I always new that my munchkin, Madison was born to be a SUPERSTAR...

and apparently the producers of the daytime talk show, The Doctors agree.  Her video of her cochlear activation was discovered by them on youtube, and they thought it was just as special as we did!  So they decided to air a clip from it on their show on Monday, November 14th!  Check your local listing...to check out the little Superstar in her first debut!



All Shook Up...Literally!

I was just sitting down to write this post when I heard a rumble outside...not uncommon during a thunderstorm.  But then I felt the rumble under my feet, I knew it was happening again...another earthquake.  I've spent the majority of my life in Oklahoma City...which means I'm used to things like tornados, ice storms, and in recent years...blizzards.  I never in a zillion years would think I'd need to worry about earthquakes! 
But Friday night...I woke up to one.  I thought it was Moussey scratching her neck while she lay in bed...but Moussey wasn't in bed.  She was standing near my bed staring at me...if she could talk, I'm most positive that she'd be saying, "WTF?!"  My vision was wobbly for a good two minutes...as my head wobbled...but, I was half asleep and told myself that I'd check on line in the morning to see if OKC had an earthquake.  The next morning I checked facebook..and sure enough it was confirmed. 4.7

The next night...round two.  This time, it was only 11 pm.  People were awake...in fact they were running out of their apartments yelling.  Me and Moussey stared at each other...and again...her face had it written all over it..."WTF?!"  I gotta admit...that one really shoook me up...no pun intended.  It scared the beejeeezus out of me.  And the neighbors running around outside didn't calm my nerves a bit.  This one was bigger...5.6.

So here we are...Monday night.  I thought the earthquakes were now a thing of the past...on to the next set of worries...tornado warnings all over the state.  I sat down to write about my earth quake experience...and whaddaya know!...round three.  This time, I'm certain this building swayed.

I think I'm finished freaking out about this...I'm going to go to bed...but not before a prayer....
Now I lay me down to sleep...
I pray the Lord my soul to keep...
If I should die before I wake...
I pray the Lord my soul to take...

What Delights You?

It's been so long since I've blogged that I actually forgot my password!  I talked to some rather annoyed readers this weekend, who threatened bodily harm if I did not write a new post...so here I am. =)  As I've said a zillion times, it's really difficult to write posts on a daily/weekly/monthly basis when your life is really routine and you're trying to maintain two blogs.  I rarely have "misadventures" these days...so there isn't much to write about. I was watching Oprah's "Soul Sunday" today and she asked a question..."What delights you?"  I decided to run with it...  Here are the top 5 things that delight me...

Frozen yogurt.  It doesn't matter if it's 190 degrees (like this summer) or -190 degrees (like this winter will most likely be).  Frozen yogurt ALWAYS makes me smile.

Crafting things.  For the past few Sundays, I've had some free time, so I've been going to Michael's...(don't worry, I still love Hobby Lobby, but it's closed on Sundays)...I purchased some inexpensive items...brought them home...and spent the afternoon making things. It always delights me to see the end product.  Lately, I've been finding owls quite cute, so I made this for my kitchen.

 Mousse.  I find her simply delightful in the morning...she loves to snuggle up and be sweet.

 baby's with luscious cheeks!  This is my boy...(well actually, NC's boy)...Tyson.  I got to hang out with him and his big sis, Tessa this weekend.  Holding babies and smelling their sweet baby scent is sooo delightful!

 Last...but not least...I love finding funky, fun rings.  Junk jewlery...delights me!

CCL and I were talking today about how life with out internet access is not a life worth living.  Well...we didn't say that in so many words, but  we were just talking about how inconvenient it is and how helpless you feel with out it.  It made me realize just how much things have changed  from back in the day and how different things are for kids today.  I can't believe I'm saying phrases like "kids today" and "back in the day"...but I guess it's officially official...I. AM. OLD.


So, I decided to discuss a few ways that life has changed over the past 3 decades of my life...


1.  Phone books...They're not completely obsolete.  I still see them on my doorstep occasionally.  I either toss it, or store it under my couch for safe keeping.  But, I can't remember the last time I've used one!  Actually I take that back...they used to have coupons for a free drink with lunch at Mazzios, so me and the BOC girls would round up all the yellow pages before we went to lunch. =)  But, as for seeking a  phone number...it's been aeons!


