Throwback Thursday #57: The Original Girls Weekend in San Francisco

"Say what you want about aging, it's still the only way to have old friends." ~Robert Brault

The day is finally here.....this evening College Roomie, Blonde Oklahoma Girl, Loud Oklahoma Girl and I are all hopping on planes and meeting up in the City by the Bay! I could not be more excited.

This means that I'll be out of blogging commission for a couple of days.....I'll be busy sipping wine in Napa with Gonzaga Friend and singing karaoke with Georgia Boy and eating fresh strawberries from the Farmer's Market on the beach and running a half marathon and having celebratory mimosas....clearly you understand why I will not be sitting in front of my computer.

Because this trip is actually our second Girls Weekend in San Francisco, I wanted to leave you with a little throwback to our first. The summer of 2008 my favorite girls (along with Cousin Whitney who bailed on us this time....I think it was the running that did her in!) descended upon San Francisco for what I can only describe as an epic weekend.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. So I decided to do a wordless (save the paragraphs above...oops!) post today dedicated to that first Girls Weekend three years ago. (You can see a few more fun photos here!)

Can we top it this time? Only time will tell......I can assure you we'll do our best not to disappoint!

WILW #7

"Be glad of life, because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars." ~Henry Van Dyke

It's time to link up to another What I'm Loving Wednesday with Jamie!

Today I'm Loving.....

1. This woman's story. On Sunday, she will run an ultra marathon (which means two marathons, or 52.4 miles) in honor of her husband, a soldier who was killed in Afghanistan. She says that she's running through her grief. Talk about an inspirational story...

2. That two lovely bloggers invited me to guest blog last week....at Hot Pink Combat Boots I gave a people watching report from prior vacations and at A Step Into My Life I wrote about my travels in Switzerland. Check me out. The people watching one includes a look at my fashion when I was 9 years old. Y'all don't want to miss that.

3. This blog and the quote by Mother Teresa contained in it talking about the poverty of being unwanted. It breaks my heart to think about. Remember this blog I wrote a while back about praying for those for whom no one prays? It's always good for me to be reminded to keep those people in my prayers! And God bless the daddy who wrote this post about his little girl with Down's Syndrome. You can just tell how much he loves her.

4. This awesome song by Justin Moore called "Flying Down a Backroad." Songs about backroads are pretty popular right now.....I also love "Take a Backroad" by Rodney Atkins. I think this means it is time for a trip home soon!


5. This love letter to the author's future husband. So darn funny. Mr. Right....are you out there? Pay attention! :)

6. This song about relationships....seriously love it! Sigh.

7. The Girls from Ames....the book that I am currently reading--it's all about friendships between a group of women who grew up in Ames, Iowa. I'm already planning some blogs based on ideas from the book, so stay tuned for that!

8. That in 36 hours (who's counting), I will be in San Francisco with these lovely ladies!!

We're Not Invincible

"This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever; in its place is something that you have left behind...let it be something good."


Beware....I'm on a soap box today. You might just want to skip my ranting.

This weekend, Amy Winehouse was found dead in her apartment. She was 27 years old. A month or so ago, Ryan Dunn, one of the stars of a tv show on MTV called "Jackass" was killed in a car accident.

Before I get started on this blog, Please don't misunderstand me. I am heartbroken anytime I hear of someone duying. Truly, I am. And clearly these two people had difficulties in their lives that I will never know or understand. And moreover, my heart goes out to their families and friends, and to the family and friends of Dunn's passenger, who also lost her life. God bless them. I would never wish that pain on anyone.

But when I read more and figure out what actually happened to these people, I got really frustrated.

Take Dunn. In the crash that ended his life, he was driving his car at 130 miles an hour. They crashed into a guard rail at that speed and completely destroyed the car. It ended up in the woods next to the road, where it caught fire. Police said that it was the most horriffic scene they had ever witnessed.

