For the Sake of the Story

AND I think I just came up with the title of my book. Yahtzee! “For the Sake of the Story” fits perfectly because essentially that’s what my life is about. Telling stories. Kind of like Jesus’ parables. (Except without the divine and sovereign wisdom behind them.) Because “if you’re going to follow in someone’s footsteps, who better than Christ?” Please tell me y’all got that movie quote? Please.

**FIRST AND FOREMOST. I would like to publicly and formally apologize to Lindsay Behnke for discrediting her fantastic sense of humor. In last week’s post, I gave credit to Lee Michael for the “ole tape pants” joke. Lee did not come up with this. He’s an idiot. Lindsay Behnke did come up with it, straight from her intrinsic fountain of funny. Lindsay Behnke is REALLY funny, y’all. Let’s not ever forget that again. So once again: I, Allyson Brook Rice, am tremendously sorry for giving false information. I salute you, Behnks / ole beer jacket / ole glitter pockets / ole dinner ruiner, for your epic jokes.

Okay. Here are the latest and greatest stories from my life as a wack job.

1. “When Cats Attack”

I have a friend, who shall not be named, who hates cats. Almost as much as I hate cats. And let’s be honest, everyone knows how much I hate cats. (AHEM, SARAH) Anyways, unmentioned friend got attacked by a cat recently (This should come to the shock of absolutely no one anywhere, because that’s what cats do, by nature, they attack. Because they are minions of Satan.) and in his/her own words this is the description of his/her reaction: “It (the cat) latched onto me and scratched me so I punched it as hard as I could. Twice. I seriously think I gave it internal bleeding. And then it ran away so I chased it, I ran after it, and then punched it again. If cats could bruise, it would be bruised.” Both walked away alive but injured. One with scratches, and one with internal bleeding. If it was me, I would have punted it, just to make sure it knew who was boss.

2. “THIS Coming From the Guy who Ordered a Salmon Crepe”

Lee ordered a Salmon crepe this weekend. I’m just going to put that out there. SALMON. This it not a joke. Upon reading the menu, that’s what sounded good to him. Salmon. Crepe. The answer to ‘WHY?’ Is beyond me. Anyways, while discussing the shrine that we are going to put up in his honor at our home, he commented on how bad his crepe was. Which shouldn’t surprise anyone because I mean it was salmon wrapped in a really thin pancake. Disgusting. Anyways…upon realizing that he was still eating it, I said “is it really that bad?” and his response was: “Nah, it tastes OK.……for shit.” Haha, Lee (balls) strikes again! (high five) NAILED IT!

3. Ally Takes a Tumble

So, I met this guy who was a legit snowboarder. Better than me by at least 6 levels. On our last run of the day Sunday, in an attempt to look cool while he was watching, I bombed down a black diamond only to catch an edge and tumble down the mountain, dislocated my shoulder, and ended up sliding to the bottom head first. Which was kind of the opposite of what I was going for. I found myself in the fetal position and crying like a baby. That’s low point #1. Street cred: not established. I snowboarded down the rest of the mountain (still crying) straight to the medic. A few bouts with nausea and at least 2 dizzy spells later, I was in a sling and drugged up with ibuprofen and on my way to the hospital. Not before low point #2, where Behnks had to undress me out of my ski clothes, and redress me in regular clothes. Any tips on recovery from that? GOD LOVE HER. The hospital took forever and I was starving, and all I could think about was the amount of money that I was going to be spending on the visit. Needless to say it was not enjoyable. The one redeemable part was when we found the “faces pain scale” in the procedure room. See here:


Anyways, a few vicodin and an x-ray later, we were back out on the open road listening to music and laughing at Lee spilling his Pop Rocks all over his lap. It’s really great to have friends that take care of you even when you force them to play angry birds for 2 hours in the waiting area of the emergency room. Friends that will sneak in granola bars when you are about to rage blackout from hunger while wearing a backless gown in an exam room. Friends who will take you to the hospital, and then take you to get Mexican food afterwards because you feel as if you are entitled to it. Friends that will laugh with you and pray with you and live life to the full alongside you. Lee, Lindsay, (Karla)…I am so thankful for you. Thanks for taking care of me as I dealt with the consequences of my idiocy.


