tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64951689286941121142024-03-21T15:07:15.318-05:00Just Say JulieGrowing up Southern is a privilege, really. It's more than where you're born, it's an idea and state of mind that seems imparted at birth. It's more than loving fried chicken, sweet tea, football, and country music. It's being hospitable, devoted to front porches, magnolias, moon pies and coca-cola... and each other. We don't become Southern - we're born that way.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01292703202237738422noreply@blogger.comBlogger372125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6495168928694112114.post-83588358943657516492016-01-04T11:48:00.000-06:002016-01-04T11:48:25.862-06:002016 To Do List1. Serve vegetables nightly with dinner when we cook at home <br />
2. Bake from scratch and actually try some new recipes<br />
3. Blog at least once a month<br />
4. Read at least one book a month <br />
5. Get Jackson ready to start Kindergarten in August<br />
6. Attend Bobbye's Graduation in May<br />
7. Learn to make gumbo like my mom does<br />
8. Finish my community placement in May<br />
9. Buy new living room furniture<br />
10. Finish decorating the house before August<br />
11. Clean out the garage by the end of February<br />
12. Lose 20 pounds (and more if possible)<br />
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13. Get Jackson involved in some sort of activity, either more sports or something else he will enjoy</div>
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14. Take a vacation that doesn't include visiting family</div>
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15. See Alabama play in the Cowboys Classic in September </div>
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16. Work on a budget and stick to it </div>
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17. Celebrate Jackson's 5th birthday in July </div>
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18. Volunteer at VBS </div>
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19. Spend a long weekend in Houston with my brother
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20. Spend a weekend with Chris's family in Wicitia Falls
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21. Get caught up on Jackson's yearly picture books </div>
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22. Go to the theatre and the ballet</div>
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23. Take a cooking and/or wine pairing class</div>
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24. Schedule a family photo shoot</div>
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25. Use my fine china or Christmas china at least once a month </div>
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26. Establish and stick to a cleaning and laundry schedule<br />
27. Start our tour of the Daytripper's locations this summer<br />
28. Visit the murals of Austin<br />
29. Try a new restaurant once a month<br />
30. Take more pictures with my actual camera </div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01292703202237738422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6495168928694112114.post-34401070907681125692015-12-31T15:17:00.000-06:002015-12-31T15:17:00.531-06:002015 To Do List - Review1. <i>Buy a house.</i> - Done. Contract signed in January. House completed in August. We have been loving it ever since.<br />
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2. <i>Finish my JLA Provisional year in May.</i> - Done. I was so happy to end that year. It was a lot of hard work. Rewarding but hard.</div>
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3. <i>Start my community placement in the fall.</i> - Done. Although I haven't been very happy with my placement so far. I have a lot of work ahead of me between now and May.</div>
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4. <i>Get Jackson involved in some sort of activity.</i> - Done. Two Seasons of T-Ball with Chris coaching one of them</div>
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5. <i>Get the boys back into swim lessons.</i> - Done. Although Jackson still isn't too comfortable in the water. Sean was able to take lessons during his summer camp at the Y. Two birds. One stone.</div>
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6. <i>Take a vacation.</i> - Disney for Thanksgiving! Done. So much fun. I'm ready to go back.</div>
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7. <i>Celebrate our 5th anniversary in June.</i> - Done. We spent the weekend at Sea World in San Antonio although we spent our actual anniversary at the emergency vet since Maverick decided to eat a baby rattlesnake that day.</div>
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8. <i>Welcome my newest nephew in April.</i> - Done. Patrick is just the happiest little man.</div>
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9. <i>See Alabama play in the Cowboys Classic in September.</i> - Sadly this didn't happen thanks to closing on the new house in August.</div>
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10. <i>Work on a Budget and stick to it.</i> - We did a lot of work on our finances this year in order to buy the new house. It wasn't exactly a budget but I would still say this counts.</div>
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11. <i>Do something about my weight.</i> - Yeah right...that didn't happen but it really needs to.</div>
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12. <i>Celebrate Jackson's 4th birthday in July.</i> - Done. We had his party at Pump It Up and it was a blast for the kids and easy for me so I say it was a win.</div>
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13. <i>Volunteer at VBS.</i> - No, when the time came, I just couldn't take off work to do it. I was actually really sad about this.</div>
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14. <i>Make time to read.</i> - Not really. I only read 7 of 12 for my Goodreads goal for this year. I started a book on our trip but a month later I haven't touched it since we got back.</div>
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15. <i>Buy a new bed for Jackson to replace the toddler bed.</i> - Done. We bought Jackson a twin daybed for his new room when we moved. I don't recommend Wayfair though. We purchased two items from there including the bed and both had issues when they arrived.</div>
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16. <i>Spend a long weekend in Houston with my brother.</i> - Sort of. Jackson and I went down for Patrick's Baby Dedication in May. It was the first time Mom and Dad had been to Texas since her cancer diagnosis in February 2012.</div>
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17. <i>Spend a weekend with Chris's family in Wicitia Falls.</i> - Almost. We had a hotel booked. Our bags were packed and we were ready to go and Jackson woke up throwing up the morning we were supposed to leave so we had to cancel our plans</div>
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18. <i>Get caught up on Jackson's yearly picture books.</i> - Not even close. I still haven't completed year two. I just don't think it is going to happen.</div>
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19. <i>Cross stitch something and have it framed.</i> - Haha! Wishful thinking. Not even sure why I included this one. </div>
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20. <i>See the sights of Austin.</i> - Nope. I have such high hopes at the beginning of each year.</div>
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21. <i>Schedule a family photo shot.</i> - Scheduled and cancelled. We just got too busy and we had no money and we had a ton of pictures of the boys from school and activities.</div>
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22. <i>Close out our storage unit.</i> - Done. I was amused watching the movers unpack our stuff and bring in things I forgot we even owned.</div>
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23. <i>Use my fine china and Christmas china this year.</i> - I did use my Christmas china for our Christmas Spaghetti. It was nice to get them out but not so much fun for just three of us.</div>
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24. <i>Establish and stick to a cleaning and laundry schedule.</i> - Well...again...I had high hopes. We haven't had time to buckle down on anything.</div>
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25. <i>Make the most of our Y membership.</i> - We cancelled our membership because we weren't really using it for anything other than discounted sports leagues and after school care and the occasional parents' night out. Once I realized we didn't like their sports leagues and the after school discount was only $20, I knew it wasn't worth it.</div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01292703202237738422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6495168928694112114.post-37582593757523666342015-12-30T15:00:00.005-06:002015-12-30T15:00:59.195-06:002015 Year in Review<div>
<b>1. What did you do in 2015 that you'd never done before?</b> </div>
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Had a house built.</div>
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<b>2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?</b></div>
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I didn't really do resolutions but I did do much better on my to do list than I thought I did.</div>
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<b>3. Did anyone close to you give birth?</b></div>
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My coworker, Sarah, and my Sister-in-Law, Jenny </div>
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<b>4. Did anyone close to you die?</b></div>
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My Aunt Carol</div>
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<b>5. What countries did you visit?</b></div>
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None and this answer probably won't change anytime soon.</div>
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<b>6. What would you like to have in 2016 that you didn't have in 2015?</b></div>
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More free time. More money. </div>
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<b>7. What dates from 2015 will be etched upon your memory, and why?</b></div>
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February 13th and August 5th</div>
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<b>8. What was your biggest achievement of this year?</b></div>
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Getting our finances in order so we could buy a house</div>
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<b>9. What was your biggest failure?</b></div>
