Sigh of relief

Dinner at sunset

This past weekend my in-laws hosted 70 people for a family reunion at their home for three days... four meals... and lot's and lot's of fun memories. I think it takes a little bit of insanity and a huge dose of hospitality to be willing to have that many people at your home for that long. They did a fabulous job. And we introduced a bunch of Oklahomans to the greatness that is Babe's Chicken.

Visiting the horses and cows with my niece

I sported what I like to call the Texas Summer Layered Look - a layer of sunscreen, then a layer of bug spray, then a layer of sweat, then a layer of dirt. North Texas enjoyed its first weekend of 100-degree temperatures and I survived by the grace of God and the gift of wick-away fabrics.

A prize-winning bull enjoying a temporary stay at my in-laws' place

And now that it's over, I'm enjoying a much-needed day off from work (hooray for vacation time). Mr. Right has generously suggested that I go get a massage, and then I'm going to spend the rest of the day holed up in our home doing absolutely nothing. Okay, so I may do a little bit of sewing, but nothing that requires any thinking.

In other news, my good-looking man made a brief cameo on our favorite photographer's blog last week - if you look closely, you can see me too... or my hands.

Which reminds me... I need to print our wedding pictures. After all, it has been 18 months. I'm adding that to the top of my to-do list... as soon as I get back to doing responsible things... which won't be today.

I am thankful for my in-laws

Today, on Day 17, I am thankful for my in-laws. 

When it comes to marrying into a family, I feel like I hit the jackpot. It's probably no coincidence that I started praying that God would bring me a Mr. Right who had a good family back when I was 22. I had dated someone whose mother I didn't get along with, and from that day forward I prayed that God would bless me with good in-laws. 

My prayers sure were answered. 

My in-laws are wonderful. They are supportive and encouraging and generous, and they love their family. They raised Mr. Right to be independent and self-sufficient (and his mom taught him to cook like a rockstar). They strike that perfect balance of wanting to be involved in their children's lives while letting them make their own decisions. They are peacemakers.

They are incredibly interesting people. My father-in-law is a team roper who competes in local rodeos and who has a passion for horses. He is also a church planter who helped launch their latest church a few years back and has built a large men's ministry reaching out to cowboys who never felt at home in a church setting. My mother-in-law is a BSF leader and accomplished golfer--she could smoke me on the golf course with both her eyes closed. She is an incredible cook.

They're also adoring grandparents to our niece Ella. I am thankful that someday when we have kids of our own, that they'll make great babysitters, and their house out in the country with horses and cows will make for some really wonderful childhood memories.

They're there. Whether it's meeting Mr. Right for lunch or coming out to my work events to support me, or coming up to meet our ESL students (which my mother-in-law is doing tonight), they do a great job of showing their support by just being there. 

When we had to fix up Mr. Right's house to get it ready to go on the market, my in-laws spent days helping us - my father-in-law did a ton of manual labor outside in the blazing heat, and my mother-in-law cleaned like a banshee. When our house got broken into, they came and sat outside with us in lawn chairs while we waited for the police to arrive. 

On a side note - I was on Facebook pulling pictures for this post, and I came across these wedding photos. When I've talked in the past about marrying into a big family, I'm not sure if you really understand how big I'm talking about. So here's proof - these are just the relatives who made the drive in from Oklahoma and elsewhere to cheer us on at our wedding.

But back to my in-laws... they have worked so hard to make me feel welcome in their family. Thanks Audie and Ann for all you do for us. I am so blessed to be your daughter-in-law.

Happy birthday Sarah!

Happy birthday to my beloved sister and one of my very best friends... Sarah.

Sarah is one of those rare finds in life - she's the laid-back middle child who goes with the flow and gets along with everyone she encounters. She's a hard worker and an uber talented interior designer (go check out her new design blog), painter, and crafter extraordinaire. She's one of the most creative people I know, and she has a sense of humor and the gift of mercy, making her a favorite of a lot people. Oh, and my dad will tell you that she was an All State softball player back in high school.