In other news, this commercial for Ford just took all of my deepest dreams and hopes in life and arranged them into a 30 second montage. Let’s not pretend the music (Jonsi) isn’t 40% of the brilliance. Had I not just invested in a Honda, and recently cost myself thousands of dollars at the ER, I would probably go out and buy an Explorer. I honestly can’t think of anything that has ruined my life this much since discovering the Rockstar Diaries.

Click here: FORD EXPLORER

Superbowl Sunday in T-minus 5 days. Already been seeking out the best fatvertisements for the unhealthiest bar food to consume during the game, while doing chest (side) bumps with friends and toasting to nobody caring who wins.

Coming to you, live, in a sling...I wish it was Saturday night.

Weekend Crew Adventures

My weekend crew (self titled “final four” or “fantastic four” or whatever other awesome nickname we come up with because we are the boss of us) consists of my two roomies, Behnke and Kar (SHOUT OUT), and our next door neighbor, Lee. Lee has become our absolute BFF. He is seriously the best, and has better taste in music than most guys I have ever met. He also has the most witty and sarcastic responses to everything. A real life hero, y’all. Lee is a fabulous comedian/MAD-GAB master who lives in the body of an unsuspecting 30year old “land man.” Oh, and to top things off, Lee has 3 first names. All he does is win.

Let me tell you some of his most memorable statements:

1. Scene: Interstate I-70 got closed because of a semi truck accident (SHOCKER, they are the bane of my existence on Colorado Highways) and so we had to take a detour around the accident, which from a distance looked like a UFO had landed. I digress. Anyways Lee, frustrated with our set back, exclaimed “Semi truck accident?! We gotta get them off of the roads guys. There has got to be another form of transportation to deliver goods or whatever. I mean shouldn’t America be beaming shit up by now? It’s 2012 for crying out loud. Humanity needs to get it together.” So, obviously, we died laughing while detouring down the back roads of Eagle, Colorado.

2. Lee made the comment that the hot, cold, hot, cold weather was probably a result of Mother Nature going through menopause. Hot flashes and all. I agree whole heartedly.

3. Lee, (and the rest of our crew) likes to add the word “ole” before everything. A few the best ones have included “ole tape pants” and “ole beer jacket.” It’s probably my favorite going tradition right now.

This weekend the crew headed up to Vail, Colorado to ski/snowboard in a foot of fresh powder. It was some kind of glorious, people. Too fabulous for words. We felt like we were floating down the mountain, and upon falling (many times) giggled because landing in fresh powder is equivalent to landing in a tub of marshmallows. We also visited the Glenwood Springs hot springs, and the massive sulfuric hot tub was the only reason any of us could walk on Sunday. We topped the night off playing Catch Phrase and Mad Gab and playing music on my speakers at the Residence Inn Hotel. Then we skied all day the next day, until we were unable to stand and on the verge of tears from muscle cramps. Mexican food and football, and we headed back home. Listen people, you don’t get a better weekend than that.

We have come to the conclusion that every single weekend is the best weekend we have ever had. God has just really been phenomenally gracious to us. We listened to a podcast on the way to the mountain on Sunday and just took joy in the Lord’s grace and mercy towards us. I am unbelievably happy and grateful to be living such an adventure of a life.

In other news, I was offered a part time coaching job, coaching track & field at Valor Christian High School, which is a phenomenal institution that I am excited to be a part of. God really provided a way for me to pursue my passion of hanging with teenagers, and combined it with athletics. I am hoping it will be a lot like being a Kanakuk counselor except that I get to remain sleeping indoors with air conditioning and I also do not have to take timed showers. AMEN! I cannot be more thankful for all of the friends and family that prayed alongside me as this opportunity has unfolded.

Still reeling over the lack of wedding festivities that I have going on in my life right now. Anyone want to get married and allow me to be a part of your wedding?? Beef…you want a re-do?

Anyone excited for the Super Bowl rematch, Manning vs. Brady? Giants vs. Patriots? Honestly, I don’t care who wins since neither the Cowboys or the Broncos are playing, but I’m going to passively root for the Patriots and more obviously become a commercial critic while overanalyzing commercials that sold for more money that the entire continent of Africa’s annual income!! Also planning to eat as unhealthy as humanly possible! Go Patriots!

Until next time, can we all agree that it’s about time to start bringing back the bumper sticker app on Facebook? E-cards are the best things to happen to America since the Internet.

