So I've been thinking...

Yes you read correctly, I have used my noggin, hehe. I'd like to think of a blog as an outlet to vent, express feelings, happy or frustration, and sort of like an online diary. No one probably reads this anyway, however, if you do, these are my thoughts, opinions and daily devotions :)

Soo...as many people know I am getting married in July. Yay :) And I could be feeling overwhelmed, stressed, easily irritated or everything silimiar to the sorts, but is it just me or does the SECOND question that comes out of peoples' mouth (after when is the date, again?) So how long are ya'll gonna wait to start a family? aggravate the living daylights out of me. Sometimes I ponder and think "What's a good answer?" Why are you concerned?
The more I think about it, the more angry I become at the thought of having to defend yourself in a situation that is merely speculation. Why is the double standard not the norm? Why is age an issue? I often wonder is it a question of curiousity or judgement. Should one even be allowed to ask that?

I guess it just ruffles my feathers that if I say we don't want kids, we're selfish. If I want only one, I'm selfish. If I don't want more than two because 3 are too expensive, I'm selfish. Hmm. Harsh word. What makes that selfish? That I want to provide everything to my kids I can? I'd like to afford for them all to go to college. An ivy league if they choose. Proceed to med school babe that's fine with me. What's so wrong with loving and planning to travel? If we decide on one child, that ONE child will show me how to unconidtionally love with every part of my heart and soul. With 3, could we be able to show them the world or worry that we're being SELFISH for not spending that money on necessitities like clothes and food and saving for college tuition. Anyone can have a football team if that's what makes them proud. Why can't you have kids that belong to the football team and be just as proud sitting in the bleachers admiring all they can do? It has nothing to do with materialism.
Why do we patronize people such as Octomom, The Duggars and Kate Gosselin, yet we as regular people in society are expected to "have as many as God allows".
Why we do idolize the glamourous and fabulous Carrie Bradshaw, strive to be just like her, and yet a woman who actually believes in succeeding in NYC and chooses to be a single 40-something year old will never know what it feels like to live life to the fullest? Only cynics would say that. And for that matter how do you know what you're missing if you've never done it?
I guess, in theory, I'm tired of the double standard, egotystical stereotype that comes along with that question and needed to brush it off my chest. Some may not agree, but I'd like to think of myself as a tremendously selfless person who just wants to live the most rewarding and fulfilling life, however I choose to do that. I absolutely adore children (I'd hope so since I love my 6 year old students like they're my own.) and for the record, yes we want them, we don't know when or how many. See there....had to put up a defense to "tell" society you can relax, another human will be bred onto this Earth. Because that's what you were concerned about, right??!

I need a patio, a drank and some good friends this afternoon!! Have a great weekend :))

Catch up

Thought I should update a bit! I love to blog and write but I'm bad about procrastinating. I'll work on that...later :)

Just want to share some pics from the past 2 months or so! We had lots of snow, a fun superbowl party and oh yeah, I got a new ride as well. Enjoy!

Backyard!





XLV hosted in Dallas! :)





Candess brought Sprinkles cupcakes! YUM-O






Jeremy!



Silly guy :)

In tune to the game

Winners!

Winner!

Winner!

Mark and Claire

We have had crazy busy but fun weeks/weekends lately! And they're only going to intensify. But that's okay with us :)

Barf

It's all I've been doing for the past 24 hrs. I can't remember the last time I was this sick. Wait, yes I can. Dec. 29 2009. I had food poisoining from a sushi restaurant and I can remember I felt like dying. And at the time didn't care if I did as long as I didn't feel that sick any longer.
This past weekend I went home to visit some friends and my momma. I came home on monday evening and was so excited to see my honey. He had gotten me a dozen orangish pinkish roses and had made chicken pasta. I came in, dropped off my suitcase and we had a glass of wine with a candlelit dinner. I sat on the bed with my stack of papers to grade while watching the bachelor and we were about to turn in for the night. After my bath I said I really don't feel well. Didn't think anything of it until i woke up at at around 2 am. I remember feeling so nauseous that if I moved I was going to spew. So I kicked my legs and wiggled then decided if I throw up I'll feel much better. So I get up calmly, go to the toilet and yep, yack away. Poor Nick never knows what to do so he just rubbed my back while trying to look away.
Afterwards, I immediately get the chills, yet break out in a sweat that covers my back and head. However, I cannot cover up with sweatpants and socks and blankets enough. For the rest of the night I'm tossing, turning and continue to become nauseous. Didn't sleep at all. At 5:45 when my alarm goes off I decide what to do. Since my temp was 100.8 I call into work. As I head to the office to send in my lesson plans, I reach for the trash can and ultimately fill it up. I make an appt for the doc while Nick goes to some appts and am still not sure how I'll make it there in my own. I get to the doc, lay down on the bench after checking in, then again when i get into the room. I explain my symptoms and ask to lay back down. The nurse (who I absolutely love, as well as my doc) grabs me a big pan and sets it next to me before leaving.
In walks my doctor. Amy, I've never seen you like this what's going on. I sit up and try to talk, then I hold up my finger and grab the pan. Yep. Insert almost projectile vomiting into the bucket for a good minute while my doctor gets up walks to the sink and I have no clue what he does then. Sooo embarrassing. Before I can explain symptoms of course he asks "could you be pregnant?" "When was your last cycle?" yada yada. Don't you put that on me sir!
Give me a shot or something but don't let me walk out of here with child or without Zofran. I mean it!
So as it turns out I have the stomach flu. It is the worst thing imaginable. Kinda like food poisoning. Nick came home with a huge teddy bear, soup, jello, gatorade, sprite, oranges and m&m's :) I slept all day and night. He left for Lubbock this morning and won't be back till tomorrow night. So, he'll come home to dinner on the table and hopefully I can enjoy it with him.
I'm sore, tired, weak and exhausted today but hope my life can be normal again tomorrow.
Stay tuned :)

