Oh Happy Day!

Advent Conspiracy

2009-11-12T07:44:00.000-08:00

Six Degrees of Separation

2009-08-03T07:31:00.000-07:00

First of all, let me start off by saying that I totally pulled this idea off of Amanda Moore's blog, but I thought it was too fun to pass up on. So here are some fun questions for you!

Do we know each other? If so, how?

Ex: We shared scissors with each other when we were in kindergarten.
Ex: We worked at Pine Cove together and still don't know each other's real names.

Maybe we don't know each other, but have we ever met?

Ex: Yes, we actually met in the bathroom of the MSC when we were students at A&M.
Ex: We met that one time running around White Rock Lake, but you were actually walking and looking a lot like death.

Do we have a mutual friend or acquaintance?

Ex: My sister dated your brother when they were in high school...and only during church camp that one summer.
Ex: I'm your old roommate's cousin.

If the answer is no to all three, do we have something in common?

Ex: We both wear a similar piece of jewelry on our right ring fingers. Whoop!
Ex: We both wish we were still in Junior High and therefore live vicariously through Junior High students at Watermark.
Ex: We were both in ASC at A&M and both dropped out a year into it.

In reality, this is just a way to get people to comment on my blog, but fun just the same!

The Birds and The Bees

2009-07-28T17:54:00.000-07:00

Wait, no bees. Just birds. And the glorious little feathery friends are in my chimney driving Kristie and I crazy. Not to mention that I have a little bit of a fear of birds as well. In the past month that they have been nesting in my chimney, starting as one quiet little bird and then multiplying, we have been coming up with solutions to our birdie issue.

1. Light a fire and smoke the little suckers out. We decided that's not a good idea since the birds could either fly into our house or the house could get nice and smokey from the fire.

2. We could climb up onto the roof and throw those little popper things down the chimney that we all used to play with as kids. The bad thing about that idea is that Kristie and I would be the ones to fall off the roof and the birds would still be around.

3. Our final option...which we have taken a liking to...is to let Kristie's dog climb in the fireplace and bark. Nothing happens and the birds actually get louder, but it's still funny stuff.

So where does that leave us? Needing a BB gun to shoot the birds I guess. Or I could just call a chimney sweep. Do they even have those in Dallas?

Get Me Out!

2009-07-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

It's sad to say, but I think I've hit a blogging funk. It's either that or I've been too busy with other stuff going on to actually sit down and write. So please allow me to catch you up!

June: Went to Brazil. All good stuff. You'll have to ask me about it though because there is far too much to write about, and here I am in July and still trying to process the trip.

Monday after I get back from Brazil, I quit my job...or at least tried to. Don't worry, it was planned months before leaving and not a result of the trip. Notice I did say "tried to quit." Apparently AXA loves me and can't live without me, and won't exactly let me go. This in and of itself has consumed much of my life up until now. We're still working on that issue, but what can I say...I'm irreplaceable.

End of June/Beginning of July: Road trip to San Antonio with some girls from Watermark. So fun! We went to see Wicked (officially can check that off my life list) and went floating down the Guadalupe (another thing to check off). I must say that floating down the river felt a lot like a floating frat party.

July continues on with my one year "house-iversary." I've officially lived in my house for one year, and haven't managed to burn it down as of yet. Lord knows I've come close!

And this past week I joined three of my girls in serving at the Jr. High Connection at Upendo Church. Connection is probably one of the highlights of the jr. high events done throughout the year. I'm pretty sure I love it so much because I'm seeing my girls serve others, and that just brings joy to my heart. Here's a picture of one of the sweet kids the students were serving this past week. In case you're wondering, that's not a puddle of water.

And that's all I've got for now!

In the Jungle

2009-06-06T17:22:00.001-07:00

Are these not two of the most precious little girls you have ever seen? If they had fit in my carry on, I would've brought them both home with me from Brazil. They were so cute!

So I realize I've been a little bit behind in writing about my trip to the Amazon...so sorry! It's definitely not because I was at a loss for things to write about. It's quite the opposite actually! I'm pretty sure I could tell stories for days and days about what the Lord did during our time in Brazil...stories of people who now know Jesus...stories of life on a boat...and then ridiculous farkle stories of course (because it wouldn't be a Watermark mission trip without those). While I've been home for three weeks now, I'm still trying to process everything that happened while we were there. This time around it's been a little bit more difficult to process my trip, but I don't want to leave you hanging until I do.

