Year End Review 2011

What a year 2011 was!

I am grateful for all the amazing people in my life and all the opportunities both Brandon and I were given this year. I know I'm still a little behind, but I hope everyone had a fantastic 2011 and here's to an amazing, exciting, prosperous, life-changing 2012!

Our 2012 Highlights:
-Brandon got a new job
-Lisa got a new job
-Lisa got a new car
-We added Timmy to our family
- I ran my 2nd half marathon
-We had our first holiday with both sets of parents
-We took our first vacation together
-My best friend had a precious baby boy
-My Godson turned 1
-Girls trip to TAMU for football and fun!
-Dad turned 50! (Whoa!)
-Mom and Dad had their 30th anniversary!
-Oh - and we got engaged!!!!

Some of my favorite pictures from the year:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

Things I'm looking forward to in 2012:
-Buying a house
-Getting married!
-Going on my honeymoon
-Turning 7 - that's right - I have a real birthday this year!! Woo hoo!!
-Being done with wedding planning!!!!!!!!!
-Starting the rest of my life with the one I love

Resolutions:
How many of you make new year's resolutions? I don't like to call them resolutions so much as goals for the upcoming year. Some of my major goals I hope to accomplish are:
-Being a better blogger - I'm not off to the best start, but I'd like to start blogging more frequently. I really enjoy the outlet!
-Creating more! Thanks to pinterest I've been inspired and I'm proud to say that I am actually a pinner that can say: "I've made some of the things on my pinterest page!" There are so many great gift and craft ideas for the home and I'm excited about moving into our new home, so that I actually have some room to create and let my inspirations flow!
-Making healthier choices - this is really an ongoing goal. I'm always looking for easy, delicious ways to be healthier as well as finding fun, interactive ways to be more fit.
-With the last goal in mind, I've already come up with a fun way to keep active! 12-n-12! It's the year 2012 now and the past 2 years I've run a half marathon and done a couple of 5k's. My goal in 2012 is to run 12 races, with at least 1 being a half marathon! My first race of the year will be Jan. 28, which will be a 5k. Then another 5k in February - the color run...look it up! I can't wait!!!! March and April aren't scheduled just yet, because of trying to schedule my wedding showers, but I plan to get it all worked out this weekend! I'll probably also do the 10K at cowtown in Ft. Worth, the weekend before my real birthday! yay!
-Being the best I can be as a wife and a mom to our fur-babies! I'm always trying to improve myself and my home!

Make 2012 the best year yet! I think taking things back to simplicity is one of the most amazing things anyone can do! When you just stop, breathe, take in the moment and believe, the simplicity of life will overwhelm you!

Love,
Lisa

Wedding Registering and Dog Sitting for DUMMIES!

Yes, ladies and gentleman - you get a 2 for 1 deal today!

I've been itching to blog lately. Sooo much is going on these days. I know, I sound like a broken record...the busy little bee. I do love keeping busy, but I may have out done myself this time! B keeps me laughing through it all though. A little chat we had the other day went something like this:

B: Wow, honey...we have so much going on and so much to do...
L: Really....??? We?
B: Well, you sure do, so I feel like I do and I have to tell you, it stresses me out!

Hahahahaha. Comedic relief! I swear, I should really keep a blog just for some of the email/phone/text conversations we exchange sometimes...

A glimpse into our life recently:

