So Frustrating....

Found out that we have been underpaying our taxes in Escrow to Chase. It is a long story but the end is we owe them $2500 and our mortgage is now going up $150 a month for the next 28 years!!!!!! Freaking sucks!

Just another stress to add to the pile.

What a weekend!

Friday night I got to hangout have dinner with Emily and Amy and then Jodi, Corey, Katherine, and Amanda joined us at Katherine's to hangout. We spent a lot of time reminiscing and laughing.

Saturday morning I got up early and met The Cline's to go to the Butterfly Exhibit and The Botanical Gardens. Larry, Susan, Tyler, Shari, Ron, Nana, and Okie-Nana all went. The exhibit was really cool and interesting. I didn't realize how many different types of butterflies there were. It was very humid in the conservatory but I really had fun.

Saturday evening Kyle and I went to my friend Callie's wedding. The wedding was in an adorable church that felt very cozy and her vocalist was amazing. We then we to a local country club for dinner and dancing. The only bad thing about the wedding was that I couldn't have wedding cake (only 5 more sleeps until I get to have sweets again!). It was a lot of fun hanging out with friends and dancing. Kyle had a good time also however he was disappointed in the music.

Favorite quote of the night-
Kyle: I can't believe they didn't plan one country song
Dianna: Well they are an 80s cover band so I don't think they play country.
Kyle: Damn it, George Strait had songs in the 80s.

Good point! We all got a good laugh out of that!

Here are some pics from the wedding (no one took a full length pic of us)

OMG he smiles! There is a first for everything.

The whole gang (Katherine, Emily, Jodi, Me, Corey and Kyle)- I have bad posture!



Me, Emily, and Jodi

Not too shabby

Here we are again

Still not back into the habit of posting

As you can tell by my lack of posting things have not slowed down for us lately.

My friend Jen joined 24 hour fitness so we have enjoyed going to classes and working out together (I am actually writing this really fast before we head to the gym). I haven't really seen a difference in weight (about 2 lbs and it has been between 6-8 weeks). I only go to the gym 2-3 days a week. I need to make it 3-4 but life gets in the way sometimes.

I have been doing great at no sweet and sodas for Lent and only have 11 sleeps until I can have them again. I can't wait to have a soft chewy chocolate chip cookie, a Chickfila milkshake, a brownie sundae, a cupcake, cinnamon friendship bread, and chocolate cake. As you can tell I really miss sweets. I thought I would have lost more weight between working out and no sweets but I haven't seen much of a change. So I will probably gain about 5 lbs after Easter after eating all of the above mentioned desserts. I wish I had lost more weight because it might be easier to resist sweets but instead a lack of results will probably mean I will find a way to justify eating whatever sweets I want! Oh and I can't wait to have a Dr. Pepper and Big Red.

Last Friday Kyle and I had a great time hanging out playing games with the Cline's. Saturday we went to dinner at Hoffbrau and I enjoyed an amazing peppered steak. Sunday we met my parents, Melisa, Trent, Angela, Annelise and JOHN at Texas Roadhouse in Grand Prairie. That is right we got to see John. He was passing through DFW on his way to San Angelo. It was so great to see him. I can't wait to have the whole family together and Melisa and Trent's wedding.

On Mondays Kyle and I eat and quick meal and then I leave at 6:00 to go to class at the gym. Kyle helped David with some stuff while Jen and I went to the gym. We didn't leave David's until 8 and by the time I showered it was time for bed.

Tuesday I rushed home from work to the head to Ennis for the CRHP retreat follow-up. It started and 7:00 and I said I would only stay until 8:30 so I was back home by 10:00 (which is still late for me but not too late!) Well at 10:15 I finally left Ennis and was home around 11:40. I didn't want to leave and miss anything. I love hearing all of the women's stories about life since the retreat.

I told myself I would try to make it to the meeting 1 or 2 a month instead of every Tuesday. Most of the women are from Ennis so they don't have the long drive like I do. Well last night I learned that one women is from Fort Worth and we could carpool. Then after talking further I found out she lives about 5 minutes away from me. What are the chances!! I truly believe that God wants me at CRHP and found a way to make it happen. I am looking forward to future CRHP meetings.

This weekend my college friend Callie is getting married and I will get to see a lot of my college friends. Jodi and Emily are both coming in town so it will be like a fun college reunion. I can't wait to see everyone. It has been about 6 months since seeing some of them.

Now I need to get ready for the gym. I will try to post every couple of days. It is therapeutic for me to journal!!

So much to do so little time...

I have got to get into the habit of blogging regularly, but they blocked the site at work so I don't get to blog during lunch or other downtime. Now I have to do it when I get home and I just don't make the time.

