A Saturday Afternoon

"Why are you so far away?" she said
"Why won't you ever know that I'm in love with you
That I'm in love with you"

Daylight licked me into shape
I must have been asleep for days
And moving lips to breathe her name
I opened up my eyes

*Oh how you get me EVERY.single.time...

images via

Halloween 2010

Happy Halloween everyone! :) I just got back from a lovely last late night dinner at IHOP with my Michelle before she heads back to Chicago in the morning :( I miss her SO much already! Today we ate Halloween candy while watching a scary movie. I NEVER watch scary movies, but just because it's Halloween we watched "Darkness Falls." It wasn't really that great, but there were lots of times I had to cover my eyes! ha

I had such a beautiful weekend! Saturday morning I participated in my third 5K with the YMCA's Trick or Trot. The weather was absolutely perfect compared to last week's run! And this time it was at 10 AM so I didn't have to wake up at the crack of dawn like usual which was nice.

My dad went to his "little brother" Jerry's football game (my dad mentors in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Program) and so this was the first one I did all alone (the first one I had Jessie and the second one I had Maria, both my dad was there cheering me on!), but still had an amazing time! :) I absolutely enjoy everything about 5Ks and will try and participate any chance I get :) That night I had two Halloween parties to go to. It was also when I debuted my Halloween costume to my husband:

My Harry Potter loving husband adored my costume! :)

Philip NEVER use to read when I met him. That all changed when Harry Potter came out. He has read every single book a million times. He loves them and the movies so much! Here's me with one of his books and you can see where his place holder is because he's in the middle of reading it for the millionth time :) I adore Harry Potter as well and cannot wait until the new movie comes out! Not too much longer now :) I'm thinking I'm going to be a dork and wear my costume to the movies....Yep, I'm going to be THAT nerd you see at movies dressed up as their favourite character :)

The Wilson's! Philip is a party pooper and never dresses up! I know right?

First stop was my friend Mehle's annual Halloween bash. Every year she does a theme and this year she did "Night of the Living Dead." Unfortunately since I had my costume bought a month ago, I was the only undead one! I love Mehle and Lauren's parties - they always go all out on the decorations. Her backyard was AMAZING! It was too dark for me to get any pictures that did it justice!

Justin, Nicole, Me and Mehle as "she killed Britney Spears" - ironic when it comes to me Britney's biggest fan huh?! :)
I love Britney even in dead form :)

Tasha and me

Mehle, Jimmy, Jace and me - don't I look like I don't belong? ha
Lauren and me - she always has the BEST costumes :)

Isn't her make up great?! She'a SO good at doing hair and make up :)

I love this girl!

Me and Brit Brit :)

Our second stop of the night was at Cameron's as the Man in Black Johnny Cash!

I didn't take any pics at Cameron's except that one :( We had such an amazing time! I hope everyone had a great Halloween weekend! I have loved seeing everyone's costumes :) I'm sad whenever Halloween is over just like with Christmas. This is the best time of the year and I cannot believe tomorrow starts Sweet November!

p.s. on behalf of Texas (and the biggest fan I know - my twinkie) please send some good thoughts and vibes for our Texas Rangers so we can win tomorrow's game and still have a chance at the World Series! With the embarassement felt due to our Cowboys in today's horrific game, I just don't think Micaela's little heart can take it if the Rangers lose tomorrow :( Love you twinkie girl and missed you SO much especially this weekend! :(

Philip and I after the Rangers won to make it to the World Series!! It was SO exciting! I want to feel that excitement again...please please win tomorrow!

BOO!

My co-worker Blaine and I - doesn't he make the PERFECT Abe Lincoln?! :)

Halloween weekend will be officially kicked off with Blaine's party tonight! Twinkie and I had such a great time at his party last year, I wish she was here to go with me again :*( I miss you Micaela!!!! Twinkie and I have been texting back and forth throughout the World Series so it's like we're cheering on our Rangers together. There have been lots of sad text messages between the two of us if you've seen how our boys have been playing :*( But WE BELIEVE!

I hope you all have an AMAZING Halloween weekend filled with lots of treats!!! :) Have I said lately how much I just looooove this time of year?!?!?! As soon as I got to work I blasted "Thriller" on my computer :) TGIF!!!!! :)

I just LOVE Halloween!!! :)

I can't wait until this weekend and all the fun Halloween festivities in store! :) I just LOVE Halloween! This past weekend my family and I got into the spirit and carved some pumpkins.

I chose this design because really these bats are actually sexy vampires!! ha

My dad drew the Jack face for Maddie's pumpkin :) My daddy the artist!

Madeline's boyfriend Matt, Madeline, Mom and me with our pumpkins

Our masterpieces!

