Whatev...

full circle

2011-01-11T09:14:00.003-06:00

Feliz Navidad

2009-12-23T23:09:00.004-06:00

i am grateful that i can look into this beautiful face everyday. i wish everyone joy during this season.

love, the reids

have some spare time?

2009-12-14T22:57:00.008-06:00

I just got my faced rocked off...by pure vocal power on prime time. all you A Cappella loving fools must tune in to nbc's The Sing Off. it is only on this week BUT i had goose bumps a few times. i love love love A Cappella music and the judges are pretty legit. anyone remember this guy?

from a little known group called Boyz II Men... or this guy?

everyone knows Ben Folds right? please say yes...

so you may not know Nicole Scherzinger but i happen to love the pussycat dolls. very important for any work out playlist.

so for the next three nights i will be tuned in to have my sense of hearing blown into pieces. i think maybe you should too.

validation

2009-11-16T16:22:00.003-06:00

i recently discovered that my irrational fear of scary movies and the negative effect they have on me also translates to haunted houses. i thought it would be oh so very Halloween-ish of us to go to one of the many haunted houses in Austin. we spent the night watching the football game and i was ready to try something new. after many protest from husband that it was a bad idea, our friends Jeff, Lindsay and i finally broke him and he agreed to go.

i was scared in the parking lot. apparently they think it is a good idea to have people already in costume before you even get into the house. so all it took was one dead man zombie looking thing and one really creepy clown and my wheels were turning. maybe this was not such a good idea. my stomach was in knots. inside while we waited in line i was gathering up all the courage i had in my mind. i was going to be fine, this was supposed to be fun, what is the worst that could happen?

i insisted and yelled at Hayden to not let me go. we proceeded in a single file line with Jeff in front, then his fiance Lindsay, then me and Hayden behind me holding on to my arms. instantly my eyes shut. i grabbed Lindsay so tight by the arm i may have cut off her circulation. i dug my head into her back and proceeded to scream in her ear. things jumped out at every corner. i began to sweat. profusely. eyes still shut. more things jumping out. i started running. except Hayden was holding my arms so i was just running in place. they would get really close to my ears and breathe and made creepy clicking sounds with their mouths.

at this point i thought one of the three following things was bound to happen.
1. i was going to pass out.
2. i was going to throw up.
3. i was going to start screaming and crying for someone to get me the hell out of there.

by the grace of God, the darn thing was over before any could actually happen. when we walked out, my shirt was soaked in sweat. you could have rung out my hands like a wet towel. i must have lost any color in my face. no one but Hayden could believe how scared i was. he had predicted the whole thing in his protest to the idea.

i am 26 years old. i have no switch in my brain that separates real from fake. and the whole reaction was caused from walking around in the dark. with friends. and my 6'6 beautiful man beast of a husband. remember i said my eyes automatically shut? i didn't actually see one single set or person in the haunted house.

when we were laughing and joking outside Hayden told me the zombies inside would get a great scream or reaction out of me and then run through their little sets to get me again. i guess i made myself a target with my gut wrenching screams and running in place.

the only thing that i can walk away from this embarrassing display of irrational fear is i may have single handedly validated the seasonal careers of all the zombies in the haunted house that night.

i feel ok about that.

the many interpretations of my eyes

2009-07-13T22:15:00.002-05:00

people see things differently. my eyes are no exception. i have received much attention in my life because of one, well two, overly pronounced facial features. for better and for worse.

the honesty of childhood...and some bold adults. here are some conversation starters and then my thoughts and internal reactions below as i remember them.

“can you like, see, really really far?”

-no, they do not give me super powers.

“do you have two black eyes?”

-yes, i am third grader, who got into a fight, with someone who knew how to deliver two equally forceful punches to my face to cause a little discoloration under both eyes. no.

“are your eyes going to pop out of your head?”

-well i can't argue with that. that lady on oprah really hurt me.

“i could take a bite our of your eye.”

-that is entirely possible.

“let's check your peripheral vision to see if you can see more than other people.”

-your on. (that turned out to be false. in fact, i think i see less than average eyed people. one point you).

“hey there bright eyes.”

-finally, an ally. at luby's of all places. one point me.

“you look tired.”

-i hate you.

done and done

2009-05-10T20:42:00.003-05:00

i am finished with school. for good. i am no longer an intern, i no longer will be turning in papers, working in groups, preparing presentations, researching, longing to finish. i am simply done. and it makes me want to do this.

the sky, it might really be falling.

2009-03-25T23:57:00.005-05:00

i have felt kinda beat down this semester. there has been big major changes and events taking place. not just in my life, but in the people around me. a lot of unknown, a lot of darkness and a lot of sad. my sweet to the bitter is knowing that god had placed my own personal jack pot with me so we can go through all of this together.

my sweet old car who had gotten me around since high school finally had some major internal issues. so we said our goodbyes and hayden and i embarked on a whole new journey, took advantage of a slumping economy and bought me a new car. a pretty, shiny, dependable, responsible new car. a first for me. after too many trips to the shop, juggling cars with my parents, and driving a slightly scary older car for too long, i drove her happily and so thankfully for ten wonderful days.

this evening as i was heading home I was running way too low on gas and pushing her limits as it was. so it would only make sense to hit major traffic right? traffic like i hadn't seen on my commute home before. pushing it. after about 40 minutes into the drive and being way past empty on the scale i pulled off the road and filled up. relief. as i got back on the high way for the last 5 miles home the sky looked too creepy. it has already been getting dark, but now the storm clouds were rotating, rain drops were starting to fall. i was relieved to see signs for my exit. i should beat it just in time.

just then the emergency broadcast system came over the radio and mentioned the road that hayden and i live off of. the road that i was about to exit. hayden called at that moment and asked, "are you in the hail yet?" as these words processed in my brain leaves started circling around me. and then it hit. real. big. hail. my car was getting pounded. i tried to find trees, anything to park her under, seeking any kind of shelter for my new friend. other cars had already beat me to it. it was loud. it was so loud that my heart was pounding in my throat. at this point the glass was shattering underneath the blows of the hail and i was praying that it wouldn't come through. all i could think to do was sit on the middle consul, plug my ears and say, oh shit, repeatedly. it was what i felt at the time.

in the aftermath it looked like it had snowed. i have never in my life seen hail cover so much ground. it looked like not a square inch was missed from where i pulled over until i reached my apartment complex.

i have been looking at the situations of the last few months as lessons. what is god trying to teach me? i believe in his timing, and i do believe that it is perfect. even if it has played out so very ironically in the past few months. and we have been trying to seek out good from the uncertainty of this time.

my car took one for the team tonight. she kept me safe, and has some definite battle scars to show for it. hayden's car was also significantly damaged. thank you for insurance. they say the value of new cars drops majorly when you drive it off the lot. i wonder what that means for a car with texas size hail damage. so much for our bargain.

it was all too personified for me today. literally being beat down.

so today's lesson that i would like to share is......................................

a car is just a car.

Never Say Never

2009-03-16T14:06:00.007-05:00

there was a time when pointed shoes appeared to me like an accessory perfectly designed to accommodate a contemporary witch costume. the tapered jeans, that some marketing group so cleverly disguised in recent years as the "skinny" jean, brought back images of 80s and 90s unfortunate fashion faux pas. i have worn both. as an adult. now a days you can wear black with the right brown, patterns over patterns, vests, flats, anything nautical, keds, even floral is making its way back.

i realize that fashion is all about perception.

however, i was slightly caught off guard yet again today by what i anticipate in my inbox every week. i received a regular update from the oh so beautiful, makes me want to be rich and/or not care about spending money, anthropologie. to my amazement and shock this is what i saw...

anyone else immediately think slightly conservative hammer pants?

or perhaps this is what came to mind?

i couldn't find the best picture for aladdin, but you get the idea.

for those of you fashionistas who usually wear the styles before everyone else does, i had to send a word of caution. white pants are risky in general. white aladdin pants are a whole other story.

if i happen to eat my words and wear something like this in the next few months i will be sure to post it. in the mean time, never means nothing if it comes out of my mouth.

just like cherry-cola...

2009-01-02T17:15:00.006-06:00

we visited my family for the holidays in el paso. hayden is three times the size of my great aunt lola. almost exactly. i will treasure this photo. she usually runs from the camera, but i think even lola understood that this needed documentation.

you don't have to take my word for it

2008-12-22T23:29:00.007-06:00

since many of you are on what they call holiday, i have some suggestions for your leisure. we have come across some winners, my friends, and i want to share.

two thumbs up, five gold stars and a partridge in a pear tree. if you have eyes and ears you just might cherish it like we did. pretty sure my heart melted into a puddle on the floor. my ears might have exploded a few times as well with the sweet tunes in this display of musical genius. rental.

if you enjoy the more artsy of films we have another one that had us talking for hours about the story, the direction, the music, the purpose, morality, photography, all good things for a nice and warm conversation. it is intense. don't let my tone fool you. i'm telling all my friends. still in theaters.

if more goodness is discovered over the course of the next few weeks, i will share. peace.

feliz navidad from hunky mustache man

2008-12-16T17:43:00.003-06:00

please consider this our formal christmas card. that's right, he is the whole package.

please don't shake me

2008-11-26T09:38:00.008-06:00

if you were sitting around thinking that you would like to learn something about me, allow me to educate you. i fall asleep a lot. i have been known to drop my head and let my droopy eyes close in less than accommodating situations a time or two. in my past i have conked out on trains, planes, automobiles, buses, boats, and just about any form of transportation that you may think of and at record speed. at desks in numerous classrooms and jobs, with my head down or in my hands. head placement doesn't really matter. in doctor's offices, at music festivals and concerts, an ARD meeting, dinner tables (yes, while conversation is still going), the church pews, so many church pews. against walls, on shoulders, holding on to rails, curled up in a ball, sprawled out, and my new favorite that i did not know about myself until i starting sleeping with someone...on my back with my knees in the air. on towels, coast side or on floaties in the pool. and those are just the abnormal places not including cozy couches or beds which, in my case, are an undeniable pull into dreamland. i look forward to the days when i have no clock waking me up. i often will sleep 11 or 12 hours until i know it is time to drag myself away from my peaceful slumber if i have no pending obligations.

this is how i have been for as long as i can remember. hayden explains to others who are not so familiar with how this girl works that i function at just a degree above consciousness at all times, so i am ready and available for the next quiet moment to snooze. never mind, it doesn't have to be quiet. i have concluded that he can sense it. he knows just when i am out and calls or comes home just as the zzzz's are taking hold. he senses those first delightful moments and makes enough noise to stop it from happening. even though i try to act like i was really awake, doing a yoga video or reading a book, he knows the truth and calls me out every time. he also holds no regard for my extra sleep time or any sleep time for that matter. although, i can't think of a sweeter voice to wake up to. and i should be grateful for a husband who prefers me to be awake.

please don't mistake my jovial tone for bragging, for i am not. i often wonder about what it would be like not to be so paralyzed with sleepiness and live with the freedom of being content with just an ordinary 7 or 8 hours or to naturally rise at a time that is officially still considered morning. not to fight the inevitable head bopping war when my body sits still for just the right amount of time, finds the right amount of warmth and begins to shut down. i'm much like your computer when you leave it alone for a few minutes and the screen goes black. unless you shake things up with the tug of your mouse or a push on the keyboard, it remains.

this makes me think of thanksgiving, the holiday that literally drugs me to comatose after overdosing on biggie sized portions of mama's homemade comfort food. on this glorious holiday, i can blame my sleepiness on something else besides not getting my much needed 12 hours, and two afternoon naps.

the irony of it all is that i sleep with my eyes creepily open. it is not charming, in no way cute or endearing, just creepy and a little frightening if you have never seen it before. i often wonder how many people i must have scared with the whites of my enormous eyes or who have stared while i remain undisturbed.

it's a wonder. it really is.

