Birthday Dinner

We ended up celebrating my birthday a week late (I wasn't feeling well last weekend). So Friday night we went to a great restaurant on Lake Hefner. It was one of the best nights we've had in a long time! The food was amazing and, even though it was quite chilly, the weather was beautiful. We snapped some pics outside the restaurant near the lake. It was a perfect evening in my book.

Me & Dad

Mom & Dad

3 Generations
Jenni, Ruby, Linda

Edited to add: I forgot...Mom and Dad got me the stemless wine glasses I've been wanting! Here is a pic (and that's just water in there tonight).

Trick or Treat

Happy Halloween!

The following images may be disturbing to some viewers.

Finally! I'm posting some pics from my venture into Texas 2 weeks ago. I know, right? What took so long! Enjoy...

H-Town Trip Part I: The Family

Sydney & Samantha...apparently doing The Robot.

"Okay, Sydney, I want you to look crazy in this next pic..."
School Fall Festival 10/16/09
Brandon with red hair, the girls with face paint.

Samantha
Sydney
Peanut (he's growing up too fast...Aunt Jenni sad)
Jeffrey & Susan (awww...so cute)

Alex, King of the Castle

H-Town Trip Part II: OU/TX Red River Rivalry

Friends 'til the end, no matter the score!
Katie, Ashley, Kelsey, Missy, Meredith, Yours Truly
Me & Mer
(Warning! Double chin up ahead to the left. Proceed with caution!)
Mer sure is purty...even though she is a Horn :)

Mer & Patrick, the Superbaby!
(future linebacker for UT??)

H-Town Trip Part III: Kingwood High School Class of 1994 15-yr Reunion
(No one had time to take a lot of pics...it was a madhouse but so much fun!)

Pre-party at Sue's House...just some old buddies
Susan, Peter, Rachael, Mandy, Karen, Katie, Colleen, me
Back: Robbie, Shayne, Steve & Abbie, Josh & Courtney, James
At the reunion!
Karen & Mike

Allison, Karen, me
(courtesy of Mike)
(Please don't ask me why I look so bloated scared in this picture...my feet were hurting so bad from my high heels and I was ready to take them off!)

I love this pic of Sue...nothing quite like the combo of beer and gum!
(courtesy of Mike)

Karen & me
(courtesy of Mike)

Another awesome Mike shot...my favorite brewsky, hands down!

Can I just say it was a whirlwind trip and one of the best vacations EVER???!!!

Yeehaw, ya'll!

All's quiet on the Sooner front

Have you noticed my lack of OU football posts this year?

Have you seen any games and/or our stats?

Have you heard about Bradford's decision?

Well, I have...and it stinks. It's been a rough season to say the least. Once Sam hurt his shoulder in the BYU game things really started to go downhill. We just weren't able to rise up and, therefore, we tanked in the rankings. I do understand and fully support Bradford's decision to bow out gracefully...but it's still a sad situation. He could have gone out with a bang after securing his Heisman win and finishing a great 2008 season. But he stuck around like a true Sooner...unfortunately things just didn't work out.

As of Week 7, Oklahoma no longer had a spot in the top 25 BCS ranks. I can't even remember the last time that happened (or maybe I do remember but I don't want to reminisce). The season isn't over yet. As I have said before, I am no fair-weather fan. This is just the college football circle of life. We will rise again!

O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A
Our chant rolls on and on!
Thousands strong
Join heart and song
In alma mater's praise
Of campus beautiful by day and night
Of colors proudly gleaming Red and White
'Neath a western sky OU's chant will never die.
Live on University!

Tag! You're it!!

Yes, it's that time in the blogworld again...I've been tagged and will now tag a blogger. Why? Because you know you have plenty of time to fill these out...not. I'm not going to reveal the name of the blogger who tagged me. I don't like them much. I guess now they will be aware of this fact (is that mean?). Sorry. But it's a cruel, cruel, blogworld. Hey, I just keep on keepin' on...for reals.