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My weight as usual. Allowing our credit cards to build back up after we closed on the house.</div>
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<b>10. Did you suffer illness or injury?</b></div>
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Nothing major this year which is why I'm still trying to figure out how to use up my FSA money.</div>
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<b>11. What was the best thing you bought?</b></div>
Our House of course and the Memory Maker at Disney World. Seriously so easy to get tons of pictures taken without having to mess with a camera and still able to download them when I get home.<br />
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<b>12. Whose behavior merited celebration?</b></div>
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Chris's...he stood up for himself on a matter that he believed in even though he knew it could cause him problems. I'm proud of him for not backing down when it mattered.</div>
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<b>13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?</b></div>
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Much of society. I'm tired of the anti-law enforcement propaganda I hear and see almost daily. I don't think anyone realizes how much that effects LEO families. I have had many sleepless nights wondering what might happen to Chris on duty.</div>
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<b>14. Where did most your money go?</b></div>
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Credit cards, rent/mortgage, daycare/tuition, food...the usual </div>
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<b>15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?</b></div>
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Disney World! Our new house! </div>
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<b>16. What song will always remind you of 2015?</b></div>
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Pretty much anything Disney. I spent the months leading up to our trip listening to Disney Cds in the car with Jackson to try to get him excited about the trip.</div>
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<b>17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?</b></div>
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a) happier - we are in a very good place right now<br />
b) fatter - unfortunately</div>
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c) about even - we have a mortgage now but we got rid of a lot bills in the process</div>
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<b>18. What do you wish you'd done more of?</b></div>
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Blog, Read, Relax </div>
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<b>19. What do you wish you'd done less of?</b></div>
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Yelling at the kids. It is so easy to get frustrated with them.</div>
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<b>20. How did you spend Christmas?</b></div>
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Hanging out at home with Jackson and Maverick. Chris had to work both Christmas Eve and Christmas Night so he slept most of the day after the boys opened their gifts. It was a quiet day and we never got out of our jammies.</div>
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<b>21. Did you fall in love in 2015?</b></div>
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This question always confuses me. Fall in love with what? The year? It wasn't a bad year but there were some things that happened that I don't want to repeat.</div>
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<b>22. What was your favorite TV program?</b></div>
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Our favorite new show this is NCIS: New Orleans. I loved Scott Bakula on Quantum Leap so it has been been fun to watch him as Agent Pride. Of course, Lucas Black as Chris LaSalle just makes my day. He is the perfect Bama boy!</div>
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<b>23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?</b></div>
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I am still really frustrated with the media and the way law enforcement is portrayed so I guess that is the closest to hating anyone.</div>
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<b>24. What was the best book you read?</b></div>
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I didn't get to read near as much as I wanted to this year. I tried but life just got in the way. My favorite of everything I read was probably Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.</div>
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<b>25. What was your greatest musical discovery?</b></div>
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So I downloaded Taylor Swift's 1989 which I absolutely loved. I wasn't really a fan of her's before but that was a fun album. I also really loved Josh Groban's Stages. Combine two of my favorites: Josh Groban and Broadway musicals and I am in heaven.</div>
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<b>26. What did you want and get?</b><br />
Our house</div>
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<b><br />27. What did you want and not get?</b></div>
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New furniture for the new house<br />
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<b>28. What was your favorite film of 2015?</b><br />
Pitch Perfect 2 I actually really enjoyed it. (I should also say that I can count on one hand the number of movies we show this year.)</div>
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<b>29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?</b><br />
I turned 38. I worked. It wasn't good. We were in Alabama helping my mom recover from knee surgery and work drama came up. So I worked.</div>
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<b>30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?</b><br />
More time with Jackson. I'm watching him grow before my eyes and I feel like I'm missing it.</div>
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<b>31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2015?</b><br />
Business casual (whatever fits)</div>
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<b>32. What kept you sane? </b></div>
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Enjoying my family and my new house<br />
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<b>33. What political issue stirred you the most?</b></div>
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Not sure<br />
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<b>34. Who did you miss?</b><br />
Always my family...I just hate being so far away from them. Carol...every day</div>
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<b>35. Who was the best new person you met?</b><br />
I can't think of meeting anyone new but I did get to know some people better this year.</div>
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<b>36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2015.</b><br />
<span class="[No character style]">"Don’t
be afraid to take a chance. Move to a new city where you don’t know
anybody or quit your job to travel. Do something that you are unsure of
because life is short and you don’t get a do-over. Roll Tide."</span></div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01292703202237738422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6495168928694112114.post-14093901330128228082015-09-18T11:25:00.000-05:002015-09-18T11:25:11.619-05:00The Post I've Been Trying to Write for a YearOne year ago this morning, I woke up to a text that said, "I'm OK. It's not me." A couple of years earlier after a local officer was shot and I couldn't reach Chris, he agreed to text me if there were any incidents over night to let me know he was OK. I didn't know what had happened when I woke up on September 18th last year but I knew it wasn't good if I was getting that text. I immediately started scanning Twitter for any news of what might be going on. And then I found it: a car had been swept away in the flood waters overnight and the driver was missing. Based on the location of the incident, I knew his shift had been involved in the search. I just wasn't sure how they were being effected by this.<br />
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I finally got Chris on the phone about an hour later and what I heard wasn't good. He couldn't tell me what was going on but he was upset. All I was able to get out of him was someone he knew was not OK. The news finally broke on my way to work that the car that had been swept away belong to one of the sheriff's deputies on Chris's shift. As soon as they said her, I knew who it was. Chris had been telling me stories about Hollis, the deputy who had joined the shift right after the new year. More than 36 hours after she went in the water, the body of Jessica Hollis was recovered from Lake Austin.<br />
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The next week passed in a blur. There were meetings and memorials. There was the funeral that was attended by law enforcement all over the state. There were tears, lots of them, from grown men who were broken from searching the woods for their partner in the wee hours of the morning. I just remember feeling an ache that I didn't understand. I had never met this person but her death was effecting my family so profoundly. All I wanted to do was hold my husband and my son tight and pray that I never had to experience this again.<br />
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One thing that has stuck with me since the funeral is the words of another spouse from the shift, "It is hard not to put yourself in that tent."<br />
