Run for a Reason

My friend Leslie and I have decided to run the Houston Chevron marathon together in January. We didn't want to just run it for ourselves, we wanted our efforts to go to a good cause as well. Originally I had been approached to run for St. Jude Children's Hospital but after talking to Leslie she wanted to do a charity that was close to her heart. I thought it would be better for us to work together towards one goal, so we decided Bo's Place was the best option for the both of us.
The goal for each runner is $2000. Beginning this journey I thought, "Well that should be fairly simple to raise." Needless to say, not exactly. It's always difficult asking people for money, especially for a charity most people have never even heard of. The first few weeks we got donations from friends and family which for the most part added up to about $600 for me and about $1100 for her. Our next step was hitting coworkers. For the month of September we brought breakfast for the company kitchen on Friday's with a donation jar for those who felt inclined to give a donation. This brought in about another $300 for each of us, including several donations from some of our bosses and partners.
The third effort was hosting a football square pool for our coworkers where half the money collected would go to the charity and the other half to the winner of the pool. This was a great success because it not only brought in money for Bo's Place but it also was exciting for those who participated because it gave them the chance to make a little extra money as well. The football pool brought in $300 for us to split, which brought my total to about $1300 and her's to $1850ish. We were almost there but running out of ideas and people to bug about donating.
Our last idea was a charity garage sale at my mom's house in Tyler. We began hitting people up for their unwanted junk to donate to the sale. The majority came from my mom's friends and people from her church. I went home this last weekend to get everything together with the hope that there would enough "unwanted junk" to make up for the difference in our goals. Once walking into the garage I quickly realized we had more than enough stuff and just hoped that people would be willing to buy!
The sale was a great success and we raised an addition $1045. Which put our totals over $2100 each along with a few other donations from friends over the weekend.
The journey of fundraising was fun and very fulfilling. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to raise not only money for a great cause but also raise awareness about a fairly unknown charity that could enhance the lives of those that it comes in contact with. I've realized that when you really want to meet a goal, if you put forth the time effort and brain power you can accomplish your goals in no time. Leslie and I are very proud to be supporting such a wonderful charity and hope to make them proud by successfully completing the marathon as well.
I would like to think the hardest part was raising the $2000 but I know I'm just fooling myself. Running 26.2 miles is a huge commitment and hopefully with just as much time and work we can meet that goal as well. Wish us luck!!!
Thanks to all those who supported us, financially and emotionally!!!!

Much needed change...

So after reading my last blog I've realized that it's definitely time for an update. I always say how much I love change and experiencing new things and these last few months are just a testament to that. If change is what I wanted I definitley got it!
You never really realize the reality of situations until you are on the outside. It took a shocking blow to realize how unperfect my life was. I was convincing myself that being content was good enough and overlooking the important things that mean so much to me.
I never thought it was possible to be as happy as I am right now. My life is in a place I never thought possible and it feels good to finally be in control.

I've "lost" about 210 pounds and it feels amazing not walking around with all the weight on my shoulders. I breathe so much easier. I have friendships that I've always wanted and my old ones are better than ever. I'm doing things I've always wanted to do, for example running a marathon in January. My job gets better everyday as I learn more. My relationships with my family have grown stronger and I realized how much I really do depend on them for support and love. I feel like I'm in control, not chasing someone's elses dream but building my life for myself for once. I've always prided myself on being an independent person but these past few months have given that a whole new meaning. I'm finding out WHO I really am and feeling like I'm getting back to my true self.

There's really only one word to perfectly describe my life: FREE!

Almost one year!!!

It's been almost one year since my last blog, so long overdue. So much has happened that it difficult to give an update on everything, so I'll just keep it short and sweet.


In October I was hired as a two week accountant contractor for Limerock Resources. The opportunity was such a blessing and I was ecstatic! After the first week I was asked to stay for an undisclosed amount of time to continue working until they no longer needed me. Fortunately six months later I was offered a full time position as General Accountant and accepted the job. I love working here! It's a friendly, hardworking company that is growing faster than we can keep up. I have made several friends while working here and have enjoyed the type of work I've been doing. I saw a great quote the other day that described my job pretty well. "Not every day is good, but there's something good in everyday." Let's not forget it's a job and there are going to be good things and bad things but I am 100% happy here and am grateful that such a wonderful opportunity came along.

Brandon finished his clinical rotations in May and graduated the first weekend in June. His rotations led him all over Texas including, San Antonio, Ft. Worth, and Houston. The Ft. Worth location was too far for me to visit so we went four weeks without seeing each other but it flew by so it wasn’t too bad. San Antonio was a great location because it was only a 2 hour drive for me from Houston so I went to visit half way between his 4 week rotation. While there we relaxed in his hotel room and spent the other days hanging out and eating on the Riverwalk. We also took a short trip to New Braunfels where we shopped and had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, The Gristmill. His last rotation was completed in Houston, thankfully. The best part was I finally had a person to car pool with so I could take the HOV lane! It’s the little things like that, that make me happy. Hahaha! It was nice for us to finally be back in the same city and living together again.

The last week in May, Brandon and I as well as his parents and mine, traveled back to St. Maarten for the graduation ceremony. The trip started off with a few glitches (delayed flights, cancelled flights, plane malfunctions, and lost luggage) but all in all the vacation and ceremony were fabulous! We had a wonderful time vacationing with our families and then relaxing just the two of us once they left. It was great to see the island again and tell stories about all the fun things we did while living there. Not much had changed, mainly roads and a few restaurants but the school looked just like we remembered and so did our old home. We spent a total of 8 days there and needless to say it was plenty. While I’m extremely grateful that we had the opportunity to live there for two years, I’m glad that chapter of my life is over.