So my story for today is this...it's the answer to the question that everyone asks and I love the most to share. Question: What is your favorite memory from the trip? Answer: Playing & dancing in the rain with a little boy who fell in the mud. On our second day of going to villages, the rain decided to follow the North Americans and the JJ Mesquita (our boat) into the village and stay for a while. Blowing bubbles, playing soccer and sharing life with the Brazilians continued on as usual, and the monsoon didn't stop a thing. After we had finished Vacation Bible School for the morning, we were all playing outside throwing footballs and beach balls around in the rain and this sweet little boy fell in the mud. While I'm pretty confident he normally wouldn't have cared that he was all muddy, the tears still started to flow and a distraction from Laura was needed asap. When it comes to tears, I'm more than happy to bring in the humor and play and dance in the mud to make an unhappy little boy laugh again. For the rest of the time until we were told to go back to the boat for lunch, we spun around in the rain and the mud with other little kids joining in. It was great! I LOVED every minute of it. Hands down one of my favorite moments on the trip.

I promise, more stories to come!

Brazil Bound!

2009-05-05T20:29:00.000-07:00

That's right! That glorious day is almost here! Come Saturday a team of young adults from Watermark are headed into the Amazon to swim with piranhas, wrestle alligators and share Jesus with the locals. Okay the first two things aren't really on our list of things to do, but the third one is. It's hard to believe that we've been preparing for this for so many months and now it's finally here. There will be lots of updates to come once we get back, but in the meantime please feel free to check in on what we're up to on www.watermarkinbrazil.blogspot.com. As we head into the upcoming week, I do have a few prayer requests.

*The biggest one I can think of is that I'm fully there and not just present. I would hate for distractions at home to consume my mind while I'm there for purpose of sharing Christ and building relationships.

*Sweet community. I'm going with such a great group of people, and a week on a boat can be a great time to deepen those relationships.

*And last but certainly not least, that the Gospel would spread. That each man, woman and child we meet would see the love of Christ and what it looks like to have a relationship with our Savior.

I can't wait to get home to share pictures and stories! I'm excited!

Amazing Love

2009-04-28T15:14:00.000-07:00

This morning I was reminded of the depth of the love that Christ has for us through a simple picture. One of the guys that I work with, Kyle, and his wife Julie just got back from San Francisco after picking up the little girl they adopted from Korea. One of the pictures is of Kyle and Julie standing at the terminal waiting for little Blake to be brought off the plane. The look on their faces is priceless and the love you can see just from the picture is indescribable. I’ve never actually had a picture bring tears to my eyes, but this one did it and I think it’s because it’s just a small glimpse of the love that Christ has for me. Whenever Kyle and Julie first got a picture of their baby, he was trying to describe what it feels like to instantly love someone you’ve never even met. All I could think of was that it was the perfect picture of unconditional love. The baby hadn’t done anything to earn their love. There were no strings attached and from the moment they saw her sweet face, they were in love. Holy cow! What a great picture of Christ’s love for me! He loved me from the moment I was formed in my mother’s womb. He knows everything about me…what brings me joy…what makes me cry…everything. No matter how much I screw up, I know that I’m still loved and cherished.

To see the pictures, go to www.tiffanyfongphotography.com and click on the link to her blog. The name of the post is "Oh Happy Day."

Joyous Laughter

2009-04-26T15:58:00.000-07:00

About an hour ago Sharon and I had small group with our 7th grade girls. Always good fun! Tonight we were talking about being a light in the darkness and what characteristics of each could be. One of the choices was nervous laughter vs. joyous laughter. Our sweet Mary quickly spoke up and said "I think Sharon has nervous laughter, and Laura, well she lives in lollipop land." I don't know what that means and I'm not sure if I should see it as a compliment or not. Since she didn't clarify I'm going to assume that she meant that I had joyous laughter.

Love my girls!

Lessons Learned...

2009-04-25T22:10:00.000-07:00

from Spencer Williams? Yes, it's true. The last 24 hours have been very educational for me. The day literally began with me learning how to drive a standard, and I must say that I'm pretty close to amazing at it. Every time I ask to drive his mini I always get a very quick no...you know, one of those that clearly was never even considered. So in normal fashion I asked again and to my shock and surprise he said "okay, let's go." After I pulled my jaw off the floor and realized he was ready to change seats, I of course jumped at the opportunity. It felt a lot like drivers ed with me first driving only by taking my foot off the brake and coasting in neutral, but it quickly progressed to changing gears and going around the parking garage. Just to keep the surprises coming, he even trusted me enough to drive around the block a few times. I don't think I even trusted myself that much, but yay Spencer for trusting me! It must have been because it was really, REALLY early in the morning and I only saw one car while we were out.

