5 on Friday

Friday on a short week that felt extra long? Yeah, I had one of those! Its just cramming 5 days into 4 for ya! But here are my 5 great things about this week this Friday!

1} This Face! How can you not just want to curl back up in bed when this face stares at you while you are getting ready for work?

2} My City Group Family and babies! Was good to have the core group (plus two sweet baby girls) back together this week. Nothing beats baby giggles and Jesus ya'll!

3} This is the story of my life! Rough day? Wanna relax? Watch Monuments Men on TV? Add two furballs and this is my Thursday night!

4} Date Night! Yup, I got one tonight! Don't know the details, but its sure to be great!

5} Memorial Day! I have the best friends, who have the coolest family who know how to party! This was a little ladder golf action Monday right before all I had to do was just drop the thing on the ground to win and instead it jumped up and racked up a point over 21....

Choose Your Words

I was sitting in my office listening to the sermon from Sunday since I was still in South Carolina. We are studying 2 Timothy. I opened my Bible to this week's text and read it. I then read it aloud. Ever have one of those moments when He is speaking to you? I mean right to you. Right there I was humbled.

How many times have I used harsh words where they were not needed? When I rolled my eyes at someone simply because I disagreed with their actions. When I was impatient, or questioned simply to question. All the times I  spoke in anger, or let things bottle up and quarreled over someone meaningless. I am guilty of creating conflict where it was not needed; speaking ill instead of speaking truth; defending false idols when I should be repenting;  dismissing those who are unlike me; and talking the talk without walking it as well.

Words. They have the power to do great things, but also cause great sorrow. Powerful letters arranged in infinite combinations with endless meanings that carry so much weight.

Do your words match your heart? Are your words used to do great things or cause great sorrow? Do you engage in irreverent babble? Duh! We all do. Its impossible not to. We are designed to be sinners, to fail, to mess up, but we also have been given the power to see our ill ways and take those same words to do great things.

And its more than just the words. Its the tone, delivery, timing, timber of those spoken words. Its the font, capitalization, use of punctuation. The same words spoken with a different tone or at a different time can be taken another way. Use your words wisely, both written and verbal.

And bloggers, we have this amazing gift to use our written words to do great good as well or cause hurt and pain. What will you do with your words today?

A Proper Souther Wedding

What is a wedding in the south without southern food, white coats and bourbon? Well, this had it all, complete with a group if misfit Texans in tow.

I journeyed to South Carolina Friday with le guy for his friend's wedding to a South Carolina girl. We had an early flight on what might have been the smallest plane ever for 2 hours... But I digress. South Carolina was all its said to be. Hot and the old south. You could feel the humid heat as we stepped onto the jetway and man I needed something cold to calm the vapors.

 We checked into the hotel and headed out to for some at a local tavern. Columbia is the capital of the state and home to USC. Its truly a college town at its finest, complete with the cheapest drinks and bars open tip 4am.

We attended the ginormous rehearsal dinner with a family style buffet full of sausage, mac & cheese and bananas foster for dessert.

Saturday I spent most of the day at the pool catching rays and reading Emily Griffin's new book The One and Only!  (I will review this another time, let's just say it was not what I was expecting).

The wedding was gorgeous! The bride was dressed in lace and the traditional Episcopal service was gorgeous in this backdrop.

The reception was next. We hopped a bus to the country club and dined on local southern fare: shrimp and risotto, prime rib, BLT, mini burgers, and lots and lots of alcohol! The band jammed all night and we danced the night away!

not quite ready

They clean up well those Texas boys

That is all I got of the reception, as I was too busy dancing my booty off! The party continued at a local bar, but for me it continued in my bed.

Sunday we had a late flight so we relaxed and spent some more time at the pool and exploring Columbia. After a 3 hour stint in the tiny airport we came home to puppies!

All in all it was a great trip! Congrats #tomcat

Rainy Day Blues

Morning ya'll. I know I promised a Memorial Day/South Carolina recap, but life got in the way, in the form of prepping for a JP trial today. So, on this rainy day after a very long weekend, I hope you will catch up on some of my favorite blogs and see what they did this weekend.

Jenn @ Going the Distance

Jessica @ The Newly

Today We Remember

Ill be back tomorrow for a recap of my trip to South Carolina

A.M. to P.M.

Ever have one of those days where you just go through about every emotion in the book? Ya know, one of those days that ends in you looking something like....

