Word for 2012: Full

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough, and more.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion into clarity.  It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.  Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."

When I look back over the last year and try to think of a word to encompass it all, there was only one that seemed fitting.  Full.  My life is full.

Full of weddings (in Vegas and Oklahoma and Dallas and Oklahoma again) and cards on my birthday and hour-long phone conversations with good friends.

Of Facebook chats and chest bumps and tackling practice and flowers from my favorite people.

Full of engagement parties and engagement schemes and the birth of my goddaughter.

Of football games and meeting Coach Sutton and kids I used to babysit being in college.

Full of seeing a green river and dancing in an Irish pub.  Full of jumping off of a ledge in a jungle and parasailing over the ocean.

Of books I read and letters to Mr. Right (wherever he may be) I wrote and making memories with my family.

Full of Fiesta Bowl wins and rushing the field and laughing until my stomach hurt.

And, most importantly, full of all of the amazing people who I have experienced these things with.

It's easy to think about the things we don't have yet.....the things that we are still working for or dreaming about.  But this year taught me to focus, instead, on all of the amazing things that I have been given.  My life is full.  I am blessed.  Period.  End of story.

Here's to enjoying and appreciating the fullness we have in 2013!

Happy New Year!

 

Peace Out....

"Go that way really fast. If something gets in your way, turn!"  ~Skiing advice

No time to blog today because.....

I'm here:

Hello, Red River!

To do this:

And a little of this:

And hopefully not too much of this:

In my defense I made it all the way down the face before I fell.

With these crazy people:

I've been listening to this song for a week in preparation for the fun:



The 7th annual family ski trip has commenced.

See you suckers next week!

28 Acts of Kindness

"Remember, there's no such thing as a small act of kindness.  Every act creates a ripple with no logical end."  ~Scott Adams

You have probably read about the 26 acts of kindness project that people across the country are doing in memory of those who lost their lives in Newtown on December 14.  You know I'm a sucker for something like this and that I've been really touched by the situation in Newtown, so I decided to join in.

Except I wanted to do 28 acts....one for each person who died that day, including the shooter and his mother.  I know that some people disagree with this--I've read the posts on the internet about it--I don't really care.  28 people died that day, and a couple extra kind acts can only make this world a better place.

So, I bought some Christmas cards to hand out with my acts, asking people to pray for the families in Newtown and promising that I would pray for the people receiving my acts of kindness.  And, as it usually happens with this kind of thing, I think that I probably got more out of the giving than did the people doing the receiving.  It made me look around for people to help, it made me notice things I would otherwise completely overlook, and it made me take the focus off of myself.  I should probably be looking to do a random act of kindness every day.

Here's my list.

1.  Mailed a card to Fr. Luke Suarez, one of the priests at the St. Rose of Lima parish in Newtown.  He's been a priest for less than two years and is dealing with trying to help a community understand the unthinkable.  I cannot imagine what he is going through.  If you want to hear his story and/or send him a card, click here for info.

2.  Signed up for a monthly donation to the Little Flower Projects.  I fell in love with this charity back in October when another blogger hosted a virtual run to raise money.  They care for critically ill (often dying) orphans in China.  I'm friends with them on Facebook and the pictures of these kiddos just melt my heart every day.  I thought that helping other kids was a good way to honor the memory of the children from Newtown.

3.  Gave a bag of cookies to the lady who works at the parking garage booth.  She's always so nice and seemed really surprised with the gift.

4.  Bought a Wal-Mart gift card and gave it to the homeless man sitting outside the store on a corner with a sign.  When I gave it to him, he said, "God bless you."

5:  Bought coloring books and crayons and gave them to my neighbor's daughter.

6.  Gave a gift card to the little old lady in a wheelchair I saw buying Christmas decorations.  She cried.

7-11.  Put Christmas cards and candy canes on random cars parked in the parking lot at the hospital.

12.  Gave a Subway gift card to the nice man in a big coat ringing the Salvation Army bell outside of Hob Lob.

13 - 15.  Bought three Starbucks gift cards.  Gave the first one to a cute pregnant checker at the grocery store who said she was really having a stressful day.  Gave the second to the poor girl freezing her booty off gathering carts int he parking lot.  Left the third one in the church at the rail in front of the candles for someone to find while they are praying.

16-20.  Gave five of those super soft throw blankets to the nursing home and asked them to give them to patients who needed a little something extra this Christmas.

