I can hear you getting fatter.*

Congratulations to Amber for getting the "Washington, nice apples" blogbucks.

So here are the other highlights from Texas.



Jordan ate the whole time. 



Sunday was low key, which was good cause we were still recovering from traveling.  Just eating, church and a game night!

Monday was FHE - I made Donbrons and Dumbroads for the treat.  I think one of my favorite things about the beginning of the week was that Amber would introduce me first as her best friend, and then she would introduce Jordan as her surprise.  ...it still makes me laugh - he got upgraded by the end of the week - but I think it was guilt.  Face it Jordan - I'm the favorite.

Monday I had the world's smallest breakfast - everything was small - debunking the theory that every is bigger in Texas.  Look at this syrup!

We made up for it Tuesday by having the world's largest cinnamon roll!

Three pounds of sugary death!

Then we went to the Alamo and the River Walk to try and burn some calories.

We went from the River Walk to meet up with Rub for dinner.  It was so good seeing her again!  I think it's been about three years!  That girl needs to move back to Virginia (ahem - hope you're reading this Rub)

Then we went to see the San Antonio Temple at night (we went back in the morning to do a session).

Wednesday was our spiritual/over eating day.  Temple in the morning, nap, and then lots of eating.  Institute - followed by more eating.  I think this is where the bulk of my vacation weight came from. ...we also took a lot of photos.



Note to readers - I have gotten a lot of questions on whether or not I gave Amber this black eye - I did not.  As much as I would like to claim it...

 After being at the Institute building for five hours - we were ready to eat! But - Institute was really good and Jordan and I got to learn some basic Salsa dance moves while we waited for Amber afterwards.  After Institute we agreed to put our phones away for the rest of the trip and just enjoy each other's company - I would like to note - I won...I put my phone away the longest (am I competitive? yes.)



I know. I know. Don't play with your food.





Tell me how you really feel, Jordan.



Then Thursday was time to come home.  We dropped off Jordan, grabbed breakfast and took a few photos before I had to go to the airport too.

I'm in there somewhere

This belongs up there with the giant cinnamon roll but I am having trouble moving it.  The water glasses should have been the hint that everything here was definitely bigger.

Thanks Amber, for putting Jordan and I up and making the trip so much fun! It was great spending some much needed time with one of my best friends (oh - and Jordan I guess :P)  I can't say that I loved Texas though - there was something about it that just made me a little sad on the inside.  I don't know - maybe it was the lack of vibrant color.  I don't think I'll be taking another trip to Texas unless it is to visit someone.  Plus - I've got some serious eater's remorse. 

Washington, nice apples.*

Congratulations to Katie for getting the last blog title.  I love that movie!

I was going to use a different line from the same movie the blog title came from but this is a family friendly blog.  But it fit this post...  I went to Texas. 

Here's my history with Texas.  The very first time I flew on my own I had a connecting flight in Texas.  I got stuck there while my layover was extended.  Another time, I got stuck there for five hours, about once every hour and a half my gate changed - we would all get up and move to a gate no where near the old one, when we finally got on the plane and in the air, we were informed we would be returning to Texas because of some issue with the plane. They gave us food vouchers that I refused to use on principle (I was young, and way more prideful back then). I have flown a lot, with many connections in Texas, so I won't tell you all about them, but rest assured, each time I have a connection in Texas, something bad happens.

Suffice it to say, I had a negative idea of Texas and when it came to my goal to visit all 50 states....I counted Texas.  I'd spent enough accumulated time there!

But...Amber is there...and I went to Arizona to see the Grand Canyon with Jesse and it wouldn't do that I went to see Jesse and wouldn't visit one of my best friends.  So I planned a trip for March (cause Amber told me that's when it was prettiest).  Then my friend, Jordan, talked me in to going in January instead and to go with him.  Then we told Amber Jordan couldn't make it and that only I was coming.  But. We. Lied.

I woke up at 4:30 in the a.m. for my flight.  Jordan met me at the house and Vivienne drove us to the airport in the snow (Thanks Viv!)  Our flight was leaving at 5:50 and we apparently missed the 30 minutes cut off to check in.  So the world's sweetest ladies (and really, they have to be to be so helpful at such an awful hour) helped us so we could make our flight.  Unfortunately, while one was helping me the other one tagged my luggage as someone else's and I looked up to see it going down the conveyor belt.  They worked quickly though, telling us to hurry to our flight.  We stood in the security line for a long time, which was odd cause it was almost 6 o'clock in the morning.  Jordan left something in his pocket and they checked him out quickly and then we hurried to our gate.  The wonderful women from the desk had called and told them to hold the plane - so yes - we were those passengers.  We boarded our plane at 5:48 for a flight set to depart at 5:50. That's what I call cutting it close.

Amber was not actually surprised about Jordan being there - apparently Jordan and I are bad liars...what a let down.  It didn't help that I sent her a text saying that I got to sit next to a cute guy and Jordan sent one not long after apologizing that he couldn't get off work to come visit.  Oops.

