Hiya!

I spent a long time trying to think of some kind of "I'm back!" title that was clever without being cliche or hard to understand without voice inflection ... and I came up with nothing. Obvs I've been away from the blogging world for too long. 

Anywho, can I get a "Hallelujah" that this season of life is over? Summers are always somehow the CRAZIEST times for us here. We were both working full time, and taking six+ hours of summer classes, and moving, and trying to be normal humans who have friends and social lives and all that (pffftt). 

So I figured we could do a little picture wrap up of the last several weeks and call it good. Kay?

We worked, we played, we camped in Colorado, we celebrated my birthday, we went to Dallas, we celebrated my birthday again, we were loved on by my sweet parents and sisters, we made A's in all of our summer classes, and now we're getting ready to start a whole new semester! 

And can we just talk about this sweet guy for a sec? He took his first classes at Tech over the summer and has a 4.0 GPA right now. No joke. He's a business genius, y'all, so look out. The smartest man I know.

So here's to a new season of life! My last year of undergrad and Rex's first year at Tech...so exciting! I'm looking forward to sharing it with you!

Holiday Weekend

I guess technically it'd be a holiday week, but since I only worked the first half of this week, and the fourth was on Wednesday, it feels like its been a very looong weekend. Which is okay with me! 

We spent the holiday with our best friends, Meagan and Austin, and a handful of other people. You can't tell from the picture, but we got to see the coolest firework show ever out at McKenzie Park. 

Now we're heading to Abilene for Rex's dad's 53rd birthday and Rex's cousin's 1st birthday! We're looking forward to spending time with the fam. I hope you had a great Independence Day! 

Okay.

I'll be honest, blogging hasn't really been my number one priority lately. Finishing up the spring semester, starting summer classes, finishing my school year job, starting my summer job, preparing for our summer camping trip, moving out of my old house, moving into my new house, trying to get my computer fixed, and trying to get a decent amount of sleep has really taken precedence lately. And, let's be real, getting up to date on How I Met Your Mother has been pretty important too. But, here's a little bit of what's happened since we last talked.

We tried our hand at fly fishing some Lubbock lakes... not too successful, I'm sure you're surprised to hear. But we got to throw using the flies we had tied! That was really cute.

Meet the wooly bugger.

Annnnddd.....Rex graduated from South Plains!! Yay! He'll be at Tech in the fall in the Business program and I'm super excited and proud of him!

For my mom's birthday, we got her tickets to see Dave Matthews Band in Dallas, so we got to do that last weekend! It was a lot of fun, and of course we didn't get a group picture, but it was great to spend time with the family and hear good music.

Otherwise, we've been working and trying to do normal life things...the usual! I hope you're having a good Memorial Day weekend! Be safe and happy and healthy! 

Wedding Planning!

So, so, so happy for my sweet, precious roommate and her new fiance! 

Aren't they just presh? Seriously, could not be more happy for them. Kate is going to make the most beautiful bride and I love seeing how happy they are together, especially now that they're getting married in just a few short months!! (Crazy right? They're getting married in August...and got engaged last week! Eep!)

Kate and I are eerily similar as far as style goes, and I have had a BLAST helping her plan so far. Today, we've she's been registering for gifts and planning out the wedding party's outfits...I am loving it. Here's some of my favorite stuff so far...

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I love the idea of mismatch-y bridesmaids, slightly muted color palettes, succulent bouquets, and khaki suits for the guys. How would you like to have your wedding? Or, how did you have your wedding? 

Happy 2012 Y'all!

We spent five nights in Destin, Florida and a night in New Orleans to start the new year. What better way, right? It was great. We went deep sea fishing, and got to eat the best seafood EVER. And drove. So much driving! We got massages (Rex's Christmas gift to me!), listened to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo on audiobook (Rex's new favorite thing), splashed around in the ocean (only for a little bit - the water was cooold!). And we spent a night on Bourbon Street on our way back to top it all off. 

Have you ever been to Bourbon Street? It is an experience, let me tell you. And we were there on the night of a home Saints playoff game, and two days before the BCS Championship game. What were we thinking?? Haha. But it certainly was a good time. 

I hope you started off your 2012 as wonderfully as we did! I can't even say how glad I am that a new year is here and off to a happy start. 2011 was a tough one. It had it's ups and downs to be sure, but the downs were pretty weighty. I'm so happy that a new year is here, and I truly feel like 2012 will bring great things!

 

All the best for 2012!

Greetings from Destin!

Catch of the day: white snapper!!

Hooray!!

Sorry for the hiatus, but...

The semester is over!  

Thank the good Lord! And the year is almost over too! Another "thank the good Lord". 


What do you have planned for the Christmas break? Going home to family? Staying wherever you are? Going on vacation? Visiting friends? Luckily, we get a little of all of the above. Tyler, Abilene, Dallas, and....

Destin, Florida!

Hooray! You bet your bottom I am more excited for this Christmas break than I have been for anything in a very, very long time. Rex and I both have a few more days of work, and then we're heading home for Christmas! 

I hope you're excited about your plans as well, even if you're not traveling!  A good break can do wonders for the soul! 

Have fun making plans!!

Thanks (pt 2)!

Gi^vIng^ Thanks^:

- I really like my house. I know that a lot of college students can't exactly say the same. I have roommates that I get along with, our house is conveniently located close to campus and only two blocks away from the bus stop, we have a big back yard for the dogs to run around in, and so far, the heat/AC/dishwasher/water hasn't gone out yet...which is really nice. Of course, it is still a rent house, so it's not perfect. But it is a home.


- Speaking of, I like my roommates. We kinda clashed a lot at first...three girls living together = problems. Pretty much anywhere you go. But we've worked everything out now that we've been there for a couple months, and things are going well. Whoever gets up first makes a big pot of coffee in the morning, we all really like white wine, and we have a chore chart on the fridge. 


- Netflix. We don't have cable at said house, so Netflix (and watching TV at Rex's house!) is how we get by. It's really nice to be able to watch at least some stuff at home! 

"For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, 'It might have been.'" - John Greenleaf Whittier

How To Be Smarter: If you want to learn how to cook, you start small. Green beans, macaroni, baked potatoes ... simple things. If you want to learn how to be a better student, you start small. To-Do lists, 15 minutes of extra studying, highlighting as you read. If you want to learn how to be a better friend/significant other, you start small. A "Good morning!" text, an unexpected compliment, an offer to help. Then work your way up.

How To Be Prettier: On wearing white after Labor Day. My favorite line? "It's not what you wear, it's how you wear it."

How To Be (Less) Awkward: A good way to mediate arguments without an actual mediator is to record them. Then, later, listen to it again. Everything is easier to discuss after you've both had a chance to settle down and get over hurt feelings.

I have...

...the best dog...

...the best little sister...

...the best mom...

...the best best friend...

...and the best boy.

I'm really lucky sometimes. Okay, all the time. But I don't always remember. Have a good week, all!