Piano's, Babies and Barbies...

What a weekend! I have found lately that I am living for the weekends, which isn't really a bad thing I guess...So here's a bit of random information I learned this weekend courtesy of my mom. When I write, I use ... ALL the time, mainly because I am constantly thinking about a million different things, and well... allows me to talk about one and then move on to the next! So it actually has a real name! It's called an ellipsis, and to correctly use it, you are supposed to put a space in between each . . . So with that I will continue this random blog, but interesting nonetheless! I love my Mom, she is so awesome! She turned 42 on Sunday, and she doesn't look a day past 25! Seriously! I started out the weekend a little early on Thursday night:) My best friend Elysia is in town because she was evacuated from Houston last week. We went to this little place downtown called Pete's Dueling Piano Bar. I have heard of it, but never been! Why Not?! I have no idea! So much fun! Basically there is a stage with two grand piano's, you write whatever songs you want on napkins and take them up to the piano on your side of the bar, and they play your song! You have to sing along if you don't want to be embarrassed and if they think your request is silly then they light heartedly make fun of you, along with the rest of the bar! Really a lot of fun! Definitely more of a "Girls Night Out", our friend Clint didn't seem too amused by all of the singing, especially not the idea of singing along:) All in all a good time. So I spent all day at work on Saturday. We got this new clock in machine, get this...that uses FINGERPRINTS! We are crazy sophisticated at old OCK now:) For those of you blogging friends that don't know, I work at a dog kennel on the weekends. This to me is just a little on the crazy side. I mean I don't even have to clock in period at the law office I work at during the week. I just write down my time there! It's a little funny, but kind of cool too! I have to say I felt a little important when I clocked out:) I got to babysit on Saturday night, and if you don't already know I LOVE babies! I had never babysat for this particular couple before, and when I arrived, I was greeted by an adorable three year old with curly red hair, and an 8 month old nicknamed "Happy". It was going to be a great night! It was fun! I'm all for playing, and if I wasn't 22 years old, I would probably still have barbies in my room.  And can I just say she had some fun ones!  Barbies have really come a long way since I had them.  Too much fun!  I have to say, feeding the 8 month old was entertainment in itself. It's been awhile since I've watched such a little one, and my skills were a little rusty:) After splattering her Gerber Squash on my face, while trying to get it open, I spilt most of it on her high chair when I tripped over my own shoe:) If you have never held an 8 month old, they still do not have a lot of control over the movement of their bodies. She would get so excited when she saw the spoon full of food, that she would literally fall right into it! She was too cute, and after grabbing the spoon and launching food across the kitchen, I did manage to feed her.:) The three year old was full of energy, and all she wanted to do was play all night! She insisted on going outside and pushing rocks on the swing, and then squirting me with a water gun...she smuggled it in the house too, and proceeded to squirt Bailey the St. Bernard as well. Bailey was not overly amused and just kept walking to new rooms of the house to get away. I got to go to church on Sunday with my family, which was nice. I don't get to go as often as I like because of work, and I really do enjoy going, so that was good. We just got a new priest a few weeks ago, and I really think he is going to be amazing for our congregation. He genuinely wants everyone to be involved, and that is exactly what our church needs. It has been a rough few years, and things are looking up. I spent the rest of Sunday at the salon my sister works at. They just built a beautiful new salon that needed setting up! We actually had a lot of fun. I haven't spent time with just my sister in awhile, usually we are with other friends, and so that was nice. We ended the night at my favorite restaurant in the world Trudy's, for a little birthday celebration for my Mom. She got carded at dinner, so I think she enjoyed herself:)

All You Gotta Do is DANCE DANCE DANCE...

