Breaking the Mold

Body Image and the Devil

2011-10-04T14:04:00.000-07:00

So... heres the token diet post! haha Over the past few weeks I have been so infected by talks with women and girls that I adore about the topic of weight loss and taking care of your body. There are sooo many different views on this but what captured my heart was a story of a patient that battled with anorexia. This sparked a lot of conversations amongst people that I work with about body image, and this is where my heart began to break. You can spin it which ever way you want, but body image and eating disorder struggles are an EPIDEMIC! For some strange reason our society has made it okay for 5-6 year old girls to understand what it means to be "skinny" and that if you are not that way, that you are an outcast. As a christian and as a woman there is so much that can be done to make strides in this area.

okay stepping off the soap box... with my upcoming wedding I have wanted to be in good shape and for me to feel good about my body! It has been sooo important to me that this is being done for ME, instead of for the 200 people that are going to be starring at my ghetto backside. So I have been trying to "eat clean." Apparently this includes things that are not processed and are grown naturally or able to obtain naturally. Lots of fruits, vegetables, and protein! Since June with this regimen and my wonderful Advocare products I have lost around 9 pounds. My weight doesn't fluctuate a lot so this was a lot for me! I have also lost quite a few inches, but haven't done exact measurements! So...I def couldnt be farther from a diet/exercise expert or even a little educated. I am learning more everyday about what I can do to make my body healthy and take care of my self. Here are just a few examples of what I have been eating.
Breakfast: EggWhites or a fruit protein shake, special K
Lunch: Salad with cucumbers, olives, and tomatoes with lemon juice and little olive oil
Dinner: Turkey sub from Subway, chicken breasts, etc.
Snacks: LOTS of fruits, almonds ( so I am obsessed with these wasabi and soy almonds, not sure that wasabi and soy are "naturally grown" elements but they are delicious :))

Also, let me be real honest here, I HATE the gym. And I'm not just partial to the gym, I pretty much hate exercise all together!! buut I have heard all my life that diet is 90% of achieving your weight loss goals. This probably means that Taco Bell and Sonic shouldn't be regular on my debit card charges :)
But I do have to say that I feel a sense of empowerment, like I am part of a big fitness movement when I am at the gym and look around to see people of all ages, and all weights trying to take control of their lives. I like to reflect on this while silently competing with the skinny toned blonde on the treadmill next to me that isn't breaking a sweat while running at like a 7 for 45 minutes. I feel a little like the water boy of the fitness movement during this time, but none the less empowered. :)

Weight and body imagine is a sharp sword in the world that we live in today. We have the power to build up and encourage young girls around us everyday to instill in them the definition of beauty. To me that means loving who you are and being the best you that God created. I am doing my best to take care of the vessel that God gave me, so that I can be the best wife, friend, nurse, daughter, sister, and one day mother that he intended for my life. Some days this is easy for me, and some days I want the greasiest pizza I can find for all 3 meals, but even on those days, God along with everyone else will love me just the same. I know this is way scattered brain, but I could go on about this for days.

I have learned a lot about fitness and diet from my incredible (almost sister in law:) - Erin! Go check out her blog: http://www.thememmers.com/

I will continue to post random things about diet and fitness but they will be in snack size portions next time I promise :)

a Wicked good time :)

2011-09-12T17:26:00.000-07:00

Cody and I were soo fortunate to get a "wedding present" from his dad of a trip to Boston!! We went over labor day weekend! Our gift was thru Rangers Destination program (this was the pilot trip) Basically the package includes tickets to 2 games, a hotel for 2 nights, a meet and greet with a player, and a tour of the stadium, and then you take care of your transportation to Boston!! I know, we live a hard life around here :)

Cody has a friend that lived in the Boston area for quire sometime so we got a little travelers novel all of the must do and see places around the city! The first thing we checked off the list was paying a visit to "The Sausage Guy" and order a sausage grinder! This consists of an italian sausage with grilled onions and pepper on a hoagie roll, sounds simple right? well let me just tell you, its AMAZING! Evidence by, I think I had like 4 or 5 in our short trip :) oops!

Cody and I are huge sports fans, and love baseball so going to Fenway Park has always been high on our bucket list... This park does not an any way disappoint. The passion and intensity in all the fans is so contagious and you can just feel the love of the sport inside that park! It was such a cool thing to get to see some games there!

So in Boston, Jamin(our friend) said that we had to visit the north end and get some italian food. So sunday night we get ready and head to the north end. It is composed of a few streets with restaurants lined up one after another, ALL ITALIAN!! its insane! each restaurant only has like 10 tables! Everyone told us, just pick one, they are all great, so we did and it was amazing! :) Makes me want to go to Italy even more now! there was literally not anything left on either of our plates....

one more thing that i was obsessed with in Boston was the following.... seafood mac and cheese!! I am a mac and cheese lover, lover! and this had crab lobster and shrimp in it and it was amazeballs!

We had such a great time! Def recommend this city to EVERYONE! :)

invisi-miracle!

2011-08-15T11:36:00.000-07:00

Today I finished my Invisiline treatment!! I started in February and finished today! Its sometimes hard to see a difference when i examine them everyday but here is a before picture!!

And here is today!!! :)

Weddings, Registering, and more!

2011-08-08T10:41:00.001-07:00

Tis the season for weddings!! :) A few weeks ago my dear friend Sarah Grace got married!! It was so beautiful and I was so blessed to be part of the whole thing!! :) She is a Florance now!! WOO HOO!! The next weekend my sweet friend from high school Amber got married!! Her ceremony was so unique and intimate! I loved it! Always nice to go to weddings when you are planning one! They both looked incredibly stunning! Made me excited to get all glammed up in November!

Cody and I finnnnallllyyy registered!! Hahaha I bet at least 2 people a week since we have been engaged have asked me if we have registered yet, and now I can say its done!! One of the reasons why I put this off for so long is because I tend to become obsessed about things like this.. so now Crate and Barrel and Bed Bath and Beyond are on my my very frequently searched list! :) The second reason is for the picture below! My sweet and precious fiance was soooo patient and wonderful for about the first 2 hours... Pretty sure we have an entire set of Texas Flag memorabilia on our registry (you can just pass that right up when you are picking out a gift for us :)) Pretty sure this is a pic of him scanning Texas Tech cups!... sheesh...

And just in case you were missing baby Eden as much as I do.. here is her picture!!! She is just the most precious thing ever and I hate being away from her!!

Stuffed Bell Peppers!

2011-08-01T09:18:00.000-07:00

I altered this recipe from DashingDish.com which has some amazing recipes! I did it a little different! I doubled the recipe and ended up with TONS of left over stuffing, we used for tacos for the rest of the week! :)

2 Medium bell peppers (any color pepper will work!)
1/2 Pound lean ground turkey (or lean ground beef)
2 Tbs chopped onion
1 Can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 Can yellow corn, rinsed and drained
1 Cup (8oz) salsa of choice
2 Tbs taco seasoning
1/4 Cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese (or shredded mozzarella)
1/4 Cup fat-free sour cream (or low fat ranch)

Cut tops off peppers and remove seeds. In a large pot, cook peppers in boiling water for 3-5 minutes. Remove the peppers from boiling water and rinse immediately in cold water. Then you can set them aside in the baking dish you will use!

