Weekend Report

This weekend I went to Ft. Worth to meet up with The Boy from Texas, our friend Smooth Talker, and his girlfriend.  We pretty much hung out, ate, watched movies, ate, played golf, ate, hung out, ate.  I seriously think I gained 10 pounds.  I didn't do a very good job of photography, but here are a few snapshots from the fun.

 

Dinner on Friday night

Yummy lunch on Saturday

 

Saturday afternoon we headed out for a little golfing.  It was kinda breezy, but sunny and not too hot. Pretty good day for the course.  Plus, when you shanked one off to the right, it was easy to respond with, "Dang wind!" rather than, "I suck."

 

Obligatory golf cart selfie.

Someone ended up in the sand.

The brain trust.

Me swinging away.

 

So then Smooth Talker decided to give his girlfriend--who had never played--lessons.  He was all intent showing her how to stand and what to visualize and talking about angles and straight arms and right in the middle of his all serious speech she says, "Um, can't I just hit it?"  Might have been my favorite part of the weekend.

 

 And here was the best photo of the weekend.  The celebratory chest bump.  Looks like someone got a hole in one, no?  (Actually, someone--my boyfriend--just sunk a putt.  We'll take what we can get.

Oh yes, and here is my golf swing in pictures.  Any golf coaches in the audience please feel free to teach away!

Random Church Wandering

“Please be a traveler, not a tourist. Try new things, meet new people, and look beyond what’s right in front of you. Those are the keys to understanding this amazing world we live in.” ~Andrew Zimmern

I've got a bit of a habit of wandering into random churches when I travel.  I love churches--especially old ones--so it's always fun to see a new church in a new city.

Doing this has led me into a bunch of really cool situations.  I was able to be there for the Feast Day of the Infant of Prague and to pray right before the very statue.  It's taken me to a rosary kneeling before the bones of St. Faustina in Poland.  To a quiet vigil in San Francisco.  Quiet moments at St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe.  And last month, I stumbled upon an evening prayer meeting  at a beautiful Episcopal church in Indianapolis, where they invited me right up to the alter, handed me a book, and off we went.

I think that these experiences have served two purposes for me.  The first is that I've been able to see God everywhere--different buildings, different denominations, different countries, different types of services.  I find it uplifting and inspiring that He truly is everywhere!  The other, and this one is really important for a planner like me, is that I've learned that some of the best things you'll see in life are those you just stumble upon.  It's okay to throw away the itinerary, turn off the cell phone, put down the map, and just see what you see.

Give it a try the next time you're on the road...

Saint John Paul II

“I plead with you--never, ever give up on hope, never doubt, never tire, and never become discouraged. Be not afraid.” ~ Saint John Paul II

I'm a confessed Pope John Paul II junkie.  It all started when I was tutoring some Catholic kiddos while I was in high school and one of them had to write a report on the then-Pope.  Without question, this is one of those small moments that had an enormous impact on the person who I am today.  A simple book report started what has now been over a decade and a half devotion to this Polish Pope.

This has continued for years and I always loved to hear reports of his speeches, I read his books, I watched documentaries about his papacy, I just loved it all.

I will never forget the days during which so many held vigil as he neared death.  I remember watching the coverage in my little apartment on Duck Street in Stillwater  in tears and, after it was done, going to a special service held at St. John's down the road to remember Pope John Paul II.  There, the priest gave each of us a medal that had been blessed by the Pope himself.  I still have that medal and it is one of my most prized possessions.

Fast forward to 2009 when I went to Rome and knelt before his grave.  I can't even explain that experience.  And then again last spring when I made a pilgrimage of sorts to his homeland of Poland.  While there, I saw his birthplace, the church where he was baptized, his apartment when he lived in Krakow, the pew where he most liked to pray, his clothing and books and kneeler at a museum.  Being there...walking where he walked, touching the kneeler where he prayed, sitting in the pew where he had done the same so many times....was amazing.  Then I flew to Warsaw for the specific purpose of setting foot in Victory Square because of the amazing speech that he gave there in the late 1979's, credited for being a huge part in the end of communism.  I've read books and prayed Novenas and taken pictures of anything containing his face in multiple countries.