The inevitable has happened....I have taken my dancing from the shower, into the streets of Austin!  Watch Out!   So we all went downtown on Friday night to celebrate Kristen's birthday....and it might have been the best night ever! We started out our evening for dinner and drinks at PF Chang's. Nothing too exciting, we were in a booth, but in the far back corner of the restaurant no less! Not a very prime place for people watching if you ask me! So as soon as we sit down for dinner, our waiter says "So what did yall come all the way to the big city to celebrate?" Now I know we live here in Texas, but where did he think we were from? We were all nicely dressed, and not one of us has that "texas accent" that would have sparked a question like this. Granted I didn't really grow up in Austin, but fifteen minutes away is hardly rural! Dinner was great! I think the manager had a small crush on Marisol, because he conveniently had two free platters of fried rice to give us...one with shrimp, and one without!:) I am not complaining, it was good! We finished dinner with a small photo op (the manager was very gracious in offering to take numerous pictures for us;)! Our waiter wished us a good evening and a safe trip "back" to wherever he thought we were from. We went to the Marq where we saw a Tony Romo look alike...but a much cuter version. He stared,we stared...and the best move he could come with when we were leaving the bar, A HIGH FIVE! I mean really?! This guy was probably in his late 20's early 30's...a high five? Funny. Anyway, we went to Gruv and that is basically where we spent the majority of our night! So I have decided that all of the funny dancers go out on Friday nights. We literally just sat there and watched people dance, or fall for that matter! *Sidenote: If you can't walk into the club without leaning on someone...you should have stopped two drinks ago!* This one guy awkwardly danced in front of our table for awhile before he just decided to sit down...on the table. He actually ended up being really entertaining...he sang for us. I really couldn't here what he was singing, but I'm pretty sure his voice wasnt terrible and it was funny. There was this poor girl who came by herself and danced all by herself for at least half an hour...I think she was going for a "I'm single, so dance with me" approach..but her outfit might have been another deterent for the evening! I will say this girl had to have had mad confidence to dance by herself, after being repeatedly passed by! My friends and I desperatley tried to get her a dance partner, but even we failed.  At this point we wanted to dance with her just because everyone needs a dance partner!...but we lost her in the crowd.  So instead we just took more fun picutures of ourselves...and others.  It's funny how when you are with a group of girls, men are incredibly willing to snap pictures for you...sometimes without even asking! One guy insisted on taking a picture for us,but then decided that because he had taken our picture, we probably needed a picture of him as well. Funny guy...and yes, now we have a picture of him! *Sidenote 2: If you are going to go anywhere with a boy...make sure he is classy! And if you are going to where a short dress....where underwear!*

This poor girl stumbled in with the greasiest guy imaginable! He definetly thought he was really attractive,and sadly,she was a cute girl. So they opted not to get any drinks, which for her was a good thing. Instead, they just awkwardly swayed as if to mimick some sort of slow dancing, but again this guy was holding her up...so they were limited! Now either this creep was just totally oblivious, or he really was just a creep.   Her skirt kept rising and rising because of how he was holding her, and no one said a thing! Finally, when her whole mini dress was up around her stomach, we had to go help her. We asked if she was okay, and she stumbled out with the creep! Bad situation, but what can you do?! So...anyway we finished off the night back at Marq dancing it up! So MUCH FUN! Just a great night out with the girls!  Seriously the most entertained I have been in a long time!  

If Life Is What You Make It....Im Making It Sweet!

Can I just say how aMaZiNg this week has been!  I am so so happy, and I love it!  I don't even have a reason to be happy right now!  I have absolutely no money, and I have been crazy busy...yet I have had this calm all week long.  I feel like this is going to be an amazing semester!  School really got me down this summer, and I really had a hard time being happy about anything.  Nothing in my life seemed as I wanted it, and I constantly found myself criticizing all that I did.  I am a constant worrier when it comes to how I am viewed in the eyes of others!  I told myself that I need to just let go of all of that, and show people who it is that I truly am...despite what they may think!  I have really let myself open up to sharing my beliefs and feelings with others, and it is so so empowering!  Spiritually, I have taken leaps and bounds in just the past week.  God is really showing me a lot right now...about what he wants me to do for myself, and for others!  For me it is so small, but I know he will replenish me in so many other ways!  It's funny, I have no money and I am not worried at all!  How can I be, when I just used what I had to make someone else feel loved, even if it was just for today.  I love my life!  Thank you Jesus!

Trust the Lord your God with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:5-6

Too much weight for such little shoulders.....

So I downloaded a documentary the other day to watch on my Ipod called "Jesus Camp".  I barely read the description of what was to follow, but in my mind I think I thought is was going to be like a real world version of a church camp.  You know follow the kids around, see what they are eating for lunch...exciting stuff like that!:)  Not what I found at all, well for the most part.  This was a documentary on an Evangelical Children's camp in the United States.  It was pretty much crazy, and nothing that I have ever really seen before.  I know like with anything, there are different levels to organizations, and Christians are no different.  This video opened up with a room full of children and their parents, being preached to by a youth minister.  After telling them that Harry Potter is evil, all of the children gathered and begin speaking in tongues.  These kids were crying and just seemed to have no control over what was happening to them.  "You are crusaders for Christ!"  This youth pastor preached about how stopping abortion was up to these seven year olds!  I get that children are our future, but these kids were breaking down at the notion of what they could do to stop abortion....completely!  I guess I don't understand the idea that because the parents of these kids think that as Christian adults they haven't had any success, so now it needs to fall on their children's shoulders.   I know that not all Christians are brought up to worship in this way, and it is a Fundamentalist way of worship...but it kinda freaked me out!  I mean these same kids in the next scene were so normal, and extremely mature for their age!  So humbled and innocent in their love for God.  I really don't know...all in all it was a disappointing documentary, and sadly eye opening!!

mY tRiP tO nYc In PhOtOgRaPhS...xo

It's tiny, but this was the view from our hotel room! AMAZING!