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The last year has been especially hard for law enforcement. Many claims of police brutally and the militarization of police. Law enforcement being accused of failing to do their job to serve and protect. Officers being targeted simply for wearing a uniform and doing their jobs. I would never ask my husband to quit doing a job he loves but that doesn't mean I don't worry about him or fear for his safety. I don't want to be Mrs. Goforth. I don't want to have other deputies walk Jackson to school on his first day because his dad can't be there. At the end of the day, I just want my husband to come home safe.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01292703202237738422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6495168928694112114.post-26558569963225033572015-02-17T07:01:00.001-06:002015-02-17T07:01:46.926-06:00Aunt CarolCarol was my mom's only sister, younger by two years, and as different from my mom as she could possibly be. The two drove each other crazy but they would do anything for each other. I was named after her and planned to use my middle name for a little girl if I ever had one. <div><br></div><div>We lost Carol early Friday morning. </div><div><br></div><div>When I was home last April, we knew something was wrong. We were visiting the college my mom, Carol, and I all attended and she was just out of sorts. By June, we had an answer: ALS. This was devastating news to hear especially since my family had dealt with Alzheimer's in my grandmother for nearly 20 years until she died in 2008. We had no idea how long she would survive or what obstacles we would face. My mom and my uncle stepped to start caring for Carol. They were by her side when she passed. </div><div><br></div><div>My aunt spent most of her career as a school teacher. She also graduated from seminary and worked as a children's pastor for several years. She was married for a short period of time before I was born. She was a loyal supporter of Judson College. She was more than an aunt to my brothers and me. She cried tears of joy when she watched me walk across the stage at Judson to get my degree. She loved my Jackson. She could always be counted on for a card or a phone call though those were fewer and further between over the last year. She would listen and give advice when I needed it. Sometimes we thought she was a little off her rocker but she just had a different way of doing things.</div><div><br></div><div>This weekend has been full of family, friends, and food. A lot of love has been shared and a lot of tears. Carol will be missed by many people but I know my family will feel her absence most of all. Rest in peace, Aunt Carol. You have earned your crown and you aren't hurting now. </div>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01292703202237738422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6495168928694112114.post-44216288846793140742015-02-12T20:22:00.001-06:002015-02-12T20:22:44.456-06:00Valentine's DayOn his way out the door tonight, Chris apologized for having to work all weekend since that meant we couldn't do anything special for Valentine's Day. I'll admit I'm actually a little bummed about it this year. I'm not really sure why since we aren't normally ones to do anything big for Valentine's Day. I think Chris has had to work every Valentine's Day since we got together so we usually recognize the day but celebrate later. Besides I always hate how hard it is to go to a nice dinner that night because you either need a reservation or have to wait two hours. Our fancy Valentine's dinner is always the Heart Baker pizza from Papa Murphy's (I'm a sucker for a heart shaped pizza). So I don't understand my melancholy this year. I guess the holiday being on Saturday and knowing we could have taken the boys to the Y for Kids' Night makes me sad that we can't actually do anything. Instead we have a play date with a daycare friend and hopefully the boys will cooperate so I can have a semi-relaxing day. Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01292703202237738422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6495168928694112114.post-46719874112541651652015-01-27T16:55:00.001-06:002015-01-27T16:55:23.572-06:00Meet ClayOne thing I don't normally do on this blog is prompt myself or goods that I am trying to sell or anything like. However, the time has come for a little shameless self promotion of sorts.<br />
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I would like you to meet Clay. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpxU3q8nFqTfMGIDjCtEQJk3sZc0fgtbhpWg5XTuofAI1w-7qx7TbWhIZRK1mHaYJadmDv-vCkjzq-i4i3KgzSwn3k16zD3YKE-_U7os1Np8nTBgFB8j1Kk7gUGwT0wXi9gYAcLo-2oC6T/s1600/230013_6230853627_4854_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpxU3q8nFqTfMGIDjCtEQJk3sZc0fgtbhpWg5XTuofAI1w-7qx7TbWhIZRK1mHaYJadmDv-vCkjzq-i4i3KgzSwn3k16zD3YKE-_U7os1Np8nTBgFB8j1Kk7gUGwT0wXi9gYAcLo-2oC6T/s1600/230013_6230853627_4854_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Clay is my big brother (the younger of the two big brothers) and he is participating in the HEB Slimdown Showdown this year. </div>
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For those of you who are Texans, HEB is a Texas grocery store chain that is based out of San Antonio. Each year they host the Slimdown Showdown as a way to prompt healthy living in the new year. The contestants are put through a Fit Camp at the start of the program and given tools to help them be more physically active and eat healthier. They are asked to blog about their experience through the contest and talk about how their habits are changing and how the program is helping them.</div>
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That is where you come in. Clay needs people to check out his blog. To comment. To share it on social media. To do all those fun things people ask you do when they are participating in a contest.</div>
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Here is a link to Clay's Contestant Profile:</div>
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<a href="https://www.hebcommunitychallenge.com/sdsd/blog/72701" target="_blank">Meet Clay</a></div>
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Here is a link to his first blog post:</div>
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<a href="https://www.hebcommunitychallenge.com/sdsd/blog/72701/rewarding-journey" target="_blank">A Rewarding Journey</a></div>
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If you are from Texas, register to be a part of the community challenge and try to lose weight along with the contestants. I am excited to see what will come out of this for my brother and for the rest of us as we follow long in his journey.</div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01292703202237738422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6495168928694112114.post-87634151628587533412015-01-25T22:55:00.000-06:002015-01-30T19:40:24.777-06:00Old School TV<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>Tell us a *memory* of watching a specific tv show/movie during your childhood.</b></i></div>
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My favorite TV memory from my childhood was watching the movies they made a television event. You know back before VCRs and DVDs when Mary Poppins and Wizard of Oz came one once per year. It was a special occasion. My mom would get TV dinners (that had to be cooked in the oven because we didn't have a microwave then) and we got to eat in the family room in front of the TV. This was a rare treat since I grew up in a house where family dinners were a nightly thing. We all sat at the table and ate together. The one that stands out the most was the year they showed (or I should say tried to show) King Kong in 3D. They sent the 3D glasses out in the local newspaper so everyone would have them for the movie. However, the 3D didn't really work so we ended up ditching the glasses and just watching movie without. But it was so much fun to have nights with my family in front of the TV all watching the same thing and making a night of it. </div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01292703202237738422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6495168928694112114.post-59449099751553380822015-01-24T08:19:00.001-06:002015-01-24T08:20:06.286-06:00Sold!The number 1 thing on my 2015 to do list was buy a new house. We have been in a rental since we sold our house in 2013. While there is nothing wrong with our current living situation, this house always felt temporary. The house met our needs when we had three weeks to move but now more than a year and a half later, I can see the faults in it. Chris finally agreed with me around Christmas after looking at a picture I took of the Christmas tree where he declared, "This is not our house." Since then, he has been a man on a mission to find "our house." <div><br></div><div>We started the house hunt at the beginning of January. For three weeks, we spent hours touring houses and attending open houses. We found houses we liked only to have them go under contract before we could see them or put in an offer ourselves. I was printing novels from the MLS and making notes like crazy. Our preapproval was in process. Everything was heading down the path to home ownership. We just had to find the house.</div><div><br></div><div>Last Saturday we had an appointment with our realtor to take a second look at a house we both really liked. Chris would have made an offer at our first viewing. I wasn't sold then but the more I thought about it, I really started to imagine the house as our's. It had a great yard and was in a fantastic neighborhood with amenities galore. The kitchen was newly upgraded and it had all the space I was looking for. But I just couldn't say yes. We left the house to go see a new neighborhood that had a few inventory homes I was interested in. I figured we would look at them and then head back to the office to write up the offer on the other house.</div><div><br></div><div>All along I had said we weren't interested in a new house because we didn't have time to wait for one to be built nor the money to put down up front. An inventory home was a nice idea because it would be ready sooner but we wouldn't get to pick out the features that we wanted. Imagine my shock last weekend when we sat down with the sales agent to run the numbers and it turned out to be way more affordable then we expected to build a house of our own. I had told Chris on the way to the new neighborhood they would really have to impress me to change my mind on the house. Well, they succeeded. </div><div><br></div><div>After much thought and prayer and a chance to sleep on it, we went back on Sunday to sign on the dotted line. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVcARcnD6lJeCBDpcFeY2b0EtUVXpPXLIbzaDNWHL2jMxxmcr9ZVeNOo9N1aADLro-7l8PQMrhDxDnlJyzupvxy8XsoZUanSesr5Dt-A7nY-h_-cmWTs6-THD5QldUKWOFsw5CfHo8X84h/s640/blogger-image-82984665.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVcARcnD6lJeCBDpcFeY2b0EtUVXpPXLIbzaDNWHL2jMxxmcr9ZVeNOo9N1aADLro-7l8PQMrhDxDnlJyzupvxy8XsoZUanSesr5Dt-A7nY-h_-cmWTs6-THD5QldUKWOFsw5CfHo8X84h/s640/blogger-image-82984665.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Some time between June and August, this plot of dirt and rocks will be our new house. I'm still. In shock at this is really happening but, boy, are we excited!</div><br></div>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01292703202237738422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6495168928694112114.post-52054849653004500882015-01-21T12:00:00.000-06:002015-01-21T12:00:01.166-06:00My Past Self<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><b>What’s something about you today that would totally shock 10 year old you? Why the change?