11.23.08

2008-11-19T19:32:00.005-06:00

this date may mean nothing to you. it may just be any other sunday.

i've never been the type of girl with a list. you know the list. your top things you must do so you can feel like you have really lived. lived your dreams, done the unexpected, had experiences that most people wouldn't dare. but even without a list, there is one thing for me that would be list worthy.

the impending album will drop...in 3 days.

had i been over 12 when this band was on top in the late 80s and early 90s i have no doubt that i would have done anything to see them live. alas, i have a second chance. CHINESE DEMOCRACY will be their new tour in 2009. hayden and i agreed that even if we have to fly somewhere, we will see them perform. i will tear holes in our jeans, wear some kind of leather and a red bandanna, and we will be there to see it all happen. it is part of the young and fun motto that we strive to live by.

the only regret will be not seeing slash, as the band could not reconcile their differences and he has moved on to other things. maybe next on the list will be seeing him perform live.

this may be the first album i actually purchase since i learned how to download.

Boo Ya

2008-11-11T15:54:00.001-06:00

Better late than never. Agree?

back to basics

2008-11-03T21:35:00.019-06:00

if i were any good at this blogging thing i might have posted this a while back. alas, i am not. but i wanted to recapture some memories of a road trip to a second home.

it is all so very very far away. but the doublewide looks pretty good these days.

i'm all eyes

2008-10-06T21:48:00.009-05:00

say it aint so, i will not go

2008-09-26T09:49:00.005-05:00

it's all over town. it's on the radio, it's on tv. i hear it in the office chatter, i pick it up in conversations at school. it's in my inbox, it's making headlines in magazines and the papers. reminding me...constantly...that the monster that is acl is about to commence...without me.

the love affair began in 2004. i bought hayden tickets for our birthday thinking the festival would be fun and something we would both enjoy doing together. we drove down from abilene that september weekend and were at zilker park from the first band on friday morning til the last sunday evening. it. was. am-a-zing. life. changing. fun. the first band we saw at 11:00 that fateful friday morning happened to be a little someone you may have heard of called...the killers.

we were ecstatic to hear that coldplay would be headlining the big show in 2005 but received another invitation to see just them with kara and zach the same weekend of acl. we didn't pass up the opportunity. we saw perhaps one of the most spiritual awakening shows of all time at the bargain price of $40. opening for them was rilo kiley. i so under appreciated them at the time. thus, we missed the infamous dust bowl that was acl 2005. it reached temps in the 108s and due to the drought, heat and crowds, the dirt mixed into the atmosphere making conditions almost unbearable. people wore bandannas around their faces in attempts to keep it out. i heard it didn't work.

then acl 2006 and 2007 were deliriously great and exhausting weekends. it was amazing how many people we would run into in the crowds of 65,000. i believe in the history of our acl, hayden and i only split once to watch different shows, and only because we got in a wicked fight due to frustrating conditions, poor choice of words, and short tempers. other than that, it was always us, and friends and family would come and go as they pleased. we stayed in our music trances, mesmerized show after show at the unforeseen talent and the ones we expected would blow our minds. acl is apart of us.

so it saddens me to not be apart of it this year. it was just too much of an expense. we couldn't swing it. it is also impossible to escape from the hype with the impact it has on this town. plus, the weather is GORGEOUS. it will be the coolest weather since it's dawn in 2002.

i will miss bargaining with hayden to wear sunscreen, hearing peaceful sounds of instruments and harmonious voices, the delicious austin food, the sweet tea, sneaking in snacks, the wristbands, holding hayden's hand as we sweat the day away, his kisses when he is so pumped from a show, the smiles, the bohemian atmosphere, running into random people, sitting on our blanket, falling asleep at 5 in the shade of my giant, the view of the austin skyline, and feeling special just because we were there.

i mean, i had mastered the perfect balance of hydration and sweating so i didn't use the porta-potty at all some days. but when i did have to, hayden would be standing ready with hand sanitizer to ease the blow.

so it is with a heavy heart that i reminisce and think of our fond memories. perhaps next year we will resume this becoming tradition. a girl can hope. i won't mention the names that we will not see, and the opportunities lost, that is what i am trying to cope with as i sit at my desk. there is a silver lining in that we are going to the UT game tomorrow. it's very austin-ish and at least an opportunity for some photos and memories. here's to hoping it is a good one.

cheers.

i think i did it again

2008-09-19T21:35:00.003-05:00

i blogged earlier about not paying attention to details. it seems to be happening the most often in super markets. i was able to have a lovely lunch with hayden and thought it would be nice to take him out today since he has been eating sandwiches at home for months now. we are on a budget. any way, i was going to head to the store to pick up a few things and finally refill a very important prescription while i was there. don't worry, just my inhaler. i just now have insurance again. so hayden asked me to pick up some lipton cold brew iced tea. shouldn't be a problem. so i head to the store, refill my prescription, gather a few groceries in my green bags and head home. i left some of the things on our kitchen counter and when hayden came home today he started laughing and said, "i thought you were going to get the cold brew?" i rushed in there to defend myself and explained, "i did! i even looked for the label and it said...." at this time i grabbed the box only to find that it did not any where on the box say cold brew. all it said was iced tea. in my mind i guess seeing iced meant cold thus, i had a laughing husband on my hands. you would think a girl would learn. he insists it is cute. i'll take it.

on a much more positive note, hayden is growing a beard again. maybe sometime this fall hunky mustache man will make another appearance. i'm counting on it.

i am here to learn

2008-09-04T08:10:00.002-05:00

that is, at least, what i keep telling myself. i started my last semester of classes last week. i only have two. one is about social justice issues, a repeat of things i have learned, but you can't ever really know enough about cultural issues and how to better prepare yourself to work with all kinds of people. the other about policy, to which i should know more about but this is specific to children and families. something that peaks my professional and personal interests.

i received my BSW from ACU and was taught about this helping profession from people whose knowledge of social work and their deeply rooted faiths fit together like white on rice. somehow, at UT, this has gotten lost for me. lost in the severely opinionated, political, and let's just say different lens of which these subjects are taught to me. i think as a general whole, social workers are passionate about the rights to which all people should have, being the voice for those who can't speak, being advocates to change policy that effects those who are vulnerable, even changing the way we perceive those with the worst stigmas in our society. that is common. but then there are foundational biblical truths that have become...blurry. i lost my own voice, wanting to be polite, wanting to conform, and wanting to fit in. it is sad that is true for me at 25. i am not ashamed of what i believe, it is apart of who i am, but i am afraid of how to communicate that to a school so obviously fighting for worldly acceptance. not in reverence to an all loving and all powerful God.

i have been searching why i have had my attitude about school. i have complained about the program, the teachers, the whole process, without identifying why i may feel so out of place, so uncomfortable in my school. it took me a year and a half to communicate that.

let me clarify one thing. it is not a waste of time, i value the education that i am receiving and there is no doubt that a professional degree will open doors for me to do a job that i do believe i have a God given gift for. i just didn't realize that some definite soul searching and questioning, not to mention some serious attitude, would be such a big part of the deal.

i graduate in may. it seems i still have time to figure things out.

the hills are alive

2008-08-16T13:34:00.001-05:00

my favorite show about nothing is back...on monday night.

we could be married...

2008-08-03T18:36:00.019-05:00

the wedding weekend began with friends and family coming in town, and all of the ladies getting together for the most beautiful and thoughtful bridal luncheon a girl could ever ask for. the wonderful watts ladies hosted this most special occasion and we were completely blown away.

i cannot say thank you enough.

and the details were impeccable. cassie and erika made these little rings for all of the guests to enjoy with sweet words attached.

yes, those are photos of hayden and i, turned into ornaments, and hung perfectly on this beautiful little tree.

maria and e.

my sweet friends ashley, cassie and rosie. ashley came all the way from birmingham to share in the weekend.

my baby cousin jessie and my wonderful friend and boss, stephanie.

emily and her mom marcia came from california. we grew up together on the same street. emily is my oldest friend in the world and until this weekend we had not seen each other in six years. that is another story for a blog to come.

my mom and hayden's mom.

jessie and her mom, my so fun aunt margie.

my soon to be sisters in law, sam and ryan.

mama and gramma. yes, they are the same person. and two of the cutest women in the world.

the wedding weekend was just beginning...

Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day

2008-07-29T15:59:00.004-05:00

With the wedding, the honeymoon, hayden moving in, unpacked gifts, long work days, and busy weekends, our messy little town house was becoming kinda depressing. i like to picture my life in cartoons, and in this case i picture a little house overflowing with clothes and things popping out of windows and cracks until it explodes open. did that paint a good picture? anyway, after much stalling and negativity about the appearance of the home front, erika gave me a special gift that provided some much needed motivation so i could feel better about our place.
Monday was officially declared Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day. It is a special line of cleaning products that makes everything smell nice, is gentle and really easy to use. It was just the ticket. I cleaned from 9 a.m until 7 p.m. with a few breaks in between. I can proudly say that things really took shape and I had the biggest feeling of accomplishment at the end of that day. it is not like me to let things go that out of hand. i love organization, tidiness, efficiency, functionality and of course, cozyness, in a home. add that to a ridiculous fear of bugs moving in and you've got yourself a pretty clean place. but that was not the case recently. thanks friend for the push. it worked.

go ahead, laugh out loud

2008-07-26T12:45:00.001-05:00

where everybody knows your name....

