How Many of You Are There?

My mom sent me a fun website where you can find out how many people in America share your name. There are 518,946 people named Kelly; it's the 103rd most popular first name. And there are 437,954 people with the last name Parker; it's the 47th most popular last name. I share the same first and last name with 758 other people in the USA. There's a lot of people named after me ;)! What about you?

HOUZOO DO

We took my nephew to the zoo the day after Thanksgiving. It was so much fun to experience it through the eyes of a child - we had a blast!

And I got to see my HOUZOO DO bird. A while back I went to the zoo with a guy I was dating at the time. We went to the bird area and saw an unusual looking bird, but we couldn't find the name of it. Then, I saw a sign off to the side. In big letters it said "HOUZOO DO'S". "Eric, it's called a Houzoo Do bird." He started laughing, but I couldn't figure out why until I saw that the sign was a list of Do's at the Houston Zoo. I felt like such a dork, but it made for a good laugh that I still smile about today. Sometimes I have serious blonde moments! I still don't know the name of that silly bird...

Happy Birthday Melanie!

My sister’s birthday was yesterday, so in honor of this momentous occasion, I’m listing a few quirks and reasons why I’m glad she’s my sister and not some one else’s:

• She has more nicknames than anyone I know – Duncan, Webster, Powder, Little Bic, Atlas and anything else I can think of at the time
• She watches Jane Austen movies with me while we drink hot tea and eat English cookies
• She has to buy little boy’s socks because her feet are so small
• When she uses big words, she thinks she has to define them for me - “as in” tell me what they mean
• She makes the best tea in the world and it’s always in the refrigerator
• She can talk and talk and talk; she can be very passionate about certain things
• She sings all the time
• She can always tell when I need a hug
• She loves the Lord above all else
• She gives the best back rubs
• She may be small but she has big personality
• She looks 22 without her glasses but with them she looks 25
• She’s always researching things on the internet
• She gives Godly advice and counsel
• People ask us all the time which one’s older or if we’re twins
• She treats me like her daughter and spoils me
• She’s a prayer warrior
• She speaks in accents with me
• She does a perfect impression of FB, but she refuses to do it unless Matt and I bug her insistently and she’s in a goofy mood

There’s a lot more, but I’ll stop here.

Melanie, Happy Birthday! I am so blessed to have you as my sister.

Bad Idea

I went with my sister to the mall yesterday before church. As we were leaving, she wanted stop in Sephora (a make-up store for all you guys that don't know). We were looking around at all the fun glittery make-up. I told my sister to vamp up my eyes with some glitter. She suggested I get some one that worked there to do it for me since they were "professionals". A girl came over to "help". She said she had the perfect color. She came back with a palate full of bright shades. I was thinking I could trust her, and I'm sure she would tone it down. When she gave me a mirror, I looked at myself with horror. My eye shadow was bright lime green and dark brown - she said (with a big smile) it matched my outfit. We were already running late to church, so I didn't have time to fix it. I tried to put powder over it, but it was no use. I looked like a street walker - How embarrassing!!! I tried opening my eyes really big, so no one would notice, but it was to no avail - people noticed. My sister said if she couldn't find me after service to close my eyes because they glowed in the dark - very funny. Next time I think I'll skip the "professional" help ;).

Memories

I cleaned my room yesterday. Many of the things in my room I've had a while and they carry a lot of memories.

I stood on top of my desk to dust the top of my bookshelf. There were sticky marks from tape that I've never been able to get off. Those sticky marks made me smile because it reminded me of two past boyfriends. They always used to buy me flowers. After a while I would hang each flower upside down with tape on my bookshelf to dry. I always had dry flowers hanging in my room.

Then I cleaned my nativity I keep out year round. It reminded me of helping my Nannie put hers out every Christmas until she passed on. My mom never let me play with hers (for good reason - it was porcelain), but Nannie always did. I miss her more this time of year.

I really enjoyed cleaning yesterday.

Ten Books a Year

I was a little convicted when Gregg talked about having several half read books in his sermon Sunday. I admit, my bookshelf is full of them. Saturday I was reading "When I Don't Desire God" by John Piper. He wrote:

"Suppose you read slowly like I do - maybe about the same speed that you speak - 200 words a minute. If you read fifteen minutes a day for one year (say just before supper, or just before bed), you will read 5,475 minutes in the year. Multiply that by 200 words a minute, and you get 1,095,000 words that you would read in a year. Now an average serious book might have about 360 words per page. So you would have read 3,041 pages in one year. That's ten very substantial books. All in fifteen minutes a day." (page 129)

That gave me the encouragement to pick up my half read books and start reading them. By this time next year they will be finished!

Underwear and Global Warming

Let's try this again. I was in the process of posting yesterday, and blogspot went down for maintenance. I didn't get a chance to get back to it before I left work. All that came up was the title - I bet you were wondering what in the world I was talking about ;).

Proof that Global Warming Exist:

I hope it doesn't get any worse!

Underwear and Global Warming

Has Anybody Here Seen Kelly

It started bothering me yesterday that I couldn't think of the song that the lady sang to me over the phone, so I searched on the internet and found it. The name of the song is, "Has Anybody Here Seen Kelly?" Here are the lyrics:

Has anybody here seen Kelly?

K.E. double L. Y,

Has anybody here seen Kelly?

Have you seen him smile?

Sure his hair is red, his eyes are blue,

And he's Irish through and through,

Has anybody here seen Kelly?

Kelly from the Emerald Isle

A problem that I've always had with my name it's a guy's name too. So I decided to change the lyrics a little to fit me:

Has anybody here seen Kelly?

K.E. double L. Y,

Has anybody here seen Kelly?

Have you seen her smile?

Sure her hair is blonde, her eyes are blue,

And she's Irish part way through,

Has anybody here seen Kelly?

Kelly from West Texas

Now, if I only knew the tune...

Luck of the Irish

I was on the phone with Continental this afternoon making plane reservations for the Pastors' Conference coming up in November. When I gave the lady my name she told me there was a song that had my name in it. I thought she was talking about the one Woody sang on Chers, "Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly..." People used to sing that to me all the time. But that wasn't the one she was talking about. She preceded to sing an Irish song to me that I can't recall the lyrics to. And at the conclusion she told me that Kelly was a strong Irish name. I held in my laugh; I've never had a sales person sing to me before. But I must say that it made the wait over the phone more enjoyable. I should have gotten her name and requested her next time - she made me smile.

Fortune

I went to Pei Wei last night and here's what my fortune cookie said:

"Someone special admires you."

I like that ;).

