Happy New Year!!

It has been a year of ups and downs but it's time to start a new year fresh with new possibilities!! I look forward to everything that it may bring. I am so happy for 2012 I have found a GREAT man and have been adopted by his AWESOME giant family! I feel like I am finally HOME when I am in Texas now. I have the cutest puppy ever (Callie) and she makes me smile all the time. I am so GRATEFUL to my Gram for getting her for me. And I MISS my Gram daily but I know she is watching and waiting for boys to pop the questions (hint hint brother , get on it) and maybe one day I'll have a boy get on his knee for me too (I'm not rushing it) I have enjoyed this year minus a few days but overall it wasn't too shabby. I have no idea what 2013 will bring besides the babies that are coming and the wedding dates that are set the year is a mystery! 

So hopefully 2013 will be filled with LOVE, ADVENTURE, GOOD TIMES and MEMORIES!! 

Cheers!!

Christmas time in Pictures

Mollie Dog celebrating Christmas!!

My niece fitting in Auntie's suitcase!! She wanted to come home with me and see the snow!

My Mom and Niece!

Downtown Ft. Worth Christmas tree!

Someone is SUPER happy about her new bike!! Santa did good!!

The cutest little girl ever!! She just is a Happy Baby! Miss Morgan loved the tree!

My Dad and Niece playing with my phone.

Mark & I downtown Ft. Worth Looking at lights.

Darn Piggy Bank.

Holidays are never fun on the bank accounts. The worst part of the holidays for me is looking at my bank account and sadly seeing it so empty. I love the gift giving part of the year I just hate what it does to my bank account. I wish I had mail box money or a RICH RICH man to take care of all  my bills that way all my money could be for fun stuff. But sadly no I don't have any of that. Oh to wish. Maybe Santa can bring me a LARGE bag of money and make everything better. I just hate living paycheck to paycheck.

 I don't know what to do. Do I look for a higher paying job that may not be my favorite thing to do (REMEMBER I LOVE MY JOB) or do I find a second job and stay doing what I do. The problem with finding a second job is that my current job is pretty much a full time job at 32 hours a week (on a slow week) and to put a second job on top of that I don't know what I would do. I would never see my boyfriend, my dog or have a life. But then again I would have a fatter bank account (MAYBE) decisions, decisions. Its so hard to decide what to do.

My Lucky Day!!

Happy 12-12-12!!! 12 has always been my lucky number and I can't wait to see what is in store for today!! I think I'm gonna play the lottery today or buy a scratcher and try my luck!! If nothing else I'm gonna make a wish at 12:12. It never hurts to try or believe in something!! So good luck and happy wishing to all on this day that won't happen for another 1,000 years!

TX Words (get your dictionary out)

F

This looks like a shopping cart and it is but in TX this is called a Buggy!!

 There are a few words that can describe an item but I have learned that there is WAY different names for items in Texas than there is CA. A shopping cart is not a shopping cart in TX but a buggy. I thought a buggy is what you rode in with a horse or in the sand (my bad)

And of course how can we forget the famous Texas words: "Reckon" well in CA you say that word and we hear "wrecking" so out West we think you are breaking something. But in Texas "reckon" just means " I guess so".

Now this next word was a great debate with the boyfriend, his mom and I yesterday! A "Beanie" is what knit cap in CA but I guess they have never heard of that in TX cause its a "Toboggan" We had a fun debate over what

This a a great ski cap or what we call a BEANIE in CA but in TX this a TOBOGGAN

 a Toboggan is and well I would like to think I am right. A "toboggan"  is what you ride on in the snow not put on your head to stay warm. I guess on this topic I'll agree to disagree with them. But I still think you don't wear "toboggans" you ride them.

This a real TOBOGGAN you ride on them not wear them, Texas!!

Now there is a funny little word called "Fixing" now in CA we would think you are fixing something that is broken. Not the case in Texas in Texas when you are "fixing" you are about to do something. This could all be confusing for an outsider but you can catch on quickly!!


As you can see I find all these words amusing and I'm still learning them all and I get confused on what they might be talking about but I'm starting to figure it out and starting to speak like a Texan. It takes time and sometimes I still need a dictionary to understand what is being said. All of this is in fun and it just reminds me that I am not from around here and that's ok cause I feel like I am bringing some CA culture to Texas!!! 

