2009: A Year In Review

I got this blog idea from my friend Sara - enjoy!

January: Got my first new car, which 4 days later I managed to ding up by hitting the air conditioning unit outside our garage. It's getting fixed this week!

February: Had a romantic Valentine's Day seeing Legally Blonde! Went to Dallas with junior and senior cheerleaders for playoff game and had fun! Took Dog Training 101 with Charley and he graduated with honors!

March: Traveled to NYC - had a blast with our cousins Brian and Erin, shopped, drooled over a Coach bag I thought I needed (but alas did not get, and that's okay), saw Wicked, went on fun movie and TV tour of NYC. Didn't see any celebrities, but maybe next time! My beloved blind Pomeranian I got in college, Bruiser, passed away unexpectedly. First devestating animal loss for me.

April: Went to Boston for the first time for a marketing conference with fabulous co-worker Shari and we had a blast! Loved the city!! Started scrapbooking again! Joined Twitter!

May: Turned 25! Went to Sedona with our friends Sara and Cliff and had a wonderful time! Such a beautiful part of the country! Went to see my boy Kenny Chesney in concert! Joined a Sunday School class at our church and started making new couple friends!

June: Went to float the Frio River with a group of friends and had a great time and minimal sunburns. Our nephew and godson Brayden was born a month early! Just before Father's Day!

July: Had our first anniversary! Celebrated Jeremy's birthday on vacation in Boston! Went to Red Sox game, Cape Cod, Plymouth, Duck Tour of Boston and much more. Had a great time! Went to Scrapbook Village with my BFF Jenna and was blown away by all of her new scrapbooking tools. She became my scrapbooking hero! Took my first cake decorating class!

August: The girls dominated cheer camp once again, started my 3rd year of working at SBS, went to George Strait concert with my BFF, my Mom.

September: Started traveling for LSU football; had fun tailgating and winning games again! Brayden was baptized and I attended my first Catholic baptism ceremony.

October: Fell more madly in love with my husband! Struggled with decision to go back to school (specifically Law School), realized that's not where God wants me now, so I'm sitting patiently and obeying his plans! Dressed Charley up for Halloween as a bumble bee - I loved it, Jeremy rolled his eyes, the dog was indifferent, he just liked the excessive attention! Hired a fabulous assistant cheerleading coach!

November: Experienced my first cheerleading drama - and hope to never go through any again! Glad I survived! Thanksgiving in Houston, then headed to BR with my parents in tow to watch LSU beat Arkansas :) Finally!

December: Took cheerleaders to first competition and they won 1st and 2nd place! Enjoyed a busy Christmas with our families, had a nice break off of work (which I'm still enjoying), stepsister Heidi got married, Charley ate his first chocolate candy and got a Cherry Eye in the same week, and got to play in the snow in Houston!

Had a blessed 2009 and I am looking forward to a great new year!

A Very Merry Christmas!

We had a great Christmas this year - it was SO busy! But we were blessed to be around all of our families this year, and that was perfect for us! Instead of detailing out our Christmas, I'll show it to you in pictures! Clever, right?

We headed to Shreveport first to celebrate with my dad's side of the family. We had a blast staying with Jack and Katherine and visiting with the Adams' side of the family!

Yes...I got a snuggie!
Jeremy with Katherine and Misti - my awesome sister-in-laws!

Then we headed back to Houston and hosted our very first Christmas Eve Party for my family. It was really fun! We did presents, played Christmas Bingo (and had gift cards as prizes), had tons of yummy food and of course played Rock Band. Some of Jeremy's family stopped by the party, too! It was definitely a fun tradition that we started!

Alex and Drake had a blast at our party - check out my hat - it makes me a "pro" chef!

Me and my girl, Bailey (my 10-year old niece)Playing Rock Band!


After the big party, we had our own Christmas, just me, Jeremy and Charley. Here are two of our favorite gifts! The scrapbooking machine is mine and the framed newspaper front page is his.

The next morning, we headed to the Bull house for Christmas with my brother's family. It's so fun to have Christmas with the kids - their excitement is truly what this season is about! It's so exciting! After we did presents, we had Christmas lunch with lots of the family. It was great seeing everyone!

Just showing off my wrapping job on Mom's present (I got her several kitchen things for her newly redecorated kitchen)!Bailey got a new Bible cover (and she's wearing her new Abercrombie jacket we got her)!

I got this amazing new cookbook - The Pioneer Woman - I seriously feel like me and this lady are friends! I'm excited to cook some of this yummy food!

The morning of the 26th, we went to Baton Rouge to have the Ford's Christmas. It was really fun - Jeremy has a really fun family! We opened gifts, ate dinner and played games! We had a great time!

Mr. Charlie (my FIL) got an outdoor heater! He's holding our new nephew Brayden!With my Christmas money from Mimi, I bought this fabulous new purse! I'm in love!

Whew...Christmas was fun, but a little exhausting! In the middle of it all, Charley ate M&M's, spent one night throwing up all night (now we have a taste of what its like to have a baby...we'll still hold off on that one for awhile, thanks Charley), and then to top it off, he got a Cherry Eye. I'll spare you the photo of his eye - it was disgusting! We thankfully avoided $500 eye surgery, and now we put drops in his eyes everyday. Sweet dog...

