Good things to come...{and slight bragging}

So Danny's birthday festivities are coming to an end (besides our official birthday dinner alone) we weren't able to have it yet due to his work schedule, so we'll be doing that Saturday night, and possibly catching a movie too! I'm so excited.  

So with that said, I'm also looking forward of all the events coming up! Today is my FRIDAY!! Plans for this weekend make me smile. Tomorrow I'll be going with my best friend, and cousin Bianca (who is also getting married - in Oct) to see a florist :) I'm really not big on flowers, I really just want bouquets, boutonnieres, possibly centerpieces for every other table and possibly an arrangement or two for the church. It will all depend on prices of course! After the florist we are heading back to Ventura's for an appointment with Penny for bridesmaid dresses! I am so so so so excited to hang out with my girls, and try on dresses, well.....watch them try on dresses :D So we have a general style in mind.Long, flowy, comfortable, and grey!

I know these photos are not all in grey, but its a starting place :D

Sunday of course is Easter, so that day will be spent celebrating the Resurrection of our almighty father, and spending time with our amazing families. Because of him, we are able to live this beautiful life, and I could not be anymore thankful, glory to him on HIGH.

Lastly, who doesn't like to brag on their wonderful man? My fiance works as an athletic trainer for a local Christian High School. He is beyond amazing at what he does, and his passion is second to none. For those of you who don't know what a trainer does, they are the guys you see run out onto the field when a player goes down. He never seizes to me, he is by far one of the most educated and intelligent people I know. Just the other day, one of the lacrosse players went down the field. He was unconscious immediately. Danny responded in a heartbeat and was able to get him to wake up. They carried him off the field on a golf cart and into the training room where Danny would be able to better assess him. As the kid was sitting there, Danny did his routine series of questions to gauge how bad the trauma to the head was. He very calmly informed the parents that their child had suffered a concussion and that he needed to monitor him  for a little while. When he went back into the room, one of the kids eye had completed dilated while the other got smaller. I'm going to act like I know what I'm talking about, but truth is I am clueless. This sign apparently showed Danny that this was more serious than he had anticipated. He again, calmly pulled the parents aside (to not alarm them) and said, things have just turned and we need to get him to a hospital right away. Without second guessing, he was on the phone with an ambulance, and on the walkie-talkie with security to clear a path, and keep cars out of the way. Thanks to God, and his quick actions & knowledge, the kid is getting better by the day, we don't know the exact outcome as of yet, but we do know that had it not been for his quick action things could have gotten very bad & very quickly. So I wanted to share the emails he received yesterday from the Head of the School and the father of the child. This man is amazing, and more than anything, he is mine.

Email from head of the school:  (Names have been removed and replaced obviously)

Danny,

I have to thank you for your attentiveness and quick action last night related to (kids) concussion. Mrs. (kids mom) confirmed that your decision to call the ambulance made a difference in (kids)'s recovery. I also applaud your ability to communicate clearly to the security officers the plan to make room for the ambulance, clear out the entry, and open the alternative exit. Your instructions were understood and followed.

Additionally, I appreciate that you found and updated me on the situation which allowed me to call the Family and show our school's support. It also allowed me to inform (the board of the school) as to what was happening which allowed a school representative to go to the hospital.

Thank you for the excellence you bring to our school. I know the (kids)' Family will forever be grateful. 

Well done!! 

And.... Email from the kid's dad:

Danny,

I echo Dr. (head of school) comments and assessment of your actions last night.  Our family truly appreciates your medical attention, sound decision making skills and clear communication during the critical time during (kids)'s injury last night. I am especially thankful and know how important sound medical attention is to the safety of patients in those moments following any trauma incident, particularly a head injury.  Thanks to all at HCHS who took a keen and dedicated interest in (kids)'s health and safety. 

We equally appreciate all the prayers from the HC community and lacrosse team/parents, I honestly think God heard all those prayers as (kids)'s condition improved dramatically during the ambulance ride and upon his arrival at TX Children's Hospital.

Thanks,

(Kids dad)

Love,
Jess

Birthday Monday....

Happy Birthday to the man whom God created just for me!

Today, I give thanks to God for blessing me with such an amazing man. I realize now what the true meaning of unconditional love is, I realize now what it feels like to be taken care of, I realize now what it is to have finally found your other half. 

I cannot wait to marry this man - Happy Birthday Danny!!! 

Here are a few pics from yesterdays birthday celebrations from my phone, the rest I will upload and share tomorrow :)

Love, Jess

Wedding Wednesday!

