Southern &Trying to Survive in a Western World ♥

New Blog

2011-01-07T16:21:00.000-08:00

Hey y'all!

I have moved to here. I will not be updating this page anymore, all posts will be on the new blog.

xoxo

Daisy

2011-01-01T14:24:00.001-08:00

Jen at Slumber Designs is hosting a fabulous giveaway of Marc Jacobs Daisy, one of my favorites. Go check it out! If you haven't checked out her blog before, I definitely recommend checking it out - I think many of the pictures she posts are beautiful and the topics she writes about are interesting to me, so maybe they will be to y'all as well.

book worm

2010-11-30T13:51:00.000-08:00

The BBC believes most people will have read only six of the 100 books listed here.
Instructions: Copy this into your NOTES. Bold those books you’ve read in their entirety, italicize the ones you started but did not finish or read an excerpt.

The List:
1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma -Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - A.A. Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Inferno - Dante
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - E.B. White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

I may have miscounted, but I believe I have read 57 of the listed 100 books and intend to finish the list prior to my 24th birthday. I turn twenty-two in February, so that gives me just over two years to read 43 books.

The Widest Influence for Good

2010-10-23T22:20:00.001-07:00

Hello lovelies!

This week for me has been very big on working for the widest influence for good, one of the trifold goals of my sorority. This past Tuesday was our founder's - Bettie Locke - birthday. Each chapter of our organization was asked by headquarters to host a service event to honor Bettie Locke - our chapter made Halloween and Autumn cards for the kids of CASA and families staying at St. Patrick's House and the Ronald McDonald House in town. It was a fun night of sisterhood, laughs, and creativity!

Saturday, my sorority sister Kate and I volunteered at an event called Fall Family Fest, hosted by our city's parks and recreation department. It was a fun fall carnival with hay rides, arts and crafts, rock walls, s'mores, an apple press and games!

Today, Sunday, I am volunteering for a few hours at the Ronald McDonald House, just running the front desk and assisting guests with any concerns.

I truly value the ability to give freely of yourself, your time and your talents and am blessed that I have had the ability to spend this much time this week giving back to the community where I go to school. I challenge y'all to do something for your community this week - it not only brings a smile to others, but makes you feel incredible too! What are you favorite ways to demonstrate the widest influence for good?

Hello!

2010-10-19T09:56:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all! Remember me? I'm sorry I've been so absent lately, I will try to be much better! What have I been up to these past few months? Being a Rho Gamma (or recruitment counselor), taking over as director of public relations for my sorority, taking care of a hospital bound boyfriend for a month (he's now back home in Texas and will hopefully be back at school for spring semester), beginning a nanny job and trying to squeeze school in there too! I feel so neglectful of both my blog and of my body, as I have not gone to the gym in ages! Both of these activities will resume this week!

I have also just started a blog for my sorority! Check it out here.

I will post a picture update soon!

XOXO lovlies!

long time coming

2010-08-13T16:23:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all! I'm back from a VERY extended blog vacation! I had the busiest, most amazing summer of my life and I can't believe I only have a week left until I'll be in Montana again!

I spent all of June and July in our nation's capitol and cannot wait to return to my beloved city on the Potomac. Washington is a city full of diversity, drive, discipline, history and culture. I love it there!

image from here

I came back to Colorado for the month of August to spend time with my family, do a mini internship at the Chamber of Commerce and see my sister off to college at Colorado State!

image from here

Speaking of family, my brother starts high school on Monday - yikes! I feel like I just started high school in Prattville, Alabama yesterday, yet here I am entering my senior year of college in Missoula, Montana! What a crazy, amazing journey it's been!

I am very excited to be back to blogging and promise to make it a more regular habit, especially as this final year of college comes quicker than I'm ready to believe!

What have y'all been up to this summer? Anyone else completely ready for football season to begin? RTR ♥

image from here

xoxo

giveaway

2010-06-30T12:37:00.000-07:00

Tara, at That's Why Her Hair is so Big, is doing a fun giveaway if you enter by July 12. The giveaway includes:

1. long necklace from express.
2. "friends" pictures frame.
3. the best book ever: "how to be happy, dammit"
4. Victoria's Secret PINK body lotion.
5. pink wristlet from express.

Go here and enter for yourself!

Still LOVING living in Washington. Tonight I'm going to a happy hour event called Pitchers and Politics with fellow college Republicans from around the country.

XOXO

in L-♥-V-E!

2010-06-19T07:40:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all!

DC is amazing! I am so thankful for the opportunity to be here, and still so very much in love with this beautiful city on the Potomac. So much has changed here in 10 years, but the changes and my new life perspective have only made the city more magical to me.

While here, I have tried to soak in as much as I can, and plan to continue to do so until I fly to CO on July 31. I walked the monuments at night my first night in town, saw Marine 1 bring the President home, went to the Supreme Court, explored both the Air and Space museum and the American History museum. I have attended briefings, hearings, lectures, written press releases and helped out in whatever capacity I can in the office. I am an amazing tour guide (or so I've been told) and always receive positive feedback on my tours from both the constituents and staff. Personally, I love giving tours; it's the history nerd in me I guess.

This weekend my Aunt Paula and her daughter Haleigh are taking the Amtrack into town - I'm so excited to see them! It's been 10 years since I've seen them and cannot wait to catch p on life and spend time with my godmama!

I'll try to update more frequently, as I want a record of all my amazing summer stories and adventures.

What have y'all been up to this summer?

Friday Five

2010-06-03T20:04:00.000-07:00

Beth over at Just Me & My Life hosts a Friday Five series & this week's question is: If you were stranded on an island , what are the five things would you just have to have?

- water, water, water
- the Bible
- sunscreen
- sunglasses
- Mama

hello :)

2010-05-30T18:10:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all! Sorry I've been m.i.a.; the last of our company from my sister's high school graduation left yesterday. It was fun having my grandparents, older brother and boyfriend in town. I'm only in CO until Friday; Daddy and I fly out then for my summer in Washington! I'm so excited to be back in D.C. after 10 years away! I promise to a better blogger and share all my adventures with y'all!

Today, it was just my sister and I at home, since Ben, Mama & Daddy were in Denver for a baseball tournament. We went to the pool, target & California Pizza Kitchen - it was a fun day! Tomorrow, Mama and I are going suit shopping, Tuesday Ben has a baseball double-header and 8th grade continuation and I have coffee with an old friend, Wednesday I'm babysitting & going to the pool, Thursday I'm packing and hanging out with Mama, then Friday Daddy and I head to Washington! It will be a busy week that goes fast! What are y'all up to this week?

hello blog world :)

2010-05-08T15:34:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all! This weekend is rainy & gray - perfect weather for studying for finals! This upcoming week is finals week here in Montana - thank goodness! This has been a LONG semester & I have so many fun summer plans! I'll update y'all on my upcoming summer adventures when this week is over! Hope all y'all who have finals do well, those who are done have an amazing summer, and those who don't have to take finals - lucky you! :)

1. What has been your most memorable Mother's Day? (with your mom, as a mom, or with your wife)

My most memorable Mother's day was when we lived out in Virginia. We took a family trip to Front Royal, where my mama's daddy, my pappy, grew up. We visited the church my great-grandparents were married in and where my pappy was baptized. we visited family grave sites and we went antiquing. This happened when I was in elementary school, but it is the most vivid mother's day memory I have. On the way home, we stopped at a road side stand for home churned ice cream!

2. Have you ever been pulled over for speeding and were you able to talk your way out of it?

Yes :)

3. What's the oldest thing you have hanging in your closet?

My naval issue pea coat. When my uncle was active duty, he bought it for my mama while she was in college. It is my favorite winter coat and in such good condition, it looks new!

4. Do you whiten your teeth?

Every summer.

5. Underwear or Panties..What do you call your "unmentionables"?

Panties :)

6. If you could go on vacation right now..today..where would you go?

Tough one! I would LOVE to go to Greece, but with everything that is going on there right now, I think France, Spain or Italy would be a much safer choice!

7. Do you get offended when people cuss on their blogs?

No; it's their outlet and personal space. They can do as they please.

8. If you had to give up one luxury item, it would be....?

All the eating out I do; if I had time and resources to cook, I'd much rather do that anyway!

When I Grow Up. . .

2010-05-04T06:20:00.001-07:00

This Saturday was senior function; it was so much fun! The theme was "when I grow up. . ." and the seniors assigned each girl an aspiration. I was a rodeo clown, which cracked my family up, because growing up (pre-school age) I always said I wanted to go to clown college! :) I could never do that now, but it was fun to pretend for a night! Also, rodeo clowns are intense; they distract the bull and are physically hard on their bodies - glad I didn't have to be one for real, just for fun!

This first image is of the house and dates; it was so much fun to see everyone's costumes and enthusiasm!

This picture is of myself & some of my favorite girls! My best friend is on the far left, she was a PETA activist - hysterical since her & her boyfriend are totally "People for the Eating of Tasty Animals"! hahaha! Heather, my favorite fall pledge class girl, was a "meat packer" because she's a vegetarian - so she went as a "piece of meat" and her date a butcher! I was a rodeo clown, and Brooke was a plumber. It was a great time, despite the rain & I can't wait until next year for MY senior function!

it's sunday

2010-05-02T10:25:00.001-07:00

come back here and link up..that's it!

The questions..

1. Are you superstitious?
not at all

2. If you were an animal..what kind would you be?
ummm. . . my sorority sisters told me an otter once, and boyfriend has told me a koala because i'm very huggy, and my family always calls me bear. . . so one of those three, maybe?

3. You would never catch me wearing?
a thong swimsuit

4. If someone posts a VLOG..do you watch it?
sometimes

5. Have you ever waxed your girlie/manly parts..or any other part of your body?
not my girl parts, but i do wax my eyebrows and upper lip; i've always wanted to try the other wax, but am too scared!

6. Are you a spender or a saver?
sadly, a spender; i need to change that asap.

7. If you were starring in a movie..who would you want to play your leading man/woman?
i honestly don't know; i don't have any celeb crushes, and haven't seen one who could pull off my man. . .

8. Smoker..never smoked..social smoker..or smoked back in the day?
never smoked - ewwwwww!

filled with thanksgiving

2010-04-26T21:35:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share how thankful I am for the warm, sunny weather that allowed me to wear my sunshine yellow shorts today! I am thankful for my amazing & supportive family who are so excited for my Washington DC adventures this summer & for their encouragement to stay focused during these last few weeks of school. Thankful for the seniors who have taught me so much over the last three years, and who this house will not be the same without. I am so blessed and acknowledge that fact. Even when I'm stressed, or not living up to my full potential, I have so much positivity in my life and am blessed to be able to recognize that fact.

Watch the latest episode of Army Wives - Claudia Joy's talk with Leonore is what inspired this post. Yes, I have a lot on my plate right now, but so does everyone else. I also have so much to be praising God for and enjoying.

What are y'all thankful for?

sunday funday

2010-04-25T09:32:00.000-07:00

it's raining today, guess our spring yard cleaning and all greek bbq will have to be alternated.
tomorrow starts senior week for theta; monday we do letters we write to the seniors - their littles read their letter, their parent's letter, & their big's letters. tuesday is fraternity interview, talent & serenade. wednesday is mr. CASAnova. thursday is wills, have you seen my sister & schmoozing. friday & saturday are an international rugby tournament called maggotfest. saturday night is function: what i want to be when i grow up - the seniors assign occupations & i got a flasher/creeper/peeping tom - random and and weird, although everyone got assigned really strange things. i'm coaching sigma phi epsilon during the games, so that will be fun.

1. if you could star in any movie genre..what would it be..romance..horror..comedy..suspense or action?

romance & comedy, so romantic comedy? i love to love and i love to laugh, so i think a romantic comedy for sure! :)

2. do you recycle?

yes; my sorority and university are big into recycling!

3. have you ever been to a strip club?

no

4. do you have a nickname?

well, sarah means princess, so i've been called that all my life. my family has always called me bear. my senior ap lit teacher started calling me sbg and it stuck; now everyone in college calls me that which gets annoying at times. people call me bama because of my accent, love of the state and university of alabama, and my time spent in that wonderful state. my favorite is probably bear though! :)

5. what's a name you can't stand to be called?

sbg gets really old and annoying, but i just deal with it; i figure it won't follow me into the professional sphere, so i can deal with it another year.

6. what are your summer staples?

sundresses, sunglasses & sweet tea!

7. what was the last thing you bought for yourself?

sushi and a diet coke for lunch today.

8. are you happy with your boob size?

honestly, i wish they were a little bigger.

T-H-E-T-A

2010-04-19T00:47:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been all about Theta in my world! Thursday night we had spring initiation for two members; the bottom three pictures are of the Lion family during and after cookie shine (post-initiation fun!).

