Bishop Arts District Birthday for SMoo

We celebrated SMoo's birthday at the beginning of March, and I never posted the pictures.  Her parents & sister {in school at OBU} came in town from Fayetteville and were so sweet to take several of us out for dinner.  We went down to the Bishop Arts District in Dallas and ate at Tillman's Roadhouse.  It was SO good.

Madison, SMoo, Me and Kaitlin

The decor in the restaurant is really cool.  It's like a chic-country/lodge feel, and in the back is a room made to look like a forest, and it has peacocks on the wall.  {I love peacocks!}

Her parents ordered her triple chocolate cake from Whole Foods.  

It was even more delicious than it looks.  

Obviously I love SMoo, and her parents are pretty sweet, too.  They are so great about making you feel included and part of their family.  Mama Sally and I text occasionally, and we are even Facebook friends.  {She's hip like that...}  In college whenever any of our parents came to town, we usually got to come along for some good meals, and they'd stock our kitchen and take care of stuff we didn't have time to think about.  {Ah, college.}

I would highly recommend Tillman's Roadhouse...especially when someone else is treating you!  :-)  

Birthday Celebration

Adam had a birthday back in January.  But I never blogged about how we celebrated.  I'd been looking forward to celebrating him for a while, so I was probably more excited than he was when January 28 rolled around!

First, we ate dinner in the kitchen booth at Buca di Beppo with our friends from church, Sandy & David.  They typically take you on a tour through the restaurant, which includes the kitchen.  Adam was surprised when they stopped there and said, "Here's your table!"

The waiters sang "Happy Birthday" to him there before he blew out the candles on the candelabra.  The other cool thing about sitting in the kitchen is that you get to sample other foods.  They gave us meatballs and also mashed potatoes to try.  Both were delicious!

Then we went back to open presents.  I'd been at Adam's since I got off work, and I was dying for him to open his gifts.  But he wanted to wait, so the birthday boy waited 'til after dinner.  First he opened the boxes that came from his parents.  He played with his new watch and examined seemingly every aspect of each gift from them.  

(Are you getting the picture that this took a while??

And that I'm not a terribly patient person??

 AMP is seriously one of the most patient people I know.)  :-)

Finally it was time.  I handed him the first box with the letter "A" on it.  Maybe he thought it was "A for Adam?"  Who knows.  So he opened the A*Team DVD.  Then I kind of got a little smirk on my face and handed him a "B" gift.  He looked at me and said, "There's not one of these for each letter is there?!"  Why, yes.  There is.  Twenty-six letters for the twenty-six year old!

Technically I combined a few letters.  The bag with "X" and "V" in it had XXX Flavored Vitamin Water in it, and "Q" and "U" were combined for a Quick Trip to Turner Falls.  It was so much fun picking out candy, making coupons for things like Fort Building and a Birthday Blog.  It was a lot of little stuff and each was wrapped up with a letter.

Here's AMP with all his loot!  (His "Happy Birthday" banner is still hanging on his mantle.  Love it.)

We finally finished and were both worn out!  

And I think he was slightly overwhelmed.  

But it was so much fun to celebrate him!!

Week in Review

Hope you had a lovely weekend. Mine was quite relaxing, and I loved it. Just a few pics from this week. We celebrated Claire's birthday last Saturday night down in Deep Ellum at Twisted Root Burger Co. It was a lot of fun, and she was quite thrilled to have so many of her favorite people in one place. We sang and she blew out a candle that turned out to be a sparkler, so it re-lit three times. Kind of like a trick candle, I guess!

Her actual b-day was on Friday, and I woke up with her at 5:45 a.m. to make cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Did you know it's still dark then? Who knew. And she gets up that early every.single.morning. Makes me tired just thinking about it. We celebrated over breakfast with presents, and then I sent her off to school. I felt like such a mom! It was a fun morning.