For my wedding my mom dug up some old family photos for a slide show, so I thought I'd let you enjoy some "classics" of Sarah and me over the years (and of our youngest sister Lindsay).

When Sarah was a born, I thought my mom had given me my own personal, life-sized baby doll. What a treat she was! From the looks of this picture, I think at first I enjoyed her a bit more than she enjoyed me. I can see the panic on her poor baby face! (Oh, and why did my parents insist on dressing us in bonnets? You're about to see more...)

For three years it was just the two of us, and then our sister Lindsay entered the scene. It was just about this time that Sarah blossomed into her uber cute phase, and I hit my tremendously awkward phase, which didn't let up until the eighth grade. Enjoy these and feel my pain...

My parents were cheap when it came to Halloween costumes (as an adult, I certainly don't blame them), so I was a pumpkin five years in a row. The suit went from rather large to rather tight. After that I was a karate kid for another five years, which might have been slightly creative, except we took karate, so it was the same suit I wore twice a week to class. From the looks of it, this particular year Sarah was a homemade clown, and I think Lindsay must have been Mary from the Bible. Obviously we were good Baptist trick-or-treaters... I guess this was foreshadowing that we would both marry ministers.
Ahh, yes. The year our Easter dresses sported shoulder pads that rivaled any football player. So. darn. cute. (and another bonnet...) And fitting, since both of us happen to be sitting like football players. The adult version of me wishes I could go back in time and tell 11-year-old me to CROSS YOUR LEGS LIKE A LADY! (Oops, was I shouting? I apologize)
Most of our childhood summers were spent either (1) playing softball or (2) watching baseball games. My dad had season tickets to the Rangers through his work, and anytime Nolan Ryan pitched (plus any other time we were in the mood) we'd load up the free Pizza Hut jugs full of Coke and Dr. Pepper and head to Rangers Stadium to cheer on our favorite team. It looks like on this particular night poor Sarah got bonked on the head by her sweet little sister.

We finally grew up (sort of) and lived some fun adventures as semi-adults. We overlapped one year at Baylor, and we shared some wonderful memories while we were there. Sarah changed my life when she introduced me to the hair straightener (her roommate had one of those crazy things... my hair has never been the same since) and I returned the favor by letting her lay on the floor of my apartment bathroom for a day while she battled the stomach flu (it was more comfortable than her dorm room). It was a fun year.

A few years later we were both back living in DFW and I convinced her to visit my beloved church. Soon she was hooked and we spent about four years hanging out with the same group of friends, serving alongside one another and generally just having a ball living life together. We traveled, just the two of us, to New York to watch a Yankee game one summer, and another time we took 15 of our closest friends to our favorite spot in Colorado. In between we got hundreds of pedicures, ate a lot of dinners, talked a LOT about boys, and watched a lot of High School Musical movies. I will always be thankful for those years.

Now we're both married and have houses about ten minutes apart. She continues to be a total blessing to me, and I am so thankful to have her as my sister. Happy birthday Sarah!

Recuperating

It's amazing how just a few minutes of stress can totally wreck you.

Yesterday, while at breakfast with some friends, we got a call that Mr. Right's dad had been hurt in a horse accident, had hit his head and been knocked unconscious. For just a few minutes we couldn't get any important details... was he conscious? Was he moving? How bad was it? As we drove to the hospital and waited for more information, we did all we knew to do... we prayed.

After a half day in the downtown trauma ER, we got the very good news that other than some bumps and bruises, he was going to be fine. We are praising Jesus and thanking him for protecting my father-in-law from what could have been a very bad situation.

We left the hospital tired, but went on with our lives and had a very full day. It didn't really hit us until today... our nerves were frazzled. Exhausted. In need of some rest and some quiet. But a nap, a movie, a quiet dinner, and a molten chocolate cake later, and we feel recharged and ready to go. And we continue to thank God for protecting our family and give him all the credit and glory for performing a total miracle.

We are blessed.