21-22.  Bought 2 Toys-R-Us gift cards and gave them to two moms I saw in the store.  The first had three little boys and a baby and looked like she had her hands full.  The second had a little girl and a young boy appeared to have cerebral palsy because he was in a special kind of seat that I know CP kids use.

23.  Donated money to the Salvation Army kettle.

24.  Bought dinner for the car behind me at Chik-fil-a.

25 - 27.  Baked brownies and stopped to give them to truckers at a truck stop (I figured this was appropriate since me and a trucker bonded two weekends ago).  Trucker's like brownies, FYI.  Trucker's wives along for the ride like them even more.

28.  Gave a Wal-Mart gift card to a guy with a backpack and a dog on the interstate on-ramp.  He said he would pray for me.  I told him I'd do the same for him.

December 26

"I carry your heart with me.  I carry it in my heart.  I am never without it.  Anywhere I go, you go."  ~e.e. cummings

December 26 has arrived again.

One year later, I still miss my Uncle David every day. 

Eight years later, I still wish my friend Levi was here so I could tell him happy birthday.

 

And even though this day is hard, I thank God for putting these two in my life.  The world is better--I am better--because they were here.  In the end, what else can you ask for?

From Our Barn to Yours...

...Merry Christmas!

Advent Lesson

"Doing the will of God leaves me no time for disputing about His plans."  ~George MacDonald

I love Advent.  For those of you who might not be familiar, it's a season of anticipation and preparation for Christmas.  It begins four Sundays before Christmas and lasts until Christmas Eve.  Each of the Sundays you focus on a different aspect of faith:  Hope, Love, Joy and Peace.

This year I read a couple of different Advent reflections (you'll hear about those in a Book Club report to come in a week or so), and the same idea kept jumping out at me.  Usually when that happens, it means I better pay attention.

We've all heard the Christmas story.  This year, I kept coming back to Mary's response to the Angel, Gabriel, who told her that God had called her to a most amazing, but peculiar, vocation.  She would be the virgin mother to the Son of God.

If I'm being honest, had Gabriel shown up to me, my reaction would probably have been something along the lines of, "Yea, right.  No way.  Where's Ashton?  I'm being punked!"  Clearly, this is why God didn't choose someone like me.

But Mary?  Her answer was simple.  "I am the Lord's servant.  May your word to me be fulfilled."  She did not reject the idea.  She did not say that it was crazy.  She did not politely decline because she had other plans for her life.  She did not worry about what people would think, or how it would impact her upcoming marriage to Joseph, or how she would have to have a baby in barn, or how painful it would be for her to watch what would happen to that same baby 33 years later on a  hill called Golgatha.  She just submitted to the plan that God had for her life (which happened to also be the plan for the salvation of the world).

Even though God's plan for most of us is not to give birth to Jesus, he has plans for us just the same.  And he reveals these plans to us in different ways.  Have I ever responded to anything in my life the way Mary did?  Probably not.  I worry about how hard something will be, what other people will think, how it might effect my bank account of my comfort level or my ability to run into Mr. Right on the street.  I worry too much about my plan, and my picture of how I want my life to look, that I lose the focus that I'm called to have.  The focus on the fact that I'm God's servant, and that what I should want the most is to follow his plan for me.  Even if that means doing something that's difficult or takes me out of my comfort zone or doesn't fit into the picture I have painted of what I want my life to look like.

Because clearly God's plans are far better than my own.  He proved that when a baby was born in a manger over 2000 years ago.  And it's still true today.

Advent lesson over.  Class dismissed.  Happy Christmas Eve to everyone!

My Best Friend's Wedding

"No one looks back on their life and remembers the nights they had plenty of sleep."

Hollywood should have forgot the stupid story with Julia Roberts and Cameron Diaz and made a movie out of BFF's wedding weekend instead.  It was completely off the charts fun.  I thought I'd share a few stories and my favorite quotes from the event.

Friday - Rehearsal Dinner/Bachelor Party

We kicked things off on Friday with the rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, and then the big Bachelor Party.  Now I've been in a lot of weddings, but never as a groomsma'am, so this was my first Bachelor Party.  Although I think BFF doubted us, it ended up being completely epic.  In fact, Cousin Phil deemed it the best Bachelor Party he'd ever been to....and that guy strikes me as having been to lots of Bachelor Parties!  So yea, I am clearly an excellent Bachelor Party planner.  Seriously, I'm a catch....listen up, Mr. Right!  I didn't get many pictures because I was a little busy trying to be sure all the boys stayed out of trouble (the "adults" being the ones who gave us all the most concern), but here are a couple of my favorite shots!