Sunday was the Greek Awards Banquet. We give out 14 awards, 7 individual and 7 chapter; Theta took home two individual and five chapter awards for half of the awards possible, including CHAPTER OF THE YEAR!!! This is the second year in a row we have won chapter of the year! I am so proud of my sisters and the work we did this year! The other awards we won were: President of the Year, Advisor of the Year, Outstanding Public Relations, Outstanding New Member Programming, Outstanding Alumni Relations & Chapter Development and Outstanding Scholarship & Academic Programming. I am so proud to be a sister of Kappa Alpha Theta! ♥

The first three pictures are of the girls who were chosen to represent our chapter at the Greek Awards, each house is allowed to bring 15 members.

Sunday Fun

2010-04-18T10:24:00.000-07:00

The questions..

1. Mens chests..hairy or hairless?
hairless

2. How often do you run red lights?
never

3. If you could raid any celebrity's closet..whose would you raid?
I love Reese Witherspoon, Rachel Bilson, Lauren Conrad & Jessica Simpson's wardrobes, but they are all much more petite than I am, so I'm going to say Michelle Obama because we are of similar height and stature and her wardrobe is very classic and feminine.

4. Would you rather have more followers/friends on Facebook, Twitter, or your Blog?
I love facebook because it has allowed me to keep in contact with so many people from moving around as often as I did, but I love the blogging world :)

5. What makes you feel sexy?
when my hair looks good, when i'm dressed up, when the boyfriend notices something new about me or my outfit or my hair. . . obviously lots of different things

6. I get excited when...........?
I get a good grade, when we're having breakfast for dinner at my sorority house, when i get a new opportunity in my life like DC this summer, when the weather is perfect for sundresses, etc.

7. Are you the "outdoorsy" type or more "indoorsy"?
both. I love to read and cuddle by the fireplace or while watching a movie, but I love the opportunities Montana & Colorado has. I love tubing down the river, spending the day at the lake, hiking, camping with a big group of friends. Before I graduate in a year, I'm going to learn to fly fish, rock climb and kayak.

8. Would you rather have your dream home or a million dollars?
a million dollars absolutely! I can pay off school and my car, pay for graduate school, and save the rest of it for the future - a home, future children, etc.

Look Out DC, I'm Capital Hill Bound!

2010-04-16T09:49:00.000-07:00

I wanted to let my blog friends know that as of this morning, I officially accepted a position on Capital Hill for the summer. Washington DC, it's been almost 10 years, but I'm so excited to live in you once again! What are y'all doing this summer? Will any of y'all be in DC?

It's Official. . .

2010-04-12T19:57:00.000-07:00

. . . I am a Rho Gamma for our Autumn recruitment! Rho Gamma's are my school's recruitment counselors for sorority recruitment and the announcement was just officially made of who gets the honor of guiding girls through the fun that is sorority recruitment. I'm so excited about it & we start our training and fun before summer vacation - woohoo! Have any of y'all ever been a recruitment counselor? What does your school call them? I've heard them called Rho Chi's before, too.

grants

2010-04-12T11:26:00.001-07:00

Have any of y'all ever written a grant? I have to write one for class and one for my current internship and y'all they are hard! I do not like grant writing even though I know it is a valuable skill to have. They are complicated, take up loads of time I do not have to spend on them, and are persnickety little beasts. Do any of y'all have advice or can share in my frustration? Let me know! Lots of love from Montana!

Sister's All Grown Up

2010-04-11T18:47:00.000-07:00

Y'all my sister had prom this weekend; she only had one month until graduation - I can't believe she starts college in the fall! Look how gorgeous she looked for her prom and how handsome her date was! I love you Rae!

Sunday Fun

2010-04-11T14:09:00.000-07:00

1. What color do you wear the most?

I wear a lot of navy, black, white, and pops of color. I rarely don't have some form of color on, even if it's a camisole or jacket or purse or something. . .

2. Would you rather have 10,000 dollars or a dream vacation?

$10,000; I could pay off college!

3. Do you have a weird, quirky, or unusual habit?

Ummm. . . I dip sliced apples in hershey's syrup when I want something sweet to eat, does that count?

4. I really need to start....

Drinking more water, making time to exercise and staying focused for the last few weeks of class.

5. What was the first blog you have ever read?

The first blog I ever read regularly was Preppy Southern Princess, followed shortly after by Sweet, Sassy, Southern & Classy.

6. Do you collect anything?

I don't, unless Kappa Alpha Theta stuff counts :)

7. How old where you when you had your first kiss?

Freshman year of high school valentine's day; we were watching homeward bound in my room, and he kissed me. It was adorable. ♥

8. Do you text/twitter while driving?

I really try not to, but I slip up sometimes. If I do, I try to do it at stoplights, though.

seriously?!

2010-04-05T19:43:00.001-07:00

Y'all, it is April 5th and it is snowing. The rest of the country has nice, warm, summer weather, and we have snow :(

Easter weekend recap to come soon. I went to a ranch - it was fun. :)

Talk to y'all soon!

hello friends!

2010-03-31T17:12:00.001-07:00

Hey y'all! It's spring break week in my neck of the woods, but I haven't accomplished even one-tenth of my "to do" list! However, I have caught up on sleep, spent a lot of quality time with Matthew and spent time with my sisters who are here in town.

Sunday night we watched movies and chilled where two of the girls are staying, since our house is closed over break. Last night we did dinner, drinks and tarot cards at my friend & sister Lauren's. Our house mom did the tarot card reading and we all got "answers" to our questions we posed that were pretty accurate. It was fun! Tonight we're all going to see How to Train Dragons and to ColdStone for ice cream after the movie.

Tomorrow and Friday will be intense homework days for me, as will this weekend! Friday night I have a recreation event through the YMCA adaptive programs at the swim center in town and Saturday I have Special Olympics swim practice. After practice, a few of my friends and I are heading to my friend's grandma's ranch for Easter - a truly Montana way to spend the holiday! It should be a "hoot & a holler"!

I hope y'all are having wonderful days and I'll be in touch soon! Lots of love from Montana y'all!

tweet tweet

2010-03-23T12:28:00.001-07:00

I'm on twitter! Come be my friend? :) I'll be yours, too!

@gilsonsarahbeth

Weekend Fun and Personal Trivia

2010-03-21T17:26:00.000-07:00

This weekend went by so quickly, but was a lot of fun! Friday night I went dancing downtown with a few friends - the best place to go dancing is the one "gay bar" in town; they always play lots of Lady Gaga and Beyonce music!

Saturday we had our spring recruitment workshop for my sorority where we refreshed about the recruitment basics, went over our fall recruitment chants and songs and learned what we'll be wearing not just during recruitment, but also the first week of classes leading up to recruitment. I also learned that I have a very high likely hood of being a Rho Gamma! I'm so excited and honored for that opportunity! Saturday night, I attended Sigma Phi Epsilon's (SigEp) Queen of Hearts function, with Matthew who recently joined the house and several of my sorority sisters. My little in my sorority was crowned Queen of Hearts, so that was really special!

Today we had a sisterhood where we watched the movie Up In The Air, the movie with George Clooney. It was okay, very timely and relevant to the current economic state, but such a sad movie. I feel emotionally heavy still and the movie ended over an hour ago! The acting was well executed though, so it was worth watching.

One more week before spring break begins! Here's hoping its a fast one! :)

1. What year did you graduate high school? 2007, or more affectionately, "007" ♥

2. What part of your body do you neglect the most? My poor feet! I constantly stub my toes, don't moisturize them enough and just overall take advantage of them! During the summer when they're exposed to the world, they are treated much nicer! :)

3. Beach House or Lake House? As much as I absolutely LOVE vacationing to the beach, it's just that - a vacation. I could, however, live on a lake for the rest of my life - or a river - so peaceful, serene, and then I could live in Alabama or Montana, or anywhere else with lakes for that matter.

4. Mac or PC? I currently have a PC, but am considering a mac for when I need to replace old faithful.

5. Did you wear braces? I did not.

6. If you could be one person for a day...living or deceased...who would you be? I would love to have been Mother Theresa for a day; she herself didn't have much in this world except for a servant's heart and call from God to become the international symbol of charity, compassion and faith. She is one of the individual's I most admire who has house-hold name recognition.

7. How many times have you moved in your life? I was born in Minot, ND and moved to Lakeridge, VA when I was two; one month before kindergarten, I moved to Colorado Springs, CO, where we moved twice. The summer before third grade, I moved to Prattville, AL and the summer before fourth grade I moved to Lakeridge, VA. In July 2001, I moved to Minot, ND and in July 2003, I moved to Prattville, AL. In July 2004, I moved to Colorado Springs, CO and in May 2005, I moved to Great Falls, MT where we moved twice. My family moved a week after I graduated high school back to Colorado Springs, CO where they still are. That summer, I moved to Missoula, MT for college. In Missoula, I have lived in two dormitories and my sorority house.

8. Would you rather cook or clean? I love to do both, actually! But since I live in a sorority house where we have both a cook and a cleaning lady, I'm only responsible for cleaning my own bedroom, and only get the opportunity to cook when I'm at home. So, in this moment, I would rather cook. :)

Happy March 17th ♥

2010-03-17T15:06:00.001-07:00

My Grandma's family crest:

Growing up, I thought my Grandma was a leprechaun because she had bright red hair, was shorter than 5 foot, and had slightly pointy ears. Her name is Elizabeth (Betty) and her maiden name was Wall, as in the Wall clan of Ireland. So, I share with y'all an Irish Blessing that makes me smile and I hope you enjoyed your corned beef and cabbage today!

"May you always find blue skies above your head,
shamrocks beneath your feet,
laughter and joy aplenty,
kindness from all you meet,
good friends and kin to miss you,
if ever you choose to roam,
and a path that's been cleared by angels themselves to carry you safely home."

USA Today article about my friends

2010-03-14T15:32:00.000-07:00

Y'all, this article from USA Today is about two friends of mine and is such a sweet and inspiring love story of overcoming obstacles and following your dreams. Please read it!

By Erik Brady, USA TODAY
Anthony Johnson and Shaunte Nance-Johnson have not seen each other for two weeks. That's OK with them. It's all part of a love story playing out amid the madness of March.

Thursday they were like ships passing in the night: He rode a team bus carrying the University of Montana Grizzlies from the Big Sky men's basketball tournament in Ogden, Utah, even as she rode a bus carrying the Lady Griz toward the women's tournament in Cheney, Wash.

"It's funny how life works out sometimes," Johnson said.

He was not talking about the bus rides or even the 42 points he scored the night before, including his team's last 21 in a 66-65 win at Weber State, which put the Grizzlies into the NCAA tournament.

Nor was the 6-3 shooting guard talking about how if the Lady Griz win today's semifinal and Saturday's final he and Shaunte will be the Astaire and Rogers of selection Sunday — a rare husband-and-wife team heading to respective Big Dances.

No, what he was talking about is his life's story and hers.

"I've had people say it's like something out of a movie," Johnson said by cellphone as the team bus rolled. "I don't think anything of it because it's me — it's us — living it. But I guess from an outsider's perspective, it is one heck of a story, if I had to say so myself."

March always brings stories of unsung heroes from lesser-known schools. Theirs starts at rival high schools in Tacoma, Wash., where she was a basketball star and he was in the chess club.

"He had his eye on me then, but he was too nervous to talk to me," she said by cellphone from her bus.

Johnson had tried out for his high school football team but quit after he got hit too hard. His friends persuaded him to try out for the high school basketball team as a junior, though he had never played organized ball.

Johnson made the team even as he struggled to learn the game. Senior year, he scored about 12 points a game. But he played on losing teams. Worse, his grades were awful. College was out of the question. That was in 2004.

He got a job washing dishes "at a little restaurant — a dump, really," he said. He had to go back to high school for another semester to graduate. Then, that next summer, his best friend was dating the girl he'd had his eye on. When they broke up, Johnson made his move.

She was going off to college in two weeks. They saw each other every day. The night before she left, he proposed — with a rubber band as a ring.

"It sounds crazy, I know," he said.

Think of it as a halfcourt desperation shot that found nothing but net.

"He had to do something big not to lose me," she said. They both cried.

Package deal

Nance went off to her scholarship at Division II's Northwest Nazarene. She missed Johnson and left after one season to go back to him. She watched him play at the YMCA and thought he was more than good enough to play college. But at that point, it looked as if both of their hoops careers were done.

"We were two young kids," he said, "trying to make it work."

But then she got a call from Yakima Valley (Wash.) Community College. And that's when the 5-5 point guard dished out the biggest assist of her life.

"I told them I would only come if my husband got a chance to try out," she said. "I didn't want a guarantee, just an opportunity."

They weren't married yet, but she used that word — husband. He got the tryout and made the team. They got married, and she got a real ring, on Nov. 1, 2006.

