Monday Letters

  

{BSB Weekend and Bear Hunting Thrifting on Thursday}

Bloggy, you've been neglected, but I'm working on catching up.  Here we go...

Dear AMP, these last two weeks have been a whilrwind, and you've just rolled with the punches and been so much help.  I am so grateful for your muscles to haul things, your willingness to do just about anything, and your ablity to solve problems. 

BSB weekend, you were jam-packed with lots of fun times, getting to know babies with the sweetest chunky legs, playing games and spending time catching up with old friends.  Thanks for welcoming Adam into the fold.  

T-roy, lunch with you on Saturday was a good time.  I'm so glad you're home for a bit. 

Adam,  things finally calmed down this week and we were able to just hang out.  I loved this.  Thanks for taking care of the Bear when I feel like life is just a little crazy.  Looking forward to this weekend in Iowa.  Maybe some time we could go here on one of our adventures up that way.  I discovered it this morning here.  Doesn't it look fun? 

Today's Letters

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Dear AMP, yesterday you helped Papa put in his new front door.  It makes me so happy that y'all are buddies.  SMoo, hanging out with you on Saturday was so much fun.  I'm grateful for your friendship and that we can relate about new church friends who don't know us quite as well...yet.  Dear Molly, so glad we can work together and make quick trips to HomeGoods during lunch!  Dear Girls' Weekend, you cannot come soon enough.  Adam, lately, I've realized you really listen to the words in songs, just like me.  We've learned so much about each other (here's to more of that)...which includes your newfound education on hair teasing, eyelash curlers and bronzer.  I'm glad you find my beauty regimen so fascinating. 

Monday Letters

{Sunday lunch with la familia @ Chili's}

Dear Troy, having you home this weekend has been so much fun.  Yesterday sitting around with Mom and Dad helping you craft your resume will always be a funny and sweet memory.  I'm so excited about the opportunities you'll have in some snazzy summer internship.  Dear church friends, it's always nice to come back to visit.  I love it when we can catch up & it's as if time never passed.  I think this spot will always feel like home.  Dear AMP, I'm excited about our new project.  Hopefully our adventures to Home Depot will not resemble last night's dream I had where the store turned into Willy Wonka's chocolate factory maze.  And here's to more Springtime runs, bike rides and impromptu dance parties.  Dear Barnes & Noble, I love getting lost between the bookshelves...even if "everyone" is reading on iPads and Kindles now.  I don't think that will ever get old.  SMoo, I treasure our conversations.  Thanks for being such an insightful friend.  I so glad you're here!  Dear weekend, come again soon, ok??

A Christmas Date

Dear AMP, thanks for stretching my Christmas out as long as possible.  Giving me your Christmas gift in Iowa let me anticipate our Christmas date, which I loved.  {The anticipation and the date!}  After a long run, I think we clean up pretty well!  Dinner at Spaghetti Warehouse was delicious.  And then we got to the Meyerson Symphony Center downtown feeling oh-so-cultured.  We settled into our wonderful seats and the performance began.

I think my eyes were as wide as saucers the entire time, 

my smile even bigger.    

Mannheim Steamroller was amazing...nothing compares to live music, especially in the symphony hall.  I think half of the time I was thinking how cool it was to be there, and the other half was wondering how I found a guy that makes me feel so special (all the time!).

Highlights

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This has been a fabulous week--and I don't want to forget it.  Corner Bakery provided some much-welcomed laughter and sweet time with the most fabulous date on Sunday evening.  Tuesday brought my longest run ever, and it was even great running in the cold.  Walking back into the smell of ribs in the crockpot was divine (I'd highly recommend it).  And then getting bundled up for a Starbucks run and a light show set to music made for a magical part of Christmas with AMP.  An impromptu lunch with Sarah at La Madeleine was such a treat on Wednesday.  Today, I left my purse in a Walmart  shopping cart, and they went to great lengths to track me down.  Grateful for the good samaritan who found it.  I think I must've been thinking about a 4-day weekend that's about to start right...now!

