Kristen's Scene

We Have Moved

2010-11-09T15:28:00.000-06:00

Please visit our new site..........

http://www.thegwaltneyhousehold.blogspot.com/

I probably will not update this blog any longer. Thanks for following me and I hope you come see (and follow) our new blog!

Kristen Gwaltney

It is Official

2010-10-25T16:20:00.002-05:00

We are married! It was perfect and I will have lots of pictures and will post more later but for now here is a glimpse of 'I DO'.

And I can't leave out the TEXAS RANGERS going to the World Series! The day we got married they were still playing the Yankees and all of our wedding party took a picture doing the 'claw' (except the Best Man, who I pointed out is a Giants fan)! We love the Rangers!

26 Days....

2010-09-20T13:16:00.003-05:00

Almost there...........

Have I told anyone that I get to marry my best friend? And that I feel like the luckiest girl around?

Well, I do.....

J O B

2010-09-20T13:13:00.002-05:00

Exciting news in the Gwaltney/Smith household.........Lee has a JOB!!!

He started today and works for SSG (Sports Supply Group), they sell sporting equipment to schools, little leagues, government, etc. They have several divisions that sell to different areas.

So, congratulations Lee, I am so proud of you!

Caroline Julie Bane

2010-09-20T13:07:00.004-05:00

Everyone, meet Caroline Julie Bane, 6lbs 14oz, 20". As Julie says, 'she is perfect'! Congratulations Julie and Jason..........and Happy Anniversary!

Welcome Caroline, I can't wait to meet you!

Plano Bridal Shower

2010-09-13T10:54:00.007-05:00

Saturday was my bridal shower in Plano. Allison, Miriam and Meredith did an awesome job and I loved every minute of the shower! The decorations, food and, of course, the punch were amazing! Thank you for loving me and doing so much for me!

I like this picture of mine and Allison's face, listening to Amy tell a story:)

Allison, Amanda and Miriam (yeah for Miriam's dress!)

Mom, her co-worker Lisa and Barbara

Miriam, Ronna, Amy, Meredith and I eating - another great facial expression for me!

Meredith, Aunt Janie, Mom and Lisa - I think we were about to open presents.

I love this picture of Amanda, she looks mischievous:)

Mom and I after the shower.

Miriam and I - really good picture!

The hostesses - Allison, Miriam and Meredith (and me).

Allison, Amanda and I

Miriam and Allison.

The dessert table - looks so good!

More dessert.....they have G's on them for the future Mrs. Gwaltney:)

Labor Day Weekend

2010-09-13T10:50:00.003-05:00

Lee and I were invited to the lake with friends over Labor Day weekend. We went that Sunday and watched the madness all around party cove:) I got a couple of pictures but not enough of all the crazy people out there!

Bobby, Lee and Tommy going for a float.

Allison and I held our own on the boat.

Lee and I - but the best is the women behind us floating with 'blow up dolls'! Look closely, back left:)

On Another Note

2010-08-31T11:35:00.003-05:00

I have a link to the side of my blog, 'Pray for Keith Beasley', and I wrote something on my blog about him quite a while back. He was in Austin for a Bachelor Party in April of 2009. He fell several stories from a parking garage and ended up alive but barely functioning. He never 'woke up' but his body functioned enough to stay at a hospital and eventually a skilled nursing home that could care for him. His wife was pregnant with their first child when the accident happened and she gave birth to their son in May of 2009. Brooks is a little over a year old now. Keith and his wife, Judy, both graduated from Texas Tech but I did not know them while I was at school. I have just kept up with Keith's progress thru his wife's postings on CaringBridge, etc. Judy has an amazing relationship with our Lord and to think about what she was going thru and to read her posts really helped my walk with the Lord at times. I really have no idea what it feels like to watch your 32 year old husband lay in a hospital and then a nursing home, barely functioning, while you raise your son that will never really know his Dad? I imagine that it is probably excruciating at times and hard to rely on God and believe that He is in control. But Judy always did believe and always seemed to recognize that He was the one in charge and that He knew what the outcome would be, whether Keith lived or went home to Heaven. Saying that, I read on their blog that Saturday morning Keith went home to be with the Lord. Even a year and a half later, it is hard to hear that he will never meet his son here on Earth. If you have a minute, prayers for the family would be wonderful.

The link to their CaringBridge site is still on the right side of my blog if you feel interested in reading some of the things that she wrote.

Bachelor Party....San Francisco

2010-08-31T11:25:00.004-05:00

Lee went out to San Francisco for his Bachelor Party/Weekend. He has some great friends there that planned the weekend out and I'm pretty sure he had a fabulous time!! They went to a Giants game, they toured the Anchor Steam Brewery and then went out pretty big Saturday night. He took some pictures but not very many. I posted the ones he took below.

This is Zac and his dog Lola. Zac's wife is due with their first child the weekend we are getting married:)

View from his deck.

Lee said this house was amazing, 3 stories and this is a view from the deck to the backyard.

Backyard again.

Tobey, relaxing on the patio.

Lee's best man, Beau.

Saturday night before heading out.

Beau and his beanie.

View of the city - beautiful!

Raul

2010-08-31T11:21:00.002-05:00

Raul played baseball with Lee in Mexico last summer. Now he is playing for an independant team in Wichita, KS. The same league that the Ft. Worth Cats are in. Anyway, he was in town last week playing against the Cats, so Lee and I went to the game and then took him out after for a couple of drinks. We had a great time catching up with him and finding out how life is treating him now.

Lee, myself and Raul

Lee and Raul

Lily's New Treats

2010-08-31T11:20:00.002-05:00

She loves pig ears....

Here she is enjoying her treat.

2 Months

2010-08-16T11:49:00.002-05:00

I haven't posted in a while and actually caught everyone up on the life of Kristen and Lee.......and Lily!

Can you believe it? 2 months until the wedding! We have had my bachelorette party, a bridal shower in Tyler, lots of wedding dress fittings, etc. Lee is going to San Francisco in a couple of weekends to celebrate his bachelor party! Woohoo, he is going to have a fabulous time! The invitations are going out soon. Everything is just coming together really great! Lee gave in and let me put up all of our new dishes and everything we have gotten so far! I was in heaven:) The stack of empty boxes almost reached our ceiling and it took us several trips to get them all out to the trash.

Non wedding stuff:

Lee has signed up for the Civil Service Exam on Sept. 8th with the Arlington Fire Dept.. This is exciting and becoming a fireman is a long process but I hope that it works out because I think Lee would be perfect at this job! Cross your fingers and I'll update you once we hear something.

We have been busy lately, alot of it is wedding stuff but also going to lots of Rangers games. It is really fun to watch the Rangers right now! I can't wait until the playoffs. College football is about to start! My favorite season of the year:) It always brings better weather too!

Speaking of weather, it is miserable out. We haven't taken Lily to the dog park in a long time because it is just too hot. Her tongue starts hanging out when we take her downstairs to go potty:)

I guess that is it for now. Until next time.....

