SING 2010 predictions

I have pics but don't have time to upload them, but for the Baylor-ites, here are my pics for All University Sing 2010. Just wanted to get them up before they announced the winners late tonight.  The top eight acts will perform at PigSkin at Homecoming--one of my favorite weekends of the year.  It's up there with Thanksgiving and Christmas!

KOT*
Tri Delta*
Sing Alliance*
Kappa*
Pi Phi
Phi Chi
Chi O
Kappa Sig

I starred the ones that I thought could place.  Of course, only first, second and third places are awarded, but I'm a little torn, so that's why I picked four.

I saw it last Saturday night, but so much can happen between the two weekends of performances.  My mom saw it last night and picked KOT, Tri Delta and Pi Phi to win.

We shall see.  Hopefully I'll get my act together and put photos and explain what I thought.  I'm kind of hardcore about Sing.  It often surprises people that I'm competitive.  I really hate to lose.  (Which is why I hate to play games...ironically, we're hosting a game night at our place tonight.  And it was my idea...go figure.)

This is one crazy weekend.  Hope you're enjoying yours!

Restless

Do you ever get that "restless" feeling, like you are itching to go, do, or be something different?  Well, I've got it.  Do I have any profound answers as to what I want to do, or better yet should do?  Nope.  Not a clue. 

Perhaps I need to learn contentment, but I'm not finding much to be content about these days. (Hello...see my problem?)

Galations 5 has really resonated with me this week, and I particularly like the version from the Message (I have a parallel Bible so I can read the NIV alongside the Message.  I really like the context it provides.  For now, I'll just leave you with the very straight-forward Message version):

From Verse 21:
It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time...a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants...an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival...ugly parodies of community. I could go on...

From verses 22-23: (The fruit of the Spirit)
But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

And then Hebrews 12:1-3, also from the Message:
Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!

I find it rather ironic that I'm LITERALLY having trouble with my vision lately.  My eye doctor said it's from looking at a computer screen all day.  Great.  I'm taking it as a reminder that I need to fix my eyes on Jesus, and He will give me the next step.  Until then, I'm just going to have to learn some patience, which, perhaps, is the point of all this right now. 

Hope this provided you with some insight for today.  And if not, thanks for reading.  :-)

Think Pink

A few weekends ago, we celebrated roomdog's birthday with a party.  It was a fun night, and the only requirement was that you wear PINK!


Claire is one of the girliest girls I know.  Everything in her closet seems to have ruffles and/or it's pink.  Literally everything!  When I find myself shopping now, I pick up things that are ruffly.  So it was only fitting that we have a Pink Party.  

{Roomies!}

I found this wall decal at Hobby Lobby, and it just screamed CLAIRE!  

For her birthday present, I decorated the house with all kinds of pink stuff from Hobby Lobby.    This isn't a great pic of the pink stuff, but in the background, you can see these pink lanterns hanging from the ceiling.  I also had this pink swoopy stuff on the mantle, pink M&Ms, Hershey Kisses, and a pink birdhouse.  It was easy to find all this pink stuff since her birthday is just before Valentine's Day.  A great excuse for decorating!

{Lighting the candles}  

It was really fun to decorate, and my mom came over one Saturday while Claire was gone to help me.  We had a great time.  Mom and I love red, and the kitchen especially is very red.  It kind of made Mom cringe to see pink and red clashing, but it was so worth it, because Claire was so surprised with all the decorations when she came home!

Claire realized that it would take almost two boxes of candles to have the appropriate 23 candles.  It was quite humorous to witness this revelation.  We actually just went with 20 very tall candles...hey, at least we're in the right decade!

{I was trying out the settings on my camera again.  I kind of like this one because Claire is in focus and nothing else is.  There's probably a term for this, I just have no idea what it is!}

It was a very fun night, and everyone seemed to have a great time.  I felt kind of old, or at least very "adult" because we sat around and watched the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics, and it was really fun.  It's hard to believe that I'm not a kid anymore.  I wonder if this feeling ever goes away...

