May Wrap-Up

Yes people - I realize that June is over, and I'm just now posting some stuff for May, but you'll have to forgive me. I'm going to go chronologically, so you'll have to deal with it. The plan for May wasn't anything big...just the Kenny Chesney concert, but it turned into so much more!

Here's the recap:

May 2nd - Kenny concert, Round 1

It was a great time, but about an hour before the concert started, the rain came. Then the rain kept coming, and coming, and coming. By about 9:00pm that night, it looked like this:

Kenny ultimately called the concert himself, and we went home completely drenched.

May 17th - Kenny Chesney, Round 2

So they were totally cool and came back for a make up concert, and the weather was totally perfect. We all had a great time, and got an extra long concert with better seats. It was worth every raindrop from the 2 weeks before.

(So this pic totally won't save the right size - frustrating!)

May 25th - Memorial Day Weekend

I went with the Turners to Arlington for a graduation / birthday weekend. Sherry's cousin Trevor graduated high school, and her Uncle David's birthday was actually on Memorial Day. What better time to crash a family reunion, right?!? They were all very kind and her Aunt Heather totally made me feel at home. The graduation party was on Sunday afternoon, followed by an exciting game of Dalmudy (we decided to quit when we finally beat Chad!), and then Monday was the ballgame. It was blistering hot, but a good way to break in the summer. Unfortunately, Aunt Heather's family members are from the north, and Yankees fans (UGH!!). Therefore, they loved the game and we hated it - the Yanks totally killed the Rangers.

So there you have it! Good times!

Margaritaville Monday

So Heaf and I went to the Jimmy Buffett concert this weekend with our "little brother" Glenn! :) I'm not going to post all of the pics, as I have them on FB, but thought I would share a few. We had a blast! As Glenn said, the only things missing were our dads. They are the ones who made us the Parrotheads that we are today. We are definitely the "Son(s) of a Son of a Sailor"!

The Tarbucket 2 Crew

Arkansas ladies who sat in front of us - such a small world!



Like I said, we had a great time.........

Easter Pops

I'm not going to do a long post on these for a couple of reasons: 1) Sherry is going to and 2) I'm planning to put my pics on Facebook. So, for now, just enjoy the end product of our labor! Good times making these.

Happy (belated) Easter!!

To Bake or Not to Bake?

Is there really a question? I have been in such a mood to bake lately! Doesn't sound like a bad thing, right? The problem is that I am generally limited to sharing with my sister, small group, and co-workers. Although I know they appreciate some goodies.....I also know it can get old after a while.

Let's be real: I am no Bakerella (pure genius there!) or Honeyed Hashette (love her creativity!), but do enjoy making yummy treats for people. I'm generally just a copycat - I see something simple, easy, and tasty, and I make it. Problem with that is that I get embarassed when people are nice enough to compliment me because I feel like such a fraud. I think "If they only knew how easy it was, they would never be impressed!" So that's my secret...no reason to think I'm all that fabulous.

Anyway, the recent baking frenzy started about a month or so ago, when I helped Sherry make some cakeballs for work. One of the flavors was a classic strawberry cake mix. Now, I am not a fan of that because I grew up eating my mom's version of strawberry cake, which is so yummy and uses real strawberrys. I'm sure she got it out of some old church lady cookbook (that's where most of the good stuff is, right?), and I've seen more versions of it in recent years. Nothing fancy, but still very yummy. So we started talking about the recipe, and I realized Sherry had never had it. Seeing as she loves baking as much as I do, I told her she would have to try it sometime. That's how it all began.......

Sherry and I then went to Frankston (her hometown) one weekend, and we had a bakefest. I made the strawberry cake, and she made some chocolate mint bars that she had seen in a magazine (they were like Andes mints with a brownie bottom). It was all fabulous, and I will admit to eating WAY more than I should have that weekend!

Then last week, I got the urge to make strawberry cupcakes. I know- I had just made the cake like 3 days before. But - strawberry cake in March has been a tradition in recent years, and I guess the brain just couldn't let it go. I ended up taking cupcakes to Heaf's house AND work....I didn't think I'd be able to get rid of them all.

Doesn't sound too bad right? Just a couple of cakes........except that it doesn't end there! I'm still dying to make the choco-mint bars myself, plus some other recipes I've seen that include: peanut butter cheesecake brownies, a lemon-strawberry cheesecake, March Madness cakeballs, and something that will utilize the plethora of Thin Mint cookies I ended up with (even though I only ordered 1 box!). Still trying to figure out exactly what I'll do with those, but have a few ideas rumbling around in the brain. Who knows when it will ever end?????

