Big K Little k what begins with K?

KANKLES & KUPCAKZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After a very long two weeks of being stuck inside in a chair due to my (stupid foolish unfortunate untimely) accident I attempted to run a few errands. The ankle is doing better but still quite bruised and swollen ---YUCK------------->

On Monday my lovely sister Sammi took me to the salon that she works at Sterling & Co. for a cut and nice fresh color. Then we headed to Zio's for lunch and on to the local Michael's to shop around. This was my first wheelchair shopping experience and I didn't like it very much since i was unable to pick everything up and look at it and put it back on the shelf like i normally do. hahah My sister enjoyed this shopping experience even less.
Here's a picture of a first for me-I like to think of it as EXTREME shopping .

Today I was on my way back from having my windshield replaced and decided to stop at one of my favorite places in Tulsa it's called KUPCAKZ and it way better than OKC's Cuppies & Joe or Sarah Sarah's. My personal favorite is the 'Cheeky Monkey' it's a banana cupcake with creamcheese icing pralined pecans and carmel....i'm drooling.

Now I do realize the last thing you wanted to see with these beautiful delicious treats was my rotting zombie foot but that's been my week and i hope you enjoyed. Next time you're in Tulsa you should visit Kupcakz and me as well. ;)

Movin' On Up

This Sunday St. Mark's held their graduation ceremony for the Pre-K classes. I can hardley believe how fast this year went by! When i quit my job with AAI I knew that i would be taking a major leap of faith; loosing my health insurance, paid vacation, benefits, and not to mention a major cut to my annual salary. Although i loved the company i was working for and had been at for 2 years i felt like i was missing something sitting behind a desk and was compelled to go back to teaching somehow. I felt it was worth it and put in my two weeks notice not even knowing where i would find a job or how i would pay my bills. Trusting in God alone to provide. Before my last day at Advanced Academics i was interviewed and given the position at St. Marks' Pre-School. Little did i know what a blessing that job, the kids, the parents, and my co-workers would be to me! I will miss everyone of them as they move on to Kindergarten but they have filled my life with so much joy and laughter.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from this year:

Age Old Advice from the Zombies and Other Situational Ethics

This week i've heard the Zombies 'Time of the Season' at least a dozen times on the radio therefore because of it's own timeless relentlessness i'm dedicating a blog entry to it-

"what's your name?
Who's your daddy?
Is he rich like me?"

money update- I hate that I have none and yet I hate that i am so dependent upon having it. In the last 7 months i quit a job I had grown to detest and have since taken another job that makes 1/2 as much. This new job has made me quite happy. It's a blessing to wake up (most) every morning and be thrilled about getting to work. Therefore i can't (i can but really shouldn't) complain about my new financial situation. I have a tendancy to romantanticize the past no matter how bad and so i'm coming to terms with the fact that even when i was making more money i could have been more responsible. So today with the persuasion of a dear friend i set up a time to meet with a financial planner. yay. In the meantime do i look for a new job? making more money?

"has he taken any time
to show you what you need to live?
tell it to me slowly.
It's the time of the season for loving"



relationship update- ehhh. i don't think i've dated anyone who has really went out of their way to put effort into the relationship. I've always been the one forcing things to happen. Which has really killed the romantic in me. I'm afraid that i've watched too many chick flicks and have read to many Jane Austen books and the likes thereof to know how to handle a real life relationship. "you don't want to be in love, you want to be in love in a movie" - Sleepless in Seattle. Truer words were never spoken when it comes to how i feel lately. What if i come across a good thing and can't even reckognize it for what it really is? curse you EverAfter with your handsome prince and cleverly written lines. I shake my fist at you!

Money is like manure; it's not worth a thing unless it's spread out encouraging young things to grow.

Tonight i had been invited by a friend to accompany him to an Associates Banquet for Oklahoma Christian for people who donate money throughout the year. It was held at the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Museum. The people were dressed fancy (myself included), the dinner was superb, and the speaker phenomenal.
Col. Douglas Wheelock the Commander of the International Space Station was the key note speaker. I sat there and listened in wonderment as he described working at the space station and having the opportunity to orbit the earth every 90 minutes, to see the sun set 16 times a day, and to be so utterly petrified as he stared into the deepness of space and realize that the earth in all her glory is just being held there in the cosmic abyss.

