31 Years!!

On their 25th Anniversary.

Today is Match and Papa's 31st Wedding Anniversary!!

Congrats!

I have learned a lot about love and marriage from Match and Papa!

They have shown me that if your relationship is based on love, you can make it through the hard times.

One time, my aunt, PieRanch*, told me that you better love the person you marry, because there are going to be times in life when that is all that gets you through.

Match and Papa definitely have that!

And it has gotten them through.

I hope that someday I will find love like they have!

In other news, I completed Day 2 of P90X. And I almost passed out. It was Plyometrics day. I should have eaten before I did it. But eating is difficult at 4:20 in the morning. I think that getting used to the eating portion of this whole deal is going to be difficult. They really stress eating 6 small meals - and that just isn't my style. I can do 3 meals and 3 snacks, but 6 small meals are a killer for me. I'm hoping that I will get in a routine soon and it will be easier. Cross your fingers!

Just Another Manic Monday...

For the past three hours I have tried to write this post and can't focus.

So you are going to get a glimpse into the way my mind works as I post what comes to mind...

1. My family ROCKS! HHT's wedding was a freaking blast on Friday night! We danced the night away. All of us, even my grandparents. The wedding ended at 11 and my grandparents were still there. Seriously, we have our issues (like any other family), but when it comes down to it, we can come together and throw it down!

2. I went to another wedding on Saturday. I wore these shoes:

I LOVE these shoes! For the wedding I wore them with a very unrevealing black dress. It has short sleeves, hits at my knees, and shows no part of my cleavage. I also happened to pull my hair back into a ponytail for the event. (This probably had something to do with the party mentioned above happening the night before). Either way, the only thing even remotely wild about my outfit was the shoes.

I know people were judging me.

I could feel it.

And the fact of the matter is, hot pink heels do not make you a slut. Or a hooker. Or whatever they were thinking.

There were certainly girls at the wedding with more revealing clothes on than me. Heck, the bridesmaid dresses were more revealing (and they were wearing pink shoes too - just not quite as pink).

I just really feel like hot pink heels do not make a hooker. So I'll keep wearing the shoes. And you can keep on judging me.

3. I started P90X this morning. I did the Chest and Back video and it was hard. I could have probably pushed myself a little harder in the first set, and I will start doing that, but don't kid yourself, this is a hard workout. I think it will take me a while to get into a routine, but I'm going to keep going - 90 days. I took before pictures yesterday, and I'll save them for when there is a transformation. But stay tuned!

4. A little piece of advice for my male readers (are there any of you?): Girls like flowers. A friend of mine had a picture of a bouquet of flowers that she got "just because" from the boy she was dating. And I wondered to myself, if guys knew how special that made a girl feel, would they do it more often? So I asked Big T - he said that the last time he sent flowers to Mrs. T was Valentine's Day - and complained because they were so expensive.

So I consulted IT to make sure I wasn't crazy, and we agreed (so it must be the truth) that a girl would rather have a $15 bouquet of whatever flowers "just because" than a $50 dozen roses on Valentine's Day.

Just a tip.

You May Be Right, I May Be Crazy...

Yesterday, I was talking to Diddy and I said something to the effect of, "...but I may be crazy."

He said, "Oh, you're crazy. It has been scientifically proven."

That may be a stretch - I don't think there is actual science out there...

This morning on our trip to get coffee, O'Dub said, "I like you, but you are crazy."

                                           Coincidence?

Either way, there is a lot of randomness on my mind today.

HHT is getting married tonight - you want to talk about crazy? I remember when she was just a little whipper snapper.

I want to go hiking.

I want to hike Turkey Track on our ranch.

And Half Dome at Yosemite.

And Machu Picchu in Peru.

I really have a lot of plans in life - I need to get moving.

It is apparently 24 weeks until I embark on my third Breast Cancer 3-Day - I should probably start training. Or fundraising. Or blogging.

P90X came in yesterday. I am going to spend Saturday preparing to start on Sunday. Preparations will include a meal plan and pictures. I will save the pictures until the end. I think this is going to be fun. I hope you all will help me stay on track.

And, hey, who knows...

It just may be a lunatic you're looking for.

What's Your Sign?

I'm not big on astrology.

I read my horoscope every once in a while, but it's definitely not a daily occurence.

And I know what my sign is, and a few others, but I can't tell you your sign just by hearing your birthday.

Granny B, on the other hand, LOVES it!

And consequently she knows a lot about it. You can tell her a birthday and she will tell you the person's sign and if they are compatible with you. And why.

A couple of weeks ago we were playing this little game when she told me that Gemini, which is my sign, is an "air" sign.

I wanted to see if she was full of shit so I rubbed a little Google on it.

Turns out she was right.

And the first paragraph of the description that I found still makes me laugh:

Gemini is the third sign of the zodiac, and those born under this sign will be quick to tell you all about it. That's because they love to talk! It's not just idle chatter with these folks, either. The driving force behind a Gemini's conversation is their mind. The Gemini-born are intellectually inclined, forever probing people and places in search of information. The more information a Gemini collects, the better. Sharing that information later on with those they love is also a lot of fun, for Geminis are supremely interested in developing their relationships. Dalliances with these folks are always enjoyable, since Geminis are bright, quick-witted and the proverbial life of the party. Even though their intellectual minds can rationalize forever and a day, Geminis also have a surplus of imagination waiting to be tapped. Can a Gemini be boring? Never! 