2008-07-17T23:50:00.007-05:00

i have to give a big hip hip hurray to my dear friend cassie for turning my blog into an amazing creation. isn't it cute? everything she touches turns to gold. she so graciously designed practically everything for our wedding, from the save the dates, to the invitations, to the programs, and even made these beautiful rings for my bridal luncheon. cassie, you are wonderful and i can't thank you enough for all of your help over this year. it may seem like small things to you, but you are truly servant hearted and you helped me out over and over again. and now i can compete with all you other folks with super cute blogs. i like that now it has personality. cause i think i have a lot, and now we can match, my blog and i. i like to give credit where credit is due, and if i could, i would pour a big bucket full of it onto cassie's lap. thanks friend. you are so special to me.

love today

2008-07-10T11:37:00.005-05:00

i have been gone from this world long enough. i have not wanted to blog until i could post some photos, but i thought an update of some kind was in order. since the last time i blogged, a ton of things have happened. i will go into more detail on those things in the posts to come. for now, some thoughts.

hayden and i have transitioned easily into married life. it was a natural next step for us after all this time, and although i anticipated a great deal of change, things feel pretty normal. we have such a wonderful friendship and respect for each other. he has blown me away with his sweetness and thoughtfulness and for some reason it feels even more special when it comes from your husband. i can't say enough wonderful things about him.

i will share just a little story. i came home last night to see hayden laughing to himself. it's an understanding that we have now that hayden does not appreciate groceries that say low fat or sugar. i like to keep dairy products with less fat, like butter, mayo, sour cream...those kinds of things. to me they all taste the same with the exception of low fat ranch (yuck). but, hayden insists that he can taste the difference, so i try to be very aware and buy the things that he likes to eat and cook with. so i kept asking him what's the big idea with the laughing? finally, he takes me upstairs to show that the bread and butter pickle slices that i bought him said in bold letters NO SUGAR ADDED. how did i miss that? sometimes i think i must live inside my own little world of not paying attention to the details. i do this kind of stuff to hayden all the time without ever realizing it until i see the look on his face when it happens. i was wondering how many other things that i completely miss out on being in my own world. i appreciate that for now he finds it endearing as opposed to annoying.

we read a book lately called The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. i recommend it. i like to see the things that other people are reading and recommend, so i will recommend this one and maybe some of you will enjoy it and learn something from it if you come across it. this book definitely puts life into perspective. i am going to make a point to go to the library to check out more books. reading is probably one of my favorite things to do and i don't do it enough. i am making a commitment to books this year. i also have yet to finish the last harry potter. i adore these books, and for some reason i have avoided finishing it because it was the last of a series that i am not ready to say goodbye to. i know it sounds weird, but i love those books, a lot.

i am hoping to find some time to post some photos and say a few words about the wedding events, the honeymoon, rosie's fourth of july wedding, and another wedding weekend in san diego. beginning on monday i am downgrading to a four day work week and three day weekends. getting up in the 6 o'clock hour sounds terrible, but free friday's sound glorious. so we will see if i can pull the long work days off. it is going to be difficult with my natural energy level already being sub par.

peace.

this one goes out to the one i love

2008-06-01T23:15:00.003-05:00

Today was a big day for Hayden and I. It is the first day of June. Our wedding month. We have reached the month of the much anticipated celebration. The past six months have been some of the best ever. Planning not only a wedding, but a life with Hayden whom I love so dearly has changed me. It is so hard to put into words what this time has meant to me. Our friends and family have poured out their love to us and that has been one of the best parts of our engagement. We have felt so much love from everyone that it is overwhelming. Hayden has also been so loving, supportive, affirming, and patient during this time. He has been my comfort during the few dramatic episodes of our wedding story. I find myself randomly smiling or feeling these sudden bursts of excitement and anticipation. There are just a few details left until our big day arrives. Thank you to everyone for all that you have done for us. We feel so loved and are so thankful for that. If I don't find the time to blog again in the next two weeks, I will be back to blog as a Mrs.

Peace.

I've Been Kissed by a Rose

2008-05-25T22:31:00.017-05:00

And her name is Thais. Twelve years ago I was twelve years old. I was visiting my aunt and best friend in California for the summer and I got a call from mom and dad. They had called to see if I would mind having a foreign exchange student live with us for a school year. I said I thought it would be great even if it was kind of random. And it turned out it was great. She was 16 and from Brazil. When she first arrived she barely spoke a word of English but soon adjusted and became part of our family. For that year I had a sister. And that is how close we got. Throughout the years after we kept in touch through letters and email. My dad got an email from her recently that she was going to be traveling to the states with her in-laws and wondered if we could come see her in Florida. My dad said of course and booked us flights, hotels, car, and tickets to Disney World to see Thais after twelve years.

It was like no time had passed. I cried when I talked to her on the phone the night before we were going to meet her at Magic Kingdom. It was crazy to hear the same voice again that was so familiar for a significant time in my life. She cried when we finally did see her again. We met her husband, his brothers and parents and spent the day in Magic Kingdom with Brazilians. All but his mom spoke English so we were able to talk and get to know each other. They were an amazing family and it was so fun getting to spend one day with them all. The next day we took Thais and her husband to Animal Kingdom for the day. I thought I needed to document this trip with some photos.

She spotted us instantly and said we all look exactly the same. I thought she did too.

After our first meeting.

Someone in a plane wrote Jesus in the sky. It was nice to see that so I thought I would take a picture.

Thais and her husband Felipe.

All of the girls.

I was showing Felipe's mom something my camera does and she thought it was really cool.

All of the boys.

Our whole group in front of the castle.

Felipe's mom made everyone try on hats and even though I think they are so creepy, they made me put the Minnie ears veil on.

Thais always told dad that he was so goofy. Thus, the photo.

At Animal Kingdom before Thais got sick on the new roller coaster.

It was so random to spend a weekend in April, in Florida, at Disney World, with Thais and her in laws. But I love that my family had this experience and created a life long relationship that is so special to all of us. The reason I quoted Seal in the title is because that song came out the year that she was here, and it always makes me think of her. We are planning a big trip to Brazil in December of 2010 to not let 12 years go by before we see her again!

teaser trailers

2008-04-14T10:05:00.006-05:00

i saw the sex and the city trailer this weekend. it gave me goose bumps. i was never an avid watcher. in fact, i didn't start watching until the reruns started playing on tbs. however, the movie looks like it could be fabulous.
to me the most important part of the movie going experience is watching the trailers. a brief insight of movies to come. if i could have a dream job, it would be making these trailers. if they are really good, i usually will look them up again and watch them online. one of the most memorable and one i still go back and watch sometimes is the teaser trailer for Garden State. i get really mad if people say, "we can make it, we just might miss the previews". there is no missing the previews with me or there is no movie. it is one of my weird things.

on to a more relevant topic...hayden and i have taken up the task of registering for gifts. it is an ongoing process of updating, changing, adding, deleting, and comparing. all of the registry guides have tons of recommendations that seems so excessive to me so i thought i would ask for some sage registering advice from the blogging community that may glance my way.

what were the best things you registered for?
do i really need 12 of every kind of table setting?
will people think we are snobs or totally rude for registering for a couch? (we don't expect anyone to buy it, we just thought we could use the discount and some gift cards later to purchase it after the wedding. it is like it was made for hayden...)

if anyone would like to share some info with us, we would appreciate it!

p.s. special thanks to all of those who left such sweet comments about our engagement photos!

today marks exactly 2 months until the wedding!

i'm not an addict

2008-04-08T16:44:00.002-05:00

I found this website called polvore.com that lets you pull all kinds of things to create whatever you want. It is super addicting and great for planning or creating just about anything. You should try it at your own risk.

all around me are familiar faces

2008-03-25T21:13:00.015-05:00

Hayden and I were so lucky to have our dear friend Lisa Woods take our engagement photos for us. She started her own company called Now and Then Photography and she is so talented. She made us feel so comfortable and relaxed on what could have been a potentially awkward day for me. Ever since I was little I was very uncomfortable around cameras. A lot of my childhood photos are of a really ticked off little jen. Cameras just made me angry. I've come out of that for the most part but Hayden and I had never done anything like this before. I think Lisa was able to capture who we are together....

I just wanted to share some of our fun with the blogging community. And blogger is uploading photos super fast tonight which has never happened to me before. Peace.

Unlucky 7

2008-03-07T10:04:00.004-06:00

There are few worse feelings in social situations than embarrassment. My life is sprinkled with these embarrassing moments and so I thought I would share some of them in chronological order.

1. I was in forth grade sitting in music class. I had a book in front of me and as I was aggressively turning the pages the book produced a sound that was similar to that of breaking wind. All of a sudden I hear from across the room, "who did that?" Only to have the kid sitting next to me point me out and say, "she did it." I turned red, got really hot and tried to explain that it was the book, not me as quickly as possible. Yeah, like that sounds believable. I just remember seeing the kid's face next me. He didn't believe me for a second. Jerk. Consequently, I don't mess around with books anymore.

2. I was about 7 years old visiting family in El Paso for Christmas. It was Christmas Eve and it was my turn to open presents from the family. One of them I opened was this giant bag. I didn't really get why someone would give this to me but I went with it and wanted to seem appreciative. So I started modeling with the bag and people started laughing at me. This was great, I was doing something funny so I continued to walk around awkwardly modeling this giant bag. The laughs continued until my pregnant aunt Margie explained that it was for a diaper bag for her. Idiot. I make sure and read all the labels before I open anything.

3. Moving on to High School. I had the biggest crush a 9th grader could have on an upper classman. We became friends, hung out occasionally, talked all the time on the phone and I thought it would be a good idea to ask him to our Christmas Formal. It was girls ask guys and since we spent so much time together I thought why not just ask? He said yes and the plans were in place to go together. It was the night of and I had made the conscious decision to be downstairs when he got there. I thought it was awkward watching the girl come down the stairs. Last minute I forgot I had left my purse upstairs so I ran up to get it. Of course, this was the time that my date (and his older brother who was taking us) came to the door. He was an upperclassman but one without license. Anyway, my parents let them into our house just as I started to come back down. One step, two step, miss a step, boom boom boom boom boom, fall on my butt at the bottom. In front of my crush and his brother, I fell from the top to the bottom, broke a fake nail that popped off and flew up over the balcony. (I found the nail about a week later.) As I sat on the bottom I buried my face into my hands and kept repeating "oh my god, oh my god" over and over again. My mom was so calm and kept saying, it's alright just get up. It was a moment so shocking that no one knew whether to laugh or not. My brother came running in from the den asking what that noise was. After I got up my parents tried to play it off and my date's wonderful brother started telling a story of how his girlfriend fell at Macaroni Grill really bad to take the attention off of me. We still had to pose for some of the most awkward photos I have ever taken (and I have been in a lot). I went to the dance and spent most of the night with my friends. I didn't hardly see my biggest crush or talk to him again.