Tyler Bridal Shower

2010-08-16T09:32:00.003-05:00

I went to Tyler last weekend for a Bridal Shower and it was outstanding! Lee and I are so blessed and we got SO much stuff. My Grandmother (Missy) made it to Tyler for the shower, this was such a nice surprise. So many people were able to attend and overall it was a great success! The hostesses did an amazing job with the food, decorations, punch, flowers, etc. Thanks to the hostesses for everything!

The table covered with yummy food!

My Missy, Mom and Meredith

Missy, Mom and myself

The cake was so good!

Jamie, me and Meredith (I used to babysit Jamie and now she and Mer are both 22!)

All of the hostesses (from left): Martha, Sharron, Susan, Peggy, JoAnn and Nancy.

Great family picture (from left): Aunt Janie, Aunt Judy, Missy, Mom, Mer and I.

The cake was chocolate and vanilla!

Even More Pictures from the Weekend

2010-08-03T07:57:00.008-05:00

I do not have these pictures in order but they are from Stephanie and Amy. Everybody did so great taking pictures! I love them all!

Stephanie and I at Glass Cactus Saturday night.

I think I was singing to Meredith in this picture:)

We are all singing in this one.

This was my first shot (I only did 2) but Miriam made me do this shot of Patron.....ugh!

Gross, I couldn't finish it.

So, Miriam finished it for me:)

Oooohhh.....that tasted terrible!

Ronna and Amy

Another great picture of Ronna and Amy

Everyone at the pool, so fun!

My gift from Miriam! Awesome!

Miriam, Allison and I - good picture!

Gretchen and I before the lingerie shower.

Stephanie and Amy on the shuttle to Glass Cactus. Yes, on the way there, we weren't done yet!

I'm not sure what we were doing but I like the picture!

Dinner Saturday night.

Another good picture from dinner Saturday night.

I like this picture too, all of us on the dance floor.

Look at the man in the back, waving to Stephanie:) And then Ronna is gettin down!

Booty picture - Lee will appreciate this picture:)

Amy and I at Glass Cactus.

Allison giving the sign.......

More Pictures from this Weekend

2010-08-02T15:26:00.004-05:00

Ok, these are Ronna's pictures from the weekend.

Stephanie and I participating in the 'limbo' and as you can see, we are the only adults!

Ronna and I at the pool.

Ronna, Miriam and Meredith in the pool.

Great picture of Stephanie and Amy at the lingerie shower.

Love those dance moves Amy!

More dancing....or standing.

Definitely bustin a move here!

Ronna and I at Glass Cactus.

Pictures from Bachelorette Weekend

2010-08-02T10:48:00.006-05:00

The pictures below are from Gretchen. Once I have more, I'll post them.

This is dinner Friday night at Texan Station.

The theme at the Gaylord this summer is 'Alice in Wonderland' and Meredith and I felt like we should be involved somehow:)

Dinner Friday night

Meredith and I before dinner.

Lingerie shower.......ooh...ahh

This nightie is from Amanda and it is precious!

Love my facial expression:) These undies are from Amy, as well as.....

this lovely pink bra! These are the only matching panties and bra I have, thanks Amy!!

Awesome romper from Dani (Lee's sister)! It is shorts and so soft! Do you love my double chin too?

Great picture from the lingerie shower.

Ronna, me, Meredith, Miriam, Dani, Allison, Amy and Stephanie

Another great picture from the shower - this one includes my sister Gretchen.

Meredith and I at the shower.

Awesome picture of Ronna and Amy at the shower......drinking Allison's fantastic punch that she bought from the man that was just robbed.....great story behind that!

Fabulous wine glass from Ronna along with.......

this sweet nightie!

This is another picture of the nightie from Ronna.

Ooh, Stephanie.....this is a little naughty and will be really fun to wear! I think that is what my facial expression is saying:)

Sunday morning after all of the festivities were over.

Sisters........

Krissy

2010-08-02T09:39:00.003-05:00

Miriam's dog, Krissy, passed away this morning. She was 15 (I think) and had been having trouble since she was getting older. I hate that she has passed though! The kids have grown up with her and Miriam has had her for so long.......

Be thinking about them today. Miriam said the kids aren't taking it very well.

Bachelorette Weekend

2010-08-02T09:05:00.002-05:00

My friends and sisters thru me the BEST bachelorette weekend at the Gaylord! I have a picture below from the pool on Saturday. I left the pictures up to everyone else so once I start getting them, I'll post them here.

I also hit the jackpot with all of the lingerie I got! Lee will be so pleased:)

Thank you Gretchen, Meredith, Miriam and Allison for throwing this shindig for me and making it the best weekend ever!

Thank you to my girlfriends that came Saturday for all of the festivities! I know it was a long day and you were away from your families. It means so much to me that all of you were there!

3 Months and Counting

2010-07-16T16:44:00.003-05:00

3 Months? Really? Things are really starting to go by fast!

Happy Birthday Mom!

2010-07-16T14:07:00.000-05:00

I love you so much and hope you have a wonderful day!

Pre-Marital Counseling - Part 5

2010-07-14T11:25:00.003-05:00

Topic - Finances

Last night we listened to alot on how to deal with finances before and after you are married. It was alot of information for only 2 hours but Watermark has a class called MoneyWise that Lee and I are interested in taking. It is a 5 week class that goes into detail about wisely dealing with money.

This post is shorter than the rest but that doesn't mean that we didn't get much out of last night. We did get a huge amount of knowledge, we are just thinking we'd like more in depth information.

I'll post again in August and let you know if we decide to take the MoneyWise class.

94 Day Challange

2010-07-14T11:18:00.003-05:00

We have 94 days left until the wedding. We have challenged ourselves to go to the gym EVERYDAY for the next 94 days.......

We actually started this yesterday and Lee and I both got our workouts in. I am going again today during lunch (there is a 24Hour Fitness really close to work). I'll post every once in a while on how we are doing. It is going to get really tough on days that we don't feel like getting a workout in or maybe times that we are traveling. But we have made this a personal goal as well as a challenge for ourselves. I think we can do it......

Pre-Marital Counseling - Part 4

2010-07-13T09:40:00.003-05:00

Topic - Spiritual Intimacy

I have procrastinated on this post. Last Tuesday was, as usual, an awesome presentation and wealth of knowledge about Spiritual Intimacy and where you stand in religion. I am going to keep some of the details to myself for now but I want to say that God is working wonders in Lee's heart and in my own. We are in a place that is better than any other we have been in the past 3.5 years. So, saying that, I ask for you to pray (or keep praying) for us as we journey through our spirituality and as God keeps working on us.

We love all of our friends and family who have and are supporting us through our engagement and who we know will support us through marriage! Thank you so much!

Kristen and Lee

Cake Tasting

2010-07-13T09:37:00.002-05:00

Lee and I got to do some cake tasting last night. It was delicious, we had marble, chocolate, strawberry, Italian Cream, red velvet and more! We didn't waste any time picking out our cakes. We both found something we liked and chose what flavors we wanted. I'll leave this one a secret until the wedding but I don't think anyone will be disappointed!

4th of July Weekend

2010-07-08T12:58:00.010-05:00

We went to the Hill Country (Medina) with 2 other couples for the 4th of July weekend. Thank you Sarah and Isaac for having us:)

We got to the house around 1:30am Saturday morning. I have uploaded a lot of pictures so I'll just try to reminisce picture by picture.

