Why My Brothers Are Awesome, in a Nutshell

I texted my brothers today:

What do you want for Christmas?

Brother A's response:

Snakes and sparklers

Brother B's response:

A sombrero

Splash Day!

Today, after work, I went for my first swim of the summer. Aaaahhhh! It was very refreshing. I'd told myself I'd swim at least 6 laps, and I ended up doing 8. Then I did an underwater somersault, and thought I was going to barf for a second. Woof! I hopped out and laid beside the pool, letting the late afternoon sun rake across my white belly. Shicka-shicka-shicka the cicadas rattled to each other in the trees.

Ring-a-Ding-Ding!

On Saturday, May 21, 2011, this treehouse dweller got engaged! Jesse and I were in the midst of our most in-depth "future talk" to date. "Of course I want to marry you, " he said. "I want to have a house. I want to eat cereal with you every morning." I was misty-eyed, to say the least. He said, "What am I waiting for?" He knelt down. "Will you? Will you marry me?" I couldn't believe it was happening. I don't think he could either! I squeaked out a "yes" and we hugged. My heart felt, and still feels, big enough to fill the room. I am so incredibly blessed!!! The next day, he took me to pick out my engagement ring. Check it out!

Remember...

...When this was your to-do list? Ahhhhh those were the days!

Weekend Blessings

It's Saturday at 1:15, and my weekend is already fantastic. A few reasons why...

• I had a fun, delicious dinner with my sweetie last night.
• I ran 4.1 miles this morning- especially great because the crazy, gusty wind kept me from barely being able to do 3 during this past week!
• I went to buy a couple things from a certain beauty supply store, coupon in hand. The cashier told me, "This coupon doesn't start 'til tomorrow." She tried it anyway, and it worked!
• One of the things I bought totally works- I'm pretty impressed!
• I stopped at a sandwich shop to get some lunch. The cashier, feeling generous and/or flirty, filled up my punch card, letting me have my sandwich on the house. He even gave me a new card with two punches on it!
• As I write this, my iPod is on its dock, on shuffle. And the random tunes it's selecting are just perfect for the afternoon.

Brunch Hut

One of the first things I loved about Little Bear was his big group of friends.

One of the things I like best about his friends is that the regularly plan fun parties.

One of these types of parties is Vinyl Brunch- a Sunday morning/afternoon of food, drinks, and records. This past Sunday, the brunch was in honor of the host's girlfriend's birthday. The guy hosting it had constructed a rustic canopy where we could eat. It provided shade, let the cool breezes waft through, and housed the sound system. I had to take pics because the structure was just so stinkin' cute. I'm sure it had way more charm than the canopy he had planned to purchase from Target! Also, there were 2 adorable toddlers there. :)

New Orchid

Recently, my boyfriend asked me, "You like that kind of stuff, huh- plants and stuff?" I guess I do. I think orchids are especially interesting, because they look so elegant and delicate, but are not that hard to take care of (in my limited experience, anyway).

This morning I went to the Fort Worth Orchid Society's orchid sale, held at the Fort Worth Botanic gardens. There were so many gorgeous, amazing orchids! Some had huge, bright blossoms. Others had tiny, delicate flowers. Some didn't have any blossoms at all- a great purchase for a patient person!

I got exactly what I came for. With the help of an older lady with painted-on eyebrows, I located Maxillaria tenuifolia: the "coconut cream pie orchid." She parted its leaves so I could lean in to take a whiff of its two tiny flowers. YUM! Tropical deliciousness.

I took it home, admiring its shiny leaves and robust pseudopods (whose function I'm still not exactly clear on). I did a bit of research, and went to find some potting supplies. As I write this, it is happily (I hope) perched on my dresser, near a south-facing window. Take a look!