Pride and Joy

At my job, we have a meeting every morning where we all gather in the main office and say one good thing that happened the day before or that morning. We also have volunteers that join us. For the past couple of weeks, I’ve had one of the volunteers working with me in my office. It’s been hilarious and we’ve exchanged banter about our hometowns—she’s from New Mexico, I’m from Texas. In fact, she calls me “Texas.” It’s quite humorous actually. Yesterday I wore my UT shirt to work.

She kept making jokes about the hideousness of the shirt and it was so funny seeing her make faces when she saw the shirt. Well today in our morning meeting, she said that after seeing my shirt yesterday, she decided to “fix” the shirt and wear it in my honor:

It was hilarious! I wasn’t completely offended, but it definitely fueled my feisty fun side! So in further creative retaliation, here’s what I’m doing:

I printed out 2 pages worth of these suckers and right now I’m coloring them and I’m going to put her name in the center of each of them and stick them up in random places where I know she’ll be. I’m also going to decorate her mailbox in the office with some fun UT paraphernalia. I’ve also downloaded the UT Fight Song and Deep In The Heart Of Texas to play really loud from my computer speakers every time she walks into my office.

The funny thing is, there’s another volunteer here from Texas who has agreed to team up with me in the shenanigans and at first she asked, “What is the symbol for New Mexico?” and I was like, “I dunno. I never knew they had one.” Then we both cracked up because we realized neither of us really gave enough thought about New Mexico to know more than the fact that it was a state. But man oh man, these office shenanigans are gonna be hilarious!

Just Watch The Fireworks

So I’m almost completely done editing the HUNDREDS of photos I took on my vacation! There’s one collection I’m not going to upload to Facebook, simply because they don’t really have a home there. I’d get like 1,000 pity comments like “oooh” and “ahhh” and “nice fireworks” and like 2,000 Likes simply because there really is no response to fireworks pictures that aren’t just awkward. So I’m just gonna leave them here for people to come back and look at and hopefully be taken back to their own Fourth of July memories.

Maybe it involved a picnic.

Maybe it involved sitting on a blanket with someone special.

Maybe someone you know fell asleep during the fireworks show.

Maybe you set off your own and someone got severely hurt and had to be rushed to the ER and you had to try to keep calm as your mom got in the nurse’s face and demanded you be treated immediately only to go home diagnosed with minor burns from a bottle rocket, which made the car ride home extremely awkward and then you had to work for the next month doing odd jobs to help cover the hospital bill cause you swore to everyone it was so bad you were going to die . . .

Whatever your memory, here’s to remembering the wonder of fireworks:

Against The Grain

I’m posting this here because I’m pretty sure I may be held responsible
for your CPR awareness at some point . . .

I have become more and more aware of the fact that crazy funny weird things happen to me often. For instance, I walked outside earlier to move the vehicle I’m borrowing out of the 2 hour parking spot I was in (which is what happens when you work in Lower Queen Anne) so that I wouldn’t get a ticket from Parking Enforcement.* And as I walked outside, the telephone company service man that had just gotten out of his vehicle, said HELLO to me to get my attention and then asked where the main office was. It was a strong HELLO and it caught me off guard just as I was swallowing a chip. Because I was startled, I proceeded to choke on the chip. So I yelped a HELLO back to the guy as he rushed over to make sure I was okay. I kept coughing as I gave him instructions on how to get to the main office, since I was coming out of a back door. Thankfully I was okay, but I gotta be honest, my initial reaction was NOT to grab my throat to let the guy know there was a problem like the well-known poster suggests. I’m pretty sure he got the hint though. 😉

Moral of the story: Those CPR classes I took didn’t come in handy after all. I’m just too forgetful for them to be effective for me. If you see me coughing and staring up in the air, that’s MY universal sign for choking.

*They are my arch-nemesis in the driving world.