Hope you all had a blessed Christmas!
Love,
B

Christmas at the Ford's

I'm so proud of our Christmas decorations! Jeremy is a great helper, and we are really excited about Christmas this year! It'll be our first married Christmas to be at home together.

To celebrate, we will attend church on Christmas Eve, and then we are hosting a Christmas Eve party for my famliy which we are super pumped about. Once they leave, we will open our gifts (except our stockings). On the morning of the 25th, we will head to Deer Park for more celebrating and Santa with my family! We will open our stockings when we get home that day! It should be a really fun time! We will also squeeze in heading to North Louisiana to see my dad's side of the family before Christmas, and to BR to celebrate with Jeremy's family afterwards.

Here are our decorations that we are so proud of! Humor me and comment on them :)

My Christmas dishes! I'm in love with them!

Our beautiful tree!

My Southern Living decorative stocking and the greenery I added to it!A close up of our tree and some of my favorite ornaments!Our banister wrapped in garland, poinsettas and lights - J helped alot with this project!

Our stockings hung by the fireplace :)

Merry Christmas! 11 days until Jesus' birthday!

She's Back...

Hey Friends!

First, I'd like to give a shout out to my girl Jenna for having such a cute blog background that I was inspired to steal it and make one of my own. She's too creative for her own good :)! Thanks my BFFEAEAE!

Sorry I have neglected to blog at all lately - even during National Blog Month I didn't post one time. That's simply embarrassing people.

I've seriously been a "worry wart" lately - so much so that I cannot even sleep well at night! It's been a stressful last month or two with work and cheerleading. My precious girls are competing at their very first competition on Saturday. Please pray that all goes well. We have two days left of practice and I'm not 100% confident we will pull it together. But, they always manage to surprise me, so hopefully that's the case on Saturday!

I hate being a worrier. I read this quote the other day that said "Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere." Simply said, yet profound. It spoke to me.

I also read another quote that said "More people would learn from their mistakes if they weren't so busy denying them." Wow, right?

I get my quotes from @iheartquotes on Twitter. They update multiple times a day and I really like a lot of theirs.

Anyway, hopefully the next time I post it won't be with such a worried and heavy heart. It is the "most wonderful time of the year" after all, and I know that it will be!

Love,
B

Shopping for Christmas Cards

I'm on the hunt for our Christmas card! What websites do you use for your cards? I'm always looking for something really cute, pretty or clever. I'm a little obsessed and love nothing more than receiving all of your adorable cards in the mail!

This was our 2008 card (sample from the website, obviously).
Any suggestions?

Sincere Apologies...

Have I really resorted to only posting new blog entries twice a month? Seriously? That's a little embarrassing, if I do say so myself. I'm so sorry that I'm depriving all of you of the incredibly fascinating things going on in my mind and in my life....wait, never mind, nothing fascinating is actually going on. My bad.

In all seriousness, there have been a lot of things going on that have been so super heavy on my heart. I'm contemplating going back to school, so my life lately has comprised of studying and college visits. I'm not entirely sure I want to become a full-time student again. Not to sound lazy, but I'm not sure I'm up for going to school all day and then studying all night. When would I have any kind of life? I would have no balance at all. And when I don't have balance, I kind of lose it. I'm just praying that the Lord shows me the path He wants me to take and that I'm wise enough to listen to what He's saying.

I'll keep you all posted on my big decision...and by the way, I hate decisions.

XOXO-
Brittney

Where Have I Been?

I know you're puzzled - where has Brittney's Blog been lately? I'm here people, calm down...I've just been busy and reluctant to get on the computer in the evenings, what with my 7 TV shows I've got going on! Instead of giving you the boring details of the last few weeks, I'll just bullet point some highlights of my life right now!

• I'm dying to dress Charley up for Halloween as something so ridiculous that it just mortifies Jeremy - this is true love people, in its finest form! This is what I want him to be!

• My new favorite show is Glee! Has anyone else seen it? It's so awkward and absolutely hysterical! It's one of the only shows I actually watch on the night it comes on! Crazy, right?

• I cured my shopping itch last weekend by spending way too much money at the Galleria - its dangerous territory I tell you! And I plan to go back this week! Ha! But, seriously, I have NO work clothes! All my clothes are from when I graduated college and I was 30+ pounds heavier. So, I stocked up on a few new pieces, and a ridiculously expensive headband. But I needed it - I'm obsessed with girly headbands!

• I'm really excited about this weekend - no traveling for football and a weekend of fun with friends I don't get to see very often. It all starts Friday when I have lunch with my BFFE Jenna, and then Saturday night I'll be livin it up with Kim, Josh and Carl (otherwise known as the fab 4). I have really great friends!

That's about all I've got for you. I'm off to make my infamous pasta for dinner tonight. It's yummy and the easiest thing EVER!

XOXO (yes, I'll be watching Gossip Girl tonight; love me some Chuck Bass)
Brittney

Blah, Blah, Blah...

