Hives and Homecoming

October is one of my favorite months for several reasons:

1. It's finally FALL
2. Baylor homecoming

This month has been crazier than normal- but I guess that is what makes it interesting. Since we have a lot to catch up on, and I finally found my camera cord- I'll share my October so far with some pictures.

The first weekend of October was a benefit concert for my work. It was at the Spider House- good company, good music- and most importantly- for a good cause. The money that was raised- was to provide micro loans for women in third world countries to start their own businesses. Ryan and I had fun, and I was glad that he finally got to meet some of my co-workers. 

The next weekend, Ryan and I went to the Baylor v. Tech game with his fam in Dallas. It was super fun- and I'm sad we lost. The game was at the Cotton Bowl- so we got free passes to the state fair, which was going on. It was SO hot that weekend- definitely wasn't prepared for that- since I wore jeans.... oh well- at least I got to try some fried nutter butters and a corny dog. There was some interesting people watching to be done. Sic 'em!

Last weekend was Jenny's bachelorette party/lingerie shower weekend. I'll have to blog separately about that soon- but it was a fun-filled weekend. It was SO nice to meet the other girls in the wedding party that I hadn't met before, annnd catch up with some good friends!!!!! I'll share a sneak preview:

So- by now you might be wondering about the title of this post... well... let me explain. I am a "like to know-er." I don't like to NOT know something. In fact, I might agonize over something until I find my answer. Which brings me to the hives. The Sunday after Jenny's bachelorette party, I noticed I had three red dots on my thigh. No big- I thought it was just a mosquito bite- after all- it's fall. In Texas. I didn't think twice about it. Until Monday. When I got into work- and little red dots started popping up on my arms. I was slightly freaked out- but what was I supposed to do? Leave work. Nope. Soo... I got home Monday afternoon- and took some Benadryl, because by then, they had started itching. I still only had them on my arms/hands/thighs. I had client meetings Tues-Thursday, so I had to prepare for those- no time to go to the doctor.

So Tuesday, as I'm sitting in the client meetings- I get really itchy- and I just don't feel well. I knew I had to go to the doctor. After work was over- I ran home, and Ryan and I went to Urgent Care... sure enough- I had hives. All over. And. They. Itched. Even worse- no one could tell me how I got them. Was it a reaction with my migraine meds and the Claritin? The unfiltered wine I drank over the weekend? Strange detergent? So, I was put on a strong dose of steroids and Benadryl. It was the worst itch I had ever felt in my life- so I'm glad to put that little incident behind me. But, I'm still pretty freaked out by the fact that I have no idea what caused them. Let's pray it never happens again.

So that brings me to this weekend: Baylor Homecoming 2010. I. Love. Homecoming. It brings back great memories spent at what I claim to be one of the be one of the best places on earth with some of the best people. It's a great weekend to catch up with old friends and make some new memories. It always goes by too fast- and I'm always exhausted at the end of it- but totally worth it. I'll be back year after year. Here are some of my favorite pics from the weekend:

 I found JPax at the bonfire.

 We had a little impromptu photo shoot in the campus visits golf cart...

 Visited my old room in Collins. Collins 235

 Took our annual pic in front of Pat Neff.

 Went to Zeta breakfast and caught up with PC '05. Love you girls!!!

 Made it to the ATO tailgate- where the Ryans found each other.

 Before the rain happened....

Our place of refuge while it poured... 

The best ending to the weekend: Baylor beat Kansas State to become BOWL ELIGIBLE. Sic 'em bears!!!!!!

It's Fall Ya'll

So I know I have taken quite the blogging hiatus over the past month- or maybe even two. But no worries, I'm back- and more ready to blog than ever. So as not to bore you with all the little details- I'll just give you a quick recap. Sorry for the lack of pics (my camera cord seems to have gone missing during the move).

Lately I...

1. Moved to my new "big girl" apartment, which I love, but now a month later- and I'm still trying to unpack. Thank God for boyfriends and drills. Pics to come.

2. Went for a weekend trip in Galveston for my 24th birthday. Pics to come. I'm officially old.

3. Have been freelancing for the magazine. I recently wrote a story on breast cancer survivors.

4. Started another bootcamp- this one is only on Tuesdays and Thursdays. A co-worker and I go after work since it's right around the corner.

5. Have been working like crazy, but loving it. In between meetings, deadlines and calls, the past three months have been quite the learning experience. I really enjoy it- and I love our team- I am exactly where I should be right now.

On the "To-Do" List: 

1. Take some time to slow down and just enjoy life a little.

And I say that because I am guilty as charged. Too often we go running through life- always with the "next" thing in mind. We jump out of bed in the mornings, run to the coffee pot, desperately wait until the first sip of caffeine does its job, rush through a shower, frantically pull on a work appropriate outfit, and rush out of the door.

Then, we sit in traffic- checking our watches and anxiously tapping our steering wheel as we edge closer to the person in front of us- as if those few inches will get us there faster. When we finally arrive at work- we rush through the door with a few minutes to spare before the first meeting. Well... you get the picture. There is a whole lot of rushing around- until Sunday afternoon rolls around and you realize your entire weekend was spent checking things off of your social calendar- and that you have literally spent maybe 20 minutes to yourself just to be still.

We (and by "we," I mean "me") totally forget to pay attention and be thankful for the things that matter. We become grumpy and rundown. We forget that life- and the people in our lives- make it beautiful. We forget that the 75 degree weather we have been dreaming of all summer- is finally here- and that we should make it a point to take advantage of it on our new balcony. We forget that fall- our favorite season- has finally arrived- and that it's long past due to break out the fall decor. And most importantly, we forget to be thankful.

So now I'm taking time to remember to be thankful for- that first drop of coffee that I know will wake me up, for the smell of fall when I open my door to leave in the morning, for the briskness in the morning that holds all the promise of a nice 75 degree day, for the weekends that are filled with friends and fun- and surely even a few moments where we can squeeze in some relaxation.

And be thankful for these:

these:

And these:

Happy Fall- I'm glad to be back :)