Waiting For Superman

I think about where I am now in my life and the quality education I received that propelled me to it. I feel that from elementary schools to colleges and technical schools, the quality is just declining. I know it sounds a bit out of place, coming from someone who never actually attended college—but I’ve heard real stories about real students at real schools. The fact of the matter is that our society as a whole is encroaching upon a full-blown standard of entitlement. Children expect to have the newest technology and hottest fashion gear. They are turning to expensive gadgets and botox and YouTube fame to define themselves. Young adults expect the working world to hire them based on their “cool factor” as opposed to legitimate knowledge and experience. Having worked at a school where academics were touted as being valued, meanwhile a quality education for them to even be able to write complete paragraphs was absent, caused me to challenge myself as an educator. And older adults expect those younger than them to stop advancing and growing. They want to continue to be respected as being wiser and more-experienced, meanwhile refusing to learn new ways of doing things.

I know it will sound silly to you that I say this (or maybe it won’t), but I think about the education system often. Mainly because I think of my niece every day. She is currently growing up in an area of the city where education is not valued as much as a quick dollar is. Most children who attend Vanessa’s school, will not graduate. The streets, the culture, and the apathy invading her neighborhood will give her a slim-to-none chance to graduate high school much less pursue a successful career. And if those factors weren’t enough, the logistics of the school systems are the big kicker. Schools are financed in part by the taxes of the area the school is in, which means that lower income areas (which hers is), pay less in taxes, so their schools get less money. That means less resources and underfunded staff, which results in a devil-may-care attitude school-wide. I do, however, have hope for her and for the kids in her school to push past the stigmas of society and the cycle of living in a low-income area, to actually succeed. I know it’s possible.

I grew up in an apartment near the Rundberg area of Austin. Most called it “The Burg.” The Rundberg area (and East Austin) had been known by the city as a high-crime sector with a high-dropout-rate when I was younger. Growing up, our apartment complex looked great on the inside. It had some semblance of a backyard (which was actually just a high-fenced porch) for each apartment and there was a pool for the kids in the apartment—although most of the time we were at the pool, we were admiring all the tattoos that the neighborhood kids were giving each other with burnt needles and ink. Most of my evenings were spent on our back porch with my brother and his friends who would experiment with drugs and pyromania. Our neighbors were dealers, porn distributors, and working girls. Most people will ask me why I don’t like guns, and the truth is, “right and wrong gun shots sound the same.” Our neighborhood was constantly patrolled by cop cars and it wasn’t out of the ordinary to have neighbor kids come over because their parents weren’t home—my sibs and I grew up latch-key kids ourselves. I’m not saying that if that happens, kids will be messed up—the rest of the story gets better.

We were lucky enough to be able to use an alternate address to get into the zones of better schools. I got to attend some really great schools. When I was a kid I went to Brentwood Elementary and I was given a QUALITY education. My teachers taught me to treasure music, arts, and the written word. I fought to have my recess time be spent completely in the library learning about the Underground Railroad, and the Titanic, and the Holocaust. I loved every minute of class time because I was learning, I was imagining more and more things, I was able to approach my teachers if I had a question and I knew they’d be ready to answer with a gracious tone. I LOVED being a Brentwood Bulldog!

When it came time to decide on what middle school to go to, I was given the option. I could either go to Burnet Middle School or Lamar Middle School. I had been to Burnet Middle School before for one of my brother’s basketball games and knew that it was going to be one of my options in the future. It was shortly after the time that the Yogurt Shop murders happened. During his game, I took a walk around the school area and I remember seeing the memorial headstone structure for one of the victims in the courtyard. All I could think was, “Why would I want to go here?” So I didn’t. When it came time to choose, I chose to go to Lamar Middle School. While I was there, I participated in Pep Squad and took classes in Theater, Video Production, and Choir. These classes are a pretty major part of my education and who I am today.

The school that Lamar “fed” into was McCallum High School. I was once again given a choice by my mom to pick which school I wanted to go to—McCallum, or Lanier (which we lived 5 blocks away from). Again, when I was younger, Lanier did not have a good rep. It was known as a school for less fortunate students. Kids I knew that attended Lanier spent the majority of their time in gangs and working the streets to get extra money for food for their families. I chose to go to McCallum—partially because I’d known people who had gone there, also because both my parents had graduated from there, and because it was the Fine Arts Academy in the AISD system and I wanted to be a part of that (and I was)! I got to participate in Theater, Tech Theater, Songwriting, Colorguard, and Winterguard. I got to travel with our band to Disney World and Hawaii to march at Epcot, and to New York City to play Carnegie Hall. I got to experience the world on an entirely different level.