2.  Actually...the word "aeons" brings me to my next one...dictionaries!  I had no idea how to spell that word...so just googled it with how I thought it would be spelled "eons"...and learned that it had a silent "a."  I remember "back in the day"...we had to buy these $25 dictionaries for school.  My English teacher always demanded we look up the words we couldn't spell...which I found very annoying...I mean how do you look up a word when you can't spell it?  It's no wonder that it took me forever to figure out that the word outfit was not spelled a-l-p-h-e-t. 


3.  "Kids today" think they have it tough when they have to write papers.  Uh, yah right...try having to go to  the library to do research in actual books and journals that you actually have to flip the pages of.   And try typing your paper and using correction fluid when you screw up instead of hitting backspace!  I have no pity for any of you!!


4.  Emails/Webcam...If these things were invented when I was a kid, it would have saved me from so much trouble!  I would have never gotten in trouble for calling my cousins too much and hiking up the phonebill...nor would I have had to write my cousins letters on paper and watch out for snail mail to avoid our letters being intercepted and read by our nosy brothers.


5.  Cell phones.  Why on God's green earth was there that in between stage with  pagers?!?  Pagers were really retarded...basically you'd be calling someone's pager device to tell them to call you.  Why couldn't you just call the person directly?  I remember my pager code (instead of my phone #) (because it wasn't cool to put your phone #) was 500....or "soo"...or sue (in my clever little mind).  A few weeks ago, I was driving home from Dallas...alone...and was completely FREAKED OUT when I realized that my phone had no range for like 2 hours of my 3 hour trip.  Although I used to drive like that all the time "back in the day"...and it never phased me then.  But even with cell phones, there is a hierachy.  I'm ashamed to say, that my sweet munchkin, Madison operates her mom's cell phone with ease...however, I don't even know how to answer it when it rings.  And when she sees my phone, she looks at me like "Where's all the apps, Sueny??  Moses called and he wants his cell phone back!"


6.  GPS...need I go on?  I mean, I've gotten lost in my neighborhood before.  This is obviously vitally essential for someone like me.  I don't even know how I survived "back in the day."  I used to drive to Dallas and get directions from CCL, and then get directions from CCL on how to get from Dallas to Houston.  Once I was in Houston, I'd ask Mikey how to get back to Dallas, and then in Dallas, ask CCL how to get to OKC.  Confused?  I was too!  That's why I kept getting lost!!!


7.  Straight Iron.   "Kids today" think they have problems with bullying?  Try being a frizzy haired brown girl in a predominately white, cowboy/cowgirl school!!!  When I think about how different my life could have been if only the straight iron was invented ten years earlier...it brings real tears to my eyes!!!!


8.  DVR...this has been the one new invention in my time that has impacted my life the most.  I don't know how I functioned before and will never go back to a life without it.  I mean watching my TV shows without dealing with commercials is better than candy!


I could go on forever...but I will end here.  Sometimes...I wonder what's next!  I just hope to see the day when I can shift my car into fly mode!

I've realized over the years that I'm one of "those" people.  You all know the kind...The kind that people start talking to and end up saying way too much to.  I'm not sure what it is about me that makes people want to confess to me.  If I believed in reincarnation, I'd think I was a priest in a former life. 

I recently met someone, and every time I talk to her, I make her cry.  I always apologize, and she always assure me that she enjoys our talks and appreciates that she can trust me enough to talk so openly.  Her honesty never bothers me...but, I'm always left feeling guilty when I see her tears.

It's one thing when your friends spill their beans...all their beans...but when total strangers do...it's a completely different story...a scary story at that!  I was sitting at a hair salon minding my own business.  I couldn't have been sitting there for more than a minute and a half when the lady sitting two seats down beckoned me to come sit by her.  As I scooted down...I began to wonder if I knew her.  And I was positive that I didn't.  I have a sick memory when it comes to peoples/faces/names...and her's was not one that I knew....because trust me, I woulda remembered her face.

She leaned over...into my personal space...and began whispering to me.  I couldn't hear a word she was saying...nor could I read her lips...but she kept sticking her cell phone in my face so I knew she wanted me to look at it.  It was a text...from some guy.  He was telling her she was beautiful.  I definitely did not concur.  She kinda looked witch like and scary as she whispered dramatically in my face.  I guess she could tell I couldn't hear her...and she apologized and said she didn't want the others to hear her.  My question was...WHY DID SHE WANT ME TO HEAR?!?