Use a large frying pan and add the turkey and the onions over med-high heat, until there isn't anymore pink in the meat!

Add beans, corn, salsa, taco seasoning and 4oz chopped green chilies, simmer for 7-8 minutes until everything has been heated. Spoon mixture into the peppers and then add cheese on the top.

Cook at 350 for 12-15 minutes. Option to add tomatoes, sour cream, black olives or additional salsa! And enjoy! :):)

Our first brisket experience!

2011-07-11T07:23:00.003-07:00

For the fourth of July, Cody decided he wanted to smoke his first brisket!! This process is kind of like babysitting for 14 hours is what I discovered! :) In his family is a tradition that everyone creates their signature rub, his naturally becoming, Codyaki!! This was the first day...

This is after 4 hours in the oven and i think 12 hours on the smoker!

HA.. the chef tasting his creation and very pleased!!

Needless to say that wonderful Tshirt, I think still smells like the smoker! haha!! I am so blessed to have a wonderful fiance that loves to cook and grill! :) No complaints here!! For the most part, it was a successful first smoked brisket attempt!!

Cutest Niece on the Block!! :)

2011-06-26T18:37:00.000-07:00

It has been a very busy few weeks around here!! My sweet sister had her incredible little girl about 3 weeks early! She only weighed 5lbs and ll oz! She is doing so great and getting so big already! :) I have had so much fun this week hanging out with them in Ohio, but i will say our household will be baby free for a few more years! I like sleep, okay love it , maybe a little addicted !

But I have to admit, that little smirk will grab your heart and take hold! :)

Six Weeks to Swim Suit Season

2011-05-03T19:22:00.000-07:00

If you have heard anything ab my life in the last year you would know how much I LOVE AdvoCare and how much it has totally changed my life! Because of AdvoCare I have lost pounds and inches, but more importantly feel so healthy and off of my DAILY migraine medication!!! AMAZING!!! So annyways to the important stuff! The team I am apart of is doing a six weeks to swimsuit season challenge and I am so excited about it! There will be encouragement sent to you along with recipes and weekly information! :)

Calling all Team 20/2 AdvoCare Ladies! Does this sound like you?
"I need to jumpstart weight loss and create a healthy lifestyle"
"You had me at win $100 bucks."
"I love AdvoCare and would love to increase my discount by helping others"
"There is not enough money at the end of my month"
"I need a flexible summer job, where I create my own hours"
"I want to pay off debt quicker"
"I'm worth more than I get paid"
If any of those sound familiar, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS INCENTIVE! I can help you no matter where you are coming from.

We have created a 6 week Basic product system coupled with *meetings to help you lose weight and empower you to have a forever healthy lifestyle. We will also, have weekly email blasts with recipes, workout tips, and words of encouragement to help you along the way.
(*meetings will vary depending on where you live)

We will officially start this MAY 9TH, which is exactly 6 weeks until the first day of summer. And will be holding informational mixers and phone calls the week prior to get you all the information that you need.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DON'T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY!! MESSAGE ME!!!

A Friday of my Favorite things!!

2011-04-29T08:26:00.000-07:00

I am a terrible blogger but I am up this morning with a cup of coffee and felt the blog itch!!! Of course I am watching the Royal Wedding (thank the Lord for inventing DVR :))

I am loving the weather, for the most part! I can't remember a time in TX that it has been this windy for this long, but I think the weather lately has been amazing!

I loooove the SHLAC manicure!! It stays on for 2-3X as long as a normal manicure and it is soo worth the extra $10 or so! I don't think I can ever go back to an original manicure and its because it just doesnt stay on long enough... Maybe I am a little too rough on nail polish! haha :)

AIR CURLER!!!! http://www.aircurler.com/ Go check it out, it is definitely going to be the next big thing! :) It really does work!!!

Loving the Rangers!!! Baseball is my favorite but this season it has been even more fun because all the crowd is actually into the game! Cody and I went with our 30 closest friends haha to a game for my 25th!

Okay these are some of my not so favorite things at the moment

1. Bridesmaids dresses - I am utterly lost at finding a dress! I am the runner up for 27 dresses and have been a bridesmaid 11 times!! So i have worn lots of dresses, but since it is my own wedding, I can not find a bridesmaid dress I like to save my life!!!

2. Tornadoes - just flat out not a fan. but praying feverishly for those who will be and have been affected!

3. Packing/Moving- I have lived in the same apartment for almost 4 years... one of my very best friends and has been some of the best years of my life so far... it will all come to an end next week! You acquire a lot of crap in 4 years! haha

Things we are praying for:

Devastation of the weather, a permanent job for Cody next year (if you have any connections we would love to hear them), my wonderful sister, Jes, that is in her last trimester with her first baby!!

Wedding Website!!

2011-03-24T19:18:00.000-07:00

http://www.mywedding.com/codyandkendel/

Escape

2011-03-21T18:40:00.000-07:00

So no one tells you that wedding planning is so stressful, okay maybe they do and I just wasn't listening! Who knew that there are 10,000 people that will charge you to take your picture? Yes, we are currently in the process of trying to find a photographer, and although I adore everyones suggestion, I have gracefully moved into the stage my wedding planner likes to refer to as "analysis paralysis"

All this is besides the point, I had to revert to something that will help me escape! So my escape has become MODERN FAMILY. Okay maybe modern family and rum, but mainly just modern family! haha! I also love reality TV. Don't worry I am not picky, pretty much all of it!

Here's to a little Modern Family and getting out of analysis paralysis. What do you remember about your wedding planning? :)

Brides and Babies!

2011-03-16T20:28:00.000-07:00

Life is so busy but I will tell you I love to read everyone's blog all the time! :) I have become an email junkie! Who knew it was the easiest form of communication!! I have probably sent hundreds of emails this week! So here is some updates!!

1. Invisiline better work because it is dang painful. So you wear a set of retainers for 2 weeks and by the end of that 2 weeks you feel like things are going great and your teeth are moving and life is a peach. then BAM!! The 2 weeks is up, and you put in a new set of retainers and your world is rocked. Every other wednesday and thursday is pure pain. The good thing is that I manipulated the schedule so that i change the retainers on payday so it has to be a good day right? :)

My sister had her first baby shower recently!! It is so exciting for my family because she is having the first grandchild on both sides so everyone is ready to spoil that little baby girl!! My sister is so cute/sickening!! She is 23 weeks right here and tiny tiny! I can not wait to be an auntie and lose all my money to a pooping eating and crying machine.

