All Eyes On Me, In The Center Of The Ring, Just Like a CIRCUS

Did y'all watch the MTV Special about Britney tonight? Thoughts? I enjoyed it alot, but sheesh, some parts made me sad. I know some people say they won't feel sorry for someone who has that much money and fame, but I disagree. I think she would trade all that money and fame for some peace and privacy. Oh well. I know I am looking forward to her new Cd though! Comes out Tuesday (December 2nd...also her birthday, and she will also be on Good Morning America!), but I will be downloading it at midnight on Monday! :) P.S.-If you missed it and wanted to watch it, click HERE for encores.

Okay, okay, I know that less than half of my readers care about Britney. Haha, too bad, because I do and it's my blog! Just kidding. But I will be posting some pics and hopefully some stories (if I have time) from our crazy travels last week. Friday we went to Oklahoma, Sunday we came home, Monday we went to Austin, Tuesday we had Thanksgiving with Zac's fam in Austin, Wednesday we went to Midland, Saturday we returned to Austin, and then drove to Midlo. Told ya it was crazy! :) But it was fun and well worth it! Y'all have a good week. I have two more stressful weeks ahead of school, and then I get a one month break. Woohoo!!!

Oh, and just for fun, I found this video online and well, just watch...

PS-That guy is my hero. I need to take some lessons from him! haha...

UT Hex Rally

Obviously I am SUPER late in posting this, since today is Saturday and I started it Monday night. I didn't post it, since I wanted to add more, but I have too much to blog about to catch up for the past week, so I'm just posting it half finished. I think you will forgive me, and I mean, who says you even care? This might be more than you ever wanted to know about it anyways, haha! :)



In 1923, the Longhorns had been unable to win a game at Kyle Field in 18 years. Desperate to break the College Station "jinx," UT students consulted Madam Agusta Hipple, a local fortune teller. She instructed the students to burn red candles the week before the game as a way of "hexing" the Aggies and putting a stop to the jinx. Through the week of Thanksgiving, Austin shops found it difficult to keep red candles in stock. Candles were burned in store windows along the Drag, in the fraternity and sorority houses of west campus, in the lounges of University residence halls, and in the windows of houses of Austin’s neighborhoods. Madam Hipple knew what she was doing. By uniting the football team and its fans with such a visible show of support, how could the Longhorns fail? They didn’t. Texas went to College Station, defeated the no. 2 ranked Aggies 23 - 0, ended the 18-year jinx, and restored their pride.

This little girl was totally me when I was little! I was in a cheerleading outfit, on my dad's shoulders, so excited and in awe, staring at the cheerleaders and dancers! :)

Mom and me with our Hex candles.

Pops, Zac and Mom before the rallly started.

This is a new mural on the drag and mom wanted to take a picture of it, so I volunteered to be a dork and do a lib in front of it. ("lib" is a liberty, a name for this particular stunt, except a guy is supposed to be hold you in the air when you do it. haha, not on flat ground!)



This is the UT Pom squad dancing. I was so pumped when their song came on and it was the Ashlee Simpson/Missy Elliot remix of L.O.V.E! :) For those of you (ahem, Zac) who enjoy stomping, you will be pleased to see that the frat joins them on stage and they do a little step routine. I felt weird because I have not been to a hex rally since I was in high school, and all the college kids were older than me. Tonight, I was older than them, and wondered if it was wierd that in a way, I still look up to the cheerleaders and dancers, even though I am older than them. Then I decided that maybe it wasn't that weird, because there are men in their 30s, 40s, and 50s and older, who look up to college football players. Right?

The cheerleaders were mixed in with the crowd, throwing stunts and whatnot, so I didnt get any pics or vids of them, but this is second best...it's a video I took of the UT Pom doing a dance I used to have memorized. No joke...I knew every move! At basketball games, I would scoot out to the stairs and do the dance from the aisle when they would do it during timeouts. Ahh...memories!

So, the one good thing about posting this late is that I can write that THE HEX WORKED! Hook 'Em Horns, and way to go!!! :) Pooooooor Ag-gies!

This might sound weird...

but did I let any of you borrow "Across The Universe?" I remember loaning it to a friend, but I can not remember who. I have been in the mood to watch it lately, so if you have it, would you mind reminding me who you are that I lent it to? Thanks!
Oh, and I am still working on the post about Oklahoma. Sorry for the delay. I am a busy little girl. Also, have yall gone to see Twilight yet? Thoughts?

Drumroll Please...