Me, BFF and the brothers

We were totally "those people!"

Fish Hook

Some of the craziness.

Gettin' down!

And here are a few of my favorite quotes.  To protect those involved, names are sometimes not included.  :)

You can pour it on me, you can pour it in me, but I'm not drinking that sh**!

(BFF's dad when he could not get the timing right while dancing the sprinlker.)  Screw that kind of sprinkler.  I'm a soaker! (He then proceeded to run up to someone on the dance floor and basically just stand there making jazz hands that were his soaker).

Guy #1:  I don't think I should take that shot.
Guy #2:  If you can still think, you can take it.
Guy #1:  Is that trash can still over there?

Me:  Are you okay, buddy?
Guy #1 (who took the above mentioned tequila shot and then sat in silence for at least 10 minutes turning kinda green):  We're not out of the woods yet.

Cop:  Do you know it's illegal to have that beer out here?
Guy:  No sir I did not.
Cop:  Well you can't have it.
Guy (looking like a light bulb went off and holding the beer out like a gift):  Oh, here, do you want it?

And although they are not quotes, I have to share the remarkable dance moves of BFF's dad and his Cousin Phil.  They started some random nonsense where they would get on opposite ends of the dance floor and basically look like they were fencing all the way across the dance floor.  We have no idea.  After that, Cousin Phil started jumping around non stop and fist pumping in the air while yelling, "Hey, Ho, Hey, Ho."  This caught on and pretty soon we were all doing it as well.

Saturday - Wedding Preparation

And then it was the big wedding day.  I can tell you now that things are far, far less stressful on the groom's side of a wedding.  We slept in, played some guitar, the guys went swimming, we had pizza for lunch, the groom took a nap....it was awesome.  At the church the guys room was pretty much just people hanging around shooting the breeze, playing the piano, and leaving for a little tailgate, while the girl's room was crazy busy and smelled like hairspray and stress.  Boys totally have the better end of that deal!

BFF's cousin:  We knew this had to be the right church, because only our family would be tailgating before a wedding.

Me (taking pictures on a lawn):  My darn shoes keep sinking into this grass.
Kiddo:  You're also standing in a pile of dog crap.

Photographer:  So you have two brothers and no sisters?
BFF and Kiddo in unison:  Well, Tiff counts.

Photographer:  I need the groomsmen and ma'ams over here.  I've never said that before.


The groosmen gifts were the brown cowboy hats...
I got a necklace with a silver cowboy hat on it.  Love it!

Saturday - Wedding Ceremony and Reception
The wedding was beautiful and the reception was an absolute blast.  Everyone just had a great time talking and dancing and eating and drinking....totally laid back, just the way I like it!

Are they not the cutest thing you've ever seen?

OSU Photo

Cousin Phil (walking me to the dance floor for a waltz):  This is a waltz, people, either get to waltzing or get the hell out of our way!

BFF's dad (after exiting the dance floor halfway through the wobble):  I had to leave when Cousin Phil quit.  So long as he was out there, there was no chance anyone would be watching me.

Me (trying to tip the bartender when the computer would only let me select a percentage):  What is this percent crap? You know I have had enough Seven and Sevens to need a number, not a percent.

Saturday - Reception After Party
And then, because we're not quitters, we headed back to the Bachelor Party location for another evening of fun.

Cousin Phil  (when they announced the last song):  We have two more minutes, we're going to own this dance floor!

Random guy by the bathroom when he saw me in my groomsma'am dress:  Were you at a prom?

BFF's friend after watching me reinact the fencing dance:  You're really rockin' that groomsma'am dress.

BFF's little cousin after I told his girlfriend he was an excellent dancer:  If things don't work out with us, I know who I'm going after!

Sunday - The Morning After
And then, it was the day after.  I felt like I had been hit by a train.  I mean I was literally sore like I was after I ran the half marathon.  My feet hurt, my legs ached, my stomach muscles were sore.  Shutting down the bar two nights in a row used to be normal....now it takes me a week to recover.