I start each day like

And the puppies are like

and

I drag myself to work, before most others and I am all

I trudge through the day, staring blankly at my computer and typing very important legal documents

I attend meetings

I go to Court and sound oh so savvy

I cry in my office when life is too much

I then go home and cook, clean and land in bed exhausted.

What's your day like?

Workout Wednesday

Wednesday!! Its workout Wednesday, so link up and tell me about your workout woes this week!

 The gym is my obsession solace. I kinda get cranky when something messes up my schedule. I need that time to destress and just feel better about myself after eating a cupcake and PB M&Ms at work a long day at work. I need to sweat it out.

This week has been one where I just have had so many things get in the way of my workout. Last night was no different. It was more house fixing, and prepping it for something big (more on this later I promise). le guy was like let's just do it tonight. GRRR No, its my cardio/HIIT day and I needed it like a fat kid needs cake.

Me with no Tuesday workout is not a pretty picture. And Wednesday it my day off, time for church, sleep and puppies. So I did not want to move it. So... off the house we trekked to take care of painting the patched wall, hanging odds and ends and tending to the doorlocks I have been neglecting (glad no one burgled me). Needless to say, when it was done, all i wanted to do was climb in bed.

Nope, to the gym! I told myself i would feel better in the end. And I did. I banged out some stairclimber and some abs. The stairclimber people kills me. Rev that puppy up and go. I can just feel my booty working and by the end I look like a hott mess, but had that workout high!

My point, get to it. Even on those days when you want nothing more to do than hop in  bed or when life gets in the way, make a point to get in that workout, even if its just 30 minutes! There is nothing better than that post workout high and how good that bed feels afterward.

Link Up ya'll and share!

Toxic

Can I just say, I have been so amazed at all your kinds words regarding my life story and now I became a lawyer? Ya'll know how to make a girl feel loved. Thanks for listening and supporting me. And... if ya'll could do me a favor and jump over to my fellow DFW blogger and see what she is giving away... $200 to Lululemon!! Yes, you heard me correctly, over $200 to Lulu! Get ya some.

But... I bring you this short rant on toxicity in your life. Its rampant Toxic people, toxic thoughts, toxic lifestyle. Yet, we choose to let all these things constantly plague our lives.

We continue to let toxic people bring us down, make us feel inferior and quite frankly ruin our days. I do this all the time. I just keep giving and trying, yet I know these people will let me down--its inevitable. Yet, I, the maker of my destiny, choose to let them in again and again. I would like to just stop. Whoa there nelly and all that jazz. But its so hard. How do you draw a fine line between loving your neighbor, your family, your friends, and doing what is best for your emotional and spiritual well-being?

Toxic thoughts. Yeah, we all do it. I was reminded of how many times I let thoughts about my body or life plan affect my life. I catch myself looking at myself in the mirror, sucking in, pulling "fat" back, pretty much tearing myself down because I'm not good enough for the cover of a well airbrushed People or Glamour. No one looks like that in real life people! Yet, I do it. I fill my head with body image hoopla and whispers of her hair looks better than mine, my hips are so wide, man why can't I look like that.

Toxicity. Cleanse yourself of thoughts and people who tear you down. Remove these thoughts from your heard. Take a deep breath of reality and see that though it may be hard to cut those people lose, it will ultimately make you better in the end. Do not enable them. Do not enable your own mind to control you with thoughts that are ridiculous. Do not live a toxic life.

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I Lawyer, What do You Do?

So, i linked up with two fellow DFW bloggers last week and shared why I became a lawyer, part 1. I promised you all I would share part 2. So, in case you missed last week, catch it here, before you read below. This was part 2 in a 2 part post way back in December 2011 on why I became a lawyer. Enjoy.

So if you haven't read last Friday's post, now would be the time. So, I left off Friday working for my alma mater and my father reappearing... So I'm sure you all are familiar with sites such as classmates.com and the like... well this is how my father found me. One day I was sitting on the couch checking my email and BAM! (totall Emeril moment) there was an email from him.

At first I was in shock... I mean this has go to be a joke, right? No, it was him. Thanks classmates.com.... I did not know what to do, to tell you the truth. Part of me was angry, part scared, part sad... I had a rush of emotion. I reverted back to the days of if you do not acknowledge your problem it will go away... So I ignored it. I pretended the email did not exist and went on about my life for a couple of weeks. I talked to my then boyfriend, now husband about it. I decided to answer the email. I mean come on, its email people. But there was still this part of  me that was so scared he would just show up at my doorstep. I mean what would I do then?

