Winner!

I wanted to thank my friend Jodi for nominating me for this blog award last week!! :) I've been following Jodi for a while now (two years maybe?) She's one of my favorites, go check out her page here. :)

The Meaning: Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, enduring, and welcome. One of the rules of winning this award was to answer 11 questions from Jodi, so here I go! (I modified the rules just a little because I don't have a lot of time to post today). :)

1. How many cell phones have you had in your lifetime?

Oh wow...I'm on my second iPhone. Before that I think I had 4. The last two before my iPhone were flip phones.

My first cell phone looked like this, except the antenna lit up red whenever my phone rang.

2. How many states have you visited? Ever been out of the country?

Unless you count the time I was a baby and my family went to Mexico, I've never been out of the country. I have visited the following states: Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, New York, Oklahoma (well, I took my picture at the state line, not sure if that counts), New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada, 

3. Around what age did you switch from taking baths to taking showers? 

I still take baths. I love soaking in a hot bubble bath after a long day at work. :)

4. Japanese, Mexican, or Italian food?
Italian food. I LOVE pasta. Probably a little too much.
5. French toast or pancakes?
Pancakes. With peanut butter and syrup (it's really good!)

6. Your all-time favorite restaurant?

You mean like sit down restaurant? It's so hard to choose just one. I guess either Saltgrass or Macaroni Grill. I'm always in the mood for either steak or Italian food! :)

7. How many times a day do you brush your teeth?
Two times for sure, sometimes three.

8. Do you play an instrument?
I played the clarinet from 6th-9th grade. I also took piano lessons (I wasn't that good). 

9. What were the colors and mascot of your high school?

Blue and gray. We were the Knights.

10. What's your ideal outside temperature/weather?
I like anywhere from 70-75. Although the other night at the Rangers game it was 89 degrees and surprisingly that felt nice. There was a light breeze. I will confess in the winter I do like it to be cold for a little while (just because I only like eating chili when it's cold outside). Remember, cold to me is anything under 50 degrees. :)

11. Favorite all-time song to jam out to?

It depends on my mood. :)

We are almost to the weekend!!

XOXO!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Today is my dad's birthday so I wanted to use my blog as a chance to tell him HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! I will be home in a few weeks and will have a late celebration then. Love you daddy!! 

With my folks at a Rangers game last month

My dad: 

-He is the proud father of six kids, proud grandpa of 16 grandchildren, and proud great-grandpa (Pawpaw) of four great-grandchildren (soon to be five of them later this year).
-My dad has been preaching for 60 years. At the age 62 he felt the Lord was calling him to be a missionary so after sending me off to college, he and my mother moved to Thailand to do mission work for two years. After that, they lived in Brazil for two years doing mission work.

  -To this day, he still calls me dumpling (or baby dumpling). 

 -He loves to read (I get my love of reading from him). In fact, my father has read the Twilight series (he heard me talking about it when I was reading them, so he decided to try it out). He thought they were okay, but didn't like Book 4 (I'll be honest, most people who like the series don't care for Book 4). 

-He loves history and knows more historical information than Google. True story.

-He loves watching crime shows (You see a pattern? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree). :)

-He loves anything about his hometown San Antonio (especially the Spurs- sorry Mavs fan friends, I was raised a Spurs fan). BUT he will cheer for the Mavs if they aren't playing the Spurs (he likes and respects Dirk). :)
-I love hearing his stories about growing up during World War II. 

-He loves watching the news and making comments throughout the broadcast when he disagrees or is disgusted by something. This sometimes happens when I'm on the phone with him.
-He's been known to talk politics for hours (that is something I did NOT get from him- I avoid political discussions like the plague).  For the record, please don't ever try to talk politics with me. I respect what you believe, please respect what I believe. We can agree to disagree on topics. :)

-I'm pretty sure he remembers the name of every person he's ever met. 

-I think he secretly wants a dog, but knows my mom won't let him have one. 

-He is fascinated by anything related to the Titanic (except the James Cameron movie- he didn't care for it).

-He says he was fascinated by the Titanic before it was "cool" to like it. In fact, one of my favorite sermons of his is one about the Titanic. 

-He still acts surprised whenever he gets a stocking on Christmas or basket on Easter (yes, my mom still makes one for him).