The next year, he played again and she sat out, on the theory that each would have two years of eligibility left for transferring to a major college. Johnson averaged 24.4 points a game and led the Yaks to a regional community college tournament championship where he was named MVP.

Division I offers rolled in for him, but not for her. Johnson told Montana he would come only if she got a tryout.

"It felt great to repay her," he said.

Men's coach Wayne Tinkle had no problem with the arrangement. When he played at Montana, he dated women's star Lisa McLeod, his future wife. "She was a heck of a lot better college player than I was," Tinkle said.

They have three children. Tinkle wasn't on the bus with his team Thursday; he was driving to see his younger daughter Elleson play in the state high school playoffs. Older daughter Joslyn will play in the NCAA women's tournament for Stanford.

Tinkle and McLeod didn't marry until after college. Johnson and Nance-Johnson are the first husband and wife to compete for Montana at the same time.

"When they've gone through tough, hard times, they've been there for each other," Tinkle said. "They were a very young and immature couple without much of a foundation when they first came to us. It's really been neat to watch them grow here."

Teammate Vassy Banny teases Johnson that his wife is stronger in the weight room. "I'm sure they have ups and downs," Banny said, "but they never show any hardness to us. They're just a great couple to be around."

Johnson cracked the starting lineup 10 games into his first year at Montana. This season, he scored nearly 20 points a game. And then came that magic Wednesday night on the home floor of top-seeded Weber State, which led the Big Sky title game 40-20 at the half.

That's when the ex-dishwasher — who once had little in life save for a woman who believed in him — exploded for 34 second-half points, including a jumper with 10 seconds left that won it.

Nance-Johnson, 23, couldn't be there. She had practices as her team prepared for its Big Sky tournament. But she watched on TV and cried, same as the night he gave her the rubber-band ring.

"It was emotional," she said. "I got 100 text messages from everyone we know."

His bus ride from Ogden to Missoula was about eight hours, hers from Missoula to Cheney about two. They talked by phone, which sometimes cut out as the buses rolled through the wide-open spaces of the American West.

Johnson, 23, can't be at today's semifinal. But if the Lady Griz win, he'll be there for the final, the first couple of Montana basketball in the same place for the first time in two weeks.

She used to keep a symbolic rubber band on her ring finger as she played. She figures she broke 1,000 of them that way. This weekend, as always, she'll have her wedding ring tied to the drawstring of her shorts as she plays.

He'll get a Big Sky championship ring. She already has one from last season and hopes for another.

"Our little joke is the Big Sky ring is better," she says. "Anthony thinks that's really funny. But if he takes off his wedding ring, I'll have to choke him."

Contributing: Andy Gardiner and Eddie Timanus

Facts About Moi ♥

2010-02-27T22:57:00.000-08:00

If I were a month, I’d be October.
If I were a day of the week, I’d be Sunday.
If I were a time of day, I’d be the moment I wake up.
If I were a planet, I’d be Earth.
If I were a sea animal, I'd be a sea turtle.
If I were a direction, I’d be South.
If I were a piece of furniture, I’d be a ridiculously comfortable couch.
If I were a liquid, I’d be sweet tea.
If I were a gemstone, I’d be a canary diamond.
If I were a tree, I’d be a magnolia tree.
If I were a tool, I’d be hammer.
If I were a flower, I’d be a gerbera daisy.
If I were a kind of weather, I’d be a summer thunderstorm.
If I were a musical instrument, I’d be an oboe.
If I were a color, I’d be yellow.
If I were an emotion, I’d be joy.
If I were a fruit, I’d be a watermelon.
If I were an element, I’d be water.
If I were a car, I'd be my 2007 Ford Focus named Sophie. :)
If I were a food, I’d be anything Italian!
If I were a place, I’d be a Montana mountain.
If I were a material, I’d be cotton.
.If I were a scent, I’d be Ralph Lauren.
If I were an animal, I'd be a horse.
If I were a facial expression, I’d be a blush.
If I were a song, I’d be Summer Wind by Frank Sinatra.
If I were a pair of shoes, I’d be pink high heels.

birthday gal

2010-02-23T06:19:00.000-08:00

Happy twenty-first birthday to me! At midnight (this morning) some of the girls took me downtown for a drink; well one drink turned into seven shots and a drink - lawd! I'm fine this morning though, so that's good! I'm going on a 9:00 coffee date with the boy, and then have my first exam of the semester at 9:40 in communication research methods - hope it goes well! Tonight I'm doing a big dinner with friends at 7:30, but prior to that I have a Special Olympics very important meeting to attend, with the president of our state office coming to town - I hope it goes well, and quickly! I'll recap with pictures and specifics tomorrow; there is a dress hanging in my closet that I'm very excited to wear! Oodles of love from Montana y'all!

Laura Trevey Fun

2010-02-15T17:07:00.000-08:00

I got this beautiful print from Laura Trevey for my Mama for her birthday today. Since she came to visit this weekend as a surprise, I got to give it to her in person and she loved it! She has fun roosters all around her kitchen. Her most recent rooster was handmade in Jamaica and she bought in December while there for my sister's graduation trip.

When I get my own apartment, I can't wait to order some of Laura's work for my own use. Y'all should definitely check out her etsy shop or visit her blog!

♥ Day

2010-02-14T07:41:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day, y'all! I hope that you get to spend it with those you love! I just wanted to share the gifts that were exchanged this weekend.

My parents bought me an absolutely adorable pink trench coat with black accents and one of my favorite movies, Steel Magnolias, on DVD along with an OPI nail polish called "Done Out In Deco" that I have on my fingernails right now - it's a lavender type color.

I bought Matthew two new pairs of boxers and a comforter for his bed - he hasn't one at all this whole time we've been in college!

He bought me a fun book and a set of pillowcases from here: http://boldloft.com
They're called: Say I Love You and I almost bought him the same thing! hahaha! I love that boy!

What did y'all do for Valentine's Day?

weekend wonderful ♥

2010-02-14T06:45:00.000-08:00

Friday night Matthew and I went to see Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief. It was such a good movie and we had fun spotting and identifying the Greek mythology and figuring what was left out - such nerds! Probably why we get along so well! :)

Saturday morning we woke up and went to brunch at the food zoo - omelets and grapefruit? Yes please! Then he hurried me home to get ready, but right as I was about to get in the shower I got a phone call from my parents who were in town for the weekend as a surprise! What a great surprise too! My Mama's birthday is Monday, the 15th and mine is Tuesday the 23rd, so we kind of got to celebrate a joint birthday! They cam as an early 21st birthday present! They also bought me a fun pair of Brighton earrings! We went and grabbed lunch at Five Guys, since they were hungry, and then headed to the mall for me to pick up community day sales coupon books from Herbergers for a Special Olympics fundraiser, I got my bangs trimmed and we went to a second hand bookstore and found some awesome treasures. Then we went back to the hotel, got ready, went to dinner a my favorite restaurant: Ciao Mambo, and went to the Lady Griz basketball game against Eastern Washington with a group of our Special Olympics athletes! It was such a fun day and I had my first drink with my parents, my favorite pasta dish ever and a fabulous birthday desert!

Today we're going to brunch at this cute place by the bookstore we went to yesterday called Paul's Pancake Parlor - there s always a wait, but the food is worth it! Then we'll just hang out for the afternoon before I take them to the airport at 3. A whirlwind trip for them, but such a fun surprise for me! I am so thankful for my wonderful family and so happy my parents came to visit me!

What did y'all do this weekend?

Fundraising Success!!! :)

2010-02-08T13:19:00.000-08:00

So this past Saturday was our annual Special Olympics Montana (SOMT) Polar Plunge in association with the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR), better known as the Super Grizzly Dip and we raised over $37,000! Our athletes who attended were so excited and we had such a great community turnout for the event! It made me so happy to know that in a time of limited giving to non-profits due to an economic lull that so much was raised to help a disadvantaged population of our society. I also plan to plunge myself next year instead of just helping plan and run the event; I'll do that too, but I want to plunge and put together a team next year! I think my sorority sisters would have fun doing this event because we're all so silly and outrageous in the funny things we do to amuse ourselves! I think it would fun to get other Greeks involved too, so we'll see!

What did y'all do this weekend? Anything fun?

it's a black & gold love affair ♥

2010-02-07T09:36:00.000-08:00

HERE WE GO STEELERS, HERE WE GO!!! Until today's match between Indianapolis and New Orlean's is over, we are still the World Champions! :)

I AM A T, I AM A T-H, I AM A T-H-E-T-A, AND I LOVE T-H-E-T-A WITH ALL MY H-E-A-R-T, WHICH IS WHY I F-L-Y MY K-I-T-E, AT THE U OF M!

MY MATERNAL GRANDPARENT'S FIRST DATE WAS TO A HOCKEY GAME, SO FOR GRAMMY & I THE PENGUINS ARE EXTRA SPECIAL! AND OH YEAH, THEY'RE THE CURRENT HOLDERS OF THE STANLEY CUP!

IT'S THE SAINTS FIRST TRIP TO THE SUPER BOWL, AND I DO BELIEVE THEY DESERVE TO NOT ONLY BE THERE, BUT TO WIN! THEY HAD ONE OF THE BEST SEASON'S THIS YEAR & I HOPE THAT TONIGHT BLACK & GOLD CONFETTI RAINS DOWN JUST AS IT DID LAST YEAR! FOR ALL Y'ALL TRUE BLUE SAINTS FANS OUT THERE, WHO DAT? & GEAUX SAINTS!!

2010-01-31T08:20:00.000-08:00

Y'all our snow was almost all melted yesterday and today it is WHITE outside! The ground, the trees, the cars, the sky & the stuff falling from the sky! I'm kind of over the snow, especially since I'm not the biggest "snow bunny" :) It's beautiful, just inconvenient.

This weekend has just been spent hanging out with Matthew, running errands and doing homework - so much homework and we're only going into the second week of classes! I really enjoy each of my classes so far though, so that's good!

What have y'all been up to this weekend? How is the weather where y'all are?

lazy, but productive day

2010-01-27T12:02:00.000-08:00

Today is all about homework (I have so much for only having one day of class!), laundry, finishing scholarship applications that are due February 1, working on my Congressional Leadership Program application and watching the State of the Union on television tonight.

I'm interested to hear the president's take on our country's current status, since we have such different political personalities and view points. Fox News is reporting the focus of the address tonight will be the economy, small business and employment/unemployment - rumor is that health care will barely be addressed if it comes up at all. Should be very interesting, I think. Will y'all be watching the State of the Union?

Spring 2010 is in session

2010-01-26T18:18:00.001-08:00

School is back in session, which means I'm back to blogging! Since I landed in town on Saturday afternoon, it has been snowing almost consistently, with small and infrequent gaps of time of no snow. I'm freezing after the 50+ degree weather Colorado was having over winter break! I've already had to drop one of my classes, and I need to override my internship credit for my internship with Special Olympics, which will put me at 19 credits for the semester.

I'm going to give my opinion on each class based on the first day, and we'll see how my predictions ring for the rest of the semester.

Mondays, I only have class from 4:10-6:30 P.M. and it's my Advanced Nonprofit Administration class, which will be a lot of work. The class meets once a week, and is divided into four sections: Strategic Planning, Fund-raising, Grant Writing & Financial Management. With only 15 class periods and 4 separate "mini-classes", it's going to be intense!

Tuesdays I have four classes. The first class is Communication Research Methods from 9:40-11:00 A.M. This is a dry subject matter, but I think it will be more interesting as we delve into our group research projects. The teacher is also very interested in discussing with us his own research and helping us understand and become good researchers ourselves. He is also very young and fun & his wife teaches in the department too!

From 11:10-12:30 I have Rhetoric of Women's Activism 1960-Present with my advisor and one of my favorite professors. This class will be really interesting, as it is discussion based, involves a lot of writing and we'll be using a history text as well as primary documents and rhetorical analysis of these documents. The word feminism scares me, since I'm such a traditional girl, and don't identify with many of the feminist stereotypes; I'm pro-life, straight, think women should stay at home for at least the child's first year of life, and many other things that go against my limited view and opinion of feminists - I'm excited to challenge my beliefs and make myself uncomfortable and learn something new!

2:00-3:30 is my class on Gender & Communication with the same professor I have for my 11:10-12:30 class. This class is larger and less discussion based, but there is till value to discussions in the class. This class should be easy to get an A in, which is reassuring to me. We'll see how I do.

3:40-5:00 P.M. is my last class of the day on Tuesday and Thursday and is called Communication & Conflict. The professor sounds a bit like the "dry eyes" guy, but the class will focus on defining conflict and analyzing how it impacts communication. We also have to write a conflict analysis of a publicized conflict - if y'all have any suggestions, please pass it on to me - I'd be so appreciative!

