WACKY WEEKEND

Whew! What a weekend…
I had coffee AND lunched with my childhood best friend Anna in celebration of my 25th birthday

Went to the CIRCUS with Madeline (and my brother, sister-in-law, sister, and dad)Had lunch with my OTHER childhood friend Jenny and her boyfriend Josh Celebrated my brother at his white coat ceremony And watched the OSCARS with Megan!!
I’m EXHAUSTED but now birthday week is UPON us! WOOOT! MORE FUN is about to be had...

the OSCARS recap

Last night was my 2nd Annual Oscars Party with Megan (I believe that last year we watched it at her house in our pajama pants and cheered for LITERALLY anything SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE!!). We met at Megan’s around 7:00pm and immediately dug into the snacks (thanks Marc {with a “c”}) which included fresh coffee with white chocolate mocha creamer, POPCORNOPOLIS in a variety of flavors, freshly cut strawberries, and Arizona Green Tea. We’re a CLASSY duo!  haha! With snacks in hand, we moved to the living room, settled into our respective seats, told $50 Henry to go away, and dug in for a night of dress critiques and movie conversations (also known as BANTER!)

Here is our quote book from the evening:
*Cameron Diaz walks out on stage to present an award. Megan says, “Isn’t she look good!”
*The writer of a not a song (it was country!) who got an Oscar said this about his wife: “I love you more than rainbows” – our eyes rolled back (way back) into our heads in total and utter disgust!
*Megan asks, “How do you get box seats?” then immediately responds with laughter, “you have to be over 135.”
*A picture flashed in a montage and I said, “Was that Jewel?” A full 30 seconds later I replied, “Oh, maybe Cher.”

Here are the things we LEARNED from the Oscars:
1. Flowers do NOT always enhance an outfit
2. More bracelets are NOT ALWAYS better – there IS such a thing as too many
3. One should never start his/her acceptance speech with, “well, I already have two of these”

4. TREND ALERT: the fuzz head is IN
5. Kathy Bates is just COOL and FABULOUS in every way

Favorite Dresses of the evening (in my personal opinion which REALLY doesn't count for much...)

It was a super fun evening…can’t wait to do it again next year…hopefully NOT in Pismo Beach.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TESSERS!!!

I met Tessa when she was a freshmen in college - we had speech together with Professor Hockett (who was literally on the verge of death - the woman was SO INCREDIBLY old!!) That class was an experience to say the least - we didn't have class when it was raining - it was too difficult to hold an umbrella and use the walker!! We remained close friends throughout the remainder of our college years and then graduated together in 2007. That summer I gave Tes the keys to my car and left for World Changers expecting to come back and move into an apartment with her - but God had different plans and she was married SHORTLY after I returned home...so the dream changed - but I am THRILLED and BLESSED to consider Tes a friend even still! She has a husband and a baby boy now - so we're kind of in different chapters of life - but I still think about her often and cherish the years we spent growing together!

This is me and Tes about to do something crazy in college...we were big fans of the sweat bands!!Celebrating Tessa's 21st birthday with MAC makeovers and dinner at Rainforest Cafe in Downtown DisneyA little too much fun in the astro jump...WE ARE CRAZY!By far our best picture ever...this was taken on the Santa Monica Pier after a desperate attempt to see the Price Is Right! We adventured NUMEROUS times our senior year at Sea World in San Diego...SHAMU Santa hats are the BEST!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TES!! Hope you enjoy being the same age as me for the next 6 days!!! 24 is a good year - I hope you love it! ILOVEYOU!

countdown to ELLEN....

(13)
one of my favorite "segments" on the ellen show is when she calls Gladys...so today in honor of the OSCARS this weekend, i decided i would go ahead and post Ellen's telephone call to Gladys LAST YEAR just before the oscars!!! MAYBE JUST MAYBE Ellen will call Gladys while we're in the studio audience. SHE IS THE FUNNIEST OLD LADY ALIVE!!!

and the COUNTDOWN begins...

(14)
i mentioned in a blog post a few weeks ago that my 25th birthday WISH is to attend a taping of the ellen degeneres show...well MY DREAM IS COMING TRUE! on march 18 i have 4 tickets to see ELLEN. i don't know how any of this works and it may not be NEARLY as fun as i am anticipating - but the show makes me laugh hysterically when i watch it on tv...so it can't be TOO bad. i'm EXCITED! since we are officially 2 weeks out, i decided it was an appropriate time to begin COUNTING DOWN.
today is TELEVISION THURSDAY so in honor of my all-time favorite television show, here are SEVERAL of my tv friends from Grey's Anatomy (and Private Practice since Kate Walsh isn't actually a Grey's star anymore...) in appearances on Ellen from February!

"SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES - NOT REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN PUSHED DOWN THE STAIRS."

IGNIGHT

Tonight is Bible Study night and I'm totally EXHAUSTED!!! HOWEVER, we are studying James (which ROCKS my world) and my small group is AWESOME BEYOND WORDS! So...I'm excited to grow together again!! Thank you Lord for giving me a wonderful church home and friends that I pray I'll enjoy for a lifetime! WHAT A BLESSING!

