Friday Letters

It's been a while since I've done some Friday Letters, so here we go!

Dear San Antonio:  If you could not be completely hot and humid and miserable tomorrow from about 11 am until about 2:00 pm while I'm sitting in a football stadium, that would be awesome.

Dear Boy from Texas:  I like it much better when we are in the same place, rather than just the same state (and 9 hours apart).  That's all I have to say about that.

Dear Pokes:  After a slow start, I have to say that I was impressed with you as a whole last weekend with the win over Mississippi State.  Let's start off faster and impress me even more tomorrow against UTSA.  Go Pokes!

Dear SoulMate Friend:  It's your last weekend in your 20's....we're grown ups!  How did this happen?  I was thinking about it yesterday and do you realize that we met when we were 20 years old?  That's a decade ago.  We were just little babies!  I couldn't be more thankful to have you in my life!

Dear Lack of Motivation:  I'm going to need you to take a hike and allow me to get out of bed in the mornings to get a good run in before it's 120 degrees and 120% humidity around here.  Because at the rate we're going, I'm going to be one of those people who will have to leave the house via fork lift.

Dear Fantasy Football Teams:  Please don't suck this week.  Seriously.  Especially in the Family League where I am matched up against none other than The Boy from Texas in Week 1.  Will our relationship survive being in the same conference for Fantasy Football?  Things could really get interesting if we follow SoulMate Friend's idea and make a little wager:  Loser has to move where the other one lives.   #packyourbagsbaby

Dear Easton Corbin:  I love pretty much every song that comes out of your mouth.  But I'm really, really loving your newest one.



Dear Blog Readers:  Have a great weekend!  Wear some orange.  Cheer for the Pokes.  It's football season!

Friday Letters

It's been a while since I joined in the fun of some Friday letters.  SO here we go!

Dear next Friday:  Please hurry your booty up and get here.  Ft. Worth.  Dancing.  Eating.  Drinking. Shopping.  Ranger's game.  Double date with Blonde Oklahoma Girl and her boyfriend.  It's just cruel to make me wait 7 more days!

Safety first when we're together...

Dear hair:  Brace yourself.  You're going to have to be cut this weekend.  By someone other than Mrs. Texas.  Because we moved 12 hours away from her.  I know, I'm not happy either.

Me, and my hair, miss this girl!

Dear Hilarious List of Signs You Are Turning 30:  Read it here.  I nodded my head at just about every single one of your items.  Friends posting about marathons and babies instead of parties?  Check.  Two day hang over and leaving a bar that is too darn loud?  Check and check.  Excited about low interest rates?  Check again.

Dear William Clark Green:  I used to think this song was mean.  Until I listened closely to the last line.  I now think it is adorable and have listened to it on repeat all week.

Dear Blog Readers:  Here goes a shameless plug.  Remember how I recently took a new job?  Well, part of that job involves me having an agricultural law blog.  I would love for you all to check it out and subscribe if you want to!  (No, really, I get props for the number of hits and subscriptions...so help a girl out!)  Here's the link.

Friday Book Club and Friday Letters

All the best link ups are on Friday, so today I'm going to do a two-parter so I can link up with Friday Book Club and Friday Letters.

First up, for Friday Book Club, I've got a report on my two February reads.

Fearless by  Max Lucado

 I do love me some Max Lucado.  This guy has a gift for taking Biblcal principles and applying them to every day life that is seriously amazing.  This book is all about letting go of the fears that we let control our lives.  I can't say it was my favorite Max Lucado book, but it was good and the topic was pretty appropriate for this time in my life.  Here are some of my favorite quotes.

Fear never wrote a symphony or poem, negotiated a peace treaty, or cured a disease.  Fear never pulled a family out of poverty or a country out of bigotry.  Fear never saved a marriage or a business.  Courage did that.  Faith did that.

Fear corrodes our confidence in God's goodness.

To sin is to disregard God, ignore his teachings, deny his blessings.

If Jesus' tomb is empty, then his promise is not.

Every trial and trouble has a place in God's scheme.

When Christ is great, our fears are not.

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker

In breaking my trend of reading pretty much only non-fiction books, I made an exception for this novel that I heard about on another blog.  It's the story of a daughter who sets off to find her father who mysteriously disappeared the day after she graduated law school.  What she finds is an amazing story of his childhood, of which she knew nothing.  I really enjoyed this book---it was interesting and sort of kept you guessing as to how things would all play out.  I can't give it my illusive 5 on the Goodreads chart (only two fiction books have ever gotten that from me....The Help and The Fault In Our Stars) but I would still highly recommend it.  Here's a few quotes I enjoyed.

And so there must be in life something like a catastrophic turning point, when the world as we know it ceases to exist.  A moment that transforms us into a different person from one heartbeat to the next.

There are wounds time does not heal, though it can reduce them to a manageable size.

It's not the size of one's nose, the color of one's skin, the shape of one's lips or eyes that make one beautiful or ugly.  It's love.  Love makes us beautiful.

