Austin Snow Day 2010 :)

It snowed in Austin :)

yes - we went from wearing shorts and short sleeves on Sunday (in the 70's ALMOSt 80's) and then Tuesday... it SNOWED! only in Texas people... only in Texas

Sorry, I'm still wearing glasses and extremely tired... Derik got the day off...
sadly - I am called in when there's a weather event... I work at a News Station :/

before (I thought this was a lot at first)

after (but this is a lot more!)

before...

after...

before...


after...

look at those HUGE snowflakes :) ha!

before...

after...

Derik's truck in the snow :)

I said "Derik, come outside and take pictures with me!!!" he said "no, I don't want to" - so I said "Derik don't be dumb :(" ha! and he did this -->

he still came out with me :)


silly boy!

US!! :)
again, pardon my non-made up self :/ YUCK!

Crosses :)

It's collections week over on Kelly's Korner

Here are my collection of crosses - I've since added probably 10 CROSSES! This is an older photo :) ha!
I love them all :) I got a few for Christmas and some I found on clearance at Hobby Lobby.

The small ceramic colored on on the left on the top is from our Honeymoon in Cancun, Mexico last May... I hope to get one on every vacation we take. That'd be so fun and such a neat tradition.

Absolutely Beautiful

Originally found here

Us as of lately :)

us before our 1st Valentine's Date married :)

texting

a text I just got from my husband:

"smores poptarts! You're the best wife ever :)"

haha!

I'm in the top 20!!!

http://www.weddingchicks.com/vote/23991/23991/

I'm in the top 20!!! come vote for me to win a spot ad on @weddingchicks!!!

THANKS!!!

**update: I just found out that the top 6 receive a ad on wedding chicks!!!**
**help get me in the top 6 :)**

Sweet Spot Ad - COME VOTE PLEASE!

Hey everyone! I would love your vote! I have an opportunity to win a sweet spot ad on WeddingChicks - so excited!!! come leave a comment on my ad to place your vote!

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1st Vday Married & Shrimp Cocktail :)

Well this was a crazy week as you'll see in my post below... Sorry for that but sometimes you just need to let it out there...

But this past weekend was a good one :)

For one... On Friday, I got candies from a co-worker because I had been covering one of his jobs while he tried to get his car fixed for a few weeks... Hey I'll take it! YUM sour gummy candy - my fav :) really!

He actually made my day because it didn't start out that great, I've been really emotional about everything lately!!! No good! So it was a welcome surprise. And you bet I ate those little heart candies... I let Derik have the others, because, I'm not a glutton or anything.


Then... While I finished up work... I started looking at puppies :) we really want a puppy, but right now Derik doesn't really want to pay for one :/ boo! So we're waiting until my Aunt and Uncle's dog has puppies. She said they'll give us one for free! YAY! :) They're little Shih Tzu's and that's what Derik grew up with, he loves them :) Look at what our future puppy could look like:

photo found: http://puppydogweb.com/

BUT these are the ones I found online on Austin Pet's Alive (GREAT organization!)

These aren't free... But LOOK! :)
Aweeeeee!

These are Border/Terrier Mixes...
photo from AustinPetsAlive

Derik said no :( how can you say NO to these faces!? Not possible!
The Austin Pets Alive site shows you where certain puppies will be if you want to adopt the next day... and there were 4 available Friday... Saturday night, 2 were gone... I said "Derik, you let 2 of those puppies get away!" hahaha!

oh - and - I JUST looked, and now they're all gone!!! "Derik, you let all 4 get away!" :) haha!

**
VDAY! (presents)

I came home that night to a candle lit living room and these on the coffee table :)


This picture was taken after the fact...

Derik chose these flowers because he recognized the "green flowers" from our wedding :) LOVE him! I then told him they were green hydrangeas if he wanted to know the real name :)

Regardless I LOVE them!!! :)

We then watched the 2010 Olympics opening ceremony - AWESOME!

**
VDAY! (dinner)

Saturday he planned a surprise dinner. That in itself is a feat for him... not that he can't plan things, but he can't keep things a SURPRISE! He's like a little kid and wants to tell me, or wants me to guess... He even drove down a street and did some loops to confuse me - hahaha! He siad "haha tricked you!" then we passed a Boston Market and he "pretend" pulled in and said, "this is where we're going!" This I did not believe, because he chose my outift and had me dress up, I don't think you get dressed up for Boston Market... haha! :)

I had an inkling of a fact only because every time he talks about wanting to go to somewhere nice - it's always Truluck's :) but hey, I'm not one to complain!

We didn't realize we needed a reservation - duh! what were we thinking :) So, we waited in the lounge and got a table within 10 mins!!! If we had put our name on the list for the main room, it was 1 hour 45 min wait! GO US!