2011 is going to be the best year yet

I feel ashamed about my lack of blogging. I seem to only do it when Nick is out of town. Waaah! I hate when he's gone. He (well, we) will be traveling ALOT in the next few months. Nick for work and miscellaneous and me for pleasure and miscellaneous. It's okay though. The couple that travels together stays together!
We recently took a trip to New York City and Florida. They were both fantastic and productive. I've been wanting to go to NY for as long as I can remember and it is just how I've always envisioned it. Especially since we got to go during the holidays. I am so lucky and thankful for my sweet Nicholas who always makes sure I get to enjoy the amazing things in life. Reason number 382048 I love him so much and can't wait to spend my life with him!
We stayed in a fabulous hotel, went to Spiderman on Broadway (I've ALWAYS wanted to go to a REAL broadway show and it just so happened we got to go to one of the most talked about productions in history) unfortunately, we also saw first-hand  a would-have been tragedy, from one of the stunt men, but thankfully he was okay. We knew it would be bad, but didn't expect for it to get so much coverage on T.V.!  Spidey took a BAD fall when his harness snapped and it was featured on Today Show, E! and national news. Apparently, the show has had many problems, despite its mega million cost. Glad he was ok :)
I went to THE Kleinfeld to pick out my wedding dress (I said "Yes to the Dress!, ha) and just so happened that the designer of my gown, Henry Roth, had a trunk show that day and was at the shop! So, my bridal consultant left me in the room to get the alterations lady so I could get measured, and came back with Henry to meet me! It was such a neat experience! I changed a bit of the design(took something off and added something different to my liking) so I was worried he would think I altered his mastepiece, but he said "Dahhlng I love what you did and love that you took it and made it your own". SOO COOL! He dubbed it the "Amelia Dress" (French for Amy of course:) and took 10% off! hehe. Am I good or what?!
We got to have dinner with one of Nick's best bud's Pat who is also a groomsman in our wedding. He goes to Columbia grad school and lives in SoHo with his girlfriend who happens to be a teacher in Harlem! They are awesome and can't wait till we hang out again.
Other than that, we enjoyed the city, shopped, ate, and, oh yeah...had a mini, fun engagement shoot! Here are some faves:

Of course we had to represent the Big D :)

Christmas in Florida was wonderful. In fact, I can't see why anyone would want to spend Christmas anywhere other than the beach. I just LOVE the Riordan's! They are too fun! They love to drink, eat and play games. Needless to say, I fit in just great :) We set the wedding date for July 23, 2011 at Harbour Ridge Yacht and Country Club in Palm City, Fl.

Life couldn't be much more blissful than it is now :)))

Baby it's cold outside!

I love the chill of the winter, but not the sickness that comes with it. I've been sick since last week. Nothing big really until Wednesday after the gym I had a very bad sore throat. Then when I woke up it was still there. I thought it might be the cold air and sleeping with the heater on, but after Thursday when I still didn't feel good, I went to the doc to nip it in the bud. It wasn't strep, nor influenza (praise Jesus) but it is a viral infection that turns into mono if not treated! So I stayed home from work on Friday so my antibiotics and steriods can take affect and have been couped up in the house since. I have been cooking alot though, trying my hand at healthy recipes, and got about 9834 loads of laundry washed, folded and put away!  I know, I should've stayed in bed, and I did for the morning, but then got very antsy. Now, I almost can't wait to get out of the house tomorrow, even if it is to go to work. Maybe it's because I've been working out like crazy and have a newfound burst of energy. I've got to get well before we go to New York though so I'm off to go relax.

