Book Club

I would like to give a shout out to my book club ladies. Every month, we get about 8 girls together and meet at one members house. It's your typical "read a book and then talk about it" concept, with so much more:

1. The Food- The food is the jam. We have some seriously wonderful little chefs and they whip up some great stuff. Some items are store bought (and that's ok, too) but I love how we defintely devote time into our menu each month.
2. Wine- Wine makes the conversation flow. Necessity of a book club.
3. Conversation- we may stray off topic every now and then (ok, a lot!) but we always make sure we talk about the book, and then we get to cover all kinds of ground. A few of the girls went to high school together and its fun to listen to them talk about the old times together. A few of the members are new to our friend circle and they are hilarious, and always produce plenty of laughter.
4. A baby- This is not a normal addition to book club, but one of our members brought her 14 week old last night. In her footed jammies. I wanted to steal her.
5. Books- Duh. We love to read. We just read Sarah's Key and our next book is The Nineteenth Wife, if you care to know.

Time to Catch Up

Wondering what I have been doing lately?

Now you can find out....

Dallas Christmas

Soaking Up the Sun

28 Years of Life

Birthday Shenanigans

I turned 28 this year. Jan 22 to be exact. I was born at halftime of the Dallas Cowboys game. My mom didn't use any drugs. She's obviously crazy.

Red and I returned from Cancun Thursday night, I worked Friday and Sat was my birthday. I like to get as much celebration out of my birthday as possible, so spending a week in Cancun leading up to my birthday wasn't bad at all. I had lunch with the parentals Sat at Compadre's. If you haven't been there, go. Then I went to Home Depot to look at kitchen stuff with them (my mom caught the kitchen on fire, ask her about it!)

After lunch, I went home and rested before getting ready for the big party Red was letting me have at his house. 20 people, tons of food, and one crazy bulldog.
We played flip cup in the garage and Circle of Death in the kitchen area. We popped champagne and shoved 4 girls into a bathroom and laughed. It was perfect. And Billy and Jena gave me a crown. Every birthday girl needs a crown.

Giving Jena a little birthday love

Getting a little birthday love

Jumping in on the boys sorority pose

Fab Foursome

Cute

Wearing my crown

6 years of birthdays together

All the girls at the party

Lovin on Big Ben- Sorry Kristin!

Charlie's Angels- I don't think he would hire us

Cancun

As part of a joint Christmas and birthday present/celebration, Red (that is his name for now, until I can come up with a more original moniker) and I went to Cancun.
We booked a very cheap, all-inclusive deal through Funjet Vacations about 2 weeks before we went. Luckily, I had enough vacation to indulge in my second international trip in less than 6 months.
The temp was about 80 every day and 65 at night. It was glorious. The humidity level was high, but I don't care. I just rocked a ponytail everyday and basked in the sun.
We went to a nightclub called CoCo Bongo. There is no way that I can explain CoCo Bongo and do it justice. It is the coolest nightclub I have ever been to. They put on shows and acrobatics and play the best music ever and you can dance on the bar and they drop balloons from the ceiling and confetti and pour tequila down people's throats and obviously I could go one forever.
We went to Wet n Wild water park one day and enjoyed free food and drinks all day and non existent lines so you could just walk up, ride the ride, and walk back up and do it again if you wanted to. It was the jam.
Red and I had a great time in Cancun and of course I didn't want to come home. We ate, drank, danced, relaxed, threw the football, read books, watched the Steelers win. It was a glorious 6 day vacation.

Jamie and I with Juan Jose

My new friend, Jamie! Or you can call her Snooki

Dancing on the bar at CoCo Bongo

Our new friends from Missouri, Chad and Jamie

We love Valentina's hot sauce

We also love all-inclusive drinks

Bob always needed help with his socks.

Michael Jackson lives!

Miguel, our favorite bartender

Our last night. Dinner at Lorenzillo's

One of the restaurants at the resort

View from our balcony

Junior Suite

Our little home on the beach

Red taking in the beach

The massive hotel next to ours

My own Baywatch lifeguard

I think Red must have been cold. Or he is swelling his chest to look bigger

Mayan dancers at a wedding

I couldn't write my name before the tide came in

Best night ever

Hot, sweaty mess after leaving CoCo Bongo at 4:30 AM

Christmas in Dallas

Christmas in Dallas was a little belated this year. We (the Heathcock's) spent Christmas at my brother's in Edmond and the Webb clan spent Christmas in Cincy and Katie and Louie spent Christmas in Indy. So, we all got back into the holiday spirit Jan 7-9 and exchanged gifts.