Love has so many different faces that our imagination is not prepared to see them all.

He expected nothing more from life.  Not because he was disappointed or embittered.  He expected nothing because there was nothing of importance he had not already experienced.  He possessed all the happiness a person could find.  He loved and was loved.  Unconditionally.

Second, for Friday Letters, here we go.

Dear College Roomie, Thank you for being the best friend in the whole world and being on board for a ex-roomie road trip to my new casa in Texas.  I am seriously beyond excited about this.  You bring the mixed tapes, I'll bring the orange juice!

Dear Treadmill, We will be spending some quality time this weekend---about 5 miles worth on Sunday.  Be kind to me.

Dear King of Capitol Hill, You know you want to come to Europe.  Just do it.  We might even have more fun than the picture below...

Dear Creator of Magic Bullet Blender, Someone should give you the Oscar of inventing.  Your little creation changed my life and has probably tripled my veggie intake.  Nice work, sir.

Dear Cardinal Dolan,  I know that the selection of the next Pope is not a popular vote election, but when you write things like this and make speeches like this it seriously makes me want to make a "Team Dolan" t-shirt to wear while the conclave is going on.  PS, you are on my list of dream dinner party attendees, so feel free to come over any time.

Dear Super Mom,  Thank you for sending me the photo below of my precious friend dressed like Elmer Fudd.  I do not think he could be any cuter.  This made my day.

Letters to Mr. Right: Letter #16

“No relationship is perfect, ever. There are always some ways you have to bend, to compromise, to give something up in order to gain something greater...The love we have for each other is bigger than these small differences. And that's the key.  Love can make up for a lot.” ~Sarah Dessen, This Lullaby

Dear Mr. Right,

When I was in college, I had a list of qualities I thought I needed to find in you.  Things like the ability to bench press my weight.  Have health insurance (I was quite practical for a 20 year old).  Never wear flip flops.  Know how to put your hand on the small of my back when walking into a room.  Beat me in a game of 1 on 1.  Have a job.  Not believe in dogs sleeping in the bed.  Wear cologne that made me weak in the knees.  Propose in the correct manner.  Know how to ride a horse and have branded calves.

Photo via Pinterest

And now?  I think I'd throw that entire list in the trash so long as you really love me. I haven't lowered my standards, but I've grown up.  Which is why it's probably good you didn't come along when I was 20.  Because I might have missed you.

(But if you happen to ride a horse and smell really good, well I wouldn't mind that much.)

Waiting for that day,

Me

*Linking up with Ashley for Friday Letters.  To see prior letters to Mr. Right, click here. 

It's Here!!

"Every day should be Saturday, because college football is too important to be left up to the professionals." 

That's right, folks.....it's the most wonderful time of the year.  Hello, college football season.  This girl is crawling on a plane headed to the Happiest Place on Earth (aka Stillwater, Oklahoma) to do it up right.

This was probably made by someone who sat next
to me and Loud Oklahoma Girl last season!

It's time to dawn some orange, drink some limees, waive some wheat, make appearances at some tailgates, scream like crazy people and cheer on the Pokes!!

Dear Wes Lunt:  I know you're only 18, but if you could play similar to the 28 year old quarterback we had last year, I'd appreciate it.  And no pressure or anything, but I talked you up pretty big after the Spring Game, so let's not let me down, mkay?  Awesome.

Me and Wes Lunt after the Spring Game

Dear Oklahoma Girls:  You best be rested up, because we have a lot of fun to be had.  I'm just saying.

Dear Copper Penny:  Not going to lie, I'm concerned about this remodeling rumor I have heard.  If things are different, I may have a nervous breakdown.  No lie.  You can calm me down with a cherry limee.  See your lovely walls on Saturday!

Cow photos on the wall and cow crap on the floor...
..no wonder I love this bar

Dear Little Linebacker:  Aunt Tiff is coming to down.  You know that means football, touchdowns, and Pistol Pete.  It also means we have a date for pancakes on Saturday morning.  Cannot wait to see your sweet face!

Dear College Football Season:  You have no idea how much I've missed you.  You were just about as awesome as you could be last year, but if you'd like to try and top it this year, you just go right ahead.


Big 12 Champs!

Fiesta Bowl Champs!

Happy College Football Season to you all!  And, of course, Go Pokes!

One of Us Is Getting Married Tomorrow!!

“Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It's not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything.”  ~Muhammad Ali

Not "us" as in ME....everyone calm down!  No Mr. Right sightings yet.

Today I'm climbing on a plane bound for Oklahoma for the big wedding weekend!  Loud Oklahoma Girl is getting married tomorrow!  She's one of "us", the group of the Girls from OSU....craziness this is!!  But I absolutely cannot wait!

So in honor of her wedding, I figured I'd share a few of my favorite photos from our 9 year friendship that began in a hotel in Paul's Valley Oklahoma when her friend came to meet up with my judging teammate.  Little did we know those two wouldn't last, but me and Loud Oklahoma Girl would end up being best friends.

