The Prudes' Life

15-Day Challenge: Day 13

2011-07-28T23:20:00.003-05:00

Well, clearly I fell off the bloggin-wagon! Dang, I was so close to completing my 15-day challenge, too! Oh well, I'll finish it off eventually!

Today's topic is: A Picture of a Person I'd Like to Trade Places with for a Day

For those of you who don't know, this is Sonya Tayeh. She's my girl crush...I just freaking LOVE her!! She is one of the choreographers on So You Think You Can Dance, and she is awesome. Her style is so funky, and I am always in love with every single dance she puts together.

I'd love to be her for a day because she is just so...cool! Ha! I'm pretty sure that makes me sound like a huge dork, but come on, wouldn't it be fun to have that crazy hair?! I'd never be brave enough to pull off a style like that (besides, it'd probably be frowned upon for an attorney to have a half-shaved head with a mohawk)! I'd love to have her brand of creativity that allows her to come up with the amazing dance concepts she displays on the show. Plus, I'd love to be able to dance like that...that's a pretty far cry from a severely sprained ankle from attempting Zumba!

15-Day Challenge: Day 12

2011-06-27T14:47:00.005-05:00

Day 12: A Picture Of Something I'm Afraid Of

The above picture represents something I am, indeed, very afraid of: Cancer. It has to be one of the most horrifying things that exists in this world. Childhood cancer is particularly detestable. Even though I am not yet a parent, I can't imagine anything more terrifying than watching your child suffer from a disease so devastating and unpredictable.

I personally know several brave people who have fought battles with cancer and won. I also know some who have lost the battle and some who are still fighting. Hopefully someday there will be a cure so that future generations will be able to fully defeat this fearsome disease.

My own personal experience with cancer was very minor compared to so many people's, and for that I feel extremely lucky. My melanoma was at an early stage, so excision was all that was needed - no scans, chemo, radiation, or any of the other horrible things so many cancer patients go through. It's been two years, and there's no sign of recurrence or spreading. And thanks to the plastic surgeon who performed the excision, my scar is very faint and flat...I could almost forget that it's there. Except I never will.

15-Day Challenge: Day 11

2011-06-24T16:05:00.006-05:00

Day 11: A Picture of Something I'd Like to Learn

I would love to learn to sew. Wouldn't it be handy to just be able to whip up a table cloth, a quilt, or a costume? The problem is, I just don't have the patience for it. Also, I don't have a sewing machine. Details, details!

Both of my grandmothers were really gifted seamstresses in their day. My Nanny was always making warm, snuggly quilts, and one time she even made me an entire family of Care Bear pillows for my bed! My Granny was the go-to costume maker. I was CLEARLY the best-dressed at every Halloween with these awesome creations.

Here I am as Snow White - check out those details - amazing, Granny!

And it would be a shame to leave out my fabulous Rainbow Brite costume, also made by Granny. Check out the leg-warmers!! Hideous bowl haircut sold separately. Let me guess, Mom...this was one of those "OK, you don't want to let me fix your hair, I'll cut it all off" situations, huh?

My mom sews a bit as well, and made me this sweet little stuffed owl when I was little - I named him Hooter. She claims that I was begging for a stuffed owl, and the only way she could get me to shut up and take a nap was to promise me she'd make me one while I was asleep! Who me, being a pest? Surely not!

Here I am with Hooter in my awesome tiger costume (not sewn by any family members...passed down from my older cousin).

I know Mom will hate that I posted a pic of Hooter on here...she thinks he's the ugliest thing ever created. And sure, maybe he's a bit homely, but he was made with love and I adored him. I'll also mention that Mom has sewn lots of other less homely things as well. She's made some great table cloths for friends' baby and wedding showers!

You would think that a little bit of sewing craftiness would just come naturally to me with talented family members like this. But no. I tried to sew a stuffed dog one time when I was younger. I wish I had a picture of it, because it was truly pathetic. I'm pretty sure I ended up sticking the legs on with toothpicks!

But I don't even need to be as good a seamstress as the women in my family. At this point, just sewing a button back onto a shirt would be an accomplishment. I have found myself in need of some sewing skills on several occasions...mostly for making my own Halloween costumes now that I am older and my grandmothers would not likely be too enthusiastic about making a "Sexy Velma" costume for a 29-yr old woman! Maybe someday I'll learn. Until then, I'll just stick to my motto regarding crafts: If it can't be done with glue and double-sided tape, just forget it!

15-Day Challenge: Day 10

2011-06-24T15:12:00.005-05:00

Oops, I've kind of fallen behind on my posts and missed a couple days! Without further ado...Day 10: A Picture of Something I Wish I Was Better At

OK, that's just freaky.

Have you guessed what I wish I was better at yet? NO, not contortionism. Yoga! I absolutely suck at yoga. I do not find it relaxing, meditative, or enjoyable in the least.

For one thing, I am NOT flexible. At all. I spend the entire class straining to twist my body into some semblance of the different positions, sweating waaay too much for a yoga class (I've never even DONE hot yoga...I might pass out). Forget focusing on my breathing, I am lucky if I even remember to breathe at ALL while trying to figure out how to get from Warrior Pose to Triangle Pose without falling over.

Also, I suddenly develop ADD in yoga classes. I think it's because I am used to my workouts being really action-packed with loud music and lots of movement to keep my attention. Put me in a quiet yoga studio, with soft music, and I am immediately looking around the class for something to distract me. One time I almost had to leave class because I was giggling to myself about this crazy long toe the lady in front of me had! It was seriously gross. Oh, and I giggle at the cheesy crap the instructors say, too. I really just can't keep a straight face if you are telling me to "reach within myself to find my energy ball." Sorry. Just not gonna happen!

So, yeah...I think maybe yoga is not the exercise discipline for me. Even though I really think that in THEORY, it looks so nice and relaxing. Oh well. Namaste!

15-Day Challenge: Day 9

2011-06-21T22:47:00.007-05:00

Day 9: A Picture of My Favorite Restaurant

If you'd asked me 10 years ago if I thought my favorite restaurant would ever be a sushi joint, I'd have answered with an emphatic...BLECH! My, how things change! Fish has never really been my favorite food, and actually it still isn't - I really don't love cooked fish whatsoever. Give me the raw stuff, please! OK, OK, don't let me totally fool you...I am still not a hard-core sushi eater. I don't do sashimi - I need a little rice or some delicious avocado with my raw fish, thank you very much! Thank goodness I can actually use chopsticks now - I looked pretty lame the first few times I tried to eat it with my fingers or a fork!

If you ever go to Sushi Axiom, you absolutely MUST try these selections: Henderson Roll, Axiom Roll, Tower of Pisa, Mt. Axiom, and Rainbow Roll. Oh, and the Dragon Lady martini, of course! Actually, you can't go wrong, no matter what you order here. I pretty much love it all!

It's almost always where I have my birthday dinners. Here's a pic of this year's birthday celebration with my most lovely work girls - too bad most of us have the demon eyes in this pic!!

We just so happened to be in the middle of some of the worst weather Dallas has seen this spring/summer! As tornado sirens went off outside, we sipped our martinis and enjoyed our sushi. At one point Beverly commented "Huh...is it supposed to be raining tonight?" At least if I had gotten swept away by a giant tornado, I would have really enjoyed my last meal!

15-Day Challenge: Day 8

2011-06-20T22:18:00.005-05:00

Day 8: A Picture of My Most Treasured Item

I am not much of a materialist. “Things” don’t hold that much value for me – things are things and can be replaced. So, the things that are most important to me are sentimental treasures. One of my most treasured items is definitely Sweet Puppy – my very first stuffed animal! (Creative name, I know...I swear I did have a good imagination as a child!)

I carried Sweet Puppy with me everywhere when I was little - I mean everywhere. Not just around the house and to bed, but to grocery stores, friends' houses, and once, to a dressing room in Mervyn's (haha...anyone remember Mervyn's?!) where I accidentally left him. I of course realized that he was gone once we had driven away, and I spent several panicked minutes waiting for my mom to call the store. Luckily, nobody else had spotted Sweet Puppy for the true treasure that he is, so he was still there, waiting for me to come get him.

Sure, he might be a little ratty, and his eyeballs were re-painted sometime in the early 90s, but I think he looks pretty darn good for being 29 yrs old!

Here he is in his younger days (and me in mine)!

VERY Belated Mother's Day Post

2011-06-18T23:08:00.004-05:00

So I started writing a Father's Day post, then realized I never wrote one for Mother's Day! I had so much fun putting together the Father's Day pictures and memories that I just had to go back and do it for my mom as well. So...better late than never, right? Happy (Belated) Mother's Day!

My mom and I have always been so close - as an only child, she was my main playmate growing up. She always humored me by acting out the elaborate plays I devised, mostly based on Disney movies. And she put up with my refusal to ever have my hair fixed or wear cute, girly clothes - she even let me carry my T-Rex book bag on my first day of kindergarten (I think I compromised by wearing a dress)! She read to me every single day when I was little, making sure I had the biggest vocabulary of any toddler around (even if I did force her to read the same Winnie the Pooh book over and over and over again...sorry 'bout that, Mom!)I really feel like I am a better person because of the love, compassion, and empathy she displayed. Thanks, Mom. Love ya!

Now for the pictures...oh boy!

Here we are sporting some extremely lovely '80s hairstyles!

And here we are dressed in silly outfits for some sort of Christmas parade.

One summer when I was in college, my dad surprised us with a mom & daughter cruise to Mexico. We had a blast, though judging by our respective skin tones in this pic, Mom was a bit more diligent with the sunscreen than I was!

Here we are at my law school graduation - hey Mom, wrong camera!

Well, well, aren't we fancy and shiny?!

Mom and I have rarely laughed so hard as we did when learning to cross-country ski this past spring! At one point we both collapsed onto the trail, in hysterics brought on from sheer exhaustion and pain from the stupid ski boots! At one point, I told her to just leave me for the wolves! Thankfully, she didn't, and we managed to take a picture that made us look like we somewhat knew what we were doing!

I love you, Mom! If I can someday be even half the mom you are, my kids will be very lucky indeed!

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-18T20:47:00.013-05:00

We're going to take a short break from our regularly scheduled programming - the 15-Day Challenge - for this Father's Day post! Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there, especially the coolest one of them all...mine!

Dad and I were best buddies when I was little. He taught me how to climb trees and let me kiss the fish he caught before turning them loose (yes, I really did kiss the fish...each and every one)!

Here we are looking all fancy for Easter. See that stuffed animal I'm holding? I have NO doubt that it was a bribe - the only way I would have considered wearing such a frilly dress and WHITE panty hose...the horror!

This is more like it - just kickin' back, relaxin' in my PJs, and Dad in his 1970s gym shorts!

He taught me how to ski when I was in high school - he is so freaking good at skiing, I could never even begin to measure up! But at least he got me from lying down on the side of the mountain, crying in frustration, to actually making it through a run!

During move-in week in college, he worked hard to make my freshman dorm room inhabitable. He replaced all the moldy ceiling tiles (and found a REALLY old bottle of whiskey stashed up there) and put a fresh coat of paint on everything! Thanks, Dad!

For my wedding, he spent hours listening to the song I'd chosen for us to dance to (Over the Rainbow/Wonderful World by Iz) and even choreographed our dance! We looked awesome out there thanks to him!

Later, all choreography went out the window as we (somewhat drunkenly) danced and sang to one of our favorite songs - Elton John's Tiny Dancer!

My dad may be a man of few words at times, but he's always been there for me through thick and thin. He is a smart, funny, hard-working man, and I'm so thankful to have him as my dad!

Here are some of the other father figures in my life - all wonderful men with a very special place in my heart.

Here's me with Great Grandaddy! I loved to tell him long, silly stories that I'm sure left him thinking "what is this crazy little kid talking about?"

We also loved sitting down to breakfast together - I felt so grown-up because I would eat the same thing he ate, which was always Raisin Bran! I had a very serious conversation with my mom one time when I was very young, asking her if she thought he and my Grandaddy were OK with the names I called them. Because when I was little, my Great Grandaddy lived with my Nanny & Grandaddy. So in the same house, we had Great Grandaddy and...Plain Grandaddy! Ha! I had to distinguish them somehow, but I was always worried that Plain Grandaddy might get offended (he didn't...he just laughed)!

Here's Grandaddy (aka "Plain Grandaddy" for a short period of time)! He is one of the funniest people I've ever met - at 90 years old, he manages to crack me up every time I see him. You'll rarely find him wearing anything other than his signature snap-up coveralls, which he has in many different colors.

This is a rare shot of him in his formal wear for my wedding! So dapper, with his Navy Submarine pin on his tie!

This is my Pa, my dad's dad. They look so much alike - I know exactly what my dad will look like when he gets older!

Here we are circa 1998, before my NHS induction ceremony, and clearly before the advent of flat-irons...ignore my hideous hair!

I love how both of my grandfathers have always had a signature "look." Pa's was a bow-tie and suspenders. I don't even think he owned a regular tie, it was always the bow-tie. So much more festive and jolly, I think! Speaking of jolly, he used to be the Santa Claus at a Christmas store called 'Tis the Season in Ft. Worth. He was perfect for the job!

Happy Father's Day! Hug your dad today!

15-Day Challenge: Day 7

2011-06-17T16:55:00.005-05:00

Day 7: Somewhere I’d Love to Travel

There are SO many destinations on the list of places I’d love to travel – but I am choosing just one for this post so as to not go on and on and on! Tahiti has been on my mind lately, since my friends John and Erin just booked a place in Bora Bora for their honeymoon! Lucky ducks!

Just LOOK at it…how much more gorgeous of a location could you want? Everything is swimming in green, aqua, and turquoise, which just so happen to be my favorite family of colors! Too bad the Texas – Tahiti flights are FOREVER long. Oh well, that’s what Ambien is for!

I picture this vacation to be the ultimate in relaxation. Reading a book in the white sand, listening to the sounds of the calm water, maaaaaaybe mustering enough energy for a couple hours of ocean kayaking in the afternoon. Warm sun. Fresh, fruity drinks. Bliss.

Over-water bungalows have to be some of the sexiest accommodations on earth! Doesn’t the water just look SO inviting? And you can just walk right down your own personal little ladder! And it totally doesn’t look like there would be many sharks in there! Yes, I am terrified of sharks. I irrationally imagine that all the sharks in the vicinity have installed some sort of GPS locator on my body and hungrily swim my way each time I get into the ocean! OK, it’s not really THAT bad…but I do get quite nervous in the water. Strangely, I would much rather jump off the back of a catamaran into clear, deep water to go snorkeling than wade out from shore up to my neck. Something about not being able to see what’s around me in the waves is just unsettling.

But I could see for miles in these blue Tahitian waters…sign me up!!

15-Day Challenge: Day 6

2011-06-17T15:57:00.004-05:00

Day 6: A Picture of Your Night

Does anyone else find it amusing that there is a cup of Rocky Road ice cream (well...frozen yogurt actually) on top of a fitness study manual?

So yeah, this pretty much sums up my night. Breathtakingly exciting, I know! I went running, then decided I needed some junk at Target...and on the way home, TCBY was calling to me. I really love their yogurt but usually choose one of the "trendier" Fro-Yo places like Yumilicious. But TCBY is an old stand-by...it was there before all those hipster yogurt joints. Not to mention it's like 3 minutes from my house. I love Rocky Road; it's absolutely my favorite flavor ever. I really prefer it with the individual mini marshmallows rather than the marshmallow swirl, but beggars can't be choosers and all that! Delish! Such a good dinner!

While enjoying my sweet treat, I started reading through the fitness instructor manual I got a few months ago with intentions to get re-certified before summer. Oops, guess I procrastinated a little bit! New goal = get re-certified before fall. Hopefully I'll be able to pick up a cycling class or two at a couple different gyms. I get so frustrated with about 90% of the spin classes I go to these days, mostly because the instructors just play sucky music...what is UP with that?! My classes always sounded like the dance club got unleashed in the gym, and really, if you are going to be torturing your body for an hour, wouldn't you WANT loud, bass-bumping music to get you going? Yep, I thought so!

15-Day Challenge: Day 5

2011-06-16T11:59:00.003-05:00

Day 5: A Picture that Sums Up Your Childhood

This is really a series of pictures, but nothing sums up my childhood better! Like so many little girls, I LOVED horses. I had a ton of horse toys - from My Little Ponies to a wooden stable filled with different breeds of little plastic horses (which I of course memorized and quizzed my family members on). When I was old enough, my parents let me start riding lessons, and I looked forward to every afternoon I got to spend at the stables. I still love the dusty smell of sawdust mixed with horse sweat - it will always bring me back to my childhood.

Here I am practicing my riding skills on my stuffed horse, Hank, when I was about a year and a half old.

And here's my very first time to ride a horse all by myself. His name was Galko, and I fell in love! I was about 5, I think.

Here I am when I was 7, riding Snowflake in a practice "run" on the barrels at the stable where I took lessons in Georgetown, TX. Looks like more of a slow jog, but I'm sure I was having a blast!

Here I am with my horse, Chief - my birthday present when I turned 9. He was my buddy - so smart and sweet, with the wisest eyes. He did have a bit of a stubborn streak and would lie down or puff up his stomach to prevent me from putting a saddle on him whenever he preferred to be ridden bareback! Check out my pink leggings with red Justin boots...so fashionable!

15-Day Challenge: Day 4

2011-06-14T23:52:00.006-05:00

Day 4: A Picture of You and a Family Member

This is my cousin, Ashley. Our birthdays are only 2 weeks apart, so we’ve always been more like siblings than cousins. Lucky for Ash, I was a huge tom-boy as a kid, so we spent our days climbing trees, catching frogs, and inventing crazy, body-contorting jumps off the diving board. We also shared an intense love for the movie Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves (yes, that’s the Kevin Costner version of Robin Hood…go ahead and laugh), and we literally watched it so many times that we could quote the entire thing verbatim.

I’ll never forget the day, during my sophomore year of college, that Ash called to tell me he was transferring to A&M. I asked if he was planning to live with his friend, Heath, and he said: “Well…I was kind of thinking I’d live with you, if you want to.” And so we got a condo together and lived together for the next two years…and it was awesome! Our house became the neighborhood party spot. Every weekend, you could find us sitting in the front yard in our A&M camp chairs, beer in hand, grilling burgers and listening to Pat Green – classy!! Ash got me back in touch with my country roots by dragging me along to the Texas Hall of Fame to go two-stepping with his group of friends. I ended up loving it and spent many a Friday night on the dance floor at the Hall!

Now Ash lives back in his hometown of West Columbia and has an awesome wife, Roxanna, and two adorable kids, Madilyn and Ashton. We don’t see each other as often as we’d like, but I’d be willing to bet that we could still sit down, pop in our Robin Hood VHS tape, and quote the heck out of it!

Here we are when we were just little kiddos, at my cousin Shannon's wedding! Neither of us were too happy to be wearing these fancy clothes, though he looks a little more enthusiastic than I do!

15-Day Challenge: Day 3

2011-06-14T11:37:00.004-05:00

Day 3: A Picture of Someone You Miss

I can’t just limit this to one person...but both of these girls live in the same city, so I guess I am not breaking the rules of the blog challenge too much!