Thursday after work, I stopped by the station to see Adam. It's always fun to step into his world and just hang out with him. He rode the engine that day, which means that the chance of him getting called out is slim, versus riding the ambulance. {Sometimes when I drop by, it's only about 5 minutes before he has to head out! But that's the name of the game.} We played ping-pong out where the Engine and Rescue hang out in the big garage. I got to show off my mad skillz, and it was quite fun. {Shockingly, I can actually play ping-pong. We had a table growing up, so I guess that's where I learned it...}

I took this iPhone pic of Adam in the Engine and edited it using my new App, ColorSplash. It's $.99 and you can make a photo black and white and then pick the parts that you want to have in color. I thought it was kinda fun.

Well, it looks like this week will be snow-free and warmer, which will be much enjoyed! Hope your weekend was good, too!

Happy Birthday, Adam!

Happy 26th Birthday, Adam!!  

You make me laugh every single day.  And I love it.

Perhaps it has something to do with your crazy faces??

I remember laughing through my entire dinner at Pei Wei with you the first time we went out after rock climbing.  Part of it was nerves, but part of it was I just thought you were really funny.  (And cute.)  Well, I was right.  (On both accounts.)

In college, Katie, SMoo and I would mention a guy and then ask our own question:  

"Is he smart?" (SMoo)

"Is he funny?" (Katie)

"Is he cute?" (Shay)

You are all three.  And more.  Most importantly to me, you pursue the Lord wholeheartedly.  You have made my friends your friends, and you know (and ask) all about the important people in my life, including my entire family, closest friends, and people at work.  

You encourage me when I need it most, you are a great listener, and you make me think about more than just myself.  You encourage me to run and workout, but don't demand it.  

You are hardworking and diligent in all that you do.  

You're compassionate, caring, intelligent, a great cook, 

and have I mentioned funny?

I must really like you, because otherwise I wouldn't send you photos like this after you run a half marathon while I was out of town for work & couldn't be there...

And you must really like me, because after I had a really horrible day this week and bawled my eyes out on your shoulder, I looked up and you had my mascara all over your cheek.  But you just sat there with me and talked and listened.  That meant a whole lot.  :-)

I hope today you feel extra special and very celebrated.

Love,

Shay 

ps--a birthday clue:  I hope you know your ABCs by now!

Anna Banana!

Happy Birthday, sweet Anna!  I love the more-sister-than-cousin friendship we've found ourselves in as we've grown up.  I'm so glad your fam moved back up here to Dallas so that our lunch dates and late night Starbucks runs can happen much more often.

You have such a love for life, a zillion friends who realize just how great you are, you're hard-working, and definitely one of the funniest girls I know.  And although I didn't have the choice to make you my cousin, I am honored to call you a dear friend.

I love seeing you come into your own and figure out what you want to do next in life.  You pursue the Lord on a daily basis, have such a heart for people and helping others.

I love that we're able to share the Baylor and Tri-Delta experiences together, even though you're three years behind me.  It's fun to hear your perspective on things I was involved in not too long ago.  Even though we've chosen some similar routes as our moms, you've made Baylor your own, and I know you'll look back on those four years with lots of happy memories.  Soak it all up, girl.  Soak it up.

You keep me up on all the latest iPhone apps and Google Reader options, show me new blogs and make sure I stay hip enough.  Thank you for that.

You taught me to shop (much to my chagrin, now!).  As a picky fourth grader, I couldn't find a thing I even wanted to try on to wear.  You showed me how to make a "yes," "no," and "maybe" pile that I still use to this day.  Thanks for that, too.  (I think.)

Enjoy your special day.  You are SO LOVED by so many...me included!

77 or 78? That is the question...

A couple of Tuesdays ago, we celebrated Papa's Birthday.  As we circled up to pray before our (yummy) meal Mom made, there was a great debate about which birthday Papa was actually celebrating.  He thought it was 77, but after some mathematics, turns out he was mistaken, and he actually turned 78 on January 9th.  I guess when you have so many birthdays, it's just hard to keep track!  :-)  Too bad he's been competing in the golf games for "Under 78."  Papa told Adam that he was really ticked off, because he could've won a few more golf tournaments in a different age bracket!  Ha.

Peach Cobbler is a family go-to for dessert, because it's so good...any time!  

Papa, you are so loved.  Celebrating you is always a treat.  You are a giver of your time, so helpful with home improvement projects, a great game player, a most helpful airport taker and picker-upper, and so many other things.  Thanks for being you.  WE LOVE YOU!