 

Does anyone have any medication for brides to be planning their weddings? I swear I'm not going crazy, lol - I just feel like my mind is moving a thousand miles a minute, and ideas are floating out of my ears. I am, however very happy & fortunate to have picked a venue that does do the majority of the planning for me. I still however have things to do outside of that, and I want to be sure to incorporate my personal touches the most I can. So here are things currently on my mind:

I should be looking like this, but instead I daydream about cupcakes and think about my next meal as I'm eating my current meal. Fatty.

Trying to think of unique ideas for the ring bearer, I have a few cute pillows saved, and looking at other options as well.

I've been trying this whole DIY thing lately, I want to go to Hobby Lobby or Michael's and see if I can pull off some cute letters for our table. Still wondering if I should our initials or like Mr. & Mrs. 

I know the true meaning of a marriage. So don't let my excitement of planning fool you, yes I am completely in love with the fact that I'm able to plan my wedding and make it ours, but I am most excited about marrying my best friend.

My colors, however the main focal color is grey, and very light touches of pink.

Isn't this darling? I don't know if I would want it as my actual band, but perhaps a travel band? To use when we travel, and keep our actual rings at home and safe. 

Here is my real problem, I am the most indecisive person I know! I think of something, love it, then question it, then get confused! Ugh... its annoying. I'm very lucky to have such a great group of friends to help me when I get into these ruts.

Then, finally..... you have this. This trumps it all, and makes me feel at ease. Yes, I want a beautiful wedding that I have always dreamed of, but seriously... I already have the best, most beautiful blessing ever. 

Indeed!

Love, 

Jess

ZzzzZzzz...

Finally back into the swing of things from our mini spring break vacay. You know those vacays where you do SO much that you need a vacay from your vacay?! This was it. Granted, we had a great time with Danny's best friend Danny (lol) showing him all around Houston and surrounding areas... but seriously I am exhausted. I definitely would like a chair, a fruity beverage, and white sand please. Here are some quick photos from our mini break  :)

All in all, we had a blast, we did SO much, and honestly I'm so very thankful for everything. For having the friends and family that we have and for being blessed in a way that allows us to enjoy life so abundantly!

Love, 

Jess

I said YES to the dress!

This weekend has been a whirlwind of events! The majority of my weekend was enslaved in cleaning our house and getting it ready for tomorrow when Danny's best friend arrives from NY. I cannot believe how much pain cleaning puts on your body. I wonder if its because I'm getting old? LOL... but my back and legs feel like I ran a marathon! Sheesh!.

Anyhow, my only time away from the house this weekend was to trip to Ventura's Bridal (suggestion from fellow blogger Savanah) and boy am I glad I did. Penny (my consultant) was AHHHHmazing, I could not have asked for any better. She was so sweet, and friendly. We laughed, joked & I loved the fact that she was truly honest with me. I would recommend her to any and everyone!  We are actually going back in about two weeks to work with Penny again for bridesmaid dresses!

So my initial plan was to just browse, try on gowns, see what complimented me, check out prices, look at some bridesmaid dresses, etc. I had a dress in mind that I loved, but I had always heard things like "the dress you love on someone else may not be the one for you" so I went with an open mind. I said, well I'll try it on and others as well to see what I like. Even the owner Mrs. Ventura said, alot of brides don't leave with the dress they came in looking for. So I said, it is what it is, let's go for it & see what happens!

I started out by trying some other dresses, 2 of which were by the same designer, one was okay... I actually told her to put one of those dresses on the "maybe" - the 2nd dress I passed, it did nothing for me. She told me she wanted to put me in the dress I had loved next because now I had something to compare it too. She told me not to face the mirror until she had me all tied in. Finally, when I turned around, I instantly loved it. It was missing the flower that comes with the dress, but the fit, feel, everything was so perfect. I stepped out of the room to find my girls faces lit up... they loved it. As I stood on the step, I looked at myself in the mirror and thought, wow, I'm trying on dresses. Wow, I'm standing in a wedding dress. Wow, I'm getting married. As I was thinking, Penny went and grabbed a veil, and accent belt. She placed both on me, and had me turn around again. Here... and now... is when the emotions hit. I knew this was it, I felt beautiful. My friend suggested I try on ONE more dress to to confirm, since this was only #3. I said okay... I tried on the next one, it did nothing for me. Then we knew.... "It was time to ring the bell"  Here is a sneak peek :) What I thought would be dreadful and awful turned out to be amazing & easy... I am still in a state of shock, good shock though..  hee hee.

Saturday night, after being out with my girls for a while... we babysat this adorable love bug of mine (my niece Sofia) I love this little girl with all my heart & soul. It was nice getting to spend time with her, and to give my sister & brother a break to have some fun at the Rodeo with their friends. 