Amanda (left of me) and Alli (right of me) are my two oldest friends. They both live in Spring, TX now, and I miss them so much!

I met Amanda in 6th grade, and we were instantly friends. Every day of every summer when we were younger, we’d ride bikes to the Lucky Lady gas station for a drink or candy bar, then cool off afterwards in my pool. In high school, we suffered through embarrassing outfits on the dance team and talked on the phone about boys for hours until our parents wanted to kill us! Lucky for me, she went to college in San Marcos, so trips to visit her always meant fun times floating the river! We still love to spend hours on the phone, filling each other in on hometown gossip and laughing like crazy!

Here we are, circa 1999, in a hilarious Glamour Shots session...why on earth did we do this?!

I met Alli in 8th grade, and we’ve been partners in crime ever since! We embraced our nerdiness together in high school mock trial (what an intimidating duo) and both decided it’d be a great idea to wear crop-top dresses to senior prom (photo evidence below - what on earth were we thinking?!)!! We went off to college together, where we made some of my best memories ever. Nobody can make me laugh quite like she does…all it takes is for us to share a quick glance and we both break down in giggles, no explanation necessary!

Here we are right before our senior prom, year 2000...setting the trend for the year....or NOT! Ridiculous! At least we were super skinny!

15 Day Challenge - Day 2

2011-06-13T09:59:00.004-05:00

Day 2: A Picture of the Cast of Your Favorite TV Show

I absolutely love Mad Men. Why, you ask? See below for my answer:

Hi, Mr. Draper…whenever you’re in the market for a new secretary, CALL ME! ;)

Actually, there are many selling points to this show besides the delicious Jon Hamm. I love shows set in a different era – this one takes place in the 1960s, and the producers have done an awesome job re-creating the booming Madison Avenue advertising business during that time period. I really can’t even explain why it’s so good…but it’s SO GOOD. Watch it, you’ll see.

15 Day Challenge

2011-06-05T16:16:00.008-05:00

OK, so here's how I am going to give my blog the little kick in the butt it's been needing. I'm doing a 15-Day Challenge where each day for 15 days, I blog a picture and a short post (I swear, y'all, I will keep it short, despite my tendency toward wordiness). I decided I just can't commit to the full 30-Day Challenge, so I pared down the blog categories from my friend Rachel's challenge.

So, here we go - DAY 1: A Picture of Yourself with Ten Facts

The Picture:

This is probably one of the only recent pictures I actually like (probably because my hair and make-up were professionally done)! Pretty sad since it was taken over 3 yrs ago!

And now the Facts:

1. I love to cook but am prone to kitchen injuries! I burn my fingers, hand, or arm almost every time I bake something in the oven. And if I am using the cheese grater, rest assured that I will grate off some skin and/or a fingernail in the process! Good thing I am not holding out for a career in hand-modeling…I’d never make it!

2. I hate scary movies, and I won’t watch them. Particularly ones about serial killers, rapists, or other varieties of depraved lunatics. Oh, and you can also forget it if there are demonic children and/or other freaky paranormal things. So, basically…if it can be construed as a horror film, or even remotely scary, have fun at the theater without me!

3. I have a Little Brother from Big Brothers, Big Sisters. His name is Ian, and he is the coolest kid! We share a love of Harry Potter, and he always wins me stuffed animals from those arcade grab machines!

4. I love spinning classes. I started going when I was in high school, and over the past 11 years, I probably haven’t gone more than 2-3 weeks without either attending a spin class or doing my own “class” at home on my bike. For anyone who says spinning is boring…all it takes is the right music mix to change your mind! My plan is to get re-certified sometime soon so I can start teaching again.

5. I really hate animal print. And pink. I won’t wear either.

6. I cannot stand having dirty feet! OMG it freaks me out! That gritty feeling of sand or dirt stuck to the bottoms of my feet is disgusting!! So you’ll rarely see me walking around barefoot outside. Consequently, my feet are super tender…I will cringe walking across the driveway or even grass! If I do walk outside barefoot, I’ll come right in and wash off the bottoms of my feet!

7. I am a little bit OCD. Not crazy must-wash-hands-six-times-while-standing-on-left-foot OCD, but I do have some tendencies. Like…I count stairs. If I am walking up stairs, you can bet I am counting them in my head. I won’t freak out and go back to the bottom if I lose count or forget, but it’s an unconscious habit that I ALWAYS do. Also, if you start a song lyric, a list, or a movie quote, I have to finish it. If I can’t finish it off the top of my head, I’ll look it up, and then it will inevitably get stuck in my head (I get things stuck in my head VERY easily, for HOURS, and it drives me crazy). Jeff likes to amuse himself by torturing me with this. Right now I have the ‘90s song “The Humpty Dance” stuck in my head for this very reason!

8. I am a big scaredy-cat (see #2 above re: scary movies). It is VERY easy to startle me, because I have a fear of someone sneaking up behind me or waiting unseen for me to walk by. And if you REALLY startle the heck out of me, I will probably do one, or all, of these things: 1) Jump a mile (and probably knock something over), 2) Scream or gasp loudly, 3) Start crying (not like sobbing, but my natural reaction after getting startled is that tears just pop into my eyes - but don't worry, I am usually laughing at myself at the same time). Jeff also gets endless amusement from this, even though he rarely startles me on purpose.

9. I am almost always running late. If you tell me to be at the restaurant by 7:00, expect me around 7:15. Sorry! I apologize in advance for being late!

10. I am an annoying texter – just a warning in case you were thinking of texting me! I get carried away, and before I know it, I’m sending you a long e-mail length text. I rarely abbreviate, either, and sometimes have to ask my friends what their text-speak means. I only recently figured out what SMH meant (scratching my head). My friend Chena likes to make fun of me for my novel-length, fully spelled-out texts! But I’m getting better!

Blog Neglect

2011-06-05T16:05:00.002-05:00

OK, so I need to revive this blog. It seems like once I go a few days, then a week, without posting, I just forget about it altogether. I've never been good about regaining momentum once productivity is lost. Same goes for the gym - if I don't go for a few days, I'll just get generally discouraged and not go for like TWO weeks...then I'll start feeling fat and will WANT to work out but won't want to be seen in workout clothes. Sigh. It's a vicious cycle!

ANYWAY...got a little off-track there. The point is, I am thinking of ways to inject some new life into the good old blog - maybe one of those 30 Day Blog Challenges some of my friends are doing. Suggestions welcomed!

No skin off my....oh, wait.

2011-02-28T14:07:00.008-06:00

OK, so my post title implies that there is skin off my nose...thankfully that's not the case! But there IS skin off my back and side, thanks to my fabulous skin that always keeps me on my toes!

Seriously, my skin just won't let me catch a break. I went back to my new dermatologist today because a week or two ago, I started noticing that a couple of the moles that had been shaved off for biopsy a few months ago seemed to be growing back. I noticed some darker pigmentation within the light pinkish scars and knew I'd have to call up the good ole derm. She confirmed that she also thought the pigmentation was returning, which can't be tolerated in a melanoma patient. Fortunately, the biopsies on both of the sites had originally come back as only dysplastic (abnormal but not cancerous), so an extensive excision was not required. And she said that she has never seen a second biopsy come back as more severe than the first in this kind of case. So, I am not worried about that.

As a testament to how much I've gotten carved up in the derm's office in the past couple of years, I didn't even flinch when she said "we are going to have to punch these and put in some stitches." Punching is literally like taking a hole punch to your skin - pretty gross, actually. The area gets numbed with a few shots (not liquor shots, unfortunately), then the punch goes in and takes out a chunk around and below the problem area. Since it goes kind of deep, each punch requires about 3 stitches.

So...I now have stitches in two areas, which will turn into two new lovely scars in a few weeks. They both look like this:

This is the one on my left side. I know it's hard to tell what exactly you're looking at in this picture, but it's basically an extreme close-up of my left rib cage area. Note the very pink and angry skin in a strip over the incision...I HATE the medical tape that they use to put gauze over an incision. Taking it off is more painful than anything else in this entire process!

At least I'm already married. I clearly wouldn't be winning any hearts with this patchwork Frankenstein look I've got going!

Could I please swap skin with someone...preferably someone with naturally good skin that's darker than mine? Maybe Sofia Vergara would be up for that...heck, while I'm at it, I'd be OK with an entire-body swap with her!

But really, I am not that upset about all this. What's a few more scars, anyway? At least I am on top of my skin health with a doctor I really like and trust, ready to combat anything that pops up before it becomes a serious problem. Still, it's just frustrating...why did the stupid things have to start re-growing their pigment? Those scars were almost healed. Ugh. So, I went to the gym and did an hour and a half of extremely hard cardio, and it made me feel lots better (even though it made the stupid incisions bleed).

One good thing is that I have a really good weapon for when the stitches come out to keep the scars small and thin. My friend Jill Moorhead recommended this product to me when I had my melanoma surgery, and it works so well to reduce the redness and puffiness of scars (old or new). So I went to Walgreens and bought another bottle on my way home from the dermatologist today. Try it if you have an unsightly scar you'd like to reduce. It's pricier than Mederma or Neosporin scar care, but you get what you pay for!

Waiting for Superman - Watch This Movie!

2011-02-27T14:33:00.003-06:00

I have wanted to watch this movie since I first started seeing the previews for it, but I just never made it out to the theater while it was running. Just seeing the previews made me get choked up, so I knew it was going to be very powerful to me. So I rented it recently on a lazy night at home. And what better time to watch it than during my good friend Mike Morath's campaign for DISD school board? For all the people out there who say they wish they could do something to help our children have brighter futures, Mike is a person who WILL truly do something. Check out his website here and my previous post about him here.

Everyone needs to see this documentary, whether you have children or not. It is incredibly powerful, and I guarantee it will touch you in some way. The kids featured in the film are mostly inner-city children whose local schools have been deemed "educational sinkholes." In other words, their schools have failed them. A staggering percentage of children in their schools will not graduate, and if they do, will be woefully unprepared for college (that is if they even go, which is unlikely in many of these areas).

One of the school districts that was examined in this film was sending kids to high school with no higher than a 1st to 3rd grade reading level. In another area, kids were more likely to know someone who had gone to prison than someone who had gone to college.

The producers interviewed the families of several children whose parents are trying to get them into a better school. The kids featured are from New York (the Bronx and Harlem), Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and even Silicon Valley (as an example that even in affluent areas, our public schools need help). During his interview, one 5th grade boy said that he wanted to get an education so he could move away from his neighborhood, so that his children could have it better than he had. How many of us ever had to consider issues that deep when we were in 5th grade? I know I didn't. In 5th grade, I had a wonderful teacher who made me excited to go to school every day, even though I was the new kid in town (thanks Mrs. Hawkins!). I was one of the lucky ones. But so many kids aren't fortunate enough to have that. They are faced with teachers who come into the classroom because it's a way to collect a paycheck. And so many of these kids truly desire a better education than they are getting...and they do deserve so much better.

Throughout the course of filming, each of the children applied for acceptance into a public charter school in their area. The charter schools featured, including Harlem Success Academy and Kipp LA Prep, are high-performing schools with excellent teachers, leaders, and success rates. With hundreds of families vying for very few spots, a lottery system is employed to choose new students each year. One little girl was one of 767 students applying to fill 35 spots in the Harlem Success Academy. It killed me to see the kids at the lottery drawings, crossing their fingers - even crying - waiting for their name to be called. How terrible for the thousands of kids who do not win the lottery..."we're sorry, we know you want this chance at a better life, but there's simply not room for you to have it." They shouldn't have to enter to win the prize of a good education; our school systems should already be giving that to them.

If you are like me, you will walk away from this movie angry, inspired, and still hopeful. Watch the movie. Then do something to help, even if it's something as simple as spreading the word about this film. If we can get more people to truly care, we are taking a step in the right direction. Call a parent-teacher conference. Get involved in your school's PTA. Start caring about local school board elections. And check out www.waitingforsuperman.com for more ideas on how to help improve our schools.

At-Home Hot Oil Treatment

2011-02-23T22:42:00.002-06:00

Don't you hate that dry, itchy skin that just won't seem to go away during the winter months? I have notoriously horrible skin anyway - allergic to everything, prone to stress breakouts, sometimes dry, sometimes as oily and zitty as a teenager, and then there's the melanoma. Yeah, my skin basically sucks. Let's hope our kids get Jeff's pretty olive Italian skin...he DOESN'T. EVEN. WASH. HIS. FACE!!!! And he has zero zits. Ugh, no fair!

Anyway, I kind of got off topic there for a minute. What I was getting at was this: I don't know about you, but my winter dry skin is not limited to my body - my scalp and hair feel extra dry during the winter months, too. So a few days ago, I decided to do an at-home hot oil treatment to give my hair some life. I decided to go the DIY route, because 1. I was too lazy to go to the store to buy one and 2. I figured it would be way easier and cheaper to just make one at home. And it WAS easy! And it definitely made my hair feel so soft, silky, and rehydrated. My itchy scalp was happy, too.

If you want to try this treatment for yourself, all you need is: 3 Tablespoons olive oil, 3 Tablespoons canola oil, and 1 Tablespoon of your normal conditioner. Scramble these ingredients together in a small microwave-safe bowl, then heat for 30 seconds (or more if it doesn't seem hot enough...but don't burn yourself). Then just apply the treatment to your hair and scalp, taking time to massage it in so it coats every strand and soaks in well. Then wrap your head in a warm, slightly damp towel for 30 minutes. When the half-hour is up, rinse your hair thoroughly, then shampoo it. Even though you'll smell a bit like an Italian restaurant (because of the olive oil), you'll enjoy hair that's soft, silky, and moisturized!

Things I Love: Clarisonic Mia Face Brush

2011-02-15T11:48:00.004-06:00

Time for another "Things I Love" post!

I am not a big beauty products person. Sure, I like a nice trip to Sephora to restock on my makeup faves, but I really don't wear a lot of makeup or try a ton of new products. My friend, Beverly, on the other hand, is the exact opposite of that description...she knows EVERYTHING about every single beauty product out there. So when she told me about the best product she had purchased in months, I was intrigued. After listening to her glowing endorsement and reading a ton of positive reviews on Amazon and Sephora, I purchased this Clarisonic Mia Skin Cleansing System for myself!

And wow, I am SO glad I made that purchase! It's like an electric toothbrush for your face. It removes makeup and gives your skin a gentle, exfoliating cleanse. I use it every night before bed. Just in the past few weeks, my skin has become softer, smoother, less oily/zitty, and less in need of makeup. I'd say that makes it a huge winner! It's a bit pricey, yes...but totally worth it in my opinion. It would make a great birthday gift...and don't forget that Mother's Day is coming up soon, too!

Check it out HERE at Sephora.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T22:18:00.005-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day to all! I am actually not a big Valentine's person - I don't get all worked up over cards, flowers, and candy on an arbitrary day. Which is a GOOD thing since Jeff is vehemently opposed to V-day and its commercialism. We usually stay in and cook a nice meal at home and enjoy each other's company without having to deal with the crowds of people flocking to restaurants.

This year we "celebrated" V-day on Sunday with a nice meal and a couple games of Scrabble. I cooked a few new recipes:
Mushroom Soup from Bell'Alimento - it was definitely good, but not out of this world. I might make it again with some variations.
Braised Short Ribs over Creamy Goat Cheese Polenta from The Pioneer Woman (who else?!) - these were both DELICIOUS! Jeff dubbed the meal "restaurant quality" and said we ate better than if we had gone out. So that is always a nice compliment! This dish really was fantastic, and pretty easy to make. I'll blog it on Six Degrees soon.
Chocolate Lava Cakes - I made these for the second V-day in a row. They are absolutely to die for...in fact, they may be my favorite dessert EVER. That is quite a proclamation from a die-hard dessert lover like me!

Here are a couple pics I managed to snap before we devoured our meal:

It was a great little quiet, at-home celebration of us...even though Jeff beat me at Scrabble - TWICE! I guess I still love him anyway! :)

So, that was all yesterday. Today was a fun day, too, because I got to meet the one and only Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond! She was in town for a book signing at Borders, and I went with several of my dear friends. If Lolly and Cat could have made it, we would have had all the girls from Six Degrees! It was a great night - Ree is just as sweet, silly, and gracious as she comes across on her blog. I have never been to a book signing before, so I didn't really know what to expect. Luckily I called ahead to Borders this morning to ask about the protocol...and was told that I needed a wristband. So I hauled myself up there as quickly as possible and got wristbands for the whole group. Luckily I got there pretty early and was able to get us into the second grouping of people. So we all showed up around 5:00 tonight at Borders, and it was chaos! There were HUNDREDS and HUNDREDS of people there to see her. The poor woman is probably going to be there until long after midnight meeting all her fans! Her whole family was there, too, so that was a treat! Her kiddos are adorable, and her husband is so supportive and such a good sport. He was signing autographs left and right, too, while the kids posed for pics. What a fun family! So glad I got to make a fun night of it with some of my best girl friends!

Hope you all had a LOVEly day too!

Mike Morath for Dallas School Board

2011-02-09T12:09:00.002-06:00

Worried about sending your kids to public school in Dallas?

Do something about it by voting in the Dallas School Board election coming up on May 14, 2011. A dear friend of ours, Mike Morath, has recently announced his campaign for this election.

Mike has already devoted his professional life to improving the lives of children through his work as President of Minute Menu, a federal reimbursement program dedicated to providing nutritious meals for children of low-income families. He is stepping away from his company to devote his time and energy to improving the Dallas public school system. He knows it’s a hard road, but he has some great ideas.

Spending more of our budget on teachers, the people directly in charge of our children’s education on a daily basis.

Empowering principals through professional development programs that show them how to be excellent leaders who employ excellent teachers.

Involving parents to a greater degree, encouraging them to take a more active role in their children’s education.

Don’t these sound like the types of goals we should be trying to achieve in our schools? Learn more about Mike Morath and his campaign for school board at www.mikemorath.com and consider getting an “I Like Mike” yard sign for your house if you live in his district. I can’t wait for mine to arrive!

But you DO NOT have to live in his district, or even in Dallas, to help! Spread the word about Mike on your blogs, Twitter, e-mail, and Facebook. You can also support Mike’s campaign with donations. See his site for details on how to donate, and make sure to “Like” his Facebook page – Mike Morath for Dallas School Board.

New Six Degrees Post - Lemon Custard Bars

2011-02-07T10:23:00.003-06:00

I posted a new delicious dessert on Six Degrees of Supperation today. These Lemon Custard Bars are easy and delicious - go check them out here!

A Few Good Books

2011-02-05T10:52:00.006-06:00

I may have mentioned this before, but I LOVE to read! I don't discriminate, either...I read a wide variety of genres - historical fiction, chick lit, mystery/crime, memoirs, and pretty much anything in between.

Here are a few books I've read over the past couple of months. They are all VERY different from one another, so there's something for everyone.

Left Neglected by Lisa Genova

This book was fascinating and powerful. It's about a brain condition called Left Neglect that I had never heard of before reading this book. The short summary: A busy, career-oriented woman (wife and mother of 2) doesn't have time for anything to deviate from her perfectly planned schedule. When an accident leaves her with a traumatic brain injury, she is forced to reconsider what is important in her life. The author is a Harvard trained neuroscientist, so she really knows her stuff. She writes about brain disorders/injuries - her other book is Still Alice, which is about Alzheimers. I want to read it but think it will be very sad, especially because my grandma has Alzheimers. This book is fast-paced and very interesting, but it also makes you stop and think about your life. What if something tragic happened and you would never be the same again? Would you look back and regret spending time and energy on things that didn't truly matter?

