2 YEARS!?!

How has it possibly been two years since we got married? Sometimes it seems like it was a month ago, sometimes it seems like it was 10 years ago (in a good way :) ). JJ and I are so blessed with wonderful role models of what a godly marriage should be, and hopefully we can help set that example for others.

To celebrate our 2nd anniversary JJ's parents were generous enough to treat us to a staycation at the Royal Palms. I have always wanted to stay here and the resort did not disappoint. The room was beautiful with a great soaking tub, the property was lush and green (even in the summer, yay!) and the cocktails by the pool were just what we needed to feel like we were on another honeymoon (JJ gives me a hard time because I refer to every vacation that we take, just the two of us, as another honeymoon). Whatevs, just keeping the romance alive, haha!

The Royal Palms

We spent most of the time in the pool, but on Saturday night we had dinner at the Wrigley Mansion, another Phoenix classic. We had a table by the windows to watch the sunset, a great bottle of wine, gorgeous view and a champagne toast to end the evening. The food was so disappointing, but we were really there for the view!

View from Wrigley Mansion

A little dark, but I think you can tell that it's us!

If you ever get a chance the Royal Palms is a great destination for a romantic weekend or just a romantic dinner. The lounge and the restaurant, T. Cook's, are fabulous...try the sangria!

Charlotte -> Nashville -> Charlotte

After being gone for 6 months, we finally made it back to Charlotte in early June. JJ had some "unofficial, player-run, organized team activities" (thank you NFL lockout) and I jumped at the excuse to join him and go back. JJ was there for 3 weeks, and I was there for 2, with a long weekend trip to Nashville (Long story short, the Camry was being stored at a family member's house while we were in Phoenix, but when JJ went to pick it up and drive it back to Charlotte the transmission went out and he had to leave it there to get fixed. It just so happened that the weekend the car was going to be ready was the weekend of CMA Fest).

In addition to their practices, a few of the players were invited to take batting practice at the Charlotte Knights game (triple-A team for the White Sox). JJ is still a baseball player at heart, so he jumped at the chance. He struggled in the beginning, but the Knights' coaches had some good comments and he ended up hitting one over their monster wall in left center. I have never seen him smile that big! (Side note: if you are looking for a fun inexpensive activity, try a minor league game! We have so much fun, and it doesn't cost nearly what the big league games cost.)

He's still got it!

In the middle of of Charlotte trip we spent a long weekend in Nashville for the Country Music Festival. It was 4 days of incredible concerts, with all the big names in country music. They actually turned it into a television special that airs August 7 on ABC. I will be watching to relive all the fun. I love live music, but I have never experienced anything like this. We are going to try and make this a tradition to go every year, so mark your calendars for next year and join us!

All of the performances were amazing, but my favorites were: Zac Brown Band, Josh Turner featuring Scotty McCreery, Dierks Bently, Lady Antebellum, Sugarland, Keith Urban, Darius Rucker, Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Mirando Lambert and Taylor Swift. LOVE.

At CMA Fest in Nashville

After we got back to Charlotte, we realized how much we missed it and really felt like God was telling us it was time to go back. We hadn't planned on looking for a house to rent, but we talked with our realtor and she warned us there wasn't much available so we got started right away. Luckily for us, a beautiful house in the neighborhood we wanted had just gone on the market. It is a perfect fit for us and the goldens (and any guests who might come for a visit!) We are within walking distance of our favorite restaurants, wine bars, boutiques, sports bars, coffee shops, fro-yo, running trails, park and the YMCA. And even better we are 1/4 mile from one of our favorite friends and her bulldog Annie. Yay for puppy playdates!

COME VISIT!

The trip to Charlotte was a success, and I can't wait to be back there full time.

Jury Duty

It seems I am more unbiased than I thought...I was selected as lucky Juror #7 for a trial in early May. I can say, however, the selection process could use a little work...juror #9 had to be dismissed right before we went to deliberations because someone finally realized he didn't speak English. Hmmm...wish they could have figured that one out during voir dire (thank you B-LAW).

Because I found the whole process incredibly interesting, I will share a few details. The case was a road rage/drive by shooting incident involving a former marine and a mother and her 13 year old son. As the story goes (and I emphasize the word story because they are all telling their version of the events in a way to make themselves look good) the marine was trying to merge onto the 101 in Chandler and the mom wouldn't let him in her lane and he ended up in the emergency lane which really ticked him off. After he got onto the freeway, he sped up to get even with her car and threw a cup of hot chocolate out his window, which landed on her windshield causing her to not be able to see out of it (I actually think his wife, who was also in the car, did it and he was covering for her). (Count 1: endangerment) After her vision was impaired, she began driving recklessly, braking repeatedly and swerving, and somehow ended up in front of the marine. He interpreted this as her trying to cause him to get in an accident, and he "feared for his life". At this point he took his giant 45 semi-automatic handgun out of the center console, stuck his hand out the driver side window and fired one shot that went through her license plate and landed in a speaker box in the trunk (Counts 2-5: drive by shooting, discharging a firearm at an occupied structure, aggravated assault, aggravated assault) After getting shot at, this woman decided to follow this guy (with her 13 year old son in the car) to get his plate number. After he saw her following him, he called a lawyer and then the police to "alert them of her terrible driving and explain that he fired his gun in response".

