Opening Day!

Had a rough weekend at the hospital folks. Sorry for the lack of posts.

But alas, the day has finally come for redemption.  Opening Day for MLB.  You can say all you want about me and how much of a dork I am and I will probably agree with you...but, this makes me so happy.  I absolutely love going to a ballpark and watching a game.  One of the many upsides to living in Houston is the Astros and Minute Maid Park.  It is amazing.  

Even better, I will be inside Yankee Stadium Friday Night to watch The Yankees with the parentals.  I cannot wait.  Hope you guys had a better weekend than I did.  I'm looking forward to the week.  

Holler.

Help Get My Friend Out of Jail!!!

post bail!

so, one of my friends from college sent me and all of our friends an email today talking about how she is going to get arrested on April 30.  Saweeeet!  no, just kidding :)

seriously though, she is helping with a fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). the purpose of the fundraiser is to help kids with Muscular Dystrophy to attend the camp.    so, in order to get my friend out of jail, she has to raise a bunch of money to post bail.  well, i love these types of things especially if they go to help kids who need it and could benefit from it.  so, i thought i would share with all of you good people to help out my good friend from college.  

just visit this MDA website and donate as much as you want.  it is definitely for a good cause and a good group of kids.  and, drum roll please....it's tax deductible.  

later taters.

Another countdown :)

yes, I have another countdown...

to the bachlorette party.  oh boys and girls, i hope i survive.  truthfully, i'm not quite sure what kind of state i will be in, but i can foresee dancing and falling x 27 and requesting dave matthews every other song.  i can see myself hugging all of my closest friends and professing my love for them approximately 279 times.  

all of these girls have put up with my lightweight-ness all through college, grad school, and post-student life.  i probably will lick my lips 572,890 times and probably ask all of my girlfriends to give me back my cell phone so i can call someone to make out.  yes, it is that bad.

in all honesty, i'm so excited to see all of my closest friends pre-wedding and take Nashville by storm and show Nashville how much it has missed me over the past 7 months.  

i miss you guys.  see you soon.  

shhhh, don't tell michael.

To the city that never sleeps....

In a little over a week, I will be in New York as a tourist for the first time.  I'm going to be honest, I'm pretty stoked.  Every other time I have been to New York has been for a connecting flight and never had enough time to exit the doors of the airport and experience the city for a couple of hours.  

So, get ready to be jealous....Friday night, I have tickets to the first Yankee series of the last season in the original Yankee Stadium.  If this was all I was doing in New York, I would be a happy and content woman.  Saturday is full of going to Times Square, blowing a lot of money on fabulous clothes, eating at Gordon Ramsay's restaurant in NYC, and then going to see "Wicked" on Broadway.  Even though, I only get to spend a weekend there, I am doing the things I have always said I wanted to do once I had the opportunity to visit New York.  All of my close friends knew of my desire to see a Yankees game in the original Yankee Stadium before moving to their brand new stadium.  Well, I waited until the absolute final season to fulfill that request.  

I will be meeting my unbelievable parents in NYC since I will be working a couple of days next week and they are as excited, if not more excited, as I am.  As excited as I am about this trip, it comes at a perfect time with all of the wedding planning going on and the marathon of showers that is about to ensue.  This summer is molding out to be the greatest summer of my life.  How lucky can a girl get?  My entire family from Lebanon is jumping on a plane with the family moonshine and trucking it over seas to the United States for my wedding; all of my closest friends are getting together at least once a month to throw me and Michael showers; we  get free gifts off of my wish-list; I get to experience my wedding and savor every moment; I get to celebrate with every single person that means the most to me and Michael and know that they have been a crucial part in our lives; wake up at 2 AM and head to the airport to catch our flight to the heavenly St. Lucia (no, I did not book that flight...that would be Mr. Fiance.)

Well, it looks like my preview to New York turned into talking about my wedding (that seems to be the trend lately:) ).  Alright, better get back to do something productive.  

And for my WVU friends, Let's Gooooooo Mountaineers!!!  (even though you broke my Dukie heart :(  )    

4 Months To Go!!!!!!!

Hearing those words come out of my mouth, I am suppressing the panic attack that is trying to emerge from my body.  But, to be honest, I have been very calm and more excited than stressed out about this whole process.  4 months, folks.....4 months until the greatest party you have ever witnessed :)

I still have a lot of knick-knack stuff to do, get ready for my showers, and count down the days until my amazing family from Lebanon gets to the United States.  Oh my goodness, 4 months!