No, I am not pregnant. I got two texts this morning asking if I was and accusing me of being a "tease" with my blog for announcing that I had big news, but not sharing it. With no further adu, here is the exciting news...........
Baw is moving to Austin! Yes, my grandmother who has lived in Houston FOREVER just bought a lot and a house in Austin. They are building the house for her, and it will be ready in 5-6 months, so she will be moving in April or May. Being the experienced movers we are, and knowing that weather can make a move really miserable, we are happy the move will be late spring. Hopefully not too hot or too cold.
But wait, there is more! My Aunt Nancy, who has lived in Galveston all of her adult life is also moving to Austin! Isn't that exciting!? They will all be close together, and when Zac and I get back down there, that means they will be close to us! :) I am so thrilled. I love the impulse of it all too! On Monday of last week, Mom and Nancy went and looked at some houses. Tuesday night Nancy told Baw the idea and she seemed receptive to it. Thursday night, Baw and Nancy came to Austin, and Friday they went and looked at the houses. Saturday Baw bought her lot and house and Nancy put an offer on her house, that they accepted!!! It happened so fast! Neither Baw nor Nancy have put their houses on the market yet, but they plan to quickly. Baw has a beautiful house in a nice neighborhood, so I don't think it will be hard to sell. Nancy also has a beautiful house, untouched by Ike, on Galveston Island. I think that since there are so many people without homes who want to continue living on the island, she will not have a hard time selling either. It is just so exciting!!!
Baw's house isn't built yet, so no pics, but here is Nancy's. I LOVE the colors!

I love Awards!

Tonight the American Music Awards (A-M-A's) were on. You are surely all aware how much I love awards shows, right!? The AMA's are especially fun because there are a thousand (not quite, but almost!) performances! There are way (way!) too many to name, but some of my faves were New Kids On The Block, Ne-Yo, Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Kanye West, The Fray, Coldplay, and Natasha Bedingfeld. There were more, but you get the picture...lots of big name performances! Highlights of the show: 1. I was very excited to see The Fray! Zac and I love them! We saw them in concert in Austin, but haha, Andy Roddick was sitting a few rows in front of us, so yeah I only half way paid attention to The Fray, haha! Zac just asked yesterday if they were ever going to put out another CD and I was like "I dont know!?" Well, question answered! :) I like the song too! 2. After Kanye won his second award (I forget what it was for...maybe Rap Artists of the Year or something?) he said that he did not deserve it and that it was Wayne's award. (Lil Wayne) He said that it was Wayne's year and he earned the award, not Kanye. I thought that was cool and mysteriously humble for someone (ahem, Kanye!) who prides themself on being cocky and arrogant! :) Good job Kan-yeezy! 3. I loved loved loved Ashley Tisdale's dress. It was so different and unique, but I think that is why I liked it. Do you like it?
PS-I had to post this tonight so it would not be out of date, but I have SOOOO much to share with yall! Big news, lots of photos and stories and videos from our trip to the Ranch house in Oklahoma, and more! I can't wait!

OK-LA-HO-MA, Oklahoma!

We are about to leave for Oklahoma (after I stop at my daer friend Stacy's wine night first!) to go spend the weekend at Zac's family's ranch. There is no internet or cell phone service there, but there are horses and cows and mountains and beautiful land. It is always so refreshing to go spend a few days "unplugged" and out of touch. I can't wait to post pictures and videos!

Twilight (the movie) was AWESOME last night, and I can not wait to share more about it! I am going to go see it again next week with my mom and sister, and already I can not wait! :) It was so so good. A pleasant surprise! It was different than the book, but good in its own way. I loved it.

Bronx Mowgli...Welcome to the world, little fella! I am sure you will have a very interesting life with Ashlee and Pete as your mom and dad, Jessica as your aunt and Papa Joe as your grandaddy. I can't wait to see what you look like!

One More Day...

I can honestly say I have NEVER anticipated the release of a movie as much as I have Twilight. Ramsi and I have tickets to see it Thursday night at 12:01am (technically Friday). I can not wait!!! Alright my fellow "fan-pires" let me know what you think after you see the film!

I need Rehab!