I had never seen a live case (except the one I saw for 30 minutes to get extra credit in college) and it was incredibly fascinating to see it from start to finish. I had a hard time convicting a former service member, and really wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, but there was just no way to justify his behavior in the end. I had always assumed I would automatically condemn anyone who was on trial, but I ended up feeling sorry for him (and his pregnant wife who was sitting in the courtroom crying most of the time). I guess you never know how you feel until you are actually in the situation.

The trial lasted about 5 days and I didn't sleep well any of those nights. There is so much pressure holding someone else's future in your hands. It is terribly humbling. How can we, as fellow sinners, justly judge another person? It gave me so much to think about and made me thankful that God is the ultimate judge, the only perfect one who can fairly and accurately judge.

I hope everyone gets the opportunity to serve on a jury at some point in their lives, but be prepared for the magnitude of the experience.

In the end, this guy was convicted on all 5 counts and 2-5 were bumped up to "Dangerous Offense" which adds severity to the charge because it was with a deadly weapon. For the sake of my curiosity, I found this guy on the prison website and he was sentenced to 8.5 years for an incident that took no more than 4 minutes. Makes you think about daily decisions a little more doesn't it?

OK, off my soap box...for now...

May Flowers

May flew by like you wouldn't believe...well I'm sure yours did too so you believe it. The best part of May is that is is my birthday month. And yes, I celebrate for the whole month. It usually works out well for everyone else's schedule anyway to do things throughout the month instead of cramming everything into one weekend.

My sister cooked a fantastic meal at my parent's house for a family celebration and on top of that, treated me to a day at the Biltmore. We started off with a tennis lesson, taught by Lon, who also happens to have his own brand of marinades, Sake To Me. We learned a lot about his marinades...and tennis, haha. We had brunch at the Adobe Restaurant, and then spent the rest of the day lounging by the pool. Love me some sister time.

JJ took me out for a wonderful dinner at T. Cook's at the Royal Palms and then we met up with our friends, who live in South Bend, at the Jade Bar at Sanctuary to enjoy the view from Camelback Mountain. Wish they lived closer!!

We went out with my in-laws for a combination Mother's Day/birthday celebration at Cowboy Ciao and I had the best salad ever (along with other things, all their apps are great).

Speaking of mother's day...Carolyn and I took Mom to The Boulders in Cave Creek for a mother/daughter sleepover. We had such an amazing time! One of the best things about being in Phoenix in the summer (besides the cool weather...not) is taking advantage of the off-season rates at all the resorts Four- and five-star resorts at three-star prices, can't beat it. We sipped drinks by the pool, hiked up and around the boulders, drank wine in the hot tub while looking at the stars, and went to dinner at Cafe Bink. None of us had spent much time up in Cave Creek or Carefree so it was all an adventure and an amazing staycation.

For my mother-in-law's present, JJ and I bought a custom wine making experience at Casavino Winery in Fountain Hills. The five of us (Carla's sister was in town too!) did a private wine tasting of all their varietals and the were able to pick one and make a batch! We picked the Dolce Rojo (ironically, it isn't sweet like the name suggests...its a full-bodied blend of Spanish grapes) and got to make it from start to finish. It is currently sitting at the winery fermenting and waiting for us to bo back for bottling, But first we have to create a custom label. It will come as no surprise to anyone that the goldens will be front and center on the label and we are still trying to come up with a good name. My current favorites are "Golden Red" or "Barney and Bella's Blend".

Visitors!

I love having visitors!! Especially in Phoenix, because our house is perfect for guests and I like to think I know this town pretty well (hint: all are welcome!). One of JJ's former teammates and his beautiful wife came to town for some "unofficial organized team activities" (one benefit of this darn lockout).

They had never really been to Phoenix, so I wanted to make sure they got a great tast of what the desert has to offer. After a late night arrival Easter Sunday, we tried to let our guests sleep in a little bit. The goldens had other plans. Before I even noticed they were gone, they had rammed open the door and jumped in bed with our poor jetlagged friends first thing in the morning. Good thing they are dog people (although we don't ever really associate with people who aren't dog people).

Monday morning we went for a hike on North Mountain to show them some amazing views of the city and of course I had to take them to AJ's for lunch and iced tea after the hike. Its a Bliss tradition. The afternoon we took them on a quick driving tour and ended up in Old Town Scottsdale. We wandered around window shopping a bit before we need a chance to cool off. Lucky for us we were right in front of the Sugar Bowl, an adorable, classic ice cream/soda shop. After the afternoon sugar rush I wanted to show them the Arizona Biltmore, one of my favorite places in Phoenix. We drove the loop looking at the spectacular houses (read: mega-mansions) and then walked around the resort property. The boys couldn't pass up a chance to play with the giant chess set (JJ was victorious) and then all four of us played a game of croquet (JJ won again, of course). As the sun started to set, we headed over to Sierra Bonita for a classic Southwestern dinner. The food never disappoints.

