tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38464882012-01-29T16:56:57.042-06:00Amanda's ThoughtsThis is a page for me to vent my frustrations and talk about my problems without having to pay some psychiatrist $100/hr. Some may be humorous, others may be annoying, and even some may be depressing. Read at your own risk!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.comBlogger3711100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-80774516031814672852012-01-29T16:56:00.004-06:002012-01-29T16:56:57.055-06:00
Megan and Dad rescuing our blind cat Blinker from the roof...he's only got one eye that he can barely see out of and sometimes forgets he can't just do whatever he wants. :)
Megan playing our version of "washers"...it was all we had to work with
Nathan getting ready to grill the steaks in outdoor kitchen
Mom and Nan sitting by the fire in the outdoor kitchen
Setting Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-23926837552421058842011-12-29T10:29:00.001-06:002011-12-29T10:29:17.760-06:00
Nathan and his parents going to church on Christmas Eve
Nathan and me on our way to church
Nathan's mom and me with the stocking she made for me
Nathan's Dad, cousin Emily, Nathan, me and his mom on Christmas
Bella and me getting ready to watch the Longhorns play in the Holiday Bowl
CHRISTMAS WITH THE COOKSEYS
On Wednesday, the 21st of December, Nathan's parents flewAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-70809944231827042182011-12-17T16:54:00.000-06:002011-12-17T16:54:01.446-06:00
My parents holding their gifts from us
Nan holding up her gift
Nathan opening up a few of his gifts from my parents
A Tommy Hilfiger sweater I helped my mom pick out for Nathan
CHRISTMAS WITH MY PARENTS
We have been spending Thanksgiving with my parents since last year and will probably do it again next year because we spend Christmas with Nathan's family. Ever since my Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-30919597659856811272011-12-09T20:47:00.001-06:002011-12-09T21:00:45.154-06:00
This picture would have been so much better if the waitress hadn't made it blurry :(
Compliments of the chef....and I actually only ate one small bite of it which is shocking since I love dessert!
In front of the Christmas tree at Old Hickory
FIRST ANNIVERSARY
We celebrated our first wedding anniversary on December 4th with a nice, cozy dinner at home since it was a Sunday night Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-5411915209659237662011-11-28T12:57:00.001-06:002011-11-28T13:09:18.457-06:00
Chase giving his "best friend" Megan flowers
This is pretty much what my dad did a lot of the time
Sitting outside by the firepit
Mom, Dad, and Nan getting ready to watch the Texas vs A&M game
Thanksgiving Sunset
Hayley and Trey aka "soon to be Mr. and Mrs. Murphy" in March 2012
THANKSGIVING AT THE LAKE
On Wednesday morning, Nathan, my sister Megan and I made the Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-25515320835631703372011-11-13T14:49:00.001-06:002011-11-13T15:16:09.056-06:00
Copenhagen
Kronborg Castle
The Viking - Denmark's version of King Arthur
Eating dinner in Kronborg Castle
View from my hotel room
Walking around the pedestrian area of Copenhagen
BUSINESS TRIP TO COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
A few months ago, my manager nominated me to be one of two US representatives to go to a training near our global headquarters in Copenhagen.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-70948620151692057822011-10-31T15:15:00.002-05:002011-10-31T15:15:09.121-05:00ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR CANCER CRUSADE
I can't remember if I posted the final amount we raised for the MP Cancer Crusade after expenses were taken out so I thought I would use this post to tell you! Nancy and I went to MP last Friday to present the Cancer Center with a check for $7500! It was less than we raised last year but considering the economy, we were pretty happy with this amount. Plus,Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-77505997320846593712011-10-17T18:22:00.002-05:002011-10-17T18:22:43.570-05:00OFFICIAL DIAGNOSIS
I went to my GI doctor last Thursday morning as a follow up to my endoscopy and colonoscopy that I had done back in September, and it was also the appointment that was supposed to give me an official diagnosis. Well, it's official, alright...I have irritable bowel syndrome. It's something that has become a lot more common over the last few years and something that affects Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-34020338324037447102011-10-06T11:26:00.002-05:002011-10-06T11:26:41.156-05:00
NEW TRUCK FOR NATHAN
As you can see from the pictures above, we are now the proud owners of a silver 2010 Ford F150...not something we planned having just bought a house but something we knew was going to happen at some point. Nathan had a 13 year old Acura RL that he loved and that was in relatively great shape considering its age. It had 136,000 miles on it and was started to Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-59636772914326671852011-09-26T21:07:00.004-05:002011-09-26T21:07:49.097-05:00
My cousins Brittny and Hayley were our timekeepers
My sister and cousins with me
My mom and grandmother (aka Nan)
And the race begins
The winners and honorable mentions
CANCER CRUSADE 2011
On Saturday, September 24, 2011, we had our 4th annual Mt. Pleasant Cancer Crusade at Dellwood Park. We had great weather (much better than last year when it poured down rain) and Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-11457378871646124782011-09-21T12:32:00.001-05:002011-09-21T12:32:19.354-05:00GETTING SOME ANSWERS...AND RULING SOME THINGS OUT
Well, as you all know, for the past two months, I have been having off and on stomach issues. I would say that the uncomfortable feeling in my stomach is pretty constant but all of the other symptoms seem to come and go....with some days obviously being better than others. I am so ready to feel normal again and really hope that it will happenAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-83651969949969279312011-08-30T18:55:00.004-05:002011-08-30T19:13:44.753-05:00Upstairs living area
Sitting room/formal living room downstairs
Master bathroom
Guestroom all ready for guests
Downstairs den
Kitchen
Backyard
Front of the house
Master bedroom
NEW HOUSE
So Nathan and I had been looking at houses online on realtor.com and hadn't really planned to go into full house hunting mode until next spring. But then we came across this awesome house at a great deal so Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-56747028594396022952011-08-21T20:34:00.002-05:002011-08-21T20:43:51.290-05:00STOMACH ISSUES
