7 Quick Takes #10

1. This has felt like the slowest weak of my life and because of that I have very little to share.

2. I have been trying to be better about keeping the house clean so I don't have to spend all day Saturday picking up my atrocious mess and catching up on dishes and laundry and cleaning etc. I still refuse to do laundry during the week so not much I can do to help myself there but so far things are staying relatively put together. *fingers crossed* that it stays that way! When I get home from work at the end of the day though, cleaning is the last thing I want to do. It's a miracle I ever get dinner on the table...

3. I am having a group of girls over tonight that Patrick was friends with in PT school and so I also became friends with them sort of by default. I'm realizing how different things are now and how people just grow about for no reason sometimes. We are all in different places in our lives now and I'm just feeling like I don't have much in common anymore. It's always good to have girl time so I am looking forward to that, but let's just hope it isn't weird... and that none of them read blogs :)

4. THE SUPER BOWL IS THIS WEEKEND!!! I used to never care about watching the Super Bowl but now it's something I look forward to even if I am not a fan of either team. As long as they play a good game and there are some decently funny commercials... it's good. I have all kinds of fun appetizer and dessert things planned AND I get to watch it on my own couch. I love that.

5. Because it is the Super Bowl this weekend I sort of tricked my sister into coming up. She was going to wait until next weekend but I asked what she was doing for the big game (knowing her well enough to know that she had not made plans). I hooked her! Best part is... I thought she was just coming on Sunday but she is coming for the whole weekend! Woot!

6. Snow. Again. Really? I'm not asking for it to be summer yet. Trust me... I'm not looking forward to this summer. I just want to be able to go outside to the mailbox without a winter coat. I know I complain about the weather every week but I feel like its been a little ridiculous. I don't feel bad about it.

7. While I normally don't get excited about the upcoming work week I have to say I am looking forward to actually being busy when the doctor I work for get's back from vacation!!! Cuz ya know... 10 hour work days really drag when you have nothing to do. 

P.S.- If this blog post were to receive an award it would be for "Most Boring QT's EVAH"

P.S.S.- For a good read (since this was not) check out some GOOD Quick Takes here.

Texas, Our Texas

Last week on Facebook I came across a post that a lot of people from back home had shared so I clicked on the link and ended up taking a trip down memory lane. The site showed "20 Things Nobody Warned You About When Moving Away From Texas." Here's my take:

1. Nobody comprehends how huge Texas really is.... This is the God's honest truth. I grew up in a suburb just north of Houston. I chose to go to college out of state. It was 9 ish hours away in Kansas. Funny thing is, my friends that stayed in state and went to Texas Tech were also 9ish hours from home. That's ridiculous. Also, one year I went to the Sun Bowl in El Paso. That was a 14 hour drive. I think I could have driven to Florida in that amount of time.

2. You can get decent BBQ but you'll die a little inside because it's not Texas BBQ...  I really believed this was true until about 2 years ago when I had Oklahoma Joe's for the first time. No other BBQ will ever hold a candle to Okie Joe's. The Z-Man is heaven in the form of a sandwich topped with onion rings. Sorry Texas... you just don't win on this one.

3. People just assume you wear boots and cowboy hats every day... This is false, though entirely acceptable. Everyone should own a good pair of boots no matter where you live, but unless you actually live in the country or are a famous country singer.... lose the hat.

4. You'll have nightmares over not being able to get Kolaches anywhere... Fact. Sausage and cheese kolaches are the bomb. No one can argue that. I even got my Kansas husband turned on to them. I have seen something similar up here that people call sausage and cheese rolls. It doesn't even sound good. It doesn't hold a candle to my beloved kolaches. Now why is there no Shipley's anywhere in Kansas City!!!!!

5. Nobody cares about their state flower outside of Texas... this is a sad fact. And it is probably because nowere else do people experience the phenominal fields of one flower. When they bloom you will see them in fields and people will pull over on the side of the road to take family pictures or engagement pictures in them. It is beautiful. And it is so Texas!

Try and tell me that isn't beautiful...

6. You'll miss Tex-Mex more than you can ever imagine... The band Bowling For Soup was right when they said' "Mexican food does such north of here anyway." It's bland. It lacks melted cheese. It's just not the same. In Kansas City's defense, I have had some decent Mexican food. But it kills me that people rave over the flavorless ground beef and stale tortilla chips.

7. No Ren Fest comes close to Texas Ren Fest... I'm told this is true. I was never a huge fan of the Rennessance Festival and only went once in Texas in high school. I thought it was weird. I have never had the desire to go in Kansas City.