-He listens to the Dallas news on the radio (they live about 2 1/2 hours from DFW). One time he called me at 6am because he heard on the news about an unknown female in her 20s who had been killed at a Dallas apartment complex, and the name of the complex was similar to the one I lived in at the time. He wanted to make sure it wasn't mine (and that it wasn't me, I was 27 at the time). Obviously it wasn't. But the apartment complex name WAS very similar to mine.
-He still worries when I tell him I've gone out on a motorcycle ride or that I was out late with friends. So I just don't tell him anymore. :)

-He likes sports but has never really been a fan of watching the games on TV. I get that from my brothers.

-He loves fruitcake (yeah, he's one of the 5 people who actually like it).

-He jokes about selling some of the grandchildren (and great-grandchildren) to a band of traveling Ishmaelites. He's been threatening to do that since I was a kid!

-After retiring from full time preaching a few years ago, he pulled a "Brett Favre" and is a pastor again at a small church in the town my folks live in.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!! XOXO!

I'm sure he will love that his baby picture is now on the Internet! :)

My dad with his grandmother

My dad's graduation picture

I say that marrying my mom was one of the best decisions he ever made! :)

This picture makes me laugh. I love it!

I know, I know, I was freaking adorable when I was a kid! :)

My folks are goofballs. :)

My dad with this six kids

 XOXO!!

Phone Photo Fun Monday

Pictures currently on my iPhone... (BTW, thanks to PicMonkey for the awesome effects and borders. I'm addicted to that website now.)

I was searching for WiFi one day and had to laugh at what someone had named their WiFi connection. :)

Someone on Twitter wanted to know how many Steve Avery cards I own so I took a picture for him. Is 81 a little much?

I haven't bought a Beckett in years but with these two on the cover, I couldn't NOT buy it.

The things that trend on Twitter make me laugh. This topic was quite hilarious. If you don't know what 50 Shades of Grey is, don't ask. No really, don't. You really don't want to know. And don't Google it if you are under the age of 18!

Enjoying a "slushie" at Taco Cabana

My friend Mel and I won tickets to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Wyly Theater in Dallas. We had great seats!

 Me and Mel waiting for the play to start

Me and the actor who portrayed Joseph

On Saturday my friends Rich and Laura were tweeting about breakfast at Whataburger. I decided I needed a breakfast taquito! :)

This was left on my desk at work. I don't know who "me" is.

The comment my sweet niece left me on my blog post last week! :)

Have a great day everyone!

XOXO!

Blog Challenge 2012- Day 12

Day 12: Describe a typical weekday in your current life

I wake up at 4:30 and start my day off with a five mile run and intense workout. After I get ready for work, I usually have plenty of time to enjoy a healthy breakfast and watch the morning news while waiting on my carpool to arrive. I spend my workday in a private corner office with a personal assistant handling my calls and scheduling my meetings. I often take long business lunches to fancy restaurants (paid for by the company, of course). After I get home I prepare a healthy dinner and spend my evenings reading literature and listening to classical music. I'm in bed by 8 so I'm sure to get a good eight hours of sleep.

OR.......

I wake up at 6:15 and rush around so I'm ready to go when my carpool arrives a little before 7. If time permits on the commute, we stop by Taco Cabana for breakfast tacos and a Dr Pepper (I don't drink coffee). I spend my workday in a corner cubicle where I'm bombarded all day with meetings, phone calls, emails, and people stopping by my desk, yelling arguing complaining about their workload and the status of their projects. I usually spend my lunch break at my desk eating a sandwich or Lean Cuisine meal (I occasionally will escape the madness and go to Chick Fil-A or Corner Bakery for lunch). My carpool usually drops me off at my apartment between 5:45-6p. On a good day I'll workout to my TurboJam DVD once I get home (but I can easily be talked out of exercising if someone invites me to a sporting event, a movie, a happy hour, or a concert). When I do cook at home, it's usually something I can make in 15-20 minutes (I use my George Foreman grill a lot). I then spend the evening either watching a Rangers game or mindless TV shows. I usually get to bed about 10:30 or 11:00 on a good night. If the Rangers are playing a West Coast team, the games don't start until 9pm Texas time, so I'm up until at least midnight (I really hate extra inning games when they play on the West Coast).

Okay friends, YOU decide which one is my typical weekday! ;)

XOXO!

Rascal Flatts Recap!

Since 2005 I have seen Rascal Flatts in concert six times. I think each time I go I say it's my favorite show. Last Friday night was no different. The opening acts were Eden's Edge, Thompson Square, and Little Big Town. I had never heard of Eden's Edge, but they were pretty good. I've seen Thompson Square before and really like them. This was my first time seeing Little Big Town live, and I have to say it won't be my last time. I plan to see them when they come back again, they were awesome!! I honestly think they could headline a show they were so good.