Center Stage

When I was 2 or 3 years old, my mom enrolled me in dance classes, because my best friend’s mom, Gayle, was the dance teacher in our town. Tutu and all, I showed up at class only to find that thumb-sucking was not allowed. Game changer. Obviously I strutted out of that mad house like a DIVA, and gave up on dance before it really even started. Even as a toddler, I was sassy and didn’t put up with crap like that. Not much has changed.

I re-visited the idea of dance throughout my elementary years mostly because all my friends took dance from that same lady whose daughter was our friend Ali. Everyone talked on the playground about what a blast it was, and seeing that I don’t like being left out of the party, I once again enrolled myself (meaning, my mom enrolled me) in ballet, tap, and jazz classes at the Gayle Burrow School of Dance. I stuck around that time for a year or two, muscling through it, just to prove a point.

It was all very brutal and life ruining, especially the ballet. I still remember getting toe shoes, which are a death trap for your feet. A real modern day torture chamber for your toes. I decided they were not my thing very quickly, and instead focused all of my creative dance energy on jazz…which eventually led me to cheerleading, and dance was once again pushed out the door. Stunts, tumbling and competition always beat out sequins and 4-hour long recitals in my book. And sports, slide tackles, and elbow checks always beat out cheering, but thats neither here nor there.

So as it stands, my dance career was short but significant. Some of the highlights would include the tap routine where we had top hats, bowties and canes, and Beef’s cane got knocked off her shoulders by Nicole. She raged. The polka dotted FAME outfits, and our ridiculous ballet dance where we were supposed to be birds. Birds are not graceful, GAYLE. They are agile as can be and scary as hell. And finally, my favorite - the "boogie bumpers" routine. (I have it stashed somewhere on video.) You know, I tried hard to be a dancer, but in the end,athletics was much more my “thing.”

With this being said, it may come as a shock to you that at age 23, I have once again begun a career in dance. I figure, the 3rd time is a charm right? Let me be clear with you…by career, I mean that I am taking hip hop classes on Tuesday nights. So a ‘career in dance’ is a very loose way to describe me wearing sweat pants and driving downtown to a class that I paid for. Karla and I signed up for this program at the Colorado Ballet Academy and Tuesday was our first class with Jessica, the professional dancer who is teaching us how to pop, lock, and drop the right way. She won us over though, because before I knew it I was hugging her and telling her I would come to her Intro to Ballet class on Thursday after she laughed at me for an hour. She could have drugged me without my knowing it. It’s up for debate.

The story of my first adult dance class is as follows:

Our teacher, Jessica, is this very little black girl with a shaved head, she walked in wearing a LEOTARD. That was the first blatant clue that I was out of place and out of my comfort zone. She confirmed that our athletic clothes were okay, after our wide eyes clearly noted that we were subconscious. The Ballet Academy is located in downtown Denver, and so I felt like I was literally stepping out of my real life and into the world of “Center Stage” the movie. Kids were coming in and out of there like little bad asses with their buns and all…it was all kind of surreal.

We began dance stretches (to music) which included a lot of words that I can’t pronounce, but it was enough to get me giggling from the start. These bizarre stretches lasted for like, forever. Next was body rolls to the front back and side to side which I literally lost my mind laughing. I mean I honestly could not pull it together. Mostly from watching myself in the full length mirror. Jessica was even laughing because I was laughing so hard.

So after we finished dance stretches we did sit ups and push-ups, and then took no time to jump right into learning a CHOREOGRAPHED dance. On the first night! No ice breaker games, or free-dance, or evaluation of skills. Straight into the big leagues. She was counting to 8 over and over and over again, and teaching us in slow motion and then would say “Ya got it? Okay let’s do it with the music.” We never had it. Not once. Not to mention she taught us in slow motion and then we were required to perform like we were in fast forward when the music started. That was a joke because we thought it was going to be the same speed. She set us up for failure. For the first few times I just kicked my legs around and threw my arms up trying to mimic what I was actually supposed to be doing, and resorted to free style when I didnt know what I was actually supposed to be doing. It was brutal.

I am not exaggerating when I say we were halfway through the dance before I really figured out how to do the opening move. In my defense, the opening move was hard as hell. Your arms and legs were supposed to move in opposite directions, all moving at the same time. Like one leg sliding and the other leg like bending at the knee and moving in and out. And arms, I don’t even know what our arms were supposed to do, but it was supposed to end with one of them up and one of them down. That’s the opposite of EVERYTHING athletics has taught me for my entire life. I have never felt MORE uncoordinated in my life. And I like to think I am fairly coordinated. This is completely different.