And Winehouse. She struggled with drug and alcohol abus for years, and basically self-destructing in front of the camera. Even with the support of her family and her friends and after multiple stays in treatment facilities, she lost the battle with her demons. Her most famous song was about her own refusal to go to rehab. And even when she did go, she apparently refused to accept that she had a problem and makek changes in her life.

And now these people are dead, for no reason at all. Just really bad, unexplainable decisions. Thinking that they are invincible--that the rules do not apply to them--that death won't find them.

This makes me think back to people that I have lost in my own life. People who fought and wanted to live and did everything they could to stay on this earth with their families. To spare them the pain of loss that comes with death. It makes me think of the children at the youth camp in Norway this weekend, who did not make any bad decisions, but we were gunned down in a horrible tragedy. About the people on the planes and in the buildings who lost their lives on 9/11.

And you know what? It frustrates me. It frustrates me that there are people who fight to live, who make the right decisions and die anyway, and others who seem to be so non-chalant about death.

We're not invincible. We can't drive cars at 130 miles an hour and expect that nothing bad will ever happen to us. We can't abuse drugs and alcohol for years and think that because we are famous, somehow it will not ruin our bodies.

And you know what's more? Decisions that we make impact lives far, far beyond our own. The family and friends who are left behind in this kind of tragedy are often innocent victims---people who themselves did not make the wrong decisions---but who suffer the consequences.

Now I'm all for living your life. But I'm not for making really bad decisions that result in senseless tragedy and horriffic loss for those people around you. I can only hope that these senseless deaths will have some sort of positive impact on people who are headed down the same path.

Meet the Cast Monday #27: The Crazy Canadian

I know that y'all have patiently been waiting to officially "meet" The Crazy Canadian after reading about her so often on this blog....well today is the day! She and I met in junior college when we were both members of the livestock judging team. Leaving that school with her friendship (and Flintstone's...don't want to listen to his whining if I don't include him!) made the entire experience worth it!

She lives in Alberta, Canada with her amazing Texan Husband and her new baby boy, Braxton. She is (and trust me, I'll leave stuff out here...) an Arbonne consultant, an author, a blogger, a life coach, and a self-described "enthusiasm expert." You will never meet a person with more energy or a better outlook on life. So today, it's my pleasure to introduce you to....

The Crazy Canadian!

What is your favorite junior college judging memory?
Our entire trip to Louisville, KY! I love to travel, so getting to visit Churchill Downs and the Louisville Slugger plant were highlights. Driving by the gorgeous horse ranches with the perfectly landscaped grounds with gated entries and beatiful fences are vivid scenes in my memory! The judging contest was so high caliber and I was so pumped to have my best competition.

If I'm smart I'd stop responding to this question now... as the post-contest festivities got a bit out of hand. Thankfully there was another woman on our team that nicely took care of me - thanks Tiffy - oh the memories. {Oh if I could only share stories....that was quite the night for everyone on our team!} Overall, my entire livestock judging experience was amazing. I'm so blessed that our paths crossed, even it took both of us moving to Dodge City, KS - as I made a lifelong friend in YOU Tiffany!

Was it hard to keep Braxton's name a secret? Why did you decide not to tell anyone until he arrived?
It was very hard! Texan Husband & I decided on Braxton's name just after we found out he was a boy. So for nearly four months, we talked to Braxton by name in the womb. We'd talk about him as if he was already born. It got really tough when our baby conversations were in ear shot of more than just Texan Husband & I! We decided to keep it a secret, as it was the only surprise left. Once we learned the gender of our baby - which I'm guessing probably only 50% of my Canadian friends do - the name was the only unknown. Naming your unborn child is not common in Canada at all - whereas it's way more common in the United States! It's an interesting mix to have both sides of the border represented when making decisions! {I wrote this question when I was DYING to know what his name would be. I'm far less shocked by their approach now that he's here. :)}
What is the best part about owning your own businesses/working from home? The worst part?
The best part is being able to choose your hours and where you work! With Texan Husband traveling for his job - I've been able to work from my home office, on the road wherever he is headed, from my parents 3 hours away, from a Starbucks, the beach, you name it! The worst part - PRE-baby was being a workaholic - I was terrible at managing my time. Now POST-baby, I've had to work in the nooks and crannies of my day. I'm slowly learning how to balance being a Mom and Mompreneur! When you love what you do, you never work another day in your life.

