Confessional {Getting to Know You} Friday

It's Friday ya'll and this week, instead of dishing out our confessions, we're playing a little game of getting to know you. So, link up with the ever lovely Leslie from A Blonde Ambition and get to know your neighbors, err bloggers!
1. Your name

hmmm, I am somewhat anonymous on here,  but a lot of you now "know" me, so Hi, my name is Lynn.


2. Where you're from

I was born in The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the small town of Clarion.

Or, if you are more familiar with PA

3. What do you do with your days?

I would love to say I am blogger, crafter, baker extraordinaire, however, I spend my days as a lawyer. I do civil defense work (mostly insurance defense, some construction and  lil smattering of landlord/tenant)

4. Tell us about your family.

I have one brother, who has a wonderful son (my nephew). Here we are!

I also have one of those maternal ladies, ya know a mom! She lives in a small town outside a well-known placed where a certain gaggle of Aggies can be found.

I also am blessed with a wonderful "adopted" family of sorts that includes V&D and my Aunt K. Not quite sure how I got so lucky to have these people in my life, but man I thank my stars everyday for them.

Oh, and I suppose if you want to know, I have a rather large consortium of aunts & uncles (my mom is the oldest of 7) and cousins, most of whom I cannot remember their names, opp sorry fam)

And.... I have these two ladies whom I refer to as my kids.

5. What are your dreams and goals?

Oh lordy, big question. This may seem silly, but I want to get married again and have kids. (yeah, if you're new around here, you can read about the Big D), I would like to make partner at my firm but secretly, I want to open a bakery/café that sells homemade food that is healthier for you. And I would like to win the lottery, pay off my house and buy a boat. No biggie.
6. Why did you start blogging?

I started blogging way back in August 2011 after I graduated from law school, got married, bought a house, took the bar exam and started as a law associated. But here we are January 2014 and I am still at it. Now, its been about the Big D, starting over, buying and maintaining my house and my faith journey.

 7. Maybe tell us some random facts!

* Hmm, I am a former titleholder with the Miss Texas Scholarship Program.

* I have never been skiing
*I have been more places overseas than in the US


2005 when I lived in London

*I own two LV purses and one pair of Christian Louboutin's that I bought with my first lawyer paycheck and I never wear them for fear of ruining them.
* I could live on the beach with a book in my hand and a tan on my skin!

Hope you all enjoyed this lil rendition of Confessional Friday! Ya'll come back now!

My Day in Pics

So, here is my typical (Monday or Thursday) day.

5 am wake up for workout, pups asleep

6am been at gym since 5:15

7 am back home getting ready for work

8 am, protein shake at work

9 am work.... dealing with production documents

10 & 11 am more work



noonish - eat lunch which was prepared Sunday

1 pm co-worker throws bottle cap at me, will sit in that corner for days

2-5:30/6ish keep on working... so not glamorous

6pm come home to snuggling puppies!!!

7pm TV and dinner with Le Guy

9:45pm bed time, snuggle bug time!

No so glamorous,  but its my day!

This is Why We're Friends

I have the best group of girl friends. We're a mix of sorority sisters, friends from college, fiancés of husbands, and younger sisters and her friends. We have grown and changed over the years, but its moments like last night that explain our friendship.

I was sitting at le guy's post workout, and we were just talking about our days and how he was feeling ( he's been under le weather). Then my phone chirped at me. I looked down and saw it was from one of my friends. I picked it up and this is how the exchange went:

 

I died laughing. When I got home and was laying in bed, I reread our text exchange and smiled. I mean, so ridiculous, yet so .... us. Our next adventure, Rodeo Purple at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo tomorrow! Yes, totally cliché, totally TCU and Texan. Anywho, just a shout out, I have the best friends!

Where Would They Stay?

I have been known to have some random thoughts. As in driving down the street and things pop in my head. I tend not to tell people because well, some of them are weird. But I divulged a few to le guy. He looked at me so strangely, so I thought I would share with you.

• if we got married and had a wedding, where would his brother and sister in law stay?
• if I opened the door and let Sophie walk out, would she ever come back? would I be sad?
• could I really quit my job and open a bakery where you make things with healthier ingredients?
• how long could I go without working out  before I gained 10 pounds
• if someone tried to suck my toes, would I like it? or kick them in the face?
• will God really strike me down if I lie?
• if an old man offered me all the money in the world to be his sugar baby, could I sleep with him?
• I think Chloe would look excellent with purple fur
• and then there are the times I just get the overwhelming desire to just smack people's butts.... yup... like just want to give it a huge whack... (I refrain, I mean seriously I was not born in a barn)

And that is an adventure inside my brain!

Oh Hello Again Monday

As I sit here its 33 degrees. Yesterday, it was 77! 77 people. I was out and running the trails, sitting at The Flying Saucer for a glass of wine and hummus, taking the dogs on a stroll 77 in January, and now its 33!