"You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing, you have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord, my God, I will give you thanks forever."
Psalm 30:11-12 NLT

The cat's outta the bag

So I've had this little blog for several years now. Actually, I've had this one for two, and had another one for 2-3 years before that. What can I say, I'm a writer... an expressive personality, and a bit gabby. Plus I really enjoy going back and reading about things from the past. Just yesterday I found a stack of notes for the book that has been swimming around in my head for about two years now, and it was so fun to read some of my ideas which I had long forgotten. So this is why I write things down. Why I share those things with you... well that I don't really know.

But I don't really tell people about the blog. I let my friends discover it on their own. So it made me laugh a few days ago when Sister Sarah called and in the midst of our typically random sisterly conversation (I have the BEST conversations with her... she's amazing), she blurted out... "Bethe, I think you need to start a blog. Something for our Sunday School class... you know, like Beth Moore, but only something more 'you' instead."

I had to grin inside and felt kind of silly admitting that I indeed have a blog (although not exactly a Beth Moore blog... mine isn't even a fraction as fabulous), so I just told her I'd think about it and moved on. I've bounced around the idea of writing something simply for girls at my church, but it seems a bit presumptuous, and I do share some scripturely insights on this one anyway.

So fast forward a little...

Tonight I went and saw an absolutely dreadful movie with my family (I won't even tell you which one... but it was horrendous) and afterward we went to "celebrate" at our favorite restaurant nearby. Again Sister Sarah brought up the whole "blog" idea, and that's when my mom got a mischievous grin on her face and said, "Well Bethe, don't you already have a blog?"

Um... my mother doesn't know about this blog. How embarrassing! But wait... she does.

(gasp)

So I admitted the blog to the family. Turns out my dad knew too. So then I asked my mom... "So if you've been lurking all this time, how come you never mentioned it? And why have you never left a comment?"

And that's when my very own mother said, "Well, it's not like I read it that often."

Mmmm... thanks mom. My own mother knows that I write on a regular basis, and yet she doesn't bother to actually read it. I felt so very loved right about that moment.

But I'm sure that she was overcome with guilt and is now catching up on all my ramblings from the past few months. So hello, mom, and welcome. If you look carefully, maybe you'll find some nice things I wrote about you, seemingly behind your back.

A White Christmas... and years past

Today was Dallas' first white Christmas in 87 years. I could have sworn it happened one time back in high school, but my memory must be failing me. I hear that happens with old age.

We had an amazingly lazy Christmas Eve. I learned how to play Rummy Cube (and won two of three games), watched a couple of Christmas movies, knitted on my latest blanket, and ate a humongous dinner. Oh, and we played in the snow. My how beautiful it is.

But Christmas always makes me wax sentimental, so here are some memories from past Christmas blog posts:

Who could forget last Christmas, when I set my hair on fire at the candlelight service at church? (a personal favorite)

Also, a little Christmas video I threw together from last year.

There was Christmas of 2007, the year that I decorated cookies again. and again. and again. It turned out to be one of my all-time favorite Christmas memories, and yet... I also realized that I do not have a future as a professional cookie decorator. Man, it's hard.

There was the Tacky Sweater Christmas of 2005. The one where we didn't tell our extended family our plan, just showed up in tacky sweaters and never said anything about them. It was wonderfully awkward, the elephant in the room where nobody wanted to ask us about our tacky sweaters, for fear they were legit. I think this is one of the greatest things about my family--they're not afraid to look stupid.

As I lie here in my old bedroom at my parents' house, I'm recounting the many ways God has blessed me in 2009. I hope you and your family also experience, recognize, and give thanks to God for his blessings this Christmas season. He really is good, isn't he?

Almost Christmas and other stream-of-consciousness

It's almost Christmas and there's so much I still haven't done. I haven't wrapped ANY presents yet. That's right, not a one. I haven't driven around to look at Christmas lights. I haven't decorated Christmas cookies. I haven't watched very many Christmas movies. I haven't worn all my red sweaters. I haven't even eaten a single candy cane! (although I've got one swimming around the bottom of my purse, waiting for a weak moment when I will cave and devour it, most likely right before supper, thus ruining my appetite and yet making me quite content).