Yesterday, Pope John Paul II was canonized--he became a saint.  ND Friend and I---although about 8 states apart---both awoke at 3:00 am to watch the ceremony live.  We stayed on the phone for 45 minutes until it was official.   I have to admit that I watched the entire thing with tears in my eyes.  It was perfect.  The Polish flags proudly being waived by the crowds, the beautiful ceremony, the Costa Rican woman who received one of the miracles presenting the relic. The pure joy as the crowds cheered the announcement that Joannes Paulus II was officially a saint.  It was something I will never forget.

Today, I loved that several of my friends commented that as they watched the coverage of the ceremony or read about the events, they thought of me and my love for him. What an honor that I would be remembered in the same thought as a saint.

I don't know why I feel the connection to him that I have for over a decade.  I don't know anything about being a saint.  I'm not even Catholic, just a little Methodist girl with a strong devotion to this new saint.

What I do know is that this man lived his life in a way that let others--like me--see God within him.

Maybe it is really just that simple.

St. John Paul II, pray for us!

PS--To read about other people's Saint John Paul II stories, check out this link up.

It's the Freakin' Weekend!

Today I'll be giving a presentation on grazing leases and oil and gas lease negotiations to a big ol' sale barn full of ranchers.  I mean, seriously, do I have the best job in the whole world or what?

Then I'll be making a beeline to Ft. Worth to spend the weekend with these two knuckleheads.  Word on the street is that the weekend will include good food and golf.  I pretty much can't wait!

And y'all, I need a break.  It's been one of those kind of weeks.  One more home ownership issue and I swear, I'm packing up my crap and living in a cardboard box with no plumbing or sprinkler system to have problems.  This girl has had about all she can handle.

Happy Friday to all!

His Heart...

Photo via Pinterest

Ten.

Earlier this week, College Roomie did a post of ten fun facts about herself, so I figured I'd join in the fun here.  This is what I've got.

1.  I'm part Mexican.  Don't let my white skin fool you, hombre.  My great grandma was a 100% Mexican lady who married a gringo.  Actually, she had three sisters and my great grandpa had three brothers and the three sisters each married a brother.  Crazy, right?  Anyway, I blame my love for all things tortilla, green chile, and salsa related on this heritage of mine.

2.  I always try to sit either in an aisle or in the exit row on an airplane.  I'm a bit claustrophobic, but the main reason is that if that plane goes down, I want a direct path out of there.  I don't want to be stuck trying to climb over people because I was napping by the dang window.

3.  I've got quite the history of motion sickness.  Off the top of my head, I can think of hurling in 6 states and 3 countries.  Yep.  I'm the girl you want to travel with for sure.

4.  There are few smells in the world that I like more than a mixture of sawdust and revive (a hair and skin conditioner that we use on livestock before a show).  It automatically takes me back to my showing days and makes me simultaneously nervous and excited like I'm about to enter the show ring.  My brother and his friend were talking about this same thing once and he said, "You know, if a girl showed up for a date and wore revive instead of perfume, I'd marry her on the spot."  Apparently it's an ag kid thing.

5.  I was the fourth best chicken judger in America in high school.  Mind you, my family didn't raise chickens, rarely ate chicken, and I touched one until we went to judge them at the National FFA Convention.

6.  In Poland, I stood line to kneel before the remains of St. Faustina and even kissed a glass case that holds one of her bones.  Everyone before me and everyone behind me kissed it too.  It was really gross from a hygienic perspective, but I figured that she's a saint and wouldn't let me die of some loathsome disease contracted there.  Plus, when in Poland....

7.  I faint when medical procedures are done to me.  I know this happens to other people like when blood is taken, but for me it's much worse.  Blood being taken, eye doctor puts drops in my eye, cast being cut off my foot, one time just my blood pressure being taken.  It's not pretty.

8.  I went to more proms in high school than I went on other dates.  Not sure what to think about that really.

9.  I almost drowned white water rafting in Costa Rica.  You can read the whole story here.  When another boat pulled me out of the water, there was a lady who was crying and just kept saying, "I thought you were dead, I thought you were dead" and her husband, a doctor, said, "What was it like?  Did you see a bright light?"  Only me.