Pull the Stick Out

Last night, my roommate and good friend called me regimented.

She is without a doubt, completely right about this. It's a huge fault of mine.

We were talking about a happy hour that we have planned today. I was saying how much I am looking forward to it, even though I have lots to get done tonight.

I have a tendency to immediately want to say no to things. I get this from my dad. My mom has always that.

I keep myself on a pretty strict schedule during the week. Work, lunch at home, gym, quick shower, over to ______'s house, home by 10:30, bed. If I don't go to the gym, it is errands after work. I rarely ever come home after work and just relax. Maybe I need to. Maybe I would feel less hectic if I took one day a week to just not do anything or go anywhere.

On the weekends, I realize I need to accomplish things because I spend a lot of time at ______'s house during the week. But when the weekend comes around, I have been my own drill sergeant all week and I just want to lay on the couch and zone out with the TV.

Let me make some things clear:

1. I realize that I am responsible for the things I choose to do and the way I spend my time.
2. My friends and family should not have to suffer, for lack of a better word, when I have run myself ragged.
3. Being cranky doesn't exactly make things any better. Get over yourself, Heather.

I'm sure all of you feel the same way, it is freezing cold outside. Warming up my car before work has become increasingly more crucial and Sophie barely gets out of her blanket-bed that she creates on the couch everyday.
I will say (knock on wood) that I am so thrilled that we haven't gotten a bad snow/ice yet.

Last weekend was spent in Dallas, having a late Christmas with the family. I got some sweet luggage, a pimp new watch, a framed pic of Trevi Fountain that my aunt blew up for me, and much more! I forgot my camera today so I will post pics later.
A snow storm hit Dallas Sunday as we were leaving and my Dad had to drive 35-40 mph thru Dallas. I hate driving in weather like that and luckily I had a book to read to take my mind off the slick roads. P.S. The book I was reading was Sarah's Key and I definitely recommend it.My book club members will be so proud that I finished the book well before book club on the 25th! Also, I think I read much faster when the chapters are shorter. Is that possible?

This week has been a blur so far. Laundry, gym, shopping, eating, making lists, cleaning my room, organizing, and it just seems to continue. I am not a big new year resolutioner, but I am going to try and make a point to be less rushed. I often times will toss something aside because I don't' have time to do it. A lot of this is due to my own schedule that I have made and being at ____'s house all the time. But I need to come home and do these things before bed so they don't stack up.

Tonight my goal is to pack some things for Cancun (we leave Friday after work!) before I go watch the Pitt basketball game. Or pack when I come home.

I was successful at Target last night, buying the exact 2 swimsuits that Target shipped to me but never appeared. Sunscreen purchased, batteries, book for the beach  (Heart of the Matter )!

Now, off to more work that I need to focus on before my vacation.

If you wanna check out out resort, it is the Flamingo in Cancun. I would like to say, that while am so excited I am about to burst for Mexico, I am bummed that I will have to miss ANOTHER Boyz II Men concert. You heard me right.

I have been a bad blogger lately. Let's start this new year off with a brand new, information packed post.

The holidays were wonderful. As they always are. I get to have one more Christmas this weekend with the Dallas-based family. Who knew I would be wrapping presents the first weekend in Jan?!

NYE was a success. Tyler and Lilia had us out to their home in Sapulpa and we partied the night away. I went to bed at 6 AM. You read that right, 6 AM. I haven't done that since college, I don't think. I was so tired the next day that I was nauseous. I was horizontal on the couch for most of the day. And I loved it. I woke up refreshed on Sunday and ready to tackle the chore of putting away Christmas decor. I almost got it all accomplished! However, I did fail in ACTUALLY putting the decorations out in the shed. The boxes are still in the West Wing of our cottage.

This week has been somewhat of a blur. Back to a normal work schedule, booooo.

A couple of things on my "Look Forward To" List:

Dallas Christmas with my faveys
My birthday- Jan 22, don't forget it! :)
Cancun- Jan 15-20. Sunshine and 80 degrees, alright by me!

Lilia and her mom, Reyna

Ladies of NYE 2011

I was very proud of my hair that night

This is Patricio. You can call him Patrick. He wasn't my date, but he did have on my dates hat. And I love Patricio.

Happy 2011!