Well, for the past three weeks, I have been dealing with stomach issues off and on. It started off as something similar to what I have had before....little nausea, some chills and diarrhea. It normally only lasts one night and then I feel better the next day. Well, about a week after the first episode (at least the first one I had had in a few months), I was in Florida and Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-45957133381629649692011-08-15T18:08:00.003-05:002011-08-15T18:19:33.858-05:00A storm created a mini sandbar for us to put our chairs on
Our house is the middle one
Chase told Megan she is his "best buddy"
One of several storms we had during the week...each one would only last about 30 minutes
Dad and Steve at dinner
Luan, Brittny, Mom and me
The "Celebration" house we have rented for 3 yrs straight and have again next year
The group at Hog's Breath Saloon for dinner
I Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-24938607940964184162011-08-04T15:44:00.002-05:002011-08-04T15:52:04.906-05:00Megan, Mom and me before Melissa Taylor's receptionNathan and me before the receptionEnjoying some grilled steaks at home with my birthday wineMy parents on the dance floor at the receptionTHE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKSTwo weeks ago, we had a weekend without much going on, which has been pretty rare this summer. So we decided to take advantage by grilling some great steaks and opening the bottle of Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-10542727332202370562011-07-16T12:21:00.002-05:002011-07-16T12:31:38.013-05:00Nathan's embroidered chef jacket and the Weber Grilling CookbookWhat Bella and Molly did while we were cooking the birthday dinnerThe finished product: chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, gravy and sweet peasNATHAN'S 31ST BIRTHDAYOn July 13th, Nathan turned 31 years old....yes, that means he is a year younger than me but we won't get into that right now. I had ordered his birthday gift a Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-41169108299886179972011-07-06T10:55:00.001-05:002011-07-06T11:06:30.230-05:00Our dog Bella and me in my parents' poolJULY 4TH IN MPWell, the picture above is the only one I took all weekend because when I got out my camera, it would not turn on....and then I realized that the battery was dead. Ugh. So I had Nathan take this one with his iPhone because I thought it was funny that Bella was content sitting on the float like a person. :) On Friday afternoon, Nathan Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-86547138410850403102011-06-16T18:31:00.002-05:002011-06-16T18:55:20.296-05:00Getting ready to go into surgeryDrinking the disgusting oral contrast for the CT scanWhat Nathan got to eat while I was sound asleep after surgery...I know, it's not fairUNEXPECTED APPENDECTOMYSo last Tuesday, I came home from the gym and I told Nathan that I thought I pulled a muscle in my right side. I thought I did it while I was on the torso machine trying to perfect my awesome abs (haha).Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-55403578201344545122011-06-06T09:06:00.003-05:002011-06-06T09:20:26.475-05:00Reagan and me at Hey CupcakeAll of the trailers on South Congress next to Hey CupcakeHomemade chicken pot pieOne of my very favorite winesMY BIRTHDAYOn Friday, I drove to Austin for the weekend because I was a hostess for the baby shower for Tracy, one of my best friends from college. I didn't take many pictures because my friend Kate was taking enough on her own and she is always really good Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-46976897858274368882011-06-01T11:06:00.002-05:002011-06-01T11:16:17.810-05:00Megan and Chase waiting on the crawfish to be readyNathan and meThe men working hard on the crawfish boilMom and Luan hanging out in the kitchenSome of the finished product: crawfish, corn, potatoes, mushrooms and sausageMEMORIAL DAY 2011Nathan, Megan and I got up early on Saturday morning and drove to Lake Conroe to meet up with my mom, aunt, uncle, and cousins for a weekend at their lakehouse.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-26342582515252733082011-05-24T12:26:00.002-05:002011-05-24T12:31:07.435-05:00Roadrunner on the deckMolly staring it downROADRUNNERA few weeks ago, Nathan and I thought we saw what looked like a roadrunner in the front yard of a house down the street from us, but since this isn't the natural habitat for one, we thought we must be wrong. Well, yesterday, I was working from home and I hear Molly making some weird meow sound at the window so I went to see what she was doingAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-89555951830430674502011-05-07T10:09:00.002-05:002011-05-07T10:22:22.466-05:00Plane crash scene from "War of the Worlds" with Tom CruiseMore of the same sceneFilming on the set of "Desperate Housewives"UNIVERSAL STUDIOSOn Wednesday, I had to go to Los Angeles for an Investigator Meeting for a new study I have been assigned for work. Investigator Meetings are usually somewhat boring and informative since it is where they usually explain the protocol and expectations to Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-42702187321849623052011-04-30T11:11:00.002-05:002011-04-30T11:24:16.060-05:00Downtown Winnsboro in East TexasMy favorite flowers in my yard that only bloom in the spring - amaryllisMy cute dog Sophie who has lived with my parents since I moved from MemphisBUSY APRILI realize I have not blogged in a few weeks but it's been pretty busy this month. I haven't taken many pictures but I decided to upload the ones I did....I promise to be better about using my camera! The Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-19708371659157347242011-04-07T10:58:00.002-05:002011-04-07T11:03:47.316-05:00MP CANCER CRUSADE 2011We have finalized the date for the 2011 MP Cancer Crusade and I wanted to tell everyone early so you can mark your calendars! It will be at 8AM on Saturday, September 24th at Dellwood Park. We have a lot of work to do between now and then and so if anyone wants to volunteer to help out, we would love to have you join our team! Mary Katherine Milam will not be a Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-80474721242302497672011-03-30T08:16:00.002-05:002011-03-30T08:20:46.829-05:00
