Trip Around the Sun-Chapter 24

25 and FEELING FINE! 

Hello Dolls!

August is my favorite month, tied only with December. If you know me or have read any of my posts the past 2 years, you would know that August is not only my birthday but also the month that 6 years ago I began dating my now fiancé. Yes, I know with our upcoming wedding on February 15^th, after this year, August 25^th will no longer be an “anniversary”. But for me, it will always be a date I hold in my heart. In my opinion, dating for 6 years is plenty of reason to celebrate. Heck, some marriages don’t even last that long. SAD, but TRUE!

Now even though my birthday (quarter of a century! YIKES!) is today, we celebrated my birthday this past weekend at Top Golf in Houston. Typically we celebrate the weekend after, however unless you have been living under a rock, you would know that this week is the start of college football. A&M kicks off our 2013 season on Saturday versus Rice. With all the Johnny BS I am ready for a good game! Anyways, I had about me and 18 friends at Top Golf Houston this weekend and had a great time. If you haven’t ever visited top golf I highly recommend it. It always makes you feel really special to have a large group come together to celebrate your life. I feel so blessed to call each and every one of them friends.

I enjoy reflecting back on the past year on every birthday. It’s like your own “New Year” holiday. 24 had some hard times but it also had some of the best moments of my life! So here is a look back at my trip around the sun-chapter 24. Enjoy.

Last year around this same time I was once again blessed to have a group of people come together to celebrate. I’m not one of those people that think the older you get you don’t deserve a party.  Heck in my book, you just have more money to throw better parties! I had a wonderful time last year two-steppin’ and boogying down at Rebel’s with lovely friends.

October was a crazy busy month for me in 2012! I think Trevor and I were out of town nearly never weekend for Aggie Football and also wedding festivities from my friend Heather. It was a whirlwind of a month but I wouldn't change a thing.

Last Year the Aggies made their debut in the SEC. To say people doubted our ability to be successful would be the understatement of the year. But on November 10, 2012 we showed the Crimson Tide, the SEC and the rest of College football what we were made of. I don’t think I have ever had such a high heart rate during a football game. And yes, I cried when we won. #diehardfan

December is tied with August on best month of the year in my book. This past December was no exception. Being home with family for longer than 2 days is always a blessing. We’ve been doing the same thing every Christmas Eve and Christmas Day for the past 25 years, and I absolutely love it.

To round out 2012, Trevor and I hosted our first party at our new home for New Year’s Eve. We had a lot of laughs and a lof of fun. It was a wonderful night. The only tiny damper was the corneal laceration I managed to get at the end of the night. #worstpainever

Let’s talk about weddings. It is definitely that time in my life where everyone around me is getting married. I find it wonderful that everyone is finding their match. I wish every one of these couples a lifetime of happiness and hope for them they feel the same love they felt on their wedding day, every day of their lives together.

So May has to be like the #bestmonthever of Chapter 24. My best friend, Housewife, and soul sistergot engaged to the man of her dreams. Just so happens, I did the same. I am so excited to become his wife, it’s almost unbearable. You can read all about that joyful day here. It was been such a fun experience planning our weddings together. It’s like Bride Wars…without the war.

My girls move fast. What do I mean by that? Well, I got engaged in May, had a full on “Stock the Bar” Engagement Party in June. #blessedbeyondmeasure I also move fast, and Trevor and I were taking engagement pictures in July! No time like the present.

I can’t go without sharing (even though it was in August of this year) that I was lucky enough to have David Tuttera do a show in Houston. I was even more lucky when I got to meet him. #CanYouBeMyGayBestFriend? In all seriousness this guy is a genius, and quite hilarious too.

I always like to share the same excerpt from my first birthday blog every year. It reigns true every year.

“As a huge Jimmy Buffet stalker fan I live my life inspired by many of his songs. This one in particular I always end up listening to a lot when August rolls around each year. I think it's a great message and an awesome song. If you have never heard this song, I encourage you to take a few minutes and listen to it. It's called "Trip Around the Sun"-By Jimmy Buffett featuring Martina McBride. There is a particular line that says "Only time will tell if it was time well spent" and that is kind of how I want to live my life, no regrets, not worrying about everything, because eventually time will tell you if your decision was good or not. You can't predict the future so you might as well enjoy the ride."

The past year has been a whirlwind of different experiences. I learned a lot, struggled though some crap, grew in my faith, moved up in my career, found a new (and bonus HEALTHY) obsession- Les Mills Body Pump, GOT ENGAGED, and made some new friends. All in all it was a good year, but I am so excited for what the next year will bring! 

Cheers to my last birthday as a “MISS”.

 Now to get through this workday and start my new “trip around the sun” off with good food and company tonight! 