-Wedding: We're registered! Well, mostly...I'll get to that in a moment.
-House: Operation BUY A HOUSE!!! I'm so excited! We have our realtor already and once we get our pre-approval, we'll officially begin the hunt! AHHHHH YEAHHHHH!!!!
-Dog-sitting...I'll get to that too
-Babies! Babies! BABIES!!: Holy baby fever....how could I NOT have it a little right now when I'm surrounded by them! haha. Mary had Andy and I got to meet him this weekend. It's a little ridiculous how perfect he is! I'm in love! Then there's my little Landon Love! He's almost 1!! I don't even know where the year went. He is starting to get a little mischievous and he has totally got it figured out that his handsome little smile will get him out of a lot! hahaha. I love it! Can't wait 'til his party! And not even a month after that, Emme turns 1! They grow up way too fast! (Disclaimer: Yes, I admitted to baby fever. No...THERE WILL BE NOT BE ANY LITTLE LISA'S OR BRANDON'S RUNNING AROUND ANY TIME SOON!)
-Anniversaries: Mom & Dad hit 30 years in October! :) We plan on spending the day wit them that weekend to celebrate! :)
-Friends: Brandon's buddy is coming to town in a couple of weeks to visit for the Arkansas/A&M game. We'll be tailgating again this year with the bus, so should be a good time! And - Lindsey will be in town for the OU/Texas game, so we plan to go to the fair together! Yippee!!
Then this week alone is Shecky's on Wednesday, Maroon 5 on Friday, Horseshoe Tourney on Saturday annnnnd company picnic on Sunday!
-Engagement Photos: October 23rd...can't wait!

(And that's the short version...)

Dog Sitting: Soooooo..I thought it'd be a great idea to dog sit the entire month of September. I'm not exaggerating...literally the entire month of September! When I say dog-sitting for dummies, I mean... don't dog-sit for a month! haha. Of course, this isn't something that happens often and I was glad to be able to help out both good friends that needed it, so it's no problem, but it has been an adventure! Gus and Walter were at the beginning of the month. Gus is my FAVORITE dog other than my two...he may actually be tied with Timmy... ;) He's a 130lb Rottweiler/lap dog! He had a seizure while I was over there one night and I about had a heart attack!! Luckily all is well and he's back to eating everything in sight and ramming his toosh in your face so that you'll scratch it, but it sure did freak me out!

His eyes don't normally glow like that... ;)

Now, I'm in McKinney watching Amanda's dogs. They're all pretty good...a little "chatty", but good. The drive is a kicker, but ya know... Klondike is Amanda's oldest dog. I can't remember how old exactly but probably about 14i-sh and he reminds me of Shellie when she was in her golden years. He's a little grumpy, but mostly just slow and snuggly and I love him! :)

Registering for Dummies: If you didn't already know Brides and/or Moms-to-be...Don't register at Target. I did, but I'm about to undo it and register elsewhere. Thanks to best friend, I discovered that their return policy is a nightmare! Another tidbit...if you're comfortable with it, register ONLINE!! We spent 3+ hours in Bed, Bath & Beyond and I don't even feel like we got through half the store. We left, I cam home and finished it up online AND included 2 other stores. So much less of a hassle and I didn't feel the pressure of possibly missing something. It was all right there for me. I've since been to the stores to check it out in person and loved it all just as much then. It's nice that now-a-days you can also update your registries online at any time!

Well - it was a long weekend! Soon I'll get pictures up of Andy, but for now I'm going to finish up my dinner and do some much deserved relaxing!

Salad offsets the wine, right? ;)

And one last thing...Lisa's Latest Like: Get a Kindle. I thought I'd hate it...best thing that I ever got...ahem, that Brandon ever got. Good thing we've already adapted the theory of "what's yours is mine". :)

I think I rambled a little tonight, but thanks for letting me get it all out! Whew!

Upcoming: Football thoughts, Crock-Pots and DIY projects...oh, and pictures...hopefully lots and lots of pictures! :)

Peace out!

Lisa

T.G.I.F.

Ahh, the good old days of TGIF on ABC. I miss those Friday nights! ;)

Instead, tonight I will be hanging out with little little sis, packing for a quick trip to Houston to visit baby Andy (yes, he's here...more details to follow) and prepping to get my craft on. Pinterest has spiked my desire to get a little more crafty, so I'll be making some gifts for upcoming events/parties and we'll see how it goes! Becca will be helping, so that's a plus since she got WAY more of the artistic gene then I did!

Have a great weekend everyone! I hope to update more soon! :) In the meantime...the wedding page is up and is still very much a work in progress, but hey...it's a start! ;) http://brandonandlisa.wedquarters.com/

Lunch Break = Blog Catch-Up!

It seems like all of these blogs are just "catch-up" sessions now. It's crazy how fast time flies by!

 

Where to begin?

 

Wedding Planning:

 

Some things I've learned....