She talked louder, but her accent was so thick.  I could only make out about 15% of what she was saying, but the texts she kept showing me helped me figure out what she was saying.  So, what was she saying?  Apparently she was divorced and the scarf she was wearing was given to her by her daughter...who went to Italy with her ex and bought the scarf ...and she had 3 men who were just her friends, but she was in love with one...and they were all in love with her.  She didn't like the one who said she was beautiful because she didn't know his true insides...she said he saw her standing somewhere and noticed her butt.  Then she proceeded to stand up and show me how she was standing.  I kept looking at her face and she insisted that I look at her butt. "Look!  Look at it!," she said emphatically! At that point...I was sure Ashton Kutcher was going to pop out of somewhere and tell me that I was being punked.  And then I remembered, I'm not a celebrity...and Ashton only punks celebrities.

Then she told me about each man, their professions, and what kind of cars they had...Fifteen minutes couldn't pass by any slower!  My eardrums were tired from straining, and my mind was spinning as I considered how strange humans could be!  Just as she was telling me strange things about her thong,  my hairstylist, Chi, (no pun intended...that's REALLY her name!)  finally called my name, and I basically ran to her chair.  It was definitely a straaaange experience, but I was kinda glad it happened.  I knew it was just the kind of story my blog needed!  I know this sounds like fiction...and I have been known to make up a story or two in my time...but some things...you just can't make up!

She's so Smurfy!

I've never been a a huge Smurf fan in the past.  Yes, I watched the cartoons, but it bugged me how they slaughtered English grammar with the word Smurf...which is obviously a noun, but then they'd use it as a verb, adverb, and adjective whenever they smurfed like it!  But, when the movie came out this summer, I was overcome with nostalgia and I really wanted to see it.  The only reason I didn't is because my niece and nephew didn't want to because they really didn't know what a Smurf was.  And I didn't want to be an adult going to a kid movie with out a kid.  When I found out McD's was bringing back the smurf figurines out with their happy meals...I was so excited.  It just brought me back to my childhood years...and I just had to get my hands on one.  And so I urged my nephew to have a happy meal one night...and he gladly handed me over the smurf.  I took it to work to put on my shelf...and before I knew it...people were bringing me their kids' smurfs!  And now, I have quite a collection.  Yesterday, my buddy made my collection complete by swiping Smurfette from her 2 year old!  She's the one I really wanted and so getting her simply made my day!  Do I feel ashamed for taking a 2 year olds toy?  Slightly, but not really! 

So, if your kid happens to have a Papa Smurf or a Brainy Smurf  laying around the house, my birthday is coming up...and I can't think of anything I want more...well, actually I can...but hey, I'm pretty easy to please!



I do stupid things...People who know me are well aware of my stupid antics...wearing things inside out, wearing mismatched shoes..these are just a few of the stupid things that I do.  Recently, I topped myself...and did the stupidist thing ever!!!

On my first day at work, I had to make long ins, passwords, and security questions to a few zillion websites that I use at work on a daily basis.  Only now, do I use all of them...I basically had to learn one site at a time.  So a few days ago, I was asked to sign  on to a particular site.  It kept rejecting my password and forced me to answer some security questions.  The first question that popped up was ridiculous..."What was the name of the street you lived on in 3rd grade?"

Uh, who the heck knows?!?  I basically moved every year as a kid...and although I have a great memory for useless information...that is not something I remember.  So I vehemently told myself and all my colleagues that I did not set up these questions!!  They told me to call the customer service for assistance...and I did.  Of course, they ask me to answer the security questions so they can reset my password.  But, I tell them that is impossible because I never set up the questions and I don't know the answers. 

I got frustrated and hung up with these people/called them back/hung up/called them back...FOUR TIMES!!  On the fourth try...the customer service lady had a little mercy on me.  She said there were three questions...and said she'd ask me another one.  I told her it didn't matter because I didn't set the questions up.  It was obviously a conspiracy!!  So, she said..."let's just try it"..."If you can answer two of the three...I can reset you."  I sighed DEEPLY.  And then she asked, "What's the name of your first pet?" 

"Mousse?"  and she said yes.  I wondered how that could possibly be right when I never set up the questions...the conspiracy plot thickened!  And then she asked me the final question, "What's your childhood nickname?"  "Sue?"  She said...no, it's not Sue...but it certainly ISN'T something I'd want to be called.