He spoke about the importance of influencing others. He discussed his love for his legend, Yankees player, Bobby Mercer and how he looked up to that man and was encouraged by his life and solid character. From here Col. Wheelock went on to discuss our unique and sacred God given priveledge to not only shape young peoples minds but their hopes and dreams as well.

This made me think of something one of my precious students asked me in class earlier this week- "Ms. Amanda, did your mommy show you how to be a teacher?" to which i responded "No she didn't teach me how to be a Teacher, but she did teach me how to be a good person, she showed me how to be kind to others and do what is right." I have since been thinking about this simple question and i'd like to resubmit my answer; yes my mother has shown me how to be everything that i am. She's the reason i am hardworking. As a matter of fact most any of my good qualities can be attributed to her and the way i witnessed her living her life. See it's important to remember that shaping a child's character is not entirely based on what you tell them and teach them, where they really learn is through the actions they see. My mother disciplened me because she loved me and she always explained the reason why, she showed me the importance of loving others by going well out of her way to love them. I work hard because she works hard. Now that i'm grown up and i call my mother because i'm having a though time i know that i can get through it because she has been there herself and has triumphed.

Tonight has made me remember what a vital role we all play in the lives of those we encounter on a daily basis, be it young or old. My prayer is that you and I will be open to fill that role should God choose to bless us with such an opportunity.

~Amanda

this could be the beginning of a beautiful craftmanship...

"white wedding" hair clip $10









Rings $6-$10














button Earings $6 each


















"birds of a feather" headband $10

























"the betty" hairband $10

Whiskers on Kittens and Blue Satin Sashes...

I just wanted to take a few lines to express a few of my favorite things in 2009:

Day after Christmas sledding with my siblings

Becoming friends with Melissa Shumate (more like her allowing me to become friends with her) Coming home from a long stressful day at work to find that Nathan Roll had cleaned, mowed, vaccuumed, you name it.

The camping trip with Little Jim (and his spur of the moment chair purchasing) and eating fresh trout thanks To Christopher Carrero, not to mention mine and Kristin's late night bathroom run. ;)

Anna's Riverboat Regatta Birthday celebration and Matt Boydstun's top hat,

Running my first 5k in the memorial marathon

Johnna and Rachel expecting their first childMarch and April-

the lessons that God taught me and the friends that helped me during the demise of Little Bobby G. (see picture below)

special thanks to- Matt Boydstun, Brent Parr, Matthew Sattre, Megan Parr, Allison reed, Christopher Carrero, amber Hearn, vicki, Jenna Pekrul, jon treat, and Kate Conklin for everything they did from staying with me, giving me rides, helping me move, giving me money, prayers and support, to actually retrieving my car and fixing it.

Chris Carrero wearing the apron

saran wrap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! comes in handy when you have sun poisoning.

visitin casey and her pashmina? in texas

fishing with my dad and catching nothing.

Regina's art debut

watching the meteor shower with byron

all my talks with Barbie.

Sunday nights in the summer swimming, volleyball, and orange tree.

Angelyn moving back from China

Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long blog

Gina(koriann) and Gina's (amanda's) day of fun

the movie - the tiger in the snow

the soundtrack from - (500) days of summer

seeing Alex become a hugger!

moving into the Casa De LAAC and the wonderfulness of my roommates and our differences that makes it fun to live here.

my mom's 50th birthday party. especially giving her the welcome mat.

and most importantly the music video from Michael Buble's 'haven't met you yet'


... What a great time was had in the Land of Quartz Mountain. Such dangerous battles were waged without so much as a casuality (if you don't include the pig fetus) until the end. When upon leaving for home Little Bobby G a jelly bean of a mighty steed broke. Leaving 10 brave, valiant, and kind Retreaters stranded for 3 hours with NO TOW TRUCK ON THE WAY. ;)A big thanks to those ANGELS who stayed with me and helped mourn through the loss of such a beloved automobile.

25 Mucho Random Factoids about Me

1) i can fold my tongue into a clam shape

2) i watch too many sappy chick flicks obsessivly just hoping some one might take notice and meet me at the top of the Empire State Building on Valentines day, but on the way get caught in an elevator with a man who knows exactly what he wants and some woman who is going to have her eyes lasered but is frustrated because she can't find her tic tacs. Causing us to never meet up, which leads him to write me a letter every day for a year declaring his undying love. all the while building our dream home with the blue shutters on the windows. When really we've met before at the University of Chicago we drove to New York together but He didn't think that men and women could be friends and i said that was a shame cause he was the only person i knew in New York. We would later run into each other and "all i could say was hello". Where he would go
on to explain that he had been painting to which i would respond if he could paint i could walk!