So I don't know what you do on Monday night but we go to the Lady GaGa freak parade. I wish that I could empty my mental camera for all the outrageous people and outfits. I saw more caution tape and bare bottom adults than I am okay with. Lets just say I think the term soft as a babies bottom is limited to babies for a reason. Lady GaGa or not, i think people forgot they were in a public place and it is always inappropriate to show that much skin. None the less I ventured out and got crazy and over the top. Yepp you guess it, I got fake eyelashes with feathers. Let the judgement begin. :) It was def a fun and interesting night! She def puts on a show

Lastly, Cody and I are FINALLY making some progress on the wedding planning. No one tells you how much goes into this wedding stuff. Now I understand why there is an entire movie devoted to the "Wedding Planner" I am so lucky to have an incredible wedding planner and am so relieved to finally have some stuff coming together. Cody and I have been engaged for 2 1/2 months and we are almost ready to sign a contract on a venue. "By all means, move at a glacial pace, you know how it thrills me" (Name that Movie :)

Needless to say, wedding planning is hard and stressful but I can def say I am ready to be married to Cody! I am so lucky and he has been amazing during all this time!!

If you are a praying person, not a big deal if you arent, ha but if you are here are some things we are praying for right now...

1. Japan. It def starts to put things in perspective. I complain ab things all the time and its a terrible tragedy that something like this is what forces me to remember how blessed I am.

2. Baby Girl H- everything is going great so far but Jes still has a while to go so we are praying for Mommy and Baby that they continue to have such a blessed last weeks and a very healthy delivery.

3. We are having some major adjustments at my job, so blessed to still have a job, but prayers are always a bonus when going through major changes.

We would also love to pray for things going on in your life so please email me if you have anything we can pray for you about!

Bridal Show Beatdown!!!

2011-02-02T10:31:00.000-08:00

My mom and one of my dear bridesmaids accompanied me to the dallas bridal show this past weekend! I was so excited and thought it would be a great time to get some good ideas and see some awesome vendors....

Instead I ended up overwhelmed, pressured and with 100 pieces of paper that i do not need!! I finally sorted them into piles this morning. Lets just say... this event def. made us feel like we deserved a drink! :)

ENGAGED!!!

2011-01-23T19:12:00.001-08:00

So we have been back from Maui for a couple weeks now and I figured that this post was way overdue!! So if you read the mystery trip post, that was a huge trick!! Cody knew the ENTIRE time where we were going and when and everything!! Apparently he knew he was going to propose and with the help of his family orchestrated this entire trip!!

On the second day of our trip in Maui, Cody had booked a Sunrise bike tour for us to go on! We had to be up at 3am for the van to pick us up and take us to the top of a volcano! We hot to the top of the volcano around 6 am and the sun was going to rise at 7! We were above the clouds and it was the most incredible moment of my life, and then Cody took me to a bench and gave me an amazing scrapbook that he had made in reflection of our relationship!! At the end of the book, Cody PROPOSED!! After that we were able to watch the sunrise at 10,000 feet! :)

This was before the proposal, we were both Freezing! And I had no clue what was to come!

Immediately after the proposal!! :)

Then we proceeded to bike 26 miles down the volcano!! The bikes only had 1st gear and we barely had to pedal!! The guide said the slowest we would go would be around 15 MPH! Neededless to say it was quite the adventure!!

We had the most amazing time in Maui! While we were there we did a whale watching tour, the road to Hana, a Luau and a lot of relaxing! It was such a blessing to get to spend this week with the man that I love and get to celebrate the most exciting thing in our life, WE ARE GETTING MARRIED!! So now on the planning a wedding! :)

ALL Done!!!

2010-12-15T18:19:00.000-08:00

Before!!!

After!!!

There is ten days before Christmas!! I will be working for 4 of those days so I am excited to be all done!! Now just a few more errands and Ill be set!! :) Hows your shopping coming?

Favorite things of the minute..

2010-12-12T19:41:00.000-08:00

A few things I could not live without over the next couple of weeks!! haha Due to Cody and I's new development of the mystery trip, I decided I would pick up some extra shifts for spending money!! I know this sounds like a logical plan to the normal person, but I am starting to question my intelligence after the last 48 hours! I was supposed to have this entire weekend off, and instead I worked extra on SAT AND SUN!!! I go back to work Mon and Tues which will be 4 days in a row. I know what you are thinking, right? That the normal person works 5 days a week so I should stop being such a wuss! ahaha But getting up at 530 and working from 630 am-8 at night is a little draining! :(

It is a much needed post about my recent cold turkey quit of coffee and diet coke but thats for another time, for now I could not get thru these days without my AdvoCare Spark!! It gives me so much energy... I might still be laying in bed without it! haha

The other thing I am so thankful for is my sweet co-workers!! I never really realized how much work sucks if you aren't surrounded by encouraging and uplifting people! I am soooo lucky to work with some of my very best friends and they make everyday so fun! :) well most days haha!

oh and let me just say... the joy that getting christmas cards brings to my life is a little unnatural. Forget the presents and glitz and glitter just old fashioned card with your face on it makes me so happy!! I sent out some cards this year and feel so boring without pictures on them, but figure its a little awkward to put some glamour head shots out! :)

Praying that all of you have such a blessed week. There are so many displays of God's sweet love this holiday season, I hope that all of you get to be a part of such an incredible thing.

Much Love

Grandma??

2010-12-06T16:29:00.001-08:00

Does that look like a head of hair that should belong to a 24 year old?? I don't think so!! Mom mother insists that I get this from my father and of course my father blames it on the "greek roots" haha but needless to say, I do not tell a lie.. this is MY hair...

WHAAAAAAAAAT!! Are you kidding me? I legitimately believe if I let this grow out I might have a full head of grey hair... oh okay I am getting nauseous just thinking about that... Needless to say, it is fixed and back to one color after today... oh Lord... just thought everyone might need a good laugh at my expense...

Now lets all have a laugh at the Fed Ex man's expense... This is what I came home to today.. Lets look closely... My doormat is not even touching the ground... at all... but don't you worry mr. present deliverer.. I am sure that no one will ever be able to discover you mad hiding skills!!

Mystery Trip!!

2010-12-04T18:22:00.001-08:00

YAAY!! Its Christmas time!! Its my favorite time of year and everything that comes with it makes me beyond happy!! This is our Christmas tree!! There is a lot going on haha but we love it! :) Its so festive!!

BIG NEWS!!!

So Cody's dad tells us on Thursday night that he has something that he needs to talk to us about together. So I say well "put me on speaker phone, lets hear it." His dad says we both need to be in person to hear this news.. which totally freaks me out! haha and all he says is

1. Its good news for you and Cody but bad news for him

2. We need to talk sooner rather than later...

So I go to work Friday and think about it alllllll day!! Last night I go to Codys after work and we find out our big news!!!!

Codys dads company had a trip planned for his dad this year, due to some conflicts with somethings going on at the office his dad will not be able to go! The dates can not be changed and its a "use it or lose it" vacation. Then he tells us the dates: JAN 2-9!!! Thats in 28 days!! So then he proceeds to tell us that we need to decide soon if we want to go or not... And clearly Cody and I are like well where is it.... and.... HE WONT TELL US!!! Our ONLY clue is that its warm weather and we will probably get wet! haha

SO.......WE ARE GOING!!!! I had previously taken vacation that week(so ironic!!) for another trip that was in the making so it works out amazing!

I want to hear your guesses!!! Codys dad says he might not tell us till the MORNING of our flight!! WHERE DO YOU THINK WE ARE GOING!!! :)

At a Turtle Speed!