8. Weather isn't bipolar in other states... I'm not positive this is true. I will say that in Texas there were days we needed the AC during the day and the heater at night. That was insane, sure. But Texas is mostly just hot and people freak out if it get's below fifty. And they close school if it below freezing... because it's cold. Kansas City however will go from upper fifties to single digits in 24 hours. Kansas City wins for most bipolar weather.

9. People think Friday Night Lights is an exaggeration... It's not. Texas football is actually that out of control. People live for it, and for good reason. I'm not going to lie to you... I enjoyed my high school footbal games way more than my college ones. It's such an energetic environment!!!

This is actually my high school stadium.

10. Nothing is hotter than Teas heat, and your new friends will hear about it... I disagree. Kansas City heat is just like Texas heat. It might be slightly less humid but let's be real once it's over 100 degrees any humidity sucks.

It's hard to look good when you are sitting outside sweating in the heat and humidity. But man, did Jimmy Buffet put on a show!!!

11. Ask for a Coke and you'll only ever be given a Coca Cola... this is true. It hurts me a little every time I say 'pop.' It's just not me. But if I say coke people get confused. All I really want is a Diet Dr. Pepper!!!

12. You'll miss Rodeo season every damn day... Fact. I have tried to explain the importance of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo to my dear sweet Kansas-born-and-raised husband. He doesn't get it. The last rodeo I went to Jason Aldean preformed. He said and I quote, "you know you've made it big when you get asked to play at the Houston Rodeo." See? Even Jason Aldean understands. He is a smart man.

I actually know people that ride bulls... and not the mechanical kind.

13. People think the Texas side of the Gulf is nice... It's not. The water is brown. Unless you go to Corpus Christi you will be seriously dissappointed in Texas beaches. But that doesn't mean I never brag about how close I used to live to the beach and how often I went. I am a Texan afterall :)

Not Texas.

Texas. This is the Gulf... seaweed and all.

14. Not many people have heard of South Padre... I completely disagree with this. What college student hasn't heard of South Padre??? Again, I'm not crazy about it. I never went except once with my family in elementary school. I was never a big enough partier to go during college either.

15. Not everyone waves when you wave at them... this is something that have been hard to grasp. Not only do people not wave back at me but I learned the hard way that in the Midwest it is not acceptable to give someone a hug when you are first introduced to them. Even if you feel like you know them because your close friend talks about them all the time. It's weird. People never hug. They are friendly, but clearly they value personal space... maybe to a fault?

16. No other state would be fine being banned form the country... probably because no other state would survive. I'm not saying they should secede but it's kind of nice to have options, right?

17. Everyone assumes you know how to ride a horse... I haven't ridden a horse since I was a kid. It was awesome. But I only know one or two people from back home that even owns horses.

18. People who have never been to Texas can draw Texas... I think this is probably semi true. I for one couldn't draw any state that isn't a rectangle... other than Texas... obviously.

19. You might actually have to drive far to get to a Dairy Queen, if your lucky... True. I think there should be a federal law that there should always be a DQ within 20 miles of everyone. It's just the right thing to do.

20. Floating the river usually involves a boat outside of Texas... I think this is true though I haven't been on many float trips. Here is the truth though... there is nothing like floating down the Guadelupe in a black tube with a floating cooler for hours. There are usually nice places to stop and rope swings to fling yourself into the river. It's a blast!

The Alamo... obviously.

7 Quick Takes #9

A day late but here we go:

1. I always thought that Texas had bipolar weather but I was clearly mistaken. Texas is mostly just hot with approximately 2-4 weeks (not consecutive) of "winter" weather. Kansas City, on the other hand.... bipolar. According to my phone and the very nice weather lady I have an interesting few days ahead.

Really? 57 to 18 degrees?! Such a tease!

2. Since I have waited until Saturday night to write this I get to tell you how beyond thrilled I am that I have no obligations this weekend. I had forgotten how wonderful it was to wake up on a Saturday with nothing to do. No rooms to paint. No picture frames to hang. No closets to orginize. It is GLORIOUS!

Patrick and Rosalyn are enjoying doing nothing, too :)

3. I tried a new recipe tonight for dinner... thank you Piniterest. It was Hawaiian BBQ chicken in the crockpot. It is literally just chicken breasts, a can of crushed pineapple and BBQ sauce. I served with rice and broccoli. I thought it was so deliscious! Patrick thought it was too sweet... which I found strange coming from the man with the biggest sweet tooth ever! Yeah... and then we went and got some sweet ice cream afterwards. I think he needs to try it again haha

4. Have you ever encountered someone and heard their story and found yourself so grateful for what you have? That happened to me this week. A friend and co-worker of mine has been having trouble at home. I won't go into details but it absolutely broke my heart. I hate what she is going through but it is things like this that make me so thankful for the gifts in my life. Everyone has struggles and mine have certainly been difficult but through it all somehow I still feel blessed.