Tuesday was a bit of a blur, JJ and I had to run around to different appointments and errands, and that was day 1 of the training activities they were in town for. We did go to the Diamondbacks game that night, and they won! Wooo!

Wednesday I had to report for jury duty (I got picked for a trial, but that's a whole different story...and possible blog post, still deciding) so we didn't get to do much that day. For dinner we went to Sun Up Brewing Co for burgers and (root) beer. They make their own, and it is fabulous!

Thursday we had the afternoon free, and made the boys take us to the Phoenix Zoo! I love the zoo, and anything slightly theme park related so it was a great way to spend the day. We even got snow cones! That night was the first round of the draft so we held a mini draft party at our house, complete with Uncle Sam's pizza and wings, a staple at our house.

The week flew by and I wish they could have stayed longer, but we are already trying to figure out when we can visit them on the east coast! God is so good, and we are so lucky to have such wonderful friends. It is crazy that even though we were only in the same place for such a short time, our connection was strong enough to last! Cheezy enough?

Just Wharried

Katie and Brian's wedding weekend was the most fun I have had in a long time. Seriously epic. I wish it could have lasted all week.

Because I wanted to maximize our time, JJ and I got into town on Thursday afternoon to explore Austin a bit. Neither of us had ever been and I hear only good (and weird) things about it. After checking in to our hotel we wandered around the area and stumbled upon Threadgill's Home Cookin' for lunch, where we both enjoyed Texas, on a plate. And then I found $10. No seriously, I'm not just making the story sound better. I found cash in the parking lot.

For dinner we went to Piranha Killer Sushi, a favorite of mine when I lived in Fort Worth. We walked around downtown for a bit and then discovered Emily's fiance Jacob was also in town and tracked him down at dinner with his family. Continuing our self tour of downtown, we wandered along 6th Street to observe the festivities. After getting plenty of tattoo and piercing ideas, we decided to pick a place for a drink. Of all the eccentric, weird, funky places on 6th Street, we ended up at The Driskill, a historic hotel with a beautiful, classic bar inside. I guess we should have tried to get a more authentic Austin experience, but I couldn't pass up drinking champagne in a beautiful old hotel bar.

The Driskill, downtown Austin

The next morning, JJ and I did something we have never done before...we went running together! JJ isn't a big distance runner (go figure), so this was a huge deal to me. I have been trying to get him to join me for a long time. Luckily Austin is a very runner friendly city, full of trails systems and parks. We stayed right on the lake downtown and we able to take advantage of the Lady Bird Lake Trails. We ran and walked about 5.5 miles total. It was a gorgeous day and the trail was full of runners, dogs, bikers and kids. For lunch we went to one of my favorite places in the world, Central Market...a must visit anytime I am in Texas.

Friday night was the wedding, at The Mansion at Judges' Hill. It was a beautiful outdoor ceremony and the weather was perfect. We had a sunset cocktail hour on the balcony overlooking where the ceremony had been, and then dinner and dancing in a gorgeous ballroom. It makes me so happy to see my friends marrying someone they were clearly meant to be with forever.

Katie and Brian's first married kiss

Theta Kite

As wonderful as the wedding was (and it was), the real madness began after the reception. It started innocently enough with a conversation with one of Katie's cousins from Chicago, who had never been to Texas. He was asking about where everyone was heading for the after parties and I mentioned the name of the bar where everyone was gathering. The exchange went like this...

Me: I think everyone is headed to a place called Union Park.

Awkward Cousin: Oh great...is that in a safe area?

Me: Um...I would assume so, but you should be fine. You'll be with a big group.

Awkward Cousin: Oh that's good. Its no big deal anyway...I'm packin'.

Me: That's cool, it is Texas after all. I guess everyone has a gun.

Awkward Cousin: awkward blank stare

Me: Oh...um...did you mean pepper spray? That would work too.

Awkward Cousin: No. I meant my penis.

Me: ...

That pretty much ended the conversation and I didn't see him at the bar later.

There were several other highlights of the evening. One (female) friend, accidentally tried to pick up a (female) hooker and then wandered off with another group of girls she thought was with us. Another friend spent a fair amount of time resting in the bar bathroom, then fell asleep on the couch in the lounge. JJ and I took her her back to the hotel and had a lengthy conversation about how she shouldn't take allergy medicine before a night of drinking, she did not remember that the next morning.

I love my friends.

Saturday everyone met for lunch at Cedar Door, where they had the best fish tacos and chips and salsa. Next we all headed to Lake Travis where we rented boats and spent the evening on the water. The water was chilly but I think I was the only one who didn't get in. The homes around the lake were gorgeous and I had so much fun taking in the scenery.

