Be Kind...Rewind

This afternoon yours truly is undergoing the knife laser. I've had glasses or contacts since I was about 10 years old, so it got me to thinking about all the new things that have developed (or I've come of age for) since then. And thus, all of the fun things I've never done without corrective vision.

I've never...

• driven a vehicle
• seen my husband
• used a cell phone
• played on a home computer
• hugged my niece and nephew
• had a job
• put on make-up

without some sort of help from the ol' eye doc. I wonder what the world is going to look like when I don't have to put on an extra set of eyes to see it.

That being said I wanted to do a little "Shoutout to 2012" post before we leave for A-R-K-A-N-S-A-S on Saturday!

They say what you do on New Year's Eve is a precursor for the rest of the year. On Dec 31, 2011, I was in Midland, Texas, with my then-boyfriend. So...statement considered true! Since then...

**We got engaged in March!! Ruidoso, New Mexico, has been my favorite place on Earth since then!!!!

one of the happiest days of my life!

 

**Bobby Petrino wrecked his motorcycle, and after that all bad things broke loose for Arkansas football.

 

Oh, Bobby

 

**In April my parents and I took Cash turkey hunting for the first time in his life. He didn't see one but heard a few. It's a start! (And I think he's kind of hooked now!)

Arkansas turkey woods=love

**Throughout the summer we celebrated with wedding showers--for us and some of our friends! Wedding bliss abounded.

**My sister threw me a baseball bachelorette party in July. Go NWA Naturals!

my little Katie bug <3 td="td">

**In July we obviously got hitched. Best choice I've ever made. Ever.

Calvary Baptist Church, Ozark, Arkansas

**I moved to Cash's hometown of Midland, Texas, after the honeymoon. Here I've met the greatest friends a girl could ask for. They've helped me more in a new town than they'll ever know.

Savannah, Kellye, me, and Heather at Ross and Barb's wedding in Santa Fe

**After President Obama famously said to business owners, "You didn't build that." my husband's CEO had signs made that he placed outside the ClayDesta Center.

'nuf said

**Clayton also threw another ranch party in October, this time with Clint Black as the main entertainment. These have become the most anticipated weekends of the year for me!

Happy 81st birthday, Clayton!

**We also went to the Midland County Women's Republican ball in October right before the election.

MCRW Pink Elephant Ball 2012

**The first weekend in November Cash and I hosted our first Thanksgiving dinner with both sets of our parents. Check that off the "done" list. I don't know if I've cooked since! ha.

First Thanksgiving

**The day of the election we were anticipating celebrating with friends. Friends still came, but we didn't celebrate anything but the right to vote.

**Also in November John L. Smith officially became the worst coach in Razorback football history. Well, I think it's official.

In his words...SMILE

**Earlier in December I got to surprise my family with a little impromptu trip to Arkansas since I wasn't working. I hung out with all my grandparents, some of my cousins, and of course the immediate fam. I even saw my great-great-grandfather's moonshine still, which makes me itching for my own piece of history.

**Simultaneously, Cash went on two hunts in the same week: springbok and aoudad. We've eaten both, and we have loved them!

Cash and his springbok

**Arkansas hired former Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema who better be flippin' good and help us win some games in the SEC, or I'm signing him up for a motorcyle of his own. Good news is he already has a young, hott blonde wife. No need to hire one from the volleyball team.

I'm a Bielemer. haha

**And of course, last but not least, I just accepted a job with a local bank. I could not be more elated. After interviews and phone calls and applications and considering all things "banky", I wanted this bank more than you can imagine. After my second interview, the bank president took me into his office for about 10-15 minutes and talked with me. I had already been through questioning and analyzing and knew I wanted to be there. But as professional and kind as he was, it made my half of the decision even more solid. The next week they called and offered me the job, and I literally just hit print on the final paperwork.

**January 2 I'll be glasses-free and a banker, which makes Cash and I possibly the most hated couple in America: banking and oil. As one man told us last night we should expect a lump of coal for Christmas. Cash pointed out that as a geologist and oilman, coal might actually be a great present for him! Win-win!!

I hope you all have a MERRY CHRISTMAS, and wonderful New Year, and a blessed 2012. From our little house to yours...

Yeah, I spelled "Christmas" wrong on the first try. hahahaha

WPS!!!!

~Avery Jane~

Need To Breathe

I don't really need to breathe anymore than usual today, but their CD is sitting next to my computer and it made me think how much I love jamming to "Washed by the Water". It steals my heart. And my rhythm.