Post-Easter

Day 1 post-Easter is my first day off for the week.  I worked all weekend at the hospital and was unable to make it home for Easter.  I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about it, but when the day finally came, I didn't feel so well.  I didn't expect the types of emotions I felt to hit me yesterday so I was caught a little off guard.  This was my first Easter away from home and, in my family, Easter is the biggest holiday of the year; bigger than Christmas and Thanksgiving.  Easter is the foundation of my faith and everything that I believe in.  So, missing with those people I grew up with, etc. was different.  

However, this was my first Easter with my Husband-to-be.  That in itself was special to me.  If I haven't told you already, I'm a pretty lucky gal.  I am extremely blessed to have a solid, genuine man stand next to me.  So, all in all, the day was bittersweet; totally stoked to spend Easter with The Fiance, but missing my family all at the same time.  

Hope you guys had a Happy and Blessed Easter and thank God for everything that He has done for you and your family; I know I have.

My sister sent me this picture when she was here for her spring break and I absolutely loved it so I thought I would share.  Have a great day!!!

Spring Break 2008...or lack thereof

This past week, my little sister came to Houston to spend her spring break with me and all that is Texas.  It has given me a good opportunity just to spend time with her and sight-see this city I have lived in for 7 months.  It is such a relief knowing that you have family; knowing that they will always be there for you, regardless.  I have also noticed that my relationships with my brother and my sister have grown considerably and I couldn't be happier.  There are not another pair of people I know I can turn to for whatever I need.  I cannot thank them enough for being in my life.

I've spent the past few days entertaining and hanging out with the sibling, so that should hopefully explain the lack of posts.  

I will however be posting pictures once I upload them to the Mac :)

I cannot help but mention the idiot of a football player that Terrelle Pryor is...The University of Ohio State????  They should revoke his scholarship just for making that statement.

Happy Day.

Stuff White People Like

One of my good friends sent me a link to this totally awesome blog properly named Stuff White People Like. I ran across this blog a while ago and totally forgot about it.  I am so glad it has been re-introduced into my life.  

Whatever genius came up with this brilliant idea is spot on.  

This is absolutely hilarious and completely true.  

Real World :)

So, I went to work today to start my weekend shift since I have been off all week.  I absolutely love my job.  I love how I am constantly learning something everyday and, most of all, I actually feel like I am helping people and making a difference in their lives.  What makes it even better are my coworkers.  They are constantly making me laugh and helping the rookie or newbie (aka, me) with anything that I may need.

A couple of days ago, we all decided to go to the Jimmy Buffet concert together in April.  Holy shit.  I'm so freaking excited.  Well, I'm beyond excited.  I absolutely love Jimmy Buffet, not as much as Dave, but I still love him.  So, me and The Fiance, all of my coworkers and a bunch of other badass people are going to witness one of the greatest musicians of our time with possibly VIP tickets.  Damn right.  

From now until April, I will be in my own perpetual Margaritaville.

  

And, just a heads up, Dave is coming in August.  I hope you're prepared.  

Beautiful words

One of my favorite blogs had an awesome post that I came across today.  

Please read for yourself...EDSBS...a little piece of heaven.

Dukies for Life

Even football's First Family are Duke fans.

Let March Madness begin...

Just a rambling

I love being engaged.  I love the way I feel and the way I have felt since April 30.  Even today, I am still amazed at that beautiful shiny rock of a diamond I get to put on my finger everyday.  But, of course, I love what is attached to that ring and all that ring entails.  

Over the past two to three months me and The Fiance have been taking and finishing all of our marriage preparation classes at the church in Houston and a few back home in Bama.  Going through those classes has taught me a lot about myself and, of course, about our relationship with each other and with God.  In modern day, the institution of marriage has lost some of its' luster due to the mishandling of it from the media.  The nonchalant reaction from society when two celebrities get married on a whim in Vegas and file for a divorce/annulment in less than 10 hours of their vows has somewhat dulled the shine on importance of marriage.