Katie and Brian (and their parents) did a fantastic job of hosting everyone for the weekend. JJ and I were so lucky to be part of the celebration and I loved seeing JJ get to interact with my college friends. I think he is finally accepted as an honorary TCU Theta. (Brian earned that distinction a long time ago after he took on all those sister wives).

Reading Railroad

I used to hate reading...I blame my Xavier freshman English class. There was just no way to finish 50-75 pages of a book every night with all the other homework they piled on. Thank God for Cliff's Notes. Maybe some day I will go back and actually read all those classics...

It wasn't until after I graduated from college that I began to appreciate it. Now, it seems like I can't get enough. I almost always have a book (or an iPad/Kindle version) on my bedside table or in my carry-on bag. I have read several really good books recently. Some are just light, fun, mindless entertainment. Some are financial. Some are spiritual. If you have a few extra hours, and reality TV re-runs just won't cut it check one out.

You Know When the Men Are Gone- An amazingly insightful depiction of life as a military wife. I don't know how much is accurate (it is fiction after all), but it really opened my eyes to the sacrifices these women make while their husband are off fighting for our freedom. I finished it in two days because I couldn't put it down.

I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti- A memoir of good food and bad boyfriends. It was full of good recipes and humorous stories of failed relationships. So much more fun to read about bad boyfriends, than to actually have to deal with them, haha!

You Can't Drink All Day If You Don't Start in the Morning- Another book with great recipes, this one is full of funny anecdotes about living in the South. The author is from North Carolina, which makes me love it even more. I have read a few of her other books and can't get enough, she just has such funny observations about life in the South.

Water for Elephants- It must have been good if they made a movie out of it! A wildly interesting book about life in the circus. Reese Witherspoon is starring in the movie adaptation, and I'm sure like always, the book is better than the movie so read it first!

The Richest Man in Babylon- If you have any interest in taking control of you own finances, getting out of debt, saving for retirement or learning about your own relationship with money this book is the perfect starting point. It puts everything in simple terms, using parables (like in the Bible) about the richest man, in the richest city in history and how he got to where he was was. Whenever anyone comes to JJ or myself for financial advice, this is the first thing we recommend to them. READ IT.

I just started a book by Beth Moore, who writes lots of Bible studies and books about faith, so I will let you know how it goes. I am trying to maintain a good variety for myself, switching between financial books, spiritual books, and what I like to call "mind candy"...perfect for vacation reading.

Georgia on My Mind

Last weekend JJ and I went to Georgia to go to the wedding of two of our friends from Charlotte and spend time with his cousin Courtney. We flew into Atlanta on Friday and went out to dinner with Courtney in Buckhead. I had been hearing about Seasons 52 for a long time, so we decided to try it. YUM! Their menu changes with the seasons in addition to the weekly specials and everything on the menu is under like 475 calories. Talk about guilt free dining. We had such a great meal and so much fun catching up. Because we weren't done catching up, after diner we went to Pub 71 in the Brookhaven area for beers. There is nothing like spending time with family you don't get to see very often. So fun!

The next morning we drove east to Woodville for the wedding. I had checked MapQuest the night before and saw that it was about 90 miles away, mostly on I-20, so I figured it would take about an hour and a half. That morning we got a bit of a late start and when I plugged it in to the GPS, it gave us an estimated drive time of 2 hours and 10 minutes...getting us into town about 10 minutes after the ceremony was to start. OOPS! Luckily, my original estimation was correct. I guess the GPS didn't take into account our slightly above the speed limit driving skills.

The wedding was in the bride's hometown at the church her grandfather helped build. It was a sweet little small town Baptist church about 3 doors down from the bride's parents house. The ceremony was beautiful, so relaxed and classic. To give you an idea of how relaxed the groom was, he was hanging out in the church snacking and making jokes with the guests moments before the ceremony started. No cold feet for this man. One of the highlights was when one of the groom's friends sang a song he wrote for the couple (he wrote it earlier in the week). The song was beautiful and funny at the same time. What a great idea :)

The brunch reception was held and her parent's house, a beautiful Southern home that belongs in a magazine. We had mimosas out on the front lawn and spent time catching up with all of our friends from Charlotte. The whole weekend made me miss our Charlotte friends and living in the South. Don't get me wrong we love Phoenix, but I just miss Charlotte so much!

After the wedding we drove back to Atlanta. We headed over to Hudson Grill, right around the corner from Courtney's house, to watch the NCAA tournament. All of our brackets were pretty much shot by then, but it was still fun to watch. We had a great dinner and fun drinks. They had a combo beer selection so I chose a Purple Helmet, a mixture of Blue Moon and Purple Haze. Beer perfection.

The next morning we slept in and went to brunch at The Flying Biscuit Cafe. Even though it is an Atlanta original, it is one of my favorite breakfast places in Charlotte. If you come visit us, you can count on going. We also took Courtney's dogs for a walk in the neighborhood, walking by some beautiful homes and a cute shopping/restaurant area. The pups loved it!

Got to love the South and seeing family and friends all in one trip. Someday soon we will be making our way back for an extended period of time...just as soon as this silly NFL lockout gets itself worked out.

