Playing a Serious Game of Catch-Up

Oh hey, March. Didn't see you sneaking up so fast.

Y'all... it's March. I've been a serious slacker when it comes to blogging. In fact, just the other day, my grandma called to make sure I was doing okay, or make sure that she was still signed up to receive blogs by email, because she hadn't seen any recent posts.

When even Grandma is concerned about your blog well-being, you know it's time to jump back in.

I'll be honest. I've have a mild case of the winter blues over the past two months.

Can anyone relate?

The fall was filled with Baylor/Waco weekends every other week, the excitement of Homecoming, Thanksgiving, a family vacation and Christmas. But after ringing in 2012, I found myself feeling a little down-in-the-dumps.

One of my goals this year is to "enjoy running." Living in Austin, one of the healthiest cities in the U.S., I WANT to like running. Thomas and I signed up for a 5K this month, and we've both been running to get in shape. But as I've learned in running, sometimes the hardest part of your run is the last quarter mile, or the last five minute stretch. As many people say, at some point running becomes totally mental, as you push yourself to finish strong.

That metaphor is what I'm using to explain my recent sad mood. With only a few months before Thomas moves to Austin, things suddenly got a lot harder emotionally. We've been engaged since April and my heart is just so ready for us to be in the same place, living life together.

But looking back over all these photos and remembering the memories made since the holidays, I can't help but smile. God is SO GOOD to us and I just know that 2012 is going to be amazing.

The beautiful beach in Cozumel, where we cruised to as a family right before Christmas.

Thomas and I traveled with my mom and dad down to San Antonio to watch our Bears win the Alamo Bowl. It was the highest-scoring bowl game in history (until days later when West Virginia took that title) and our first bowl game win since 1992!

Our traditional Christmas Eve dinner at The Melting Pot.

New Year's Eve! We dined with Meredith and Sterling at Kona Grill and then went downtown to watch the fireworks over Auditorium Shores.

In January, we went to see the Watoto Children's Choir perform at Celebration Church in Georgetown. Even though it was two summers ago that I was in Uganda, it feels like just yesterday. The people of Uganda will always have a piece of my heart, and I loved hearing about Watoto's ministry.

At the beginning of February, Mom and I attended the first-ever Immerse Austin, with Mandisa, Lysa TerKeurst and Anita Renfroe. It was an amazing night to worship alongside other Austin women and remember who God calls us to be.

At the beginning of February, Thomas came to Austin so we could go see Wicked. It was my third time to see it, and it was so fun to see Thomas and my parents so excited about my all-time favorite musical. I think it's each of their favorites now, too!

The day before Valentine's Day, Thomas surprised me by having these beautiful flowers delivered to my office!

I love the marketing team I work with, and a few weeks ago we took our lunch break to do some quality team building by taking a cooking class at Whole Foods. It was amazing, and I can't wait to try these recipes out at home.

Just last weekend, we celebrated our friends Allison & Blake's engagement. Allison is one of my roommates from this summer, and she's currently in the grad program with Thomas. Blake is in med school in Houston, and we can't wait for their wedding in September!

Also last weekend, Thomas and I attended Baylor's All-University Sing for the first time as alums. All the acts were incredible, but it was so weird being in the audience and not dancing and singing up on that stage.

Spring is finally here, Thomas moves to Austin in less than three months, and this girl is totally over singing the winter blues. I'm choosing joy, thanking the Lord for His faithfulness to us and looking forward to all that is to come.

OH! One more thing I'm thrilled about - only four days until I get to attend my first SXSW Interactive Conference. I'm so excited, I could squeal.

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Tag, You're it!

The holidays have come and gone. Sarah is back to school in Lubbock, work has picked up speed in the new year, and wedding planning has taken up most of my down time. What better way to jump back into the blogosphere than with a wonderfully random blog questionnaire? My dear friend Rachel tagged me to participate back in January, and I'm finally getting around to finishing it. Sorry Rach!