But I'm not that worried about it. The gifts will be wrapped... soon. The cookies will be made... although it might be January. The lights may not get seen. But I decided that this year, I'm not going to stress out about what needs to be done for Christmas. I'm just going to enjoy spending time with my family, continue to catch up on sleep, and relish the fact that life will go on if I don't check every item off my to-do list.

As my family likes to say... "good enough."

I am quite excited about my other Christmas tradition though--using my time off from work to lie around my house and breeze through novel after novel, catching up on the wonderful stack of books that have been calling my name for months. I'm a good ways into Wuthering Heights, and I love it, but I've got a Pat Conroy novel waiting in the wings, and a Barnes & Noble gift card burning a hole in my pocket.

I should save that candy cane for one of my leisurely reading afternoons.

In other news...

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The number one question I get, now that I'm finished with grad school, is "Now what?" Apparently the proper thing to do after one finishes a masters degree is to change jobs. Nobody wants to hear my answer: "I don't know. I sure do love my job. I love my boss. I find my work to be incredibly interesting. I love the enormous amount of vacation time I get. I love that I get to help people. And I love that my commute is super easy. So yes, someday I may change, but I'm quite content where I am today." I've decided that I'm extremely A.D.D. when it comes to hobbies/projects/after-school activities, and yet when it comes to my job and my church, I am loyal and enjoy the stability that comes with staying in the same place for several years (6 years at one, 5.5 at the other). I'm not sure what that means... the psychoanalzation will have to continue for a bit longer. But I do wish folks would stop asking me the "now what." That, and the "What do you want to be when you grow up" question. Because I honestly don't know. I have some inklings, but telling someone you want to stay home and write novels while sitting on your back porch in your pajamas, drinking coffee out of a giant thermos, sort of sounds frivolous.

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I had a blind date tonight. I really shouldn't go on these, as they never turn out, but blind dates are a gold mine for funny stories that I can tell for years to come. Tonight's was disappointingly uneventful--other than a giant pimple that popped up on my forehead about three fateful hours before the date, there was no drama, no tragedy, no humiliation. It was simply a nice dinner, some pleasant conversation, and the quick realization that there would be no need for a second date. But I did have the most AMAZING flour-less chocolate cake for dessert. So totally worth it.

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I am officially in half marathon training mode. I squeezed in a run tonight between work and the date. I should know by now that even after I finish running, my face will continue to look like a red, sweaty tomato for several more hours. Yet I so easily forget this minor detail, so I was still a tad red/sweaty for the date. I'm clinging to the hope that my redness was mistaken for a tan... and not some horrible disease. I guess in either case, it really doesn't matter. Oh... but did I mention that chocolate cake? (sigh)

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I've got a month off from teaching Sunday School, so I have time to study something that's just for me. I've decided to hang out in Hosea for awhile, and let me tell you, my Bible Commentary is definitely my friend. This book's a challenge, but challenges are good.

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Off to bed... Christmas Eve launches in just a few hours, and I have some wrapping to do! Merry Christmas, and God bless.

Thanksgiving 2009

Overheard at today's family Thanksgiving:

Me to my sister & her husband: You guys are so photogenic!

Other sister: You know that means you're going to have ugly children. Pretty people always have ugly children.

My sister, the eternal optimist.

Me to my dad & brother-in-law (before taking their picture): Do something manly!

Dad & bro: (insert grunting noises and muscle flexing here)

We also engaged in a lively conversation about how next Thanksgiving, my new boyfriend (Tony Romo... he's partial to blondes) and I will take on my sister Sarah and her to-be-named-later husband in a competitive game of flag football. This of course follows the assumption that (a) Tony and I are going to fall in love next year, and (b) my sister is going to meet a guy, fall in love with him, and marry him before November 2010. If this happens, I'm pretty sure Tony and I will annihilate them in flag football.

It was a wonderful Thanksgiving indeed.

Grief

Death is a funny thing. You may have no clue it's coming, and then BAM, it hits you. In my grandmother's case, we knew for months, and the dying process seemed to crawl by. And then one day you wake up and it's over.