Lent started about 12 days ago and I chose to give up sweets for Lent including sodas. It has been extremely difficult. I didn't realize how much I crave sweets until I couldn't have them. I usually want something sweet after a meal so I have been chewing a lot of gum lately to curb my craving. We have a free soda machine at work and the sounds of coworkers opening their sodas makes my mouth water. I want a soda so bad. I love the very first drink when you open a can of soda and I miss that. I want a chocolate chip cookie so bad. This has proved to be a very difficult Lenten promise which is the whole point. I try to pause and remember why I did this each time I crave something sweet.

I joined 24 hour fitness about 3 weeks ago. I absolutely love taking the classes. I have now tried Pilates, Hip Hop, and 24 SET. Pilates was very difficult and I have only taken it once. I would love to take it again but the timing of the class isn't very good for me. I like hip hop and the class can be quite entertaining with some of the people in the class. The 24 set class is awesome because it is similar to a boot camp class with cardio, free weights, a bar, and a yoga mat. This is my favorite class.

When I joined the gym I also bought 3 training sessions so that I can meet with a personal trainer to help me find a workout that is best for me. Being a gymnast for so long I never really learned how to workout and what type of workout is best for me. And I love the classes but I have already found myself saying "oops I missed my class I guess I won't go to the gym" or "I don't like any of those classes, guess I won't go." I have met with the trainer once and he mapped out a cardio and weight workout for me to do. This way I have a workout besides the classes so I can't use those previous excuses. I really like the workout he has planned for me but it takes about 90 minutes to do the whole thing (I was hoping to be in and out of the gym in 60 minutes which is why I like the classes). He also told me I should workout 4 days a week. I don't know if I can meet those requirements but I will do the best I can.

I have a lot of other things going on right now-

We are still waiting to find out what the status of our jobs our when Exxon closes the deal on XTO (we should know in next 2 months or so)

We have Melisa's bridal shower in 2 weeks

I am going to a church retreat in Ennis next weekend

We have a wedding in March, Brianna's wedding in May (which I am a bridesmaid), a wedding in Houston in June, and then the next weekend is Melisa and Trent's wedding (Kyle and I are both in that wedding).

Melisa and Tiffany graduate from college, Erica and Tyler graduate from high school.

CPA studying (yuck!)

Very busy next couple of months!

Kyle and I have booked a trip to NYC in April (14th-18th). We are so excited! We plan to go to a Rangers vs Yankees game at their new stadium, go shopping in China Town, visit Little Italy, picnic in Central Park, and lots lots more. Now I need to find time to read the books about NYC and figure that all out.

I am excited about everything that is coming up. It can also be stressful, but I am trying to take it a little at a time and trying to be as organized as possible.

Slacker...

I have been meaning to update my blog for over a week and just haven't done it.

Kyle and I had a great Valentine's. Kyle decided to give me an Apple iTouch and was so excited about giving it to me that he gave it to me a week early. I absolutely love it and have become obsessed with a couple of game on it (decreasing my productivity). I gave Kyle a subscription to NetFlix. We have considered doing it a couple of time but just never did. Kyle loves watching all kinds of movies and a lot of times they are movies that don't interest me. He was really excited about the present and has already received, watched and sent back his first movie.

Today we slept in and had a lazy day. Then we decided to get a movie (Public Enemies) and pizza and hangout at home. It was a nice Valentine's Day.

Things have been really busy with Angela and my amazing niece Annelise is town. I have had a lot going on at work. Plus a million other things.

It is now time to get organized again...

I recently joined 24 hour fitness and am going to try to go to a class every other day. I also have to get back on the CPA band wagon. And I have things that I want to get done around the house.

It is going to be a busy next couple of months so I definitely have to get organized or I will never make it.

Now it is time to fold laundry and get ready to go back to work tomorrow.

PS -thank you XTO for giving us Friday off and giving me a nice long weekend.

PS again- this is a really random blog which just shows how much I have running through my head right now!

Jury Duty

This was my first experience with jury duty and I was super excited and nervous! I had been looking forward to this for weeks and really wanted to get picked to sit on a jury. My family laughed at me and said "watch you get picked for a murder trial" I said "I hope so! Do you think I will?" They were kidding and I was serious.

So the big day finally arrived. I got there on time and walked into a room with hundreds of people summoned for jury duty. I was surprised by the number of people and figured I had no chance of getting picked. I found a seat and of course the mullet man decided to be my best friend. He was a very nice guy but at some point we had to move around and we got split up.

I sat next to a woman (Mary) in her 50s who had never had jury duty before and was also eager to be picked. We watched a video about how jury duty was our civic duty, what it means, and what to expect. We spent the next 45 minutes waiting for people to talk to the bailiff about why they wanted to get out of jury duty. 50-75 people got out of jury duty.