Despite being in the 90s all day, it was actually kinda nice outside by the time Rascal Flatts took the stage (oh yes, five of the six Rascal Flatts concerts I've attended have been at outside venues, during the summer, in Texas). Thankfully there had been a nice breeze most of the day so that helped make it feel cooler (and I also smuggled in bottled water to keep me cool and hydrated). :)

After singing a few songs, Rascal Flatts took requests from the audience (sadly I was in the very back on the lawn so they couldn't hear me). But someone up front asked to hear "Mayberry", which is one of their earlier hits, and that would have been the one I requested, so I lucked out. :) During that song the cutest little girl (about five or six) was helped on stage by one of the band members and she sang every word of "Mayberry" with them. She was adorable.

I guess I could just share my pictures instead of going into details about the concert. It was fun, my summer concert series continues next month with Brad Paisley. Weehoo!! :)

Pictures I texted to my friends asking if I looked stupid in my cowboy hat. They told me to wear it, so I did. Come to think of it, they never answered if I looked stupid or not, they just told me to wear it. Um... :)

Me and Laura in the car before heading in to the concert

The two rival country music stations in Dallas are KSCS and The Wolf.

Our view from the lawn seats

Pre-concert pic- aren't we lovely? :)

My friend Crystal met up with us!

Fans to stay cool

The BFF and our friend Aaron were there too! :)

Eden's Edge and Thompson Square

Little Big Town

Me and Brandy (and some creepy guy looking over my left shoulder)

Rascal Flatts!

The picture on the bottom left is the little girl who got to go on stage, sorry so dark.

 

Sad I didn't have a better zoom for pictures of Joe Don (right). :)

 

Happy Monday y'all!! 

XOXO!

Blog Challenge 2012- Day 11

So, I'm a LITTLE behind on my blog challenge. I had to go back and see what day I left off on. So, here we go, picking back up at Day 11.

Day 11: Describe 10 pet peeves you have

1. People who have a cart full of groceries in the self check out line (especially when I just have two or three items). I thought there was a limit on how many items you could have in that line.

2. Solo drivers in the carpool lane. Also, cars who only go about 20 MPH in the HOV lane. 

 

3. People who do the wave when the Rangers are up to bat. Even the Rangers don't like it. They put a "no wave" message on the jumbo tron when the wave starts. I'm not trying to be a baseball snob, just don't come between me and the Ranger player who is at bat. ;)

4. Kids who wear pants that are like four sizes too big and are practically falling off of them. 

 

5. Someone who is constantly canceling or bailing on you when you have plans, then calls you and makes you feel guilty for never seeing them.

6. People who don't respect your morals. I respect what you believe, please respect what I believe.

 

7. People who overhear a private conversation in a personal office, then decide to come in and ask what you were talking about. Um...NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.

 

8. When someone throws a cigarette butt out their car window (especially if it flies back and hits my car). 

9. When it's Friday the 13th and NO cable station is airing the original Friday the 13th movie. 

10. Adults who are bullies (granted I don't care for kids who are bullies either, but adults should know better).

Hope everyone has a great weekend!! Thanks to everyone for reading! I enjoy the comments, tweets and emails y'all send. :)

XOXO!

It's OK Thursday!

It's OK..

...that this is the first time since April that I've linked up for It's OK Thursday.

...that the American League sucked stunk it up didn't do well at the MLB All Star Game this Tuesday. Regardless, I'm still proud of the EIGHT Rangers that represented the team at the game! :)

...that even though I wanted the American League to win, I was excited to see Chipper Jones of the Atlanta Braves (National League team) there. **insert teenage girl sigh here**.

Chipper retires at the end of the season, this was his last All-Star Game.

...to make your friend buy you a poncho when it starts raining during the Rangers game (I'm made of sugar, I might melt). Thanks again Brandon! :) Best part- it's a reusable poncho with the Rangers logo. :)

...that this describes me perfectly when I'm driving in traffic.

...to really REALLY hate having to type in a CAPTCHA whenever I post on a blog, message board, or when I try to order something online. Did you know it actually stands for Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart? I can understand WHY these sites have to have them, but they really annoy me. Especially when you can't read the letters (or numbers). 

...that I've been listening to a lot of 90's music on Pandora radio this past week. It takes me back to my high school and college days!

I forgot how much I liked TLC (that's right, I admit it, judge me if you must)! I know, you are shocked I like music other than country! ;)

...that I get so bored I take random pictures of myself on my iPhone (I have no life at all!)

 

 We are almost to the weekend sweet friends, hang in there!!

XOXO!