I answered his email and we excanged a few back and forth. Nothing extensive and I was always brief. I mean I was busy. I was in the middle of pageant prep, working full time, and just trying to pay bills. I did not need any more stress in my life. I didn't tell anyone about this. Of course he wanted to see me and tell me how sorry he was etc... blah blah... I did not want to hear it, I was mad, ok beyond mad, i was angry, I hated him. I blamed all the crappiness of my life on him. I was finally standing on my own two feet for the most part and did not need the sperm donor to come back into my life and ruin things.

As the months went by I kept on with m pageant prep and working happily away...  I did not think anyone noticed that I was stressed, on edge and in  general just not a nice person. My boss did. She was worried about me. I told her it was just pageant stuff getting in my head. I mean come on, I had people telling me what to eat, what to wear, how to act 24/7.. that alone was enough to get to someone. I went to some counseling and everything seemed to get better. No one was the wiser of the other the pressure in my life. Well, pageant came and went. But I realized during that strenuous week that I needed a change. I was not this scared person I was pretending to be all this time. I had goals, wants, dreams....

I'm sure my family and friends thought I just woke up one morning and said ok law school now. But it was more than that. I finally had this person back in my life, kind of, and I realized that the reason I left law school dreams in the dust was because I was scared. What if I wasn't good at it? What if I failed? But most of all, what if I couldn't help someone like me. I decided to stop living in fear and comfort, and go for it. I was 25 years old and if I didn't do it then, I never would. So I took an LSAT prep class and went for it.

I told only a few people. I wrote about my father and my life for my personal statement. I wanted to do more with my life, I wanted to help people. I wanted justice in the world. I wanted to speal for people who had no voice. I wanted to be someone's hero. I knew that people did things they were ashamed of and knew were wrong, but that did not mean they were bad people. They deserved just as much of a change as anyone. Because had no one given me a change there is no clue where I would be today. I am who I am because people were not scared to take a chance on me. I applied to schools in and out of state and waited.

I look back now and realize that it was fear that held me back. I was so afraid of people getting to know me, the real me. I feared if they knew my past, they would discredit my future. I did not think anyone would want... me. The one with the crappy childhood. Who grew up with an incarcerated father. Who lived through fights, near-eviction, who saw her single mother struggle to give her kids the best she could. But the truth is, that most people don't care, and those who let that define a friendship are not friends at all.

So that's it! I went off to law school, graduated and started working. (well there is a lot more to the story, but that's for like the next 50 posts...) Am I doing exactly what I want to do, no. But do I love it, yes! I am learning everyday how to perfect my craft. See, it doesn't matter what kind of law you practice, because it still teaches you invaluable skills. Someday I would love to work on capital murder cases. I want to be the voice for the people. Innocent until proven guilty. But until then, I help people in other ways. Someone asked me if I was selling out by working for a civil defense firm. NO. I am still helping people. The practice of law is all about problem solving. Whether its for a person or business... Everyone deserves good representation and advice. I continue to work for the things I believe in in other ways.

I was a voice for domestic violence when I competed in pageants, I am a walking example that statistics do not define who you are and who you will become. It goes to show that hard work and dedication pay off. The road is not easy, but the road leads you wherever YOU take it. 

5 on Friday

Thank you everyone for all your kinds words about yesterday's post I reshared. I will share the second half next week. Its truly inspiring to know you all care.

Thank you Friday. Thank you for ending my week and making we have two days where I can sleep in be up and at em again. Today I bring you a public service 5 on Friday. So, single guys, guys who think they are single, or men who want to date women,  this is for you. Today its the 5 stupid things men do while trying to date you.

1. Suddenly Reappear. Yes, I went on a couple dates with a guy last year right after the D. Super nice, smart, good looking, and we had a ton in common. Then he just was too busy, not in town, and then disappeared. Well, couple months later he was back. Explained away his MIA and we hung out. Then, boom! Again. Now, several months later he is back. Seriously dude, you.missed.the.chance. Don't say now you want to be with someone, settle down etc... you just suck at this.

2. The creeper. He asks his friends about you. He randomly texts you and facebook messages you. He asks how you are doing and comments on things he sees you doing via facebook and instagram. Did I mention he is in his 50's? Dude, get the hint, and quite creeping on me. Its just weird and pathetic.