</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"> At career day in 5th grade, ten year old me dressed up in a hot pink unitard and stated that I wanted to be a dance teacher and open my own dance studio. Ten year old me would be shocked that I don't dance anymore. Mom put me in dance at age 5 because I need an activity to get my energy out. For the next 12 years, Gale's Studio of Dance was my second home. I would do dance camp in the summers. I would do my homework in the dressing room between classes. It was my life until high school. In high school, I started to branch out and get involved in school activities. I was in band, a cheerleader, on dance team, and in clubs. I also started to realize that I wasn't as good of a dancer as others around me and the idea of making dance my life wasn't realistic. I quit dance half way through my junior year in high school. I was recovering from the chicken pox and I had just found out I made the Azalea Trail Court for the next year. I just didn't have time for it anymore and my teacher resented the fact that doesn't wasn't my sole focus any longer. I dusted off my pointe shoes my Freshman year in college and took Ballet for my PE credits. By then I knew it wasn't my career but I still enjoyed it. Since then, I have danced in a few shows at the University of Mobile and did two years as a Can Can dancer for Wild West Night for the Fort Hood Officers' Wives Club. But extra age, extra weight, and lack of consistent training have taken a toll on my body. I just don't have the stamina for it anymore. I missing dancing but I'm not sure dancing misses me.</span></div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01292703202237738422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6495168928694112114.post-79969726455313981532015-01-18T23:16:00.002-06:002015-01-18T23:16:29.555-06:002014 Year in Review
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<i>So I'm late to the game but I think 2014 is a year that definitely needed to be reviewed. So much happened, both good and bad, that I want to remember it. Plus I wasn't very good at documenting the events of the year.</i><b> </b></div>
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<b>1. What did you do in 2014 that you'd never done before?</b> </div>
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Rode in an ambulance and a police car. Had an organ removed.</div>
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<b>2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?</b></div>
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I didn't really do resolutions but I did do much better on my to do list than I thought I did.</div>
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<b>3. Did anyone close to you give birth?</b></div>
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I don't think so but I don't really remember.</div>
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<b>4. Did anyone close to you die?</b></div>
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Both Chris's grandmother and uncle passed away within less than a month of each other. Then Chris's shift mate died in the line of duty when her patrol car was swept away in flood waters.</div>
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<b>5. What countries did you visit?</b></div>
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None and this answer probably won't change anytime soon.</div>
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<b>6. What would you like to have in 2015 that you didn't have in 2014?</b></div>
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A house that we own. Not to lose anymore organs. No more funerals.</div>
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<b>7. What dates from 2014 will be etched upon your memory, and why?</b></div>
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September 18th - the morning I got the "I'm OK" text</div>
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<b>8. What was your biggest achievement of this year?</b></div>
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Getting a new job that I love</div>
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<b>9. What was your biggest failure?</b></div>
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Gaining back all the weight I lost in Weight Watchers in 2013</div>
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<b>10. Did you suffer illness or injury?</b></div>
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I had my first gallbladder attack in October which led to me having surgery to remove my gallbladder the week of Thanksgiving. </div>
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<b>11. What was the best thing you bought?</b></div>
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Our Spot Bot. Sadly, we have needed it more than once this year but it definitely does the job.</div>
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<b>12. Whose behavior merited celebration?</b></div>
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Chris's - We had a rough year in 2013 but we started the year strong and he has put up with a lot from me.</div>
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<b>13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?</b></div>
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The general public and their response to many events that occurred during the year</div>
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<b>14. Where did most your money go?</b></div>
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Credit cards, rent, daycare/tuition, food...the usual </div>
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<b>15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?</b></div>
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Taking Jackson to Sea World. My new job. </div>
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<b>16. What song will always remind you of 2014?</b></div>
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Praise You in This Storm - It got me through Jessica's funeral and the events surrounding it</div>
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<b>17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?</b></div>
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a) happier-we are in a very good place right now<br />b) fatter-unfortunately</div>
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c) richer-we finally got some bills paid off this year </div>
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<b>18. What do you wish you'd done more of?</b></div>
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Blog - I really had a lot to say but I just couldn't find it in me to sit down and write. </div>
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<b>19. What do you wish you'd done less of?</b></div>
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Yelling at the kids. It is so easy to get frustrated with them.</div>
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<b>20. How did you spend Christmas?</b></div>
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Christmas Day we stayed home and took it easy since I was sick (again) on Christmas. Our good friends came over to hang out and eat our Trader Joe's buffet that evening. It was a great day. The next day we headed to Alabama to spend the next week with my family. </div>
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<b>21. Did you fall in love in 2014?</b></div>
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In the end, I think yes. While we dealt with a lot of bad, the year ended on a good note. We have been mostly happy and that is something to celebrate. </div>
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<b>22. What was your favorite TV program?</b></div>
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Still Downton Abbey. I have watched every episode about three times.</div>
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<b>23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?</b></div>
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No, I can't really say that I hate anyone.</div>
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<b>24. What was the best book you read?</b></div>
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Attachments, Gone Girl, The Ten Thousand Dollar Tan Line</div>
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<b>25. What was your greatest musical discovery?</b></div>
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I can't really say I got into any new music this year.</div>
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<br /><b>26. What did you want and get?</b><br />My new job (are we sensing a theme here?) </div>
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<b><br />27. What did you want and not get?</b><br />A house of our own. We had planned to to move at the end of our lease in April but that didn't happen for many reasons. </div>
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<br /><b>28. What was your favorite film of 2014?</b><br />The Veronica Mars Movie of course! And The Fault in Our Stars</div>
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<br /><b>29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?</b><br />I turned 37 this year. My co-workers ordered Tiff's Treats for me. The boys and I stayed home and took it easy on the actual day since Chris and I had a date the night before at The Thinkery 21.</div>
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<br /><b>30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?</b><br />More spending money.</div>
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<br /><b>31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2013?</b><br />Business casual which is a nice step up from the t-shirt and jeans of the last few years</div>
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<br /><b>32. What kept you sane?</b><br />Being able to come home at then end of the day. I really enjoy my family even on the rough toddler days. </div>
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<br /><b>33. What political issue stirred you the most?</b><br />
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I'm not sure that I really want to get into but it really boils down to the public opinion towards law enforcement right now. </div>
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<b>34. Who did you miss?</b><br />Always my family...I just hate being so far away from them. Also my friend, Martha, who passed away in 2013 </div>
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<br /><b>35. Who was the best new person you met?</b><br />My new co-workers. This new job has really been a good fit me, especially personality wise.</div>