4. Moving on to college. Most people who know me know that I have sweaty hands. Sometimes they are perfectly dry, but if any attention is brought to my hands, they start to sweat. So I don't ever like to hold hands with anyone really. (Hayden is the exception.) Anyway, I was in a spring break campaign meeting because I had signed up to go to Boston without anyone I knew. I made friends quickly and enjoyed going to these meetings preparing for this trip. One day we were sitting in a circle about to leave when one of the leaders said, why don't we all hold hands and have some prayer time before we go. Instant water works. I looked to the guy sitting next to me and tried to quickly explain that I didn't want to hold hands. Luckily the girl next to me just put her hand on my back, but the guy next to me placed my hand on his knee and put his hand over it. That is a little awkward anyway, but in this position my hand was trapped. We sat for what I thought was forever and my hand continued to get sweatier and sweatier. I was too nervous to move it for fear it would get worse. The prayer finally ended and when I moved my hand away it had created a wet spot on the guys jeans. Is that one of the grossest things you have ever heard?Imagine being that guy with the wet spot on his pants. Imagine being the girl who created it. Now maybe some of you can understand why I so stubbornly will not often hold hands in any situation. I firmly say No. It is for your own protection.

5. I was in chapel one day, on the floor talking to people. A guy standing by me had mini m&m's in his hand. I said to him that I loved the tiny m&m's. Not because I wanted them, but because I love tiny things. So he says do you want them. I say sure and he casually tosses them my way. Of course they hit me directly in the crotch. He didn't know what to do. "Um, sorry," he said and then walked away. I awkwardly walked away too. It is never good when any attention is called to that area.

6. Hayden had a roommate Greg who in college who got married and lived in a house with his wife Allie. We went over to see them and hang out for a while. I wanted to look through their wedding album to see all of the pictures. I was scanning through them and Allie came to sit and look at them with me. Just as I was about to tell her how much I liked them my gum came flying out of my mouth and landed directly on a picture of her face. I picked it up as quickly as possible but seriously, how does that happen? I wasn't close enough to her for that to be funny, it was just awkward. I don't think she appreciated it.

7. This happened a few weeks ago. I was driving to my internship at Adult Protective Services. I needed to turn Left and the guy in front of my started to turn and then suddenly stopped. I was now in the middle of the road following and the light turns yellow. I am thinking what the heck is this guy doing? I'm gonna be here in the way when the light turns red! I honked the horn with just a few light taps to tell him to move on and I saw him pointing aggressively to the left. I should tell you that on my way to APS I pass a school for the blind. It turns out that three blind people were crossing the road at that moment and the guy was only waiting for them to safely cross. I felt about an inch tall and stayed way behind him once we got going again so I wouldn't have to see him at the next light. Shame on me.

cause you don't know what you've got till it's gone

2008-01-23T19:14:00.000-06:00

Hayden and I had been sitting pretty for a month with the place, the date, and everything that was included in Villa St. Clair. Then Monday I got a call that due to permit problems with the city of Austin, Villa St. Clair will no longer be able to host our wedding! What? I cried all day Monday and wondered what in the world are we going to do 5 months before we had originally planned to get married. The first thing my dad said when I found out this news was to call a lady from church who owns a wedding venue called The Plantation House. So after leaving a weepy cry voice message on her answering machine, she called me back to say that by some crazy coincidence they had our same date open! At this point, Hayden and I are not willing to take any more risks with this wedding and fully trust that it is going to be beautiful and taken care of by a great family. So we have another place decided and it is magically going to be on the same date! After thinking for a month that the big day was going to be on june 14 I got kinda attached to it. We are going to have to rearrange our budget but I feel totally secure that everything is going to work out! So now we have to make all those decisions about food, flowers, photos, the whole package. The best part is I love being engaged. It is such a fun and special time for Hayden and I (even though my crying about the wedding stuff count is now up to 4). We have have felt so much love and support from family and friends and God continues to provide his guidance and assurance. I just can't wait for this summer. We also just rented a three story town home. I am grateful that everyone went immediately into damage control mode and now things are falling back into place. This is the place that it is all going to happen!

Please pray for us as we continue to go through this process!

BIG NEWS

2008-01-04T20:20:00.002-06:00

Big news from Austin (that most people who read already know as well.) Josh so sweetly and thoughtfully proposed to Rosie. This was them walking in to his parents house and she saw all the people he had planned to be there for the surprise afterward..

Erika and I also had the unique experience of being at the hospital when Cassie and Austin had Caleb. We were some of the first people to welcome him into the world. Both of their families made us feel right and home and let us wait with them in anticipation. It was such a special experience!

The room where the magic happened.

Of course my camera battery died right when we were able to go into the room with the new family and I did not get any good pictures. Even so, we were so glad that we were able to share in that huge life changing experience!

Best Year Ever

2008-01-01T22:03:00.000-06:00

The years after college stayed pretty stagnant for me. Everything stayed pretty much the same. I wasn’t challenged, and I was bored. But then 2007 came along and I think I made some significant changes. Changes worth blogging about...again.

• I became a longhorn…something I did not expect to do and rekindled my dislike for papers and reading textbooks.
• I rented my very own apartment and learned how nice solo independence feels.
• I went from only being able to run 2 minutes to 30 minutes.
• I traveled to a different country.
• I chopped off my long hair…several times (RIP)
• I sort of had three jobs, making it one of the busiest times I can remember.
• Hayden and I went up a notch on the commitment scale.

I wore a lot of hats in 2007 and now am adding fiancé and wedding planner to the list. Who am I? For the most part I will be happy to have things calm down again, and not be so busy. But I am thinking that may not happen for a while.

It starts with these...

2007-12-18T15:31:00.000-06:00

Cassie made Hayden and I these adorable save the date cards so I wanted to show them off. Thanks Cas!

Save the Date

2007-12-12T17:50:00.000-06:00

The past 8 days have been crazy. I have an hour to sit and tell the blogging community, all 4 of you that already know, that Hayden and I are engaged!

Last Monday night was my last night of class for the fall semester. I called Hayden to tell him I would probably get out of class early and then about 45 minutes later to tell him I was on my way home. This is how our conversation went.
Jen: Hey you're not at the gym?
Hayden: No, I'm pretty sore today so I stayed home.
Jen: Well I am on my way home do you want to meet me at my house?
Hayden: Maybe, we'll see. I'll just call you later.

When we got off the phone I actually wondered if he was going to propose because he just sounded so unlike himself on the phone. I pushed that thought quickly out of my head and drove home. I walked upstairs to find Hayden already there. After some small talk for a few minutes I walked towards him. He turned off the T.V. and stood up. I thought we were going to go eat or something, but then he said, "Jen, I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He got down on both knees (he really was sore) and put his hands around my waist. I was already tearing up at this point and he simply said, "will you marry me?" He pulled out the ring and I couldn't see it because the tears had built up in my eyes. I said yes right away but he didn't hear me so he stayed on the ground for an awkward amount of time until I said yes again. He picked me up and we laughed and I kept repeating how we were getting married! After that he took me to our favorite restaurant for a wonderful sushi celebration dinner. I was so excited I yelled at our waitress, "WE'RE ENGAGED! YOU'RE THE FIRST PERSON I'VE TOLD!" We think I scared her. After that we went to his parent's house to tell them and then to my parent's house to tell them. This is what happened behind the scenes.

Hayden talked to my dad on Saturday. The ring was ready Monday instead of Tuesday. Hayden wasn't expecting me home until 9:00 that night after class. Apparently getting out of class early ruined his plans. The greatest thing about our story is that Hayden said that the ring was burning a hole in his pocket. He couldn't wait to ask. It was simple and sweet and we are so excited about planning for this next big step. The timing is perfect and we have felt so much love and support from all of our friends and family.

The big day is Saturday, June 14, 2008. We are getting married in a place we think is going to be beautiful. It actually isn't finished being built yet. And we haven't seen it. We have an idea of what it is going to look like and so we thought, let's take a chance! It is a European inspired villa and garden. We are hoping for the best.

If you made it this far thanks for reading about our story. I have a feeling the next six months are going to fly. We didn't take the best pictures, or very many. We will take some of just the ring and post them soon!

Hunky Mustache Man

2007-11-08T19:30:00.000-06:00

Hayden had been growing a beard. Eventually it was time for it go. He promised that when he shaved he would get down to just the mustache part for a picture. Then it turned into so much more. For an entire three days Hayden went to work, the gym, Houston to see his friend, out to play frisbee, and a dinner with the guys before the mustache went away.

It was long enough to twist at the end. Goodbye funny mustache. You will be missed.

Cheers to Young and Fun

2007-09-21T20:28:00.001-05:00

Today I actually verbally apologized to iTunes on my computer for neglecting to add music to it for so long. What? I thought about how weird that was after I did it.

The past two weeks have been non-stop with a little Austin City Limits in between which resulted in two three hour naps this week on my only two nights off. There were a few minor set backs at ACL which included, but were not limited to, some bands cancelling, a fire, forgetfulness and huge crowds. Fortunately, for the most part, it was another great weekend filled with sun, good friends and live music that gave me goose bumps on 90 degree September days. Our favorites shows were Muse, Regina Spektor, The Decemberists and Damien Rice.

JD is one of Hayden's friends that we run into at concerts these days. His face in this photo makes me laugh out loud.

My cousin Jessie who is a freshman at Texas this year (love her) and Hayden's little sister (love her too!)

Hayden's David the Gnome Picture.

It looks like a tear, but I think it was sweat.

Hayden's reflection in a giant guitar covered in mirrors. I just liked this picture.

Partners!

The At&t stage. The best one!

In case anyone is interested, Hayden took a quick video when we saw Muse. They were by far the most entertaining show. We were pretty close to the stage and this shot is of the crowd going crazy. We had so much fun on a very young and fun weekend.

Remind me that we'll always have each other

2007-09-06T17:47:00.000-05:00

Labor day weekend was the perfect getaway. I cannot describe how much I enjoyed my time with my closest friends. When we reunite, it is like no time has passed and everything picks up where it left off. It was relaxing and so very fun catching up and spending time with the new baby additions to our group. I would post photos, but I forgot my camera in Austin and have to rely on the pictures everyone else took. I can't wait until next year. I hope we keep this tradition up for years and years.