On the field after Bedlam 2011

Girls' Weekend Calf Fry 2010

Girls' Weekend San Francisco 2008

My Birthday Football Game 2010

New Year's Eve 2009

Girls' Weekend Napa Valley, California 2011

Rock, Paper, Scissors - Halloween 2011

George Strait concert 2010

Homecoming 2008

OSU v. Texas 2010

Stillwater Girls' Weekend 2009

Graduation Weekend 2006

Engagement Party 2012

And because it's Friday, you know I have to write a couple of wedding-related letters and link up with Friday's Letters!

Dear Oklahoma Weather: Listen here, this girl remembers your hot, humid crap from college. I've been living in the desert for the last 6 years and my hair is not used to you anymore. If you could go easy on us for Saturday, that would be great.

Dear Future Mr. Loud Oklahoma Girl:  I hope you realize that when you marry LOKG, you get me as part of the deal.  You're a lucky guy.  I knew that you were cool when you made me sit with you and watch the Crazy Whites from West Virginia (still traumatized, by the way).  And even though you're a Sooner Fan, you make my friend so happy, and that's what's important.  Take good care of her!  And I apologize now for us being loud and obnoxious on Saturday night at the reception.  It's going to happen.

Dear Southwest Airlines:  You know I love you.  And give you a lot of my money.  But after the last couple of airline experiences.....the whole emergency landing and the almost-hijacking....I could really go for a nice, boring, non-eventful flight.  And please bring back the honey roasted peanuts.  These lightly salted things are for the birds.

Dear Hard Rock Tulsa:  You best be ready on Saturday night.  We've got some celebrating to do.  And us girls don't mess around when it comes to that.

Dear Loud Oklahoma Girl: I could not be more excited to be coming to stand up with someone on her wedding day. You are hands down the most fun person I know. On top of that you are beautiful and funny and smart and just freakin' awesome.   We've been through a lot of good in the last 9 years.....birthdays, rushing the field, lots of limees, surprise enagement parties, OSU football games, Girls' Weekends, and homecoming weekends.  Now we'll add your wedidng to the list!  You deserve a perfect wedding day and life. Thank you for being one of my best friends and for asking me to be part of this weekend!

Congratulations, Loud Oklahoma Girl!  Let's do this thing!

Friday's Letters

"Think what a better world it would be if we all, the whole world, had cookies and milk about three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down on our blankets for a nap."  ~Robert Folghum

As I'll explain below, my whole life is sort of off kilter right now due to taking a nap.  So......we're doing a quick blog and linking up with Friday Letters!

Dear job:  I did not appreciate you making me wake up yesterday morning at 3:30 am to fly back home.  And then making me be at the office in a feeble attempt to be productive.  I did, however, enjoy the fact that I was able to leave the office at 3:00 in the afternoon to take a nap before the Thunder game.

Dear Thunder:  The aforementioned nap may have lasted a bit longer than I intended....like from 4 in the afternoon until 1:45 this morning.  This may have caused me to miss your game.  Sorry about that one.   The outcome was not what Oklahoma would have liked, but cheers to a great season.  And to learning not to foul with 5 seconds left on the shot clock for no apparent reason in game 4.  Just saying.

 Dear Kiddo: Please don't be mad at my failure to text you back last night. As you can see, I clearly needed a little sleep.  You are still my favorite.  

Dear weekend:  Hallelujah you're almost here!  I'm feeling some spin classes, some treadmill work, some pool time with College Roomie, and hopefully meeting up with my cousin and his girlfriend who are going to be in town!

Dear Mom:  Thank you for making me spit water all over my computer laughing at your comment on my blog yesterday.  "For awhile, I had asked Dad to work on the windchime because some of the pieces had come off or become twisted, etc. He had not done it yet. However, after reading this blog, he went to the tree and the shop, and now the windchime is repaired! Could you PLEASE do a blog tomorrow about your sweet memories of when you, Denton, and Dad would change the oil in my car?"

Dear Loud Oklahoma Girl:  Two weeks from today and I will be in Tulsa for your wedding!  Two weeks.  Your wedding.  HOLLA!  Pedicures, mimosas, a candy bar, and the Hard Rock.  Cannot wait.  Oh yea, for the wedding part too!

Dear Casey Donahew Band:  I know that you came out with your album "Double Wide Dream" like forever ago, but can I just tell you that it's still one of my favorites.  I've had it on repeat on my iTunes for the last week and it just makes me happy.  Good work, boys.

Dear Sister-in-Law:  Thank you for making my day with the recent Little Cowboy photos on facebook.  Could this child be any cuter?  No.  This is why it IS necessary for Aunt Tiff to send him things like slingshots from Costa Rica and extra large packs of fun dip in the mail.  You're welcome.

Top L:  Helping mom.
Top R:  I assume this is an 8 Seconds pose.
Bottom L:  Watching the rodeo.
Bottm R:  Surfing at the pool.