So for the rest of class she just kept teaching us more, when we didn’t even really get what we had already learned. But I didn’t want to be the girl that pointed that out to a professional dancer. So I vowed to keep up. Jessica laughed at us a lot and then made us do it without her, which was a joke because until that point I had my eyes locked on her for the entirety of the dance. So we did it again and again and again and by the end we were kind of doing it right. At least to a point that she was satisfied. She probably had to lower her standards.

I was sweating to death.

So then she had us split up into groups of 3 so she could watch us for real. She picked one person out of every group to dance again at the end. She picked me. So that was the highlight of the class because you know how I love winning. Even though I still sucked. Whatever. A win is a win.

I am going to shoot you straight – We loved every minute, (me and my friend Kar). I mean it was way harder than we were thinking, but who cares we were on top of the world. Afterwards we went outside in the crisp winter air and ran down the street in downtown and laughed and jumped and screamed because I think dancing gives you endorphins. Also could have been a result of the alleged drugs. Whatever it was the best thing that’s happened to me since sweat pants.

So next time you see me, make sure you ask me to show you my moooooves.
Hip hop, ya don’t stop y'all.

In Christ Alone.

Banking my decisions, fears, hopes, dreams, and life on this truth:

"In Christ alone my hope is found.
He is my light, my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace.
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones he came to save;
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied -
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain.
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave he rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me.
For I am His and He is mine -
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death.
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man;
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand."

The Dentist

Let’s just say that I am not a fan of any situation in which I am forced to sit in a dirty chair wearing a bib, while a strange man asks me stupid questions while his hands are in my mouth. As if I could answer in those circumstances! Even if I wanted to! (Which I didn’t.) The Dentist absolutely destroyed me this morning. Dentists are among the worst of the worsts. Generally I am unbiased about Dentists in general, until one of them with an overly thick mustache tells me that I need a root canal which costs more than a used car.

Cue blackout rage.

The mustached bearer of bad news then had the nerve to say “have a good one!” as I walked out. Maybe I will, and probably I won’t. I thought, in defiance. Who the hell has the audacity to say “have a good one” 5 minutes after saying “I am going to drill into your tooth and remove it from your mouth, while you are awake.” To make matters worse, he wouldn’t exactly fall into the “speaks English fluently” category. And he breathes like he is in labor. COME. ON. So, when he told me I had to have a root canal, I desperately wanted to look him square in the eye and say “Umm, you aren’t the boss of me,” but I refrained based solely on the idea that I don’t want to give him any reason to deny me extra painkillers.

So as it stands, I will return to the Dentist this afternoon for my root canal. And I am nothing short of PIST off about it. I’m going to need to treat myself after this is all said and done.

2011 and 2012

So I woke up about a week or two ago and it was 2012. Seriously. It was like one day it was 2011, and then one big wedding party later, it was 2012. And the last year of the Mayan world as we know it.

This year has been an adventure for sure. Let’s take a look at the year in review:

January:
Moved to Denver, permanently. God provided a new little home with the Gray family, Chris & Lorrie and their two daughters, Zoe (3) and Nadia (almost 1). Got a job as a waitress. Quit the first day. One week later was employed by OZ Architecture as a Marketing Coordinator / Proposal Manager while wearing my UGG boots. Cried after the Interview because I was so nervous. Learned the hard way that I did not know how to drive in the snow. Got grown up clothes. Sat in coffee shops for at least 3 hours per day, if not more. Trusted God. Wondered what the heck I was doing.

February:
Got a new car. Still didn’t know how to drive in the snow. Met and befriended Blair Whitley. Watched the Bachelor a lot with Alex Buth and Sydni Sullivan. Laughed with James and Tom. Had my new car attacked with gummi bears which froze to the windows. Sat at home by myself a lot. Got to know Lorrie and subsequently learned a lot about the nature and character of God. Went to K-LIFE and led a small group. Discipled a high schooler named Eisley. Loved her immensely. Failed at acclimating to the cold weather. Snot froze to my nose. Blogged a lot. Over ate even more. Nadia turned 1 and smeared cake all over her face. Discovered that I did not have proper winter apparel.