The Natural History Museum! You can't tell, but we are in Africa!

This is where I decided I should live when I move to New York...I really didn't want to come home! I was googling NYC apartments from my ipod the whole time I was there!

My beautiful sis, and an amazing waterfall!

LeAd Me To ThE cRoSs...

So now that school has started, so have my sorority meetings!  I am in a christian sorority...and God tests me every semester that we come back!  Each semester I am challenged with the task of making new connections with new girls!  All my friends go inactive over summer due to busy school schedule's and work...I know this is not the reason I am in this sorority.  I joined initially to strengthen my relationship with him, and yet I find myself stressing about all the wrong things.  I have grown amazingly because of this organization, spiritually and mentally.  My family is not overly religious, so I never really had that growing up.  Yes, we went to church, but we didn't really talk about anything other than the hour we spent in our weekly services.  And that is when we went...it was never a regular thing.  I have a huge issue listening to God.  So often I feel like he is pushing me in directions I am not equipped to go in.  "I hear you God, but what I think you want me to do is this instead...."  I cannot differentiate between what I feel like I should lift up to him, and what I think I know is best for me.  I can't let go.  I let what other people think dictate a lot of what I do!  I hate that about myself so much!  I don't know where it comes from.  I am incredibly independent and I have a severe weakness in that aspect of self-judgement.  I genuinely analyze how my actions may affect other people in my life.  I don't ask opinions of my friends anymore in most cases, because if I hear a negative suggestion about something I am really positive about....I cant get it out of my head.  I will be totally compassionate about something...as soon as I hear something even remotely negative..it consumes my interpretation of what I am thinking.  I shame myself into what I think I should be doing in my life.  It is so weak.  I over analyze and lie to myself.  I know God is relentless and he continually brings me back to these issues, but I still cant seem to let go.  I pray constantly that soon I will be ready to admit defeat and let go of whatever is causing me to hold on to what I know is not my path.  It's in incredibly scary thing...not knowing how things will end up...where they are going...

"Certain thoughts are prayers.  There are moments when, whatever be the attitude of the body, the soul is on its knees".~ Victor Hugo

Whose In A Rush For The Real World Anyway...

So New York was absolutely amazing! I wont bore you with every amazing thing I encountered while there, but let's just say I found my twin in a city! Love Love Loved it! I found myself thinking "Maybe my parents could ship my stuff here when they get home..."quite often! I totally get why there are so many homeless people there! I wouldn't want to work either. I could walk around that city for weeks! So classes are starting yet again. It's funny, now that I am behind...I'm like "well, here is yet another semester!" Yes! I'm trying out this new thing where I don't worry about what other people think...so if it takes me 10 years to graduate...then whatever~!! Granted, I would love to be done with school at this point...I'm not, and really, stressing about it constantly is not making the time pass any faster. I'm actually kind of excited for some structure back in my life. I couldn't get most of the classes I need to be taking right now, but I am taking some pretty interesting ones, so that should be fun! I'll tell you one thing, I am getting the most well rounded education ever~~ Watch out, you probably don't want to challenge me to any pop culture games, bc I will def. dominate! Interior Design, Mass Communications, History, Astronomy, Art Theory, Fashion Merchandising...you name it, I know it! I'm just hoping to broaden that hodge podge of knowledge this semester, coupled with the two classes I'm taking that actually have something to do with my degree plan.:) If you need any tips on how not to go about college, I have quite a few! # 1 on the list would be:

Meet with your advisors! They really do know what classes you should take! See I thought as a Fresman I could just sign up for what I thought I needed....96 college hours later...and countless classes I dont need...I'm thinking that scheduling that advising appointment really couldnt have been that difficult! Do I sound bitter?:) I'm really not though. Besides studying, I LOVE college! You can still get away with eating your parents food, and naps because you pulled an all-nighter "studying". Blah Blah Blah...enough about school!

"College is a place to keep warm between high school and an early marriage". ~George Gobel