I realize that no matter what school you send your kids to (whether you homeschool or not), the effectiveness depends on your student’s resilience to the peer environment, their desire to learn, parent interaction, and the quality of education they are receiving. Most reading this have seen To Sir With Love, Dangerous Minds, Freedom Writers, or at the very least, Take The Lead, so you KNOW it’s possible for the “less fortunate” kids to have teachers in their life who DO make a difference. But after watching the trailer for the documentary Waiting For Superman and hearing stories from friends who are teachers, it leaves me distraught about our current education system but also renews the hope in me that a brighter future for kids is possible.

As I hear stories of Vanessa growing up, I can’t help but want the best for her. I realize that having her live through my same experiences may not be the best thing for her, but the opportunity for her to challenge her mind and to grow in her talents is. As a supporter of quality education and as a believer that there are still ways that we can get involved in joining with local schools to improve a child’s educational experience, I would encourage you to go see this movie. I rarely watch documentaries, but this is one I could not avoid if someone held me at gunpoint . . . okay well maybe that’s a bit extreme, but I’m definitely going to see it!

For more information on Waiting For Superman and the Take Action campaign and how you can help locally, check out: http://www.waitingforsuperman.com/

http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f8/1600178470

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We Were Made For Each Other / You Can Breathe (Vacation Recap)

A friend accepts us as we are yet helps us to be what we should.
– Anonymous

I would have never guessed how much my life would change when I made friends with this seemingly shy girl from Baltimore ten years ago. But after getting to spend 5 days together sharing laughs, memories, and new adventures as if we’d never skipped a beat, I consider myself one of the luckiest people on the planet. She has, in a pretty major way, helped me become the person I am today. She shoots straight with me and isn’t afraid to speak the truth in love to me while still being my biggest fan (next to my parents). She isn’t afraid to be silly and she has an attitude just as fiesty as mine! Being around her was a breath of fresh air as she encouraged me so much and just reminded me what it means to have a best friend.

The hardest part about the vacation was saying goodbye. The best part was deciding to make my trip back to the east coast for the 4th of July weekend an annual event! I’ve been blessed enough to weather the toughest storms and soar above them with a soul sister always at my beck and phone call/text message/email and I look forward to more worthwhile adventures with my bestie!

Here are some pics to conclude the trip journal:

Anytime I’m given anything with whip cream or frosting,
it’s pretty much just gonna end up on my face.
Sarah’s dad knows this, hence his “oh this is normal” pose.

Other things that are pretty normal:
Sarah joining in the fun!

When we were in NYC, Sarah bought us best friend keychains
(the Big Apple & the License Plate)
We’re equal parts cheesy and awesome! 😉

I bought us best friend “Fun Socks!”

A best friend never lets their friends forget to eat Chick-Fil-A

While we were there, Adam and Stacey White
(I was on staff at MCA when Stacey was a student)
joined us for lunch at CFA and it was SO great
to catch up and share some laughs.

Bonus Plus!
I got Sarah’s dad to let me take a pic of him
modeling a bra in the middle of Wal-Mart!
Who could refuse me such an honor? 😉

When I left for the trip initially, I started reading this book,
SUMMER AT TIFFANY, about two best friends who spend a summer together living in NYC and working at Tiffany’s. It was great to continue the story after having just spent some refreshing quality time with my best friend ever on the planet!

Sparks Fly (Vacation Recap)

We are the fearless duckbill platypus twins!

Okay I realize I only have 2 more days of vacation left to recap, and since I’m almost done with editing all the photos, it’s about time to get wit’ it. So the 4th of July was pretty awesome! It was a Sunday so I got to go to church with Sarah at Central Christian and hear Pastor Ron Surratt speak. I also got to see Ronnie, who Sarah and I had also gone to Master’s Commission with! It was so good to reconnect with him and hear about all the awesome things going on in his life. It’s funny that when I was in MCA I wasn’t really appreciative of Ronnie’s blunt honesty, but now I completely appreciate it.

