getting down to the wire

i'm just now past the half-way mark in terms of the fall semester. hard to believe that more than 8 weeks has passed since the start of school and monday will find us in November.

NOVEMBER!

where did the time go? it seems like yesterday I was buying books for the fall semester (at a small fortune at that!). Now, I'm less than 6 weeks to go with the end in my sights! not yet breathing the all-too-familiar sigh of relief - that will have to wait.

the fall semester had an interesting start and brought a new set of challenges. it also marked a year that i've been in my current city and though I didnt spend much time here during the summer....i've come to appreciate what is now my home. i realize it's not permanent and all too soon i'll be packing up this place and moving somewhere new.

i can say that this city has been good for me. it was good to be close to my family for the duration i was but that was a season of its own. This time is a new season. i'd been torn between family and school almost feeling like i was leaving my family for school. it made the last year hard and with alot of home-sick moments.

this last year has been a year of growth and as hard as it has been, i'm appreciative. appreciative because i was able to see things i'd never though imagineable...able to try new things and see new things...and understand new things.

i fell in love with what i do and know i'm in the right place at the right time. from the moment Dr Huerta spoke the words "i'm looking for students who see healthcare as a calling," I got it...and it resonated deep within. it was the door i'd been waiting for and now it was finally opened.

so timidly, i stepped through the doorway and i've not looked back since.

i've been busy since then working an internship with a children's clinic: working on grant projects/funding proposals, quality improvement projects, and learning the inner workings of a clinic. my work has been part-time and if i had any regret it is that i wish the position was full-time. not because of pay or benefits or anything like that...but simply because i feel there are pieces i miss when i'm away. i absolutely respect the administrators i've gotten to work with and their insight and knowledge has opened up a new realm to me that i find really fascinating. they are the teachers and i am the student. i try to soak up as much as i can and trust me there's lots to learn.

my class schedule is a bit odd...for the fall semester my core classes were divided into mini-semesters...so i had for 8 weeks the second the next 8 weeks. meaning - i have three hours completed already. my health organization course is being conducted executive-style so we meet only two weekends in the semester...the second class meeting is coming up in a few short weeks and on the final day of class we will be testing for our Six Sigma Green Belt Certification. (AGH!) i also have human resource management and we meet one night a week...so i have just five more class meetings and two of those are for presentations...yes..the semester is coming to a fast close!

i register next week for the spring - MY FINAL SEMESTER! (AGH a second time!!!) lol. i'll have 13 hrs and the schedule looks pretty nice for now.

what's next?

your guess is probably as good as mine...i applied to one FELLOWSHIP....yes just one. why? this particular fellowship starts June 2011 and is with an organization i'm interested in working with. I'll know in the next few weeks whether i made the first cut in the selection round. if not....then i have an option to stay where i'm at and work and apply for a fellowship starting in Jan 2012 or to look for something full-time somewhere else...its not really time to make that decision so i'm not thinking to much about it.

for me, in my life, these kinds of things usually happen very quickly...dont know exactly how to explain it but when the right opportunity reveals itself - then the process of getting there is usually escalated. as always, i'll have done my homework and figured out my options before then...just to be prepared...but until then...my plans are just speculations nothing set in stone.

as for family...well i'm not going to say much here other than my mom is doing much better and my bro-in-law should be home soon (from his latest and hopefully last surgery!). i have alot of respect and love for both my parents. i've seen them do things that go beyond my own understanding of abilities but that's because they're parents and as of yet, i am not. i can say that their love and support has been amazing...even in crisis they manage to maintain a peace and composure that i learn from every day. at the same time, alot has changed and as usual i wont get into the details but just to say i think it's ok. not good, not bad....its ok...in alot of ways its been liberating.

