ten

I’m so bad at updating.

Lately I’ve been thinking about things I want but don’t have. Don’t be too harsh, I drive through Highland Park on my way to work every day and get to see the beautiful houses with the expensive cars and the stay-at-home moms walking their dogs in their adorable workout clothes. I mean, how could I NOT think about having newer, nicer things? But, this morning I had an epiphany. Maybe that’s a little exaggerated, but I did realize something…. I have an AMAZING life. Seriously…wouldn’t trade it for the world! So why am I so interested in these worldly things that really won’t bring me happiness or peace? I don’t know, I guess because I’m human. And those new $400 shoes would make me look SO much cuter. And people would notice them and be all “OHHMIGOSH, where did you get your shoes??!?” And I’d let girls who also wear a size 6 borrow them if they wanted to, so they can also feel super cute and confident. Then I guess I’d really be happy. Hmm, that’s just skewed thinking, really. But I guess there’s no way to avoid it. I mean, we all do it, right? We have this car, but we really want that car. We live here when we really want to live on the other side of town or in the newer house/complex/condos/whatever.

So, here are a few reasons I’m grateful:

-Overall health
-Wonderful friends
-Loving, supportive family
-A job that I actually like. That’s a rarity.
-Fantastic relationship
-The Rangers are in the World Series
-Jesus loves me

-& lots, lots more. But I don’t want to brag. ; )

We all want things we don’t have. The difficult part is looking at what we do have and being thankful for the wonderful life we’ve been given.

nine

Wesley’s birthday was a couple of weeks ago. September 15th. We celebrated on the patio at Bolsa in Oak Cliff with his our friends. I had heard a lot about Bolsa, but had yet to try it. Let me just say that it definitely lived up to the hype. From the service (pushing together tables to accommodate an ever-growing group of people), to the drinks (pomegranate sangria? YUM!), to the food (burgers, steaks, quail, pizza, to-die-for bruschetta, all as fresh as possible).  It was a 10 all around!

I made mini-cheesecakes for dessert. It was my first stab at these, and they went over really well. In fact, one of the girls asked where I got the treats from. When I responded that I made them myself, she was in awe. (OK, that might be a slight exaggeration. But it’s really nice to know that everyone enjoys something you worked so hard on)

[Not the greatest picture, but it’s the only one I snapped.]

But the best part was that we were celebrating Wesley.

I feel so blessed to be sharing this part of my life with him. He amazes me more and more every day with his unfailing love and commitment. He’s one of the most intellectual and witty people I’ve ever known. He is supportive of everything I do/dabble in, and most importantly, my independence. Wes is always there to bring me back to reality and keep me grounded when I need it most. When I’m sad, he’s either a shoulder to cry on or a wanna-be comedian trying as hard as possible to make me laugh. He puts up with my silly nonsense and even plays along. I know I can count on him for anything, no matter how great the risk. I love him so much for that.

It’s a little late to say this on my blog, but since I have a knack for being late, I’ll say it anyways. Happy [late] birthday, Wesley!

eight

Obviously I’m no good at the update-your-blog-everyday thing. So instead, I”ve decided to still find something picture-worthy in each day, but to only post at my convenience. And posting only pictures/days I see fit or interesting-ish.

Recently, I’ve been volunteering a bit with Paws in the City. They are a WONDERFUL organization in Dallas dedicated to saving as many dogs and cats in DFW as possible. I’ve always had a deep passion for animals (mainly dogs) and a large hate for animal cruelty/neglect. Getting involved was easy as pie!

Paws in the City takes in stray dogs that are found as well as shelter dogs that are on the euthanization list. The other great thing about Paws is that they “foster” all the animals that they can. So, instead of puppies/dogs/cats/etc being raised in a shelter, these animals are raised in a home and (hopefully) taught how to behave. They are also each spayed/neutered, up to date on their shots, and most of them are housebroken.