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<br /><b>36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2014.</b><br />To make sure you take the time to let those you love know it because life is short.</div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01292703202237738422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6495168928694112114.post-22377514738614592962015-01-12T22:52:00.001-06:002015-01-17T08:19:15.715-06:002015 To Do List<div>You would think it would be easy to come up with things you want to accomplish during a year but I'm struggling this year. My focus is on buying a house and moving right now so everything else seems secondary and feels like it will change as soon as that happens. But after reading through a few other 2015 to do lists, I have finally come up with a decent list for myself for this year. </div><div><br></div>1. Buy a house.<div>2. Finish my JLA Provisional year in May.</div><div>3. Start my community placement in the fall.</div><div>4. Get Jackson involved in some sort of activity.</div><div>5. Get the boys back into swim lessons. </div><div>6. Take a vacation. </div><div>7. Celebrate our 5th anniversary in June. </div><div>8. Welcome my newest nephew in April.</div><div>9. See Alabama play in the Cowboys Classic in September. </div><div>10. Work on a Budget and stick to it.</div><div>11. Do something about my weight.</div><div>12. Celebrate Jackson's 4th birthday in July.</div><div>13. Volunteer at VBS.</div><div>14. Make time to read.</div><div>15. Buy a new bed for Jackson to replace the toddler bed.</div><div>16. Spend a long weekend in Houston with my brother.</div><div>17. Spend a weekend with Chris's family in Wicitia Falls (that doesn't include a funeral).</div><div>18. Get caught up on Jackson's yearly picture books.</div><div>19. Cross stitch something and have it framed.</div><div>20. See the sights of Austin.</div><div>21. Schedule a family photo shot.</div><div>22. Close out our storage unit.</div><div>23. Use my fine china and Christmas china this year.</div><div>24. Establish and stick to a cleaning and laundry schedule.</div><div>25. Make the most of our Y membership.</div><div><br></div><div>I think that is a decent start. I'll check back in a couple of months down the road to see how I'm dong and if I need to make any changes to this list.</div>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01292703202237738422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6495168928694112114.post-34451077617684983382015-01-12T22:01:00.001-06:002015-01-12T22:31:43.029-06:00How did I do - 2014<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span><ol><li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Take a trip that doesn't include visiting my parents or any other family. - Done: Chris and I took Jackson to Sea World for our anniversary in June. It was a fun little get away.</span></li><li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Pay off a couple of credit cards and keep them paid off. - Done: We were able to utilize some extra money to make this happen. </span></li><li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Go on at least 1 date a month with Chris. - Not Exactly: We did go out quite a bit thanks to our Y membership and the cheap childcare they offer on the weekends but then things got busy and we didn't have time to go out.</span></li><li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Take the boys to Disney World. - Ha! Nope.</span></li><li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Read 24 books that are being turned into movies. - Not even close. I think I read 11 books and it has been months since I read anything.</span></li><li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Spend an entire weekend kid free. - Two if you count my trips to Alabama for my Judson board meetings.</span></li><li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">See Alabama play in Bryant-Denny Stadium. - A girl can dream, can't she?</span></li><li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Participate in NaBloPoMo. - Haha this didn't even cross my mind.</span></li><li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Complete the 52 Week Money Challenge. - Unfortunately no.</span></li><li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Read the entire Bible - See my previous statement about reading.</span></li><li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Celebrate Mom and Dad's 50th Wedding Anniversary in January. - Done: So happy this happened. It was a great day of family and friends that we weren't sure at times would even happen.</span></li><li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Do at least 1 fun family activity a month. - I'm not sure we did something once a month but we stayed busy. I found plenty for us to do which was easier this year with Jackson getting older. </span></li><li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Keep money in our savings account all year. - Barely but there was at least a little bit all year. </span></li><li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">See my nephew graduate from high school in May. - Done. It was a last minute trip and Jackson was awful for must of it but I was there. </span></li><li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Lose the remaining 20 (or 25) pounds I need to get off. - So it's more like I gained those pounds rather than lost them.</span></li><li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Find a new "For Me Only" activity. - Done. I decided to join Junior League. It's been a lot of work but I have loved it. </span></li><li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Watch all of Veronica Mars before the movie comes out. - Done and I can't believe I missed this show when it was on. Loved every minute of it. </span></li><li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Finish Jackson's Year 2 book. - Nope and let's not even talk about year three especially since we are half we through year 4. </span></li><li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Make the most of our Thinkery membership. - We really do like the museum and we've attended several events there. However, we need to do more to make it worth the money. </span></li><li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Find a new activity for Jackson in the fall. - We tried soccer and that lasted about 3 weeks and 1 game. Three year olds aren't really ready for organized sports. </span></li><li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Take some day trips around Texas. - We took a few trips around Texas but not really for fun or what I meant here. </span></li><li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Go to some wineries on the Texas Wine Trail. - While we didn't get to visit the trail, we did join a wine club this year and we have really enjoyed that. </span></li><li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Use my camera more which means learn how to use it. - I think I need to take a class to make this happen. </span></li><li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Get Jackson and Sean both into swimming lessons. - Jackson took swim lessons this year and we had plans to put both boys in until they closed our pool for repairs and then it just didn't happen. </span></li><li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Bake now that I have a Kitchen Aid stand mixer. - I still haven't used the mixer. Chris has but not me. </span></li><li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Actually follow some of the tips and activities I've pinned on Pinterest. - Maybe, I think but I honestly don't remember. I don't get on Pinterest much anymore. </span></li><li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Plan two birthday parties in one month (again). - Done although they didn't go quite as well as I would have liked. </span></li><li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Revamp my wardrobe. - I can think changing jobs for making this happen. No longer do I live in the jeans and tshirt uniform. </span></li><li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Make cookies for Chris's shift. - Yeah, sorry, honey!</span></li><li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Organize a gathering for the shift wives. - We got together but not for a pleasant reason. </span></li></ol>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01292703202237738422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6495168928694112114.post-61603873205487197482014-08-17T10:16:00.000-05:002014-08-17T10:16:00.430-05:00Bring Back the Words is Back!It seems to be a common theme among my fellow bloggers that we are all having a hard time finding time to blog. Fortunately, my friend, Ginger, is trying to do something about that. First she put out a challenge to write on her blog more and invited us to join her. Then she decided to start her Bring Back the Words post prompts again. Yay! I love these since they give me something to write about instead of just writing about whatever comes to mind. So here we go with the first round of prompts.<br />
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<b>1.) First day of school. </b>I honestly don't remember anything significant about any of my first days of school. I guess that means nothing major happened so they don't stand out for me. So I will talk about the boys. We are about a week and a half away from school starting here. Sean will be in fourth grade this year. And Jackson, well, he starts 3 year old PreK. He isn't changing classes at his daycare. They did that at the beginning of the summer so the kids could get used to the teacher before they start their curiculum at the beginning of September. I can't believe my baby is getting so big. I am excited about breaking out his new back pack and taking the first of many first day pictures. </div>
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<b>2.) If you could make everyone understand one thing about you that may not be obvious on first glance, what would it be? Why? </b>I think one thing that may be missed about me is that I am pretty conservative. Truth be told, I don't agree with the opinions of a lot of my pocket friends even though I don't say much about it. I believe that everyone has the right to their opinions and, while I may disagree, I will respect you for having those opinions. I feel like society has become quick to disparage people for their opinions. Instead of agreeing to disagree, there is a tendency to degrade and insult those who don't share your same opinion. So with that being said, just because I don't speak up it doesn't mean that I am not willing to stand up for my beliefs. It means that I prefer not stir up trouble unnecessarily. </div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01292703202237738422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6495168928694112114.post-68492341118405155082014-08-16T10:37:00.001-05:002014-08-16T10:44:33.156-05:00Two Years in the MakingSince downloading the Time Hop app a few months ago, I have enjoyed the reminders of my past life. Pictures of a chubby cheeked Jackson. Tweets from my single days. Flashbacks to being pregnant. Lots of fun memories are stored in the various forms of social media I play around with. But today I got a reminder of one of the best moments in my life.<br />