 

1. If I have daughter's one day, I will HIGHLY encourage destination weddings! With that being said - here's to having boys!

 

2. DIY projects seem like a lot of fun and somehow they are all "just 4-10 easy steps", yet they NEVER turn out like those pictures!

 

3. In reference to above - video tutorials are much more effective (still not 100%)

 

4. All boys care about (ie Dad and Brandon) is whether or not the girls (mom, me and sisters) are fighting and when the cake tastings are.

 

5. There are too many options...I feel like I'm in an endless sea of veils, shoes, cake designs, dresses, flowers, centerpieces, invitations, dj's..oh my!

6. There's something called a house party - and I'm going to have one! ;) http://bellsandbouquets.blogspot.com/2010/01/whats-house-party-and-what-do-they-wear.html (I had intentions on dedicating a full blog on this subject matter, however time has been about as scarce as rain or sub 100 degree weather in Dallas, lately, so read about it if you care to know more!) The members of said house party have yet to be notified.

 

7. Which leads me to, yes, people do ask if they can be in your wedding/invited to your wedding. I'm not talking about a friend saying "um, am I going to be in the wedding", but people actually saying "can my kids be your ring bearer/flower girl" or "need an extra bridesmaid?" or "We're invited, right?!?!" A-W-K-W-A-R-D. I'm almost certain there is an etiquette pertaining to these things...people should read up on that kind of stuff!

 

8. Don't sign a contract too soon! We got luck with getting our deposit back from the first venue we chose. We're now officially contracted with the Las Colinas Country Club and I couldn't be happier! It's Ah-mazing!

 

 

9. I know how people make full time livings off of planning these events and I should really consider a career change/starting up a business, because stuff really shouldn't be as expensive as some of these places make it! I would make a killing in the wedding business.

 

10. I'm so glad I know that B is without a doubt THE ONE because I am NEVER putting my self through this mess again! ha.

 

I've already notified the girls that will be my bridesmaids. My sisters, my cousin Alyssa and of course Mary will be my MOH. Brandon knows 3 of the 4, so we'll wait to make that announcement! haha. And yes, as I mentioned I will be having a house party to honor and recognize all the amazing girl friends that I have who have been there through it all and if Brandon had, hmmm...15ish(?) really close guy friends, they'd be bridesmaids! haha. They haven't been told who they are yet, so still TBA.

 

August is booked up, September is starting to and there's already 2 weekends in October even that we have plans (one of which will be our engagement session). Last weekend was Mary's Mansfield Baby Shower.

 

 

Mary = Super Cute Preggo!

Got to see a couple of old friends from high school and college and it was SOOOO great seeing Mary (and Andy) and getting to spend some time with the Bridges! The Houston shower is in 2 weeks! This weekend coming up is Chris and Kayla's wedding in Waco! I'm super excited as I know it will be a blast. They are 2 blasts in a glass, so it's 2x the fun really. And there's sure to be some fist pumping, so really, you can't ask for a better time! haha.

 

 

Brandon's b-day was this week. I've been bursting trying to keep in the surprise b-day gift I got him/us. We had dinner at the Dallas Executive Airport and THEN...went on a sight-seeing FLIGHT over Dallas! We were in one of those teeeeeny tiiiiiny airplanes, but neither one of us were nervous. It was something fun and different and way better then cologne and a dvd, I'm sure! ;) PLUS we had perfect timing with the sunset and I got some really incredible pictures!

 

Much prettier when I'm not in one of those buildings! ;)

Pretty awesome pic, if I do say so myself! Got so lucky with the sunset!

Legit! ;)

 

Last night we met up with some friends at Fuzzy's Tacos to celebrate! I hope he had a great bday and I hope B has a great last year of his 20's. Dun dun dunnnnnnnnnnnn! Next year he'll be married and turning 30! haha.

 

B had 2 interviews today, so our fingers are crossed! Also excited bc I got my new running shoes yesterday and the countdown to half marathon #3 has begun! White Rock in December! :) Ya know...cuz I have tons of time to run! ;)

 

Well, my lunch break is about up, so there ya have it!