This is right after we got there, unloading and putting stuff up. I was smiling but I was ready for bed:)

Brandon and Isaac

Our fridge FULL of food.....and wine.

The red wines......whites were in the fridge.

Kaity cooking breakfast Saturday morning.

The house we were staying at. It used to be a school house.

View from the porch.

Another view from the porch.

Another view of the house.

Rain gauge, I thought this was a really cool feature on the property.

The jeep we rode around in.

2 horses on the property befriended us (we had carrots) and I had a great time feeding them.

Lee giving them carrots.

Brandon and Kaity - great picture.

Isaac and Sarah - great picture as well.

We would take the jeep to this spot on the property where we could jump into the 'river' and there was also a rope swing. This was alot of fun. It might have taken me a while to get the nerve up to jump but I finally did it!

The guys about to jump in.

Sarah and Kaity hangin on their float.

Group photo

Kaity and I found out we both love puzzles.

A little blurry but Isaac and his float.

It was very peaceful where we were at. The property has something like 70 acres and we didn't have phone service. It was really nice.

On Sunday we took a scenic drive and came upon these cows. Look at this guy, he wasn't playing around!

Brandon and Lee - it was beautiful on this drive.

The jeep wasn't broken down but it did need to cool off while we took pictures and walked around:)

More of the cows that we saw.

Lee and I

After the cows we kept driving for a while and came upon this stream - it was so beautiful too. We stopped and hung out here for a while.

Mine and Lee's feet in the water.

I love this picture.

The girls watching the guys walk further up the stream.

This is a 'bumper gate', the jeep just literally bumps it and it swings open for us. I don't know the full story behind these but I think they go back many, many years.

That is all of the pictures. We had a fabulous time!

More of Lily's Birthday

2010-07-08T12:49:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I bought Lily a birthday cake from Foxy Paws Dog Bakery in Willow Bend Mall. It is made of organic carrots, peanut butter and some other stuff. It will last in the freezer for up to 6 months so I told myself it would be worth it:) We gave her some last night and she loved it! Yes she has a birthday hat on and her 'birthday suit', if you think it is ridiculous......so do I but I couldn't resist!

Eating her cake.

She wasn't much into the hat or the shirt.

I love this picture of her face, can't imagine what she was thinking:)

Lee got her a treat also that is a muscle from a cow's mouth and dipped in vanilla. Sounds gross but Lily was in heaven.

Wedding Dress Fitting #1

2010-07-07T08:40:00.002-05:00

I get to try on my wedding dress today! I'm trying to pass the time quickly but it isn't working well:)

I am so excited!

Happy Birthday Lily!

2010-07-06T13:27:00.004-05:00

Lily is 1 today! Lee and I don't know what life would be like without her. We delight in her love and 'puppy' fun everyday!

This is the day we brought Lily home. She was so small and loved sitting on Lee's lap:)

Her head looks tiny in this picture.

Thanksgiving 2009, we got her nails clipped at Petsmart for the first time and then took her down the toy aisle (can you tell she liked it)?

Lily's reindeer hat that lights up.

This is something she is really good at.......

Lily has brought so much fun, joy and love to our world!

Happy Birthday Bug!

Pre-Marital Counseling - Part 3

2010-07-01T09:15:00.002-05:00

Topic - The Role of the Husband and Wife

This week Lee and I both took away so much from the class. They split the class up so that the Men were in another room listening to a male speaker and the Women stayed and listened to a female speaker. The speakers are a married couple that have 5 children, whew. Again, they were wonderfully spoken and got their message across seamlessly.

The Role of the Wife is to be the 'helpful servant' and although it sounds like you are supposed to be weak and do what your husband tells you to do, that isn't the case at all. It means that no matter what is going on, be helpful to your husband, respect him, love him and serve him. One of the points my speaker made is that after 5 kids she doesn't have alot of attention to give to her husband at the end of the day. She went back to this alot and spoke about failing at this. There must always be time for your husband, if you have spent your energy on something else and don't have any when he gets home from work, then you haven't spent your energy well. She also said that, logically, there are 2 things that feed a man: hunger and sex. Learn what he likes to eat, and learn his appetite in the bedroom. If we withhold love or sex, then we have failed. And it is easy to justify withholding love when it feels like he isn't paying attention enough or has said something hurtful, but you shouldn't withhold love when you have the ability to give it. One last thing she said is this: men have the emotional capacity of a small red wagon and women have the emotional capacity of a 2 ton truck. This is true, especially when you want to talk it out for a reallllllly looong time and the men have checked out. They don't have the emotional capacity that we do so keeping it to a 'short account' is best if possible.

I have learned and grown already in the 3 classes that we have taken. I am watching Lee do the same thing. Invaluable knowledge and foundation of expectations..........

Next class is spiritual intimacy. Thanks for reading.

Ryan James turns 1

2010-07-01T09:03:00.004-05:00

Allison and Bobby's son, Ryan, turned 1 on June 25th. They had a party for him last Saturday. It was a Barnyard Theme, and Allison, you did fantastic on everything! She had the place decorated so well, the cake was delicious and everything just went together fabulously! Great job Momma!

And finally I have a picture with my friend:)

Bobby, Allison, myself and Lee at the party

World Cup

2010-06-29T08:25:00.001-05:00

Bummer that the US Team lost their game against Ghana on Saturday. I think they had a great run during this World Cup and I hope 4 years from now in Brazil that the US Team will do even better.

Misc.

2010-06-29T08:01:00.005-05:00

Over the weekend I got a call from LuLu's Bridal letting me know that my wedding dress was in! Woohoo! I have to make an appointment with the alteration lady so I haven't seen it yet but I can't wait to try it on and see what it looks like 'brand new'! We also purchased Lee's wedding ring on Sunday. He chose Tungston medal and it is really beautiful! I posted a picture below.

Lee's nephews had a baseball tournament this weekend in Aledo. We went to two games on Sunday and they won one and lost one. I got some really great pictures of the boys and Lee that I am posting.

Ben, Lee and Nate

Nate, Eric, Lee and Ben

We also celebrated Aunt Karen's Birthday on Saturday and I got a couple of good pictures from that.

Barbara, Lilly and Karen

Lee's sister, Terri and brother, Scooter.

Karen (drinking her birthday wine) and Kathy

Sisters, Barbara and Karen

Saturday, 1:30pm - USA vs Ghana

2010-06-25T09:17:00.006-05:00

This video is the World's reaction to the goal Landon Donavon scored against Algeria. I can't wait for the game against Ghana this weekend!

USA 1 - Algeria 0

2010-06-23T11:17:00.002-05:00

What a game!

Pre-Marital Counseling - Part 2

2010-06-23T09:28:00.004-05:00

Topic - Communication

Last night was really awesome! The speakers for Communication made it awesome, they are a married couple (14 years) and just did a fabulous job of relaying conflict and resolution and everything in between. The goal of communication should be 'mutual understanding', it's just how you go about getting the other person to understand. I can use the information from last night throughout all of my relationships (friends, family, coworkers, etc.). We talked about 4 destructive patterns of communication:

Withdrawing and Avoiding - doing your best to not have the conversation at all or trying to get out of the conversation you are already in.

