College Football Kickoff Weekend Recap

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

I feel like I got hit by a truck.  I'm pretty sure that science (and by science, I mean me) has proven that once a girl turns 28, she is no longer able to go out and live it up like a college kid for three days in a row.  But I'm no quitter, so I gave it my best shot.

As y'all know, I headed to Stillwater for the kickoff to the college football season.  The weekend involved:

--Dinner and drinks in Bricktown at which time we may or may not have been cut off by the bartender.  We have me and Loud Oklahoma Girl to thank for that one....apparently us after two drinks is as loud as most people who are intoxicated, our bad!

--Some dancing at the Wormy Dog.  Is there anything more fun than some two-stepping to a live band?  I don't think so.

--Me and Loud Oklahoma Girl waking up early to run around Boomer Lake (and therefore annoying all of the lazy folks who didn't want to get up at 5:45 in the morning).

--Breakfast and shopping with my favorite Little Linebacker.  Aunt Tiff bought him an elmo with a drum set and tambourine that was quite the hit. 

--Quality time with SoulMate Friend and Tuba Man at their awesome new house.  This also involved Aunt Tiff spinning Little Linebacker around in circles by his feet until I got dizzy and thought I might be sick.  He was not impressed that I had to stop.

--Lunch with my girl Sis who is a current OSU student in charge of representing for me when I'm not there.

--Tailgating.  Enough said.

--Seeing the bricks that College Roomie and I purchased together so that our names will always be at OSU!

--Limees at the Penny.  Duh.

--The hottest football game ever (where my Pokes rolled 84-0 and played all 99 guys on the roster).

--Penny again, where I found my dear friend Mr. Animal House Boy and met up with Kiddo.  Made my night.  I also earned a battle scar.  While dancing with Mr. Animal House Boy, he twirled me into a dude holding a cigar.  I've now got what I'm self diagnosing as a second degree burn on my harm.  I should have learned my lesson 6 years ago when Mr. Animal House boy twirled me into the juke box and we broke it.  I'm a little slow.

--Church and lunch with some of my favorite people.

--A lovely evening with the Chocolate Browns. 

Phew.  Just writing it makes me tired again.  Here is the photo evidence.

Now y'all be sure to stay tuned tomorrow.....because the most exciting part of the weekend is still to come.  It may or may not involve an engagement.  Trust me, it's a good story. :)

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.

OSU: The Reason God Made Oklahoma

"Stillwater has a population of thousands, but is home to millions."

When I saw that a blog I follow was doing a theme asking other bloggers to show off their alma maters, I obviously knew that I would be participating. I am a proud Oklahoma State University alum, as most of you probably know. I mean, there are a few hints on my blog....the orange background, the OSU jersey picture in the header, my frequent blogs about my Cowboys, my referring to Stillwater as "The Happiest Place on Earth".....you get the picture?

I just feel like there are no words to describe how much I loved my experience at OSU. I mean, it could not have been better (unless it had lasted longer!) and I am so grateful to have had such a wonderful college experience. With that, here is my attempt at sharing my alma mater via a Top Ten list!

10. Everything is clothed in orange. I remember some high school friends coming to visit me in Stillwater and us all heading directly to Eskimo Joe's for dinner. We were only there for about 5 minutes andone of them looked at me and said, "Okay, I don't get it....what's with all the orange? It's everywhere...on walls, on people, on signs...." And while OSU orange is my favorite color, I have to admit, that's not the real meaning behind #10. What makes this special is that the whole town is behind the university. Shoot, the whole town revolves around the university. And that's a special thing!

9. Calf Fry. Need I say more? (I will, obviously and I have before). Calf Fry is a huge outdoor concert held at hte end of every April at the Tumbleweed Dance Hall. I may have frequented a few of these concerts in my day..... Anyway, Calf Fry is just thousands of people hanging out, drinking beer, and listening to country music. Doesn't get much better than that folks. I know several college students who attended school in different states who would come to town just for this event (and then crash on my floor....) It's a big deal. 8. Cowboy Sports. You guys know I'm a sports fanatic. Especially college sports. And while I can't say that OSU created the monster that you see today, it certainly helped increase it. There is just not enough to be said about a game day in Stillwater--whether it be football at Lewis Field or basketball at Gallagher-Iba. I was lucky to be in school during some pretty great glory days.....a Final Four Appearance, a Cotton Bowl.....they spoiled me! 7. America's Greatest Homecoming Celebration. I am going to just tell you that my blog won't do homecoming at OSU justice. They dye the fountain orange, shut down the streets, and everyone has the best time! It's unreal to see how many alums descend upon Stillwater every yera to come home. And that really is what it is....remember this blog?
6. The Happiest Place On Earth. OSU is located in beautiful Stillwater, Oklahoma. Stillwater is what you would call a quintessential college town. Small, safe, friendly.....the people are great, you can leave your doors unlocked or go running around Boomer Lake at night, there are adorable "mom and pop" shops, lots of great restaurants....I could go on forever (and I'm not the only one). I swear if I ever win something big and they ask me what I'm doing next, I'll say going to Stillwater. Forget Disneyland!5. The Copper Penny. I think most college students have "their bar." Well, that was The Copper Penny for us. On the Strip, there are lots of different bars, each with its own personality. The Penny was the ag college bar (and you know things are better in the ag college). There would always be boys in boots, cow poop on the floor, cattle pictures on the walls and usually a dog meandering around. The owner, Penny, knew us by name. Everyone knew everyone....sort of like a midwest version of Cheers. I guess you could say we made our mark on the place....literally.