I’ve become attached to the city of Houston and thoroughly enjoy living here. I have tons of family to see any day of the week I want. There are unlimited shopping, restaurant and entertainment places to keep me occupied and best of all, warm weather basically year round. For the past several months I’ve tried to make a point to go back to Tyler at least once or twice a month. Recently though I’ve decided it’s a little bit uneconomical to be making so many trips and it isn’t really giving me the opportunity to enjoy the city I love so much. I’ve made a few friends here and there in Houston but nothing compared to the one’s I have in Tyler so that’s what keeps me going back so often. Being able to see my sisters everyday has been one of the highlights of living back in Texas again. They have changed so much in the last 3 years that we have been traveling. Lura is a teenager now and every bit of a brat! LOL J/K. I love her to death. She is one of the sweetest most thoughtful people I know but she’s turning into a teenager now and things are changing. It’s difficult to see your little sisters change so much. I want her to stay little and cute and sweet. She’s growing up, flirting with boys, getting involved in cheerleading, talking about taking college level classes, etc.! AHHH it’s all too much.

Cameron is changing as well. We’ve become good friends since living in the same city. I wouldn’t trade our sisterly talks for anything in the world. She’s fun and crazy and gives some of the best advice.

Whitney started back to school this summer. She’s planning on going to nursing school in the future. I’m so proud of her! She texts me all the time telling me about her test grades. I know she’s proud and so am I! Coy and Cooper are getting so big. Coy is in school now. He has lost his four front teeth, on top and bottom. I saw him last weekend for the first time since they’ve all fallen out and he looked so cute. He looks more and more like MaKenzie every day. Cooper is my sweetheart. He’s so rough and has such a funny personality. He’s really getting big and sometimes even beating up his own brother. They both are the sweetest little nephews anyone could ask for and Whit is doing such a great job as a mother!
I always talk about how lucky I am and how grateful I am to have my life but it’s honestly the truth. I wouldn’t trade my life for anyone’s. While there are still many things I want in my future, I am totally content with where I am now. I look forward to more upcoming changes.
Until then…

Hopefully I can keep up with my updates more often now.

Everyday is a lifetime without you...

It's been almost 9 weeks since Brandon left for three of his clinical rotations in New York. I was able to see him for the first time last weekend and it was wonderful!! I have missed him so much but I think it made it even worse seeing him and then him leaving again.
When planning for this time Brandon and I agreed that I would stay in Houston to look for a job and he would go to NY without me for three months. I really believed that it would be easy and that we would both be so busy that we wouldn't have time to miss each other so much. Boy was I dead wrong!!!
It has really taken this time apart to realize how much we need each other and how much we really do make each other's lives so much better.
We really haven't spent more than a few weeks apart since we started dating in April 2005. This extended time apart has really made us grow stronger and appreciate those few moments together that we get to talk or see each other through the webcam. But if I could go back and do it again, I wouldn't. I would have gone to NY with Brandon and just waited to get a job once we settled somewhere together.
This whole experience is all about perspective. I appreciate him so much more and want to make every moment count between us because you never know what the future holds. I never really realized how much I could truly love someone and depend on them.
I have always thrived on being an independent person but have learned over the past few years and even months that although independent I still need Brandon in many ways. I have become content and happy in knowing that I have found this person that needs me just as much as I need them.
I miss him so much and I hope that these final 6 weeks will fly by! I hope to be able to go visit him by the end of October but until then I just have to miss him and be content with seeing him through webcam.

So far behind

So it's been about 3 months since I last blogged. So much has happened since then.
At the end of April I decided to make an impromptu trip back to Texas to have a little break from the cold weather in London. I spent about 6 weeks back in Texas before I decided to come back to England.
While in Texas I spent one full week at my sister's house with her and my nephews, two or so weeks in Tyler with Mom and my girlfriends, and two weeks in Houston spending time with my Dad and sisters. It made me even more ready and excited to move back home in July.
Once I made it back to London the weather was finally nice and we were able to walk outside without jackets. Brandon and I decided to spend a few days in Spain since he was off work for one extra week. We went to Costa Blanca for 5 days. It was a nice relaxing vacation from everything and a great way to spend a few romantic days together, just the two of us.

A few weeks after returning from Spain, Mom and Dave came for a visit. While they were here we spent 3 days visiting Germany. We rented a car and spent the time driving the Romantic Road visiting several of the cute little cities along the way. The highlight of the trip was the last stop, Neushwanstein, to see the Cinderella Castle. It was absolutely breathtaking and something I will never forget.

After Mom and Dave left for their two week cruise around the UK and France, we left for Rome, Italy. The trip had it's sweet and sour moments. The history and the city were absolutely unforgettable and something that we both have dreamed about seeing our entire lives. The sour part was the people. For the most part many of the Italians were extremely rude and unwilling to help in any way. Through all that though we still managed to have a great time. We ate some amazing food and saw some amazing history.

Four days after returning from Rome, Jessica and Stefani flew in for a visit. We spent two weeks jumping from city to city. We started our adventure in Dublin, Ireland were we did several tours of the city and the coast. We even did a ghost tour one night that was not scary at all but we managed to make it extremely fun!
The second city on our tour was Venice. We didn't arrive until midnight only to have no clue where our hotel was. We walked around in the rain for about 30 minutes until we decided to stop at a restaurant to have a little dinner and try to figure out where we were. The owner of the restaurant luckily spoke very good English and was willing to cook us a quick meal even though he was getting ready to close for the night. He not only cooked for us but he also called our hotel to get directions and check on our reservation. After realizing that our hotel was another 30 minute walk from where we were he suggested canceling that reservation and allowing him to find us a closer hotel. We were of course extremely grateful and agreed that that was the best option. After finishing our dinner he even walked with us to the hotel across the street where we met the hotel owner who set us up with a great room for the same price as our previous reservation. This whole experience gave me a whole new outlook on the attitudes of Italians. The rest of our trip in Italy was absolutely amazing. Venice is a mesmerizing city with so much romance and beauty. It is a place I will definitely go back to one day. We also were able to take a short train down to Rome to spend two nights touring the city.
After Italy our last destination was Paris. Thankfully we choose this as our last destination because the city is not cheap! We spent the first day doing touristy things such as going to the top of the Eiffel Tower and exploring the Catacombs. That night we took an illuminations tour to see the rest of the city on bus. The second day we went to a few museums and after lunch spent the rest of the day shopping. Some how we got sucked into the excitement and luxury of the city and spent WAY too much money buying designer shoes, dresses, and handbags. Needless to say I don't regret any purchase I made! I love it all! I can't wait to go back and do it all over again.
By the end of our trip we were out of money and out of energy. It was an amazing trip! We made many memories that I will cherish for a lifetime. It was amazing to me that three girls could spend two weeks together and not argue, fight or get on each other's nerves. We had a great time together and I am so glad that we chose to do this trip together. I think we'll make it a tradition to get together and travel every 4 or 5 years.
Today marks 5 days till we move back to Texas. We both are exhausted and have no motivation to pack our entire house to move half way back across the world but the good news is this is our last international move. It is bitter sweet because this is a close to a very adventurous chapter in our lives but it's an opening to chapter were we can spend more time with family and friends as well as move on with the real world. I really look forward to this next chapter, so much will change in the next year and I'm very excited about it.

