Coming soon

I will post about my amazing wedding when I get pictures. Let the anticipation begin!

My man

Before...

After...

And still just as cute. :)

The story behind these pictures:

This weekend we went hunting and camping with Isaac's family. I didn't want to swim in the pond because there were snakes but Isaac tried to persuade me to come swim by confessing his love through a mud written love note on his chest...it worked. Later when we returned to Dallas, I found this picture of him as a child and had to laugh because he looks the same, only bigger. He was such a cute little boy and he's still just as good humored and cute today.

What you all have been waiting for...

One Saturday morning, I volunteered to help out at the food bank.

That same morning a boy also volunteered at the food bank. His name is Isaac.

After meeting at the food bank, we both went to a Texas Tech Football game that night with friends. We made a bet on the score and Isaac predicted the game with complete accuracy!

The following week, Isaac came to my birthday party

and although it was karaoke, Isaac did not sing. :(

On the other hand, I had a great time!

I thought Isaac was cute but too young and when he asked me on our first date,

I thought he was just being nice in offering to take me to a good Mexican restaurant. On the date, I finally realized that he was genuinely interested.

After a couple of weeks of dating, Isaac biked over to my house and declared his intentions and asked me to be his girlfriend. And then we kissed. ;)

From that point on, we have spent many evenings together eating Mexican food, frequenting Texas Roadhouse, dancing, watching 30 Rock and the Office, and spending time with friends.

We go to friends' parties where Isaac might fall asleep.

(He works so hard, poor guy.)

We like to ride bikes together.

We both like to sport the bump it look.

We can be silly sometimes.

Isaac also likes to play with dolls and pretend he is pregnant.

We've tested each other's limits...aka, Isaac grew facial hair.

But most importantly, we're in love. :)

I'd say, "the end" but that wouldn't be accurate.

Where the wind blows...

I really like my apartment. It was recently remodeled, I don't pay a lot, BUT...I do have one complaint. I usually wake up on the right side of the bed so I am ready to conquer the day, Carpe Diem! But, the second I open my door, what do I see?!

This!

Yes, that's right, the Lubbock wind blows everyone else's litter onto my front door step. Its like someone found out that I recycle I decided to let me throw away their garbage for them. I didn't nominate myself the "Green Queen," so I'm not quite sure how I got nominated to be the apartment complex trash management. I should get free rent or something.

So how do I respond? Well, I guess I could pray about it because obviously God is involved since mother nature is the one blowing all the trash my way. As for right now, I've just been sweeping up leaves and trash with my ghetto broom (the little blue one in the picture) and my handy piece of cardboard that I use as a dust pan. I have even vacuumed the porch because so much dust accumulates in front of my door and then gets tracked into my apartment.

All types of things come to our front door steps: packages, flowers, prince charming...to mine, comes trash. Do not think that I am throwing myself a pity party. I am grateful that at least I do not have solicitors or bombs on my front porch.

Tonight, I begin my supplication to God and mother nature to have this trash be "gone with wind"!

The Texas Tech Uniform

Do not be fooled. Just because Texas Tech is a state university does not mean that there is no dress code. Although the university does not specify a school uniform, ironically, the student body has self-elected such a practice. I'm calling it the Tech Trend 2011. Now, we are pretty low key here at Tech. The campus is quite large, so why wear anything but the most comfortable outfit? Who cares if your parents are loaded and you have no excuse to dress in what you wore to bed? Who cares if you drive a fully loaded truck but you don't even own a pair of wranglers? You are rockin' those basketball shorts! What is most important is that you are being educated in exercise clothes! Talk about living the American Dream! What else could better prepare you for the work world and professional dress standards? And, I mean, when else are you going to put those exercise clothes to use? You sleep all morning, go to class in the afternoon. You don't have time to work out. There is a party tonight!

Now, I will describe to you the female uniform. Let's start from the bottom up. If the weather is warm, the female will wear tennis shoes, maybe flip flops. She will be wearing Nike running shorts, and they must have the Nike logo. Any other shorts, and you'd look like a fish out of water.

Here is a little picture I found on the web. As you can see, here is a lady sporting the Nike shorts.

Next is the sorority T-shirt. In the places I've lived, what brand of clothes usually indicates your status but not here at Tech. Your sorority T-shirt will tell everyone who you truly are. Are you in the sorority with girls that like to experiment with drugs? Maybe you are in the sorority of easy girls or rich girls? Or better yet, maybe you are in the sorority of girls with "good personalities." The possibilities are endless! Now, you may be thinking, "They wear the same shirt everyday?" Oh, no! Each girl has about 20 different sorority shirts. So, now you are wondering, what do they wear if it gets cold? No fear, just a few minor changes and the female undergrad is ready to go! Just slip on some leggings under those Nike shorts, and throw on some Ugg boots and a North Face fleece and we are talking S-T-Y-L-E!