East of the Sun by Julia Gregson

This is a fun book about three young women on a journey to India in the 1920s. One is going over there to marry a man she hardly knows. One is following her best friend with hopes of big adventure and romance. One is returning to the place where her parents died when she was young. I enjoy books set in other eras and other countries - and this one had both!

Moloka'i by Alan Brennert

This historical fiction book was incredibly fascinating to me, since I had never read ANYTHING on this subject ever before. It takes place in Hawaii in the late 1800s/early 1900s, when the island of Moloka'i was used as a leper colony. A little girl is torn away from her family when it is discovered that she has leprosy. She is banished to the island to grow up without knowing if she will ever see her family again. The book follows her life, and I couldn't put it down. I read it in one day! The book just had so many interesting aspects - a different era, an exotic location, and a little-known disease, all woven into a picture of what life was like in this remote location during the early 20th century.

Also, not sure if I ever mentioned it on the blog, but one of the best books I've read in YEARS, if not EVER, is The Help, by Kathryn Stockett.

I read it over a year ago at this point, but I still think about it. Read it. You will love it.

Things I Love: Wholly Guacamole 100 Calorie Packs

2011-02-04T11:49:00.006-06:00

Here's another post for the "Things I Love" category:
Wholly Guacamole 100 Calorie Packs.

These things are genius! The small size makes them more convenient for single servings...that way you don't have to open a whole pack and risk the leftovers turning brown and gross. They are the perfect size to spread on a sandwich or have a little chip-and-dip snack. Who needs mayo and mustard when you can have a turkey, cheese, guacamole, lettuce, and tomato sandwich on wheat? Delicious! I know both Tom Thumb and Kroger carry these, and I am sure a lot of other places do, too.

Uhhmm...Snow, Snow Baby?!

2011-02-04T09:00:00.005-06:00

Everyone loves a one-upper, right? Well, looks like Texas weather is honing its one-upping skills this week. Three days of temps in the teens and a solid sheet of ice over everything? Oh yeah? Well, how about 5-6 inches of snow on top of that?

Yep, for the second year in a row, we have snow, and lots of it! This time it's on Super Bowl weekend...when the Super Bowl is HERE! Guess we wanted to make sure the Steelers and the Packers didn't get homesick.

Here is what our front porch looks like today - scroll down to yesterday's post to see the icy version of this same shot:

And here are some more pics Jeff took when he ventured out this morning (WISH I could have gone out...but sadly my walking boot does not double as a snow boot).

Ice Ice Baby

2011-02-03T10:38:00.004-06:00

It's TOO COLD in Dallas right now...we are having a very uncharacteristic cold spell right now, with temps well below freezing (in the teens with wind chills in the single digits and below zero)! Since Tuesday morning, every outdoor surface has looked like this:

Which is exactly why I've only left the house once in 3 days! The slick surfaces plus my bum ankle and walking boot do not make for a fun journey outside! Jeff had to hold both my hands yesterday to help me get to the car without an epic fall on our slippery stairs and driveway.

Oh yeah, by the way, this is what I've been wearing for the last 2 weeks - I haven't blogged about it yet:

I sprained my ankle really badly in a Zumba class at my gym...ugh, loser! I should have taken pics of it when I first did it - the swelling was huge and the whole side of my foot was black and purple. I can hopefully start physical therapy next week and get it back to normal as quickly as possible. I guess it's a good thing I am not working on a contract job right now...not sure how well I would fare walking across icy parking lots! So this week, I've just been hanging out at home with Bella, who protects herself from the cold by sleeping in a tiny rolled-up ball, like this:

Notice how she has her arm over her eyes to block out the light - what a diva!

I hope everyone is staying warm and enjoying some days off from school and work! Stay safe on the roads!

Things I Love: Zella Workout Pants

2011-01-28T15:30:00.007-06:00

Hey blog readers - I've decided I am going to start writing a "Things I Love" post now and then. I'm super picky about pretty much everything - food (though that's getting better), clothes, shoes, friends, etc. Just ask Jeff - this conversation is not uncommon in our house:

Jeff: Are/is those/that your new boots/shoes/pants/dress/recipe/etc?
Me: Yes. I don't like it/them.
Jeff: Gee, that's surprising.

Yep, I am pretty choosy. So when I find something I love, I REALLY love it, which is a victory worthy of sharing.

Today's installment of Things I Love: the athletic clothing brand Zella, exclusive of Nordstrom. I have been looking for the perfect long-length workout pants, and I've finally found them - the Zella Booty Pants! They are made of some of the softest material I've ever felt, and even though it's a stretchy, moisture-wicking material, they aren't shiny like spandex. They are long, with a slight flare at the bottom to go over my shoes. So many workout pants end up looking like high-waters on me, but not these! And best of all, they skim off at least 5 lbs from that pesky lower-body region that always needs firming. I swear, these pants will make it look like you live to do squats - they somehow lift and firm your booty while slimming your hips and thighs. Magical! I got them in black, but I am already eyeing the gray and navy.

Winter Wonderland

2011-01-16T17:57:00.005-06:00

Jeff and I are so excited about our upcoming winter vacation - here we come MONTANA! Yep, Montana...in the winter. It's gonna be COLD! In trying to decide where we wanted to take our big vacation of the year - which is also kinda sorta maybe our "Babymoon" (eeeek) - there were a few contenders. We considered Argentina, Vail, the Caribbean, and Montana. Lone Mountain Ranch, just outside Big Sky, Montana, was the big winner. It's a small resort without an alpine skiing mountain on the property - people come here just to cross-country ski, snowshoe, fly fish, and enjoy nature. And we plan to do all those things. We've never been cross-country skiing OR snowshoeing before, and we are excited to learn something new. If this place lives up to our expectations, we hope it will become a family vacation destination in the future - it looks beautiful in all seasons!

Here's our cabin in warmer temps:

Looking forward to seeing some bison in Yellowstone!

I think this is going to be a lot harder than it looks!

Cinnamon Rolls - Hooray!

2011-01-14T14:13:00.004-06:00

Today I posted an amazing recipe for cinnamon rolls on our cooking blog, Six Degrees of Supperation.

Check it out here and make some for yourself!

Healthy Skin Refresher

2011-01-10T10:18:00.005-06:00

It's wintertime - not a season when you typically think about the dangers of the sun. But EVERY time you go outside, your skin is exposed to UV rays that can be harmful, even if it doesn't feel hot or sunny outside. I recently got 3 moles removed at my new dermatologist's office (see previous posts). I wasn't really worried, just anxious to hear the biopsy results, because all of these were moles my previous derm had been monitoring for months but decided not to remove. All 3 came back as dysplastic nevi, which is just a fancy way to say they are benign, atypical moles that require no further treatment at this time. But since I have had melanoma, it's important to get these atypical moles removed so we can be sure they aren't turning into something worse. Yay for good biopsy results - that was a great phone call to receive!

So, now seems like the perfect time to remind everyone how important it is to care for and protect your skin!

The #1 rule is: wear sunscreen EVERY day. So many daily face lotions contain sunscreen these days, it's easy to combine your daily moisturizing with sun protection. I personally had a really hard time finding a daily sunscreen that I like. To me, most lotions containing sunscreen seem thick, sticky, or have that distinct sunscreen smell. My dermatologist recently recommended a new daily sunscreen lotion to me, and I am really liking it so far. It's the Elta MD UV Clear SPF 46 lotion - the winner of the Elle 2010 Genius Award for Skin. (I personally thought 46 is a super random SPF, but whatever). It is light, thin, and doesn't smell like you're going to the beach. It layers easily under my makeup without feeling greasy. And best of all, it's good for oily or acne-prone skin...so if heavier sunscreen lotions make you break out (like me), this one is your friend!

As a melanoma survivor, I have to be extra-careful about exposing my skin to harmful UV rays and monitoring my skin for any changes. At present, about 120,000 new cases of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, are diagnosed each year, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. The diagnosis of other skin cancers, such as basal and squamous cell, is even more common.

Since my ordeal with melanoma, I've turned into a big skin care advocate. I made sure all my friends were getting regular checks at the dermatologist, and I am pretty sure NONE of my friends or family members who previously tanned have set foot in a tanning bed since! So thanks for listening to me reiterate for the millionth time how important healthy skin is...and for goodness sake, go put on your sunscreen!

For good advice on how to check your own skin, read this article. For more in-depth discussion of moles and their potential to develop into melanoma, check this out.

30 Before 30 Update

2011-01-04T12:56:00.001-06:00

A couple months ago, I started my 30 Before 30 List (see a few blog posts down). Since then, I've marked a couple things off my list. Yay for making progress!

I think this update is a good "starting off the new year" blog post. Here are the things I've accomplished so far and the things I'll be working on next:

#1 - I actually went ahead and replaced #1 on my list with a new goal. The previous goal - learn to ride a road bike and maybe enter some races - just wasn't doing it for me. Not that I am ruling out ever riding a road bike, but I realized that I wasn't setting this goal for ME - I was doing it entirely for Jeff. I've never really had any particular desire to do road biking, but since Jeff is now into it, I thought I should learn so I could share in his hobbies. But...I really don't love biking (not yet anyway). I like running, and doing spinning classes, and other fitness-related activities...so I'll be sticking to those for the immediate future.

So my new #1 on the list is: Establish myself with a set of doctors I trust and feel comfortable with. I'm well on my way to completing this one. It may seem a strange goal, but I really think it's important to have doctors that you can really trust. I recently switched primary care physicians because I felt like my previous guy was always rushing through my appointments and not listening to me. Plus he was one of those people who says your full name all the time, which really creeps me out. As in: "Hey, Jillian, what can we do for you today, Jillian, how have you been feeling, Jillian?" I'm sure he's a good doctor, but no thanks. The jury is still out on whether I really like my new primary care physician or not...I've only seen her once.

I also recently (as in today) switched dermatologists. As you all probably know, I had melanoma a couple years ago and have since been a frequenter of my derm's office. He's a good guy and I am sure a wonderful doctor...after all, he did find the melanoma and likely saved my life. However, I felt he was too conservative. He liked to "watch" my moles to see if they changed rather than just biopsy them and get them off me. I also felt that he was uncomfortable, shy, and awkward doing detailed exams. I am sure this was just a professional courtesy for privacy protocols, but still. If it's going to save me from cancer, I will gladly stand nude under bright lights, jump through hoops (not nude, preferably), and generally lose all modesty. So I found a new derm, saw her for the first time today, and love her! She was very thorough, and operates under the theory that you should just cut off any suspicious moles rather than watch/wait. So I got 3 cut off today...yay! It makes me feel healthier just to have them removed, which I know is weird, but oh well.

I also have a new OBGYN who I've been seeing for over a year now, and I love her as well. I went on the search for a doctor I'd feel comfortable going through pregnancy and delivering a baby with, and she is fabulous.

#4 - Learn to cook more vegetarian dishes. My in-laws got me an awesome Christmas gift: cooking lessons at a great vegetarian restaurant (that also happens to be part of a very serene Hare Krishna temple) called Kalachandji's. Jeff and I love this place, and I am looking forward to learning some new cooking methods from them.

Here's a pic of the restaurant's beautiful courtyard. I recommend it to anyone wanting to try something new.

Photo by John Noeding Photography

#8 - Find a brand/style of jeans that really fits my body. I found a few pairs of jeans at Off 5th Ave - brands Joe's Jeans and Paige Denim - that I really love. Some are skinny jeans that I can tuck into boots, and I even got a pair of black jeans (technically jeggings, but I HATE that word)! They all fit me better than any jeans I've had in a while, though I often still have the problem that if the jeans fit in the thighs, they are too big in the waist. Alas, it's just my body type!

#14 - Finish the book I started writing about my grandparents' lives. I finished up the book after researching, writing, and editing it for almost a year (I was pretty lax about it for a while, oops)! I love how it turned out, and all my family members on my mom's side got them as gifts for Christmas. Here's a pic:

#13 & 27 - Visit a new city, and Take a cold weather vacation. I might just get to accomplish two in one. Jeff and I are planning a vacation for later this winter. We are currently tossing around the idea of going to Colorado or Montana to learn how to snowshoe and cross-country ski!

12 Days of Prudhomme Christmas

2010-12-30T16:54:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, blog reader(s)! Jeff and I just got home from a 12-day vacation to Florida to visit his parents. They have a 43-ft power catamaran that they use to cruise all around the east coast, so we joined them for a little Christmas cruising. Almost nothing went according to plan...naturally...but we managed to have some fun times anyway. Here are the 12 Days of Prudhomme Christmas:

1. On the first day of Christmas, Santa gave to me: a nose-picking neighbor on the flight to Florida. Seriously...two fingers, both nostrils...and he wasn't even a child. He was an old guy, who at one point asked me some odd questions in heavily accented English. Pretty sure he said "Do you work on the airplane?" and then "Are you in the United States Air Force?" Well, this creeped me the heck out, because I immediately started thinking...why is he asking me these things? Is he about to hijack this plane or stab me in the neck with a drinking straw?! Flying can be just miserable.

2. On the second day of Christmas, Santa gave to me: FOOD POISONING.

My hospital bracelet.

Seriously, Santa, what the hell?! If I've been bad, would a lump of coal not have been sufficient? On our first night in Florida, we went out to eat with Jeff's folks at a nice Spanish restaurant in St. Petersburg. We all ordered a big plate of paella to share. I suppose I got the lucky bite from our shared meal, because the next morning I found myself deathly ill. I have never felt this horrid in my entire life. After a few hours of being incredibly sick on the boat, we decided that the ER was the best place for me. So I spent the remainder of my day in the hospital, replenishing my fluids with an IV and getting doped up on anti-nausea meds. Merry Christmas to me!

3. On the third day of Christmas, Santa gave to me: the worst heartburn EVER, as a result of all the acidity in my stomach from the previous day. Lovely. On the bright side, we finally got to get out on the water in the boat, and we saw a ton of dolphins. One playfully swam up to the boat and got in between the catamaran's pontoons, then proceeded to swim there for a while and let us watch him playing in front of the boat. That was really cool...I could watch dolphins all day long!

4. On the fourth day of Christmas, Santa gave to me: a safety drill because the boat was taking on water from a leaky seal! Oh great...so if the food poisoning didn't kill me, going down with the ship off the Florida coast might finish me off! No, actually, it wasn't a close call or anything, but Jeff's dad did get out the life jackets and gave us instructions on what to do in case of emergency. As it turns out, the boat never took on enough water to do anything more than thoroughly annoy Jeff's dad, since they'd never had problems with any leaks prior to this trip. Jeff and I are such good luck charms!

5. On the fifth day of Christmas, Santa gave to me: a long drive across some of the Florida Keys on our way to Key West. Although long car rides are never the most fun things, at least we did have good scenery. The bridges connecting the Keys provide some great views - clear blue ocean on either side of the road, punctuated by small mangrove-lined islands, many with extravagant vacation homes we liked to drool over.

6. On the sixth day of Christmas, Santa gave to me: a Christmas Eve spa day at Prana Spa in Key West!

After feeling like crud for the past few days, a nice spa treatment was just what I needed. Jeff and my MIL, Nicole, got deep tissue massages while I got the Raj treatment - an exfoliating facial scrub, body scrub, full body massage, then a nourishing oil treatment for the hair and scalp along with a scalp/head massage. It was blissful.

7. On the seventh day of Christmas, Santa gave to me: a Christmas night drag show with my mother-in-law. After hanging out by the pool for a couple hours on a very sunny Christmas, we decided to have a very non-traditional Christmas night and go to a drag show at the 801 Club on Duval in Key West. My MIL really wanted to do this since she'd never seen one before. We decided to un-invite the men because we were afraid they would not exactly love it. So Jeff and his dad went out for drinks while we attended the show. While it was funny, it was possibly one of the most awkward hours I've ever spent in my entire life. The main host(ess) was extremely vulgar, and the performers loved to torment the straight men in the audience by going over to them and gyrating madly or shoving their crotch into someone's face. Luckily we were never on the receiving end of any of that, and we were both SO GLAD that Jeff & Les didn't come. In all, it was fun, just a bit uncomfortable!

8. On the eighth day of Christmas, Santa gave to me: a bunch of alligators! On our drive back to Naples from Key West, we got to drive through a strip of highway known as Alligator Alley. It cuts through the Everglades, and along the banks off the roadside (separated from the traffic by a tall chain-link fence) are the alligators of the Everglades. We counted at least 40 on this particular trip - they are such interesting creatures! Not really a place I'd like my car to break down at night...yikes!

9. On the ninth day of Christmas, Santa gave to me: a trip to a real-deal Skyline Chili parlor.

Skyline Chili is a Cincinnati thing and also Jeff's favorite childhood meal. He has told me countless times about how much he loved going to the Skyline restaurants and loading up on the strangely thin, beanless, cinnamon-y chili. He hasn't eaten Skyline in a restaurant since he was a kid in Ohio. So he was pumped, to say the least, when we randomly drove by a Skyline parlor in Naples, Florida. After spending an afternoon exploring a cold and windy state park beach, we went to Skyline for lunch, and Jeff was in heaven. I think it was his favorite part of our entire trip! At first I didn't know what to think about the chili, which can also be purchased at Kroger in cans, but now I really enjoy it. It's traditionally served over spaghetti with finely shredded cheddar on top. Yum!

10. On the tenth day of Christmas, Santa gave to me: a sightseeing trip through the canals of Tween Waters in a tiny dingy.

Oh captain, my dingy captain!

We were trying to salvage any hope we'd had of doing outdoorsy stuff on this trip...between my food poisoning and the cold weather, we hadn't done much at all outside. So we pulled into a marina in a place called Tween Waters, where Jeff's parents often stop. (For the record, I hate the name Tween Waters...I know it's supposed to be an abbreviation of BEtween, since it's a strip of water between parts of the island...but it just sounds wrong)! It's off of Captiva Island, and the beaches there would have been beautiful had it not been so cold! Rather than walk along another chilly beach, we dropped the dingy off the back of Jeff's dad's boat and took it out on an exploration of the little waterways and canals through the mangrove islands. Even though the wind was chilling and we couldn't ever find a good place to take the boat ashore to explore the little islands, we still had fun on our little mini-adventure. We saw lots of beautiful birds, and I wished my expert bird-watcher Aunt Carol had been there to identify them all for me! Apparently the tiny wake from the dingy was stirring up fish, because some seagulls decided it would be fun to follow us around.

It was a little cold on the dingy!

A few of the seagulls that were stalking us!

11. On the eleventh day of Christmas, Santa gave to me: a visit to some of Jeff's family I've never met before. Jeff and his cousin, Brent, were always really close when they were kids, kind of like my cousin, Ashley, and I. Now that Brent and his wife, Denise, live in Florida, Jeff rarely ever sees him anymore. So after getting back to the marina in St. Petersburg on our last night in Florida, we drove out to their house to visit them and see their adorable baby girl, Riley Kate, who is 2 months old. It was great to finally meet them. I really wish we lived closer together, because I could really see us doing lots of things together.