Paris

My entire life I've dreamed about going to Paris. It has  been a place that I've been mesmerized by since I was little. Well, we I finally got the opportunity to go! Brandon and I thought the best time to go would be our 5 year anniversary in April. We actually thought it would be warmer if we went in the Spring but that definitely was not the case. Even through the cold and rain we had an absolutely amazing and romantic time.
The first day we were there it was beautiful outside, no clouds and just a little bit chilly, so no coat needed. We spent the day just walking around the city, enjoying all the sites and things we could recognize on our own. Seeing the Eiffel Tower for the first time was unforgettable. Brandon and I were just in aww of how beautiful and amazing it was. It really felt like we were in a movie. We continued the day just enjoying everything we could see and find on our own.
The next few days were spent doing a bus tour, touring Notre Dame, walking the Siene River, shopping down Champs-Elyeese, touring the Louvre Musee, and biking through Montmartre. There was so much amazing art and architecture to see, it was almost overwhelming. The pastries were to die for! We could not stop ourselves from stopping in a pastry shop everyday and buying two or three to share. We also bought the most amazing bread we've ever had in our lives. It was some kind of praline bread the we purchased from a booth inside Gallaries Lafayette. It's a good thing we walked everywhere or I'm sure we would have put on a few unwanted pounds. :) We did enjoy food other than the pastries, such as escargot, quiche, and some of the best sandwiches ever.

Brandon is such a great person to go on vacations with because he loves taking pictures as much as I do. We had such a blast together. He made our vacation so romantic and so much more enjoyable. The city was truly amazing. Brandon and I have decided this is definitely a place we want to go back to over and over again. Next time I think we'll go during summer to ensure the weather will be warm. It was a great way to celebrate 5 wonderful years together. I can't wait to go back!! Maybe we should make it a tradition to celebrate our anniversary every 5 years in Paris!

Daddy and LuLu visit London!

My Dad and Lura came to visit this past week. The week speed by so quickly but we had a blast! Everyday we were out and about doing or seeing something new and interesting. It was a great for us to be able to experience all this together. I think they both really enjoyed seeing all the history and excitement that London has to offer. It was great for me to get to see this side of London as well. It made me have a refreshed appreciation of this wonderful city! I really look forward to the next few months, including the changing weather, the upcoming wonderful trips, and all our new visitors!
Here are a few pictures from this week.

A stroll through the park near our house on Day 1. Hoping to see more deer! 

Day 2: London Zoo, London Eye, and River Cruise

Day 3: Bus Tour, Lunch at Texas Embassy, and Bowling with Brandon that night.

Day 4: Tour of the Tower of London and the Queen's Crown Jewels, A visit to the scary London Dungeons, and the play Wicked! All Amazing!

 

Day 5: Trip to Windsor to tour the Windsor Palace and then home to finally relax. 

The entire week was great. I had such a fun week and I look forward to more visits from family and friends! Thanks Dad and Lura for coming to visit! Love you guys tons!!

Appreciating my mid-20s

Sometimes I think I forget how wonderful my life really is. I have the most amazing boyfriend in the world, who loves and adores me more everyday. I live in an amazing place with the opportunity to travel and see the world. Any my family back home is happy, healthy, and extremely supportive of my life.

I've had a somewhat difficult time thinking about turning 25. It seems like once you hit mid twenties there's no turning back, your officially an adult with really responsibilities and obligations. Things start changing fast and there are no more excuses for prolonging young adulthood.

I've always been one of those people who didn't really plan their life out, or make decisions about future family goals or major life decisions. I always just thought, when the time is right, I will know and it will happen.

This year has brought on a whole new way of thinking in me and I feel like I'm finally growing up. First of all, I actually know and have a goal about my career and where I want it to take me. I feel like I can finally relax knowing that I am confident about what I want to do the rest of my life. Maybe that's why I went through so much school, because I didn't really know what I wanted to do and hoped I would figure it out along the way. And thanks to a lot of prayer and research and patience I finally do.

Secondly, I'm finally warming up to the idea of getting married. I've always been so afraid of marriage and the possibility of divorce and disappointment. It has nothing to do with the person I'm with but everything to do with the world around me. I just don't think people take marriage seriously anymore and think if they don't like it they can just get out. I never wanted it to be like that for me. I want to be married because I can't imagine my life without that person and I want them to feel the same way. I want to know that my marriage would be able to make it through anything and be confident that even though me nor my partner is perfect, that we can count on each other to love one another regardless of our imperfections.

I think the biggest misconception about marriage and relationships is that they should be effortless and perfect all the time. (Something TV teaches us!) But the truth is NO ONE is perfect! You'll fight, you'll be disappointed, you'll cry, you'll worry, but you will also, make up, be pleasantly surprised, laugh, and be comforted. I feel so lucky that I've found someone who loves me unconditionally and enjoys doing the little things for me and making me happy everyday. He is truly an amazing person with an amazing family. I feel so blessed to call him mine and I truly look forward to the day when I get to wear his last name.