Bridesmaids

With so many weddings coming up in July (see previous post), it's time to start thinking about bridesmaids. I read in Wikipedia that, "the Western bridesmaid tradition seems to have originated from later Roman law, which required ten witnesses at a wedding in order to outsmart evil spirits believed to attend marriage ceremonies. The bridesmaids and ushers dressed in identical clothing to the bride and groom, so that the evil spirits wouldn't know who was getting married. Even as late as 19th century England, the belief that ill-wishers could administer curses and taint the wedding still existed. In Victorian wedding photographs, for example, it can take quite a bit of inspection to pick out the bride and groom from among the other members of the bridal party."

It took a REALLY good friend to be a bridesmaid in those days! "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).

07/07/07

Melody emailed me this morning and told me that she heard on the radio that ladies are rushing to reserve churches for July 7, 2007 because it's supposed to be lucky (7-7-07). The funny thing is that some of the women reserving the churches aren't even dating anyone yet. I guess they have high hopes ;).

Watch What You Write

I heard on AM 740 this morning that anything you blog about can be used against you in a court of law. I wonder if I need to delete any of my previous posts? ;)

Happy Day

Several things made me smile yesterday. Just to name a few of many:

1. Astros won again
2. Cards lost again
3. I tried asparagus and zucchini for the first time, and I didn't throw up
4. I wore my cowboy boots for the first time this season

Chuck Norris

Chuck Norris has nothing to do with my post. I had no idea what to title it, and for some reason his name came to mind. Don't ask me why.

I was at Kroger the other day and I had to visit the ladies room. I was washing my hands when a Kroger deli employee came out of the stall. She combed her hands through her hair and looked at herself for a while. In the mean time, I was doing all the hand washing procedures: wash hands, scrub for a while, rinse, grab a paper towel, turn off the facet with the towel, open the door with the towel, etc. The deli lady DID NOT wash her hands and slid out the door when I opened it. That is SO NOT RIGHT!!! I'll try to give her the benefit of the doubt and say there's a possibility that she washed her hands at her work station. However, to keep the guests coming back, employees should wash their hands in the restroom. Seriously!

Barbara's Friend

I went to Taylor and Joel's wedding Saturday night - beautiful! I was sitting by a group of friends when a random guy we'd never seen sat by Alison. We'll call him "BF". BF was telling Alison that he thought the wedding was at 2:00. He got to church at that time and didn't see anyone, so he left and came back at 5:00. Sweet Alison felt sorry for him and continued the conversation by asking him which one he was friends with, Taylor or Joel?

"I'm friends with Barbara," BF replied.

"Barbara?" Alison asked, a little perplexed.

"This isn't Barbara's wedding?" BF was confused.

"No." Alison said sympathetically.

"Oh," and with this he left.

Poor guy was at the wrong wedding! Barbara's friend (AKA BF) completely missed her wedding!

#1, #2 and #8 The River

As per my sister's request, I'll continue with my stories about Panama starting with what happened to the river. Do you see one in this picture? Me either. We were boating about when all of a sudden large plants (I don't know what they were) took over the river. The bottom of the river was over ten feet deep, and these plant things were as far as the eye could see. Our boat motor kept getting caught, so it took forever to get through! And there were lots of yucky bugs flying around. I guess that's part of being in the jungle. I felt adventurous. I admit I got a little nervous when the boat motor went out on the boat that was carrying our luggage. We had to tow the boat behind us. You can barely see the boat behind ours.

So that's the first story. The second one is bathing. We didn't have fresh water to bathe with so we went to the river every day to wash up. The water was so cold I got chill bumps, but it felt good after a hot day. There were little fish biting us, so every once in a while we'd get a surprise!

Third story: Angry River. We ran out of gravel and sand for the concret mix, so we asked the chiefs if we could pay the members of the village to get it from the river. The chiefs told us that last time they got gravel from the river, the river got angry and made the people in the village sick. They really believe this. I am so humbled that God uses ordinary people like us to share the Gospel with unbelievers. One of the chiefs told us he was a Christian (he accepted Christ last year when we went to Tabardi for a day), but as you can see he's having a hard time leaving behind his past beliefs. Please pray for him and the other new believers.

Mean People

Mean people are not my favorite. I didn't have a good morning. I went to Wal-mart (I really DON'T like that place) to cash a money gram. I've been going there, much to my dismay, for the past year cashing money grams every month. Today the lady (I use the term lightly) told me she couldn't cash it because it didn't have Wal-mart printed on it. I argued with her for a while but she didn't back down. So I finally left and she yelled after me, "Have a nice day." I think she was taunting me. Good thing she was old or I might have been disrespectful. So I found another place to cash the check. The guy behind the counter was in a tacky mood too. He didn't say one word to me. Then, when he threw money at me, I noticed I was missing $10. He said they charge to cash money grams, but neglected to tell me. I couldn't do anything about it because he already stamped the back of the it with the place's bank information. No one else would take it after that. I admit, when I got to my car I was boiling. I didn't know if I wanted to scream or cry. I think I was wearing a sign this morning that said, "Be mean to me, I'm emotional today."

Project Runway Blog

I have exciting news for Project Runway fans! I found a blog that gives behind the scenes information on the show. It has a link to the Olympus Fashion Week pictures of the final four. I'm way excited to see the collections before it airs on television!

#3 Two Eggs

Nixiana, the girl in the blue, gave me two eggs. No one has ever given me fresh eggs before. I smiled and told her thank-you all the while wondering why in the world she gave me eggs. Jeannie and I asked the pastor (some girl gave Jeannie an egg too) what the meaning of it was. It means she wants to be my life-long friend. I have a life-long friend in the middle of the jungle in a village named Tabarde. How cool is that ;)? I bet you're wondering what I did with the eggs. Craig ate them. Yep, he cracked it open and swallowed it raw - ewwwe! He didn't die, so I guess it's okay.

On a side note. The older boy in the picture is Otillio. He's my friend too. All week he answered all the questions correctly in VBS and he has the sweetest smile ever (I wish he smiled in the picture). I told Celia I think he's going to be a pastor when he grows up. She asked him one night what he wanted to be. He said a pastor. I was right ;). The pastor of the church in Tabarde disciples him. I pray he sticks with it.

Just in case you were wondering. You don't have to give me an egg to be your friend. But if you must, please boil it. Thanks.

#5 You don't see that every day in church

At church yesterday I was thinking how much different last week's service was to this one. Last Sunday we had service in a grass hut with a dirt floor and wooden benches. We had service in the morning with the children. Jeannie told the story of David and Goliath. As she was telling the story a little girl stood up and did the "tee-tee dance". Her older sister pulled off her shorts and the little girl let it all out on the floor. After she was done she politely sat back down on the bench. (Yes, this is why we must wear shoes at all times.) I tried not to laugh, gained composure, and drew my attention back to the story. Praise the Lord we don't have to have a fancy building, nice clothes, and manners for God to show up at Sunday service!

