monday playlist

after coming back from the wild weekend that was jeff's birthday, i got to ride in the car for a little bit by myself.  i dont get to do that a lot and i love it when it happens.  i LOVE listening to music in my car.  i sometimes go sit in my car to listen to a new cd just because the car is the best place (besides a dance party) to listen to music.

so, i thought that i would share with yall my favorite things to listen to right now.  (pretty random, i know.  but i like to know what people are listening to, so i thought maybe i would share).  what i am listening to changes like, every week, but since i am usually listening to glee and steve green with my kids, its super fun to get to listen to what i want to, even if its just for 10 minutes.
***just to forewarn, this is not cool music.  this is not a cool mix and i wish i was much cooler, but i tend to vier toward cheesy.  dont feel like i am promoting the latest band on the indie charts.  i wish i was, but i dont have enough time to find new people and see them live or search through their songs (though that is my dream life).

i tried not to be swayed by songs that might seem cheesy and put them up even if they are kinda embarrassing.  here goes...

the new sara bareilles cd is on repeat but my favorite songs (if i have a limited time) are 

-hold my heart.  its about trying to let someone love you but not knowing if they are ready for it.  but wanting them to be.  and wanting them to know you and love you and be ready to love you.

-say youre sorry she just wants this guy to say hes sorry.  she says "words are no use. you dont need them like i do" but she just wants to hear them.

-king of anything about working with her labels and how they want to get her famous and dont really listen to her

-let the rain talks about how she wishes she was pretty and brave and fearless.  and then she would tell the world what she thinks.  how, if she was fearless then she would want to feel everything and let the emotions just fall.  its kinda empowering.

-uncharted i think this is about how hard it is getting what you want and how she has never been in this place before and is really scared.

-machine gun is hilarious.  she feels sorry for this person that hates her and tells him to put down the machine gun and stop being mean.

-gravity is on her other album, but its the best break up song around.  and i love that cd too.  but i have kind of worn it.

-comfort by deb talan was a big one for me when we first moved.  its one that i reference back to frequently.  

-better than a hallelujah by amy grant is def one of my new faves.  cheesy, i know, but i often love a good cheesy song :)

-come back by pearl jam is a returning fave.  i dont know why. 

-devil town by tony lucca is on the friday night lights soundtrack and i def downloaded all the songs i could get off of that show while i was under its spell (like im not still under it...)

-gravity by lucy shwartz (gravity is clearly a theme).  its got a nice, easy rhythm.  

-here comes your man by meagan smith.  quirky and upbeat.  nice on a nice day with the windows down.

-ive got a rock n roll heart by eric clapton.  super into this one.  just makes me happy.  even though none of those things he likes, i like.  but i like to think i have a rock n roll heart.  (even though, clearly, i dont.)

-idlewild blues by outkast (again, fnl soundtrack)

-sympathy by goo goo dolls is kinda my fave of all time. clearly, i can not pick a favorite song so it is crazy to say that, but i think that its definitely one i always stop on.   i assume its about becoming famous and how its harder than they thought.  how, sometimes you want something for your life and it comes true, but you end up focusing on the difficult parts and looking back on who you were back then when you wanted this dream, and you were someone who you didnt know very much about much.  and their new one, notbroken, is good too. "time wont ever steal my song". (and if it says "soul" instead of "song" dont tell me.  i want to believe its "song")

-oklahoma breakdown by stoney larue.  just super fun. reminds me of high school and going to the lake and hanging out with my friends in the summer.

-rock n roll by eric hutchinson.  also super fun. and its always more fun to rock and roll if you are in   control, or feel like you are.

-you and i by ingrid michaelson. love her.  and this is also, can you guess, super fun and quirky and light            hearted and weird.

ok, so this is so random and out of no where, and i am sure that i am forgetting like 5 of my very favorites right now, but thats what i have so far.
i love music, but i definitely dont know that many people to listen to and am really bad at making time to find new music, so my list is pretty limited.
so, now you can imagine me, in my car after i drop my kids off at school, feeling free and easy and jamming to my favorite songs....i know.  youre welcome.

WORLD SERIES is coming to TEXAS!!

well said michael young.

is everyone crying??? playing "i like texas" by pat green after striking out a-rod looking??!?!  SHUT UP!!!! 

here comes the gingerale.  how awesome is that?  so cool.

Rangers are going to the WORLD SERIES!!!!

i just can't believe it.  i have been a fan forever.  we almost bought our season ticket seats at arlington stadium.  and went to a million games at the ballpark in arlington.  saw nolan ryan's 7th no hitter!  and now he owns the place.  really cant get over it.

the rangers have been the underdogs for a while.  they have tried for a long time, had great talent and great guys, but just never made it.  even with the tbs announcers being clear yankee fans this whole series.
and now josh hamilton is our ACLS MVP!! giving all glory to God and his team.  unbelievable.

this is our year.  our freakin' year.

congrats rangers.  love you guys.  cant wait to watch four more wins.

lets go rangers!