Escalating - responding negatively towards each other, yelling, bringing up the past, trying to 'one up' each other.

Negative Interpretation - Interpreting something negatively when it really wasn't meant that way at all. Usually something you are insecure about.

Invalidation - subtle put downs of what the other person has said.

Lee and I can see that we have participated in these patterns and have work to do. But we are willing to put forth that effort for a good foundation to grow and pass on.

I am not one to remember or quote scriptures, but I really like the following two.

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. James 1:19

So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate. Matthew 19:6

Next week is the Role of Husbands and Wives...until then.

Call Me Crazy

2010-06-16T13:19:00.000-05:00

But I love this song......I dance every time I hear it!!

4 Months and Counting.....

2010-06-16T07:53:00.002-05:00

Exactly 122 days from today I'll be surrounded by my family and friends, getting ready for the best day I've shared with Lee yet! We have picked out what he and his groomsmen will wear for the wedding. They didn't have a good color match to the bridesmaid's dresses so we went with black/silver/grey. Lee's tux is black pinstripe with grey/silver vest and tie. The groomsmen's tuxes are all black. I think they are all going to look spectacular!

We still need to get our cupcakes/cake, whatever we decide to do and look at wedding rings for Lee. My Aunt is in the process of addressing our invitations (she is a caligrapher) and we have even gotten a couple of gifts shipped to our apartment! Let me just say, that is one of my favorite parts of all of this!

Miriam has planned my Bachelorette Weekend and I am really looking forward to my fabulous sisters and friends that will be there to celebrate with me!

Last night was our first pre-marital counseling class and Lee and I both think it is going to be pretty intense but very worthwhile. There are like 200 or more people in the class. You are assigned to a certain table with 2 or 3 other couples as well as team leaders. The team leaders are couples that have been married and are just there to guide you and help with any questions, etc. Last nights topic was the 'biblical meaning of marriage' and it was great to listen to the speaker and what he had to say. We talk amongst ourselves at our table and we did a 'Newlyweds Game' which consisted of girls getting this question "He spares no expense when it comes to " " and he is really a cheapskate when it comes to " ". We had to fill in the answers and the guys had to guess. I put Golf for the first one and clothes for the second question. Lee guessed 'clothes' for the first one that he spares no expense for! Ha! But when I said Golf he agreed:) His question for me was: Her favorite nickname for me is " ". Well, I call him Wee sometimes and that is what he wrote and what I guessed. Really great to get all of that out in the open....geez. Anyway, after we had our table discussion the speaker asked if there were any really funny nicknames and one person had 'Snot Face', someone had 'Sweet Muffin Poodle' (gag) but those two were the funniest. Next weeks topic is Communication. I'll report after class.

Weekend

2010-06-14T07:48:00.002-05:00

We had a really great weekend, low key and quiet:)

We went to the Cats game Friday night. It was Alumni night so Lee was asked to come to the game and he went out of the field pregame to be recognized. It was definitely weird to have him next to me in the stands instead of out on the field pitching. We had a great time and after the sun went down it was a little more enjoyable. The weather so far this summer 'sucks', I mean it is HOT! Saturday we watched the US and England play and that was a really great game! I'm loving the World Cup so far and looking forward to listening to the next game Friday morning. Go Team USA! We also rented some movies, It's Complicated and Extraordinary Measures. Both movies were fantastic! That doesn't happen often, usually one of the movies is ok or just bad. If you haven't seen either of the movies, I recommend them! We ended the weekend by watching Season 3 of True Blood and it was as good as you could have imagined! I can't wait until next Sunday!

Tomorrow Lee and I have our first session of Pre-Marital counseling. We signed up for an 8 week program, it is every Tuesday night from 6:30 to 8:30pm. I'll let you know how it goes.

Job Interview

2010-06-14T07:46:00.001-05:00

Lee has a job interview today at 11:45am! He is going to do fabulous!

Lots of luck sweetheart! I love you so much!

PAC-10 Bound?!

2010-06-10T15:46:00.002-05:00

I'm having a hard time with this but it sounds like the Big 12 is going away!! Whaaaaaa!

Colorado has announced that it is going to the PAC-10. Texas Tech hasn't said anything yet so I guess we just wait and see what happens. I think it could be interesting having to play the teams that are already in the PAC-10 but we would get creamed!!

I'll just say that change is usually good and maybe this will give TTU the ability to recruit more from the west.

I still don't like Tommy Tuberville...............

I like Mike Leach.

Road Rage

2010-06-10T08:15:00.002-05:00

So, I'm driving home from work yesterday on George Bush. It is 5:30pm and traffic is horrible. I'm in the left hand lane and I'm behind 10 cars going 75 (approximately) and a truck is trying to get around me but he can't, there is nowhere to go. So, instead he sticks his arm out of the window and proceeds to give me the finger for a good 30 seconds to a minute. And he isn't just flipping me off but he is waving his arm around to make sure that everyone sees what he thinks of me.

I drive everyday (twice a day) on several highways and most drivers suck. But this guy stands out because he was first class white trash and from the way his truck is so poorly taken care of I'm positive there is no insurance involved.

So, NO, I'm not going to move over for this guy to just get in front of me but behind the other 10 cars in front of me! After a not so great day, he didn't make it better but he did make me realize that I am way better off than he is!

Lily's New Haircut

2010-06-08T07:50:00.002-05:00

We got Lily groomed for the first time. She did great!

She is chewing on the bandana the groomer put on her....she isn't much into bandana's.

She is trying to get the bandana off in this picture.

Memorial Weekend

2010-06-01T08:17:00.002-05:00

We had a really fun Memorial Day Weekend! Lee started it off by going to the Colonial Golf Tournament Thursday and Friday. Saturday I cleaned the apartment, it needed it really bad. We went to Lake Lewisville on Sunday with our friends and had a really awesome time! Monday we went to Lee's parents house for lunch/dinner and it was wonderful! We were absolutely stuffed last night!

Lee and I on the boat.

Lee and Tommy posing.

I took this picture so you could see the 'stripper pole' on the back of this boat. It has a disco ball at the top of it. Surprisingly, I only saw one girl dance on the pole.

Allison and I getting a picture in.

Lily's Favorite New Toy

2010-06-01T08:15:00.002-05:00

Is just a baseball, but she loves it and will tear it apart.....of course.

Happy Birthday Julie!

2010-05-24T08:23:00.003-05:00

I hope you have a fabulous day!

Miss and love you!

Graduation Weekend

2010-05-24T08:06:00.004-05:00

What a great (and long) weekend! We went to Tyler Friday after I got off of work and stayed with my parents. My Mom got Lee a cookie cake and decorated for him. Everything looked great! My Dad cooked steaks and we had a really great night.

The cookie cake, I forgot how good these are!

The graduate and the decorations.

