Birthday celebrations

I love to celebrate my birthday. It's the only the day of the year that is all about me =). This year I got to do a lot of celebrating. It started out with Jason taking me to see the Phantom of the Opera the day after my birthday. We got all dressed up and enjoyed the show so much! It was so beautiful. And randomly, I knew a girl that had a role in the play. She went to high school with me and went to ACU, and we have mutual friends. It was so random. She did great in the play and I'm sure she has a great future ahead of her. Her name is Annika Johansson - look her up!

The tickets!!!

The following weekend some of good friends threw me a birthday party. We went to Texas Roadhouse for some good eats, and luckily, I didn't have to ride on the saddle. We then went back over to one of their houses and had some red velvet cupcakes (yum!) and hung out and talked. It was so much fun and they all made me feel very special.

All of us at Roadhouse. Thank you guys for a great party!

The yummy cupcakes!

I almost lit my hair on fire blowing at the candles..

It was a great birthday and I can't wait to celebrate it again next year but until then I'm going to enjoy 27 with style......

Learning Curve

So..I turned 27 on Friday. I almost had a crisis but was able to pull it together and enjoy the day. My co-workers decorated my desk and gave me cookies and then we had home group that night where we had cookie cake to celebrate my birthday. It was a great birthday. On Saturday, I began reflecting on my age and how "old" I was getting and thinking that it was just the other day that I turned 21. It's amazing how so much has changed in 6 years. I've graduated, moved, got married, had a "big girl" job, and many more things. I have learned a lot since I was a silly old junior in college. But what have I learned this year? What has changed in me that has made me grow and mature? I began writing things down of what I learned - some serious, some not so serious - to remember them. So here they are in no particular order:

1. Lack of coordination + crutches + me = disaster waiting to happen
2. That no matter how hard I try – I will always be 5 to 10 minutes late to the scheduled time I am supposed to arrive. Love me in spite of it.
3. Life is short and death is coming for us all – you can’t escape it. Our pastor, Matt Chandler, has talked about this in so many of his sermons. and this year I finally feel it has become real to me. With people I know who have lost loved ones unexpectedly, my own experience with my dad’s heart surgery, and watching our pastor Matt fight for his life against brain cancer, you can’t put your hope in that you have tomorrow.
4. “Be who are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind” I am SLOWLY learning this concept. I can’t be everyone’s friend even though I want to (It’s the people pleaser in me). Some people are not going to be my friend not because they or I are not likeable, but there’s not that friendship connection. And I’m learning that’s ok. I am trying to build on the friendships that are there and make friends with people who love me for all my goofiness.
5. Whoever said having a dog prepares you for children was right.
6. My God is Jehovah Rapha.
7. My body doesn’t feel like 20 years old anymore and my body has reminded me on more than one occasion that it isn’t.
8. My lack of organization is a quality that I am going to stop trying to fix. It is just the way that I am.
9. Being creative is big outlet for me.

This isn't an exhaustive list. I know there are more things that I have learned over the year and I hope to continue to add to the list for my benefit.

The Big 2-7

I turned 27 today. I'm officially in my late 20's. Weird. Getting closer to 30.......30! I will talk more on this later but right now I'm headed to bed. This old lady is tired.

It's Time

The Olympics are here!! I plan on having my TV on at all times to capture the wonderful moments. U-S-A!! U-S-A!! U-S-A!!

Snow!

This is what I woke up to this morning! I was so excited!! It was so beautiful to watch the HUGE snowflakes fall outside while I was working today. It was record breaking snow - the most snow that Dallas has had in one day. I even came home and made a snowman!

God truly reminds me of his love for me every time I see snow. It is so pure and clean and peaceful. He has made me new and has covered me with his blood so that I am whiter than snow!!

"Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." Isaiah 1:18

Are you ready for some football?

GO SAINTS!

So excited for some Super Bowl football today. I'm not really a big fan of NFL football - I'm more of a college football gal myself but I always enjoy watching the Super Bowl every year - even if I don't know or like the teams =). I especially love the commercials! I mean that's the whole reason for the Super Bowl right?

This year I'm actually kind of excited for the game because both teams are teams that I like and cheer for when they are playing. Of course, now they are playing each other which poses a dilemma. Don't worry though, I finally came to a decision and I'm rooting for the Saints! I made a list as to why I am rooting for the Saints to justify it (you know just in case somebody asks)

1. Jason's family is from Louisiana

2.I like to root for the underdog

3.I like Kim Kardashian and she is dating Reggie Bush

4. My high school colors were black and gold and I loved my high school.

5. The Manning brothers lived in Louisiana so in a way I'm still rooting for them

Here's hoping they win!

Food, Friends, and Family

Today was a busy day filled with great company and great food. Jason and I visited our great friends Tommy and Crystal and their precious baby, Zane. We met at Freebirds for lunch(which made Jason happy) and hung out at Borders for a bit. We then headed over to their house and the boys played Halo 3 and Crystal and I talked and played with Zane. We are so very blessed to have them as friends and love them dearly.

Smiling Baby! Can we say precious?

Why do you keep putting that camera in my face?

Lauren stopped by while we were there to see us as well. So glad I got to see her too!

After we hung out with them, we headed over to my aunt's house for dinner with the family and to see my dad who was in town for the weekend. The food was wonderful and the company was great. I was glad I got to see my dad since I hadn't seen him since Christmas. He looked much better - he had a defibrillator surgery the week before Christmas - and didn't look as fatigued. He did seem to be getting a frozen shoulder though. Jason worked on it a bit while we were there but he still has limited range of motion. So just say a little prayer for him when you think of it.

All in all - a GREAT day.