Sarah, Ronnie, and me

After service, Sarah dropped me off at the Inner Harbor so I could meet up with Jenny. Jenny is a new friend of mine who is a fellow fan of Parachute (one of my FAVORITE bands) that I got to know through social networking. She runs PARACHUTEFAN.COM and I help her out as a site staff member with editing, helping with creative ideas, and general marketing ideas—although it should be known, she does THE MAJORITY of the work! I’m just honored to be part of it all!

parachutefan.com home page

I had mentioned before to Jenny on Twitter that I would be taking a trip to the east coast and we thought it’d be a great idea to meet up and talk about Parachutefan.com stuff for a while. Originally the plan was to meet for a couple of hours and just go over projects, but we ended up hanging out for about 9 hours down at the harbor. We had a blast walking around and talking Parachute & site stuff as well as stuff about ourselves. As you can see from the pictures below, we hit it off and had such a fun day!

I’m not a police man, I’m a princess!
A ballerina princess, that is 😉

Jenny the masterpiece

My friend Kelley won one of the CDs from a giveaway on Parachutefan.com—she won a copy of Parachute’s album which included a drawing and an autograph from the lead singer, Will Anderson! I love Kelley’s willingness to give what was rightfully hers and I am such a happy camper because of it!

We even got to beat the heat and go to the aquarium together! After checking out all the animals and cracking jokes in the shark section, we grabbed a seat outside and listened as a live band played cover songs outside the Hard Rock Cafe. We both agreed that we wished it was Parachute playing though.

After the show was over, we grabbed some dinner at Chipotle and talked and talked for even longer about the band, and how we as fans were so grateful for a down-to-earth group of guys that were dedicated to providing honest and quality music. As we were finishing, we couldn’t help but notice a crowd flocking to one side of the harbor and then we heard the fireworks going off. So we stuck around and sat to watch the fireworks as they went off on both sides of the harbor—it was a perfect evening and such a fun opportunity to meet a great new friend!

The only regret I had was not charging my phone, which caused mucho confusion and worry for Sarah who couldn’t get a hold of me—my phone was dead. When I finally got to her house she gave me a giant hug and told me how worried she was because she didn’t know where I was and how every worse case scenario was going through her mind that evening. I felt so small—hurting your best friend and causing them to worry is never fun. I realized that night that there was in fact, a downside to my “go with the flow” spontaneity. But then we spent some time holding each other, and she kept saying how glad she was that I was safe. Even in the midst of my mistake, I was assured that I was truly loved by people that matter. We got to talk about our afternoon and then we called it a night.

American Daydreams

As I look back through the recent offerings that Hollywood has released in theaters, I find myself wondering, “Can’t they come up with something more original?” I am aware that due to the economy and other fears and facets of the movie-making industry that the safe bet is to ride the 3-D wave while it’s here and to put out as many secure sequels as possible. I get it. But that doesn’t mean I have to like it. In fact, with the exception of Toy Story 3 (which I saw in 2D first), the 3D movies I’ve seen advertised just haven’t seemed to be worthwhile endeavors for me. But all in all, I was in search of something new, something original, something creative that was able to stand on its own without so many extra gimmicks and bells and whistles—and I think INCEPTION did that.

Last night I decided to go to the midnight showing of Inception. Mostly because I was entirely anxious to see it, having read plot lines and script reviews online. Also for the sheer fun of going to a midnight showing! So I drank some coffee to stay awake before I headed out, stuffed my Twizzlers into my bag and headed out the door to experience Inception on the IMAX screen.

I must admit that part of the fun of going to the movies is the things you overhear in line and in the theater. Last night, as I was waiting in line, there were 3 guys on my right hand side talking about their girlfriends and how they don’t really like them. One of the guys even said his girlfriend’s name was “Anna ‘Bail on James’ Murphy,” which made me turn my head and chuckle quietly. The two guys on my left side were MUCH funner anyway. One of the guys had missed a call earlier that day and was trying to guess who it was. “It’s a 406 area code. I wonder if it’s ______. Or maybe it’s _____. Actually I bet it’s ______ cause he said he’d be in _____” So I put my eavesdroppery to good use and looked up the area code on my phone.