My eyes widened...in sheer and utter horror and humiliation.  Could it be??  Noooo...please God...NOOOO!  "FATTY?!?!?!?!" 

Needless to say, I have a new password.  Not only did I look like a fool for telling everyone that I did not set up my security questions...but, I set one up with the most embarrassing nickname!!  ANDDDD...the biggest big mouth who sits next to me heard the entire conversation and made sure to tell the rest of my team!!

I'm mad at myself for thinking a security question would only be seen by me...and I'm mad at my siblings for making up such a horrifying nickname, and I'm mad at me for answering them when they called me that...and I'm mad that I always seem to get myself into the most ridiculous situations!

Just got back from watching "the Help"...it's one of those rare movies that people actually feel the need to clap at the end.  Now I definitely want to read the book to see how much better it is!  As I was trying to find a seat in the theater, some lady stopped me and asked me if my name was Mariamma.  When I said no, she said I looked like someone she used to work with.  So, what that told me is that I apparently look 50 years old or older...because God knows no one in their 30's is named Mariamma. That's what I get for leaving the house with my hair in a bun looking like a scrub. 
I realized I have no consistent "look."  I'm part tom-boy and part girly-girl.  I love fixing my hair, wearing make-up, and accessorizing when I deem it necessary. But, I also love wearing boys basketball shorts with one of my worn, old, favorite t-shirts.  I tend to lean toward my tom-boy side more regularly...but, I think that needs to stop.  It's not doing me any favors. 

Anyhoo...good luck to all the students out there in the blogosphere who are starting school tomorrow!  Just remember..."you is kind...you is smart...and you is important!!!"  Words to live by! =)

The summer is officially O-ver.  My niece and nephew were here for two months and their departure always marks the end of summer for me.  Unfotunately, that doesn't end the heat wave...but I guess I'll take 110 degrees over blizzards and ice.  The weeks are a blur these days now that i'm a working woman again.  I'm pretty much busy from the time I sit down at my desk until it's quitting time.  And oddly enough, I love it!  I usually have this 1-3 month period of time when I start a new job where I'm quiet and sort of feeling things out and figuring people out.  That period is officially over and I've unleashed the "true" Sue. 

I have never worked anywhere that co-workers have called me Sue.  To me, allowing someone to call me that name indicates some kind of relationship or closeness.  At school and work, I've always been Susan...no matter how much I dislike that name.  (sorry to all you Susans out there in the blogosphere)
My nickname has always been reserved to family and friends.

It's caused quite a bit of confusion in the past...But, in a way it's like my two identities...my "professional" one and my "personal" one....although I am who I am pretty much everywhere I am.  (Whoa...did that make sense?)  Anyway...all this to say...they call me Sue at my new job.  And it's really strange.  It's been over a month and I'm still not used to it.  Oddly enough, sometimes I don't even respond because I mentally expect to be called Susan!  That's probably the craziest part!  I have so many nicknames...Poo, Q, Suey, SueVee, Sushi, etc...and I respond to all of them.  But, I can't train my brain to accept being called Sue at work!! 

The other day we were talking about people in high school who now go by different names on facebook...and how strange it is to call someone something you've never called them before.  I could totally relate to that conversation because a lot of people from high school contact me on FB and call me Sue... and it just seems unnatural and strange!  One of these days...I'll get a handle on what my name is!

Happy 3rd birthday to my favorite munchkin!!  We got to hang out while she was in Okc for six weeks and had a great time...We all got so attached to her spunky spirit and funny ways! 

 Maddicakes, I hope you enjoy your 3rd birthday!  You're growing up so fast!  I am so proud of you and all the things you have accomplished in just three short years!  I love you SO much!...Love, Sueny...oh, and Matt Uncle, Missa Chechi, Andrew Chacha, Mookey...and Jerome! ;)

I'm a person who enjoys lists...grocery lists, task lists, meals for the week lists, books to read lists...  So, recently I decided to create a bucket list.  It's not very long...and not filled with impossible goals.  I started talking to a friend who said she also created a bucket list...and was about to do one of the items on her list.  She gave me a nudge to do one of my items...and maybe do it together. 
Well, she's doing it next week...and I'm still trying to work the courage up to do mine.  We agreed to knock off our bucket list together...as much as possible...and then she gave me the ok to blog about it.  I thought it would be fun for the blogosphere to be a part of our misadventures.