I think the best thing about him is that he makes me HAPPY! I look forward to seeing him walk through that door everyday and I really miss him when he's gone.

Lastly, and this may be a shock to most who know me but I actually want children. I have always said I will never have kids. I just never really thought that I would be a good mother and I really think I would be an even worse pregnant person. I cringe at the thought of giving birth and all the pregnancy stuff that goes along with it. But, I think going through 9 months of an uncomfortable, scary experience will be more than worth it to have a lifetime of unconditional love. This does not mean I want children anytime soon but I am proud to say that I've actually made the decision to hopefully be blessed enough to have them one day.

Looking back on the experiences of my life I feel so blessed and more than lucky to have the family and friends I have. My family is truly amazing and I love them so much. My Mom is crazy and fun and the best at giving advise and my Dad is supportive and loving and has really taught me how to care for others regardless of their differences. They both support and love me in everything I do. They also have been blessed with exceptional partners. I couldn't have asked for a better step-mom and step-dad. Both are great examples of how great a relationship can be with someone you truly love and I thank the Lord everyday that they found happiness.

I think that turning 25 won't be so bad after all. I have an amazing family and wonderful friends. I am extremely lucky to have all that I have and I thank the Lord everyday for blessing me the way he has. I really look forward to the next chapter in my life. It's coming faster with each passing day.

We leave London in July, which will be the end of our travels and living abroad, at least for a while. By then I'll be opening the door to the real world and taking a flying leap in!

Februrary

This month has been full of fun adventures. January ended with a short trip to Bath, England. It was an amazing and beautiful city. We took a train from London that took about two hours. The country side was absolutely breath taking. There were tons of hills, beautiful trees, and grass for miles. Once we got there we walked throughout the city enjoying the amazing architecture and art throughout the streets. We started our site seeing with a tour through Bath Abbey. There was this giant stained glass window and tons of interesting inscriptions surrounding the walls. As we were enjoying the church one of the chaplains approached us and began chatting with us about where we were from, what we were doing in England, and a little history about the Abbey. She was very interesting to chat with and when it was time for her to do her hourly pray over the microphone she said a sweet little pray for us and our travels. It was very thoughtful and really made me miss going to church back home.

After the abbey we made our way to the Roman baths. Our tour through the baths took about two hours. It was so interesting to see all the history and interesting way people bathed back in the first century. The day ended with a trip to the fashion museum and dinner in the city. All in all the day was wonderful. It was a place that I never really thought about going but very glad that I did.

The first weekend in Feb. we decided to take a ski trip to Val

d'Isere, France. We were there for 4 days. The scenery was perfect and the snow was unforgettable. It snowed about 18 inches the weekend we were there, which made the snowboarding that much better. The first day up the mountain, James, Brandon and I decided to start mid mountain on a red that ended in a blue. The majority of the way down the three of us were doing pretty well. Brandon was still having a little trouble controlling his speed but seemed to be catching on quickly. Once about 200 yards from the end of the mountain James decided to go off by himself and finish on the red while Brandon and I went down a catwalk expecting to finish on the blue. Once we rounded the corner and the mountain opened up again Brandon started speeding down the last 100 or so yards. I noticed he was going way too fast to I started screaming "slow down!" "slow down!" but it was too late. He was completely out of control and going way too fast. His board caught the ground from the front and he started cartwheeling, feet over head about 4 times. My first thought was to laugh because it looked so funny. It was one of those things you see once and know if you tried it 1000 more times you could never do it the same way again. Once he finally stopped and hit the ground, I knew he was hurt. I raced down as fast as I could and skid up beside him only to find him moaning in pain. It took about 2 minutes for him to finally tell me what was hurting because he was grabbing his shoulder, neck, and knees. My first thought was that he either twisted his knee or broke his leg. Long story short I helped him sled the rest of the way down with his bottom on his board and spent the rest of the trip in the room. I felt really bad but he insisted that I not let this ruin my trip too. I spent the rest of the day boarding and half of the next. The second day we made our way to town center and did a little shopping and enjoyed a very yummy cup of tea and hot chocolate.

Both nights we went into town and either had drinks or went to dinner. The town was so adorable and quant. I couldn't have asked for a better end to a not so great start of our trip.

Once we made it back to Kingston we went to the ER. An exam and two x-rays later we found out that Brandon sprang his right knee and broke his left shoulder. One week later he's still in a bit of pain but he's actually able to walk without a limp and move his arm enough to get his shirt off and on by himself.

The trip was still a lot of fun but next time I think we will get Brandon some lessons before we take him up the mountain.

Egypt

Brandon and I decided to take a beach vacation after the Christmas holiday instead of spending the money to go home. We arrived in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt on January 3rd. The weather was absolutely perfect, not a cloud in the sky and perfectly warm enough to lay by the beach. The first day there we spent the majority of our day laying out in the little cabanas on the beach. After some time in the sun we went into town to do a little shopping. We spent a few hours in the old market and going through all the shops along the main road. There were some very interesting people. Everyone was trying to convince us to come into their shop. They hound you till you either give in or just walk away. The next day we stayed pool side for the majority of the day and then went on a camel ride through the desert. The camels were very bouncy, it was fun but I definitely would not want to have to ride one for too long. Once we made it to our destination in the desert we relaxed at the camp site while the locals began preparing our dinner. There was a show of dancers, including a belly dancer and men twirling all these interesting props. After dinner we walked into the dark of the desert to do a little star gazing. We say Sirus, Mars, and several different constellations including the Ryan, the milkyway, and several more.

Day 3 started off the same as the rest but around 2pm we went on a four-wheel ride through the desert. It was tons of fun to slip and slide in the sand but it was definitely dusty. By the end of the ride we were completely covered in a layer of sand.