Birthday Boy!!!

 

Mark has finally decided to catch up to me and turn 30!!! I'm so glad I can spend it with him!!! And try to make his day special!!

Christmas spirit in my tiny place!!

My little Christmas tree!! It's homemade and I LOVE it!!!

I usually have a star on my door but a sparkly snowflake looks AWESOME!!!

Don't mind Family Guy ( Mark was watching it while I decorated) But I love the trees next to the TV

I love my little bookcase and yes there is a 3rd stocking cause Mark's son needs a stocking too!!

My little counter has the Christmas spirit!! And Mark added his touched by his Hat being there!

Wedding Fever

I think the wedding fever is in the air and SO SO many people are catching it. I haven't seen it this bad since a bunch of us graduated college back in 2004. Don't get me wrong I am super happy for everyone who is getting married/engaged or even having a baby. And maybe a part of me is jealous cause deep down I want all those things too but at the same time I can wait too. It just seems like the boom on engagement rings is CRAZY!!!

I am excited for everyone getting married cause I know what it is like to be excited to plan the BIG day!! But it's only one day and the rush fades and you are left with reality. I miss the marriage part. Being divorced I feel I have a totally new look on marriage and everything. Yes, the ring would be nice to wear and show off but I want the MARRIAGE!! I want the security of a marriage can bring, I want the feeling that this is my person FOREVER!! I know its pretty ironic coming from me (being divorced in all) but I cherish a marriage and I want one again. I hated that I got divorced and I still do this day hate that my marriage didn't work and that I failed at something. But I did learn a lot about what I want in a relationship and partner. And a PARTNER is what I want not a grown child or someone who thinks they are better than me. 

One day I'll get there again and maybe I have found that one, who knows we are only 9 months into our relationship and I don't want to rush it. Luckily I have found someone in a similar boat we both have been divorced so we know what it is like and don't ever want to do that again. Meanwhile I am going to be happy for everyone getting engaged and married (secretly I'll be a little jealous too) and  patiently wait for the day it becomes my turn to show off a sparkler.

Until that day this is going to be my motto ----->

Wandering mind

Sometimes when my mind wanders I want to take on a new project. And lately my mind has been wandering about going to school and getting my teaching degree. I know it sounds crazy!!! The reason is that my current job is part time at 32-35 hours a week. Which doesn't sound like part time to most people ( and it isn't) but here in Wise County it is. (go figure) I LOVE my job and I LOVE my coworkers but at the same time I need to better myself and always have a back up plan. If I can not get this job to grow into a Full time position (which it pretty much is) I'll have to look into doing what is best for me in the LONG run. I don't plan on going any where quick but I like to know all my options and be able to go do something that I LOVE as equal to what I have now. Nothing is for sure I'm just putting feelers out there and try to collect all the information I can so I can make an informed decision. Wish me luck that what I truly want ( my job to become a Full time position) comes true and I don't have to worry about a back up plan. I like the path I am on now and don't want to steer away from it any time soon.

Dang my wondering mind.

Happy Turkey Day!!!

While many of us are going to be gathering around with family tomorrow, don't forget to give thanks to those who have helped shape us into the person we are today. Though those people may not be on the path with us forever they still help mold us into the person we are. SO I would like to give THANKS to all of those who have been apart of my life at one point or another. You are all LOVED and special to me.

Good times going to Duncan

Just standing waiting for something to happen

It is never a dull moment when I go with my co worker/Ag agent Todd. It could just be a trip to check calves or to go pick up a trailer its always an adventure. But the trip to Duncan was a fun one. And I think we took the LONG way to Duncan, OK. Now from Decatur, TX to Duncan, OK it should take us 90 minutes but some how it took us 3 hours to get there. From the time we left the office to us pulling into the show.

 Now we did stop off and drop off 2 hogs at their new home and in order to do that we had to get thru theses guys. They were more curious on why we drove into their resting area, why they had to get up for us, and what was the strange & LOUD creature we were dropping off. They were polite and stayed out of our way. We were then off to Duncan or so we thought........