10.  I've got a serious obsession with eating raw cookie dough. I know it's bad for me. I could die of food poisoning or get really, really fat, but I just don't care.  I really don't.

Just Rock and Roll

“Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.”  ~Bl. Pope John Paul II

The priest at church told a pretty great story this Easter Sunday.  It was about an Anglican Bishop who had flown to London and hopped in a cab.  The cabbie asked him what he was doing in town and he said he was a Bishop there for an Anglican conference.  The cabbie asked him a few questions about the church and his faith and then said, "You guys are the ones having all the drama over women being in the clergy, right?"  "Yes," the Bishop replied.

The cabbie just shook his head and said, "If it's true as you believe, that Jesus rose from the dead, isn't the rest really just rock and roll?"

San Francisco - Fourth of July - 2008

That's pretty much it, isn't it?  The petty disagreements between denominations, the drama between church members, who sits by whom in a Bible study, how big and fancy our church building is, what color of strobe light should be used during worship.....none of it matters.  Jesus rose from the dead.  JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD.  That's what matters.  That's what's important.  That's what we should be living our lives in light of.

The rest?  Doesn't matter.  Not important.  That's all just rock and roll.

You Never Know

“If there's one thing I learned, it's that nobody is here forever. You have to live for the moment, each and every day . . . the here, the now.” ~Simone Elkeles, Perfect Chemistry

A couple of weeks ago, a friend of a friend suddenly died.  It was her bachelorette party weekend.  The girls had decided to participate in a run.  The bridesmaids ran a 5K.  The bride ran the half marathon.  As she crossed the finish line in her white shirt that sported the word "Bride" across the front and a pretty pink boa, she collapsed.  And she was gone.

Her wedding day, set for two weeks from that date, was never to be.  The OME concluded a congenital heart defect that generally kills a person suddenly and without warning during childhood. The fact that this girl lived to be 27 was a miracle in itself.

I suppose this hit me for a lot of reasons.  The first was the fact that I know one of the bridesmaids who was there and had to live through this absolute nightmare. Also, the reminder that no matter how old we are or how good of shape we are in, we really just never know when our time will come. And then there is the fact that one summer in San Francisco I ran a half marathon and my best girlfriends ran a 5K and cheered me on at the finish line.  Similar story....very different ending.

SF Marathon - 2011

We never know how much time we have left.  So today, try to take that to heart.  Say what you need to say.  Offer forgiveness or tell someone you love them or speak a kind word to a stranger.  Do what you've always wanted to do.  Sign up for the class, take the risk, book the trip.  Make the change that you know is necessary.  Step out of your comfort zone, follow your heart, make a leap.

Tomorrow is not promised to any of us.  Don't wait.  Stop over-analyzing.  Quit thinking of why it might not work.  Forget waiting for the right time.  Just go.

And please say a prayer for Kaytie's family, her friends, and her fiance as they try to find their way through this terrible time.

Happy Easter!

Over the last 47 days of Lent, I've been reading a reflection from Fr. Robert Barron each day.  Here is part of the final reflection that he sent out today.


"Easter is significant because it reveals that love is more powerful than death. Death is what frightens us most. It hems us in and it sets the ultimate limit to everything. If death has the final word, then all the evil in the world wins and there's no hope because there's nothing after death. That's the end. 
But Easter is the declaration that God's love, the love that made the world and sustains it, is more powerful than death. That's a moment of liberation. It means death no longer enslaves us. The first Christians saw that the bursting forth of Christ from the tomb is the shattering of death's bonds." 

Amen, and Happy Easter to all!

Friday Book Club: It Is Well

"Faith in God means we live with hope.  It means often times hoping even when it seems futile.  It means believing that God can deliver us, and often times, He will.  But it also means that at times, He may not, and if He does not deliver us in the way we desire, it means we still have faith and trust that his plan is perfect and He will make good of it all."  ~Chris Faddis, It Is Well

Today I'm joining in with Friday Book Club.  I just finished reading what might be the most heartbreaking and inspiring book that I've read in my life.  (If you want to order a copy, click here.)

It Is Well  was written by a man who lost his wife to cancer at age 32.  He was left behind heartbroken with two little ones to raise.  Hearing of him losing her---his love for her, the pain, trying to explain it to the children, seriously had me in tears multiple times.  And I'm not at all a crier. 

