Dancin' in the Rain

Happy Sunday everyone!  I hope you had an awesome day!  Well, here in East Texas, actually in this thriving metropolis I call home, Elysian Fields, we had a heck of a storm.  Not just a rain storm, but a THUNDERSTORM!  If you have ever been to my house, you were probably greeted by a free spirited, happy, tail-waggin' little pup, Chico.  He's crazy & very misunderstood...and most importantly...HATES THUNDER!

Chico sure made me think long & hard today.  You know how I said he doesn't like thunder?  It actually makes him go crazy.  He was jumping from couch to couch...then on the floor barking at the window, then back on the couch, on top of the coffee table, then in my lap growling & barking & carrying on.  I tried to console him, hold him, & tell him that its just thunder, but he wouldn't listen...and yes I understand that he's a dog.  

Let me back track for a moment.  We are doing a bible study on Jonah, Navigating a Life Interrupted, by Priscilla Shirer, and this week our lessons were about running from God.  When you know God is speaking to you, but you duck and run the other direction..like Jonah.  When Chico was out of control, I dawned on me how we are all like Chico. We get caught up in what we think is "just a horrible situation" and go crazy, yelling & acting a fool.  And there I was trying to calm him down, just like the Lord tries to calm us down.  He is here to hold us, hug us, and show us the truth.  So, I'm praying that when you have an "interrupted life," this week, you look at it like Priscilla taught us...A DIVINE INTERVENTION! 

Cruise Review...Finally!

Wow..I've been a complete slacker lately with my blog. I've just been sooo busy this week!!  I wanted to share a few pics from the cruise that I've been blabbing about for weeks.

This was Me & Sara before our zipline excursion in Montego Bay, Jamaica.  Aren't we so cute in our harness?  haha.  Not so much!

Awww...Look at this 3 week old sea turtle!  He/or she was so tiny!  This was at the Turtle Farm in Georgetown, Grand Cayman.

 This was my 3rd trip on the Fury Catamaran in Cozumel.  I'm totally rockin' my life jacket!

The entire group in Cozumel... Aunt Lisa, Sara, Aunt Karen, Me, Mom & Aunt Deb.

 Ok, if you've ever been on a cruise, you know about the towel animals.  Well, this bat was hanging above our bed with Sara's sunglasses on.  When we walked in it scared us so bad....we were screaming, then laughing, then running for the bathroom!  Too funny..Gotta love giggling girls!

Here's the "Kayla has lost her mind" stingray kiss!  See how huge she was!! Hope you enjoyed!

I Kissed A Girl!!

Ok, I know what you're thinking...YOU DID WHAT?  Give me time to explain.  I've missed my bloggy friends the last couple of days.  I do have a great reason why I haven't been blogging, though.  I've been cruising! 

Yesterday, Wednesday, was our first port of call, Montego Bay, Jamaica.  My little cousin, Sara & I went on this sweet zipline excursion.  It was way awesome!   I'll definately post pics as soon as I get home!  We were so pumped about our tour that we forgot to go to the beach when we got back to the port.  Yes, we are both blonde.  It was just one of those things....

Then today...WOW!! We are in Georgetown, Caymen Island. We went to this sand bar in the middle of the ocean called Stingray City.  Its called that for a great reason...there are stingrays EVERYWHERE!!  I mean...BIG ones!  This is where I kissed a girl!  They said its good luck to kiss a stingray, so I  figured with mine & Donny's luck, it was worth the shot.  So, I kissed a stingray.  Just to make sure, I kissed 2 more! Once we left there, we went to a turtle farm & I got to hold a 2 week old sea turtle!  He/She was soooo stinkin' cute!  I have a special place in my heart for turtles, so this was an awesome experience.  To top it off, we played with a sweet 23 year old rescue dolphin named Alma!  That was definatley worth the $$.  Come to think about it..I did alot of kissing today...stingrays, baby sea turtles, & dolphins.  I can't wait to share the pics with you!  ...and don't worry..I've already Donny about all my smoochin'...hehe

This is actually costing me by the minute...so I better get off here!

Like Mother, Like Daughter

I can't help but giggle as I sit here at the computer.  I'm at Mom & Dad's in Dayton, and the excitement about our cruise is contagious!  Mom is way pumped about our vacation... so excited that she could hardly sleep lastnight! haha.. Living in a town away from where I grew up, I get questions about my family pretty often.  (Especially working with the public, they want to get personal) When someone asks me, "Who do you look like?" My answer is always..Dad!  When they ask, "Who do you act like?"  Mom is the right answer!  And this is the perfect example.

This morning I was in Mom & Dads bathroom..(i call it the bathroom suite)...and Mom said,  "Sis, I'm so excited! Now, do you and Sara have a balcony room, too?"  "Yes, mom, we're right beside yall." "Oh, ok, I was just wondering.  (silence..) Oh man, I wonder if we are going to be below the water, or on top of the water?"  ...long pause, and I stared at Mom like...What??  Then we busted out laughing at the same time, and she said, "Well, I guess above the water if we have balcony, right?"  Oh Lordy!!!  haha...This is going to be a great trip!! 

A Million Different Directions!!