All this to say: if you've got a bake sale coming up, I'm your girl. If you want to taste test some yummy goodies, I'm your girl. If you just want to let me indulge my baking frenzy, and help me dispose of the creations, let me know.

SPI 2009

Don't you wish you were there? Well, this past week, I was. Sherry and I got out of town and hit the beach of South Padre Island for a few days! It was so nice to get away from the "real world" and have a break for a bit. The water was pretty, sand was soft, and the breeze just right.

Well, there was pretty heavy wind for a day or two before the sun came out, and then we both got burned, but who wants to hear about that?? Overall, it was a nice, relaxing trip, and I loved it. We hung out, read by the water, and laid out on the beach. Not too bad.

Sherry and I probably learned more about each other that we ever wanted to know, but we're still friends! So, I figure that's a good sign. :)

Tagged on Facebook

So like everyone on Facebook is doing this "25 Random Things...", and so I thought I'd post it here for my 2 friends (uhhh - Turners!) that don't do Facebook. Here you go:

1. My sister Heaf is my #1 person in life. We are totally opposite, but can't live without each other. We come as a set, so if you don't like it-tough!
2. My friend Sherry is my BFF! It took me almost 30 years to find her, but she's been such a blessing.
3. I LOVE my small group at church. They are my extended family and support system - amazing.
4. Diet Coke is my addiction. I don't do coffee....I do Diet Coke. Deal with it.
5. I'm NOT a morning person. It's somewhat of a joke with my friends and family - but not really. I don't really wake up until about 10am, and if you talk to me before 9am, you're taking your chances. Consider yourself warned.
6. I love sports: football, basketball, volleyball, baseball, tennis, X-games, etc. Good times. Not really a hockey fan, but I grew up in Texas,l not Canada, and it didn't get here until high school. Didn't have much of a chance with me.
7. Volleyball is my favorite sport. I'm not the greatest, but love to play and get to do it with my friends.
8. I am very hot-natured, and love my air-conditioning. If you come to my house, know that it will always be somewhere between 68 and 72 degrees (usually not above 70). Dress accordingly.
9. Reading is one of my favorite things. I am one of those people who doesn't like to put a book down once I start reading. I have stayed up many nights in my life until 2 or 3 am just to finish a good book.
10. So I didn't intentionally forget my parents earlier. They are the most fabulous people on earth, and I love them in ways I can't describe. They are my foundation, and I'm grateful for it.
11. Jake and Ella are my favorite kids EVER! I never thought I'd live to see the day when a child would be able to tell my mom and dad what to do...but Ella does it ALL THE TIME!! How does she get away with it, and Heaf and I always got in trouble?
12. I love the ocean. There is nothing like listening to the "tide break" to get relaxed. Even better if you can do it while relaxing on a sailboat.
13. I just accidentally deleted like 6 items, and now I don't want to re-type them all.
14. I love the Vines / Cope crew. Theay are amazing and fun, and I love them all dearly.
15. I am a complete human science geek. I'm the weird friend that WANTS to go to the ER with you, see the surgery pictures, etc.
16. I'm full of sass and sarcasm.....be prepared for it. That's my primary language.
17. Through the past year, I've learned a lot about myself, and I'm glad to have learned it.
18. Nothing makes my blood boil faster than someone being condescending to me. Just because I'm younger than you, doesn't mean I'm a child. Don't treat me like one. Just because I don't know everything, doesn't mean I'm stupid. Don't act like I am.
19. I'm a very picky eater, and hate 99% of vegetables. My vegetarian mother gave up on me years ago. Poor thing, she tried everything she could. :(
20. I like all types of music. I listen to everyone from Mercy Me to Sugarland to Michael Buble to Bon Jovi to Linkin Park. I'll listen to anything once, and then either like it or not. I don't restrict myself based on genre or anything.
21. I love recipes and cooking, but never seem to cook as much as I should.
22. Totally just realized that I skipped #22 when I posted this on Facebook! What a moron.
23. I don't have any pets, because I'm allergic to just about everything, except fish, reptiles, and amphibians....and I don't want those.
24. Although I am a native Texan, there will always be a certain piece of me that's an Aussie.
25. I have been to places on 4 continents: North America, Europe, Asia, Australia

Tennis, Anyone?