Sadly, I really have nothing exciting to post about. Life is pretty much same ole, same ole. Which is fine, I guess.

We are going on our first LSU football road trip next weekend and its a full weekend with the nephew's baptism, baptism dinner and then tailgating the next day. I'm sure it'll be a whirlwind.

My cheerleaders are doing great - of course! The football team hasn't been winning, but my girls always out cheer the opponents cheerleaders. And, that's really what's important, right? :)

I had a really fun Labor Day swimming with my nieces and nephew. I'm pretty much obsessed with them. It was fun to have handstand contests in the pool again. I haven't done that in forever! Sadly, I never want to ruin my makeup or get my hair wet. Its days like this I'll always remember, not the ones where I didn't just dive in and play...something to think about I guess.

Maybe my next post will be more exciting, or at least include pictures :)

Love,
B

Loving Lady Antebellum

No worries, people - I'm still in love with Kenny Chesney (XOXO Kenny!). But, right now I'm digging Lady Antebellum. I didn't fall for them at first - I'm not much for trios, and I thought they were a little corny. But, I saw them at the Kenny concert in the spring and liked them, and I'm in love with their new singles on the radio. Last night, I bought "Need You Now" on iTunes and have jammed it tons today! I have no idea why I'm obsessed with this song - its not really applicable in my life, the lead singer just has a beautiful voice :)

When I listen to the chorus though, I do think of situations I've been in, and one that my sweet friend is going through right now. Its so hard to say no sometimes, even though, as Christian women, we have strong morals and values. Sometimes, there's just something about the opposite sex that can make a woman unbelievably weak.

So, here are the lyrics to the song:

Picture perfect memories,
Scattered all around the floor.
Reaching for the phone cause, I can’t fight it any more.
And I wonder if I ever cross your mind.
For me it happens all the time.

It’s a quarter after one, I’m all alone and I need you now.
Said I wouldn’t come but I lost all control and I need you now.
And I don’t know how I can do without, I just need you now.

Another shot of whiskey, can’t stop looking at the door.
Wishing you’d come sweeping in the way you did before.
And I wonder if I ever cross your mind.
For me it happens all the time.

It’s a quarter after one, I’m a little drunk,
And I need you now.
Said I wouldn’t call but I lost all control and I need you now.
And I don’t know how I can do without, I just need you now.

Yes I’d rather hurt than feel nothing at all.
It’s a quarter after one, I’m all alone and I need you now.
And I said I wouldn’t call but I’m a little drunk and I need you now.
And I don’t know how I can do without, I just need you now.
I just need you now.
Oh baby I need you now.

Winning is FUN!

Just got back from cheer camp this week and I'm such a proud coach. The SBS Varsity cheerleaders won EVERYTHING! Seriously, everything! They won the awards for talent, dance, spirit, and leadership! Other squads were so tired of hearing "Second Baptist Varsity" being called, but not us! I was crying like a proud Mom :) I'm so proud of them and I know it'll be an amazing year with the strength of the seniors leadership and the immense talent of these 20 girls! Go Eagles!

Back in the Swing...

Here we go, people. August is upon us. For me, that means: SBS football and volleyball season, LSU football season, 8 hours a weekend in a car for home LSU games, a TON of events at work (Homecoming, New Parent Events, DSL, PA Events, Booster Club dinners, etc, etc, etc), lots of cheerleading (including camp next week!!) and so much more!!! Ahhh - I feel like I cannot catch my breath till Thanksgiving!

But, its also pretty exciting to be back in my routine again. I love seeing my cheerleaders every day, and my co-workers are just the greatest! And, not to mention that all my TV shows are coming back on! Woo Hoo!!!

Do you guys like a routine? Or would you rather have endless amounts of time off without a routine?

Have a happy week!

Am I Enough?

Lately, I've been reflecting on how its just not that easy to be a woman in today's world. I'm in a ladies bible study at church, and we are reading the book "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World." The bottom line is I'm such a Martha, when all I really desire is to stop and sit at the feet of Jesus. (Luke 10:38-42).

As women today, we are beyond distracted with so many tasks, self-consuming thoughts, and just flat out struggles. I feel God telling me that I just need to stop and strive to be a Proverbs 31 woman - not a perfect woman of this world.

Does anyone ever feel these things?
- When will these extra 10 pounds go away? I've been working out like a maniac lately, eating more fruits and veggies, and my clothes aren't hanging off me like I want them to...
- I wish my house was cuter and allowed for us to entertain more; but the thought of having more areas to decorate is terrifying - what if I make mistakes, or worse, get the decorations in and settled, then realize I don't like it (like I've done with our bedding - its so dark and dreary - why didn't I shop around more?)
- Just when I think I've got enough clothes, something new and fabulous comes out that I've just got to have; probably because I still have those struggles of wanting to wear the next best thing; honestly, do I need more clothes? NO! (BTW - I feel the same way about purses and jewelry)
- Why did I get the short end of the stick on great hair? I can't decide if I like it short, long or medium - honestly, sometimes it sucks all three ways! Haircuts are so defining, yet, I can never seem to stay happy with one style
- Back to my body - ughhhh!!!!! Just to lose the impossible inches on my arms! And the love handles - come on, I do so many oblique exercises - what gives???
- And finally, am I doing enough? Do I clean or cook enough to be considered a great wife? Do I call and visit enough to be a great family member? Do I ask the right questions and listen enough to be the best friend I can be? Do I work hard enough at work to make sure I'm not going anywhere - do I do enough?