2010-11-29T12:49:00.001-08:00

I have never been a runner. I was slow at the mile (if i even made it the whole way) in middle school athletics and have never improved. I am that girl thats like okay I'm going to run, I get like to mailbox am doubled over can't breathe, the whole really inshape picture. :)

Now lets get this straight... I can dominate the elliptical like a champ. High incline or high resistance, don't you worry, I got it. The one where you move your arms or grip the handles.. yepp im an elliptical expert!

For some strange reason I decided to become determined to make myself run. Slow or fast... I need to train my body to run. And yes maybe for more than 10 feet! So today I got in my favorite work out clothes, made a new running playlist complete with some Ke$ha, Pink, and all sorts of other music that makes me pumped up and then went to the gym dead set on running until I fell off the treadmill! Slowly for sure, but I did it!!! I ran 1.25 miles without stopping... However I am not sure if the people around me could tell if I was running or walking quickly but dad gum it I ran!!

Any tips or pointers for helping me in this area? haha I guess my goal at some point I'll run a 5K and then move up from there! :)

Faux Turkey Day!!

2010-11-25T19:13:00.000-08:00

So.. Part of being a nurse is that you have to work on the holidays! This year it was my turn to work during Thanksgiving!! I had already accepted the fact I wouldn't be able to indulge my self on bottomless calories and and sit on the couch watching the Cowboys with my top bottom discreetly undone. Then Cody decides that it is purely unacceptable for me to not go through the waddling after eating or the feeling that you might just not be able to catch your breath bc you are so full... haha

My precious boyfriend demands that we have a full out Thanksgiving on Wed. seeing as how that will be my only day off this weekend. See the problem with Wednesday is that everyone else is at work, which means it was a full day of cooking for Cody and I, luckily something we love to do, just didn't realize how much work it was.

Of course if you know Cody, its go big or go home. Don't worry, the picture is not deceiving, why wouldn't we get a 13lb turkey for 4 people??

This is just part of our table set up. ...

My experimental Apple Enchiladas.

And experimental sweet potato casserole that turned out great! :)

I know it sounds a little crazy to turn two 24 yr olds loose in the kitchen to prepare a Thanksgiving meal, but it actually was a fun day and turned out delicious...but of course there is always a hilarious story to follow....

So Cody's dad had set out bread to break apart for the dressing...Cody tackles it like a tough man when I tell him its hard to break apart. Cody decides that yes indeed im not lying, its hard. He attempts to dust off 15 parts to a food processor.. and with his handy skills put it together..This adventure shortly comes to a stop and sounds of random parts of the food processor being shoved back into the cabinet is getting loud. There is a curse word or two yelled... I of course ask Cody if he is okay and he plays the man and says of course he is fine.

A few minutes later Cody is back to manual labor of shredding this toast. Then I hear the famous.... "Ohhh Noo...." I turn around to find Cody examining his BLEEDING finger, thats right BLEEDING!!! needless to say the dressing ingredients went to the trash spattered with blood. :)

Side note... I was so excited that my sister got to come into town last weekend for a wedding!! I haven't seen her in seven months and the craziest part is she had never met Cody!!

It was so fun for all of us to be at the house with my parents for the weekend!!

Sisters are so much fun, but sisters that are hundreds of miles away from each other don't get to cause as much trouble and ruckus!

Blogging Hiatus...

2010-11-16T14:27:00.000-08:00

I am the worlds worst blogger e.v.e.r.!!! I keep up and read all the good and amazing thing that is going on in the blog world with everyone else, but I am the worst blogger. Just a little update on the wonderful things going on in my side of the world. :D

Cody and I were so lucky and blessed this year to get to attend so many exciting and fun sporting events!! We really are so spoiled sports fanatics!!

ALCS!!

ALDS!!

World Series!!!

We loved getting to watch the Rangers do so awesome this year!! It was def a proud year to be a Ranger fan!! Cody and I also had some interesting firsts this year....

My First tech game in red and black! Still not sure how i feel about this :/

Codys first Baylor game not wearing green and gold, but he sure does have one fierce claw huh? haha this is only allowed bc of his deep hatred for the opposing Aggies (but a claw is a claw right?)

This is one of my most favorite and frustrating days all year! The Baylor vs Aggies football game! Its always fun to spend this day with my sweet family and friends! This year sure didn't end in our favor but I think it turned out to be a great day! :)

I think we have decided Cody and I are bad luck to our beloved teams! We saw the Rangers lose, Baylor and Tech lose many times in person, and at the Cowboys game to see Tony Romo retire for the season... needless to say I think it might be time for us to lay off buying anymore tickets!!

Good Nurse... Bad Patient!

2010-03-04T14:30:00.000-08:00

I was cleaning out some old drawers in my bathroom when I discovered all of these pill bottles!! Most of them (so embarrassing) are antibiotics!!! We drill all our patients on making sure they take all of their medications... and me, the nurse, have bottles of almost full or halfway full prescriptions!!

Oops!!

The five year old sicknesses continues...

2010-02-23T18:10:00.001-08:00

I have Pink eye... My doctor literally laughed at me when I called to tell him on a Sunday morning that I needed him to call in drops so I could avoid an office visit! Who would have thought? A 23 year old getting an ear infection and pink eye in the matter of 2 weeks?? throw me a bone here!

Little Ears - Big Problems

2010-02-17T06:39:00.000-08:00

So my whole life my sister have made fun of me for having "baby ears." They are not abnormally small but they are way smaller than anyone else in my family! I have ALWAYS petitioned that this is clearly not THAT big of a deal, right?

So, Sunday night I woke up in pain, my right ear was throbbing and I was convinced that my ear drum was going to rupture any minute. Seeing as I have such an incredibly high tolerance for pain ;) the next morning I promptly called the doctor and insisted that he see me.

When I go to the doctor, I explain my symptoms and he is like okay lets look in your ears and see whats going on, and naturally grabs the adult otoscope (the ear looky inner thingy), this only turns out to be hilarious bc the darn thing won't fit in my ear, its too big!!!!! So he has to result in using the KIDS SIZE!!!! To make matters worse, he comes to the conclusion that I have an Ear INFECTION!!!

Who seriously has ear infections after age 4? Yepp pick me for that one
Who knew my baby ears could cause such big problems? :)

Not so Cheesy Afterall :)

2010-02-15T12:26:00.000-08:00

So like previously mentioned I am notorious for hating Valentines day. I have the same lame arguments that everyone does ha, that every day should be a day of love blah blah blah!

All that to be said, Cody was hell bent on doing something nice for me for Valentines day. He was very secretive on everything going on and wouldn't tell me anything! It was so cute to watch him be so stressed out and nervous and everything coming together! haha So we went to dinner and when we got to dinner this was the set up on my table...

Me and My sweet Valentine on our first Valentines date!

The Precious card that Cody made me...Every reason had a story and picture behind it, it was so thoughtful! :)

This was the incredible cookie bouquet that Brandi (my roomies) parents sent us!! They normally send us fruit arrangements, but for the special occasion we got cookies! We are trying to hard to not indulge after our workouts! It looked so cute!!