3.) my sister and i have a secret special laugh

4.) i think a day without song is a day wasted

5.) i like my feet

6.) if i could travel back in time i would go to a Journey concert at the peek of Steve Perry's career and ask him to marry me. mullet and all.

7.) i count down the days till Christmas and start listening to christmas music way to early in the year. like... july. my fav christmas song is "last Christmas" by WHam!

8.) i love to visit art museums

9.) i've positioned my bed just right that the sun light perfectly hits me in the face as i wake up. :) it's a glorious feeling.

10.) one day i'd like to have a husband and 10 children

11.) i miss playing sports, basketball and softball. so now i go to games just so i can feel like i'm being active. i also like to yell unintelligable things in a really angry voice.

12.) when i go home to visit my family away from the city, the first thing i do is look up at the stars. i close my eyes and take a really deep breath as if i could suck them all in. it's fun you should try it some time.

13.) in middle school i used to have sleepovers every weekend on my trampoline

14.) one of my fav lunches is a peanut butter jelly sandwich with BBQ chips and a glass of chocolte milk. all together. yum!

15.) i have a hard time saying the words : tranquilizer, cinnamon, and sorry.16.) during big moments in my life i hear the Theme song to the Mary Tyler Moore show playing in my head. then when no one is looking i toss my invisible hat up in the air!17.) out of all the books i own i've read 1/2 of them and have only read 1/2 of the other 1/2. it's a pattern in my life. starting things and never finishing. :)

18.) i love Chess (and monopoly) but can never find anyone to play it with.

19.) i like to stretch in the mornings while i brush my teeth.

20.) i have a secret desire to write a book or own my own small buisness

21.) i've recently started collecting sock monkies and vinal records.

22.) i've sung on television 3 times. (once on Good Morning America)

23.) Cantaloupe is my favorite fruit

24.) i've jumped in a freezing mountian stream in Ireland against my better judgement and lived to tell the tale.

25.) whenever possible i drive with my windows down, no matter how cold

Don't Rock the Boat, Don't Tip the Boat over

just re-applied to the University of Central Oklahoma!!! i really want to finish my degree. i feel like this past year out of school has been well spent..despite it's apperance. i've experienced a bunch and i now know that earning my Speech Pathology degree is one thing i want. Please keep me in your prayers. THaNks! :)

Everyday

Everyday when I go home I pause on the doorstep to my building and I closely examine the two huge flower pots on either side of the door. The pot on the right is full of different kinds of flowers with vibrant colors. Sadly, the flower pot on the left side of the door is just dirt. It’s not pretty and if it wasn’t for the sense of balance that it provides to the aesthetics of the building it would otherwise be worthless. At one time the pot of dirt was also overflowing with flowers but now it’s empty; I know why and it’s my fault. I clumsily knocked it over in a rush to get where I wanted to go. I tried to scoop what was left of the dirt and the flowers back into the pot, but they died and for many months nothing has grown back. After plenty of time, rain, and sunshine I noticed a green sprout shooting up through the dirt! I was so excited. Now everyday when I get home I anxiously approach the pot to see how the little seed is growing. I’m rooting for it, because deep down I AM the pot on the left. Be careful what you invest your heart in, I am thankful that God can restore any situation despite our failures and persistence to have things our way because we THINK we know what is best.

I wish I may I wish I might

After much consideration I have compiled my 2008 Christmas Wish List. *items stated within this document are eligible to be received prior to the actual Christmas holiday.
1. World Peace.!!
2. Tickets to NBA Thunder Game
3. a bubble pipe
4. strong hair like on those hair commercials where she breaks a bar in half with her hair.
5. a hat with ear flaps directly from Minnesota
6. a mold to make mini jello cats
7. all my dear friends to be in one place with me at the same time
8. a t-shirt that reads “david’s mom”
9. to know all the lyrics to every Beatles song.
10. breakfast in bed
11. a group of carolers to follow me around
12. guitar lessons
13. monopoly and friends willing to play it with me (dibs on the iron)
14. jedi mind powers with or without light saber.
15. a lifetime supply of V8 Splash Mango Juice.. yummers
16. dinner at Casablanca’s in OKC.
17. 1 min. just 1 min. (wink wink)
18. hot chocolate and ice skating at the outdoor rink in downtown OKC
19. the perfect snowman weather
20. a MaGooglie sighting
21. I wanna laugh so hard that my stomach hurts
22. an entire day to wander about the museum
23. fruit basket angel
24. an autographed picture of Asian Perry
25. a sweet mixed tape. Made with love.