Lord, am I enough?

Proverbs 31:28-30

Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.
Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain
But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised

Praising the Lord today, for making me a woman wise enough to realize that the only set of standards that matter are those of Jesus.

Spending Less...

As Jeremy and I are saving our money for a house house (as opposed to the town house we live in now), I've made a few promises to myself, and okay, him too, about ways I'll save money from now until the end of 2009. I'll have to come up with new promises for 2010 :)

So, I thought I would share them with you guys, as an accountability! That way, if I start blogging about something I just bought that I shouldn't have, you guys can comment and say, "BRITTNEY - what were you thinking? You weren't supposed to buy that!!!"

So, here we go.
My spending vows...

• I vow to not spend any money on holiday decoration items this year. Seriously - do I actually need another Christmas ornament or Halloween candy bowl? I think not!
• I vow to not spend any money on scrapbooking any more this year. UNLESS - it's absolutely necessary (e.g. buying new letter stickers because I can only spell out Vaca instead of Vacation)
• Deep breath, ladies - I vow not to spend any money on a mani or pedi - YIKES!!! This is a big one, because I love to unwind with a nice pedi after a long week. But, I am perfectly capable of doing an "at home spa pedi."

So, please help me stay faithful to these vows. I know it'll be worth it in the end, because we will be living in a fabulous home and I'll invite you all over for a housewarming party (or maybe we'll just all go get pedicures)!

Here we go....wish me luck!

Thoughts on ONE Year of Marriage

Yesterday Jeremy & I celebrated our one year anniversary! It was a perfect day - we went to church, lunch with my family, saw Phantom of the Opera (and LOVED it), cooked our favorite meal for dinner, exchanged presents and of course, ate the top of our wedding cake. FYI - our cake lady made us a new cake, we didn't freeze ours! We decided our anniversary tradition would be to dance to our song, from our first dance as husband and wife, which is "At Last." Of course, Charley wanted to join in on the dance, too, which was pretty funny!

To commemorate one year, I decided to do a "Top 10 Things I've Learned As A Newlywed" list. Enjoy!

1. You can't change him - no matter how hard you try, how faithfully you pray, how exciting you think your pep talks are - there's no changing someone else.

2. Boys are stinky - there's just no way around it!

3. Husbands don't like it when you get the tweezers out and go after their eyebrows!

4. If you really want to make your first year adventurous - get a cocker spaniel! Although Charley is a complete handful and total mess sometimes, we have had a blast with him!

5. Put each other first - don't give him whatever is leftover at the end of the day. He deserves more than that.

6. Trust his decisions - God made him the head of your marriage for a reason! Even though I don't always agree with his choices at first, in the end, I usually can look back and see that he was right!

7. Take lots of pictures - I'm never too shy to ask strangers to take our pictures on vacation - I want to treasure all of our memories right now & I'm excited we have SO many pictures together!

8. Have secrets and inside jokes - it only strengthens the connection that the two of you share!

9. Continue to surprise each other, and date each other. We didn't get a grip on this until a few months into the marriage, but it keeps things exciting when you go on dates and try new things together!

10. Talk to him - he's still a guy and cannot possibly guess what is wrong with you (even though you are his wife)!

Here's a picture from yesterday - he's holding our Phantom playbill and I'm holding our cake (I know, its cheesy, I just had to take this picture...see #7).

Our Latest Vacay

J and I just got back from a great trip to Boston and Cape Cod! We had a great time and the weather was just about perfect (unlike in Houston where it gets in the 100's everyday)! It was amazing to celebrate the 4th in a historic city like Boston and we had lots of fun celebrating Jeremy's 34th birthday there, too! We went to a Red Sox game, walked the Freedom Trail, did a Duck Boat Tour, went to the 4th fireworks celebration (with the Boston Pops and Neil Diamond) and lots more. We did LOTS of walking (I think I'm due for some new shoes now :) ). After a few days in Boston, we went to Cape Cod and stayed in Hyannis (and also made a short stop in Plymouth, Mass.). It was so beautiful there. We loved it, and wished we would've stayed longer! It was everything you see on TV - quaint, gorgeous homes, amazing beaches, cute little main streets with cuter shops! We had a great trip!

Captions for the pictures (I'm having computer issues tonight): A view from our favorite boardwalk in Cape Cod, us at the Cape Cod Summer League Baseball Game, us on the 4th in our 4th of July outfits, us at the Red Sox game, and then a picture of us at the Boston Public Gardens (my fave place in Boston)!

Nieces and Nephews and Charley...Oh My!

