Let's Talk Wedding Dresses.

“Over the years I have learned that what is important in a dress is the woman who is wearing it.” ~Yves Saint-Laurent

Okay, kids.  Let's talk wedding dresses. 

First off.....y'all know I'm an expert bridesmaid by this point, but come December, this guy is going to turn me into a groomsman. 

State Fair Steer Show

Well, I'm deeming myself a groomsma'am, but whatev.  So....I'm on the hunt for a chocolate brown dress to wear while I stand with the boys in BFF's wedding.  I need something that's cute, but not too overwhelming since I'll be standing with dudes in khakis, white shirts, and brown vests.  The wedding is in December, so the dress needs to be long.  And I'm chubby, so we're going for slimming.  Now that you know the criteria,  I've come up with a few options, but need some input!  Comment with your favorite below.

Option #1:  This is my favorite, but it's kinda pricey.  Are the flowers too much?

Option #2:  I found this one trying to find a knock off version of Option #1.  I kinda like it.

Option #3:  I'm a little on the fence about this one.

Option #4:  I like that this one is shiny.

Option #5:  I mostly just like the price tag on this one.

Option #6:  This one is kinda different....but I'm not sure I'm sold.

Second.....and on to the main event.  College Roomie, her future mother in law, her friend Neighbor, and myself all headed to the bridal shop on Monday to check out dress options.  After my involvement in the engagement, I wasn't going to miss out on this part.  I don't think of myself as too much of a typical girl dreaming about her wedding, but turn me loose in a room full of white dresses and sparkly beads and some switch gets flipped.  I wanted to make my own appointment just in case I ever meet Mr. Right.  Or heck, in case I don't.  I still want to try on those dresses!

But anyway, back to the task at hand.....here are a few of the dresses that College Roomie tried on.  Of course, she l looked stunning in every single dress she put on.  She should be a wedding dress model or something.  In the end, we narrowed it down to two dresses, but she will not be telling anyone her final decision until the wedding day.  Kinda fun, right?  I gave them all fun names because, well, I'm cool like that.

Dress #1:  The Neck Net

Dress #2:  Grace (after Grace Kelly)

Grace again...the back.

Dress #3:  Audrey (as in Hepburn)

Dress #4:  The Little Mermaid (the top reminded me of a mermaid)

Dress #5:  Fake Straps (it's really strapless but they clamped on straps.

 Please vote for your favorite below.  College Roomie will be listening.  Mine, for the record, is Grace.

Family Farm Friday #74: A Legacy

“Everyone must leave something behind when he dies . . . Something your hand touched some way so your soul has somewhere to go when you die . . . It doesn't matter what you do, so long as you change something from the way it was before you touched it into something that's like you after you take your hands away.” ~ Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

It takes a long time and a lot of hard work to leave a legacy.

 

Back in the 1930's, my grandpa showed sheep.

In the 1950's, my grandpa and Gran bought our farm and started their own flock. 

 

In the 1960's and 1970's, my dad raised and showed lambs. 

 

In 1993, I showed my first home grown lamb at the county fair.  He ran over me in the ring, was not good, but somehow made the sale. 

I was quite the stylish child...stone washed shorts and red rockies.  Awesome.

In 1996, I went to my first State Fair.  I said then that I wanted to win a class there with a lamb we raised.  Everyone probably thought I was crazy.

In 2003, I won that class at the New Mexico State Fair with a lamb we raised.  The crazy girl's dream came true.

In 2006, Little Brother and Princess won Grand Champion at the Quay County Fair. 

In 2007, our adorable little blonde friend did the same thing at her very first lamb show with a cross we raised.  She was 9 years old.

In 2011, we won a class at the Arizona National Stock Show.

We've had lots of County Fair Grand Champions, State Fair class winners, and New Mexico Bred winners over the years.

But last week, when that little blonde friend, now all grown up, won our first ever breed champion at the State Fair. 

When I watched our little blonde friend jump up and down over winning that buckle, I felt like doing the same thing to celebrate what it meant to me.  That belt buckle she won is so much more than a belt buckle.