But now, the problem is....me!!  I have to gain the "chutzpah" to actually do the first thing!  See...I don't even have the chutzpah to tell you guys what it is!!  If I do it, it's probably the 1st decision I've made for myself...irregardless of other people's advice or opinions.  Yep, my first big girl decision!  So leave me some encouragement in the comment box below!!

New pictures are up on my other site!  Check out the latest princess party I have been working on! 
In other news...about a year ago...my friend Sheryl's little boy, Elijah learned how to say the word "kundi"...which means butt in Malayalam.  Since it was a new word...and it sounds funny...he really enjoyed saying it.   Repeatedly.  His grandma didn't approve.  Afterall, it's like letting your kid walk around saying "ass"  all day.  Not appropriate.  So, she asked Elijah why he was saying the word...and more importantly, who taught him to say it.  To which he replied, "Sue Aunty."  Now when Sheryl told me this...I wasn't too surprised. Afterall, the child is hers.  And making up fictitious stories to get me in trouble obviously runs in his blood!

But today BF told me a story...apparently my little munchkin, Madison was asking for me.  She misses all her OKC friends and family after spending 6 weeks with us.  But, she also was asking for "Jerome."  Her mom asked her who Jerome was and who told her about him...and she said, "Sueny!" 

I think these kids are all conspiring against me...

So in case you were wondering about my weigh in Wednesdays...err, what happens is...I gain the five pounds that I lose every weekend and lose it over the week...gain it over the weekend.  So things aren't going too well.  But, I'm still trying.  In fact, I spent the evening making health lunches for the week.  But then again, the weekdays aren't really the problem. =/

Anyway, it's been an exhausting weekend...After setting up a princess party, fighting the crowds at the outlets, moving into the new building for work, and making lunches for the week...I'm truly out for the count.  I hear my pillow whispering my name, but found a request on facebook asking for a new blog post.  And I just couldn't let him down. 

So OKC just built a new outlet mall...which is pretty much where everyone in the entire city was this weekend!  Parking was brutal...and the lines were even worse.  The only store I really wanted to go to was the Coach outlet...but there was a line just to get in the store!  It was a 112 degrees out on Saturday, so I wasn't about to stand out there and fry for a new purse that I probably don't really need!!  It's interesting because when I talk to Sunu in Kuwait...she tells me how the news in Kuwait is always about how bad the economy is and will become in the U.S...I also talked to a friend in London today, and he said the same thing!  But the way people shop...you would never know that here!!  Supposedly we should be saving and preparing ourselves for complete disaster...but instead, people are standing in line for 45 minutes in 112 degrees to buy a Coach purse.  What up with that?!?

Well folks, that's about it for my adventures this weekend...stay tuned to see how the week pans out!  Will keep you posted...right now, I'm giving in to the call of my precious pillow!

Pictures!

Merly's going away/ 2nd anniversary party....Merly, Shines, and the creeper behind them.

cutting the cake...

 

The family...plus us.

 

 Me & NC...on her birthday.  This is typically what happens...I say something to crack her up just before the camera clicks. I'm composed...she's cracking up.

 2nd try...

 Me and my BF's...haven't taken a picture like this (that turned out decently) in soooo long!

So, I'm back from a fun night out with the girls (and no, I did not receive any senior citizen discounts.  Thank you very much!) and I'm feeling a little blue.  It seems like it's been decades since the three of us have spent some QT (quality time) together.  Back in the day...we made time every day for a little QT.  I drove my little red Mitsubishi Eclipse, NC drove her white Grand Prix, and Sonia drove her black Firebird with a T-top.  We often got bored with our own vehicles, so we'd meet in a centralized location (usually Taco Bueno!) and swap cars before driving to each others houses. My car of choice was always Sonia's Firebird.  Those were definitely the good old days...

It boggles my mind how much of the past they have forgotten...Apparently, that's what having kids does to you.  However, luckily they have me...and I have the greatest memory when it comes to useless information!  We reminisced about the crazy antics of the past...how much our lives have changed in the present...and our hopes for the future.  There is nothing like being with your old friends...people who understand you with no explanations necessary...people who've seen you grow and change and have accepted and encouraged you along the way.  Sonia claims to be able to read my facial expressions and know what I'm thinking...I will never admit it to her, but she's right every time.  I love that they both know me so well.