March:
Loved Colorado. Missed Texas. Was lonely. Figured out that the full time job was not really my thing, but went anyways. Made cake balls for the first time. Played Bop-it Extreme. Went skiing by myself. Got stuck in traffic for 6 hours on the way back. Ate at restaurants alone. Brittney came to visit and I pleaded with her to never leave. She celebrated her 20th birthday here, and I made it memorable by running out of gas on the way to Breckenridge. She made a permanent impact on the slopes with her butt. I waved goodbye and returned to life as I knew it. Blair told me she was moving.

April:
Blur. Cried a lot. Went to a lot of movies alone. Ate way too many vanilla bean scones. Read a lot of books. Visited Texas to surprise and say goodbye to Becca. Considered moving back home. Talked to Lorrie often and always, to whom I owe my sanity. (Lorrie may have saved my life in April.) Celebrated Easter in Vail, Colorado with Blair’s family, and for the first time in my life saw what it meant to have a loving father. Decided I wanted to raise my children like Blair’s family raised theirs. Thought Adam McClure was the funniest person ever.

May:
Celebrated my 23rd birthday basically by myself. Cried. Ate chips and salsa to console myself. (Tex Mex solves most problems) Went to a Brooke Fraser concert with Blair. Blair moved to Texas. Met Bethany. Went to LIME with Bethany and gang, and became a permanent member of a new friend group. Started working out again. Cried at how grateful I was for friends. Was in awe at the provision of the Lord. Said goodbye to Becca Feagin as she left for YWAM Belize. Talked to Kelsea for an hour every Thursday. My life turned around in May. Everything changed, and I no longer wanted to be anywhere else than here.

June:
Zoe turned 4! Had an outdoors birthday party for her on the day that the world was predicted to end. It didn’t, although the wind speeds suggested that it might. Chey made her a Hello Kitty birthday cake. Went to Telluride Bluegrass Festival with new friends. Loved it all too much. Took road trips. Played in the park. Went on bike rides. Laughed harder than I have ever laughed. Drank deep of the fountain of joy from the Lord. Was grateful. Did Denver Cruisers. Celebrated the warmth of summer and was drenched with happiness.

July:
Celebrated the 4th of July! Went to a Colorado Rockies baseball game. Layed out. Broke into a swimming pool. Read more books. Got my car towed on one of my favorite nights of summer. Was completely overwhelmed with gratefulness for friends who helped me get the car back. Laughed/cried all the way home listening to ‘Waka Waka’ and the entire Kenny Chensney Greatest Hits CD. Slept over at Bethany’s. Became a faux roommate. Had dinner with Alyssa Rainbolt. Went on a lot of walks. Went camping every weekend. Bethany became like family. My actual family fell apart. Again. Went home on an emergency call. Cried and hugged and found a way to laugh. Came back to Colorado. Went home again for Carson’s birthday. My baby brother turned 18. Limped into August, but loved deeply and learned a lot.

August:
Fell in love. It didn’t work out, but I wouldn’t know this until November. Joined a church that I love. Hiked a 14er. Almost died, and didn’t think I would ever make it to the top. The breathtaking view at the top made it all worth it. Carson and Roman (my baby broskies) came to visit. Went camping and white water rafting and got henna tattoos. Had more fun than I can explain in words. Made friends with our raft guide-Chip. Chip made us cry with laughter. Made a video to document the trip. Was thankful for Bethany. Lindsay Behnke and Karla Health joined our family and moved into the Wash park house. Did the Tough Mudder, and tore my eyeball. Wore glasses and an eye patch for a week/month.

September:
Beef’s bachelorette party in Galveston. Loved every minute. Didn’t use my best decision making skills. Became obsessed with her bridal party. Started doing Crossfit at 6AM in the mornings with Bethany and Rebecca. Hated Bethany every time she woke me up at 5AM, hated myself for being outside in the 35 degree weather. Discovered our own version of Narnia. Forgave Bethany for waking me up and enjoyed the long mornings, walks, and talks. Slept over at the Wash park house more than half of the days of every week. Had an ultimate breakdown with Bethany and we laughed harder than ever as sisters. Coined the phrase “idiot baby”. Watched movies and played games.