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Two years ago today, we found out my mom was cancer free. Six months of chemo were done and she was OK. The sense of relief I felt in that moment wa overwhelming. The past two years haven't been easy. Mom still struggles with weakness and endurance. She misses the independence she had before getting to sick. But she is still here and Jackson still has his Gran and we are all so grateful for that. She has a PET scan scheduled next month. If that one comes back clear, her changes of the cancer coming back decrease greatly. But for now, I am proud to know that my mom is a survivor and pray that we have many more years with her here. </div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01292703202237738422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6495168928694112114.post-22124901570458217702014-05-22T18:00:00.000-05:002014-05-22T18:00:02.297-05:00Eleven QuestionsNobody tagged me, but it seems like all my pocket friends are doing this right now so I figured it was a good excuse to dust off the old blog and do a few updates.<br />
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<strong>1. What is your favorite kind of cheese?</strong> My current favorite would probably be Jarlsberg. We bought a giant block of it from Sam's and I will just stand in the kitchen and cut off chunks of it to munch on.<br />
<strong>2. What are you excited about?</strong> My new job! I start in a couple of weeks and I am really excited that I won't have a long commute anymore so I can spend more time at home.<br />
<strong>3. How did you celebrate your last birthday?</strong> I cannot for the life of me remember anything about my birthday last year. I can't even remember what Chris got me as a gift. I feel terrible but I have no idea. I guess that means we will have to have a big celebration this year.<br />
<strong>4. What is on your bedside table? </strong>A lamp, a couple of books, my iPad, a picture of Maverick, the baby monitor, and all the remotes for our bedroom TV for certain. Probably some change, random jewelry I discard at night, and a cup that needs to go back to the kitchen.<br />
<strong>5. What do you order from the movie theater concession stand?</strong> We don't go to the movies very often so when we do it is either to Alamo or Flix and we order dinner. If I go to a normal theater, I would probably get popcorn and a drink.<br />
<strong>6. Do you have a garden? What’s growing? </strong>Sure I have a garden. It's called the HEB produce department. I inherited my mother's brown thumb so I just stay away from plants.<br />
<strong>7. Any summer plans?</strong> Well, we were going to spend a week in Alabama with a side trip to Charleston to pick up Sean but the new job has kind of derailed those plans. So now we are debating a weekend trip to somewhere close by (Brenham, Waco, or Fredericksburg). Other than that, nothing exciting.<br />
<strong>8. Which TV couple(s) are you rooting for?</strong> Jackson and April on Grey's Anatomy. I just love them together. I have from the start and I loved it when Jackson stood up at April's wedding to Mathew and declared his love for her. So perfect! So romantic! And then they ran off and got married. I really want things to go well for them.<br />
<strong>9. What’s the last thing you bought? </strong>Other than food? I ordered some clothes for my new job and I bought a couple of Planes items from the dollar spot at Target for Jackson.<br />
<strong>10. What’s one thing you are passionate about?</strong> I am pretty passionate about volunteering. I love being able to work with different organizations to put on an event and see the end result.<br />
<strong>11. What are you grateful for this week? </strong>I am grateful that Jackson and I were able to go home for a few days and see my nephew graduate from high school. Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01292703202237738422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6495168928694112114.post-73137857725146066832014-03-15T22:08:00.001-05:002014-03-15T22:10:57.169-05:00The Best I Can BeI read a blog post this week that really ruffled my feathers. In it, the author insinuated that working mothers did not love their children as much or invest as much time in their children as stay at home moms. Needless to say, as a working mom I was pretty angry about the whole thing. So I did what any sane person would do and took the matter to Twitter where I found my righteous indignation to be well matched. I felt better knowing that others agreed with my viewpoint but I was still upset about the post and bothered that it had gotten to me so much. That really got me thinking. Did I really want to be a stay at home mom? Was that why this was eating at me? Do I really feel like there was truth to the thought that I wasn't investing in my child or that I was letting someone else raise him or that I didn't love him to my fullest? <br />
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The answer is no to all of the above. There is no doubt that I love Jackson with all my heart. Anyone who sees us together knows that. Nor is there any doubt that he loves me and is very much a Momma's boy. Yes, I have thought about trying to stay home several times since I found out I was pregnant but that isn't a possibility for us. Even if it was, I am not sure that is a decision I would make. Jackson enjoys his time at daycare and he learns things there that I am not sure I would be able to teach him. I also do better having some time away from him which allows me to better enjoy the time we spend together. I make it a point to plan family activities whenever possible so we can make memories as a family. Are there days when I wish I could be home? Yes. Are there things I have missed because I work? Yes. It frustrates me to no end to see activities I would love to take Jackson to but can't because they fall during the week.<br />
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Being a working mom is hard because I know what I am doing is helping provide a good life for my child but it doesn't take away the guilt I feel on those mornings when I leave him crying in someone else's arms (Chris's, his teachers) because he just wants me to stay. (This doesn't happen often but when it does, I feel terrible.) I also wouldn't question the decision of someone who decides to stay home. I know their job is just as hard because they do spend so much time with their children often with few breaks while trying to maintain a household and keep it functioning. Neither job is easy which is why I think someone in the opposite situation needs to be careful before making statements that could be deemed as a judgement from someone on the other side.<br />
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I learned something out of all of this. I can only be the best mom I can be and it isn't for someone else to determine what that looks like. I can't allow someone else to question my parenting or my decisions because they are not living my life and what works for them may not work for me. I know I will never be the mom that bakes cakes for birthdays or makes homemade valentine's or volunteers weekly at my kid's school. That just isn't who I am. I wouldn't do that if I stayed home. I look at pins on Pinterest of school lunches done up in cutesy ways and fun shapes and all I think is, "I don't have time for that nor would my kids want that." Frequently I think I am screwing everything up because Jackson is a toddler and some days are hard and I feel like I have no control over him. And maybe I am but then he will give me a hug and a kiss and say, "I wuv you, Mommy" and I know that everything is OK. All that really matters is that he is happy and healthy and thriving and if I accomplish those things, then I have been successful in my job.</div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01292703202237738422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6495168928694112114.post-13015592017767966612014-01-22T10:15:00.001-06:002014-01-22T10:15:49.786-06:00Remember me?Hi there! It's your wayward blogger here. You remember how I said I was going to blog everyday for a month and then disappeared? Yeah, that wasn't good. Sorry about that. I have all the good intentions to make that up to you. I can't make any promises because life is still busy. But I do still want to record what's going on if for no other reason than for me to look back and see what happened. I'd still like to talk about some of the topics I set up for November. So I'm back and I have plenty to write. Here's hoping I can actually get it down on paper. Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01292703202237738422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6495168928694112114.post-17884451930502547002014-01-14T18:30:00.000-06:002015-01-12T22:02:35.359-06:002014 To Do ListI liked the idea of a to do list last year better than resolutions so I decided to do the same this year. I have a feeling I might add a few more things to this list as the year progresses but for now this is where I stand.<br />
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<li style="margin: 0px;">Take a trip that doesn't include visiting my parents or any other family.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px;">Pay off a couple of credit cards and keep them paid off. </li>
<li style="margin: 0px;">Go on at least 1 date a month with Chris.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px;">Take the boys to Disney World.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px;">Read 24 books that are being turned into movies.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px;">Spend an entire weekend kid free.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px;">See Alabama play in Bryant-Denny Stadium.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px;">Participate in NaBloPoMo.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px;">Complete the 52 Week Money Challenge.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px;">Read the entire Bible</li>