On Monday night Hayden and I went to the Incubus concert at Auditorium Shores. It is one of the best venues ever! I could actually see the stage most of the time. I was so impressed with their live show. The tickets were my birthday gift to Hayden, so it was great to finally go. I had been looking forward to it since February. With an older band, you have to expect that they won't play every song that you love since they have so many, but they played a lot of great ones. My favorite was Dig from their newest album. Here is the chorus:

If I turn into another
dig me up from under what is covering
the better part of me.
Sing this song
remind me that we'll always have each other
when everything else is gone.

I flipped out and sang my little heart out. I love that Hayden and I have a love for live music that we can share together. Speaking of, ACL is fast approaching. Incubus just got me that much more excited about everything we are going to see this year. I think sometime soon Hayden and I are going to make a list of everyone we have seen together. It's quite a list. Hayden had to sneak my camera in his pants so we wouldn't have to take it back to the car which was like 2 miles away. I think it was worth it for a few blurry shots.

I swear JD had a good time, he may have just been camera shy.

Peace out bloggers, enjoy the weekend.

Success Story

2007-08-15T21:05:00.000-05:00

I did have a wonderful experience in Costa Rica, but was so very happy to come home. I love to go away and come home with a bigger appreciation for my life here and all the people in it. Here are some last pictures of my time there.

The mariposa museum.

I still have no idea what in the world our guide was doing in the air.

My mama tica. She took care of me everyday, took an interest in my life, made me food, washed my clothes, made my bed, painted my nails, and straitened my hair. I think I was kind of like her doll. Could she be cuter?

The traditional Costa Rica breakfast.

My hermana tica.

My family. It is strange to think that I may never see them again.

The whole plane ride home I had the song "God Bless the USA" stuck in my head. What can I say, I guess I just love the comforts of home.

Photos

2007-08-08T13:41:00.000-05:00

More about Costa Rica.

My cuarto in my family ticos house.

Mi clase de español.

La Playa del Manuel Antonio.

Crazy monos that try to steal food out of your backpacks.

Oh the fruit drinks.

Our hotel.

Grande Cocodrilos of Costa Rica.

don't you...forget about me

2007-08-06T16:08:00.001-05:00

So I am ready to come home. Is that bad because it has only been a little over a week and time is not flying by in Costa Rica. It is crawling. I feel like I grew up here. Anyway, we got back from our beach excursion this weekend. We had a good time but the hotel was no bueno and mucho personas found bugs in their comida. I have adapted a sort of spanglish that I speak in, and write in apparently, that is not helping mi español and is decreasing my english speaking skills. It seems to be happening to everyone so it is not just me. It is awkward taking pictures of myself or asking someone else to take pictures of me so I thought I would post some of these ridiculous awkward me photos just incase anyone is interested.

Awkward me by Tucan Sam

Awkward me by a waterfall.

Awkward me at the beach.

Awkward me with tons of bug bites.

I am not taking anymore awkward me photos.

¡Bienvenidos!

2007-07-30T17:02:00.000-05:00

I arrived safely in Costa Rica on Saturday night after my morning flight was cancelled. I was picked up from the airport and taken to my host family's (tico) house. I have a mom, dad, two brothers and one sister. Two are teenagers and not very excited about me. I was basically dumped at their house and they speak no English. I have never experienced anything like this. Katia (my tica) and I spend most of our time looking up words to show each other. It is frustrating not being able to communicate past surface conversations. The school here is beautiful and there are mostly girls here around my age, which makes it so fun. Today was my first day of class. There are three of us total so we speak Spanish for four hours and learn as much as we can. Today we have the afternoon off so I thought I would post. It is going to get much busier. I’m sure my two weeks will fly by. I still have to take pictures of my house, family, and room but I will soon.

The street where I live.

my school.

pretty sunset from my family's house.

I have to go home for dinner so I can meet up with the girls for some coffee. That is if I can effectively ask for permission.

I will post more if I can.

Adios Amigos

2007-07-27T22:49:00.001-05:00

Here is a quick update before I leave for Costa Rica tomorrow morning.

Hayden bought a beautiful new truck. We love her.

Birthday with the girls.

I come home in two weeks. I am going to learn Spanish, live with a host family, and see a beautiful new country.

A hui hou kakou!

2007-06-19T23:24:00.001-05:00

I thought the Hawaii trip deserved a post of its own. I will warn you, these are family vacation photos which to me would normally scream turn back now, but some are worth seeing.

This is the amount of tiny bags that mom and I combined took on the plane.

Our first meal after we arrived. It should of been called slap happy hour.

Snorkeling in Kona.

For some reason mom could not walk on this lava. She was walking like a dog walks when you put shoes on them. Totally out of her element. Dad thought it was funny.

After this one drink, Chris went crazy doing her version of hula dance during the car ride home. This was all it took.

Shout out to Kika...oh the fruit drinks.

This is a black sand beach at the bottom of Waipio Valley.

Our Ride the Rim ATV tour of the valley turned out to be one of the most exciting things I have ever done.

Our fun tour guides.

The after shots. I don't ever remember being dirtier.

A stop at the botanical gardens for mom.

The Volcanoes National Park.

Macadamia Nut Farm.

Sunset beach on the North Shore of Oahu.

Waikiki Beach. Our hotel was 20 steps to the shore.

On top of Mauna Kea. The best place in the world to star gaze and the largest mountain from the bottom of the sea to its summit.

We stood above the clouds.

All year round it is freezing, literally on the peak so parkas are handed out.

The last night we went to a luau as a nice send off before our late night flight.

She Called Out A Warning

2007-06-13T11:58:00.000-05:00

It was Sunday afternoon. I was a little hungry and didn't have much to spend so I thought I'd head over to Sonic to enjoy my regular: a grilled cheese sandwich, fries and a small strawberry fresh fruit slush. I don't really look at the menu much anymore because my regular never fails me. I pushed the red button, waited, and then began to order. In the corner of my eye I see an ad for the Extreme Tots. Quickly I read something about jalapenos and ranch dressing and decide to try something new for a change. Instead of Sonics trusty fries I decide to order these intriguing Extreme Tots. I had made a terrible $2.99 mistake. The first was that it comes in a foot long package with cheese, chili, onions, jalapenos and ranch dressing all over the tots. I got home, took a few bites and couldn't do it anymore. It was probably one of the most disturbing things I have ever attempted to eat. And I was determined to try. The fact that it is huge does not help it. I didn't realize that it was a meal all on its own. The shame of it all is individually, all of those ingredients sound so good. I didn't even know how to dispose of the mass later. Please don't make the same mistake I did. Beware of the Extreme Tots and impulse ordering at fast food joints unless you are prepared, fully knowledgeable about the food, and aware of the consequences you may suffer later. It may be a good rule of thumb to never order anything that has Extreme in the title.

For now I am going to stick with what I know.

Stick it to the Man

2007-06-06T10:58:00.000-05:00

I started classes again this week. There are not enough hours in the day for all the things that I would like to accomplish and still be able to sleep a decent amount to function the next day. This has led to a sleepy, grumpy and partially unmotivated at school and work Jen that I do not like to be. Later I will post some things about our family Hawaii trip if I ever get the time to do that. For now I would like to use this web space to vent out some pointless things that I have been thinking about this week instead of being productive with my limited time.

The fact that Lindsay Lohan is as famous as she is makes me angry. I do not think that post The Parent Trap remake anyone should have spent their time or money making her famous. She is a waisted pop culture icon.

I realize that this may be controversial but recently I have been a little bothered by the fact that there are parents on facebook and the numbers are surprisingly rising. Now, I have nothing against parents, I love parents, I have two great ones, but for some reason I like to keep my web life restricted to peers and, you know, the rest of the world. It's not the fact that I have anything to hide, but it was designed for college students to network and keep in touch with one another. That is why our parents have classmates.com.

On a more positive note, my favorite thing that I have heard this week was a quote from Hayden when he said, "Science is so cool" after being fascinated by a beer that had been in the freezer just a few minutes too long. (Kara I thought that you would appreciate that!)

I'll write later when I am in a better mood but for now I feel like annoyed Joe.

and blasting forth with three-part harmony

2007-05-10T09:23:00.000-05:00

The ACL lineup was posted this morning. It never ceases to blow my mind. Hayden and I are set up for Austin City Limits 2007, our third time to enjoy the three day music festival. There is no place like it. We love baking in the hot September sun, keeping as hydrated as we can, laying out a blanket, walking around all day, and enjoying some of the best music (and some good Austin food) played all in one place. When I talked to Hayden this morning I was squealing with joy while reading him the list of bands. Here are the big ones worth squealing about:

Bob Dylan

Bjork

The White Stripes (shout out to the old college roomies)

The Killers

Wilco

Arcade Fire

Muse

My Morning Jacket

Queens of the Stone Age

Bloc Party

Arctic Monkeys

Joss Stone

Damien Rice

Robert Earl Keen
Lucinda Williams

Spoon

Blue October

Indigo Girls

The Decemberists

Paolo Nutini

REGINA SPEKTOR (austin girls???anyone down???perhaps a one day pass?)

Amy Winehouse

Crowded House

Steve Earle

Augustana

Amos Lee
Ben Kweller

Pete Yorn

Now, I still have my own personal list of ACL hopefuls. I don't think some of these will ever come but hey, that's why they are hopefuls...

Imogen Heap

Prince

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Tenacious D

Smashing Pumpkins

Weezer
Pearl Jam

Bare Naked Ladies

311

Jimmy Eat World (so good live)

Green Day (if they played their old stuff)

Sublime (hello high school)

and last but not least...(drum roll)...Guns N' Roses

I would also like to see Counting Crows again because they owe me American Girls live. I'm still a little bitter about that.

Some photos of last years show. peace.

cause you know it's over, before it began

2007-05-05T01:44:00.000-05:00

School is officially over until June. What? How is it possible that time seems to go by so fast? It goes by faster every year. One semester down and 4 more to go. That sounds like a nightmare so hopefully that whole time flying by thing will continue to be the case. However, I love being back in school for the most part. I am a huge believer in higher education. Learning is empowering. I encourage everyone to think about going back at some point. There is so much available to learn. Here are randoms.

The Spurs game was great! They beat Detroit. We enjoyed our box seats (and our matching jerseys). Now that the Mavs fell flat on their faces (best night ever), I'm hoping the Spurs will continue to do well in the playoffs. Who knew I could be such a hoop head? I am loving the NBA Finals.

This is some of us at the Guster Concert, which was amazing. When there is Stubb's Iced Tea involved, you are bound to have a good time.