Sunday from the moment we woke until the moment we hit the bed, we cleaned as if our lives depended on it. I am so exhausted but feel like victory is ours!! I will snap a few pics of all our organization, and final finishes tonight. Until tomorrow.... 

Love, 

Jess

Happies and Crappies

Happy Friday!!! So a fellow blogger I adore, Savanah did a post today called "Happies and Crappies" I like this, cute idea :)

So here we go. 

Happies! 

*Went to the Rodeo last night with my little sister to check out Bruno Mars, it was AHHHmazing, he put on a great show & we had a blast together. I love spending time with her :)

*I'm going to try on dresses tomorrow morning for the FIRST TIME, wish me luck, ahhhhhh!

*My maracas came in!! Yeay!!! This was the text from Danny to let me know, he is such a dorky, but I love him bc of that.

*Finally going to get a mani/pedi/brow wax on Sunday! Phew... I can feel the massaging chair now....

*Counting today, I only have 2 more days of work until I am officially OFF for spring break! Wooo hoooooooooo! Hoo! Hoo!

Crappies :(

*My breakfast yogurt this morning made me smile indeed when I read the inside lid, then made me almost puke when I smelled noticed it was no longer good. 

*My house still looks like Hiroshima went off, I haven't had the time during the week to clean up little by little like I had planned. So.....

*This means I will be cleaning all weekend long, ugh. 

*Our dryer all the sudden decided it doesn't want to dry, we have already tried replacing a part, that did nothing, now we are onto replacing part 2. If that doesn't work, I'm calling our Home Warranty Co. However, its timing is impeccable, I have loads & loads of laundry to do this weekend!

That, my friends is about it.... Hope ya'll have a Wonderful Weekend!

--Jess

I am who I am....

So I officially have 1 follower, thanks Savanah :) This blogging thing is all new to me, and I hope to one day have hundreds :) Not that my life is interesting by an stretch just fun getting to meet & interact with people who have similar interests & goals. Its truly hard to find a "genuine" friend now a days, and not only that, but someone who has things in common with you. I've reached out lately to try and make new friends, honestly,  it brings me back to my elementary days when I was on the playground and wanted to ask someone to come swing with me. My attempts haven't gotten much response, but what can you do. I am who I am, and who I am isn't all too shabby. 

So speaking of me, here some interesting facts to get to get to know me:

-I am truly a genuine person
-I get along with anyone and everyone
-I have a hard time telling a lie, when I lie its written all over my face - I don't know if this is good or bad?
-I'm really easy going, mellow & beyond patient, it takes alot and I mean ALOT to make me even remotely mad
-I love to dance (not professional or anything) let's get serious, just dance to anything, randomly
-I don't have time for unnecessary drama or immaturity
-I'm not hard to please
-I tend to daydream alot about random things (lately, wedding related)
-I love jeans & sandals of any sort
-Starbucks & Juice are my cup of tea, I don't like soda
-I tend to be too forgiving to people who like to screw me over & over on a regular basis. I need to stop with that already
-People and unconventional things fascinate me
-I can make you laugh without even realizing what I just did or said
-I am addicted to shopping, clothes, shoes, purses, jewelry and anything glittery or sparkly
-Hugs and Kisses make me feel warm & gooey
-I love long deep conversations about life, God, love and all that other good stuff
-I have been through some serious struggles in the department of love (all of which have molded who I am today)
-I have a 6 year old Old English bulldog (Tyson) who is the love of my life
-I absolutely love fall & winter weather
-I am born and raised in NYC - total city girl, which is why the above probably makes sense
-I have been in Texas for the past 12 years, however I still don't consider myself a Texan
-I like Texas, and I probably will remain here, but my heart is forever in NYC
-I have been asked several times by different people where I buy my hair or if its permed. Note to all: this mess of curls is all natural - not permed - and not store bought. Thank you very much!
-My car has a name, and her name is Nena
-I have a small but very close circle of friends. These friends know me, my battles, my struggles, they have been there beside me through it all, and they are the ones now celebrating my victories. 
-I don't know where I would be without them
-I recently got engaged (on NYE) to the best man God could have ever blessed me with. I finally know why I went through what I went through. I know now the lessons I had to learn. I know now what the true meaning of love is, all because of him.
-I am planning our wedding for February 2014 & finally seeing my dreams come alive :)

So there you have it, anything else you want to know, by all means, humor me.

He makes me smile, its' not just any regular smile either. It's that radiant smile you know that one you get when you have fallen head over heels in love with the man of your dreams. 

T - minus 3 days...

So I'm counting down the days until my mini-vacay. No, we aren't really going anywhere fancy per say, but Danny's best friend (and best man) is flying in from NY next Tuesday. We are pretty excited as this will be his first time in Texas. I am excited because I finally in a long time get a few days off from work! I just hope the place doesn't come down while I'm gone or that I come back to work with piles for days.