for the first time, i see what my parents want for me and why they do or say the things they do...and i see where it comes from. for that i'm grateful...and while i may not always choose what they want or do what they think i should....they give me freedom to make those choices for myself. i'm doubly grateful for that...i think this understanding has made our relationship stronger in a way i cant describe. watching my mother recover from the summer has been an experience as well and i realize just how fragile we are....so, i'm trying to make the most of every moment given to me and to spend my time with the people i love most. spend my energies where they count the most....cant' say i've been completely successful but each day is a new opportunity to try...

i'm not going to speak to any specific situation here...but just to say that sometimes we judge people without really knowing them or their intentions...and we assume certain things as facts that may come from third parties that may or may not know or have the correct perspective about things that are happening. unfortunately, i can say that this has occurred in my life...it saddens me in a number of ways. at the same time, you can’t make people love you, can’t make them understand or see where you are coming from because once they've determined things are what they think they are...its almost next to impossible to convince them things are other than what they are determined to think...and i feel it’s pointless to try but also feel if they aren't willing to seek out the truth then do they really genuinely care about you?

as for the love of my life...we've had our moments as any relationship does...

what i can say is that he challenges me to be better and in so many ways and has helped me to see life through new lenses...gone are the rose stained glasses i'd been trying so hard to get rid of...sometimes we want to kid ourselves and pretend things are what we want them to be...its harder to see things as they really are. i can say that with mr casillas - its easier to see things as they really are and while some of the things i've been through have been beyond words - he's been amazingly incredible to see me through them. he's honest in a refreshing way and more than anything i've learned the beauty in resolution.

we are alike in many ways and in so many others he is my complete opposition. i've found that he brings a necessary balance to my life that at first i tried to fight and have now come to relish.

of course...when i want to tromp off and throw a frying pan at someone - he, the calm one, calls me back to sit and take deep breaths and talk through my feelings....oh the irony! lol...i love him for it...and yes there are moments when i want to throw a frying pan at him (and he knows this)...but lovingly and patiently he talks me through it until we come to an amicable resolve. who knew fighting could be so civilized!?! lol! come this january, he and i will close in on our year anniversary! i hope this only the first of many more to come...

alright dear ones....i'm driving bright and early and as usually i'm burning the midnight oil..maybe i should change the title of my blog to that....that seems to be when i write most of my blogs to begin with!

ah...i failed to mention washington, dallas, memphis, and chicago...i will in the next post which will be in a few days and not a few months! I promise!

life is too beautiful to waste of the shoulda', coulda', woulda's....but a little reflection now and thing keeps things in perspective...its the mile markers that keep us headed in the right direction.

Chicago

Like my buddy Jeff Peters once said, "rock on chicago!"

Chicago was good....i planned on writing a whole excerpt but unfortunately, i got to working on homework and now its late. I have a super early morning flight! (UGH) so I must get to sleep...will post once I've recouped.

i'll be home in the next 12 hrs.

a few more days...

three more days and I'll add another year to the number of years i've been on this earth. i'd like to say i'm joyful in facing this occasion but after the event's of this summer, i'd gladly settle for something inconspicious. to say the summer has been rough would be an understatement and while on the surface it seems that life is regaining a balance: in my gut i can feel the pendulum shift in the opposite direction.

i've been given a brief reprieve from the demands of higher education. brief in that Aug 16 i get to enjoy "enhancements" and sit through close to 48 hrs of "workshops." a nice way to spend what's left of my summer break. and while i'm not complaining at least i'm trying not to...i know all too soon summer breaks will be gone for most of my life. in other words the workforce beckons.

just two more semesters left and then my career will take another turn in a new direction. i've had to make some major decisions to preserve quality of life and to accomodate my educational load. school's the priority for the moment and finishing is not an option at this point.

i have quite a bit on my mind but nothing that has been sorted out and ready for discussion. just to say i'm beyond relieved that school is out for now. it has been one of the most intense semesters of my educational career and much of it has to do with my specific program. i wasnt the only one feeling the heat/strain of the workload. my cohorts are all breathing easier tonight.

one of our requirements was to obtain a certification as a consultant with an on-line electronic health records system. we had just ten days to do that. i know that in the end, the intensity of the program will be beneficial and for the first time i feel like i found something i was meant to do. so in that there is a satisfaction and joy.