Wednesday and Friday I don't have classes and Thursdays I have one additional class at 8:00 A.M. and it's my Communication Research Methods Lab, where we work with our group on on research project.

I'll hopefully have interesting topics from my classes to blog from and I look forward to being back and hearing from y'all!

Have a wonderful Tuesday night & Wednesday!

XOXO ♥

My Current Obsession

2010-01-15T20:38:00.000-08:00

Hank Williams sang it

Number 3 drove it

Chuck Berry twanged it

Will Faulkner wrote it

Aretha Franklin sold it

Dolly Parton graced it

Rosa Parks rode it

Scarlett O chased it

Smooth as the hickory wind

That blows from Memphis

Down to Apalachicola

It's hi ya'll did ya eat well

Come on in I'm

Sure glad to know ya

Don't let this old gold cross

And this Allman Brothers t-shirt throw ya

It's cicadas making noise

With a southern voice

Hank Aaron smacked it

Michael Jordan dunked it

Pocahantas tracked it

Jack Daniels drunk it

Tom Petty rocked it

Dr. King paved it

Bear Bryant won it

Billy Graham saved it

Smooth as the hickory wind

That blows from Memphis down to Apalachicola

It's hi ya'll did ya eat well

Come on in I'm sure glad to know ya

Don't let this old gold cross

And this Crimson Tide t-shirt throw ya

It's cicadas making noise

With a southern voice

Jesus is my friend

America is my home

Sweet iced tea and Jerry Lee

Daytona Beach

That's what gets to me

I can feel it in my bones

Smooth as the hickory wind

That blows from Memphis

Down to Apalachicola

It's hi ya'll did ya eat well

Come on in child

I'm sure glad to know ya

Don't let this old gold cross

And this Charlie Daniels t-shirt throw ya

We're just boys making noise

With a southern voice

Southern Voice

I got a southern voice

A southern voice

This song encompasses so much that I L-O-V-E about the South & what makes it so special to me! I love the fact that this song is my favorite movie, not just of this year, but honestly of all time The Blind Side (it passed up Steel Magnolias y'all - that's HUGE!) I also love that the official video was filmed at the NFL kick-off party in Pittsburgh & everyone is waving Terrible Towels! There is so much I just LOVE about this song, video, artist, etc. and I hope y'all love it too! What is your current obsession?

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS ♥

2010-01-07T21:24:00.000-08:00

My favorite football team since I was a little girl, the school I always thought I would go to & the school I now dream of doing post-grad work at is the new national champion! We beat a very strong, very skilled Texas team, whom my boyfriend has held the same sentiments that I have for Alabama for since he was a little boy. We were a split house and now that Colt McCoy got hurt, he won't speak to me. Had Texas been playing anyone but Alabama, I would have loved for them to win; but they weren't - they played my boys, and my boys won! I am on cloud 10 (Sabrina the teenage with shoutout) right now and so excited and proud to be a Crimson Tide fan!

goodbye decade; you were a fun one!

2009-12-31T11:29:00.000-08:00

The events each year may be out of order, and for that I'm sorry, I'm just typing them as I remember them!

2000: In 2000 I graduated 5th grade from Lakeridge Elementary, performed in a Pied Piper Theater show in northern Virginia of The Wizard of OZ, started middle school at Lakeridge Middle, went to Disney World for my brother's 5th birthday (during the election - fun time to be in Florida!) learned to play oboe for band, and went to Philadelphia with my 5th grade class for our annual big field trip!

2001: I went to President George W. Bush's inauguration - still have my pin! We moved from northern Virginia to Minot, North Dakota, was in 7th grade at Bishop Ryan Catholic High School, performed in Cinderella at school, played basketball for the first time, was thankful my daddy no longer worked at the pentagon after 9/11, lost a dear friend to a brain tumor.

2002: Finished 7th grade and started 8th grade at Memorial Middles school (for those of you keeping track, I went to three middle schools). Played volleyball & basketball for school. Was in both choir and band, learned to play the tenor saxophone. Performed in the musical Oliver! at Minot State University in their summer theatre program. Had my first "boyfriend", who I'm still friends with today! In November, he moved to Michigan.

2003: Finished 8th grade and started 9th grade at Prattville High School in Prattville, Alabama - my favorite place I've ever lived! Swam and ran track for my 8th grade team. Moved to Alabama. Became very active in LifeTeen at church. Joined Marching Band. Fell in love with the game of football. Re encountered many old friends from our previous years in Alabama and from military families that moved there for school like my Daddy! Learned how to operate lights and sound for theatre & loved it! Performed in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer & ran lights for Steel Magnolias, Thurber Carnival & Godspell & ushered for Footloose. Had my first real boyfriend. Spent Thanksgiving in Georgia with my uncle & cousin. Spent New Years in Pennsylvania with my grandparents, cousins and extended family.

2004: Moved to Colorado where I did 10th grade at Air Academy High School. Our AAHS marching band took second in the state. Dated a college boy. Hung out with Air Force Academy students. Learned how to ski. Taught 3rd grade Sunday School.

2005: Moved to Montana, where I did my junior year at C M Russell High School. Final year in band; Montana didn't do marching band, and that was my favorite kind! Did lighting for King Lear. Worked at the base Youth Center and as a nanny that summer. Became an Intern at church where I planned all the retreats and parties at church. Dated an amazing guy, but broke it off because I was scared.

2006: Stayed at the same school where I became a Senior! Inducted into the National Honor Society. Worked at Dairy Queen that summer and Anthony's that fall. Went on a summer road trip to look at school in Pennsylvania. Went to yearbook camp at Gonzaga University. Went to prom with my now boyfriend, then he was kind of a stranger. Went to Girl's State. Was in all state orchestra with my oboe. prom date became my bff. Was excepted to every school I applied to.

2007: I graduated high school. Went to prom with the same guy. Interned at a credit union in the human resources department. Decided to attend the University of Montana. Moved to Colorado. Started college. Joined a sorority. Dated the same boy I did freshman year of high school; he followed me to school in Montana.

2008: Broke up with boyfriend in August. Started dating current boy in November. Had a fling with a friend in between then. Visited Seattle and LOVED it! Got a Little in my sorority whom I love dearly! Nannied for the summer.

2009: Interned my summer in my congressman's district office. Went to Forester's Ball and had a blast. Deactivated from my sorority for a semester. Celebrated one year with the boy! Turned 20. Became a grandma in my sorority to two wonderful baby kites! Started interning with Special Olympics. Finally settled on a major.

What will the new decade hold? It will start with me turning 21 and end as I'm about to enter my 30s. maybe I'll get married, maybe I'll become a mama. Where will I be living? I hope to attend graduate school. I hope to have a good career established. I will graduate college. hopefully it will be full of fun, laughter, joy and magic!

Until 2010, joy, love & blessing to you and yours for a safe & wonderful holiday!

Avatar Review

2009-12-26T10:20:00.000-08:00

I hope each of y'all had a blessed and wonderful Christmas! I'll do a post with Christmas Eve pictures and a gift recap later, but I wanted to recommend a movie I saw on December 23 with my Daddy.

We went to see Avatar and it was absolutely amazing! I was so skeptical going to it, didn't really want to see it, just wanted to spend time with Daddy, but it was AMAZING! the story line, the acting, the special effects, the score - the whole movie was very well done and I'll be very surprised if it does not win Best Special Effects and Best Direction at the Academy Awards and I feel it will be a high contender for Best Picture.

Another fun tidbit, my Daddy grew up down the street in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania from Joe Letteri who was the visual effects supervisor for the movie & the man who won Academy Awards for creating Gollum in Lord of the Rings. They're in their high school hall of fame together - how cool! Anyways, besides the fact that we have a personal connection to the special effects supervisor, we really enjoyed the film and didn't know his involvement until we watched the credits at the end of the film.

If you're looking for a fun movie to see and a great way to spend the afternoon or evening, please go see this film and then let me know what y'all think!

Merry Christmas Y'all! ♥

2009-12-24T12:22:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Eve y'all! My favorite part of today is that my family is always together and our fun traditions! We always go to the 4 o'clock Christmas Eve Children's Mass followed by Chinese for dinner - the past few years we've had P.F. Chang's like we will tonight! Followed by driving around and looking at Christmas lights, opening our new Christmas pajamas, playing a family board game, reading The Night Before Christmas and going to bed early. Santa will come and hide the pickle ornament on the tree, fill our stockings and leave gifts under the tree. We will wake up early, if we sleep at all, and wait at the top of the stairs until Mama and Daddy are ready with camera in hand and coffee brewing, then we'll rush down the stairs for present opening to the smell of coffee brewing and Christmas casserole cooking! I LOVE our traditions and would love to hear y'all's. Merry Christmas to you and your beloved; may it be joyful & blessed beyond al measure!

2009-12-19T07:14:00.000-08:00

Update: the Griz lost to Villanova 23-21. Villanova completely outplayed Montana in the 2nd half; it was really sad to watch honestly, especially after last year's heartbreak losing to Richmond in the same game. Oh, well - it was an amazing season and I am a proud member of Griz Nation!

We Believe!

2009-12-18T14:58:00.000-08:00

Tonight my university takes on the Villanova Wildcats to see who will be the National Championship in football! Game has an 8:00 EST kick-off on ESPN2 - y'all should watch it if you can! Griz football is amazing! ♥

Griz Nation ♥

2009-12-12T22:40:00.000-08:00

So many exciting things happened today! First of all, my school played on ESPN today and the most common sign read: Even Santa Picks moNtana! We won 24-17 at the very end of the game and will be playing for the National Championship on Friday in Chatanooga, Tennessee, also on ESPN! So exciting! On that same note, we had the number 1 play on Sports Center, which was so very cool! The video on this post is called "The Tunnel Run"; they play it at the start of every home game and as the video ends, the Griz take the field! It's such a cool tradition that I thought I'd share with you!

In other sports news, Mark Ingram, running back from Alabama won the 75th Heisman award tonight and is the first member of the Crimson Tide to do so! Here's hoping the good luck continues into the National Championship Game against Texas! My boyfriend's brother says Ingram winning the Heisman, means Texas will win the championship due to the "curse" - to that, I say, no way! :)

If you get a chance, please watch the video below and tune into the game against Villanova on Friday night!

I also want to say a huge congratulations and great game to the Mountaineers; they fought so hard and played that game through until the VERY last second! Through all the wind, snow and crazy Hellgate Canyon weather we received here in Montana today!

Theta Christmas Party Photos ♥

2009-12-12T22:15:00.001-08:00

These photos are very out of order, but I don't believe that matters. Every December instead of having a formal, the alumni chapter throws us a Christmas party, complete with a magician Santa! The dinner is always catered and a very nice "adult" party.

This photo is several of us girls after dinner; the hearts are from Santa! I'm in the middle, with of my very best friends to my immediate left. The other three girls are newly initiated and the girl in blue to my right is my developmental psychology buddy! The girl is red is my "great-niece" in our sorority family and the girl in white is just a doll! All of these girls are absolute sweethearts!

This is Rachel & I; she is one of my very best friends in Montana! We lived next door to each other in the dorms first semester of college (I went through formal recruitment & she went through COB) and moved into Theta as roommates our second semester freshman year!

This is Matthew and I in his dorm room prior to our leaving for the dinner; as we left it was snowing and magical!

This is my little, also known as Little J - like Gossip Girl, as her name is Jenny & we love watching Gossip Girl together when we get the opportunity! She is our new CIO or VPE for this upcoming year & I'm honored to be on her committee! I'm also serving on the Scholarship committee this upcoming year.

This was our table at the dinner; it was very nice to be with Amanda and Chaz (the couple immediately to the left of the picture) and Henny & Kat (Henny is in the center of the picture and Kat is to his right).

Amanda, my other Montana best friend, and I with Santa! She and I were actually roommates first semester of our sophomore year of college.

And finally, we have Matthew and I with Santa; after this was taken we left the house and went to Chaz's house to have wine night and play Apples to Apples; it was nice to spend time just Matthew, Amanda, Chaz and I, as we've all been so busy this semester!

2009-12-02T00:03:00.000-08:00

It is 1 a.m. and I am no where near finished for the night. The library closes at 2 a.m. I have class at 9 a.m. I will probably be going to bed around 3 a.m. even if my work is not all done, and I have to get up at 7:30-7:45 in order to get ready and shower before class and make the 15 minute walk to class; Wednesdays are already my longest day, but today will be extra long. Any suggestions or tips on how to make it through? I'd love y'all's advice! Just got to push through 13 more days and I'll be home working on my one take-home final and then I'll have a month to write a research paper and focus solely on that! Yay! I'll do a post about that resarech topic; its a good one! :) Okay y'all, I'm countin on ya to send me energizing tips!