12. On the twelfth day of Christmas, Santa gave to me: home sweet home. Our flight back to Dallas was uneventful - no nose-picking neighbor, and the kids sitting directly behind us were actually quiet and calm. We popped a Harry Potter movie in the portable DVD player and were home in no time. It's always a mix of feelings getting home after a long vacation like this one: I was glad to be back on my own turf, sleeping in my own bed, at my own house where I have my car and my freedom to do my own thing. But I was also dismayed at the incredible mess we'd left our house in and all the unpacking, laundry, and cleaning that needed (still needs) to get done. Ugh.

In all, we had a very fun, very non-traditional Christmas. We wish it would have been a bit warmer so we could have enjoyed a typical Florida winter, but oh well. Jeff's parents really did make everything so nice for us, and it was great to just get away and not have to worry about all the trivial little things that consume our daily lives back home. It was great!

Hope you had a very Merry Christmas, too, with just as many fun and interesting tales as we had (but, hopefully, featuring less vomiting and hospital visits)!

Here are some other random pics from our vacay:

Here we are getting a Cheeseburger in Paradise on Cabbage Key. I was still feeling quite under the weather at this point, and I think this was my first real meal since the "shellfish incident."

On Cabbage Key outside the restaurant that inspired the Buffett song "Cheeseburger in Paradise."

Our "Christmas Tree" in the condo on Key West...talk about a Charlie Brown tree!

Our Christmas Eve dinner at Louie's Backyard - absolutely delicious food!

Jeff's Christmas drink.

My very merry Christmas pina colada - on the warmest day of our trip. At least we got to spend Christmas day by the water!

Hemingway's favorite bar in Key West. More on that later.

I forced everyone to take the tour of the Hemingway House.

A pretty banana plant at Hemingway's house.

Hemingway's writing study.

The house from the outside.

Many of the Hemingway cats are polydactyls - having extra toes on their feet!

Jeff trying to befriend one of the Hemingway cats.

Close-up on a polydactyl's foot.

The Hemingway cat drinking fountain. The bottom part is actually a piece of a urinal from Hemingway's favorite Key West bar...when the bar closed down for a while, Hemingway took this urinal to proudly display in his yard (nobody said he was normal)!

Jeff and I on the Southernmost Point marker - touted as the southernmost point in the U.S.; but supposedly there is a point on a nearby military air station that is further south. Oh well...good enough!

A beautiful sunset at Mallory Square in Key West.

Another beautiful sunset, this time in Naples, FL.

I was a fan of this boat, docked at the marina we stayed at in Naples. (It says Mischief Managed). Nice Harry Potter reference!

#1 Bites the Dust?

2010-09-27T20:36:00.001-05:00

Over the weekend, my mom brought me a bike my dad no longer wanted. It's a men's mountain bike, but it's the right size for me, and they figured I might get more use out of it than my dad did. The plan was for me to ride this bike to get used to riding again and then buy a road bike so I could do some "real riding," thereby accomplishing #1 on my 30 before 30 list as well as discovering a great source of low-impact cardio.

Well...I rode the bike. And...it was scary. Yes, I am a total loser. Toddlers ride bikes. I realize this. However, Saturday was my first time since 6th grade to be on a bike, and I would like to meet the person who came up with the saying "it's just like riding a bike." It didn't seem like second nature at all. Rather, I was quite certain that if I had been on a busy street, I would have been smashed flat and become roadkill. I was wobbly, riding the brakes, and afraid of falling over and scraping all the skin off my limbs. And this was on a mountain bike with thick tread and sturdy tires...imagine how disastrous I will be on a road bike - the thin tires, the clip-in pedals...it's a recipe for disaster!

So, this leaves me with the question of what to do. Do I forget cycling altogether as a hobby and just stick to spinning, running, swimming, etc? Or do I forge ahead, purchase a road bike, and hope for the best? I am just not sure. I realize that I've only ridden the bike once, and if I go out a few more times, I will most likely begin to feel more comfortable. So I do plan to do that and see what happens. But, will I ever be comfortable enough for a road bike? Jeff will support me in whatever I decide to do, but I REALLY want this to work. I want to be able to take part in one of his hobbies so we can have something fun to do together on the weekends. I could always go fishing, but I don't have the passion for it that he does, and I get bored being in the boat all day. With cycling, I hoped that I could find something that we both liked doing, with the added bonus of calorie burning. But Jeff makes the valid point that if I am afraid of it, I am more likely to hurt myself. As he explained, the sport is not for timid people who are overly cautious, because if you are overly cautious, you will fall the first time you're called to make a quick decision on the bike. I am not much of a physical risk-taker. I an annoyed with that quality in myself, but that's that. I really don't like going fast, and I don't get a thrill from adrenaline-pumping situations.

But I am not ready to give up on the idea quite yet. I feel like telling myself "oh well, suck it up...so you fall, you won't die...so get over it." Saying that and getting my brain to believe it are two different things. What to do?! Maybe I just need to get this lovely bike with adult training wheels! :)

My 30 Before 30 List

2010-09-20T22:37:00.002-05:00

Inspired by my good friend Rachel and all of the fabulous ideas on her list, I've decided to make my very own 30 before 30 list. I turn 30 in exactly 20 months, though I really still feel like I am 20 (except when I have a few drinks...then my age catches up to me oh so quickly)! Where is the time going? Isn't there any way to slow it down?!

My 30s are coming, like it or not. So here, in no particular order, are 30 things I would like to accomplish before my 30th birthday. I'll update the blog with my successes (and, potentially, failures) with the items on this list. Some are big-picture lifestyle changes, others are tiny goals.

1. Learn to ride a road bike without injuring myself, possibly train for/ride in some sort of race/rally. Hopefully this will not be what it looks like when I take to the roads:

2. Buy and install a new chandelier for dining room - hopefully from somewhere thrifty like the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store or a garage sale.

3. Establish a weekly house chores schedule and stick to it.

4. Learn to cook more vegetarian dishes. Not because I want to BECOME a vegetarian, mind you. But just to have healthy, fresh meal alternatives that don't always include meat.

5. Take time at least twice a week for stretching. Though I love working out, I HATE stretching and never do it. Consequently, I am one of the least flexible people EVER, and I have problems with tightness in my muscles all the time. I'm not getting any younger...so I guess it's time to do something about it!

6. Learn to use a sewing machine and also do simple hand-stitching. And maybe loom knitting...I really like this loom, and it looks easy enough even for me.

7. Run a 10k - I've done the half marathon, and after losing a toenail and acquiring persisting hip and foot aches/pains, I think I'll stick to shorter races...but it's still fun to have a goal. Maybe I'll also do a 5k with my mom.

8. Find a brand/style of jeans that REALLY fits my body.

9. Implement bi-monthly date night with Jeff.

10. Learn to cook more things from scratch - jam, pizza sauce, breads, sauces, etc.

11. Grow something in a planter or backyard garden - just one or two vegetables, to see how it goes.

12. Organize our office in a way that allows it to STAY organized...not just stuffing things in drawers/on shelves until crap overflows onto every available surface.

13. Visit a new city (or a city Jeff and I have never been to together). Maybe here:

14. Finish the book I started writing about my grandparents' lives (this needs to be done by Christmas 2010, so really I only have a couple months)!

15. Finish (ok, ok...start and finish) my wedding scrapbook.

16. Brush up on my Spanish through self-study books or a continuing education class.

17. Learn to love the body that I have, not the one I think I SHOULD have, and be thankful for each day of health I'm given. I don't think this is something that can ever really be "checked off" my list. It's more of an overall attitude adjustment I know I need to make in order to be a good role model for my children someday (especially daughters). Trying to improve my physical appearance (to an unattainable level) through diet and exercise is something I struggled with heavily in high school and college, to the point of being unhealthy at times. I want to cleanse myself of that mentality. That's not to say I can't work hard to gain greater physical fitness for health and overall well-being...that will always be important to me, and I think valuing fitness is a good thing. But as for the other stuff...like the fact that I am holding onto a few more pounds than I was 10, or even 5, years ago...and that my skin is more pale and must stay that way (thanks, melanoma)...and that it's harder to tone those problem areas to look good in a swimsuit...SO WHAT? I want to truthfully be able to say "SO WHAT??" and be happy with what my mirror reflects. It may not happen by the time I'm 30, but hopefully I can make small advances toward this eventual goal.

18. Organize the zillions of pictures on my computer; copy them to CDs.

19. Create a gallery wall somewhere in the house. I love gallery walls; they bring such interest to a space in a different way than pictures alone. I like this one with family photos, but I also like mixed walls with photos, paintings, clocks, and other wall art.

20. Get CPR certified.

21. Get re-certified to teach spinning. I used to love teaching my bi-weekly spin class in college. I think picking up a spin class or two would be a great post-baby "job" for me. Not only would it help me stay fit after having kids, but it would give me a sense of accomplishment in a task I could do outside the home.

22. Landscape the yard with pretty flowers/bushes and actually remember to water them so they don't die.

23. Get a professional bikini wax. Wow, dream big, right? But I've never gotten one before, and I feel like it's something I should do once in my life...plus, surely the short-lived pain is worth it?!

24. Host a grown-up dinner party at my house where I serve a multi-course meal with wine on a nice table setting.

25. Learn something about photography.

26. Go to a driving range and learn how to hit golf balls (may need assistance of super-golfer dad for this).

27. Go on a cold-weather vacation. Maybe learn to cross-country ski or snowshoe since Jeff can't downhill ski due to bad knees. Here's my dad and I, circa 1997 (or thereabouts)...did not realize until now that we were matching ski-dorks!

28. Start (and stick to) a daily skin moisturizing regimen (face, body, hands, & feet) and nail care regimen.

29. Go fishing with Jeff more often (even if it means getting up BEFORE the crack of dawn). But only if he can teach me to catch whoppers like this:

30. Make the effort to visit my out-of-town friends and family more often. I have such great people in my life, and they are spread out across Texas - from my parents in Tyler to my two best friends, Amanda and Alli, in Spring (still jealous you ladies live so close to each other!) to my grandma in Fort Worth and my cousin/college roomie and his family in West Columbia. These people mean the world to me, and nothing would make me happier than to see them more often. I plan to make an extra diligent effort to spend more time with them in the coming years.

Making this list was lots of fun...I didn't even realize I had certain goals until I sat down and thought about things I want to accomplish. I LOVE lists and feel more accomplished already just by making one! Do you keep a list of goals for yourself? What things do you want to accomplish within the next few years?

9 Years.

2010-09-11T19:53:00.002-05:00

It's hard to believe 9 years have passed since September 11, 2001. I was a 19-year old sophomore in college on that morning. I remember my phone ringing pretty early, and my dad's voice came over the phone: "Something bad is happening. Stay inside today and be careful." I don't remember what else he said, but I do remember the stress in his voice. I turned on the TV in my dorm room and tried to understand what was going on. The news channels were filled with chaotic reporting, the confused newscasters doing their best to relay what had happened. I think my roommate, Alli, and I sat there for hours, watching as the towers fell and reports came in of more hijacked planes. Strangely, I don't remember if I was scared or not. I think shocked is a more accurate description. I think our classes were all cancelled...I don't really remember much about that either. Later that afternoon, my (then ex) high school boyfriend called me. We talked about how horrible it was, and I think I cried as he told me that if the military needed volunteers, he would find a way to go fight. I don't remember when life on our campus went back to normal. I remember prayer vigils for the people who had lost their lives, and the amazing show of support for our country at the next Aggie home game, dubbed the "Red, White, and Blue Out" (rather than our usual Maroon Out). Here's a picture of our stands during that game:

So many selfless people risked (and also lost) their lives trying to save others and find survivors at Ground Zero. As others fled, they walked into the blinding dust, burning debris, and falling metal. We can never repay them for their bravery.

A great number of people were trapped in areas that were inaccessible by human rescuers. Something we rarely hear about are the 300 search and rescue dogs that helped locate the survivors and also the remains of those who perished. Here's a very touching video about these brave dogs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D91GQRX3YdY

We have a book in our house called One Nation: America Remembers September 11, 2001. The images in it are horrific, haunting, and heroic. It tells a minute-by-minute account of what happened that morning and also delves more deeply into the stories of some of the fallen, and still living, heros. I highly recommend this book. We all need something like this in our homes to ensure that we, and our future generations, never forget.

A Special Old Friend

2010-08-25T22:52:00.001-05:00

As everyone probably knows, I have been doing some volunteer work with Paws in the City, an animal rescue organization here in Dallas. This week, one of the co-founders of the organization lost her companion, Max. I learned this through Facebook, and it brought back memories of my childhood buddy, Ben. Here we are - just a kid and her giant puppy!!

I got Ben when I was in 2nd grade, and he was a wonderful, slobbery, goofy companion to my family until I was a sophomore in college. Losing him was so hard since we had practically grown up together - in fact, since I had no human siblings, I often thought of my pets as my brothers and sisters! When we got Ben, we were told that he was most likely a Beagle/Basset Hound mix and would be a medium sized dog when full grown. My parents noted his large paws and were a bit skeptical of this estimate, but nobody cared because 1. we are a family who loves LARGE dogs and 2. he was so darn adorable that we couldn't NOT take him home. I named him Benji, after the scruffy mutt in the movies, which were favorites of mine as an animal-obsessed kid!

As he grew, we could see that Ben was most certainly NOT a Beagle/Basset. He was more likely a German Shepherd/American Foxhound - with the deep chest (and later hip problems) of the shepherd with the coloration of a black, tan, and white foxhound. He had the best personality traits from both breeds, too. Quick to learn his tricks, protective yet gentle, and loyal to his humans...in short, absolutely the sweetest, smartest dog ever!

My parents and I always say, if only we could have cloned Ben and been guaranteed to get his loveable personality, we could have had a lifetime of wonderful dogs! It's too bad our pet companions have so few years with us, but the important thing is to show them all the love we have while they're around. I need to scan some old pics of two other wonderful childhood pets - Garfield the cat, who I adopted from a neighbor's litter of kittens when I was 5 years old (he lived until I was a junior in college) and Chief the horse (he was a gentle old man of 18 when my parents bought him for me at age 9, and he lived to the ripe old age of 26)!

Here's the ONLY pic I have scanned of Garfield - unfortunately you have to bear witness to me at a very awkward stage (brace-face) with a very ticked-off cat in a hat!

Who were your favorite animal friends when you were young?

Premature Nesting

2010-08-15T19:01:00.002-05:00

So, I have a confession: I a premature nester. Yep, that's right...I love browsing nursery design sites and coming up with ideas for my future baby's room! No, I am not pregnant, and no, we are not currently trying to get pregnant. I just love the idea of putting together a whimsical yet mature enough to grow into nursery. And I love the idea of creating a room where my future child can play and learn.

I ran some ideas by Jeff the other day, and I am pretty sure he heard "nursery...crib...glider..." and then spaced out as if I were Charlie Brown's mumbling teacher. Rather than having to figure out what the heck I was talking about, he said, and I quote: "You can do WHATEVER you want in that room." So I clarified by saying, "We can do whatever I want, and you will HELP me do it?" And he said yes. And all I can say is.....YYYYYEEEEEESSSSS! I won't let him forget that promise when the time comes!

OK, so let's discuss some of my FAVORITE design ideas.

I absolutely L.O.V.E. wall murals/decals. They are so fun and add texture and interest to what would otherwise be a plain wall.

This idea, pulled from Project Nursery, combines my FAVORITE color (green) with a nature theme with birds and trees. Very cute.

I am picturing a changing table or a crib with a giant tree growing up the wall behind it. Maybe a muted gray, blue, or green-toned wall with a white tree, maybe like this one from Dali Decals.

I am also loving these awesome chrysanthemums for a little girl's room.

For inspiration while planning my non-existant baby's room, I love looking at all the fun products on Layla Grace. I think this light fixture is so great for some reason!

Can you tell I love green?!

I also love the idea of a great rug to tie together the room's color scheme (and of course to muffle my steps near the crib on our hardwood floors). Not sure if I am crazy about the vivid orange in this example from Project Nursery, but I like how it's all tied together.

Notice the decal...yep, I love decals!

Another must is a really fun and interesting mobile. My cool neighbor included this adorable circus jungle mobile by Blabla in her son's nursery, and it looks fabulous!
He is gonna be one lucky baby with such a stylish, cute room!

And what kid's room is complete without some loveable, huggable stuffed animals? I absolutely ADORE Cordy Roys by JellyCat. Here's the elephant from their collection.

I've seen some of these cuddly guys in Central Market, and it was a struggle not to buy them. I had a ridiculous number of stuffed animals when I was a kid, so I know I will continue to have a soft spot for them with my own kids.

When I am pregnant, there is NO WAY I will be able to wait to find out the gender. I must know in order to design the perfect nursery!

Is this all strange and unacceptable? At least Rachel knows what I'm talking about! What are YOUR fun design ideas?

Life is Sweet

2010-07-09T22:47:00.000-05:00

I was reminded this week that life is sweet...and short. A girl I knew through Jeff passed away this week after an 18-month battle with cancer. She was smart, successful, and she was my age. It is a very sobering thought. I have cried for her family and for the tragic and seemingly unnecessary end to her life.

This was a reminder to appreciate life and thank God for every minute I get to live it. One of my greatest fears is disease. I think it is because disease is something that can strike suddenly and without warning, and you have no control over it. I exercise and try to eat right (most of the time), and I do not engage in health risks such as smoking or excessive drinking. After my melanoma, I am extra careful in the sun. In addition to protecting my health, I protect myself by not taking unnecessary risks. Jeff actually laughs at me because I am so risk averse! I don't drive erratically (ahem, Jeff!), and you will NEVER catch me skydiving, cliff diving, bungee jumping,or any other such nonsense. But these precautions could be rendered irrelevant if I ever got sick. No matter how physically strong you make your body, there are some things it simply can't fight. And this is scary. I sometimes have the tendency to be a "worst case scenario" type of person, and this is something I am working to change. Because it does absolutely no good. What does do good is to celebrate the joys in life - small and large - find humor, be kind, and consider the bigger picture. Sometimes the trivial threatens to overwhelm me - "these jeans are tighter than they were a year ago, I am not challenged or fulfilled by my career, this heap of dirty laundry and these cat-hair tumbleweeds are stressing me out." Why do these things even matter? So I stop, and just breathe, and am thankful.

I apologize if this was not the most upbeat post ever. I am not trying to be overly morbid, here. My point is that life is filled with the unexpected, and I intend to enjoy mine to the fullest.

I Miss the Sun

2010-05-31T15:17:00.001-05:00

On beautiful summer days like the ones we've been having lately, I get kinda depressed. That seems odd, right? Well, it's just because I miss the sun. I live a mostly indoor life now, and I don't always love it. It's been one year and 4 months since I had a mole that turned out to be melanoma excised from my right side, and since then, I've had to be very careful about sun exposure. And I know that EVERYONE should be very careful about sun exposure no matter what, but for people with previous melanomas, this is particularly important. Now if I go out, I have to make sure I can find a shady spot to hide under every half-hour or so. I have to spend a long time before going outside covering every inch of my body with SPF 50 sunscreen, and even then I notice my skin getting red more quickly than usual. My poor skin is just not used to seeing any rays, so it turns red in an instant. In reality, these are small sacrifices...and I know I am complaining when I shouldn't be. I am SO incredibly grateful that my melanoma was discovered and removed before it became a life-threatening cancer. But still, I just get jealous of all those people who can just slap on a bit of sunscreen and head to the pool or the lake at a moment's notice. Also, I hate the way I look in a bikini these days...but more on that particular complaint in a later post!