at the same time, i dont doubt that this is why i'm where i'm at and why its taken me so long to get here. i've done alot of traveling this summer mostly out of necessity due to family circumstances so i've had lots of time to think and contemplate. time to sort through issues and situations. no easy answers of course but as grandma ivy said, "expect if you follow the roots, you'll find him."

i'm currently working through seeing past the "storms of my life" and working to see the benefits of the rain. its sometimes hard to see in the midst of the chaos...but lucky for me, in my neck of the woods, we've had much rain. and ironically enoughly seeing something in the literal has helped me understand it metaphorically.

its odd to see this part of the state so green at this time of year. in any other year, it would be dry, brown, and mostly barren...but here we are in the midst of a mild summer and the fields are green and pools of water are collected in fields.

on one trip back, i was actually detoured because of the excess of water...metaphorically i found it interesting. though at the time it was a major incovenience as i was on my way back to take a final. what i took from that experience is that life is going to bring detours...roadblocks...situations...difficult people....but do you turn around and go back home? no....

instead, i busted out the gps and figured away around the detour...sure it took longer to get to my destination because it was a two lane road lined with semi's....but the point isnt about when i got there it was that i figured out a way to get there...am i better for the detour...may be not immediately but you never know when you'll need to know about that "road" because of another life circumstance.

i cant undo the events of the summer...cant undo how i got here....and in some situations i fear its too late to change the destination of the path now set upon. but those are the choices we make...the choices people in my life had made...i'm powerless over the choice of others but when it comes to my own its completely different.

sometimes life lessons are difficult and sometimes they cause pain...but just like the summer...this season in life will pass....and it wont be about what i felt in the immediate but about what i walked away with. what are those lessons i took with me. in hindsight, i think we always wish we would've made different choices or done things differently...but as i read a friends semi-blog earlier today..its those choices that make us who we are...they put us in situations to see things differently...situations that give us new perspective or new appreciation.

i look at seaons in my life in that manner. i think at times we dont really know what we do to one another or how our actions can affect others. if i walked away with anything from the summer it would be "dont leave the table with things unsaid." in other words the people who mean most to you, should know what they mean to you... life is too short to be spent on issues that in the grand scheme of things mean little...and definitely not worth spending efforts or energies on petty issues.

so feeling like a beat up boxer, i'm getting back up and going to make a go of life again...sure the bruises hurt and some wounds are still mending...but they'll mend...

while i was driving, i was hit with the word resilient. i dont know where it comes from but somehow, resilience allows us to rebound in life and get another shot at the things left undone.

i dont know what this fall is going to shape into. just know that all i can do is make the best choices i can each day...live to the best of my abilities with what i have and what i know...and though people will judge and people will say what they want...its inner peace and knowing you've done all you can in that day...that allows you to face new tomorrows...

i need this next week for respite care not just from the physical toll this summer has taken but also from the spiritual, mental, and emotional toll. ironically, its been my work wth my internship which has given me hope for the semester to come. many thanks to the people in my life who've been true in love and to say the things that needed to be said. like john mayer sings, "say what you need to say."

though i more than likely will not get the opportunity, my ideal vacation would be a few hours on the beach by water with a good book. something about water that i find very relaxing and calming....for now, i'll settle for some time with a good book. it might just be the break my mind, body, and soul are looking for.

maybe in my dreams ... as sleep in the moment is quite necessary. peaceful sleep that is. gonna do the best i can to have some "real down time" in the next few days...for now...