We woke up early Saturday morning and got on the road around 8:30am. It takes about 3 hours from Tyler to get to Ruston, LA. Lee didn't want to wear his 'nice' clothes while driving so once we got to Ruston he was going to change. We stopped and had lunch and about 15 minutes before he needed to be at the school we realized that neither of us grabbed his clothes out of our room in Tyler. It is 12:15 and graduation is at 2pm, he is supposed to be at the school at 12:30pm. He is in shorts, a t-shirt and adidas slides...........we are watching everyone walk into the school and they are all dressed to the max! Lee has nothing else but his nice shoes, I mean nothing. So..........we go to WalMart (this is our only option in Ruston). Get a pair of pants and a button up, long sleeve shirt. The shirt ended up being a 3 quarter length shirt on Lee and while he was changing all I could do was laugh! I mean we will remember that 'disaster' for years to come. But it was fine and graduation was a success!

Before the graduates came out.

Lee saw us in this pic and is smiling.

Waiting to go on stage.

After graduation I got a couple of good pictures.

Once graduation was over, everyone headed to Shreveport and we ate at Ralph and Kackoo's (really great Cajun restaurant).

My Dad and I.

Kaity and Brandon

Isaac and Sara

We drove home after dinner because we wanted to have all day Sunday to relax. We got home around midnight and I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow:) Sunday morning we got up and went to pick up Lily. She was really happy to see us and be home. She had a great time playing with Tammy and all of her dogs! She was worn out!

Fabulous Weekend!

Invitations

2010-05-21T11:12:00.001-05:00

Our invitations came in yesterday and they look great! Everything is coming together and I am getting really excited!

PacMan's 30th Anniversary

2010-05-21T11:10:00.003-05:00

I snagged the picture from Google but this might be my all time favorite game. I used to play it at my PaPa's store when I was little.

Here's to you Mrs. PacMan.

Less than 5 months to go?!

2010-05-18T14:10:00.003-05:00

I can't believe it but we have less than 5 months until Lee and I get married! We booked the rehearsal dinner site over the weekend. For you locals, it is at Los Vaqueros Restaurant in the Stockyards. I have a picture below of the outdoor area where the rehearsal dinner will be.

We have ordered the bridesmaid's dresses and my dress should be here at the end of June or early July. I have ordered some decorations for the reception and our invitations should be here soon.....

Lee will graduate this weekend and then we focus on his part of the wedding....his suit or tux, the groomsmen's suits, his ring, the honeymoon, etc., there really is so much to do to plan a wedding!

I have had a lot of help and I'd like to take a moment to thank my Mom and Dad for the money that they are spending on Lee and I and all of the support they give us, my sister's for helping with projects, being bridesmaids and for their support, Barbara and Bill for the money they are spending as well as their support and for Miriam and Allison who keep me sane and listen to me! Thank you for being such good friends and thank you for the support that you give Lee and myself. Lee and I are in this together but we couldn't do it without any of you!

iPhone World

2010-05-14T09:47:00.003-05:00

Lee and I have joined the iPhone world.....

Actually, I got my phone last weekend but Lee wasn't available for an upgrade yet. He will be on the 18th so we are going to get his phone next week. We love it though. We have downloaded a few Apps and have been playing games on the phone. And it takes really great pictures! I still have a lot to learn about it but so far it has been so much better than my last phone!

Lily

2010-05-14T09:45:00.002-05:00

She is still a mess:)

Lee is Home!

2010-05-14T09:41:00.002-05:00

Lee got home yesterday and this time he is here for good! He graduates May 22nd. He also got his college ring yesterday and it looks so nice! I have a picture of it below but it doesn't show all of the detail. He is not a 'ring wearer' but this ring looks awesome!

My First Tomato of the Season

2010-05-14T09:40:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday Meredith

2010-05-11T15:18:00.000-05:00

I hope today is extra special! Love you so much!

Happy Birthday Lee

2010-05-06T08:15:00.002-05:00

Lee has left his 20's in the dust and joined me in the 30's!!

I wish you the best day ever. I can't wait to see you in 11 days!! I am so proud of you and I am so proud to have you as my best friend, my partner, my everything! I love you....

Celebrating our Birthdays

2010-05-03T09:09:00.003-05:00

Yesterday morning Lee and I went to play golf (he plays, I ride in the cart) and then we met his parents and brother at Pappedeaux's for lunch. We got to the restaurant first and ordered Bloody Mary's and they were really good! We celebrated our birthday's this weekend since Lee will be in Louisiana this week. I had already bought his present when we were in Houston a couple of weekends ago, but he got some Rock & Republic jeans. He bought me my favorite perfume, FlowerBomb. We got to open presents from his parents and brother yesterday, we got a Westie Dog Statue for the garden (Lily loves this) and we got a birdhouse that has Texas Tech on the front (I'll post pictures of these later). Really awesome gifts, thank you!

We got some pictures celebrating with our Bloody Mary's!

Brunch

2010-05-03T09:07:00.003-05:00

Saturday morning we met Katy and Brandon for brunch at Ozona's. We had a really great time visiting and enjoying the fabulous food!

Great picture of Katy and Brandon.

Lee and I - we were stuffed at this point!

The four of us.

Horse Races

2010-05-03T09:02:00.003-05:00

Last Thursday we went to Lone Star Park for a work 'shindig' and had a great time! We eventually figured out how the betting worked and even won money at the end of the night. I posted some pictures below of all the fun:)

Lee and Grazyna before the racing started.

Justine and Chris

Miriam, Chuck and Maura

Randy and Miriam (after several drinks:)

Grazyna ended the night winning big too!

Happy Birthday Allison

2010-04-27T13:32:00.002-05:00

I hope you have a wonderful day! Lunch was great:) Love you!

Addison, Troy Aikman, Soccer

2010-04-20T08:31:00.002-05:00

I love this! Miriam's daughter, Addison, played against Troy Aikman's daughter's soccer team last weekend. He was there to cheer his daughter on and Miriam got this picture of Addison about to throw the ball in and there is Troy Aikman squatting in the background. So cool.

In the Paper

2010-04-20T07:54:00.003-05:00

Our engagment announcement was in the Tyler and Fort Worth Papers last weekend. Below is a copy of the Tyler Paper (Ft. Worth had the same thing). Wouldn't you know I spelled my own middle name wrong....it only has one 'N'. Ha, my Mom and Lee thought that was hilarious. I don't really spell my middle name often:)

Snug as a Bug in a Rug

2010-04-19T11:38:00.005-05:00

This towel had just come out of the dryer and Lily was soaking up all of the warmth....

Less than 6 months to go...

2010-04-18T14:57:00.002-05:00

I meant to post on Friday but time got away from me....

Friday was the 6 month mark until the wedding! This month we are ordering the invitations, response cards, etc. (everything that goes with the invitation basically). My Aunt has offered to address the invitations and I took her up on it since she is an expert in calligraphy!! I'm excited for the upcoming months and what Lee and I get to do. We have his suit and the groomsmen's suits to pick out, as well as the rehearsal dinner site. We have to order the cake and we still have to pick out his ring. Then the bachelor/bachelorette parties, showers, etc. start and I am so looking forward to that!

Everyday I get a little more excited....