So a few weeks ago Cash was invited on a "safari" (I say safari very loosely here-more later) hunt in South Texas. He was also supposed to be at his work's deer camp the following week too. When he told me, I was elated for him, but he said he wasn't going since I would have to be here all alone for a week. Bahumbug. I told him I had no problem missing him from Arkansas like I could Texas, "Go and have fun!!!"

That's how I found myself in Arkansas for the first time in 5 MONTHS!! Eeeek. I was so excited.

My mother-in-law was heading to Dallas, so I rode with her. Then my sister (and a surprise to me--my mom!!) met me there. We shopped and ate our hearts out (La Madeleine. What!) then headed back to the A-R on Sunday morning.

When we got back, we had to stop at Wal-Mart real quick.

Mind you: my first trip to Arkansas in 5 months.
First stop: Wal-Mart.
First visual: a family taking a group shot out front.
Not a joke. You can't make that stuff up.

Then we went to pick up my niece and nephew, and I HUGGED AND HUGGED AND HUGGED Addison and bawled my eyes out. Braeson? He ran from me and wouldn't let me get near him. Ugh.

Mom and I headed to their house later, and once we got in and changed we went on a squirrel hunt!

most of the new pups

The day Cash and I got married my mom's female had a litter of pups! I hadn't even seen them! We took about 8 or 9 dogs out on the hunt, and it was awesome to just walk around the woods. I don't know the last time I had even seen a tree! ha.

The next day I ate lunch with my grandpa at the Senior Citizens' Center. All the old ladies would say, "Oh, are you Milburn's granddaughter? Are you Avery?" I just said yes, ma'am...yes, ma'am...repeat. Grandpa finally told me, "They'd be shock to hear I had more grandkids!" Old man---how much do I love him?! I kind of felt bad for my sister and cousins since they're non-existent to his friends, but what the hey? He loves me the most. :)

We went to my grandma's cousin's house later where I tried to buy my GREAT-GREAT-GRANDFATHER'S moonshine still he used back in his bootleggin' days. I just thought it would be the neatest piece of history to have, but the old man wouldn't budge and said NO WAY is it ever for sale. Jerk.

great-great-grandfather's moonshine still

One day. One day.

Later in the week Mom and I went to NWA to my brother-in-law's basketball game but stopped in Fayetteville/Springdale to shop a little. Guess who I got to see?! Seriously my best, best friend whom I haven't seen in FOREVER!!!! She lived in Budapest (yeah, HUNGARY!) this summer, and then I moved to Texas before she came home. It was so great to see Les and hear about how life in NWA is for her and Zach. Gah, love them!!

love her!!

At the game I started hollerin' at the refs, just because it's fun for me to holler. My niece started elbowing me in the ribs and said I was "embarrassing" her because "no one else in the entire gym is yelling." I informed her she was a 6 year old liar. But in the end she won, and I quit. Figures.

The two rugrats had Christmas programs 2 days later, so we got to go back up to NWA for that. This time Braeson actually came within 10 feet of me. :) How cute are kindergarteners and 1st graders in Christmas programs?! Awwwwwww.

my heartbeats, my loves, my everythings <3 td="td">

Oh, yes, Cash had his hunts. The first one they dubbed a safari hunt? I call it cheating, but nonetheless. I guess you can hunt on a high fenced ranch in Texas and equal it to a safari hunt in Africa. Same animals I suppose.

Cash bagged this springbok the first night he was there! (A wildebeest, red stag, and impala were also taken within 24 hours of Cash's springbok. This is why I call it cheating.)

Look at scruffy mcgruffy with his trophy!

It was awesome for him though! The company is mounting the head and tanning the hide for us. I actually am pretty pumped to get those back, but it'll be about a year. The meat has already come in, and we had springbok steak for dinner last night. He also had some made into "slim jims." Oh. My. Goodness. Delic!

The next week at deer camp he ended up getting a female aoudad instead of a deer, and he had a lot of it made into sausage. I made breakfast with it yesterday morning, and it was really good too. This is why I love being married to a hunter! What a man--hunts the animal and feeds his family with it. Ain't no wastin' in the Pullin house fo' sho!


As much as I loved visiting, I couldn't help but smile a thousand smiles when I saw my husband a week later. It felt like we were dating all over again when he picked me up at the airport on a Friday night!! Lol.

CWEI Christmas Party 2012

We had four Christmas parties last week: book club, Clayton Williams Energy, Young Republicans, and a dress-up one. I loved seeing all the friends I've made in the past 5 months!! I love this town!!!!!