The more I volunteer and share experiences with these dogs, the more I grow to love every single one of them. Seriously, I’ve found about 5 that I’m ready to just wrap up and take home. They all have such huge hearts, playful demeanors, and are ready to find a forever-home.

Sweeney (above) is my ABSOLUTE favorite!! I would love to foster her to see how she works out in my home and with my roommate. The problem is that she already has a foster home. However, in playing and sitting with Sweeney, I noticed that she has tons of fleas….from her foster home….not good! So I’m working on getting her re-fostered [yep you guessed it] into MY home!

Rambo (below) also stole my heart. His 5 brothers and sisters have been adopted, so he’s now alone and a little sad. I held him for almost an hour.
Heart = Melted!

I guess this post has a couple of points:

1. All of this “work” has been everything but work. Instead, I have been immensely rewarded with love, hugs, wagging tails and big licks on the face. Dogs are animals, yes, but they can bring so much light and joy to a family or single person. Never take for granted the happiness they can bring into your life!

2. If you are looking for a dog or cat, PLEASE check out the rescue groups in your city. Rescue animals have pasts…some of them not so pleasant, and some of them left to the unknown. It’s sad and they deserve a second chance at life. Please, before making a decision, check out your local shelters and rescue groups. Petfinder.com is a great site that can help you find the type of dog you are looking for in your area. And I’m always glad to help out if you need it! 🙂

XOX!
Whit

seven

Did you ever see Benjamin Button? If so, do you remember the scene in which his mom takes him to church so that the Preacher could possibly heal him? The Preacher asks Benjamin “How old are you?” And Benjamin says, in his old-man voice, “Seven..but I look a lot older.”  Every time I hear the word “seven”, I imagine him saying it and giggle a little bit. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, watch the video bleow:

So cute!

How was your Labor Day? Mine was spent partly with the boyfriend and partly with some friends. A friend’s parents were having a cook out, so a few of us went to join in on the festivities. We decided to hit up the sand volleyball courts. If you all remember the blog about my disgraceful tennis skills, then you probably know it’s safe to assume that I’m just as bad at volleyball. I made sure everyone knew, though, and consequently I was picked for teams last. What can ya do?

Sports just aren’t something I’ve ever been good at. But there are other things I’m good at, like listening, reading, baking, cleaning….  Oh gosh, this is terrible! What AM I good at?

This got me thinking a little bit last night. It’s a disappointing feeling when you finally realize that you don’t particularly excel at anything.  Sure, I’m “good” at several things….but what is my strength? What is it that I love to do and am equally as great at doing? The answer to that question, my friends, is I just don’t know. Hopefully one day I will find it.

six

Sunday was spent resting. Most of my attention was geared toward watching Modern Family, with a nap or two mixed in. I honestly haven’t spent an entire day doing nothing since………I don’t know when. At first I felt really bad about it. I kept thinking of all the things that I could be doing. Finally, I just let go and admitted to myself that a day of rest is just what I need. And rest, I did. It was amazing!

I finally crawled my way out of bed and decided to become more human by showering and looking semi-presentable. I spent the rest of the night on a rooftop with some cool cats discussing people and life-size Jenga.

Lesson I learned: Sometimes it’s important to put all your “to-do’s” on hold and just be. You never realize how much you need it until you do it. Take time for yourself! You’ll feel like a whole new person.

five

Saturday was a big day! Wesley and I met up for lunch. We decided to go to the famous Rusty Taco that we’ve heard so much about but haven’t had time to visit. I some might disagree, but I must say that it lived up to it’s hype. That could have been partly because I was still feeling some of the effects from the night before. Either way, it was great and Wes agreed!

After that we went to Academy so that he could pick out a new bag for his golf clubs. After perusing the isles for a bit, and playing some extra-mini golf, I decided that golf really isn’t half bad. Although, I still just prefer to be a caddy and drive a cart around. That’s where the fun is!