Leave it to the guys to start playing with the napkin rings.  Adam and my Uncle Mark have this uncanny ability to make me laugh like nobody's business.  And they do it without meaning to, but my laughter just encourages them more, I think.  

And although I don't have a pic of Troy and my Dad from this particular birthday celebration, I didn't want to leave them out of this "guy post."  {Just for the record, Mom, Aunt Laura, Jonita and I were there, too, but I don't have any pics of us.  Go figure.}

It's funny to me how much they look alike.  But the scariest part is when they're side by side and do the exact same mannerism--at the same time.  

Well, I guess I can wrap up this post by saying how grateful I am for all the guys in my life.  :-)  It would definitely be a different story with out them!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Dear Mom,
Happy Birthday!  Even though we celebrated last Tuesday in Mexico, I didn't want you to think I'd forgotten you on this little bloggy.  :-)

We hung out at the condo, the beach and the pool.

You were a great sport and wore the "Birthday Girl" crown 

You were super-brave and went parasailing--what a way to start your new year!

And we played a game, which I know you loved :-)

I am so glad you're my mom.  I hope this year will be full of fun and joy and laughter.  

I appreciate so many things about you, Mom.  

You are such a great hostess, and your hospitality inspires me all the time.  

You are very giving of your time--the middle school girls at church you work with adore you.  The mission trip 200 students go on each summer could not happen without you.  

And you love Dad, Troy and me unconditionally and love when we're all together.  

Love you.

Happy Birthday, Sarah!

Sarah, yesterday was your birthday!  I hope it was wonderful.  I sent you a text at 12:20 a.m., because those first ones in the early morning of my special day were especially fun.  I thought you might like that.  :-)

We've known each other almost 10 years, and I'm grateful for every one of them.  Thankfully I don't have any photos on my computer from high school, because let's be honest...plaid uniforms with knee socks and slip on shoes were not my best style.  (I don't even think I had a digital camera Freshman and Sophomore year.  Man, have times changed.)  (And I feel so old saying that.)

You're a great travel buddy.  In High School, we went to New York with Yearbook our junior year, and to Hawaii on an all-expense paid trip our senior year.  Man, life is good!

I wrote about our experience visiting Baylor in high school here.  

It was at Baylor that we stayed friends & became better ones, as I knew we would after high school.  

As a grown up, I've come to appreciate even more your listening ear, your voice of reason and your bravery to try new things.  I'm so excited for you to learn more about pastries and sweets in London this next year.  (Although how can you improve on something as great as this birthday cake?!)

I think I get to see you three times in the next week, and I'm excited.  Gotta stock up on Sarah time before you go across the pond again!

A Golden Birthday

My birthday was quite a happy day!  I got to continue the celebration with more people that I love, and it was a lot of fun.  I walked out Wednesday morning, and Claire had left a box outside my door.  I went over to her room and opened it with her there.  I got these super-cute pajama pants from JCrew, and they are so comfy!

At lunch, I got to eat with Claire, my cousin Anna, and Katie was in town from Nashville.  It was such a treat to share this day with them.  We ate at Smash Burger, which is my new favorite place.  I would highly recommend it!

{Claire, Me, Katie & Anna}

All day, I got text messages, Facebook wall posts and phone calls wishing me a Happy Birthday.  That really meant the most--I love hearing Happy Birthday!  :-)  

I was just so thrilled to spend the day with some of my favorites and to hear from everyone else.  I totally forgot about presents.  I was really blown away.  My friends and family gave the most thoughtful gifts, and  I have lots of thank you notes to write!  (Totally not complaining one bit about that!)  I got lots of gifts for running--I guess that means I'll keep doing it.  I mean, looking cute for winter running is half the battle, right?!  

My whole family took me to dinner that night, and I started out at my parents' house to open even more presents with just the four of us.  Troy is home for Thanksgiving, and it was so fun having him celebrate with me.  