I Scream, You Scream, We all Scream for Ice Cream!

Or yogurt in my case. Today was national ice cream day. Who knew?! I'm not a major sweet lover, but boy oh boy do I love me some ice cream, or frozen yogurt. You know those ideas you come across where you think "Why didn't I have that idea?!?" I think that every time I go into a do-it-yourself frozen yogurt shop. The ones where you pick your flavor and your own toppings and they charge you by weight! Oh man, I'd be rich right now! In honor of national ice cream day, we decided to splurge a little and go for some froyo at one of our favorite's: Tutti Frutti. It comes second to Yogurt Mountain in Little Rock! So delicious! I top mine like a 5 year old with sprinkles, gummy bears and nerds. B usually just puts some sort of chocolatey candy topping in his. Ew. ;) He already mixed his up before the picture, but he had reese's pieces today. It was the perfect ending to a pretty great day and weekend!

I can't believe I'm writing 2 posts in 1 day, but I have a feeling it may turn into a pretty busy week and so I figured I'd finish getting everything out that I didn't have time to write this morning. 

First order of business: Harry Potter! We said a final and bittersweet farewell! :( I cried...like 3 times. There wasn't much emphasis on the sadder parts of the story, but I just knew that each scene was a step closer to the end. I really enjoyed it though and thought it was very well done. We decided to go see it in IMAX 3-D. Welllllll...apparently people were still waiting in line 2 hours early even on this Sunday afternoon so we were stuck in the front row. By the end I had a head, neck and back ache. And even with the constant chatter of our theater neighbors, it still managed to be fun. *On Soap Box* Can I just say that I have no tolerance for rude movie-goers?!? Oh man, not much irks me more then chatters, bag rustlers and phone users during a movie. *Off Soap Box*

As promised...some pictures from last night's girls night! We really did have a lot of fun watching and even participating a bit. Karaoke is never a dull time! Neither is any time spent with Shannon, Alina and Kelsey. Heather probably thinks my friends are nuts, but they kinda are! It's why we get along so famously! :) 

Heather and Me!

Was playing with my photo editor...

No telling...

Shannon and Me

Alina, Heather and Me

We need to get out more often! ;)

Wedding Planning Update: Mom and I are going to the Dallas Bridal Fair the last weekend in July. I'm pretty excited about getting some ideas and checking out some vendors. We have a deposit on our venue, but haven't signed the contract yet. Dare we peek at some other venues while we're there? Hmmm...maybe. ;) I love our place for the reception, but it really wasn't meant for ceremonies. We definitely want a one-stop shop though with all of the out-of-towners, so we'll just have to see what happens. Colors are picked, centerpieces picked and I got my shoes for the big day. OMG - I am in love with them. :) I'll be telling all the details about the bridal party soon too, so stay tuned! 

That's all for now! Sweet dreams and I hope you all have a fantastic week! :) 

Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries

Another week has come and gone....time seems to be flying by lately and it seems like there is ALWAYS so much to do!

I'm not going to lie; it's been a bit of a stressful week! Brandon and I have been talking about making a move to Northwest Arkansas. Without getting into all the details of it, we've talked quite a bit about it and it seems as if it could be a good move for us. There are tons of jobs in the area, but turns out,  out-of-state hiring isn't ideal for most employers. It's been an interesting experience so far, but we're just scratching the surface of it. Still doing some research, checking out places we could live, etc, so we'll see what happens. Between that, work, pups, trying to maintain a social life, planning a baby shower and planning a wedding, I'm not too proud to say it's kind of kicking my butt right now. But, it's a part of life and I'm excited to see where it all leads.

Yes, I did mention a baby shower in the mix. My best friend Mary has a bun in the oven! Come October I'll be self-acclaimed, honorary Aunt Lisa to Andrew Keith Stagner, aka Andy! I hate living so far from her for this whole experience and I can't wait to see her at the shower in August! My sister and I made the invitations and they look fantastic! I'll have to post pictures of them after the event...Mary doesn't know where the shower is yet, so can't spoil the surprise! ;) It's been a nice distraction from wedding planning though and I'm really excited to see it all come together! Don't get any ideas, but baby stuff is so much fun to look at!