Book Review - House Rules by Jodi Picoult

2010-05-17T18:05:00.002-05:00

I have a good book for you! House Rules, by Jodi Picoult.

I have read almost all of Jodi Picoult’s novels. I like the multiple-narrator approach she uses, and the detail with which she writes. It’s obvious in her novels that she thoroughly researches her subject matter, so even though it is fiction, it doesn’t come off as mindless.

One caveat – once you’ve read a couple of her books, you will be able to predict the endings of most of her others. She likes to throw in a twist towards the end that makes you rethink your impressions about the rest of the book. But once you’re used to her formula, you will guess the twist pretty easily. For some people, that might ruin the entire book. For me it doesn’t. I still like seeing following the characters and seeing how the story plays out, and every once in a while, she still surprises me.

There were no surprises in House Rules – I knew what the “mystery twist” would be after reading the first couple of chapters. One thing did disappoint me, but I can’t say what it is without ruining the book for anyone who might read it. But I loved the subject matter of this book: Asperger’s Syndrome. I don’t know why, but autism and autism-spectrum disorders have always fascinated me. I don’t really know where it started…maybe with the movie Rain Man, which I love! All I know is that in high school, I wrote a research paper titled “The Unsolved Mystery of Autism.” It explored the potential causes of autism and explained some of the typical behaviors exhibited by autistic kids. That was in 1998, when even less was known about the autism spectrum disorders than is known at present. Asperger’s wasn’t even standardized as an autism-spectrum disorder until six years prior to my high school paper. If I see a book with an autistic character, I will buy it. If there’s a movie or TV show about kids with these disorders, I will watch it. I have no idea why it interests me so much, but it does.

If I had been smart, I would have gone to school to be a behavioral therapist or something similar so I could work with these kinds of kids. I have no doubt that it would be an incredibly frustrating, fascinating job. But that’s another story.

So, finally, a bit about the book. It’s about an 18-year old boy, Jacob, with high-functioning Asperger’s Syndrome. His fixation is crime scene forensic science, so you can probably see where this is going. He is accused of a murder when his social skills tutor is found dead. He knows far too much about the crime scene to be innocent, apparently. The book follows his arrest, imprisonment, subsequent house arrest, and trial, narrated by Jacob himself, his brother Theo, the police detective, Jacob’s mother, and Jacob’s attorney. This book will make you laugh and will make you mad. You see how the quirks of autism disorders can lead to a person with a wonderfully dry and witty sense of humor. You also see the incredible struggle of a family whose life must revolve around one person’s needs, to the detriment of all others. There’s a neglected brother who is torn between loving and hating his autistic sibling. There’s a single mother who was abandoned by her husband when their son was diagnosed and who suffers every day when she sees her son trying, and failing, to become a part of the world of neurotypical people. Also, you see how the legal system could be incredibly flawed and unforgiving to a defendant with an autism disorder. All in all, a very interesting, fast-paced read – I plowed through it in a couple of days!

One thing I found questionable in this book was Jacob’s insightfulness. At times, he seemed more like the traditional Asperger’s kid – lacking empathy, extremely literal, obsessive about his fixation topic – but at other times, the chapters from his point of view seemed to show too much self-awareness and emotion. But what do I know, maybe people with high-functioning Asperger’s really do walk that fine of a line between what is considered normal and what is considered “different.”

I went to the author’s website after finishing the book, as I usually do. She always posts more information about her topics and discusses the inspiration behind her books. In her discussion of House Rules, she addresses the debate about the cause of autism disorders, which is still unknown. Many people believe that vaccinations are the cause, and for good reason, in my opinion. In researching her book, Jodi Picoult came across mothers who showed her videos of their normal babies, making eye contact with the camera, playing with other children. Later home videos of these same children, taken days after an extensive round of shots, show them rocking or flapping their hands, avoiding eye contact, and withdrawing into their own world. If that is not scary stuff, I don’t know what is. On the other hand, most kids get their vaccinations and never show any symptoms. No conclusive scientific test has ever proven a link between vaccines and autism, according to Picoult’s research. Either way, autism-spectrum disorders are on the rise – the author cites this statistic: 1 in 100 children are now diagnosed somewhere on the spectrum. While these kids are no less treasured or loved, their lives are inarguably more difficult. Their peers will inevitably make fun of their repetitive tics, obsessive tendencies, tantrums, and inability to carry on normal conversations. Mainstream society is full of things that are hard to handle for them – bright lights, loud noises, confusing social cues, and disrupted routines. And I can only imagine how their parents’ hearts must break as they try to forge a loving connection to children who cannot understand that kind of emotion. I won’t begin to speculate about the causes of autism because I am not nearly knowledgeable enough to do so. But I do know that when I get pregnant, I am going to find a pediatrician who will talk to me about these concerns. Jodi Picoult lists several tips about vaccinations on her website that I found very interesting. She obviously makes no claim that by following these tips, you can prevent your child from having autism, but they are definitely things for parents to think about. I know I will.

2nd Anniversary

2010-04-06T10:24:00.002-05:00

Yesterday Jeff and I celebrated our 2nd Anniversary! I can't believe it's already been two years since our awesomely fun wedding. I wish we could keep re-living our wedding reception over and over again - it was so much fun to party and celebrate with our friends and family!

Our first anniversary was on a Sunday, and we spent the day at the spa getting couple's massages. This year, since our anniversary fell on a Monday, we had to do something in the evening after work. When Jeff got home from work, we exchanged gifts. We don't really "go big" on anniversary gifts, so we each just got each other something small. Plus, the theme for 2nd year anniversary gifts is apparently "cotton." Not sure who came up with this random correlation of gifts and years, but hey, we went with it!

I got him this silly t-shirt that I made on CustomInk.com. Some of the things on there are little jokes between the two of us - he is so goofy that we always have something to laugh about!

I wanted it to be an apron because he has said he needs one, but with the font size restrictions, it wouldn't fit on the front of the apron. So I just got a comfy t-shirt that he can wear around the house.

His gift was WAY sweeter than mine! I can never think of anything to get him because 1) whatever he needs, he goes out and gets himself, and 2) the only stuff he ever wants is fishing gear! Anyway, here is what he got me:

Yep, that is exactly what it looks like: a crib sheet!! This may seem odd, since we don't have a baby, nor am I pregnant. But, no...it's perfect! He got this for me to symbolize that he is excited to take that next step with me and become parents together. He said he realizes that he rarely ever talks about having a baby in a positive light, so he wanted me to know that as we enter our third year of marriage, we can begin to plan our family! Jeff has often said that he is scared to have a child because he knows it means that we will have to do a lot of growing up, and our lives will have to change significantly. Right now, when we want to go out of town, we just pack up and go. We have our own schedule that we are very comfortable with, and obviously a baby will change that. Our lives will revolve more around our children than ourselves, and they will take top priority in our considerations. That doesn't mean we won't still be able to have fun, though! We are so lucky to live in a great family-raising neighborhood near many of our closest friends. We all love to get together for game nights, back yard BBQs, and game-watching parties. We stopped going out to the bar for a "fun activitiy" a LONG time ago! When we have kids, we can still do these same things that we enjoy doing now. It just may be more of a 3-ring circus with all our kiddos running around the house and yard!

This is by far the sweetest gift ever! Out of the blue, he can be so thoughtful. The best thing is, the sheet is not just any old crib sheet! It's made from super soft organic cotton, good for babies who just MIGHT inherit their mother's incredibly allergy-prone skin! And it's GREEN, my favorite color...and good for either a girl or boy's crib.

So, stay tuned this year for the Prudhomme's baby plans! We aren't going to rush into it right this minute, but we are going to start planning.

Easter Weekend

2010-04-04T15:05:00.002-05:00

My parents came in to visit us for Easter weekend, and we got some quality family time. They are definitely not ones to sit idly around, so we got a TON of work done to the yard. Jeff and I have been wanting to do a long day of yard work for months, but we lacked the motivation to get it started by ourselves. So my parents came to the rescue, and all four of us worked hard for at least 7 hours yesterday. We cleaned out all the dead leaves from the flowerbeds, trimmed bushes, planted a few flowers, raked the dead thatched layer of grass from the yard, and filled in low spots with topsoil. It looks amazingly better - I'll post some pics soon when I finish planting the rest of the flowers.

Today we cooked a big Easter lunch before they headed home. I was able to log at least 4 new recipes that I'll add to my Six Degrees blog posts. We had ham, 3-cheese mac & cheese, fruit salad, homemade yeast rolls, asparagus, and a carrot cake with cream cheese icing for dessert.

YUM! But now I am too full and can't manage to get off the couch. But when and if I do get off the couch, I should go work out because I probably gained 5 lbs this weekend!

I HATE Thieves

2010-03-20T19:27:00.000-05:00

So, something horrible happened this week. Someone broke into my locker at the gym and stole my wedding rings, credit cards, and driver's license. I go to the gym to lift weights for 30 minutes every day at lunch. As usual, I changed into my workout clothes, stowed my rings in the inside zipper pocket of my purse, locked my locker, and went about my workout. When I got back upstairs to change back into my work clothes, I noticed first that my rings were missing. I thought maybe they had fallen into the bottom of my purse, so I searched there...nothing. My heart was starting to beat a little quickly at this point.

For some reason the next thing I did, without even thinking, was to open my wallet. It was becoming clear to me at that point what had happened. All the slots where I keep my credit cards and driver's license were empty. I just kind of stood there for a minute, not understanding what was going on. I mean, my locker was freaking LOCKED this entire time. I even had to unlock it when I came back to get dressed, so they locked it back when they were done. They didn't cut the lock or break it in any way, which means they either must have picked it or watched me for days and memorized my combination. But I think I would have noticed someone hovering behind me staring at my hand as I put in the combination! Apparently combination locks are easy to pick, though, so that's probably what happened. But I definitely think I was targeted. I mean, a ton of women do not put locks on their lockers at ALL. They just close the doors to the locker...I often open 3 or more lockers each day before finding an empty one I can use. Yet nobody else was robbed that day...only me. Also, since they didn't take my entire purse, but only the things they wanted out of it (they ignored my camera and iPod), I think they have had their eye on me for a while.

I have tried to look on the bright side of this situation, because things could have been a lot worse. The thief who has been watching me could have ambushed me in the parking garage and shot me to get what they wanted. (Maybe a bit dramatic, but this kind of thing does happen every day in Dallas). So now, with my second anniversary a few weeks away, Jeff and I have to design my rings all over again and wait for them to be made. Luckily the insurance company is not dragging its feet and is already in the process of completing our claim, so it shouldn't take too long.

What really pisses me off about this situation is the complete disregard for people's belongings. How does a person come to the conclusion that it is OK to take something that does not belong to them?! I can cancel credit cards and replace my driver's license, but my rings were one of a kind. Jeff picked out the stones and designed my ring himself, and it was on my hand the day we got married. That can't be replaced. I typically have a lot of patience with and faith in people, but this is something I just can't understand or tolerate. It makes me SO angry to think about it. I don't hold out much hope that the police will find whoever did this, but it sure would be nice if they did. The detective is going to check the videos from the gym entrance and the gas station where they used my credit card 10 minutes before I discovered the theft. He is also going to check pawn shops for my rings...but again, it's a needle in a haystack! UGH...it has been a crappy week.

Doggie Dilemma

2010-03-14T22:09:00.001-05:00

To dog or not to dog, that is the question. I am a pet person, always have been and always will be. Growing up, I had dogs, cats, frogs, newts, cows, fish, and a horse! Jeff, on the other hand, has never had a pet in his entire life...that is, until he inherited my cat, Bella, through marriage. I really believe that caring for a pet and learning about animals helps to make people more compassionate, patient, and selfless. At first Jeff wasn't too sure about the cat situation, but now he loves Bella more than life itself! And how could he not...she is wonderful and beautiful and hilarious. I mean, just look at her, what's not to love?!

Lately we have been considering adding a dog to our family. I love dogs. They are loyal and huggable. They are also a lot more work than a cat. We can leave Bella alone in the house with a full food and water dish for a couple days without having to worry about her. Clearly that is not the case with a dog. But dogs just bring such joy into a house with their floppy ears and goofy faces. Plus, Jeff and I are going to be starting a family sometime in the forseeable future, so we might as well get used to responsibility!

Believe it or not, the responsibility involved with dog ownership is not even our main worry...it's Bella we are concerned about. She is our baby, and she currently rules the roost. Jeff is worried that with a dog, Bella will not be herself anymore and will feel uncomfortable in her own home. And her reaction worries me too, but I am optimistic that it can work out. Bella has been around plenty of dogs in her life, and she does pretty well with them as long as they don't act aggressively toward her. Picking a dog that will work with our family means picking a dog that is gentle and will not chase Bella. Even if we do find a dog that fits this description, we still don't know how Bella will feel about having a doggie sibling permanently. If I made Bella unhappy by adopting a dog, would I ever be able to forgive myself? Would Bella still love me? Would she feel like I was trying to replace her or that she wasn't good enough for me? This actually keeps me up at night and worries me during my workday. That's a little crazy, isn't it? My mom reminds me that Bella is in fact a cat who is not likely capable of such complex emotions. But still, I worry...it's just my nature.

I want this to work out. I want to find the perfect dog for us who can fit right in and become Bella's companion as well as ours. Or at least a dog that Bella can tolerate that will not make her want to run away from home. I want Jeff to learn what it's like to be loved by a silly, slobbery mutt. We met a dog this weekend that I am feeling optimistic about. Her name (currently) is Willow, and she is a medium-sized German Shepherd/Lab mix who is timid but loving. She and Bella met, nose to nose, and nothing crazy went down. They sniffed, Willow didn't bark or lunge, Bella didn't hiss or growl. It went WAY better than expected! And right after Willow's foster mom took her home, Bella came down from her perch and went about her normal activities...it was obvious that she wasn't concerned or on edge after Willow's visit. So, maybe this could work. We are going to talk about it, and maybe we will take Willow for a weekend at a time to see how she adjusts to our home and interacts with Bella. At least we will know that we tried. Does anyone have advice on helping a cat-only household ready for a doggie family member? I'll keep everyone posted! In the meantime, here is the adorable Willow:

Photo courtesy of Thank Dog Photography...check it out for one of the most addictive blogs ever! You just can't get enough of the doggie photos she captures!

New Year, Neglected Blog

2010-02-22T22:31:00.001-06:00

Well, if one of my New Year's Resolutions was to post more regular blog updates, I am failing miserably! Actually, I didn't make any resoutions, but I do intend to be a better blogger. Starting now.

The year 2010 has actually been pretty eventful so far. Dallas got record snow fall during Valentine's weekend, and OF COURSE, we missed it. We were on a cruise to Cozumel with our friends Alli and John. Granted it would have sucked to endure the 2-day power outage, but I would have loved to play in the snow like a little kid! But the cruise wasn't too shabby either. We ate like absolute PIGS, enjoyed many relaxing hours reading on the ship's deck, and found a deserted beach in Cozumel where we racked up such a large bar tab that we almost got thrown in Mexican jail for inability to pay (not really, but the bar dude wouldn't take our credit card until he realized we truly did not have the cash to cover the bill)!

Work has absolutely SUCKED lately. Not that it was ever incredibly exciting, but now we are being micromanaged to the point of near insanity. We moved into a new office, which should have been a big positive since our last building was literally falling apart at the seams. I am still surprised that I never plummeted to my death in the faulty elevator shafts. Our new place is much nicer, but unfortunately there's a severe space issue. I am not sure what happened, but I suspect it has something to do with being too cheap to rent enough space for the number of employees. The result: two people at a 1-person desk. Sit me 4 inches (literally) from another person for 9 hours a day, and I tend to become a real bitch! I'm sorry, but I don't like ANYONE enough to sit on top of them all day long. Add that to being completely disrespected by most of the management and it makes for one heck of a work environment! But oh well, this job allows me some flexibility with my work hours (I can come in at 7:00 and leave by 3:00 or 4:00 if I want to have my afternoons free). Not to mention I make pretty decent money for doing an incredibly simple job where I can listen to audio books all day. I have become very well-read over the past 11 months!

This is what I feel like at work most days: "that's the last straw."

In other news, I have started volunteering with an animal rescue organization called Paws in the City. I work at adoptions on weekends, helping to find new homes for these poor abandoned dogs. It's pretty fun; I love meeting all the different dogs and seeing their personalities. Of course it breaks my heart to know that many of them may not find homes. Jeff and I have been throwing around the idea of finding a doggie companion to join our family. I grew up with dogs my ENTIRE life and really love the happiness they bring to a home. Jeff has never had a dog, so he is more skeptical. They ARE a lot of responsibility, but I figure if we are going to be having kids in the near future, we might as well get used to that! We just have to find a dog that works well with Bella. She is our first baby, so she calls the shots. We won't bring home a dog that will terrorize her! So, we have to be incredibly picky, which is something that everyone should do when adopting a pet in the first place! We actually brought home a temporary "foster dog" for a couple days a few weeks ago. It was kind of a test run to see how things would go. Plus, Paws in the City wanted to see how this dog behaved in a home since she had been picked up as a stray and little was known about her. We called her Kira, and she was a sweetie. However, her severe separation anxiety was a problem - it was clear to us that she needed a home where there was one stay-at-home person and/or other dogs to keep her company. Also, she was a little too curious about Bella for our liking! We couldn't feel comfortable leaving them alone together in the house.

Here's Kira, our temporary foster dog, checking out the kitchen.

I guess that's about it from the Prudhommes at the moment. Be watching (all 3 of you readers) for a new blog project coming soon. It's called Six Degrees of Supperation, and it is a cooking blog that I will be contributing to with a group of my girl friends. We all love cooking blogs, trying new recipes, and sharing them and our success (or failure) stories with each other. So very soon we will have an online forum to do that, and other people can read it too!

NYC Pics

2009-12-17T19:12:00.002-06:00

Here are some of the pics we took in NYC:

Bella helped me pack the night before!

The Jackie O Reservoir in Central Park

It was a cold cold day in Central Park! We were so bundled that we would start sweating anytime we went inside!

A pretty and (miraculously) people-free bridge in Central Park

Loved this tunnel in Central Park - it reminded me of tiled tunnels and walkways in Italy. Can you tell the park was my favorite part of the city?!

The Christmas tree at Rockefeller - so pretty!

The craziness of Times Square on a Friday night - eek! This was around 11:00 p.m. after seeing the Lion King (wish I could have taken pics of that, but, sadly, it's prohibited)

Just a small part of the Santa herd at Santa-Con!

A few more of the VERY jolly Santas

We just had to try some Magnolia Cupcakes. Bit of wiki trivia for you: Magnolia is the bakery credited with really starting the "cupcake craze" that began in the 1990s and still continues!

A Lego Chewbacca at FAO Schwarz! This store was pure insanity - case in point: a $1200 stuffed giraffe at the entrance. We saw piano dancers perform a show on the giant floor piano from the movie Big, and we LOVED the muppet workshop where you can make your own Muppet...you can customize everything from the color and style of hair to eye shape to clothes to skin...so fun! Too bad we didn't have time to make one!