Then it was show time. The bailiff told us how everything would work and the way she talked it sounded like most of us would be put in a jury pool. Yes! Here we go!
Round 1 was 21 people and I didn't get picked.
Round 2 was 18 people and me and Mary were still holding our chairs down.
Round 3 another 18 people and nothing.
This sounds like a fast process but it was actually really slow.

Then a bailiff and woman came in and talked to the bailiff leading our jury thing. They talked to her for about 10 minutes and our bailiff did not look happy. Our bailiff then said "Well we are done for today and you will be dismissed shortly." Everyone breathed a sign of relief except Mary and I because we were disappointed. There were still hundreds of people in this room that all were about to go home. The bailiff then told us that the reason there was still over 300 people is because today they were going to start picking the jury for a capital murder trial seeking the death penalty (Good news! Just what I wanted!!). They have to have a large jury pool because they eliminate so many people. They plan this weeks in advance and get everything lined up to where nothing would stop the case from going to trial. EXCEPT the lead prosecutor had a death in the family so they decided to postpone the case. DARN IT!! Everyone let out another big sigh of relief (except Mary and I). The bailiff wanted to make sure that we understood what happened and they didn't intend on wasting our time. She explained that if the trial hadn't been postponed they would have picked around 200 people and we would all fill out a 20 page questionnaire. Then if we made it through that part then we would each have an interview that could last up to 2 hours and then there would be many more rounds of narrowing the jury pool. She went on and on explaining all the bad stuff to make people feel better but it all sounded like fun to me. She then explained that we won't be asked to come back and they we have done our duty and likely wouldn't be summoned for at least 2 years. Another sigh of relief minus Dianna and Mary. I wanted to be put back into the pool and try again. I was really disappointed. We each collected our $6 check for being there that day and were sent on our way.

I was done with jury duty by 11:00 and was back to work. What a let down!

In reality I would hate to be on a jury that would likely last weeks, be away from work, away from Kyle and mommy's team, possibly be sequestered, look at bloody pictures, and ultimately have to decide on whether someone lives or dies. But man it also sounds kind of exciting too. It was all over and I didn't get to sit on a jury, but I won't ever forget my first jury duty experience.

Oh and the mullet man found me when it was over and said "maybe next time."

My 25th Birthday!!

I had a wonderful eventful 25Th birthday!

I only worked a half day and Kyle did the same so we were home by 11:30. We grabbed lunch at Chickfila where I got nuggets and a vanilla milkshake. I absolutely love their milkshakes. Then as we were leaving we saw David Funderburk in line at Chickfila which was exciting. I love running into people around town that I know. It makes me feel like I am in a small town like Ennis. (Several months ago I went to Braums to get Kyle and I ice cream and Melisa and Trent were inside eating. So Fun!!)

Earlier in the day a guy I work with asked what I was going to do when I got off and I said "Take a nap, that makes me sound old doesn't it?" Well sure enough after we got home from lunch and errands I decided to lay down for a minute then I told Kyle to put the dogs on the bed with me (which is a treat because they aren't allowed on the bed anymore). Next thing I know the dogs barking at Kyle who was working outside in the Jeep. The dogs and I had indulged in an hour and a half nap!! Awesome!

Then we met Melisa, Trent, David and Jen for Happy Hour at Eagle's Nest. More fun!

David, Jen, Brandon, Kyle and I all rode together to Riscky's in the Stockyards for dinner and Katherine met us there. Just as I started eating my meal my chest started hurting. I tried to eat some french fries and drink my tea and margarita but it didn't seem to go away. It seemed to be getting worse and it kinda freaked me out. We thought it might be heartburn but I have had that before and this was a lot worse. Maybe a food allergy, but I hadn't tried anything new. After 20 more minutes it was hurting bad enough that I thought I might need to go to the hospital. It sounds super dramatic and I felt stupid for thinking I needed to go to the ER but I was really uncomfortable. So we joked about going to the hospital for my 25Th birthday and headed to the car. Jen talked to a nurse she knows and she suggested that I may have a gas bubble in my stomach that is putting pressure on my chest and feels like really bad heart burn. She suggested we grab some TUMS to see if that makes it feel better and I was all for avoiding the hospital (and hospital bills!!). Luckily there was a Walgreen's right next to Billy Bob's so after 2 TUMS I was feeling much better. Within 20 minutes the pain was completely gone. Really bad heart burn, not a heart attack!!

Since I was feeling better we decided to walk around the Stockyards which included me riding a mechanical bull. I did pretty good (staying on but it didn't look that great) until the operator decided to make the bull shake me off. So of course I hit the mat and on the way down the bulls but hit me in the back of the head. Plenty more laughs came from that! Now I have a concussion!

We laugh that it was a pretty fun birthday for a heart attack and a concussion! I really did have a great birthday that I will never forget!