Valentines turned out to be a pretty special day! Turns out that the day wasn't full of cheesiness and sap. haha I do have to admit I couldn't bring myself to buy Cody one of the cards in the Valentines section because they were waaaaay too over the top! haha but all in all it was a great day! :)

Random Thoughts...

2010-02-09T11:40:00.000-08:00

Here go some ramblings I have come across this morning...

1. At work I am in charge of writing birthday cards... normally this would be fun.. except there are 11 people at work born in February... really?? My hand is getting tired and there are only so many ways you can say I am thankful for you and Happy Happy Birthday!!

2. I take a lot of pictures... I am trying to label all of the pictures of me and cody and its exhausting!! haha We did a lot of things in October and December apparently! haha I am looking for cheap picture frames!? Any ideas?

3. I am so blessed to have such amazing people in my life! I have learned this year that it is better to have real genuine and sincere friends no matter what the cost. This was a hard lesson, but the Lord has revealed to me so much that I have too many amazing people in my life to hurt.

4. I hate valentines day. Cody has something planned for this year and seems to be so excited about it.. I have always ranted about how its so overrated etc but now that I am with Cody I am so excited to celebrate it... gay i know haha :D

5. I hate being grown up and paying bills. I have spend the entire morning in my pjs with my coffee in hand paying bill after bill after bill. I am thankful to the Lord that I have a job and can pay these but I kind of wish I had a little financial elf.

6. I am awkwardly excited about Sixteen and Pregnant new season starting... I know thats terrible...

7. I literally asked my friends last night if they wanted to come over today and lay out by the pool thinking it was summer... can you tell i am ready to bust out the flip flops and swim suit??

Obsessions

2010-01-26T18:15:00.000-08:00

So I might have a little obsession with the greatness that is

Who doesn't love a little target?? I have to admit that when the new year started and I sat down to make resolutions Cody told me that I needed a new hobby. Truth is there happens to be not 1 but 2 targets within a 2 mile radius of my home, that really puts me at a disadvantage! So today while on my day off I went thru my regular routine of spending some time at target and I realized that I tend to buy some of the same things every time I am there...

I probably have 30 pairs of patterned socks and every time I go to the mecca that is Target I get more socks!! Its like a trick, they make them $1.00 and then all the sudden I am checking out with 5 more pairs of socks!!

I am obsessed with Chapstick... all kinds, I am not biased to any certain kinds. My trouble is that when my lips get chapped I just automatically think I must need a new kind, so now I have chapstick from sephora, from Mac, target, the gas station and etc. and don't you worry... my lips are still chapped!!! haha But it never fails ... I won't leave Target without a new chapstick to try out!

I am a magazine a-holic!! I can't help it.. I love them all! I can't stop myself... the stories are so interesting to me because of course they all must be true right? :D

So What is a frequent buy when you are at target!?!

Baby Boo is Legal Loo!

2010-01-21T19:35:00.001-08:00

The littlest Pryor girl is finally 21!! In the Pryor family birthdays are a big deal so for Beccas bday I threw her a little surprise party in Waco and it was so fun!!! Check out her awesome birthday glasses

We took a family trip to VEGAS!!!! VIVA LAS VEGAS PRYOR STYLE!!!! It was the first time my immediate family has been on a vacation in probably 10 years without any significant others! It was so fun to get to spend some time together. This was outside our hotel, we stayed at the new hotel called the Aria, it has been open for a month, it was so nice and super fun!

One night there we went to see VIVA ELVIS! It was a musical about Elvis's life, it was so cool. Me and Becca just wanted to show him a little love :)

So lucky to have such amazing sisters, and i wish wish wish that we were not so far away from eachother! When we got to Vegas I realized that I hadn't seen Jessica in a year and a half! I miss her living in fort worth and only 40 minutes away from me sooo much!! I took it for granted so much! Ohio is just too far away! :( Countdown to May 22 when I get to see her again!!!

My babygirl is 21!! YAAY to a fun celebration and losing all our money, sleep, and sanity in Vegas!!! What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas! :)

Bachelor ReCap... Everyone is on Cloud 9!

2010-01-12T13:37:00.000-08:00

I might be a little obsessed with "reality tv". The Bachelor is my guilty pleasure.. I am aware its not realistic and its insane, they never stay together blah blah blah .. now on to the girls!! haha

Let's just get it out there, Cloud 9 is crowded and everyone's feelings are taking off... how clever.

Really like Ali... I think its a little random that she always wears yellow dresses... but really not too much gossip about her, I'm sure she will come to surprise me.
So Elizabeth is really pretty from a distance, when you get closer you can tell she is a little older, but gotta be honest she totally threw me off with the holding out for kissing thing. What a joke, there is no way that is going to last... but for the preview for next week it looks like her and Prince Charming get in a spat and she goes home??

Sooo homegirl has got to get off the crazy train or really needs momma to fed ex her the refill on her crazy pills! She is killing me! Totally thought they were going to have to pause the rose ceremony to give her an inhaler, but she did a pretty good job on her deep breathing...Someone get her a xanax

Soo LOOOOOOVE Tenley, but chica has got to spill the beans... her holding in this secret is going to kill her in the end... and she was a whole lot nicer than I would be when psycho pants packed her bags and was boycotting ... She begged her to stay.. I would have helped her pack!!! Needless to say Jake opened the door for her to tell about the big D and she nicely turned the corner... she better tell soon or someone else will...

And last but not least, the scandal... Miss thang "was involved in an inappropriate relationship with a staffer." Never heard the word staffer used so many times in my life, but whatev. Chirs harrison was getting choked up, haha And then she hauls off and says "My personal life isnt really any of yall's business" but please let me continue on the show trying to find love and hooking up with the camera man, get it girl... Maybe the reason your a gorgeous model and 28 and single is bc of these "inappropriate relationships".... just saying

So... Thoughts? Who is your favorite?! What do you think happens next week?!!

Who doesn't love a little pampering??

2010-01-10T18:17:00.000-08:00

So me and the bestie decided that we deserved a little pampering after all the holiday bustle and such, and I mean after all we do work a grueling 3 days a week :D Give us a break, its 13 hours a day!! So if you know us at all you will know that it was not difficult to talk us into the "deluxe spa mani and pedi signature package" Below is an action shot of Brandi cringing to the parafin wax on her feet when she was sure that the lady was giving her 3rd degree burns and we were on our way to the burn unit :) The finished product... that didn't seem to look too crisp at all... however it does look like we need a tan!

So because we work hard, we believe in the moral and wholesome idea of having a maid! In our defense she only comes once a month! But it was so nice after our day of pampering to come home to a clean and dustless room!!
Later that night somehow my precious sister talked me into driving to Hillsboro to give her my peacoat to borrow... somehow this was in my bargain plea... haha those of you Wacoans may understand my love for this....
And here she is... This little one will turn 21 tomorrow!!! I am sooo excited!!! Our family is leaving on Friday to go to Vegas to celebrate her 21st bday! There will be much more coverage to follow on all bday festivites!

2010 Resolution is to Blog more!!!! Hopefully more than like 2 times a year... :D

You Won't last till March!