{Me, Claire & Lyndsy}

Lyndsy was able to come that night, so we had a great time catching up.  She's quite busy with Physical Therapy school, so it's always a treat to see her!

And about our wardrobe: this is probably the most sparkly thing I own.  I feel very "Legally Blonde," and it only gets worn about once a year, but it's really fun for stuff like this!  Claire wore this killer dress, even though it was black.  Her jewelry had all these pink hearts on it, and she was the Birthday Girl, so there!

Skippy (Fox) Dog in the Snow

Last week I mentioned that I was thinking about going to take some photos of Skippy in the snow.  The Pioneer Woman gave some very helpful tips about how to get some great photos in the snow.

I was inspired--enough  to change the settings on my camera.  I usually just leave it on automatic, but I decided to be a little more adventurous, and I got a few that I'm pretty happy with.

I know I've talked about him before, but Skippy Dog is the most loved dog you'll ever meet.  He is getting up there in age, and with that, he's become a little (a lot) more stubborn.  I've started to come over to my parents' to take him on walks, and he always greets me with a wagging tail.  Medicine for the soul.

This is my favorite.  I think Skippy looks like a wolf or a fox in this photo.  It was taken in our backyard.  If you can believe this, the snow continued far into the night, and we really did get a ton of it.  

Blurry, but I still like it.

Also in our backyard--my mom is really good at making flower beds look great.  She has a green thumb that I lack (maybe that comes with age?).  You can't see any flowers right now, but I really loved this snowy butterfly.

These trees are right outside my apartment door.  I thought they were so beautiful with all the snow on them!

There's the possibility of snow again tomorrow.  This is really crazy.   

A Full-Circle Moment

This morning I put together and participated in a conference call that involved my non-profit kicking off the spring fundraising campaign for the firm my dad works for.  It was the first time I've ever done something this big, so it was kind of a big deal (to me, anyways!).

I was a little leery of being on this call because I don't want to be known or introduced as "Gary's daughter."  Not that I mind being his daughter, I just don't want to be that girl.  Oh well, it is what it is.

Well, also on that call were about 15 other people from all over the state, and one of them was a lady named April.  Here's where I attempt to make my story make sense, now that you have this background.

{At Troy's HS Graduation Party...I forgot to mention they love T-roy too!}

My dad introduced me to April about eight years ago.  At the time, she worked for the communications department at the firm.  Her job was to communicate internally with people, making sure everyone got the right information.  She sent out a daily newsletter and did a million other various things, I'm sure.

My dad suggested that I go hang out with her at the office one day to see what sort of things she did.  He thought that we would get along, and he (wisely) wanted me to be exposed to other career opportunities.

At the time, I wanted to be a teacher.  I've wanted to teach since I was in first grade.   I came home from school to play school.  It's how I spent my afternoons, my summers, and all my extra time.  I had grade books, homework, students, a whole Lillian Vernon Teacher Kit, and who knows what else.  I think I played school well after elementary school.  I would even dream up themes for my classroom.  (Today it would be jungle themed...just sayin'.)

My dream to be a teacher continued all through high school.  Meanwhile, about a year after I spent the day with her, April had twin boys, and later another one.  I began to babysit them and spend summers and weekends keeping the kids, getting to know April and her husband Jack, watching the dynamics in their home.  To say it was entertaining and eye-opening would be an understatement.    Now, it's as though the boys are my own almost.  They are precious to me, and I love seeing them.

Originally, when the boys were a few weeks old and I was 16, April hired me to help alongside her, just to have another set of hands.  Twins are a handful.  Double the trouble, especially if they're these boys!  I got to spend quite a bit of time with her, and we have become good friends.  Although there is about 10 years in age difference, we bounce ideas off one another and kept in touch while I was away at school.

