Meet the Parents

Whew.  I finally feel like I'm caught up on the blog.  It was important to me to document 2011 briefly and bring Bo into the blog.  Bo and I were talking earlier, and January has been a really awesome month.  It's the perfect start to 2012 - Argentina, Bo's 29th birthday, and I finally met Mr. and Mrs. Viilo this weekend. 

Bo's parents decided to make the trip down to Houston.  Honestly, I would not have been more excited.  I've been wanting to meet them for quite some time now, but getting to Virginia was not really possible last year.  Meeting the parents of the man I love is REALLY important to me.  When you think about spending the rest of your life with someone, you also have to think about spending the rest of your life with their family, as well.  I had met one of Bo's brothers, Will, last year when he came down to visit.  He's was just as laid back as Bo, so I anticipated that Bo's parents would be laid back as well.

Bo's mom, Beverly, is a petite woman who loves to talk and cares deeply for her family and friends.  Bo definitely gets his physique and facial features from his mom's side of the family.  I enjoyed hearing about how much fun she is having in retired life - traveling, walking adventures, and dinner parties.  Can I retire at 25?  She asked me lots of questions about my work and about me and Bo.  It was encouraging that Bo has told her a lot about me!  Bo's dad, Mike, reminded me a lot of Bo's personality- calm, calculating, and independent.  I've decided that Mike's theme song is "And I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more..." You know the one I'm talking about, right?  Anyways, Mike takes 2-3 months of every year to walk long distances.  Last year he walked like 1,100 miles across Europe.  He was getting ready for his next walk in February - 700 miles across Spain.  Why does he do this, you may ask.  I asked him the same question.  He just enjoys the time by himself, and feels that he can really see the world by walking.  Maybe Bo and I will get to walk with him one day!

As our guests were from Virginia, Mexican food was definitely a must for Friday night dinner.  I picked out a new outfit and nervously joined Bo and his parents at Bo's place.  They were immediately friendly and warm.  We enjoyed a nice meal together at Molinas, complete with margaritas and guacamole (which seemed to be Mr. V's favorite part of the meal).  We called it an early night to prepare for the busy day ahead. 

Saturday started with a refreshing brunch at The Black Walnut and then we went to the Museum of Fine Arts for the King Tut exhibit.  I didn't have many expectations, but I was a little under-whelmed by the exhibit.  I figured there would be more shiny things, and mummies, and gold.  But there was very little of this stuff.  Mainly just a bunch of old statues.  But the day was redeemed by a walk at Hermann Park.  The weather was absolutely beautiful this weekend, and the park was buzzing with people.  Mr. and Mrs. V walked hand-in-hand, as did Bo and I.  It was such a great afternoon together.  After a short naptime, we decided to get some good ole Texas BBQ at Hickory Hollow.  We walked in and were surprised to find a Western band playing!  There were lots of people there just to hear the band sing songs like "You are My Sunshine" and other western classics.  After dinner we brought Bo's parents to see my new house!  They were surprised at how much space I have - and probably by the lack of furniture.  But I've got plenty of space to grow and I'm going to take my time decorating.  We had a great night and said our goodbyes since Bo's parents would be heading to the airport in the morning.

I was a little nervous, but overall it was a fabulous weekend.  I don't think it could have gone any better.  Bo's parents are wonderful and I definitely could see them as part of my family in the future.  I am looking forward to visiting their homes in Michigan and Virginia, and to seeing Bo's roots.  I am so happy that I got to meet Bo's parents - check off another milestone in our journey together :)!!

Hola Buenos Aires~

For Christmas, my amazing boyfriend gave me the best gift ever – the ability to travel the world!  For cheap!!  I am now listed as Bo’s buddy and can travel anywhere that Continental Airlines flies.  So where do you go first??  Bo and I decided to go big for my first trip – off to Buenos Aires, Argentina!

Bo, being a flying snob, was a little disappointed that we didn’t get first class, but it really wasn’t a big deal to me.  Yeah, a middle seat in coach is not the most comfortable place to sleep for 10 hours, but I got to cuddle on Bo’s shoulder.  And I can sleep almost anywhere.  We red-eyed Thursday night and arrived in Buenos Aires early Friday morning.  I was a little surprised at how fluent Bo was in Spanish and how he was able to navigate us so easily to the heart of Buenos Aires.  