Back Home

I'm back home ;). It's always weird coming home after being with the Kunas. Their lifestyle is so much different than ours. They're more laid back and they don't seem to worry about the superficial stuff that I think about sometimes (ie. does this shirt look right with these pants? etc.). Okay that's not all I think about but you know what I mean - I hope. I've found myself driving a lot slower (only 5 miles over the limit) and not rushing around as much. It's a nice feeling, and I'm sad when I go back to the "old way". I think I won't, but sadly, eventually I do. I think I'm just rambling; I have a lot of thoughts swimming in my head...

Anyway, the trip went wonderful and I have lots of stories to tell. I'll give you a tidbit of what's to come in further blog entries:

1. What happened to the River?
2. Bathing with 26 other men and women.
3. Here's two eggs, let's be friends.
4. Street Dancing
5. You don't see that everyday in church
6. Pork Chop didn't have an egg to give
7. Should the baby be playing with THAT?
8. The River will get angry
9. Tabarde Welcoming Team
10. I sinned! I sinned!!!
11. Neapolitan ice-cream
12. Jungle Monkeys
13. And maybe others, I don't know

Thank-you all for your prayers. God is good!

Off to Panama

I don't have time to write much (I still have a lot to do before I go to bed), but I wanted to let every one know that I'm leaving bright and early in the morning for Panama. Please pray for us while we're gone. We'll be in the jungle Monday thru Thursday morning ministering to the Kuna tribes. We'll have one day VBSs and small medical clinics. Then at night we're going to show "The Passion of Christ" movie in their language. Also during the day we'll evangelize "hut to hut". Thursday morning we'll meet the rest of the group in the bayano area. This area has several villages around a large lake. We're not going to the islands this time. We'll be doing the same thing we're doing in the jungle but we'll also be building a church. Don't worry, I won't be building - the church won't fall down! We're staying in the bayano for six days; then we'll head back to Panama City before returning home. So I'll see you all after September 9th when I get back. Pray that many will come to know Christ and that God will be glorified. And whatever else you feel lead to pray would be great! I look forward to sharing about what God does on this trip when I return ;).

Vicodin or Chocolate?

I woke up this morning feeling really yucky. I have a fever, sore throat, and I ache down to my bones. My mom went to the dentist this morning and came by the office after her appointment. I asked her for some of the vicodin the doctor gave her. She replied that she hadn't filled the prescription yet but she had "this" instead. With that she handed me a piece of chocolate. Thanks mom. That takes the place of vicodin, really. I did eat a bite; it helped a little. But next time I want the drugs.

Joe's Crack Shack

My brother, sister-in-law, and nephew are down this week. This past weekend our whole family went to Galveston for a couple of days. Sunday night we went to Joe's Crab Shack. It was a nice pleasant evening until a large group of early twenty somethings came in. They sat at the table right beside us. When my brother got up to go to the restroom, he noticed one of the guys at the table had his rear end completely exposed. His pants were saggy, so when he sat down, half his crack was sticking out of his pants. If that's not bad enough while you're eating, then making a big scene about it is. He tells Stephanie (his wife). They started laughing hysterically and told us about it. Then, Matt, my brother, starting making spit balls out of his napkin and tried to launch them across the way to "hit the mark". When that didn't work, my dad, who was feeding my nephew at the time, tried to inconspicuously throw cherrios. By this time we were getting a little out of hand and practically the whole restaurant turned around to look at us. Did they stop? No. Melanie got out her camera phone to take a picture for her blog, but I ended up talking her out of it. I felt like Lizzy at the party in "Pride and Prejudice". We are so that family.

Dancing at Games

I was at the Astros game last night - yay! We won! They were playing some music (like they always do) and this little boy in front of me starting dancing. I thought to myself how cute he looked. Then, later in the game an older man started dancing to some music. I thought to myself how goofy he looked. (I know, that's kinda mean.) So I wonder: what's the cut off age to dancing at games and looking cute vs. goofy?

Reasons Why I Heart Chick-fil-A

In a couple of my posts I have mentioned Chick-fil-A, but I don't think I have adequately expressed my affection for this place. As I was eating my lunch this afternoon, I was thinking how long it had been since I've had the pleasure of eating out at such a fine establishment. I began recollecting all the fond memories: skipping class to eat lunch there, Chick-fil-A biscuits in the morning, fun conversations with friends, etc., etc. So I thought, "Why not give Top Ten Reasons Why I Heart Chick-fil-A"? Thus, this entry was birthed:

10. Classical music playing while you eat
9. Super friendly service
8. Fresh flowers at every table
7. Free Brown Bag concerts
6. Kid's Meal is just the right size and the prize is educational
5. Fresh Fruit
4. Ambience makes you feel like you're not eating fast food
3. They're not just in the malls anymore
2. Sweet Tea

And the #1 reason I like Chick-fil-A:
They are owned by Christians and closed on Sundays.

I think I'll have to visit sometime this weekend...

Thank Our Troops

My sister wrote a post about our troops and some of the things they're going through to fight for our freedom. I think we definitely need to lift them up in prayer more often. There's also a way that you can let them know you support and pray for them. Yesterday my aunt sent me an email with a link that you can go to and send a card to one of our troops. When you pick a card from their selection, Xerox will print it out and send it to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq. You can't pick who receives it, but it will go to some member of the armed services. What a great way to encourage them and show your support!

La Te Da

So, I hate to disappoint you, but I have nothing to say. I just wanted to surprize everyone that's been checking my blog to see if I've updated. Well, here it is, a blog about nothing. I guess I've been inspired by Seinfeld. I've been confronted by a few people about being boring and not being as consistent with my updates. My dad, a blog lurker, said that I was writing creative blog entries there for a while - "What happened?" he asked. "I don't know," I replied. And honestly, I don't. Maybe creativity will come back... I had a thought about my hot garbage man the other day, but I just couldn't think of how I could work that in an entry. I try to leave my house early on garbage pick up day, so I can look at him. No, I'm not lusting, I'm just enjoying God's creation. I smile, he smiles back. Then I turn red, start giggling, hop in my car and praise the Lord for His handiwork. Sigh.

I Kid You Not

I went out to eat with Julie tonight at this fun little place called the Hobbit Hole. As I was leaving the restaurant I saw a man get out of his car wearing a bright red bra and matching ladies underwear. Over this little ensemble he had a see through black lace jumper. So unattractive! How tacky is it to show your bra and underwear to the world! I was thinking perhaps he would have at least put on make-up and fixed his hair, but I guess he thought it would take away from the red bra. To make matters worse, he had a rather large belly hanging over his underwear. The whole thing made me think of Rocky Horror Picture Show. Hum, I wonder if they let him in the restaurant?