So then you start the funeral preparations, calling in family, trying to get everything planned for the big event. Folks know what to do, how to help. They bring food. They tell stories.

But my grandmother didn't want a funeral, and we are honoring our wishes. So instead of a predictable plan, we have had to figure out our own way to deal with the loss. For my family, it meant a fun family dinner that first night, first sharing some hard information, and then transitioning to some great belly laughs. My family is good at belly laughing. Then yesterday the women of the family went shopping. Ironic, because we aren't a shopping family, but it was something to do, a mission we could conquer and something completely frivolous to enjoy after some stressful weeks.

I found the perfect area rug for my bedroom. And then suddenly I knew I had to paint my bedroom. And having a mission was a bit comforting--next thing I knew we were at the hardware store buying supplies, and then painting until almost midnight, sharing more belly laughs and reminiscing about fun family times of the past. So less than a day after we went shopping, my room looks completely different, and I feel a huge sense of accomplishment. And control. And that is strangely comforting.

More fun family things are planned for tonight. It's amazing how a very full schedule can suddenly and immediately clear itself with one brush stroke, replacing obligations with simply resting and bonding. Loss is never easy, but it's a wonderful reminder to enjoy the people around me. And it's a reminder that because of my faith, I can have hope.

Africa

I want to go to Africa in 2010. More specifically, I want to go on a mission trip to Tanzania with my church. I had a few things that I worried might hinder my traveling (first and foremost, my annoying and currently uncontrollable asthma issues) but I have started finding solutions to what I thought were closed doors. I'm a bit terrified of the idea of traveling to the wilderness for two weeks, but my heart is aching to go.

Last night I had dinner with my wonderful Christian parents--both leaders in their church and big advocates for spreading the gospel. Here is what our conversation looked like:

Dad - So you really want to go to Africa, huh?

Me - Yep. I really want to go.

Dad - You know what happens to folks who go to Africa... they all come home wanting to adopt an African orphan.

Me - Oh really? Would that be so horrible?

Dad - Nah. I'd watch him for you.

Me - Well it's settled then. Africa, here I come!

My Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad... Week

I wrote a story in the 6th grade about my terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day. My teacher loved it so much that she kept it, and years later she told me she was still showing it to her classes. Maybe it was an early sign that I would choose a career in writing. Or maybe I had written about a day that was so bad, even Mrs. Lewis was impressed.

This week has been THAT bad.

That car repair? Oh yeah, much worse than expected. When my dad broke the news to me, I dissolved into tears (again). He asked me over the phone, "Are you okay?" That's when I told him that I felt the overwhelming urge to throw up.

Of course, I didn't. But it would have added to my week.

Just about everything that could have gone wrong, did. From the moment it started until the minute work ended tonight, it was one set of bad news after the other. One stressful moment after another. One tough conversation after another. I'm really glad the week is over.

And then I went to dinner with my family, and everything changed. As I told them about my crummy week, we all started laughing at just how horrible it had been. Next thing we knew, we were laughing so hard that tears were streaming down all of our faces. I think the laughter began when my dad recounted that tearful telephone conversation, and I started hyperventilating just thinking about the cost of the repair bill (think thousands and thousands of dollars). The hyperventilating triggered a minor asthma attack, which just tickled everybody else, and from there, we couldn't stop.

It was a great night.

And then, the night got better, because I spent it with my new favorite boy.

(Insert sigh here)

(Go ahead and insert another one here...)

(Maybe one more?)

After our family dinner my sister introduced me to the greatness that is High School Musical 3. Granted, I haven't had that much cheese since my last jumbo pretzel at the hospital employee party that came with hot, melted cheese dip (and bbq sauce, another tasty pretzel treat). But Zac is just the cutest thing ever, and I'll admit that I loved the dance numbers. Now I need to see HSM 1 & 2. 

