What have I been up to?

Well....not much to be honest. I am still unemployed - but looking ever more for a job. I have applied with a few school districts in the area and I'm hoping to be getting calls soon for interviews. I know someone needs a High School Biology Teacher with my skills!



I finally hung some of my bedroom decor that I got for Christmas in 2007! Wow! It's been that long! It looks pretty good if you ask me. I used Modge Podge on the mirrors to put the words that I wanted up - Dream and Love. Then I hung the shelf, pics, and put up some empty votive holders. I'm not really a candle person, but the colors went well in my room of black and white, so they were included on a whim.

I've also been a crochet machine. My bud MaryAnn asked for my help to make some end-of-school presents for her 3rd graders. I said Sure since I have the time. She created a monster! I have now started making crochet animals and can't stop! They're so cute and fun. I love it! I thought I would share some of my creations. The crocheting continues... I started a baby afghan, some cute bookmarks, and next up....who knows, but I'm sure it will be fun!

I have also resumed my summer exercise of choice - swimming in the lake! I'm so excited that it's warming up. I love swimming. The buoys have moved since last year due to all of the rain and the higher water levels. I can't see swimming safely to the peninsula now without have a large bright pink flag or something so the crazy people driving boats in Lake Lewisville can see me! Ideas?

I love fried almost as much as I love free....

And that's why I had to go to the Texas State Fair!!!! What an adventure in fried foods and fun! There's fried everything - including Pralines, Corny Dogs, Funnel Cakes, Grilled Cheese, S'mores, Oreos, Snickers, Banana Split, Chololate-Covered Strawberry Waffle Balls, Pineapple Ice Cream, Espresso, Chocolate Truffle, Bacon (Chicken Fried to be exact!) and Jelly Belly Beans! And that's not even a complete list, just what I could remember!!! MaryAnn had to have a fried s'more. Michael had funnel cake. I enjoyed the greatness of Fried Pralines with Bluebell Ice Cream and Chocolate syrup on top. Oh the joy of fried! We also went for the traditional turkey leg (which Michael and Emilee shared) and I had some sausage - y'all know how much I love smoked sausage!

Of course there was more to the fair than the food - a car show, a light show, a blonde ditz show (Jessica Simpson performed - "I gotta pee y'all!"), and pig racing. We rode the Texas Star - the giant Ferris Wheel - and just had a grand time with a C4 Krewe - MaryAnn, Emilee, Alicia, Ben, Robert, Angelar, Chris, Suzanne, Michael, and myself.

Enjoy the pics....

I had a birthday - shout hooray!

Lot's of people sang to me yesterday.
I'm one year older and wiser too.
I had a great birthday thanks to you!

Ok, enough with my shameless adaptation of a primary song - onto the good stuff -

My birthday was yesterday. My last couple have been on the lame side, so I was trying not to get excited about this one. I mean come on - 26 - what's so great about that?

Well, on Saturday night, Mom, Dad, Gavin, Chance, Michael, and I ate some Pancho's goodness. Yes, it's a quantity over quality kind of place, but I do love me cheap Mexican food in excess! Sunday morning, I had meetings for church, so I planned to ride with Michael as usual. Michael said he had to be there early, so I got up extra early - i.e. 7 am - and hurried over to pick him up. I got there and he asked me to come in - I was already suspicious. He had a present waiting for me (that his mom helped "wrap") - dental pics that we saw at the store a while back and 26 Snickers Nut N Butter Crunch (well actually there were only 20 because he had enjoyed some). Also, there was my favorite breakfast - French Toast (that his dad had helped cook). It was yummy delicious. Once we were finished, we headed to Branch Council, which was ok and then the 3-hour block. I had offered to play the organ in sacrament meeting, so I was playing prelude and 3 different people came up and shared birthday wishes and presents. Holler! Alicia gave me some watermelon lip smackers; Staci gave me this awesome thing for my wall; and MaryAnn told me my present was in the car. What fun!

After sacrament meeting, Michael walked in with a Sunday School manual and looked a little stressed. I asked - Are you teaching? He said he had forgotten that 3 of the 4 teachers would be out of town, so he was going to teach. I offered to teach and had a good time teaching about the Stripling Warriors. Not too tricky of a lesson to teach since I feel like I live with them. It went well, then it was off to Relief Society. For music enrichment, Amy had everyone sing "Happy Birthday" and we had all of the June, July, and August birthdays come up and get a treat. It was fun! The lesson was great too!