It's three generations.  Countless days and nights spent in a barn.  19 years since I first set foot in a show ring.  It's nights spent deciding breeding strategies.  It's wash rack moments.  It's trips to buy sheep with Mr. Franklin.  It's surviving "fair mode" and "crunch time."  It's getting up at 2 in the morning to go check ewes in the snow during lambing season and father/son road trips to Iowa to buy a ram and mom's non-stop bidding on ewe lambs at auctions.  It's dealing with ringworm on your arm, losing the starting setter spot after State Fair, and countless injuries to my poor face.  It's buying trailers full of hay and truck loads full of feed.  It's jumping in wool sacks and the sound of a quirt and Gran's playground whistle and barn red branding paint.  Wade's coaching and Dad's "meth lab" (what we called the feed room with all the different stuff we fed) and only taking vacations that involved stock shows and trailers.  It was my Gran and her two teenage sons keeping the farm going after my grandpa died.  It's friends and customers who have become like family to us. 

 

It's a legacy.  One dating back to the 1930's.  And one of which I think my grandparents would be pretty proud.

What I'm Loving Wednesday

"People tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will descend like fine weather if you're fortunate. But happiness is the result of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly.” ~Elizabeth Gilbert

It's Wednesday.  Halfway to the weekend.  I'm loving some stuff.  That's all.

*ONE*  This article about OSU Defensive End Cooper Bassett befriending a six year old girl with cancer.  Melt.  My.  Heart.  Is this dude single?  Because I'd marry him tomorrow.  This is what it's all about, folks.

*TWO*  Brett-Brett and Mrs. Texas' wedding was featured in Society Bride.  Who would have ever though I'd be a bridesmaid in that kind of wedding??  No one.  That's who.

There we are...I'm the one who needs to hit up a beach to get a darn tan!

*THREE*  That Soldier Cousin graduates from Boot Camp tomorrow.  We're so proud of him. 

I'm a little concerned for Ft. Jackson, South Carolina, however.  My mom and aunts arrived yesterday for the graduation and these three together......well.....let's just see how this plays out!

*FOUR*  I've got a blog about the State Fair sheep show coming up, but I don't want to leave out the fact that we raised a steer that made the sale!  Not too bad for sheep people playing in the show steer business!

*FIVE*  This article about game day in Stillwater from the perspective of opposing fans.  Just further proof that Stillwater really is the Happiest Place on Earth.  Even opposing teams think so.

*SIX*  That my insane travel plans for my 30th birthday next year might actually be doable.  Check out this little tour that proves it.  The main places on my list are Berlin, Auschwitz, Warsaw and Prague.  But if I can throw in Vienna, Budapest, Krakow....well who am I to say no?  Anyone want to join me?

*SEVEN*  In two weeks, I'm headed to South Bend with two of my favorite ladies to hit up a Notre Dame football game, spend too much money at the ND bookstore, eat some pretzel pancakes and see ND Friend.  Could not be more excited!  Go Irish!

*EIGHT*  This blog with some great step-by-step advice for guys.  It's perfect.  As a bit of an old fashioned girl, I'm a firm believer in this list!  Here are a couple of my favorite paragraphs.

"You tell her.  Not in a text. Not even on the phone. You tell her when, and only when, you can see the green in her pupils. The birthmark on her neck. You tell her when your palms are sweaty and your words don’t feel like they hold an ounce of eloquence. You tell her, even when the whole thing could collapse at any moment on any one of your syllables. She might reject you. She might turn away. But you need to say it all the same."

"You recognize.  That what you feel is very good. That we– the fleshy messes that we are– were made for these kinds of feelings. The Overwhelming. The Anxiety. The Goodness of Falling in Love. In Finding a Someone Who Soon Becomes Your Only One. You let the feelings own you for a little while, break you down to dust for a girl who weakens your knees in the very best way. You recognize. Not everyone has this. Most people want this. They might be lying if they tell you different. You recognize that it is good, very good. The Best Stuff in Life."

You May Say I'm A Dreamer....

Perspective

"Start breaking my heart for what breaks Yours.  Give me open hands and open doors.  Put Your light in my eyes and let me see, that my own little world is not about me." ~ Matthew West, "My Own Little World"

I whine about not being able to find the shoes I want.    I talk about my job being stressful and flights being delayed on trips and not liking the way that I look in a swim suit. I complain about having a stuffy nose or about being sore after a run.  I get jealous of the girls on "Say Yes To The Dress" and get my feelings hurt when boys don't call.