What has been your favorite travel destination?
Oh it's so hard to pick! Our Mediterranean Cruise that we took for our honeymoon, that stopped in 7 places in 3 European countries was a trip of a lifetime. I also LOVE Sedona, AZ - it's one of the most breathtaking places I've been to. I'm also slightly addicted to Las Vegas - 7 trips in the past 8 years! My last trip when I was 4 months pregnant, Texan Husband informed me that I better get it out of my system before our baby arrives - I begged to differ. I love the bright lights and am secretly planning a trip to run the half marathon during the NFR and awesome Cowboy Christmas shopping...in a couple years! {I'm totally in for this...let's get Miss Canada on board and it will be the perfect girls weekend! Yes, I just invited myself on her trip. She won't mind.}

You're the only person who I know that has ever eloped. Tell us why you decided to do it and how it worked out!
Texan Husband and I had been dating nearly two years and knew we were going to get married. I didn't have a ring on my finger yet, but we had picked a date for the next summer and even booked a hall for the reception! With our families 3000 miles apart, we knew either way that one side would have to travel depending on whether we married in Texas or Alberta. Honestly, Texan Husband causually suggested we elope in hopes of taking an Option B route to getting him into Canada. I jumped at the opportunity and his informal proposal and 3 days later we had a secret wedding! Eloping was absolutely perfect for us and I would do it over exactly the same way (with Texan Husband of course!). {I will never forget getting that call in the hallway of the law school getting ready to go into class....she asked if I was sitting down. I asked if she was pregnant. Ha!}
What do you know about life now that you didn't know when you were 18?
This is a tough question Tiffany! The first thing that comes to mind is Credit Cards are the devil!! {Amen to that, sister!} Ha ha... I wrote in my book that I read recently that it in order to make a million, you have to spend a million and that I was right on track. I don't regret anything in my life - I am blessed by the opportunities I've been given and experiences I've learned from. Honestly, I don't think I knew 10 years ago that life would be THIS amazing! {Told you guys she had the best attitude ever, no?}

Where is your absolute favorite place to go clothes shopping?
Oh geez - I don't have a favorite!? I'm more of a browser of many stores and when I see a WOW piece, I grab and run! My outfits are made up of my favorites, thrown together - with a splash of accessories. I'm addicted to Silpada jewelry! I also fear being on the "What Not To Wear" show for my shoes - I would almost rather bathing suit shop than buy footwear. Ultimately, if money grew on trees, I'd have a personal shopper! {I asked her this because I distinctly remember a huge fight starting between her and Flintstone while we were in college. We were in her dorm room and for some unknown reason Flintstone was going through her closet. He found a couple of things with the tags still on them and flipped out on her about buying too much stuff. She flipped out right back on him for not going to class and I had to enter in as the peacemaker. Good times!}
You recently wrote and published your first book. Will there be a second book?
Yes! One day...in the meantime I want to work on marketing my first book! {Yay! You can purchase her first book, Live an Amazing Life here. And while we're waiting on her second book, I totally recommend you check out her series of posts on her blog that chronical her love story...Swept Off My Feet By A Texan.}

What is one (or more) item(s) on your bucket list?
Take both of our families (Our Texas & Alberta parents, sisters, brothers & kids) on separate trips full of experiences!
Travel to Australia - visiting wine country to the penguins marching, cattle stations to the Sydney Opera House and everything in between
Be in a balloon during the Albuquerque Balloon Festival! Wonder if I'll have a place to stay ;) {Not only will you have a place to stay, but I think College Roomie may have the hook up on a balloon to ride in!}

Photos of the Week: Week 29

Holy cow, doesn't it seem crazy that we're 29 weeks into the year? I mean seriously, where has the time gone?? First off, I just have to tell you that last week my "birthday" quotography entry was chosen as a favorite. Yay!!