Haha, you probably saw the title of this new post and thought you were going to get some juicy post where I admitted all my addictions, but really I just have one addiction...this new Rihanna music video "Rehab." (hence the name of the post. haha...tricked you!)
I LOVE Rihanna, and every new video, live performance, song, photo, and red carpet reminds me how much I already adore her, and then my obsession grows even more! It's dangerous! This is her EIGHTH single from her album Good Girl Gone Bad! Eighth y'all!! That is like, alot of singles for one album! I have loved this particular song since the day I got the album, and I have been waiting for her to release it...I am SO glad she did! Now, the only songs left that I am dying for videos for, are "Push Up On Me" and "Breaking Dishes." Have you heard those? Both are ah-MAY-zing! Eli will agree with me, even if no one else does! Sorry to go on and on, but I got GOOSEBUMPS when I saw this video...I love her...I get so pumped up! Okay, I think you get the picture. No, nevermind. There is no way you could possibly understand!
PS#1-Two weeks from today is the release of Britney's new CD "Circus!" Woohoo! The songs have leaked to the net, and there is a fun preview on YouTube, but as a fan, I choose to support her and BUY the album! Don't forget to watch the MTV special about her on Sunday night, November 30th!
PS#2-Two DAYS from today is the release of Twilight! HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

as requested by my siblings...

Friday, Zac and I got to Austin about 3:30 and went straight to the vet to pick up Molly's meds. That is honestly the best vet clinic in the world. For any readers who live in Austin, you should really try Arbor Animal Clinic. I have never seen a group of people who care more about a pet, and that pet owners questions and concerns! When we got to Mom and Pops house, we went out to eat at one of our favorite mexican food restaurants, Santa Rita. After that, we dropped the boys off at the house and mom and I went to Tar-jay. We happily shopped, while the boys suffered through at 20 minute power outage, due to high winds. Since the house was dark, they went for a walk. :) One of the first times Zac and my dad were around each other, my dad asked Zac if he would like to go for a walk. Zac of course felt obligated and replied yes, but they ended up being gone for an hour. Zac was in boots and a button up shirt (about to take me on a date) and not being used to the hills and humidity that is Austin, he was sweaty and tired when they got home. He always jokes about that time my dad tried to kill him by taking him on a long walk, haha. Anyways, Liz and Andy and Madeline got to Austin about 8ish and we had a fun evening hanging out and catching up. Madeline played with all her favorite toys at Grandma and Pappy's house.

Saturday morning, Papa used his two son-in-laws to help him cut down a few dead branches off of a tree in the front yard. I was so scared the whole time he was up there...35 feet in the air!

When Liz got dressed Saturday morning, I saw she had on a blue shirt. I had brough a blue shirt (the exact same shade) to wear that day, so I put it on, just to annoy her. Haha, it worked! She made me change into something else, as soon as we took the picture. My dad was not happy because it was "Jayhawk blue" and the Horns were playing Kansas. haha

Saturday afternoon, I met Lynn at Tatem's and us girls loaded up and headed to City Hall for a Proposition 8 Protest. There were about 3,000 people in attendance, and it was amazing. I took lots of pictures...to see them all, click HERE.After experiencing my first protest, Mom and Liz and Madeline came and picked me up and we went to the mall. It was so crowded...the recession has definitely not hit Austin, Texas!!! Liz did most of the shopping (okay all of it) so Madeline and I took a quick massage break at Brookstone.

Madeline learned how to do "Hook em Horns!" (She has been doing "guns up" for awhile now.) Sunday morning we had Hardwick Family portraits at Mayfield Park. Obviously we have not gotten them back from the photographer, but I CANT WAIT! I think they are going to be really good! Austinites...if you haven't been to Mayfield Park, GO! There are tons of peacocks and it is beautiful. I am looking forward to going back sometime soon. Sunday afternoon was Eliza's FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY!!! She was so cute and fun and seemed to have a blast.

She had lots of friends and family at the party. It was such a special occasion! I think the best was watching her in her new swing though...

As you see, it was a BUSY but fun weekend! No wonder I am so tired, haha!

Just a tease...

I had a wonderful weekend with my family in Austin. I took a million pictures (okay, just a few hundred), and made lots of fun memories. Unfortunantly, I am coming down with a cold, and Im feeling pretty lousy. I hope I start getting better this week, because I have a whole week off next week for thanksgiving, and I don't want to be sick for a day of it! I am going to try to go to bed early and get lots of rest and Vitamin C this week, but between that, I can't wait to tell yall about:
-My first protest
-seing Madeline (it's been since the first weekend of September!)
-Eliza's 1st birthday party
-Family portraits
and much more! :) I hope yall had a wonderful weekend, like I did! 5 days until Twilight!

food for thought...