This is a pic of the folks at the arboretum. Sweet Chris and Jerry.

And I am a writer, writer of fictions

2007-03-20T22:02:00.000-05:00

As Spring Break came to a close I felt the weight of the rest of the semester on my shoulders. I am struggling with my inner procrastinator that has become embedded into my very core. I feel like I am fighting apart of who I am. The good or bad news is I am one book analysis, research paper and two group projects away from finishing my first semester at UT. Everyone has been telling me that time is going to fly by and I am anticipating some all-nighters and lots of caffeine in my future. I wish I could say Spring Break was restful but with work and some family in town it was anything but. We did have a great time with excellent food and a little Austin entertainment. It was also so fun to see so many people at Cody's wedding. I am glad there are a few opportunities each year to see so many old friends. It makes me miss the time I spent at ACU. There really are not many places like it.

I love to blog on Friday's. It is a time that I feel like things have slowed down enough for me to actually take a moment to update my life. Tonight Dad, Hayden, Stephanie (co-worker), her boys and I are headed to San Antonio to see the Spurs play the Pistons. We have box seats again and I'm pretty excited. Via Con Dios.

These are my adorable 2nd cousins we had a lunch picnic with last week. Could they be sweeter?

Sing Song 2007

2007-02-23T12:32:00.000-06:00

I had such a wonderful weekend I don't know where to start. It was great to see so many familiar faces, to be reminded of my weird competitive sing song nature, and being at a home away from home. I have a special place in my heart for Abilene. Anyway, here are some highlights from the weekend:

*I loved meeting Noah. It was crazy to hold the child of a dear friend. (this was my favorite picture of this sweet baby boy.)

*I loved seeing Kara in her pregnant glory. I can't wait until those babies are born!

*Sitting next to Rosie during Sing Song. Watching Siggies and GSP take it home for the sixth year was pretty moving. I am embarrassed to say I got a little choked up.

*Perhaps the best thing of all is spending time with so many great friends and their families now. Sometimes the visits are few and far between but I love how things pick up where they left off. Those are special relationships to me. They all are the reason that I had such a great college experience. Girls Weekend 2007 will bring along some more great reunions...

*Last was the ride home with Hayden. First we stopped by Jacob's Ladder at ACU because I hadn't seen it yet. I was glad that we did. We listened to some some great music, talked about the past, the present, the future...and reflected on the great friends we have.

Thank God it is Friday. This will be my first weekend off to enjoy, do a LITTLE homework, a lot of fixing up my new place....(pictures later), and I'm thinking some heavy duty sleeping is in order. Love to all and Happy Weekend.

Different Names for the Same Thing

2007-02-21T16:17:00.000-06:00

I gave my blog a complete makeover. There has been a lot of recent changes in my life, why not for my blog too? The title may not make much sense but it is just about how much life has changed for me since I was accepted into UT. I never thought I would go back to school, much less enjoy it, and I never thought I would have my own apartment because of it. But here I am, independent, up to my ears in new debt, and loving my different life post acceptance.

ACL

2006-09-22T15:08:00.000-05:00

I ended up having a great time at ACL this year. I don't think it is something that I can do every year, at least all three days. It is such an intense experience, and the only real downfall is just sitting and walking in the Texas heat all day. My top acts were Nickel Creek, Matisyahu, Aimee Mann, and The Flaming Lips....so good. At most points, I won't lie, I longed for air conditioning and civilized bathrooms. At other times I was carried away by the music. It takes me to another level, a higher quality of life.

Oh ya, one quick story...We were enjoying The Flaming Lips show and Hayden leans over and says look at those two guys over there. He said one looks just like the guy from the movie Finding Forrister and the other looks like the kid in that House Arrest movie with Jennifer Love Hewit. I look over and sure enough it was those two guys. So I thought why wouldn't I go get a picture with this guy, even though I had no idea what his name was. To make a long story short I did. He was the kid in 3rd Rock from the Sun, Angels in the Outfield, 10 Things I Hate About You, A River Runs Through it. I don't really remember him from A River Runs Through It, but I do know that Brad Pitt was in that movie so really I met someone who met Brad Pitt. His name is Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

That's Not Very Lady Like

2006-08-18T13:32:00.000-05:00

So blogging has taken an unfortunate backseat in my not too terribly exciting life. I wish I could say I have a good reason, but I just have had a ton more work to do during the day that leaves me no extra blogging time. Over the past few months I have had thoughts and stories planned out in my head, only needing to be transferred on the keyboard, but to no avail. So I’ll give you some condensed versions.

I went to New York to visit my wonderful crazy friend Moira who grew up across the street from me. Most of the week was a blur, for various reasons. One night we stayed out until the sun came up. Yes, I watched the sun come up from a Hookah Bar at about 6:30 in the morning in New York City with several other strangers-become-friends. Who am I? We met all kinds of interesting people, ate wonderful food in little outside patios, shopped a little, laughed till we cried and genuinely enjoyed each others ever fleeting company.

On the other side of karma I was ripped off by a cab driver because I am an idiot, I dry-heaved looking at the disgusting subway tracks, threw up once, got the biggest blister I have ever seen and a drunk Canadian guy in Moira’s restaurant said F**K YOU to me before he left because I sarcastically said “see you later!” I guess he took my tone very personally. That and Moira changed the language on his phone from English to Spanish when he went to the bathroom.

I took another trip to El Paso with the family recently for a reunion. And boy was it. It is times like those where you realize how lucky you are to have people that you love all in one place, and that only you could possibly understand the unbelievable intricacies of the family dysfunction. So I won’t go into more detail about that except to say for the most part it really was great. My brother and I are so lucky to be the oldest of so many cousins. We have the privilege of caring for them as babies, playing with them as kids, watching them grow up and now being their friends. Perhaps the best part was watching my 26 yr. old brother and my 14 yr. old cousin beat my cocky police officer 44 yr. old twin uncles at basketball three times until we think one of them faked an injury. It was something way overdue and because of the tempers that flew, priceless.
That is about all the time I have. Maybe I will stay on a much more regular blogging schedule, but with a big friend weekend, a Counting Crows concert, and ACL coming up in consecutive weekends, I may have to say adiós hasta Octubre. Thanks for sticking in there for all of this.

"You are about to blow food or drink out of your nose"

2006-05-18T09:40:00.000-05:00

Yesterday the Official Austin City Limits Music Festival Lineup was announced. Needless to say, I heard the list, my jaw dropped, I flipped out and called Hayden as soon as it was released and listened to him read this ridiculously fantastic list of artists set to perform on those three hot as hell days in September.
We have enjoyed ACL only once before but they seem to keep topping their lineups every year. I tell him I think we have to go to which he responds "They are sold out." What? No way! In May? Already? Anyways, I won't go into to detail but when I saw Hayden last night he said that he bought us tickets to go already! So we are set to endure three days of golden hits, in the blazing September sun on the weekend of the 15-17. So any of you bloggers out there don't get married or have any other monumental events planned for that weekend because I won't be there! I couldn't be more excited about this particular show. Check this out..........

TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS
VAN MORRISON
WILLIE NELSON
BEN HARPER & THE INNOCENT CRIMINALS
THE FLAMING LIPS
JOHN MAYOR
LOS LONELY BOYS
THE SHINS
BEN KWELLER
MATISYAHU
DAMIEN RICE
RAY LAMONTAGNE
NICKLE CREEK
DAMIEN MARLY
KINGS OF LEON
IRON & WINE
AIMEE MANN
CALEXICO
THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS
GUSTER
JACK INGRAM
NADA SURF
THE LONG WINTERS
THE ROCKET SUMMER

And that is just to name a few....................Actually those are the ones I am most excited about. There are about 100 other names. You can go here to look at the full lineup. http://www.aclfestival.com/default.aspx
Until next time...

I Have No Reason To Blog

2006-04-28T12:11:00.000-05:00

This has been the longest break for me between blogs. Until today, I couldn't find a reason to write which is strange for me because I love to blog. Funny thing is I still don't have much to say, but I guess an update is in order.
My life is the same. I love Hayden, I love living with Rosie in our wonderful apartment and I still am enjoying my ever the same, consistent bill paying job with dad. I love Erika and Cassie being so close. I love Austin, there is so much to do in this great city. And it is so unique. As Cassie wrote in her blog we were all able to celebrate Rosie's 23rd together last week in a charming little restaurant we had pretty much to ourselves and decorated the apartment appropriately in yellow (duh). I have to say it did brighten the place up. I am totally into Dawson's Creek when I get ready in the mornings (yes for like the third time around) and pretty much a show or two each night except Friday's. There are also kittens outside that the office has adopted that are the cutest little fur balls i have seen in a while, even for cats.
I have no profound thoughts, interesting stories, theories, or insights to share with the blogging community today. Maybe things will pick up for me as the summer is fast approaching. In other words...Cinco de Mayo, Memorial Day, Summer Birthdays & Weddings, The Fourth of July, all good things coming soon...

Sweet dreams

2006-03-24T15:18:00.000-06:00

For the past year or so I have had reocurring nightmares and all kinds of strange dreams that I actually remember. This morning I woke up laughing and just had to share it before I leave work today. I was at the beach with my two kids. One boy and one girl, both pretty young. And who was their dad? None other than Kurt Russell. What? And he kept reaffirming every thing that I was telling our kids about beach safety so I guess he was a pretty good dad or maybe husband? We had a nice day at the beach. Anyway, last night apparently he was the man of my dreams.

and there is comfort in the sound...

2006-03-23T13:09:00.000-06:00

Death Cab For Cutie

Coldplay, duh

So one of the things that I guess you could call somewhat of a passion of mine and probably the thing in life that interests me the most, pretty much my only real hobby is pursuing music. Not my music obviously, but the music of others. Music affects me maybe more than normal. I have been trying to come up with some sort of list of my all time favorite songs and it has seemed near impossible to do. But here are some that hold very special places in my heart for one reason or another, that move me, that bring an almost instant emotional reaction at the first notes and ones that cannot be over played. And these are in no particular order.

Dashboard Confessional-Hands Down
Death Cab for Cutie-Transatlantisism
Oddibe-The Moon
Eve Six-Think Twice
David Gray-This Year's Love
Coldplay-In My Place
The Beach Boys-God Only Knows
Guster-Either Way
Counting Crows-American Girls
The Outfield-I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love Tonight
The Crandberries-Linger
Neil Diamond-Cracklin Rosie
Jimmy Eat World-23

I feel like this list is limiting, and with most of these bands there are countless other songs that have just as big an impact. However, these are some of the songs of my life.