Mr. Tubby Tubs and the Green Tin-Can on Wheels

Once upon a time...Life got extremely busy for me!  I apologize for the lack of blogging the past month and a half, but I will be making a conscious effort to blog lots and lots this December.

My job has really become time consuming lately. We had a woman in our department leave very suddenly for a new opportunity and in turn, it has made those of us left to become very thinly stretched. BUT HEY! Lots of people don’t even have good jobs, so I am thankful for even the busiest of days (and the paycheck that follows).

Speaking of being thankful, I have a very serious question for you all. Is it even possible for you to be angry before 6:30 AM? Now of course, there are those extreme cases where, for example, your car got broken into, or something similar, where anyone would be angry. But I am talking about just waking up on your daily routine and being pissed off! Me personally, not possible, I’m hardly awake at that hour, much less able to conjure up any sort of real emotion. This morning, however, that was not the case for the gentleman behind me on my morning drive.

I pulled out of my neighborhood to, what is a very busy street in the mornings ready for the day. Actually, more than ready because for a Monday, I knew this one would be great. (More on that later) As I head towards to toll-way that I take every morning, I noticed that the driver behind me driving a hunter green (ew) Pontiac Grand-AM was awfully close to my bumper.

Now, mind you, the road I am traveling on is very busy on weekday mornings and cars usually don’t go past 45 MPH and the road also lots of lights.  The truck I was traveling behind was a little bit slower driver than normal but again, who gets angry before 6:30 AM? I didn’t care if he was following the car in front of him a little bit more back that I normally would. His chosen driving speed wasn’t going to make me get to my destination any slower because of the lights we have to stop at every few miles anyways.  Clearly though, the grand-am gentleman thought that I was driving way to slow and that following right behind me would be a really good idea. I tapped my breaks a few times to kindly suggest for him to back off my bumper. He did not get the message I guess because he only continued to follow closer and then he decides that he is going to turn his brights on at me! At this point, I’m getting a little irritated because I truly have no idea why this guy is so angry at me! Lucky for me, his piece of crap car didn’t have very bright brights and I also drive and SUV and he was so close I couldn’t see his headlights anyways…idiot. I manage to finally switch into the left lane to get away from him and when he passes me he flicks me off with his fat finger! (Just for visualization purposes he looked like weight about 300 pounds)  Color me shocked. I was truly flabbergasted with his behavior. As he passed me and got behind the slower moving truck, and I moved onward to the freeway, I giggled. His impatience and rudeness was getting him nowhere, and I hope he realized that. Now I don’t know if he was just late and frustrated and decided I was the traffic angel screwing him over, or if he was a bitter longhorn fan that didn’t like my Texas A&M Century Club Member/blinged out aTm, but he seriously needs some Jesus in his life. I will never understand why some people lose their minds when they get behind the wheel. Moral of the story, don’t be that guy on your drive home today.

As for me and the rest of my morning, Mr. Tubby Tubs in the green tin can on wheels did not ruin it for me. Oh no! Tonight some of my wonderful girlfriends and I are having a Girl’s Christmas Movie night and I am hosting it at my home. Every girl is bringing some sort of treat in the form of dessert or wine, and we are going to watch the holiday classic, “The Holiday”. (Which just happens to be my favorite movie of all time) This week is definitely starting off right; Christmas movie, pizza,  girl talk, wine, and sugar. J I hope that everyone is having a better morning that Mr. Tubby Tubs and remember to drive like a sane person today.

Happy Monday Dolls!

"There's a spirit can ne'er be told..."

Howdy All!

As I sit here and type up this quick blog, I am giddy with excitement. Now far warning, if you are neither an Aggie nor an Aggie Fan you most likely will not understand this post one bit. You may even find it comical, but I can promise you I am completely serious. J

As most of you know, I graduated from Texas A&M in 2010. To say I am an Aggie “fan” is the understatement of the year. Hell, I even have an A&M tattoo..., yes, you read that correctly. :) Spending 4 years in Aggieland changed me as a person and A&M became deeply rooted into my soul. I became a part of something much bigger than myself, The 12th man. A quote about A&M that is widely popular is "From the outside looking in, you can't understand it. And from the inside looking out, you can't explain it." I find this so incredibly true. People make jokes all the time about A&M being a cult and that fish camp is just a means to brainwash the incoming freshman class, but Texas A&M University is so much more than that. Besides their stellar academics and extremely high rankings among public universities, the comradery among the students is unlike anything is this world.

Tomorrow is A&M's first football game of the season and also our first game in the SEC. Trev and I are season ticket holders, along with a large group of our friends. Being in Aggieland on Game day is almost unexplainable. You can feel the excitement in the air. Walking up Kyle Field and hearing the crowd steadily increase in volume with the rising numbers of Aggies finding their seats is sweet music to my ears. To see a stadium of 86,000 plus completely sold out, covered in maroon, yelling in unison is a sight you will never forget as long as you live. It is pure sensory overload for any true Aggie; The flyover, the war hymn, the football players running out, the fightin’ Texas Aggie Band, the yells, I could go on and on….Bottom line, if you haven’t ever experienced Aggieland on Game Day Saturday, you are truly missing out.