Last night Zac and I drove up to Dallas and met my cousins from McKinney (Amy, Gian, Ellen, Breagan, Nati and Claire), and my cousin Robin (who lives in Dallas) for dinner. Of course it was a wonderful time. Happy Brithday Ellen and Robin! Hollaaaa!
Today I went to Rockwall to see my friend Meagan, and get my hair done. As I have been saying, we are having family portraits this weekend and I want to look good for the pics that we will (hopefully) have forever! My hair looks great (thank you Meg!) and I had a blast at the salon. The first thirty minutes, all we talked about was Twilight...it was amazing! :) Only one week until the movie comes out y'all! Ask me if I am ready! haha...
I always do my best thinking late at night (usually when Im trying to fall asleep) or when I am in the car by myself, driving. I had some 'good thoughts' today, but I have to admit, they were not very deep or meaningful. This was my internal monologue...
While listening to Beautiful Dirty Rich by Lady GaGa (shout out LG!), I started wondering why they say "dirty rich." But then I became more perplexed when I remembered that we also say "dirt poor" and "filthy rich." Hmm...what does cleanliness have to do with money?
So then I started thinking...I should post a blog called Food For Thought, and ask people why this is. Then I started wandering about the phrase "food for thought."Why do we say food for thought? I have always taken that saying for granted and never questioned it, because it is a common phrase and we usually dont stop and try to understand alot of phrases true meaning ...you just take it as it is. But really? Why "food...for...thought?" What does that mean? hmmm...
I am sure you are scratching your brain (is that even a phrase, or is it scratching your head?)now, like I was in the car earlier today (or maybe you are way smarter than me, and you know the reasoning behind the verbage?), so I will give you something that will just make you feel so warm and fuzzy inside...



One more funny story...My dog has an ear infection, so i was calling the vet to request more drops today, and this is how the conversation unfolded...

"Arbor Animal Clinic...this is Molly"
"Hi, I was wandering if I could get some medicine for my dog?"
"Sure, what's her name?"
"ummmmmm....uh...(timidly)...Molly"
"(laughter)nice choice...can you hold, please?"

You all have a wonderful weekend! I will be soaking up some needed family time, and taking lots of pics and vids to share with yall next week. :) Austin, here I come...

Playful in Pink

I'm sure you already noticed the new banner at the top of my blog. I bought Molly a new winter coat today in celebration of our upcoming trip to Zac's family's ranch house in Oklahoma. (We are going over Thanksgiving break!) It is super cold up there, and I would never want Molly to be cold, so naturally I had to buy her some warmth! :) Only the best for my baby!
Today when I tried it on her, she was so cute and posed beautifully (as always) but then when we started playing, the hood on the jacket flipped down over her face. It was hilarious...I had tears in my eyes from laughing so hard. It was one of those moments when I really wished someone else was there with me to share it with me! I didn't get the funniest part on film, but here is the basic idea of what she was doing to try to get the hood off. (Wait, why do they even put hoods on dog jackets?!)

Music Minute

Can I please just tell yall how I am excited for December 2nd? Actually, I will be buying the new Britney CD at midnight on the 1st (which is technically the 2nd, haha). They just released the cover art:

As my music taste is ever-evolving, here are some songs that I'm loving...

Lost by Gorrila Zoe and Lil Wayne (rap song, but I actually like the lyrics alot...haha, sometimes when I am having cheer drama, I feel like I can relate to this song! Here are some of the words...
"I'm lost on a road. Don't know which way to go. I'm losing my mind. Losing control of the wheel. And I'm swerving. On and off the road. I'm lost on a road. But survival is a must. Don't know who I can trust. I'm livin in a rush. I don't understand the fuss. My brain is bout to bust."

Poker Face and Just Dance by Lady Gaga (I love her whole cd...I HIGHLY reccomend it! Plus, it's only $8 on iTunes and it has 15 songs...good deal, huh?)

Decode by Paramore (I might love this one because it's from the Twilight soundtrack!)

Keeps Gettin' Better by Christina Aguilera

Better In Time by Leona Lewis (I think she is so beautiful, but I am really curious as to what ethnicity she is?? I totally can not tell. I do think she looks a little "feline" though, haha.)

Last but certainly not least... Like A Cholo. Haha, I am well aware that this song is horrible. Zac can't believe how much I love this song (or even that I partially like it...he acts as if he is wrenching in pain every time I turn it on in the car, haha). I can't explain it, but I just love it. I can not hear this song enough! I just saw the video for the first time, and it is awful. I dont even know who sings this song, but he is really ugly. I freaking jam out to this song, what can I say?