It's a Small World After All

2006-03-14T09:50:00.000-06:00

I wanted to see how to post an audio clip so I tested it out with some comedy from a guy that Hayden introduced me to. He is pretty funny and His observations about life are kinda great. I couldn't be sleepier today. I am fighting to stay awake after 5 hours of sleep and days of being on the constant go go go, with some added family drama in the midst. I need more rest then there is time for. It is just apart of who I am. I require sleep, and lots of it. Today it is taking its toll.

Last night Rosie and I enjoyed a delicious home cooked meal with the Watts family and watched the new ABC show "Miracle Workers". CAUTION: IT IS EXTREMELY SAD. Hopefully it always has happy endings. Recently I had discovered that a friend I have known from middle school lives in the apartment complex that we do, pretty much right across the street. He called last night to say that another friend of ours who I have known since I was 9 was in town for one night, my great friend Mike who is gone most of the time serving our country. To give you some background I did not like High School. After my sophomore year I pretty much distanced myself from anything Round Rock High and immersed myself in the youth group at our church. Mike was one friend that stuck and it had been almost 3 years since I had seen him. We used to play nintendo instead of studying and doing our algebra homework and watch Dawson's Creek. It was so much fun to catch up on our lives, hear stories of his time spent in Korea, jumping out of planes, and having a shrapnel taken out of his back. We talked about people that we have seen, or heard from, and many stories of our past peers, I was surprised at how many don't end up well. I wouldn't of seen him had I not run into Ben at our place, but I was so excited to catch up with a great old friend.

I look back and remember all these people from my past, most of which are just names now. I picture them as the same little kids that I went to school with, some doing extraordinary things as we always knew they would, and some with more problems then even my social work background would know what to do with.

I feel relief beyond belief to know that my knight in shining armor has already come. I have already been rescued. I am already saved. I am given grace. I am given forgiveness. And I am given Love. How do you tell that to people? How do you let people know what lies for them? How do you tell them that God has a plan for them? Especially when their lives are not filled with the commitment of a body of Christ, or the support of a family, or the freedom that comes from faith.

I am going to think about that today. And maybe I won't fall asleep at my desk again.

Mitch Hedberg

2006-03-07T14:30:00.000-06:00

I'm Moving On

2006-03-06T13:19:00.000-06:00

It is time for me to get over the Sing Song upset once and for all and so I must post something new. A little update: Kenli came to stay with us on Friday and seeing her was fantastic. We laughed and were able to catch up on our lives. I love how many of us are not too far away, Erika is home and close, and well, it makes life easier and way more fun to have close those you love. We saw eight below (so cute) on Saturday night. I would say it was a great Disney Movie. I am actually enjoying paying bills, paying off my loans, taking charge of my financial future and sooner than later I will be completely financially independent from the folks. It gives me this feeling of freedom and security knowing that I can plan and be responsible with the money that I make. Recently I have researched the best ways to budget and save. How big of a nerd am I? I love how recent conversations with friends have been about very adult and grown up things. In the midst of one such conversation with Kenli, Rosie, Kika, and I, some kids came up and asked us if we went to Austin High School. Three cheers for still being young enough to be mistaken for high school students by 8 yr. olds.

Conspiracy Theory

2006-02-21T11:23:00.000-06:00

Due to the encouragement of a good friend I ended up hauling up to Abilene just in time to have some dinner, see some friends and familiar faces, and catch the Saturday night show of SING SONG The 50th show. I couldn't help but feel like I would be missing out on something special, the chance to see my beloved family take on the challenge of competing for another victory, another sweep, another win of Sing Song. I couldn't stay away even after having my mind made up for weeks that it would be smarter for me to stay home that weekend. I can't help but still feel in shock for what happened and I can't fully describe just how awful I really think that it is. Some may call this over-reacting, and that's fine, but I think this is one of the worst mistakes that could happen. It exposed some major flaws and gave me an uneasy feeling about the competition. Really, how did this happen?

I know just how bias that I am. I know because I poured my heart into three years of club, a club of women that I believe in, and that I truly believe cannot be stopped because of the unique creativeness and humor that our club defines. Because of the nature of the preparation and the focus that does go into the FUN of sing song practice and the relationships that ultimately form because of those intense 8 weeks leading up to the performances. It really isn't about the win, it is just so sweet when it does happen, and the celebration of it all was destroyed for 2 great clubs. I am sad because AKO had a great show. The audience enjoyed it, it was clever, the colors were great, they worked so hard and ultimately did beat out 2 other clubs and a second place win is a great accomplishment. Now the Siggie show gave me chills at the end, filled me with pride, made me laugh and yell for them, and I could have teared up at the end. All I am trying to say is they were robbed of a great accomplishment and celebration. They were cheated out of singing their song on stage, and sharing that excitement with families and friends that they made a new record of 5 wins in a row for the girls. It just makes me so mad because it was pure incompetence that resulted in hurting so many girls who have worked so hard. I'm just glad that I got to see this scandal unfold and I am waiting for the optimist to post what happened.
Other than that, it was wonderful to see friends this weekend and to be able to enjoy a whole show on the big night. It was a night that I will never forget.

Far From But Whatever

2006-02-09T16:35:00.000-06:00

I did this today. I'll take it.

Your results:
You are Supergirl

Supergirl		85%
Superman		70%
The Flash		65%
Green Lantern		65%
Wonder Woman		55%
Robin		55%
Spider-Man		50%
Catwoman		50%
Iron Man		45%
Hulk		25%
Batman		15%

Lean, muscular and feminine.
Honest and a defender of the innocent.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz

I love peanut m&m's, especially the Valentine's Day ones.

2006-02-03T10:57:00.000-06:00

I have decided that I am not very interesting and I will tell you how I found this out. On my way home from work I hear on the radio that there is a casting call for Survivor cast members just down the road from our place. I think, why wouldn't someone pick me to be on a reality show? I know what your thinking, how vain am I, but honest none the less. So I think...I'll call rosie and we can dazzle these producers and then be two of the eight hundred people to get a call back. rosie can talk a lot and I am always interested in what she has to say so surely everyone else would be too. So we get to the restaraunt Sam's Boat where all this is happening and we get a long application to fill out full of questions about ourselves. Peice of Cake. Then, after waiting in a long line we had two minutes of talking about ourselves in front of a camera, the camera man, and pretty much everyone else watching. After 20 or so minutes of filling out the application, rosie and I quickly talked our selves out of this whole process. I realized I am boring, I haven't really done all that much that would make me any different then anyone else and here's the kicker: I would probably not be prepared to build my own shelter and find my own food at the ridiculous chance that I would actually be on the show which was stated that I would have to do in the contract. I am sorry for all 4 of my readers for writing this much about nothing at all that happened. Dang. It wasn't a total loss, I watched survivors premier for the first time ever and I'm hooked. I am so impressionable. I should have written that down on the application.
For anyone out there that is up between 7 and 8: Saved by the Bell comes on TBS and pretty much puts me in a fantastic mood for the rest of the day. Today was the first day though. I hear Cody is buying the seasons and I applaud him greatly. I worked out so hard this morning I almost passed out at curves. How weird am I. I am ashamed. TGIF because I need a break.

2006-01-30T13:51:00.000-06:00

I'm Knocking But There's No One Home

2006-01-30T12:42:00.000-06:00

So we have lived in our place for a few weeks now and I am convinced we have no neighbors except the ones next door that we hear (unfortunately for Rosie) but never see. The only people that live there apparently are creepy guys, suitcase guy, and creepy guys with little dogs. Oh yeah, there was also laundry lady but I haven't seen her since the day we moved in. There are tons of cars there but no people. That doesn't make any sense.

I had temporarily lost the inspiration to blog...But I am back for the time being. Great things are happening. After finding out that Sigur Rós is touring, Hayden got us front row tickets in Houston at the end of February in spirit of our young and fun mentality. Yes, that's right...front row. Does it matter that the tickets say obstructed view on them? Regardless, we are on the farthest right side that you could be but we will love every minute of their inspirational tunes. If you don't know about them then check them out and you won't regret it. http://www.sigur-ros.co.uk/index.php. They're coming from Iceland...we thought we could go to Houston and meet them halfway.

Our casa is slowly but surely becoming a home and Rosie seems to be assimilating nicely to the Austin Living. We are making plans for our soon to be fellow austenite coming home on ...Yes, kika. That's it for Today. Breaks shouldn't last this long.

sshhhhh

2006-01-12T17:47:00.000-06:00

i am sitting in this brand new place and it is silent here. rosie just left for a few days and the direct tv guy isn't coming until tuesday. i am thinking that this blog title doesn't apply really like it did before but it will be a while before i actually change it. i have to think of a proper replacement. i am going to take a nap and embrace this. i love our new place though, it is just too quiet for the time being.

2006-01-06T09:03:00.000-06:00

UTOPIA

That was my favorite headline after the game. Never have I had a football experience quite like this one. I could count the football games that I have watched from start to finish on one hand, and realistically have fingers left over. So for me, this was the best game I have ever seen. I love living in this town, and we were able to go after the game to our lit up bright orange UT Tower to watch this grand town celebrate on the UT campus. And celebrate we did....a town of strangers became a united force of cheers, chants, honks, hugs, and high fives. People were running through the streets, waving their flags, jumping up and down, and most importantly throwing up their hookem' horns with indescribable pride. I was moved by the whole experience and all I kept thinking was...I love this town. I have never experienced such an intense victory celebration.

TOMORROW IS MOVING DAY!!! Rosie and I are going to be official leasers of a beautiful apartment starting tomorrow!

I will post pictures sometime next week of all these wonderful things...

More Quotes and Randomness

2005-12-16T08:54:00.000-06:00

Bud and I at the Spurs game

Santa Jerry in his hat that is supposed to remind him to be cheery

Here are some funny things and quotes from two great people in my life.

Dad and I were in the car this morning discussing some recent movies out. Now he is typically so closed minded about most things even remotely popular. He is very politically minded, set in his ways, conservative, etc. I couldn't stop laughing when in his grumpy gripy voice he said something like this:

"The Passion of the Christ tanked as far as critics are concerned, but some crap flick about a couple of "bronco billy's" gets great reviews. "

He was talking about the progressive gay love story Brokeback Mountain.

In another conversation Hayden sweetly said:

"I like dolphins...even singing ones."

Last conversation with dad is as follows:

Me: "I've never tried egg nog before."
Dad: "Oh do you like it?"

GO SPURS!!!

