Marilyn

I never realized I was a Marilyn Monroe fan until recently.  I had been searching for quotes for a project I've been working on, and ran across several Marilyn quotes.  I liked so many of them and had to share.  Perhaps you too, are a Marilyn fan.

-"A career is wonderful, but you can't curl up with it on a cold night." 

-"I don't mind living in a man's world as long as I can be a woman in it." 

-"A girl knows her limits, but a wise girl knows she has none."

-"It's better to be absolutely ridiculous than to be absolutely boring."

-"I'm selfish, impatient, and a little insecure.  I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle.  But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best."

-"If you can make a girl laugh, you can make her do anything."

-"I don't want to make money, I just want to be wonderful. "

-"I'm very definitely a woman and I enjoy it. "

-"A girl doesn't need anyone that doesn't need her."

-"Believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so you can learn to let go. Things go wrong so you can appreciate them when they're right. You believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself. And sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together."

and maybe my favorite....

-"Give a girl the right pair of shoes, and she can conquer the world."

First Big Spill

I'm sure today was the first of many, but boy did it hurt! I've nearly conquered learning my way around one of the "easiest" loops at McAllister, And during my 2nd easy loop, one of those easy descents got the best of me. I tried to veer to the right, but the roots on the left tripped me up and I found myself going over my handlebars, skidding down the dirt, and ending up with my bike on top of me. I won't lie, I cried a bit. It hurt!!
I dusted myself off, put my chain back on, and VERY SLOWLY made my way back to my car.
These pics were taken just about 30 minutes after the spill, after I had time to clean up a bit! Now that's it's been a few hours later, these bruises are REALLY gonna be good!

I think I'm ready to go again, but I may need to hire a biking buddy.

Exploring the Greenbelt

I always knew we had a great Greenbelt behind our house, full of wildlife and preventing us from ever having back-door neighbors. What I didn't know is how great of a workout it could be!!
I recently bought a mountain bike. I was looking for an exercise I could do on my own and enjoy. I've never been a runner, tennis is GREAT but you always need a partner, I never seem to stay in a routine with a gym, so why not try biking??
It turns out I have a newfound respect for bikers of all kinds. It's not as easy as it looks! You don't realize your neighborhood has hills until you're pushing uphill while your quads are screaming "you haven't done this to me in 20 years and you think you can conquer this now!?!?". I started on the roads with a little over 3 miles. A couple days later I pushed it to 4. Then 5, then 6.
Then I decided to venture off-road into the Greenbelt behind our house. I have to admit, I grinned as I swerved off the road, down a fairly steep, grassy hill towards the beginning of the trail.
I have nothing to compare my Greenbelt to, but for this rookie, it was pretty tough in parts, very rocky, a couple good climbs, and the wooded trail proved to be a really nice change of pace! (oh, and THANK GOODNESS for padded shorts!)

I'm not very good, but getting better. I'm not very fit, but it's good exercise. I'm not very fast, but getting faster and stronger every time I go out.
I read this recently and loved it:
"Good thing don't come to those who wait. Good things come to those who work their asses off and never give up!"

Deep breath!

It's Thursday, and the week has been what I describe as my new "typical" work week. I'm already past 40 hours, I'm exhausted, a little beat up, a lot behind, semi-stressed and overly brain dead.
I left work with approximately 150 emails unread in my inbox so I reach for my blackberry in hopes to read, respond and delete as many as possible within the 45-minute block for dance class. I get through about four and then the red battery indicator says it has had enough and dies.

So I sit in the lobby of the dance studio and close my eyes and take a deep breath! I realize that for just a few minutes, I am not mommy. I am not the boss woman. I am just one woman, a tired woman, taking a deep breath and getting ready to tackle the world again.

Little did I know when I started this post (on the mobile app!!) that at the end of those 45 minutes, the parents would get to go watch/video their tap dance. And as much as I enjoyed my moment of silence, Aubree's wiggle tap dance reminded me how much I enjoy being mommy....

The Best Year of my Life...

Little did I know that as I embarked upon my 33rd birthday, I was about to enter into the BEST year of my life!  Now, you're probably thinking, "she's only been 33 for five days, how does she know it will be the best year of her life?"  Well, it's on the internet!  It has to be true, right??
Here's the proof.

Obviously there are 360 more days to go and the reality is that there is nothing that will promise me this will be the best year of my life.  But what I can do is make a few promises to myself.  Promises to smile more. Worry less.  Laugh more.  Accept criticism and failure.  Appreciate.  Listen.  Don't hate.  Embrace change.  Take chances.  Be thankful.  Cherish friendships.  And Love deeply ---

That, just might be the secret to the best year of my life, and quite possibly a recipe I can reuse again and again and again.

10-word Challenge

I've contemplated giving up the blog.  I mean seriously, it's been EIGHT MONTHS since I last updated it??  But I can't.  I love going back and re-reading old posts now.  I can't imagine how much I'll love reading them in another 30 years.  I'm a wordy person and I could probably recap the last 8 months by writing a novel.  However, I've been through several challenges lately so let's make up a new one...recap each month in less than 10 words each!  (Crap...this could be hard...)
 

August 2011 - Princess Baby turned three! Brock started first grade! Mom Married!  (phew!  10 words)

September 2011 - Aubree started DANCE CLASS!!

October 2011 -   Bachelorette Party; Las Vegas; First Louis Vuitton purchase!

November 2011 - My Bestie got MARRIED!

 December 2011 - We boycotted traveling for Christmas (gasp!!!) - Christmas @ home!!!

January 2012 - NYE Party; Superhero Room Makeover; Hard work month

 

February 2012 - Brock turns Seven; Started new diet (currently down 27 lbs!!!)

(diet progress:  February picture and April picture!!)

 

March 2012 - Booked Ireland Vacation!  Started playing tennis again.  College Station. 

And that brings us to APRIL!  And maybe, just MAYBE, I will post again before 2013!  ;-)

Little Moments

As another crazy week is quickly approaching, I want to thank my little Aubree for an oh-so subtle reminder. I'm constantly juggling life, and sometimes I don't feel all that successful at anything because I'm trying too hard at so many things. But as I'm sitting by her sleepy little self in the dark, I finally hear that "sound": the irregular pattern of her sucking her thumb that tells me she is finally asleep. And I realize I knew, because it's the little things that make the Mom in me, a good Mom. :-) I also realize it's these little moments that will pass too quickly. In five days she'll turn 3. It won't be long and she'll outgrow that "sound" as fast as she outgrew all the size 3 & 4's in her closet!

I don't want to forget these seemingly insignificant little moments, and I hope I can take more opportunities to post them since I can't rely on my brain for anything these days!!

(Yes, as you may have guessed...I used a past picture. Since she doesn't really suck her thumb anymore unless she's going to sleep, I don't have too many to choose from.)