I'm back!

Well hello everyone!

Despite what this blog would have you believe, I have not disappeared from the face of the earth. To be honest, I lost interest in blogging… which turned into forgetting it even existed. But I’m back now, which is all that matters.

So much has happened since I last blogged.

(such an obvious statement after an 8 month hiatus, I know)

Let’s catch up real quick… Here are a few highlights from the end of my 2011:

• I re-discovered one of my old favorite pastimes: painting. I then went on to re-discover it over and over and over again. Below are a few of my favorites.
  
  
• My very talented Mom made me a new quilt. I helped pick out the colors but the rest was all her. Isn’t it gorgeous?

• Shawn and I took a trip to Seattle. Neither of us had ever been and figured now was as good of a time as ever to experience it! We lucked out with perfect weather and spent our entire time walking around and exploring the city. We packed in every single tourist-y thing we could find and got to experience so much.
  
  Boat tour of Seattle with the skyline in the background

The original Starbucks

A Seattle football game

A food tour in Pike's Place Public Market

• Not all that monumental since I did nothing but sit and read a book for half a day, but I experienced my first run in with jury duty.
• One of my best friends got engaged! I cannot wait for their wedding this year (and bachelorette party and showers!

Congratulations, Allison and Seth!

• My college roommates and I have done a much better job of keeping in touch this year (well, last year). Besides Allison and I (who both live in Houston), everyone is in a different city… which just means we get to plan lots of fun roadtrips!

College Station for an Aggie football game

Dallas for a roomie reunion

• My mom got a new kitty. His name is Gus and he is a sturdy, orange guy. I like to call him a little linebacker. He is a very talkative, sweet and lazy kitty. Maybe it’s because I live with maniac cats, but it seems like Gus is ALWAYS sleeping.
• I took the GMAT… and passed!
• Literally as I left the testing center, my car’s transmission went out… and a week later, I bought this beauty :)
• Shawn and I celebrated the holidays with both of our families- always one of my favorite times of the year.
  

Oh and that maniac cat I mentioned a few bullets up, well his name is Chuy and he came with me to my parent’s house for the holidays. We found him halfway up the Christmas tree one morning and I took this cute little picture.

I entered him into a cutest holiday pet contest (but he lost to a duck). I think they made a mistake.

Those are just a few of the highlights. I am going to try my hardest to keep in better touch with my blog this year. Talk to you soon!

Anna Paige

This past weekend, one of my very best friends, Miss Paige Schmidt came to visit me!!! I don't think any of you understand just how much I was looking forward to this.

I met Paige a long, long time ago when we were both picked to be in the same fish camp, Camp Donnell (although Paige would swear it began with an "S").

The very first night we met, Camp Revelation:

(Although we figured out we were in the same camp before Revelation night- we had lots of the same friends.. oopsies)

We became fast friends and did absolutely everything together! I had a really hard time picking out some of my favorite pictures to put on here. I am not nearly a good enough writer to convey how special of a friend Paige is to me, so I'm going to let the pictures tell the story :)

partner revelation- this night brought Paige and I so much closer- I will forever be grateful for her friendship this night.

A night out at The Hall!

Fish Camp flashback dance (now THIS is an 80's outfit- are all girls in TX this rude??)

Galveston roadtrip!!! We found this in the sand- how perfect!

Fighting Texas Aggie FOOTBALL game!!

Boston Tea Party :)

My ring weekend!

Paige's ring day: We snuck onto Kyle Field to take pictures (Our other fish camp friend, Ashley, is in the middle!)

St. Patrick's Day

The night we got to play paparazzi to a bunch of rich A&M donors.

A fish camp event: we were ghostbusters!!! The Detonator and The Extinguisher. I wish I had a picture of the back of these, they were amazing costumes.

A random night at Whataburger

Wine tasting :)

WE MET BRAD WOMACK!!!! Ahhhhh (Sidenote: this was before his second season began... at which point I am not longer a fan)

THIS PAST WEEKEND IN HOUSTON!!!!!!

Love you so much, Pagina!

An Ah'May'zing month!

Today, I introduce you to Pancho.

Although Shawn came up with his name in the spur of the moment, I have always considered it a perfect Mexican name… Pancho nooooooo!!! (toilet paper cat commercial, anyone? Tina if you’re reading, I know you understand).