Top Ten Christmas Church Songs

2009-11-30T07:20:00.002-08:00

These are songs we sing regularly at Christmas Mass every year, keep in mind I go to the Children's Mass every year, and many are part of the pageant telling of the Christmas Gospel! I love Christmas Eve mass and these songs! They are full of such joy and I love the story that is behind each one!

10. What Child Is This?
9. Angels We Have Heard on High
8. Go Tell It On a Mountain
7. Oh Little Town of Bethlehem
6. Oh, Come, Oh, Come, Emmanuel
5. Away in a Manger
4. Silent Night
3. Do You Hear What I Hear
2. Mary, Did You Know?
1. Holy Night

What do y'all sing at Christmas Mass or service every year? What are your favorites?

Top Ten Traditional Christmas Songs

2009-11-30T07:13:00.000-08:00

Here is my list of my favorite ten "traditional" Christmas songs. I'll do one more post in this series about my ten favorite Church Christmas songs too!

10. Feliz Navidad
9. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
8. Up on the Housetop
7. Oh, Tannenbaum
6. I Saw Three Ships (Come Sailing In)
5. We Wish You a Merry Christmas
4.Jingle Bells
3. Carol of the Bells
2. Santa Baby
1. Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

What are your favorite Christmas songs?

2009-11-30T07:10:00.000-08:00

Happy last day of November y'all! It feels so surreal to be the final day of the month of thanksgivings and the eve of the moth of joys, but y'all it is here! Where did this semester fly? I have so much to do and literally no time! In honor of the final day of the month of thanksgivings, I'm going to do one more thankful post, before tomorrow begins my daily joys! :) Today I am thankful for hot rollers - they make my hair so voluminous and big and bouncy! I L-O-V-E it! hahaha!

Top Ten Nontraditional Christmas Songs

2009-11-29T12:04:00.000-08:00

I L-O-V-E Christmas music y'all - I start listening to it on November 1, much to the disgruntlement of the majority of my sorority sisters, except for Rachel because she does it with me! Hahaha! So, I thought I would share my top 10 "nontraditional" Christmas songs and then in another post my top 10 "traditional" Christmas songs!

10. Tennessee Christmas by Alabama
9. Reindeer Boogie by Trisha Yearwood
8. Santa Claus Lane by Hilary Duff
7. Last Christmas by Ashley Tisdale
6. Grown Up Christmas List by Amy Grant (she's a Theta!)
5. Breath of Heaven by Amy Grant
4. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays by N*SYNC
3. Thistlehair the Christmas Bear by Alabama
2. Christmas in Dixie by Alabama
1. Take a Walk Through Bethlehem by Trisha Yearwood

Christmas Traditions

2009-11-29T08:52:00.000-08:00

Kelly is hosting a show us your Christmas traditions this weekend, and I thought I'd share my favorites with y'all!

1. I'll start with Christmas Eve: we always go to Children's Mass at church.
2. After children's mass, we have Chinese for dinner - in Colorado, it's P.F. Chang's.
3. After Chinese food, we drive around looking at Christmas lights and listening to Christmas music.
4. Then we head home, and open up one gift - a new pair of pajamas; for pictures the next morning!
5. We read Twas the Night Before Christmas and sometimes will either watch a Christmas movie, or play a game depending on what time it is - my Mama always shoos us to bed by 10:oo at the latest!
6. Once we're in bed, Mama hides a pickle ornament somewhere on the tree.
7. Christmas morning, the parents have to be down by the Christmas tree before we're allowed, so they can snap pictures of us in our groggy state - I've started waking up 10 minutes early to go "freshen up" in the bathroom - you know, fix the hair and make-up so I look somewhat normal!
8. We explore our presents from Santa - they're unwrapped, so we see them first, our stockings are off the mantle and with our pile.
9. The hunt is on for the pickle - winner gets a fun surprise. Some years it pickle chips that immediately are handed to Mama who loves them. Sometimes its a new CD or DVD we all enjoy. Sometimes its a "green goodie bag" with green m&ms, a green i-tunes card, green mechanical pencil, green gum, green mints, etc.
10. We open our wrapped gifts from family.
11. We eat my Mama's special Christmas morning casserole.
12. We watch someone's new movie, because without fail, we'll all get at least one CD, one DVD and one book! :)
13. If there's snow, we go sledding up on the Academy.
14. Christmas dinner (late afternoon) of ham, corn pudding, yams, green bean casserole, etc.
15. Watch White Christmas.
16. Play games and lounge around until bed.

We put our tree up and decorate the house right after Thanksgiving normally, but sometimes we wait until we're al home to do so, which is why it wasn't included.

2009-11-27T17:02:00.000-08:00

Since I didn't post yesterday, that just means I get to express even more thanks today! So, first of all I am so blessed with my family - yesterday over Thanksgiving dinner (it was 3 in the afternoon, so the term dinner is more appropriate than supper!) I laughed so hard my belly ached and I was crying! My family has a wicked sense of humor! I am so thankful for each of them, that we are all healthy and that we got to spend the holiday together!

Second, Alabama squeaked by Auburn to win our second straight Iron Bowl and remain undefeated! As the paper termed it this morning, Alabama is after the title trifecta - now that we have the state title, its off to the SEC title game and *cross your fingers* the national championship game! I'm so proud of how hard those boys work and the discipline they have! I'm also thankful that the Longhorns and Cowboys won yesterday, as Matthew is always much more pleasant to be around when they win, than when they lose!

Since I probably won't be able to post tomorrow, as we're driving back to Montana, I'm going to do a third set of thanks! :) I'm thankful that my parents are both employed in the current economy and that they provide for all that we need and things that we want too! Today I got two dresses, one for winter formal on December 5 and one for spring formal. My Daddy also bought me toiletries I need, filled my car with gas and helped me wash it; they have also paid for all food and gas for my trip down, during and back - I'm thankful they're in a position to do so, since I am not. I have been searching for a job and just keep coming up shy - its so frustrating! But I'm blessed that I have parents who pay for my car, a roof over my head, and food in my stomach.
Not so happy, when I get back to school I have to pay my parking ticket :(
Here's to wishing y'all a happy last weekend in November and a joy-filled weekend start to the "Christmas season"! Oodles of love from Colorado (soon to be Montana!) to y'all, wherever you may be!

2009-11-25T16:29:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful for my westie, Madeline Virginia or Maddie, as she is affectionately known; even if Mama calls he Matilda just to see if she'll answer - she does. She is 9 years old; she was born in May of 2000 and we got her in July of that year. She may be old in dog years, but she is still a puppy sometimes! The only time she barks is if she sees another dog or feels like one of us is threatened in some way. Her two favorite toys are a black rubber rat (who is missing its nose) and a black fluffy squirrel. The rat was originally our cats, but Maddie claimed it as her own, and when its not beside her in bed, it always ends p right inside the front door - charming. She loves boys best, probably because they have stinkier feet than girls do and she loves that! While it was just Matthew and I home today, she was sassy as all get out and demanded our attention, but when other people came home she decided it was time for a nap! What a goofball! I love that silly girl!

2009-11-24T18:42:00.000-08:00

Y'all I saw a movie today that three weeks ago you would not have been able to drag me to! I saw New Moon. My foray into the world of Twilight was two weeks ago when my sorority sisters made me watch Twilight with them. It was okay, but I didn't understand the hooplah, even with my Mama and Rae, and a house full of sorority women in LOVE with it! Mama and Rae have been trying to get me to read those books since Rae was a freshman in high school - she'd a senior now! I continued to resist, but my excuses ran up a few weeks ago, and I have to say the story line isn't that bad. I'm by no means a twi-hard, but I enjoyed New Moon and was pleasantly impressed! It made me laugh how my Mama's friend Anne had to say "Cathy, calm down!" every time Taylor Lautner came on screen! It was too funny to see two forty-something women acting that way! Rae, being a goofball and the same age as Taylor, has her phone background as a picture of Taylor's abs, and now Mama does too! :) I would recommend this movie as a fun girls day, but it by no means compares to The Blind Side in my opinion!

2009-11-23T16:27:00.000-08:00

Sunday afternoon my family, Matthew and I went to see The Blind Side and it instantly became my new favorite movie! The story is incredible! I spent the whole movie crying so hard; either real tears from the heartbreak or tears from laughing until belly hurt! Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) is so strong, stands up when she is called to and exhibits intense fierceness in protecting her family and doing whats right; plus she knows her SEC football and is wickedly fashionable! I want to be her. What an amazing woman. Please go see this movie, I promise it is completely worth it! It wouldn' be my new favorite movie, if it weren't!

Today Mama, Rae and I went shopping. I only got one top (the one pictured below) but it was still fun! Rae got a great dress from the Simply Vera line and my shirt is from the LC Lauren Conrad line. Rae is planning to wear the dress for Christmas Eve (I'll post pictures!) and I think she may wear it in two weeks when Rae, Mama, Daddy and Ben jet off to Jamaica for a week for Rae's senior trip! I'm so jealous that they're going y'all and I'll be up in snowy Montana! I hope she has the time of her life! She also officially decided on where she'll be attending college next year - Rae will be a ram at Colorado State!

Tonight I am trying to write a 1700 word media review on a book entitled Fever and Thirst for History of Iraq and a seven page paper on Human Rights in China for my class on Modern China. Tomorrow, Mama, Rae and Mama's friend Anne are going to see New Moon and hit up a few department stores to try and find a dress I can wear for our sorority winter formal dinner on the 5th and for Christmas Eve; cross your fingers I find something, or who knows what I'll do! I'm also going to tackle my statistics homework tomorrow - LONG night and day ahead of me! Well, Mama just called me up to dinner, so I'll talk to y'all tomorrow!

Oh, and I'm thankful I'm able to shop in the current economic climate and I'm thankful for my Mama and sister!

HOME ♥

2009-11-21T22:34:00.000-08:00

I'm thankful to be home in Colorado with my family. I'm thankful the roads were clear and that we made it in 14 hours. I'm thankful for an amazing boyfriend who insisted on driving the whole way. I'm thankful to God for keeping us safe and watching over us. I'm very blessed and thankful for today and for being home for Thanksgiving; I didn't make it home last year and freshman year driving home was a nightmare that resulted in many near accidents on abandoned icy Wyoming roads, so for the good fortune of today I am beyond grateful and to be with my family during my favorite holiday (okay, it's tied with Christmas) makes be not only the happiest, luckiest girl, but truly the most sincerely grateful too!

2009-11-19T10:52:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful for my internship. I am in charge of planning a recreation day as my program planning fulfillment and it's gearing up to be tons of fun! Flagship is coming to spend the day with our athletes from 11-3 and we're going to do the sport wall, play basketball, learn to make our own healthy sandwiches and swim! we're really trying to stress healthy habits to our athletes, so this will be great! I'm very blessed to have this opportunity and learn as much as I can!

2009-11-18T12:36:00.001-08:00

Today I am thankful for my organizational and leadership abilities; my group had to lead discussion in class today, and had I not been so adamant about everyone doing the reading and sending reminders, I doubt they would have remembered, let alone shown up! But, as it is, we did great and touched on many important discussion points and things we will be discussing/learning about for the remainder of the semester. Yay! The two boys are such "last minute" people, the other girl does it on her own time (usually in a good way) and I always try to be at least one class period, if not a week ahead so that I'm prepared. My teacher loved our questions though and the class had one of the best discussion of the semester though, so yay! I'm thankful for my ability to plan, organize, lead and not be pushy!

2009-11-17T19:20:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful for laughter. It really is the best medicine and never fails to make someone else smile too! I originally fell in love with laughter watching Mary Poppins, remember the scene where laughter allows them to float to the ceiling? Best metaphor around and makes me smile every time I see it! I L-O-V-E Mary Poppins very much, by the way!

However, I think Audrey Hepburn said it best:

"I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it's the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It's probably the most important thing in a person."

♥

2009-11-16T14:58:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful for Tylenol extra strength. It is the only pain medication I can take due to other medications I am on and it is a life saver when I get cramps or migraines! Silly, maybe? helpful? absolutely!

2009-11-15T20:22:00.000-08:00

I know I did this Friday, but I wanted to tell y'all what we did for our 1 year anniversary and the gifts we exchanged!

We went to dinner at Ciao Mambo on Friday night and he surprised me with a dozen red roses, an Audrey Hepburn journal and the children's book Guess How Much I Love You (pictures below). How sweet is he?

I made him a calendar on Shutterfly that had special dates and birthdays customized as well as fun pictures of us for each month and fun Disney quotes that described the pictures! I also got him his favorite candy - Harlbro gummy bears! Y'all couldn't believe how hard it was to find those! We had a fun weekend (even if the Steelers and Cowboys both lost. . . ) and I can't wait to see what the future has in store for us!