4. We're One Big Family. When you go to OSU, you become part of the family automatically. You might remember reading about this in my post about Remembering The Ten. But there are happy stories too. I frequently wear OSU garb when I travel, and I am almost always stopped by someone else who went to OSU, even if it's just to say a quick "Go Pokes!" My dad has an OSU cap that I got him, and he said that he experiences the same thing. And the OSU spirit goes with you even when you're away from home (like the picture below from San Francisco)!

3. 44th and Western. I realize that to most people, this address means nothing. But to my friends and I, it means Animal House. I've heard people say, "If these walls could talk" but I'm telling you guys.....there is no better example of that saying! From scary movie night, to decorating after the boys won Louisville, to ending the night with real hugs, to the biggest craziest house parties, to fight club on the front lawn, to "family" dinners, to serving as a refuge.....this place had it all.

2. Sunnybrook Christian Church. You've read previously on my blog about my Small Group from my college church. I just can't say enough about how wonderful this church was. Beyond the small group (which was just amazing itself), there were so many other great people that I got to know volunteering in the nursery and kids church. And the preacher is just out of this world--I am telling you guys, he's amazing. If you want to check out some of his sermons, click here!

1. Forever Friendships Started Here. I cannot imagine my life without the friendships I made at OSU. I would be flat out lost without these people. I made new friends.....The Oklahoma Girls, SoulMate Friend, most of the Animal House Boys......and I cemented friendships that I brought with me to Stillwater....BFF, College Roomie, the NM Animal House Boy. I only hope that everyone is able to make one friend as amazing as those that I have named on this list.

Throwback Thursday #35: Small Group Family

“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.” ~Unknown

Several years ago, while I was going to school at OSU, I attended a great non-denominational church, Sunnybrook Christian Church. Shortly after I started going there, the church began a study of Rick Warren's book, 40 Days of Purpose. As part of this study, the church set up several small groups. College Roomie and I were assigned to a hodge-podge group of sorts. Conventional wisdom in chruches probably tries to assign people to these groups by age, place in life, marital status, etc. Well, our group broke any type of definition. The members were: three senior citizens---one man and his wife....he operated their ranch and she worked at the extension office, and one widowed friend of theirs who was the principal of the church school; a young married couple in their twenties with no children; a second young couple with a baby on the way; college roomie, and me. Probably had the church been paying attention, they would not have gone with this grouping. But I'm glad they weren't, because I couldn't have hoped for one better!
Our 40 days quickly ended, but the group stayed in tact, meeting once a month, every month, to this day. And we've seen a lot of changes in the last 6 years. We've added a total of four new babies, a new great grand child, celebrated one couple's 60th wedding anniversary, celebrated two graduations, seen two retirements, watched countless moves, and our fair share of hard times including deaths and divorces of people in our families and lives. Through it all, the group remained in tact.
To this day, this group of people still cares about and inspires each other. I know that these people are always there for me, whether I need prayers or advice or just some encouragement as I try to live a life of faith. I think being able to see what faith looks like not just in my peers, but in people at all different stages in their lives has been invaluable to me. My small group family gave me that. Although I am no longer attending the meeting once a month, I stay in touch by email and I always try to see everyone when I am back in Stillwater. Last weekend, the young couple who had no children when we began happened to be here in town. As you can see, they added to the baby total! Our small group family may not look like most others, but we bonded unlike many others as well. I could not be happier to have these people in my life, and I am grateful every day that God worked his magic to bring us together. I truly believe they have helped make me a better person.

Throwback Thursday # 30: Welcome Home

"Stillwater has a population of thousands, but is home to millions!"

It's been a while since I've done a good ol' "Stillwater is the happiest place on Earth" blog.....so it's definitely time! This Monday was the first week of school for the lucky folks still attending at OSU.