RH Fullerton

Sunday night was the OFFICIAL LAUNCH of Rock Harbor FULLERTON and it was awesome. What a blessing to be there and to see God move in such a monumental way. I attended Rock Harbor in Costa Mesa for over a year (I was exceptionally faithful when Steven lived in Anaheim and I could drive to HIS house and then HE would drive us to church and then take me to lunch! Thanks S. Bux!!). It is an amazing church and I have always LOVED it. The worship ROCKS and the teaching is EXCEPTIONAL (except for this one guy who makes me want to pluck my eyes out of my head…but we won’t go there!). Anyway, when I heard about the Fullerton Campus I was ELATED. LITERALLY. HOW FUN to have one of the GREATEST churches I’ve ever had the pleasure of being a part of IN MY CITY!! WOOOOOOT! Anyways, Sunday was the first service and the auditorium (which seats 450) was overflowing by approximately 350-400 people which necessitated an additional service and BIG PLANS for future weeks. GOD IS GOOD. The message also touched me deeply. It focused on the sermon the mount and then progressed into the church being the bride of Christ. The speaker painted the picture of an actual wedding day – with all the guests focused on the bride – watching her walk down the aisle glowing and radiant while the Bride’s eyes are FIXED on the groom. God has allowed us to be His bride – to be His glory, His light, His radiance on earth as we walk down the aisle – but our eyes must be FIXED, FOCUSED, LOCKED with His. Everyone is looking at us – but we are looking at Him. How beautiful is THAT! Whew. Can’t wait to go back MANY, MANY, MANY times!!!

quote of the week....

"I'm sorry, did I start that sentence with 'If it please your highness?'"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEST FRIEND!!!!

I met my BEST FRIEND Sara Jessica Linkous 6 years ago now when we were a mere 19-years-old. Our friendship began in the small, virtually non-existent land of Bethany, Texas where the only signs of civilization were the Arby's and the Love's Gas station at the Interstate exit. We made AMAZING memories that first summer - from the golf cart to PASADAS (where they let you eat soft serve ice-cream cones as you WAIT to be seated for the most amazing homemade tortillas in all of Louisiana) to laying the piece of cold beef on Nathan's face and eating the entire order of cinnastix while claiming incessantly that they never arrived. THAT is where it all started - but OH how it has grown, and changed, and become one of the most beautiful aspects of my life!! Sara flew out to California for the first time right around our 22nd birthdays. We had tickets to see THE PRICE IS RIGHT before Bob Barker retired and were UBER excited for our adventure. Unfortunately, Sar got RIDICULOUSLY sick on the plane ride over (they ended up letting her stay in the restroom for landing it was so bad) and we were uninformed on the true competition of getting seats in the studio. SO long story short, we ended up in Santa Monica instead. This is us later that same year - we were both on staff for World Changers, a division of the North American Mission Board. This is us just before we were commissioned...I think we're even in the NAMB parking lot in Alpharetta, GA!Training also includes the annual game of Whiffle Ball. Sara and I are actually NOT that into it - but the Summer Staff play against the National Staff and in honor of our team, we went aheada nd put on our war paint. THEN we made sure we were the first out of the gym for the showers!!!That was our last summer on staff...so at the close of the summer, we spend an extra couple days in Alpharetta with Susan Whitley (another great WC friend!!) Sara and I got pedicures and stopped at the donut store to get the SPRINKS MIX (thanks brian reagan!). Then we said goodbye not knowing when we would see each other next. The adult world claimed both of our lives for quite a season, there were a LOT of teary phone conversations - but we made it through, and eventually, God brought us together again!In May of 2008 I was living in Stanton, CA and studying for a Masters Degree while working full time at Ev. Free Fullerton...AND Sara and I hadn't seen each other since August of 2007. We were both pretty desperate - so I flew her BACK to California for a visit. This time we REALLY enjoyed the classic California adventures...first stop, Seal Beach (it was the closest to my house in Stanton - I am in NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM claiming it is the nicest beach in Cali. I know for a FACT that it is not!!!).Second stop, DISNEYLAND. First stop AT disneyland? ICE CREAM on Main Street!!! We are SO the same person. After Disneyland it was MY TURN to get super sick and we then missed Megan's college graduation. SO SORRY GAN!!!! But I was well enough by that evening to go to WICKED at the Pantageous for Sara's first ever Broadway show. It was spectacular (and I was ridiculously drugged so it was even more spectacular for me than usual!)The last day of that trip was Golden Spoon, Maid of Honor, and shopping at Old Navy (our visits always including shopping somewhere don't they! Even on a missionary salary we managed to find some great wardrobe pieces! JEAN JACKET!)After that visit in May, it was OVER A YEAR before we were together again. We talked on the phone just about everyday, but it wasn't until August of 2009 that we would officially see each other or hug each other. The packages that came in the mail held us over, but being reuinted is always the most amazing feeling in the world! In August of 2009 Sara and I took our first official VACATION together - we cruised the Caribbean for Graduation. She got a Bachelor's in 2009 and I got a Masters! WOOT!!However, before we officially boarded the ship, we made a slight detour for cracker barrell...oh how I love thee even though you don't have the best biscuits ever! :) We went snorkeling in Cozumel - there are some even dorkier pictures than this - but I figured this will suffice!and spent as much time as possible LOUGING...whether that was in our state room napping or reading magazines on the deck...no one can say we didn't RELAX...except for the day when we hiked through the ruins of Talum. We learned a lot that day...when they tell you to bring a water bottle, they mean it...and when they say it is 2 stars for physical exertion, they mean it is FREAKING HARD AND FREAKING HOTT...our clothes from that adventure will NEVER be the same. You know it is a strenuous activity when they provide you with ice-cold cloths for your face when you get back to the bus. hahahaha!Sara and I are still the BEST of friends. We haven't seen each other since August and probably won't see each other again until late fall of this year...but today I am celebrating MY sweet Sara. Sara, today I'm thanking the Lord for all the joy you have added to my life - for the way that we can share life together even with miles between us. I praise Him for your friendship - for your willingness to wipe my tears and carry my burdens...for the way you make each day just a little bit sweeter. You are a treasure and one of my greatest gifts. I LOVE YOU ENDLESSLY and hope your birthday is a blast. Here is to another quarter century of laughter and friendship - it can only grow sweeter from here!