And before we get to my shots of the week, I went to a fantastic surprise birthday party for College Roomie's Great Aunt today and had such a good time. I want to be just like her when I'm 80!

Here are just a couple of my favorite shots that I captured (plus the two in the "family" theme below). And now, to the themes for this week.

Theme: Family (Quotography)

I am absolutely in love with this picture, and thought that it was perfect for this quote! This is the Birthday Girl holding her great-great nephew. I just love how she's looking at him. Check out the other quotography entries here!

Theme: Family

Go figure that I had two "family" themes this week, and for both I'm using pictures of someone else's family. Oh well, they claim me. :) I loved this shot of College Roomie's great uncle. He is the sweetest man, and I thought the look on his face just summed up his personality perfectly.

Theme: White

No, I did not make a weekend trip to Stillwater (I wish....come on football season!!) to get this shot. I snapped it back in February when I was in town, but I just love it so much that I had to use it for this week's Live Every Moment theme!

Theme: Wisteria

Apparently this is the name of the street on Desparate Housewives...who knew? Anyway, I thought that these flowers were pretty close to the right shade. Check out the other entires at Project 64!

Song Suggestions?

Okay friends......in 8 days (OMG...8 days!!) I will be running in the San Francisco half marathon. This means that I need between 2.5 and 3 hours of running music for my little pink iPod to carry. I've got a playlist that I've listened to through training, but for the race I want to mix it up to have some new tunes in there.

Here's where you come in.....I need song suggestions! PLEASE comment below! What are your favorite workout songs? Or dancing songs? What gets your blood pumping?

And trust me, I listen to everything. No lie, my current running mix has everything from red dirt songs about being friends with benefits to rap songs about someone coming up to bat to Christian music about love enduring forever to pop about putting a ring on it to Reba singing about how she wants a cowboy (me too, sister!)

So pretty please...help a girl out. Your song might be what gets me across the finish line!

Family Farm Friday #61: Crunch Time

“I have yet to be in a game where luck was involved. Well-prepared players make plays. I have yet to be in a game where the most prepared team didn't win.” ~Urban Meyer


It's almost the end of July and that always makes me think of one thing. Crunch time. Here's the story.


When we were showing, our county fair was always the second week in August. And even though we worked hard with our animals and spent a lot of hours at the barn all through the year, my father deemed the month or so before the fair "crunch time."

Here is what that meant.

Me: Dad, can I go to _____________? (fill in with movies, dinner, someone's house....)

Dad: Um, what time is it?

Me: Oh come on, Dad.

Dad: You know it's crunch time.

(Me spending the evening at the barn and not doing the event filling in the blank above.)
Little Brother: Do we really have to practice showing all the sheep again tonight?

Dad: Um, what time is it?

Little Brother: Time for you to get a grip?

(Us, showing every sheep again that night.)

Apparently other families had similar approaches. Our friends from Artesia referred to it as two a days. And I can guarantee you that domestic disputes in barns increase all around the country during crunch time. It's just a fact. You know though, crunch time paid off. Every year, in sale checks, belt buckles and banners.

And I suppose that my Dad, crazy as he is, taught us a lesson about getting down to business and working hard when it's necessary. I realized this last week when work was crazy for me as we were preparing for oral argument at the Court of Appeals and I was putting in crazy hours. I swear one afternoon I heard my dad's voice deeming this crunch time.


Turns out, that crazy old man had a lot of tricks up his sleeve. And that he was using them to prepare us for life, not just to prepare for sheep and pig shows. Who knew?