El Torre Monumental - Torre Monumental is a clock tower located in the barrio of Retiro.  It was a gift from the local British community to the city in commemoration of the centennial of the May Revolution of 1810.

We checked in to our hotel, the Hotel Unique Artes, and began our adventure in BA.  We walked around the Recoleta, which is similar to the Galleria in Houston, and started the day with mohitos on the patio.

We continued walking down the street to the Cemetario de Recoleta, one of the world’s most famous cemeteries.  I’ll have to admit that I was a little skeptical when Bo told me that we were going to a cemetery, but I was absolutely blown away by the antiquity and expanse of the place.  Blocks and blocks of monuments, memorials, and family tombs contained the remains of the wealthy and influential Argentineans.  We eventually found the gravesite of Eva Peron, or Evita, a spiritual and political leader of Argentina. 

Next, we decided to grab some lunch at a patio café, El Punto Recoleta.  We shared a bottle of wine (which is super cheap in Argentina) and a pizza.  It was so relaxing to sit in the summer sun and watch the people of the city go about their day.  A clown entertainer playing an accordion snuck up on us, and made me come take a picture with him – a “photo tango”. 

Below are a few pictures from our stops our first day in the city.  We stopped at El Gato Negro, a delightful coffee shop with fresh ground coffee and kettled tea.   We also ventured to the Obelisco at La Plaza de la Republica.  The Obelisco de Buenos Aires is a national historic monument and icon of Buenos Aires, built to commemorate the fourth centenary of the first foundation of the city (gotta love Wikipedia).  Also dropped by Kilkenny’s and a few other bars along the way. 

Meals in Buenos Aires were delicious – I wish we could have stayed longer just so we could have eaten more!!  Every meal included table bread – whether you wanted it or not.  And you always have to pay for it. 

Our trip was so short that I didn’t want to waste time washing my hair and getting ready.  So I dropped in to a local salon to get my hair washed and styled before the evening.  Bo decided that he wanted to get an old-fashioned shave!  On Saturday we googled it and made our way to La Peluqueria y Barberia La Epoca – a barber shop!  The shop was attached to a quaint coffee shop, so we sipped espresso while we waited for Bo’s turn for a haircut and shave.

The rest of our Saturday afternoon was spent in La Palermo.  It was a vibrant neighborhood, bustling with open-air markets and Argentinean tango dancers.  Bo and I really enjoyed the beautiful weather and social atmosphere.

We only had 36 fabulous hours in Buenos Aires and 20 hours on the plane, but it was a fabulous trip.  We probably walked 20 miles and drank several bottles of wine.  I added a stamp to my passport and made my very first trip overseas.  I can’t wait to go back and see what else the beautiful country has to offer.  

The Fortune Cookie That Changed My Life

“Is your fortune as corny as mine?”  Probably not the pick-up line of the century, but it is a sentence that changed my life and introduced me to the love of life… Mr. Wesley Michael Viilo.  I had rushed to Hobby airport from the office in order to make a flight to Lubbock for a recruiting trip.  I was starving so I stood in line at the Hunan Phoenix to get some chicken fried rice before my flight.  The ladies behind the counter were particularly nice, so I made a comment to another hungry, Chinese-food-loving person standing next to me.  We made small talk, and I can remember thinking to myself, “This guy is pretty good looking.”  But we each got our lunches and went our separate ways to eat.  Well, as fate would have it, the two of us ended up sitting about 100 feet apart facing each other.  I ate about half of my fried rice and pulled out my laptop to do some work.  That’s when the handsome man came up to me and swept me off my feet.  We agreed that we should get together for drinks when I got back from Lubbock and he from St. Louis.  I gave him my business card (not my smoothest move ever), and he started texting me before we even left the airport.

And that’s how our story began.  Our first date was only days after at the Blue Moose Lodge where we were entertained (more or less) by a local country singer.  We enjoyed each other’s company and hung out until late in the night even though I had work the next day.  We dated casually for a few months, and decided to make it official on March 31, 2011.  Yep.  He asked me “Will you be my girlfriend?” It was an adorable moment.

I could write on for pages and pages about the rest of 2011 and how we fell in love.  But I’ll spare you the sappy story and get straight to the pictures.  Bo filled my life with spontaneity, stability, Aaron Watson concerts, smiles, cuddling, excitement, trust, and above all love.