But for all the heartbreak, the book really is about inspiration.  Devout Catholics, both he and his wife faced this tragedy with courage and trust and amazing faith.  I usually share a list of quotes from a book.  I have dog-eared a ton of pages and could do that.  But today, I'm going to just share one.  It struck a chord with me the moment that I read it.  Being that we will all celebrate Jesus' rising on Sunday, it seems particularly appropriate.

What do you say when your lover lies in a bed, hearing the same words as you, knowing what it means, what it all likely means?  Death.  End.  Loss.  Words, they come easy for me.  But not now.  Not in this moment.  I try.  I attempt to muster some sort of comfort, but the words, they don't come.  She, the one who has a hard time with words, the one who needs comfort in this moment, she says the words, the only words that matter:  "Jesus still rose, so we will trust."

Ode to HEB (and a recipe)

There are a few things I don't really like about living here.  Mostly the whole 9 hours from The Boy from Texas thing.  And lack of green chile.  And humidity.  There are a few things I really like.  My job.  My house.  My roommate.  The plants in my hard that are not trying to freaking die on me.

But I've got to admit that my favorite thing about this place.....a grocery store.  Enter HEB.

Y'all.  I'm serious here.  It's the mecca of all good things about a grocery store.  Wide aisles.  Clean.  Fresh produce.  Good deli.  Free samples.  A homemade tortilla station (which also always has free samples).  Lots of checkers.  I've never liked grocery shopping, but HEB has changed all of that.  I'm not sure what I'll do if I ever leave and have to go back to regular grocery stores!

So there I was last night munching on my tortilla sample while perusing around the store, when the sample guy had a jalapeno popper dip to try.  I like jalapeno poppers, so of course I said yes.  Y'all.  Holy moly.  I bought the ingredients right away and whipped up half a batch last night.  Here's the recipe.

Jalapeno Popper Dip
Prep Time:  5 minutes
Cook Time:  20 minutes
Serves:  A crowd

2 pkg softened cream cheese
3 oz. real bacon bits
1/2 C Roberts Reserve Jalapeno Pepper Dip (not really sure what to do if your store doesn't have this...)
1/4 C mayo
3 C shredded cheddar cheese
1 C French fried onions

1.  Preheat oven to 375.
2.  Mix cream cheese, bacon, jalapeno dip, mayo, and cheese together.
3.  Spread the mixture into a casserole dish.
4.  Top with the French fried onions, cover with foil, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
5.  Serve with chips and crackers.

Gems from Little Cowboy

I know this is everyone's favorite thing on my blog.....quotes from Little Cowboy.  For those of you who are new, he's my 7 year old little nephew and pretty much the funniest kid on the planet.

He spent the weekend selling lambs and I mean he was in the middle of it all....showing them, shaking hands, talking to customers, whole deal.  Here we go.

*Little Cowboy, The Boy from Texas, and I are out bottle feeding a lamb on Friday night.*
Little Cowboy:  I'm going to name this lamb Tiffany because you're my favorite aunt.
Me:  Well thanks, buddy!
Little Cowboys:  The Boy from Texas, one day you can be my favorite uncle!
[Awkward silence.]

*Little Cowboy is describing some kid that was picking on him at school.*
Little Cowboy:  Well Little Brother (my brother) said that if he got me in a headlock again, I could just punch him in the nuts.
Me:  Well, you gotta do what you gotta do.
Little Cowboy:  And I could do it too, he's tall, so his nuts are about right here [punches out in front of him].



Little Cowboy:  I have a girlfriend in my class.
My mom:  A girlfriend?!
Little Cowboy.  Yea.  Well, I was playing hard to get.  Little Brother taught me that.



Little Cowboy to various buyers at the lamb sale who asked him how much a lamb cost:  That's $1,000.  Cash.  Only cash.


*After showing sheep pretty much non-stop for two days*
Little Cowboy:  We get to show MORE sheep?!?  YES!!

*At the sale, I wrote the ear tag numbers of the lambs on an index card and handed them to Little Cowboy who then handed them to the auctioneer.  I made a mistake and had to mark a few out.*
Little Cowboy to the Auctioneer:  Tiff did this.  I'm going to tell her not to let it happen again!

