30 Day Picture Challenge - Day 6

Day 6 - A picture of a person you'd like to trade places with for a day.

Don't get me wrong, I get intimidated when I have to play Air Force trophy wife at get-togethers with high-ranking officials, and I'm SURE her life is that times infinity... BUT. I would love to have enough money to only work on projects I wanted to work on. I would also love to be able to invest time in my hobbies, and have the freedom to do whatever I liked. The occasional appearance and paparazzi would be annoying, but I could deal with it for a day. Then I could return to my husband (who's cuter than Prince William), my little Peanuts, and my thankless and sometimes horrible, sometimes likable job.

Oh, and I would love to wear weird hats. I wish weird hats were accepted in my world.

30 Day Picture Challenge - Day 5

Day 5 - A picture of your favorite memory

Truthfully, my favorite memory is... our wedding. BUT, I have a feeling if I answered all these truthfully that day would probably pop up a lot. So I went with a collection of memories I hold dear: senior year, and all of college, really. I loved college so much, I haven't really left yet. Sure, I don't live on campus anymore (although I think--I hope--that I'm the only person who had a bachelorette party crash in her dorm room in Marycrest), but I will always be a Flyer. After all, I went to preschool, grade school, college, and graduate school there. In this picture are 4 of my 5 roommates from college (Caitlin hadn't moved in yet). We have all settled down in various cities, but still keep in touch regularly. Kara and Michele (2nd and 4th from the left) have even been to Del Rio to visit!! :) Senior year was my first of three years of long-distance with Art, and I credit these girls for helping me stay sane! :) WOOP WOOP!!

30 Day Picture Challenge - Day 4

Day 4 - A picture of your favorite night

Well, this one has a clear winner!! My favorite night was my wedding, of course. Truly the best day of my life. We had so much fun!

30 Day Picture Challenge - Day 3

Day 3 - A picture of the cast of your favorite TV show


Duh.....

My junior year of high school, I missed a lot of school. I got mono and had my wisdom teeth removed, resulting in me missing about 6 weeks-ish of school on and off. Fortunately, Lifetime TV had taken that time to play Golden Girls a whopping 6 times a day, and I watched it every time. I have every season on DVD and I really do watch it all the time - ESPECIALLY, like now, when Art is away for work and I have to fall asleep without him. It's the best! :)

30 Day Picture Challenge - Day 2

Day 2 - A picture of yourself and the person you've been closest with the longest.

I couldn't decide... I've always been close with my mom. My cousin Julie and I grew up like sisters. I've had the same best friend, Clara, since the fifth grade. I've been dating Art since the 11th grade. I'm the kind of person that, once you get in my inner circle, you are there for life. I love having lifelong friendships and relationships, so I included a picture of me and all four of them! :)

30 Day Picture Challenge

I've seen a few people do this on Facebook, and I thought the idea was really sweet. I'm finding Facebook a little creepy these days, so I decided to revisit my old neglected blog! Plus it's rainy today and Art's out of town until Tuesday, so I found myself with some lonely free time. :)

Basically, I post a new picture each day for 30 days based on the questions! Knowing me, it'll probably take me more than 30 days to get all the pictures up... but it should be fun! :)

Day 1 - A picture of yourself with 10 facts

1. I love seafood, especially shellfish
2. Sometimes, when I cook, I pretend I'm on a cooking show, with the talking out loud and everything.
3. I don't cook breakfast or grill, but I do pretty much else in the kitchen. (And I obviously need to do something about my obsession with food, given that #s 1-3 have been about eating or cooking and then eating.)
4. I think it's ridiculous that I have to say a pledge to the Texas flag every morning.
5. Golden Girls is my favorite TV show.
6. When I was little, both my ear drums ruptured at the same time.
7. I hate air blowing on me - ceiling fans, vents, everything.
8. I really want to raise chickens one day.
9. I still send birthday cards - most of the time! :)
10. I'm finishing up my Masters degree this year.

Catch ya tomorrow! :)

A Lesson in Optimism

Fact: I have a new recipe to post soon, as soon as I get the pictures uploaded. I'll give you a hint: we had to drive to San Antonio to get the ingredients, but you will probably only have to go to your local grocery store. If we had one of those, I would have gone there!

In the meantime, I have been lovingly pestered by my dear family and friends to update. The reason I haven't updated since I got my job, is, well... my job. In short, this job is the most exhausting, ideal-breaking, bubble-bursting, intense struggle I have ever gone through in my life. I could write for days about my experiences and why, in general, I'm finding it difficult to love my job. But I won't.

I have been called some form of "Sunshine" all my life. I'm blond, generally happy, and I try really hard to find the positives in life (I am my mother's daughter, after all). Looking back, man, that was easy. I've had the best life ever. My family is jam-packed full of love. I have always had all my needs (food, shelter, etc.) met. I went to three amazing schools and got a terrific education. In spite of all my faults, I am quite talented in a variety of different areas. WHAT was there ever to not look on the bright side about?

Well. I am quickly learning that optimism is about staying positive when maybe things aren't so great. Now, the above things are all still true. But a quick look at my life now will show that everything is different than it was before I got married and moved. As I quickly near the 6-month mark as Art's wife, I can't believe how different it is.

More than ever, I have to count my blessings. And I don't mean proverbially, as in, "just get over yourself," which is how I would have taken that phrase before. Literally, out loud, say everything I am thankful for. It's a routine I've adapted every day on my way home from work. It changes every day, but a few things make the list daily:

1. I have the world's best husband. Art was always nice to me, and the fact that we have been together for 8 years usually was enough to make other people jealous. When I came home crying from my first (and second... and third... and fourth...) day teaching, dinner was made. My lunch is packed almost every morning, and I get a hot breakfast almost every morning. I haven't done the laundry in a really long time. He lets me talk on and on about the same stuff every day, and listens like it's the first time he's ever heard it. I don't know how he knew exactly the support I would need as I try not to drown during my first year teaching, but he did.

2. I have a beautiful house, and it is something I share with above husband. It's the first house where we started our family (and yes, I consider us a family even though we don't have kids!). It's withstood a lot of storms.

3. Most people wish they had my dog. And how could they not.

4. Minus this moment right now, I am healthy. And I have a lot to be grateful for.