Book Swap fun

2009-11-15T20:07:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I received my book swap package in the mail from Niki at Niki's Adventures in Bagging & Stuff! She was so sweet! She made me a bag that contained all my goodies! She gave a book entitled The Painted Veil that I am very much looking forward to reading - it sounds like a great story! Hopefully I'll get a chance to read it on my Thanksgiving road trip to Colorado - if not, it will make great flight reading when I travel home after finals! She also included some Texas honey - two things I love combined in one! Awesome! There was also a sweet note, pens and two "matchbook" notepads! I always carry a notebook and pen in my bag and keep one in my glove compartment of my car, so that was so sweet! Enjoy the pictures below!

I hope she enjoyed her package too! I sent her The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, huckleberry tea and my favorite tea - green chai! Tea and reading go hand-in-hand in my mind! ♥ Thank you so much Niki for your gift! Thank you to Kelly at Perambulations through Pittsburgh for hosting the swap! ♥

2009-11-13T10:30:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful for my boyfriend.

We have been best friends since our junior year of high school and began dating a year ago today! He honestly makes me the happiest I've ever been and is such a sweetheart!

He bought me flowers and got me the sweetest little surprises! He is such a gentleman, plus he is intelligent beyond measure - he is fluent in three languages and learning a fourth; he wants to learn many more too! His goal is to work for the FBI and I have no doubt he will achieve it! He inspires me to do more, be more and work more - and I need that extra push sometimes!

Matthew, I love you and am blessed to have you in my life! ♥

2009-11-12T15:47:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful to just be. :)

2009-11-11T14:01:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful for our military; I'm thankful for them everyday, but today is an especially appropriate day to write about it! My daddy is a Colonel in the Air Force and he has always been my biggest hero!

My uncle served in the Navy before attending college, I have cousins in the army who are currently stationed at Ft. Hood, my Pap-Pap was in the army and served one tour in Korea and two in Vietnam, my Pappy was in the Navy during Korea and each and every one of my great-uncles served in the armed forces too. Not to mention all of the friends I have who are serving their time.

A fun fact from my Mama's side of the family is that her Mom's dad (my great-grandpa) served in the military in Austria, specifically the division responsible for protecting the Archduke Franz Ferdinand whose assassination played a large role in starting WWI. His division was one of the first groups looked at as being responsible for the assassination, which is how he came to flee to America at the age of 19. That's younger than me!

Today I ask each of you to say a prayer for our armed forces, and the armed forces all around the world, praying for their safety and the safety of their families. I am truly thankful to come from a long line of people who feel it is their duty and responsibility to put their life on the line for their country. I hope everyone appreciates their day of school or of work by taking the time to thank a military personnel for their service.

2009-11-10T15:06:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful for cinematography. Instead of a normal lecture we watched two Chinese films today in class - only clips, mind you, but they were fantastic! Without this invention we wouldn't have our documentary to supplement our learning, movies to entertain us, etc. So today, I am thankful for film!

2009-11-09T06:34:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful for coffee, tea, anything caffeinated really! This week is going to be a tough one here at school with two exams and two papers!

Although, on the positive side there is no class on Wednesday courtesy of Veteran's Day and today is my only 9 a.m. courtesy of the Association of Communication something-or-other conference in Chicago, I believe that the entire Communication Studeies department faculty is attending and presenting at! I know my professors will do amazing as they've been working on really interesting research!

Then only seven days of class (and 2 more papers!) before the boyfriend and I begin our drive to Colorado for Thanksgiving! Yay!

I hope y'all have a great Monday and it's not too crazy for anyone!

2009-11-08T09:17:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful I have the ability to help others; we're doing an all Greek leaf raking for our neighbors in the University district, especially since a lot of families live and elderly live in this historic part of town! I'll post pictures later this week, if we take any!

I am also thankful that the Crimson Tide clinched the SEC West when they defeated LSU yesterday, sending us to a December 5th meeting with those Gators to determine the SEC Championship! ROLL TIDE ROLL y'all! This makes me heart happy in so many ways!

I hope each of y'all has a beautiful and blessed Sunday!

2009-11-07T18:39:00.000-08:00

Savior, please take my hand
I work so hard, I live so fast
This life begins, and then it ends
And I do the best that I can, but I don't know how long I'll last

I try to be so tough
But I'm just not strong enough
I can't do this alone, God I need You to hold on to me
I try to be good enough
But I'm nothing without Your love
Savior, please keep saving me

Savior, please help me stand
I fall so hard, I fade so fast
Will You begin right where I end
And be the God of all I am because You're all I have

Hallelujah
Everything You are to me
Is everything I'll ever need
And I am learning to believe
That I don't have to prove a thing
'Cause You're the one who's saving me

This song is really speaking to my heart right now and the lyrics are so powerful! Please give it a listen if you haven't already! Whenever I'm caught up in stress and the business that is collegiate life, God puts this song on in the car or on Pandora and it never cease to stop me in my tracks, ,make me listen and pray that God take some of my burden and I feel so much better! It's called Saviour, Please by Josh Wilson.

2009-11-07T10:36:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful for football. I know this sounds silly, but I have such a deep passion for the traditions and the game! I'm also excited about football this weekend in particular because today is the Alabama versus LSU game - one of my favorite match ups because I have such a strong love for the Crimson Tide and loathing for Louisiana State! My younger brother turns 14 tomorrow and for his present, my daddy is taking him to watch our family's beloved Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Denver Broncos in Denver on Monday night! Here's to pulling for victories from the Crimson Tide and Steelers!

2009-11-06T16:05:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful for my sorority's ritual and history. It's Initiation night! :)

2009-11-05T15:32:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe the news coming out of Ft. Hood right now! I have family and know co-workers husbands who are stationed there! Please pray for all soldiers, families and friends of those stationed there! I know that I am! I am thankful that my loved ones are safe, but am so saddened for those who are not! As a military child and strong supporter of the military this news breaks my heart!

2009-11-05T11:10:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful for my warm bed, comfy pillows and own room - both at home and in my sorority.

Today is our Loyalty Service and tomorrow is Initiation! :)

2009-11-04T13:09:00.000-08:00

Today I'm thankful to live in a democratic country - interesting and exciting election day yesterday! Also LOVED this week's Gossip Girl tie in to election day! Cocoa and Cram tonight! :) Until Tomorrow y'all!

2009-11-03T17:23:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful that I have sisters who can confide in me and trust me. I feel honored to listen and offer what little advice I have; especially when it comes to boys and relationships. I love that I'm "that" person for my sorority! I'm also thankful for each of them and the unique personalities each of them possess. Maybe I should have been a counseling major- oh, well! If I still feel that as a calling I can always use my communication studies to help me get into graduate school! :)

Off to the library to read and write two papers! Have a wonderful night y'all! Until tomorrow. . .

2009-11-02T14:58:00.000-08:00

It's November! Yesterday started the most magical, fun and my favorite time of year! A "season" that lasts roughly from November 1-January 15! A time of thanksgiving, love, compassion and charitableness. I know people should be that way year round, and I like to think that Iam, but I love seeing people behave that way en mass! Since I missed yesterday's Thankful post, I'm going to say two things today:
1. Crunchy leaves while walking to/around/from school - so much fun!
2. Hot showers in the morning; what a relaxing and energizing (I know, how contradictory!) way to wake up in the morning!

This week is what we call "Inspiration Week", meaning that Initiation is on Friday! Woohoo! I LOVE our ritual and am so excited to share it with the baby kites! There are fun Theta things going on all week as a part of it. Tonight is when the babies reveal their goals for Theta and the seniors share what Theta means to them. Tuesday is Big/Little coffee dates and all greek study tables at the library - Theta always rocks this one; no fraternities ever show up, and generally only 1 or 2 girls from the other houses come - easiest way for our house to rake in the points for Greek awards during Greek week in the spring! Wednesday is a "Cocoa and Cram" session at the house for everyone from babies to seniors. Thursday is our Loyalty Service and Skit night and Friday is Initiation! Everyone always stays at the house after initiation, we sing songs, play pranks, play games and bond! Saturday morning we're doing a sisterhood breakfast followed by ritual review to explain everything the girls went through the night before. It will be so much fun!

I also have lots of reading to do for school and a couple papers to write, so I'll be busy! I'm hoping y'all had a great and safe Halloween and are ready for the best time of year!

There is a great giveaway at The Design Girl Blog: this giveaway is for 5 bottles of OPI nail polish {a $40 value!}. The winner will receive Sand in my Suit, That's Berry Daring, Clubbing Til Sunrise, Blue my Mind, and Overexposed in South Beach.

Until tomorrow's Thankful post!

Fun Giveaway - Go Enter Yall!

2009-10-29T00:22:00.000-07:00

I LOVE OPI nail polish y'all. LOVE! I just bought a new bottle today actually! :) The Design Girl Blog is hosting this giveaway; go enter, because who doesn't love fun new nail polish?

This giveaway is for 5 bottles of OPI nail polish {a $40 value!}. The winner will receive Conga Line Coral, Suzi & The Lifeguard, Bronzed to Perfection, Done out in Deco, and Flashbulb Fuchia.

Hello :)

2009-10-26T15:19:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all! I hope everyone had a great and relaxing weekend! Mine was definitely relaxing! I also got my bulletin board done for my marketing part of my internship with Special Olympics - when it's hanging I'll be sure to snap a picture and show y'all! I also got my brother's birthday gift, sent out my book swap package to Niki, ordered Matthew's gift for our upcoming anniversary, tried a new local coffee shop and did some homework; productive and relaxing! I also did some fundraising for Special Olympics by selling coupons for the Community Days event at Herberger's coming up on November 14, bought my brother's Christmas gift and cleaned my room.

Today we took our composite pictures, he took an extra set of frames for me, and I think my Mama will actually like them this year (at least I hope so!). Tonight we have formal dinner and chapter as always, but we also have class meetings and nominations committee selection - I'm hunkering down for a long night of Theta!

I have so much homework to do this week, including a project for developmental psychology. I have to watch 2 children's programs and 1 adult program and track something from developmental psychology; I think I may do gender roles and how they're presented. . . haven't decided yet. I'm doing the watching part of the assignment tomorrow.

I also register for spring classes tomorrow - eek! I hope I get everything - I'll let you know what the schedule looks like when I finalize it tomorrow.

I'm listening to S.O.S. radio as I get ready for dinner and chapter and it is the most uplifting music - I just wanted to share with y'all how life is up here in Montana!

I hope you all have great weeks!

2009-10-21T17:07:00.000-07:00

Gracie Beth over at Preppy Southern Princess did a play-list of songs that represented the south to her; I decided to do the same; mine definitely focus on my favorite southern state and the place where I call "home" - ALABAMA!!!

1. Paint Me a Birmingham by Tracy Lawrence: I was in love with a boy from age 14 through age 19; we met in Alabama at church and his whole family was from Birmingham; this song reminds me of what could have been had I not ended it. I am still planning to live in Birmingham in the future, just not with him. I LOVE this song though!
2. Sweet Southern Comfort by Buddy Jewel: this whole song is the prefect portrait of "home" and when he sings "sleepy sweet home Alabama, Roll Tide Roll" my heart could almost burst with pride for that great state and school!
3. Sweet Home Alabama by Lynard Skynard: the title says it all on this one! :) There was never a pep rally or football game in high school that did not begin with this song!
4. the band Alabama: they are iconic to me; every Christmas we listen to their Christmas albums and all their songs speak to the heart of what southern is to me.
5. Sorority Girl by Luke Bryan: my life right now; end of story.
6. Favorite State of Mind by Joshua Gracin: I love this song because every thing he says makes sense (trust me - I've been to each place he mentions and lived in many of them!) I may not live in the south right now, but it's always my state of mind!
7. What Was I Thinking by Dierks Bentley: I saw him when he opened for Keith Urban at Montgomery Jubilee City Fest in May 2004; can't beat that! That's the summer this song rocked the charts too!
8. Harmony by Corey Smith (or anything else by him!): Corey Smith music is high school and college to me; I listen to him daily and he sings about reality - awesome!
9. That's What I Love About Sunday by Craig Morgan: again, another song that captures life perfectly!
10. Mayberry by Rascal Flatts: this is mine and my sister's song; we'd drive around town with the windows down yelling the line about cherry coke!

these are just my 10 most played in itunes - believe there are many more that represent my favorite part of this great country; but I didn't want to overwhelm y'all!

Up With Montana

2009-10-09T16:53:00.000-07:00

Today Kelly from Kelly's Korner is hosting a show us your spirit/tradition of game day for your college. I go to the University of Montana and here are some pictures from the last year or two and a link to the video they show just as the team is getting ready to run onto the feild - y'all should really check it out! They filmed a new one at the first game of the year this season, but I couldn't find it on youtube, so the older one will have to do. Griz Tunnel Run.