2010-01-05T19:09:00.000-08:00

So tonight I ventured out to attempt my first spin class!! I have heard great things about it, ya know like you lost buckets of sweat, your butt hurts so bad the next day you can't sit down, the trainer yells and embarrasses you, people throw up after class, clearly all things that make you want to sleep outside and make sure you grab a spot right!?!

Needless to say, I was ready to finally try it. If you don't know my history with step class, it was terrible and I walked out halfway thru because I was so frustrated so it was time to let the people of 24 hour fitness be enlightened to some more humor...

So here I casually walk into spin class like I know what I am doing. I pick a bike at the back because I would like to stay as far away from the front as possible clearly. So then there is that really awkward dreaded moment when the instructor asks who is in their first class... do you raise or hand and admit it or just play it cool?? AH! so yeah I raise my hand...

For the remainder of the class, this instructor is yelling at the top of his lungs that people that start working out in January will be gone by March... over and over and over...

So here is to New Years Resolutions lasting past March!

What are your new years resolutions?!

Fall Fun!

2009-11-29T19:51:00.001-08:00

So not only am I a terrible blogger but I can't even figure out how to change the order of the pictures I have uploaded! So here is a run down of my fall festivites!! :)

Miss Jennifer Wilson's wedding to Mr. Stephen Park on 11-7-09 in Boerne, Texas!! It was beautiful!! And to no surprise I was a bridesmaid (I think this is number 8) haha, I am well on my way to 27 dresses! Jennifer and I were good friends at Baylor and I miss her dearly!! The wedding was beautiful and my dress is re-wearable! what more could you ask for!!

My sweet boyfriend and I at the Baylor Tech game on 11-28-09! He is a Tech Alum and I am a Baylor Bear down to my bones! It was a fun day to spend together, and when Tech came out on top I got to keep my boyfriend! :) Good day!

THANKSGIVING!!!! It was really fun to be home for turkey day and to have Cody with me! It was fun but as always we miss the Hinjosas!

Date night in Waco on Cody's first trip to meet the Pryors!!! Turned out successful, and he was sunburned on one side of his face from the game, pretty great 10-28-09

Baylor vs Texas A&M!! My two wonderful sisters are both aggies, so this is always a fun game for us! My traitor parents supported the AGS all day.

My dad I think used the expression "When in rome..." Needless to say I called him a traitor all day, he did GRADUATE FROM BAYLOR!! haaha

It was a fun weekend with my family who have all kept it down to 2 colleges!!

I am sooo excited that Christmas time is here!!! :)

Week full of fun

2009-10-15T12:46:00.000-07:00

Things I have learned this week :

1. Thinking I could go to Walmart and spend less money then I do at Target was a mistake..

Instead I just bought more crap for the same amount of money. Fail.

2. Talking to my sister for the entire hour and a half that I am in Walmart is also a terrible idea... I get distracted and walk around in circles. Terrible

3. I cut off my circulation in my arms because I refused to make two trips from the car to the apartment.

4. Trying to keep surprises from my boyfriend for his bday is painful and downright terrible and I suck at it.

5. When you are cooking (which is so rare in my apt) it makes it so much more enjoyable if you clean as you go... incredible!

DUTTON!!

2009-10-04T11:05:00.000-07:00

I normally wouldn't use my blog to publicize a band or product, but this is a special case!

If you enjoy worship music that is alternative sincere, then I encourage you to check out this band and buy their new album on itunes!!!

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=331821257&s=143441

This is a group of 5 guys that grew up in Waco and started at my home church, they are now based out of the church I currently attend in Richardson, The Heights Baptist Church. Each of them is incredible in their own way and love the Lord with their whole hearts and want nothing more than to be able to share that with the world. They write their own songs and work so hard. So I encourage you to check them out, buy their album, and support them!!

You can check them out on facebook too..

http://www.facebook.com/DuttonBand?ref=ts

Have a beautiful Sunday

Organizer!!

2009-09-14T11:15:00.000-07:00

As I am sure most people know I am infamous for being messy. But if I tell you the story, It is much more a lack of space problem. Absolutely not a shopping problem!!

So today I decide I have to make more room for all my stuff. I am failing miserably! So far my obstacles are

1. The top drawer.... Please tell me how you can fit : swimsuits, under garments, leggings, socks, belts in one drawer?

2. Tshirts: yes I have too many, but where do they fit!!!!!

3. Hangers: how many times do I have to buy more hangers??

4. Drawers: Top drawer is full of # 1

2nd Drawer: tank tops, white tshirts

3rd and 4th: shorts and pajama pants

5th: maybe 1/3 of my tshirts... the rest are hanging

I am at a loss for how to fix my problem!! What do you do to organize!!?!

Summer is Over.. or Never Started...

2009-08-23T12:51:00.001-07:00

Sadly my play dates are now coming to a hault. My sweet friends are mostly teachers so since I only work 3 days a week, I have plenty of my girl friends to play with on a regular basis! Now school is ripping them back to the working world. I always thought that me working thru the summer was going to be so rough and I was

going to miss out, but seriously... I work 3 days a week!

Here are some Summer memories!!

Also this week my sweet baby sister starts her JUNIOR year at A&M!! I can't believe how old she is getting! And so exciting for her she can finally WHOOP .... still pointed down haha but she has to follow the rules! :)

And Please Please remember to keep the Sagers in your prayers this week as Ashley goes into surgery this THURSDAY! I will be down in San Antonio with her. Her and Nick are very anxious and nervous so please pray for them this week, and that the Lord heals Ashley and she has no complications during or after surgery. Once again if you would like to encourage The Sagers here is there blog:

The Story of Our Life Together

BLESS and BE Blessed,

Kendel

You look tired.

2009-08-18T19:31:00.000-07:00

I am known to be a bit o.c.d about absolutely nothing else in life other than getting to work early. My room is a disaster, my car is covered in clutter, I am always always at least 10 minutes late to everything but don't be alarmed that I get to work about 30 minutes early everyday. In order to do this I get up at 530 and leave my apartment no later than 6:10.

Somehow this morning in my deep sleep I turned off my alarm and to be shocking surprise woke up at 6:30. As I ran around this morning trying to get out the door to work, I did not get to : 1. my contacts, 2. My make up, and 3. any sort of hair product. Don't you worry I showed up to work with glasses, not a stitch of make up, and clean but soaking wet hair. Which brings me to my point of the day....

Why does anyone ever feel the need to say any of the following:

Kendel, you look soooo tired today.

You look like you don't feel good, are you sick?

Kendel you look upset, is everything ok?

Its called make-up. Apparently it makes all these questions disappear from our every day lives.

This is the humor of my day today! I just thought I would share my realization and amazement at why anyone thinks that these are positive and encouraging words. :)

Alarm Clocks, Contacts and Make up are on the agenda for tomorrow. No worries!

Asking for Prayers.

2009-08-12T18:25:00.000-07:00

I am coming to everyone on behalf of a couple of people that need prayer right now.