Being at A&M for 4 years was by far some of the best days of my life. The experiences I had and the people I met there would change me and mold me into the person I am today. Although some of those people aren’t in my life anymore, I will always hold on to the fond and irreplaceable memories until the day that I leave this earth. As for those that still are, well, they are family, one is even the love of my life. J Gratitude is what I feel towards Aggieland and Texas A&M, complete gratefulness for my education that supports the life I want to live, for the people who make life living for, and for allowing me to be a part of something much bigger than myself.

Have a great weekend dolls and CHEERS to the Aggies BTHO florida! J

Thanks and Gig’Em!

I have no problem admitting this video brings tears to my eyes. 

Trip Around the Sun-Chapter 23

Hello Dolls!

I hope that you are all having a wonderful week thus far. For me, it’s pretty much impossible to catch me without a smile. Not only is this a 4 day week for me, it’s also Trevor and I’s 5 year anniversary and my birthday party weekend. (Actually birthday next Tuesday).

I will say though...I am having the absolute hardest time finding a new dress for this weekend and I live in the 4th largest city in America...WTH is wrong with me? If you have any suggestions on where to look, excluding the Galleria, and Memorial City mall, I am all ears.

Last year I wrote a blog about the past year and with my actual birthday exactly a week away, I found it fitting to do the same again. You can see last year’s blog here. I found it extremely interesting and entertaining to reflect back on the previous year. Some things have changed, and others, not one bit. One thing that did change is my job. I left the the job that I started my post grad career in for something more fitting for me. So far it’s been great, and definitely a learning experience. I hope that I continue to advance here and gain valuable experience that I will use in my career.

I moved out of the tiny 1 bedroom, 1 study, 1 bathroom (it shouldn’t have counted at a 2/3 bathroom for how small it was) apartment and moved into a house! A house with a yard, garage, guest bedroom and all that jazz! I wouldn’t take back the time I spent in my first place I paid for all on my own but I would NEVER go back. J

Made new friends and also decided I didn’t need some old friends in my life anymore. You only live once and life is too short to have people around who aren’t honest with you or spend their time talking behind your back. I left high school 6 years ago anyways. More importantly though, is that my real friends haven't changed a bit and no matter how far apart we are/how often we actually get to see each other, nothing changes. :) I love all you girls like sisters (You know who you are).

With that little recap of my past year, here are some photos of some of my favorite moments. I do want to thank you all for taking time out of your day to read my blog. Whether it’s your first time or your 30^th time, I appreciate it so much.

 August 2011-This was Trevor and I celebrating our anniversary last year at Vic and Anthony's Steakhouse. A year later we are getting ready to do it all over again. :)

July 2012-3rd Annual River Trip! 3 days worth of sun, fun, lots of a few drinks, and some of the best friends a girl could ever find.

 October 2011- Superman and Superwoman. :) We had an awesome time celebrating with some great friends. Even if I did get attacked my Snow White...

 November 2011- As sad, upset, and angry as I was that we lost this game, the t.u. vs Aggie game this year was some of the best tailgating of the year. I am very excited for the upcoming season!

 February 2012- LESSE BON TEMP ROULER! Mardi Gras Galveston was once again an absolute blast! Even with the 30 degree weather and biting wind, we still had an incredible night out.

 March 2012- This little guy was running from rising water in SETX, had no home, and no one wanted him. We couldn't bare the thought of him getting put down so Trevor and I met my Mom halfway between Houston and Bridge City to bring him to a shelter in Houston. Yeahhhhh, about that...5 months later he is now part of our family. He has grown from a scared, tired, sad looking stray to a loving, playful, calm puppy that everyone wants to take home with them.

 (Picture on top is the day he was found, the picture on the bottom is present day.)

  

 

June 2012- Jimmy Buffett Concert at the Woodlands Pavilion. Seriously one of the best concerts I have ever been to. It was awesome spending the day with my Dad listening to the music I grew up jamming out to with him.

 June 2012- NEW HOUSE! Left the apartment life for the house life and never looked back. Love.

 October 2011- Myself, Katie, and Marina decided (literally an hour before) that we were taking a road trip to Austin. Hands down one of the most fun nights of the year. From meeting fellow Aggies in Longhorn Land, Marina becoming a bar tender, Katie getting me free pizza, and the delicious hot chocolate that may or may not ended up on the bed, it was a night to remember.

December 2011/January 2012-New Year's Eve Celebrations! What a fun group we had! One of the best NYE celebrations to date.