There's a Runner....

“It’s very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants you to quit.”~ Dr. George Sheehan

8 miles. This girl. Last night. Bam!

That is the farthest I've ever run in my life. My prior record was 7.5 at Bay to Breakers 2010. Since I started training back in March for my half marathon, my longest had been 5 miles. But last night, things just came together. It was cool and raining and perfect. I cannot tell you how amazing it felt to do 8.

Turns out, there's a runner inside me. Inside ME....the girl who has never met a chocolate chip cookie she didn't like. The girl who was threatened with failing the last 6 weeks of PE by my basketball coach senior year of high school because I refused to run track (FYI--June May took care of that issue for me and I became an unoffical office aide. June told me not to worry because she entered the grades. Ha! That saint of a woman ran that school!) The girl who always dreaded hearing "get on the line" in practice and was consistently in the middle of the pack running sprints. The girl who complained every day about running the hill (a fact that Mrs. Franklin loves to remind me of to this day!) and who almost lost a chunk of hair in doing so.

So last night, I realized a couple of things.

First, there is a point where you decide that you're just going to do it. Period. When I left my house, I was planning on running 3 miles. But then the moment of truth came. For me, this point comes early in a run. At about a mile and a half or so, I decided that I was running 8 miles. And that was that. I didn't look back. Sometimes I think that is all it takes, a realization that we can do it, and that we will do it, no matter what. We just have to get to that point.

Second, the problem I think, has never been that there wasnt' a runner inside me. The problem was that there are lots of other things inside me too. There's a lazy person (who the couch beckons to), a quitter (i.e. the 10K I totally turned into a 5K for myself last week....in fairness it was like 90 degrees and miserable!), a doubter (who says I can't do it). The key is making sure that the runner wins the battle with these other people.

And, as usually happens, I think this relates to lots of areas in my life. There is a kind person inside me too---but sometimes she gets drowned out by the jerk that lives in here. There is a prayerful person inside of me, but sometimes she gets trumped by the tired chick who just wants to get to sleep.

So what did we learn from this? (1) The rain makes everything better! (2) I am going to survive the San Francisco Half Marathon. (3) I can do anything I put my mind to. and (4) The person that I want to be, that I think I'm meant to be, is inside me. I just have to find her.

Q and A Part Dos

"If you cannot be a poet, be the poem." ~ David Carradine

In case you missed part one of the questions yesterday, you can catch those here! Today we're continuing on answering your questions.

From Blonde Oklahoma Girl:

What is your favorite book of all time?
Oh wow....this is hard. Maybe Traveling Light by Max Lucado. I also really loved Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom.

Favorite movie?
Also hard.....either 8 Seconds or Remember the Titans.

If you could spend the entire day with someone doing whatever it is you wanted to do and go wherever you wanted to go, who would you spend it with, dead or alive?
I realize that I should say that I want to spend the day making out with someone like Matthew McConaughey. But honestly, I'd want to have a day with Gran and Mr. Franklin. Matthew would be great, but I would jump at the chance to spend more time with two of my favorite people in the world now that they are gone. (Gran would tell me I should have picked Matthew. Mr. Franklin would tell me to stay away from that hairy legged boy.)

Where is one place you absolutely must go that you have never been to?
Oh I have lots of these! Tuscan countryside. Hawaii. Kentucky Derby. Olympics.

What would your very last meal be?
Oh wow, I'm not sure. Maybe fajitas? Or a filet. Oooo or gnocci from my favorite Italian place in San Francisco. Clearly I'm a fatty.

If you won the lottery, what would you do?
Move to the middle of nowhere, buy a bunch of cows and sheep and write a book. Oh and go to all of the "must go" places listed above. Obviously.

Who is your favorite blonde oklahoma girl?
Is there more than one? Nope. You, love, are one of a kind!