That night we had to prepare for our trip to Cairo. After dinner we took a little nap because we had to be at the bus by 1am. The bus ride was 6 hours there and 6 hours back, which I was not looking forward to. We slept the majority of the way there but about 5am I started feeling car sick and extremely nauseous. We stopped at a rest stop around 5:30 for breakfast and a restroom break. As soon as I got off the bus I ran around looking for the bathroom so I could puke. After paying one pound to get in, the restroom was absolutely disgusting! It looked and smelled like toilets had not been flushed in weeks, it was horrific and only added to my nausea. I decided to go behind the building instead and as soon as I made it out of site I began puking my brains out. Afterwards I felt much better but was dreading getting back on the bus. The driver was horrific, there were several times I thought we might die!

Once back on the bus I began to feel sick again. Luckily it only took about 30 more minutes to get to the Egyptian museum. Once off I thought that I would feel better but it didn't happen. I really was looking forward to seeing all the interesting history in the museum but I just couldn't get over how horrible I felt. There were several hundred people doing the exact same thing we were so we had to do a lot of waiting. We had a guided tour once inside, which was very interesting but quite embarrassing because I could barely stand and he kept pointing me out and asking me if I was listening. At the point that I thought I couldn't stand anymore, we made it up to King Tutenkhamen's tomb and jewels. This was the part I was really looking forward to but right in the middle of the guide explaining the markings of King Tut's thrown, it just hit me! The puke was coming and I was two flights of stairs from the nearest bathroom. I gave Brandon a look, put my face in my sweater and began to run. Brandon took off after me, trying to help me weave my way through all the people without puking on anyone but I just couldn't hold it in my mouth anymore. I fell to the ground and began puking uncontrollably all over everything. Brandon was basically trying to drag me to the bathroom but the puke was going everywhere! The next few minutes were a blur. I made it to the bathroom sink, only to puke more and then next thing I know I'm laying on a bed in a clinic with a doctor asking Brandon a bunch of questions while she prepared some kind of shot. The doctor gave me a shot to help stop the stomach spasms

and several packages of medicine to take throughout the day. It was obvious that this was not motion sickness because it was not going away. For the rest of the day I was in and out of the bathroom puking more and more. Even on the tour bus I was stuck in the bathroom, which by the way was out of order (no way to flush, no paper to clean my face, and no light). All in all it was a horrible day to be sick. The puking didn't stop until almost midnight that night once we made it home. Even though I was very sick it was amazing to be able to see the Great Pyramids, float on the Nile, and see all the interesting history in the Egyptian museum. Brandon was so sweet and helped me anyway he could. I tried so hard not to ruin the day for him as well, so I spent most of the time sleeping on the bus, while he went to all the shops and sites with the rest of the group. He is the best at taking care of me when I'm sick so I was so grateful that he was there.

Day 5 was much better. We were both exhausted from the day before so we spent the entire day lounging by the pool and just trying to recuperate. Thankfully I wasn't feeling sick anymore but it still took me several days to feel normal and want to eat again. Our trip ended with us just spending the rest of our time switching from the pool to the beach and enjoying the warm sun. The day we were scheduled to leave our flight got cancelled so the airline put us up at the Hilton all inclusive for the day. It was a great end to our trip to be able to spend one extra day in the warmth but we were both ready to go home. We made it home safe and sound the following day.

We both had a great trip and enjoyed spending time lounging on the beach in Sharm and getting to see the Pyramids in Cairo. It was a once in a lifetime trip and we are thankful we got to experience it.

Christmas for two.

Christmas 2009 London.

Bull and I spent Christmas in London this year. Instead of flying home we decided to save our money and use some of it to take a trip while Brandon was on break from school. Christmas definitely wasn't the same without all of our family but we made it special in our own way.

We spent most of the week lounging around at home watching Christmas movies and enjoying just being lazy with each other. Christmas began with us waking up late and opening the gifts that we purchased for each other. After gifts Bull cooked us a big breakfast of eggs, bacon, and homemade cinnamon rolls that I had made the day before. After eating we played cards and Wii for the rest of the afternoon until it was time to start cooking dinner. I cooked a traditional dinner with turkey, green beans,

mac-n-chz, and sweet potatoes, and it was delicious!

After dinner we relaxed on the couch and watched a few of our favorite Christmas movies together. All in all the day was great. Spending Christmas just the two of us actually turned out to be a great experience. We really enjoyed our

quaint little Christmas but we look forward to spending the rest of our holidays with family! Holidays are meant to be spent surrounded by tons of family.

The money we saved from not flying home is being spent on a trip to

Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. We are staying in an all inclusive resort right on the beach, called Hauza Resort. We both are looking forward to being in warmer weather and just lounging on the beach. Can't wait!!

Revelations... or not.

Having a lot of extra time on your hands allows you to think a lot about what you want in your future. I love to travel and live the adventurous life that I live but it doesn't come without consequences. I have so many things to be grateful for and I absolutely am thankful for every opportunity that I've been given. I have experienced many things that most people will never have the chance to do in their lifetime and I have the Lord to thank for all my blessings.

But......like I said, it's not all perfect.

There are several things I've realized from living abroad the past several years.

1. Nothing! Absolutely NOTHING compares to being a home with friends and family!! The number one problem with living and traveling all throughout the world is that it can get extremely lonely at times. Most of my days are spent doing things by myself, whether it's just hanging out at home or site seeing around town, most of it is alone. Grant it there are many days that Brandon and I do things together but with his school and the future of his job, it is my reality that we won't be doing most things together.

2. Weather is everything! Warm weather definitely makes the difference in your ability to do a lot of things. I appreciate cold weather but I think 2 months is plenty for me. I'm a warm weather kind of person and would rather live in a place that doesn't have real winters, i.e. TEXAS!

3. I will never be a stay-at-home anything (mom, wife, girlfriend, etc.)!! I have this internal need to always be doing something productive. I need to feel like I'm making something of myself and doing something important. Now, I know that being a stay-at-home mom is extremely important and it can have many benefits for children but for my life I think it would actually be worse. I am happiest when I'm working and doing things I love. School keeps me occupied for now but it doesn't bring in the big bucks! LOL. I enjoy being a multi-tasker, the more stuff I have to do, the better! So I'm really looking forward to being back to a place where I can work and feel like I'm being productive. I want to feel like I'm making a contribution and not being able to make money makes me feel like I have no place.