{Troy was super pumped to give me the penguin pillow and red blanket!}

{Dad & Troy at Dinner--don't they look alike?!}

My aunt & uncle just moved back here (yay!), and my cousins were in town this week for Thanksgiving.  We don't typically celebrate my birthday on the actual day all together, so this was quite a treat!  Papa and Jonita came to dinner, too, and it was so much fun.

I loved having my family together to celebrate, and we got to see everyone again the next day for Thanksgiving.  My fam is so great about separating the birthdays and holidays!  My mom's birthday is right around Christmas, and we always do something separate for her birthday, too.

Adam had to work on Wednesday, and he'd prepared me that he'd probably have to work Thanksgiving Day as well, but he wouldn't know until late the night before.  It was a great ending to my birthday to find out that he didn't have to work on Thanksgiving and could come hang out with my family.  

From start to finish, November 24 was a great day.  Golden, in fact.  

Here's to year 24!

Birthday Week Begins!

Last night I got to celebrate my 24th birthday with some of my favorite people!  It was so much fun.  I'm convinced I have the most beautiful, kindest, talented, giving and fun friends a girl could ask for!  Lyndsy put the plan in motion and made a really yummy Mexican Casserole, and SMoo hosted it at her new place.  Sarah made the cake, and Claire helped SMoo with the details--it was quite a group effort, and I felt SO loved!

Chef Sarah made my cake, and it was absolutely delicious, not to mention incredible looking!

With the cake maker herself!

Lyndsy, SMoo,

Sarah, Me and Claire

and THE cake

 I should also add that Adam came to pick me up for the party with flowers, and I'm convinced he should have an award for making it through dinner with five girls.  He was such a trooper and chimed in with stories from Boston, complete with sound effects, became the resident photographer, and even did the dishes.  What a guy.

I started opening my gifts and reading the cards to myself, but Adam informed me that his family has a tradition of reading the cards aloud, so I went back and read them for everyone, just for grins.

Hungry?  Just come on over for some cake!  We've got plenty...

Thanks for starting my Birthday Week off with a bang--I truly felt so special!

How Sweet It Is...

Have you ever had a moment where you step back and realize your life is really sweet?
Like, really, really good?
Today was one of those days for me.

Today reminded me how much I have to be thankful for.
Today I got to have a really great lunch with my Dad.
Today I got to run in the cold weather with Adam and talk.
Today I got some time to myself to think.

Tomorrow I have lunch with a dear, sweet friend.
Saturday I will celebrate being alive 24 years with some of my nearest and dearest.
Wednesday I will continue that with my family--I like to drag out the celebration as long as possible...
Thursday my family will all get together under one roof and celebrate being especially Thankful.

And while most of us haven't had actual locusts eat away at us, I'm certain we can all think of times when things weren't going so great, and we were wondering what in the heck was going on.  I love that God restores things.  In His way, and in His time.

I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten— 

   the great locust and the young locust, 

   the other locusts and the locust swarm— 

my great army that I sent among you. 

 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, 

   and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, 

   who has worked wonders for you; 

never again will my people be shamed. 

 Then you will know that I am in Israel, 

   that I am the LORD your God, 

   and that there is no other; 

never again will my people be shamed.

Joel 2:25-27

Now that's really something to be thankful for.

Happy Birthday, Lyndsy!

Today is my sweet friend Lyndsy's birthday!  We celebrated at Yogurtville last week, and had a great time catching up.  

I met Lyndsy in Maastricht when I studied abroad there.  We lived across the hall from each other, and became friends really quickly.  I knew I liked her when she got us through the underground tunnels of Maastricht on a scavenger hunt.  For this directionally challenged girl, she was speaking my love language!

Here we are after finishing the tunnels.  Whew.  I didn't know I was claustrophobic until then.

Lyndsy is a great caretaker.  :-)  I can't believe I'm posting this picture of me, but whatever.  I fainted on Easter Sunday in Rome, and Katie and Megan and Lyndsy were all there with me, and we went to the clinic at the Vatican.  (I'll have to tell that story another time!)  They gave me a shot and some chocolate, and Lyndsy tried to relay whatever the Italian doctors were trying to say.  She stayed very calm as I was freaking out.  

This was last year on my 23rd Birthday.  

She came over with Claire and Smoo to help me celebrate with my family!

