Thursday, December 31, 2009

100 Things To Do In 2010

Here is my rough list of goals to accomplish... check back to see when I cross some stuff off!!! :)

Things To Do In 2010 - Vanessa's List

1. Marry Jason.
2. Take a weekend trip with just Jason.
3. Go camping at least three times.
4. Take each kid on a date once every three months.
5. Get our garage organized.
6. Buy a house.
7. Redecorate the kids’ bedrooms.
8. Organize my kitchen.
9. Take a road trip.
10. Organize my spoon collection.
11. Blog at least once a week.
12. Take a camera class.
13. Plan a KA party, AKA my wedding.
14. Do something charitable once a month.
15. Go to the dentist, twice.
16. Use my gym membership once a week.
17. Get my will in order.
18. Use my planner/calendar.
19. Stay on top of my school work.
20. Take the kids on a great vacation.
21. Visit the Grand Canyon.
22. Get a summer job.
23. Attend church at least twice a month.
24. Get in shape.
25. Have more patience with the kids.
26. Don’t eat any fast food.
27. Wash my car once a month.
28. Get my oil changed every three months.
29. Pay my car off.
30. Build my credit score.
31. Make a budget.
32. Keep my checkbook balanced.
33. Save one month’s salary.
34. Straighten my hair once a week.
35. Go on a date with Jason twice a month.
36. Have a movie/family night once a week.
37. Spend an hour of quality time with each kid once a week.
38. Get a pedicure with Rese once a month.
39. Get my eyebrows done once a month.
40. Run a 5K.
41. Run a 10K.
42. Have a hotel campout with the kids.
43. Go to an outdoor concert.
44. Go on a boat.
45. Organize our mail/paperwork.
46. Watch some fireworks.
47. Visit Galveston.
48. Do something special with my sister.
49. Write my grandma a letter/send pictures to my grandma once a month.
50. Spend time with my goddaughter once a week.
51. Have a Wii tournament.
52. Have a top 3 placing fantasy football team.
53. Fold the socks once a month.
54. Visit Taste of Addison.
55. Wear an amazing swimsuit.
56. Buy some Reebok shape up shoes.
57. Load up my iPod.
58. Use a personal trainer.
59. Start a workout/diet plan and stick with it.
60. Cook dinner 3 times a week.
61. Go to a wine tasting.
62. Visit a casino.
63. Go to the horse races.
64. Go to a drive in.
65. Attend a group exercise class with my sister at least once a month.
66. Get dressed up once a week.
67. Have a chore chart for the kids.
68. Pay the kids an allowance.
69. Mow the yard, once.
70. Clean my car out (on the outside) once a month.
71. Put money in the kids’ savings account.
72. Get my child support in order.
73. Work on catering/event planning business.
74. Get the house cleaned once a week by a “professional”.
75. Clean out the closets and donate clothes to charity.
76. Visit the Farmers Market.
77. Ride a DART bus or train.
78. Visit a museum.
79. Teach the kids Spanish.
80. Plant a garden.
81. Have a picnic.
82. Take the kids on an adventure.
83. Buy myself something nice.
84. Do something special for Jason’s birthday.
85. Get a PO Box for the business.
86. Get my Food Service Manager license.
87. Have holiday decorations for each holiday.
88. Buy a snazzy coat.
89. Buy a new TV.
90. Kiss the kids goodnight every night we are together.
91. Volunteer at the kids’ school.
92. Do a home improvement project with Jason.
93. Do a craft project with the kids.
94. Use my photo albums.
95. Try a new recipe once a week, and blog about it.
96. Work on my recipe book.
97. Stay in a nice hotel.
98. Tell the kids one thing they did well, every day.
99. Tell Jason one reason I love him, every day.
100. Get my class binders/lesson plans organized.

Big Changes in 2010

It has been a long while since I have posted a blog, but my new year's resolution is to be more committed to blogging about our amazing life!  For those of you who don't know, Jason and I are ENGAGED! :)  We are super excited to get married on June 26, 2010 and have started planning the wedding, slowly but surely.  I am getting ready for Semester #2 of grad school, and we will be buying a house here in the next few months.  I will be linking this blog to http://www.jasonandvanessasmith.com/, as soon as my new check card comes in the mail, so you will have a different address but same sweet blog!  Our business website is up and running, although it isn't completed, but you can check it out at http://www.bownanzabows.com/.  Last but not least I will have one more blog going on, and it is currently linked to http://www.timerwentoff.blogspot.com/, and will soon be moving to http://www.timerwentoff.com/.  This will be the link to find recipes, catering information, and more stories about the trials and tribulations that occur in my kitchen. :)  Thanks for supporting my blog this year, and look forward to bigger and better blogging this year!  I want to be a mommy blogger when I grow up! :)

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Follow us through Facebook!