Matthew and I at the first game I attended this season - second home game.

It was hot enough for me to wear my whit sundress (even if it was September 6th or so!)

Matthew and I - I love this picture!

Little J and I at the Griz (UM) v. Bobcat (MSU) game November 2008.

Matthew and I at Griz-Cat game November 2008.

Yelling and cheering to support those Grizzlies!

Crystal, my old roommate and friend, at a game in October of 2008.

Matthew and I at a game in Autumn 2008.

Amanda and I at opening game of the 2008 season - Go Griz!

Matthew and I at a September game during the 2008 season.

It's a great day to be alive, the sun still shining when I close my eyes. . .

2009-10-09T10:43:00.000-07:00

Y'all today is perfect! The sun is shining, the snow is glistening, over 250+ Alpha Nu alumna are here to celebrate our chapter being 100, Michael Buble's new CD was released, it's Friday and I'm drinking hot chocolate. Absolutely wonderful! I hope all y'all have amazing days too - I truly see God's greatness all around me today; I think my chat with him last night not only did me some good, but made Missoula absolutely beautiful! Happy weekend y'all! I'll update about Centennial activities throughout the weekend and then do a major recap of the festivities on Monday!

Yay!

2009-10-09T01:19:00.000-07:00

It's snowing! It looks like powdered sugar covering the grass, cars and roof! Winter Wonderland in October - normally I would NOT be okay with this, but with the homecoming theme as Sweet Home Montana it could not be more perfect! Also what a great reminder to alumni about what college in Montana was like - especially the snowy football games!

Also, today was Revelation of Big Sis/Lil Sis and I am a Grand-Big twice over! Yay for Little J getting twins!

Only non-yay tonight; sisters and sigma chi's deciding jello shots and beer pong was more important than our float - pomping and painting in the snow? No thank you!

Tomorrow kicks off the Centennial celebration of Alpha Nu chapter with house tours starting at two and ritual at 3:45! Yay!

Update

2009-09-28T00:53:00.000-07:00

I hope that y'all had a great weekend! Mine was okay; I was very glad that the Griz pulled out a win over the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks in overtime and very glad that Bama beat Arkansas, but severely disappointed that Pittsburgh lost to Cincinnati of all places - really?! Is missing Polomalu that big of a heartache in the last plays of the game? This is two weeks in a row, that our defense has let slip at the very end of the game and lost to two teams we should not have lost to!

I took our university's writing proficiency exam Saturday morning, I think it went really well! I'll find out on the 6th. I also played lots of board games Friday night and Saturday afternoon. We had our crush party/chili feed Friday night and I discovered a new wine that I liked on Saturday night. Saturday night boyfriend and I relaxed, watched Australia and tried a new wine called Polka Dot - how cute! It's a Riesling and was different, but really good! We also got another Riesling, this time a German one that his parents really enjoy, to try this upcoming weekend, or we might save it for the 13th.

Y'all I know we're only a few weeks into the semester, but I already feel like I'm drowning. Thank goodness for stress management seminars offered by the campus health center! I've already had two exams; my Modern Chinese history class I got a 100 and my developmental psychology i got an 85. Not too bad. I am still searching for a job - please pray that I find something soon! My refund check from the university was also lost in the mail, so I'm stressed because that's $1000 I was planning to use for sorority payment for living in and it's missing! Not good! Also, in 8 days the horrible girl I posted about in previous posts (that I may have deleted, not sure. . .) invades from New Jersey for our sorority's 100th and homecoming - Lord grant me patience and protection from her meanness. I also have several papers due and upcoming exams and projects. I know that I am no more busy than any of the rest of y'all, but stress hits me hard and then cause my ulcerative colitis to flare which is not a fun time! However, if I stay on top of things, it generally is not an issue.

I hope that y'all have a wonderful week - mine will be crazy busy! I'll try to post more often though, even if just an outlet for me! Until next time, Ciao!

It's America

2009-09-13T21:46:00.000-07:00

Y'all - I had THE BEST NIGHT!!! I just got back from the Rodney Atkins concert and he was AMAZING!!! He opened with It's America, followed by About The South (LOVE that song!) and closed with Goin' Through Hell. I sang along to every song and had so much fun with my boyfriend and friends Crystal, Brad, Chaz and Amanda. Best night of college for sure!

This weekend was a lot of fun! I got a new purse Friday afternoon at TJ Maxx - love that store! Then Saturday I did homework and watched football ALL day! Today I cooked dinner with Amanda for Chaz and Matthew before the concert. Very relaxing weekend full of friendship, love, laughter, football and country music - nothin' better!

What did y'all do? Have any of y'all ever seen Rodney Atkins in concert? If not, PLEASE do! You will have the BEST time! ♥

We Remember. . .

2009-09-10T21:41:00.000-07:00

September 11, 2001 is a day vividly seared into mine, and most of this nation's memories. Whether or not you agree with the actions that followed the terrorist attacks, everyone was affected by what took place eight years ago. I can't believe it was so long ago! We moved from Washington D.C. to Minot, North Dakota in July of 2001; the office my daddy had just vacated was on the side of the pentagon that was hit that day. I am so thankful that the Lord had moved us far away just prior, as upset as I was to leave that favorite city of mine.

On the morning of September 11, I was in 7th grade band class when the first tower was hit. My class was packing up our instruments to move on to second period (life science) when Father came over the loudspeakers (I went to catholic school). He told us to remain clam, but to move quickly to our next class and to turn on the TVs. I remember being shocked by what transpired. Five minutes into class, the second tower was hit. The class gasped. Father got on the loudspeaker again and led the whole school (7th-12th grade) in prayer and told us at the end of the period, to all meet in the gymnasium to pray the rosary for our nation. It was while we were praying the rosary that the Pentagon was hit. Our principal walked into the gym and told us, and I sobbed. The principal pulled all of us kids from the military base into the office following the rosary to let us know that it would take several hours to get home that night (base was about 30 minutes outside of town) as the base was on lock down. All phone lines were busy and I could not get a hold of anyone. It took nine hours to get home after school that day and I remember never being so thankful to see my Daddy as I was that night.

Three days later on September 14, an idiot jumped the fence at the base and we went into lock down again. God made it so I would stay home that day for a reason. At 9:07 a.m. the song "Unanswered Prayers" came on the radio, and at the same time back in Virginia, my friend Iveliesse had passed away due to a brain tumor. God's timing that week was horrible with two tragic and life altering events taking place, but he knew what he was doing by moving my Daddy far away from his old office, and having that part of the Pentagon under construction and by taking Ive out of her suffering. It took me a long time to understand his timing, but all I can say now is Praise to God for your mysterious ways.

Please pray for all families and individuals affected by the events back in 2001. I know each of us experienced the same event, but the way our lives were affected are all very different. Know that God loves each of us and is watching out for everyone, weaving his beautiful tapestry with each of our lives.

2009-09-10T21:31:00.001-07:00

The Steelers won tonight! I have a feeling that we're in for a GREAT season! I also celebrated my high school bff's 21st birthday tonight! She had fun and it was so great catching up with her! Goodnight moon (and all y'all in blog land!) ♥

I Got A Feeling. . .

2009-09-10T08:02:00.000-07:00

Growing up in my house, there is not a day that went by that my Daddy does not sing, "I got a feeling, Pittsburgh's going to the Super Bowl!" Regardless of the season, or of how our beloved Steelers are doing, this was a common occurrence.

And today, regular season begins for the boys! They're riding on a Super Bowl victory and so Tennessee (who beat us last year) will be all over trying to beat them, but I have faith that my boys are back and back in a BIG way! No, I'm not playing off our quarterback's nickname "Big Ben" - I think the Steelers have an amazing team, an energetic and strong coach and have the potential to take it all away again this year!

I'm so excited to watch them play and cheer them on! All my family from Missouri to Georgia to Florida to Colorado to Michigan to Texas to California, and of course my family back in Pittsburgh are ready for our Steelers to take the field tonight! If only my New Jersey cousins could get over their infatuation with the Eagles and come back to the light that they were led by as youngin's!

Here We Go Steelers, Here We Go! Is anyone else as excited as me?

catch-up time

2009-09-06T12:09:00.001-07:00

Hey y'all! I'm back! The first week of classes went really well and I have the privilege of an amazing group of professors! I'm taking:
Introduction to Rhetorical Theory
Developmental Psychology (she tells us stories of her kids and grandkids and own research to illustrate what she is instructing, plus her name is Lois - awesome!)
History of Iraq (so interesting and the professor is very knowledgeable, as well as exposes us to different views on the subject through our reading)
Statistics in Education
Modern China (my professor has lived in China, and made 30+ trips over there. He is including literature - The Good Earth and Oracle Bones - poetry, music, and folklore in addition to the core history text. He is also utilizing a documentary entitled China, A century of Revolution. He is amazing!)
I'm very excited about this semester and have good feeling about it all! I start my internship with Special Olympics on Tuesday and will be doing a variety of things, all essential to running a nonprofit - board meetings, committee meetings, marketing, program planning, etc. I'm really looking forward to this opportunity!

Recruitment went well, we got 18 new girls! Two over quota, and the largest pledge class of any house at our university! Greek Life isn't really a big thing in Montana, so we're proud of our hard work! My house turned 100 over the summer, so at homecoming in October we're having a big 100 years in Montana celebration - it will be so much fun and we have 200+ alumna coming out with their families!

I'm still looking for a job for the school year, and hopefully I'll find one soon! I need gas money to get to my internship and around town!

Last night we went out for one of my sorority sister's 21st birthdays; she had a really good time and it was fun to celebrate with her! Today and tomorrow are all about homework; I have so much reading to catch up on from the first week and to get done for this next week!

Our Griz football team won their first game with a shutout over a smaller instate school called Western. Final score was 38-0. Next week we're playing a road game at UC Davis.

My beloved Crimson Tide pulled off a win over Virginia Tech yesterday; I have to admit I was scared for awhile there! On that subject, I got my swap gift for Preppy Southern Princess' College Football Swap from Lulu Bee at Southern Belle with Seashells. She is such a sweet heart and if you don't already read her blog, you should go check her out! She has a second blog about her summer in Paris - I'm jealous of her adventures, it sounds like she had so much fun!

Pittsburgh Steelers have their first game of the regular season against the Tennessee Titans on Thursday; I'm so excited! Can y'all tell I love football season? The cool thing about the Titans is that one of their coaches '- I think the head coach - sons plays for the Griz here in Montana! Small world y'all! Also, just have to throw it out there, I went to high school with Vanderbilt's quarterback and he led his team in passing yards to a shut out against Western Carolina 45-0! Way to go 'dores!

Okay, back to homework I go; my main priority is preparing my presentation on filial piety within the Good Earth by Pearl Buck; I read the book twice in high school (world literature and AP literature) so hopefully I can finish it fairly fast since the presentation is at 2 p.m. on Tuesday. I also have a ton of catch-up to do from this last week since it was recruitment and I got behind, as well as get everything read and prepped for class this week!

Oodles of love to all y'all and I hope you have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

2009-09-02T06:42:00.000-07:00

So sorry I haven't been posting; for myself and for anyone who cares! :) After work week immediately followed by recruitment in conjunction with first week of classes, I barely have time to sleep! But I'll be back soon with a recruitment recap and stories about my first two weeks back in Montana by Labor Day hopefully! XOXO

“Nothing is secure but life, transition, the energizing spirit.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

2009-08-21T11:27:00.000-07:00

Today is my last day at my internship and I'm so sad about it! I was offered a full time salaried position to stay as a caseworker, but had to turn it down to return to good ole Montana and a year and a half of schooling. I'm bummed, I really hate to leave these people and this environment and feel so blessed that God gave me this opportunity!

I'm sad to leave my family, but at the same time I know that I will see them again really soon; hopefully Montana, Wyoming and Colorado roads are okay at Thanksgiving so that Matthew and I can drive down for a visit - if not, when finals are over on December 18, headed home to Colorado I will be!

I'm excited to get back to Montana and see my friends. I'm excited to start my new classes and learn new things. I'm excited to start my internship with Special Olympics. I'm excited to meet our new baby kites and see what adventures Kappa Alpha Theta has in store for me this year - our chapter turned 100 this summer, so at homecoming we're having a big Gala event; hopefully full of memories and sisterhood!

What are y'all sad about ending or leaving behind now that summer has come to an end?

What are you excited about for the upcoming season and/or school year?

I leave for Montana bright and early in the morning, move-in is on Sunday and Monday starts work week/spirit week for all us sorority girls at the U. As always, oodles of love to each and everyone of y'all! ♥

Summer Lovin', Had Me a Blast ♥

2009-08-19T12:54:00.000-07:00

I've seen this on several of y'all's blogs and thought it looked fun and a good waste of time while it's dead at work.