After the movie (and the out-takes, and the special features), we had a debriefing. My sister decided that in our family, she would be Vanessa Hudgins, and I would be Sharpay. I'm not sure how I feel about that, especially since that means Sarah would get the boy, and all I would get is some little yappy dog. But pink IS my color, and I do love my sister... although I'm not sure I love her enough to give up Zac without a fight. 

Tomorrow will be better. I'm going for a run and then spending the day at the zoo with a friend. It has to be better... Surely it will be better...

Fourth of July

On this beautiful 4th of July day, I am thankful to my soldier friends who have taught me just how costly and wonderful my freedom is. Thank you for your sacrifice, for your bravery, for your sense of humor, and for your willingness to put everything on the line so that silly girls like me can live a life free of oppression.

Here's to fireworks and ice cream and hot summer days in the pool with good friends and family. God bless America.

A toast to the happy couple

Here is the toast my sister Sarah and I gave to Lindsay and her new husband Dallas at their wedding last weekend:

Dallas, you have been dating our sister for six years, and we’ve put through many trials. Through this lengthy pledging process, you have proven yourself worthy, and because of that…

Tonight we would like to welcome you into the sorority. (hand shirt)

First thing on the agenda is our formal event. Make sure you’re there tomorrow night, in a tuxedo, ready for your initiation, and then to the dance that follows.

This year we’re excited to announce that our annual sisterhood retreat will be held in (drum roll)… HAWAII!!!  Please have your parent or guardian sign this waiver so you can travel more than 15 miles from the house, and so that you cannot hold the sorority liable if you decide to have another tarzan vine-swinging experience on your trip.

We at Beta Sigma Lambda (for Bethe, Sarah, Lindsay) are very community-minded. We have service projects almost every weekend that you can take part in. Please be sure to bring your lawn mower, your paintbrush, and your first-aid kit – also known as Lindsay.  The first project will be Sarah’s yard, and then we will move on to Bethe’s house, where there will be some minor manual labor… so please also bring a water bottle. We at Beta Sigma Lambda appreciate the importance of good hydration.

Don’t forget about elections next year.  We are always looking for new and diverse leaders. You are welcome to run for any elected office, including president. However, I wouldn’t hold my breath, since you are a bit outnumbered, and you only get ½ a vote. We’re pretty sure president and vice-president is in the bag for the next few years, but feel free to try anyway.

This year our focus is on recruitment. Please feel free to recruit new pledges. Our only requirements are that they be tall, dark, handsome… and rich.  Sarah would also like one from Australia.

Our chapter meetings are held at the pedicure spa. Your attendance is not mandatory, but you must send your lovely wife… and please also send cookies. Please also note that your dues will need to be paid by the first of the month. Make that check out to me.

Dallas, we’re so glad to have you as part of our family. Let’s all raise our glasses, in true sorority fashion, to welcome Dallas into the sisterhood. You’re in it for life, mister. We can’t wait to teach you the secret handshake.

To Dallas and Lindsay!

 

 (This speech is funnier if you know that a few years back Dallas really did swing like Tarzan from a vine, and then fell about 30 feet into a ravine, breaking a ton of bones. It was very serious at the time, and something we will forever make fun of him for. In fact, he's like a walking accident waiting to happen (motorcycle accidents, breaking his knee hopping a fence, you name it)... which makes it even more perfect that he married my sweet sister Lindsay--a nurse!

 Here's some more pics from the rehearsal dinner.

It started out rough, with our sweet dad wrecking his car right before the rehearsal at the church. He ended up hurting his arm and popping his tire, so the men (my dad, uncle, and a family friend) had to change his tire in the sweltering heat. Then, while we were practicing at the church, an employee came in and told us that tornadoes were nearby and that we needed to high-tail it over to dinner before they hit. So we all hopped in our cars and drove like maniacs to the nearby Mexican food restaurant. Once there, everything was much, much calmer. Speeches went great, their slide show was beautiful (except that apparently I didn't take a good photo from the time I was 8 until I was 27), and I think everybody had a wonderful time. And they got married the next day, which is really all that matters.