Fun Friday Test #3

You Have A Type A- Personality

You are one of the most balanced people around Motivated and focused, you are good at getting what you want You rule at success, but success doesn't rule you. When it's playtime, you really know how to kick back Whether it's hanging out with friends or doing something you love! You live life to the fullest - encorporating the best of both worlds

Do You Have a Type A Personality?

I must be tired

After HP last night, I got home and was wide awake. I didn't go to bed until late and got up early this morning. I took shower, and as I was about to get out I realized I forgot to wash my hair. Yeah, that's a good idea. Then, before I left for work I made an english muffin for breakfast. I buttered it and put the butter container in the sink. I went to the refrigerator and opened it wondering why I went there. Then, I went back over to the sink to take my vitamins and saw the butter container. Why is that there? It should be in the refrigerator. Wake up Kelly! I'm glad to say that I am awake now and ready for tonight. It just takes me a while to get going some mornings ;).

Hooka

I'm working with the nine year olds in Houston Project this year. We were talking Monday night about cute boys. One girl said that whenever she sees one it makes her feel like falling to the ground. I had to agree with her ;). Then another girl told me her cousin was a "hooka". "Oh", I said trying not to sound too shocked. "Yeah, she like a different boy eva week. Her name is ____ (intentionally let blank to keep confidential), but she tells people to call her hooka." "How old is she?" I asked thinking she was probably a teenager. "She five. And she wear her shorts up to here (pointing high on her thigh) and shirts up to here (above the midriff). And she be cussin' all the time." Five years old! At first, I admit, I wanted to laugh, but then I thought "how sad". The world these kids grow up in! I pray God will turn many hearts to Him this week.

Fun Friday Test #2

You Are Cyclops

Dedicated and responsible, you will always remain loyal to your cause. You are a commanding leader - after all, you can kill someone just by looking at them. Power: force beams from your eyes

Which of the X-Men Are You?

So Sad

I did something I've never done before - Sunday, on the way home from church, I ran over a bird. I was talking on the phone with Alison and I noticed a bird in the middle of the road. It looked hurt, but some one was beside me, so I couldn't get over. I thought I would straddle it instead, but I guess it moved a little. I felt it's little head crack under my wheel, and as I looked in the rear view mirror feathers flew up in the air. I started sobbing immediately. I don't know why - it's just a bird, but I still took a life out of this world! I was crying so hard Alison couldn't understand what I was saying. Finally I got out that I ran over a bird. She tried to make me feel better by saying it was probably just an annoying mockingbird, but I think it was a pigeon. I'm feeling a little better about the whole thing, but I still tear up when I think about the feathers and the crack of the skull. I don't think I could ever be a hunter.

Fun Friday Test

Your Linguistic Profile:

60% General American English

25% Dixie

10% Yankee

0% Midwestern

0% Upper Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Ouch!

When I got to work this morning I put my lunch in the refrigerator. Then I proceeded to put the bag in the closet. As it is, I’m wearing a sash belt today; it became untied and dragged the floor. However, I didn’t notice this at the time. When I went to put the bag in the closet I saw the sash out of the corner of my eye and thought it was a mouse. I jumped back because I DO NOT heart mice. When I did this, I hit my hand on the door and took a piece of skin out of my hand. Now it’s swollen and red. Since this isn’t a good enough excuse to take the day off, I’ll have to suffer through it.

What Happened

I received an inquiry as to what happened to the “Candy Store Theory” post. I deleted it. I didn’t realize when I wrote it that people would get offended and possibly get their feelings hurt. I meant it as a joke, and I’m sorry for anyone that didn’t see it that way. I could tell by some of the comments that it hit a sour note and I didn’t want to wage war from the opposing views readers had. After the last comment Tuesday morning, I decided to end it before it got ugly. I hope there's no hard feelings.

One of Those Days

Have you ever had one of those days where you just wake up sad and down on yourself? Well this was one of those days for me. I didn't tell any of my friends this, but I think God prompted a few of them to say something to me. This morning, a friend emailed me sweet encouraging words. Then, early this afternoon another friend left a text that said, "You're cool." And I just got off the phone with yet another friend that made me smile. So through three friends and email, text messaging, and a phone call, God used them to tell me I'm cool and loved even if I feel like a mess some days. Thank-you Lord.

Boquete Coffee

Thursday, when we got back from the islands, we drove to Boquete in Panama. While we were there we went to a coffee factory. Boquete is one of the biggest producers of coffee in the world. It smelt so good in that place; I so wished I liked coffee! Anyway, I found out lots of good advice and things to look for when buying coffee. I forget most of it, but I did find out that the little circle with a hole in it on the bag isn't there to smell the coffee (although you can smell it through there). It's to press when you close the bag to get the air out, so it stays fresher longer. I also found out that some cheap coffee (like Folgers) grinds up corn with the beans. But the most disgusting thing they told us was about Costa Rica's coffee. They use dried cow's blood to make the coffee appear stronger (because it turns the coffee darker). My advice to you avid coffee drinkers - don't buy coffee from Costa Rica - yuk! BTW: Starbucks buys their coffee beans from Boquete before they're roasted. It may be worth the price not to drink cow's blood!

On a side note: I'm going out of town again tonight for my nephew's 1st Birthday, so there will be a lull time in my blogging. See you all when I get back!

Simple Pleasures

Sometimes it's the little things in life that make me smile. On the islands I enjoyed some simple pleasures:

1. Making balloon swords and watching the kids fight
2. "Magic Tricks" with a rock
3. The sweetest pineapple in the world
4. Children's laughter
5. Flushing toliet on the islands
6. Cake
7. Chill bumps in the middle of the day
8. French braiding little girls' hair
9. Taking photos of people that have never had their pictures made
10. Hearing children singing songs about Jesus
11. Blowing bubbles
12. Trying to sing songs in Tule

Simple Pleasures in Panama City/Boquete/Colon

1. Icecream at the Crepe and Waffle place
2. Popcorn (by Hot Butter), American Pie, and Pata Pata
3. Listening to stories about my dad's youth
4. NOT going to the Panama Canal for the 100th time
5. Filet Mignon for $7
6. Watching a movie for $2.75
7. Massage by a real massage therapist
8. Bible study outside in God's beautiful creation
9. Meeting people from Germany, Ireland, England, New York, Arizona, Reno, and other places that spoke English to us
10. Shoe shopping
11. Mr. Darcy and Lizzy

Simple Pleasures when I got home:

1. Seeing Family
2. Friends calling me
3. My Bed and clean sheets
4. Exercising
5. Hair Dryer
6. Hot Iron for my hair
7. Driving in America in my car
8. Going to the movie for $6
9. Astros
10. Washcloths
11. Espresso eye liner

I love life!

I'm Back

I tried to blog at work today about my trip, but the internet service was down - how do they expect me to get any personal work done? Anyway, the trip was wonderful. I'll give a short rendition of the trip and through out the rest of the week (if the internet starts working) I'll expound on some highlights.