My head is spinning in a million different directions!  But the crazy thing about it...I LOVE IT!  If you have known me for any length of time, you know I am ALWAYS on the go, go, go! This was my list of "able to do's" today. (I try not to think of it as my "To do's," because I am SUPER grateful that I am ABLE to do them!)
* Go to the Bank - always a plus! - check
*Order fruit tray from Kroger - check
*Pick up Emily at 9:30am - check
*Super cute black shoes from Dillards, & maybe a pair of flip flops - check (& totally added in the flip flops)
*Find Emily a shirt for shower & a wedding - check
*Target - check
*Chick fil A - double check
*Take Emily home - check
*Tan (although Megan says, "tis the season to be pale)- check
*Mani/pedi - ahhh check
*Verizon store - check
*Get things for Shower tomorrow - check
*Finish packing for the cruise - half a check, still in progress...I was doing good until my ADD totally kicked in to blog.. lol...
*Go back to Longview when Donny gets off work to meet Jen to get my "Half Baked by Boo" goodness!!

Whew...that wore me out just thinking it!!  

Thank you, Lord, for giving me friends to shop with, shop for ( & their babies) & friends that are awesome bakers that can always bail you out of a dessert crisis! Amen

So Excited!

I'm so excited! And I just can't hide it! ....you must sing that in your coolest Pointer Sisters voice!  Why am I so stinkin' excited? Several reasons:

First:
I will leaving on a cruise Sunday!  So one week from today we will be at our first stop, Montego Bay, Jamacia!  My cousin Sara & I will be hiking & zip-lining!  How fun!  Oh goodness, those people are going to have no idea what hit them when the "Shorts" get on that big ole' boat!  Haha
 
Second:
I feel like I went shopping..but in my own rubbermaid container.  You are probably thinking "This girl is c-r-a-z-y..what does she mean?"  Let me explain.  Well, clothes that used to be my "fat" clothes, are now my "skinny" clothes. I used to think I was huge, and those clothes were soo cute..Now I'm like..Heck ya!!  They fit!  These poor clothes haven't seen the light of day in about 3 llllooooonnnngggg years!  But now they do...and I will be taking them on the cruise!!!  Yay me!

Third:
I came home to a happy hubby with my bath water ready for me...and fresh baked cookies! He's awesome!  He did bring it to my attention, though, that this is the first time we will be away from each other for 7 days since the day we met.  How sad!!  We've done get aways with our friends, but never for 7 days! I just hope he remembers to feed Lola & Chico! 

So  Awana was a success tonight, too! My girls did SUPER AWESOME!  ...and I was told that I didn't look old, maybe looked like I was in college!  You've gotta love sweet innocence!
  

Forever Friends

Look at me...posting 2 days in a row!  Wow!  Let's see how long I keep this up!  Today, I have had friendships on my mind. I can think of a time period, and a name of someone special comes to mind. Thinking about friends I grew up with, high school friends, college friends, post college friends...and the list continues. I am proud to say that I have the greatest friends EVER!  Donny has the hardest job any of them...with Ardra, Mindy, Megan K. & Misty M. coming in a close 2nd!  (What is it with me & friends that start with M? lol) They make me laugh & build me up, but listen to me cry & complain!  What else could a girl need?

Over the past few years, I have lost several young people that have touched my life in some way.  I will never forget playing dress up, taking our version of "glamour shots" & answering the childhood question "What do you want to be when you grow up?" with Pammie.   I will always see Sarah Sheffield & Michael Piatt sitting there at FBC Dayton any given Sunday in my memories.  The many ski trips on the good ole' charter bus to Colorado will always put a smile on my face with them, also.  All three were so young, full of life, with so much to look forward to in the future. 

I talk about those memories to say this...Life is way to short for little spats, girl fights, & down right meanness.  I want nothing more than to put every hurtful thing I have SAID or DONE...to anyone ...and put it in a bottle and throw it away!  The good news...FORGIVENESS!  That is exactly what forgiveness does!  

New Year, New Adventure

Wow...Look at me!  I'm so excited to be part of the wonderful world of having an "online journal!" Why am I creating this?  Good question.  I have had so much on my mind lately...and have had several realizations recently, that I figured I'd share them.  Now, I'm not talking about ground breaking realizations, just little personal tid-bits that help me through this crazy ride we call LIFE!

So, here we go. I'm jumping right in! 

Last week, while I was studying my lesson for Sunday School...I was subbing for 9th & 10th grade girls (kinda scary!!).. I ran across this Bible verse. "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry" James 1:19.  Ok, you may have heard this a million times like myself.  Considering where my mind was at & things that were going through my head, it hit me like a ton of bricks!  But there was something about THAT verse I needed to hear...THAT particular day...at THAT particular moment! The Lord can lay things on our heart & work on our minds..no matter where we are!  I must say that I was pretty cozy in my little bed!  (ha) 

I was so excited, not because I READ the words, but because I FELT them!  I was sure to share that with my sweet girls...they weren't nearly as excited as I was...but Wow!  What a great feeling!  Maybe one of you will be able to learn from that, too!

So, here we are...A NEW YEAR, A NEW ADVENTURE!!