5. Homesickness never really ends. Patrick and I really getting established here in our new home and it is home. There is nowhere else I would rather be. But I can't help but miss my family sometimes. The funny things is I would have to be in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Hawaii simultaneously for that feeling to go away. I think we should plan a reunion! Or I should just ask my sister to come up next weekend or something :)

6. I'm about to start my hunt for dining room furniture and I honestly I have idea what I want. My style is fairly traditional but I like unique pieces. I don't even know where to begin! I'll take any helpful suggestions :)

7. I'm not one to obsess over weight because being 6 feet tall you learn that weight is just a number and unless I'm on my death bed I will never weigh as little as my friends who are mostly between 5' 2'' and 5' 6''. However, I've been feeling a little... soft?... ever since I had Anna in November. I'm sure the holidays and a short bout of self pity didn't help. Anyways, I am going to start walking and toning. Maybe that will give me more energy. I have been so lazy! Darn netflix!

Netflix and Starbucks have been taking up a lot of my time.

Have a lovely week! And check out Jen's blog for way much exciting QT's :)

Same belief, different perspective.

It's that time of year... people all over the country are flocking to D.C. for the March for Life. And more are heading to their state capitols for the same reason: to stand up for the innocent, the unborn, and to give them a voice.

Before I get too far into this I feel like I should preface with something. I AM Pro-Life, and always have been. I just see things differently than I have in the past. Life happens and sometimes are experiences give us better insight to the depth of our beliefs.

Without a doubt, I believe that life begins at conception. And anything that prevents that little life from happening is ultimately murder. That might sound pretty drastic but that's because it truly is. Even a young child could tell you that taking a life is equivalent to killing. It is black and white... there are no grey areas.

Many people believe there ARE grey areas though. That in certain instances, maybe it is ok to take away that life. I'm not just talking about a 16 year old that accidentally got knocked up but actually really intelligent people with doctorates believe this. They are wrong. Again, there is no grey area. 

The difference between how I feel about being pro-life now and how I felt about it last year is that I can relate to those people that see the grey. I now know what it is like to be pregnant and it not be exactly what you thought. My pregnancy was planned but the chromosomal abnormalities were not. I know what it feels like to worry and wonder about how this child will change your life. I know the fear that you won't be able to take care of the child well enough. I know the anxiety over the uncertain future. And I know what it's like to hear people tell you that the easiest thing would be to end it. And for that split second to think, "Yes. It would be easier." It was never really an option for me, but I still hated myself for that second of weakness.

But here is what I know that the people that see grey don't know. Taking the life of my sick child would not have been easier. I still lost my daughter but my conscious is clear because I know that I loved her for every second of her short life... even in my weak moments. I know that that little life ending doesn't really make anything go away. None of it really ends. I know that every life has a purpose even if it never takes a breath. Anna had a great purpose and I am convinced she converted more hearts than I ever will be able to. I know that life matters. I know that no diagnosis can define a person or put a barrier between a mother or father and their child. I know this.

I also know that love is a funny this. It creeps in and takes over you. Even when the life is gone, love lives on.

Sorry to be cheesy... And I know that kind of rhymes. I stole it from a song sort of because I'm not cool enough to come up with something original. This song is actually about a woman that lost her husband but the theme still works. And if you actually listen to the song do yourself a favor and grab a box of Kleenexes. You are going to need them, I promise.

Ok... I got off topic. My point is, my position has not changed. If anything I am even more rooted in my beliefs in the Pro-Life movement. But I have a place in my heart for those who felt the panic and the worry and fear. Even if they made the wrong choice. I think we need to remember that some of these women felt like they had no way out of their situation. Trapped. And we need to love them through it all. Because I'd be willing to bet that maybe they didn't know they loved their child... but the love for them still lives on.

Seriously.... listen to the song :)

7 Quick Takes

I'm WAY out of the habit of this but here we go....

1. I'm over the cold. It's been cold pretty much consistently since October with the rare exception of a few random days here and there. Don't get me wrong, I love my boots and skinny jeans and sweaters but if it could warm up just enough that I don't need a coat anymore.... I'd be a happy camper!