Do You Have Anything To Declare?

Do you know what I hate?

When I go to see a movie in the theater (which rarely happens) and I am watching the movie and a funny part comes on and I'm the only person who laughs.

Well, I don't really hate it, but it makes me wonder about other people.

Last night Dirty and I did something nutty! We went and saw Sex and the City 2 at midnight.

I never do things like that.

Heck, I'm usually in a deep sleep by that time of night.

It was a blast though!

I'm so glad that we did it - even if I'm barely able to keep my eyes open today...

Either way, there is a part in the movie where a lady asks Carrie if she has anything to declare. And her response, "Yes. I'm a mess!"

Dirty and I were the only people in the mostly full theater who laughed.

Seriously? How was that not funny to anyone else?

Celebrate!

As many of you know, I LOVE birthdays!

Not just mine - I love all birthdays!

To me, your birthday is the day to celebrate the person you are!

Reflect on where you've been.

Dream about where you're going.

Revel in the fact that you spent the last year learning and loving!

Today is my birthday so I am going to do all of those things.

And I am going to share with you some things that I have learned and loved in my 29 years.

                                    I LOVE America!   

One step into my living room will give you a good idea of where I stand when it comes to the Stars and Stripes. The Fourth of July is my favorite holiday! I get emotional when I see the jets fly out of Luke. I thank soldiers when I see them in their uniform. America is my home and I love that!

               I love blogs!

I read a number of blogs on a daily basis (or at least check to see if they have something new posted). I really enjoy reading the way other people write. I love learning about their lives. I guess it stems from my desire to know people. I try to be a good blogger with a post every day, but I know that I let myself down a lot. I hope you all can forgive me.

(In a great combination of America and blogging, The Pioneer Woman has a photography blog today that makes me travel through the range of emotions - go there now! You will not regret it!)

Contrary to popular belief - I love people!

As I mentioned above, I have a strong desire to know people. Learning about people helps me learn about myself. When I ask people questions, I try to formulate what my own answer to that question would be. Don't get me wrong - I don't love huge crowds of people. And I certainly don't love lots of physical contact with people (there are exceptions - namely my nephews). But one-on-one or in a small group, I love people.

I love my nephews!

But that is surely not new to any of you.

                                       I love exercise.

It is getting a little out of hand. I am still (I don't know if I announced it on here) boxing. Boxing is hard. But it is also fun! And I ordered P90X - I am going to start it next week. I'm super excited for that, because everyone I know who has done it has LOVED it! I'm thinking about blogging about it each day to keep myself accountable and let you all have a part in my transformation (I hope) - we'll see how that goes.

     I love myself! 

This seems silly, but I think that there was a time that this really wasn't the case. I was asked recently if there was one thing I could change about myself, what it would be. I came up with the superficial "lose weight" answer. But I think that working towards my goal is making me stronger - physically, mentally, and emotionally. It has been a journey and I have learned a lot about myself in the process. I also thought about answering with, "I would be able to say 'no' more often." And while the ability to do that would give me a lot more free time, it would make me a different person. I am proud of the woman I have become. I am a hard worker. I take pride in my work and my appearance. I am a good friend. I think Jennifer Nettles said it best when she said, "Slow to trust, but I'm quick to love. I push too hard, and I give too much. I ain't saying I'm perfect, but I promise I'm worth it!"

I have learned that Match.mom was right when she said to "Pray about it."

That when putting yourself out there, "the risk is great, but the rewards infinite."

That you really can't ask someone to love you if you don't love yourself.

That judging a book by its cover can make you miss a really great story.

That the world is really a different place through the eyes of a child.

That honesty is the best policy. Always!

That the right thing to do, is most often not the easy thing.

That old friends helped you become the person you are and new friends are helping you become the person you will be.

That things do happen for a reason, but it may take a lot of years for that reason to reveal itself. Embrace it.

Thank you all for being a part of my life. Each one of you brings something special to my world that makes it better than it was before.

I cherish all of you!

Let Go. Let God.

If you know Match.mom at all, you know that the song that Luke Bryan is singing in the player above could have been written by her. I can not tell you the number of times that I would be worried about something and talking to her about it and she would say, "Pray about it."

Let me tell you, there are certain times in your life when you do not want to hear that.

But here I am, almost 29 years old, and I find myself saying the same thing. Often.

I delivered that very same statement to O'Dub just the other day. He, of course, looked at me like I was crazy.

Whatever.

Last night I was feeling really anxious about a couple of things.

Well, let me back up. I talked to Banana on the way to work yesterday and she shared a story with me that got me thinking about God and my conversations with him. Then she called me last night and we were talking about prayer.

So as I lay down to go to sleep, I was feeling anxious about some things, and I knew that there were a few people who had recently asked for prayer for their friends or family; so I muted the TV and talked to God for a bit. Nothing in depth, nothing long and drawn out. Just a quick conversation to say, "Hey, Lord, I need you. And so do some of my friends."

And you know what? I slept better than I have in a long time.

And I woke up feeling much more at peace.

And it reminded me of Granny B. The other day I was talking to her about how silly boys were and she said, "Oh, Airplane. Let go. Let God."

I said, "You're right."

She said, "Repeat it back to me."

That made me laugh a little, but I said it.

And the truth is, it helps me get through the days.