There are alot more, but those are the main ones that I am obsessed with! :)

I listen to "Movin' 107" which plays "hits from today and back in your school days!" I get pumped everytime they play "My Perogative" by Bobby Brown (Who knew that Britney wasn't the first one to make that song? haha, JOKING!) I do not remember Michael Jackson as a kid (except that one song that was about black and white and getting along), but because of the radio station I listen to, I have a newfound appreciation for his oldies like Billie Jean, I'm Bad, Thriller, The Way You Make Me Feel, Don't Stop Til You Get Enough, Wanna Be Startin' Something, etc.. For a great Michael Jackson Megamix, click HERE. It's superfun, I promise! :)

Venting about H8TE...

WARNING-This is something I feel passionate about, so my writing is borderline angry. I am sorry to be so negative, but I am more sorry that things are the way they are...
As you know, I was overjoyed last week when Obama was elected President. I felt like America was finally making progress. I am still excited about it. However, my excitement has been somewhat muted by another decision some American's made last week...to ban gay marriage and legally institute descrimination. Tuesday's vote was deeply disappointing to all who believe in equal treatment under the law. All of us are harmed when any of us are discriminated against or have our fundamental rights taken away. As the proud sister of a gay brother, this personally affects me and my family. But I honestly think that even if I did not know a single gay person, I would never vote to make anyone a second-class citizen."Seperate but equal" is impossible...its garbage...haven't we learned that? I have told some of my friends this before, but I fully believe that one day our kids (or maybe our grandkids, but hopefully not that far in the future) will be shocked and ashamed that there was a time America descriminated against Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered people. When I was a child and I learned that black people could not vote, and then later learned about Jim Crow laws, I was disgusted and amazed. How were we that cruel? Why wasn't it obvious that ALL humans deserve to be treated with respect? One group of people is not better than another group. We are all the same group...HUMAN (or if you wanna get more specific...American!) I think California's Proposition 8 and all the laws that passed are every bit as bad as those Jim Crow laws. I believe that love should never be forbidden, and I can not understand who or why anyone would choose to deny our brothers and sisters an equal shot at happiness. If you claim it is because of your religion, I dont want to hear it, because I am a Christian, and I was taught the Golden Rule, to "treat others how you want to be treated" and I was also taught that it is not my place to judge anyone...I will leave that for my Maker. Statistics say that about 10% of the United States is Gay. That is a huge percent! 1 in 10 people, y'all! How can we do this to them? We are not only letting them down, but we are letting ourselves down, because we are choosing hate and descrimination over acceptance and equality. It's wrong, and I'm angry. For me, last week was like "two steps forward (electing Obama), one step back (states passing this ban)." Next time this question comes up...please do not choose to deny 10% of American's the rights they deserve and are owed. What if you went to bed married and then woke up the next day not married? What if you spent a ton of money to have the perfect ceremony to celebrate your love and then it was all taken away, and you really just threw a big Valentine's party? What if someone told you that YOU could not be married? I am assuming you are a born-and-raised , hard working, honest American? So is my baby brother...and for that matter, so are most of the people who were just denied the priveledge to marry that we "straight" people take for granted!
Not only were marriage rights stripped in Cali, but Florida, Arizona, and Arkansas passed laws saying that you have to be married to adopt children, which means that both heterosexual and LGBT single adults can't adopt. Since same sex couples can't get married, they certainly can't adopt either. Did you know that Eli could be fired from any job just for being gay? The anti-descrimination laws that were passed for gender, age, race, ethnicity, and religion apperantly exempt sexuality. Why? Did you also know that you, me, or any Texas worker (especially in schools) can be fired for simply being an ally, because of being suspected of being gay, or "promoting homosexuality" (which in Texas can be argued as creating an uncomfortable sexual environment/sexual harassment.) The list of negative consequences these laws have produced goes on, and on, and on. How could we do this, especially in this day and age? It is dispicable. I can't even say anymore because I am already too upset, just from writing all this. It is a shame. To Eli, my gay friends, and every gay person out there...I'm sorry. I hope one day this wrong will be righted, and I hope that day is sooner than later. (I also hope that one day we have a Gay president! Hey, people said we would never have a black prez, and look at the progress we have made! It will happen!)
I'm sure not all of you will watch this video, but I wanted to post it anyways. This is well stated, and is how I feel about the issue. Sometimes it is hard for me to find the right words on "hot topics" like this, so I will just embed this video and hope you watch it. Whether you agree or not, all I ask is that you keep an open mind...