Back to school...I was going to be a teacher, remember?  Well that all changed about three days before Baylor orientation.  I talked my good friend Allison, and she said, "If you're not 100% sure you want to teach, then get your degree in something else, and you can always get your teacher certification later."  Which is what she did.  That was probably the best advice I was ever given.  Or at least the most life-shaping.

So fast forward to age 23...I became a Public Relations major, and now I do that sort of thing for a non-profit company.  I would still love to teach, but for now, I quench my desire to be in the classroom by living vicariously through my teacher-roommate and I still hang out with the three hoodlums.

The Twins, J and G.

To say they're a handful is an understatement.  But I love them.

Baby K.  

Not really a baby anymore, but will you look at those eyes?  Makes me melt.  Every. Time.

Now that we're back in the same city, I get to see them a bit more often, and April and I are now working together.  My dad shared a brief version (basically that April was my mentor, and now we're working together as peers) today on the call.  April said it well when she summed it up with a "Thanks for the Group Hug, Gary!"  It was slightly embarrassing, but I'm not going to lie...I did kind of enjoy the attention.  Just a bit.

Thanks for making it to the end of my super-long post.  You're a champ.

Scrpiture Memory Verse 3 and other random things

I haven't blogged in a while.  No weather post today...promise.  Except, I will say that I'm thankful for the sunshine.  I had a fun weekend with Roomdog's PINK party, and then headed to Waco for the very exciting BU/Missouri basketball game, and some much-needed catch-up time with sweet, sweet friends.  I'll add pics of those things soon, if I can get my act together!

If you want to put a verse to memorize here, just add it to the comments in this post. 

Also...So Long Insecurity by Beth Moore will rock your world.  I promise. If you have a chance to read it, I would highly recommend it.  She also has a website wehre you can comment on the chapters here.

In other exciting news, Baylor chose Judge Ken Starr as the next President.  It's caused quite a stir.

And, Beth Moore's daughter Amanda has a blog, and although she lives in Houston, I could totally relate to her post:

I love feeling at home in my big city - knowing how to navigate our ridiculous freeways, understanding that you can't slow down or you'll get hit...I love the way men hold open doors and give up their seats for women...I love that Texans are generally warm-hearted, even if we do have a lot of pride. I love that in a span of 48 hours I can shop at the Galleria in my nicest outfit and then turn around and do something a little country like stomp through the woods in an ugly coat...

I love Texas.  And I love sunshine.  Enjoy!

Are we still in Dallas?

I'm not sure.  I know only old people talk about the weather, but this is just crazy enough to document:

Snow.  Snow.  Snow.  Snow.

Pretty cool!  I read on one news website that we're supposed to get up to seven inches.  Seven.  Somehow I am still in the office, though.  Go figure.  I'm looking out my windows, and it is a beautiful sight to see.  I would love to go take Skippy dog for a walk and photo shoot in the snow.  We shall see...

Today is roomdog's birthday, and the festivities started last weekend as I decorated the house for her "PINK" party.  Claire is quite the girly-girl, and it's near Valentine's Day, so I just went ahead and decorated.  Mom came over last Saturday and we just had the best time putting stuff up.  Perhaps we should go into a professional party planning business. 

I know I need to post pics other than weather reports, so I will try and do that soon.  This weekend should provide ample opportunity for fun photos.

Shut Down the City

Well, the city isn't shut down, but it might be, come Friday morning.  There are talks of two to four inches of snow headed our way. And we all know that any amount of ice and snow in Dallas pretty much shuts this place down. 

From a personal standpoint, this is pretty exciting.  I mean, who doesn't love a good snow day?  But at work, we have a big Kick off Breakfast Friday morning that could potentially get cancelled and cost a lot of money and momentum.  It's not a great thing at work, but we'll see what happens.  The little kid in me is still hoping for a snow day!