After church, I went over to Michael's to work on this project I've been trying to finish for over a month. I didn't finish, but headed home around 4:30. Got home, cleaned up a bit, started to frost one of my cakes, and then tons of folks came over to celebrate. It was awesome! The Willardsons came from McKinney. Sister Tenney came. Diane and Jared came (all the way from Utah I might add!! :). Emilee and her brood, Mimi, Loree, Brooks, and Darbee, and Amanda and Jonathan Colegrove also came. It was tons of fun and tons of crazy. There were kids running everywhere! I had a great time.

I got some pretty cool presents - a Piano shaped jewelry music box, a Pei Wei gift card, a porcelain figurine, a quilt cover, a new church binder-notebook thingy, M&M paraphernalia, some awesome pictures (thanks Lizzie), cosmetics, this awesome hand crank lantern, these awesome cupcakes on lollipop sticks (which I haven't tried as of yet, but look forward to eating when I get home today!! thanks Kati B!!!) and lots of very sweet cards. I'm a small gifts love language girl, so I was feeling very loved!

After the excitement left, I watched some Olympic action and ate some sausage and then MaryAnn and Suzanne came over to bring me my presents - European chocolates and new swimming gear (awesome tinted goggles and a white Nike swim cap).

What a way to finish out a great day!

So, 26 is starting out magnificently. I'm excited for all of the things that are coming up - Logan going on a mission, Michael getting his mission call and going to serve, applying for a master's degree, training for the sprint tri, paying off some more debt....the list goes on.....

Thanks everyone for helping me have a great day!

Love ya!

Oh What Do You Do in the Summertime?

When all the world is green.....I work. Boo! Sometimes I really hate that I have to be a grown-up and be all responsible and such. I really enjoy summers and working 40 hours a week and driving to that work for 10 really takes away from that enjoyment. On Saturday however, I was able to go to the lake. I love going to the lake. It's how I exercise these days. Uh oh here comes some math ------ TANGENT ---- See....


I have a good friend (one of my best) MaryAnn. She and I met in the C4 YSA Branch. The first day she came, I introduced myself (not just because I am the RSP, but because she seemed cool) and asked her where she was from. She told me she was moving from Boston. I had just spent time in New Orleans with the Garcia fam and met Erica, Brian's girlfriend (but also fiancee because I know they were talking!), who was living in Boston. My response to MaryAnn "Ohhh my cousin's almost fiancee lives there....Do you know Erica Ruth?" For the life of me I could not remember her last name, but sure enough MaryAnn knew who she was because she said "Erica Egli?" Our bond was sealed! We both were fans of Erica - common ground. Since that day, I have come to truly respect and admire MaryAnn. She is amazing! When I grow up, there are people that I want to be like and MaryAnn is one of them.

Whew....I hope you made it through that....now onto the story.....

Anyway, I am MaryAnn's visiting teacher (it was inspiration - I promise!) and one day when I went to visit I mentioned how my family likes to go swimming in Lake Lewisville. She was so excited. We arranged to go swimming during the week and then went again for Memorial Day. We have been swimming in the lake at least twice a week all summer, except for when MaryAnn went to Yankee land to visit her brother and sister (and was her totally awesome self and got some family history pics for me!). We have a usual route to "the peninsula" that is about 1/4 mile.
Two weeks ago, we started swimming further. We swam to "the island" which is about a 1/2 mile round trip.

Saturday, since it was a little choppy and cloudy, we swam past "the peninsula" but not quite as far as our island trip of the previous week. We are getting pretty good if I do say so myself and it's definitely good exercise because I'm always hungry after swimming and I sleep really well.


So why swim in nasty Lake Lewisville? Well, I have this goal. I am going to complete a sprint triathlon (500m or 750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run) before I turn 30. I would say when I'm 26, but because of the back surgery this year, I don't think I'll be able to train like I'd prefer so I'm giving myself a few years. Since swimming is my forte, I'm starting there and then when I have the money saved, I'm going to buy a good bike and start that training. I can't run (Dr. Guess, my back surgeon, would not be a happy camper or maybe he would be because he could make some more money...), so I plan to start back on the Elliptical when the feeling comes back completely in my left foot. I don't want to do it before then because it's risky. When I complete the sprint I plan to speed walk the 5km. So, there you go - the sprint triathlon is now officially one of my goals (since "A goal that isn’t written down is just a wish.").