Yup, it was a gorgeous Texas weekend. Friday night we joined some good friends for dinner a local favorite of ours. Salads for the both of us but mmmm delicious wine! Followed by an early bed time. because... I had a workout at 7am Saturday. I met the trainer for our pageant girls and got in a great led workout. He made my tushy, and calves, and quads shake. Needless to say, by 8am I was back on my couch and asleep.

That was pretty much my Saturday. I napped, grocery shopped and enjoyed an early Mexican dinner with le guy and then headed downtown for a lil froyo!

Sunday we headed to  church and then a great 4 mile run on the Trinity Trails. I love Fort Worth and our system of bike and running trails. The weather was just too gorgeous, so we walked to Sundance Square and parked our butts at The Flying Saucer for some beer (him) and wine (me).

We followed it up with this delicious dinner:

Balsamic Pork and Roasted Cauliflower ( my own recipe).

Not very exciting, but super relaxing!

5 on a Friday

Its Friday! Today I give you the 5 things that have made my life stressful this week:

1. Oversleeping/No Alarm - I have done this twice this week! I look up and bam its 7:05 and I get to work at 7:30.... Ensue complete panic. Throw dogs outside, stand in front of closet hmmm, and in my mind I'm yelling "JUST PICK SOMETHING!" Throw on make-up run straightener through hair, grab coffee and something edible at 7-11 and rush into work at 7:47. I mean no one is sitting with a clock seeing what time I get in to my office (there are actually only like 4 people in my office that early). But its MY TIME. I get so much done between 7:30 and 8:30 when the office officially opens. I also then tend to eat crap. Like the bagel and today the breakfast sandwich, (In my defense I asked for the egg white on whole wheat and they have me regular, I ate it)

2. Emergency Filings - Ya know when you get a new case assigned and realize the answer deadline is ya know today... and you rush to pull the Petition and then draft an answer, special exceptions, affirmative defenses and a general denial in about 2.5 seconds.... thank goodness for copy and paste

3. My escape artist Sophie - she has been scaling the baby gate again. I bought a new one and bam Monday and Tuesday I come home to puppy in the living room. I do not know how she does it,  but she does... and then cannot get back over and then spends who knows how long chilling on the couch (or in my closet). She got a stern talking to Wednesday and was behind the gate last night. We will see how long it lasts.

4. The ever-changing weather: This weekend it was 72 today its 18 degrees currently.... My body, sinuses, wardrobe just do not know how to cope. Figure it out mother nature!

5. My "To-Do" List....As in the work one... its long, which is good! But none of the stuff on it is lawyer sexy... no motions for summary judgment or briefs or deposition prep, nope! Just letters, research, client calls to make, scheduling  mediations... which are all good things and lead to sex lawyer stuff. But I am not as motivated as I was last week prepping for trial...

That's it! Here's to next week....

Home Decor

So le guy and I were sitting on my couch the other night watching Modern Family reruns and we somehow got to talking about home décor. I posed the question "if we ever lived together, what of my stuff would you veto in the new home?" We chatted and then I totally blurted out that I kinda didn't like the rug he has in his living room. Total foot-in-mouth snaphoo.... I tried to backtrack... yeah didn't work either. I finally just said, well, its because its worn and not my favorite design, but I do like the colors in it. I think I smoothed it over. But it got me thinking of what my dream home would look like?

I kind of got that chance back when M and I were married and our house, but I never realty got to do what I wanted. The one thing I have wanted... a gallery wall. I have Pinterest it to death! So... when I was approached by Easy Canvas I totally jumped. What did I have to lose? This would be the start of my own lil gallery. I had a couple other friends who had used them and loved the results, so I jumped on and boy am I glad I did.

 

 

I went with one of the photos from my Christmas shoot with the girls, because every gallery needs the family at its center. The result was awesome! I got to choose how it was wrapped and it came so wonderfully packaged, no damage at all! And wow delivery was fast! Easy Canvas Prints was just so simple and wonderful to work with! They sent me the above canvas and now I am hooked. I am going to order some more and start my own gallery wall. And who knows...  maybe it will be our gallery wall someday!

 

* I was compensated for this post with one free 8x10 canvas. All thoughts are my own

Pretty Muddy

As you all know, I'm a pretty active person. I run, workout, try to eat healthy... But most of all, I live to have fun. Last year one of my best friends talked me into doing one of those fun runs with obstacles and such and was just for women. I.Had.A.Blast! So... when I was asked to become a Pretty Muddy Blog Ambassador this year I was stoked!

What is Pretty Muddy you ask?