This has been a great weekend for the Ford family - Jeremy & I have a new nephew. Brayden Paul Ford was born at 11:50 a.m. on Saturday morning to Collin (Jeremy's brother) and his wife Melanie! We are so excited for them! He is precious and adorable and we can't wait to hold him. We are (hopefully) going to visit them this coming up weekend in BR and I promise to post pics when we return!

We recently celebrated the nephew on my side of the family, Drake's birthday. He just turned 8 and had a swim party! He's so cute - he's getting to a stage where he is comfortable showing affection without being forced to "go hug your Aunt Brittney." After he opened the gifts, he came up and gave me a side hug and said "Thank you." It was really heartfelt and genuine! We also celebrated our niece, Alex's "5th birthday" even though her real birthday isn't until December! She's always adorable and had the cutest squeal every time she opened a gift! It was hilarious!

And Charley....he's just, well, Charley! Into everything and so nosy! I've been working out with Jillian's Shred DVD at home, and everytime I do it, he has to be right beside me. When I am running in place, he's trying to sit on each foot as it hits the ground; when I'm doing push ups, he's laying on my leg! CRAZY DOG! The most recent thing he's chewed is the cord of our iron, so now its out of commission - just when I was starting to actually like ironing! He is starting to calm down somewhat, so we can possibly start having guests over without having to distract Charley! Yahoo!!

Just wanted to share some blessings with everyone - hoping you have found blessings in your weekends, too!

First Year Anniversary Traditions?

Dear Blogger Friends,

As Jeremy and I quickly approach our first anniversary, I'm wondering if any of you married gals have special anniversary traditions that you do each year. I'm hoping to start one this year so that in 50 years we can say, "We've been doing such and such since our first anniversary!"

Let me know your creative ideas or traditions in the comments section (if you don't mind me copying them, that is :) )

Frio Trip '09

We had a great time floating the Frio River last weekend! We went with Jeff & Lindsay and Matt & Kim and a few of their friends! We had a great time floating, cooking dinner, playing Rock Band (Jeremy), taking long naps (Me) and just hanging out! Luckily, we didn't get too sunburned! We can't wait to go back next summer!

Posing after dinner at a restaurant I can't remember the name of!

Me and Lindsay - I love this girl!

The boys playing Rock Band!

What I'm Reading

I LOVE to read, and right now the book I'm loving is The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. I'm sure most of you have heard his story - the Carnegie Mellon professor who passed away recently of pancreatic cancer. It's the story of his last lecture given that was basically written for his kids to read and watch. His children are 1, 3 and 5. It's a great book and an easy read, that really puts life in perspective for you. Here are some of my favorite snippets from the book:

"Just because you're in the driver's seat, doesn't mean you have to run people over."
"Never make a decision until you have to."
"When there's an elephant in the room, introduce it."
"We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand."

Happy Thursday everyone!

Are you Following?

Hey Friends - Be one of my followers on my blog, because I only have 5 and it makes me a lil sad! Haha! Yay for new followers (hopefully)!

I'll update later this week about our trip to float the Frio this last weekend - it was a blast and we didn't get too sunburned (which is a miracle, considering everyone gets burnt floating the river)!

Love - Brittney

Sedona Trip

Jeremy and I just got back from a long weekend in Sedona, Arizona with our friends Cliff and Sara. Jeremy and Cliff have been friends since Kindergarten....isn't that amazing? I don't know a single person I went to Kindergarten with!

We had a great time together! They got married just 5 weeks after we did, so its fun having other newlywed friends! This was hopefully the first of many traveling adventures together!

I'm 25!!!

I celebrated the big 2-5 last Thursday, and it was a week full of fabulous celebrations! I love that being a girl automatically guarantees you at least a week of parties! We had a birthday dinner in Baton Rouge that was really fun, one in Houston with Ali & Pete, my family party, went out with some of my friends another night, birthday lunch at work with my co-workers, birthday lunch with my sweet cheer captains, birthday lunch with Mom, birthday lunch with friends, birthday dinner with Husband...whew! Gotta love birthdays!

I will say that J did a great job on my birthday - even though I had already figured out my gifts. He woke me up with breakfast in bed (cinnamon toast - my favorite) and then we had an amazing dinner that evening. He gave me my gifts - a new Bible that I LOVE and a pearl ring that I'm also loving - before dinner, and I figured that was it - which was totally fine! Well, at the end of dinner, he pulls out a card with "Surprise" written on it. He'd picked up a gift card that morning for me to go shopping!! He had to wait until the morning of my birthday because he didn't want me to figure it out! I'm just that good, people! No snooping, I promise...just have my ways :)

Anyway, if I get around to uploading pictures, I'll post some from the big day. I got some really cute gifts from co-workers and the sweetest and funniest cards from friends! I am so blessed!!

That's the birthday recap :)

The week is almost over!

It's been a pretty good week so far, just incredibly busy! I've been in the redocorating mood, so I've changed around our bedroom, bathroom and living room. Yesterday before J got home, I went ahead and rearranged some of the TV boxes to make room for decorative candles. I was so proud of myself that I rewired everything correctly and the TV actually turned back on (and more importantly, that I didn't lose any of my shows on the DVR). Am I a champ, people, or what?!?

