WILW

"Sometimes the most ordinary things could be made extraordinary simply by doing them with the right people." ~ Nicholas Sparks

I'm in Europe.  Loving every minute.  And every good dessert. And old church.  And lots of amazing food.  You get it.  Here are some other things I am loving today!

1.  Baby Chocolate Brown.  I finally got to meet her last weekend and she is precious and beautiful and perfect.  The Chocolate Brown family honestly is so good looking, I'm almost intimidated being in their house.  Except that they're so darn nice and I forget about it.

2.  Speaking of adorable children, I can't leave out SoulMate Friend's boys.  I had a blast spending a couple of days with Little Linebacker and Little Fullback.  I think I had two favorite parts of the weekend--first the fact that Little Linebacker can now clearly say "Aunt Tiff" and second when he played his dad's tuba.  It was amazing.

Me and the newest addition to Aunt Tiff's football team

3.  This list of 100 things you should tell your daughter.  My favorite?  "A strong man is never threatened by a strong woman."  Amen to that!

4.  This blog about the Boston Marathon attacks.  And how horrible it was to bomb the people who watch marathons because of what they mean to the runners.

5.  ND Friend's blog all about her 30th birthday gift.  The picture of the St. Therese quote....the one that is written in handwriting that might belong to a third grader....that was from me. :)  You might remember my blog about my small part in this project here.  It was an amazing and perfect way to ring in her 30th year!

6.  Mrs. F.'s response to my text that I finished my half marathon.  What did she say, you ask?  "You know that you can stop doing things just to prove that you can do them if you want to."  She's a smart lady, that Mrs. F.  I'm pretty good at doing things just to prove that I can.  Half marathons included!

7.  This song called Messin' Around.  Adorable.



8.  This video of Vince Gill and Patty Loveless singing Go Rest High On That Mountain at George Jones' funeral.  Beautiful.

9.  This article written by a daddy to his little girl about her future husband.  The idea?  All of the articles we read as women about how to be sexy and fun and whatever to keep a guy interested are crap.  The guy should be interested because we are interesting, period.  Love it.

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

The most important thing in life is to stop saying, "I wish" and start saying, "I will."

It's been a while since I've linked up with Jamie for What I'm Loving Wednesday.  So let's get with it!

I'm Loving....

1.  The following email from BFF last week referring to plans for his upcoming wedding:

"We have other things need to solve as well... Do you want to stand on her side or stand on my side? Do you want to wear a dress like brides maids or something similar to grooms guys if you stand on my side?"

Me and BFF circa 2002

Ahh, the problems of picking a girl to be your best friend.  I love it.  (And for the record, I told him that I would be wearing a dress, not a tux.  Seriously?  That was a question?)

2.  This amazing article about really living and Saint Maximillian Kolbe.  If I were you, I'd skip the rest of my blog and go read someone who is brilliant.  She uses the example of St. Maximillian Kolbe, who offered up his life to save another man while they were prisoners at Auschwitz during WWII.  And she will change your whole perspective.

3.  This amazing new song (maybe it's not new, but it's new to me) by Ben Rector, called "She Is."  Love it.

4.  Labor Day Weekend plans have been finalized.  The trip with ND Friend to the south is waiting until next spring......BUT....I'm headed to Stillwater to the opening game of football season and to see some of my favorite people!  Can.Not.Wait.

5.  I've got more pregnant friends.  Seriously, I've got 8 different friends right now who are pregnant.  EIGHT.  Most recent announcers?  These two:

Yep, that's right.  Mr. and Mrs. Chocolate Brown are having a little one.  And it will no doubt be the most beautiful child ever.  Aunt Tiff is super excited!

6.  Speaking of Aunt Tiff, SoulMate Friend told Little Linebacker that Aunt Tiff is coming to visit in a couple of weeks.  His response?  "Tiff?  Football!  Pistol Pete!"  Um.....could there be a cooler thing for me to be associated with?  Nope.  This is the epitome.

7.  This blog by Miss Meg.  She's the one who inspired me to start writing Letters to Mr. Right with blogs like that.  My favorite part?