New Years Eve 2010.  

We spent it at Billy Bob's in Ft. Worth.  

It was a rather hilarious evening.  

Apparently we like to celebrate birthdays together!  

Here we are at Claire's "Pink" Party last February.

Lyndsy's family also has a lake house on the same lake as mine, 

and we get to hang out there sometimes.  We were having quite the fun times on the float.  

This was after some animal came up and bit me.  We were laughing pretty hard.

Lyndsy is a great friend.  She's in grad school for Physical Therapy right now, and works really, really hard.  I have to get on her calendar a couple weeks in advance, usually, but I always love it when we get to catch up!  Happy 25th Birthday, Lyndsy!  Hope you have a happy day!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Dear Dad,

Today is your special day...I hope you feel loved and celebrated!  Thanks for being such a wonderful Dad.  I love that you find so much joy in the music Troy and I make.  You and Mom are our biggest fans, no doubt.  Thanks for making it possible for us to go for our dreams, even when being a Rock Star is not always practical.

{March 2010--At a show in Deep Ellum, when Troy's band came to Dallas to record}

{June 2009--American Idol Tryouts}

Thanks for my education.  I'm grateful to carry on the legacy of being a Baylor Bear.

{On Campus, May 2009}

Thanks for showing us how to love and be loved, 

for exactly who we are, and who we can be.  

Thanks for showing us that you can always grow, change and learn. 

 All it takes is a willing heart.

And thanks for showing us how to have fun and laugh...

at ourselves.  

{Easter in Mexico, 2010}

Thanks for all the opportunities and the experiences we've had to make us who we are today.  It has made all the difference.  Not everyone can say they have a Dad that would go the distance for them.  

But I can.  And I'm so thankful.

Happy Birthday, Dad.  I love you.

Love, Shay

Happy Birthday, Amanda!

Yesterday was my sweet friend Amanda's birthday.  We've known each other since about sixth grade when my aunt introduced us in Houston.  I remember not being too sure about this chick at the time.  I kind of kept up with her through my aunt over the years, and we reconnected when we both got to Baylor.  I'm so glad we did!

We have so many memories through college together, and I'm so grateful for her friendship.  Now, we work for the same non-profit, but in different cities, so it's fun to get to talk with her about work, but it's also great not to have to talk about it at all!

{Earlier this spring Amanda came to visit and we went to a park.  

It was a bit too cold to stay long, so we quickly headed to the nearest mall!}

Here are some things I love about Amanda--just to name a few:

• She's a kind and loyal friend.  She will drop anything and be there for you.  
• We can laugh, shop, talk, not talk, or do whatever together.  It's easy to be "me" around her!
• In the Fall of my senior year, we began meeting weekly to pray for one another.  It was a sweet time for both of us, and quickly became a highlight of my week.  
• We share a lot of the same interests--decorating, family and friends.  (Not in any particular order ha!)
• She's a great listener and gives wise, sound advice--I call her to hear her thoughts on all sorts of things!

We often joke that we should meet halfway for lunch because we are always seeming to lack a lunch buddy.  I've spent several lunches in my car chatting with her on the phone.  It's not quite the same, but it'll do for now.  :-)  

Love you, Amanda!  Hope you had a wonderful day!  

Happy Birthday KK!

In college, March became a very celebratory month around our apartment.  SM's birthday was March 1. And on March 11, we get to celebrate Katie's birthday too!  She is affectionately known as Katie, KK, KKface, and many other terms of endearment.

{On a train in Europe--headed to the airport!}

Katie and I spent our last semester of college together sharing a small room in Europe (when we weren't traveling, that is).  She's the kind of girl who will go on any and every adventure, regardless of how much sleep you deprive yourself of.  For example, she went to Austria one weekend for a Valentine's Day ball, taking an overnight train there and back.  (I went to Germany that weekend and had a great time and a bit more sleep!)

All that to say...Katie is a maximizer.  She takes every moment she's given in a situation and uses it to the fullest.  And she has some really great and hilarious stories.  Sometimes it's fun to just sit back and watch her.  