3. The, I just got out of a relationship, but I am ready to date, but I will not actually commit to a date, guy. Hear me: YOU ARE NOT READY! If you were, you would have asked me like a zillion times by now, stalked me and possibly sent something. Point is, you are hesitant because you are not sure, and that's ok, just own it.

4. Mr. Player. You come across like a nice guy, but you aren't. You ask me out once or twice and then its all come over and "watch a movie" let's "relax in the hottub". Its all after 10pm, at your house and well, guess what? I know you have dinner plans with someone else because I saw you. And, no I do not want to get into anything you own, including your sess pool hottub where I am sure numerous STDs are hanging out.

5. He doesn't call. Sure, he likes you, seems interested, but doesn't call, text, facebook, anything. Yet, he totally wants to meet for drinks. Not chasing you dude (but let's be honest, we totally find a way to text them, because face it, he's cute and women are dumb).

I could go on and on, like the guy who only wants to go to bars, or meet up with his friends or asks you out for sushi when you have said nine times you hate it. So men, just be normal, plain ole you. She will either like it or not, but don't be weird, creepy,  MIA, etc... If you like her tell her, show her. If you don't be honest, but don't drag it out, because that is why women are crazy... MEN! Sure glad I don't have to deal with this anymore.

#totalsocial

I am linking up with my fellow DFW bloggers Sarah & Helene ( I will still love them even though they reside on the other side of the Trinity). Its total social ya'll! Find people, connect with people, its an all social media crazy day. The theme this week is firsts. So you can link up anyway you want: facebook, instgram, blogger, twitter, just use the hashtag #firsttotalsocial!

Ok, so I may have thought way too hard about this. What "first" did I want to share. First love? First heartbreak (same person). First time? (cause we all know those are great). First day of something.... I thought about my first blog post, but let's face it, it was boring and well just about me, the stats ya know. So... I decided to go with my first "real" raw post. I give you the first post, where I shared so much about myself with the world. And for those of you who haven't been reading since October 14, 2011 (first post), it will give you some insight into me. So without further ado:

I was having a conversation with a fellow lawyer yesterday, and I asked him why he went to law school. He came back with some smartass answer and proceeded to say, well why did you go to law school? I went with my first answer, which is what I normally say when people ask me this question. I went because its something I always wanted to do. People then say, well didn't you work at your alma mater after undergrad, then why not law school then... I come up with a canned answer about how I was just exhausted of school after undergrad and needed a break, and wanted to save money, blah, blah, blah..... It seems to passify people and I go on about my day. But the truth is I know exactly why I went to law school and exactly why I waited.

Two days before I turned 9, my father was taken into custody in the parking lot of a mall. No big deal you say, well for me it was. It was in the newspaper and I'm pretty sure it garnered a small spot on the evening news. At the age of 9 I didn't really understand what happened, and its probably better I didn't. I just know that my father stood trial and my grandparents came to town, but I was not to see them. I was sheltered from the harsh reality that my father was a convicted felon.

I grew up knowing that my father was in jail, but I never really understood why until I was 22. Sure I often wondered what he did, and asked my mother, but I was met with canned answers and I never pressed for more. My mother was protecting me, protecting her baby girl. She tells me that I will understand someday when I have children, and I know I will.

But the truth is, when my father went to prison, the course of my life changed. I no longer wanted to be a "mummy doctor" (which I later learned was an OBGYN, and let's face it, I don't do blood well) and decided I wanted to be a lawyer.  When I was in junior high I got involved in a great program called Teen Court. It was run by the city and allowed teens with Class C misdemeanors to be judged by a jury of their peers and defended and prosecuted by teens. They were given community service hours in lieu of a fine, and successful completion allowed their record to be cleared. I loved my time in this program serving as both a defense and prosecution attorney. I volunteered over 500+ hours during 5 years and gained invalueable skills and lifelong friends.

It's amazing that I managed to finish high school, college, and law school without most people knowing who I really was. It's not that I was ashamed per se, its more that I didn't now anyone to look at me and say poor girl... The truth is, had I not faced the obstacles I would not be who and where I am today.

Flash forward to my junior year of college when I learned the truth. Finally someone was complety honest with me. I learned that my father was not who I thought he was. My childhood was not some fantasy princess land. What my father did is wrong. How my family dealt with it was probably wrong too. Keeping details from me taught me that lies were okay and if you just don't deal with your problems, then they don't exsit. WRONG... on so many levels. I was a 21 year old woman who was unable to deal with emotions, have a stable relationship and had lied so many times I didn't know the truth. The last thing I wanted to do was law--I wanted to escape.