The second lesson learned really warms my heart. Today I learned that there is a Texadelphia in Dallas. I had no idea!! For some reason I thought the only one was in College Station, and that one closed my freshman year right after I fell in love with it for the first time. My life is truly better now for knowing that Texadelphia is only a few miles away from me.

The third and last lesson learned is somewhat profound. Tonight, after trying three different times to take the short cut, I learned that it really only takes longer to get things done well. I'll spare you the details on what we were working on, but it is with great humility that I must say that Spencer was right the whole time. Why didn't I listen the first time? I must be a slow learner. I do know for a fact that I don't have an ounce of the beaver personality type in me. I'm all Lion/Otter and there's nothing I can do about it!

Well, that's all you get in lessons learned tonight. Apparently three points is all you need to make a good Baptist sermon anyways. Ironically, I think that's true too.

Pity, Party of One

2009-04-22T18:27:00.000-07:00

All I can say is that I'm guilty. I think I might be the queen of pity parties, especially when I feel like I'm suffering in some way. The past few weeks I've been going through Job with my community group, and I must say I'm surprised by the people I'm relating to in the first 14 chapters. On any given day I feel like I could say I relate to Job and him not understanding why God is allowing him to suffer...but the shock for me is coming from how I can relate to Job's friends and how quickly I get to that place. My heart can be so sinful and so ugly, and the sad part is that I don't realize it until I'm in the pit looking for a way out. I'm so guilty of looking at the people around me and either getting frustrated with the gifts God has given them and not me...or buying into the lie that only the wicked should suffer. I think that might only make sense in my head right now, but I just can't get over how quickly I can get to such a bad place without even realizing it. Tonight I was working through some of the questions at the end of the study and the last one asked what two questions I would ask God if I knew I would get an anwer. Right now I only have one, but I think I would ask God why He lets me suffer & why it's in the way that I do.

What would you ask?

Client Say What?

2009-04-22T08:47:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe, but come August I will have officially been in the financial planning industry for three years. Or if you want to go by how my VP does time in the business, half a decade. I can't wait until I hit year five so that I can say "the better part of a decade."

I must say that it's becoming increasingly more and more apparent that there can be some crazy clients out there. A few of the guys that I work with and I have been telling war/horror stories of what we've experienced thus far just from our short time in the business. There is some weird stuff! So I've decided to compile a list of the ridiculous/frustrating/hilarious moments that have already been encountered.

*One day I was calling to follow up with a client to see if they had signed the paperwork yet and the wife answered the phone. I explained who I was and why I was calling and she replied with "honey, he died!" After I call the life insurance company, I come to find out that he was murdered and she is a suspect. Awesome....never going out there by myself again.

*A guy that I work with came over from Edward Jones, and he literally had someone drive their car through his office front right into the lobby....twice. After the second time he of course asked for cement barriers to go in front. What were these people looking for...drive thru mutual funds? A literal one stop shop?

*On a trip to the middle of no where with one of my partners, I asked him what the weirdest thing that has ever happened to him in a meeting was. His answer was very short, but oh so funny. He said "Laura, last week I had a lady move from her seat over to the couch I was sitting on and put her head in my lap." If that's not awkward, I don't know what is.

There are so many other stories...but sadly the time has come for me to actually do some work and be what my parents call a "productive member of society." More stories to come I'm sure!

Taking Over the World

2009-04-21T19:09:00.000-07:00

So my friends and my clients have started a tradition of sending me pictures of AXA signs whenever they travel out of the country. Most of them write back and tell me that I should move to wherever they saw the sign. I can't decide if my friends are trying to be subtle and hint for me to move far away, or if they're just really excited about seeing the place I work all over the world. I'm hoping it's the second option and not the first. If I move out of the country it's not going to be to become a financial advisor, that's for sure! Anywho, here's one from Versailles, France.

It's kind of hard to see the AXA sign, but it's the tiny blue box in the middle of the picture. Trust me, it says AXA.

Roll Call for the Absent

2009-04-21T10:55:00.000-07:00

In many lands and climes this April day
Proud sons of Texas A&M unite.
Our loyalty to country, school, we pray,
and seal our pact with bond of common might.

We live again those happy days of yore
on campus, field, in classroom, dorm, at drill
Fond memory brings a sigh -- but nothing more;
Now we are men and life’s a greater thrill,

On Corregidor * years ago today
A band of gallant Aggies, led by Moore,
Held simple rites which led to us doth all to say:
The spirit shall prevail through cannon roar.