Going to the Chapel

Tomorrow is the big day! My baby sister is getting married (the one in the blue). So crazy, I remember when she was an itty bitty thang, cute as could be with her white blonde hair and mischievous smile. And now she's all grown up into a fabulous woman, and she's getting a pretty cool husband! Or, I should say that Dallas is gaining a pretty cool wife (and amazing sisters-in-law, I might add).

I'll post more about tonight's rehearsal dinner later, but for now I need to get my beauty sleep. Remind me to tell you about the wreck, flat tire, sprained or broken arm, the tornadoes, and the sorority initiation. Tonight was a night to remember!

And the panic sets in

I'm the co-maid of honor in my youngest sister's wedding on Saturday, and I wasn't the least bit nervous. Until about an hour ago, when I discovered that there will be a fabric runner laid on top of the center aisle for me to walk on. 

EEEK! What was my sister thinking?!

I'm the girl who tripped at a job interview as I walked down a tile hallway. One moment I was walking along in my brand-new business suit and high heels, and the next moment I was face-down on the linoleum, arms and legs spread eagle. I hit so hard my forehead had a bruise. I think they were so worried I might sue them that they went ahead and gave me the job. 

I'm the girl who tripped while walking up the stairs at my high school. I fell face-down on the top stair, and when I finally lifted my head in shame, I saw 25 students staring back at me from a classroom, right across from where I lay. 

I'm the girl who fell down a set of marble stairs at a hotel in Venice in front of a small crowd of people.

I'm the girl who fell down all 20 stairs at my apartment sophomore year, causing a deep, purple bruise that ran from my bra strap to my tailbone... the week before I was due to wear a backless formal dress.

I'm the girl who knocked out my own front tooth. Twice. And caught my hair on fire. At church.

And I can't tell you how many chocolate fountains I have bumped into, staining perfectly beautiful cocktail dresses. I not only spill on myself, but also on those around me. Just ask the table full of people in Tuscany, who witnessed me spilling 10 bottles of water and wine all over everything and everybody. It was just like knocking over dominoes... one right after another after another.

If it can be spilled, I will do it. If there are stairs, I will fall down them. And if there is a runner of fabric laying on top of the aisle, with even the slightest crinkle or movement, then we all know that I will probably trip and fall, ruining my sister's wedding while 350 of our closest family and friends watch.

I'm going to start praying now. Maybe she will change her mind.

Hodge-Podge... big time!

This is what happens when I take a break from writing for awhile. Everything starts churning in my head, bubbling up to the surface, and next thing I know there's ten topics that I want to cover. 

First of all, you won't be hearing from me for awhile. Again. I know, you should probably give up on me altogether. This time is for a very FUN reason though... I'm about to set off on my third European adventure in the past four years! Hooray! This time I'm going with a wonderfully sweet girlfriend of mine, and I already know that God is going to bless us with exciting adventures, good conversations, and fun memories. 

Our cruise ship will have an Internet cafe, so there's a slight chance I may sneak in a post or two, but it depends on if (a) they charge by the minute to use their WiFi, and (b) if I can tear myself away from all the Mediterranean fun long enough to write. So if not, bear with me, and I promise to post lot's of pictures very soon!

On to the next thing...

My youngest sister graduated from Baylor yesterday! She, Sarah, and I are all fifth generation Baylor alums... our family has gone to Baylor since 1885. A great great aunt, a great grandmother, my grandfather, both my parents, and now all three of us, plus a future brother-in-law who is a Baylor Bear. And I can't forget my genius British aunt who taught here for a few years. My family's blood flows thickly with the green and gold goodness of the Baylor spirit. 

Ick, I look a little creepy in that photo. It was horribly humid, and I was a bit tired, and well, I could come up with many more excuses... but oh well, sometimes a gal just ends up taking a creepy photo... I guess that's life. But I do love how excited both my parents look in that photo. I'm sure they're breathing a huge sigh of relief that they finally got all three daughters through school.

Here's a photo of something I got Lins for graduation... this shirt makes me laugh so hard, I almost want to become a nurse simply so I can wear it. Which reminds me of a Seinfeld episode where the guy converts to Judaism simply for the jokes. But I digress...