I'm gonna make it mine

Driving home for a visit with my family always give me the opportunity to take a break from my own life and reconnect with.... well.. myself. it's selfishly my favorite part of my trip. i get to tune it turn off and enjoy the ride. i have the chance to ponder life's truly important questions such as: Does Kid Rock really sell his music and if so who buys it? Why are 'up with trees' signs made of wood? perhaps the most perplexing of all life's questions - are hooter's wings really THAT good? I did however learn a few things this weekend that i thought i'd share with you:

1- it is important to pay attention while doing laundry otherwise you will end up with pink EVERYTHING! I hate pink. hate it.

2- I've watched enough UFC and MMA fighting this weekend i now know how to properly apply the 'arm bar' and could if i was provoked.
3- guitar hero + Aerosmith= lamesauce
4- upon recently having your heart broken it is unwise to listen to Delilah's radio show. Because even if you normally approve of her catchy 'slow down and love someone' slogan you will find yourself wanting to do the exact opposite if only to spite her and the entire concept of Love itself. 5- ....farm livin' is the life for me land spread'n out so far and wide. it is truly a blessing to be able to see the stars at night.
6- i learned what "king tut'ing" it means and i almost king tut'd on myself when i found out. (thanks Sammi)
7- While pulling over on the side of the road to pick flowers be sure to check for snakes BEFORE stepping in the tall grass. thankfully snakes ARE more afraid of you then you are of them. which is good because i was almost at that 'peeing my pants' level of fright.
8- Smiling is my favorite... well sunshine too.. and trees. okay all are favorites. with all these new revelations i feel like it was a well spent weekend even though i don't think i'll ever get over #1... too traumatizing. On a side note let me just say this is truly the best year of my life!! i can't wait to see what the next three months have in store!!

Biscuit Explosion or Doughy jellyfish from outerspace

Lately i've been listening to a lot of John Denver. Mostly his live album and more specifically side C of the record. Did you even know that there is a sequel to "Annie's Song"? Me either... But I love it... Nay I NEED to listen to it on a daily basis now. It’s really reflective of where I am in my life right now in so many ways especially my relationship with God.*see lyrics at bottom-o-pageWith school starting and work really weighing on me i've allowed my spirit to become crushed. I've felt more like a zombie version of myself the last week or two... I deplore zombies. I look at my close friends and they too seem miserable in different aspects of their lives whether it's work, relationship problems (lack thereof), or facing the difficulty of being isolated in a distant place. Oh, how I hate it more than a mob full of zombies and their brain-eating ways. Stress sucks me in so fast that it's not until much later I realize that i've been bit and am walking around an empty hollow shell of my former self without concern for anyone else's life or problems. I've become so caught up in my search for brains (hang with me we're sticking to the zombie reference if it kills me.. ) that i've drug others down with me to the undead level; When I should be encouraging them in them in their time of need. Where did I go wrong? At what point in the last two weeks did I stumble into the Thriller video? I feel a flashback dance sequence coming on…. But that is for a later time. I think the root of the problem is that I’m not spending much time in The Word. I’ve sacrificed my quiet time for additional (definitely much needed) sleep. So I’m attempting to correct that now. Also, since classes have started I have no longer been able to attend my connection group. :( and I miss that candid interaction about God, His word, and most importantly how He is actively working in everyone’s lives. I feel isolated now. I’m so busy at work I don’t have time (in my mind) to interact with co-workers because I’ll get even more behind then I already am. Starting school again has really made me think. Why in the world am I back at school? The answer is simple- years from now I want to be able to say I accomplished something. I have discovered a disturbing pattern within my self that I hope to correct. I never complete things I find to be challenging, difficult, or hard work. It’s always been easier for me to give up.Piano, gymnastics, karate, dance- I did not want to practice. College- I was expected to do work and attend class (boring) Relationships- involve work and patience. With all of these things I have lacked the discipline to be successful.I’ve been in class for two weeks and on my first day I actually thought to myself “I’m going to get up and walk out” right in the middle of class. I was sick today didn’t go into work but I had my Tuesday night class. I had to make myself get up and drive to Edmond and even when I was within 15 feet of the Business building I stopped and considered going home. Why? Why do I do this to myself? Could it possibly be some sick subconscious form sabotage? It has to be. What if a relationship actually worked out? What if I graduated (I’m the first one in my family to even attend a college) college? With all this said I want you to know I’m scared. Absolutely terrified; I know what I want now and I’m setting goals that, Lord willing, I will meet. Please pray for me that God in His unlimited wisdom will strengthen me and steer me in the right direction. Annie's other song ----->(no really that's the title)"I'm bringing me home to you, that's all that I have to give,my life, my love, my everything, it's you I choose to be with.Had a wonderful time in the city, I smile when I recall.The space, the songs, the company, I really had a ball.It's a funny set of circumstances, sends me out on the road alone.With the moon looking over my shoulder, I'm finding my way back home.I'm bringing me home to you, that's all that I have to give.My life, my love, my everything, it's you I choose to be with.Riding high in the Rocky Mountains, they're quiet and peaceful times.I'd swear the stars are smiling like they know what's on my mind.You see, on any such an occasion, my thoughts will turn to you.The time I spend all by myself I mostly spend with you.I'm bringing me home to you, that's all that I have to give.My life, my love, my everything, it's you I choose to be with.When I lay down beside you, all the love that you show.I wanna live my life with you, it's all the dreams that I know.I'm bringing me home to you, that's all that I have to give.My life, my love, my everything, it's you I choose to be with,it's you I choose to be with, it's you I choose to be with, it's you I choose to be with."~~~Amanda