October:
Fell in love with Autumn all over again. Shrieked at the beauty of the colorful trees. Remembered why October is my favorite month. Went on a girls’ boys camping trip. Ate undercooked bratwursts. Realized that we bought the wrong kind of bratwursts. Puked in the woods. Made s’mores and hot cocoa, puked again from the dairy intake. My family came to Colorado. Went sightseeing all over this state. Saw the first snow of the season. Visited Estes Park. Bethany and I went to stay with my littlest sister in College Station. Went to an Aggie football game. Loved every minute of beating Baylor. Taunted Megan. Carved pumpkins. Watched a squirrel eat through my pumpkin within 1 hour of finishing it. Dressed up for Halloween. Met two of the coolest boys I know (Tim, Todd). Discovered that Tim, he knows.

November:
Over committed to blogging. Was more creative than ever before at coming up with blog ideas. Went snowboarding every weekend. Welcomed Becca Feagin back into the United States. Saw the 4th Twilight movie. Spent as much time as humanly possible with Bethany. Worked out a lot. Made spicy pumpkin seeds. Learned to make soup. Learned to make peach crisp. Went home for Thanksgiving. Ate entirely too much. Demolished some pumpkin pie and some sweet potato casserole. Did a baby jump on the slopes. Ate lunch every weekend at The Crushery.

December:
Said goodbye to Bethany for 3 months. Sydney and Rita visited Denver. Laughed a lot. Snowboarded as much as possible. Went home for 2 weeks for Christmas. Watched my best friend get married. My dad/uncle was in the hospital for the entirety of the month. He came home right in time for Christmas, by a miracle by the grace of God alone. Visited Becca Feagin. Hung out with Behnke and Karla and fell in love with those friends. Had hard conversations that reaped joy in the end. Trusted God. Laughed with my high school friends. Cuddled my broskies. Hugged on my sister. Celebrated the birth of Jesus.


Overall 2011 was a fantastic year. It was hard and then it was so joyful that I couldn’t stand it. I remember not being able to even express how happy I was. I didn’t even know it was possible to be as happy as I have been this year. I also didn’t know it was possible to be as lonely, at times. Life is funny, you know? But God orchestrates it all, and thankfully He is a God we can trust. And a God who cares for us. I am utterly and unbelievably thankful for all the blessings and mercies this year brought with it.


And so, as for actively pursuing resolutions, 2012 is the year to accomplish some bold goals:
I resolve to:

1. Run a half marathon. It’s going to suck and be awesome at the same time. And I would like to run said half marathon in Texas, where my lungs do not feel as if they will explode if I take one more step. Then, after that, Ill resolve to run a Colorado Half Marathon. Maybe. Depending on how the first one goes.
2. Read through the entire bible. Spend more disciplined time in prayer.
3. Join a small group at church. (DONE)
4. Shop at Dollar Tree more often. They have the same stuff as Target.
5. Learn to crochet – (can go ahead and check that one off too). And with that, I am officially one step closer to being the cat lady.
6. Work out more often/more consistently. I am refraining from making some psycho goal of working out every day or something. I mean I cannot think of something I loathe more than working out when I feel bad or when I am tired. I usually pride myself on only exercising when I seriously cannot think of a single other thing to do. Like not one other thing. So I am resovling to make baby steps in the right direction. So let’s just call this “being more active”.
7. Purchase black flats. My current shoe choice look like I stole them from a homeless, yet business-casual vagabond.
8. Work on my singing voice.
9. Work on my overall sense of fashion, and attempt to care…just a little.
10. Binge less often.
BONUS: Stalk Beyonce’s new baby.

On the contrary, here are some things I resolve to NOT do:

1. Gain weight.
2. Hit any dogs/animals with my car.
3. Paint my fingernails.
4. Trip in front of a lot of people.
5. Lose my eyesight for any amount of time.
6. Have a wreck on the snowy roads that semi-trucks make essentially unbearable.
7. Read the Harry Potter books. (Even though I know I would like them, OKAY!?)
8. Shatter my iPhone (again).
9. Cut my hair short.
10. Spend inordinate amounts of money on things I don’t need.


And lastly, since 2011 was kind of a good year for me, here are some things I’d like to carry into 2012:

1. Reading books. (Most importantly, The Hunger Games)
2. Continuing to be awesome.
3. Continuing to be cautious about cussing in front of both small children and my grandmother.
4. Snowboarding as much as humanly possible.
5. Laughing a lot and often.
6. Keeping my hair fabulous and Texan.
7. Eating dinner with the Gray’s at least once a week.
8. Continue to drop it like it’s hot.
9. Keeping in contact with all of my closest friends living millions of miles away.
10. Declaring that Jesus is the ultimate joy.