While we carved pumpkins we watched the first "Nightmare on Elm Street." After all this time it still scares my seesters and I!!!! I still get chills when I hear the song....my sister Madeline sent me the following picture last night of her costume for this year:

1...2....Maddie's coming for you....

Is our sister not the most adorable thing in the world?! Such an awesome costume :) We also made smores! I swear I ate a whole package of marshmellows all by myself! ha I cherish my family time! They are the whole world to me :) And I love this time of year!!!!

A beautiful friendship!

I am one happy girl right now!!!! :) I am still smiling from my surprise lunch date....my childhood best friend Michelle visiting from Chicago! :) I knew she was coming to visit, but thought she would get here at the end of this week. So here I am on an ordinary Monday at work when I get a text from her. Made my day!!!!! :) Philip joined us at lunch and just laughed as we reminisced about some of the antics we would get into growing up in Bitburg, Germany and from when she lived here in Texas for awhile and when I saw her in Chicago. It's the most AMAZING feeling in the world to have someone who's known you from "way back when."

Seems like just yesterday I was sitting in her car at 4 AM outside my hotel in Chicago and she said "Don't worry (I was incredibly sad saying bye to her so she was comforting me) I'll be seeing you in a couple of months!" and here she is! :) Michelle is the kind of friend who once drove the 15 hour drive from Chicago to Texas just to surprise Micaela and I for our birthday one year! She planned it with Philip and our sister Madeline. I'll never forget that morning she came into my bedroom and I thought I was dreaming! :) At that point it had been YEARS since the last time I had seen her! :) And she made the long drive there and back for just our birthday weekend! To this day it is one of the sweetest birthday gifts I have ever received! I'm looking forward to hanging out and lots of laughter this week! :)

I love her friendship, it is one of the biggest blessings in my life!

Circle of Hope Aids 5K 10-23-10

This past Saturday I participated in my second 5K! :) My friend (and Twinkie's bff) Maria and I ran in the Circle of Hope AIDS run. That morning I woke up to thunder and lightening and was SO bummed because I thought for sure they were going to cancel the event. My dad was a volunteer and had to be there at 6:30 AM so he called me to keep me posted on the weather. As long as the lightening stopped, the event would go as planned.

I wore my Elton John shirt in honour of his AIDS foundation :) I LOVE me some Sir Elton!

So hopeful and excited for the event! I was praying it would stop raining so I wouldn't have soggy running shoes!

Luckily my dad called me around 7:30 AM to say it was going to go as planned just with a delay. I was SO glad because I had been really looking forward to it! As I drove up to the event I kept thinking "there is no way we are going to be able to run in this!" I mean it was POURING rain!!! And it was FREEZING!!!! It was a genuine thunderstorm!

I'm good despite being drenched!

Me and the best volunteer - my dad! :) Pre-Race

Maria was smart and wore a hat and a hooded jacket - me not so much. I wore a sweat band! Luckily I stole my dad's Vietnam Veteran hat! :) I was SO thankful for it because it kept the rain out of my face!!

Almost to the finish line!!! :) As you can see it did end up clearing up towards the end of our 3 miles.

We did it!!! :) SOAKED running shoes and all! :) We were DRENCHED!

My biggest supporter :) He was so proud of us being troopers and running in the rain!

With our medals!! Maria came in 1st and I came in 2nd for the women :) We finished in 27 minutes! I can hardly believe our time!!! I love it because they had us put an electronic tag on our shoelaces so when we crossed the finish line and stepped on this mat, it automatically recorded our time :) I think we finished quickly because the weather was just THAT miserable! :)

With our door prizes! :)

Afterwards we all went and ate at IHOP. We met Maria's sister and niece there. Breakfast of champions! :) Maria and I went shopping afterwards (still wearing our soggy clothes, it's a wonder I didn't get sick!) and we never once took off our medals :) We were so proud!

I'm proud to say my second 5K was a success and just as fun despite the horrible weather conditions! :) I'm so happy to take part in something so important!!! I remember reading Ryan White's biography growing up and just being SO moved and incredibly saddened by his struggle with AIDS and the discrimination he faced. I feel so bad that the turnout at the race was not what it should have been because the weather kept a lot of people away. I'm so glad Maria and I were troopers and braved mother nature because it felt SO good afterwards knowing we did something to help others out!