California Loooove

This October I will get my first shot at bridesmaid duties at Emily and Jacob's wedding in Fort Worth (Another excuse to go back to Texas? Yes please!). The festivities kicked off over St. Patrick's Day weekend in San Jose, CA with the first bridal shower. The MOH, Robin, and I flew out for a much needed girl's weekend. JJ and a few of his buddies took the opportunity to have a boy's weekend in Vegas...yea. Needless to say our weekends were COMPLETELY different, but that's a whole different story.

We left straight from the airport and headed to the Santa Cruz mountains for wine tasting! We stopped off at a little grocery store/deli in Fulton, CA to pick up a picnic lunch to enjoy at the first winery. Hallcrest Vineyards was a beautiful place to start the weekend. We sat at a picnic table on the patio, taking in the breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains and vines, sipping wine. Their Sauvignon Blanc was fabulous, if you are looking to try something new. Next we headed to the Burrell School Winery for another tasting and dessert. Again, another fabulous view of the mountains and vines from the patio. They had great blends with fun school-themed names. My favorites were the Dean's List Cab, Spring Break blend, and Sweethearts blend.

That night was the St. Patrick's celebration at a bar near Santa Clara with Emily's law school friends. I loved all of the law school kids that we met...with the exception of one. I won't go there but the night ended with me covered in green beer, having to drag a drunken fool of a boy out to the bouncer after he groped just about every female in the bar. #can'ttouchthis

Not only does he dump beer on people and grope innocent females,

he ruins pictures too. EPIC FAIL

The next day I went for a run around the campus and took advantage of the nice weather, before the rain came. We drove to San Francisco for an overnight trip and luckily the rain stopped mid-afternoon so we could enjoy the rest of our time there. We had a yummy Italian lunch, then went to a wine bar to share a bottle of champagne. I think we were in an area called Soma? Next, we went to Ghiradelli Square to Crown and Crumpet (where JJ and I visited last year on our Valentine's Day trip) for tea and scones. This place is much more fitting for a girl's weekend, poor JJ had to tolerate the pink and lace. We headed over to Chinatown/North Beach to check into out hotel (S&W Hotel was a great deal for what we got). We did a tea tasting at Vital Tea Leaf, then went to happy hour until it was time for our dinner reservations in Little Italy. After dinner we wet out to a few of the bars, where we happened to see the guy who played McLovin in Superbad. He was playing drums for the live band. Sometime during the night while Robin and I were busy dancing, Emily snuck out for some fresh air and was joined by members of what I can only assume was the Latin Kings (gang), complete with tear drop tattoos near the eyes. They were surprisingly pleasant. Also, at some point a black man asked me to teach him how to Dougie. I did. Jokes on him though...I had no idea what I was doing, but he believed it.

Tea tasting man

After all of our activities, it was finally time for the bridal shower on Saturday. Each guest was assigned a room of the house to buy a gift for. Robin and I were assigned the BEDROOM. Woo hoo hooooo, scandalous! Just kidding, we will save those kinds of gift for the bachelorette party. We collaborated and came up with a "Breakfast in Bed" theme for our gift. Tea pot, matching mugs, breakfast tray with legs, and a bud vase. We also made a recipe book with fun breakfast foods and drinks that were super easy so Jacob has no excuses not to use our wonderful gift...no pressure Jacob!

My favorite picture of the weekend!

Next wedding festivity on the agenda is the Bachelorette party in New Orleans. Watch out Louisiana. You won't know what hit you :)

Orlando, FL...DISNEY!!

One of the reasons JJ and I get along so well is that we are actually little kids trapped in semi-grown up bodies. My inner little kid comes out anytime there is anything related to animals or theme parks around...puppies, zoos, aquariums, Sea World, Six Flags, and obviously, Disney anything. So what a wonderful coincidence that PAO was in Orlando and we could take advantage of all that it has to offer.

Before PAO started we were lucky enough to do a guided tour of Universal Studios with a few other Panther couples. Probably one of the coolest things I have ever done. We were able to go behind the scenes and to the front of the lines all over the park. This came in super handy when we got to Harry Potter world. The place was roped off from the rest of the park and you had to wait in line to get a special pass to even get into the general area. The line for the main ride was about an hour and a half, but we scooted right to the front, hehe. I have never read the books or seen the movies (I think one day I will get around to it), but the ride was fabulous and the scenery around the whole area was great.

Once we got back from the beach we stayed with JJ's aunt and uncle (we are professional moochers) for a few days and took advantage of their close proximity to all the parks. Two of JJ's cousins were in town for a few days because they had spring break so we got to spend time with them at the house and at the parks.

My favorite is still Epcot, followed closely by Magic Kingdom. I just love walking around the countries in Epcot and snacking on the "local" food. We basically ate our way through the park that day, snacking at a few different countries. China nailed the egg rolls, Germany makes the best soft pretzels and beer, France had delish pastries, and Italy made a killer Bellini.