The Hamburger to my Helper

I love that we as humans are designed to be dependent on one another (to an extent). Whether we want to admit it or not, somewhere inside us, we are drawn to look to someone other than ourselves for strength, reassurance, comfort, affirmation, advice, and joy. It is clear to see this need that we have for others is just a smaller version of the need we have for God and His presence in our lives. I was walking in the mall (not a place that I typically go) and I saw a couple that caught my eye. They had to be in their mid to late fifties walking arm in arm. The woman reaches over and squeezed her husband butt! I about fell down in the middle of the store. I know that might creep a few of you out but it put a smile on my face for the rest of the day. The week before I saw an elderly couple; the man was helping his wife walk, slowly... …………….very slowly. He remained unwearied and allowed her to lean into his embrace so that she would be strong enough to make it to the car. It’s nice to know that you have someone to turn to whether it’s someone standing beside you to help you walk, encouraging comments or actions, or someone just simply being there during your hour of need. My grandmother passed away this weekend and I was in desperate need of christian comfort. Just knowing I had friends praying for my family and I was encouraging enough but I had a friend show up at the funeral and it melted my heart. Most of us don’t know what to do in situations where someone is troubled (myself included). We all have roles to fill and loving people is about doing what you can for them. So I wanted to thank each of you for the role you play in my life and most importantly my spiritual walk. Know that you encourage me on a daily basis. I find when I set my relationship with God aside I crave filling it with other things - mainly other relationships. Yet it is when my relationship with God is the strongest that I can truly be blessed by or be satisfied with the relationships that I have. This past month God has truly blessed me by enhancing old relationships and strengthening new ones.

A Spoonfull of Sweet-N-Low

April 10th, 2008

47% recycled blog:i stood there hoping the wind would pick up and i would be carried away over Oklahoma City on my old black umbrella with the red dragon handle, but the light flashed WALK and i begrudgingly crossed the street. No conversations with animated clouds or close encounters with birds. hello reality. Instead of being at work I wish it would rain all day long and that i could build a fort out of sheets in my living room and read for hours and hours by the glow of a flashlight pretending that my faux fireplace is bursting with precious flames.When i was in 4th grade i had a boy haircut. wait.. i looked like a boy and the haircut didn't help. For mother's day our teacher had us make profile portraits using black paper and an overhead projector (oh those were the days). Anyway... i forgot to put my name on mine as did another boy classmate and since our teacher could not tell the difference she made me and the other student leave the room while the class voted. The profile's were so similiar that not even our teacher could tell them apart (i'm telling you the haircut was bad). Had the project had more visible characteristics it would have been clear who I was. 14 years later i feel as if i'm reliving my 4th grade mother's day project all over again, except this time i don't have a hideous boy haircut (or my favorite gray racoons in the forest shirt, you know the one.. with the stripes) or black butcher paper. I feel I am caught in this awkward transition period of "adulthood" if you will. I know who I am but i don't feel like other can see it. haha or maybe they do see and they wish that they hadn't. OR maybe all my ramblings have screwed up what had the potential of being a decent metaphor (MET-A-FUR, for those of you who know randy) when the truth is i don't think anyone gets me for me.