Houston

2010-04-13T08:52:00.005-05:00

Lee and I went to Houston last weekend. A friend of his, with the Phillies, was in town for a series against the Astros. We went to the games Friday and Saturday night and had a great time! This is the first time that I have gotten to meet Cole, and he is so nice and down to earth! He has a 6 month old little boy, Caleb, that is precious, we got to see lots of pictures. We stayed at the Westin at the Galleria so Saturday after lunch, we walked around and I bought Lee his birthday present. He wanted a pair of Rock & Republic jeans and we found a great pair!! The Galleria is huge, by the way! We could have walked around it all day, but the Masters was on so we had to go back to the room and watch Tiger:)

The best picture we got of us from our balcony.

Lee and Cole after dinner on Saturday night.

I got in on a picture too!

Spring 2010

2010-04-05T10:08:00.003-05:00

Lee and I went to Home Depot on Saturday and bought flowers, pots, potting soil, tomato plants, etc. All the stuff that makes it seem like Spring is finally here. I planted everything when we got home so here are the first pictures (when everything is still alive:).

I would tell you what this plant is but I don't remember.

Lee got me this bunny when he was in Shreveport, I love it!

Tomato Plant

Pristiq - who knew.....

2010-04-05T09:54:00.002-05:00

So, we noticed a couple of months ago that when this Pristiq commercial would come on TV, Lily would go nuts! Barking and causing a ruckus. I am assuming she doesn't like the lady robot but who knows?! I recorded the commercial and took video of how upset she gets. Click below:)

Spark, Connect, Dwnld

2010-03-30T20:11:00.002-05:00

If you like Vitamin Water, these are 3 awesome new flavors! Spark is grape-blueberry, Connect is black cherry-lime, and Dwnld is berry-cherry.

Just wanted to pass along the information for those that drink Vitamin Water, (even if you don't) try these new flavors out.

Tyler for the Weekend

2010-03-30T08:13:00.005-05:00

We went to Tyler last weekend to run in the Azalea Trail Run on Saturday morning. It was probably the most laid back 'run' we have ever done. We ended up just doing the 2 mile fun walk/run. Lee, Meredith, Lily and I walked the 2 miles and had a great time. It was good weather and we enjoyed the nice scenery. Later that day we had to help my Dad get his truck out of the garage he parks in at work. His truck wouldn't start on Friday and the parking garage is so small that there was no way a tow truck could get up there! I put pictures below so you can see. Picture this: Mom is in the car steering for us and Lee, Dad and I are pushing the truck until the point of starting to go down the ramp. Then Lee gets in and we push him to the start of the ramp and he gets down it without a scratch but it was the scariest thing because you couldn't even fit your finger between the wall and side mirrors, that is how skinny the ramp is!! Lee did an awesome job and I know my Dad appreciated that!

This is the ramp that we had to get the truck down!!

On a side note, we left Lily in the backyard most of Saturday because it was great weather and she doesn't get to enjoy the 'outside' as much since we live in an apartment. Well, Lee and I went to visit my Aunt and my parents were still out running errands. When they got home they found Lily deep in a hole, with dirt just flying out of it. That's right, she is a digger!! Like I have said before......she is our monster:) Here are some pictures my Mom took after she found her.

She had dirt caked to her nose, Mom had to use a wet rag to get it off. She was so filthy anyway, we gave her a bath that night and the tub looked like we were trying to create a beach scene with all of the sand.

The hole she dug is behind her but this pic doesn't do enough justice because the hole was so deep that she fit down in it!

PS....200 days until the wedding!

Where is the Bug?

2010-03-26T07:45:00.003-05:00

This morning as I was getting my things ready to leave I'm calling Lily and trying to find her so she can go in her cage/apartment for the day. She isn't responding and I don't see her anywhere so I am looking in my closet, the bathroom, I mean she has to be somewhere right? The pictures below are what I noticed as I was walking into our room (for the 10th time) trying to find her:)

I noticed a black spot under the bed so I'm guessing she thought she was invisible.

Limited Edition...Chocolate Covered Ritz

2010-03-25T15:42:00.003-05:00

Ok, Lee and I both have a sweet tooth so when we shop who knows what we are going to end up with! Last weekend when I was visiting him in Louisiana we happened upon some Limited Edition Chocolate Covered Ritz Crackers.......oh my goodness.......they are so good! If you like the taste of chocolate covered pretzals (the sweet and the salty) you will love these.

Try them!

Graduation...Here Lee Comes

2010-03-25T08:09:00.002-05:00

Lee has registered for his cap and gown and just ordered his frame for his diploma and also his announcements/invitations. This is so exciting! Now that the Spring Quarter is here it really has hit us both that graduation is around the corner. He also ordered his Ring and it is going to be awesome, I can't wait until it comes in. Graduation is May 22, 2010.

I just want to say how proud I am of you Lee! You have accomplished so much and this diploma is well deserved! I love you so much!

Wedding Shoes

2010-03-25T08:07:00.002-05:00

Below are mine and Lee's shoes for the Big Day. If his are a little hard to read, they say 'I heart KDG'. My new initials! I get a little spunk to my name now by adding Gwaltney!

The Bug

2010-03-25T07:55:00.005-05:00

We started calling Lily, 'Lilybug' and now just 'Bug'. It has stuck and I think it is too funny. Yesterday morning I was making my coffee for the road and I already had the Bug in her cage. She has towels in there to lay on during the day and several toys, along with her bowl of food. I've noticed that she just moves her food around in her bowl with her nose. I'm not sure if there is any logic to this or it's just fun for her to do? Now she has started moving the towels (with her nose) to cover up her food. I have no idea who she is hiding her food from but I think it is hilarious so I took some pictures.
You can see the towel is halfway over her food bowl.

This is from the top of the cage.

This was last night, I feel like she is trying to tell me 'enough with the pictures!' Ha.

She really is growing so much, not alot of baby left in her.

Louisiana

2010-03-25T07:47:00.002-05:00

I went to Monroe last weekend to visit Lee. We had a really great weekend! Saturday we went to Ruston and he showed me around the Louisiana Tech campus. I got to see where he spends most of his time at the school and I also got to see the baseball field. The baseball field is really nice and I got to meet the pitching coach who was there when Lee played. We didn't get to see a game but hopefully next time I go back we can make it for a game. We also went to see Alice in Wonderland in 3D but I slept thru some of it:) Lee kept nudging me to wake up. I like the 3D experience but it wasn't my favorite movie. I drove home Sunday in the snow, I'm hoping that is the last of the snow! I am ready for Spring and Summer to get here. This weekend we are going to meet in Tyler and stay with my parents. We are running in the Azalea Run on Saturday morning and then my Dad is cooking lots of good food for us that afternoon. And we are hoping to meet Meredith's boyfriend:)

Mary C. Lawton Lifetime Service Award

2010-03-18T15:56:00.004-05:00

The Mary C. Lawton Lifetime Service Award is designed to recognize employees who have served at least 20 years in the Department and who have demonstrated high standards of excellence and dedication throughout their careers.

My Mom is up for this award through the Office of the Deputy Attorney General. I think that we may know if she is the 'chosen one' sometime in April or May. Just a note to let you know why she deserves it.....

