Monday, May 24, 2010

Football Fever

I can't remember the last time I had football fever as bad as I do this year. Maybe it's the new Notre Dame coach, Brian Kelly? Maybe it's the excitement of what he brings to the program? Maybe it's names like Montana and Golic back on Notre Dame's squad? I don't know, but I've got it bad.

So in honor of my current football fever, here are my two new favorite Notre Dame football videos!

Notre Dame Trumpets
(Click on image below to watch video)



Notre Dame Football 2010 Trailer
(Click on image below to watch video)

Cheers!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

10 Things That Make Me Happy

Thanks to my good friend @JRReedRadio for giving me a shout out in his blog post this morning and challenging me to play along!

So here I go, my top 10 list. The 10 things that make me happy! (In no particular order!)

(Oh, and you can see HIS top 10 list here!)

10. My family: I am blessed with a wonderful husband and two fantastic kids who I not only love, but really dig as people! I am also blessed to still have both of my parents, two grandmothers, and one grandfather still living. Family is so important to me. I just can't imagine life without them!

9. My friends: Though I am almost always a glass half-full person, I do have moments in which I need to vent. I thank my lucky stars that I have such wonderful friends who put up with my occasional (or sometimes frequent) rants!

8. My faith: Honestly, I don't know how I'd get out of bed each morning without my faith. I know that there is an amazing light at the end of the tunnel, and though the journey may not always be as smooth as I'd like it to be, there is a wonderful reward at the end!

7. Notre Dame (my happy place): I have a few "happy places," but Notre Dame is definitely tops on my list. I just feel so at peace when I am there. It holds such wonderful memories, wonderful people, and it really defined not only my faith, but who I am today. Four years of my life that are completely invaluable to me!

6. Good times with great friends: There is nothing better than a glass of wine (or a Jack & Coke) and the company of great friends! We solve more issues over a cold beverage or two than you can even imagine! Oh, and don't forget those girls' road trips, those make me happy for sure!

5. My feet in the sand: Doesn't matter where, just so long as I get my beach fix once a year. Once a Cali girl ... always a Cali girl! :)

4. Sleep: If you want to see a crabby me, deprive me of my sleep. It's amazing how much better things look after a good night's sleep!

3. Football, hockey, and baseball - in that order: Yep, I go into a HUGE withdrawal at the end of football season, which hockey does a good job of curing. And then a withdrawal when hockey is over, which baseball cures. And then HOORAY ... football is back! Whew ... thank goodness for football. :)

2. Running: Nothing clears my head better than a good run. I just wish I had more time to do it!

1. My blogging friends, thank you! Thank you for making me a better blogger ... a better writer ... and a better ME! :)

Apparently I’m supposed to pass this on to my blogging friends and as @JRReedRadio said, I’m not big on these chain thingies, but here are some great people who will either hook us up with a list or will at least mock the heck out of me!

http://skimmocha.blogspot.com/ - @skimmocha

http://aldrichjc.blogspot.com/ - @StuffinMyBrain

http://thoughtsfromnwhouston.blogspot.com/ - @NWHouston

http://rumblingbubbles.blogspot.com/

http://www.thenlifehappens.com/ - @thenlifehappens

http://allabouttheenergy.blogspot.com/ - @FrankDickinson

Cheers!








Remember, Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in high heels.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

What do YOU want to be when you grow up?

When I was growing up, I wanted to be an astronaut. My Father was an engineer, so I figured (as a result of watching him) that the best way for me to become an astronaut was to study aeronautical engineering in college. While that seemed like a good plan, it was a totally different story once I got to college. Even though I had straight A's in High School, engineering classes in college were WAY harder than I had expected, and I ended up with a degree in Marketing/Advertising. So much for becoming an astronaut, huh?

So how do we direct our children to become what THEY really want to be when they grow up, without influencing them based on our path, and our talents.

My daughter has expressed several things that she wants to do when she grows up ... a veterinarian, an artist, and a school teacher. All very respectable careers. But I got to thinking futher about all of this while we were at the Botanical Garden last weekend.

I love photography. I always have. I was called the "picture lady" in college, because I always had my camera with me. And I snapped a few decent shots at football and hockey games, that lead me to the opportunity to do some team photography while I was in college.


As my daughter and I were walking around the garden last weekend, I was snapping away, taking pictures of all of the beautiful flowers. And then she gets out her camera and starts taking pictures too. So I start to show her the importance of lighting, and framing your photos, and she is taking some really great shots! By the end of the day she tells me that she's going to add photographer to the list of things she wants to be when she grows up.


I am thrilled to hear her say that. And I think she is, or has the potential to be, a really talented photgrapher. But did she make that decision based on something that I love to do? Or does she really love it herself?

I guess the only way our children really figure out what they want to be when they grow up is through trial and error. Which is evident by all of the people who change their majors multiple times in college (myself included). I just want her to follow her dreams ... and not mine!

What do you think?

Cheers!