[The Rules]

1. You must post the rules.

2. Post 11 fun facts about yourself on the blog post.

3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create 11 new questions to ask the people you've tagged.

4. Tag 4 people and link them on your post

5. Let them know you've tagged them!

[Fun Facts About Yours Truly]

1. When driving, I try to avoid left hand turns at all costs. It sounds silly, and call me a safety freak, but I hate crossing oncoming traffic or sitting forever in a left turn lane.

2. I have to straighten up my room before I go to bed every night. I hate waking up to a bedroom or closet in disarray.

3. My toenails are always always painted.

4. I'd choose Common Grounds coffee over Starbucks ANYDAY.

5. I'll never not own a planner. Sure, I've got the calendar on my phone, and iCal on my laptop, but I don't feel organized unless I write things down.

6. I hate blue ink pens. You'll never see anything but black ink written in my planner.

7. I have a knack for remembering movie quotes. So much so that I'll work them into day-to-day conversations, leading to many blank stares.

8. I only pulled three all-nighters in college. And I went my whole freshman year without taking a nap.

9. Speaking of freshman year, my roommate Alex and I were hit by a car while crossing the street. And the girl who hit us DROVE AWAY.

10. As much as I love social media, I never had a MySpace account.

11. Even though I've lived in Austin for 17+ years, I'm still crossing things off my "I've Never" list for this city. For example, I'd never ever eaten at P.Terry's burger stand until last week!

[Rachel's Questions for Me]

1. If you could vacation anywhere, where would it be?

Definitely back to Santorini and the other Greek isles. I stayed there for 2 days while backpacking in 2009, but I could spend WEEKS there.

2.What is your go-to nail polish color?

Like Rachel, I have several, depending on my mood and the season. My latest obsession is NYC's Park Avenue - grey with a hint of lavender.

3. Even or odd numbers?

Usually even, although my favorite/lucky number is 21.

4. What is the last book you read?

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks. Pick it up if you haven't read it yet - the movie comes out in April!

5. Where is your favorite place to find clothes?

J.Crew or LOFT.

6.Where do you picture yourself in 5 years?

Loving the married life with Thomas, living in Austin with a sweet Boxer puppy, and starting to think about having kids!

7. Sweet or Unsweet Ice Tea?

Unsweet. Growing up in Louisiana, Thomas was shocked and insulted that I hated sweet tea, but I grew up drinking the natural stuff. Dating him inspired me to "try" and like sweet tea, so now I can tolerate it.

8. What is your favorite gift you have ever received?

This sparkly diamond on my left ring finger. :)

9. If you could speak another language, what would it be?

I speak a little Spanish but wish I was more fluent. Thomas knows ASL and has taught me a little, so hopefully I'll learn more over the years.

10. What is your favorite drink at Sonic?

Beyond the usual Dr Pepper, I'll sometimes splurge for a Cranilla Craze - Sprite, vanilla and cranberry juice.

11. What are you most looking forward to in 2012?

Getting married! August 18 can't come soon enough.

12. What are 3 must-haves in a husband?

I want to be married to my best best friend. Someone who seeks Christ every day and leads me to do the same, full of joy with a sense of humor, and someone who encourages me and holds me accountable. I must say, Mr. Reed, you make it hard to narrow down to JUST three attributes.

[Questions from Me to You]

1. What is the #1 played song/album in your iTunes?

2. If you could be any fictional character, who would it be?

3. Favorite breakfast food?

4. Book before the movie?

5. Favorite Friends episode?

6. What are you most looking forward to in 2012?

7. Favorite toy/accessory/clothing item from the 90s?

8. Favorite iPhone app?

9. What was the last book or movie that made you cry?

10. Name one movie you saw that was a complete waste of time/money.

11. Best road trip you've ever taken?

Your turn!

Courtney - "A Couple of Newlyweds"

Krista - "Blessings & Oreos"

Christina - "Keeping Up with the Knightons"

Sarah - "Lyrics of Life"