The Power of Past Tense

i wish it would rain all day long and that i could build a fort out of sheets in my living room and read for hours and hours. i can’t think of a better way to spend my time. ;-) i have a pair of black flip flops that i just can’t give up. They’re wearing out but i’ve made such great memories in them i don’t want to throw them away. They’ve been to the mountains in ireland. I’ve got white paint splatters on them from working at Childhaven in Alabama. i’ve danced in the rain on Virginia Beach and nearly lost them in the wind. they’ve been to Wal-mart more times than i can count. sigh... but all good things must come to an end. So if i do retire them i shall place them in a proper spot- the Shoe Tree on Rt. 66. where every good sole is layed to rest. two very exciting tid-bits----> i’m leaving for Minnesota this Friday! and ... i re-enrolled at UCO, so i’ll be taking classes full time in the fall!!

Memories are like moonbeams- we do with them what we like

I love memories. i love unintentional memories the most. It's never the obvious that remind me of the things i miss deeply. It's not the sweatshirt that i wear at least once a week that reminds me of things that might have turned out differently but the Olive Garden and the Simpsons.Why is it that after a relationship is over the craziest things can trigger your memory.. for instance i can no longer look at Spinach the same. it use to be gross but now it looks kind of sad and under appreciated. Or the fact that a specific laundry detergent nearly brings tears to my eyes. it's true. lol. when i'm driving down a long highway and the stars are out it reminds me of sitting in the back seat of whatever crappy car my dad was driving at the time. Sammi and i would be in the back exhausted from a softball game or a trip to grandmas and i'd press my face to the window and lean as far as i could to see the stars. This continued the entire way home or until i fell asleep which ever happened first. I would look at those bright shining lights and just dream. all sorts of things... but mostly about aliens.In the spring time my mom would open the doors and all the windows in the house then she would put her Michael Bolton or Robert Palmer album in and clean the house with pinesol, my personal favorite, making the house smell as sunshiny fresh as it was outside. I remember the day i got my braces off. not neccessarily because i'd worn them for almost 4 years but because i was trying to impress somebody and ended up having a horrible (by horrible i mean... it was hilarious after the fact) go-cart accident.. suddenly getting my braces off that day didn't seem like such a big accomplishment in light of the fact that i racked myself so bad i could barely walk. lol. It's not the diamond ring that makes me remember my first serious relationship but rather john wayne card board cut-outs and hamburger helper. and looking at the clock reminds me that i've been here for 11 hours...that one was an obvious correlation. i'm out!Amanda

Confetti Confessions

well well well The new year has begun and i have made a ton of "secret" resolutions. i don't want to tell anyone i just want to work hard and have someone take notice of the difference. so be on the look out. This year is going to be big,really big! Things are going to happen and i'm looking forward to 2008. i'm actually interested in politics.. republican politics that is. I'm reading a really great book despite it being on Oprah's book club list.. make me gag, Oprah not the book, It's called "Breath, Eyes, Memory" by Edwidge Danticat. I would like to start painting, thanks be to my muse the Reginald. I would also like to have a robot cat. well.. i'd like a real cat but i can't have one in my building so a robot cat would be the next best thing. i don't have to worry about forgetting to feed it. I've nixed video games (except my janky japanese version of dance dance) and i'm going to boycott toilet paper..jk. that just wouldn't end pretty.