“What’s the area code?”

“Oh, it’s 406.”

“Ah. Okay. That’s Montana.”

“Montana! I knew it!”

After that, the guys both turned to me and began asking me what I was looking forward to in the movie. We all shared our relief that it wasn’t in 3D and laughed so hard at different movie jokes from other failed 3D flicks.

We eventually were let into the theater and got to experience the summer blockbuster hit of ingenious proportions. It was so action packed and I fell completely in sync with the characters. I was so engulfed in what was happening to the team on the screen, holding my breath and freaking out at tense scenes. At one point, I turned my head and (no lie) every single person in my row was on the edge of their seats looking up, wondering what was going to happen next. With every twist and turn of the movie, I found myself trying to guess what would happen next, how things were all intertwined, who was good, who was bad, who was going to live, and who was going to die. There were so many things I loved about the movie. The imagination that went into each scene and the score that backed it up kept my hopes up that the movie-making industry might actually be returning to a state of originality and pure character driven masterpieces. I’m still holding out hope.

The actors in the movie did such an amazing job portraying each of their characters and had so much great chemistry that the dialogue and expressions conveyed totally added to the entire package as well. It was refreshing to me that others could see Ellen Page in her true versatile acting form, as opposed to the stereotypical role of JUNO that most identify her with. Joseph Gordon-Levitt completely blew me away in his role and the entire supporting cast was just perfect! And it doesn’t really need to be said, but I’ll say it anyway—Leonardo DiCaprio DID not disappoint! The intensity he brings to each character is wonderful and after seeing him in this movie, it’s just a reassurance that he hasn’t lost his touch.

The action scenes were intense but not overdone. I think my favorite part about it was that Christopher Nolan didn’t feel that he NEEDED the movie to be made in 3D. It was complex, intriguing, and just a fun film to watch without extra bells and whistles. If I were to describe it, I would say it was a combination of The Dark Knight and The Prestige. Others have also mentioned that it exceeds the greatness of Memento—which is saying a lot.

I read this review earlier and it resonated with me:

He did not raise the bar. He took the bar and put it somewhere no one would ever, in their wildest dreams, think of finding it. . . .

Nolan’s exploration of the mysteries of the dream world is entrenched in truthful scientific research while offering a humanistic and philosophical take on how the dream is moved and how it can confuse or rearrange our individual realities. He also juggled multiple story lines, all supposedly progressing at different rates through time, without being the least bit confusing. . . .

But I think this Tumblr user pretty much hit the nail on the head when he said:

I will be INCREDIBLY surprised if the cast and crew of Inception doesn’t sweep every upcoming award show they’re nominated for! I highly recommend you go see this movie. It was worth every dollar I spent on it.

Even after the movie was over, the movie was not over. I got home, went straight to bed and (no lie) had an “Inception-style” dream. Leo DiCaprio was even in it and it was like I was still IN the movie. I felt like I woke up at least 20 times through the night, even though it was probably only 3—when my 1st alarm went off, when my 2nd alarm went off, and when my body finally woke up. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to fall right back asleep to see what would happen next.

Movie Trailer for Inception:

http://www.youtube.com/v/z75o-F6ja2I&hl=en_US&fs=1?rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1

VIDEO BLOG: Send In The Clowns (Vacation Recap)

Sarah, Honest Abe, & Me

Once upon a time, I wore a pair of snowflake pajama pants for 24 hours. True Story.

Saturday, July 3rd was my best friend Sarah’s birthday. It was ALSO the day of the Dundalk Heritage Parade. I woke up at 4:30 that morning to help prepare breakfast for Sarah’s family so that Ms. Shelley (her mom) could get some rest and recover from the hectic day before. I was MORE than happy to do it . . . my body on the other hand, demanded rest after breakfast was over.