I mean, to be quite honest, isn't this blog all about me?? ;)

1. Where is your cell phone? on the coffee table
2. Your hair? light brown
3. Your mother? my best friend
4. Your father? my other best friend
5. Your favorite food? MEXICAN food
6. Your dream last night? I kept trying to carry a dozen things that I was dropping and paranoid of losing. These things included: a golf bag, running shoes, my favorite perfume, school books.
7. Your favorite drink? Dr. Pepper (or vodka)
8. Your dream/goal? Finishing my first half-marathon 4/25/2010. Oh, and these shoes
9. What room are you in? livingroom...on the couch
10. Your hobby? running (and eating...and running...and eating)
11. Your fear? upchucking (especially in a public place)
12. Where do you want to be in six years? married with kids, healthy, happy, rich, skinny
13. Where were you last night? running, then on Facebook for too long, the shower, then bed
14. Something that you aren’t? afraid to speak my mind, a Mac, lame
15. Muffins? cake
16. Wish list item? a mortgage-free house and a tax-free income
17. Where did you grow up? Kingwood, TX
18. Last thing you did? watched porn (just checking to see if your paying attention)
19. What are you wearing? sweatpants and a t-shirt
20. Your TV? on, but muted...Family Guy
21. Your pets? 2 kitties, Charli & Cleo
22. Friends? I've got some of the best ones out there...most of them have known me for 20+ years
23. Your life? the future's so bright I gotta wear shades
24. Your mood? chillaxed--it was a good day
25. Missing someone? my future husband
26. Vehicle? dark gray Trailblazer; dirty
27. Something you’re not wearing? a bra (they ask, I answer)
28. Your favorite store? Hobby Lobby
29. Your favorite color? blue
30. When was the last time you laughed? about 10 minutes ago...been doing it a lot lately
31. Last time you cried? last Friday night
32. Last song you listened to? Push It by Salt n-Pepa
33. One place that you could go over and over? 8th grade (is that wrong? it was so fun!)
34. One person who emails you regularly? Nigeria, telling me they have my money
35. Favorite place to eat? geesh, too many to name! Guadalajara (The Woodlands, TX), Mazzio's Pizza, Flat Tire Burger, Chili's, Earl's BBQ, Charleston's (obvi, I have food issues)

Now I'm going to tag The Mer Show because I like to bug her. And because I know she has nothing better to do than fill out useless, trivial blog notes. :)

Live long and prosper,
jr

The Big 3-4

It's been a wonderful year and I am proud to be turning 34! Only great things are in store this next year...

Mom's latest blog post.

I feel so loved today!!!!!!!!!

Eternal Flame

Happy 40th anniversary, Mom and Dad!! I only hope to find the love of a lifetime you too have shared...

Your Little Girl,
xo

OKC Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure

'Twas a success! I was up at 6:00 am on a Saturday which is just unheard of for me, and it was pitch black outside when I headed over to Mom and Dad's house. But the beautiful sun was coming up as we headed downtown for the festivities. Despite the fact that it was 41 degrees and there were over 16,000 people there, we had a blast! I completed the 5K in 38 minutes which I am very proud of because I set a goal time of 43:00. I am more of a slow distance runner so speed is not a factor for me! But having all of those other runners around me kept my pace up really well. It was pretty exciting and there were all sorts of people there. My mom was only going to do the 1 mile but she never saw the sign to turn around and ended up walking the entire 5K! I was very proud of her and she was glad she did it. Dad was there to support us and take pictures (even though he DESPISES the cold weather!). After the race we got into the warm car and headed to Jimmy's Egg for a yummy breakfast. It was a great morning and I loved spending it with my two besties, Mom and Dad.

When we got back to their house, we showered and then mom and I hit the mall for some shopping! After dropping 30 pounds the last 4 months (yes, yippee, but I still have about 30-40 to go until I'm happy), it was time for some new clothes! It was pretty exciting to shop at a normal department store and get some really nice clothes (I admit, being overweight I wasn't in the mood to shop and bought cheap clothes at Wally). I had forgotten how much fun shopping can be! And Mom was a great little helper. I found some snazzy outfits, including one for the reunion next weekend!