I wish every day could be a "Da32C" (and no that's not a bra size!) day...but we've grown up.  Our focus has shifted to our families and our responsibilities.  But it's nice to know that when we do have that rare opportunity to put it all aside and get together...our friendship has not changed a bit.  We're still those three girls who love to laugh, gossip, have deep conversations...and love each other just as much as we did back in the good ol' days!

 

Happy Birthday to one of my oldest & bestest friends, NC.  This is one of my favorite pictures of the "three of us."  And no, I wasn't wearing a neck brace...it was a turtleneck!  Anyway, we're all going out to celebrate her birthday today...I feel like it's been since the late 90's since we've actually done that!  Through thick and thin...the good, the bad, and the ugly...we've maintained our friendship.  I've known NC since she was a bratty five year old...and my how she's changed!  She's a great friend, wife, mother, and teacher now...and I couldn't be more proud of who she has become!  Happy Birthday!

Weekend in Review...

It was another hectic weekend....My dear friend Merly is leaving me...and moving to Utah for a year for an internship.  When she returns, she will be Dr. Merly Mathew, which means this whole year...although it sucks...will be totally worth it.  So on one hand, i'm elated for her...and on the other hand I'm going to miss her so much!!  She's the one person I know who loves deep conversations as much as I do!  This weekend we had a few going away parties for her.  A few of her friends hosted a party...now usually, house parties are not my thing. I knew there'd be a few people there that I didn't know, and I was kinda feeling iffy.  But, I knew Merly would be SO upset with me if I didn't go...and I reminded myself of the Benji pact.  Lately, I've been grading myself at social functions.  I haven't made better than a C...and on occasions have completely bombed with an F.  I know Benj wouldn't be too proud of that...so I was intent on stepping it up this time.  Andddd...I DID!  I even gave myself an A...I actually introduced myself to someone and tried my best to atleast say Hello to everyone.  Way to go me!  And, Merly was happy to see me there...so I'm glad I just grinned and beared it. 

I promised Merly I would write more in my blog while she's gone, since she's one of my 2 faithful readers (Thank you, Jerin...faithful reader #1).  So, I vow to do my best with that...but no promises.  I know she'll be too busy this week to check the blog.  So, I decided to share a story that I know will make her chuckle when she's sitting in Utah, bored outta her brain...

Over the years many people have overestimated my age.  People have asked me if I was Shines' mother, Derrick's mother, Sheryl's mother, Sunu's mother...even Sunu's mom's mother!!!!!!!!!  But last week...took. the. cake!!!!!!!  Sonia and I met up for lunch...at one of our old favorite lunch spots...Furrs Cafeteria.  Yes, I'm very well aware that mostly elderly people frequent cafeterias, so I was totally setting myself up for this one...However, I was still pretty astonished when I looked down at my receipt and saw they gave me the SENIOR CITIZEN DISCOUNT!!!  So now, apparently I no longer look like someone's mother...I look like their grandmother!  Ain't life grand?!?

Weekend in Review

I had forgotten how quickly weekends fly by.  But now that I'm working they are oh-so-precious to me once again.  I love weekends that are jam packed with things to do...but lazy, uneventful ones are nice too!  This one was far from lazy and uneventful.  I  spent the day Saturday taking my niece dress shopping.  She's not really a dress wearer...so I knew this would be a challenge.  To top it off, my mom was coming with us!  My mom is infamous for picking the most grotesque thing on the rack and showing it to us as if it's the most Uh-mazing thing she's ever seen!

Now, I've done a lot of dress shopping in my time...both for myself and my younger cousins.  I am pretty confident in my selections.  I don't think I'm quite as challenged as my mom.  But my niece makes me question my own taste.  We're not really in sync with our clothing styles...and she gives me the same "are you crazy look" that I give my mom.  But, I quickly learned that I have to be patient, and she has to like the dress or she won't wear it, and it's impossible to understand a teenage girl's taste in fashion. 

Luckily...after trying lots of dresses...and going back and forth about whether dresses were age appropriate, showing too much leg, and needed a little shrug...we found a really cute dress.  And then we got to go to my favorite accessory store...Forever 21...and I got to assist her in picking out the right bling...(which is an area that I'm quite confident in!)