Back in January, Nathan and I went to MP for MLK weekend. My aunt, uncle, and cousins also made the trip so that we could all spend time with our grandfather while he still knows who we all are....and with Alzheimer's Disease, you never know how long you have until that's gone. But even though the reason we were all together was sad, we still had a great time. Nathan got me the MichaelAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-4462591929884506952011-03-20T15:42:00.000-05:002011-03-20T15:46:14.349-05:00
Here is the video of the dolphins in South Carolina :)Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-49241068808118439002011-03-19T11:56:00.004-05:002011-03-19T12:20:39.697-05:00Riding bikes in the neighborhoodGoing for a ride on Nathan's Dad's boatThe dolphins got so close to the boat...they were very friendly!The River Clubhouse in the Cooksey's neighborhoodCarriage ride in Beaufort, SCThey have some beautiful historic homes in Beaufort that date back to the Civil WarGoing to play some basketball at the Sports ClubThe leftovers from Paula Dean'sDelicious chicken pot Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-80652149450201930622011-03-12T15:01:00.001-06:002011-03-12T15:02:26.006-06:00Just had to take a picture of Molly sleeping with her little mouse with her tongue sticking outShe was very cozy in her bed I guessAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-77318854284422250772011-02-14T11:45:00.002-06:002011-02-14T11:53:31.449-06:00VALENTINE'S WEEKENDI am not a huge fan of Valentine's Day...sure, I love the excuse to eat chocolate but that's about it. I don't really see the point of being forced into getting presents--I would much rather be surprised on a random day with flowers or a card or my favorite meal cooked for me. Sarah feels similar to me and so we made plans to have dinner at her house with our husbands on Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-25836023160848907392011-01-26T17:36:00.004-06:002011-01-26T18:02:24.185-06:00A YEAR OF BIG CHANGES....2010 was both a great year and a sad year for me. Of course, the best thing that happened was that I married my best friend and the love of my life....something that I honestly wasn't sure was in the cards for me after being single for so long. I am looking forward to so many great things that my marriage to Nathan will bring to me and yes, that includes children---Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-27555420670609735422011-01-21T17:29:00.003-06:002011-01-21T17:33:19.313-06:00SCAN CLEAR AGAIN!It is always crazy to me how fast 6 months go by....but I get reminded each time I have to get my scans and bloodwork done again to check for any kind of cancer return. I definitely still get nervous even though I have officially been cancer free for 1.5 years (and gone 2 years without treatment), but it's not as bad as it was for the first follow up scan I ever had. I try toAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-25897818347956965482010-12-29T13:24:00.002-06:002010-12-29T13:42:25.185-06:00Full moonThe view from our room of the beachA surprise that our butlers did for us while we were at dinner one nightNathan relaxing on the beachPlaying shuffleboardThe main building of the resortAnother view from our room!HONEYMOONWe didn't take our honeymoon until two weeks after the wedding. Nathan needed to finish his first semester of graduate school along with work and I needed to get Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-64082622931444726242010-12-27T10:33:00.004-06:002010-12-27T10:51:25.856-06:00Leaving the receptionMy family and friends singing "You're in Love" by Wilson Phillips to us...can you say embarrassing?ReceptionMy familyNathan's familyReading the card Nathan wrote to me before the ceremonyWEDDING PICTURESI have been waiting to write a new post because I wanted to have the wedding pictures to go along with it. I finally got them on Christmas Eve! :) We had a very pretty Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-55251276138958788462010-11-28T20:18:00.002-06:002010-11-28T20:23:40.210-06:00Playing our annual Thanksgiving Day game of spadesDad and Nathan in the outdoor kitchenChase cheesing for the cameraMom and her brother SteveTHANKSGIVING 2010Nathan and I went to Mt. Pleasant on Wednesday to spend the Thanksgiving weekend with my family. My uncle, aunt and cousins drove in on Wednesday night and we all got to hang out with each other until we left on Saturday morning. We ate Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-30386499802449677452010-11-21T09:57:00.002-06:002010-11-21T10:04:02.042-06:00GAYLORD TEXANLast night, Nathan and I decided to go on our final date night before our wedding. With Thanksgiving being next week and then people coming into town for our wedding shortly after, we won't have time to go out just the two of us again before the big day. So, we treated ourselves to a really nice dinner at Old Hickory Steakhouse in the Gaylord Texan. I have been there a few Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-50669888688979816402010-11-01T16:42:00.002-05:002010-11-01T16:50:55.714-05:00Mom, Sheila, Carla, Kelly and me at the Baker's ranchMegan, Mom and mePretty sunsetMP Cancer Crusade Check PresentationSHORT TRIP TO MT. PLEASANTOn Thursday afternoon, I drove to Mt. Pleasant so that I could be there to present the $10,000 check to the Cancer Center from the Cancer Crusade. This year, we dedicated the full amount to the cancer center instead of splitting it with St. Jude and asAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-8824743145847984002010-10-28T09:07:00.004-05:002010-10-28T09:18:21.430-05:00Julie and meNathan's parents (Ben and Janet) with Nathan and meSouthridge Lakes ClubhouseCOUPLES SHOWERLast Saturday, Nathan's parents' friends hosted a couple's shower for us at the Southridge Lakes Clubhouse in Southlake. The Cookseys flew in from South Carolina on Thursday and stayed with us until Monday. It was so nice to see them and I know Nathan was very happy to have his parents Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-3424375482586637622010-10-20T15:39:00.002-05:002010-10-20T15:54:26.040-05:00Sarah, Kate, KJ, Nichole and Megan having lunch at Bam's in Lago VistaThe outfit and makeup my friends forced me to wear on Saturday nightMy sister Megan, my cousin Brittny and me all dressed up in 80s gearMy childhood friends Sarah, Lockie, McCall and NicholeMy college friends Kate, Reagan, McCall and KJBACHELORETTE PARTYFor my bachelorette party, I wanted to do a very low key, laid back weekendAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-90160425628734806342010-09-28T19:00:00.002-05:002010-09-28T19:14:04.342-05:00Megan, Brittny, Hayley and meWorthie and meThe hostesses that were able to attend the showerLockie, Mary Katherine, Nancy, Sarah, Carrie and McCall - all of the MP girlsNan, Mom, Luan and meMom and meWEDDING SHOWER IN MT. PLEASANTI went to MP on Thursday night for a very busy, fun-filled weekend. First, I had the Cancer Crusade and when I get the pictures from Kaye (our photographer who happensAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-13303385016696034122010-09-07T19:28:00.002-05:002010-09-07T19:43:44.761-05:00Nathan's first day of grad schoolThe finished smoked pork shoulder...it looks burned but that is the "bark"Nathan's version of jalapeno poppers - jalapenos, cream cheese, smoked sausage and baconPulled pork sandwiches, baked beans and potato saladWe still had this much left over!FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL AND LABOR DAY WEEKENDFor those of you who don't know, Nathan has enrolled into the master's programAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-8817938412260490262010-08-29T18:44:00.003-05:002010-08-29T18:52:55.173-05:00IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN....MP CANCER CRUSADE 2010Nancy, Mary Katherine and I have been working on the MP Cancer Crusade over the last few months and things are now starting to get in high gear. Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 25 at Dellwood Park in Mt. Pleasant!!!! We had our Corporate Sponsorship deadline last week and now we will begin focusing on the registration forms--both Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-62235280171344336882010-08-15T18:08:00.002-05:002010-08-15T18:30:39.393-05:00Aunt Luan relaxing on the rooftop of our houseNathan getting ready to hop in the rooftop hot tubAll the girlsAll the boysMom, Dad, Luan and SteveThe cousinsMegan and ChaseNathan and meMom, Dad and Luan at Pompano Joe'sDESTIN 2010A year ago when we went to Destin, we went ahead and reserved the same house for the same time the following year. We had already paid the deposit, made travel Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-287393312639669402010-08-05T20:23:00.002-05:002010-08-05T21:05:49.728-05:00Mema and Willie NelsonMema and me during my cancer battle...notice how swollen I was from steroidsMema and Granddaddy before he went to WWIIMy family at Christmas in 2009Mema, my cousin Sissy, her daughter Jessie and me at the 1st Cancer CrusadeMY MEMAAs most of you know, my sweet grandmother "Mema" passed away on Saturday night, July 31st from ovarian cancer. It was very sudden and I can Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-39277815019293986962010-07-23T15:32:00.002-05:002010-07-23T15:44:02.964-05:00Shelley, Allison, Christy and me at dinnerJUNIOR YEAR COLLEGE ROOMMATE REUNIONMy junior year in college I lived in a 3 bedroom 2 bath apartment in an area called "West Campus" with 4 other girls. I can't say I would advise 5 girls to live together in such small quarters but when you have expensive rent and great location, it just goes with the territory. It was Allison (who was also one of myAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-70286348720903341032010-07-17T13:58:00.003-05:002010-07-17T14:07:39.979-05:00MY SCAN RESULTSI had my six month scans done on Monday and had to wait until yesterday to get the results. I'm happy to report that I am still cancer free!!! :) I don't have to go back to the oncologist again until January...and if I can stay cancer free for the next two scans, I can finally go one year between check-ups! I have officially been disease free for one whole year...no Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-25402561782108649992010-07-10T10:45:00.002-05:002010-07-10T10:59:14.921-05:00NEW CHEMO FOR MY GRANDMOTHERI'm sorry it's been a couple of weeks since I have posted an update on my grandmother but I wanted to wait until she received her two doses (which are considered "one round") before providing an update. Last Wednesday, she received her first dose of the new cisplatin/gemcitabine chemo combination and despite our worst fears, she did really well! We were very Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-24504714360138399622010-06-16T17:28:00.002-05:002010-06-16T17:41:53.663-05:00UPDATE ON MY GRANDMOTHER...CHANGE OF PLANSAs I know all too well, when it comes to cancer, you have to be ready for your plans to change. When my grandmother was diagnosed with Stage 4 ovarian cancer two months ago, we thought the plan would be to have three rounds of chemo, then surgery to remove the tumor mass, and then three more rounds of chemo to hopefully get rid of the microscopic Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-25903427490379493752010-06-06T16:21:00.002-05:002010-06-06T16:35:32.792-05:00 Finished product...mine is on the left and Nathan's is on the right Putting the toppings on my own pizzaMY BIRTHDAY WEEKEND On Friday, I turned 31 years old. I wasn't really looking forward to turning another year older (in my opinion, we should stop at 29) but I was very much looking forward to the weekend. On Friday night, Nathan and I grilled pizza at his house and it was both delicious Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-59591206320683130632010-06-01T14:37:00.002-05:002010-06-01T14:49:07.242-05:00 Megan and Brittny playing with the camera...and our parents' reading glasses Having a crawfish boil Hanging out on the deck Getting our birthday surprise...our own cookie cakes Toasting to our June birthdays...yes, I am drinking water. MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND I drove to Lake Conroe on Saturday morning to meet my mom and sister at my aunt and uncle's lakehouse where my aunt, uncle, and cousins were Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-30418781111322733272010-05-23T17:53:00.002-05:002010-05-23T18:09:33.171-05:00 Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Signature Room restaurant...on the 95th floor of the John Hancock tower The view from our table View of our hotel (with the turquoise roof) from the park Some of the best popcorn I have ever had Walking to Garrett's Popcorn Smoque Restaurant...featured on Diners Drive Ins and DivesCHICAGO Well, we were supposed to fly out on Friday morning for a fun weekend in Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-79195667287621363672010-05-18T17:12:00.002-05:002010-05-18T17:28:07.113-05:00 New mirror on the wall and candlesticks on table New curtainsDINNER WITH THE ZIPSERS AND CHAUMONTS