And lastly, I'll leave you with a picture of what sheep sale weekend did to the poor kid.  This was him on the way home.

Sheep Sale Weekend Report

“When you do what you love, the seemingly impossible becomes simply challenging, the laborious becomes purposeful resistance, the difficult loses its edge and is trampled by your progress.”   ~Steve Maraboldi

To set the background, my family raises show lambs....this means that we raise lambs and sell them to kids in 4-H and FFA to exhibit at various fairs in their state.  The kids will buy the lambs in April, take care of them all summer, and then show them at the fair in the fall.  If they do well, they will sell the lambs in what's called a premium sale hopefully for a profit.  Okay, back to our regularly scheduled programming.

The first time we decided to have our own lamb sale (rather than going to a sale where multiple breeders each sell a few lambs a piece....you've read before about that first sale) was probably about 8 years ago or so.  The sale was at our little show barn.  About 7 buyers came.  My dad just called off the various ear tag numbers and asked if anyone was interested.  We started the bidding low, sold about 10 lambs maybe, and I don't think anyone paid much.  But it was a start.  It gave us something to work on and grow and aim for.

This weekend, we had our best sale to date.  There were over 100 people there.  We sold 59 lambs in about an hour.  It was pretty cool to look around and know that all of these people were there because of the work that we (my parents in particular) have done to continue improving the quality of our lambs.  It was even cooler to know where we started and what we've been able to create.

Of course, the sale is first and foremost a revenue generator for us.  Obviously, we've got to pay the feed bills for all of those sheep we have hanging around having babies!  But beyond that, it really is a little bit like a reunion of sorts.  We are blessed with great neighbors and friends who show up to help us every year.  We never have to wonder if they will come, we never have to pay them, we never have to ask if they remember.  They're just there, ready to help.  And we've got several long-time customers...some who were there at our house that day 8 years ago buying sheep and did the same thing yesterday at the fairgrounds.

I suppose I could end this blog in a lot of ways.  Thoughts about setting goals and working hard.  Or wrap things up by talking about the sacrifices that my parents have made in order to keep things afloat during the worst drought in history.  Or look back on the winning lambs we've had over the last few years. 

But in the end, I think it's about the people.   Isn't it always?  It's about spending time as a family, be that feeding show lambs or sorting ewes or making a sale list the night before the big day.  It's about having a day to visit with people who have been part of my life since I was a little kid who I might just see in a barn a couple of times a year now.  It's about doing our part to be sure that the kids showing today make those same memories that we got.  That's what's important.  That's what matters.  We're blessed to be a part of something like this.

Oh, and by the way, stick around tomorrow to hear some of Little Cowboy's best quotes from the weekend.  You won't want to miss that.

You Know You Live In Texas When....

"Y'all may go to hell, I am going to Texas!"  ~Davy Crockett

I go to the doctor and he walks in wearing scrubs.  Maroon, of course.  I do live in Aggieland, after all. 

Guy has the obligatory Texas twang, which I certainly appreciate in a medical professional (or any man, really). 

Then I noticed it.  The boots.  Tan.  Square toed.  Worn with his scrubs. 

I asked him about it only to learn that he was the son of a vet and an animal science major who grew up helping his daddy doctor animals and that's how he got into medicine.

God bless this state.

American Country Music Awards

At the risk of sounding like an 80 year old grandpa, country music ain't what it used to be.  There were several songs (and outfits) that made me sort of cringe watching the ACM awards on Sunday evening.  But there were a couple of winners in my book.

1.  Tim McGraw and Faith Hill sang "Meanwhile Back at Mama's".  I love them, I love this song, all good.

2. Blake Shelton and some girl from The Voice that I don't know sang  "My Eyes"  I do love me some Blake Shelton.  I think he's super good looking, hilarious, just enough of a bad boy, and I really do love almost all of his songs....with the exception of that stupid one about chewing tobacco and spitting.  What exactly was that crap about anyway?

 3. George Strait won Entertainer of the Year.  Do I really need to say anything here? He looked genuinely shocked. He kissed his wife.  He bragged on his fans.  Mentioned his family.  Thanked God.  And did it all whilst rocking a black hat.  Sigh.  That, kids, is why he's the King.