Because the Tech Trend 2011 is so prevalent on campus, I'm beginning to wonder if the undergraduates on campus think that I'm a professor. Well, I think I will continue to shop at Banana Republic and wear my workout clothes . . . at the gym.

My Cowboy

This may be news to some of you, but I've been dating someone as of late. I would say that we are somewhat of an unlikely match; I'm a city girl from St. Louis and he is cowboy from Texas. He loves things like cowboy boots and plaid. I don't own a pair of cowboy boots and I have one plaid shirt. So, we're a little different. We do have a lot in common but I've been wondering what it means to date a cowboy. . . and I'm slowly finding out.

About three or four days into my Christmas vacation, my boyfriend shares an idea with me. He's thinking about buying some sheep. I respond, "For what? Are you going to sell the wool?" "No, It'll give me something to do. I know a lady who will rent me some land and I'll build a little fence for them." You know you are missed when you're boyfriend starts talking about buying herd animals. Well, I know nothing about animals so I can't really say much considering my family pet was always a bunny and the last one I helped take care of starved to death. May you rest in peace, Butterscotch.

A few days after his announcement of his intentions to buy some sheep, he then tells me that he is thinking of purchasing some goats too. Well, he saw a man about buying a goat and this is the goat he is going to buy. My boyfriend is letting me name the goat. My first thought was, "this goat is spry." So that's his name, "Spry." Maybe if we are lucky he will get invited to be on the Brian Fellow's Safari Planet show!


I feel like he is smirking in this picture and winking at the same time. It's probably cause those other goats are females. He's only eight months but he's already working it with the ladies. When I get back to Texas, I will meet Spry. I've never met a goat before so this could be an interesting encounter.

I think I wanna marry you?

Alright, it is time for another song review. Bruno Mars has written a song with a catchy tune but as I listened to his song I was quite shocked by the lyrics. So here it is. My comments will be in parentheses.

It’s a beautiful night,
We’re looking for something dumb to do.
Hey baby,
I think I wanna marry you.
(Did you just say you want to do something dumb, and the first thing to come to your mind was to marry me? RUDE!)

Is it the look in your eyes,
Or is it this dancing juice?
Who cares baby,
I think I wanna marry you.

(Dancing juice? What the heck is that? Is that another vitamin drink scam? And why are we drinking that? Oh yeah, you are into doing "dumb" things.)

Well I know this little chapel on the boulevard we can go,
No one will know,
Come on girl.
Who cares if we’re trashed got a pocket full of cash we can blow,
Shots of patron,
And it’s on girl.

(We are getting married in secret and drinking patron? You really know how to treat a girl. Your ideal wedding sounds a little white trash to me. Now, I understand why a girl plans her wedding with their mother and not with the groom. This guy's ideas are wack!)

Don’t say no, no, no, no-no;
Just say yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah;
And we’ll go, go, go, go-go.
If you’re ready, like I’m ready.

(Whoa, hun, you are drunk. You are stuttering all over the place. Or maybe you really don't understand that I said "no" five times.)

Cause it’s a beautiful night,
We’re looking for something dumb to do.
Hey baby,
I think I wanna marry you.
(Don't call me baby when you are telling me that it is stupid to marry me.)

Is it the look in your eyes,
Or is it this dancing juice?
Who cares baby,
I think I wanna marry you.
(You "think" you want to marry me? Um, I think I'll take a man that "knows" he wants to marry me.)

I’ll go get a ring let the choir bells sing like oooh,

(You don't even have a a ring yet?)

So whatcha wanna do?
Let’s just run girl.
If we wake up and you wanna break up that’s cool.
No, I won’t blame you;
It was fun girl.

(WHAT?! If you marry, it is not a break up. It's called a divorce or an annulment. You are so dumb.)

Don’t say no, no, no, no-no;
Just say yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah;
And we’ll go, go, go, go-go.
If you’re ready, like I’m ready.

(Get sober!)

Cause it’s a beautiful night,
We’re looking for something dumb to do.
Hey baby,
I think I wanna marry you.
(You have no game.)

Is it the look in your eyes,
Or is it this dancing juice?
Who cares baby,
I think I wanna marry you.
(The look in my eyes most likely resembles shock. And, this is not because I'm pleasantly surprised at your proposal. The shock is from the realization that I've been with a complete idiot.)

Just say I do,
Tell me right now baby,
Tell me right now baby.

(No! I don't.)

So although I do like Bruno Mars' music, this marriage proposal sucked.