Claim to Fame

hahaha so i always make fun of people on the news and i think they always pick the most stupid people to interview. we'll i've now joined that club.30 min. ago while typing away at my desk, my boss says people are filming down stairs. so what do Cristin, Shea, and I do??? that's right run down stairs as fast as we can! In the parking lot we see a camera crew and a really tall handsome cowboy, but we can't see exactly who it is. So we're standing inside the building; Cristin with her face pressed to the glass, Shea with the classic "hand sheilding her eyes" glance, and me jumping up and down to get a better view. While debating who he could be we notice he is walking toward us. no....strutting towards us. he gets closer. "he's not coming over here?" "no, he's not coming over here." oh crap.... "he's coming over here!" where are we going to go? it's obvious that we've been staring at him for a good 5 minutes AND we're standing behind the glass doors with no where to go. He is still walking towards us.... closer closer He waves us out. so we walk out and it's BLAKE SHELTON!!!! he greats us; tells us all how pretty we look and how he saw us from across the parking lot. (what a charmer... with photoshop eyes, so blue) As i reach for his hand i notice his fly is undone.... what do i do? do i tell him? nah... "i'm Amanda, you're fly is unzipped" sounds a little to friendly so i just went with "i'm Amanda". He was shooting for NBC's show Clash of the Choirs. Cristin and i sang two christmas carols with him. And although he was extremely handsome when he started carressing my face i felt uber uncomfortable. But it was nice to hear him sing.Shea ran inside to get Jennifer and she came out and sang a solo. Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy ... and the three of us served as background dancers. lol It was fun we talked a little bit longer then signed release forms. Went back up stairs and were very unproductive for the next 20 minutes. After making fun of his flying being down and talking about how "i wish i had/hadn't" or losing jewelry in clevage areas... someone runs by and says that we need to go downstairs to the canal. Where at least 10 AAI co-workers and other various celeb wannabe's jumped in the canal boat and sang along with Blake Shelton to the tune of Jingle Bells all while camera's rolled. The Show airs Dec. 17,18, & 19!!! on NBC (channel 4 in the Oklahoma City area) http://www.nbc.com/Clash_of_the_Choirs/ so check us out. there is no telling what will be cut out or aired and you know how i just ramble when i get nervous! hahahahahai almost broke out the Robot dance... but had a moment of clarity. Thank the good Lord! i took a few pictures with my phone so maybe i'll get to post those soon.and to think i got paid for my 15 minutes of fame.**** let me clarify i'm not part of the Choir, i just sang a few songs with him, but on tv none the less****

My Heart knows me better than i know myself, so i'm going to let it do all the talking

This weekend I had the chance to visit with an old friend, who over the years I've been really close with, and he said something that I thought at the time I knew the answer to but it wasn't until today that I truly discovered its meaning.He said that he had spent the last few years finding out who he is. We talked about ways we had both changed over the years. It was good to catch up and re-kindle a friendship from the past.I've had a whirlwind of a week, but today as I was driving to work- it hit me. I finally felt happy with myself. For the first time in my life I felt like I was in the right spot and on the right track. haha it was "like lightning struck my brian". I almost always carry around a small amount of uncertainty about the choices I've made whether it's school, work, or relationships, but NOT TODAY.I can see where God has placed me and I'm starting to get a glimpse of why. Life changes and I'm going to make mistakes but its okay because nothing is permanent. Love DOES conquer all (thanks Ashley & Regina).This week was my wake up call. Putting yourself out there is one of the scariest places to be and rejection is a big obstacle for me. But I've lived through it, not that it doesn't hurt (tremendously). Try- for heavens sake I beg you. Take a chance, do something you've always wanted to do. For me I feel that I've been called to get involved in my community. For you it may be as simple as letting people into your life: a friend, family member, or stranger. All I know is that I've wasted too much time being selfish. So get involved- love, forgive, grow, live, & most importantly RISK!

In the Meadow we Can Build a Snowman

There are certain things that I have believed to be truths well at least until recently...· A flashing "walk" sign grants you unwavering immunity from any harm that could come while crossing the street· No flag should/or could be raised higher than that of the American flag· Hot chocolate is better with those little marshmallows in itBut I have recently discovered that these said truths don't hold up. Despite my idea of the world being lollipops and gum drops there are bad drivers out there who at times try to run red lights. We also know, as shocking and sad as it is that Texas feels that they have some right to fly their flag higher than that of the one that signifies the unity of our country. And although we love those tiny marshmallows that come in the hot cocoa mix it's only a matter of seconds before they dissolve and you hardly notice that they were there in the first place.**But having good friends never changes. I'm so thankful for the friends I have in my life, old and new. I'm glad that I have friends who will gather around the glow of the jack-o-lantern in my tiny house and listen to Christmas music.Sweet tangerines to all and to all a good night!