And of course for the costume Christmas party I had to dress up as...

Ohhhh yeah, baby!!!

Can you guess?!? No one at the party had any idea whom I was. A friend back home and my niece and nephew figured it out in 3 seconds. So...good luck! ha.

We did our first married Christmas yesterday! My husband way way way spoiled me! He even spent 2 hours after church yesterday watching Anne of Green Gables, part 1 with me. Although I'm not sure he would admit it, I'm pretty certain he liked it!

Cash and Jett

Jett, that spoiled boxer, loved his Christmas presents too. But he and Bequette fought over the new stuffed squirrel all day. That thing is going to be chewed to pieces before we leave Saturday to...GO. BACK. TO. ARKANSAS!!!!

What?! We have a new head coach!!!!!!! BRET BIELEMA, BABY!!! WOO PIG SOOOIEEEEE!!!!!!!!! One more party first though! Woot!!!! Here's to another awesome two weeks awaiting us! Love this time of year!!!

WPS!!!!

~Avery Jane~

Learning to be Domesticated

So I'm a housewife domestic goddess now (thanks to my buddy Seth for that new lingo). And as I tweeted a week or two ago, growing up on a farm in rural Arkansas did not really lend itself to being a "housewife" in West Texas. I am a little lost as to how to be good at this new role. Hopefully, it will only be through the holidays.

 

On Tuesday of the election, Cash and I threw what we had meant to be a Victory Party. It turned out to be just a party with red, white, and blue.



 

We just got our new bar in recently, and Cash is the most dynamite home bartender a girl could dream of. We aren't big drinkers, but it's a fun little place to sit at and drink a glass of wine. And the night of the party Cash invented his own drink which we dubbed the "Romney Rouge."

I found that flag in Fredricksburg, and it reminded of all the homes in Maine that had them hanging off their porches. It was beautiful!

We had Fox News blaring from tv's in the living room, bar area, and I even put on the guest room TV so if someone was waiting to use the bathroom they wouldn't be behind! ha.

One of the bakeries in town made me a red velvet cake with the Republican elephant on top! Not even half of it was eaten, but when I went to toss it a few days (okay, maybe a week or so) later, some little rat by the name of Cash had eaten the icing off! Apparently, it was good.

GOP 2012

I'm pretty novice when it comes to hosting a party, but Hobby Lobby and a crockpot never let a girl down. We found some streamers and straws and even kids' tattoos that represented America. It was fun to host a party full of patriots. I made so much pulled pork that I have nightmares about it flooding our house. We even had a couple there originally from Zimbabwe who had just become citizens and voted in their first election. That was so neat!

yes, I did eventually put dips in there!

So even though our man didn't win this time, it was fun just to feel the spirit of America-the freedom, the privilege, the right to vote. Oh, I love this county.

*****

The next Friday Cash was in another clay shoot. This time the money went to the area firemen, oh yeah momma!!!! So. I went with him.

they just need 1 more gator

My mom and I had just been talking that morning about their new gator. (I know they're not all gators, but that's my generic name.) I said how much I wanted one, but I didn't have a place to ride one way out here. Then I went to the shoot, and lo and behold it was like a used lot of gators at that place. Apparently, that's what everyone drives at shoots out here.

riding around at the clay shoot

If you look closley, you can see my ear plugs. So attractive. This I know. I didn't do a whole lot that day except eat way too much, because Rosa's catered. And I talked to Les via texting half the time I was out there. I shot like 2 or 3 times. Missed every time. And my arm hurt.

I am turning into a city slicker out here. Someone stop this madness. Get. Me. To. The. Country.

handsome little shooter

Cash was in the 70 something percents on his shooting. Which is very good! But he was even better looking while doing it. Yowza!

That Saturday the Young Republicans and Young Professionals of Midland hosted College Gameday. It was so fun to sit around and listen to everyone cheer for their respective schools. Arkansas lost. Again. Thankfully, I wore some UCA purple and gray!! My new friend Hutton was there too, and you know--we went to UCA together!

Huton and me--UCA all the way!

Even though I had to hear A&M and UT and Texas Tech fans screaming all day, it was good to be in company of those our age. Sometimes, at church, I forget people our age live in this town. Love my church. LOVE IT. But we do bring down the average age a significant amount.

Okay, sisters and misters, time to get some lunch on the stove. Or the microwave. Or just brush my teeth. Any of those would probably make my husband happy, happy, happy. Love y'all!

Avery Jane