YEA 2012!! I have a feeling this year is gonna be good. And rightfully so, since it might be our last. Or maybe just the last year for the Mayans. Who knows? All I know is that any year that is abbreviated ’12, is probably going to be the best year ever. Assuming 12 is the best number of all.

Here's to the Holidays

Texas for the holidays was nothing short of phenomenal. Boasting 60+ degree weather and sunny skies, the south did not let me down as far as weather goes. Hugging Becca Feagin made it seem like she had never left, and I didn’t even mind staying up until 4AM talking to my long lost best friend. A day in Dallas and it was back to the Shady T, which I secretly love even though sometimes it seems like the worst place ever. In stark contrast, I spent the Christmas days with the greatest family on earth. We laughed a lot and ate too much and celebrated the birth of Jesus, praising the rightful son of God.

After Christmas, we spent our days outside and our nights on the couch watching movies and eating grilled duck that Roman had shot and Kaleb had cooked. I made the hot cocoa pictured above. Beautiful, eh? We sat outside by the fire with blankets and played with the pups. We watched Friends and House and Modern Family, we played catch, and we enjoyed every minute. I really love the people God blessed me with as family. We are a crazy bunch of lunatics who have so much fun together.

Then came the Royal Wedding Festivities as we kicked off BEEF’s Wedding Celebration. Forrester’s and Earnest’s everywhere, we began the shindig with a Couples Shower to which I wore a lace dress which is easily the girliest thing I own. High school friends came and all the wedding party and we toasted to the happy couple over and over again. The bridal luncheon was fabulous, and the rehearsal dinner was the most exceptional meal of my life, sitting around a rustic table with some of the greatest people I know, the night fully equipped with decorations straight from a magazine. I only hope to love a boy as much as Beef loves Dustin. And I pray that said boy loves me like Dustin loves her back.

The day of the actual wedding, the bridesmaids and house party showed up quite a bit early to dance around the bridal room and listen to music while professionals made us look beautiful. We were primped all day long, and I’ll be honest with you – that is the best my hair and make-up have ever looked. I would have called myself a princess until Beef walked in with the most stunning wedding gown that I have ever laid eyes on, to date. Beef really is the most beautiful of all girls. She really is the queen of teen, and she was the queen of New Years Eve as well. We all really had to concentrate on picking our jaws up off the ground as we fastened her veil to her head. Her mom, Terr1For held it together better than I could have ever expected of her, but the dress really got her. Honestly, that dress was some kind of spectacular. It really got all of us, and the tears began then. We held our white roses and we took pictures at the Perot Theatre and just tried to take it all in. From there, we took more pictures and laughed and fixed Beef’s train again and again. We toasted with Champagne and we all had to fix our eye make-up as we watched an in-love Beef read a letter from her handsome fiancé and soon to be husband right before the big moment. Love is painfully beautiful, I tell you. We wiped our eyes, and hugged the bride a few million times and made our way down the aisle before her, but not before saying a prayer over their sweet marriage, pleading for peace and for steady feet (for me). And then we stood there confidently, me a little too much “all-smiles” (you’ll thank me for that on the video, Beef) but I honestly was beaming as I took my place two feet away from my best friend I have known since childhood. They said their vows, and my cheeks were aching from all the smiling, but it was all just so perfect, you know?
At the reception we danced until we could dance no more. We wobbled, and we jumped and we laughed. We ate cake and watched fireworks and celebrated the beginning of a new year, while celebrating the beginning of a marriage and life for our dear friends. And we kissed them goodbye as they left on their honeymoon. Truly the most amazing wedding I have ever attended. Beef, your efforts all year long were not in vain – it was utterly perfect. Contratulations again to my best friend forever, Mrs. Brittany Earnest.I spent that night catching up with my surpisingly in-tact group of friends from High School. Laughing uncontrollably, and finally falling asleep in a chair with Emily Middleton. No where I would have rather been.

The remainder of the break I spent with my family, running errands, watching shows, learning to crochet. You know, the usual.

Overall it was one of my favorite times to be in the Lone Star State.
I hope all of you had similarly exciting holidays, and I hope that 2012 treats you better than ever.

Here is to newness. Here is to beginning again. Here is to the Lord being our only hope for joy, righteousness, and ultimate happiness. Here is to making the best of 2012.