Favorite Summer Song:
This is tough! I LOVE Summer Nights by Rascal Flatts and Alright by Darius Rucker, but I've also loved listening to Lucky by Colbie Caliat and Jason Mraz, Sweet Southern Comfort by Buddy Jewel, Southern Girl by Amos Lee, Sorority Girl by Luke Bryan and everything Kenny Chesney screams summer to me. Mellow music is very summery to me, and also my favorite alongside Country, of course!

Favorite Summer Movie:

I love Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 for summer - they both take place during the summer and are filled with beautiful locations and gorgeous young actresses who have gained mega-fame since the original Sisterhood came out. Plus, I LOVED each of the four books and feel very attached to Bridget (Bee), Lena, Carmen and Tibby. I especially feel like Carmen and Lena are my kindred spirits in modern teen fiction.

Favorite Summer Cocktail:
I'm not twenty-one yet, so I don't do cocktails, but nothing beats a glass of Sweet Tea on a hot summer's day!

Favorite Summer Meal:
This is a tough one, as summer foods are my favorite! I love all the fresh fruits and veggies that are available in the summer months! I love watermelon, fresh green beans, grilled chicken/fish/pork chops and salads. If I could eat "summer" foods all year round, I totally would!

Favorite Summer Outfit:

I LOVE sundresses! Worn with flip-flops during the day, heels at night, or with flats and a cardigan for work - I live in sundresses during the summer and wouldn't have it any other way!

Summer Reading:

Another tough one! I devour books, especially really good ones! This summer my favorites I read were The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, The Last Summer (Of You and Me) and Plain Truth. These were my top three books of summer 2009!

Favorite Summer Moment:

I enjoyed my whole summer honestly. I've loved every minute spent interning for the Congressman. I had the BEST time in Texas and I've loved hanging out with Rae getting our nails done or talking about her life and what she's excited about for her senior year, chatting with my Mama about everything under the sun and watching Army Wives and Drop Dead Diva on Sunday nights, car shopping with my Daddy and talking about life and watching Ben play baseball and seem him mature and grow into an awesome eighth grader - eek! I'm getting old! My whole summer has been an awesome and amazing experience, and I can't pin down one moment as being any better than the others.

I encourage y'all to this too - It's neat to look back at how quickly the last few months have flown by and what stands out as important to you! Oodles of love as always!

XOXO

weekend wrap-up

2009-08-16T21:09:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all! I hope you had fun filled weekends in your corners of the world! Mine was relatively uneventful in all honesty.
Friday I cam home and went to bed early - Congress being in recess and all the drama surrounding both sides if the health care debate wore me out!
Saturday I cleaned my room and packed stuff for school all day - exciting, right?
Today I packed some more, went to the gym, got a manicure with my sister (who starts her senior year of high school tomorrow!) and saw Julie & Julia with my Mama! My nails are an eggplant color and absolutely gorgeous! I'm in LOVE with my nails right now! The movie was wonderful; I love both Meryl Streep and Amy Adams and thought that were both darling in the film! I highly recommend it; but it is a total girls movie!
Well, goodnight to each and everyone of y'all and I wish you a stress-less week (wouldn't that be nice?)! Oodles of love! ♥

Thankfullness, Question & Excitement

2009-08-13T09:17:00.000-07:00

First of all I want to thank Sara from Pearls, Curls & a Southern Girl for awarding me the Social Butterfly Award! Thank you so much Sara! I absolutely adore your blog, think you are such a sweetheart and have been blessed with many creative talents!

Second, I want to do a giveaway in September or October, once I'm back to school and settled into a routine. I was thinking of doing a Montana themed giveaway, to give y'all a chance to win some fun stuff local to my community and the great Big Sky state; what do y'all think about this? Good idea, bad idea - I'd love your input!

Third, please go sign up for Gracie Beth's swap at Preppy Southern Princess! It's college football themed, and I think it will be a lot of fun! I'm so excited for football season - it's my favorite time of year!

I have my internship all set up for this fall, except for the paperwork, and I'm getting really excited for it! I'll miss my time in the Congressman's office, especially his staffers - they are so much fun! But, hopefully I'll be able to intern in his Washington D.C. office next summer; that would be a dream come true for me! My internship this fall will actually extend over the full academic year; it is a minimum 300 hour internship at a nonprofit for my nonprofit administration minor. I will be working for Special Olympics Montana once all the paperwork is squared away; I am so excited! It will be so different, but I think, and hope, in a positive way!

I only have two classes to complete for that minor after this semester, so hopefully by the end of spring semester 2010, I will be completely finished with it! After this fall semester, I will have my history minor finished; I'm very excited about that too! I still have a lot of work to do on my major, but that's because my major has changed seven times, literally! I have too many interests, my Mama says, but they've all been related majors, so it hasn't been too hard to work everything out!

I'm getting so excited for the new school year; I head back to Montana a week from tomorrow! I've gotten most of my school supplies, new fall boots and jeans along with a few new transition tops for the changing of seasons! I love autumn and am so excited for late September, early October when all the leaves start changing and it cools down enough to wear sweaters every day! Of course I'm excited for recruitment and football season too! The GRIZ have their first game on September 6 and I'm hoping for another season of dominance of the Big Sky conference! I'm also excited to watch my beloved Crimson Tide on television and Matthew's Longhorns - Texas does play some really great football and I love their quarterback! Colt McCoy, along with Tim Tebow from those Gators down in Florida, make really positive role models in today's society and I'm happy my 8th grade brother looks up to gentlemen like them!

I hope y'all have a thankful and thoroughly wonderful Thursday; I know I am! Please let me know y'all's opinions on the giveaway idea; I really am interested to see if there would be any interest in something like that, if not I'll have to come up with a new idea! Oodles of love to each and everyone of y'all! ♥

bucket list

2009-08-12T17:23:00.001-07:00

The Bucket List. Place an “X” by all the things you've done and remove the “X” from the ones you have not, then send it to your friends (including me).

(To do this, go to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, do the list and tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app then click publish. If you don't see the Tag people in the upper right hand corner you are in the wrong place.)

Things you have done during your lifetime:
( ) Gone on a blind date
( ) Donated Blood
(x) Skipped school
( ) Watched someone die
(x) Been to Canada
( ) Been to Mexico
(x) Been to Florida
(x) Been to Hawaii
(x) Been on a plane
( ) Been on a helicopter
(x) Been lost
(x) Gone to Washington, DC
( ) Hugged a homeless person
(x) Swam in the ocean
( ) Swam with Stingrays
( ) Been sailing in the ocean
(x) Cried yourself to sleep
(x) Played cops and robbers
(x) Recently colored with crayons
( ) Ran a marathon
(x) Sang Karaoke
(x) Volunteered at a soup kitchen
(x) Paid for a meal with coins only
( ) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
( ) Seen the Northern Lights
( ) Been Parasailing
(x) Been on TV
(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
(x)Made prank phone calls
( ) Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
(x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(x) Fed an elephant
(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
( ) Fired a gun
(x) Danced in the rain
(x) Been to the Opera
(x) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(x) Serenaded someone
(x) Seen a U.S. President in person
(x) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(x) Watched the sunrise with someone
( ) Driven a race car
(x) Been to a National Museum
( ) Been to a Wax Museum
( ) Eaten caviar
(x) Blown bubbles
(x) Gone ice-skating
(x) Gone to the movies
( ) Been deep sea fishing
(x) Driven across the United States
( ) Been in a hot air balloon
( ) Been sky diving
(x) Gone snowmobiling
( ) Lived in more than one country
(x) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
(x) Seen a falling star and made a wish
(x) Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
( ) Seen the Grand Canyon
( ) Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
( ) Been on a cruise
( ) Traveled by train
( ) Traveled by motorcycle
(x) Been horse back riding
( ) Ridden on a San Francisco cable car
(x) Been to Disneyland OR Disney World
(x) Truly believe in the power of prayer
( ) Been in a rain forest
(x) Seen whales in the ocean
(x) Been to Niagara Falls
( ) Ridden on an elephant
( ) Swam with dolphins
( ) Been to the Olympics
( ) Walked on the Great Wall of China
( ) Saw and heard a glacier calf
( ) Been spinnaker flying
(x) Been water-skiing
(x) Been snow-skiing
( ) Been to Westminster Abbey
( ) Been to the Louvre
( ) Swam in the Mediterranean
( ) Been to a Major League Baseball game
( ) Been to a National Football League game
( ) Swam with sharks
(x) Been White Water Rafting
( ) Written a book or screen play

song recommendation

2009-08-12T13:58:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIADdtY9pQA

I am currently in LOVE with this song by Joshua Radin called I'd Rather Be With You! Y'all should heck the song out!

Lyrics:

Sittin here on this lonely dock
Watch the rain play on the ocean top
All the things I feel I need to say
I cant explain in any other way

I need to be bold
Need to jump in the cold water
Need to grow older with a girl like you
Finally see you were naturally
The one to make it so easy when you showed me the truth
Yeah, yeah Id rather be with you
Say you want the same thing too

Now here's the sun come to dry the rain
Warm my shoulders and relieve my pain
You're the one thing that I'm missing here
With you beside me I no longer fear

I need to be bold
Need to jump in the cold water
Need to grow older with a girl like you
Finally see you were naturally
The one to make it so easy when you showed me the truth
Yeah, yeah Id rather be with you
Say you want the same thing too

I could have saved so much time for us
Had I seen the way to get to where I am today
You waited on me for so long
So now listen to me say

I need to be bold
Need to jump in the cold water
Need to grow older with a girl like you
Finally see you were naturally
The one to make it so easy when you showed me the truth
Yeah, yeah Id rather be with you
Say you want the same thing too

Say you feel the way I do

Literary Suggestion

2009-08-11T17:22:00.001-07:00

I just finished the most delightful book with some of the most lovable characters! It was written as a collection of letters exchanged between a group of friends, and they one another through reading following and during World War II. I highly recommend The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society with my whole heart! It was such a charming and easy read and just warmed my heart! Please read this book and tell me your thoughts on it! ♥

PICTURES ♥

2009-08-08T20:56:00.000-07:00

Captions are underneath each picture!This first picture is from Lake Nasworthy in San Angelo, Texas. We had Whataburger for lunch by the lake and just hung out and laughed - it was so beautiful there!

This picture is of me dancing with Wiley Coyote as soon as we entered Six Flags; it was my first time at a Six Flags ever and it was definitely an experience!

We rode a sombrero ride as the first ride of the day; it reminded me of some of the wave themed rides in Ocean City, New Jersey on the boardwalk!

Taking a break from the day to rehydrate before going on any more rides; this was also where we watched a funny sketch about the "Wild West" and experienced a miniature gun fight.

This was coming off of the Aquaman ride where everyone got soaked! It was very refreshing!

We got a caricature done where I am a princess and he is a knight in shining armor - the artist surprised us with our characters; my Mama and I are getting it framed for my room back in Montana! It was totally appropriate too, since every night when he wishes me sweet dreams he calls me princess!

We got hit by a massive thunderstorm at the end of our day, right when we were about to head for the biggest coaster in the park - Papa Kerry was the most bummed out of the four of us I think! We were soaked by the time we made it back to the car, and as we were walking through the parking lot, my flip-flops ran away in the rivers created by the storm!

This picture is from the rehearsal dinner for Matthew's brother's wedding. It was really nice! The screen in the back has the title page of the slideshow Matthew made for them.

This is a picture of the dress I wore for the wedding; my boyfriend was the most handsome groomsmen in the wedding! Doesn't he look sharp in a tux?

This is one of my favorite pictures from my time in Texas; it is on the church property following the wedding mass.

This is of Matthew and I waltzing at the reception; he is a fabulous dancer and leader!

This is from the Caverns of Sonora in Sonora, Texas - it was 85 degrees inside the caverns, I'd never been inside a warm cavern before!

This was also inside the Caverns.

I had so much fun on my trip to Texas, and was so sad to see it come to an end. I absolutely LOVE the boyfriend's family and they were so generous and kind the entire time I was down there; just as they always are! His family has some of the biggest hearts of anyone I've ever met!

people are CRAZY

2009-08-06T14:51:00.000-07:00

Y'all know the song that goes "God is good, beer is great, and people are CRAZY"? Story of my life right now! There are so many crazy people calling into work today either calling our president and his supporters nazis or calling the right wing nazis, following in our lovely Speaker of the House's footsteps. Am I the only person extremely offended by comparing anyone to Hitler? Yes, flag@whitehouse.gov is like reverse Mccarthyism, but people, really?! I appreciate people becoming involved and taking the time to call, but these comparisons upset me. How do y'all feel about these analogies and similes that people are using?