There isn’t much that my Mom hasn’t done when it comes to her family. As a little girl, and still today, I’ve always seen my Mom as being a strong, independent, very hard working woman. I know that I am supposed to come up with organizations that she has been involved in or part of but after thinking this through, my Mom’s biggest accomplishments in life are her family and her work. She is in a position as Victim/Witness Coordinator to use her best qualities and, at this, she thrives. She helps to calm and relax victims and witnesses that are about to take the stand (usually for the first time ever) in a Courtroom where a defendant may be sitting right in front of them. She is there, always, to make sure that they are taken care of. She is also always there for her family. As I was growing up, my Mom taught Sunday School at our church. She took me to dance lessons, recitals and was at every soccer game. She often was the glue of our family and kept us going. I can remember going to work with her during the summers and I loved it! Although my Mom worked every day during the week, we grew up with a homemade meal on the table every night. I admire my Mom for working hard, with her only goal to be better and to be noticed in a time when women rarely were. She has dedicated her life to being the best Mother to myself and my sister and to being the best wife to her husband. The achievements that she has made at work are too numerous to count. She has traveled for hearings, trials, conferences, 911 trials and more. She has conducted her own Victim Conferences as well as spoken publicly on the topic of her profession.

I know that she is not the only nominee for this award but if she is to be chosen as the Mary C. Lawton Lifetime Service Award winner, it would be going to the person that deserves it the most!

Finished

2010-03-15T08:15:00.003-05:00

I finished the Half Marathon yesterday and that was my goal! I didn't have a goal of finishing in a certain time since this was my first Half to run, I wasn't really sure what to expect. My parents dropped me off at the 'runner drop off' area and I just followed everyone to the start line. Of course I needed to use the portapotty one more time before the start. Other than that I had a pretty good run. I enjoyed all of the bands that were playing along the course and seeing all of the different runners....young, old, dressed in costume, etc. I have some pictures below of right before the race started. My Mom has the after pictures so I'll post those when I get them. It couldn't have been more perfect weather and I'm really glad that I ended up running (a big part of me could have stayed home on Sunday and enjoyed just doing nothing:). Thanks everyone for your text messages of support and for your encouragement!

Rock and Roll

2010-03-12T14:11:00.002-06:00

I am registered and ready for this 'total chaos' on Sunday:) My parents are coming up to cheer me on at mile 7 and the finish line. I'm excited and really nervous but I'm hoping the adrenaline I have on Sunday will help get me thru the times I'm ready to quit. My goal is to finish, this is the first Half Marathon I've ever run.

Wish me luck....

To the Girls at 'Delicious Cakes' in Addison,

2010-03-10T21:07:00.002-06:00

You called me and asked if I'd be interested in a 'complementary tasting'. I said yes and we set up a time for me to come in. Then you called me back, on the same day, and told me that my appt. time is no longer available and we rescheduled. THEN, you called me again the next morning and told me my second appt. time is no longer available and we need to reschedule. You called me to begin with!! Get yourselves together and no, I don't want to reschedule!

Geez

Handsome Men's Club

2010-03-10T09:23:00.001-06:00

This is hilarious if you haven't already seen it...

Our Friend

2010-03-05T17:53:00.002-06:00

Our friend, Michelle Hall, passed away this morning around 4am. She lost her fight against Lung Cancer at the young age of 32. Please say some prayers for the Hall Family as there is no understanding for this type of tragedy.

God Bless You Michelle....

Winter Quarter Ends

2010-03-02T08:35:00.002-06:00

Lee is officially done with the Winter Quarter at Louisiana Tech! He starts the Spring Quarter next week and then he will graduate May 22nd! We are so excited. He came home last night and will be here for a little over a week. It is so great to have him home! When he gets back to Monroe he will start coaching a 14 year old baseball team. They have 2 or 3 tournaments a month (that could be anywhere in Louisiana or surrounding States). I think he is going to do awesome and I wish him lots of luck!

We have an appt. with a caterer tomorrow and I'm hoping that everything works out so that this lady can do our food and cake. She is such a nice lady and her shop is in Keller, it is called Sweet Memories Catering. I'm looking forward to some taste testing!!

Girl Scout Cookies

2010-03-02T08:34:00.002-06:00

Why is it so easy to eat a whole box of Thin Mints? I eat one and it seems like I can't stop, especially if they are cold! Yummy.....

Dear IRS,

2010-02-26T16:03:00.002-06:00

Thank you for my refund and for being so timely in getting it to me! Please don't send me a letter at the end of this year telling me I owe you money.....

Thanks,
A girl who pays way too much taxes

Bridal Show

2010-02-23T08:08:00.002-06:00

I roped in a couple of people to go to the Ft. Worth Bridal show with me last Saturday. It was fun and I got a chance to get information on caterers and (most importantly) honeymoon destinations! After talking to a couple of travel agents that were there, I was ready to leave for my Honeymoon the next day:) Anyway, things are coming together. I booked the ceremony musician yesterday and I think he is going to be awesome.

Thanks Mom, Meredith and Barbara for going to the show with me! I had a great time!

Dear Snow,

2010-02-23T08:06:00.002-06:00

I'm tired of seeing you, please go away.

Sincerely,
A girl looking for HOT weather

Dear Team USA,

2010-02-22T19:20:00.005-06:00

Last night's game against Team Canada was awesome and even better........we won!! Almost on the 30 year anniversary of the 'Miracle Win'. I hope all of you keep riding high on adrenaline from this win and give the Gold Medal a good run!

Sincerely,
One of your many fans

p.s. - If you have to play Team Canada again, beat the snot out of them!!

Wedding Dress

2010-02-15T10:25:00.002-06:00

I forgot to post this picture from last weekend. When you buy your dress at Lulu's in Dallas they make a fuss over you with bubbles and wedding music:) Here is my Mom and I after we bought my dress.

All Decade Team

2010-02-09T10:36:00.003-06:00

Congratulations Lee! He was voted into the Louisiana Tech University All Decade Baseball Team! This is quite an accomplishment and very deserving!

If you would like to read more about this, click here http://www.latechsports.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/020510aaa.html

Thank you so much to all of you that voted!

Dear Lee,

2010-02-09T09:27:00.002-06:00

Lily and I can't wait to see you! We miss you everyday. Lily needs you home so you can play with her until her tongue is hanging out! I don't play with her exactly like you do and when I try, she just looks at me and this look says "can you please tell Dad to come home, he is the one that plays the best!!'.

We love you....

Prayers

2010-02-09T09:07:00.002-06:00

Just a quick note about two really special people that have been chosen to 'go home'.....

When I lived in Beaumont, I went to highschool with a girl named Erin Cloud (Scott is now her married name) and she always had a smile on her face. She has the curliest strawberry/blonde hair and I remember going to her house so she could help me with dance moves because I was trying out for the drill team (um, no I didn't make it.....have you seen me dance:). I did not keep in touch with Erin when my family moved to Tyler but just recently I was invited to join a Prayer Group for her on Facebook. She was battling colon cancer and in January when I first read about her fight, she was in the last stages of what would be her amazing life here on earth. Erin passed away February 3, 2010 at MD Anderson hospital in Houston. She was 32 years old and left behind a husband and 2 young children. I hope Heaven is everything she needs it to be.

