30 Days of Thanks {Catch Up}

I told you I would royally screw this up.

Haha... so here's a recap of what I have already posted...

Day 1: I am thankful for my strength. I have learned over the last few months that my family readily relies on my assertiveness and strength of mind. I am also the voice of reason to my loved ones.
 

Day 2: I am thankful for fried egg sandwiches. My mom makes a mean egg sandy. After a cup of coffee a fried egg sandy starts my day!
 

Day 3: I am thankful for my dad. He has taught me so much about life. He helps guide me through new experiences so I don't make the same mistakes he has made. The passed few months he has been fighting cancer and I continue to thank God for everyday he is with us!

(and right now he is sitting in his recliner, taking a nap, and snorrrrrring away! Lol!) 
 

  Day 4: Today I am thankful for my mom. She is very intelligent, loving, and always worried about me... like a normal ma! She has been taking amazing care of my dad... feeding tubs, dressing changes, IV bags... all of which are things a nurse would usually take care of. She took the initiative and learned how to do everything so my dad could be comfortable at home. Thanks mom! Love you!
 

Day 5: I am thankful for Tyson and all of the great adventures he takes me on. He loves to show me new things and places.

Day 6: I am thankful for Jim, and all the great things he does for Tyson and I. Not just anybody will invite someone to Miami and Key West to spend 10 days on a yacht and powerboating in the ocean. We work very hard to make sure the speed boats are ready when Jim is ready but in return he is very grateful and the most humble man I know.
 

Now it's time to catch up on the last two weeks I missed.
 

Day 7: I am thankful for my girlfriends! The lovely ladies that I went to high school with, college with, and the ladies I have met after. I love that I can say-

"We've been friends for 15 years!"

Day 8: I am thankful for Bonzai. He's my little bundle of joy! Love my lil' boy!

Day 9: I am thankful for my health. I am so blessed to have a strong body that has yet to fail me.
 

Day 10: I am thankful for my faith. The good Lord does some amazing things and I trust him with my life!

Day 11: I am thankful to have a lovely home to live in. Keeps me warm and dry and safe!
 

Day 12: I am thankful for the difficult people in my life. They have shown me exactly who I don't want to be.

and on a lighter note
 

Day 13: I am thankful for cheap champagne. Nothin' quite like a tasty mimosa!

Day 14: I am thankful for Uggs. They allow me to be so freaking comfortable and yet "fashionable" all at the same time. Uggs... you are a lifesaver.

  Day 15: I'm thankful for washers and dryers. I freaking love doing laundry.
(no that's not my washer/dryer... I wish!)

Day 16: I am thankful for boats. I love boats.

 Day 17: I am thankful for hair dye. Without it I would have mousey brown hair and that just doesn't look good on me.

Day 18: I am thankful for LOL CATS.

Day 19: I am thankful for Target. Target is my zen... I go in there, wander around aimlessly, find cool stuff, and two and a half hours later I go home and look at it all.

Day 20: I am thankful for Pinterest. What would we do without Pinterest? We wouldn't find hilarious things to do to our children/nephews to embarass them when they become adults.

Day 21: I am thankful for chips and salsa. Preferably extremely-hot-light-my-mouth-on-fire salsa.
(oh and tequila... tequila is pretty good, too.)

Day 22: I am thankful for my iPhone camera. How else could I capture moments like this?
(sweet duds, dude)

and this

So what are you thankful for? You can find my link-up here. Have a great holiday!
Happy Thanksgiving!

Help! I'm having a hair-mergency!

I need serious hair-help. I have these annoying little breaks in my hair about a centimeter from the ends.

Exhibit A:

(See the little white dots? That's where the hair is broken.)

Exhibit B:

Please, someone tell me that you have this problem, also. I can't be the only one who suffers from hair-suicide. Yes, I know my hair is bleached but I swear, other than that, I treat it like gold. The biggest problem is that I am OCD about it, and when I see those little breaks, I go ahead and snap them off. Yeah. Free hair cut!

So here is my hair army... I thought I had good products but I must be wrong because they aren't keeping up with this annoying breakage.

On shower days, I hop in, give my hair a good shampoo with Joico Body Luxe, Head and Shoulders 2-in-1, or my Shimmer Lights purple shampoo. Then I condition it like there is no tomorrow. I use Fekkai Technician Color Care, Matrix Amplify Volumizing Conditioner, Matrix Sleek Look Extra Intense and Dove Therapy Intense Damage Repair. I usually leave my conditioner on for 15 minutes clipped up off my back.