From College Roomie:

Explain the expression, "It is what it is," and it's significance to you.
Oh where to even start. College Roomie, McCain and I were sitting around talking one day about how we didn't really understand that expression. People use it all the time and I don't get it, probably because people use it in the wrong contexts. Anyway, we all decided it was stupid. And no lie....not 5 minutes later our new found friend, Biggie, came over and within like 3 sentences said, "It is what it is." I totally choked on the water I was drinking from laughing so hard. Poor Biggie had no idea what was going on. What one event in your past would you like to press rewind on and live over and over again?
I have lots of these too. I think that's the sign of a good life, right? Super fun parts of my childhood--like picking peas and irrigating. A couple of really great fair memories. Several fun nights at OSU--parties at Animal House, scary movie night, football games, the IHOP night. Being a summer associate in San Francisco. Dancing to Notorius in the park with my CM girls. Running Bay to Breakers with College Roomie. Sitting by Lake Geneva eating ice cream with Cousin Swiss Mister and Cousin Whitney. My Notre Dame trip with ND Friend, High School Buddy and Mr. FFA. How excited are you to spend the last weekend in July in San Francisco with three of the awesomest girls ever in life?
Could not be more excited about anything in the world! 8 more days until the fun begins. It's going to be EPIC!

From Micah:

What do you know about Chicago? We are going back there tomorrow for a Cubs game!

My Chicago experience is limitd to my Notre Dame trip, but here ya go! Go to the Bean. I'm not an art person, but it's awesome. Take a walk by the waterfront and along Michigan Avenue---beautiful scenery! But most importantly, you must try the pancakes at Bongo Room. Or risk having me write a blog about you like this one.

From Loud Oklahoma Girl:

When are you moving to Oklahoma?
When the Oklahoma bar gets reciprocity with New Mexico so I don't have to take the bar exam again. Or when Mr. Right decides to propose to me and we get married on the OSU campus. Either or. :)

What does the man of your dreams do, look like, enjoy, ect?
Heck, what do I know? As we've discussed a lot, I seem to have a knack for picking the wrong ones! I am hunting a good, polite, Christian guy. Needs to be tall because I'm short and have dreams of raising college football playing sons you know. Ideally, he owns cows. And square toed boots. And season tickets to OSU football. No, in all seriousness though, I think that the older I get, the more I am convinced that what matters is finding someone who has a good heart and is a good person. (But seriously, season football tickets wouldn't hurt....)
Right now I am only up to about 1 - 1.5 miles in the 100+ degree temps here in OK. Do you think I will be able to run the entire 5K next weekend?
You got this! First off, the high in San Francisco yesterday was a whopping 66 degrees. Compare that with freaking insane temps in OK and you're golden! Plus add in a water stop halfway through and the adrenaline of race day and this is in the bag, sister!

If you were left stranded on a deserted Island and could take 5 things with you what would they be?
My best friends, my family, my laptop, a ski boat, and a bartender.

From The Bride:

I love the quotes on every blog post, what is your absolute favorite quote?
Another hard one. You know I never pick just one of anything. :) I don't know if these are my all time favorites, but I like them a lot.

The world is full of people who will go their whole lives and not actually live one day. She did not intend on being one of them.

Be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.

Stillwater has a population of thousands, but is home to millions.

"Nothing is more practical than finding God, that is, falling in love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything.
It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning,
What you do with your evenings,
How you spend your weekends,
What you read,
Who you know,
What breaks your heart, and
What amazes you with joy and gratitude.
Fall in love and stay in love, and it will decide everything."
- Fr. Pedro Arrupe

If you weren't a lawyer, what would you be doing?
That would depend on why I wasn't a lawyer. If it was because I won the lottery, I would be living in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of cows and sheep writing a book. :) No, for real, I don't know. People tell me I would have been a good therapist. Maybe that.

