September-December 2019

Happy New Year's Eve everyone!  I know I pretty much dropped off the face of the Earth as far as blogging goes over the last 4-6 months, but I hope that 2019 treated everyone well & that 2020 is even kinder to you.  One of my goals while I'm still on break, is to catch up on bunch of unread blog posts.  I have been following along with some of you on IG though & if there are any of you out there that I'm not following, I'd love to so let me know!

Last Monday I recapped Jan-Apr & yesterday I recapped May-Aug.  That means today I'm wrapping up 2019, which is actually a lot more fitting than I had planned seeing as it is actually the last day of 2019...

Anyway, onward with the reacp!

In September Danny & I went to our first concert together & saw Chris Young (who he is obsessed with.)  We also went on our first mini roadtrip/out of town stay together when we drove up to Fort Worth for my friend Trey's wedding.

For awhile I was also meeting all of the dogs...

Nash being the spoiled only child that he is was not pleased with me about this.

I'm not really sure exactly when it happened, but at one point Danny & I unofficially moved in together.  It was around then that I knew for sure that he was the one because instead of wanting him to go away so I could have all the me time like normal, I wanted him around all the time even if we weren't doing anything.

October brought more adventures such as me turning 31, our first Halloween together, briefly joining a weekly bags (corn hole) tournament at a bar across the street, & getting together with friends.

In November Danny & I went out of town together again.  We went back to Dallas but this time to watch the Vikings play the Cowboys.  It was a nail biter of a game but the Vikings pulled off a win.  We also had our first Friendsgiving!  A couple of days later Nash & I set off on a 5-6 day road trip to Minnesota for actual Thanksgiving.  It was the longest Danny & I had been apart since we met.

Having been fed up with my job since pretty much day 1, I began applying for new jobs some time around October-November.  Finally in December I was given a shot to interview for my first ever non-teaching job.  Luckily the interview took place during dead week right before finals.  Of all of the people that applied I was one of 22 that were selected to send in work samples.  Of those 22 only 8 of us sent in samples & so each of us was given a shot at a first round interview.  While I was fairly certain that I was going to get a second round interview, I went into the holidays unsure.

I had originally planned to drive home for Christmas, as I had done every year since getting Nash, but a little before Thanksgiving between Danny, my parents, & I, we all decided it would be best to fly home.  So I did.  Danny watched Nash & they had the time of their lives.  I got on a plane for only the second time since getting Nash & I spent 5 nights away from him which is the longest I ever spent away from Nashy.

While I was home though I got to catch up with 5 different friends as well as spend time with my family.

And now here we are, December 31st.  The end of a month, year, decade.  Danny & I don't really have any big plans for tonight.  Possibly going out to a bar across the road for supper, possibly just getting food to go, watching Netflix, & finding a ball to watch drop online.  

2020 has some big things in store though & I can't wait to share those things with all of you!

May-August 2019

Last Monday I gave a recap of the first four months in 2019.  I had honestly intended to have this one posted last Thursday, & then the final recap posted Friday, but Christmas happened so here we are finishing up today & tomorrow.

I started May off by getting to watch girls I had coached as freshmen, play in the first round of playoffs for softball as seniors.

My friends Kayla & Sonja also flew down to visit me & we spent the weekend exploring both Dallas & Fort Worth.  We even went to the JFK museum, which despite having lived there for 4 years, I had never been to before.

I got to catch up with a few of my former athletes from my time at LWHS

May also saw what would be my final banquet not only as a coach at RHS, but as a coach in general.

Because I ended May by driving back to Minnesota with a new job offer, that did not include coaching, back down near Houston.

June consisted of a lot of catching up with friends from back home.

As well as a lot of time hanging out at my parents' & impatiently waiting to hear back about paperwork from my new job.

I ultimately had to make a trip down to Texas to resign from my old job & sign a lease on my new apartment despite having an official paperwork date from my new job.  On my drive back to MN I was offered a coaching job, still down by Houston, which I turned down because I a)I was super excited about my new job & b)I wanted a break from coaching so I could do grad school. ... I kick myself multiple times a week about turning that job down.

When July rolled around I suddenly did not want to leave MN & was applying to jobs like a bat out of hell.  I even had a couple of interviews.  None of those jobs worked out which turned out to be a blessing in disguise.  On July 29 I arrived back in Houston, signed my paperwork for my new job on July 30, & then on August 2nd my entire life changed.

On August 2nd, after my first day back at work (where I learned that I would not be teaching 11th grade but instead 9th grade, which was the beginning of the end for me as far as my job is concerned) I met Danny at a party down at the pool.  My roommate's friend was actually interested in him but at the end of the night, trying to be cute, she pushed him into the pool with his phone in his pocket.  Later that night I happened to be outside & saw him, asked him if he had found any rice for his phone, got him rice, we hung out, wound up at Whataburger at like 2 or 3 am, & have pretty much been inseparable since.

January-April 2019

I wrote a whopping 75 posts this year prior to this one.  Over half of them, 44, were written in the first 4 months of the year.  Nothing like starting off strong, slowing down a bit, & then dropping off the face of the Earth.  Only 3 of those 75 were written in September or later...

Nonetheless I'm back to recap my year, which could be a little difficult seeing as how I stopped blogging & didn't really post much on social media in general.  But I'm here to give it a shot in hopes of getting my mojo back to blog a bit more in 2020.

I started off the year with big plans for both this blog & my Beachbody business.  

I even went to one of Beachbody's Super Sundays where I got to workout with other coaches & Shaun T, creator of Insanity & Transform 20.  It was definitely a cool experience & the inspiration for my word of the year.