Sometimes in the middle of our comfortable little lives, God smacks us with a big ol' dose of perspective.

Photo via

Last week, I did a Make-a-Wish interview.  I met a mom who was about my age.  She had her hands full with four kiddos, one of whom has a life threatening disease.  What was her request? A bed that would let her child be more comfortable.  She talked about saving up money for a month to take her kids to the State Fair.  She described "Sunday Funday" where she took her girls out to have quality time with their mom every week, but had to watch how much money they spent.  She told me she has never been on a "real" vacation.  But she loves those kids and makes sacrifices every day to make sure that are happy and taken care of and feel special.

Perspective, anyone?

No Idea How Much We Miss You

“I guess by now I should know enough about loss to realize that you never really stop missing someone-you just learn to live around the huge gaping hole of their absence.”  ~ Alyson Noel, Evermore

Three years ago tomorrow, my world changed when we lost Mr. Franklin.  Each year since then, I've written about him on that day.  About how there are some questions for which no answers exist and about how he always looks over my shoulder. 

So when this year rolled around, I started thinking about some of my favorite Mr. Franklin moments.  You've read about a lot of the big ones.  The first lamb sale.  Chasing me with scissors.  The golf cart page at the last lamb sale.  The food poisoning ordeal. 

But there are some smaller moments that were just as good.  I thought that today I'd share three of those moments--one for each year that he's been gone. 

1.  My junior year, we had the FFA banquet at night.  My friend KP burned a cd to play while everyone was eating.  So immediately after the prayer, KP runs over and presses play on the cd player.  And over the loud speaker, you hear the unmistakeable crack of a beer can openining.  Out blasts, "Pop a top, again."  You've never seen a little man move as fast as Mr. Franklin did going to push "skip" on that cd player.  Poor KP never got to dj again.

2.  Mr. Franklin took some strange pride in driving the oldest, most beat up, crappiest school vehicle that you can imagine.  We'd leave the brand new, shiny suburban in the barn and leave town in a 1970's model station wagon.  So the day we rolled up to District Judging in the brand new Ford Excursion, several ag teachers came over to see what the heck was going on.  They asked how he got to drive something like this.  He answered, "This is what happens when you sleep with the superintendent, boys."  (Just to be clear, Mrs. Franklin was the superintendent.)

3.  It was the spring of my freshman year of college, and I was home for a weekend.  We were looking at lambs in the first pen under the lamb barn at Mr. Franklin's house.  I was sitting on a bucket while everyone looked at lambs and shot the breeze.  Mr. Franklin walked over and kicked the bucket, and knocked me off.  Then he helped me off the ground, hugged me with tears in his eyes and said, "You have no idea how much we miss you." 

Ditto.  That pretty much sums up the way I feel today.

Oh Wells

Happy Birthday, Dad!

"My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person.  He believed in me."  ~Jim Valvano

I think a case could be made that I'm a bit of a Daddy's Girl.

I'm one of the lucky ones who can honestly say my Dad is my favorite person in the world.  He can fix anything, out ski and out dance anyone, and is always the life of the party.  He'll give you the shirt off his back, learned rules of evidence to watch my mock trials, and is the most competitive person I know.  There's no better example of how to be a dad.

And today is his birthday. 

So.....everyone say Happy Birthday, Dad!

This Is Your Life...

Letters To Mr. Right: Letter #13

"Pick me.  Choose me.  Love me."  ~Meredith Grey

Dear Mr. Right,

It's been engagement and wedding central around here. 

Sometimes I get frustrated when it feels like I'll be waiting forever.  But the idea that someone....you....would pick me out of all the girls in the world?  That makes my heart happy. 

You'll pick me, even though I shed all over the bathroom sink when I comb my hair.  Even with the wrinkles around my eyes and the scar on my leg and the extra few pounds around my waist.  Even though I'll freak out if you ever touch me with your bare feet.  Even though I talk far too loudly and too quickly when I get excited.  Even though I hate folding laundry and had to disconnect the smoke alarm in order to cook dinner and can't fall asleep with the tv on. 