Re-cap of 2011

2011 was a busy year for weddings!  Here’s a re-cap of what happened the rest of 2011!  I’ll just hit the highlights or else we could be here all day.

Frac’ing Away in the Eagle Ford

I am still currently working as a completions engineer for ConocoPhillips.  It is amazing to me how much knowledge and experience I picked up in a year.  Our team went through a significant re-organization, so now I’ve got a new Boss – Megan.  I’ve picked up a second rigline and several technical projects to work on – so my workload has nearly tripled!  I don’t make it out to the field as often as I would like, but it makes it that much more satisfying when I do get to step out of the office and head to good ol’Eagle Ford.

Katie Got Hitched!

My little sister in Kappa Delta, Katie, got married in May to Collins Gregory.  So my best friend is now named Katie Gregory.  I was honored to stand by Katie’s side as a bridesmaid.  The wedding was held at her dad’s house on Lake Belton.  Katie planned the entire wedding by herself, and it turned out so beautiful.  The lake was the perfect backdrop for the ceremony, and a hand-built dance floor with twinkle lights was the hot spot of the reception.  Katie and Collins are enjoying their first year as newly weds!

Meredith Got Engaged!

I was so excited for another one of my best friends, Meredith who got engaged this past summer to Kyle.  Meredith and I had met Kyle the summer before at a bar in Midtown.  It had been a low-key night, and some random guy struck up a conversation with me and Meredith.  Turns out that this guy was helping his cousin move down to Houston for work and it was their first weekend in H-town.  Well, this guy’s cousin was Kyle.  The two guys ended up meeting up with us later in the night at another bar, and you could totally tell that Kyle was into Meredith.  And the rest is history!  Meredith got a GORGEOUS solitare engagement ring.  Super jealous.  All the wedding planning began and I was honored when Meredith asked me to be her Maid of Honor!!  I’ve had a great time helping Meredith pick out her wedding dress and coming up with wedding ideas.  I’m looking forward to the big day coming up in June of this year!

Kyle, Meredith, and me at the Engagement Party

 Shopping for Meredith’s Wedding Dress

I Bought A House!

Yep.  I took the plunge.  And now, whether I like it or not, I’m a homeowner!  I finally decided that I was financially ready to put a down payment on the house and I was frankly sick and tired of apartment life.  It took only a few months before I found a cute little neighborhood situated near Memorial Park.  The community is full of 20-somethings, young professionals, and young families.  My place is a 3-bedroom, 2-1/2 bath – plenty of room to grow!  It’s a big place for just me and Denali!  With three stories, Denali definitely gets a workout every day.

Rae & Matt Got Married!

After a long year of planning and planning and planning, Rae and Matt tied the knot in December 2011.  There were so many fun events leading up the big day, including a crazy bachelorette party and a very bright stock the bar party.  The bridesmaids hosted the bachelorette party in Dallas.  The most memorable part of the weekend was getting to support Rae and the memory of her mom by all walking in the Race for the Cure. 

One of the groomsmen, James, and I hosted a Stock the Bar Party for Rae and Matt here in Houston.  It was a super fun party – we all dressed in our brightest neon clothes and rode a bus around Houston to various bars and clubs.  The bride and groom had a blast, and the pictures turned out awesome.

And of course, the wedding was unforgettable.  Hosted at the historic YWCA in downtown Ft. Worth, Rae and Matt had a fairy tale wedding, complete with a sweet getaway car!  Rae was absolutely stunning, and Matt was all smiles (with a few happy tears). 

Well those are the big events – but the most important part is missing from this blog post.  Probably  the best part of 2011 started on February 8^th at an airport with a fortune cookie.  I met the a man named Bo and we fell in love... Will post again soon.

Well... I told you so!

So if you go back to my very first blog, you’ll see that I said this: “I have got to be the most undisciplined person when it comes to personal activities that take time.”  Well… I told you so.  So much has happened since April of last year and I guess I was too busy enjoying it to blog about it!  My friend Darcy is really good about keeping up with her blog.  But what is Darcy not good at??  She has got to be one of the most organized and disciplined people I know.  She runs marathons and, shoot, I’m sure she schedules time to blog.  But it is Darcy who has inspired me to pick this blog back up…

I’m working on a re-cap of 2011 for a blog post, but it’s taking me way too long…

Until then, just wanted to post and say that I’M BACK in 2012 – many many many adventures and good times to come.  Maybe I’ll actually get a few followers :).