Our first stop was to a German pancake house where I proceeded to tell Jordan that "fanny" meant "apple" in German...and he believed me (now who's not a bad liar!?) For those wondering, the German word for apple is "apfel".

I don't know what this was - but it looked fun.

Then we went back to Amber's place to relax - we were a bit tired.

Me - realizing that Ajax has gotten REALLY heavy!

We went to the church cause Amber had to practice (she sang on Sunday at church).  Jordan and I enjoyed the sunset.

Then it was off to the Spurs game (see an NBA game live - check).  Sometimes at these athletic events I just feel like they don't make the steps big enough up top, I'm always scared I'm going to fall.  I think the two year old that clung to my leg thought the same thing.  He didn't even have that embarrassing moment where he realized he was not holding on to his mom, fear will do that to you I guess.

And then I'm pretty sure I passed out on the car ride home. Woke up to shop at Wal-Mart and then back to the house to pass out again. 

Is there sugar in syrup? Then yes!*

I feel like I have been M.I.A. lately.  Not just in the Blognation, but it real life too.  Oh...sorry if that offended anyone - you are real life as well, just...different. 

My sister, Martha, flew in to town on the 17th of December and I think that is pretty much when it happened.  It was good timing though, I mean, a lot of my friends went home for the holidays that week and are just beginning to come back now.  So maybe I didn't go M.I.A...maybe they did.

So a recap of my life since December 17th. 

I got sick.  Yup.  I wasn't too worried about it - I mean, I am apparently to live out the rest of my life with a weakened immune system - either from old age or lack of veggies - it's a toss up.  I went to the doctor after three or so days and he couldn't tell me what it was, but he gave me antibiotics - so I can't really complain.

I ate way too much.  Not just homemade stuff, but eating out as well.  If I never see another restaurant I think I'll be just fine.  I'm thoroughly disgusted with my body right now, I feel like I've packed on a 60 pounds and just can't shake it.  Then I panic and think that this is what old age is - easy to pack it on, difficult to take it off.

I played a lot of games.  We played Ticket to Ride almost every night! I absolutely love that game.  I picked up Christian from the airport last night and it turns out that he played Ticket to Ride almost every night too.  It's always nice to realize that there is at least one other person with the same unhealthy addiction.  Strength in numbers.

I went to the Temple twice (okay - the first time was the 15th so technically NOT included in the "since December 17th" list - but it didn't make the blog cause I got so busy). 

Partied it up in a hotel with my fam - eating pizza and playing games. 

Spent TONS of time with my family (and guess what? I still love them!)

Had 25 too many conversations about being single...for a grand total of 25 conversations. 

I cleaned the boys' house.  Originally I just wanted to clean the guest bathroom - since that was the one I use, but I decided to clean the whole thing (minus bedrooms).  Chris was home so he helped out, but the other boys were gone for Christmas so I wanted to do something nice for them to come home to.  Merry Christmas Boys.

Went shopping a couple of times - Spent too much money.

Saw the Hobbit...I think I overall liked it.  I kept leaning over to my roommate and saying, "that's not in the book!" but it didn't make me too mad like some movies made from books do.  King's to you Peter Jackson.



We celebrated all the January birthdays (I think there are 6).

I got a lot more Penguin items including a night light, Penguinopoly, a penguin cookies cutter, and Viv's parents bought me a little penguin stuffed animal with a Santa hat on...oh yeah and I got a little learning kit about penguins...


I deep cleaned my bedroom - and by deep clean I mean that I went through all the papers that I keep shoving into boxes, bowls (yes, bowls), folders, books, drawers, etc. and threw away A TON of stuff.  2013 is going to start out clean dangit!

Watched 1408 with my family the last night Martha and Jeff were in town and the ending was different, and the movie somehow scarier than the first time...I had trouble falling asleep that night.

I met up with some old friends at the Chick-fil-a.  It was great - I think I need to do that more often!

My roommate, Vivienne, got the flu and Chris was sick....so I spent New Years with the two of them and we made a ham that finished at the exact same time that 2012 did...is it sad that I found that exciting?  We didn't even eat the ham - which I'm okay with because of the risk of brain worms.

And last night Thursday night we had a basketball game.  I don't know how I feel about it - I think I liked it.  I was nervous at the beginning and then the beginning of each quarter.  Then still kind of had that nervous feeling last night as I fell asleep.  I'm beginning to think this anxiety is turning in to a real problem. (note: I figured it out - I was coming down with another bug...so I wasn't nervous, I was sick). 

That's kind of it - actually, it's probably not.  I feel like I am forgetting something big, I'm just not sure what it is.

P.S. I intended to post this earlier but I GOT SICK AGAIN! This time a fever and a barking cough (gross).  But it seems to have been a 24 hour bug - I'm not 100% but I am feeling better - and I can sit up now...and walk...and I only see one of everything now. Oh yeah - and thanks to Martha for some of the pictures! She was much better about taking photos over the last few weeks.