Speaking of weddings... I wrote awhile back about Lindsay's wedding dress debacle. I'm not sure if I ever wrote about the resolution... basically David's Bridal did in fact do the right thing and fixed her dress (I think it was the fifth alteration) for free. Apparently the curse of the ill-fitting dress must run in the family, because I went to pick up my bridesmaid dress this morning from the tailor, and mine didn't fit either. My alteration guy was smart though... I could tell he was about to accuse me of gaining weight, preventing my dress from properly zipping up, but I gave him a look that said "Sir, I dare you to even suggest that I would gain enough weight in one week to cause my dress to be about four sizes too small," and I think he got the point. So instead we're going to try letting out the part he took in. Hope this dress survives until the big day!

I've been on a crazy organizing kick lately. I've cleaned out every closet, cabinet and drawer in my house over the past month. It's what happens when I finish with school and suddenly find myself with a few hours of spare time. But as you can see, the compulsive cleaning was necessary. Check out my before and after pictures:

Before (I promise, this is exactly how it looked when I opened the door... everything falls right on your head):

After:

Now onto the hardest project of all... packing! I'm not sure how a gal packs for such a long get-away, one that includes 4-wheeling across the Greek countryside, formal dinners on a cruise ship, leisurely walks along a Spanish beach and miles of trekking through Rome. I may win the award for most luggage on a trip... I'm off to go see if I can weed anything out.

Why my family is the coolest

In case you haven't laughed today...

Happy birthday to me

Today is my birthday. The Big 2-8. 

It's also the one-year anniversary of this blog. Here's the original, written last year. 

And here's a throw-back to another birthday post on the old blog. 

I seem to get a bit sentimental on my birthday. But for some reason, not this year. I'm in a pretty good place, one of those transitional spots where I'm on my way somewhere, but not there yet. But as I travel to my next destination, I find myself happy, content, and thankful to be surrounded by some pretty neat people. And surprisingly enough, I don't feel the least bit introspective. Maybe I'm just too full with chocolate birthday cake to worry about much.

Tonight I had a birthday party... a retro roller-skating party with about 25 friends and family members. It was a real hoot--I promise to post pictures very soon. I felt like a kid again... possibly because I wore a glo-necklace, raced boys on rollerblades, and had my mom there taking pictures. Yep, I may be 28, but that doesn't mean I have to act like it.

Engaged

I promise to post more details (and photos!) later, but I just wanted to spread the big news... my youngest sister Lindsay is engaged! Her longtime boyfriend Dallas popped the big question last night. It's so exciting!

I'm also so relieved... I've been bursting with this secret for a week. I think this proves once again that I CAN keep a good secret (much to the surprise of those who know me best), although I'll admit that all I wanted to do for the past seven days was call everybody I know and tell them the good news.

So there. If I didn't post this, I probably would have exploded. Congrats Lindsay and Dallas!

Big Plans

I have a blog post swimming around in my mind, but this is one of those that has to be just perfect, so you'll have to wait another day or two until I can give it the attention (and editing) it deserves.

Tonight I'm going to see Michael Buble in concert with my sisters and my mom! They have been raving about how wonderful and dreamy he is ever since they saw him a few months ago (sans me, who didn't want to fork over $75 to see him), and so this time mom insisted on buying tickets for all the girls in my family so we could enjoy his dreaminess together. I've been listening to his CD for weeks, and I must say he is rather good.

So now it's time to go get properly gussied up so I can go enjoy my fun girls' night out! I'm trying to perfect the "Texas Big Hair" look... which I must say looks rather fantastic at home in my bathroom, but once I set foot outside in the Texas humidity, evolves into a bit of a limp mess. I'm determined to conquer this hair challenge and have evoked a scientific approach, experimenting with different hair sprays, hair gels, root lifters, root stimulators, Elmer's glue... whatever it takes. One day I will have big hair.

Better run, maybe tonight's the night! It's good to have goals in life, isn't it?