My cousin, Taylor, is 18 years old and scheduled to start at Baylor in a couple of weeks. Last Thursday Taylor had surgery to cut out 2 wisdom teeth which is such a routine procedure. As of yesterday Taylor still has not recovered any feeling in one side of his face. When they went back to the surgeon they discovered that a nerve was hit during surgery. The surgeon of course says that they signed a disclaimer and that things like this happen sometimes. Please pray that Taylor regains the feeling in his face and that he heals properly. Please pray for the nerves in his face that they are able to fully recover and that he will get back to normal and be able to start college as planned.

The second is for my very best friends Ashley and Nick Sager. Ashley and Nick were married last June and shortly after Ashley was diagnosed with an advanced stage of endometriosis. If you do not know anything about this, it is very painful for her and also very complicated. After trying a few things, Ashley is still in a lot of pain and battling this disease everyday. After many many many doctors visits and trial and error attempts, the doctors have decided that they need to perform a laproscopic surgery to sever some nerves and remove scar tissue from Ashley. Although the outcome of this procedure will help Ashley in many ways, it is very scary and very serious for Ashley and Nick to face at this point of their lives. The surgery is scheduled on August 27th. Please pray for Ashley and Nick during this time, as well as the doctors that will be handling Ashleys case. Please pray for the Sagers anxiety, worry, and stress that comes with something like this. This couple is unlike any other I have ever met and they deserve to be happy and healthy. Please keep Ashley and Nick, the doctors, and the surgery in your prayers over the next few weeks. If you would like to encourage them on their blog this is the link:

http://oursagerstory.blogspot.com/

Thank you so much for your prayers in advance. It is more appreciated than you will ever know.

Bless and Be Blessed.

Kendel

Epiphanies

2009-08-11T15:29:00.000-07:00

Since my last post I have had some high points I thought I would share:

I love that in Waco I can eat every meal at a home owned restaurant and guaranteed that no matter where I go I will see someone I know
I probably had one of the best talks of my life on a bike ride with my little sister, she teaches me so much.
I am now the owner of only 2 living fish out of the 6 I originally had, but I love them. haha
The older I get the more boring I am.
The apartment above me might be haunted bc people are constantly moving in and out of it... and very much interrupting my sleep ha
The girls at work continue to say that I have a "skater chic" look and personality. Is this true? ha ha
Every weekend from now until Nov 7th I have something wedding related. Ridiculous? I think so!!
Crystal Light wild strawberry is my new addiction.
Today is my parents 30th wedding anniversary!!! I think its amazing to be married for that long!
After having my cell phone break and being unable to use it for 24 hours I became ultimately resourceful:

I paid money to call my parents and boyfriend off of Skype.
I downloaded an AlarmClock Widget to my macbook to wake me up for work
I emailed all day bc I had no other form of communication.
And after 24 hours... got a new iphone to replace my damaged one!
I literally do not understand what people did before cell phones.

How Do You Know?

2009-07-29T10:11:00.000-07:00

As many of you know I spend a lot of my time working with the youth at my church. I tend to take on the girls that have the hard stuff, the ones that are rough around the edges and deep down are crying out for attention. I was one of those girls at one time and it was my amazing and incredible college leader Kimy that loved me anyways despite my stubborness and attention seeking behavior. After I realized that the reason she could love me unconditionally, I just had to know why, and her overwhelming love for Jesus is what made her so different than anyone I had ever encountered. I know that I fall short of that everyday, but my love for the kids and for Christ is still strong.

I have been spending time with this certain girl for the past 8 or 9 months and to prove how awesome our relationship started she interrupted me during my lesson and said ugh I hate you and walked off. :) Clearly my kind of girl with an attitude. Needless to say our journey has had lots of ups and downs and we are extremely close. My sweet girl is continuing to rebel and act out, she is involved with older guys, alcohol and drugs. Regardless the love that I have for her is unlike anything I have ever experienced. Which brings me to this :

Sunday morning We are sitting in church and she says, " Kendel how do you know that God is real? like not the bible and not bc our pastor says so, but how do YOU know that He is more real than all the others?"

As I am explaining to her some of the stories that have made God so real to me, the times that I have felt the hand of Jesus on my shoulders, I can't help but to think, What makes God real to you? It is so easy to love God and praise His name when things are going your way, but can you say the same thing when things are rough and you can't see His plan? What makes God real to you?

Not ME Monday

2009-07-27T13:36:00.000-07:00

This weekly blog carnival was started by McMammawho is in need of your prayers right now as she navigates through her son's battle with a chronic heart condition. Please join us as we pray for baby Stellan!

I would never resort to buying a fish tank bc I wanted something to take care of and know that I can't handle anything that needs real attention. Since I would never have a fish tank I would definitely never use this ghetto vacum thing for fish tanks which empties some of the dirty water into a bucket. And since i would never do any of these things I def would never accidently trip over the bucket and now have smelly dirty feces fish water all over my bedroom floor. Def not me.

And because I am so intelligent and make great use of my free time, I would never ever spend a large amount of my day reading about the predictions of tonights finale of the bachelorette. I would also never schedule my day around that silly dramatic show! Not me! :)

And last but not least I would never worry about going to the gym to get back in shape to wear the 7th bridesmaid's dress in the past year and a half. Only 21 more to go and I'll be on the big screen!!

Have a beautiful week.

Catching up :)

2009-05-16T10:58:00.000-07:00

CYSTIC FIBROSIS BENEFIT walk was this morning!!! It was incredible to watch families come together to support the research of this illness. It was so rewarding to see some of our patients riding their bikes or being pushed in their wheel chairs this morning with their parents. This illness is an everyday thing, and these kids are absolutely inspiring!! Thank you for all your support. We were soaking wet, but happy, and glad to be there.

I was sooo lucky to get to spend mothers day at home!! Sadly i was the only daughter at home, but it was so nice to spend some quality time with my parents. These women have inspired my life in so many increible ways!!! From left to right is my aunt, my mom, me, my grandmother, and Mrs. Ferguson(my aunts mother).

I am soooo blessed that have such amazing best friends that I have known since i was about 13 years old! We will be bridesmaids for a wedding this summer for the first girl in our group to get married! :)

When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares. ~Henri Nouwen

2009-04-12T18:38:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to make you aware of an incredible cause that you could be involved with. In my job, I get the opportunity to work with children diagnosed with the chronic disease of Cystic Fibrosis. This illness has come so far in the past few years with research and development, and the life expectancy as almost doubled! Most people are not aware of the seriousness of this illness, but to date the life expectancy for these precious children is around 30 years at best. These beautiful, joy filled children spend a large majority of their time inside hospital walls and fighting to have lung transplants. This illness is so dear to my heart and has made an eternal impact on my life.

This year I will be walking in the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation walk. I would love to have your support while we try to raise money and awareness of this disease. I have attached a video that has touched my heart in incredible ways in relation to the incredible persevering children I am honored to work with everyday!

Bless and Be Blessed,
Kendel Pryor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NMm8qLcOII&feature=related

Please go here if you are interested in donating and supporting:

http://www.cff.org/great_strides/dsp_donationPage.cfm?registeringwalkid=5885&idUser=303739

2009-04-12T18:37:00.001-07:00

Chi Alpha and Homecomings.

