The Club

Tonight I was searching through my old folders in e-mail to find an old writing I wrote on one of Mom's anniversaries to send to a friend who just lost her mother. I stumbled across a few e-mails from my dear friend, Sarah, that passed away three years ago. Sometimes as we go on with life, we forget how special people were to us and we try to let life just take over. It hit my heart and I smiled. I miss the departed so much. I miss Sarah, Mom, Grandmommy, Granny Jac... I realize maybe it never goes away. The other night instead of my usual nightmares, Mom was hugging me. I loved it. It wasn't weird at all. Ya just never get used to it. I like to claim I'm some robot, but maybe I just have a very tender heart.

Damon & Melissa Hitched

 

As a professional wedding go-er it is my duty to attend as many weddings as possible... ha... even though I have missed two I was invited to this year due to other happenings. I love people and I love weddings! Damon and Melissa got married last weekend. Wham, that came out of the blue. We all reported together in Abilene and now fast forward eight years, they reconnected and get married. Aw sweet!!! They had a beautiful little ceremony at this church on the lake in McKinney. There were a lot of their reporter friends from KTXS (I worked at KTAB so I didn't know some of them very well)... so Nick and I sat there for a while like the weirdos at a reunion that isn't ours! Then we found my old producer, Allison who was a bridesmaid and we got to hang out with her all night! It's funny to see where everyone is now after so many years. Most have sprouted off, Melissa is on the news here in Dallas at CBS, Lesley is on Fox Sports, etc... some are all over Texas reporting, some are in Abilene still, some got out of the business, Damon is a meteorologist in Oklahoma. Small world, small world. We had a really nice time. We don't have another wedding for quite a while. Maybe one day it will be my own!

KD 25th Anniversary

My sorority, Kappa Delta, planned the 25^th Anniversary of the sorority at Texas Tech for October 2012. Though I waited last minute to decide to go, I am very happy we went.

As we drove into Lubbock I could already feel the magic. It's sort of like going on vacation mixed with going back in time... though everything has changed. We stayed with Nick's college roommate, Brandon, his wife, Sara and their baby girl, Kendall. We got up Friday and I took Nick over to campus to visit his old professors. Later we went to meet Brandon for lunch at Jazz. I had never been to Jazz, such great food. I then drug Nick to KD Happy Hour. He was a great sport, I must say with a sea of women. It was so wonderful to see old friends. With Facebook you keep up with people by stalking, but it's great to see people in “real life.” We hung out and enjoyed life for a while. Funny thing, at a Happy Hour, people think you are nuts if you aren't drinking wine or something. People that know me know I am TOO SOCIAL to drink... ha, it just would slow me down from waving my hands and talking! Oh, don't worry, I had one glass of wine at Brandon & Sara's, but it just proves to be as crazy as me you just need endorphins.

Michelle, Julie, Melissa,Cristin, Logan, Heather & Ashley

Melissa

Tara, Tamara, Laura

We spent Saturday morning playing with Kendall and hanging out watching a lot of football. I took a short jog around my old neighborhood. I wanted to move there right now. Traffic was so much better and everything was just different than my concrete jungle. Oh well, there are pros and cons to everywhere. I guess you could live in a box as long as you were surrounded by friends and family, well, and a gym. Nick and I headed to the Texas Tech game, we stopped by the KD tailgate to visit for a bit. Stephanie and her family were coming so I was very excited! We hung out there then went to find Chandra and her family. My very best friend I hadn't seen in over a year! Oh man! We hung out for a bit then hit the game! We won by a large margin. Blah blah, I don't really care about football.

Stephanie & Abigail

Kelly, Abby, Stephi & Laura

Nick

Landry

Chandra

Sunday Nick and I went to the KD Brunch. We sat with Stephanie and her family, and my cousin, Jaclyn and her parents. Wonderful to see them! I got recognized for being a previous officer. Then we did the memorial and I lit the candle for Melissa Brinker. It was all over too soon!

My cousin, Jaclyn

Cousins Jaclyn & Dani

Julie

Julie, Melissa, Stephanie, Abigail

Nick took me to his secret place outside of Post. You can walk right up to the big windmills. They are HUGE. We had to climb some rocks and go on a little hike. I'm sure there were snakes, but we only saw deer and ants. Yes, I'm usually boring, but it was cool to be a little rebellious with the snakes. It was such a beautiful scene.

 

West Texas is my heart. It always will be, no matter where I live. Home is where you make it, I know this. Truthfully being back in Lubbock tugged at my heart strings because you must remember when I was in college I was heading face first into dealing with my mother's death. It was tough at times, but it was also an amazing time. You look back 8 years since 2004 and you just blink. Poof, gone. It seems like a million years, but I've lived in a few different cities and gone through so much since then. We all have, yet our hearts are the same. I never know what tomorrow holds, but you just have to make it your own home, wherever you are at in location and in heart, make it yours.

Labor Day 2012

Labor Day signals the end of the Summer. Not really this Labor Day though because it is still over 100. No worry, I've broken out the capris and Fall attire just to fight the hot weather. And I love sunshine. Labor Day was a much needed long weekend. 

 Friday we celebrated by going to Three Forks in Dallas. It's a very nice restaurant with a wonderful atmosphere. Andrea, Glenn, Kacie and Brian joined us. Everyone had filet mignon and I had the trout. We had a really nice just hanging out and chatting. My friends rock, they are just the nicest people ever!

Glenn, Andrea, Brian, Kacie, Nick, Julie

Saturday I went shopping around for sales and just enjoyed the morning. I was pretty lazy the rest of the day! Nick was watching football and that bored me so I did my own thing! Sunday I went to church and then we had a million things we could do... there was Mitchell's birthday party, another swim party and/or visiting friends out in Wylie... but, we decided to go workout and watch a movie! Sounds boring, but I loved it! And Monday Nick and I went out to the lake and just chilled. It was so peaceful. Lots of sunshine to end my “Summer.” Then we ate at his parents that night and just ate way too much.

There ya go. NFL starts tonight. Blah blah. That means Fall is really here. On another note, I'm really excited about my new bed. There is my excitement right now!!! Dark oak just makes me happy! Come to think of it, I would like to be sleeping in that bed right now. Yearning for the next three day weekend!!!

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.