Before we part and go upon our way,
We pause to honor those we knew so well;
The old familiar faces we miss so much today
Left cherished recollections that time cannot dispel.

Softly call the Muster,
Let comrade answer, “Here!”
Their spirits hover ‘round us
As if to bring us cheer!

Mark them ‘present’ in our hearts.
We’ll meet some other day
There is no death, but life etern
For our old friends such as they!

by Dr. John Ashton ‘06

* The third stanza is original to the poem and had been deleted over the years. It was intended that each year, the number of years since Corregidor would be inserted.

What the craic?

2009-04-17T15:51:00.000-07:00

So, if all you're seeing is "Bar, Restaurant and Nightclub," you're clearly looking at the wrong part of the picture. Shift your eyes over to the left and take note of the name. How cool is that?! My friend Spencer was in Ireland and he saw this while roaming the streets of Dublin. Oh, also ignore the fact that my last name is spelled wrong. But you still get the idea!

By the way, the title of the blog translates as "Any news?" or "Hello!" I promise it's not shady.

It Ain't Over!

2009-04-12T10:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!

Just a Fad...

2009-03-15T16:09:00.000-07:00

...Or at least that's what the internet is at our house. My brother came to paint a few weeks ago and the day he left the internet mysteriously stopped working along with my computer. Coincidence? I think not. Personally, I think he did it on purpose because I told him I would help him apply for jobs in Dallas. Michael, if you don't want to live in the same city as me then just tell me. There's no need to break my computer and the internet. Anyways, all that to say that there was a reason for the hiatus from writing on the blog. I no longer have to depend on the iPhone for internet or for checking the email. So get ready for lots of reading material during your workday because I have some catching up to do!

My Story of Grace

2009-02-01T15:51:00.000-08:00

I think it would be fair to say that I grew up in a family of churchgoers. My parents made sure my brother and I were at church every week and were involved in everything possible…youth group, church choir…you name it, we were in it. My family very much lived the life of “appearances were everything” and it was important for everyone to see that we had it all put together. For as long as I can remember I always wanted to make sure people were pleased with me and what I was doing. I guess you could say I was a people pleaser to the core. I was constantly trying to find my significance in how involved I was at church and school, my grades, in tennis, and then of course in how my parents, teachers and friends responded to me and praised my good work.

Even though I grew up in the church, I don’t remember being clearly presented the gospel until I was 11 years old. I was actually with my church youth group at a concert and I remember someone standing on stage and just sharing God’s truth with me. It was like I was the only there and he was talking directly to me. The thing that struck me immediately was the question he asked. He asked that if we were to die tonight, how sure are we that we would go to Heaven. My answer was “not very sure.” He then explained how we are all born sinners and in need of a Savior. He explained that because of sin we are forever separated from God because God is perfect. Then He shared the good news that I remember bringing me great relief. He explained how God sent His Son Jesus to live a perfect life, die on the cross for my sins and then conquered death so that one day I could have eternal life. I immediately jumped at the hope that he offered.

For about the next week or two that followed, I remember that all I wanted to do was spend time reading my Bible. I just couldn’t get enough. But after that week or two, my life quickly went back to normal. Once again I was wrapped up in what others thought of me and had a constant feeling of inadequacy. Junior High and High School could easily be characterized by people pleasing and having a relationship with God that was minimal at best. The most important thing to me was looking like I had it all put together. It wasn’t until college that I got to see what it looked like to have a real relationship with the Lord. I saw that it wasn’t easy and I wasn’t always going to have those happy, fluffy feelings. I found that I would go through periods of time where I wouldn’t even desire spending time with God, but in spite of that discipline was necessary. Even today I still struggle with wanting to please people and wanting to control what others think of me, but the Lord is consistently having to remind me that my adequacy is found in Him and no where else. 2 Corinthians 3:4-6 says “Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” That’s the best news in the world to me! Because of Christ and what He did for me on the cross, God sees me as more than adequate and He loves me as His own.

Cheers!

2009-01-31T14:29:00.000-08:00

In honor of my roommate's birth, I've decided to write her a small toast that will no doubt embarrass her later and cause her to deny being my roommate when it comes to public settings. I however choose to see this as practice for the day she gets married and I'm called upon to give a toast.