I'm going to apologize from the beginning because I did not take any pictures from dinner on Saturday night. I took the above pictures today to help tell a little bit of the story...I'm sorry! Several months ago, Sarah and Mike mentioned that they would really like to try some of Nathan's cooking,Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-31685199088142004562010-05-06T14:29:00.003-05:002010-05-06T14:44:27.771-05:00LAST WEEKEND and THIS WEEKI went home to MP last Saturday morning to spend some time with my grandmother Mema. She has been feeling very weak and has only been able to get out of bed about 3-4 times a day for a few minutes at a time. Her abdomen is so swollen with fluid that she looks 9 months pregnant but with her good nature, she makes jokes about how she is ready for this "baby" to hurry Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-73911961690479385012010-04-19T17:05:00.002-05:002010-04-19T17:24:38.490-05:00 Backyard periwinkles and marigolds Hibiscus and hanging basket flowers Fern on front porch (with Molly looking out the window) pansies in front yard flowerbeds The front yard view from the street YARD WORK WITH MOM AND MEETING OF THE PARENTS My parents were in town this weekend to meet Nathan's parents who flew into town from South Carolina for a few days to visit. On Friday afternoon, NathanAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-13526945980900570212010-04-14T12:45:00.003-05:002010-04-14T12:54:00.201-05:00UPDATE ON MY GRANDMOTHERLast week, Mema had a biopsy done for the mass on her ovary. This procedure combined with the fluid accumulating around her abdomen from the cancer caused her to have a pretty rough week. She has been in pain and has felt very weak so I have been going back and forth with the oncologist's office to get all of that under better control. By the end of the week, she had Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-12246347421213113802010-04-05T20:40:00.002-05:002010-04-05T20:49:59.675-05:00 Playing 42 Hanging out Will and Cody playing their version of baseball Mom playing paddleball Playing cards and watching the NCAA basketball tournament Aunt Luan and Chase Will showing Chase how to swing a bat All of the girls: Megan, Mom, Luan, Hayley, me and Brittny Papa, Uncle Steve, Mom and Nan...the Moore's EASTER WEEKEND I went home to MP on Friday to spend the weekend with my family. Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-13127158290638952852010-04-01T13:09:00.003-05:002010-04-01T13:26:48.413-05:00MY GRANDMOTHER MEMAMy dad's mom is otherwise referred to as "Mema" by my whole family and she is one of my favorite people in the world. At 86, I actually think she might be more active than a lot of 65 year olds and she never ceases to amaze me at what she is able to do all independently. She is a three year breast cancer survival having been diagnosed early enough to only need a single Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-169853427767736292010-03-20T16:41:00.002-05:002010-03-20T16:55:43.801-05:00 A better picture of my ring...a few people said the first one was blurry. The Cooksey's new house Nathan and I going for a bike ride around the neighborhood Receiving a toast to our engagement The happy couple SPRING BREAK IN SOUTH CAROLINA Nathan's parents retired (a few years early of course) in the fall and for the last year, they had been building their dream home in Hilton Head, South Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-47911460331997334222010-03-14T10:27:00.002-05:002010-03-14T10:57:57.340-05:00 Sadie in her cute outfit at dinner Sarah, Sadie and me at Grimaldi's Nathan and me Mike and Nathan GRIMALDI'S AND A MAVS GAME On Saturday night, Nathan and I had a night out in Dallas and we had a lot of fun! Nathan loves the Mavericks and so a couple of weeks ago, Mike referred me to a sales guy who got us a good deal on some great seats. We met up with Sarah and Mike at Grimaldi's before Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-36728005680230444462010-03-06T10:42:00.003-06:002010-03-06T11:08:22.854-06:00 When he proposed, he was kneeling in the middle of the candles Picture of the ring...it's a little stuck and I was trying to get it off which is why my finger is swollen and red. :) The diamond in the center is the same one his grandfather proposed to his grandmother with...then there are smaller diamonds in a circle around it and on the top half of the band. I'M ENGAGED!!! Wow, I can't Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-55447945550833346662010-02-28T10:55:00.002-06:002010-02-28T11:07:44.226-06:00 Mark and Sheila ANGELO'S BBQ Last night, Nathan and I drove to Ft. Worth to meet Mark and Sheila for dinner at Angelo's BBQ. Sheila and I used to work together at Reata and became good friends during the two years we worked in the same department. She left the job about a month before I did and since then, we have either emailed or talked on the phone once a week. She's a great person to Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-10538192523668007982010-02-21T14:14:00.002-06:002010-02-21T14:26:48.681-06:00 Looking out the front door after 12.5 inches of snow Backyard after all the snowfall Sadie playing in her jumper Sarah feeding Sadie sweet potatoes while we eat ChickFilA Look how cute she is in her little hat FOLLOW UP FROM THE SNOWFALL I have been without internet the past week since my cable/internet went out last Saturday afternoon and then I was out of town all week in New Jersey for Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-72691355749976349102010-02-11T15:11:00.002-06:002010-02-11T15:17:16.032-06:00 My backyard at 7:30AM today...when we only had about 2 inches of snow The front of my house after 6 inches of snow at 12:30PM...and it's still falling SNOW DAY Well, thankfully, I only had to travel out of town on Monday and Tuesday of this week because when I woke up this morning, everything was white. When I went to bed last night, they were only predicting about 1-3 inches of snow and Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-48453690152476527912010-02-06T16:32:00.002-06:002010-02-06T16:48:12.054-06:00 Bree and Ella Grace in the carLUNCH WITH BREE AND ELLA GRACE Earlier today I drove up to Frisco to meet Bree and her 3.5 month old daughter Ella Grace for lunch at Posado's. Bree lives in McKinney so we try to meet in Frisco every couple of months since it is halfway between the two of us. This was my first time to meet sweet little Ella Grace and I was so excited to finally see her in personAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-23744587483531743922010-01-25T17:28:00.002-06:002010-01-25T17:42:30.549-06:00 Sarah, Catherine, and me Nathan and me laughing at Mike who is taking the pictureWEDDING IN MP Saturday morning, Nathan and I drove to MP in order to go to my best friend Sarah's younger brother's wedding. Her brother, who has always been known to everyone as "Bubba", got engaged about 6 weeks ago and they decided they didn't want to wait around to get married. I personally can't do anything Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-58093923940361883102010-01-17T09:19:00.002-06:002010-01-17T09:40:19.639-06:00 Sarah blowing out the candles on her birthday cake Sarah and me Rebecca and me Nathan and me SARAH RUCKER'S GOING AWAY PARTY Seven years ago, I became good friends with Angela Ebel who was also my boss at Mary Crowley Medical Research Center. We just clicked and soon started hanging out more outside of work. Then I met her younger sisters Rebecca and Sarah and all four of us starting hanging Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-14564898470148549282010-01-15T14:03:00.003-06:002010-01-15T14:07:15.175-06:00CLEAR SCANS TO START 2010I just got home a little while ago from my doctor's appointment to find out the results of my 6 month follow up. I got GREAT news that my scans and bloodwork were both clear!!! Yea!!! When you get good news like that, it makes the doctor's appointments much much shorter so I was outta there about 20 minutes after I sat down to hear the results. I took a deep long Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-30627373164128078342010-01-11T18:22:00.002-06:002010-01-11T18:32:51.902-06:006 MONTH FOLLOW UP TIMECan you believe it has already been 6 months since I had my last scan that proved I am cancer free?! A part of me feels like it's been that long but more of me can't get over how fast time flies. It's been so nice not going to the doctor all of the time, getting scans every three months, and having blood drawn more times than I can count. I mean, it's been reeeealllly Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-77744957083437523462010-01-10T10:28:00.002-06:002010-01-10T10:49:45.944-06:00 KJ, Tracy, Kate, Reagan and me The food table Cara and Ashley in preparation mode in Ashley's kitchen KJ and Tracy putting out the shower favors - jelly beans in baby food jars The hostesses with Kate: Me, KJ, Kate, Ashley, Cara and Tracy KATE'S BABY SHOWER On Friday night, I drove to Dallas Love Field airport to pick up my dear friend Tracy who flew into town from DC for the weekend to be a Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-17851682771174268232010-01-03T21:49:00.002-06:002010-01-03T21:59:57.604-06:00BAND HEROMy great friend Kristin Nunnelly Pagano is a brand manager for Guitar Hero and recently launched the game Band Hero. I have been so excited about the game ever since I saw the song list...and then in November, Nathan and I become the lucky owners of our own Band Hero for his Wii. For those of you who have played any of the previous Guitar Hero games or the competitor Rock Band, you Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-35993790472153767312009-12-29T22:09:00.002-06:002009-12-29T22:31:30.537-06:00 New dining room table, chairs and china hutch...with Mema's china Little Molly asleep on my lap Molly playing with a toy mouse Molly and Bella meeting each other Bella and Molly trying to figure each other out TWO NEW ADDITIONS TO THE HOUSE - A NEW DINING SET AND A NEW CAT So, I'll talk about the most exciting and cutest addition to my house first...my new 5 month old kitten, Molly. I wasn't Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-63292897745589386872009-12-28T14:34:00.002-06:002009-12-28T15:03:19.679-06:00 Trey, Megan and me at Mema's house My grandmother aka "Mema" with Megan and me My mom with her Christmas gift from all of us - a Keurig coffee maker My parents' living room decorated for Christmas Trey, my parents and me My grandfather "Papa" opening presents My family with Mema CHRISTMAS 2009 I know it's been a while since I last posted but things have been pretty busy. I had to work quite a Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-60281843392621908322009-12-08T16:19:00.002-06:002009-12-08T16:42:29.698-06:00 This picture makes me laugh because this is the position that was Maddie's favorite for some reason. I would always tell her it was not very ladylike. :) The last picture I took of Maddie...under the Christmas tree last week.MY SWEET MADDIE Today is a very sad day for me and I think blogging about it might help me a little bit. At 3PM today, I had to say goodbye to my companion and best Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-81104104432043108142009-11-29T18:13:00.002-06:002009-11-29T18:39:35.558-06:00 This is what was waiting for my dad when he arrived...since he fell into the hot tub last year, they had to take all precautions. :) My dad posing next to the hot tub in the deck The lakehouse of Mrs. Baird's (the breadmaker) grandson Mom, Hayley, Luan and me cooking Thanksgiving lunch Mom and Luan sitting by the firepit THANKSGIVING 2009 On Wednesday morning, my sister and I drove to my aunt Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-36586844156053400132009-11-22T14:31:00.002-06:002009-11-22T14:53:33.716-06:00BE STILL AND KNOW...Nathan and I have been going to a Methodist church in Southlake which is the same church that his parents attend as well. This morning, we met his parents at the service and had plans to go to lunch afterwards. I really love the pastor at this church and thought the sermon today was just so appropriate for the week of Thanksgiving. It focused on Psalm 46:10 which is one of Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-44363802118590335842009-11-08T17:57:00.002-06:002009-11-08T18:40:04.573-06:00 The group at Salt Lick Nathan and me at The Salt Lick Tracy, Kate, Kristin, KJ, and me on the front porch of our B&B The Godzillatron showing the Longhorn players entering the field The giant Texas state flag The view from our seatsWEEKEND IN AUSTIN WITH FRIENDSOn Friday afternoon, Nathan and I drove south on I-35 to one of my favorite cities in the world---Austin, TX. My college girlfriends andAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-12714576120546179102009-11-01T14:26:00.003-06:002009-11-01T14:49:16.083-06:00 Sadie Zipser and me aka "the surgeon" KJ's party Kate with the bump, KJ as Swine Flu and me KJ and Nathan Norman as a police dogHALLOWEEN 