Magic Kingdom is just wonderful because all the rides remind me of the trips we took as kids. You can't beat Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and the Jungle Cruise. Honestly though, the best part is just walking around the park and enjoying the different "lands".

We really enjoyed all of our time with JJ's side of the family and we even got to see my cousin and her family too! We went to their house for a delicious buttermilk chile chicken dinner with black beans. I will def be making that again. We love getting to spend time with them, even if it is only every once in a while!

Rumor is the conference might be back in Orlando again next year, so maybe we will branch out beyond the main attractions next year and see what else Orlando has to offer.

Anna Maria, FL

After PAO was finished, JJ and I took a few days to unwind at the beach and absorb everything we had just learned. His aunt and uncle have a beautiful beach house on Anna Maria Island, about an hour south of Tampa on the Gulf coast. I love vacations where you can park the car and walk the rest of the trip.

We got there and walked straight to the beach to watch the sunset. Next, we walked across the island to have dinner at City Pier, which is at the end of an old fishing pier about 75 yards out over the bay. Nothing beats eating grouper that was caught that day in the water you are sitting over. Ice cream at Two Scoops was the perfect ending to the night.

The next morning, we got up and walked to breakfast at Ginny and Jane E's, a cute little boutique/cafe down the road. We spent most of the day at the beach then walked along the water to dinner at the Sandbar. We got our cocktails to go, and walked back down the beach to our chairs to enjoy the sunset. Life is good.

Our last day there, we borrowed bikes and went for a ride around the island and ended up at the Rod and Reel for lunch. Another restaurant at the end of a fishing pier. We watched the fishermen bringing in and cleaning their catches. We also watched about a dozen dolphins swimming around the pier. It was a beautiful day and so fun to explore the island.

We are blessed to have such generous family who would be willing to share their piece of paradise with us for a few days. Can't wait to go back :)

PAO 2011

This was our second year at PAO, and as great as last year's conference was, his one was even better. Both JJ and I learned so much about ourselves, each other and our faith. What a blessing to be surrounded by others in the NFL who share the same beliefs and values.

There were several amazing speakers, who each could have individually carried the conference, so it was amazing to hear from all of them back to back. Simply incredible. If you nee any ideas to spice up your week, try downloading sermons or reading the books of any of these speakers.

Dave and Ann Wilson were back again to talk about marriage and the different needs of men and women in relationships. They are hilarious and open your eyes to the needs of your spouse.

Miles McPhearson is a former NFL player who is the pastor at The Rock church in San Diego. The focus of his message was to put your faith into action and "Do Something" in your community.

Dr. Tony Evans is a pastor at Oak Cliff in Dallas, TX and a very well known speaker. He focused on educating us about the Biblical roles of men and women in the family, and the roles of the family in the church and community. I have already read two of his books and can't wait to get started on the next!

Francis Chan is another well known pastor from California and his recent book Crazy Love is an awesome tool to help people see how amazing God's love is. Also, try to pick up Forgotten God if you need more to read.

We met some incredible couples from other teams and were able to reconnect with our friends from Charlotte. It is so nice to expand our NFL circle of friends and it didn't hurt that the conference was is Orlando, which is close to family and of course...Disney World. LOVE IT. But more on the rest of our Florida trip is in the next posts.

Super Bowl Weekend

Yes. The Super Bowl was like FOREVER ago. But the off-season has gotten the best of me and I have been too busy having fun and failed miserably at documenting it all.

Its not like I ever need an excuse to go back to Fort Worth, but what a perfect opportunity to head back to the Lone Star state and see our friends. We were lucky enough to stay with Katie, Brian and Ringo in downtown Fort Worth, within walking distance of all the festivities. Too bad Jerry Jones ticked off the weatherman and Snopocalypse 2011 dumped all over the state, shutting everything down for the entire week leading up to the game. Luckily the TCU bookstore was open and I was able to purchase enough merchandise to keep myself clothed in purple indefinitely.

We still managed to have lots of fun, despite the arctic temperatures and ice (no wonder Green Bay won, they felt right at home). The night before the game we went to a party in honor of one of our best friends who still plays for the Pack. We finally got to meet their baby boy who was almost 6 months by then. Sooooo precious!!! I was tempted to steal him and take him home, but JJ reminded me they knew where we lived and I would most likely get caught and potentially ruin the friendship. In the end I decided against it.

The next day we hosted a Super Bowl party at Bobby's parent's house, even though they had made other plans to watch at a friend's house. Yes, they are THAT nice. We bought enough Fuzzy's and Potbelly's food to feed about 40 people. Good thing all 8 of us brought our game faces.

Throughout the weekend, we also got to spend time with Maggie, Mackenzie, Geoff, Emily and Jacob. We are so blessed to have so many good friends in DFW...makes me want to move back someday...

Meet Bella!

For about the last 6 months, JJ and I have been discussing the possibility of getting another dog. We got Barney as a puppy from a breeder and have had nothing but happiness ever since. As much fun (and work) as getting a puppy is, I have always had a soft spot in my heart for rescue dogs. All of our dogs growing up were rescue dogs. They deserved a second chance at a good life and they all turned out to be wonderful, loving pups.