( Danny, me, and my Danny in NY this past April)

So we've been trying to plan out a schedule. Tuesday, when he arrives, we plan to show him around Houston, maybe take him to dinner downtown somewhere. Need to come up with some good ideas of places. Wednesday he has asked to go to Space Center, we have never been either, so I think it will be fun, plus we can swing by Galveston or Kemah on the way back :)

Thursday its Rodeo time! Going to see Pitbull, and this is the day I'm most excited about, talk about a culture shock. I'm dying to see his face when he sees how close all the animals are in the exhibition halls, LOL. I'm also going tomorrow (Thursday) with my little sister to see Bruno Mars. Fun times :D

Friday we are taking a day trip up to Austin to see the capital, and eat some good Austin grub. Saturday we are taking a day trip to San Antonio, to catch the Alamo, walk the riverwalk and get some Mercado shopping in .... Sunday we will be spending the day at Danny's parents house so they can all catch up and see Danny (yes, his best friend has the same name as him!!) so we call him Colon to not get them confused. Then Monday, its back to work for a half day, then off to the airport. I am so excited, it can't get here quick enough. Just want to relax, and spend some time with my love, his best friend and travel and enjoy this lovely weather. What are your plans for spring break?

Will work for Coffee!

Where do I begin? We have started our annual spring cleaning, and let me tell you ... the house at this point looks worse than when we first started, lol and I feel like I've been hit by a semi-truck. We have however completed ALOT!! Our whole Sunday was pretty much cleaning, re-organizing and moving furniture. It feels so amazing to just get rid of stuff! 

Small Confession: I am slightly OCD when it comes to my house. I hate disorder (this doesn't mean it doesn't happen) but I try my best to keep up. 

So over President's Day weekend Ikea had a huge sale on some great stuff! Which meant I was there literally Sat-Mon for their daily deals. I scored a queen size duvet cover set (for $9.99) pictures coming soon...a queen size comforter to go inside the duvet set (for $14.99) & shelves for organizing ($9.99 ea)  These were amazing deals and all things I really needed! Our spare bedroom was just that for a while, spare, with nothing in it! Since we knew that family would be coming in over the next few months & Danny's best friend is coming next week, we knew we needed to bite the bullet & get it set up.

So here is a picture dump of all the work in progress, I will post pics once everything is done, which I think will probably take me the rest of this week and this weekend. I can only work a few hours in the evening once I get home, but it will feel great to have this portion done. Next will be my closet, but let's not talk about that just yet, because that thing alone will be an event!

Ty helping Daddy assemble the dresser

Purses organized in another closet with easy reach!

Cleaning out guest room closet  (our new bedroom set is under there somewhere)

and that grey bin, that is my beginnings to wedding stuff, I know that pile will grow with time! 

Cleaning out the linen closet, sheesh, who needs this many sheets?

Ty tired of following us around, so he chilled out.

Out with the old & ugly towel bar....

In with the new!!! Found this beauty at the Habitat store!

Even better, it was only $10! 

Danny starting to build 1 of 3 shelves for the garage!

LoL this picture just makes me laugh, Ty outside watching the cars go by as we cleaned & organized the garage

My pretty flower I re potted to hang by the front door

My back & legs hurt, talk about a good workout, move up, move down, sit down, get up, move boxes, move furniture, yikes! However, feeling great about the start of cleaning & re-organizing, stay tuned for post pictures! Headed to the coffee pot - Jess

Friday Facts...

Happy Friday!!! I am so excited, one more week and I am on vacay for Spring Break. I honestly can't even remember the last time I have taken days off. Danny's best friend, (and best man) is flying in from NY! He has never been to TX, a straight up city boy coming down South. This should be interesting! LOL..To make it even better, we are making sure to really expose him to south & taking him to the rodeo! That along with Danny's birthday this month, there are definitely Fun times to come in March!

So... these two pictures were posted last week on Danny's Facebook page:  If I had to make a list of Danny's favorites they would go in this order - literally.

1. Baseball
2. College Football
3. Me....yes...I would be #3

So with baseball season approaching I see many games in my future, and I actually LOVE it, I love seeing him so excited & being able to share it with him :)

ON to the next, we are meeting with a photographer on Sunday! I really want to get all my ducks in a row, and take care of big stuff first, so I don't have to scramble last minute! Yesterday we received our GUEST BOOK, I cannot wait to show this beauty off! I love love love it!!! I also started dabbling with creating some of my own paper stuff, I never knew how much talent I actually possess & how much fun I would have doing it! DIY power baby :)

Have a wonderful weekend loves!