You can now use Networked Blogs, an app on Facebook to follow us!  Check the link I posted on FB, or click the Networked Blogs tab on the right column and it will give you directions to follow us through Facebook. Please and thank you! :)

P.S. Please follow The Lifestyles of Sevi on Networked Blogs while you are at it, she is one of the coolest blogger chicks I know!!!  Add her quick, fast and in a hurry!! :)
XOXO, Vanessa and Jason

Friday, October 30, 2009

Texas Football 2009

Working in a Texas high school, football is big business around here, even if we don't have a winning record... Every thing is bigger in Texas as well, and the mums are no exception... it was a push to the finish, but we made 1,234,567,890 mums, in like a week!  The whole family pitched in to help me, and try and grow our Bownanza Bows business.  Next year will be even bigger and better, but here are a few pictures from the season, Homecoming Week and a few satisfied customers!

XOXO, Vanessa


The supplies for the "Epic 09" mum..


Every mum needs a feather boa, right?


My niece, the assistant...


Rese, my other assistant...


Jason is a great crafter...


Tada..... :)


She loved it, total surprise...


More satisfied customers...


Our favorite soccer guy!


My bestest freshman student ever... (she made me say "bestest")


My glowstick glasses for the Blackout Pep Rally...


Soccer boys with propeller hats...


Me and Little Keva...


Rese doing Future Lionettes for Homecoming with her fave, Brisa!


Rese and the mascot...


I made this cookie tin for my Adopt A Player....


Me and my favorite Bulgarian, Vasil...

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Texas State Fair

You all know we do it bigger and better in Texas, and the State Fair is no exception!  After parking in our favorite parking spot, next to Two Podners BBQ, and entrusting our car to good old Ray Ray, we were off for some food, fun and mayhem.  It was DISD Secondary Fair Day, which made it a little sketchy, but the cops were out in full force and we had a good time.  We got some snazzy 1/2 price ride bracelets using a coupon from the radio station, so the kids got to ride a TON of rides.  Overall very enjoyable experience, and I swear... either I'm getting older or that Love Bug ride's horn gets louder each year... or maybe both! :)

XOXO, Vanessa


We took a rather large group of kids to the fair...


Rese and Zay on a gravity ride...


Jason with some fried Coca Cola! :)



The Ford cowboy and the kids...


Theresa throwing away the trash... these were on the table we were eating at! :)


Rese and Isaiah with the famous Fletcher's corny dog... no clue why Zay looks scared!


Rese and Zay as flowers...


Isaiah on the kid's version of the Love Bug


Rese on the same ride...


Isaiah and Peyton almost died... they had a MJ ride...


Fried Oreos and Fried Nutter Butter...

Monday, October 5, 2009

California Pictures

As promised, here are a few pictures of our vacation... taken with my handy dandy iPhone.... because I forgot the camera! :)  Enjoy!

XOXO, Vanessa

We didn't get to stop, but really wanted to visit the RARD SALE!!


Saw this star, and a million others in Hollywood!


Monster sized flower... beautiful!


Of all the characters to pose with, we choose Elmo!


Visited the Famous Pink's Hot Dogs Stand...


But the hot dogs weren't all that great... rubbery and had a cheese slice on them!


Greatest burger place around... In-N-Out!!


In Old Town San Diego, Jason made a friend...

Friday, September 25, 2009

Made it to Oceanside!

Jason and I are here in Oceanside, CA for the weekend to celebrate the birthday of my dear friend Sevi!  We are excited to spend 48 kid free hours hanging out with good friends and checking out all that sunny California has to offer!  Check back soon for more pictures from our weekend! :)

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Excitedly Awaiting my new blog!!!

Get excited, we are getting the blog pimped by Leslie, the blog design queen! Waiting to see the new and fantastic blog, and will have a tag so she can make yours fabulous as well!

Jason and I are currently on the hunt for new living quarters, trying to buy a house in the FB/North Dallas area... fingers crossed, trying to do it all by November 30th to cash in on the new homeowner tax credit.

Zay and Peyton are back in soccer, Zay is also doing Boy Scouts and Peyton is in gymnastics. Rese is in Hip Hop dance on Saturday, and starting swimming again during the week. I (Vanessa) have started my masters degree, and Jason is still being overworked and underpaid for the California devils...

All is good in our world, hope it is for you as well! :)

xoxo, Jason and Vanessa

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Hello World!

Since we haven't been the three amigos for a while, decided to include Jason on the blog! More exciting information to come soon! :)

xoxo, Vanessa