I'm "put your brave face on" in the search for roots...

with a grain of salt

sometimes things you'd never expect to happen: happen. i can pretty much say that's been my whole summer. if I could characterize the summer in one word, I'd use "traumatic." as if the workload for school wasnt enough which has been way more than any of my individual semesters since 2007 including the 18hr in-class with 12 hrs online semesters, life dealt my family some additional blows.

i keep hearing in my head "what doesnt kill you makes you stronger" and it scares me because my reaction is immediate "what is coming down the pike that could be worse than this that i need preparation for?" ok i'm not asking that question cause then God will only bring about those events that would answer that question...God i can gladly wait...i used to say that i wasnt really stunned by life events. i mean my dad's a pastor so i've pretty much seen and heard it all...well after the last month or so i can say that is mostly true.

saving grace has come in the form of people who love in spirit and in truth. that's all i can say. i'm so ever glad for those relationships. they've been a God-send. its allowed me to see past the mess of words and to see what's really important and for me its always been my family. to some it may not appear that way, but to those who know me best you know, well you know differently.

i cant exactly say that i'm surprised by the last round of events. unexpected for sure...but i feel a bit cynical saying that i was waiting for it. i mean...we all have people in our lives that uhhhmmm..deal in drama. and not just deal in it but rather live in it. i've been trying to cut the drama out of my life and its not been an easy task. i've learned this mostly from my dad who is completely non-dramatic and from ricardo, my significant other, who is cool as a cucumber. it amazes me...and that really is an understatement.

i also realized that these two men are in my life for a reason and its humbling. the summer has been full of hard lessons but lessons i'm grateful to learn. from previous experiences i know these lessons will come back for a time of application. i also know that you always reap what you sow...so i'm work at sowing better stuff. not always easy but it really does make us better people and at least for me, it lets me sleep at night.

i cant undo the wrongs of my past but at the same time i refuse to let people in the outer fringes hold me to those mistakes i've worked hard to move past and beyond. what is in the past is in the past. it cant be changed, can't be undone which is why i'm keeping my mouth shut. in the end there are few opinions i worry about and those that i do, i know exactly where i stand and when the sun sets that's really all that matters to me.

i can say that i'm so glad my mom's doing better and thanks to all of you who have been praying for her. i know she's impacted so many of your lives and if you've ever spent time at my house then you spent at least 30 minutes talking with my mom. for many of you, she learned your whole life story in about 15 minutes cause that's the kind of lady she is.

we're hoping and praying that the summer will end on a better note than what we started with. what more...we pray fall would be....boring! it would be a nice break. but this is how life goes, no? in seasons...some good, some not so good....a friend of mine posted on facebook the other day..."when life throws you lemons....don't just make lemonade......open up an aquas frescas on the south side and cash in...."

the unexpected

i never thought that my spring semester would be preparation for the marathon race i'm running now in the summer.

one family crisis right after another....

i've gotten alot of, you're under alot of stress right now, but honestly...i'm mean in sincere honesty: my sentiments reside somewhere between "roll up your sleeves and dig deep" to "we just have to do what we have to do." To some it may seem cold/calculating...but it's not trust me. It's more along the lines that my emotional tank is on empty and so rationale has taken the reigns.

not to mention, in crisis, something inside me kicks on and I shift into "look out for everyone" mode. maybe it has something to do with being a first born and all the opportunities in leadership. it's an innate part of my being. so there's no time for falling apart (in my mind). and honestly...i have a peace about the situation.

these last few months have had so many ups and downs, you'd think we'd spent the summer at six flags.

no, its just life.

the summer started with a mini-vacation to san antonio...on my way back, a delinquent decided to throw a rock/brick threw my driver-side window and steal my ipod. I make it back to the panhandle and life was starting to settle...

unexpectedly, one of my uncles passed away...from there life has thrown us one curve ball after another.

i had to deal with crazy changes with financial aid...and not in a good way...due to the way my graduate program is set up, I'm  considered a part-time student this semester because I have 5 hrs and had 7 last...so even though I have 12 overall and am full-time...those pesky 5 hrs put me at part-time status which affected my grant amounts. i was not a happy camper about that....

so during that whole ordeal, my mom had surgery. She was in her second week of recovering when i found out i received a $4,000 scholarship from the National Society of Hispanic MBA's - Austin Chapter. Of course that was a major bright spot in my day! my mom reminded me of how God blesses our hard work. I have to agree....

had a great visit this last weekend with good friends and the person for whom I have hearts in my eyes for! LOL....while visiting, I got word that a good, close friend's grandpa had passed away.

and then the next bump in the road, if you will, arrived yesterday with my mom's visit to the ER monday evening and then later admittance into the hospital. She's in the intermediate care unit with congestive heart failure and possible pneumonia. so back to the hometown I go. lots of going home as of late...might need to chew on that for a bit....