There are other squirrels in the forest

Well, Thanksgiving is always a special time for me but this year was a different kind of special. This year my parents came in town since both my sister and I live here in Lubbock. We had the traditional Thanksgiving meal and afterwards the kids were begging me to dance like "Dancing in the Stars." So, we were all dancing around when I hear shouting from the kitchen that we are going to some family friends of my sister. The girls got all excited because this family has two boys--my nieces' crushes. So, the girls go change their outfits so they can look cute for the boys and we all pile in the car. I started to wonder what this visit is all about because my sister had told me that the wife in this family has a brother that she'd like to set me up with. So, I'm thinking there is an ulterior motive for me to meet this man. I already knew I was not looking for anyone, so I was not excited to be introduced this man. For a while the brother was not present, so I felt a sense of relief that vanished only 15 minutes later when a chair was set next to me and the brother sat down. Now, I'm sure he is nice but he is around 38 but looks like he is 50. I avoided conversation with him because I didn't want him to ask for my number or anything but inevitably he opened his mouth to jump in the conversation. I just about died. He had a voice that sounded like he had just inhaled air from a helium balloon but with a southern accent. Basically, a chipmunk, southern style. My brother-in-law felt bad and described him as squirrelly, and my sister chimed in, "Don't worry Rebecca, there are other squirrels in the forest." Well, even as awkward as that was, we did get a good laugh. I'm glad that my singleness can bring entertainment to the family but I'm hoping this is not going to be an annual tradition. As much as I care for all God's creations, I'm just not feeling the squirrel.

It's not you, it's the way you smell

Today I want to discuss an important oversight. These days many men are spending hours at the gym, trying to get that six pack. Or they are spending crazy amounts of money on clothes and hair gel. All these efforts are to attract a mate. While we women appreciate these efforts I think it is only appropriate to help out a man in need so I'm letting the men in on a secret. Now, this may seem like a really simple answer to what seems like a complex issue (securing a woman). Wear cologne. Yes, that's right. But, don't just think you can pick up an old sample and and don't think that the more you put on will make it more effective. The key is getting the right cologne. When a man smells good, a girl starts to melt inside. I get all worried that it may start to show that I'm possibly becoming irrational. The right cologne can turn a Chris Farley into Bradley Cooper. Now, you may think I'm only speaking for myself but I have talked with many women about this and it is true, a guy be ugly or fat or even have a bad personality, but if he smells good I think, "this guy is an option!" So, there you have it, if you are trying to find yourself a woman, you first need to find yourself a cologne. View the clip below to see just how it works.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3YIr6L4STo

Baby, I'm the lucky one

Last night as I was laying in bed I began to think about how lucky I am. I have so much to be grateful for. Of course I complain at times about what is lacking in my life but I've realized that I have so much to be happy about. I'd like to take some time right now to write about it.

The other day was my birthday and I was showered upon with so much love. My older sister Rachel made me a delicious meal and my cute nieces and nephew gave me a few surprises too. Paige and Dallin decided to be puppies for my birthday. Who would have thought I'd get not just one puppy, but two! Then Elizabeth and Paige showed us a wonderful dance performance. It was quite a pleasant evening. I have a wonderful family and I'm so excited to be with them over the holidays.

On the weekend I got to have a sleepover, just like old times, with two great girlfriends. I also got to do karaoke, a favorite past time of mine. It was so fun! I am not only grateful that so many people remembered me on my birthday but that so many made the effort to come celebrate and have a good time with me. I truly feel like I have a monopoly on good friends. As I have moved around quite a bit, friends have been so important to me and they have helped me grow so much.

I especially feel grateful about all the amazing opportunities I have had in my life: a study abroad in Ukraine, internship with Congress in DC, a mission in Russia, visiting Costa Rica, and pursuing a graduate degree. I realize how God has opened up doors of opportunity and provided the finances for me to have these experiences. Sometimes I wonder why God has blessed me with so much.

I'm so grateful for my health. After I stopped doing sports, I worked out to prevent myself from getting fat but in the past couple years I've come to really appreciate my body. There is something so amazing about having a healthy body and being able to move it in different ways.

I'm also grateful for my talents. I love music and I love that singing and playing the guitar and piano can make me so happy and relieve so much stress.

Especially right now, I'm grateful for the opportunity that I have to study and work in the field of Marriage and Family Therapy. It is such an inspiring endeavor and I don't know how to express how wonderful it feels to pursue a career that feels as though it is part of your soul. What I love most about my field is that it brings the most important things together: career, family, and spirituality.

I'm one lucky girl and recognizing that has allowed me to enjoy the journey. I'm so grateful for all that I have and look forward to Thanksgiving when my family and I can share our gratitude for all our blessings.