Fall Fall Fall - Are you here yet?

All of these “back to school” photos make me nostalgic! Laying in bed not being able to sleep because I am so excited about school starting the next day... ahhh good times!!! I always had that brand new outfit so proud to show it off! Maybe it is because I grew up with my mother being a teacher, but it seems to just run through my blood that once August hits, it is school. In college, it was sorority Rush... so even now my brain thinks in the matter of school time. So to me I guess it's time to pull out the jeans!... Even though we have over 100 in the forecast for next week...

Last weekend I kept very busy. Saturday I drove out to Las Colinas to see Andrea, then over to Plano for a pool party then down to the Bishop Arts District near downtown Dallas for Lauren's baby shower. I was exhausted! The shower was so wonderful. I have known Lauren since we were about six years old. It was great to catch up with everyone! Baby Olivia got some wonderful things, too!!!

Sunday Nick changed my oil for me. Why now? Because he has always told me he would do it, but I always insisted on taking my car places. I finally gave in because he explained his oil was better quality. I was in awe of his master oil skills! I think every little boy should learn to change oil from their dads or their father figures or their older cousins... it's a tradition. My dad learned it from his, etc... I have a big thing with teaching children to be down to earth and never take their means for granted meaning I want my child to learn these things and never be a “city boy.” I will never forget and I share this story with everyone... I knocked something over in Mom's classroom and when she told me to clean it up, I said, “The janitor will do it.” Ohhh man... that was the wrong thing to say. She had me cleaning right then. Another time I told a family friend I didn't like their food, upon saying that, my Dad took my plate and threw it on the lawn. I love these lessons. I might be a brat at times, but my parents instilled in me gratitude and I am very thankful.

Well, even though it's about 90 outside I sure am craving some hot soup! Yep, in my blood it's time for Fall.

Lauren opening gifts

Lauren 

Julie, Britt, Kelly, Hayley

Brenda MADE these for Olivia!!!

This was Brenda's favorite!!! She rocks.

Living It Up My Way

Catching up on life seems important if you think about it. The other day I wanted to know what I was doing the last Olympics so I scrolled through four years of my blog. Yep, there it was! I had just started dating Nick so it chronicled all of our fun – that summer was one of the best times ever. Good times to look back! Let's see...

We had a girl's night this week at Andrea's new place in Las Colinas. Yes, with just about the same girls mentioned in the blog four years ago. Kacie, Jana, Andrea, Raelyn, Kathryn... and a few other gals... even my sorority sister, Summer, who lives around the block from Andrea came!!! So wonderful to catch up with her! We chased around Kacie's two year old, Gavin and just chit-chatted and ate appetizers... seems like the night passed in a flash. It is so important to get together with girlfriends. Many of us are at different places in our lives. Summer has two little girls, Jamie almost has two, Raelyn just got married, one gal just broke up with her boyfriend, then there's Andrea, Jana and I on the cusp of engagement one day.

Last weekend we went to Nikki's birthday party at Oscar's... awesome... You know how much I love the Rubio family. I am an honorary one after growing up next door to them!!! We hung out there until about 2 AM- that is how much fun I have with Cody, Kristy and his entire family. They make me laugh beyond words. I got to talking to Jeremy's girlfriend, Rahma all about her country of Egypt – she is half Armenian as well. I was just astonished to hear about some things there. They put on your ID if you are Christian or Muslim. She comes from a Christian family is fearful for her dad to visit there because he might be killed. It's weird how we think we have come so far... but, hasn't it always been this way? My gosh, to be killed for your religion? Decades ago they were killing Jews... in the Bible they were killing for this or that belief... does it ever stop? I know we hear about it in other countries, but it was weird to hear another Christian speaking about it. She is just amazing, I could have listened to her all night. She knows four languages and their two-year-old son already speaks three!

Always keeping busy. I don't believe we have a free weekend until October!!! Love it!!! I'm going home this weekend to Midland and am very excited to see the family. Chandra just moved into their new house, but sometime when we both have more time and I drive down I will get out there to see it. I dream of my house growing up a lot so it is never forgotten, of course. Everyone knows about my nightmares... ugh, they never cease. Mom was back last week and she had lost a lot of weight, she was wild and trying to run away from us. I don't know why... someone said maybe it is because when I lost her I was a freshman in college and my version of “wild”... which wasn't really wild, but free, I guess. Oh well, it's not so bad, just weird. Yes, Sarah was back, too, a few times, of course, again – she had been hiding and never passed (I figure this is just bc I never saw her body)... Sometimes we are back in high school, sometimes we are just hanging out. With Mom, many times we are at Goliad Middle School in her classroom, this time we were at some random house. (I also think I dreamed this because Monday night “Grimm” premiered and his mother came back from the dead after 20 years of hiding!)... Anyway, when I dreamed about my house, Dad, Brenda and I were there and we hadn't moved out yet, but the new family had moved in and I was very unhappy with their decorating and moving my stuff! Who knows?!!! Not really sure if you can ever “fix” dreams because it is the unconscious mind. It's cool to have Mom back in them. So many things I don't recall or just slip away or maybe I never really knew.

Okay blah blah... living it up!!!

Summer Nights

This weekend I had the opportunity to host the Texas Tech Student Sendoff sponsored by the Parents Association. I loved having the mic in my hands! It was so much fun. Nick went with me so he got in on the fun. It was interesting to see the young kids about to head to college. I remember it like it was yesterday. It was such a time of freedom and excitement of this whole new world. I don't remember being scared at all. College is amazing... Texas Tech rocks!

Life here is just wonderful as the summer will soon come to an end. The Olympics have been taking up my nights as I watch them while working out. I don't remember being this interested in the Olympics since the 1996 gymnastics team. Life around in the world is just spiraling out of control as I watch it. Sometimes I would like to hide under a rock. Shootings and violence are just crazy. There has been a big deal with Chick-Fil-A vs. gay marriage which isn't really even about chicken, of course... but, it just puts into spotlight more of this group vs. that group. I thought about it when I was praying one night and realized it isn't just about today's world. You know, thousands of years ago even in the Bible class fought against class. Hitler hated the Jews. Whites hated the blacks. There is always something in the world. Nick said he would love to sit and talk with our grandparents and/or their parents as they lived during the time of the World Wars, especially talk to them about what they felt about Hitler and the Jews. It seems so surreal to live during that time, that hatred... and feel helpless. I guess that is how I feel at times. There is just nothing we can do to control the millions in the world, to make everyone love. Sometimes I know I am naive to many things in this world, and sometimes I enjoy that tiny bit of innocence.

Other than the world's craziness... the rest is pretty good. We have really been enjoying time with friends and just living it up. I love summer nights, they are just the best things in the world when shared among friends.