2009Last night, I went by Sarah and Mike's house to take them dinner that Nathan cooked for them...very sweet gesture if I say so myself. Anyway, little Sadie was dressed up like a frog and she was too cute to pass up a picture session. :)From there, I went toAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-63811590923199408502009-10-31T10:29:00.002-05:002009-10-31T10:41:33.265-05:00 View from our seats..notice the new scoreboard! Nathan and me Rob and Celeste The Stars trying to score DALLAS STARS GAME Last night, Nathan and I went to the Dallas Stars game with his sister Celeste and her husband Rob. Two weeks ago, Rob turned 40 and so our present to him was a night out to the game while Nathan's parents babysat for their three kids. We got the tickets from a great Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-28395304818341935642009-10-27T18:32:00.004-05:002009-10-27T19:04:06.014-05:00FRUSTRATING PEOPLEThere is a blog (http://www.mycall2rise.com/) that is frustrating me to no end...I have even commented on this blog to tell the author how disappointed I am in his recent post. This man doesn't seem to want to take a moment to reflect on his own actions, behavior or opinions. I am not going to name any names about the matter in which he speaks but I can only tell you that I do Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-70911344770057071742009-10-14T18:20:00.002-05:002009-10-14T18:34:35.602-05:00 Centerpiece that I made for the kitchen table Front porch decorations Freshly planted pansies in front yard Mums in the backyard FALL IS HERE A few weeks ago, I went out to buy a pumpkin spice candle and stuff to make a centerpiece for the kitchen table to celebrate the changing season. I'm not overly creative with stuff like that so I was pretty proud of myself for how it turned out. :) Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-5854352939275893092009-10-13T21:00:00.002-05:002009-10-13T21:21:56.318-05:00A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A CRAAs I am sitting in a hotel room in Phoenix, AZ, I thought it would be appropriate to explain what a day in my work world is like as a clinical research associate. When people find out that I travel for work a lot, they automatically think that it must be so much fun to see new places all of the time....um, let me tell you that the fun dies off after the first few trips Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-23010378125111597952009-10-10T14:05:00.002-05:002009-10-10T14:27:31.349-05:00WEEK LONG WORK MEETINGOn Monday morning, I had to fly to New Jersey for a week full of meetings and trainings with my Field Trial Operations department (there are about 90 of us in the department...some are managers, some are trial leads and then there are the people who do what I do--CRAs). All of us in FTO work outside of headquarters (thus the title of "field")...we all work in various citiesAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-45705374957235866122009-10-02T15:34:00.002-05:002009-10-02T15:56:40.640-05:00DALLAS TAP DAZZLERS and DINNER WITH ST. JUDE FRIENDSYesterday afternoon, I was flying back to DFW from Las Vegas (I had to go to my St. George, UT site this week) and I met the coolest lady who sat next to me. I had noticed the lady and her husband while we were waiting to board because I thought they were so cute together...I wasn't sure how old they were but knew they had to be at least 60 or Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-23764425180787558542009-09-26T14:36:00.002-05:002009-09-26T14:42:25.119-05:00 The Witherspoons...how cute are they? Worthie, Conoly, Richard and Richie All of the 5K winners Nathan, Lockie and me working hard Pilgrim's crew with Jana Owens donating their big check to us FINAL AMOUNT RAISED FOR THE CANCER CRUSADE So Nancy, Mary Katherine and I have finally received all of the checks, gone through the expenses, and added up the total amount raised for the Cancer Crusade. Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-46962645040570190412009-09-20T17:42:00.002-05:002009-09-20T17:57:22.159-05:00 Nathan and me Lockie and me Nancy, Mary Katherine and me CANCER CRUSADE 2009 We prayed and prayed for the rain to stop and fortunately, God answered our prayer! The weekend provided great weather--just overcast enough for the runners not to be miserable in the sune, the temperature was just right, and the ground was not too muddy. Nancy, Mary Katherine and I got everything done we needed to Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-63889982463236909922009-09-13T15:00:00.002-05:002009-09-13T15:10:15.072-05:00BUSY WEEK COMING UPMy so-called "light" for the past week is officially over starting tomorrow. I was lucky enough to be home all week last week with only one day trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma and two days of working out of Hurst and Dallas respectively. I have to admit it was very nice to have a full week of sleeping in my own bed, being able to schedule some needed carpet cleaning and Terminix Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-75681161448773726442009-09-06T17:24:00.002-05:002009-09-06T17:31:44.424-05:00CHEF POINT CAFEOkay, so Nathan and I love to watch "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" on the Food Network...I don't think there is a single episode we have missed. About a month or so ago, we saw Guy Fieri (the host of the show) go to a restaurant in a gas station in Watauga, TX (a suburb of the DFW area) called Chef Point Cafe and I was intrigued. The food looked so good! Apparently, the owners Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-53362021431914462142009-08-26T19:28:00.002-05:002009-08-26T19:41:53.475-05:00ST. GEORGE, UTAHAs you all know, my job requires some travel...it's not too bad though because when I am not traveling, I am working from home and that is so much better than my last company that I cannot even begin to describe it. Anyway, I am in charge of the central region for my assigned study and that includes 7 sites in Texas (3 of them being in DFW), 1 site in Tulsa, 1 site in Phoenix, 1 Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-73993105888030513522009-08-17T15:13:00.002-05:002009-08-17T15:31:59.234-05:00 My sister and me imitating what the pool guy did to us earlier (and yes, she is wearing a captain hat and goofy sunglasses..she thought it was fun) The view from our patio The front of our house from the street The view of our house from the beach Brittny, Hayley, Megan and me My mom trying to learn "the