When I get out of the shower, I towel dry then spritz my Ion leave-in conditioner. Then I use this crap:

I use two pumps and slather it on my ends.

Then I clip my hair up and do my makeup.

After about 20 minutes I let my hair down, and CAREFULLY comb it out.

Then I slather this crap on my ends.

Then I let my hair air dry. I can usually stand it until it is almost-nearly dry then I blast it with the blow dryer for a few minutes.

Then I spray on this crap:

Then I style my hair. Either section it off and straighten it with my Babyliss Pro Nano Titanium 1 3/4" Straigtener or I curl the ends with my Jilbere Porcelain Curling Iron. I rarely tease my hair. Maybe once a month?

On non shower days, I don't add any products or use any styling tools. Sometimes, on a good day, I will use a little hair spray, but usually I look like I'm heading to the gym... all day long.

At night before bed, I put this crap on my ends then put my hair in my beloved scrunchie and hit the sack.

So where did I go wrong? Obviously the bleach has damaged my hair, but lets face the facts, I look awful with dark hair so I will never go natural. So how do I conquer these nasty ends? Anyone!? Please help!!

Confessional Friday: {Link Up with A Blonde Ambition}

A Blonde Ambition

1. This is my first link-up! I'm slowly learning the world of blogging and I LOVE it!! I just got my beautiful blog designed by Jenn at Munchkin Land Designs. She did an amazing job and was so easy to work with. Thanks Jenn!!

2. I am not a natural blonde. Ahhhh!! I said it!! I got my roots touched up yesterday and Dixie (my awesome hair dresser) told me it looks like my hair is growing in darker. Waaaaaahhhh {these are crying noises} I don't know why this is happening but I do not like it. I recently just edged up my vitamin intake so I wonder if that did it. I just don't know...

3. I am leaving for Florida on Saturday. Well hopefully Saturday if everything goes as planned. Ty and I are hauling a boat to Tampa and then sticking around for a poker run. I love poker runs... That's a confession for sure!!

4. I'm about 25 seconds away from ordering some new running shoes. And can you believe this!? I just got on nike.com to find a photo of the shoes and they don't have my size anymore. story. of. my. life. I always do this. I over think a purchase and then when it is time to pull the trigger they don't have my size/color!!! Ugghhhhh

Alright... that should work for my first link up!

My Year in Review: 2011

A loooooot happened in 2011. I traveled more than I ever had in my entire life!! Here's a break down of my year:

BEWARE

photo OVERLOAD!!!

January

I left the country for the first time! Tyson and I went to Toronto and Mississauga, Canada. Let me tell you... it's cold up there. Don't go in January. :-P

This was from the balcony of our condo in downtown Toronto.

February

Miami Boat Show!! Yay!! I love boats... we also did the Miami Boat Show Poker Run with the Florida Powerboat Club. That was my second time to Key West in four months. We had a blast!

Kelley and I on South Beach

You gotta be kidding me. I would live on this thing!!

From our condo balcony in Key West

(I have a sweet sunglasses tan line!!)

I love Key West!

March

In March we had this killer snow storm. The snow weighed so much it sank the docks in Grand Lake, OK... just so happens that is where Tyson kept his 56' Bluewater Yacht.

The docks were completely destroyed!

That's the boat. The back ropes broke but the front ropes held on.

We also went four-wheeling. Not just any four-wheeling--redneck four-wheeling.

Sweet Jeep!

April

In April I got to take my first ride in a private plane... a Bonanza. It seats six. I was only slightly freaking out but I knew I was in good hands. Jim has THOUSANDS of hours in this plane.

The Bonanza with a beautiful sunset.

Taking off in Wichita!

We also had to deliver a boat to a customer in Minnesota so I got to visit the Mall of America!

The Lego store. So cool!!

May

Summer begins!! A local boating group called Midwest Boat Party throws an annual theme party and they chose my idea! Kentucky Derby!

We had so much fun dressing up and wearing big floppy hats!!

At the end of May was the Joplin tornado. Tyson lives in Joplin and we were there the night it happened. It was terrifying. We hauled a boat straight through the storm and made it home about an hour before the tornado wiped out Joplin.

The aftermath. Piles of debris filled the streets.

It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. Worse than what is in the movies.

June

Tyson and Jim did the Bimini Challenge-- driving a boat from Miami 90 miles to the Bahamas and back. In 2010 they won first place in the 46' Skater "Freedom". This year "Freedom" was in the shop so they took the 29' Skater.

Here she is! "Lee Aerospace"

Here is the beautiful yacht I got to hang out on while they were go-karting to the Bahamas and back. It's a 98' Westship.