With all that said, I still want to stress that I am so grateful to be where I am and to be able to do the things I get to do. I love traveling and seeing the world and being around to support Brandon. I miss my family, friends, warm weather, and working but I know those are all things that I can always go back to and will be there no matter what. I have my whole life to work and live in my favorite state with my favorite people but for now I'm content with the way things are. The saying is true, In order to truly appreciate what you have, you have to live without it first.

Swiss Cheese please!

This last weekend we decided to take a little weekend trip to Switzerland. Our adventure began by flying in to Zurich and meeting up with friends for dinner and drinks around the town. The next morning we got up a little early to catch the train to Interlaken. It took about two hours to get there but the scenery was amazing. Once we got into Interlaken we decided to just stroll around town to see what we could find. We stumbled upon a train station that (for a "small" price) would take you up to the top of a few of the Swiss Alps. 200 Francs later we were on our way up! We took two trains and two gondolas to finally get to the top. Of course we stopped a few places along the way to take pictures but once we were at the top the view was out of this world. I can't even begin to describe how beautiful it was up there, and the pictures don't do it justice. It was a view I will never forget and something I am very grateful I got to see. After tons of pictures, a snowball fight and soup at the revolving restaurant we headed back down the mountain. By the time we got to the bottom is was dinner time so we decided to try out some authentic Swiss cheese fondue for dinner. Lets just say it was an experience involving way too much cheese!

Day 3 was the day the boys planned to go skydiving in the morning, so the rest of us decided to stroll around town to see what we could find. After a little shopping and thinking we stumbled on a bike rental shop where we rented a few bikes and then made our way back through town. We stopped off at our hotel to drop a few things off and get some advise from the owner on where to go. After a little talking and instruction we headed out towards the lakes and mountains. For some reason "hills" never crossed my mind when I thought about going through the mountains. Hmm funny.

Anyway, the beginning of the ride was amazing, the views were gorgeous the ride was easy, and the weather was perfect. As we made our way further and further down the side of the lake the ride got a little more tough with every hill. It got so tough that eventually we just got off the bikes and walked them up the hills just so we could get a little further up the mountain. The owner of our hotel told us about this great waterfall that we needed to see but that we had to go up and down a few hills before we could get there. A few was an understatement! About 6 hills in and 2.5 hours later we still had not reached the town were the waterfall was located. With our rental time running out we decided to just turn around and enjoy the views on the way down the mountain. We stopped off along the way a few times to just relax by the giant lakes and take a few pictures as well. I can't even begin to tell you how beautiful this country is, it's something out of a movie!

After making it back to town and returning our bikes we decided to stop at a little pastry shop and get a coke and a snack. I have to admit that was the best coke I've ever had in my life! Not sure if it was the fact that we hadn't had anything to drink in four hours or that the coke cost almost $4 but it was amazing!

The rest of the trip consisted of strolling around town site-seeing and shopping and a little chocolate fondue as well as a few other Swiss foods.

This trip was one of the best trips I've ever been on. The views and experiences are something I'll never forget. If you ever get the chance, go to Switzerland, it was amazing!!

Moving to London

It's official, we live in London. I've been here for about 2 weeks now and Bull's been here 4. I really love it here!! The weather has been beautiful lately, nothing like I expected! It's getting colder each week but its so different from the cold in Texas, it's kind of nice. Everyone kept telling me that it would be nothing but cold, rainy and foggy but it has actually been quite the opposite. Today was the first day that it rained for more than an hour and the sun has come out each day. One day it was so nice we took a run through the park without even needing any long sleeves.

Our apartment is all that I hoped it would be. It is taking a while to get all things together that we need but it is coming together and looking really cute. Our TV came today as well as the cable man to hook up the Internet, cable, and telephone lines. We having an amazing bay window in our living room that overlooks the neighborhood and roads outside of our flat. As soon as we get couch covers and a few other decorative things I'll post a few pictures for everyone to see.

Life is beginning to become normal again, now that we are getting situated. We joined the gym, only about a 10 minute walk from our place, which I love love love! It is so nice! Tons of different cardio machines, weight machines and classes to keep me occupied. It even has a spa and hair salon that I can't wait to tryout!

It's good to have our own place again and feel like our lives are back to normal. I love it here and I know Brandon will have a tough time convincing me to leave. I look forward to the upcoming adventures and sightseeing to come.

Valentines 2008 blog

Here's another! Valentines Day 2008

written February 16, 2008

So it's time to brag a little! I had the most wonderful Valentine's day ever. Brandon did all the planning himself, I am so proud to say that he is mine! He planned a dinner cruise for the two of us Thursday night. The cruise was so much fun. The food was awesome and the views were perfect. It was our first time getting to see the island from the water and it looked even more beautiful than on land. It made me so happy to be in such a wonderful place! Anyway, I knew he had something planned for the next day but he kept it a surprise till then. All he told me was that we needed to get up super early and pack a small bag with one pair of extra clothes. We got up at 6:30 Friday morning and left for the port in Marigot. We took a 30 minute ferry to one of the other islands around St. Maarten called Anguilla. Anguilla is even more beautiful than St. Maarten. It is so much more quiet and the beaches are much more private. The island isn't swarmed with tourists, which was a nice change. Once we got there we took a taxi to the lower half of the island where he had a horse back ride on the beach planned. I was so surprised, I had racked my brain trying to think of what he had planned and this never crossed my mind. We rode on the beaches for about 2 hours, it was soooo romantic! The beach was so beautiful and we were the only ones there. The views were awesome and it was really cool walking on the shore with the water splashing up on our legs. After we got back to the stables the taxi came back and took us to Shoel Bay where we had lunch on the beach. The sand was even more white than St. Maarten's beaches and the weather was perfect. We hung out on the beach the rest of the afternoon. I felt so special that he had planned all this for me without me even knowing anything. He really went above and beyond to show me how he felt this Valentine's day! It was so nice to spend some quality alone time together, especially since we don't get to do that very often because of his school! He is such a wonderful person and I am so thankful that he went through all this trouble just for me! It was the most perfect day ever!