I want to find him on the doorstep. Unexpected. I want to turn the corner after a long day, a long month, a long year and find him half-smiling with a bouquet of flowers. He'll be sitting there. And when he sees me, he'll stand. At first I won't understand. Who is this man I knew so many lifetimes ago? I'll climb the steps and he'll step aside. I'll put the key in the door and pause. I'll feel his breath on my neck. And his silence will fill me, satiate me. I'll push the door open and he'll follow in step. And we'll begin our life together.  That's what I want.  To find the man I dream of on the front stoop.

Sigh. 

Oh, and this part, because, of  course I agree!  That being said, you sure as hell better ask my father first. I believe in chivalry. And I was raised in the South.

8.  And, finally, I'll leave y'all with this thought that's getting me through the week.

Hallelujah and Amen.  Oh, and Go Pokes!

Finding God

"People see God every day, they just don't recognize him." ~Pearl Bailey

Growing up, my mom frequently said, "You can find God in a lot of different churches." I always liked that thought....and followed it. I'm just as comfortable praying a Hail Mary at a Rosary or the Our Father at a Catholic Mass as I am kneeling on a communion rail at a Methodist Church as I am singing and clapping my hands at a non-denominational church. I consider myself a bit of a church mutt.

In college, I remember at one point that I would go to a great Bible Study with a group of girls from an Assembly of God church on Tuesday night, then would go to a great class at the Catholic Church on Wednesday night, a small group for my non-denominational church on Thursday night, (the bar on Friday and Saturday night...might be another story), and then to work in the nursery and attend church at the non-denomination chruch on Sunday. The beauty of this was that honestly felt like I encountered God---and different facets of Him---in each place.

And even more than that, becuase of these different churches, I've been blessed with friendships with people of such diverse faiths, all of whom inspire me, and encourage me to grow in my own faith, albiet somewhat different than their own. In being witness to their faith, their actions, and their beliefs, I have grown in my own.

The Catholic friend who constantly prays Novenas and is always willing to talk through any moral or religious issue. And the Mormon friend who spent two years of his life on a mission teaching about the faith that he beleives, who now, along with his wife, teaches three year olds in their ward every Sunday. The friend who leads praise and worship and several women's Bible studies for an Assembly of God church. And, of course, the ladies of my small group who constantly pray for anyone and everyone who they can think of and emailed me making this statement about retirement, "I so believe that God's will at this time in my life is to spend time praying for needs I know about and it is my joy to do so." God put these people in my life--each one different, yet each such an important example.

And so, I think my mom only had it part right. You can find God in a lot of different churches. But more importantly, I think you can find God in a lot of different people. And for that--for them--I am grateful.

Homecoming 2011 (Part 3): Game Day in Stillwater!

"Even though we've changed and we're all finding our own place in the world, we all know that when the tears fall or the smile spreads across our face, we'll come to each other because no matter where this crazy world takes us, nothing will ever change so much to the point where we're not all still friends."

I'm going to do some catch up this week on posts that I just hadn't gotten around to, so excuse the random, unorganized nature of the next few days! You probably remember that I went to Homecoming at OSU (Part 1). Home of the whole Kyle the Medic drama (Part 2). Anyway, here we go with Part 3.

So my dear Soulmate Friend and her husband Tuba Player graciously let the Oklahoma Girls and me crash at their house on Friday night. We got to play with Little Linebacker all morning and then to top it off, Soulmate Friend whipped me up a birthday breakfast of french toast casserole with a candle to blow out and everything. She's the best.
Later that morning we headed to campus to meet up with one of my best friends from high school (and one of my favorite people in the world!) Chocolate Brown and his lovely wife. Chocolate Brown is going to law school in Oklahoma, so for their college graduation last May, I told them I'd take them to an OSU game. What better than homecoming? I was SO excited to see these two!

So we did a quick campus tour---the orange fountain, student union, Library Lawn, The Strip, you name it.
Then it was time for us to help with the tailgate patrol. Loud Oklahoma Girl's company sponsors this, so the five of us loaded up in a golf cart decorated like an Escalade to go cruise around the tailgates. It was pretty awesome.
And then, it was game time! There is nothing like over 75,000 OSU fans in a sea of orange screaming their heads off. I mean, it's just awesome! Here are some shots from the game (which we completely dominated by the way, much to the chagrin of Cousin Swiss Mister!)
So after the massacre was over (GO POKES!!), we said goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Chocolate Brown and they gave me flowers, candy and an OSU shirt for my birthday. Pretty sure those are three of my favorite thinbgs in the world! Then the Oklahoma Girls and I headed back to Tulsa where we rocked out our awesome Halloween costumes....check it.....
Rock paper scissors. And because Blonde Oklahoma Girl was in charge, that meant glitter everywhere! LOVED it!