We got to the islands on Friday, and we stayed on the island of Playon Chico. The group got there safely, but some of the luggage lagged behind - the bag with all the construction tools, and my dad's and my clothes. Not to mention that fifteen of the bags from Continental didn't make it to Panama. We worked with what we had, and everyone shared clothes for a few days. Fortunately, I put a change of clothes in my carry-on. We got some bags Sunday and the rest came Monday.

Sunday, my dad, Yanira, Igua (he's a Kuna that helped us) and I took a canoe over to Irigandi. It's a very poor village that most people don't go to. Dad started on putting a roof on the church; many of the Kunas helped, so that was a blessing. By the end of the week they finished everything they could get done. Some of the roofing material broke during shipping, so we had to order more. They'll be able to finish it themselves.

Yanira and I held Vacation Bible School for the kids. They had so much fun! We started VBS at 2 every day. A few minutes before 2, the kids would come to our hut and wait for us. One of the days after VBS, we made balloon animals for the kids. Three of us made over 200 balloon animals; it was so fun to see the smiles on their faces. By the end of our stay, the kids were starting to learn the meanings of the colors from the salvation bracelets and they were correctly answering all the questions we asked them. Praise the Lord that it sinked in!

Every night at Irigandi, the chiefs (they're like a "governor" of the island) wanted my dad to preach. One night they only gave him fifteen minutes notice - good thing he's been a preacher for a while! They wanted to know more about Jesus and why we were there. None of them accepted the Lord, but they heard the truth, so we pray it will take root. Some people came forward to accept Christ, so praise HIM for that!

We met back up with the basketball group Wednesday and left the islands Thursday morning. From what we heard from the basketball group, things went well with them. The Kunas enjoyed playing ball with them, and they were able to share testimonies and witness.

God was so faithful on the trip (as always) and I could see Him answer your prayers. Thank-you so much for praying; I know satan was fighting, but the Lord helped us stay strong.

"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." ~ 1 Corintians 15:58

Bane Malo

Otherwise known as “see you later” in English. I’m leaving in the morning for a two week long mission trip to Panama. For those of you that don’t know, I go to the San Blas Islands off the Atlantic Coast of Panama to work with an indigenous people group called the Kuna Indians several times a year. I’m super excited to be going back. It feels like forever since last I’ve been; it’s almost like going to my home away from home. Some of the people are like my second family.

This particular trip, we are taking a basketball group with us. The Kunas live on small coral reef islands, but almost every island has some sort of basketball court – most are dirt courts with b-ball rims without nets. When the Americans come down to play it’s the high-light of their year! We get a group of mostly college players once a year to go with us to play ball. Afterward, they share their testimonies about what Christ has done in their life. This has opened up many doors for sharing the Gospel.

In case you were wondering, no, I’m not playing basketball ;). I will be working in a Vacation Bible School with the children on two villages (we’ll be having it at least five days maybe more). At night our group will be traveling with the b-ball group to have a mini one day VBS with the kids. We will be telling the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Then, for a craft we’re going to make Salvation bracelets. If you don’t know what they are, each colored bead represents something different: black-sin, red-Jesus’ blood, white-forgiveness, blue-baptism, green-Spiritual growth, and yellow-heaven. Then, in our spare time, we are going to have a small little medical clinic. We’re bringing skin medicine because the children have a lot of skin problems due to the sun and harsh environment.

The third group is going to replace the roof on the church. They have to replace truces and all; the roof is completely gone. I know the church is going to be blessed by their hard work.

Please be praying for us all. We Americans are very spoiled and we aren’t used to not having running water, electricity or air-conditioner. We’ll be staying in grass huts and sleeping in hammocks (very comfortable by the way). The weather is extremely hot and humid, so please pray for our health so we can minister more effectively. We will also be traveling by canoe from island to island, so pray for traveling safety and calm water – I get sea sick.

I ask that you would pray 1 Peter 4:11 over us – “If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

And Ephesians 6:7 and 19 – “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men… Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the Gospel.”

And last one Colossians 3:17 and 4:2-6 – “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him… Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for our message, so that we may proclaim it clearly, as we should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

And any other verses you want to pray over us are welcome ;). Most of all please join me in prayer that God will be glorified by people trusting Christ as their Savior. May God make His grace so irresistible that they can not refuse Him!

I look forward to telling you all about what God did on the trip when I get back on the 6th. I’ll miss all of you! Oh, by the way, if any of you want to check out the Mission Alliance website (where I work and the organization that I'm going with), then feel free. It's still being worked on, but it'll give you some information about the Kunas.

My Car at 16

Okay, so this really wasn't my car when I was sixteen. This is a picture from the art car parade that I went to Saturday. (Thanks Tim for putting it together.) This car is dear to my heart because of the following story:

One of my friends nicknamed me Cher (from Clueless) because I was always hitting curbs. One day I was pulling into school, and I hit the curb - again. But this time, my hubcap flew across the parking lot. My friend jump out of my car after I parked and acted like he didn't know me. Some friend he was...When I was in drivers ed I was driving in the rain, and my teacher asked me to do a u-turn. When I did, half the car went up on the median. A lady drove by, and you should have seen her face! "Student Driver" was plastered all over the car. She still probably tells the story... I must say that I'm a better driver now. But for some reason, people always wave at me with their middle finger. So I wave back (with my whole hand) and smile. They get really angry when I do that; I don't know why. I'm just being friendly.

I Know He Means Well, But...

Gunnar Peterson makes me want to use profanity sometimes. I've been using Core Secrets work-out videos for the past year, and I get two new videos every other month. This month I got "A Leg Up on the Competition" and "Killer Legs: Glutes, Hams, and Quads". Each video gets progressively harder, and this one is no exception. Every time he makes me do the sitting holding squat for what seems like hours, I start thinking bad thoughts in my head. I even tried smiling through the whole thing like the girls in the video do, but as soon as that exercise comes up, a stern frown creeps across my face. But I must say, smiling through the video did made me laugh. I don't know how those girls can smile so long - my mouth started hurting! Oh well, maybe in a few weeks I'll enjoy the sitting holding squat, but I doubt it.

Fashion Advice

I received critical fashion advice from a four year old last night. I used to teach Clayton in pre-school a couple of years ago, and I baby-sit for him occasionally. Last night we were outside playing baseball, and he told me he didn't like my ponytail. I had my hair knotted up in the back (I was going for the messy look). I thought it looked cute, but he informed me that it was goofy looking and it didn't match my shirt. Humm... I was wearing an Asian shirt, and my hair somewhat symbolized chop sticks, but whatever. He told me four or five times through out the night to take my hair down. And when I tucked him in bed, he told me that next time I come over I should either wear my hair in two ponytails or down because he liked it better that way. I never knew my hair would disconcert a four year old.