<li style="margin: 0px;">Celebrate Mom and Dad's 50th Wedding Anniversary in January.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px;">Do at least 1 fun family activity a month.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px;">Keep money in our savings account all year.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px;">See my nephew graduate from high school in May.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px;">Lose the remaining 20 (or 25) pounds I need to get off.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px;">Find a new "For Me Only" activity.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px;">Watch all of Veronica Mars before the movie comes out.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px;">Finish Jackson's Year 2 book.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px;">Make the most of our Thinkery membership.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px;">Find a new activity for Jackson in the fall.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px;">Take some day trips around Texas.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px;">Go to some wineries on the Texas Wine Trail.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px;">Use my camera more which means learn how to use it.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px;">Get Jackson and Sean both into swimming lessons.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px;">Bake now that I have a Kitchen Aid stand mixer.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px;">Actually follow some of the tips and activities I've pinned on Pinterest.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px;">Plan two birthday parties in one month (again).</li>
<li style="margin: 0px;">Revamp my wardrobe.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px;">Make cookies for Chris's shift.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px;">Organize a gathering for the shift wives. </li>
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<br />Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01292703202237738422noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6495168928694112114.post-77869375290368479832014-01-14T14:33:00.003-06:002014-01-14T14:33:59.844-06:002013 Goals Year End Review<b>2. Take Jackson to his first football game. </b>Done - One of the local colleges started a football team for the first time in 68 years. We decided to go support the Southwestern Pirates and, in turn, took Jackson to his first game. He wasn't ready for it and we left at halftime but I'm glad we can say we did it.<br />
<b>4. Read <i>The Great Gatsby</i> before seeing the movie. </b>Nope - I tried, I really did. I got several chapters in but the language and the writing is strange to me and I can't follow it. I still haven't seen the movie though so I added it back to my list and I am going to try again this year.<br />
<b>5. Get another tattoo as a tribute to Jackson. </b>Nope - I can't figure out what I want or where I want it. Nor can I decide if I want to go through the pain again.<br />
<b>6. Take a trip that doesn't include visiting my parents.</b> Done - Although this wasn't the way I expected to accomplish this. I went to a training course in DC with my boss for a week in June. I hadn't been to DC to really see the sights since middle school so it was a lot of fun.<br />
<b>7. Pay off another credit card. (Maybe even two!) </b>Sort of - We did but then charged them back up. My goal for this year is to pay them off and keep them that way. <br />
<b>8. Go on at least 1 date a month with Chris. </b>Close - We did really good until we moved in May then we hit a lag through the summer and didn't get a night out for several months but closed out the year with two weekends in a row having a night out including our first overnight together with no kids since Jackson was born.<br />
<b>9. Spend more time outdoors with the boys. </b>Sort of - the boys got more time outside thanks to the playground near our new house. I, however, did not join them. I'm not outdoorsy.<br />
<b>10. Make more time for myself. </b>Yes - I joined YPC this year and volunteered for a cause that means a lot to me. However, I just found out YPC will be no more after the end of our year so I need to find something else for me.<br />
<b>14. Increase our charitable giving.</b>Yes and No - We gave more to the church and more consistently but we did not give to as many places as I wanted to. We did, however, donate a lot of stuff when we moved.<br />
<b>15. Read 23 books. </b>Not Quite - I read 14 and only because of the Great Flu epidemic of Christmas 2013 where I was able to read 2 books in about week.<br />
<b>16. Blog at least once a week. </b>HAHA - Yeah, not even close. Life just got in the way too many times and I couldn't find time to write. <br />
<b>17. Spend an entire weekend kid free. </b>Done - I traveled home in October for my Judson board meeting. Once again this isn't what I had in mind but it did check the box.<br />
<b>18. See Alabama play in Bryant-Denny Stadium. </b>A girl can dream - One day...one day we will have the time and money to make this happen.<br />
<b>19. Run a 5k. </b>Well...I didn't run one but I did walk one with my entire family. It took over an hour but we weren't hurrying and we enjoyed the stroll.<br />
<b>21</b>. <b>Visit my brother's family in Houston. </b>Done - We stopped at Clay's on our way back from Alabama this summer and got to visit the aquarium while we were there. I plan to make a trip just to Houston some time this year.<br />
<b>22. Setup Savings Accounts for the boys. </b>Done - This one was easy. It was just a matter of making it to the bank.<br />
<b>23. Keep money in our savings account all year. </b>Yes - It wasn't a lot but there was still money in the account at the end of the year.<br />
<b>24. Go to the gun range with Chris. </b>Done - I shot once and told Chris I was done. Guns just aren't my thing.<br />
<b>25. Clear out the excess stuff in our storage unit. </b>Not really - We gave some furniture away when we moved which did give us some more space but my goal is to permanently get rid of stuff (donate, garage sale, something).<br />
<b>26. Update mortgage, house, and bills to married name. </b>Yeah, I forgot. Maybe one day I will get everything updated or else close the accounts so it doesn't matter anymore.<br />
<b>27. Participate in NaBloPoMo. </b>We saw how that turned out. One day of no internet at home followed by a day of gone for over 12 hours and NaBloPoMo failed to happen. Oh well!<br />
<b>28. Complete the 52 Week Money Challenge. </b>Close - I did this all the way up to December which was nice because it gave me a little nest egg for Christmas. I am debating trying a modified version of this for this year.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01292703202237738422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6495168928694112114.post-76427976055591709132013-11-06T21:25:00.001-06:002013-11-06T21:25:37.884-06:00What's In My Bag Wednesday - Week 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
For this week's installment of what's in my bag, I thought I would talk about what is literally in my bag. These are two things I pretty much never leave home with out. The one on the right is my trusty datebook. I love this datebook because it is just the right size to toss in my purse so I can keep track of what is going on in my world. This is actually my second time purchasing this particular datebook (I picked the first one up at a car wash on a whim because I liked the Austin theme to the book) and I'm getting ready to order my 2014 book for myself and two of my coworkers. The other massively huge item is my wallet. Yes, I said wallet. I know it is big but that is why I like it. It holds everything. All my cards, including all those ridiculous loyalty cards that are hard to keep up with, and my checkbooks (we have 2 accounts) for those random times I need to write a check. Plus it is easy to grab and go if I don't want to take my full purse along with me. It has been nice to toss in the diaper bag and not worry about needing anything else or it getting lost in the bag. Needless to say, I carry a rather big purse for this reason.</div>
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Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01292703202237738422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6495168928694112114.post-753000664109030482013-11-05T21:48:00.003-06:002013-11-05T21:48:23.349-06:00Take Me Out Tuesday - Week 1<div style="text-align: justify;">
Texas is known for two types of food: Barbecue and Tex-Mex. While I have to be in the mood for barbecue, I can eat Tex-Mex 7 days a week. The better question is where do I want to get the Tex-Mex. There are so many good places to chose from here in Austin but I have a few favorites that tend to be my go-to places when I am in the mood for good Tex-Mex.</div>
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First, there is my favorite taco joint: <a href="http://torchystacos.com/" target="_blank">Torchy's</a>. Two weeks after we moved into our new house, a Torchy's opened across the street from our neighborhood. There is also one near my office. So I end up hitting there close to once a week. Their queso is to die for with the diablo sauce and guacamole mixed in and my all time favorite, Fried Avocado Taco, is always on the menu. Plus, I usually like to try the taco of the month just to mix things up a bit.</div>
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For quick bite close to work, I like to hit <a href="http://cabobobs.com/" target="_blank">Cabo Bob's Burritos</a>. Cabo Bob's is basically a locally Chipotle where you can select your tortilla, meat and fillings. I love this place and so does everyone else who works near me because this place is always packed at lunch. Plus they carry the pure cane sodas from Dublin Bottle Works. (Oh how I miss Dublin Dr. Pepper!)</div>
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When we want to have a sit down meal, Chris and I always have the debate of <a href="http://www.chuys.com/" target="_blank">Chuy's</a> or <a href="http://lamargarita.us/" target="_blank">La Margarita</a>. Personally, I would always choose Chuy's if for no other reason than to eat a little creamy jalapeno and to sip a Mexican Martini. I love the food. I love the atmosphere. This is always the first place I want to go when I've been away from Austin. La Margarita is Chris's personal pick. He took me there on our first date and we do go there just about as much as Chuy's, many times because the wait is shorter. The food is good, probably more authentic then Chuy's but I still don't think it holds a candle to my favorite place.</div>
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My most recent Tex-Mex discovery is <a href="http://www.lupetortilla.com/" target="_blank">Lupe Tortilla</a>. The restaurant has been in Austin about a year and we made our first visit there on Easter. They are known for their beef fajitas and I can understand why. One taste and you will never try anything else there. I am typically not a fan of beef fajitas but these I crave. If it is your first visit there, let your waiter know and they will bring you a sample. </div>