"The road to freedom is a difficult, hard road. It always makes for temporary setbacks."
--Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Phones and Boys

Friday's football game was in Waco. I rode with two coach's girlfriends and we had some wonderful conversation. :) We met my parents and my Aunt Nancy and Uncle Mel at Texas Roadhouse (YUM!) to eat, then went to the game. Our boys lost, but it was still a pretty good game. It was pretty chilly though...I am glad it was the last game! (for more reasons than just the weather, haha!) After the game, we decided we couldn't come to Waco without going to George's, so us gals went and had a drink before we made the trip home. Here I am with Meredith and Karen at George's...

This weekend marked the first weekend that Zac did not have to work. Since our last football game was Friday night, and there isn't an upcoming game to prepare for, Zac did not have to go in on Saturday and Sunday. We slept late both days and had a very relazing weekend. The kind I might call "boring" if it was every weekend, but since we never get this kind of downtime, it was quite enjoyable...in small quantities. :)

Saturday we went to eat at Schlotzsky's (which I LOVE and never get because Zac is not a big sandwich guy...I know, right...how can you not love sandwiches?) and then went cell phone shopping. Some of you probably know that I have been using a phone that is literally five years old, which translates to twenty, in the technology world! It is the size of a brick and does not have internet or even a camera on it. One time I had it at a football game, and a first grader said "Why do you have that here?" I explained that it was my cell phone, and she just laughed as if I was trying to 'pull her leg' and said "That's not a cell phone! That's a HOUSE PHONE!!" Haha, so now you have an idea of how big it was! :) Anyways, Zac and I have been with Sprint forever, but our contract expired in August. (We've been going month to month since then, since we didn't have time to go look at new phones.) We finally decided this weekemd to go get our new phones and a new contract. We werent sure if we wanted to stay with Sprint, or switch to AT&T. After going back and forth between the stores, looking at the rates and plans and packages and phones and all that junk, we decided Sprint was the better deal for us. We even upgraded our plan to unlimited internet, texting, and all the data stuff you could ever want or need! :) We ended up getting matching phones. Not because there was a buy one get one free offer, or anything, but we just both liked the same phone and it was a good deal, so now we have identical phones. Haha, I begged him to get a different one, but I lost that battle. Thank goodness it comes with an extra back (black with white swirls on it) that we put on mine, to help avoid confusion. In case any of you techies are wandering, it is a Samsung Rant. I love it so far, but I will let you know in a month if I still like it. :) I already set my hotmail up on it, and I love it. Haha, maybe soon I will learn how to blog from my phone!

Last night we babysat for one of the other coach's kids. It was a blast. They have three boys, ages 6, 5, and 18months, and each one of them is sooo handsome and fun. I used to be kindof scared of having a boy, and outright terrified of having more than one boy. I only wanted a daughter and did not even want to think about having a son! Now that I have been around so many special little boys (mostly coaches kids), I think I would love to have a son. Heck, even these three were not bad. They were a blast, and they have such a special bond! If I do have a boy, I hope he has silky hair like their's, so I can grow it out and part it. :) Zac played football with the two oldest boys, Cagen and Conley, in the game room for hours.

There was a bloody nose in the first thirty minutes! We took a snack break and let the boys rest. Check out the tissue in his nose. He must be a pro, because he knew just what to do, before I could even tell him...

Chaden liked to hang out with Zac whenever he could, but mostly he hung with me, and Zac kept up with the two older boys.

Cagen is kinda shy sometimes around me (I think he is playing hard to get, hehe), but he got hurt one time during the football game and came and sat right on my lap. It made me happy, and he was happy in no time. Check out that big smile...

I always thought that boys were not as fun because you couldnt get them super cute clothes and decorate their rooms and stuff, but its so not true. I just pray that when I have a son (or daughter) they are affectionate and not 'too cool' to hug and kiss Mommy. :) Augh...I can not wait to become a mother! Babysitting is a wonderful thing to do, in order to get my "kid fix" until I can get a little litter of my own! :)

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

***I am very easily amused, so rarely do I criticize movies. I love all movies for the most part. However, Zac and I watched one today (that I was really looking forward to!) that was a real flub. "Leatherheads" with George Clooney, and our boy Jim from The Office (I think the actor's name is John Krasinski). It was not great. I dont know, have any of yall seen it? Thoughts?

***Check out this cool article that a Baptist preacher's wife wrote. Her husband was actually my cousin Matt's high school youth director! I think it is a really neat story, and very well written!

Did you know?