Later that evening I got to spend some QT with Marissa and Andrew and we went to dinner at BJ's for one of their deliciously devilish Pazookies.  They told me all about their school, teachers, and friends...and then I told them how high school was back in my day.  I think that left them a little mortified.  =/

Today we visited my buddy, Sherika Jenkins James's (aka Sheryl) church because her baby boy, Ezra was being dedicated...and later we celebrated his first birthday!  I can't believe Ez is already ONE!  It breaks my back to hold this little linebacker...but I love doing it anyway!  He's the only kid...and well, human...on earth who appreciates my singing.  Happy Birthday, Ez!

When I first started this blog six years ago, it was more like my "on-line diary."  I kept it real and revealed the good...the bad...the ugly...and the funny...in my life.  I think that's why people stay tuned.  My honesty was interesting, I suppose.  Lately, I find that I blog less because I don't want to keep it real anymore.  It's harder to talk about the good, bad, and the ugly...and very little has been funny.  It's been hard for me to talk about "things" to people that I'm close too in real life...so how could I possibly post my thoughts on the world wide web for the whole blogosphere to read??

But, as I mentioned a few weeks ago, my cousin's death made me re-think my life...it made me realize that I was shutting people out and his testimony made me realize that we all have a story to share.  Sometimes just sharing our story can make someone else feel encouraged or not so alone in their problems or just simply make them stop and re-evaluate.  I love to write...I love stories...real life ones especially...so I...of all people...should know the importance of my story.  So I'm going to share it today...

A little over a year ago, I lost my job...Five days later, I got test results back from the doctor that didn't look too good.  Although I felt fine, I was sick.  I was prescribed medicine...and had to get tested every few months to see if I was getting better or getting worse.  The side effect of the medicine was pain...and I felt it every single day...some days more intense than others.  This combined with the fact that I was jobless took its' toll on me.  It was the first time since I was sixteen years old that I had not been working.  It was a total blow to my ego...I was applying for jobs that I was qualified for and that I was over qualified for...and nothing opened up.  I threw myself into "I Do Events"...and thankfully it kept me busy enough to keep me sane and provided me with the extra money I needed to stay afloat.  In fact, the whole time that I didn't have a full time job...I never had to borrow a cent and not one bill was ever paid late. I had an event of some kind every month...and sometimes two. But still, I avoided people...because I didn't want anyone to ask me how I was doing. That simple question..."how are you?"...would make me cringe.

As I mentioned, Benji was one of those people I avoided.  He knew what was going on with me...but I knew he was worried about me, and I didn't want to talk about my problems and make him worry more...especially when things seemed to be going so great for him.  I felt like I was a kill-joy...and I just didn't want to drag anyone down by telling them what was going on with me.  I felt like God had stripped me of my power...(as if I had any to begin with).  I've got to be honest and admit that I'm a control freak...I guess that's why I love planning weddings...I love knowing that if I'm organized and detailed, I have the ability of producing an amazing event.  The outcome is in my control.  But nothing about my life was in my control.  I wasn't mad at God...I knew he was teaching me a lesson.  I did question him though...why now?  why at the same time?  why wasn't I getting jobs that I knew I was qualified for?  But, I knew ultimately it was out of my control and in His hands...and I had to wait. And if you know me...you know I HATE waiting....I can't even endure Oklahoma City traffic, which basically shouldn't even be considered traffic...I instantly begin wishing my car could go into fly mode.

The week after I returned home from Chicago...from burying my cousin...I got a call from my Dr...my test results (after a year) were clear...five days later, I got a job.  (Yep, exactly in reverse...a year prior, I lost my job, and five days later, I got the bad test result.)  Coincidence?  Maybe...but, I don't think so.  I know it was all God's plan...for me to have time to get well, and then get a job once I was better.  A part of me even thinks that Benji went up to Heaven and pulled some strings for me...He didn't want to see me sad anymore. 

It taught me a valuable lesson....Life isn't always fair...or happy.  It doesn't always make sense.  There are good times...there are bad times... Times when tears are endless and times when laughter is hard to control.  And in all those times...God is always God...He is always in control...we have no choice but to trust in Him...relent the power we think we have, and let Him take over.  I heard this song at church one Sunday...and it brought me to tears.  I've lived this song...I hope it blesses you as it does me...

Happy 4th!

Happy 4th of July...From America's little sweetheart!