Going the back roads to get to Duncan we got side tracked and had to double back to Bowie, TX to McDonald's. WHY??? good question not for a bathroom break or food but to buy 3 pigs from a guy who was headed home from Duncan. It's not every day that you  go to McDonald's to buy 3 LIVE pigs from a guy. Usually you go to McDonald's for a by-product of a pig (bacon) but not us we go to buy them. But once we do and have them loaded we can finally get on the road to Duncan!!! Only one more stop to fill up on diesel and I swear Todd is the mayor and he will talk to anyone. We waited for ever at the gas station has he was inside getting the scoop on the hog show before we even got there.

Not the one we were looking for but an example of what we looking for.

Once in Duncan we made our rounds checking out the hogs in the parking lot for sale and trying to hunt down the illusive "AWESOME red pig" that was gonna be a winner for us. Well we found the pig but not the owner. Now we had to hunt down the owner Tom Thompson of 4 T farms. So now the fun begins. We made a trip in the truck and trailer to pick up another pig then somehow ended up going the wrong way down a one way path of truck and trailers. No worries we made it thru and no one got scrapped up in the process.  Well we made it inside to try to find this owner and Todd asked everyone he knows and while trying to find this owner I came across someone I grew up showing with and college with. I wish I would have taken a picture of his face cause the shock of seeing me in Duncan, OK and not in CA was priceless. Poor Wes I think I shocked him and it just goes to show you I can't go anywhere without knowing someone. Well after asking everyone Todd knew and finding the other pig breeder we needed to find cause we are picking up another pig to take home with us. Todd finally got the brilliant idea for me to Google the owner and find his number. NO clue why we didn't think of this sooner after walking around the barns FOR EVER!!!! Well I looked him up since I was the secretary of the day. My job was to take picture of the phone numbers of hog breeders Todd wanted to come back too. We got dinner then picked out last hog and made the trip back to Decatur, TX. And we finally called it a night at 10:30pm. It was a LONG trip but worth it. I always learn something new and always see something new on these adventure with Todd.

(I LOVE my job!!! and the adventures I get because of it.)

Small Business Saturday

I am proud to be a small business owner!! It's hard at times but in the end it's worth it! So get out there and support the small business owners who pour their EVERYTHING into their work !!

Hello Fall!!!

It's finally feeling like fall in Texas! The weather is getting cooler and leaves are changing! With all that we are getting beautiful sunsets like this one!!

Upcycling a sweatshirt

I decided to get crafty cause I was going to teach this to kids so I thought I better figure it out first. And I took an old sweatshirt and turned it into a cute bag.

I used the front of the sweatshirt to be the main focus of the bag. And I am so excited how it turned out and how big it is!

I added some polka dot fabric to the bag to jazz it up and make it fun!! I can't wait to teach it and use it!

Fall Fun Time

Texas pumpkins from left: Mine, Haiden's & Mark's

It's that time of year where the leaves start to change color, the air gets cooler, the days get shorter and candy is EVERYWHERE!! I love carving pumpkins with my family and I convinced Mark and Haiden to get on board and do it with me as well. Here are just a few of the pumpkins we carved in Texas and in California!! I wish I could enjoy all the pumpkins more at my place but my place isn't big enough for pumpkins. Maybe next year. 

Haiden showing off his great work!!

All Lit up for the neighbors to see!!

Mom and her little Helper Faith 

All the pumpkins in CA from Left : Faith/Richie's, Dad's, Mom's and mine.

Up close picture thanks to Faith!

Another great photo by Faith!

Love this picture!!! Tanya, Faith and I getting ready for pumpkin time!

The Family working hard on their creations!! Great Family tradition!!

Faith trying to help Auntie but she didn't want to get dirty. 

The last up close photo by Faith

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State Fair of Texas Adventures!

Me and the Famous Big Tex

I Just had to do this for Fun!! I always wanted to be on a poster! Good thing its not a wanted poster!

My Mom and Big Tex!

The famous Ferris Wheel at the State Fair!

My Mom just had to get a picture of this BIG guy!! He wasn't the easiest to take a picture of!

These 2 nut balls trying out all the new cars!! It was Haiden's turn to drive!! few more years Buddy and you can reach the gas petal.