Pretty Muddy was started by a couple of businessmen who were inspired by their wives – their pretty cool wives. Watching their partners juggle kids, households, carpools and careers – while still having time for the occasional ladies’ night – got the men thinking:

These awesome women deserve more time for themselves. Time for balance and time to be themselves without their families. Because even the greatest mom, businesswoman or grandma sometimes needs time that is just her own.

With the help of their wives and an incredible team of creative and motivated people, the two businessmen created an inaugural series of events called Pretty Muddy.

More than a mud run, it’s an exciting women-only event where you can let your hair down and have fun! And that’s pretty awesome.

How awesome is that? A mud-run for women! Yeah, we have all heard of those mud-runs, like Warrior Dash or the numerous other events out there, but where else can you find a place to feel inspired, feel fit, and feel comfortable?

I do not endorse a lot of things in this blog, as in once in a blue moon, but this is different. After watching the thrill of my friends finishing  last year, I was hooked. And what's better? Pretty Muddy has 4 events across the nation! Dallas * Sacramento * Chicago * Richmond... so you can find one near you. Grab your sisters, mothers, friends and make it a weekend.

So go it alone or go it with friends. Right now Pretty Muddy is offering teams of 3 or more 10% off their registration!! How awesome is that!

And... if you want to join me for the Dallas run on April 26th  let me know, the more the merrier!

Case Settled

So, what do you do when you're 31 and your case settles and you are not going to trial? Well.... you sleep in, skip church, go for a run (in 72 degree weather in January) go to the zoo, hit up the patio at Woodshed for drinks and apps and then go home to the crockpot meal you cooked and get in bed by 8:30pm!

Yes, that was my Sunday. Throw in a little laundry and a major allergy attack, but all-in-all a great way to relax after a super stressful week. I had been dying to head to the Fort Worth Zoo and see the baby elephants since they were born this summer, but I had been so stressed, so when le guy mentioned it I totally took him up on it. It hit the spot, he got snakes and lizards, I got baby elephants and lions and monkeys! And then I took two Bendryl and was out for the count by 8:30. Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Here is a lil of what we saw at the zoo. (its totally not just for kids.)

Sunday Social

Its Sunday and I am on my to trial!/:( as in excited yay trial, but boo being away from my babies! But let's get social for a bit and forgive me for being a tad MIA this week! But catch up on what Neely is up to this week!

 

1. Top 3 favorite kinds of food
-FRUIT!!! I could live off of it!
-Cookies. Pretty much just a perfect piece of heaven.
-and Thai. Love me some pad thai, curry,  noodles, you name it

2. First 3 things you do in the morning
- let dogs out
-pee (yeah totally let them go first!)

3. Last 3 things you do at night
-let dogs out (see a pattern here)
- give both pups good night kisses/nuzzles
-turn off the light!

4. 3 TV shows you NEVER miss
-Grey's
-Suits (when its on)
and yeah that's it

5. 3 places you want to visit
-Paris
-Germany
-Cali (this is happening October 2014

6. 3 people you can always count on
-V
-KW
-God

Have a super week everyone!

5 on Friday

Happy Friday all!  Here are 5 random things about my life lately!

1. Diet - I say that meaning I am getting back on my healthy eating kick. I prepped my lunches Sunday (grilled chicken, veggies, and spinach salad); have been drinking my protein shake post workout with a banana, off days are egg whites and turkey bacon, snacks include greek yogurt & hummus & carrots, and a sensible dinner (i.e. protein + greens). I admit its been hard at times because I want bread or a cookie,  but I am trying. My goal is not so much weight loss and feeling better.

2. Work - I have trial next week. Well , I did have trial next week. We have been prepping and preparing and making plans and then BAM, settled last night. Hear the angels singing. But I admit its also a let down as I really wanted to get my first big trial under my belt. Oh well, there is always the one set for the end of this month.

3. My House - its trying to bleed me dry. Plumbing, roof, windows, now my dishwasher decides it wants to poop out. WTF

4. Babies - no, no no, not me... Everyone else. I mean there is not a facet of my life not touched by pregnant ladies. My friends are sprouting like watermelons! I am excited yes, but I would be lying if I didn't tell you all I am a tad jealous. I mean, girl is dying to be a mommy here, but I know God has a plan and I will just have to wait and see what he reveals to me.

5. My brain - I think its dying. Lately, I am a jumbled, hot-mess of words. I mix up words, transpose words, try to put two words together to form new ones... I just cannot form coherent sentences. I blame the lack of sleep, overstressed me. I think this weekend there shall be a nap... and Le guy and I decided we need some fun so I asked him what he wanted to do... He said (with a comical "if this goes wrong I will pull it off as a joke" voice) the zoo?! I was like OMG, yes! Fort Worth has a great zoo and its supposed to be 72 here Saturday, so I was like baby elephants, what? So we planned a lovely stress free afternoon (after he gets off work) to meander among the animals and then head to a local place to get some grub, a drink and enjoy the day.