 Sunday night is my FAVORITE night of t.v. so I'm going to back to cooking and then grade papers in bed while watching my shows. Tonight's menu includes barbeque chicken and rice. It's only 4 ingredients! Easy peasy lemon squeezy :)

1 C. ketchup
1 12 oz can diet coke
4 chicken breasts
2 C. white rice

Did you know when you boil ketchup and diet coke it makes bbq sauce??! Learn something new everyday. You're welcome :)

XOXO

That's what I love about Sunday

I had a wonderful week off. Yes, that's right, a whole week. Ahh the perks of being an educator. Because the money is sure no perk. Then again, you don't become a teacher for the money. Right??!
We hosted our first Thanksgiving on Fisher Dr. {our house} it went pretty good, I'd like to think. However, you don't realize the 'stuff' you need and moreover, don't have, like your grandparents who've accumulated things over the last 60+ years. Why do granmas still need a hot plate? What the heck is that? Or an ice cream scoop even? Uh, we use a big spoon. See,right here, its bent :) Corningware?? Will this white casserole bowl work? A sauce pan? OOOH you mean a pot? I am no 50's housewife that is for sure. When she asked where my apron was though I was one step ahead of her. Never wore it, but I made Nick buy it for me at Pier 1 one day because it was so cute. So it finally got some use! The good news is, my food was edible, unburnt and we got a nice, long list of items we need to register for!
We sat around cooking, eating of course, laughing by the fire while watching the Cowboys game. The end result wasn't what we had hoped for, but they still played their hearts out! yes, I am a beloved fan always have been, always will be. They make my blood boil 99.9% of the time, but when you were born in Irving and bred into a Cowboys fan household (my grandma just might be the biggest fan of all) its innate. I even have a picture of me when I was an infant with a "Littest Cowboys Fan" bib on :) But the Ags won, so that made up for it.
The rest of the week/weekend I slept in, shopped and spent nice quality time with my love and our dear friends Jen and Brad. Back to the grind now, but only 3 more weeks until NYC and Florida!

Harlem Globetrotter! He's HUGE!

Love these two :)

Love these two too :)

FUN!

Haha gross. but cute :)

Not slowing down anytime soon

I'm BAAACCK! Wow, I don't even know when my last blog post was, but I DO know a lot has happened in a few short months. For starters, we've been to Europe and back. GOT ENGAGED!! Traveled more than the average normal human being. And now planning a wedding. And planning a house full of people for Thanksgiving. Then going to two different states in a week. Whew. So needless to say, I haven't really had too much time on my hands to type. It is now 10 p.m. and I am not sure I'm feeling it now. But anyhow, I guess I could give a little tidbit on wedding plans. Or lack thereof :)

We were dead set on Austin, Tx. always have been for me. Love the hill country. Then had a moment of Playa del Cabozumel weakness. The beach just seemed so effortless and pictureseque. Then theres the passports everyone has to get, the drug cartels, yada yada. Back to Austin. Then raises the question about the venue. Nothing has 'everything' I'm looking for. Price is too much. Start slashing the guest list. I can hear the cutting sound now :) That's rude.

Ok so it boils down to this. Now, we're thinking Florida. Nick's parents are fabulous chefs and his dad is the executive chef of an amazing yacht club in West Palm Beach. I need to listen to everyone's advice which is this..."Do what YOU want to do". Don't worry about pleasing other people. And I think the epiphany of that statement hit me yesterday. All the naysayers and opinionaters and know- it -alls can go somewhere else. We will spend how much we want, have it where we want, do what we want, etc. At first, I'm not gonna lie, I can see where people say it's soo much money for one day. Well you know what? We could die the next day. It's just money and you can't take it with you. Besides, no one knows our entire budget or what we have saved or willing to shell out. We want to host an unforgettable party and we will do just that. We don't plan on slowing down anytime soon. We love to travel and do not plan on starting a family for a few years now. We love the spontenaity of our lifestyle and just picking up and going someplace.
It's our lifestyle, our money, and our day. Yes we would love to share it with everyone we know, and those who feel the same way will be there with us, too. Ahh just writing this and hearing the words echo in my mind brings down the stress level 265 notches :) At any rate, it will be fabulous and I will marry my lovebug which is really all that matters to us anyway!!


Funny first grade rambling:
Talking about pilgrims coming over on the Mayflower crossing the Atlantic Ocean one of my girls says "Hey my cousin lives in Atlanta!!" Guess we'll go over geography after the fall break :)