I'm not frazzled like some would think I would be...no, i've got peace about this. and not that I know how any of it will turn out...i just know that if God has seen me through one rough and tumble semester/year...that in the end it's gonna be ok. we may not get the results we want but despite that...we have to be thankful.

i could choose to sit and wallow in the tragedies of yesterday....sit in the mourning...fail to see the blessings...but i've chosen different for myself and for my family. and I chose a long while back....time is much better spent appreciating the blessings of now....i can't give credit to myself but only to God...who has shown me immeasurable things...beyond my wildest imagination and if he can make a silly dream like "touring Italy" come true....and can change your path in an unexpected way that leads to joy....then yes...anything is possible with Him. He's given me more than I deserve and I know that its because of His unconditioinal love for each of us.

I understand it now because unconditional love has some powerful meaning in my life today. I realized that there are some things in my life that I'd not yet surrendered...and spending time tied to those things is draining and exhausting...i understand what is mean by the "truth shall set you free."

itunes is on random shuffle..."Adonai" just started....irony/coincidental...no, I think not.

here's the link so you can listen for yourself...

Life lines

funny how life brings circumstances that will cause you to literally stop and have quiet moments you need. the spring semester was plagued with out-of-control allergies. with the help of my hometown physician, we were finally able to get things under control and now im working towards eliminating allergies with an immuniologist. again apologies for the spelling...mine is atrocious.

i was so excited that summer would bring rest and relaxation only to find the complete opposite of that. its been one drama after another and while at times i sometimes feel overwhelmed, i've not completely fallen off my rocker. in fact, i can say that for the most part i've approached everything with as much positive energy as possible. i've also worked to keep things in perspective because some things you can change and some things you just can do nothing about.

so...while visiting my parents, someone decided to throw a brick/rock threw my driver side window and stole my ipod. so i spent the next day filing a police report and found out several vehicles in the area were hit and then had to have the window replaced. after the window was fixed we found something else wrong which caused a delay in the repair....and caused me to spend an additional day in my hometown.

at the end of that week, i got a call from my mom that my uncle had passed away. Life turned into a whirlwind of activities as my mom and her siblings made funeral arrangements and prepared for the days to come. while saying good-bye to a love one is never easy, the events of that followed culminated in a peaceful good-bye. its unfortunate that an event like that can bring together family but im glad that we were together. my mom's side of the family attended from all over the state with cousins coming from odessa and pecos and phone calls from family members sending their condolences. I can say that we were blessed with the outpouring of love and support.

the funeral was simple which is befitting of my uncle. after the burial service, the family made their way over to my grandmothers gravesite which was only a few rows away. we know that my uncle is at peace and in a better place.

then my mother already had surgery scheduled for today. i've spent most of the day at the hospital.  its given me some much needed time to stop and read and get caught up on school work. did i mention i have 8 hrs right now? yeah....fun...

i'm staying with my mom overnight and then headed back to lubbock for class on sat then back to angelo to help care for my mom. she did well and the family is making arrangements to help with her recovery. will be 6 to 8 weeks before she's fully recovered. cant say enough about the love and support shown by friends and family. its meant alot.

as always, keeping my head up knowing that the stuff life throws your way can only make you stronger. challenges are never easy but they sure do test you and push you to limits you didnt know exist. at the end, being pushed is what makes us better people and gives us a better understanding of unconditional love, grace, and mercy....