Lovin' these Links

I thought I'd share what I'm diggin' these days...

Whenever I blog letters, the original inspiration came from a blog I found this past summer called Today's Letters.  It is seriously my favorite blog.  Each morning, Emily and her husband post a photo and a letter, and there's all sorts of fun stuff on there.  The coolest part is that I've actually met Emily at church, and she was so genuine and real in person.  I feel like that's my claim to fame or something. 

They try to communicate well, and it's a really cool thing.  Each week they ask and answer Tuesday Questions with each other.  They say it's one of the ten things that have made all the difference for them.

They also have other fun stuff on there like a 2010 Holiday Gift Guide.  They cook, travel and build forts together (i.e. they just have a lot of fun.), and it's pretty much the cutest thing ever. 

This blog, I just discovered more recently.  Young House Love is about a couple that bought an old house and remodeled it in Richmond, Virginia.  This intrigued me for a lot of reasons, one being that my dad grew up in that same city, and two, they have a lot of cool DIY projects and ideas that I just really like.  You should check them out, too.

And finally, in case you're in the market for a good online Defensive Driving class, I'd recommend Comedy Guys.  Unfortunately for me, I got a ticket back in August.  No bueno.  I had three months to take Defensive Driving, and the December 2 deadline was fast approaching.  I started off about a week from that date, and thought I was good to go.  Turns out there are 10 chapters, not six like I thought.

The six-hour course wasn't too bad--kinda cheesy, kinda funny, and I even learned quite a bit.  It times you on every page, so I'd read the page, let the timer run and would go do laundry or clean my room or something.  The only problem was that I literally waited until the last possible day to finish it, stayed up 'til midnight and had to be up for work at 5 a.m. the next day. 

But even when the program denied me access because I'd answered some personal identification questions incorrectly (I had the wrong VIN number on my car), I called the number and the owner helped me personally.  I talked to him two more times when I needed to expedite the mailing of my certificate so there wouldn't be a warrant out for my arrest.  Needless to say, I would highly recommend it, if you have to take something like this!

Happy Tuesday--let me know if there are any other blogs out there that I'm missing!  I'm kind of addicted...



A Thanksgiving Letter

Dear Jesus, thank you for family and friends, and a day to really say thanks--may we be more like that every day.  I am so grateful.   Dear Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, I love waking up and watching you--one of my favorite traditions.  Dear Dad, thanks for running to the store after my chocolate cake fiasco in the kitchen.  I still have a lot to learn about bringing a dish to a family dinner.  Dear Mom, I know you love having all your chickens under one roof.  Happy Thanksgiving!  Dear AMP, I'm so thankful you got to spend the day with us.  Having you there was such a treat.  You were such a trooper to meet even more family friends.  Dear Aunt, Uncle and Cousins, it's so nice to have you back in Big D.  Celebrating Thanksgiving together for the first time in your new home was wonderful.  Dear Papa, sorry Adam and I beat you in Rummy Tiles.  Beating you only happens once in a Blue Moon!  Dear Thanksgiving Break, you've been much appreciated.   Five days without work will be enjoyed to its fullest.

A Letter

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Dear AMP, my first stop back in Dallas was to see you.  Thanks for a fun-filled day again.  A ten-mile bike ride around the lake wasn't on my list of things I knew I could do.  It was lots of fun, and as always, you were quite entertaining.  And I loved finishing at sunset.  Dear Claire, Lynds, and Tins: I'm really excited about our girls' night out tonight.  I've missed you guys.  Dear Lady A Christmas Music,  listening to you definitely helped me clean my desk faster.  Dear Roomdog, thanks for being so excited about our new Christmas Stockings, and for jumping up and down as much as I did when you walked in the door.  Dear Brown Boots, I'm glad to have you back.  Here's to another season of keeping me warm in style.  Adam, have I mentioned lately that I'm proud of your mad running skillz?  Way to run Sunday's half marathon so super fast.