So, I'm excited to do some more bargain shopping this weekend to look for new yellow additions to our navy bedroom! And I'm looking forward to celebrating the best Mom in the whole world on Sunday! Shout out here to Lynnette! Love you!

And BTW - my blogger friend Sara is doing a fun giveaway on her blog, so go check it out! She updates her blog daily and she's a really cute, fun newlywed! Click here to see her blog!

Love you guys!

Feeling Creative....

I love being creative - doing scrapbooks, making things, purusing Hobby Lobby and more! So, on Tuesday when school got rained out (woo hoo!), I set to scrapbooking and did 12 pages! It was so awesome and I feel like I may actually catch up and finish my pre-married book, then my wedding scrapbook and then my married life book! Sounds like a lot!

I also made some notecards last week for a sweet senior that is graduating from SBS in a couple of weeks. She's heading to A&M in the fall. So, I made her a dozen notecards, and personalized all of them with her name and nicknames on them. It was so fun and I was proud of my creativity, so I had to take pictures!

Maybe I'll post some scrapbook pictures soon, too! I really like some of my pages! And I want to be able to show them to Jenna :)

I hope everyone is having a great week and gets the chance to be creative, too!

A Very Proud Cheer Coach!

Yesterday was an incredible day because I found out that one of my cheerleading captains made cheerleader at UT! Callie is the newest member of the Coed Squad, (Orange Squad). This is such a huge accomplishment and I am so proud of her!

The coach at UT called me yesterday and told me the big news and said that I would be the first to tell her she made it! So, here are some pictures from the fun! As you can tell, we were all crying! I'm so proud of her she's an incredible girl!!! Go Callie!

I just told her the news!!!So happy for Callie!!

This is a VERY proud Mom! Look at Callie's shirt!! Yay!

Love this girl SO much!!

My Trip to Boston

I had the amazing opportunity to spend my week in Boston - thanks to SBS! I was there for a marketing/communications conference, which was great and beneficial. But, I wouldn't blog about the ins and outs of the conference.

I LOVED BOSTON!!!

The city was not only beautiful, but obviously historical as well. We stayed in the oldest hotel in the US (Omni Parker House) across the street from the first public school, the Old City Hall and one night we ate dinner at the oldest restaurant in the country (Union Oyster House). How incredible is that? I'm definitely not a history buff, but there's something pretty breathtaking about walking the streets where so many historical folks have stepped foot. Boston was such a friendly city, with beautiful buildings, easy access to everything - which I loved the ability to walk everywhere - and of course, great shopping!! I bought some really cute, original things to add to my closet - which Jeremy wasn't totally excited about :) Ha!

I also got to experience all of this with one of my favorite people - Shari, who I work with. We had a blast together and became even closer. Which if you know us, you would think that's impossible!

I love traveling!!!

Happy Easter!

For some reason I can't explain, Easter had a deeper meaning for me this year. I don't think its that I've experienced a significant spiritual maturity recently, but I think Jesus has definitely been more actively on my heart lately.

I think one reason for this was that Thursday night when I got home from the gym, Jeremy was watching the Passion of Christ. So, I watched it with him - it was only the second time I've seen it. It was such a deep reminder of the intense sacrifice that Jesus made for us and seeing all of it weighed so deeply on my heart throughout the weekend. I dug into the Book of John just to read more about what I'd just seen. It was a really moving experience for me to be so vividly reminded this weekend about the pain and suffering Jesus went through. All to Him I owe!

Easter is the most important time of year for Christians, and I hate that it gets overshadowed with bunnies, chocolate and eggs. Don't get me wrong, one of my favorite things I did this weekend was watch my precious nieces and nephew hunt their eggs! Even church is crazy on Easter. We are herded in and out of the shortened services to make room for the masses of people that attend on Easter Sunday. It's so crazy. Of all times of year, I want to be in church, soaking up a message about the ultimate sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus, and all of the hope and validity that Easter means for Christians.

I hope all of you had meaningful Easter weekends!
Much love,
Britt

Spring Break Fun!

Obviously, I'm sad Spring Break is over...does anyone actually like setting their alarms and getting up to go to work each day? Not so much...But, I've had a really relaxing and exciting break, so I'll happily go back to work tomorrow with a smile!

This week has been fabulous! The first weekend of Spring Break, I spent at home in Deer Park with my family - especially with Mom doing some serious shopping! I also threw an engagement party for my friend Kim, which was super fun! We had it at this swanky wine bar across town and it was beautiful! Monday and Tuesday were super relaxing - had lunch with one of my fave professors from HBU, got pedis with Whitney, went to Swirll (my fave dessert place right now) with Whit and Paul, got my hair cut (if only I could figure out how to fix it like my stylist did...) napped, played with Charley, and went to the rodeo (to see Keith Urban!).