Well, I'm not sure if it's the classes or my upbringing or if it's my determination to prove society wrong, but marriage is very important to me.  It is not a promise I take with hopes of breaking it a few years down the road.  Those words of "Until death do us part" actually mean something to me.  I wouldn't have said yes on that beautiful April day if I didn't mean forever.  And, I'm pretty sure Mr. Fiance wouldn't have asked with that gorgeous ring if he didn't mean forever.  

I knew that I would grow a tremendous amount over this engagement period; I knew I would be tested and I would question a lot of things about myself and about the importance of marriage.  Well, here I am; 134 days away from those well-known vows and throwing one hell of a party. 

134 days.  We have come a long way.  We have come a long way in the planning and we have come a long way in knowing one another.  134 days until we get to see our family in one building and celebrate with all of our closest friends.  I can hardly hold in the excitement; I wish it was here already.  Can't wait to see everyone and you better bring your A-game.  

Happy Thursday.

Video of the Day

He has taken The Beatles to a completely new level.

My Paradise

This is God's Country.

Spring Practice starts tomorrow in Ttown.  This is going to be a great year.  It starts with the wedding of the century, then the trip to St. Lucia, and then the start of College Football 2008.  I can't wait.  

If you look closely, you could probably see the enormous statues of Bear Bryant, Gene Stallings, and the construction on Nick Saban's statue for his pending National Championship.

Roll Tide.

25%

Do you know the significance of that number?

Think really hard.

Got it?

Well, that number was given a new significance today.  More than 25% of girls/women in this country are infected with an STD.  TaaaDaaaaa!

My Gosh.  Greater than 25%?!?!?!  This is not good folks.  This is not good at all.  So, here's my prediction: Infertility rates will begin to rise, bacteria/STDs resistant to antibiotics will increase exponentially, and condoms will no longer protect against most STDs.  

Come on young people of America.  Think about what you're doing.  My children are going to grow up in a country where everyone around them is infected with chlamydia, gonorrhea, and HPV if we don't start taking control of the youth of this country.

Read up about 25%.  

G'night mate.

Pondering

I miss my family.  Some days are worse than others.  I'm not real sure what I miss more: the convenience of having them around or just being around them.  Every day at the hospital I see families lose a member of their family and I think to myself, "what in the hell am I doing so far away from my family when I should be soaking up every minute I have left with them?"  It is a question I have found myself asking a lot lately.  But, I always catch myself.

Am I unhappy? Absolutely not.  This is exactly where I need to be at this point in my life, no doubt about it.  God has put me in Houston, Texas for a reason and I intend to stay here as long as the good Lord wills.  But, that doesn't mean that I can't miss my family.  I am very content with where I am in my life, my career, and my relationship with my family and friends.  I am working everyday to strengthen my relationship with God and I hope I can reach a point where I am content with my relationship with Him.

I am very blessed and very lucky to have met such an amazing, sweet guy to spend the rest of my life with.  It is a miracle alone to have found someone to put up with me and my quirks.  I am even more blessed to be marrying into a family as amazing as my Fiance's.  They are truly God-send.

My mom and dad are two of the strongest people I have ever met.  I thank God everyday for the pair of parents He gave to me; to have been raised in a house where love was unconditional and there were no limitations on our ambitions and our dreams.  When I was younger, my relationship with my brother and sister was not as strong as my parents would have liked, but today, the bond and relationship I have with my brother and sister is truly unbreakable.  I have never felt more close to them as I do now.  I think the distance between us has a lot to do with it.  My relationship with my parents is much stronger as well.  What is that saying? Distance makes the heart grow fonder...I think that's right.  I'm not sure what the logic is behind that statement; maybe it has something to do with generating an appreciation for those people in your life and you begin to take the time to develop/strengthen the relationship.   I miss you guys.  See you soon.

Video of the Day

My brother sent me this video the other day and I just now stopped laughing.  Now, this in no way encourages animal cruelty; this cat clearly brought this upon itself.

Enjoy.  And, by the way, the cat is ok...just a little humor.  If there are any problems, please direct your complaints to my younger, less intelligent brother.  