And I got my chance. My senior year of college I was accepted into a study abroad program in London, just in time. In December my father was released from prison and I was afraid he would find me. I was afraid something bad would happen. What that bad thing was I don't know, but it was what I was taught--run, hide, and don't tell anyone. So January 2005 I headed off to jolly ole England. I spent 4 months in bliss! I interned at a great church, travelled Europe, sipped tea and never thought about my father, or law school. I returned to the States in May, graduated from college and went to work in higher education.

I worked for my alma mater and was happy as a clam. I loved what I did and the people I worked with. But this all changed when my father came back into my life.

Ok, so I know I left you hanging. But this is only half of the story. I promise more, so tune in for the rest!

Workout Wednesday

Today let's talk about arms. I am obsessed with my arms. I do not know why, but I just feel like nothing looks better than a toned arm popping out of the tank top, or perfectly sleeveless dress. So, I am going to share with you one of my arm workouts courtesy of Trainer Sam. This is my Thursday Chest/Triceps/Shoulder workout.

What? Chest you say? But, I am a woman, I don't need man pecs! No, but you surely don't want you boobs sagging to your waistline, now do you? Or that pesky sideboob? Yup, ladies, we do need to tone our checticles! So, here you go.

Dumbbell Incline Press- 5 sets of 10-12 @ 15-20lbs http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/main/popup/name/incline-dumbbell-press

Dumbbell Incline Flies- 5 sets to failure @ 10-15lbs http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/main/popup/name/incline-dumbbell-flyes

Cable Crossover- 3 sets to failure @ heavy as possible at eye level http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/main/popup/name/cable-crossover    3 sets to failure @ heavy as possible at chest level http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/main/popup/name/cable-crossover   3 sets of failure @ heavy as possible at quad level http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/main/popup/name/cable-crossover

Triceps Pulldowns- 5 sets to failure @ heaviest weight without sacrificing form http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/main/popup/name/triceps-pushdown

Overhead Dumbbell Press- 5 sets @ 20-25lbs to failure http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/main/popup/name/seated-triceps-press

Triceps Rope Pulldowns- 5 sets to failure @ heavy as possible without sacrificing form http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/main/popup/name/triceps-pushdown-rope-attachment

Face Pulls- 5 sets of 15-20 reps @ heavy as possible without sacrificing form http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/main/popup/name/face-pull

Shoulder Press to Shoulder Flies Complex- 4 presses each arm, then 4 presses both arms @ 15-20lbs http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/seated-cable-shoulder-press/m

followed immediately by shoulder flies to failure @ 10lbs. 5 sets total http://youtu.be/T1U3yZne1jw

Enjoy! And don't forget to link up and share your story, your workouts, your diet!

See, Food

So, I may be a day late and dollar short, but here is my weekend wrap-up, Tuesday-edition. So, le guy's parents came in this weekend to visit. Yup, le parents.

They finally landed Thursday evening, after the epic storm finally stopped here in DFW. I made a delightful dinner of roasted red pepper, and prosciutto stuffed chicken (that I reheated because we already ate). It was a hit!

Friday I worked a half day so I could hang out with them. We showed them all things new in Fort Worth and even took a trip to my house to show it off! Oh, did I mention they brought presents for the puppies? Oh yes they did! (spoiled furbabies).

Friday night we headed to Waters for dinner. Its a superb seafood restaurant owned by a Texas and Fort Worth legend, John Bonnell. Check it out if you are in the area. It was helping upon helping of delicious morsels from the sea, surrounded by wine and dessert! Nom Nom Nom. tummy still full!

Saturday we headed out to Granbury, Texas, a cute small town about 45 minutes south. Dropped the boys off at Revolver Brewery and then went shopping in the square. I had a great lunch with his mom and we just yacked the entire time!

Sunday I was up and at 'em. I made a breakfast casserole before they headed off to the airport! Short but good visit. I know the puppies are missing them already.

Hope all my mama friends had a wonderful Mother's day! xoxo

Texas Sheet Cake Cookies

stuffed chicken anyone?

Le guy's sweet le mom

Chloe thinks she owns the bed

Friday dinner

See, food....

gumbo

we shared the " I can't decide" trio

frozen lemon cheesecake

breadpudding

lounging in Granbury getting some tan on those legs

Sunday brunch!

That wraps up my weekend! Anyone hungry?