Mullet Heads

Most people are glad the mullet craze is over, but some are still trying to sport the "business in the front/party in the back" look. There are countless websites designated to "mullet sightings". I would link you to some, but since this is a G-rated blog, I don't want to subject you to the horror of it all.

I was talking to some one that will remain anonymous for obvious reasons about her mullet in seventh grade. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, she had a femullet (aka female mullet). I found the perfect t-shirt for her (see picture above). I dedicate this post to you, my anonymous femullet friend. And for your reading pleasure I will sum up the history of the mullet :

The term mullet was first coined in the 1967 film "Cool Hand Luke" staring Paul Newman and George Kennedy. Kennedy's character referred to Southern men with long hair as "mullet heads".

So raise your head high - you were brave enough to admit you had a femullet. (Well, you actually didn't admit it; I saw a picture, but that's besides the point.) I'm sure you were cool back in the day ;).

What Do You Do In Your Car?

I must admit, I like to people watch while sitting in traffic. Most of the time I only see people talking on their cell phones, but occasionally I get a laugh out of people entertaining themselves completely unaware that I'm watching them. However, I've been caught a few times singing and playing air drum in the car. So much so that I've had people roll down their windows and ask me what song I'm listening to. I've even had a family in a van stare at me - I mean the stare like with their eyes popping out of their head. So, I continued my show with extra pizzazz to give them something to talk about and bond over. The other day I was looking in my rear view mirror at an attractive guy around my age (in a really nice sports car I might add). I noticed a blue plastic round thing sticking out of his mouth that he kept on licking. For the life of me I couldn't figure out what he was doing, but then I realized it was one of those ring suckers. I haven't seen those in years, much less from a guy my age. But that doesn't beat the time that I saw a guy using a cotton swab to clean out his nose... Or the time I saw a couple making out in the bed of a truck laying on a mattress... Or the time I was driving down I10 (going 70 mind you) and a guy asked me for my phone number. I would of been somewhat flattered if I wasn't dressed for a costume party. I had heavy make-up and ratted hair. My friend jokes that he thought I was a prostitute (if you were wondering, no, I didn't give him my number)... But so far I think this is the winner - Some one told me they saw girl talking on her cell phone with her foot on the dashboard painting her toenails while somehow driving. Anyway, I would love to hear about what you've seen people do while driving in traffic.

My Sister has a Blog

I am proud to announce that Melanie is no longer just a blog lurker. As of today she has a blog of her own. Welcome to the blog world, Melanie!

Slowly but surely we're sucking more and more people in. Watch out, you may be next ;).

What I Learned

I've been filling in for a nanny this week, and I've learned and/or realized a few things:

1. Babies are a lot of fun
2. I like driving a Lexus
3. When you take a dog for a walk you have to pick up their poo - eww!
4. I want my kids (when I have them) to live in a house where it's safe to play outside
5. You can dress an adorable baby girl in an all pink ruffle dress with hearts, bows, and "I'm a Princess" across the front and some one is still going to ask if she's a boy
6. I'm so glad I don't have to eat baby food - praise the Lord for teeth!
7. God has blessed me with a wonderful family and great friends (I already knew that)
8. Baby Einstein is brilliant
9. I don't like the plastic butler in the bathroom holding the toilet paper ogling at me - he gives me the creeps
10. Whenever you go somewhere with a six month old it's like you're moving
11. I could get really spoiled living in a high rise
12. No matter how cute you are, you still stink sometimes
13. I want to be on "What Not to Wear" and get a new wardrobe; will some one nominate me?
14. Babies are very high maintenance, and I thought I was bad!
15. You don't realize how much you need something until you don't have it
16. If you forget you have weights in the backseat and make a sharp turn, then you can get really freaked out by the loud clanking sound
17. I like Chick-fil-a in the mornings (and afternoon and night...)
18. I appreciate what my mom went through to raise me a lot more ;) - I love you mom!

Baseball Lingo

My brother emailed this to me and I thought I would pass it along. As baseball (the greatest sport on earth) is in it's second month, I figured it wouldn't hurt to get caught up on your baseball lingo. Now next time you go to a game you can act like you know what you're talking about.

A fan's guide to commonly-used terms and phrases.

ace -- A team's best starting pitcher.
alley-- The section of the outfield between the outfielders. Also "gap."
around the horn-- A double play going from third base to second to first.
backdoor slider -- A pitch that appears to be out of the strike zone, but then breaks back over the plate.
bag -- A base.
Baltimore chop -- A ground ball that hits in front of home plate (or off of it) and takes a large hop over the infielder's head.
bandbox-- A small ballpark that favors hitters.
bang-bang play -- A play in which the baserunner hits the bag a split-second before the ball arrives or vice versa.
basket catch -- When a fielder catches a ball with his glove near belt level.
Bronx cheer -- When the crowd boos.
brushback -- A pitch that nearly hits a batter.
bush -- Also "bush league." An amateur play or behavior.
can of corn -- An easy catch by a fielder.
caught looking -- When a batter is called out on strikes.
cellar -- Last place. Also "basement."
cheese -- Also "good cheese." Refers to a good fastball.
chin music -- A pitch that is high and inside.
circus catch -- An outstanding catch by a fielder.
closer -- A team's relief pitcher who finishes the game.
cutter -- A cut fastball (one with a late break to it).
cycle -- When a batter hits a single, double, triple and home run in the same game.
dinger -- A home run.
dish -- Home plate.
fireman -- A team's closer or late-inning relief pitcher.
fungo -- A ball hit to a fielder during practice. It's usually hit by a coach using a "fungo bat," which is longer and thinner than a normal bat.
gap -- See "alley." A ball hit here is a "gapper."
gopher ball -- A pitch hit for a home run, as in "go for."
heat -- A good fastball. Also "heater."
high and tight -- Referring to a pitch that's up in the strike zone and inside on a hitter. Also known as "up and in."
hill -- Pitcher's mound.
homer -- A home run. Other terms include: blast, dinger, dong, four-bagger, four-base knock, moon shot, tape-measure blast and tater.
hot corner -- Third base.
in the hole -- The batter after the on-deck hitter.
jam -- When a hitter gets a pitch near his hands, he is "jammed." Also when a pitcher gets himself in trouble, he is in a "jam."
leather -- Refers to how good a player plays defensively or handles the glove. Ex: "He flashed some leather on that play."
meatball -- An easy pitch to hit, usually right down the middle of the plate.
Mendoza line -- A batting average of around .200.
moon shot -- A very long, high home run.
nail down -- As in "nail down a victory." Refers to a relief pitcher finishing off the game.
on the screws -- When a batter hits the ball hard. Also "on the button."
painting the black -- When a pitcher throws the ball over the edge of the plate.
pea -- A ball traveling at high speed, either batted or thrown.
pepper -- Pepper is a common pre-game exercise where one player bunts brisk grounders and line drives to a group of fielders who are standing about 20 feet away. The fielders try to throw it back as quickly as possible. The batter hits the return throw. (Some ballparks ban pepper games because wild pitches could land in the stands and injure spectators).
pick -- A good defensive play by an infielder on a ground ball. Also a shortened version of "pick-off."
pickle -- A rundown.
punchout -- A strikeout.
rhubarb -- A fight or scuffle.
ribbie -- Another way of saying RBI. Also "ribeye."
rope -- A hard line drive hit by a batter. Also "frozen rope."
rubber game -- The deciding game of a series.
run-down -- When a baserunner gets caught between bases by the fielders.
Ruthian -- With great power.
seeing-eye single -- A soft ground ball that finds its way between infielders for a base hit.
set-up man -- A relief pitcher who usually enters the game in the 7th or 8th inning.
shoestring catch -- A running catch made just above the fielder's shoetops.
southpaw -- A left-handed pitcher.
sweet spot -- The part of the bat just a few inches from the barrel.
table setter -- Batter whose job is to get on base for other hitters to drive him in. Usually a leadoff or No. 2 hitter.
tape-measure blast -- An extremely long home run.
tater -- A home run.
Texas Leaguer -- A bloop hit that drops between an infielder and outfielder.
tools of ignorance -- Catcher's equipment.
touch 'em all -- Hitting a home run (touching all the bases).
twin killing -- A double play.
Uncle Charlie -- Curve ball.
utility player -- A player who fills in at many positions.
wheelhouse -- A hitter's power zone. Usually a pitch waist-high and over the heart of the plate.
wheels -- A ballplayer's legs.
whiff -- Strikeout.
yakker -- Curve ball.