"Shut Down the City" is also the name of one of my favorite songs of my brother's.  I was missing him the other day, so I pulled up his band's page here.  My other favorites include "Lovely Lady" and "Hold On."  Perhaps I am biased, but I love his lyrics.  Check it out.

And in other news, I made my first major purchase: a washer and dryer.  Yes, folks, it's that exciting.  I felt  little more like an adult after that purchase.  Strange how appliances can do that to you.

It's the little things in life

Kelly from Kelly's Corner blogged about life's simple pleasures.  I'm all about the little things in life...they make a big difference.  Here's my list so far, in no particular order:

• Sonic Dr. Pepper.  (Even better if you can make it during Happy Hour)
• Lunch and shopping day with Mom
• Picking up with an old friend right where you left off, even if it's been a while
• Sleeping in on Saturday Mornings
• Automatic bill pay--seriously,  great invention. (I guess this comment makes me officially and adult.)
• Walking around Baylor's campus and then sitting on a swing
• A text message from a friend, just wanting to say hi
• Laughing 'til it hurts
• Real Snail Mail
• A Christmas Tree lit in a quiet house
• A freshly cleaned house
• A smile from a stranger
• Reading a book from cover to cover, without stopping--just because you can
• A dinner date with Dad
• Long conversations with Papa
• A good radio day
• Phone calls from my brother
• Having all my friends hanging out togther--a rare but beautiful thing
• Sitting down to a meal someone else prepared

Links worth Looking at...

Here's an update from my friend Katie in Haiti.  They are getting into a new routine and teaching about 65 students, grades K-12 again.  Please continue to pray for them and the people of Haiti.

Here's a story about a Houston family I've been following that has been trying to adopt a child from Haiti for several years.  After a very long process, including the dad going to Haiti to fight for their son, Ronel is finally coming home!  It's been such an amazing story to follow, and the mom, Debra, has a pretty cool blog, too. 

Here's an article on Matt Chandler, The Village pastor on how he and his family are trying to suffer well.  A really great piece. 

Here's a Washington Post article on Tim Tebow's upcoming "Celebrate Family.  Celebrate Life" ad during the Superbowl is already generating a lot of talk...in a good way, I think.  And it's not just because he's good looking.

And on a lighter note, here are some things I've enjoyed reading lately:


Valentine Treats

Cake Recipe and Coffee Cookies from MckMama

Funny Valentines from LOST and 24.

TV Valentines designed by Jennyology

Hope your week is going well.  Enjoy!

Happy Birthday, Baylor University

Dear Baylor,

Happy Birthday.  Thank you for giving me this, my favorite part of campus:

And these, some of the best friends a girl could as for:

{Spring Break Trip to Disney World, March 2008}

{"March Madness" Pledge Dance with my DDD big, Mary Ellen}

{Baylor Summer Bunch friends.  Friends for life, and all BU students, too!}

{BU Tailgate with yell leader friend and co-ed captain, Amanda}

{Baylor Friends, Graduation Party, May 2009}

{A new roomie, to figure out life after college with}

And thanks for the opportunity to...

...get to tell people why Baylor is SO great.  {Jr. and Sr. year}

....Watch the Bears beat the Aggies {Fall 2008}

...plan a semi-formal with Cheryl, complete with a real live Elvis. {Fall 2008}

...build a float with an amazing group of people that became good friends.  And to make it even sweeter, we won!  {Fall 2008}

...Sing a solo in All-University Sing and perform on the Waco Hall Stage numerous times.  {Here with Jason, the fabulous composer, before our act, "The Day after Christmas."}

...And study abroad and see all these incredibly awesome places. {With Lyndsy and Carolyn, Spring 2009}

And can you believe that was pretty much only pictures from two years of college?  I'll spare you the rest.  Just suffice it to say that Baylor was (thus far) the best time in my little life.

It was a great four years.  I think I might be putting it mildly.  Thanks for being chartered 165 years ago, Baylor.  Life could've looked so different.

Love,
Shay