It was an eventful dinner... I ordered something that I thought was something else... it was Shrimp Cocktail, but I thought it was more like Fish Daddy's Shrimp cocktail - if you've been there then you know... BUT it was just the REGULAR shrimp cocktail... Which, I know what that is, just not what I was expecting... Derik says "you know each of these shrimp is like $3" (the appetizer was $15...) this made me sad, he should not have said that... (remember, VERY emotional this past week) and I was kind of in a bad mood cause I thought he was mad at me... he wasn't, he just wanted dessert over appetizers... I told him that when he takes me out, he should just make the decisions so I don't mess anything up... I don't eat fancy a lot :) haha!

I also told him we need to discuss our "plan of action" before we order... then we know what each other is thinking...

Lesson learned :)

We then went home and watched the Olympics :)

TODAY - I had made Derik come do a Gold's Gym Body Pump Class with me... (it's weight-lifting to music) I think he thought he'd do good... but all day long he's been complaining of his back... I don't blame him, my back hurts too. BUT - now he can't get mad at me for not working out - that class is HARD! Now he sees what I do! He was proud :)

Lesson learned :)

haha

I don't know what it is...

... but I have not been having a superb week... I have been in a FUNK!

I hate throwing pity parties, but that's what I've done almost all week long... I don't know what to do about it, but it is DRIVING me nuts!

I just am trying to get my thoughts in writing (typing) in hopes that it makes sense. Maybe someday I will look back at this and realize how far I've come...

It has been a week of up and downs for sure... crying - lots of it... the kind that leave you with a lump in your throat and if you don't just let it all out... it hurts! So, I let it all out... each day... and I probably will again today.

Mostly I'm afraid of failing. That I'm not "good enough" if there is such a standard made. A lot of where my headache/heartache is coming from is my photography business.

I SO want this to be something that can finally be my full-time job... someday... probably not anytime soon. I've been trying to figure this whole "bid-ness" thing out :) What are these steps? What am I supposed to do next?

I feel lost... so, how do I know what's next?

As Jasmine Star said... "It's just that I feel lost and I don't know how to connect the dots"

EXACTLY, Jasmine! EXACTLY!

It's all so scary and freeing. The unknown.
Stressful really.

I wish I had the words to describe what I'm feeling/thinking at any given moment right now but, I don't...

I've taken an excerpt from Jasmine Star's site... someone I admire and look up to because of her heart and her business... I love her... and when I feel down or feel like I'm about to fail... I hope I remember to come back and read this!

"The Value of Soap Operas:

Yesterday I sat at my desk and spoke into the phone while [her husband] sat on the floor typing away at his computer. That's when it happened. The quiver in my voice, the sting in my eyes. My nose turns red right before I'm going to cry, it's a dead giveaway. There I sat like Rudolph the Reindeer and tried to keep my ish together. I thanked the guy on the other end of the phone for his time and hung up.

I leaned my head back on my chair and fought the tears. I was fine until [her husband] reached up from the floor and touched my hand. Much like touching a full sponge, I leaked. As the tears fell, he promised everything was going to be okay. Not like all dramatic and soap opera-ish (cue the soft lights, the stringed music and please throw in a line that starts with By God I shall never leave you...). It was more like we've been here before.

It's just that I feel lost and I don't know how to connect the dots, I said.

...for the first time in a long time, I feel like my world is rocked. Strangely enough, this is how I started my photography business. And I'm feeling quite the same way. Lost, frustrated, worried, overwhelmed. I'm posting this blog entry because I want to remember. Remember the emotion that comes with risk and being on the cusp of success. Or failure. Oh that blurry line I so strongly detest.

I know there might be a few others who know how I'm feeling right now. Oh, Internet, I get you. I tangibly know the feelings of frustration and worry ... but I also know the emotion that accompanies risk: joy, excitement, and fear. I hope this post makes you feel less alone. Or, really, makes me feel less alone. Because if I was totally being honest, all I really want is for a random blog reader to find me in the street today and say By God I shall never leave you...

I kid, Internet, I kid"

Temporary Home...

I absolutely love this song... I had to wipe away a few tears, but love that it reminds me that this is my temporary home :)

I just had to share.

*****BOO! - They took it off...*****

Simple Pleasures...

Kelly over at Kelly's Korner had a blog post today listing her "Simple Pleasures" and asked us readers to think about our "Simple Pleasures" in life...

I thought this was too good to pass up... (I did agree with a few of hers and listed those as well)

***

Sitting under the stars on a warm summer night

Cuddling up in bed together and laughing

Coffee with a friend

A Saturday with nothing to do

Hearing the Dishwasher after the kitchen is cleaned

Reading a Book at night with the lamp on, tucked in bed...

Mail from a friend

Waking up an hour before your alarm goes off and realize you can still get more sleep!

McAllister's Sweet Tea

Lounging on a Beach somewhere

Knowing that you don't have any major responsibilities the next day

Coming home on a Friday night from work :)

Movie night with my husband, snuggling on the couch

A Clean Room

Clean Bed Sheets

Getting a shoulder rub from Derik :)

The feeling after a good workout (which hasn't been in a while!)

Having finished your days to-do list

Having a night full of your favorite TV shows

Having a picnic