After shopping I was exhausted and headed home for a nap. I spent the rest of the day literally on the couch, under a blanket, trying to get warm! It was heaven. But today it's back to the grind...our office move is Wednesday and we are packing and organizing. My flight to H-town leaves Thursday afternoon and I'll have a mini-vacay for 4 days. The weather in Houston will not be nearly as nice as the weather here in OK, but I think I can handle it for a few days!

Here are some pics from the race...we'll be there next year again for sure!

Gimme a T-R-A-M-P! What's that spell?

Check out Lohan. She is promoting her new line of leggings. Classy, no?
Why can't this girl just go away??!! Other than Mean Girls (which I love) she has had very little success (have you seen I Know Who Killed Me? Don't). Obviously this chick irks me. And who in their right mind would wear something like this??????

Gross. Blech. Ick.

You ARE the weakest link. Goodbye.

Mi Vida Loca

The last few weeks have been an über busy time for me. I've got a lot going on and literally feel like a juggler! And I have so many events coming up! Unfortunately my sleep has suffered and I either can't fall asleep until late or I wake up 2 hours before the alarm goes off...it sucks! I've been keeping up with my running and training, even getting in a quick run late if it's been a long day (this could be the culprit for keeping me awake). I haven't cooked as much at home and succumbed to several BAD drive-thru choices. :) But I am forever grateful for the weekend which is finally here!!!!!!

The office has been a Ka-Razy mess as we are moving in 2 weeks!! We are only moving about 2 miles away but it is a hassle nonetheless. Currently we are all wearing jeans everyday and there are boxes everywhere you turn! But we are excited about the new area. It's a short-term move as we will eventually build out another part of the complex to suit our needs.

School has me borrowing about 30 books at a time from the library--seriously. And to make matters worse, the fines really add up when you are even 1 day late with 30 books! After being accepted to The University of Oklahoma, I learned there was one entry-level class that was NOT satisfied by my plethora of transfer coursework. It is an Art/Humanities course which isn't so bad, BUT the professor decided to make it a "strictly papers" type of class. This means there are no exams or homework or assignments per se. It's nothing but seven 5-page papers on art and culture in the non-western world. Maybe this doesn't seem so difficult, but it's been 10 years since my last writing course and MLA just seems to have gotten more strict! I have succeeded in finishing 4 of these papers and made 100/100 on three of them (95 on the first one). I really like my prof and believe it or not I am learning! :) So far it's mostly been a great geography lesson in Africa, Asia, China and Japan. Soooooooo...this is taking up a lot of my time.

Training is going well and I can't believe that 1 week from tomorrow I will be running in the OKC Race for the Cure 5K! I am so excited and proud to have raised more than my initial goal. I know my team will succeed and we will all have a great time. I don't officially start training for the April 2010 OKC Half Marathon until December although I feel well on my way to being prepared for that!! Running has become an integral part of my life. I am thankful for the ability to lace up my shoes and hit the road at any time I choose. I recently subscribed to Runner's World magazine and the last 2 issues I have read cover to cover. The stories are so inspiring and I soak up the information. I may not look like a marathoner, but I am a runner!

In 2 weeks not only will the office be making it's move to the new building, but I will be flying down to H-town (Houston) for my 15-year high school reunion! I will see some faces I haven't seen since graduation in 1994. It will for sure be an exciting 4-day weekend for me! I'll be staying the first 2 nights with my brother and his family. I am excited to hang with the nieces and nephew. Plus, the OU/TX Red River Rivalry game is that Saturday and should be interesting to say the least. I have a hotel room booked for that night about a mile from the reunion site. I am looking forward to seeing old friends and new ones, and enjoying myself during my mini-vacation.

THEN, the following week is my parent's 40th wedding anniversary as well as my 34th birthday! It's a whirlwind October but it's my favorite time of year!!!! The low today was 48 degrees, it's beautiful outside as the leaves are starting to change, and I feel like I'm on top of the world. Sleepy, but on top of the world!

xo Jen