Livin' and Lovin' in A-town

Under Pressure

After the most recent comments on my previous post, I'm under a little pressure to update my blog. So, in an attempt to satisfy all of my fans, here is an update on my life. I figured it would be easiest to construct a timeline. Basically, here's what I've done since I last posted. I'd also like to take a moment to apologize for the holiday background that is still up. I didn't have time to find a new background and update my blog, so I did what I felt was most important. You're welcome Julie and Jody!

November 24th-29th
This was the week of Thanksgiving, so pretty much what happened on Monday and Tuesday isn't too important except for my cousin Jody's birthday (had to give a shout-out). So, I headed to Van Wednesday morning for Thanksgiving. This wasn't our normal Thanksgiving because we were celebrating my grandmothers 80th birthday. So, all of my family from all over Texas, Michigan, Alabama and Arizona came to visit. About 30 people. It was fun, but those of you who have experienced large family Thanksgivings know what kind of a whirlwind they can be! I had to leave early Saturday morning to get back to Abilene for the ACU football playoff game. All I can say about that game is, we sucked. We blew it. Our chance to go to Alabama for the playoffs and we choked. I'm still pretty bitter about it, but I'm choosing not to vent on my blog. Staying positive!

November 30th - December 6th
Nothing too interesting happened at the beginning of this week. I had a lot of meetings and my sister turned 21 on the 2nd. On the 3rd I went to see my back doctor. Some of you know I've been having a little trouble with my back this past year, so I went in for my follow-up appointment. We've thought for awhile that it was a herniated disk. Actually, my first doctor told me that's what it was. But, after an MRI, my new doctor told me I have a tumor on my spine. Needless to say, I was pretty shocked. He thinks the tumor is benign, but doesn't know for sure. He's referred me to a neurosurgeon to see what the tumor is attached to and what steps need to be taken so we can operate. I go to the neurosurgeon next week. So, as much as I hate to be overly personal on my blog, I still covet your prayers. The rest of the week is kind of a blur. We celebrated my sisters birthday that week and I was able to spend time with one of my best friends that weekend, but honestly, I was still trying to comprehend having a tumor. That's just not something you expect to hear from your doctor, especially at 27.

December 7th - December 13th
This was a pretty busy week, filled with Christmas parties and two graduations. Shout out to Kim Smith who celebrated her 27th birthday on the 10th! The 12th was ACU's graduation and on the 13th I had Texas State Technical Colleges graduation. Both held in Moody Coliseum which I had to plan. But, they went off without any problems, so I was pretty happy!

December 14th - December 20th
A week full of even more Christmas parties! I think I went to more Christmas parties this year than I ever have! I also got more Christmas cards than I ever have. Is this what it means to be a grown-up?! The 16th I got my hair cut...I don't love it, but I needed some length off! On the 20th I headed home to spend Christmas with my family. I was really looking forward to spending some quiet time at home. Why did I think it was going to be quiet?!

December 21 - December 27th
It was absolutely wonderful to be home with my family. My sister was already there, so it was great hanging out with her, my mom and my dad. We were able to go shopping, do some holiday baking, and even catch a movie. My parents closed the restaurant for 3 whole days...Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the day after Christmas. It was very nice for them to have a break. My brother and sister-in-law got to Van on Christmas Eve. We all played games, ate great food, watched Christmas movies and laughed a ton! We were all very blessed to be together! I got some great gifts too...a lot of gift cards, clothes, cash, and a flat screen tv! I pick that up next week! I'm totally pumped!

December 28th - January 3rd
My parents had to go back to work at the restaurant and my brother and sister-in-law had to spend time with her family, so things started to pick-up by the 27th. On the 29th I drove to Dallas to pick-up my friend Caddie from the airport. Some of her luggage was lost so we ended up staying in Dallas that night so we could pick-up her bag the next day. We headed to the airport Tuesday morning only to wait several hours for her bag to arrive. We had plans to attend a dinner party that night in Abilene, so we were hard pressed for time when we finally got her bag and headed west. We were just a little late to the party, but it was fun spending time with old friends and catching up. Caddie spent the rest of the week with me in Abilene. We hung out with friends and family, ate great food, watched movies, and caught up on what's been going on. Side note: If you haven't seen The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, you need to! EXCELLENT movie! I loved it! I took Caddie back to the airport on the 2nd and headed back to Van for the weekend.

January 5th - January 7th
Well, this pretty much brings us up to this week. If you're in Texas, you'll know that a cold snap passed through most of our state on Monday. I had planned to return to Abilene Monday morning, but with freezing temperatures and sleet, I didn't really want to drive all the way to Abilene. So, bright and very early Tuesday I got up and headed to work...in Abilene. 4 hours later, I had arrived. I arrived to an office full of boxes. What you may not know is, I'm about to move offices. ACU has built a new building on campus, The Hunter Welcome Center, which offices over 100 people and has around 10 new event facilities. I've been named the Building Supervisor...along with my other responsibilities I have with being the Director of Events. So, we were supposed to move in on January 5th. But, you know how construction goes! They're behind. We found out today we can't move in until January 26th. Don't even get me started. It's a nice building. Next time you're on campus, you really should stop by and see it. I know someone who could give you a great tour! ;)

So, that's pretty much a summary of my life over the past month and a half. I apologize for not writing much and I will try to be better. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! I hope January is a great month for you and that 2009 is a spectacular year! I think great things are coming in 2009! Here's hoping!