Found an old blog from 2007... good to look back.

I found a blog that I had written back in December 2007. A lot has changed in the past two years but its funny that a few things are similar. This was written right after we moved to St. Maarten and I remember going through everything that is written in this blog like it was yesterday. Now I'm going through something similar with moving London. It's so exciting to see progress and to be able to look back and reminisce. Man if I had only known what was to come...

So here it is: Blog from December 2007

So this has been one crazy year! There have been so many ups and downs. The year started off with graduation in December and a new job in January. I loved my job in the beginning. It was great to be able to work with several girls who were such great friends, or so I thought. I lost one friend who I wish I never would have meet in the first place and gained two that I can never imagine living without. There was so much drama that came from that job that it became the thing I hated most in my entire life. Me and Brandon went through so much together and we came out stronger and better people because of it. Our relationship reached a new level of trust and commitment that I never thought possible.

In May we found out that he had been accepted to medical school in the Caribbean. It was an exciting and fearful time. It was a long planning process and so much thought went into the decision to move to St. Maarten. Many people think that we both dove right in and up rooted our lives to another country but it took so much thought, planning and discussing. I bet I talked to my mom everyday for about 3 months about the decision to move down there. I laughed about the excitement and cried about the fear. I discussed other possiblilites but nothing seemed to matter but being able to be with my one true love! I am so blessed to have meet someone who can take my breath away just by hearing their voice on the phone. I knew deep down in my heart that moving with him would be the best thing for the both of us and that it would be the experience of a lifetime.

As the time grew closer to the move it seemed even more sureal. I talked the decision to death with my friends and family trying to ease their worries and concerns and my own. It really made me feel special that I had so many people that were concerned about my well-being and safety. I knew that the move would be hard for me but I never imagined that it would effect my family and close friends. It is a great feeling to know that your friends are happy about your new life elsewhere but sad to see you go. Once the time came to begin packing it was more intense then I thought it would be. My mom and I worked together for several days to prepare and pack anything and everything that I would ever need or want and could fit into two 50 pound bags (which is more difficult than most would think). Of course nothing I ever do comes easy and without event. After going to the airport at 5am we find out that our plane has been cancelled because there were not enought employees to work the plane. We got transfered to another airline and instead of reaching our connection in Charollette, NC we got sent to Puerto Rico. We thought "okay one delay, no big deal we'll still make it within an hour or so of our original flight" but no that flight was cancelled as well due to a hurricane ripping through the Caribbean islands. After spending the night in the airport, lugging our luggage around all night and sitting for a few hours at the terminal we finally made it to ST. MAARTEN! It was absolutely beautiful, the weather was perfect and we were greeted by so many friendly people. Our apartment was more than we ever imagined, especially since we never saw one picture before we arrived! Everything seemed to be going perfect. Brandon's mom traveled with us and stayed for two weeks to help us settle in. It was a great beginning to the semester. We have so many pictures to look back on and cherish.

The first month was rough, I have to admitt. It was lonely and hard to adjust to being in a new place practically all alone. After becoming more involved I meet several other girls that were so friendly and a blast to hang out with. I was greatful that I knew someone that moved from our same town, which made it a little easier to attend group functions. After several weeks a few of us girls formed a "Grey's night" where we brought food to munch on while we got to know each other better and of course watched Grey's Anatomy. Before we new it the group had grown from about 3-4 girls to almost 8-10 by the end of the semester. It is amazing how so many girls with different interests, backgrounds, and upbringings could become so close but that is exactly what happened. I have formed friendships with girls in 4 months that I know will last a lifetime. Our area around the school is like a little community of students where everyone knows everyone and where we all try to watch out for one another. It's great to be able to walk to almost everywhere we need to go.

Moving closer to the time to come home and visit, we both became extremely anxious. We were so ready to see all of our family. Once we arrived back in the states it felt almost as if we had never left. We were busy everyday visiting with family, friends and trying to eat at every restaurant that we had missed so much. The holidays came and went so fast. We tried to spend as much time as possible with everyone that we had missed. We spent the days stocking up on everything we thought we would need back on the island and the nights eating out with friends and family. Before I knew it, it was time for Brandon to head back to the island and our Holiday break was over. And that was it, the end of 2007.

I have to say that this year has been the most life changing and exciting years of my life yet. I have learned so much and matured so much in the past year. First, of all I learned to choose your friends wisely and don't believe everything you hear. Trust your instincts and don't let people get in your head that are just trying to hurt you. Second, I learned that although something may seem scary and intimidating it can be the one thing that changes your life for the better, so don't be afraid to try new things. Thirdly, I have gained so much more trust and love for Brandon. Everyone that I am close to knows that I have major trust issues with everyone even if they have done nothing wrong. I feel like since this big move I have learned to listen to my heart and believe the things I see not the things I hear. I feel like I have gotten to know Brandon on a whole new level and now I feel like I know more of who the true Brandon is. He is so soft hearted and thoughtful but in his own little way. He tries so hard to do things to make me happy and he has been very successful. I'm so blessed to have someone with such great ambition and drive, did I mention he made honors this last semester! He has a way of making me feel like the most beautiful person in the world and at the same time he makes me want to work harder to be better. I still have a long way to go with trust but I know that I'm moving in the right direction. There are so many people in this world that try so hard to tear you down and no matter what you do you can't control the things other people do to you but the one thing you can control is yourself and how you react to others actions. I have learned that prayer and family can get you through anything. Satan tries so hard to tear apart something that he knows is great but if you keep looking to the Lord for guidance you will be able to defeat those demons. I can honestly say that this has been one crazy, fun filled year. I can't believe I made it to 2008 but I am looking forward to what the future holds. If 2007 was this great just imagine 2008! The adventure has just begun and I am ready to embrace anything that the Lord has in store for me. On to the next chapter in my life!

Love,

Steph

Vegas, baby!

Amanda, Elizabeth and I decided to take a girls trip to Vegas! It was the best idea all summer, we had an absolute blast!!