The flybridge. Perfect for laying out and enjoying some cocktails!

Love a double rainbow!

Do I look like the Little Mermaid? Haha

The offshore races were the same weekend so we got to sit on the beach and watch Miss Geico beat everyone.

A good boating friend of ours, Ronnie, decided he wanted to have Skaterfest (a party for anyone who owns a Skater) at his house in Detroit. We couldn't say no!!

He has got the most awesome boat lift!

Aerial shot of his house.

It was a little cold so Summer and I rode with Ronnie. His boat has a hard top so no wind!

Always time for a little photoshoot! Jay is the best offshore photographer but he gets a few good ones of us being silly, too.

Jim and Tyson in the Baby-Skater!

This is Ronnie's house from the street. Absolutely stunning!

July

We have a couple really great friends who build boats down in St. Petersburg, FL called "Statement Marine". They needed an awesome stereo system in one of the boats so Tyson and I went down and helped them finish build the boat.

Here she is! Saddle Up is the name of the boat. Her home is Lake Cumberland, Kentucky!

Beautiful Florida sunset.

4th of July in the Gulf of Mexico. We could see about 20 different fireworks shows off the beaches.

I also got to attend my very first MLB game. Go Rays!

In June we also went to the Osh Kosh air show in Wisconsin.

Jim loaded up the 441 Cessna and we took a day trip to Wisconsin.

Someone had a bad day.

August

The Shootout is the last weekend in August which just so happens to be MY BIRTHDAY!!

"Freedom" is red, white, and blue and we found this guy at the bar. I think he should be our manscot. :-P

Here's a few of my favorite pics from the summer!

Our party-barge: 60' Sunseeker

No seats left on the golf cart so I sat on the front bumper!

Rusty's birthday on the Sunseeker!

Me and Miss Davi

Good times with Steve & Sierra

September

I work on the gas dock at the Horny Toad and when I found out Nelly was going to do a concert on Labor Day weekend, I could NOT miss it!

We were packed!!

The stage is to the right of the TV... we didn't have the best view but I can say I saw Nelly!

September is also the Lake Cumberland Poker Run! Since Tyson and I helped finish "Saddle Up", we drove to KY to see the maiden voyage of the 42' Statement.

Tammy, Me, and Angela

Shots!

State Dock was PACKED in front of our house boat. We were throwing out Statement t-shirts and the weight of everyone sunk the dock!

Tammy & Anthony in the "Saddle Up" shirts are the boat owners. They have great friends! ie- cops. Lol

The party cove at Lake Cumberland is INSANE!

After a crazy weekend we embarked on our houseboat journey.

And we might have put a few bubbles in the hot-tub. :-)

October

Sarasota Poker Run!

View from our hotel room

"Freedom" looking fresh and so clean, clean!

We also went to Los Angeles... my first time west!

We found the Hollywood sign!

That's me with Tyson's engine at SevenStock... a Mazda enthusiast car show.

November

Key West Poker Run

Here we are headed to Key West from Miami. "Freedom" broke down so since Jim keeps this boat (the Cigarette) in Miami, we had back-up. Thank the Lord!

Unfortunately, two good friends of ours flipped their boat during the races and both of them perished in the accident. Jim used to race with Bob (on the left) and JT was a good friend of mine. Both were from the Lake of the Ozarks so this hit home for all of us. Just a tragedy.

Here's a photo I took of them on my birthday before they raced in the Shootout.

While we were away in FL, Tyson's sister had her first baby, Sam. This is Tyson's first and only nephew!

Precious baby boy, Samuel.

Near the end of November, I drug Tyson to watch the Mizzou vs KU game in Kansas City. This was the final Border War game before MU joins the SEC so I had to be there!

Mizzou-Rah!

Everyone breathes, right?

Mizzou fans took over that stadium!!

December

At the beginning of December Tyson sporadically decided we would attend the Performance Racing Industry Show in Orlando. Our friends from Statement were there so I got to hang out with one of my favorite boats!

Saddle Up!

Of course Christmas is my favorite part of winter. (I don't like winter. I like summer!)

Steve & Sierra had a Christmas Party so I visited them in St. Louis. We had a blast!

Me and my baby boy Bonzai on Christmas!

I must have been a really good girl this year because I got SHOES!!!

So that was my year! 2011 was so great. It was the first time in my life I had a whole year to do what I wanted. No school, flexible job, and no kiddos. Everyone always tells me "Travel while you are young, aren't married, and don't have children!" so I did!