Jeremy & I went to NYC this week, which was so fun! It was my first time to see the City, and I loved it. From the cute corner bakeries and shopping on 5th Avenue, to seeing the Manhattan skyline and being on top of the Rockefeller Center - it was amazing! NYC was everything I hoped it would be - except it was too cold! OMG - I don't think I've ever been so cold in my entire life! Aside from that, it was great. We went to see Wicked and loved it! Absolutely one of the greatest shows either of us has seen - WOW! We also got to spend a lot of time with Brian & Erin (Jeremy's cousin and his gf) which was so much fun - they are so great & I can't wait for them to get married :)! Another of my favorite things in NYC was the food - we ate like champs this week (and I probably gained the lbs to show it!). Every meal was delicious! We also made three stops at Magnolia Bakery, which was incredible. I highly recommend their Vanilla Cupcakes, so yummy! I had three this week - YIKES! I'm pretty sure I didn't eat anything healthy in NYC and I loved every moment of it!

So, now that Spring Break is over, its time to get back in the swing of things again. I'm looking forward to seeing my favorite work friends, and seeing my girls again! We have a pep rally on Friday to get ready for, then tryouts the following week. Busy, busy!!

Here are some pics from our trip!

Recognize this apartment building? We're posing in front of Monica's building from Friends during our New York TV & Movie Tour!Here we are in the Houston airport - our plane was delayed FOUR long hours. I was miserable!Brian & Erin during our yummy dinner at Sarabeth's!Here we are in Central Park - my favorite place in NYC! I can't wait to go back and see it during the spring or summer seasons!

Randomness...

I feel like I update so infrequently that I never know exactly where to start when I begin my next entry! I'll have to get better at this!

Jeremy & I leave on Wednesday for our trip to NYC! We are so excited!! I've never been, and just cannot wait to see the City! And maybe a few celebrities...you never know :) We're going to see Wicked, go to Times Square, Ground Zero, Central Park, Top of the Rock, and much more! It's going to be so great!

I'm so excited the rodeo is in town! It's one of my favorite things about living in Houston - everyone loves country music (or at least pretends to) this time of year. I've had fun going with my girlfriends. Thursday was Brad Paisley and tomorrow is Keith Urban. So much fun!! If I remember my camera tomorrow, I'll post pictures!

Well, that's all for now - it's back to reruns of Golden Girls, a cold Coke Zero, reading Glamour and playing with Charley!! Love Spring Break!

Sunday Evening Excitement...

It's been quite a week! This week started off with me in bed with the flu (made for a very exciting Valentine's Day, let me tell you)! After a busy week at work, I spent the weekend in Dallas with my junior & senior cheerleaders as they cheered on the boys and girls basketball teams in the regional playoffs. Unfortunately, SBS lost both games, but my girls cheered their hearts out! We had a really fun time on our trip! I love those girls!

Today, has been very relaxing! We did some shopping at the Galleria, watched Wall E, made plans for our NYC vacation and lunched at CPK! It's crazy, but I'm actually not dreading going to work tomorrow - not sure why, since I pretty much "worked" all weekend! I guess that's a good thing!

After doing some Spring shopping this weekend at J Crew, I'm so ready for Spring to be here! Bright colors, pretty pastels and whites here I come! I can't wait!

Have a happy week :)
Brittney

25 Random Things

Right now on Facebook, everyone is making a list of "25 Random Things About Me." So, I thought I'd make my list for my blog, instead. Enjoy!

1. My 10 year anniversary of my baptism was over this past summer. So often, I reflect back on that sweet time in my life where I was discovering who Jesus is and what it meant to have a relationship with Him. I love to think about that special day when I gave my life to Jesus and the journey we've been on ever since.

2. I wish I could sing! I would audition for American Idol and make it to the finale where I'd sing some cheesy song I'm forced to sing while my mom cries from the front row because she's so proud of me!

3. Coaching cheerleading is my favorite thing I get to do during the day. The relationships I've made with my girls are incredible! I adore each of them - what a blessing that I get to build relationships with them while doing something so fun! After cheering from 4th grade through my senior year in college, I have a strong urge to cheer, tumble, stunt or dance most days when we are at practice- and I doubt that will ever go away!

4. Speaking of cheerleading, I wish I would've tried harder my last two years of college. I could have excelled more in tumbling, and wish I wouldn't have taken those years for granted.

5. I love cinnamon! Cinnamon toast, ice cream, rolls, pop tarts, bread, butter, candy, anything! I love it!!

6. I'm still not over the Brad Pitt-Jennifer Aniston breakup. I can't stand Brangelina!

7. Chuck Bass is my boyfriend.

8. My other boyfriends include: Seth Cohen (Adam Brody), McSteamy (Eric Dane), Chace Crawford and Kenny Chesney.

9. But my husband is Jeremy and I love him so much!

10. I'm addicted to Soft Lips chap stick! Vanilla is my favorite.

11. In my dream world I would own a scrapbooking store and write a book in my spare time! Scrapbooking and reading books are some of my favorite things!

12. Someday I will own a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes.

13. I love LSU football, and I still can't handle the disappointment when they lose.

14. I'm ridiculously afraid of heights.

15. I wish I was closer to my older brothers - they are SO cool!

16. I love the color pink - I want everyone to wear pink to my funeral.

17. I'm almost always cold, so I love really soft, big blankets. I could never have enough of them!

18. I'm sadly obsessed with playing Tetris on my iPhone right now. But, I'm really good at it!

19. I'm looking forward to one day being a Mom, but I'm terrified that I'll never lose that "baby/pregnancy weight" that comes along with it.