Bob and I went to game 1 of the ALCS last weekend and it was so fun! (even though the Rangers lost)

We went with Matt and Aly and had such a great time cheering on our Rangers. Matt won the tickets through his work and we were SO excited to go with them to the game.

We made sure to try everything on the menu and finished it all off with a 10 dollar bucket of popcorn. We wish we were going to be at game 6 tonight but we will be cheering on the Rangers from our couch this time. Hopefully along with some supreme nachos, chicken quesadillas, cheeseburger, potato chips, hot dog, pretzel and a bucket of popcorn. (told you we tried everything on the menu!)

Lets go Rangers!!!

TGIT

here is a fun pic of al and i when we were working construction for her dad.
we definitely thought we were awesome (and clearly my face is the size of a planet so i hope i didnt think i was that awesome)...

it has been a little bit since i have shared what i am loving around the world wide web, so i thought that i would throw around some love.

just discovered mod cloth. love it.  so many options!

 big scarfs are, clearly, all the rage.

love this halloween decor! and this!

loving shorts over tights.  and my sister in law can rock them!

love this rainbow party!!

i have never made homemade brownies that i liked.  i think i may have to try these.  they look amazing.

so cute!

just got into bsf and love it.  this is my second week and i am realizing how lacking i am in intelligence, as well as zeal, and, really, just overall curiosity.  i hope to be a different person by the end of this year.  thank you, Lord for your willingness to change us and give us second chances.

loving the looks we love at crew cuts.  and think ben and sass should share this.  or this.  yall know my love for denim.  too bad i really only shop at old navy (which we love).

i totally want this book.

hope everyone has a great almost weekend!!  we are going to a game night that i am stoked about.  love a game and a game night.  just too much. (fun, i mean.)

Leaving his Roaring 20's behind and Rolling into his 30's

This weekend, jeff and i went to my parents lake house to celebrate his 30th birthday that is coming up next week.  he thought we were just going to be by ourselves, but i had a little something else up my sleeve...

aly suggested a "rolling into our 30's" birthday party where we leave our "roaring 20's" and roll into the 30's.  our 20's were pretty roaring, so i thought it was pretty fitting.
i told my parents and my cousin christopher about the idea and they ran with it.  (christopher is the one who did the cake for the twins party.  the guy knows how to party) together we made kind of a step-by-step surprise party and the birthday boy loved it.
so, here we go.

we went out to the lakehouse on friday after we dropped the kids off at my in laws.
we were free and easy.

then saturday morning he went hunting, and then my brothers and ben took him golfing.

after golf, ben gave jeff a box that had the 20's outfit (do boys say outfits? maybe 20's inspired clothes is better) that he needed to wear that night.
(that allison and lindsay bought at this fabulous costume shop.  they tried it on and everything)
ben had one too.  and, surprise, jeff, so did my brothers.  

they all put it on in the golf pro shop-i imagine laughing, giggling, cussing and getting more and more nervous about what was to come, the whole time.

in the mean time, we were working our tails off at my parents house.
after we had set everything up, we set outside and smoked cigars, drank champagne and waited for jeff in our own 20's attire.


this is christopher.  he and my mom helped pull this whole shindig off.






group shot before jeff, ben and my brothers arrive.

when he pulled up to my parents house, he still did not really know what in the world was going on.
 we had set up candles that led him around to the side of the house where we were all hiding.

and in he came...

in his full-on 20's suit.
he was pretty surprised to see all his friends and family.



and here's to the boys that helped pull it off.
we stayed outside smoking and drinking 20's style for a little longer (and of course both were optional).







and then it was time to eat.
we led him around the back of the house where we had set up a big table for everyone to eat authentic 20's food- on the border.  mexican food is so 20's right?
we made a curved table to fit everyone, and i am sure it was weird looking but we wanted everyone to sit together and eat family style.  like one big happy-birthday-jeff family.



we ate until we couldnt anymore, and then watched a slideshow that i made about jeff.
then the real party started.
the shades had been drawn in the house this whole time and no one had been inside yet.  after dinner and the slideshow everyone looked under their plates and found a ticket worth $500 (pretend) that they could use in the speakeasy casino we had arranged inside.
we had dealers and a bartender (james we LOVE you) and who ever had the most chips at the end of the night won a prize (TBA).
so everyone got their tickets and hurried inside to play.





we had 20's music playin', the lights dimmed, the shades drawn and dice rollin'.




we toasted him, ate some fantastic cake and then found out who the winners were.



we made these dice out of white boxes and stuffed them with koozies that said "happy birthday jeff" on them (made by hayley!) and they were the party favors for everyone to take home.  you know, "rolling" into the 30's.  like rolling the dice... you get it, i know.
and, not being people to let a party die after the casino and photobooth leave, we started a dance party.




then we all spent the night.
last hurrah of the roaring 20's for jeff and on the 23rd, he rolls into his 30's.
thank you, everyone who came fully dressed and ready to celebrate jeff.  we could not have done it without you!! we love you so so much!!
i really hope our 30's is not a great depression...