2005-12-09T15:36:00.000-06:00

So Last week our family got lucky and scored box tickets to see the Spurs through dad's work. I realize that a majority of the small amount of people who may actually read this blog are probably Mavs fans, but that is not my story. I pretty much will watch the Spurs play Basketball, the LONGHORNS play football, and Hayden Play waterball, and that is about it for me actually enjoying sports. Needless to say we had a great time and enjoyed our fabulous seats in a very nice box in a very nice stadium. They ended up beating Miami Heat by a lot. The downside was that the state of Texas is so ill prepared and equipped to handle a little sleet and ice, it took us 4 hours to get home as opposed to the normal hour and a half. It was an intense ride home to say the least. I have never seen so many accidents in a row, so many cars swerving out of control, and others who had just abandoned their cars or gotten stuck. Yes, everywhere just sort of shut down because of that little winter blow we got here. The cold weather, however, is some what refreshing...uh, when you are at home and not on the road. The next day, everywhere was pretty much shut down so I got the whole day off. Those of you who know me it won't be a surprise that I slept most of that day away and loved every relaxing minute of it.

As a random side note, I love this template of my blog because it reminds me of an American Eagle coupon.

Because we are young and fun

2005-12-02T12:01:00.000-06:00

Monday evening after watching the fall finale of Prison Break, Hayden got a call from his baby brother with some terrible news. "Hayden, we lost our waterball game, any way you can come up and play in the tournament on Thursday with us?" At that moment we started planning a possible Thursday afternoon trip to Abilene. He wanted to go just to support his team, his brother, and only play if he absolutely had to. Apparently Taylor had signed him up to play at the beginning of the season for just such a time. They were possibly facing 3 games in one night.

I think waterball is the most exciting sport there is to watch. This could be because, well, I am Hayden’s biggest fan, and watching him play is always so unbelievable. I yell, scream, loose control, and go crazy because I love it so much and it blows my mind how people can physically handle such a rough sport. We left Austin at about 2:00 in the afternoon because I had to work the first part of the day. We arrived at the pool in Abilene a little after the first game started. The first half did not look so good, I thought there was little hope for a victory. Then Hayden changed into his bathing suit, stood on the sidelines, before making the critical decision. Finally, he dove into the water and an eruption of cheers from the crowd flooded the room. (People know him, he is a waterball legend at ACU as far as I am concerned). As soon as he hit the water it was one score after the other, they were unstoppable. Second game, Galaxy was up at the half...again, it didn't look good. Second half they scored 17 points to Galaxy's 4 points and won in a 20-12 victory. The crowd was so loud that once I had to cover my ears. The final game was complete domination. Together, the team was an unstoppable force. What made it such a fantastic night was being able to share all of this with Jevy, Rosie, Kara, and Zach! And we got to see the Siggies beat DT in triple overtime to win the Championship!!! I almost teared up watching them circle up together. We were able to see so many friends, Siggies, Gamma Sigs, and it was a wonderful whirlwind of a night. Right after, we made the drive home so we could be at work the next morning. I am really struggling to stay awake today, but it was a night to remember, and completely worth it just to get to see Hayden dominate at waterball one more time.

Quote of the Day

2005-11-29T14:56:00.000-06:00

Today my brother said, "Siggie sounds too much like Piggie."

Anyone, Anyone?

2005-11-18T15:43:00.000-06:00

Would anyone know who this was just by this picture? Because we totally met him at a restaurant in Oaxaca.

Mexico, Bueno

2005-11-18T12:35:00.000-06:00

I won't claim to know everything about the country, considering I was there for less than 5 days, but it was one of the best trips of my life, truly magical. Things I did learn: the country should be praised for it's hospitality, friendly people, and beautiful sites. Everyone should know it may cost a lot to fly there, but once you are, your money can go a long way (especially when you find guys to pay for you:). This week I was so sleep deprived, a little sick, and yet had a wonderful feeling of total amazement because of how much we did in such a short amount of time. Kika-as her friends affectionately call her-took out 8 hrs. of her busy life just to make sure I wouldn't be traveling alone. Great friend. My Spanish is not so good you see, practically non-existent. I am a shame to my heritage. Who knows where I would have ended up without her help. These are some pictures of our time in Oaxaca.

Time Is Standing Still

2005-11-10T11:08:00.000-06:00

I forgot to take a picture of kenli and I so I put this one up because I love it.

Growing up in Austin, we made a few trips down to San Antonio, New Braunfels, the coast, etc. But always on the way we would have to stop at the dreaded outlet mall in San Marcos. Really I want to say the Damn outlet malls, but thought it might be inappropriate. For some, this could be considered Heaven, a bunch of stores all in a row, marked down prices, who wouldn't love it. Well, I sure don't. I think of the outlet malls and literally put myself in 100 degree weather, endless walking from store to store with no shade, (when I was a kid I was really small to do all that walking) just to experience "great" shopping. It is more like torture than any kind of fun. Those stores give you the impression that it is cheaper, but good deals are hard to find, and we have looked, trust me. So it is not even worth the money or time to go. To sum up, I do not like the outlet mall.

But my how the tables have turned. A truly wonderful evening happened just outside of San Marcos, at the outlet mall, and I didn't think that was possible. If you read Kenli's blog, you can hear of our wonderful night together, and she wasn't kidding. There are few things in life greater than catching up with old friends. When I say old, I mean best. Especially with a friend that loves, cares, laughs and knows you better than most others, one that time truly does stand still until you see them again. Love you Kenny, Love you. Also, if you need to know about European shoe sizes, just ask Kenli, she is an expert:)

Today is going by so slow and I'll tell you why. My destination: Mexico. When: TODAY! I can hardly handle the anticipation. I have only been to the border town of Juarez, and that is nothing to brag about. So maybe next week I will have a great adventure to write about, if i wake up ever again.

Just Another Day at the Office

2005-11-03T14:30:00.000-06:00

Due to some technical difficulties at the office, I am forced to stop working for a few minutes. I couldn't think of anything better to do than blog away. Halloween turned out to be great. Brother and I put the stereo outside and blasted scary and fun Halloween songs that everyone seemed to enjoy. We handed out candy and watched Poltergeist. It is not so scary. I was glad to hear that many of you had a good turn out for trick-or-treaters, and we did as well before we ran out of candy.

Last night Hayden and I stumbled across the show that blows my mind because of how ridiculous it is, Trading Spouses. These two moms in particular, actually turned out to be very interesting to me. One was a hypnotherapist, very into the earth, relaxation, tarot cards, etc. The other mom calls herself a Christian. Many of you could guess that the crazy psycho mom was the one who had labeled herself "of God". I was completely shocked at how this lady portrayed her beliefs on this T.V. show. She couldn't handle anything; she was completely closed-minded, condemning and well, plane insane. I wish I could describe it better. At one part, she met a man who believed he had psychic powers, but he grew up in the church, believed in Jesus, and called himself a Christian. Meeting him threw crazy mom over the edge and she basically cursed the place with him in it and had to leave. One of the crazy mom's "Christian" friends grilled, embarrassed, insulted, and also condemned the other mom because her beliefs were different. When the not crazy mom said, yes I believe in God, the lady sarcastically ridiculed her and said, "Do you believe in God or a "higher power". I was sickened by this display of "Christians" who are so far out of their minds, so self-righteous, so quick to put down, and none of their actions showed even a glimpse of who Jesus is, who he was here on earth, or who he is trying to teach us to be. I wanted her to pick up a bible, start in the gospels and not stop until she finally got it. Something was seriously wrong with that lady.

I don't know if I explained this well, but I was sick after seeing this show. Incase anyone is interested in the next episode, the crazy insane mom really really goes crazy and insane, so you can see what I am talking about if you dare. But don't say I didn't warn you.

Halloween Should Come Twice a Year

2005-10-31T14:09:00.000-06:00

This is Hayden, Zach, Kara,
and I at the happening
Halloween party of the year.
Notice how uncomfortable
Zach looks and laugh.

Today is a sad day for prospective trick-or-treaters. A powerful storm decided to roll through here just a few minutes ago with up to 4 inches of rain predicted. Hopefully it will clear up in time for tonight. It seems like each year there are less and less kids coming to our doors to ask for candy, and this disturbs me. I blame it on churches trying to "protect" our kids and getting families a door-to-door knocking alternative, or as I like to call it, robbing kids of their childhood. Let them dress up, let them walk around their neighborhoods, and let them enjoy the wonderful holiday that is HALLOWEEN. I love my childhood memories of riding on dad's shoulders with Stephen (my older brother who I usually call bud or brother) and seeing how much candy we collected at the end of the night while watching one of many scary movies on tv. When I say "scary" I mean movies like ‘Hocus Pocus’ or ‘The Goonies’. Anyway, I hope this storm clears out before tonight or we will have to eat a ton of candy over the next few weeks.

Hayden and I had a wonderfully spontaneous weekend in Abilene with dear Zach and Kara. They had the most happening Halloween party that I have ever attended. I can't even write about some of the things that happened. For crying out loud, this blog is available for the whole world to see. Again, seeing great friends enriches my life on so many levels. We even played a little Halloween trick on these unsuspecting friends in the form of a thank you card. That Hayden...he's so tricky.

All things new

2005-10-28T12:16:00.000-05:00

Today marks a new beginning for me. The beginning of what everyone seems to be reading about...blogs. I thought for a long time and came to the decision that it is my turn to start something new in my life...and this is what I came up with.

To tell you the truth, I am not really unemployed. I work in an office, and my dad is my boss. I still wake up early every morning, fight through traffic 2 times a day, and receive a paycheck every week. I am filling a temp position until January or so before I have to begin that painful search for jobs in Austin again. The endless hours looking on the computer, hoping to find something that sounds interesting, writing the terrible cover letters personalized for every company, only to hear back from a few shady places. It is something I dread but realize it must be done.

I live for time spent with family and friends. They are who sustain me through the bad times, and rejoice with me through the good...all the while offering their unstaggering support. I LOVE the people in my life. I think the word love is so often carelessly thrown around in our vocabulary, so let me specify what I mean when I say love. It is the kind of love Paul so eloquently describes throughout 1 Corinthians. I am constantly learning how to love in this way.

My stomach drops with excitement at the prospect of reunions. I almost burst into pieces after being able to see so many great friends during the Homecoming weekend. These next few months are going to be a great time for these reunions. First, I am packing my bag and making a run for Mexico. I hear there is an absolutely charming girl waiting there that I have to meet. Legend has it she carries a sign that says "Jean". I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to see this myself. Next is Thanksgiving in El Paso with my crazy Mexican familia and who knows for Christmas and New Years. Yes, the holidays will be full of reunions.

I can't wait.