20. I love to read great quotes - I always walk slower through the sections at stores that have pictures with sayings or quotes on them

21. I don't like the sound of my voice - I think I sound manly!

22. When I turned 16, I spent the next year hitting 6 parked cars....the seventh car I hit was at least moving...

23. When I was in college, I wanted to get a teeny tiny nose ring, but my mom said she'd stop paying for college if I got one. I got over it pretty fast.

24. I love being 24! And I'm NOT sassy! :)

25. I wasn't a dog person until I got Bruiser - and the rest is history...

A Great Weekend

I always hope that Sunday evenings will go by so slowly so that Monday morning doesn't come quickly! We've had a relaxing weekend - I slept in until 11 yesterday, which was wonderful! Then, we went and saw a matinee of Marley and Me. We had just finished reading the book last week, and we both loved it! It was neat to read a book together, and then see the movie together.

We truly feel like our dog Charley is part "Marley." He just does all of these crazy, off the wall, bad behavior things. Like, last night at our friends house, he broke their dogs squeaky toy. In under two minutes, it was destroyed. It's like we have the "bad kid." Ha!

So, now, I'll go enjoy the remainder of my weekend by cooking dinner, playing with the crazy dog and watching TV!

The end of an era...

Yesterday, was the end of the Black Escape for me. Or as I like to call it, the Es-cape (with a french accent)! We traded it in and I got my very first "new car." It's exactly what I wanted, too. It's a Mazda CX-9, so it's larger than my Escape, but not as big as a suburban. The first time we test drove it, I looked in the backseat, where 5 passengers can ride, and said, "Look, Jeremy, we can have 5 kids!" He was not amused!

Anyway, the color is white diamond pearl, and its so beautiful! Maybe I'll post pictures of it, but not anytime soon! I'm still figuring out how to drive it and use all of the features in it. It's totally pimped out with navigation, DVD player, backup camera, heated seats (my fave) and more. It's pretty awesome, and the deal we got on it was even better! Shout out to Ahmed for selling us the car in only 4.5 hours. Yes, people, it took an eternity! There goes my Saturday!

I'm looking forward to several things this week, but most importantly, AMERICAN IDOL premieres! Season 8 is finally here and I couldn't be more excited!! I wonder which contestants I'll be voting for this season - I can hardly wait! Also looking forward to more Bachelor drama (bring it Shannon) and of course, Gossip Girl!

That about does it - have a great week!

Just Another Day...

Today was just another day, nothing incredibly exciting happened. There's really nothing wrong with that, it beats a fully dramatic, busy or emotional day!

I'm going to have to say that the most exciting thing that happened this week was definitely Gossip Girl on Monday! OMG! I love Blair and Chuck - and I am a big fan of his acting right now. I think the writers have done an excellent job portraying his grief - its not like he would get over Bart's death in a week or two (like Lily has). He's really going through a hard situation. It was sweet when he hugged B and all he could say was, "Sorry..." Pass the Kleenex - I love Chuck Bass!

Tonight, we are going car shopping again, so I may need to take a quick nap before we go. Why is it exhausting to car shop? Oh, that's right...because a bunch of people talk your ear off and judge you like crazy! That's why. I want to say, "Hey, I like this car. So, you give me the keys, I'll drive around and let you know what I think. Then tell me how much it is with the options I'd like. Thanks." As you know, this isn't the case...

That's all for now - Happy Wednesday!

A Few of My Favortie Things...

These are my amazing Varsity cheerleaders - aren't they adorable?
I love them so much!

Here is our new dog, Charley, with my nieces Bailey, 9, Alex, 4, and Drake, 7.
I love my nieces and nephew - they're the best and they make life so fun!

Ah - our honeymoon, we had the time of our lives!
Here we are on one of our snorkeling trips while staying on Peter Island, BVI.

Here are some of my favorite friends - Kim, Jenna and Jessica.
They are the best and I love them so much!

Why Brittney's Blog?

For months, I've wanted to start a blog. I'm not sure where the desire started - actually, I think it came from reading the Bachelor blog, and I decided, "Hey, I've got lots of fabulously random thoughts, too, I should start a blog." Besides random thoughts, I've also got opinions (who doesn't) on everything from my favorite TV shows and college football to current events and fashion. With a blog, I've got a place to collect all of the thoughts and then persuade my sweet friends to read them.

Besides, I've always loved to write. Since I can remember, I've enjoyed writing. Not all kinds of writing, though - I don't love to write about things I'm not passionate about. But, hey, when you want a career in communications, you've got to start somewhere. Hence, the stories about LNG and GTL projects, coal gasification, and technologies being developed that are beyond me. My dream is to be a writer, and actually get paid for it. Oh, the stories I would write - mostly fiction, of course.

But for now, I'll just write in my blog, and see how that goes. And I'll post about the exciting (and non-exciting) things I have going on.

Happy Reading (hopefully)!

Brittney