Play ball

As a sports junkie, I'm obsessed with any type of sporting event.  Well, since the end of college football, I've been in kind of a rut.  Well, praise God for the little white stitched baseballs and boys in tight pants :)  

Most of you know that baseball/softball has always been my number one love.  I grew up with a glove attached to my left hand and traveling to tournament after tournament in the summer.  I adore the feeling of walking on the dirt with my spikes and getting dirt on a brand new white uniform.  For me, those experiences ended after college.  There isn't a day that goes by that I don't miss warming up, fielding ground balls, stretching a single into a double, and so forth.  Now, to most of you, this may sound stupid or dumb, but this was my life ever since I was 6 years old.  I grew up loving the sport.  Also, I became a part of a family.  

I became a part of a fraternity of young women and we have remained best friends since the age of 6.  Now, not many people can say that.  That's what the sport of softball did for me.  It gave me confidence, taught me life-long valuable lessons, and allowed me to use my God given ability to throw, catch, and hit a softball.  

I'm sitting at Reckling Park in Houston, Texas, home of the Rice Owls (see below) and just looking at the field jogs my memory back to what I like to call "The Glory Days." :)

I don't think this day could get any prettier and I'm pretty sure there is no where else I would rather be right now.  Thanks for listening to me rant about pretty much nothing at all; I just can't ignore God's pure beauty on a day like this and He continually gives me the chance to watch one of my favorite games over and over.  

Have a great Tuesday, folks.

MBP :)

Well, this is my first post from my new Mac and I must tell you, I'm pretty stoked.  I've been playing with it all day and trying to get used to the "Mac way" since I was raised as a PC kid.  Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy PC's, but Apple has raised it to a totally new level.

Anyways, I talked to my mom on iChat today for the very first time and she flipped out.  It was awesome and totally worth it.  The minute I started talking to my mom, she proceeded to call my dad and ordered him to buy a Mac for the house in Bama so that she could talk/see us everyday.  Love it.  Since her entire family lives over seas in Lebanon, none of us get to see them except for every 4-5 years.  Of course, we will be seeing all of them this summer when they all fly to Bama for the wedding; but, I have no idea how she does it.  I can barely go a month without seeing my parents and my amazing mother goes multiple years without seeing her mom, dad, brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews.  I can only hope to acquire that strength from her.  

Since I worked all weekend, I am off this week so I have the opportunity to get a lot done for the wedding and work on some things around the apartment and, of course, get acquainted with my new toy.

Hope you guys had a great Monday. 

Ordered :)

If you know me well enough, it takes a while for me to bite the bullet on big purchases. I have to continually mull over it again and again. I'm very conscious about my money and how much I have coming in and how much I have going out. Well, my OCD tendencies and behaviors did not subside when it came to buying my new MacBook Pro.

I have been eying this new piece of hardware for a good 6 months now and decided it was time. My family and my wonderful fiance have been putting up with my neurotic-self and the constant questions. May God bless them for having to put up with me.

While I'm waiting for my mac to arrive, I will continue to mourn the retirement of Brett Favre and anxiously await the Project Runway finale. FIERCE!!!!!!!

Holla.

H-town

Sitting in my apartment, looking outside onto my balcony and admiring how gorgeous of a day it is. Since this is my month to work weekends at the hospital, I have four days off during the week. I know, it's pretty awesome. Honestly, I couldn't be happier with this weather.

It's nice to have a day off not studying; instead, i'm tying up loose ends to the wedding and trying to figure out all of the details that can make or bust a wedding. Thankfully, the bridesmaids dresses have been ordered, my dress has arrived, the tuxedos have been chosen, and a million other things I can't believe I have already done. On the other hand, there is still another million things left to do. Now, we are officially under the 5 month mark and I feel myself getting happier and happier as the day gets closer.

One of the best parts of getting married is registering at all your favorite stores. As of today, I have only registered at two, but I have two more to go and one of my best Houston friends will hopefully keep me sane and not let me get too carried away ;)

It feels like it's coming together and I really am the luckiest girl alive thanks to my God, my family, and the strong, solid man I will have standing right next to me.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered!

Oh my goodness....... my dress is here! I just got a call from the boutique and they told me the designer has finished my dress and it has safely arrived with MY name on it!

YES!!!!!!!