I spent the rest of the day working on my fairy skirt which turned out to be a complete fail. I was sorely bummed for about 10 minutes, but then remembered that I never claimed to be a seamstress, so I sucked it up. Luckily I live a block away from Buffalo Exchange. They really pulled through for me, as I found an adorable piece that could double as a fairy skirt! Wesley came over in his Titanic of a headdress… why he has this, the world may never know. But he does, and that just makes him cooler.

Add some wings, sprinkle a little fairy dust, and we were off to our party!

four

I realize my feet are dragging a bit on this one-a-day bloggage I have going on, but I’m adding 3 today to make up for it….one for each day.

Friday night a group of us went to the lovely Eno’s Pizza in Oak Cliff. If you live in DFW and haven’t been, you must go! The atmosphere is so cozy and fun. It’s perfect for a date or a large group. And the pizza is good. Not my favorite in Dallas, but I still give it 4 stars.

We went to celebrate my long-time friend Brad’s 26th birthday. It was a great celebration of life, pizza and karaoke (karaoke not at Eno’s). And of course, there was a bit of alcohol involved…you don’t sing “Wannabe” by Spice Girls without first having a few cocktails! Along with birthday celebrations, I also got to spend some time with these awesome ladies…

So thankful for my amazing group of friends!

three

As a child, I always thought it’d be cool to go to Neverland and hang out with Tinkerbell. Actually, if we’re being honest, I still think it’d be cool. And apparently I’m not the only one.

Saturday night I’m attending a “Neverland” themed birthday party (there will be no pop stars or ferris wheels present). Deciding what I would dress as was quite challenging. I mean, there are so many options: Mermaid, Indian, Fairy, Pirate, Cowboy. I finally decided that a fairy would be most fitting for me, since I do like to dress up and am always looking for a chance to sprinkle a little glitter around. A standard fairy costume you find online just won’t cut it, either. I got a little vision in my head of my costume, and decided I would make the skirt. So, after dinner with a dear friend last night, I rushed home to bust out tulle, thread, elastic, and shiny leaves. The skirt is still in production, but I’ll post a picture once it’s complete.

I found out that I’m not the best when it comes to sewing a straight line, but that tulle is so secure!

(Top left: Fairy wings, Top right: Elastic with tulle sewed on BY HAND, people! This is a big step for me.  Bottom left & right: leaves of all shapes and colors)

two

I know what you’re thinking…

Yes, I actually paid $10 to go see The Last Exorcism. What can I say? I’m a sucker for cheesy horror movies. I did, however, learn that not all exorcism movies are created equal. While this one did involve a sweet young girl, demon possession, vomit, and a few distorted body movements, the plot line was much unlike any other exorcism movie I’ve seen. I guess you could call it a “mockumentary” of sorts. I wouldn’t really recommend it unless you’re just into cheesy horror films…and if that’s the case, then let’s go to the movies!

one

(Preface: I told you I was a procrastinator. Picture worthy day is finally beginning!)

Last night I suggested to Wesley that he and I play a game of tennis. He was beyond thrilled about the idea. After work we visited a local sporting goods store, bought rackets and balls, and were on our way to the tennis courts! I didn’t warn him about my lack of athletic ability, but I had a little hunch that he was on to me anyways. It was a nice night in Dallas, so naturally, the courts were packed. As we waited for a court to open up, I snapped a quick picture of us. I also mentioned that I might not be the best tennis player in the world. He understood.

As we busted out our shiny new rackets (mine was pink, of course), I made note of the people on the courts to each side of us. They seemed pro, so immediately I was a little intimidated and nervous about the possibility of accidentally hitting balls onto their courts. And this is where the story pretty much takes a nose-dive. It was terrible. One minute I would hit a ball into the net, the next minute I would hit it with the aim of a 4 year old swinging a bat for the first time.  I felt like a disgrace to mankind as I watched my poor boyfriend chase the balls from one side of the court to the other, all so that the strangers on the courts next to us could play an uninterrupted game.

My point: I’m an awful athlete, but I learned something valuable about Wesley. His patience is that of a saint. He even said he’d play with me again. What a guy!