I knew we were going to be watching the parade later that morning, so I went upstairs to download my photos from the day before. The funny thing is I don’t even remember falling asleep. Sarah’s friend Liz came to wake me up just 5 minutes before the parade, and as I was wiping the sleepies from my eyes, she asked me if I would do her a HUGE favor and put on the outfit she was holding and help her with curbside commentary to entertain Sarah’s dad during the parade. I was MORE than happy to oblige—I was barely awake, but still happy to oblige. I was under the assumption that I was going to be sitting by her dad making funny remarks. What ended up happening was that someone handed me a megaphone and told me to go out into the street and get the neighborhood excited about the parade and give some commentary.

I tried to get each commentator break on film, but was only able to get some. I’d like to think of that as an act of God. 😉

I can’t even begin to describe what supernatural force of energy overtook me, but it was POWERFUL. You guys, I HADN’T EVEN HAD COFFEE! I don’t even remember half of what I said, I was just going off the cuff the whole time. Neighbors asked if I would go on a comedy tour (no, I won’t), others asked if I was related to the Warners (only in heart & soul), others invited me back next year (for sure!). It was overwhelming and fun all at the same time. I think the best part was leading the entire neighborhood in singing HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my best friend!

Here is a video of the shenanigans:

http://www.youtube.com/v/9kUsz3ujhrY&hl=en_US&fs=1?rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1

And here are some photos from the day:

Liz and I -aka- Martha May and Connie Constantine

One of the Dundalk “Hons” marching in the parade
They’re called “Hons” because they always call ya “Hon”

I got to enjoy the parade with Beethoven

After the parade was over, I got to give Sarah my birthday gift to her: 2 skeins of her favorite yarn! I had sneakily purchased them in New York at Seaport Yarn, which was this little yarn shop she fell in LOVE with! It was tricky hiding it from her, but I managed to get away with it and she was SO excited to get her yarn! And she loved the birthday card I gave her, which was from Plain Jane’s Cards. And I got to sing the “Make New Friends But Keep The Old” song to her. It was the perfect day to celebrate my best friend!

Empire State Of Mind (Vacation Recap)

Sarah and I on the Brooklyn Bridge

You would think that by now I would own an I heart New York shirt, but I don’t. However, that doesn’t stop me from loving NYC! And if my love for the city wasn’t big enough, I got to make another visit to the city with my best friend on dare I say (of course I dare!) the most perfect day! Just look at this beautiful sky:

I know that it’s entirely stereotypical, but my all time favorite thing to see in the city is Times Square. It’s fast-paced flashy personality draws me in every time! We had the amazing opportunity to be joined by Sarah’s friend Liz on this embarkation, and Liz—being a native New Yorker from Manhattan—showed us all the local spots that aren’t usually covered on a Ride The Ducks tour. Having done the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, Broadway show thing before, it was a new adventure I could not pass up! We parked close to Times Square, which made the walk to the subway via the square a great welcome to the city for me!

Our first stop was for breakfast at The Doughnut Plant on Grand Street on the Lower East Side. They had so many unique doughnuts that I’d never even thought of before. They had a square one filled with peanut butter and jelly, a Tres Leches doughnut that was seriously the most delicious thing ever on the planet, and Creme Brulee doughnut so tasty it makes you feel like you’re at a swanky uptown restaurant. We each bought 2 doughnuts and split them four ways—a piece for each of us: Me, Liz, Sarah, and Sarah’s husband Randy. Even though we only had a little bit of each, it felt like a full meal deal. It’s a good thing we spent the day walking through the city.

Another one of my favorite things to do in the city is ride the subway. I can’t even begin to explain why I love it. Maybe it’s the convenience; maybe it’s the constant bustle of strange new personalities onboard; maybe it’s the fact that we randomly had a mariachi band play for our subway car and no one onboard looked fazed at all! Sarah and I could not help but smile at each other the entire time and others either continued to read their books, the newspaper, and Liz even slept through most of it.

About mid-day the troops were fading and despite my desire to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, I settled for ascending the stairs to the bridge walkway with Sarah and taking pictures of the BEAUTIFUL view!