so much to say

this time I've let two months lapse between my posting. sorry about that. life got really hectic here in the last few months. I've been on more roller coaster rides (figuratively) than I care to reminisce about. i made some major changes to my degree plan. went from a management  concentration to health organization management and then changed to a dual masters program. love the program but it has had its share of challenges and by fair probably one of the most intense programs i've endured in terms of course work and expectations. however...its exactly what i love about the program.

i feel that i finally found my niche and its a very wonderful experience.

so with that I embark on an arduous year left in my program. i've obtained an internship with a children's clinic here. so very excited about the work and project possiblities there. i was also elected as VP of Finance for our health organzation management student association. so i'm really excited about the possiblities there and being able to work to improve what we do. will be busy with that in the next year and seeing the importance of networking.

its been a season of growing and with those kinds of seasons growing pains are inevitable. but these growing pains were more than i bargained for...(sigh)...however...i know that its for my good and yes i've learned so many valuable lessons. still alot of decisions to be made and i cant say i have all the answers...in fact if i'm certain of anything, its that things can change on a dime.

i was thinking back to this time last year....getting ready for graduation and getting ready to leave to Italy for a month...by far one of the most amazing and rewarding experiences of my life. i look back on those pictures with alot of nostalgia and fondness for the people who made that such a memorable experience. it changed me in so many ways...and i remember being on the ferry from brindisi to patras: thinking what could the future possibly hold?

never in a million years could i have predicted the things that have happened to me in this last year. i thought i was headed for law school and that road took a deviation for the best. there are still questions in life which i have no answers...and for now i'm content with walking down the road not knowing.

life is kinda funny that way.

some of the things i've learned: you cant make people love you the way you want to be loved or be in a relationships with you when they dont want to be...i wont get into much more about the happenings in my life. i've made this shift back into annonymity. hard to explain but yeah....needless to say i have more lessons to learn.
the summer will be short lived. my program is a two year - straight, no breaks kinda program. and we have these things called enhancements which are like workshops. we have to complete 10 units by fall....so it means workshops two weeks after finals this spring and two weeks before classes start this fall...that leaves a little over a week for a break before summer school starts...and leaves a week between summer and fall...ugh! vacation?

i plan on taking one very soon....and i promise to update a little more...lots more to say but of course its late and i have to be back at school tomorrow morning by 8 am after being there 8 am - 9:30 pm today. it was grueling and i'm exhausted in ways i cant even explain.

90%

once again, its late but i'm finally winding down and have a few things on my mind.

first, let me say its good to be back to the land of the breathing and semi-healthy! lol. The last eight weeks were insane. almost literally. I found myself dealing with out-of-control allergies which triggered a sinus infection. I'm asthmatic so the sinus infection quickly escalated in a weeks time into bronchitis. i saw the dr. 6 different occassions when through a total of 11 medications ranging from antibiotics to breathing inhalations to steroids. yes, i should be completely buff by now - but i'm not...wrong kind of steroids. i give credit to Omnaris that finally got my sinuses under control although it was at the cost of my first born (almost). so finally after 20+ breathing treatments, things are back under control.

i've been playing catch-up on a number of fronts: work, school, home-life, family, and friends.

its kinda exhausting...but i'm getting a much needed rest over the weekend.

ok so the major happenings.

My sis and fam -

They've moved back to Texas. YAY! super happy cause that means i get to see the nephews more often and well....they're so frickin' cute. In fact, sitting on my bookshelf is a master piece created by Sir Timothy. He says to me (while i was there), "Mimi - i made you something. Let me go get it!" so he runs off and runs back with this odd creation in his hands and says, "Look, i made it just for you! you can put it on your shelf with all your decorations and tell your mama look what Timmy made for me!"

I'm crackin up thinking about his little presentation as I type this. Prime example as to why I love those boys. They always make me smile by something they do or say! So yes, I'm very glad they are in Texas. Glad my sis is back cause I didnt get to see her too often. I know that my parents can help her and give both her and her hubby some relief (which is always nice)!