I have been periodically checking rescue websites for yellow labs and golden retrievers because we thought they would be a good fit with Barney. With rescue dogs you can't be picky, you just have to be open to whichever one melts your heart. But if I could have picked out the perfect rescue dog, I would have asked for a female golden or yellow lab, around 2 years old with a sweet and submissive disposition. And we had already picked out the name Bella, if we could rename the dog.

Wouldn't you know, on the 2nd anniversary of getting Barney my mom called me to tell me about a pup in need of a new home. A sweet little 2 year old female golden retriever...named Bella...was being put up for adoption. It was a sign. This little girl was meant for us :)

She and Barney get along so well and they play non-stop. Both of them are so submissive, we haven't had any problems with aggression yet. Although, Barney is not thrilled about having to share his toys. There is one bone in particular that he refuses to share. Every time she picks it up he walks over and takes it right out of her mouth. I haven't seen it in a day or so...I'm wondering if he hid it like that dog in the Travelers Insurance commercial.

Barney is still getting used to sharing all the attention, but I think its going well so far. After wearing each other out playing all day, they are both curled up in their spots next to our bed. Hopefully this means another good night's sleep for everyone.

Family Game Night

I love a good game night. Board games, card games, Wii games and now...Xbox Kinect games!

Disclaimer: I am not a huge fan of video games. Well, just not the ones that require you to use a tiny little hand held controller and press different arrows and letters to somehow make your person/car maneuver through awful maze-like conditions. I guess I just don't have good thumb-eye coordination.

Kinect is a totally different story. If you can move, you can play.

Tonight JJ and I cooked dinner for our families and introduced them to our new toy. (Side note for anyone interested: We made tomato basil soup and a grilled romaine chicken ceasar salad with oven roasted tomatoes...mmm mmm good! We even made our own croutons! Let me know if you want the recipes!!).

Carolyn, JJ and I took turns showing off our dancing skills. Personally, I tend to excel at all of the Latin-influenced dance moves, go figure. JJ owned the Lady Gaga songs, and Carolyn pretty much jumped right in and could do everything. The best part of each song is it gives you about 20 seconds to "freestyle" and takes pictures of you dancing then plays it back for everyone to see. Some of the most unattractive pictures I have even taken.

Next, we got the whole family involved in the sports games. First there was boxing, where Carolyn TKO'd JJ in the 2nd round. Next, I lost to my mom in beach volleyball. I guess all those years of club and Xavier volleyball didn't pay off. I demand a refund! Well, technically my parents do...

Then we moved on to track...I challenged JJ in the pentathlon. I smoked him in the 100 meter sprint, the long jump and the hurdles. The other 2 events, discus and javelin, should have been so easy for me. Not to brag, but at one time (millions of years ago) I was nationally ranked in both. Piece of cake right? Wrong. Apparently the real life technique and skills do NOT translate to the Kinect version. But no need to fear! My dad was sitting on the sideline (the couch) coaching me. Just like he did for 9 years of my life in real track. And what was my response? The same as it was all those 9 years...eye rolling and complaining, "Daaaaaaad, leave me alone! I know what I'm doing!"

Ahhhh the memories.

We finished the night off with a little bowling. After we had all taken turns and everyone was getting a little tired, I decided to let Barney take my turn. I held him up on his back two legs, drew the ball back with his right paw, and...bowled a strike!!! Just so we are clear, not once on my own attempts was I able to bowl a strike but Barney got one on his first try. He is thinking about joining a league.

Next time you are in Phoenix, you are cordially invited to a dance off against JJ and I then Barney will take you down in bowling.

ROSE BOWL :)

After a fantastic series of events that led to the Chancellor of TCU getting me Rose Bowl tickets after they were sold out, I ended up in Pasadena to see my beloved Frogs take on the Badgers. I heart TCU!

I arrived in LA after an EARLY morning flight out of Atlanta the morning after the concert. Three hours of sleep was the price I had to pay to do it all, but it was well worth it! Carolyn met me in LA to go to the game. We grabbed an amazing lunch in Santa Monica at Huckleberry Cafe and then headed to the game. Because my flight had been delayed and lunch took a little longer than expected, we were some of the LAST people to make it into the stadium after the long walk through the golf course/parking lot. We did make it in time to see Paula Deen do the coin toss though! Needless to say, the game was AMAZING! I was so proud of TCU and the way they played and even more proud of Gary Patterson and Andy Dalton's interviews after the game. Class acts.

After finally maneuvering our way out of Pasadena after the game (not an easy task) Carolyn and I went to a seafood dinner at The Lobster at the Santa Monica Pier. We finished the night at our friends' apartment to play the Game of Things (we played the poor man's version...i cut up strips of paper and made up our own topics because we didn't actually have the game, haha). Hilarious as always.