2. I came to a very sad realization this week... I watch too much TV. I watch The Voice, The Blacklist, Nashville, American Horror Story, Grey's Anatomy, Modern Family, How I Met Your Mother, and recently started watching Scandal and Revenge. All very wholesome and moral programming obviously...That's a lot of time wasted by sitting down staring at a screen! I'm pathetic.... but oddly ok with it haha.

3. I really like to avoid confrontation. There is nothing worse to me. It makes me uncomfortable. I'm not an argumentative person and so if anything ever comes down to an argument, I can assure you I will not win. Even if I'm right. But sometimes I just can't keep my mouth shut. If something is bothering me I have to say something or it will fester like a wound and then the damage is done. So I have learned (partially from my experience with a friend/neighbor today) that it is always better to bring a concern openly to the table and smooth things over without putting the blame on anyone. You can safe a lot of relationships with kindhearted honesty.

4. Speaking of neighbors... I love them. This weekend a bunch of people in the neighborhood are getting together for a Jam Session. Two of the guys are apparently quite good at playing the guitar. I'm pretty excited! How did we get so lucky...

5. I talked on the phone with my mom today and she told me that she put Anna in the family bible. In the family bible she has documented all of our (my brothers and sister and me) birth dates, sacraments etc. I guess there is a place for grandchildren too. Anyways, not sure if I have ever mentioned it on here but my mom had 4 miscarriages, the last one being twins. That means I have 5 other brothers and sisters. Well, as it turns out my mom named all of those children despite the fact that most of them went to heaven very early on. Their names are written in the family bible too. Her first child was named Anna Marie. I never knew this until today. So as it turns out my sweet Anna Marie was incidentally named after her Aunt Anna Marie... and they are together in Heaven now. Goosebumps, anyone?

6. If that doesn't give you goosebumps this will: I had a dream this week. It was a good one. You see, my best friend Katie and I were supposed to have our little girls a month apart. But my little girl lived out her purpose and went to go be with God. I have thought to myself many times how happy I am for Katie and her husband that they still have their baby and I have prayed for everything to go well for them over and over. Well in my dream Katie was laying on the couch in her living room and she was very pregnant, more visibly pregnant than she is right now in reality. Dreams are funny because they don't always make sense. Anna was in the dream. Anna looked about 1-2 years old and was snuggling up to my best friends belly, to her best friend. And in my dream I knew that Katie didn't know Anna was there. It was beautiful and perfect and I will remember that dream for the rest of my life. Maybe there is some truth to it...

7. I believe 2014 is going to be a good year....

For more exciting and certainly more interesting Quick Takes.... go here.

New Year

Ok... I know this is probably a little delayed but here is what I'm looking forward to in this new year.

1. Growing into our new home. I know I have been promising photos of all the work we have been doing. It will happen one of these days. The inside of our home is really coming along and it feels so good. I'm really looking forward to the spring, though. I can't wait to make our house look beautiful on the outside too!

2. Finding balance. We have had so many changes over the last year and sometimes in change I find chaos. I'm looking forward to less chaos. I hope that I can find a good balance between work and family and friends. I hope I can be more organized and be more productive. So far I'm on the right track.

3. Atlanta. I recently booked a flight to fly with my sister to Atlanta to meet my family for a wedding of one of our very close friends. My little brother is actually a groomsman. I am so excited about this! Not only will it be a nice getaway but the Groom has been a very special person in my life. Have you ever felt like God or fate or something pushed you together with someone? How we became friends is kind of a funny story. It had to be God. But that's a story for another day.

4. Reading. I am vowing to read this year. Maybe that sounds lame. But I love reading and I never do it. I spend way too much time in front of the TV. I just like TV a lot too haha. But so far I have read Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I need to read the rest of the Hunger Games Trilogy but I just borrowed a book from a Co-worker so that's next on the list. It's Doctor Sleep by Stephen King. I'm not really a King fan but I like the movie The Shining and Doctor Sleep is the sequel so hopefully it's good.

5. Rachel. I am hoping to see my sister more. She is a freshman in college about 2.5 hours away from where we live. It's nice having her so close. It makes the occasional homesickness for my family in Texas seem almost nonexistent.

6. New life. As you know, we lost our daughter this past year before she reached term. IT was heartbreaking and not a day (or hour for that matter) goes by that I don't miss her. But I am looking forward to the possibility of our future children. It is something I dream about. Anna will never be replaced or forgotten. It will be nice to finally have a child to hold onto though. And I know our future children will have a big sister in heaven looking out for them while they live a long life here on earth.


So here we are..... 2014. Time to live it!