She is also a great and loyal friend.  She has a tender heart for others, and she is very reliable.  I know I can always count on her, and I so appreciate that.

{The roomies.  Being obnoxious in our DDD rain jackets.  Sweet.}

 {Katie Sherlock Holmes...it has a nice ring to it, right?}

Katie comes from a crazy and random family.  The things that happen to them make you want to say, "Am I really witnessing this??"  Yes, you are.  Her mom and dad would come to Waco and take us to dinner, and her brother and sister-in-law lived in Waco for a little bit, and it was so fun to hang out with them, too.  I feel like I am a part of their family, and I love that.

Katie is an extremely hard worker.  Senior year, she became our Float Chair because some other float chairs had to quit, so she stepped in, and I got to work alongside her.  We worked long and hard hours, and she slaved away to make Float a fun event that people would want to come out to.  We made a great team, because I was out there during the afternoon while she had class, and she was out there late into the night.  She has more energy than anyone I know and is a natural-born leader and team player.  Quite a combo.   

{We won...mostly because of Katie's hard work!}

Perhaps the best part about Katie is her heart and her love for the Lord.  She seeks Him and makes time to spend with the Lord, and it is so evident.  This summer, during a particularly rough time, Katie prayed specific prayers for me every hour, on the hour.  I was so honored and floored.  

Now she lives in Nashville, getting her Masters in Education.  She wants to teach and coach high school.    I can't wait to see where she ends up next...it will probably be somewhere adventurous!  She went to Nashville because she'd never lived outside of Texas and wanted to try something new.  I'm thankful for a great reason to visit that fun city, but I definitely miss having her around.  

Happy Birthday, Katie ~ Here's to the year 23!

Happy Birthday SMoo!

Today is my dear friend and college roommate's birthday.   Sarah Margaret, affectionately known around our house as SMoo, S.M., Smooface and many other silly names, is a sweet, sweet friend.

I didn't know what I was missing until I lived with Katie and SM in college on the corner of 12th and Wood.  We lived in an apartment that would be known as the "Donna Lewis" to us, and others if they cared to remember.  I think we picked the name because of one of her songs, and D.L. was also the same initials as "Delta Love." (You can go ahead and gag here if you'd like.  I know it's slightly ridiculous.  But that's what college is all about.)

Here we are on the porch senior year with about to head to our last Home football game.  This pic became our Christmas card that read "Sic' em Seniors."  It was pretty cute.  

And speaking of Christmas....

Here we are in the Panhellenic building about to go into a Tri Delta meeting.  There was a contest for best costumes, and Little Miss Competitive Katie loves a good contest, especially one that involves dressing up.  So what did we do?  Put on our onesie pajamas and men's boxer shorts (both Christmas gifts from various years).  We won.  Duh.  

SM is a wonderful friend.  Here are some of the things I appreciate most about her:

• She taught me how to play flag football after hyperventilated when I realized a BOY was coming to watch me at my first intramural game ever. I played Corner Back for the E team and pulled two flags that first game.  All thanks to her coaching skills, I'm sure.
• She is extremely loyal, and will drop everything if you need her.  (She has done this for me, and it meant the world.)
• SM is a very diligent worker.  She studies hard and does well in school.  She just graduated in December with her masters in accounting, and is going to work in the accounting world this summer.
• She's from Fayetteville, Arkansas, and she finally took us up there this past summer.  It was probably one of my favorite things.  Ever.  One, because we got to see where she grew up.  Two, her Mom and Dad treated us to some really fabulous food.  Three, it was just a really fun trip--we laughed a lot.  Katie was sure to put together a really great soundtrack for the car ride up there, so Miley Cyrus' "Party in the U.S.A" and The Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling" always bring this trip to mind.  And she also STILL holds the three-point record in basketball at Fayetteville High.
• SMoo is someone that's perfectly content to sit and talk, watch Gilmore Girls, or bop to music (She does like to bop!)  She's really easy to hang out with, and I'm so glad she's moving to Dallas this summer!

Here we are at the lake last summer--my current and former roomies :-) 

SM was shakin' her stuff.  I'm sure she will love me for posting this.  

Happy Birthday, SMoo.  

Hope you've had a wonderful day!