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So now my mouth is watering and I am ready for some fajitas. Want to join me?</div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01292703202237738422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6495168928694112114.post-9400892114396074272013-11-04T22:39:00.002-06:002013-11-04T22:39:19.368-06:00Makeup Monday - Week 1<div style="text-align: justify;">
Somewhere along the way, I became one of the makeup people. I have always had a love for makeup even though I don't wear a lot on a regular basis. I'm always quick to try new products once they get on the market, which is funny since I still tend to go back to my tried and true long time love products. I think I have tried just about every foundation on the market. The problem I run into is not know if something will work out with my oily skin. I can't always follow the recommendations of many of my fellow makeup loving friends because they have drier skin than I do which means products that work well for them most likely won't work for me. So I have to try things out for myself and often end up being on a different side when it comes to favorite products. So here are some of my go-to face products:</div>
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<i>Foundation:</i></div>
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For everyday wear, I prefer the <a href="http://www.covergirl.com/beauty-products/face-makeup/foundation-makeup/outlast-stay-fabulous-foundation" target="_blank">CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation</a>. This provides decent coverage although it isn't as long wear as I would like. My go-to foundation for many years has been <a href="http://www.esteelauder.com/product/643/22830/Product-Catalog/Makeup/Face/Foundations/Double-Wear/Stay-in-Place-Makeup/index.tmpl" target="_blank">Estee Lauder Double Wear</a>. This one does provide the coverage and last through the day despite my oiliness. This is my special occasion makeup and it has yet to fail me. Every time I stray away and try something new, I always end up going back to my Double Wear. I did find a blog once that stated the Double Wear was the best foundation for oily skin. I believe it. I also have a bottle of <a href="http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/shaded/158/10180/Products/Face/Foundation/Pro-Longwear-Foundation/index.tmpl" target="_blank">MAC Pro Longwear</a> that I have been using off and on. It does provide the coverage and staying power that I like but I just don't love the formula. It feels sticky and thick to me so I don't think this will be a repeat purchase. (Once again, I don't know why I stray away from my Double Wear.)</div>
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<i>Powder:</i></div>
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For pressed powder, I always go with <a href="http://www.covergirl.com/face-makeup/foundation-makeup/fresh-complexion-pocket-powder-foundation" target="_blank">CoverGirl Fresh Complexion Powder Foundation</a>. I love the extra coverage this adds to my foundation. Occasionally, I will even use this by itself and it is enough to even out my skin. For loose powder, I recently stumbled upon a blast from the past that brought me back to my grandmother's bathroom: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Coty-Airspun-Powder-Translucent-070-24/dp/B000BNG4VU" target="_blank">Coty AirSpun Loose Powder</a>. The smell, the texture, everything about it was like being a kid again. And, you know what, this stuff works which is why it has been on the market forever! Seriously, go get some. You won't regret it.</div>
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<i>Concealer:</i></div>
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I've been using <a href="http://www.benefitcosmetics.com/product/view/erase-paste" target="_blank">Benefit Erase Paste</a> for a while now and I like it alright. It isn't the best concealer I've ever used but it works for now until I use up my current jar. I think I might try <a href="http://www.benefitcosmetics.com/product/view/boi-ing" target="_blank">Boi-ing</a> next. I had debated <a href="http://www.benefitcosmetics.com/product/view/fakeup" target="_blank">Fake Up</a> but was told to steer clear of it since I have oily skin and it is formulated for this with dry skin (good to know, thanks Benefit Brow Bar lady!). I used <a href="http://www.prescriptives.com/product/6948/14904/Shop/Makeup/ConcealerPrimer/Camouflage-Cream/index.tmpl" target="_blank">Prescriptives Camoflage Cream</a> for a while and it was really good, probably the best since the old school Mary Kay concealers that had the yellow or green tints to them to cover certain things. I was happy to find out that you can still buy Prescriptives online. I just haven't bitten the bullet yet to make my purchases from them.</div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01292703202237738422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6495168928694112114.post-48747138538716155342013-11-03T09:47:00.001-06:002013-11-03T09:47:04.102-06:00Supper Club Sunday - Week 1<div style="text-align: justify;">
Chris and I have been doing Weight Watchers since the end of July with a pretty decent amount of success. I've lost 16 pounds and he has lost about 20. I think we have both stalled a bit which I hate with the holidays coming up because I wanted to be closer to my goal so I could relax a bit and enjoy some of my favorite seasonal foods. But I figure I can still enjoy my holiday favorites in moderation and really hit the diet hard again after the first of the year. I'm still pretty motivated to lose weight, especially when I see a picture of myself with a roll right above the waist of my jeans. </div>
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One of the things that has helped us be so successful on our diet was the menu planning we have been doing using WW friendly recipes. I found a lot of recipes that we really got excited about trying. As people who loved food, this is just what we need so we wouldn't be as tempted to cheat. One of my favorite new recipes that I discovered was the taco soup my boss made for us for lunch one day (we started out doing Weight Watchers at Work). This soup was so tasty that I made it two days after I first tried and it is sure to be a regular on my menu plan now.</div>
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<b>Taco Soup - Weight Watchers</b></div>
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serves 8</div>
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6 points per 1 cup serving</div>
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<u>Ingredients</u></div>
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1 pound lean ground beef</div>
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15 oz can pinto beans</div>
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15oz can yellow corn</div>
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15 oz can stewed tomatoes</div>
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15 oz can kidney beans</div>
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1 cup chopped onions</div>
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1 oz packet Taco Seasoning Mix</div>
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10 oz can Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles</div>
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<u>Directions</u></div>
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Brown the ground beef and onions together until the beef is no longer pink. Transfer beef mixture to a stew pot. Add the remaining ingredients. Do not drain any of your canned ingredients as this makes the base for your soup. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to a simmer until heated through (about 20 minutes). </div>
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You can also fix this in the slow cooker. Just brown your ground beef as mentioned above. Then dump everything into your slow cooker on low for about 2 hours or until everything is heated through. (This is actually how I fixed it. The stove top method is from my boss's instructions.)</div>
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I served this with Southwest Tortilla strips on top but you could add avocado, shredded cheese, or sour cream.</div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01292703202237738422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6495168928694112114.post-54882504707136190042013-11-02T22:28:00.001-05:002013-11-02T22:28:31.278-05:00Scoreboard Saturday - Week 1It was my intention to discuss interesting football games I watched in my Scoreboard Saturday posts. However, that would have required me to actually watch football today. Alabama had a bye week this weekend so I ended up spending my day in other, less fun ways. My company is in the middle of upgrading our accounting software so we had to spend our morning completing the work needed for our month end close so the upgrade can take place on Monday. Not really my idea of a fun Saturday but we made the most of by enjoying some <a href="http://www.roundrockdonuts.com/" target="_blank">Round Rock Donuts</a> and my boss's yummy pulled pork. On my way home, I had to pick up my team's packets for the <a href="https://secure.info-komen.org/site/Donation2;jsessionid=4714738DD5DC259765E7D1186B4DA15F.app354b?idb=2132224326&df_id=10284&FR_ID=3486&PROXY_ID=6228124&10284.donation=form1&PROXY_TYPE=20" target="_blank">Austin Race for the Cure</a> next weekend and hit the grocery store. The nice thing (bad thing?) about HEB on a Saturday is they give out samples while you are shopping. I tried some tasty chicken, wine, and sushi. So of course I ended up coming home with some of it.<br />
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After I got home from the store, Chris mentioned that Jackson's eye had looked a little goopy before nap time but seemed fine when he woke up. I leaned over to give him a kiss only to spot the telltale goop in both eyes. A quick call to urgent care and we had an appointment an hour later. There went our date night since we could no longer leave Jackson in the (free) child care we had setup for the evening. Disappointing for certain but I hate that my little man isn't 100%. Fortunately he seems to be feeling OK overall. He was playing around and coloring at urgent care while we watch Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs until the doctor came in. We now have antibiotic eye gel that has to be put in J's eyes twice a day for 5 days.<br />
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So it's a little different scoreboard this week but here's where we stand:<br />
Stressful Saturday 1<br />
Julie 0Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01292703202237738422noreply@blogger.com0