sprinkler" Mom, Megan and me at AJ's My cousin Brittny and me at the beach DESTIN 2009 I Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-84100342135723946222009-08-16T16:58:00.002-05:002009-08-16T17:17:44.538-05:00 Sadie Grace Zipser Proud Grandma Carol How cute is she? Catherine and Sadie Holding her for the first time SADIE GRACE ZIPSER Okay, I know I need to blog about my trip to Destin...I will definitely post about it tomorrow with pictures. BUT, today is all about Sadie Grace Zipser who was born at 11:24PM last night, August 15th. I have been telling Sarah to pass the message along to Sadie that itAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-60732484619649874622009-08-08T12:52:00.002-05:002009-08-08T12:55:17.396-05:00DESTIN BOUNDI'm leaving for my annual family vacation to Destin, Florida today...I will be heading to the airport in about an hour. I cannot wait! I am in definite need of a full week of no work, no stress (other than family arguments that are bound to happen at some point), no household chores, no laundry, no cooking, and no obligations. I plan to lay on the beach for hours a day working on Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-77360530125371891862009-08-02T19:34:00.003-05:002009-08-02T19:47:27.110-05:00BUSY SCHEDULEAs you can see from no new posts in a while, I have been pretty busy. Last week, I had to go to Houston for work for 2.5 days...not too bad. Then, my mom came into town last Thursday night to help my sister set up her new apartment before her roommates moved in. My mom and I went shopping on Friday morning and went to see "The Ugly Truth" on Friday afternoon (not the best movie...Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-81314163179788624672009-07-20T18:33:00.002-05:002009-07-20T18:47:07.854-05:002ND ANNUAL CANCER CRUSADECan you believe it has already been a year since Nancy, Mary Katherine and I started planning for the first Cancer Crusade? It's crazy to me how time flies! We started getting to work on this year's fundraiser about a month ago...we got the logo (Brook Chambers Miller did another amazing job!), got the list of MP businesses from the Chamber of Commerce, sent out the Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-4302030963145686282009-07-17T16:47:00.002-05:002009-07-17T17:29:39.786-05:00REMISSION...FINALLY!Yes, you read the title right--I have been officially declared in remission from cancer! :) I went to the doctor this afternoon to get the results from my scans and bloodwork I had done on Monday and after waiting for about 5 minutes (which seemed like forever), my doctor walked into the room with a big smile on his face. The first words out of his mouth were "well, I thinkAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-90368271319513172302009-07-14T20:22:00.003-05:002009-07-14T20:28:24.017-05:00IMPORTANT SCANS THIS WEEKOn Monday, I had my three month follow up scans...yes, these are the same scans that I have had EVERY three months for the last five years so I'm pretty used to the process. However, these particular scans are very important because if they are clear, I get to come off my chemo pill AND I will be officially declared "in remission"!!!!! I will find out the results on Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-63994273252321045352009-07-12T17:07:00.002-05:002009-07-12T17:17:42.859-05:00 Nathan and me at JR's Steakhouse At Reata Grill in Fort WorthBIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS Nathan's birthday is tomorrow, July 13th but because it falls on a Monday, we decided to celebrate this weekend. On Friday night, I took him to eat dinner at JR's Steakhouse in Colleyville and it was so good! I had received a $25 off coupon in the mail from them and figured I might as well use it for a special Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-49907962698272318842009-07-05T15:55:00.002-05:002009-07-05T16:11:15.964-05:00 View from the back porch of the new outdoor kitchen Nathan grilling steaks Inside view Another inside view 4TH OF JULY IN MP Friday afternoon, Nathan and I drove to Mt. Pleasant to spend the weekend with my family and to hang out with our mutual friends Lockie and Warren who were in town for the weekend too. I'm sad to say that I didn't take any pictures with Lockie and Warren...guess we were Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-35160086675093884042009-06-28T19:21:00.003-05:002009-06-28T19:27:41.294-05:00MOVIE WEEKENDI had a very good and mostly relaxing weekend despite the ridiculously hot weather here in Texas. I don't understand why it is so hot in the month of June...temperatures of 105 are usually reserved for August. Ugh. On Friday night, Nathan and I went to see "The Hangover" and we both thought it was hilarious! Yes, parts of it are a little crude but I still thought it was so funny.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-73704845511284850852009-06-22T17:53:00.002-05:002009-06-22T18:09:24.799-05:00 Nathan and me on the screened porch Hilton Head beach Going for a bike ride around the neighborhood The River Club VERY FUN WEEKEND TRIP Nathan's family flew to Hilton Head, South Carolina last Saturday to go on a vacation for a week. They had invited me to go but at the time of the invitation, I was not sure about what my job would allow me to do so I didn't want to commit. It was his parentsAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-22411607818142274912009-06-16T17:28:00.002-05:002009-06-16T17:46:56.372-05:00 MP Girls: Courtney, me, Nichole, Catherine with daughter Elise, Sarah, Carol (Sarah's mom), and McCall Diaper cake from one of Sarah's coworkers Food table Flowers, which were generously given to me as a birthday present from my uncle, aunt and cousins Hostesses: Catherine, Amber, me, Sarah, Nichole and Lacy (minus Courtney) SARAH'S BABY SHOWER On Saturday afternoon, I was a hostess for my Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846488.post-38451270549462285182009-06-08T09:23:00.002-05:002009-06-08T09:34:38.992-05:00 Catherine, Sarah and me (in my new jeans) They had just finished singing "Happy Birthday" All of the group at dinner at Mi Cocina My birthday cake from Tart Bakery--so good! MY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION I am officially 30 years old as I type this post...it has not been as bad as I thought but overall, I have decided to stay 29 just so we are clear. I will hold up the tradition of celebrating June Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02542764618551708065noreply@blogger.com7