It's been a week of friends and family too. On Tuesday night I got to go to dinner with my friend Amanda and her son Landon (my Godson). It's incredible how fast he is growing up and he somehow manages to get cuter and cuter every time! I can't believe he'll be 1 soon! It was great catching up and I got to see Amanda's new cassia. OMG! Hello gorgeous house!!

My cousin is in town this weekend. We hung out with my mom and sisters on Friday night and then stayed up until 4am catching up. Just like when we were kids. Saturday we took our "neighborhood grandma" and met up with my mom's friend and her mother and went to play bingo! My mom invited us to go, so we figured, why not? Out of the 6 of us, we didn't win a penny! Got close a bunch, but no luck. It was a lot of fun though! Some of those people mean serious business! I had no idea how advanced bingo has become - they now have electronic computer tabs that more or less play for you. You only have to hit one button every time a number is called....I figure sooner or later they'll have an app you can download at the bingo hall and you can just play on your phone!

Mom and Adida

Beth and her mom,  Florence

These people seriously had like 12 machines between the 4 of them, but hey, they won 3 or 4 times!

What can I say? I'm easily impressed...

After our adventures in bingo, we went out for dinner and some karaoke with the gals. Pictures will come soon!

On a random side note, my new favorite app is Instagram! Follow me: larosso06! I'm pretty sure everyone knows about it by now, but if you don't get it! A picture I took today with my phone inspired the title of today's post! :)

Life is just a bowl of cherries! :)

Our watch dog!

This doesn't happen often...had to snap a pick!

Time to get this day going! Can't wait to see Harry Potter this afternoon...the end is going to be so bittersweet!!!! (Go ahead with the nerd jokes...I can handle it! ;) )

shopping, golfing and a little red, white and blue

First and foremost...thank you to all the men and women serving in our military. Love or hate war and the reasons/politics involved, they are all dedicated to freedom and it's a dedication that I admire!

I was also thankful for the 3-day weekend. It's always nice to have a little breather. It was a bit of a busier weekend then I had anticipated, but it was good none-the-less.

How do I know I'm getting older? I was tickled silly to babysit my Godson. No movies, dancing, socializing for me this Friday night. Just some cooing and baby talking to my sweet little Landon. He's 7 months now and it's crazy how fast they grow up. Amanda and I get together at least once a month so that I can see him and so that her and I can catch up, but it's just not enough. Their anniversary was last week so I insisted upon letting them have a date night and on her letting B and me babysit! Now - this was the most interesting part, bring Brandon along. He's always resisted any opportunity for baby holding when it comes to hanging out with my friends and the babies they all keep having, so I was very interested to see how he would be once it was just us and the baby. Well...a picture is worth a thousand words they say, so without further ado...

Boys...

In da faaaaaace.

Needless to say - they bonded!

I was really happy to see how great Brandon was with Landon. It was pretty cute. It's hard not to have fun with Landon though...I mean...he's seriously the happiest baby I've ever met. He's gonna be a heartbreaker too. Mommas of baby girls ages 0-1yr beware...he'll get 'em with these eyes...

I got to hang out with him some too though! :) 

Successful Friday night if I do say so myself!

Saturday, I left B to fend for himself and I headed to A-town to do a little shopping with momma and spend time with the fam. Dad and I went to see Fast Five. We've seen every Fast and Furious movie together (just like we see every Transformers and Batman movies together too) and as Becca put it - I'm a great son! ha. Sunday was a pretty relaxing day. We took Chloe to the dog park, relaxed around the house some and then went to Top Golf with friends. I'll have those pics later. Today we went back to A-town to hang out with the fam again - both of us this time and we had a delish dinner complete with red, white and blue cake, thanks to Becca. It was yum!

So now another week lays before us. Fortunately only 4 days of it. Lots to get done in this next week though! Need to start prepping for my nursing entrance exam, get my class schedule for next semester lined up, get some shopping and cleaning done and hopefully squeeze in some social time. It always feels as if there's something to do, but hey...better then always being bored. And we can sleep when we're dead. :)