While we were in Brooklyn, we stopped in Dewey’s Candy Shop, which Sarah Barkley had suggested to me. It was a wonderland! I wish they allowed pictures to be taken in the shop, but they didn’t. I was quite literally a kid in a candy shop! I was so excited to see that they carried my favorite chocolate bar—the Aero bar—so delicious! I walked away with a jar of my favorite sugar-free candies and licorice bites, which now sit on a shelf at work for random snacking.

For lunch, we got some New York Style pizza at a local joint near Ground Zero. My heart was overwhelmed with love, awe, and gratitude as I watched the Ground Zero workers enjoy their hard-earned lunches and it was fun watching the old men in the plaza play chess and checkers on such a gorgeous day.

We also got to take the S shuttle which took us to the Q line that took us over the bridge where we could see Lady Liberty in the distance. But the true beauty was the stained glass art at the S shuttle station. It was just stunning!

After a long adventurous day of sightseeing, I walked away with an even greater love for the city. The fact that I got to enjoy it with my best friend ever on the planet was just the cherry on top! I just wish we could visit NYC together more often! I already confirmed with the Warners that this trip to the East Coast over the 4th of July weekend is going to be an annual thing for me, and I’m thinking the day trip to NYC should be as well! Next year . . . CONEY ISLAND!

We Are Family (Vacation Recap)

Make new friends, but keep the old;
one is silver and the other is gold.

There is a song I learned in Girl Scouts called “Make New Friends (But Keep The Old)” that I got to sing to my friend Sarah on her birthday this past Saturday. It was hard to sing it without getting all choked up because she seriously has been one of the biggest pieces of my heart. We’ve been best friends for the past 10 years and have been through a lot together. We push each other to be better and we comfort each other in tough times. No matter what life has thrown at us, we have been constants for each other and our friendship just continues to get stronger and stronger.

I got to spend this last weekend in Baltimore with her and her family and it was such a refreshing time. We seriously are two peas in a pod. Over the next few posts, I’ll share some pictures from our adventures and some fun stories.

I flew out on the red-eye last Wednesday night in order to spend the MOST amount of time with Sarah and her family as I could. They are just another extension of my blood relatives. They make me laugh, make me feel valued, and teach me the power of love by the way they live their lives. When I got in to Baltimore, I was greeted with a giant tackle hug from Sarah!

When we got to her parent’s new townhouse around 6:45 a.m., I sat around in the living room with her family as we all enjoyed some delicious coffee and we caught up on all the latest that was going on in each of our lives. Then around mid-morning, the jet lag started taking effect and as much as I tried to fight it, I couldn’t. After my little nap, we decided to go grab some lunch at Don Pablo’s. The Warners also invited their friend Liz to meet us up for lunch because they really wanted us to meet each other. I can totally see why now—she’s AMAZING and such a wonderful new friend!

If you know me, you know that I’m silly and I enjoy being spontaneous and making others laugh. The great thing is, the Warners are the same way! Our lunch date was full of jokes and randomness. Here are just some of the shenanigans that went down:

Hoping this frog turns into Ben Affleck

Sarah’s Chip Face

Ms. Shelley’s Chip Face

We got to spend a fun day together just hanging out and catching up. And then they surprised me by throwing me a surprise Half Birthday Party! It was so clever and so much fun!

We spent the evening playing a fun new game called QUELF. It’s seriously the funnest, most random game I’ve ever played! All through the game you pick cards that correspond with the color block you land on and you have to do what the card says. One of the things I had to do was randomly pretend to be Frankenstein throughout the game. I couldn’t let others know what I was doing and I had to stay in character. It caught everyone off guard and made us laugh so hard through the night. There were times I seriously had to cover my eyes so I wouldn’t look at them because it would make me laugh and break character.

This is a picture from a part of the game where I had to find some random material in the room and make it into a tie to wear around my neck. I had to wear this trash bag tie the ENTIRE game! If I took it off, I had to go back 3 spaces. It was such a fun game night with my extended family!

I consider myself incredibly blessed to have a friend like Sarah and a family like the Warners. They are seriously pure gold in my life!