Global Night Commute

Saturday night I joined all the "tree huggers" as I like to call them and spent the night with over a thousand people at Rice University (see previous post as to why). After we parked we walked two miles to the field where we were supposed to sleep. I cursed myself for being so high maintenence. I had a bag with necessities, sleeping bag, blow-up mat, and a 50 pound tarp (I may be exaggerating on the weight, but it sure was heavy!). Melody and Carmen helped me carry it though. When we arrived we were asked to write letters to the president and our congress representatives. Then, we decorated a picture of ourselves for a book they're going to make of all the participants. I looked on the website this morning to see if they had anything to say about the commutes in other cities, but they must not have updated it yet. I know in Tennessee it rained all night. Most of the people left. Praise the Lord it didn't rain in Houston! But I was thinking, all the kids in Uganda that make that trip do it no matter if it rains or not because their life depends on it. We have it so good in America, and I know I don't thank the Lord enough for all HIS blessings. Even the poorest people here have it so better than most of the people in the world. Join me today in praising the Lord for HIS abundant blessings in our lives. I'll keep you all updated about the outcome of the GNC across the world. Please pray for the war in Uganda to end and the precious children to be protected.

Join the GNC

No, I'm not talking about the vitamin store. I'm talking about the Global Night Commute for Invisible Children. This commute will raise awareness for the children in Northern Uganda. These kids live in constant fear of being abducted by rebel soldiers and forced to fight as part of their army. They walk miles every night to the closest shelter to sleep, so the rebels will not take them. The children that are taken are used as sex slaves and forced to kill. They're brainwashed and sometimes have to kill their own family. This Saturday night (the 29th), they are asking volunteers to sleep outside at Rice University. This is to show the government that we want them to take action. So grab your sleeping bag and come out this Saturday! We're getting a group to meet up and head out together, so if you're interested in joining us, then let me know. And it wraps up at 7 am Sunday morning, so you still have time to make it to class by 9:10 and service afterwards.

My Nephew Has a Girlfriend

I was talking to my brother the other day and found out Boston (my nephew) has a little girlfriend. Mind you, he's only ten months old. He gets a big grin on his face every time he sees baby Hannah at daycare. And, he's already saying her name. I must admit, I'm a little jealous - I wanted "Aunt Kelly" to be one of his first words. First, it was "dada", then "mama", then "nana" and now "Hannah". Where's the love? I think I need to record "Aunt Kelly" over and over on a tape and play it while he sleeps. Maybe by the time I see him in June he'll be saying it. Matt, you need to have him start practicing ;).

Surrender

I want to start out with a confession – surrender is not my strong suit. I’m one of the most stubborn people in the world. Another confession is that I have a hard time waiting. I wrote a post a while back on waiting; I should have read it before I acted rashly a couple of weeks ago. I’ll spare the details, but basically, I got another job to help with finances. Most of you would think that’s no big deal and I was acting responsibly. However, no matter how “logical” something seems, when God tells you to not do something, then you shouldn’t do it. Actually, I didn’t even ask God, I just did it. I was in training last week for this job and every time I went I got a sick feeling. I ignored it and went on thinking, “This isn’t what I want, but it’s something I have to do.” Then, Friday morning I went to Bible study. We were talking about the story of David when he went to the land of the Philistines to hide from Saul (1 Samuel 27). Mind you, God had protected David from Saul in the past, and David was anointed to be the next king. However, David stopped having faith in the promises of God. He panicked and reacted out of fear – much like I did. During this time (a year and a half), David wrote no Psalms; his disobedience and mistrust caused a chasm in his fellowship with the Lord. I was so convicted that I felt sick inside. Saturday morning (my last day of training), I called and told them I was not going to take the job. I felt a huge burden had been lifted off and I felt peace, a peace that I didn’t have the past couple of weeks. And, you know what? God provided another way for me to earn extra money to help with finances. Isn’t God good? Praise the Lord for His forgiveness, patience, mercy and grace on stubborn me!

I read a chapter on surrender in a book I’m currently reading. The author writes, “There is an unspoken fear in most of our hearts that surrendering our desires means waving the white flag of defeat and walking away from every dream we’ve ever had.” However, “Surrender doesn’t mean that we stop making our requests known to God… Surrender simply means that we give God the final choice, believing that He will be good… Sometimes, it’s hard for our little minds to fathom what could be better than our choice. We go through life not knowing what lies ahead for us. But our God is all knowing. He already knows how each detail of our lives will fit together. He knows how to answer our prayers in ways totally beyond our comprehension… Surrender is acknowledging our own limited understanding and trusting the all-knowing God to give us His best. It’s holding on to God’s promises and at the same time giving Him the right to unfold them in His perfect way and perfect time… Surrender makes our hearts open and ready to hear God’s call on our lives.”

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him.” Matthew 7:11

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

Michelin Tweel

This post is for Troy. He got a screw in his new tire ;(. So I suggest that he buy the new Michelin Tweels next time around. I don't think they're for sell yet, so maybe next time you need new tires they'll be out.