On the OSU facebook page (you know I'm a fan!) the message was simple. It said "Happy first day of class Cowboys and Cowgirls! Welcome home!"

I thought this was perfect. When you go to OSU, Stillwater really is home (I've discussed this before as well). There is just something about that town......it's the energy in the air and the school spirit and everyone and everything being decked out in orange. It's the friendly people who always smile and say hello whether you are walking across Library Lawn, running around Boomer Lake, or stumbling home from the Strip. It's the way that everyone is part of something, no matter how different their backgrounds---ag kids and band members and football players and math nerds and theater majors and future business owners and fashion design girls and computer geeks---they may not have anything else in common except for being Cowboys, but that's enough.

And the best part of OSU....it's not just home for the four years you are there. It's home forever. And I think it's this way for everyone, no matter the stage of life they are in. From babies like little linebacker, to crazy college students like my friends and I used to be, to twenty-something alumni who trek back for football gmaes, to the amazingly wonderful people in my church small group.....Stillwater is home.

The kids who walked onto campus for the first time on Monday are joining something special. Stillwater is where the heart is. Stillwater will always be home.

Letter to Me

“Never let go of hope. One day you will see that it all has finally come together. What you have always wished for has finally come to be. You will look back and laugh at what has passed and you will ask yourself... 'How did I get through all of that?'” ~Unknown

Last week, I read a great blog where the girl wrote a letter back to herself at 20. Brad Paisley has a great song about this same idea. I was inspired, and decided to write a letter to myself as well. It really made me think, but was a lot of fun to do. I totally recommend it.

Dear 20 year-old self:

Enjoy every minute of your time in Stillwater...the energy, people, college town, nights on the Strip, crazy parties at 44th and Western (this address will mean something to you one day soon) and everything else that happens during the next three years. You will spend a lot of minutes later on wishing you could go back. They will be some of the very best of your life.

You've got the best family in the world. Your parents, brother, aunts, uncles and cousins are crazy and loud and overwhelming and absolutely perfect for you!

Your year of junior college was a disaster. But it's over. It might have been necessary to funnel you into Oklahoma State. And you met this boy from Kansas and girl from Canada and their friendships will more than make up for the bad parts!

Know that alot of friends will come and go, but there are some friends who you make when you are nine years old that you will have forever.

You have just met a couch named Snuggles. When you move away, take him with you. There is no other couch that comfy and you will never be able to find him again!

Tell the boy how you feel. And this will apply to more than one boy in the next 6 years. Stop worrying about ruining the friendship.....once you get older and the boys start falling in love with other girls, the friendships start to fade anyway.

Always get the season football and basketball tickets. I know you are broke and it seems like a corner that you can cut. Really, it's not. Don't eat for a week or two if necessary.

On a related note, do NOT call your brother trash talking when OSU gets Texas down by 4 touchdowns in the first half of the home game your senior year. There's a guy named Vince Young who will shut your mouth. Big time.

Pick up a limee. Actually, maybe that's not the best idea. You not discovering them until your last semester may be what gets you (and your liver) through college unscathed.

That roomate who you were lucky enough to find is becoming one of your best friends in the world. Yes, you are nearly complete opposites. Maybe that's why it works. Don't yell when she burns the popcorn. It was an accident. Don't forgive her too fast when she breaks the cannister lid. She feels real guilty and will probably cook you something good if you play it a little...

Relax. Stop stressing about school and work and trying to get everything done. This nothing compared to law school, which is nothing compared to the bar, which is nothing compared to working. Who cares if your MCIS powerpoint is perfect? Put it down and go do something fun.

Enjoy every single Sunday at Sunnybrook Christian Church. You will find a small group that will become like family to you. The faith that you experience and cultivate here will only become increasingly important in the rest of your life.
When you meet the really nice girl at Lights on Stillwater, know that she'll lead you to one of your new best friends. The Lights on Stillwater girl will disappear from both of your lives, but that new best friend isn't going anywhere. Transfer out of the terrible Business Law class you go to the first day of your junior year and go to Professor Urich. Business law with him will open your eyes. You will realize that there are so many places to do and things to see and experiences to have that you can't live your life without trying these things. You will learn that not everyone believes what you believe, and while you might disagree, you can still be civil and respectful.

As great as your friends are now, there are some of your best friends who you haven't even met yet. Keep your eyes open. These girls will change your life!
This one is the most important. By the time you're 25, two of your favorite people in the world will be gone. Even though you think they seem invincible, they aren't. Ask them your questions, get their advice, and enjoy your time with them now. Hug them both every chance you get. Someday, you would be willing to give anything to hear their voice one more time.

Love, Me at 26