Even though no one else has picked me in the last 28 years, you'll pick me.  And I'll pick you.  In the end, that's really all that matters.

Waiting for that day,

Me



*Linking up with Friday Letters.  Read the past 12 letters to Mr. Right here.

Full

"Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.”  ~ Marcus Aurelius

Recently, someone asked me, "So, how's life?"  I thought about it for a while, and the only word I could think to use was "full."  It's full of so many wonderful people and experiences and blessings that I certainly do not deserve. 

It's full of fun trips and bucket list checkmarks.  Full of dinners with friends and cards to put in the mail and phone calls every night.  It's full of hugs and family reunions and sitting in the stands at football games.  Full of being twirled on a dance floor and singing karaoke on a random Saturday night and happy memories of people who I've lost.  Full of Bible studies and birthday parties and babies calling me Aunt Tiff.  It's full of cute heels and prayers and my favorite Red Dirt Music.  Full of sheep shows and ski trips and St. Patrick's Day in Chicago. 

But mostly, it's full of love.  Because while I may not be married, I've experienced more love in my 28 years than a lot of people experience in a lifetime. 

My life is full. And I wouldn't trade that for anything.

Weekend Update

"Whoever said it's not whether you win or lose, probably lost."  ~Martina Navaratilova

I had a weekend at home....with not a whole lot to do.....can you believe it?  I don't even know the last time that happened!  It's pretty boring, but here's the recap.

Football:  Okay, we lost.  Let's just get that out there right now because it is what it is.  That's what happens when your defense decides not to show up and your receivers can't catch passes that the quarterback puts right in their hands and you set a school record for penalties (I didn't even know we kept track of this).  One can only hope that we get it together and never look like that again.  That's all I have to say about that.

Food:  My dear friend Mrs. Chocolate Brown has got me focued on nutrition with a new meal plan.  I started yesterday.  So far, so good. :)  In order to follow this baby, I did a little cooking over the weekend.  I made a pizza crust out of cauliflower (good, but stuck to the pan and set off the smoke alarm that was disconnected--how does that happen?), homeade chicken and dumplings--to die for, a big ol' pot of oatmeal for the week, and a batch of super easy and amazing energy bites--recipe from Mrs. Chocolate Brown.  I'll keep you guys informed!

Cauliflower crust pizza

Friends:  Yesterday was SoulMate Friend's birthday.  I was thinking back to how we met---through a mutual friend whom neither of us are close to anymore---and realize that God brings us the people that we need in our lives through whatever means he has to use.  And he knew I needed her....and her adorable little family!

Fun Runs:  I got all signed up for three different runs.  The first is the Hot Chocolate 5K with College Roomie. We get a mug of chocolate fondue and a wind jacket.  We're in.  Plus, she's my favorite running buddy and refuses to run with me unless there is a race upcoming.  I tricked her into this one.  The second is the Dirty Girl Mud Run in Dallas in October with a bunch of the ladies in my family---including the famous Aunt Evil Kineval and Aunt Delta Dawn.  Dallas has no idea what they're in for.  The third is a virtual 5K benefitting The Little Flower Project , a non-profit that cares for orphans with illnesses in China.  I'll be running this baby on the campus of Notre Dame when I'm there for a game in October.  Soooo excited!  (To sign up to join in wherever you are, just click here!)

Fail:  Sometimes, boys make me crazy.  Seems like for lots of girls in my life, this past week was one that drove that point home.  Was it a full moon or something?  But we're hanging in there, because one day we'll find the right one and it'll all make sense.  Speaking of, I think it's time for another Letter to Mr. Right.  I'll get that baby done on Thursday.

Other Stuff:  I couldn't think of a word that started with the letter "f" for this category.  Anyway, I was crazy productive this weekend.  Every bit of laundry is clean and put away.  My dishes are washed.  My bills are paid.  My house is clean.  I should have taken a picture, because with my crazy life, this kind of thing doesn't happen very often!

Finally:  And lastly, I'll leave you with a picture I took of the sunset on Saturday night.  Nothing like a cool fall night and a beautiful southwestern sunset.  Life is good!