It's that time of year again....the Australian Open is in full swing and I am loving it! I became a fan of tennis when I was a kid, specifically after we moved to Australia. We moved there in December, and that was the beginning of summer break (Dec/Jan) for the schools. We didn't have cable, so that left about two things on the TV all day....tennis and cricket. My mom preferred tennis, so that's what we watched. Obviously, the Australian Open got tons of coverage down under, as did Wimbeldon. We never missed those tournaments. I watched Boris Becker, Steffi Graf, Martina, and Andre Agassi, and learned a lot about the game. I even played a bit myself in the junior high years. It was kinda cool to remember Andre "back in the day" as I watched Andre play his last pro match a few years ago. It really was the end of an era.

I have to admit, I stopped watching much for a while in the high school and college years. Other things were on my mind, I guess. (Plus -I wasn't a fan of Pete Sampras and he was all over the place! Got on my nerves.) In recent years I've begun watching again, and love it. I've added the U.S. open to my favorite tournaments list - still not much of a French Open fan, though. I like the "superstar" players best: Maria Sharapova, Rafael Nadal, and of course, Andy Roddick. Roger Federer is good too, but he's dominated for so long these past years that I get tired of him, too. I like that Nadal has put so much pressure on him the last couple of years, and actually surpassed Federer to be the new No.1.

Andy is by far my favorite, even though he has been very inconsistent in the past few years. I like his passion when he's playing and the power he can put on the ball. When he is playing, I will always stop to watch. That explains why I was up until 1 a.m. last night (morning) watching his quarterfinal match. I had noticed in an earlier match that he has become much leaner since last season. The commentators mentioned that his current coach really pushed him for better committment to his training, and it shows. He dominated his opponent Djokovic, and ultimately his conditioning helped him win. It's summer in Melbourne, and the temperature on the court last night was over 60 degrees Celsius (about 139 F). They kept showing a temperature dial on the court, and the heat had risen higher than the 60 degree max on the dial. INSANE! But Andy made it look like a walk in the park. His opponent ran out of energy about 1 game into the second set, and Andy took full advantage. It was awesome. Djokovic is the defending champion of the tournament and finally retired in the middle of the 4th set (Andy was up 2-1, and was winning the 4th). He just couldn't handle the heat. I have to admit I'm glad it didn't go too much further, or I would have been up forever! :) I did not stay up until 3a.m. to watch Federer's match. I had to drawn the line somewhere.

So, Andy and Roger will play in the semis, and then one of them will (probably) play Nadal in the finals on Sunday, which means I should be able to see it Saturday night here. Makes for some good times this weekend.

Lesson from 2008

Well, I know 2009 is well underway, but I want to take a minute to reflect on 2008, if you'll allow. For those of you who have come looking for my usual sass and sarcasm, you won't be getting it. I don't get serious very often, so I'm asking that you indulge me this once.

This past year has been the toughest one I've experienced so far in my life, and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy (and believe me - I have one). Yet, it has been such a learning experience for me. I've learned things about myself that I probably wouldn't have otherwise. But, the biggest lesson I've learned has to do with my relationship with God.

It all started with an Stuff Christians Like blog:
http://stufffchristianslike.blogspot.com/2008/12/449-wondering-if-god-is-enough.html
Jon is usually a funny, sarcastic guy, whose serious posts can amaze me with their ability to get right to the heart of things. This one basically cut through all the junk I was dealing with, and boiled everything in life down to three words: God Is Enough.

That doesn't seem like a very difficult concept for Christians. We say "Of course, God is enough." But, many of us haven't every really and truly had to rely on Him, and Him alone in our lives. In the darkest and worst moments of this past year, the only one with me was God. Not that I didn't have a whole list of people I could have called to help support me. I know every last one of them would have done whatever they could (and some are probably reading this saying "why didn't she call me??"). The reality is, I knew that none one could really help me. Only God could provide the peace and comfort that I needed.....and He always gave it to me.

God taught me that when everything else in this world fails me, that He will always be there. On the superficial level, I always knew this, but now I believe it deep in my soul. If my entire world disappeared: friends, family, job, everything, I now know that I would be ok. I pray that He never tests me to that level, but I do know that He would get me through.

I hope none of you will ever have to learn this lesson in such a difficult way, but I do hope you learn it. God really IS enough. When you believe that fully, it will forever change your life. In the worst moments, you will have joy. In the best moments, you will have joy. He will give you exactly what you need just when you need it.

I have no idea what 2009 will bring me. I don't know what lessons God will teach me this year, but I know that I want to be open to whatever He chooses.

What did God teach you in 2008?