very much!

Our float in the Howdy Neighbor Day parade...it certainly looks like we went to an all girls school!

Alicia made an awesome cake for our dinner Saturday night.

Jeremy & Hannah with Dave & Margaret. I went to church and school with all of them except Hannah.

And the whole group on Saturday night...I know, it's rather amusing!

Lately...

2010-10-12T21:37:00.000-05:00

Wow...it has been a while since I blogged. I am so far behind, but life has been quite busy.

I've been:

Going to baby showers...

Yes, they are all pregnant, but the shower was for Molly, in the middle.

Lots of running...

Attending my ten year high school reunion (full blog post to come)...

Just a teaser...from the football game...yes, that's the whole band. I grew up in a (really) small town!

Studying James with my small group girls and partaking in some country dancing with them at The Draw (another full blog post to come)...

And some more running. We leave for San Francisco on Friday and I am so ready for the race to be here...

And sneezing a lot...the allergies have overtaken me!

Many more catch up blog posts to come!