The next day we had big plans to hike up to the Hollywood sign, but the rain put a damper on that. We did however head over to Fab Hot Dogs for lunch (a restaurant featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network). I had the Fab Dog because I was not bold enough to try the Ripper. It just sounded like too much to handle, haha. Because the rain didn't let up, we drove around Beverly Hills and then window shopped on Rodeo Drive in our wet, would-be hiking clothes. Total tourist move, but oh well we had fun! For dinner we tried to go to Gjelina but they didn't have a table big enough to fit out large group so we ended up going to Ketchup in West Hollywood. Great food, the mac and cheese was awesome. After dinner we met Leigh for drinks at O'Brien's back in Santa Monica. Love seeing my long distance friends.

We didn't have much time the next day before leaving but we did frolic on the beach in Santa Monica and play on the swing set. We grabbed a fantastic lunch at the Santa Monica Seafood Company on the way out of town. The cioppino was out of this world. Seriously. Go try it.

It was a total whirlwind trip, but so much fun. I got to catch up friends from high school and college, watch an amazing football game, spend time with my sister and taste some of the great food LA has to offer. Wins all around (unless you are a Wisconsin fan, sorry).

NYE in ATL

Best New Year's plans ever. Thanks to Allison, I was lucky enough to welcome 2011 in style at the Zac Brown Band concert in downtown Atlanta. The concert was amazing, they are sooooo good live.

We had dinner at a funky tapas restaurant downtown called Lunacy Black Market. The food was really good and super cheap. The waitress said 2-3 small plates per person was typical so that's what we ordered. Pssshhh. After all the food came out, Allison and I looked at each other and laughed. Apparently we aren't typical diners and had to order a few more plates. It seems that this was so out of the ordinary that the eccentric chef/owner felt the need to come out and tell us how much he liked cooking for girls like us...girls with great appetites. Ummmm, thanks. I think. Then he offered us his own personal tickets to some super cool club party. Ummmm, pass.

We got to the concert just as ZBB was going on stage. Perfect timing. The music was fantastic, the atmosphere was even better. It was just such a fun way to celebrate. I didn't know all of the songs because he did a lot of stuff from his new album but I will def be listening to it all again.

As good as the music was, the people watching was much better. A few rows in front of us we watched two middle aged, overweight people find love. She came with two of her least attractive friends (presumably to make herself look better) he came with his drinking buddies. After the first few songs the two groups began to merge into a super awkward dance party in their row. After about a minute and a half of this everyone else in their group realized the awkwardness and logistical nightmare of an inter-row dance party and went back to their seats. Not these two. They continued bumping and grinding to the music (country music, where bumping and grinding is next to impossible). After both their hands started to wander, they ended up in an awkward embrace/make-out session. It was so awkward it was impossible to look away. A few minutes later they released their death grips on each other and went back to their respective groups. After whispering a brief message to their friends, she grabbed her purse and he gave out a few high-fives. Then they left. Never to be seen again. It's true, there IS someone out there for everyone.

Again, all the credit goes to Allison for this awesome night! And a special thanks for driving me to the airport the next morning at 5 AM. What a good friend.

Christmas Recap

We had Christmas in several stages this year, which is fine for me! I would personally like to see Christmas and gift giving extended for weeks. It is just too much hard work and preparation for it all to be over after one day.

My family was out the week before Christmas for the Cardinals game so we had stage 1 with them. Our traditions with my family include a Secret Santa gift exchange and White Elephant extravaganza. My family has quite a weird sense of humor so White Elephant is always quite entertaining. Some highlights from this year:

1. Carolyn opening up a "shake weight" courtesy of JJ (you will appreciate this much more if you have ever watched the shake weight commercial...in slow motion...with friends...after a beer or two)

2. Me opening up a headlamp a la the Chilean Miners 2010, courtesy of my dad (this is even funnier because the theme of last year's Bliss Christmas ended up being flashlights and everyone got one...thanks mom for making sure we are all covered in case of emergency)

3. My dad emptying out all the cash in his wallet and throwing it in with all of his gifts...you could end up with $20 dollars, like my sister and JJ, or $0.57 like me, thanks daddy

Christmas day was fabulous because JJ had 3 days off, which never happens. They always have to go in on Christmas. We slept in, JJ made pancakes, we baked cookies for friends and opened our gifts to each other. JJ did a fabulous job this year and got me a black, quilted leather Michael Kors bag. I love it. I got him a weekend at the Arizona Biltmore Resort with couples golf lessons and dinner at the Wrigley Mansion. Yes, it is just as much of a gift for myself as it is for JJ. :) We opened gifts with JJ's parents via Skype and had lots of fun. Everyone is invited to our house to play xbox Kinect and enjoy our new grill!

We went to mass on Christmas Eve and had dinner with friends and then had Christmas lunch at their house as well. Of course we had to bust out Apples to Apples after we ate. That night we went to another friend's house and had a great meal and lots of fun playing games with them and their kids. We learned how to play Monopoly Deal, so fun! It has all the fun parts of Monopoly without all the waiting around.

We were reminded again how blessed we are to have such wonderful family and friends. God is so good to us! Hope your Christmases were full of love and fun with people you care about.