One more person I want to write about is Michael. He was a guard at the US Attorney's Office in Tyler (where my Mom works) for years. He was there when I worked as a student in 1997. He was the sweetest person and would do anything for you. I remember his smile. Michael wasn't feeling well last Wednesday night, he went to the emergency room and passed away after suffering a heart attack. He was 47 years old and leaves behind a wife. Michael is someone that I know is absolutely enjoying his time in Heaven and just waiting for everyone else to join him. His passing was sudden and unexpected, which makes it a little harder since you don't get to say goodbye.

Please say a prayer for these two families, as they have lost someone so special.

Wedding Planning

2010-02-09T08:53:00.003-06:00

It has officially started. I have made really good progress and I still have 8 months to go! We have booked the ceremony/reception site, photographer and band. I picked out bridesmaids dresses (color and fabric, they are choosing the style they want) and I found my wedding dress this past weekend! Whew, it has been a whirlwind and a little bit stressful but fun, nonetheless. We are going to a bridal show in Ft. Worth in a couple of weekends and I'm excited to see what they have, I've never been to one before.

Lee and I registered a week ago and we had so much fun! You can definitely get carried away with that scanner! It is fun picking out and deciding on all of the different items for your kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, etc.

Anyway, things are going great and we are both looking forward to October 16, 2010!

Olympic Mittens

2010-02-09T08:49:00.003-06:00

The hottest item for the Winter Olympics in Vancouver are these Red Mittens. Lee and I saw them on a news show and I loved them and wanted some. So, he made some phone calls and got me a pair!! I feel so special:) They are so nice too, they are fleece on the inside....really warm! Thank you Lee, I love my mittens!

Lily in the morning

2010-02-09T08:46:00.003-06:00

So, when I get up in the morning Lily moves to the spot where I slept all night. I assume because it is warm and she thinks the bed is now hers. I took a picture of her one morning after she moved, so you can see what she looks like up against my pillows! Spoiled she is....

Dear Lee,

2010-01-22T10:30:00.002-06:00

Here is to 3 years.....

I remember the night I met you like it was yesterday.

I remember the first time you came out to Dallas for a date. We went to Pei Wei but I took you on a little adventure because I had ordered from the wrong Pei Wei:)

I remember the first time I watched you play baseball.

I remember our first Thanksgiving and Christmas together.

I remember our trip to Hot Springs and how bad the storms were but we had a great time!

I remember San Antonio and how it sucked.

I remember looking for apartments when we decided to move in together.

I remember the night we moved into our apartment. We made a pallet on the floor because we didn't have our bed yet and we were so exhausted it didn't matter anyway. It was the best night.

I remember Cancun and the authentic Mexican food! The great weather, watching you pitch was amazing and enjoying every minute with you.

I remember picking you up at the airport and thinking I've been waiting 3 months for this!

I remember the day we picked up my ring and celebrated at Ozona's.

I remember the night you proposed.

I remember loving you today as if it was the first time I told you I loved you. And I remember I said it first:)

I am ready for the excitement of this year and remembering how fabulous our wedding day will be!

I love you....

Devastation during my run last night

2010-01-22T09:16:00.005-06:00

Last night was supposed to be an easy 6 mile run (with some incredibly hard hills, thanks coach) and it was perfect weather! We were also on a new route in Lewisville, I was loving it. About 2.5 miles into our run we had just made a turnaround at a light and two motorcycles (crotch rockets) came zooming by. There were 2 runners way ahead of us, two runners a little ahead of us and then myself and two others were in the back. At this turnaround we are starting to go downhill and like I said these bikes come speeding by. The runners I was with even made comments about how fast they were going and how scary it would be if something happened. I really was loving going down this hill so I wasn't paying much attention. When we got to the bottom of the hill there was another light so we had to wait to cross the street. By that time the accident had already happened. We couldn't tell right away what the commotion was ahead but when the light turned green we started running and noticed our runners in front had stopped at the sight of the accident. An SUV trying to turn left out of a residential street pulled out in front of the bikes. One of the bikes hit the driver's side door of the SUV so hard that the door was smashed in. The bike was crushed. I can't explain what I saw, I have chills writing this. There were two passengers on each bike, a male and a female. The bike that was hit, the male didn't make it and the female was in terrible shape. She had two broken legs. They took them both to Parkland (from Lewisville) where they have a phenomenal Trauma center. The male on the other bike was the brother of the male that was hit. Again, it was a scene I hope I never have to see again. These were young kids, who I'm sure felt indispensable, and now January 21st will be a day they never forget. I pray for the families that received phone calls about their loved ones being in this accident. I don't know these people but they will need some prayers so if you have a minute, please say a prayer for them. And make sure today, that you are grateful for everything you have.

Update on this story - click here to read about it.

Lily's new home during the day

2010-01-22T09:10:00.002-06:00

Here is where Lily now stays during the day. This is perfect for her and she can't chew on the walls or bottom of the cabinets any longer. She is a monster though and the second day she was in this new 'home' she was able to get a hold of the printer cords and chewed thru them.....lovely. In the picture below you can see the desk to the left of her cage, well now it is gone and she isn't as close to the hutch either:) Basically she can't be trusted, she is our little monster!

Too Cold to Hold

2010-01-18T07:45:00.002-06:00

Sunday morning I ran a 15K (9.3 miles) race called Too Cold to Hold. My running class (Run On) sponsers the event. It was near White Rock Lake and Norbuck Park. Anyway, the weather was much better this weekend than last, I would say it was ideal weather to be running! Lee came out to cheer me on and even met up with me on the last mile and helped me run in.

Update on surgeries

2010-01-18T07:42:00.002-06:00

Everyone is doing great! Dad is feeling like himself, didn't take him long at all to get back to normal. Mom is still moving slow but says the swelling in her knee is basically gone and she is feeling better each day. Lily was not herself when we picked her up Friday afternoon but Saturday morning she was back to running around like a little monster! She is doing awesome!

Surgery, 1-2-3

2010-01-14T08:49:00.002-06:00

My Mom is having her knee scoped today at 11am. She has been having so much trouble with it and it gave out on her a couple of weeks ago when she was walking into work. It is almost a blessing because before that the doctor was just having her take pain medicine and do some exercises. Well, she really wasn't doing any of the exercises but I think her knee was past that point anyway. She needs to have it scoped so that the pain will go away.

My Dad is having some dental work done today. Not necessarily surgery but he will not be feeling well after all is said and done. Thank goodness Meredith is going to be there to help them both!!

Lily is getting fixed tomorrow. I drop her off in the morning and will be able to pick her up in the afternoon. I'm sure she will be a little upset with us:) and groggy for a while. We will just love on her.

Lee is coming back in town tomorrow so I am really excited to see him!

Say a prayer for everyone above if you have time, for my Mom to heal quickly, for my Dad to heal quickly and Lily too. As well as for Lee to have a safe drive home! Thanks!

Sally's Birthday

2010-01-13T16:22:00.003-06:00

I celebrated with Sally last night for her 31st birthday. I had a great time and it was really great to see her and spend a little time catching up! Happy Birthday Sally Ride!!

Sally, me and Katie