I knew I wasn't looking pretty, but I didn't know how bad until I was at a truck stop for a little pit stop and a hairy, dirty trucker looked at me and said, "Looks like you had fun last night."  Yikes.

Guess that summed up the weekend!  I had THE best time with BFF and Mrs. BFF and his family.  They treat me like one of their own and I could not have asked for a better group to take me in.  I love you guys!

Throwback Thursday #60: Roadtrip with Gran

"What children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance.  They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, lessons in life.  And, most importantly, cookies."  ~Rudolph Giuliani

In May 2003, I ventured out on a journey. A 6 hour drive from Logan to San Angelo, Texas for Cousin Whitney's high school graduation. With Gran along to ride shot gun. Not everyone gets to take a roadtrip like this....and one year later, Gran would pass away. I count this trip among my favorite memories.

Before we left the house she gave me this big lecture about how her bladder wasn't very good and she was going to have to stop to use the bathroom and if I wasn't going to stop when she needed to she wasn't going. I assured her I was not some driving Nazi and if she had to pee, we could stop!
 

And off we went. When we got to Levelland, Texas, we made our pit stop at Burger King. We headed to the bathroom....where Gran proceeds not to take care of her poor bladder.....but to light up a cigarette. I tell her that she can't smoke in there and shoo her out, cigarette in one hand dragging her walker along in the other.  She finished it on the curb before we hit the road.  (I should tell you that Gran thought she had kept her smoking habit secret for years by smoking on her porch and hiding the hand holding the cigarette whenever the kids went by the house. Unfortunately for her, she didn't have stupid grandchildren.)
 

Once we arrived in Texas, Gran's antics only continued. Cousin Whitney has another cousin (other side of her family) who is a bit (a LOT) OCD. She can't handle anyone touching her food or the dishes that she will use and is really particular about things. Now Gran was a lot of things.....but tolerant of people's crap was not one of them. After the OCD chick pitched some sort of fit in the kitchen, Gran kicked me under the table. I looked over at her and there she sat with the lid to OCD girl's water bottle and she was rubbing her grubby little hands all over it. When she finished, she set it back on the table and watched with pride and accomplishment as OCD girl screwed the lid back onto her bottle. You didn't want to get on Gran's bad side.
 

After the graduation everyone was sitting around at Cousin Whitney's house and we had a toast to her. Gran, ever the center of attention, stood up in the center of the room and announced that she had a toast to make. I was expecting something about the value of education or family or something really deep. I'll be darned if that little old lady didn't stand there in front of the room full of church friends and proudly say, "Here's to those who wish you well. Those who don't can go to hell." That, folks, was Gran-style.
 

If I had the trip to do over, I'd pay more attention. I'd remember everything we talked about for the whole 6 hours. I would have asked her so many more questions about life and love and making decisions. About friendship and travel and grief.  Because if there is any person in the world who I'd like to be like when I'm 80 (or any other age, for that matter), it's my Gran.

Make a Wish...

Christmas This Year

"This Christmas, we ask you, heal us, help us, be born anew in us." ~Max Lucado

I know that I blogged about the tragedy at Sandy Hook yesterday, and I hate to keep rehashing this, but I had a couple of more thoughts that I wanted to share.  Most dealing with how we square what happened on Friday with the upcoming celebration of Christmas.  I have to admit knee jerk reaction is to think that I just don't feel like a bunch of Christmas celebrations this year, but I know that's wrong.  It's because of the darkness in the world that we need Christmas.  As I blogged about last year, Christmas arrives in the darkest, coldest time of the year.  And even in such darkness--in a world where we suffer the horror of last Friday--Christmas provides a little light, and a little hope.  And because of that, we must celebrate.

1.  Here is a beautiful prayer from Max Lucado as we try and square the violence of Friday with the upcoming celebration of Christmas next week.  Here is a portion:

Your world seems a bit darker this Christmas. But you were born in the dark, right? You came at night. The shepherds were nightshift workers. The Wise Men followed a star. Your first cries were heard in the shadows. To see your face, Mary and Joseph needed a candle flame. It was dark. Dark with Herod's jealousy. Dark with Roman oppression. Dark with poverty. Dark with violence.  Herod went on a rampage, killing babies. Joseph took you and your mom into Egypt. You were an immigrant before you were a Nazarene.

Oh, Lord Jesus, you entered the dark world of your day. Won't you enter ours? We are weary of bloodshed. We, like the wise men, are looking for a star. We, like the shepherds, are kneeling at a manger.