I could not have had a better time on Homecoming weekend with my amazing friends. I love that friends from different periods in my life can all meet up and have a blast together. I have excellent taste if I do say so myself!

WILW #5 AND The April Giveaway!

"Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same." ~Francesca Reigler

It's Wednesday, so it's time to share What I'm Loving today!

First, I'm loving the fact that I've become one of these.....

Except not a house, but a friendship. One of my best friends in the world, Chocolate Brown, just found out that he was accepted to law school.....at OU. Now, as the orange color of everything on this blog indicates, I'm a Cowgirl....Oklahoma State through and through! During this law school admissions process, I can't tell you how hard it was for me to pray for ANYONE to get in at OU.....but I did it. That's friendship people! I rationalized that if OSU had a law school, he would be going there, but we don't, so he sort of had to go to OU. Anyway, he got in! SO proud of him! Oh, and major upside: Chocolate Brown, his wife, and I will be going to Bedlam football! Go Pokes!

Second, I am not a huge jewelry person. I have a lot of necklaces, but I never wear rings or bracelets. However, that said, I found this ring and sort of fell in love.

Shock of shocks....it's expensive. So, I've made a little deal with myself (I do that you remember?). If I turn 29 and don't have a REAL ring on my finger (and the corresponding billboard I've promised) .....I'm buying myself this baby. And I'm going to wear it every single day.

Third, last week, I got the chance to be a guest speaker for an agricultural law class for undergrad students at New Mexico State University. It was a lot of fun---and admittedly--I felt sort of old sitting on THAT side of a college class! But then I got a super sweet email from a girl in the class who had some questions about law school. She closed her email by thanking me teaching the class that day and said that, "It was exciting to see that not all lawyers are old men!" Bless you, college girl! And if that was just a line to get me to help you with your law school admissions process....you better believe it worked!

Fourth, I am loving ND Friend and the amazing package I got in the mail last night that contained this....

That, my friends, would be a signed copy of Kristin Armstrong's book, Mile Markers, addressed specifically to ME. ND Friend stood in line while she was at the Boston Marathon expo to get this. How awesome is she?? And, FYI, I am putting ND Friend's signed note to me in the book, because as we already discussed, she did BEAT Kristin Armstrong in the Boston Marathon. Just saying.

Fifth, Y'all know how much I love me some Red Dirt Music. Pat Green was one of my favorites years back, but then he went sort of mainstream and I found other artists that I liked better. Well, last Friday, while I was working, Pandora played me a Pat Green song that I thought was awesome, "What I'm For."

Favorite lines: "I'm for havin' faith in something that hasn't happened yet; For the shy kid in the corner afraid to ask the girl to dance; For the ex-con outta prison who just wants a second chance; For the inner city teacher with her heart stuck in her throat can still see God in every child and never gives up hope; I'm for soakin' up the wisdom when an old man speaks his mind..."

And....The Giveaway! Speaking of Texas Country....I have something to share that I'm NOT loving. This weekend is Calf Fry back in Stillwater (you've read about it before), and I won't be attending. Sigh. I have a hearing that makes it impossible to swing. This adult thing is not so great sometimes.

Well, because I'll be listening to my playlist (and looking at pictures from last year) all week to try and kep myself from having a nervous breakdown over missing the fun, I've decided to share that with a lucky winner. Hello April Giveaway!

The winner will get a cd of my favorite Red Dirt songs. I'm talking Eli Young, Stoney LaRue, Josh Abbott, Wade Bowen, Jason Bowlin.....you get the idea. Seriously, y'all, I've got quite the collection!

To enter, just do two simple things: Follow My Blog (instructions here) and leave me a comment with your favorite song (can be Red Dirt but doesn't have to be!) Get your entries in by Friday at 6:00 pm and I'll announce the winner on Saturday! Good luck!