The ceiling at Grand Central Station had a very festive greeting for us.

Trinity Church is one of the oldest churches in the city. When the twin towers fell, debris rained down on it, knocking over a giant sycamore tree that somehow managed to avoid destroying any of the old headstones, some of which date back to the 1700s.

Alexander Hamilton is buried here at Trinity Church.

Ground Zero at the World Trade Center. They are clearing the way for the memorial, which will someday look like this.

The Concrete Jungle

2009-12-15T22:40:00.001-06:00

Hey all, happy holidays! I can't believe Christmas is right around the corner...I feel so unprepared! I have only done a tiny bit of Christmas shopping, all of it online. I went to the mall one day in early December and now absolutely refuse to go back until after New Years!

Jeff and I just returned from a long weekend in NYC!! It was my very first time to visit the city, and it was a great experience! Jeff was the ultimate tour guide since he lived there for a bit in the early 2000s. We stayed in a hotel near Times Square, so we were right in the middle of all the holiday action. The tree at Rockefeller Center was gorgeous...I was amazed that it was actually a real tree, I have never seen a tree so huge! Being up there during the holiday season is a great way to get into the Christmas spirit. All the windows and storefronts were bursting with decorations - there were literally lines that you had to stand in OUTSIDE THE STORES just to pass by the larger stores' Christmas window displays. Craziness!

Jeff and I are not "touristy" people. You'll never catch us on a tour bus, and we rarely find anything worth standing in line more than half an hour. So we spent our weekend as if we were NYC residents, which is how we love to travel. We would rather spend a day poking around on our own than being swept into the masses of tourists frequenting all the usual sights. Since it was in the 20s and very windy,the last place I wanted to be was on top of the Empire State Building or crammed onto the top deck of a wind-whipped ferry on the way to the Statue of Liberty! We happily admired both of those sights from afar. Of course we couldn't get away with doing absolutely NO touristy stuff since it was New York at Christmas! So we gawked at the lights and chaos of Times Square, saw a Broadway show (more on that later), and took in the holiday cheer at Rockefeller Center.

~Here are a few of the highlights~

Animals and Quasi-Animals:

We saw some wildlife in Central Park. We were some of the only idiots crazy enough to wander deep into the park on a day with a wind chill of 18, so it was actually very peaceful and quiet. They have jet black squirrels there, which was so cool! Never seen the likes of that before! Also some beautiful mallards and cardinals. And a very strange guy thrashing around in the leaves while his friend photographed the incident...and a guy having a one-man dance party on top of a rock - I think those count as wildlife too!

We saw the Lion King on Broadway, which was spectacular. I totally geeked out and teared up during the first scene because it was so visually amazing. The woman who plays Rafiki should win whatever award goes to stage performers a million times over.

We saw NYC Subway rats...actually pretty cute for rodents who run around in wet subway refuse all day!

Food & More Food:

We ate in Little Italy our very first night in the city. As many of my friends know, I have a small obsession with the mafia, so I was super excited to go to Little Italy, even though that really makes no sense because it's not like you just walk around and see "the mob" loitering on the corners (thank goodness)! But I guess I just watched too many episodes of the Sopranos! Mostly I was super excited to go there for the food. And rightfully so! We ate at a little place called Pellegrino's, and it was delish! Jeff had the best veal dish I've ever tasted, and I had some awesome hand-made ravioli. Although we were totally stuffed after that meal, we couldn't resist stopping in at Caffe Palermo with its signs boasting "Best Cannoli in NYC." Inside we found out that the claim wasn't empty. There were pics of celebrities (largest pic was Ryan Seacrest) with the pastry chef and tons of awards on the walls. I had a chocolate cannoli and oh-my-gah it was AMAZING! Literally, I will be thinking about this cannoli experience for years to come.

We ate at an amazing restaurant called ilili (cute, a palindrome); it was Lebanese and awesome! It was a lot like other Greek/Mediterranean food, but with its own unique flavors. It was also served mezze style, which is basically like Spanish tapas - small dishes to share. Warm eggplant, chicken shish taouk, duck shawarma...why oh why don't we have anything like this in Dallas?!

We ate not once, but TWICE at a lovely establishment called 53th & 6th Halal Cart. Street Meat at its finest! This cart has become famous among online food bloggers, and Yelp writers raved about it. So, naturally we had to try it. We stood in a line about 25 people deep in the freezing cold after seeing the Lion King to try this place. You get the choice of a "plate" or a "sandwich". Plate = foil bowl stuffed with lettuce, rice, lamb, chicken, and white sauce (basically tzatziki sauce). Sandwich = choice of meat with lettuce, wrapped in a giant pita and drenched in white sauce. It was definitely not healthful and totally made us feel like bloated sacks of dung after eating it, but it was worth it! The experience was half the fun anyway. We visited the good ole cart again after a LATE night out with one of Jeff's friends who lives in the city...several cocktails later, the cart suddenly seemed like a good idea again!

Checking off the Must-Dos:

We visited Battery Park, the tip of the island, where we were able to view the Statue of Liberty and look out at Jersey and the tunnels connecting the cities.

We walked to the financial district and looked at Ground Zero at the World Trade Center. It is still a huge wreck, though not with debris anymore. Now they are clearing the way for new buildings and a memorial. It was mind-blowing to see the work still being done to repair the buildings surrounding the place where the towers fell. Very sobering, and a very necessary part of my visit to the city.

We ran into a gaggle of drunken Santas that lightened the mood after the World Trade Center. It was a happy coincidence that we were in NYC during Santa-Con, which can only be described as a disorganized, hilarious street parade and pub crawl of idiots dressed in Santa suits, elf costumes, wrapped up like packages, decked out with tinsel, etc. We died laughing when about 75 Santas emerged from a Subway tunnel in the financial district and started heading for a strip of bars to meet up with their bretheren. We saw Santas wearing no pants, Santas peeing in alleyways, Santas on stilts, and, randomly, a fat dude dressed in a giant panda suit (no idea)! Hilarity!!!

We took a walk through Jeff's old neighborhood and saw his old apartment building, wandered into his old grocery store, and ate at his favorite corner pizza place. Wish I could have lived there with him - we would have had a blast!

We strolled through the Village and window-shopped at the many artsy boutiques in that part of town. I loved this area of the city...it seemed to move at a less frenetic pace. We also stumbled across Bleecker Street Pizza, which was voted by Food Network to have the best pizza in NYC. Since we only ate pizza twice on our visit, I can neither confirm or deny this claim, but I can say that it was very tasty! On that same afternoon, we braved the line at Magnolia Bakery to try their famous cupcakes. We sampled a chocolate and a red velvet, and they were definitely yummy, although I do rank them below my favorite Dallas bakery - Society Bakery (way to go, Society!)

In all, it was an awesome trip! I love exploring new places, and although I could explore NYC for years and years and still find new things, I felt like I got a great overview in the few days I had there.

Pics coming soon in separate post...

Decorating for Christmas

2009-11-28T12:07:00.002-06:00

Last night we put up the tree in our big front window...isn't it lovely?

Our tree is 9 feet tall and VERY heavy! We got it two years ago at Target about a week before Christmas. It was the floor model, so we got it for only $60 since it had been used as a display and came without a box!! It has some minor issues, such as a few strings of its pre-wired lights that refuse to come on, but considering how cheap it was, we think it's pretty awesome! It took both Jeff and I to haul it into the house. We had to go down the driveway with it and through the front door so we didn't have to dodge furniture. Bella was very excited for the tree to come out; she likes to snuggle up under it and pretend she is in the wilderness. As soon as we took the tree out of its storage bag and before we could even put on the tree skirt, she crawled under it!

Today we're going to put lights on the outside of our house for the first time. We'll have to borrow our neighbors' extension ladder because our Tudor-style roofline is pretty tall and steep. Hopefully we won't have any Chevy Chase-like moments...at least the roof isn't icy! It's actually so warm that we will probably be wearing short sleeves - some Christmas weather!

Our First Thanksgiving!

2009-11-27T08:41:00.001-06:00

I realize that I am a horrible blogger and most people have given up on checking for new material on here...I've been so busy lately that I haven't even thought about it. No excuses! I will get better.

Anyway, this year Jeff and I did Thanksgiving at our house for the first time! It was just us and Jeff's parents, who came in from Austin. Jeff and I did all the cooking ourselves, so we were hoping that our first foray into Thanksgiving food turned out OK. And it was MORE than just OK...everything was delicious! Here's what was on the menu - I'll link to the recipes I found online:

Spiral Ham cooked on the grill
Cornbread Dressing (Jeff's family recipe)
Mac & Cheese - not a diet dish, but I can't explain to you how good this recipe is!
Green Bean Casserole - a healthier version, no canned goods!
Cranberry Salad - recipe courtesy of my friend Erin
Pecan Pie (Jeff's family recipe)
4-Layer Chocolate Surprise (my family recipe)

Needless to say, that was WAY too much food for four people...so we ate to the point of misery then complained about it. Then it was time for the A&M-UT game, and we gave them a great fight! I was alone in a room of UT fans, but Jeff switched sides for me since he has no alliance to Texas other than having lived in Austin a few years ago.

Today I'll set up the Christmas tree with Nicole (my mother-in-law) while Jeff and his dad go fishing. As much as I like shopping, there's just NO WAY I would go to any of the Black Friday sales. I don't like people nearly enough to deal with that...things could get ugly!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and took time to truly give thanks. I am so thankful for my amazing family who I missed very much this year (but will see at Christmas). I am also very thankful for Jeff's family who have become part of my family - I couldn't ask for better in-laws! I am SO thankful for my fabulous group of friends - near and far - who I am so lucky to have in my life. And of course I am indescribably thankful for my wonderful husband. We've been married over a year and a half now, and every day we become a better team. He's taught a headstrong, independent girl that it's OK to actually need someone else. He makes me laugh every day, and I am thankful that we share the same weird sense of humor!

Now let's get ready for Christmas!

Return of the 1980s Toys!

2009-04-29T22:50:00.000-05:00

I recently saw a survey on Facebook that asked you to name your favorite childhood toys. A friend of mine had done it and posted her answers. I noticed she had a Chubble on there, which I found hilarious! I had a Chubble as well and loved him dearly! He was a little Star Wars-esque creature wearing a hooded robe, and he made a silly electronic giggling sound and his eyes lit up. It sounds maniacal, but really it wasn't.

Anyway, the point is that it got me interested in all my old toys that I used to love as a child. I was quite sure somewhere online I could find people buying and selling all the things I used to play with when I was a kid. In particular, I wanted to see if I could find a stuffed dog that is quite literally my most prized possession. If my house was burning, I would immediately run to my closet to grab Sweet Puppy (yes, this is his name...I was a creative child). He is an adorable, cuddly stuffed dog with brown fur, chocolate colored ears, and thin felt eyebrows above hard plastic eyes. I must have gotten him when I was tiny because I can't remember ever NOT having him. He went everywhere with me when I was a kid. Once I set him down and accidentally left him in a Mervyn's (ooooh, Mervyn's, the classiest of department stores). After my mom and I had left, I panicked and cried, thinking I would never see my Sweet Puppy again. Of course my mom, being the awesome mother that she is, immediately raced back to the store so we could search. SP was safe and happy in the store's lost and found, and I never misplaced him again!! And when I got too old to tote him around, he never got shoved up into the attic with all my other toys; he has always held a special place of honor somewhere in my room or house. Currently he resides on a shelf in my closet with Jeff's Kermit the Frog.

ANYWAY, long story short...I found him on eBay by searching "1980s stuffed dog"! Apparently the brand name is "Dakin Drooper," and there is quite a market for the little guys online. I saw some upwards of $60-$90!!! They all looked to be in great shape, too. It made me wonder - do people just buy up random toys to keep for decades, never allowing their children to play with them, thinking they may one day be valuable? I can see that with some toy that was all the rage, like the ridiculous Furby or Tickle Me Elmo, but a random brown stuffed dog? Strange!

I am glad I held on to Sweet Puppy, but I would never EVER sell him. For one, he would only fetch about 50 cents. His eyeballs faded long ago, and I colored them on with a permanent marker. But to me he is perfect.

Here is the e-Bay version of my little friend and a link to the page in case you just can't resist owning one yourself: http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-1973-Dakin-DROOPER-Dog-10%22--BROWN-PLUSH_W0QQitemZ120324825607QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

Boot Camp Weeks 1 & 2

2009-04-13T15:17:00.002-05:00

Over the past 2-3 years, I have noticed subtle changes in my body composition that I am not particularly fond of. My hips are wider than they used to be, and it is harder for me to keep the flat, toned abs that seemed to be effortlessly present throughout high school and college. I have never loved my somewhat shapeless legs, but recently I've been downright hating them...jeans just don't look right and shorts are not even an option. Well, enough is enough! I am too young still to feel like I have a frumpy, unattractive figure! Now, it's not like I am a huge fatty or anything; I won't be filling out my application for The Biggest Loser just yet. But I probably have 15 pounds that I could drop to get to my ideal weight, and my body could use an all-over tightening up. I just want to be able to throw on an outfit without worrying about finding something that will make me look thinner or emphasize the good areas.

So, two weeks ago, I decided to fight back against age and slowing metabolism. I joined a boot camp called Camp Gladiator after doing some research on various boot camps in the area. Between my 3+ years as a fitness instructor and my frequent attendance in group exercise classes, I do have some experience with classes like this and wanted to find one that was just right for me. I definitely think I've made the right choice because I am loving this camp!

It kicks my ass four nights a week. We run a ton of drills that improve agility and stamina, and we perform a variety of strength training moves using resistance of our own body weight or light hand weights. Each day the trainers come up with different ways to challenge us. One thing I've figured out by taking this class is that I am very competitive with myself. Even if something we're doing makes me feel like my legs will just give out and I will collapse, I push myself through it. I have a hard time allowing myself to take a break or do something half-heartedly if I am tired - I am like "no way, don't be a freaking wuss...you can do this!" Which I guess is a good thing since it means I don't give up. The more miserable I am during a workout, the better. Sprints? Fantastic. Mountain climbers followed by push-ups followed by planks? Bring it on. I love the soreness permeating every inch of my body. Masochistic, I know, but true.

Luckily I also have a couple friends who signed up with me - Lolly and Nicole. We laugh at ourselves and good-naturedly complain about the torture we endure in each class. It's way more fun to work out with a friend by your side, so I am very glad they decided to join with me.

Aside from having an absolute blast, I am pretty sure it is going to give me some great results. After just two weeks, I can already see a difference. My stomach is flattening out, and I am beginning to see a hint of the vertical lines on either side of my abs. The disgusting jiggly skin under my arms is tightening up, and my butt is well on its way to being rock hard (or at least not mushy).

I am keeping a journal that chronicles my progress. I have a soft tape measure that I use to take the measurements on several areas of my body each week. I'll let you know how many inches I've lost after my first 4-week session.

Read me on Yelp!

2009-04-07T21:50:00.001-05:00

Most of you who know me know that I love to write. LOVE it. My blog posts are more like novellas, and if I've ever sent you an e-mail, you've probably stopped reading it before you get to the end. I have a lot to say...so sue me (not really).

Luckily there are tons of places online where I can just write about stuff...and the best part is that other people actually read it! For instance, this blog. Well, actually, not so much - I am pretty convinced nobody reads this, but they COULD if they wanted. Another thing is yelp.com - have you been there? You should go. It's a great site where you can search for restaurants, services, hotels, etc in your area. Real people who live in your city (or have visited) write reviews of pretty much everything you can imagine. And the thing is, they are super helpful! If I want to try out a new restaurant, I just go to Yelp and see what others are saying about it.

I always make sure to give good press to my favorite places. The hilarious part is - they actually notice! I have been called out at a couple different places - they will say "hey, aren't you the person who wrote X, Y, and Z about us on Yelp? Why, yes I am. It actually led to a very awkward moment in my favorite sushi restaurant where I became confused at a friend's proclamation that his sushi had cheese in it and I yelped about that...oops! The point is, restaurants actually read these things! Hopefully they take tips so they can offer their customers the best service possible.

I have written about 50 reviews on here over the past year. They recently made me an Elite member (pretty cool if I do say so myself) so I have been trying to write reviews more often. It is really funny because every time I am in a restaurant, I am constantly thinking of how my review is going to go. So watch out, businesses of Dallas - you better give me good food/service or else I'll knock a few stars off on my yelp review!

Check me out: http://jillywilly.yelp.com/

And the bad service award goes to...

2009-03-13T12:52:00.001-05:00

Let me start out by saying I appreciate the inner strength of our food server friends. Waiters must utilize a ridiculous amount of self-restraint on a daily basis to keep from going postal on the many difficult people they encounter every single day. HOWEVER, I am not one of those difficult people - I do not think I have ever sent an order back, complained about the number of ice cubes in my glass, or anything of the sort. So when I have a bad waiter experience, I must assume that it is them, not me. Sensible, right?

OK, so last night I went to Cuba Libre to catch up with an old friend from college - Farah. The plan was to have a leisurely dinner and some drinks for a couple hours so we could catch up on everything that's happened over the past few years. We arrived around 6:15 and got seated immediately. As the waiter showed us to our table and we began to sit down, he asked for our drink order. Since we hadn't even settled into our booth yet, we asked for some water and a couple minutes to peruse the drink list. He was back almost instantly with our water, which is something I would normally appreciate. However, his abrupt tone of voice when he asked if we had decided on drinks yet turned me off just a bit. He also asked at that point if we were ready to order our dinner, but since we had been seated approximately 3 minutes we said we would have to take a bit more time to look at the menu. We ordered a pitcher of sangria and began to look at the menu. A couple minutes later we got our sangria, courtesy of the sourpuss waiter, who asked us if we were now ready to order. Thankfully we were, because I am pretty sure he would have physically injured us had we said no. Our food came in record time, which again is something I would typically appreciate. However, throughout the course of our dinner, the waiter came to our table pretty much every five minutes. He would stare at us and then walk away when I assume he figured out that we had not yet inhaled all our food. I finished my meal before my friend, and the waiter appeared promptly to take my plate. He also asked Farah, who still had her fork in hand with half a meal left, if he could take her plate as well. She said no, she was still working on it. He stalked off, clearly annoyed. Five minutes later he was back to see if she was done, and again she said no. He stomped away. Five minutes later....you get the idea. Eventually Farah just let him take her plate. At this point we still had some sangria left and were contemplating ordering another pitcher. But, it was not to be - our waiter appeared and gave us our bill without ever asking if we would like another drink or some dessert. Farah and I discussed his attitude and then looked around the restaurant to see if it was a particularly busy night. It wasn't - there did not appear to be any parties waiting to be seated. I looked at the clock - we had been there only an hour. So, we figured that there was no reason we should be forced to hurry. We poured our last sangria and continued to sip and talk for another 20 minutes. During that time, our waiter lurked around our table every five minutes, as usual. Finally we just decided to pay the bill and walk over to Old Monk, where we would hopefully encounter a more positive vibe from the waitstaff. When Farah asked our waiter if he could please split the bill evenly, he all but rolled his eyes and uttered a very condescending "yeah" as if she was an idiot for not assuming that he knew exactly what to do with our credit cards without being told. Needless to say, we wasted no time getting the heck out of there. We continued our night at Old Monk and had a lovely time. But, WTF, dude? Is it SO hard to be polite to your customers and allow them to enjoy their meal without force-feeding them and pushing them out the door? Apparently so!