This Christmas, we ask you, heal us, help us, be born anew in us.

2.  This is a touching blog asking where God is in such a dark Christmas, and answering the question, simply, that He is in our hearts:

His heart this weekend is in us.
in our weeping and moaning and wounded doubts,
in the places where we don’t believe —
when our believing runs out, God’s loving runs on —
His inexplicable love
somehow beating unstoppable.

3.  This article about Christmas colliding with tragedy, that concludes this way:

Nothing we can say or do will ease the pain. Nothing will justify the shootings, or make any sense of it. But make no mistake—when Jesus came to earth, it was so that He could set in motion events that would culminate in a Kingdom where there is no more crying or grief. Where there are no senseless murders. Where the world will finally be new. And where the meaning of Christmas—the true meaning of Christmas—will finally be made joyfully, wholly evident.

And until that day, there is no better way to mourn the victims of a confusing, evil world and to celebrate the birth of a strange, wonderful child than to enter into the darkness ourselves, and shine a light.

4.  These thoughts from a priest in Philadelphia.  Here is part of his blog:

In these final days of Advent, the Church urges us to lift up our hearts and prepare to rejoice.  There’s nothing remotely naïve in this call to joy; the Church knows the harshness of the world far too well for empty pieties.  The evil in the world is bitter and brutal, but it’s not new.  Nor, in the light of human history, is it a surprise.  Yet in the Old Testament, the Song of Songs tells us that “love is strong as death,” and in God’s redeeming plan, love is stronger than death.  The surprise is the persistence of God’s fidelity and mercy. The surprise is that, despite our sins, we still long to be the people God intended us to be.

Christmas is the birthday of Jesus Christ, our Emmanuel, a name that means “God with us.”  The surprise is that God sends his own Son into a dark world to bring us light and hope.  So it has been with every generation since Bethlehem.  So it remains — even now.

5.  This blog that is maybe the best explanation I've ever heard about God's will in situations like this.  Here is my favorite part:

First, it’s not God’s will. Evil is the absence of God, meaning this is the opposite of His will.

But God also draws good out of evil events. Sorrow is a hole in the heart, and grace rushes in to fill it. “The world breaks everyone,” Hemingway wrote, “and afterwards, many are strong at the broken places.” There is a wound in Newtown. Forty wounded parents of young children. Eighty grandparents. Hundreds more brothers, sisters, husbands, friends, cousins, teachers, pastors, school mates: each person touching so many lives. Grief rippling outward, growing exponentially, until thousands of people have a direct connection to this tragedy.

It’s worse, of course, for the parents: theirs souls torn, their minds wrenched. The sorrow will be unbearable at times. Some will not recover. None will ever recover completely. The scars will never fade, and they never should; neither on them, nor on us. But there will be healing, and there will be grace: the grace that we only allow to enter at the broken places.

Second, God is not “out of the schools” because bureaucrats made some rules about prayer. God was in the heart of every child in that school, and no doubt in the hearts of many of the teachers. God is where we are, and the folly of the  fundamentalists (of both the atheist and Christian varieties) is to think legislation can somehow change that.

Too Much For My Heart

"But Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.'" ~Matthew 19:14

Over the weekend, I had several hours in the car to try and get my thoughts together after the horrible, senseless tragedy that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School last Friday.  What I've figured out is that I cannot get my head around any of it.  I can't watch the coverage on the news, I can't look at the pictures of those lost on the internet, I can't fathom 20 funerals with tiny caskets, and I can't really spend too much time thinking about the hell that broke out in those classrooms...because it's just too much for my heart.  And what I know is that if it's too much for my 29 year old heart, it's certainly too much for the hearts of those children and teachers who were in that school on Friday. 

In thinking about those children, I think about the ones in my own life.  Little kids like that should be busy learning songs about being thankful for being able to play baseball, and eating too many M&Ms and smiling for the camera and jumping on beds and learning to tackle like the football players on ESPN and seeing Santa Claus and repeating what noises farm animals make and coloring and having nap time.

Last Friday, the innocence of children--both those inside that school and those outside--was stolen by the inexcusable actions of one man.  I hope that today you will join me in praying for all of those people who lost loved ones on Friday, for all of the children, teachers and staff who were in that school who walked out alive but changed forever, for the family of the shooter (to read a heartwrenching article from that perspective, click here), for the police and paramedics who had to see the horror in that building, and for all of the children in your life. 