2009-02-23T14:42:00.001-08:00

This weekend I got the great chance to do a disciple now weekend with our student ministry!!

We talked about the prodigal son and the different perspectives from the younger son, older son, and fathers point of view. It was a great time to get to spend with my 9th grade girls! They are growing up and dealing with real life hard issues that I can't imagine at their age. They need lots of prayer and love.

These are some of my best friends and AMAZING women of the Lord.

Our girls volunteered at our service project and sorted hundreds and hundreds of clothes and got ready for a homeless donation! They had such joyful hearts and did a great job!

After a great weekend with the youth, my sweet julie finally came home from Israel!! She has been there for almost 6 weeks and is now home safe and sound!

2009-02-12T13:05:00.000-08:00

People Watching....

So Today I spent a few hours at the local starbucks and saw and heard some very interesting things. I happened to sit right next to the table where you can add things to your coffee and was seriously amazed at people. I literally saw everything from pouring half of the sugar container into a SMALL cup of coffee, to someone using FIVE stirring sticks at once. Will One really not do the job?!?

While I was there, a little 4 year old girl walked right up to my table, crawled in my lap and gave me a hug and kiss!!! How adorable is that!! Then she told me that studying hard is the best way to go. It was absolutely precious.

Also while I was there there were two elderly men sitting next to me discussing cancer. One man's wife had just been diagnosed with cancer and was about to start her treatment and the other man was in his own cancer remission. It was truly incredible to just watch these two men that had lived so much of life connect on an intimate level about the nearing end of life and the struggle that each of us will face at some point. It made me really stop and think about the friends that I have today and how when my life is hard, they are who I turn to over coffee to figure out how to deal.

While I was there, it was just so apparent to me how God created each one of us SO different and so detailed. It is incredible to imagine that the creator of the universe sculpted everyone and out of the 6 billion we are all so unique, down to the way we take our coffee. All created in the image of our savior but all so intricate and perfect in our own ways.

Chasing Him.

2009-02-04T15:00:00.000-08:00

Sooo I have been tagged a lot now, haha and totally avoiding this but I figured I would go ahead and get it over with: so here are the RaNdOm 25 ThInGs ab me!!!

1. I am completely and utterly obsessed with text messaging. I will not lie, I can't go without my cell phone for very long. Its unhealthy.

2. I will straighten my hair over and over again even when its perfectly straight.

3. I can't shower and get ready in my bathroom with out music playing.

4. My family is the most important thing in my life, and I am so thankful to have my sisters.

5. I LOVE BAYLOR and everything about it! even the crappy sports haha

6. All my furniture in my room is black and dark haa while all my roommates furniture is white! its pretty funny!!

7. I am also addicted to Facebook, its pathetic I won't deny it.

8. I love to Journal, I write a lot, but No one can read my journal, its weird, but I am so protective of my thoughts.

9. I have billions of freckles.

10. I am 22 years old and have an insane amount of gray hair, its entirely unfair.

11. All of my fingers except for my right thumb are double jointed, which isn't special, it just makes them crooked.

12. The really little thoughtful things that people do for me mean WAY more than big elaborate stuff.

13. I loooooove working with the youth group! I love all my sweet girls, they make me so happy!

14. Birthdays are a big deal and should have a huge celebration!!! My mom has always said that you can't have a birthday without a Cake!!! =D

15. I am really superstitious, stupid I know, but you won't catch me walking under ladders or buying any black cats!!

16. I have recently taken up reading as a hobby, I used to hate to read, but I really enjoy it now!!

17. I hate odd numbers!!! I was born on all even numbers and I can't leave the volume on an odd number. haha maybe comes back to the superstition

18. I think its weird, but I love to watch all the shows about other peoples real lives with kids, haha like Jon and Kate + 8, and 17 kids and counting, It fascinates me really. haha

19. I greatly dislike cold weather.

20. One of my favorite places on earth is on the Pier fishing at our condo in Rockport.

21. I love getting mail, like real mail in the mail box, unless it is bills and then they can stay away.

22. Every night, i start to get really excited when I start to get ready for bed, because I know that it wont be very long until i am Asleep!!!

23. I want to travel the world, and i intend on doing it.

24. I love baseball so much, that one of my life goals is to attend a game at every professional baseball complex.

25. I am really glad that this is thing is over. haha =D

Your turn. I hope that some one found this interesting!!! haha Sorry if I bored you to death!

Happy Humpday!

Big Girl Steps!

2009-01-25T20:03:00.000-08:00

So this past week as been a week full of growing up. I started my official big girl job as a nurse at Childrens Medical Center after graduation!! It is all very scary at first. For the next 18 weeks, I will be getting progressively more on my own taking care of patients. Its a slow process so that they ensure that you really won't hurt the kids and know a little bit of what you are doing. HaHa! The transition from my old tech position to the nurse role requires an entire mindset shift. All the sudden instead of thinking about bed changes and re-stocking equipment and the endless amount of redundant vital signs. Now my 12 hour days are about giving medications, communicating to the doctors, and providing the best care possible for these kiddos. It is all very exciting, but definitely a big girl change and immense responsibility.

My next big girl step was my new bed!!!! WOO HOO!!! I have had not only a day bed, but the SAME day bed my ENTIRE life. Now that I am 22 and a college graduate, it's time for a big girl bed. My parents came and we moved in my QUEEN sized bed this Saturday. On my first night, I slept on the very edge of my bed and didn't move. When I work up this morning the left side of my bed was still totally made and untouched. I guess it's going to take me a little longer to get used to being able to spread out instead of have to curl up in a ball for a good nights sleep.

Big Girl Steps in my life are happening all around. Gotta get used to sleeping in the middle!!

Chasing Him,

Something about girls...

2009-01-19T15:56:00.000-08:00

There is something to be said about girls being together in close quarters. This weekend I helped out with our high school girls retreat at Sky Ranch. It was incredible to get to surround ourselves with young girls that really need good influence and building of self esteem. What has our generation come to with girls, and if we got to choose what would be our hope of the next generation of girls? It was incredibly powerful to hear the stories of wounded and redeemed girls this weekend, the struggles and pain that have brought them to the place of shouting on the rooftops of Gods grace and glory.

Something was said this weekend that meant so much to me and I honestly think its the cry of my heart for the girls that I teach everyweek:

The next generation of girls would be a VOICE of HOPE instead of an ECHO of HURT.

My challenge to myself and other girls this week is to silence the hurt in the palm of the Lord and scream out with the hope that He promises. Along with that here is a song that speaks volumes to my heart:

You know me, You know my heart, You know where I've been

You know how far I have wandered but You take me back again.

You know my thoughts and all my failures, so I lay my fears at Your feet.

Thank God you say to come as I am, and not as I should be

You're the only one who could love me as I am

With all that I've done I don't see how you can

But you take away all my guilt and shame and you take me in, Just as I am

I lay my heart down before you, with all of my scars

My worth is found, not in who I am, but in who You are

Your grace will always be enough for me, you take me as I am, and not as I should be

You're the only one who could love me as I am

With all that I've done I don't see how you can

But you take away all my guilt and shame and you take me in, Just as I am

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Chasing...