Q and A Part Uno

“We learn more by looking for the answer to a question and not finding it than we do from learning the answer itself.” ~Lloyd Alexander

Thanks so much to the lovely ladies who submitted questions! Like I said this weekend, I didn't have time to get my blogs written for the week. So, instead, I'm answering your questions! I plan to do the same tomorrow, so feel free to comment below with any other questions you have! :)

Michelle requested the following:
Tell me about the 'sheep shows'- its listed in your interests on the right. Is this to view thier wool? OR one giant sheep petting zoo?

Oh girl....great question! And one that I am ashamed that I have not written an entire blog about! I'll get on that one ASAP! The sheep shows that I am referring to are the junior market lamb shows at fairs. So, for example, in New Mexico, 4-H and FFA members from the ages of 9-20 can raise and exhibit lambs at the fairs, including local county shows and the New Mexico State Fair. The animals are judged as market (meaning for meat) and are evaluated for muscle, structural correctness, size, length, correct finish (aka not fat), etc.

So it's not a wool show (although at the State Fair they do have a fleece contest where they judge the wool that was sheared off of ewes) because these are market animals, not wool breeds. And it's not a petting zoo because the animals each go out into the ring to be judged---although if you walk around in the barn, you will get to pet you heart out! You read about some of the benefits of showing previously on my blog. Here are a few pictures of my brother and I winning shows back in the glory days!
Aimee asked: Do you have a favorite work out to combine with your running? Do you have any suggestions on electrolyte supplements?
I do have a couple of other workouts. First is Turbo Kick--it's a form of cardio kickboxing and I love love love it! I've been going for about 2 years and it's such a great workout and it's so much fun! I also dabble in hot yoga. I find that I enjoy that far more in the winter than in the summer, however! I don't do any electrolyte supplements....totally not that hard core. But I would love to hear your take on this, Aimee!

Loud Oklahoma Girl asked the following:

So, what is the real story behind the picture on your blog asking for questions?
Great question! That would be College Roomie and I with the lead singer of Vanilla Pop. They would be this awesome 80's cover band that plays here in town. Seriously SO much fun! Everyone just goes and dances and has so much fun. As you can see, the "band" is really just two middle aged white guys dressed ridiculously with mustaches penciled on. Perfect if you ask me! They sell these t-shirts that say, "Vanilla Pop. We could have been big." I really want one.

What do you like best about being a lawyer?
Can I say pay day? :) Kidding, kidding. I love the people that I work with. I'm fortunate to be at a firm full of these brilliant people who have been so great at teaching me what is going on. It's also alot of fun to work on really interesting legal issues that require a lot of thought. Every case is about something a little different and it lets you learn another area, both of the law, and of life becuase of our different clients.

Are you ready to run your first half marathon in less than 2 weeks away?
Am I ready in am I excited? Yes. Am I ready as in training wise? No. Not at all. I'm freaking out. I tried to run a 10K (6 miles) here on Sunday night. Mind you, it was like 90 degrees outside. I ended up only doing the 5K. I just couldn't do the loop again. Not a good sign.....I'm banking on lower elevation, cooler temperatures, and a lot of adreneline!

College Roomie asked these:

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Well don't you know how to put the pressure on a girl? I honestly have no idea. I wrote a blog about a paper I did on a similar issue when I was 18. I said that I didn't know where I would be, but I knew that I would be happy. I think the same is true. I have talked before about what I call the Sweet Home Alabama disease....meaning you have two lives that both seem so great but are so different.....and that makes it hard ot picture where I'll end up.

Describe what you think your life would be like now if you had chosen to accept the job at the law firm in San Francisco.
Hm.....I don't know really. San Francisco was one of the best experiences of my life, hands down. But I know that being a summer associate is much different than being an actual associate. I think I would be working really long hours and probably be doing a lot more document review/research. As it is I do some of that, but I get much more hands on experience both in the courtroom and writing. I would be living in an AMAZING city that I love, but I would be far away from home and a lot of my friends/family. Every choice has trade offs huh?
In your opinion, what's the meaning of life?
What is your deal today with these deep questions?? I guess I would say that the meaning of life is to accomplish the purpose that God has for you. And I think that no matter what our individual purposes are, that being kind to others--doing something to help make their time on earth better in some way--is a part of it.