That is my life in a nutshell ya'll! Have a super duper weekend and get out and do something!

Thing I love

• My office. Purple walls, windows, downtown view, fancy executive chair... yeah I could live here
• morning workouts. over.done. can get so much done after work
• my girls

• Burt's Bees (seriously best stuff ever)
• my Ugg slippers (from le guy for Christmas) I live in these things!
• my City Group family (could not be more blessed to have this group of people to share life with)
• MakeUp Forever HD setting powder, yup its the bomb.com
• planning trips!
• that so many of my friends are having/had/got babies this year!! (both human and fur babies)
• My brother. Who turned the ripe old age of 33 yesterday.... Happy Bday Bubby!!!!

Bubby and I circa 1983

Bubby and I 2013

Onward Ever Upward

Never failed that at the end of every email from the dean of my law school ended with that salutation. Every time I hear a variation of it, I think of Dean Huffman and smile. Its comes from a Hymn (which is so telling of both the Dean and this phrase). But I realized that this phrase, or whatever you want to call it has so much meaning.

Onward. Meaning, don't get stuck in place. This is hard for me. I like routine, I like monotony and knowing what will come each day. I also dwell. I look fondly at the past and think what if, or back when... I often found myself saying this year " I want my life back." What life? What is this grand, imaginary life that I dreamt up in my head? Were things awful, well sometimes, but were they wonderful? was I head over heels cannot live any other way? No. So WTF am I wanting back?

I mean even The Bible tells us to look forward, eyes above.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Isaiah 43:18

Onward. Its my mantra this year. Look forward, not backwards. Focus on what is to be and not could have been.

Ever Upward. Strive. Set goals. Persevere. Don's stop believing. Yes I get that sometimes our society focuses too much on achievement and success, but its not a bad thing to always keep looking to better ourselves. This does not have to mean a big promotion, more money, or setting our eyes on the prize so to speak, but setting our eyes on doing better and being better at being "us."  This comes in the form or self-improvement, whether its weight or health goals, improving our spiritual well-being, deepening our relationships with others and the Lord, and truly living life to the fullest.

Ever Upward. Its where my heart, ears, eyes and soul are reaching this year.

Psalm 121

I lift up my eyes to the hills.
    From where does my help come?
² My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.

³ He will not let your foot be moved;
    he who keeps you will not slumber.
⁴ Behold, he who keeps Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The Lord is your keeper;
    the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
⁶ The sun shall not strike you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

⁷ The Lord will keep you from all evil;
    he will keep your life.
⁸ The Lord will keep
    your going out and your coming in
    from this time forth and forevermore.

 

ONWARD. EVER UPWARD!

The DTR

So two weekends ago I was at my should-be sis's parent's house celebrating her 30th bday. *Sidenote: I love her family and they have the best tradition of a family birthday lunch and cake and merriment. They pretty much adopted all of their kids friends and well, its just wonderful to be a party of a huge family* Anywhoodle.... they ladies were sitting in the dining room for a little girltalk, and we were discussing AM's DTR with her boyfriend. Well, should-be and AM's mom was confused. DTR? What is that? So after a little explaining, and making sure she could use "DTR" properly in context, we proceeded with story of AM's DTR and then it bled over into their mom telling is about how her husband and she met, fell in love and got engaged. (seriously cutest story ever, and they will be celebrating their 41st wedding anniversary soon).

So, I thought about the "DTR." When do you have it? When is it appropriate? Is it a must? And what do you include in such a talk?  And, do you still DTR in your 30's?

Well, yes, you still DTR in your 30's.... I think you do at any age or stage and often you probably have more than one DTR. You have the first, are we more than just casual, followed by the where are we going with this, and then after some time, the should we move-in, get married? And then once you are married, you will continue to have a number of these DTR moments. You have the do we buy or rent; when do we have kids; do I continue to work or should I become a SAHM.

Its cyclical people. As humans (and women) we ride a constant wave of defining moments, we yearn to know where we stand and what happens next. I mean look at the way we define our friends from friend to best friend to BFFL.... even Facebook has us categorize our relationships with people.

I look back at my relationship with M and see now that we missed so many of these key moments. We never really talked about anything. We never went from the friends to boyfriend step, it was a constant battle for me. I was constantly wondering where we were going and where we stood (and though it shouldn't matter, it does). Its these types of talks and categorization that keeps a woman sane! It helps us have peace of mind.

This is one thing I have thought about more in this go 'round than the last. I try to talk about these things so that no one is in the dark or feels lost (aka I don't feel lost or in the dark), so that we communicate about our thoughts and feelings. I have also tried not to think about when the time was right or what is accepted in society. WE have done things when they feel right for us, and not by anyone else's standards.

So, do you think the DTR is still relevant? Do we as a society of women put too much pressure on it? Is it good or healthy to define the relationships we have people?