And, as Fr. Steve so eloquently said yesterday, as inspired by St. John, may we all put love in this world so in need of it.  "Where there is no love, put love, and you will find love."  We cannot do much to help heal the pain that our nation feels in the shadow of last Friday, but we can love.  And that is something.

May God provide comfort, faith, and peace to all.  And, may Cardinal Bernardin's analysis that I shared last week be true:  May love conquer death; faith conquer hatred; and compassion conquer cruelty.

Happy Wedding Day Eve

"Friendship isn't a big thing, it's a million little things."

I was trying to come up with my favorite memory of BFF to share today, but I gave up on that idea pretty quickly.  Because one memory doesn't do us justice. 

It's all of it--the golf lessons that ended with him screaming at me, the crazy nights at the Penny, the Oreo ice cream therapy sessions, the games of spoons, the Fiesta Bowl, the weekend in Napa, the promise of always being "pro BFF", all his loads of laundry washed at my college apartment, him trying to drown me while canoeing down the river in California, thousands of football analyzing text messages, the flowers on Valentine's Day every year--that has added up to the best friendship that you can imagine.  It's the big things, and the little things, and all of the things in between.

And tomorrow, when he marries the girl who makes him happier than any one else ever has, well there's no place else I'd rather be than standing  by his side.  I'm all over this groomsma'am thing.  Happy Wedding Day Eve to my best friend in the world.  No one deserves to be happy more than you.  Now let's do this thing!

Me, BFF and the soon-to-be Mrs. BFF

Friday Book Club: November Reads

Today I've got two great books to share with you guys!  Linking up with Friday Book Club.

The Journey to Peace by Joseph Cardinal Bernardin

My sweet friend who we'll call Super Mom gave me this book for my birthday.  She proclaimed it one of her favorites, so I knew that it had to be great.  It's a collection of homilies given by Joseph Cardinal Bernardin on various topics related to the stations of the cross.  I read one chapter a day and thought that the book was amazing.  As I always do, I wanted to share a few of my favorite quotes.

"Cardinal Bernardin was not afraid to live, and therefore he did not fear death."

"For Jesus' followers, love--by God's standards--is measured not by the peace and happiness it brings to theone who loves; rather, by the peace and happiness it brings to the one who is loved."

"Is our faith strong enough to act out and live on?"

"There are times when, like simon of Cyrenee, I do not want to work in your vineyard.  When I just want to rest a while rather than help a neighbor with a burden that is not exactly mine.  Help me to say yes to  your call so that I can help those I encounter on my journey."

"We minister to others by gestures as simple as listening and as intimate as picking them up when they fall."

"We build God's kingdom as we strive to put the gospel message into practice in our every day lives."

"In the final analysis, love is stronger than death.  Faith is stronger than hatred.  Comprassion will outlast cruelty." 

 

Notre Dame Inspriations by Hannah Storm

I sort of have three categories of collectables I keep from my various travels. One of those is books (the other two are Christmas tree ornaments and cups, FYI) so while we were at Notre Dame I knew I wanted to get a book for my collection at the bookstore. I settled upon Notre Dame Inspirations by Hannah Storm. First off, I love Hannah Storm from her work on NBC Sports and the Olympics. Second off, It has a great picture of the golden dome on the front. Third, it's full of stories from famous alumni. So in my stack of stuff to purchase it went.

I thought this book was great. It's a collection of memories and stories from all sorts of alumni---from priests to rabbis to football players to authors doctors to motivational speakers---you name it. What did they all have in common? A sincere love and appreciation for Notre Dame. It was a great read. 

"Somewhere along the way at Notre Dame was understanding the fact that your Christian faith obliges you not to just kneel down and pray, but to stand up and do." -Phil Donahue

(Rabbi Albert Poltkin's father convincing him to go to Notre Dame): "What do you mean it's too Catholic? The Lady on top of that dome is Jewish. Don't foret it, because that's our claim to glory. Catholics and Jews are the two closest religions. We are spiritual brothers."

