Wreck League...

Recently, Erik and I were asked to join a recreational softball league.  I was excited because I used to play select softball, and although my skills are long gone, I figured it would be fun if nothing else.   Always the optimist! 

 

So far, a girl on our team has been nailed by a fast ball in the tailbone, an opposing pitcher broke his shoulder, another guy from our team dislocated his shoulder, and I pulled a muscle and stopped a line drive with my shin.  It is truly as painful as it sounds ( I managed to act tough when it happened, although my husband saw right through my clenched smile...maybe it was the tense shoulders that gave it away) .

 

 Now, I'm not competitive by nature.  Let's be honest. I'd rather be doing a cheer on the sideline or creating witty/cute posters and t-shirts with frilly funk.  And barring all it's ridiculousness, I actually do understand how easy it is to become emotionally invested *cough* pushing thirty *cough* in these games.   But it's becoming pretty apparent that we are not as young as we used to be.  When are we going to realize it's not worth risking a broken bone to make a game winning catch?  Every week, I come home with new bruises or strains, and I have no idea where they came from.  And I'm even more confused because I don't actually do anything to accrue these injuries (well, other than my shin stop). But don't you worry- because we are undefeated, and according to my husband, that's worth a couple injuries..... or ten.  Oh to be young and resilient again. :)

NYC Here I come!

"Hi, I'm not here, but my shoes are.  Leave them a message."

I'm headed to the Big Apple!  My mom surprised my sisters and I with a trip to NYC!   I've always wanted to go during Christmas time.  Shopping, Rockefeller Center, Broadway shows, Tavern on the Green...  December 5th can't get here fast enough!  

Life in plastic, It's fantastic

This Halloween, Erik and I decided we were going to go all out with our costumes.  We toyed around with a few ideas, some hilarious, some on the verge of inappropriate, and finally, we decided to be Barbie and Ken.....in the box.  I think you can actually purchase this costume from Europe for about $60 online, but we went for the full experience.  

Home Depot - primer, paintbrushes and "ballet slipper" pink paint

U-Haul - two six foot boxes

Michaels - ribbon, box cutter

Kinkos - enlarged barbie logos

After two days and a paint fight or two...

Ladies and Gentlemen...

You're very own 'Classy Dirtbag' Ken and 'Glitz N Glam' Barbie!

Not bad huh?  I thought they turned out great, but as you can imagine, they weren't the most convenient costumes.  We definitely made an entrance everywhere we went, and I'm sure with as many pictures as people took of us, we'll end up on a few random websites for your viewing pleasure.   The peripheral vision posed a few problems, and we were a bit directionally challenged, but we didn't break anything, as far as I know.  (However, in a temporary moment of forgetfulness, Erik leaned in to kiss me.  Yeah...you can imagine how that went.)  Here's me trying to walk through the crowd:

Mer, Chad and JBass (Rock of Love):

We had a blast with everyone!  And if you know of anyone who wants to buy a Barbie and Ken costume- let me know, because my husband refuses to throw them away.

Happy Halloween!

Humble Homebody...

As we speak, I am sitting in my living room watching my, all but domestic, husband cook me dinner.  I'm drinking hot herbal tea while blogging, and thinking to myself, "since when did I become such a bore!"  I always swore my husband and I would be spontaneous and fun, but I'm pretty sure this scenario surrounding me makes "Golden Girls" look like "Girls Gone Wild."  (Of course, I did always think Rue McLanahan was incredibly witty.)  Okay, maybe I'm being a bit dramatic, but I'm starting to feel one sewing machine away from being a certified homebody.  And here's the scary part; I'm in full acceptance of this lifestyle.  I really do enjoy coming home to my husband and dog everyday, and watching crime shows while talking about the events of our day.  Okay, okay- I'm starting to make us sound like a bore.  The truth is, we are pretty active.  We play on a coed softball team, we're members of a few really awesome organizations, have tons of fabulous friends, travel to amazing places, and we even love hitting the dance floor at the occasional bar (Yes, I said occasional).  But what is it about getting older that makes you say things like, "Honey, what kind of herbal tea do you want?  The relaxing one with chamomile or the lemon herb tea with vitamin C?"  Weird.

Last night, I headed to HEB on a mission to find the two best pumpkins for Erik and I to carve (see what I mean...it's hopeless).  I got home, laid out the newspaper, googled "how to carve a pumpkin," grabbed a knife and all at once it hit me: I have a great mom! For those of you not yet seeing my correlation, let me just say, what guy sat around and said, "This might be a fun family activity for the kids."  What a mess!  And dangerous too! Erik and I almost stabbed ourselves numerous times and then almost set the house on fire when trying to fit our votive candle inside the pumpkin.  Don't get me wrong- we had a blast, but It takes a patient mom who loves her children enough to carefully follow their every move and then clean up their mess when they're finished.  So, kudos to my incredible mom, who always let my sister and I partake in a dangerous, but super fun holiday tradition! 

Kobe and the "happy" pumpkin

Happy early Halloween!  Forensic Files calls!

Summer Lovin

Summer's underway and I have yet to actually start this blog.  I guess there's no better time than right this second, so here goes!  

School's out, which usually means I start reveling in thoughts of learning spanish or volunteering for a non-profit organization.  But this summer, my mind is honed in on one thing:   I'm getting married to the most amazing man ever! Everybody keeps telling me I'll get cold feet, but I've yet to experience anything that.  In fact, I'm getting more excited every day.  Call it beginner's luck if you want, but so far so good.  (Check back 10 minutes before I walk down the aisle)!

Speaking of weddings, my best friend Lauren just got hitched to an incredible guy named Jeff, and I was super excited to be her maid of honor.  But everyone knows that this entails giving the dreaded speech.  Somehow, (thank the Lord) I didn't completely screw up in front of 200 people.  Yikes.  Actually, I felt surprisingly comfortable with the mic in my hand.  Shocking, I know.

Once school ended and things settled down a bit, Erik and I drove to Houston to visit BJ, Jen and Brylee.  Lil B is so close to crawling!  I kept trying to get her to crawl to me, but she kept moving backwards.  She's got the idea though, so it shouldn't be long.   We also go to go to the Cubs/Astros game, which went all the way into the 13th inning!  People are nuts at those games. They will literally almost jump off the balcony to catch fly balls.  It's like they get so caught up in the moment, they lose sight of reality. Hmm...catch a fly ball or live?  I was praying to God that they wouldn't hit one our way because I just knew Erik would relinquish all ability to see past the moment.   As many crazy people attend those games, I think everyone sitting around us would argue that we were the crazy ones.  Being that Erik's from Chicago, he was rooting for the Cubs and BJ, from Houston, was naturally rooting for the Astros.  This made the game fun for them because they got to drink some beer and talk crap to each other for 13 innings.  Did I mention they were loud and unruly? This was not fun for anyone sitting in the near vicinity of us.  Of course, Jen and I were the only ones noticing all the dirty looks.  Moral of the story:  "Ignorance is bliss, and If you want to watch a game in peace and quiet, stay home."