Tips for the Traveling Girl

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”   ~Earnest Hemingway

This is probably not breaking news for those of you who know me or have been around this here blog, but I travel.  A lot.  Be it weekend trips to see The Boy from Texas or my crazy family, amazing trips to Europe, crazy events like steeplechases or running with yucky naked people or St. Patty's Day in Chicago, or work trips that take me to every small town in Texas....this girl knows a thing or two about traveling.

So today I thought I'd share a few tips for you other travelers out there.

1.  Make yo bed before you go.  My mother is probably currently doing a mix of head nodding and having a stroke that I am actually saying this after rebelling and refusing to do so for so many years of my life.  But I'm here to tell you, before I go on a trip of any length, I put clean sheets on my bed and make that baby up.  The odds are that I'm going to return exhausted, late at night, probably sunburnt, and there's not much that beats crawling into a fresh, clean bed!

2.  Have two of everything.  I'm talking toiletries here girls.  I have two of everything---hair brushes, toothbrushes, shampoos, razors, soap, deodorant....you name it.  I keep my travel stuff in a big ziplock baggie and it never leaves my suitcase.  This prevents me frantically trying to pack 5 minutes before I have to get out the door and leaving my deodorant sitting on the counter.  I know that it's already packed and I'm good to go.

3.  Always have some cash.  I'm actually really terrible about this one kids.  I'm completely reliant on my friend DC---debit card.  But, that being said, when you travel, you need to have some cash.  I keep a $20 in my truck at all times (no one go robbing me!).  I always try to have a $20 in my wallet before I leave town.  And I keep some change in my purse in case I have to pay to use the bathroom....I've told you before how this is just the dumbest thing ever in life about traveling in Europe.  You don't want to be caught next to some old castle with a full bladder and no Euro.

4.  Get off the beaten path.  Some of my favorite experiences have happened when I got off the tourist map and just explored.  You meet the locals.  You see amazing piazzas.  You eat yummy food at awesome side street restaurants.  You accidentally end up at a Feast Day celebration.  I'm all for doing the touristy things and taking your picture in front of the Coliseum, but give randomly wandering around a try for an afternoon.  My bet is that you'll love it.

5.  Enjoy the experience.  Traveling can be stressful---worrying about delayed flights or slow cabs or hotel reservations can make you crazy.  Sometimes there are differences in the place you are that make you crazy.  There is no Dr. Pepper in Wisconsin.  They have no idea what you mean by "green" when you're ordering enchiladas in California.   Europe doesn't believe in ice.  Have I mentioned you have to pay to use the potty??  But you know.....let it all go.  It really doesn't matter.  Look around, appreciate where you are, find the beauty.  As they say, it's the journey and all.

Lazy Weekend Report

I don't know if it is because I've been going non-stop for the past....I don't even know how long...or if it was the rainy, cloudy weather we're having or what, but I was pretty lazy this weekend.  And it was awesome.

* Working in my sweats.  I've started doing some contract work on the side for my old law firm in Albuquerque, so that took up a lot of my time, but it turns out that I kinda enjoy that work when I'm only doing a few hours a week and working in my sweats! 

*  Wedding Shower Invites.  As ya'll know, Blonde Oklahoma Girl is getting married!  This weekend I got her wedding shower invites all signed, sealed and delivered (at least to the mailbox).  Here's a sneak peak.

*  Grill Master.  I did my first grilling of the season last night--burgers (well I ate it on a tortilla because that's how we roll in New Mexico) and corn on the cob.  It was glorious.

*  Stealing a Tree.  While I was on my run/walk yesterday (I started out the run part WAY too fast and died a mile in, so it turned into a walk), I collected some cuttings from a tree that was growing in someone's yard but hanging out clear over the sidewalk.  Yes, it's someone else's tree.  But I did not trespass in order to get said cuttings, so the lawyer in me says it's okay.  I'm not sure what it is, but it was a big tree and it has pretty purple flowers that smell like lavender.  Anyway, I have the cuttings in vases in my kitchen window, so let's all cross our fingers that roots appear!

