Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Life is good today...

Danny and I really had a great weekend together. We did some much needed shopping and just catching up together. Our schedules just always seem to get the best of us! I was thinking the other day about the list of things that I made for my 27th birthday and how many of the things that I have accomplished. Looking back over the list, I aspired a year ago to earn my CSW. I did that in March! I wanted to set firmer boundaries with my job. Well, I did that in March, too, but that's because I decided to quit my job. I wanted to be more creative - my have I done that (my checkbook thanks me). I'm glad I made the list...it's always fun to look back.

Today, I'm just feeling really grateful. I don't know what it is, but I'm having a difficult time focusing at work - it's such a beautiful day that I just want to ditch the office and go sit by the pool. I've been listening to the Zac Brown Band Live CD - over and over and over again. But, the silly song "Toes" is stuck in my head....I just keep thinking "Life is good today..." and it is! :) So many good things are happening in my life and in the lives of some of my close friends and I just can't help but feel overwhelmed with life's blessings today.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Birthday BBQ


Last weekend, we had several of our fabulous friends over for a joint birthday party for Danny and our friend Leslie. We had such a great time, including a late night run on the slip and slide!! Danny and Leslie got lots of fun presents. Danny was so excited about all of the art supplies that he got from our friends. I thought it would be a great idea to buy him a couple of canvases and ask our friends to bring different colors of paint to use. Boy did he rack up! He got tons of great colors, brushes, canvases, and my mom and sisters even got him an easel! He's already completed one fantastic painting (which he took to his mom who is still in the hospital). I'm excited for him to have something to work on during craft nights!

















Wednesday, June 16, 2010

To wrap up my ramblings for tonight, I just have to say that the past few weeks have been really great. I've been able to catch up with two of my dearest friends that I just don't see often enough and as always, spend time with the ones that are around a lot.

Last week, my friend Jackie came over for dinner, crafting, and a bottle of wine. We had a really nice time catching up on the past few months of life. I hate that she lives so close and yet, we just don't get together enough. I'm always so excited to hear what's going on in her life and love that I can keep track through her blog. It was a much needed night - no T.V., no music, just two good friends, a few glasses of wine, and lots to catch up on.

Tonight, I was able to see my dear friend, Ellie, who I really don't think I've seen in about 5 years. We had so many fun times in high school and times we were both home from college. It was so great to catch up with her over dinner. I love having someone that I can call my "L.A. friend," but I really wish she didn't live so far away.

Otherwise - I've spent lots of time with my friends that are closer to home - relaxing, watching old episodes of Sex and the City and making new memories. I have to say, we are so very blessed!

Not only does today mark Danny's 31st birthday, but we've hit the one year mark with our house. While there are still so many things that we want to do with the house, we have really made it our home. I love coming home everynight to a place that's really ours. I love having cook-outs on the weekends and that our home has really become a gathering place for our friends. I was talking with Kristin the other night about how great it is that we have the house and how in the past year, it seems like this house has really pulled a group of good people together. We just have so much fun sitting in the back, having bonfires, playing wiffle ball, and hopefully this weekend - slipping and sliding! Oh yeah, that's right. Pictures to come!

Happy Birthday to Danny!



Today is Danny's 31st birthday! I just to have to say that I am so thankful for the wonderful man that I married. Not only does he make me laugh every day, he is always there to hold me when I cry, to deal with me when I'm irrational, and to encourage me when I'm down. Now, we've been together for nearly 8 years (wowza!), but I have to say that over the past year, I have come to love and appreciate him more than I ever did before. Not that I didn't love or appreciate him in the past (and this would be a pretty awful way for him to find that out), but I am so thankful for the man that he has been to both me and my entire family over the past 15 months or so. When Danny and I started dating, I was very honest about some of the things that might make being in a relationship with me different than being with someone else. Even back then, he was willing to sign on and give it a whirl. What a ride it's been! Vannah has always really looked up to and loved Danny, but over the past year or so, she's started to call him "Bubba." They have this special bond that I love watching develop and will never try to understand. I am thankful for the love, patience and support that he has shown - not only to me, but to my entire family.

Happy birthday! I love you!

The Oaks and Derby 2010



A few days before The Oaks this year, my dear friend Leslie called and said that she had a great deal on a couple of tickets for The Oaks. We'd been talking a lot about The Oaks and The Derby considering that we live in Louisville and that I've never been to either. I really, really wanted to go, but was concerned about taking the time off of work. Thankfully, my boss was super understanding and in fact told me that I would be crazy not to go. Leslie and I had such a great time! We started with breakfast at her place and then headed out to Churchill Downs to start the drinking...err...horse racing! We had some great seats with a few of Leslie's friends. We were having a great time and then I got a call from my sister who was there with her husband. Since they work in the corporate world, they had an even better deal in store for us. They were able to snag us two tickets to the corporate "tents," which included free food and drinks! Oh, and air conditioning (the sun was H-O-T that day....I still have the awesome tan lines to prove it).

We had a fabulous time in the corporate tents. And the view - well, all I can say is WOW. Here's a picture of the running of The Oaks.


 

After a fun-filled day with the fillies and the Lilies (yummy!), we met a few friends at Wick's for dinner. My hair was completely smashed to my head, so I had my pizza in style!



We shared some good laughs and then went home to ease our sun burns - Leslie and I were both a little red!

After such a fun day at the track on Friday, we opted to stay in for the Derby on Saturday. We had all of our friends over for a feast of spaghetti with meat sauce, baked ziti (Jackie's delicious recipe), garlic bread and Amy's crunchy ice cream! We were so full but had fun gambling on the races, playing Left-Right-Center, dancing in the living room and relaxing in our pj's!


It's been too long (again)...

Well, here I am again, realizing how long it's been since I've updated the blog. Time just keeps passing by me. I read blogs every day...it's a part of my morning routine. I guess there's a part of me that thinks that no one cares whether I write or not, but I'm realizing more every day lately that I care. I used to keep journals and I would poor my heart and soul into them each night. I had a way to get out all of the things that I was feeling that I didn't want to talk about to anyone else. I realize that a lot of my posts since I started this thing have been kind of downers. There are so many wonderful things in my life and I need a place to put that out there. I'm surrounded by a great family, the best friends in the world, and a job that I can truly say I love. I have much to be thankful for and I need to remind myself to smell the roses. So - while I stay up late with my wonderful hubby and watch the Zac Brown Band's live DVD (nice present - for him and me!), I'm going to do a little updating. Sure - it's great if you all (all 7 of you that follow this blog) want to read and catch up on my life, but to be honest with you - I'm doing this for me - so I can look back and remember the good times I've had.