Has anyone else had a terrible waiter experience at Cuba Libre? Anywhere else?

Frankenbelly!!

2009-02-04T16:57:00.001-06:00

Hey all, I have decided to take to my blog to discuss my recent encounter with melanoma. I think the best thing that has come out of this situation is that now all my friends and family are much more aware that it is a very real possibility for people of any age!

A couple weeks ago, I got a mole removed at the dermatologist's office. He thought it would turn out to be nothing, but unfortunately he was wrong. The derm called me a week later to say that to everyone's surprise, it was melanoma. Of course I had heard of melanoma - I knew it was skin cancer of a pretty serious variety. So naturally I went to Google to learn more about it. Let me just tell anyone facing a health scare that Google is NOT the answer...it is a terrible idea that will only freak you out even more! What pops up is always the worst case scenario stories and articles written with dramatic proclamations. Eventually I found a more sane government-related health website discussing melanoma. I found out that it is the most severe form of skin cancer. It is also an incurable cancer because radiation and chemo do not work on it. As scary as that initially sounds, it is not a death sentence. In an early stage, it is simply removed surgically , and typically there are no future problems. If it grows undetected for a long time and advances to a higher stage, that is when the prognosis is poor. While that is scary stuff, it just highlights the importance of awareness and regular check-ups. Like my derm said, my check-up that led to the removal of the mole was a life-saving event.

Luckily my melanoma was very thin and at an early Stage 1, which carries a great prognosis. I had an excision surgery (photo below of the incision) to remove a wider margin around the area. I'll have a scar, but who in the world cares about a scar when you're dealing with a potentially deadly disease?! A plastic surgeon who frequently does these surgeries for my dermatologist performed the operation to minimize scarring. It was a disgusting process, mostly because I am such a wuss when it comes to icky stuff like needles and blood. I had local anesthesia, so I didn't feel any pain. It would be inaccurate to say I didn't feel a thing, though - I could clearly feel the tugging during stitching and a pressure as the skin was cut away. It didn't hurt at all, but it was a surreal feeling that made my skin crawl! I had my head turned so far in the other direction that I actually got a crick in my neck! But, I didn't want to see ANYTHING that was going on during the surgery. Jeff was in there with me, and he was a huge comfort. Jeff and the doctor and I talked the whole time to keep my mind off it, and I made faces at Jeff whenever anything felt gross.

Anyway, the doctor called me the next day after surgery to let me know that the first round of pathology tests had gone well. For the second round of tests, which take an additional day and are ordered if the pathologist thinks they're needed, the tissue is dyed so that any worrisome cells will be highlighted. The doctor called me today and told me that the pathologist had examined the results and decided not to order the additional dye-tests because he could confidently say the margins were clear. So, now I am officially a melanoma survivor! Yay!

Everyone reading this, please tell your friends and family how important it is to get regular skin checks at a dermatologist's office. You may think that you're too young and healthy to be susceptible to something like this, but I am proof that it can happen to anyone. The doctor said I have great skin and that I should NOT have had this melanoma; he couldn't understand why it had happened to me. It is no big deal to get a mole removed and tested (it takes like 5 minutes and doesn't hurt at all), but it could literally be a life-saver! From now on, I'll have to be more careful in the sun, which is something that everyone should do anyway. I'll stay out of direct sun during the day's hottest hours and make sure to wear adequate sunscreen. It goes without saying that I will never ever enter a tanning bed again (and will always encourage my friends to avoid them as well). I don't have to make drastic changes; I just have to be aware of my skin and monitor any changes from now on.

Thanks to everyone who sent me good vibes, prayers, and thoughts during the past couple weeks! It was a scary experience, but once I got over the initial shock, I realized that it takes way more than this to slow me down!

Here are a couple pics of my stitches - let this be a warning: wear sunscreen!

Bella Update

2009-01-21T22:39:00.001-06:00

So, the vet called on Monday to tell me the results of the lab testing done on the knot they removed from her leg last week. Results: not cancer or anything remotely scary! HOORAY! Jeff and I were so happy that our furry child is safe and healthy. Turns out the lump was caused by an inflamed tactile hair, which is essentially an infected ingrown whisker hair. Who knew cats also had whiskers on the underside of their front legs?! I sure didn't, until Monday that is. Anyway, one of them somehow got infected, and I guess it was bothering her enough that she chewed the hair off around it. Now that the whole lump has been removed, she should be good to go. She is definitely looking forward to having her stitches removed on Saturday so she can take the horrible cone off her head! Even though she has been such a good girl and adjusted to it so well, we will ALL be very happy when she is completely back to normal!

Bella's Boo-Boo

2009-01-16T10:57:00.001-06:00

A couple days after arriving home from Hawaii, my mom brought Bella back since she'd been keeping her for us. Bella really loves the rug in our living room, so as soon as she got home, she flopped down on it and rolled over onto her back. I noticed something on her right front leg; it looked like a small wart or growth. She had chewed all the hair off around it, so I knew it had to be bothering her. My mom was surprised that she hadn't seen it, but she couldn't remember Bella really turning over on her back very often at my parents' house (and that is the ONLY way you could possibly see it).

So, I scheduled a vet appointment for the next day, just to be on the safe side. Let me just point out that Bella HATES going to the vet's office. As soon as we walk in the door, she turns into this hissing, growling gremlin-creature. After trying to calm her down, the vet finally had to roll her up in a towel, burrito-style, so she could get a good look at the lump. The vet wanted to do a biopsy, so she took a small tissue sample with a hollow needle. I felt so bad for Bella because she had no idea why she was being held down and stabbed with sharp objects! The vet went out and looked at the sample under the microscope, then came back and told me that she didn't like the look of some of the cells and wanted to do a full removal. So I am barely holding it together at this point - I hate to think that something might be wrong with her and that it could have been growing there unknown for months. I scheduled the next available surgery, which was on Wednesday.

All day Wednesday I was terrified that I would get a call saying something had gone wrong and she didn't make it through. (As Jeff can tell you, I often adopt a worst-case scenario mind-set)! Luckily I got a call that afternoon saying she had done great and could be taken home after 4:00. At 4:00 on the dot, I was there waiting to take my baby home. She looked so pitiful with her shaved and stitched leg! Worst of all, she has to wear an Elizabethan collar (e-collar) for the 10-14 days it will take the incision to heal! I know it is for her own good becuase otherwise she would chew her stitches, but she is so incredibly miserable! She is depressed and never "talks" to us like she used to. She mopes around and sleeps all day, barely eating unless I force her. I know it is only temporary until she heals, but it is killing me to see her like that.

The picture above is of my sweet kitty in her "sick box" that I made for her. She loves to hide inside boxes and under blankets, but she can't fit right now because of the e-collar. So, I made her this box with some soft blankets so she can feel safe.

Next week we will get the lab results telling us what the lump was. I hope and pray it isn't cancer and that it is now gone for goood. Please send Bella nice, healing thoughts for the next week or two!

Holiday Recap

2009-01-14T21:41:00.001-06:00

OK, I know I have been terrible about keeping this updated! Here's a recap of our winter holidays. I know it's long, but there's some funny stuff in there - true to form, we had several minor crises. That's what the holidays are for, right?!

A couple months ago, our friend Mike asked us to go with him to Hawaii in December-January. His parents have a timeshare condo on the north shore of Kauai as well as a house on the island. So basically we were offered a great place to stay for next to nothing! Since Jeff's brother and sister-in-law now live on Oahu and just had their first baby, we figured we had more than enough excuses to go. So on the weekend before Christmas, we went to Tyler for Christmas with my family. It was a small affair with my parents, grandparents, aunt and cousin. We had a white elephant gift exchange and a yummy Mexican dinner. Jeff and I were excited to get Slankets from my mom! If you've never heard of the slanket, you are seriously missing out! It's a cuddly oversized fleece blanket with sleeves, yes SLEEVES! You can bundle up without losing the use of your arms. Now I can read a book or type on my laptop while staying warm - in fact, I am wearing my slanket right now! After our Tyler Christmas weekend, we said goodbye to my family and Bella (thankfully my parents are willing cat-sitters) and headed home to pack. If Bella had known what was in store for her when she got back to Dallas, she would have certainly chosen to stay with my parents. More on that later though in a special post about Bella.

Two days before Christmas, we flew out to Oahu. Jeff's brother Mike picked us up at the airport and took us back to their cute bayside condo. Jeff's parents were also on the island to visit Mike and Amy, so we stayed at a hotel on the Marine base to avoid overcrowding the condo. We got to meet our new nephew, John Robert Prudhomme, and he is adorable! I even held him SEVERAL times, which is a huge accomplishment for me since I am terrified of infants and their fragility. We had a great time on Oahu for the most part (notice I say "for the most part" - this is crucial later in the blog). We even got to work out with Barack and Michelle Obama. No lie! They were vacationing nearby, and the Marine base gym was where the presidential family went to work out. Since we were staying on base, it is also where WE went to work out! On Christmas Eve morning, we were greeted by the Secret Service at the gym entrance. They ran their wands over us to make sure we weren't toting any weapons. Once inside, we saw Barack on the cardio machines. Michelle stuck to weights. We didn't approach them because we figured they would probably prefer to work out in peace. That sentiment wasn't shared by the majority of the gym-goers though; the poor man had to spend his entire time on the stationary cycle shaking hands and meeting people! Anyway, it is kinda cool to say that I've worked out with two presidents (Old George used to come to the A&M campus gym all the time).

Here's Jeff and I on Christmas Day at the beach on base.

On Christmas Eve, Mike (brother-in-law) and Les (father-in-law) cooked an amazing traditional Hawaiian pupu platter. We liked it so much we decided we might have to keep the tradition of the Hawaiian Pupu Christmas alive even after Mike and Amy leave Oahu! Unfortunately, we rounded out our trip to Oahu on a dismal note. The day before our departure, we decided to drive around the island to check out the scenery and give Amy some peace at home with the baby. Too bad it was raining, so we didn't get to wander around on any of the beaches we planned to see. Instead we pretty much drove by all our landmarks, looking out the window and saying "man the weather sucks, let's stay in the car." By the end of the day we were all a bit on the nutty side - probably because we squeezed 5 people into an OLD Pathfinder! It was comical only because it sucked so much! But at least we all laughed about how miserable we were. Then our day got even more ridiculous, as if that was even possible. On our way out of the cluster of madness known as Honolulu and Waikiki, all the lights went out in the city. I am talking instant, complete blackness. Great, a power outage. We soon found out it was an island-wide outage. It lasted about 15 hours. Which was lovely since we were supposed to be flying out the next morning to Kauai. Naturally, we had washed a load of laundry before leaving the condo that morning. So the power outage left us with a full load of soaking wet laundry to somehow dry before a mid-morning flight. Classic! Luckily the power came back on around 5:30 a.m. We called the airline to make sure the flight was still a go, and they said it was only delayed 45 minutes. NICE! But of course it was not to be. After arriving in plenty of time for our 11:45 flight, we were told by the airline worker that the flight was already closed despite an even larger delay than we were informed of on the phone. Apparently they did "the count" way early even though the flight was now delayed until 1:15. It is still a mystery to us as to why they could not simply add 2 to their ever-important count when the flight was a good 2 hours from take-off. Oh well...needless to say, we didn't make that flight. We were booked on the next one, set to takeoff around 2:00. We camped ourselves in the cocktail lounge, ordered some hot dogs and drinks, and whipped out the laptop to watch There Will Be Blood. A 2-hour delay turned into 3, then 4....we ended up sitting in the airport for about 5 hours! Such fun! But, we did eventually get to Kauai, where we were greeted cheerfully by a barefoot Mike exuding the relaxed island vibe.

A beautiful Kauai sunset - we ate our shave ices and watched it sink into the ocean!

Our time in Kauai was so much fun (again, for the most part). Sadly, it was the rainiest of rainy seasons, so we got soaked pretty much every day. We did get about 3-4 nice sunny beach days though. We didn't let the rain slow us down too much. We still hiked, snorkeled, body surfed and kayaked - all the activities we were hoping to squeeze in anyway. Since it was rainy season, the surf was a lot stronger than usual. So, the visibility for snorkeling wasn't great, but we still saw some super cool fishies and it was fine. Our hikes were significantly affected by the stormy weather, though. We still hiked several great trails, or what would have been great trails if they weren't inundated with slippery boulders and ankle-deep mud. It was an experience to say the least! Mike is an adventurer, so he naturally picked the hikes with higher difficulty ratings. We slipped and slithered in and around bamboo jungles, rushing whitewater rivers, tall mossy volcanic rock, and staining red mud. Fortunately Jeff and I both love trekking through hard terrain, so we made it through with relatively few injuries. My left knee/shin took a hit when my legs weren't quite long enough to bridge the gap between a couple of steep rocks, but it there was only minimal blood and bruising! We were rewarded with some beautiful waterfalls at the end of a couple of our hikes. My favorite was the 300-foot waterfall at the 4-mile marker on the Kalalau trail. We walked right up to it and were surrounded by the sound of crashing water. Of course we decided we needed to swim to the middle to take a picture under the falls. So Jeff and I, along with Mike and his friend Assad took the plunge. Assad's girlfriend Erin wisely decided to stay on shore and take our photo. It was the coldest water I have EVER felt and hopefully will ever feel. I have to imagine it is what the Polar Bear Club experiences on their Arctic swims. It literally knocked the breath out of me the instant I hit the water. I had to gasp to try to breathe, and Jeff asked me if I was going to drown! It was so much fun though, and now we can say we swam under a 300-foot waterfall.

Here we are after our 4-mile hike to the waterfall - muddy and tired!

Half our time in Kauai was spent in the timeshare condo, and the other half we spent in Mike's parents' beautiful home. The Moraths were very hospitable, and we felt like we got 5-star resort service (including chocolates left on our pillows by the lovely Toni)! Jeff and I also found out that we rock at Pictionary! No matter what kind of crappy drawing one of us comes up with, the other can always guess what it is fasther than anyone else! I guess it is some kind of freakis husband-wife brain waves. At the condo, we watched whales swim by right past the cliff outside our window! We spent New Year's Eve cooking out on the cliffside BBQ grill and letting the boys recover from their deep sea fishing nightmare. Let's just say the fishing trip did not produce the desired result. Jeff says it was the worst day of his life!! Essentially he paid $125 to puke for 4 hours. Their trip was unfortunately on the morning after a hellacious storm that produced 15-foot swells, repeatedly swamping the 24-foot boat. Jeff likened it to the movie The Perfect Storm, the only difference being that they didn't die (though wished they had)!

So there you have it - our 2008/09 holiday recap. We had tons of fun (and only a little misery), so all in all we deem it a success!

The breathtaking Waimea Canyon, the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific"

Belated Halloween Post

2008-11-12T20:05:00.002-06:00

Hey all - I know I promised to post some pictures of the Halloween party and have not yet done so! I have been stealing all the pics our friends took at the party since I can't be trusted to document ANYTHING! Seriously, I am the worst with taking pictures. Every single time we have a party or get-together, I ready the camera and set it out in an obvious location so I will remember to take pics. But, I NEVER remember, and so I have to rely on friends' pics.

So, this year Jeff and I decided to go as Mario and Princess Peach (Nintendo characters, in case you didn't know). As always, we (I) decided to make our costumes; we just hate the flimsy store-bought ones, and it is always more original to create a costume! For all you DIY fans, here is what I went through to create our fab costumes: Jeff's was easy - Mario wears blue overalls, a red shirt, and a conductor's cap. I ordered the overalls from Wal-Mart, got a bright red shirt at American Apparel, and found a website that sells every color of caps and hats imaginable. Then I just added the details, like the M on the cap and the yellow oversized buttons, and his costume was complete! Of course I HAD to get him the funny cartoon hand gloves - they really topped it all off! My Princess Peach costume was NOT so simple. I studied a picture of her and compiled a list of the things I'd need: light pink dress with dark pink ruffle and accents, turqouise brooch, miniature jeweled crown, white gloves, and a blonde wig. YIKES! Luckily, I found the PERFECT pink dress on a dancewear website - it was a lyrical performance leotard/dance dress. I bought some dark pink satin and attached the ruffle with double-sided sewing tape because I can't sew to save my life. I also used the satin to fashion a sash like the one the princess wears. The same yellow foam from Mario's buttons worked perfectly as a crown, adorned with jewels from Joann Fabric. As luck would have it, I came across a bracelet made of chunky blue and turqouise ovals - after cutting the elastic, removing one oval, and backing it with the yellow foam and a safety pin, the brooch was complete! I slipped on a petticoat under the dress to get the flouncy skirt look. My get-up was complete with a trashy blonde wig and nylon elbow gloves from a costume shop. I must say that we pulled off the costumes quite nicely, and had a great time as our characters! I came to the conclusion that I am NOT meant to be a blonde in any form or fashion, however! Just look at the pic to see how unnatural it looks. Jeff thought so too...his exact words were: "eeww, I am glad you are a brunette!" ME TOO!!

In all, it was a great Halloween - most of our close friends were able to make it to the party, and there were tons of awesome costumes! Sarah and Derek came up with HILARIOUS Homer/Marge Simpson outfits; Sarah was crafty and made them herself as well (check out that hair - amazing!!) As always, John Adolph created a great home-made costume - this year, he was the child from Where the Wild Things Are. Classic!! Even though Rach and Jesse got many boos from UT fans because of their Tech t-shirts, they did look quite Olympic in their swimming gear! Our friends are definitely characters, and much fun was had by all. We had Mattito's catering, spooky punch, fierce flip-cup competitions, and general silliness. Another success (added bonus: no vomit on our walls or elsewhere)!

Derek visited Krispy Kreme a LOT that week to really get into character!

Stu and Adolph did NOT cheer for these swimmers!

A very naughty duo - PB and Paige!

Mark Antony and Cleopatra - very convincing, right?!

Veterans' Day Tribute

2008-11-11T18:48:00.002-06:00

Hey all, it's Veterans' Day, so I hope everyone took the time to reflect on the thanks we owe our veterans. I wanted to take this opportunity to write a short tribute to two very important veterans in my life: my grandfathers.

Casey Jones (aka Pa) was my paternal grandfather; he passed away almost a year ago. He served our country during World War II, and he was awarded several medals for his bravery. One thing that I never knew about him until his funeral was that he was willing to sacrifice himself for his fellow soldiers and almost did. There was a minefield that the men had to cross, but they were trapped and did not have the proper communication equipment to find a safe way across. My grandpa volunteered to walk across alone, leading the mule carrying their gear. He made it, and I can't even begin to fathom the courage it took to do what he did. He was a generous and loving person who spent his free time volunteering at Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth.

Gerald Reeves (aka Grandaddy) is my maternal grandfather. He lives in Tyler, Texas and still loves to go out on his pontoon boat to fish! He served our country in World War II, helping to operate submarine missions. His ship pulled out of Pearl Harbor mere days before the tragedy that killed so many people. If he had not been on one of the ships that left the harbor, I probably would never have been born. Another time, his ship was fired upon and damaged badly; he and many of the men onboard had to swim to safety. He is one of the kindest, funniest people around; hopefully some of you got the chance to see him at my wedding!