Too many funny stories to tell :) !!

Best things included:

Ride at Stratosphere (thought I would die!!!)

Night club LAX - danced our butts off, meet a wannabe celebrity LOL, and stayed out waaayyyy too late.

Shopping at La Perla

Laughing at Amanda and her toothbrush remedy, that absolutely DID NOT work!! LOL.

Plus many many more . . .

Wish we would have had more time but I don't think our feet could have danced one more step!

Frustration!

We have begun the process of looking for a apartment (flat) in London. The process has been extremely frustrating!!!! Every time I find something we like, it's either already let out or it's way too expensive. I hate not being able to look at these places in person because I'm sure it would be much easier. I have found tons of beautiful, affordable flats no where near were we need to be. LOL!

Needless to say I'm growing more frustrated with every email and website. I guess the best thing to do is to stay positive because it always works out. Just needed to vent a little. :) Hopefully my next post will be an update stating we've found something wonderful!

Until then I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Wisconsin/Illinois

About 2 weeks ago my little sister and I traveled to Wisconsin on an impromptu trip to visit some of her extended family that she has never meet before. The circumstances were not exactly favorable but some very good things came from the trip.

Background: My little sister Cameron was raised by my father since age 1, she has never actually meet her real father but began talking with him on the phone around 4 years ago. There was tension, which is understood since he was never involved but she still wanted to get to know him a little bit. Unfortunately he passed away in

a car wreck about 3 weeks ago.

The plan for the weekend of the 25th was for me

to come down to Houston for my littlest sister Lura's birthday. I drove through Lovelady to pick up Cameron so we could ride together. As soon as I walked through the door and I saw the look on her face I knew she wanted to go to his funeral. I told her if she wanted, I would go with her. Needless to say 12 hours later we were on a plane headed to Wisconsin. (Remember, neither of us has meet any of the fam

ily we are headed to visit)

The entire weekend was happy and sad all at the same time. Cameron was so blessed to meet all of this extra family. One of the highlights was being able to meet Cameron's half sister and brother, all of who had never meet each other. It was extremely weird for the both of us because Cameron looked like the girl version of her older brother. I was so shocked at how quickly the clicked and how they became inseperable throughout the entire weekend.

The funeral was extremely sad. Even though I knew nothing about this man, I knew he had many people that love

d and respected him. He seemed like he had really changed his life since his younger years.

His family made us feel very comfortable and it was great to hear all the funny stories about his life. We spent our time visiting his work, home, and hangout place as well as getting to know friends and family. The weekend was such an eye-opener for the both of us.

All I kept thinking was how blessed we both were to have my dad in our lives. My dad has been such a wonderful father. Even though my sister and I don't always get along, I'm so greatful she's my little sister. I love her very much and I was thankful to get to go with her on such a life changing trip.

Lesson #1: Love your family with all your heart, soul, and mind because you never know when the good Lord will take them to be with him.

Lesson #2: Make sacrifices for the one's you love, even when you think they don't appreciate it.

Lesson #3: No situation is not working talking through. Never leave mad and always tell the one's you love what you mean to them.

Cameron I love you so much and I'm so glad that you got to meet a whole other side of your family. Dad I love you so much too, thank you for being such a wonderful dad and always staying involved in mine and my sister's lives. You are such an amazing role model and you mean the world to me!!

Shopping Adventures...to say the least

So of course anyone who knows me knows that I adore shopping. I mean truthfully if I could I would make it my profession, except I would want to keep everything for my self!!

Anyway, there have been a few shopping trips that I've been on the have proven to be unique to say the least.

The first one begins with the rumor that one of my favorite boutiques in Tyler was having a huge blowout sale at their warehouse. So after hearing this I knew I had to find it. Brandon was such a good sport and took me to search for this "hidden" warehouse. Finally after many failed attempts at the rumored location we finally find it about 5 miles on the outskirts of Tyler in an unmarked previously vacant store. Apparently this little sale only happens once a year so it's not something that is hugely advertised and they apparently don't pick the same location each year to have this warehouse sale. Anyway, we finally found the place and it took me no time at all to load Brandon's arms with designer threads that were about one-third of the retail price. The store was organized by price which is something that is hard for me to pay attention to when I can use the excuse "but it's like 80% off", even though it's still not super cheap. After rummaging through several of the racks Brandon convinces me that I should probably start eliminating things by trying them on. As I head towards the back of this not so large store, I notice a giant curtain covering the back wall of the store. I proceeded to ask the associate for a dressing room and she just points to the large curtain and says "Maim I hope you don't mind but it's a communal dressing room." My first thought was ummmm ok this can't be that bad, but as I walk through the curtain I realize it's not a dressing room at all, it's just a large room with a couple of empty racks to hang your "try-on" clothes on and a few large mirrors placed against the surrounding walls. Normally I'm not a shy person when in front of my friends but to be trying on clothes in front of complete strangers was a whole new experience. There was one other girl in the room at the time so I made sure I was on the complete opposite side of the room from her. Once I began trying on clothes the awkwardness of the situation went away and all I could think about was the amazing pieces that I was going to get! :) One thing that I was thankful for was that there was really only about 3 other people in the store at the same time. After finding several things that I knew I could not live without I would just take them out of the dressing area to Brandon and he would give me a thumbs up or down. During my last set of try-ons I again found myself in the dressing area with another lady. I don't know about everyone else but normally if I'm half naked in front of a complete stranger trying on clothes I don't really feel the need to ask advise or conversate with that person. I guess though this lady didn't feel the same way. She kept coming over and asking what I thought about her outfits and wanting me to help her choose, needless to say it was very awkward standing there in nothing but my undies trying to cover my bare top in an un-obvious way but eventually she just went away.

After all of this interesting shopping experience I walked away with a beautiful pea coat, a great pair of designer blue jeans and two absolutely gorgeous Diane Von Furstenburg dresses that I am madly in love with!!! I smile just thinking about the experience because it was so unusual yet very successful!! :)