Jodie B's B-day

The Birthday Girl!

(Hairstyle courtesy of Aubrey)

It just so happens, that two of my very favorite people in the world have their birthdays one day apart. Today is my friend Jodie's birthday! (We won't post her age, though. Not that she's old ... she's still very young and very fun!)

Jodie is an amazing person and I admire her so much. She is a fantastic mother and is raising two perfect children.

Jodie is a wonderful friend! She's been a great example to me and has blessed my life so much!

Unfortunately, she had to move away. We all remember THIS POST where I blubbered all about it. But, looking on the bright side, it gives me a place to visit! I've already done so once (click here for the recap and pictures) and I plan to do it again in the near future. I just wish I could be there to celebrate your birthday, Jodie. I hope it is a fantastic day and that you get to eat a VERY yummy dessert!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JODIE!!

Ryan is a Teenager!

The Birthday Boy!

... Except that picture was taken on Ryan's 3rd Birthday, and now he is 13! My baby brother is entering TEENAGEDOM. I can't believe it. In honor of the big milestone, I thought I'd share some pictures of Ryan's life so far.

Ryan was absolutely the cutest baby you've ever seen. He was so happy and giggled ALL THE TIME! He was so fun to cuddle and squeeze ... and you'd have to squeeze him tightly if you wanted to keep hold of him. He was so squirmy that became his nickname. I called him "squirmy" and "squirms" until just a couple years ago, when I realized that I was probably embarrassing him.

Below, Clockwise from Top: Brad, Nicole, Ryan and Me at the zoo when Ryan was 1

Ryan and I have always had a special bond. We even shared a room from when he was 2 to when he was 4 years old. (It was when I first moved back to S.A. and moved back in with my mom for a couple years.)

Seriously, look at that adorable face:
We've done lots of fun things together! I took him to DisneyWorld when he was 9:
Here we are at a Switchfoot concert when he was 12:
And now, he's growing up so fast! He's into skateboarding and music these days. And I'm not as cool as I used to be. He's informed me that my ipod list is "so last year".

Above: Before the haircut last month

Below: After the haircut with my sister, Nicole.

This is definitely an interesting time with lots of middle-school challenges. But no matter how old he gets, I'll always love him SOOO much and he'll always be my baby brother.

Happy Birthday, Ryan!

A Decade Ago

Today marks a somber anniversary for me. Ten years ago on this day, January 14th, my dad passed away. I have so many emotions that it's hard for me to express them. First of all, I cannot believe an entire decade has passed. It's strange to think about how different my life was back then. It's even stranger to try and imagine how different my life would be today if he were still here. He'd be 68 years old and I probably wouldn't be living in San Antonio; the only reason I moved back home was because he was sick. I'm so thankful that I did.

Here are a few photos of my dad:

I was definitely a "daddy's girl" when I was little.

My parents about 5 years before he died.
My mom thought my dad was the best dancer.

It's one of the things she misses most about him.

This was my family at my college graduation -- less than two years before he died. My dad was just starting to show symptoms, but had not yet been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease).

It's bizarre that most of the people in my life today never knew him. So I thought I'd share a few facts about my dad. First of all, he was hilarious and goofy. I definitely inherited my sense of humor from my dad. (I also inherited his cleft chin.) He was equally self-deprecating and self-admiring -- my family loved to mimic the faces he made when he was combing his hair in the mirror. He was very impulsive -- one time he got into a car crash and when the cops showed up to take the report, he had already walked across the street to a car dealership to look for a new car. He was strong and athletic -- he played football at Texas Tech and then with the Philadelphia Eagles. But he wasn't just a jock; he was also very hard working and ambitious. He had a Master's Degree and had completed all but a few hours on his Doctorate Degree. My dad had several careers in his lifetime. He started out playing professional football, and then he went into the management side. He owned a couple of minor-league football teams in San Antonio and then was GM of the USFL team here. He was also a college counselor, a teacher, and a special education coach for middle school and high school kids. And in his final business pursuit, he started his own nutritional supplement company. These are all things my dad would have wanted me to mention about himself. :)

Unfortunately, we were both very stubborn and didn't always get along. I have lots of regrets about our relationship, which I think makes the ache deeper and more complex. But I value the time I had with him and am especially grateful that I moved home to help care for him in the final months of his life. I admire him and love him and still miss him. I am the person I am today because of AND in spite of my father.

Resolved- REVISED

Welcome to 2009!

So, I've been debating what to write for my first post of the year. At first, I didn't want to publish my resolutions because I felt like they were too personal to be paraded before the masses (or even the fews), but then I thought, "Who better to share my goals with than my blogging buddies who love and support me, right?" I don't think I made any resolutions for 2008. I really hate to fail -- so often when I'm afraid of failure, I just don't try. There is no fail when you haven't tried. (I should put that on a bumper sticker.) Just kidding. It's a terrible personal creed and one that I'm trying to conquer by putting these goals in writing and making them public.

Goals for 2009:

Physical (Edited: Details Deleted)

Spiritual (Edited: Details Deleted)

Financial (Edited: Details Deleted)

Emotional/Social (Edited: Details Deleted)

EDITED TO ADD: So ... ever since I blogged about my goals, I haven't been comfortable. I felt overexposed -- kind of like that nightmare where you go to school/work and realize you're naked. So - I've decided to delete the specifics. I've written them down elsewhere for myself. The following statement still stands:

So, there. I'm resolved. I'm committed. I'm motivated. Onward.