Helloooo Weekend! :)

As another busy week draws to an end I am SUPER excited for the weekend :) My boss brought a dozen glazed donuts and a dozen chocolate donuts with him this morning. I was going to just have my normal Special K bar but I thought what the heck, it's FRIDAY! :) So I had one of each! Starting the weekend off pretty good wouldn't you say? :)

Tonight we'll be hitting B Dubs to cheer on our Texas Rangers. Truth be told I have never been a baseball fan...until now!!! Baseball is not like football - one of Philip's passions that I learned to embrace and love. And we all know how much Micaela LOVES her Rangers! Me personally - I always thought baseball was rather boring. Even seeing it live on July 4th a couple of years ago didn't change my mind. But now....OMG with the Rangers so close to going to the World Series for the first time ever....Yeah I'd say that's pretty exciting!!!!! :) Never in a million years would I ever think I would feel this way! :) I think the lovely Faiza has a lot to do it with that with her ballpark posts. I'm SO excited - only ONE win away from going to the World Series, it would be AMAZING if they seal that tonight! :) We were hoping it would happen with a win on Weds and as the game just went from bad to worse for us, I texted Micaela and my girlfriend Erin who is a HUGE baseball fan - "This is too much for me!!!! I wish I was still ignorant about baseball! ha" Since the game started during work hours, my sweet and understanding boss hooked me up with a way to watch it online! Check out my computer screen from that day:

I swear I have the most amazing boss in the world :) I ordered this shirt and I can't wait until it comes in...I'm crossing my fingers it will get here before the World Series! :)

How adorable that it's my last name? :) My brother-in-law has one and I've been wanting one forever so I finally ordered it :)

I can't stay out too late tonight because I have to be up bright and early for my second 5K :)

My dad is volunteering for this event and so again I will have my sweet dad there to cheer me on :) I am going to be running with my friend Maria, who also happens to be Micaela's BFF. She is one of my biggest cheerleaders so I am glad to be with her on Saturday :) Cross your fingers that it doesn't rain....the forecast is not looking too good. They said they will only cancel if there is lightening - still soggy running shoes does not sound appealing! Even though I know I can do it after having done my first one, I'm still really nervous about tomorrow! Wish me luck!

*Maria and I after a run (photo taken during the summer) We were so proud of ourselves for running on a Friday after work, that afterwards we went for frozen yogurt! :) At least it was somewhat healthy!

That night I'll celebrate my 5K run with UFC 121. I LOVE Brock Lesnar!! It goes back to my love for wrestling and his time in the WWE. The last time I watched Brock in the octagon was when my whole family was here in July and we ordered it on PPV at my little sister Madeline's apartment. My oldest brother Chet is a HUGE UFC fan and will stay up until 3 AM in Germany to watch the event live. We normally facebook message each other back and forth during each PPV so it's like we're watching it together :)

Sunday we'll be going to a BBQ for my husband's job.

I can't wait!!! :) TGIF!!! Have an AMAZING weekend loves!!! :)

Find me over @ Life. today! :)

I was SO thrilled to be asked to guest post for the very first time ever by a very special girl - my Jessie over at Life. I love this girl with all my heart and if you read her blog then I am sure you know why - she is as beautiful inside as she is out! Jess and I met while in college and I am so blessed by her friendship. Since Jess is living it up in Vegas, I decided to share my own memories of Sin City on my guest post.

Philip & I on our first holiday away together circa 2005. We look so funny in our trainers :) He NEVER wears trainers and at the time I NEVER wore trainers either so this picture cracks me up. We are such tourists in this photo :)

Thank you Jess for letting me keep your readers company while you were away! We all miss you soo much! xoxo

Inspiration from Marisa

“It is in vain to say human beings ought to be satisfied with tranquillity: they must have action; and they will make it if they cannot find it.”

Marisa posted this quote on her blog and I loved it so much that I wrote it on a post-it note right then and there and put it on my computer at work where I can see it through out the work day. I believe this to be true with all my heart! Oh the power of words! I am literally a girl who once was SO inspired by a powerful quote such as the one above that I took a leap and found myself on a beach that same weekend I had read the quote during a difficult time in my life. The power of words....

Thanks M for sharing this quote and inspiring me!

I am Love

Last night as I watched "I am Love" I was reminded of the crazy risks that love (or lust!) can make you take. The thrill, the excitement, the utter passion that blinds you and wrecks you senseless. You get so caught up that you live in the here and now and do not think of the consequences.

It's a beautiful movie primarily set in Milen (a couple of scenes in my LONDON!) and the Italian language and scenery is breathtaking. It's artful and might seem a little too much for people who don't appreciate foreign films, but to me this movie shook me to the core.

***

...As we sat in your car you flipped on the music. How fitting that Bon Jovi's "Bed of Roses" came on the radio at just this part:

Now as you close your eyes

Know I'll be thinking about you

While my mistress she calls me to stand in her spotlight again

Tonight I won't be alone

But you know that don't mean I'm not lonely

I have often thought of you when I listen to those lines...

***

There's a danger in loving too much and sometimes you pay dearly for passion. "I am Love" depicts that truth beautifully and tragically.

Dashing beauty!

I NEED the latest issue of W Magazine. One of my ultimate girl crushes with only silver body paint on - yes please!!!! Here's a sneak peak:

*Swoon*