*  Stupid TV Shows.  I don't know why I watch the stupid tv show called Hart of Dixie.  It's stupid and predictable, but for some reason I watch it anyway.  Well, this dang week it ended up being all about how Zoey and Joel had to do long distance for 6 months (that then turned into a year) and they ended up breaking up because Joel chose his dream job over the dream girl.  This sends me into a tizzy and the poor Boy from Texas had to explain to me that that TV is not real, I am not Zoey,  he is not Joel (despite the fact that he's certainly never seen this show), and neither of us is moving to London.  Bless his heart.

*  A Little Paint.  I officially crossed "nails" off my to do list and am loving the Turquoise and Caicos color from Essie.

*  Cupcakes.  Yes.  Well I sort of blew the whole low sugar thing I've been trying to stick to this weekend when I whipped up two dozen strawberry cupcakes.  Whatev.

*  Lack of Blog Material.  As you might have guessed from this rambling nonsense, I'm running a bit short on blog material here lately, so if anyone wants to suggest some ideas, I'm all ears!

Prayers for Ft. Hood

Yesterday my mom called and said, "There has been a shooting at Ft. Hood."  I knew why she was calling.  Soldier Cousin is stationed at Ft. Hood.  Immediately, his little, dimpled, 20 year old baby face was in my head.

Fortunately, she went on to say that he was okay and that they were all on lockdown, but he got a call out to his mom and asked her to let the family know before we saw it on the news and panicked. 

Of course, my initial reaction was one of relief.  I was thankful to God that Soldier Cousin was okay.  That he was not one of the 4 people killed or 11 people injured in this rampage.

But as I watched the news coverage last night, I realized that not everyone got the call that my family got.  For 4 families, the call was the opposite.  Their worlds were turned upside down.  Their lives were changed forever. 

The truth is that life is fragile.  It can change in an instant.  We never know which of the phone calls we will be receiving.  The other end of the receiver could hold thankfulness or heartbreak.

So today, I ask that you join our family in thanksgiving for the phone call that we received, and please pray for peace and comfort who did not receive the same news on the other end of that line.

I Used To Believe

Reliving Our First Date

Last weekend, The Boy from Texas and I got to relive part of our first date when we headed back to my hometown to go to the annual National Rifle Association Banquet.  The NRA banquet is basically a big event held each year to raise money for the 4-H shooting sports teams.  They have a bunch of raffles, a silent auction, and games.  Last year, as you read about before, this little event capped off our big day.  And although we didn't win any guns in 2013, we walked away with a relationship.  We called that a win.

This year when we headed back, we were hoping to add some guns to this relationship.  I wanted to win a pink pistol---I tried last year and didn't get it.  He wanted a shot gun.  The money we actually took with us was my bar review book refund (when you take the prep class, if you return the books, they give you a small refund...sort of like selling your books back in college).  Anyway, we decided that since we both had to go through the hell that was the bar exam, we deserved a little reward, so we cashed that refund and off we went.

A look around the room

Pre-dinner photograph

Me and Cousin Whitney (who was a champ at the casing toss game)

 And, well.....then this happened.

With our winnings.

 

The "Pink Lady" loot package that I won.

Yep, we both won guns.  What were the odds??  I have no idea....there were 500 people there for crying out loud!  Anyway, first off he won a Benelli Super Nova 12 gauge shotgun.  I had warned him previously that if he won something, I would scream.  And I did.  Embarrassing him and everyone else at our table.  When he got back to the table, I started doing a bit of strategic maneuvering.  "You know what, dear, it was your ticket, but my money, so I think we should share custody of this gun."  He responded with, "We won't have to.  You're going to win the pink pistol."  About 2 minutes later, they read off the winning ticket number, I jumped up from my seat, screamed "yes!," and pumped my first in the air.  I ended up with a Charter Arms "Pink Lady" .38 caliber revolver.

I'm here to tell y'all, the bar exam was hard.  It was hard on me, it was hard on The Boy from Texas.  These two guns do sort of make up for a lot of that. :)

So to sum it up.....we love the NRA banquet.  In the last 2 years, we've gotten a pretty darn good relationship and two guns out of it.  Pretty excited to see what happens next year!