November is National Adoption Month! As I have mentioned before, adoption has been laid on my heart and, I have been fortunate enough to see it happen first hand, both internationally and domestic. What an amazing process. Even though people act as if the adoptive parents are doing the child a favor, I think that the kid is the one bringing all the blessings! :)

Since I found an excuse to brag about Nati, I will go ahead and do it...Here is a video that my cousin Ellen made when they found out that Nati was theirs. They had not met Nati yet, but had received pictures, and made friends through Gladney that went to Ethiopia to pick up their daughter, and filmed this for them. So special! I have not watched the video in months, but watched it today, and it still made me tear up. It's almost even more powerful now, because as he has made the transition, I forget that there was ever a time that he was NOT in our family, and he had a whole other life before Ellen and Breagan and Claire!



They became a family in May, just about six months ago. It seems like it's been longer! Here is a picture of Nati at his birthday party in September...see how much he has already grown?
PS-November is also Alzheimer's Awareness Month. I personally think this is one of the cruelest and most horrible diseases! I think we all know someone who has been affected by it. I really hope they are able to find a cure SOON!
PS#2-If you are ever in a mood to feel happy, go to YouTube and search adoption videos...you will come across some truly heartwarming moments! :)

Election week wrap-up

Of course this week there has been so much buzz and excitement everywhere! I have been surfing the net and seing so many cool articles, videos, and pictures. I just thought I would share some of my favorites with yall...

If you like Lil' Wayne's song "A Milli" you have to listen to this Obama Remix. It is hilarious...just take it tongue-in-cheek. (Is that the right phrase?)

Beautiful pictures from Tuesday Night in Grant Park.

And here are pictures of happy people from around the Globe! As you all know, pretty much the entire rest of the world (our UN allies in particular) wanted Obama to be elected...I feel like the rest of the world can finally like us again!

This video clip comes from Fox News, the most conservative media, and it discloses stuff about Sarah Palin, such as the fact she did not know Africa was a continent, and did not know which countries were a part of NAFTA. Haha, I know both of those, maybe I should run for VP. :)

This probably seems random, but I thought it was funny. Will Smith's reaction to the election.

How amazing was McCain's Concedence Speech? I know we all watched it Tuesday night, but I had to watch it again, just to take it all in. My favorite quote was at the end when he said "I call on all Americans, as I have often in this campaign, to not despair of our present difficulties, but to believe always in the promise and greatness of America."


I have always known that Obama was an amazing speaker, but on this night, the words were twice as sweet! I loved the entire speech, but I had some favorite quotes:
-"It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, democrats and republicans, black, white, hispanic, asian, native american, gay, straight, disabled and not-disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals, or a collection of red states and blue states. We are and always will be THE UNITED STATES of America!"
-"This victory alone is not the change we seek...it is only the chance for us to make that change!"
-"So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other."
-"And to all those who have wondered if Americas beacon still burns as bright - tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope."
I could go on and on, as I loved his entire speech, but I will leave you with just one more thought, in the words of Barack Obama...
-"This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we cant, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:Yes We Can!"

Election Day Coverage

If you know me, you know I am NOT a morning person, and it takes something significant to get me out of bed early in the morning. Yesterday counted as a significant day...I woke up around 7 and was so excited that I could not fall back asleep. This was the day I had been waiting for! I went to the Ellis County Democratic Headquarters and volunteered for a few hours, answering phones, and walk-in questions. Alot of people just needed to find out where their poll location was, which was pretty easy, and very fun. I just kept thinking "this is such a neat experience...I might never get an opportunity like this again!" The best part of the whole morning was all the neat people I met, who were also volunteering for the same cause as myself. It is nice to be surrounded by people with your same ideals and beliefs! One man I met was a Nurse Antitheses, and looked EXACTLY like a famous actor. It was mind-boggling how much he looked like him...I kind of wanted to ask if it really was him, haha! This picture is of the actor, but it is also exactly what my new friend looked like. Another one of the fascinating people I met is a retired exec of Boy Scouts of America. He played football at UNT and then played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He is best friends with "Mean Joe Green." Another volunteer, Roark is a professor of law at SMU, and used to be a public defender in Washington D.C. It was a neat, neat morning. I was tired the rest of the afternoon, but it was so worth it! :) How often do you get to work together with people who are perfect strangers at 8am, but feel like dear old friends by noon!? It was amazing.
So you either know me personally, of know me from reading my blog, but either way...you have probably realized that I do not mind being a dork every now and then. For some reason yesterday I decided to be a reporter (maybe because I have been watching so much news and CNN lately, haha). I made a reporter style video at 7:30 in the morning, and another one at the end of the night. When I got out of class at 7pm, we headed to downtown Fort Worth to attend a Tarrant County Democrats party held at the Hilton. It was a blast...even better than I could have imagined! Stacy and her dad and friend Rachel met us there, so that made it even better! The ballroom was decorated beautifully and there was such a neat mixture of people there. Anyone who says that "only black people voted for Obama" (I have heard people say that with my own ears!) is sadly mistaken. There were all different walks of life and several different races, ethnicities and socio-economic status's represented at the party...kinda like America! ;) Everyone cheered and cried, jumped, and hugged...I cant imagine watching it at home. This was such an amazing and historical night. Words obviously cant explain how I felt and what the ambiance of the room was (lots of excitement, anticipation, and HOPE). I had an amazing and eventful Election Day, and took lots of pictures. Enjoy this little video montage I made of pics and vids:

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Since my friend Stacy and I literally went to all the same rallies and parties, our "Journey with Obama" is quite similar. You MUST watch this amazing video that she made, as she is MUCH more talented than I am! (plus I am in it alot, haha) Check it out...it serisouly gave me goosebumps! :)

Yes We DID!

Yes, I am so excited and relieved with the turnout of the elections! Barack Obama is our new president, y'all! AMAZING! I have lots to say, and plenty of pics, so i will be posting soon. But I just had to post one to say how HAPPY I am! :)

QVC Maverick

I gotta give it to John McCain...he was very funny on Saturday Night Live last weekend. Of course, I think it helped that he had Tina "Sexy Sarah" Fey by his side! :) Here is the clip:

I LOVE Snow White & Wonder Woman!

How Blessed am I? I have two nieces, and I do not think they could be any cuter!! Here are Madeline and Eliza in their Halloween costumes...don't you love it?

I hate living so far away from both of them! Thank goodness for technology, digital cameras, pictures, etc! They grow up so fast!

Quick Trip to Austin

Friday night was our last home football game (HALLELUIAH!), which means it was also our last pep rally and last time I had to supervise the girls selling programs! What a relief! :) It was also Halloween, but since I was not home to give out candy, and had to work at the game, so I couldn't do anything cool, it didn't really even feel like it to me. I was just focused on getting through, and celebrating the last game! ;) We have one more week of football, and we are going to Waco this Thursday AND Friday. Phew...I am ready to quit making all these trips to Waco. It is a tease to get that close to Austin and not be able to go the rest of the way! This Saturday I went to Austin to see Tatem and Scott and Eliza, and Eli and Danny and Ryan. :) Zac had to work Saturday and Sunday, so I went solo, but I missed him!! Eliza has grown so much, even since they were here in September! I am glad Zac and I will be going back to Austin in two weeks for Ellie's 1st birthday party, and Hardwick Family Portraits! :) Here are pics from my fun trip this past weekend...

Ellie laughing at her phone call. She has started showing SO much personality! At one point she reached out to hand me a little cheerio type snack, but when I reached to get it from her, she jerked her arm back and starting laughing! She totally knew she was tricking me, and thought it was so funny! It was precious!

I think Ellie is going to be musically-inclined like her Grammy! She loves playing the piano and smiles/laughs the entire time. She has long fingers, so who knows...she could be the next (wait, who is a famous piano player?....oh, i know...) George Winston!

Eli's roommate Danny invited me to go with him to his work party, and it was SO nice! They had rented out the Renaissance Hotel Ballroom and lobby (an employee told us it cost $60,000 for the room alone, not including food and entertainment...isnt that bananas?) and they had an amazing dinner and tons of desserts to choose from.

It was a masquerade ball, and the centerpieces were these gorgeous bouquets of masks, free for the taking. It was so cool, and very pretty! They also had a photo booth, which we hit up alot, since it was free and FUN (I will have to scan those in, because they are not digital, of course).

They had a DJ playing music, so of course we danced, but there was also gambling. They had real tables, like BlackJack and Texas Hold 'Em and Craps, but we did the slot machines. It was all included in the party. Since you couldn't win money, you cashed in your chips and tokens for raffle tickets. At the end of the night they gave away a million (it seemed) cool prizes like Wii's and massage gift certificates, and free airline tickets, flatscreen TVs, laptops, and I forget what else, but lots of cool stuff! It was the best work party I have ever heard of! I want to get a job there now that I know how much they appreciate their employees, haha!