December 2011-This Christmas was wonderful. Being home for an entire week and spending time with family was perfect. I truly am blessed with an amazing family back home and also a wonderful man who loves my family just as much as I do.

 August 2011- WOW, I can't believe this was already a year ago. This shot is about half the group from my birthday last year in front of the hummer limo my amazing, awesome, super friend Reeves rented for me. One of the best birthdays ever. I can't wait to try and top it this year!

I'm taking a paragraph from last years blog because it's just too good not to share again with the birthday only a week away...As a huge Jimmy Buffet stalker fan I live my life inspired by many of his songs. This one in particular I always end up listening to a lot when August rolls around each year. I think it's a great message and an awesome song. If you have never heard this song, I encourage you to take a few minutes and listen to it. It's called "Trip Around the Sun"-By Jimmy Buffett featuring Martina McBride. There is a particular line that says "Only time will tell if it was time well spent" and that is kind of how I want to live my life, no regrets, not worrying about everything, because eventually time will tell you if your decision was good or not. You can't predict the future so you might as well enjoy the ride.

As I close on Chapter 23, I am beyond excited what Chapter 24 is going to bring! I like even numbers so I've got a good feeling 24 is going to bring me good luck. Who knows what this year will throw my way, but with God's blessings and my friends, family, fur-babies, and amazing boyfriend by my side, I know it's going to be a good year.

Until next time dolls, have a great day.

Friday Favorites

It's time for another round of linking up with Carlie at The Duplechin Daily for Friday Favorites. :)

Who is excited for the weekend...THIS GIRL! Work has been shockingly slow this week, making the days crawl by. I enjoy being busy at work much more than slow because the end of the day shows up a lot quicker.

My BFF/Housewife/Soul-Sister is coming in town the weekend with her "main squeeze" and will be our first real guests at the house!  Also our good friend JC, (who has recently moved to North Dakota for work) will also be in town. :)

We have spent the past two evenings working from the moment we got home to get the house COMPLETELY organized, unpacked, and decorated. We have everyone room decorated except ...lol...our own room. We would rather have the rest of the house nice and pretty for guests. Plus I want new stuff for the master bedroom and home decor is pricey!!! There is something about having your first house guest and actually having a guest bedroom that makes you feel grown up. :)

Saturday we are all attending our friends Heather & Heather's "Mad Hatter" Bridal Shower.

Click here to find out the story on the invitations

The theme comes from the classic tale of "Alice in Wonderland". It is a cute and fun theme for a party. Everyone is supposed to wear hats, however, convincing Trevor to wear one has proved to be a difficult task, hah.

August is 1 of my favorite months of the year. (Tied with December) Not only is my birthday on the 28th but as of the 25th, Trevor and I will have been dating for 5 years. The honest truth is I couldn't be happier. I didn't think you could continue falling in love with someone year after year, but I stand corrected.

August also marks the start to the always busy fall season. How busy you ask? Well as of the weekend of August 18th, Trevor and I have something going on every weekend from that point until October 27th! (except one, we have one free weekend, ha). Between birthdays, wedding festivities, Aggie Football, and work, it's going to be a CRAZY couple on months. I wouldn't change it for the world. :)

So it begins, the end of summer to fall countdowns... I hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend and has some fun. After this long week, we all deserve it. Cheers dolls!

Days until our good friend Brandt's backyard bash birthday party-15

Days until Trevor and I's 5 year Anniversary-22

Days until my Birthday Party & Actual Birthday-22/25

Days until Labor Day get-a-way Trip-28

Days until the first FIGHTIN TEXAS AGGIE FOOTBALL GAME-36

Days Until Heather's Bachelorette Party-63

Days Until the Johnson Wedding- 70

Tuesday Favorites?

Welcome back to another addition of Friday Tuesday Favorites. Yes I am fully aware that today is Tuesday but it all ways but the actual day, today is my Friday. With the 4th of July tomorrow (no work) and the 3rd Annual River Trip starting on Thursday, I am cruising on in to a 5 day weekend. :)

What I am loving:

Getting to go to my first professional soccer game in the Houston Dynamo's new stadium tonight with our couple BBFs. SCORE!

Getting to see my family tomorrow. My lovely/amazing/awesome grandparents are going to watch Chanel and Shep this weekend during our get-a-way to the Hill Country. We're also getting a new dryer and a lawnmower that isn't from the Great Depression...like this one that we have had to use the past few weeks. LOL.

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3rd Annual River Trip!!! Less than 48 hours away!

Not only to I get to be here for 3 full days.....

but I get to be with some of the most amazing people! :):):) I could not be any more excited. And, cherry on top, I found an awesome bathing suit at Victoria Secret for the big trip.

Have a fun, safe, and awesome 4th of July celebrating the greatest country in the World!

"Hey I'm a little drunk on you and high on summertime!"

See y'all next week dolls!

-Danni