Stay tuned for more tomorrow---and feel free to leave more questions in the comment section below!

Meet the Cast Monday #26: Mrs. Blue Eyes

I'm excited to introduce y'all to one of my high school friends today, Mrs. Blue Eyes! As you may have guessed, she's married to Blue Eyes. (I'm creative, I know!) They live back home in a beautiful house on the lake and she teaches 5th grade. I can't beleive that it's been 9 years since we were in school together...we had such a great time!

With that, meet Mrs. Blue Eyes!

What is your favorite memory with me?

Burning paper in ITV room heater and riding first roller coaster on senior trip. {So the first part is pretty hilarious.....one day in our college class that we took by tv, we didn't have class for some reason so we ended up in the corner burning designs into paper with a space heater. Turns out, it smelled and the next thing we know the counselor, superintendent and janitors are running around looking for an electrical fire. Oops..... And the roller coaster you see below was seriously one of the scariest things ever!}

What is your favorite part of living in a small town?
Well since all my family lived in the same town it would have to be being so close to all of my family. And being able to hunt and fish whenever you want and having such small classes and knowing everybody.

How did you decide you wanted to be a teacher and what is the best/worst part of your job?
I love kids and disliked some of the teachers I had growing up and how they taught so I wanted to become a teacher and make it a fun, positive and memorable experience for them The best is being a part of all the kids lives and watching the excitement on their faces when they learn something new or do well in something. The worst is paperwork and knowing what some of the kids have gone through at home.

How did you and Blue Eyes get together?
I had a crush on him since 3rd grade but just never would admit it. :) We didn't get along in college but started talking during student teaching and both ended up back home for student teaching and then i begged my dad to give him a job at the restaurant where I worked and he did. {And as they say, the rest is history!}

What are your favorite quotes?
I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

The road to success is not straight. There is a curve called Failure, a loop called Confusion, speed bumps called Friends, red lights called Enemies, caution lights called Family. You will have flats called Jobs. But, if you have a spare called Determination, an engine called Perseverance, insurance called Faith, a driver called Jesus, you will make it to a place called Success.

{Love love love both of these!}

If you could rewind and re-live one day of your life, what would it be?

None, because I try and live all the days like it might be my last. {Great way to do it!}

What do you do with a whole summer off of work?

Work in the yard, garden and with all our flowers. that's what I love to do. And also go swimming :) {Could I be more jealous of this 3 month off gig??}

What is one (or more) item(s) on your bucket list?

Seeing all of the states in the U.S. and going to Italy!

Photos of the Week: Week 28

Well I spent 98% of my week sitting at my desk wishing I had paid more attention in accounting class. Yea....it was that kind of fun. Anyway, all that to say that I didn't take a single photo this week, so these are all from the archive. I'll do better next week, I promise!

Theme: Birthday (Quotography)

If you've followed me for a while, it comes as no shock that I used a picture from Little Linebacker's First Birthday party for this one! Loved the quote to go along with it. Be sure to go over to My Perspective to see the other entries.

Theme: Mac and Cheese (Project 64)

Well despite the fancy name, this color really was just a little bit lighter shade of orange. I'm an OSU orange girl myself, but whatever. I loved this picture I got of the sunset over the bay in San Francisco! Check out all of the other shots at Project 64!

Theme: Soft

I shot this picture while I was home for the Fourth and really love it. The Dorsett (that's the breed....like a lab or a collie for a dog is a breed) ewe in the front with the hamp and suffolk ewes in the background. It's one of my favorites. You can see the other "soft" photos at Live Every Moment on Friday!

Theme: Fresh as a Flower

I thought this flower was pretty and really interesting since it was not a typical shape.