Cathy's Cinco de Mayo birthday bar crawl

In other news: We spent Mother’s Day at my sister’s new house.

Isn’t the back yard beautiful??

We had a friendly game of volleyball in her pool…

My Dad and I against Dale and Shawn. The only problem was, we couldn’t find the net. So we played without one. If you know me at all.. or better yet, if you know my Dad at all, you know that a fair game pretty much went out the window at this point. Either one of us alone is prone to a litttttle bit of extending the truth (we would never cheat J), but together, poor Dale and Shawn didn’t stand a chance. If the ball was even remotely arguable, we argued it until we won. In all fairness, it would take some nerve to argue against your father-in-law/girlfriend’s dad. I’d like to think we didn’t take advantage of that… but let’s be honest. Therefore, Gary and I are officially the champions of the first Pumphrey’s pool game of water volleyball. Once they get a new net, our chances will go down considerably.

I know this is incredibly not like me, but I didn’t take a single picture on Mother’s Day… so here is a picture from last year’s mother’s day (or 2 ago?)!

Back row: My mom and Kara, Front row: Marcia, me and Leigh

Last night, in a spur of shameless blog self-promotion, I told these 2 crazies that I would put them in my blog- such an honor, I know:

This is my ‘big brother’ Brian who I haven’t seen in 2 years? 3? It’s been awhile…

and a flashback pic to Big Brother night:

This is my old roommate Allison Leigh Fisseler (You can call her Alf).

and another flashback pic to college:

We had drinks at an *arguably* Aladin-themed bar last night and had an Ah-mazing time! Anyone else think this looks like a genie in a bottle?

I’m 0-2 so far on that poll…. Only ‘yes’ answers need respond :)

Until next time: which is hopefully quicker than my current posting rate.. Have a great day!

Concerts and Pub Crawls

I absolutely love this time of year- the weather is gorgeous... sunny and not 10,000 degrees. With that, comes lots of fun outdoor activities!!!

A few weeks ago, I went to Austin for the LoneStar Jam! I had never been to this event before, but all you have to do is mention Eli Young Band, Roger Creager, Kevin Fowler, Kyle Park and more... and I'm there! The weather was absolutely perfect AND I got my first tan of the year (finally!). It was my friend Tracie's 30th birthday-

although I'm convinced those glasses could double as a creative Harry Potter costume (anyone else see that??)

We were sitting in the middle of a very small hill and this hot mess (I shall call her "pink")

toppled ON TOP of Shawn on her way up the hill. When I say on top, I mean that extremely literally. The poor guy didn't stand a chance. This alone was a good enough laugh to last me quite awhile.... but then, "pink" decided to come back our way (ballsy) and toppled down the hill with 2 drinks in hand, thus face planting it in the dirt. So wherever you are, "pink", thank you for the entertainment! About 5 minutes later... and after many, many fun pokes at Shawn, I got pooped on by a bird.

As my friend Cathy later said "A bird pooping on you is good luck. A fat girl falling on top of you... definitely bad luck" I can't help but think that it was maaaaybe a little bit of karma.

A few pictures from the weekend:

The girls out on Friday night!

Shawn and I at LoneStar Jam

Ashley and me

We stayed with Ashley and I am absolutely in love with where she lives! Her apartment is in the middle of the most beautiful little road full of unique restaurants and bars- all in walking distance. I wish Houston had an area like that. And, of course, it was so fun to get to see Ashley again- just a few short weeks after she came to visit me in Houston. Love you, Ash :)

In the theme of fun outdoor events, yesterday I participated in my first Crawl for Cancer! SUCH a fun day! Our team name was Grenade Free Zone- as an avid Jersey Shore fan (judge away) I was thrilled by this name.

I introduce to you, part of our team:

In the words of Miss Katie Dunn "Alright ladies, 12 hours until bars close"

We went to five different bars around Midtown (Union Bar, Pub Fiction, Little Woodrow's, Maple Leaf Pub and Hefley's). The after party was in the most sketch 18 and up bar in the middle of ghetto-Houston. There were cages on the stage for people to dance in..... needless to say, we didn't last long there. All in all, it was a fun day with friends (old and new), full of flip cup, dancing and lots of drinking games... all in the name of finding a cure for cancer! Definitely an event I plan to participate in many, many more times.