Chronicles of Narnia Query

I’m reading the “Chronicles of Narnia” series that my aunt bought me when I was in third or fourth grade (yeah, that was a long time ago – the pages are yellowed and everything). I noticed the other day in my book club catalogue that the “Chronicles of Narnia” series they had for sell was in a different arrangement.

My series of books are in this order: 1) “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” 2) “Prince Caspian” 3) “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” 4) “The Silver Chair” 5) “The Horse and His Boy” 6) “The Magician’s Nephew” and 7) “The Last Battle”.

The series they had for sell are in this order: 1) “The Magician’s Nephew” 2) “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” 3) “The Horse and His Boy” 4) “Prince Caspian” 5) “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” 6) “The Silver Chair” 7) “The Last Battle”.

So you see they are in completely different arrangements. I’m wondering if anyone knows the original order and why these two would be totally different. I’m thinking there has to be a “Chronicles of Narnia” fan out there that can solve my dilemma. I want to read them in the way they were intended to be read. I did notice on the website that they are beginning production on the "Prince Caspian" movie, but in the list of books they had on the site, "The Horse and His Boy" is chronologically next.

Eat More Chicken

Random fact: There are more chickens than humans in the world.

So, to avoid the world being taken over by chickens, I suggest eating more chicken.

I think Chick-fil-A should put this on their billboards...

The Wondrous Cross

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

When I survey the wondrous cross

On which the Prince of glory died,

My richest gain I count but loss,

And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,

Save in the death of Christ, my God;

All the vain things that charm me most,

I sacrifice them to His blood.

See, from His head, His hands, His feet,

Sorrow and love flow mingled down;

Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,

Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,

That were a present far too small;

Love so amazing, so divine,

Demands my soul, my life, my all.

"The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again." - Luke 24:7

Praise the Lord for His gift of salvation! What a mighty God we serve.

Fainting Goats

I was talking to Jeff and Angela this weekend and for some reason we got on the topic of fainting goats. I had never heard of them before, so I had to look them up on the internet. It's absolutely hilarious! Their legs stiffen up and they fall over when they get scared or excited because of a genetic condition called myotonia congenita. Here's a news clip on it. I hate to laugh at them, but it's too funny not to!

Pine Trees and Crosses

My dad and I were carpooling to work this morning and on the way I had to stop by Walgreens. When I got back to the car, my dad pointed out the crosses on the Pine Tree. He said every year around Easter the little things sticking up (I don't know what they're called) make crosses. So, I had to take a picture to show you all. The crosses aren't fully developed yet, but they're starting to form. So, closer to Easter look at the Pine Trees to see the crosses they make. God is so good, isn't He? I love the way He shows Himself through nature. ;)

"Bring It On" Update

I've had people ask me who won the fight that was supposed to take place yesterday. Well, no one did. Laurie, Karla, and I made up and hugged. Reason being, Kirk never acknowledged our devotion to him, and to be honest, it really hurt ;(. We realized that it just wasn't worth it. The man should do the pursuing, not the woman. You've all heard of the book, "He's Just Not That Into You", well I haven't read it, but I still realized that Kirk just wasn't that into any of us. Sad, but true. Anyway, ladies, I wanted to give you nine ways to tell if a guy isn't into you. Maybe this will save you from the agony that Laurie, Karla, and I went through:

1. He never makes plans in advance. If he really wanted to see you, do you really think he would keep calling you on Friday to make plans for Saturday?

2. He talks too much about an ex-girlfriend. It's okay to reminisce about a past relationship, but if it's all he talks about, could it be he's not over her yet?

3. He won't talk about the future. We're not talking about ultimatums here or putting undue pressure on the guy. But if he refuses to discuss where things are headed, then can you really count on him to be the one?

4. He doesn't plan anything for special occasions. If your birthday is coming up or Valentine’s Day and it's not on his radar screen, do you think your happiness is top of mind for him?

5. He lets you do all the work. It's okay to plan some of the dates, but if you only see each other when you make it happen, then can he really claim to be committed to the relationship?

6. He's not clear about your status with friends and family. Does he tell you that you're his girlfriend but say something different in front of friends and family, like we're just close friends?

7. He's overly guarded about cell phone and email messages. People who hide nothing have nothing to hide. Why would he be so protective about messages if he had nothing to hide?

8. He has no interest in your friends and family. If this relationship has a future, at some point he'll have to establish relationships with the people important in your life. If he's not interested in meeting your friends and family, could it be he doesn't expect to be around too long?

9. He cancels on you all the time. Making plans is great but not if they're constantly cancelled by him. What could possibly come up every weekend that he bags on plans with you to do something else?

Okay, I should have known from reasons 3, 4, and 5. He never talked about the future, didn't even call me on my birthday much less do anything for Valentines, and I clearly had to do all the work. Not to mention that I haven't seen him in almost a month. It's so over!

LOT 8 Party Pics

I got to meet Chole Dao, winner of season 2 Project Runway, Friday at the LOT 8 Viewing Party. She signed my t-shirt - which I'm super excited about! Unbeknownst to me, when I was talking to Chole and getting my shirt signed, a lady from Houston Chronicle took our picture. Afterward, she came up to me and got my name and asked me a few questions. So, I may be in the newspaper! I've been checking everyday, but I haven't seen the article yet. So, I'll have to wait and see. But be sure that I'll blog it if I am! But anyway, we got to see her winning runway collection, and it's absolutely gorgeous! It's even better in person. I took a few pictures, so you all could see, but it doesn't quite give it justice. She had to send back the collection Saturday night (I think), since it was auctioned. I'm glad I got to see it when I did because there's no way I could afford to buy any of it ;).

LOT 8 Viewing Party

If you were at all interested in Project Runway, then you know that our very own Chole Dao from Houston won! And if you're a Chole fan, then you know she has her own store, LOT 8, on Kirby. Friday night from 8-11 she'll have her winning collection at the store for everyone to see, and she will be there to autograph LOT 8 tanks. If you can't make it Friday night, then the collection will also be there Saturday from 10am to 7pm. Anyway, I'm super excited, so I wanted to pass the information along to my fellow Project Runway fans. ;)

Bring It On!

Laurie has challenged me to a fight over Kirk Phifer all because of an innocent picture. She even went so far to say that I'm in it for the ring and not the man. Do I come across that shallow? I'm never one to back out of a fight, so Laurie, BRING IT ON! I do hope that after I beat you up, we can still be friends ;).

BTW: A thought just occurred to me... Kirk hasn't said one thing about this little quarrel. You know he knows about it; he lurks the blogs. I'm wondering if I should proceed to fight for a man that's leading on two wonderful, Godly (and don't forget beautiful) Christian women. What do you think?