My word of the year was "transform" and while I don't think I transformed quite in the way I intended when I made that my word, my life has certainly transformed into something I didn't see coming.

Softball season started & took over my life like always & I had a blast every step of the way.  Softball season soon replaced my Beachbody business as trying to teach, coach, & run a successful business became too much.  In February I slowed down on my business & by March I had officially quit.

In March my parents made their annual trip down to Texas to visit Nash & me.  We went to a Civil War museum, the Stockyards, hiking, & obviously to get some crawfish and barbecue!

In April my friend Katherine came to visit with her dog Annie & we went to a Dallas Stars/Minnesota Wild game as well as forced our dogs to do a photo shoot in Bluebonnets.  The photo shoot was definitely an "Instagram vs Reality" moment.

April continued to be a big month for Nash & I.  Nash turned 2, I saw Eric Church by myself, we visited Tomball, & I began applying for new jobs back down in the Houston area.  April is also when my Instagram account that I had grown to around 5400 followers stopped working & I decided to start over with the account I have now.

Throwback Thursday: Jul-Sep 2018

Just under 2 weeks to go until 2019!  In case you missed them, I previously recapped January-March & April-May.

July

Blog Stats:
-Most Viewed Post: The Taste of Summer

-Most Commented Post: Currently In July, The Taste of Summer, & My Last Taste of Freedom

-My Favorite Posts: Dirt Roads & Tadpoles

My Life:
I headed back to Texas after 2-3 weeks in Minnesota

Despite not coaching volleyball this year, I went back to work to help out with volleyball camp

August

Blog Stats:
-Most Viewed Post: The First One In August

-Most Commented Post: The First One In August & Quotes To Live By

-My Favorite Posts: Happiness Happens

My Life:
I saw Kip Moore in concert

I officially went back to work

My 7th year of teaching began

September

Blog Stats:
-Most Viewed Post: What's Up Wednesday

-Most Commented Post: Fall Bucket List

-My Favorite Posts: 12 Best Places For Burgers & Chicken In Dallas-Fort Worth

My Life:
My friend Abby came to visit

I started dating a guy...

...and broke up with said guy

Throwback Thursday Apr-Jun 2018

Two & a half weeks left of 2018!  Last week I recapped January-March of this year, so naturally today I am bringing you April-June.

April

Blog Stats:
-Most Viewed Post: Easter Weekend

-Most Commented Post: Currently In April, 15 Weeks Down, The Last One In April

-My Favorite Posts: Writing Back To Me & Happy 1st Birthday Nash

My Life:

-I did goat yoga!

-I got an overdue massage

-Softball ended

May

Blog Stats:
-Most Viewed Post: Currently In May

-Most Commented Post: ...Hit It Out Of The Park

-My Favorite Posts: The Guy I Married, Dated, & Then Briefly Hated

My Life:
-My friend Kayla came to visit & we went to Waco to visit Magnolia, Lindale to visit Miranda Lambert's store the Pink Pistol, & explored Dallas-Fort Worth.

-I went to my first Yelp! Elite brunch

-I went on 3 dates in a row with a guy I would end up dating for nearly 2 months

-I went out of town with above mentioned guy

-The school year ended

June

Blog Stats:
-Most Viewed Post: Baby Bro Comes To Town

-Most Commented Post: Currently In June

-My Favorite Posts: Dear Future Husband #1

My Life:
-My baby brother came to visit

-We took a road trip to Nashville & Chicago before heading back to Minnesota

-My cousin Becky & I went to Canada & also had a day in Duluth on Lake Superior

-My friend Trey came to visit Minnesota

Throwback Thursday: Jan-Mar 2018

In just under 4 weeks it will be 2019!  26 days to be exact.  That means it's time to start my annual year in review posts!  First up, January-March!

January

Blog Stats:
-Most Viewed Post: The First One In January

-Most Commented Post: Three On Thursday

-My Favorite Posts: A Balanced Life & Houston

My Life:

-I started 2018 by getting food & beers with Trey at Old Chicago, a place that I used to frequent & now never really make an effort to go, thus kicking off our 2018 shenanigans!

-If I were rich I probably would have gotten Nash a little brother.  However, I'm not the spend $5,300 on a dog type of girl turns out...

-My friend Kristie came to visit me for a few days & we explored Dallas-Fort Worth.  Most importantly we got to witness the Minneapolis Miracle together, in a Saints bar no less, a moment that is one of my favorite of the entire year!

-The softball season started & I was thrown not only into the interim head coach position, but also being the only coach...

-I went to San Antonio with a few people to celebrate Raeann's birthday.

February
Blog Stats:
-Most Viewed Post: Friday Five #5
-Most Commented Post: Boots on a Dance Floor
-My Favorite Posts: This I Believe & Something's Gotta Give

My Life:
-Softball games began taking over my life.

-Nash started getting walked during the day & I wondered why I hadn't thought to do this during volleyball season.

-I headed BACK to San Antonio for my annual San Antonio Rodeo adventure with Robyn.

-I celebrated 8 years of blogging.

-My friend Ryan was in town for his semi-annual training so we got to hang out.

-I bought a new car!

March
Blog Stats:
-Most Viewed Post: Currently In March
-Most Commented Post: Friday Five #7
-My Favorite Post: Coffee Date Vol. 1

My Life:
-My friend Melissa got married so I flew to Minnesota to be a part of her wedding

-I got a new tattoo

-Emily came to visit me over spring break...

-...and so did my parents

-I started my 4th 101 in 1001 list