Cary has his next surgery May 10. So if you can be praying for him and the fam - I know they'd appreciate it much. I have to say some good things about my bro-in-law cause he's been through alot and still keeping positive. I know he made this decision in the best interest of his family cause he loves them. so yeah...my viewpoint has definitely changed in a positive direction.

The new man in my life - things are going well. Getting ready to fly out to Austin later this week with a short trip to san antonio and then houston to visit friends. This relationship is so completely different from the others and i'm so happy for what he brings to my life. He's been super supportive of my educational goals and just encouraged me when i've wanted to throw in the towel. Helps me to stay focused on the goal. Overall, he's just an amazing guy and i'm glad our paths crossed in the timing that they did.

school - well, its escuela...and i'll be glad to have a break after graduation next year. fall 2011 hasnt been quite decided but i can say i wont have any classes that summer! for the first time since 2007. amazing...

well Congreso is this weekend and for the first time in 20 years, i wont be in attendance. i cant believe it's been 20 years...there are alot of reasons why i wont be attending but i think at 20 years it was time to say good-bye. Smange is still coordinating the event and all the staff and event will be in my prayers over the weekend and of course the participants.

this year has been about new starts and new roads to travel. at times, its scary and i'm not really sure how to navigate through the new waters. it can be terrifying but at the same time exhilarating and exciting. life has more to offer and i'm working at taking advantage of the opportunities. doesnt make sense to some and to others they get what i'm talkin about. perfectly cool. not meant for everyone to get.

so as always - life is sooo completely than i ever expected and in so many ways its so completely amazing! i wouldnt change how anything has happened. some relationships i wish were better but you can only do what you can do. you cant make someone want to be in a relationship with you and you cant do their part either. doesnt work that way...and so sometimes its just best to say good-bye and pray that you get a second chance later.

i'm done stressing or worrying about things so completely out of my control.

so life is good and its sweet...sometimes bittersweet but sweet nonetheless!

my mocos and me

whew....been a while since i wrote one of these!

i should probably update you all since i've been a bit MIA.

not purposely MIA but i found myself employed and changed my concentration. so instead of getting one master's degree, i'll have two...

some of you know that i'm seeing someone. he lives in austin which means i've frequented austin more than usual. and yes, he made a trip up to north to my neck of the woods and even met my parents. he's sweet and truly amazing.

i'm not really sure where to go with this blog. so much has happened since i last wrote.

i got really sick and i'm under the conviction that the pandhandle is not where i need to live permanently. the weather does not agree with me or rather, i do not agree with it. i'm a tropical people. lol.

alright, i had planned on writing more but its now late and i need to sleep. still recovering from my last round fight with bronchitis/upper respiratory infection/asthma. it was insane....

promise to write and update this weekend. time is making itself a bit more affordable lately. it's nice...

oh happy day...

its been insanity as of late. i realize it's been a really long time since i've updated. i can only say that my delays in posting have been with good reason. Sometime at the first of feb, my allergies went a little BAZURK...and that landed me in the dr's office about the 10th of Feb.

Well needless to say since then, I've been back for a total of 6 visits. I was still pretty congested up until today and i'm still recovering though i feel a ka'million times better than i did a few weeks ago. yes, two antibiotics, three steriods, a series of breathing treatments, and a new inhaler and i'm on the road to recovery!

i realize it's late and i know you're probably thinking i'm burning the midnight oil. its not on purpose. i had a case i needed to wrap up and another major project. the weekend's activities didnt allow me the free-time i was hoping for...but all for good cause.

ok so the super big news everyone's been waiting to hear. mr. casillas met my parents this weekend. yes, this is the new man in my life as one church member referred to him this morning! LOL.

it was a pretty amazing weekend and i plan on expounding more but i need to sleep.

all i can say is i'm pretty happy.

my sis officially moved back to Texas today and i got to visit with my nephews, sister, and her husband for a few hours before heading back to the panhandle. i'm so glad they're back and cant wait to see them soon!