"When I would go to bed at night, I would read my Hebrew prayers and Bob (his roomate) would go with his rosary. I thought, boy, this is a combination that's one of a kind." -Rabbi Albert Poltkin

"Talent is a trust which no man has the right to ignore." -Johnny Lujack

"I always made it a point, right after our evening meal, to go down to the Grotto and thank the Good Lord and our marvelous Mary down there for me going to Notre Dame." -Johnny Lujack

"Whenever I go to Notre Dame, it gives me a warm feeling of faith in humankind. Everything that's good and decent and fair is right there on that campus--I can feel it in the air." -Regis Philbin

"Always be grateful for the opporutnity to serve." -Fr. Jenkins

"Al Sondej was a witness to me and my classmates about the poor, about the Sermon on the Mount. He worked in the dining hall, making his own meal from the leftovers. Every day, he stood outside the dining hall at mealtime collecgint change from students to help feed the world's hungry. He never took on a judgmental air or an air of moral superiority. He was always smiling and thankful for our quarters. Seeing him every day taught me what it means to have a vocation and to offer witness simply and quietly." -Fr. Jenkins

"I hate losing more than I like to win." -Joe Montana

"Listen, we've got a University named after a woman, who also happens to be the Mother of God, so I find it a bit inconceviable that at Her university she looks down and all she sees are men." - Fr. Hesburgh (on opening Notre Dame to women)

"My advice is that life is full of problems, and you need to help." -Fr. Hesburgh

"The death of a dream brings into question yoru own thoughts about reality, about what you can really do. And it's not always what you dreamed you could do. It's different." - Nicholas Sparks

Thoughts from an Outsider: National Finals Rodeo Rounds 1-5.

"Riders had two choices: Cowboy Up or go home. If cowboys didn't look past their injuries, the rodeo would no longer exist. Everyone rode hurt; it was the nature of the sport." ~A Thousand Tomorrows

It's been a while since I've done a Thoughts from an Outsider post, so here we go.  It's pretty much my favorite 10 days of the year.....the NFR.  For you non-country folks, that's the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.  You can bet that I'm parked in front of my tv from 8-10:30 every night without fail.  Here are a few of my thoughts from Rounds 1-5.

1.  Let's talk about the fact that a couple of the bull doggers are former college football players.  Good looking guys, wearing Cinch jeans and square toed boots, who ride horses, and make tackles?  Sign me up.  You know he also loves Jesus and his mama.  Can't beat it.  Who can introduce me?

2.  I love me some Charmayne James.  She was a 10 time IN A ROW world champion barrel racer on probably the best barrel horse ever, Scamper.  She's got a little work to do as a tv rodeo announcer.....but I'm hoping she'll get there.  First night she said "um" more than any other word, but by Round 5 she was doing much better!

3.  I have blogged about this horse before, and I realize that he's not been doing that well so far at the finals, but my love for Duke still remains.  That, kids, is a beautiful horse.

4.  Tuf Cooper.  He used to look like some snot nosed little kid (albeit one who was winning gold buckles) but now he looks like he's turned into a grown up.  My money is on this kid.  Although Cody Ohl looked pretty salty in Round 3!

5.  Mary Walker.  Y'all.  This lady is 53 years old and won the first three rounds in a row at the NFR...and it's her first appearance.  Last year, she was seriously injured when her horse fell on her, and as if that wasn't bad enough, she lost her son in a car accident.  This lady deserves some good, and it looks like she just might get it.  Read her full story here. 

6.  New Mexico has been represented quite well, especially by Mr. Taos Mucy who won the first round of saddle bronc.

7.  Poor Patrick Smith ropes for a reason.  Because he's not a saddle bronc rider.  Check this out in the grand entry (I blame the show girls).  The best part?  Same horse bucked with the flag girl the next night.  She stayed on.  Just saying.

Family Photo Session

“What I love most about my home is who I share it with.” ~ Tad Carpenter

Linking up with Kelly's Korner!

My mom, bless her heart, is the hardest person in the world to buy a Christmas present for.  It can best be described by the year she wanted plates.  "Not round, but square.  But not white.  Oh, and no flowers.  But not too modern.  And I don't like blue.  But, I mean, whatever you kids can find."  Yea....those don't exist.

But this year, I think we finally got it right.  We decided to hire our friend Carrie to come and take family photos of us on the ranch.  I knew that Carrie would do a good job and thought there were a couple of cool places to take pictures, but I had NO idea that these pictures would be so amazing.  (If you're in New Mexico and need a photographer, let me know and I'll get you in touch with her...she did great!)

So here are a few of my favorites.  Which one do you guys like best?