Thanks to all our veterans! You are appreciated!

Where did the month go?

2008-10-26T22:15:00.000-05:00

After Rachel told me she was disappointed in me for not posting anything recently, I realized that it's been almost a month! I have no idea where the month of October has gone. Now that I am working (for a few more weeks, anyway) it seems that I have no extra time! The contract that I am on right now should last another couple of weeks; after that, I am not sure what's next. The contract attorney agency I work with is actually kind of busy right now, despite the terrible job market, so I might have more work through them, which would be great. Hopefully it will not be another 50-60 hr/week job though...I would like to get home before 8:30 some nights!

Anyway, as for what has been going on with us...not that much really. Jeff did buy a boat, so that is one big addition to our lives. Currently the "big addition" is hanging out in our carport/driveway because it was too big to fit in the garage. Jeff is considering finding a marina at Lake Ray Hubbard to house the boat; that way, he will have it right on the water when he wants to go out and fish. We haven't gotten to use the boat yet, unfortunately. We've had it about 2 weeks, but it's been in and out of the shop. First, a few minor maintenance issues had to be taken care of before bringing it home. Then last weekend, we did try to take it out, but we only managed to float around aimlessly since there was an electrical problem (courtesy of the wonderful mechanics that worked on it before). We had to recruit the extremely helpful marina manager to assist us in dragging the boat manually back onto the trailer since it would not go into gear once we got it into the water. Needless to say, Jeff has been rather frustrated with the situation. But once these little issues get fixed, I am sure we will have a great time catching fish! Or rather, Jeff will have a great time catching fish, and I will have a great time learning/trying to catch fish or just reading a book on the back of the boat.

In other news, our yearly Halloween party is coming up on Nov. 1 weekend, so be on the lookout for some pictures from that. We are actually going to two parties this year - one at my friend Jason's house on Friday night, then the one we are hosting at our house on Saturday. Double the costumes, double the fun! Of course we are wearing DIFFERENT costumes to both parties...couldn't repeat, now could we?! I have gotten extra crafty this year with our costumes, if I do say so myself. I'll post pics ASAP.

The ups and downs of spray tanning

2008-09-29T22:10:00.001-05:00

So, I decided to go get a spray tan tonight after work. Cat's wedding is coming up this weekend, and since I'll be wearing a black bridesmaid dress, I wanted to bring a little color into my pasty skin. My previous experiences with spray tan have not been good. A couple years ago I tried the Mystic Tan device (twice) to disastrous results - I looked like an Oompa Loompa for several days. Apparently the tanning components do not produce a natural reaction with my skin tone. Also, the experience was scary. You stand in this capsule, press the button, and it closes around you - then an electronic countdown gives you barely enough time to take a deep breath before you are vaporized by this strong smelling, foul tasting spray. (I guess you are supposed to hold your breath since it only takes about a minute, but invariably I would panic and take a big gulping breath, allowing the toxic tasting spray to coat the inside of my mouth). After my first Mystic experience, I for some reason thought the color was not too bad, so a few weeks later I did it again. (Later I saw pictures of myself and realized that it did not, in fact, look good). I didn't enjoy my second time any more than the first - it was actually even WORSE becuase I knew what was coming. For some reason the idea of being trapped inside that booth terrified me, and again I gulped a mouthful of tanning spray. Needless to say, I decided that my Mystic tanning days were over. A couple years passed...and now they have a new device - the VersaSpa. I'd heard that it is geared towards different skin tones, and people who looked orange-y with Mystic were impressed with the natural coloration in Versa. So, I decided to try it. And....I was pleasantly surprised. The best thing about it is that the booth is open, so there is less claustrophobia and more fresh air. Also, you can pick your grade of tanning - bronzer or clear (clear), and light, medium or dark (medium). Even though I was initially feeling panicky, it was actually quick and easy. And, I managed to get a nice even tan that looks natural, not orange. The only mishap came when I tried to put on the shower cap to cover my hair before the session started. I grabbed accap out of the bin and tried to squeeze it onto my head. It would not fit. I tried it at a different angle, but it still would not fit. I eventually forced it onto my head, thinking that either it was a toddler-sized shower cap or I have a gigantic head. Turns out, neither. The "shower cap" was actually one of the disposable foot booties that you can wear if you're worried about your feet/toenails getting too dark!!!!! No wonder I could not fit the thing over my entire head (and hair)....it goes on your FOOT!! Anyway, I figure if that is the worst thing that happened, I am doing well - VersaSpa is a success!!

Bella's Bad Behavior

2008-09-21T15:55:00.001-05:00

Animals are a lot smarter than people give them credit for...our cat Bella is a great example of this. Every night, she sleeps at the foot of our bed, and every morning between 6:00 - 7:00 she tries to get us out of bed by meowing incessantly. I don't know why she has decided that this is the perfect time to get up, no matter what day of the week it is or how much/little sleep we got that night. Most of the time, we are not quite ready to get up at 6:00 a.m. - OK, we are NEVER ready to get up that early - so we take turns getting up and locking her in the other half of the house (extra bedroom, TV room and office). That's where her food/water and cat tree perch are, so she usually settles back down and goes to sleep until we actually do get up and let her out. Lately her methods have been evolving in her quest to get us up early, and this is why I say that animals are quite clever. When we first moved into the house, she would jump onto bed with us (usually with a toy like her fuzzy mice or a hair elastic stolen from the bathroom) and meow in our faces. It was easy to just grab her and take her to "her room" for the rest of the night. Then, several months later, she started sitting in the doorway or at the foot of the bed to meow. So then we would get out of bed, grab her and put her up. WELL, she figured out quickly that every time we got out of bed to come to her, it wasn't to praise/pet/play with her, so she began sitting outside the bedroom doorway and meowing until we got up to come find her. She would make sure that we saw her as we came around the corner before taking off running down the hall, where she would either hide behind the couch or under the dining room table. I guess she thought that if she could keep us at bay for longer, we might just give up stay awake with her for good. She quickly realized that it was still pretty easy for us to reach under the table or behind the couch, so now she has figured out the BEST morning wake-up routine. What she has recently started doing is positioning herself UNDERNEATH our bed in the very center where neither of us can reach and then meowing as we stumble around in the dark and try to figure out where she is. She did this to me a few days ago, and when I could not find her after looking in all the rooms, I went back to bed. She waited about 10 minutes and then started up with the meowing again from under the bed!!!! So now when she does this, I have to go sit on the living room couch until she decides that maybe I actually did get up, at which point she saunters in to say good morning and I grab her and send her to her room!! I just have to wonder...what will she come up with next??

What is wrong with Richard Simmons?

2008-09-15T23:10:00.000-05:00

I am not kidding...what in the world is WRONG with this guy? OK, we all know he is silly, but his appearance on David Letterman tonight was beyond anything I can describe!! Did anyone else see this? I mean, he has to be on drugs, right?! In his 5minute segment, he (while wearing a red feathered tank top and his signature striped shorts) sang ABBA songs from Mamma Mia, bounced around stage and stood on the sofa, and grinned at the camera in a great impression of a manic chipmunk. I honestly think Letterman was a bit frightened...and who could blame him? I mean, Richard Simmons is AWESOME to watch on TV (in a horribly awkward way), but you honestly have to wonder about the kind of people who go on his get-fit self-help cruises...who actually wants to encounter this man in person, much less be stuck on a boat with him for a week?

Jeff's 31st Birthday

2008-09-15T22:46:00.001-05:00

On September 11th Jeff turned 31 - as EVERYONE has pointed out, terrible day for a birthday! But, we celebrated on the 12th since his actual birthday fell on Thursday. Because you're never too old for theme parties, we had THAT 70s PARTY at our house. About 20 friends came by to help Jeff celebrate 31 years of goofiness. We had games, beer, tropical punch, Mattito's catering, and the most amazing cupcakes made by our friend Catherine Cochran (the one in the pink dress and gogo boots!) As you can see from the pictures, everyone had fun with the theme and dressed up! Most of these pics were taken by our "official" group photographer, Jesse! He has an awesome camera and a good eye for angles, so we leave the photo-documentation to him. The party lasted from about 8:00 p.m. till 4:00 a.m. Actually, most people left by 2:00, but Jeff, Matt and Brandon stayed up playing on our new Wii Fit (wedding gift from Meadow & Chon)!! In all, a great birthday...now I guess we have to begin planning the Halloween party which we have been nominated to throw. Can't say that I mind...you all know how I looove to plan a party!

The excellent cupcakes with Jeff's candles

Blowing out his candles

Mike Morath...wonder who dressed him, he looks sharp!

My psychedelic outfit

Those 70s girls

More hippie chicks

Chilling on the couch

It's Brandon Benson, everybody! Some said he looks like my dad!

The wonderful cupcake chef Catherine!

Kauai here we come!

2008-09-13T22:33:00.001-05:00

This weekend Jeff and I booked a Christmas vacation to Kauai! Our good friend Mike Morath has access to some excellent condos in Princeville, and his parents have an amazing home on the island as well. He was nice enough to invite us to stay for a while, and of course we can't wait to check out the beautiful island - hiking, kayaking, beaches...all the stuff we love! It should be awesome, and we are so excited!

Since this is our first year of holidays as a married couple, it takes some planning to coordinate visits to both families. Luckily, Tyler is only a 2 hour drive, so the Jones family is never too far away! So we will probably spend Thanksgiving out there and then do a Christmas visit in Tyler as well the weekend before actual Christmas. Our planning is also working out perfectly so that we get to have a Prudhomme family Christmas in Hawaii - Jeff's parents will be on Oahu visiting Mike and Amy (brother and sister-in-law) and their NEW BABY at that time. So, we'll be flying into Honolulu first to visit the Prudhommes and then later to Kauai to visit Mike Morath.

Now the mission is to get into great shape again before then...wish us luck!

Weirdo?!

2008-09-03T14:17:00.000-05:00

I think there is some kind of screw loose in my brain...

My mind sometimes poses questions to itself on the most random topics – they usually catch me off guard by coming to me at inexplicable times, like there is someone else in my head thinking of these ideas and springing them on me unexpectedly. Like today, I thought – “I wonder what would happen if I was forced to only breathe through a straw? How long would it be before I freaked out? Would I eventually die? It would probably be better if the straw was hard plastic, like the kind in a thermos, rather than soft plastic because the soft plastic could eventually cave in on itself or even disintegrate.” I am not sure when or if this random musing will ever be of any use to me – perhaps if I get trapped in an aquarium with only a few inches of air at the top (so likely).

Does anyone else ever think of weird stuff like this? Maybe it’s just a sign that I have too much time on my hands….but to that I can only thumb my nose at the abysmal job market.

Book Update

2008-09-03T13:22:00.001-05:00

OK, so I finished The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. I am not going to give anything away in case anyone else wants to read it (let me know if you want to borrow my copy). It is beautifully written - the author obviously missed his calling (he was a software engineer for most of his life until publishing his first book, which is this one). I was surprised by the way it ended - anyone looking for a happy go-lucky, everything turns out perfectly type of ending will be disappointed. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down - I read it during breakfast and lunch, and then while I was riding my spin bike in the guest house! It is not the straightforward boy-and-his-dog story I expected - there are some elements of the supernatural thrown in and it's also very suspenseful. I came out of reading it a bit confused - on one hand, I was angry at the resolution of the conflict, but on the other, I couldn't deny that it is a great book! Read it for yourself to find out what I mean.

Also, I quickly read a fun little book about the secret life of children in Manhattan private schools. It's called "Schooled" by Anisha Lakhani. The basic gist is that the rich parents pay Ivy-league educated "tutors" to complete their children's homework, essays, reports, projects, etc for them so that they get better grades. The lady who wrote it is an ex-teacher/tutor from an elite private school. It is a hilarious, if disturbing, view into a world that seems totally unfathomable to me. For some reason I get immense pleasure out of books like this - others I've read include Prep and Nanny Diaries. I think I love it because even though some things seem absurd, the fact that these things actually happen makes it even more absurd. I definitely recommend it as a fun and mindless read!

I LOVE BOOKS!

2008-08-28T15:37:00.001-05:00

Yes, I admit it - I am a book nerd. I am literally ALWAYS reading, and I usually have more than one book going at a time. So, since lots of my friends/family members also love to read, I thought I would start posting about the books I am currently reading/ have just finished. Maybe you've read some of them too, or maybe you'd like to read them (or avoid them) based on my comments. If you want to borrow any of my books, let me know and we could do an exchange - I am always looking for good new reads.

CURRENTLY READING:
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by David Wroblewski (2008)
So far - love it! I saw an interview with the author on the Today show and decided to pick it up. It's his first novel; he had the idea over 10 years ago and set out to write his book, but realized he didn't know anything about being an author. So, he went back to school, went through many drafts, and eventually published the book, which is almost 600 pages. I thought it was an impressive story of a first-time writer, so I picked it up. So far it's about a little boy who was born mute in the 1960s; the book follows his life on his family's dog-breeding farm. Since he does not speak, he is very observant and insightful. He develops a close relationship with one of the family's dogs, who understands his sign language and shares a type of communication that is more intellectual than physical with the boy. I feel like something sad is bound to happen...after all, dogs' lives are short compared to humans', so I expect it may be a tear-jerker in the end. I'll let you know soon, as I think this will be one that I can't put down!

Nutrient Timing, by John Ivy, Ph.D, and Robert Portman, Ph.D. (2004)
Not a gripping read, but a necessary one, as my body is beginning to rebel against my efforts to stay fit! The scientists who wrote this book figured out a precise formula for the implementation of the key nutrients promoting lean muscle mass in your diet. Jeff has been working out according to this plan and a new weight-lifting schedule, and he is looking great! I will let you know how my quest for a hot bod goes!

JUST FINISHED:
All the Pretty Horses, by Cormac McCarthy (1992)
Recommended: YES, but some may get frustrated with his writing style, which is compared to Faulkner (not everyone's cup of tea).
This was something different than what I usually read in that it is a true western. Cowboys, horses, gun-slinging, etc. The author has a gift for scenery description and an interesting way of telling his story. For one thing, there are NO quotation marks in the entire book. So, if there is a dialogue going on between several people, you have to pay attention more closely to follow it. It takes place in the mid-1900s in the plains and ranches of south Texas and Mexico.
Oh yeah, there is also a movie based on the book - made sometime in the 90's, starring Matt Damon and Penelope Cruz.

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, by Betty Smith (1943)
Recommended: YES, but if you like a lot of action in your books, you will be disappointed.
I had always heard about this book - I think some high schools/colleges require it, but mine didn't so I finally got around to reading it. It follows the life of a little girl born to an extremely impoverished family in Brooklyn in the early 1900s. The author grew up in the same type of conditions described in the book, so even though it's not an autobiographical novel, the setting is at least an accurate portrayal of how it was. Very interesting to read about a place which is so urbanized today - the descriptions of life in Brooklyn back then are fascinating, if a little heart-wrenching at times.

our year so far...

2008-08-26T20:33:00.002-05:00

Welcome to our blog!

Well, so far 2008 has been quite a productive year for us! I guess it technically started in December 2007 when we found and purchased our first home. We absolutely love it - it's a 3 bed/2 bath Tudor-style built in 1940. We are in Lakewood, about two blocks from the lake, which is amazing - it's great having access to the 9-mile running/biking trail there. We are still in the process of decorating the house, but I will post some pictures ASAP. Oh, almost forgot the best thing about the house - the guesthouse! It's kind of like an efficiency apartment that is attached to the garage - one bedroom and one bathroom. It comes in handy for in-laws who are allergic to cats and friends who are indisposed due to a) drinking too much to drive home, or b) having a broken A/C unit that causes their house to reach oven-like temperatures! :)

Ok, so that's THE HOUSE...after getting all settled there, it was time to gear up for THE WEDDING, which was April 5th. It was a fabulous time - we were so thankful to have so many of our family and friends together in one place to support us in our new life as a married couple. The ceremony was held in the University Park United Methodist Church - we are not members, but we found it, loved it, and were made to feel very welcome by the pastors and staff there. The tiled center aisle, stained-glass windows and ceiling-hugging pipe organ made for a beautiful scene. Just to set the record straight - Jeff was the one who cried all the way through the vows, which was so sweet! And I was worried that it would be me....(though I did cry on my way down the aisle!) Our reception was a crazy, fun and beautiful party at 7 Senses, a funky and eclectic art/furniture gallery in the design district downtown. I think everyone enjoyed themselves thoroughly - I know we both did anyway, and that's what counts, right?! After that, it was off for a week-long honeymoon to Peter Island in the British Virgin Islands. It is absolutely gorgeous there, words cannot do it justice nor can our amateur pictures! Just think silky white sand, clear turquoise water and a beautiful island atmosphere and you'll pretty much have it. We relaxed on the beach, snorkeled, kayaked, ate some amazing food and mostly just enjoyed the seclusion of the private island (the resort only has about 50 rooms which were not even half full during our stay). It is definitely a place we would love to return someday - maybe for an anniversary trip in a few years?!

Since the honeymoon, we've had to learn how to get back to reality. Aside from a trip to D.C. for a friend's wedding and a few weekend road trips to Austin, Houston, Tyler, etc, we have pretty much been hanging around Dallas. Jeff has been working incredibly hard lately, and it's not unusual for him to get home past 10:00 or 11:00 at night! We were hoping to get out to Hawaii during December to visit Jeff's brother and sister-in-law and their new addition (who will be joining the family in September - yay!) but flights are incredibly expensive during the holidays, so it looks like that trip will have to wait. We are trying to do a long weekend in NYC during December, though - since Jeff lived there for about 14 months before he started law school, he will be the ideal tour guide for me since I have NEVER been!

Well, this is long enough for a single post, so I'll wrap it up. As 2008 progresses and draws to a close, we'll be sure to keep everyone updated on the goings-on in the life of the Prudhommes!

Here's a shot of our ceremony - so pretty!

All of our wedding party taking a silly picture!

Love this pic of us walking out of the church as husband & wife!

Here we are about to go join our party at the reception.

We pretended to know what we were doing during our first dance

Jesse, Rach, Cat and Kim enjoying the fun times

Jeff's hilarious groom's brownie with a camping theme

And my gorgeous wedding cake - exactly how I'd pictured it

And now for some pictures of our friends and family shaking it on the dancefloor...YOU tell ME whether you think people had fun or not!

Sandy (bride's mom) and John(groomsman) executing a fine Texas 2-step

Nicole (groom's mom) grooving to the Italian dance

Dad and I singing and dancing to Tiny Dancer

Sarah putting everyone to shame with her moves

Sister-in-law Amy showing off her dance skills

Cat (bridesmaid) breaking it down on the dancefloor

Little Lexi twirling in her pretty dress

The boys decided to sing "You've lost that lovin' feelin'"

By far the best picture ever...Jeff in the full splits - please notice Bryan (father of the bride) cheering him on in the background!

Our idyllic island honeymoon...when can we go back?!

The view from our 2nd floor room

Watching the sailboats drift by

Corona Commercial?

Us on a sunset picnic

Deserted beach near the wonderful spa