STRESS

Stress is my life right now. How do you cope with stress?

Football!!

So, football season is officially over :(

Growing up I was never a tomboy. I was a girly, girly, girly-girl. As I got older I learned to appreciate sports. I played soccer with the boys and (mostly) understood the rules. I learned how basketball was played and, on more than one occasion, got too caught up in yelling at the refs during basketball games and forgot that I was supposed to be cheering. When Terry and I first started dating I made him teach me the names of all the Green Bay Packers so I could pretend like I knew what I was talking about. If I would have been honest with myself I would have had to admit that most of this was done to impress boys. I didn't mind sports, but I didn't love them either.

Through the years I have picked up on football and understand the game. This year the boys let me play fantasy football with them. I did my research and attended the draft and had a blast playing this season. I led the league throughout the whole season but lost in the playoffs (thanks to Aaron Rodgers' 2nd concussion of the season)and ended up coming in 3rd place. Not bad for a girl in her first season. While playing fantasy football I learned a lot about football and really developed a love for it. My love for the Green Bay Packers was also solidified this season.

The Packers put us through quite a roller coaster at the end of the season. The wildcard game against the Bears to get them into the playoffs was nerve-wracking. The playoff game against the Eagles was a nail-bitter. The playoff game against the Falcons was an awesome blowout. The NFC Championship Game again against the Bears was too close for comfort. But, through it all they made it to the Super Bowl!

We celebrated with some old friends that we hadn't seen for far too long and the Lombardi trophy is back where it belongs. The best part? I like football because I like football, not to try to impress anybody. It feels good to just be me for me :)

Aaron Rodgers-Super Bowl XLV MVP and my boyfriend Clay Matthews

Being Right

In my house it is rare for me to win an argument. Yesterday Terry and I had an argument. It was a stupid, petty argument, but an argument nonetheless. Terry found a random Popsicle stick in the living room. We don't eat a lot of Popsicles in our house, but here was one lone stick in the middle of the floor. Terry was like 'what the heck?'. I remembered that a couple of weeks ago he had eaten a Popsicle, so I told him that. He did not believe me. We proceeded to argue about this for 10 minutes or so. I figured out the the stick must have fallen beneath the couch and had gotten pulled out when Riley was looking for something that morning. Terry thought I was making this all up. I finally said I am going to start writing down and video taping everything you do so I can prove to you that I am right. Then we both remembered that Terry has been doing weight watchers and, in fact, tracks everything that he eats. He went back through his food for a couple of weeks a found that he had eaten a Popsicle exactly when I said he had. I was finally right! However, instead of feeling vindicated and happy for being right I was mad. I'm not sure why. I still have some self-reflection to do, I think.

Terry and I made up though, and spent a great day today cheering on the Packers to their victory in the Super Bowl (more on that tomorrow). Here's a picture of us from last fall (it really has no significance, but I think it's a cute picture).

Patterns

I woke up this morning sooooo sleepy but sooooo excited that it is FINALLY Friday. This week has felt super long! This weekend should be fun. Tonight we are having dinner with friends, tomorrow is karate, and because it's the 1st Saturday of the month the adults and kids get to have class together which should be super fun! Sunday the Packers are in the Super Bowl!!! I am a Green Bay Packers Fan by marriage, but I am a dedicated fan and after some awesome playoff games I am so ready to see how they do in the big game!

This morning I had a pretty normal morning at work and then I got a text that frustrated me completely! I won't go into too much detail, but someone needs me to do them a favor that requires me to wake up pre-6 am on a Saturday morning and do something that puts me completely out of my comfort zone. Now, this person originally made a commitment to do this thing themself, but can't now because they need to be with a friend that is going through a very tough time right now. I understand this. I am sympathetic to this. Normally I would have no problem waking up early and being pushed out of my comfort zone for someone in this situation, but (there's always a but) this is a pattern. This person consistently makes commitments and then can't follow through with it and the burden falls to other people last minute (I am super surprised that I got 18 hours notice, normally I probably would have gotten a call at like 10 pm the night before). It makes me want to say no...but I can't, if I say no then someone else has to do it and it's my turn.

I'm trying a new thing: When I have a negative reaction to a situation I ask myself "what can I learn from this?" that way at least there is something positive to come out of an experience. Here's what I learned.

This person has a pattern of bailing, it sucks. It makes me wonder what my patterns are. I have a pattern of not answering my phone, or saying I will call someone and not doing it. Does that pattern frustrate the people in my life as much as this person's pattern frustrates me? When I have a legitimate excuse for not calling someone back is it ignored because I have offered either no reason or bad excuses in the past? Ick, I'm no better than this person. Learning a lesson is hard :( I will try to do better. I probably will still not answer my phone (sorry) but I will make an effort to call people back when they leave me messages!

I leave you with a picture collage of my favorite Green Bay Packer Clay Matthews :swoon: I <3 him!

Happy Day!

I need more creativity in my life. So, to get the ball rolling I've given myself a challenge. I will blog at least 25 out of the 28 days in February! That's a lot of blogging for a girl who hasn't done much so far, but I guess that's why it's called a challenge.

My first February blog is dedicated to a very special young lady. Today is my niece's birthday! Her name is Lauren and if you have never met her then you are missing out! 15 (!!!) years ago I was sitting in 8th grade history class and someone came and knocked on the door to congratulate me on becoming an Aunt. That's when my life changed. I was 13 years old and getting to play with a baby all the time was awesome! As we both got a little older we became very close. Lauren was my little mini-me. I dressed us alike and taught her cheerleading and had photo shoots with her and took her shopping and to the movies and to lunch. It was great! Like having a real-life doll. When she was almost 6 and I was 19 my sister, Lauren, and I moved to Florida. Lauren and I got to hang out a lot which was awesome. Then I hit my rebellious teenage years (a few years later than most) and we didn't hang out nearly as much. Then I moved back to Louisville and then we hardly ever got to hang out at all :( Today that lovely, young woman turns 15! That makes me feel very old! Lauren has grown into a beautiful, intelligent, caring, sweet, obedient, funny, tall (!), young woman. Love you, Lo!

This is my beautiful niece


And this is my beautiful niece and my beautiful sister