Here's to my dear roommate, Kiki, who 26 years ago today decided to grace the world with her presence. On that fateful day, her dear mother's uterus finally said "scram! get the heck out of here!" and Kristie complied and exited the womb. Twenty years later, a friendship was formed between Keeks and I that soon led to being roommates and creating the Trifecta of Trouble with Stephanie. Fraternity Row will never be the same again because of what ensued during those days. Reenacting the Roaming Gnome commercials in our living room...Stephanie and Kristie having GT time...and many other events too embarrassing to mention here all led to a bond that can never be severed. And here we are today, years later and roommates once again. All is right with world. Now our days are filled with "pammy whammys"...Alias...and getting into so much trouble that our parents wonder why they allowed us to live together once again without some type of supervision. And with that I say Happy Birthday Kristie Thornton! My life is better because of friends like you!

You Want Eyebrow?

2009-01-25T16:43:00.000-08:00

Today after church Sarah Welch and I decided to go get manicures and pedicures. Being that Sarah's finally done with her CPA exams, she definitely deserves the reward of a pedicure. And well, I felt like I deserved a manicure just because. We decided to go to this place in Lake Highlands next to LA Fitness. It's actually run by all Asian people...which most nail establishments normally are. In honor of our hour of beauty I've decided compile a list of the awkward moments that happened in that time frame.

1. I arrived about 3 minutes before Sarah and asked if I could get a manicure in one of the chairs so that I could sit next to Sarah and talk. Little Asian lady says "No, sit!" Yes ma'am.

2. Little Asian lady goes to town on my cuticles never saying a word to me. The only time she looks up is to talk to one of her friends in another language. I swear she had to be talking about me and how horrible my nails looked.

3. My manicurist starts singing Mariah Carey and "I Swear" by All 4 One to me. Enough said.

4. After my manicurist dips my hands in hot paraffin wax she proceeds to start rubbing my shoulders...nothing awkward there. Oh wait! Then she puts her hands down my shirt and continues to rub...ugh! Is that considered assault or something?

5. Whenever the little Asian lady finally does look up at me, she just says "you want eyebrow?" I think my eyebrows look just fine, but from the look on her face I'm starting to question them.

Well, those will be the top five awkward moments. The worst part is that I couldn't share in these awkward moments with Sarah because she was clear across the room from me. Sad day.

Naked?

2009-01-21T16:05:00.000-08:00

So...this weekend my roommate and I had kind of a weird conversation. While we were at The Cheesecake Factory we started discussing/arguing over how you say the word "naked." After much discussion, we still disagree...however while we were there I decided to write something about it on my facebook status. I must say I have received quite a bit of input from friends, but my friend Stephen made a comment this afternoon that is just too good to keep from the world. Here's what he had to say:

"I'm intrigued by this status and must share with you that I actually have developed my own personal philosophy on the pronunciation of this word. If one is unclothed, but at that time it is appropriate to be unclothed, it should be pronounced "naked." i.e. bathing. If however, one is unclothed and it is inappropriate at that time to be unclothed... Read More, it should be pronounced "nekkid" i.e. streaking. I'll now use both forms in one sentence to demonstrate the difference: "I would have stopped my nekkid neighbor from skinny dipping in my pool sooner, but I was in the shower naked and had to get dressed first." Also, I refer to these two forms as "proper" naked and "naughty" nekkid. p.s. awkward putting this at the end of this post, but haven't talked to you in while, fritzy, how are things?"

I can't decide which part is my favorite. Probably the last sentence when he asks me how I'm doing...just because it is quite the awkward place to ask that.

Thanks Stephen!

Fish Slapped

2009-01-11T16:24:00.000-08:00

Do you remember when you were in your junior high youth group? Do you remember the ridiculous skits your youth director and interns would do? When I was in either junior high or high school, I remember my youth director, Taz, doing what I thought was at the time the grossest skit ever. Basically it concluded with him swallowing a couple of live goldfish. Umm yuck! At the time, it felt like Taz would take some of the skits to the extreme, but we of course loved them all. Doing college ministry we never really did anything like that. I guess in college we become too old for that kind of thing....or we like to pretend like we are. Today I decided that Watermark takes the junior high skits to a whole new level. Over the past year and a half I've seen some pretty ridiculous skits. We've had appearances by Ross Boggs (the photographer who takes pictures when you don't know it)...we've had students eat Thanksgiving meals and then spit the chewed up food through a tube...we've had students end up kissing each other through glass...oh and then a personal favorite is seeing David and Bode dress up like girls in pajama pants and camis to announce Winter Chill (disturbing on some many levels). BUT TODAY, we entered a new world of disgusting. Today students threw dead fish across the room using only their mouths. Yes, that's right. Dead fish. My poor roommate fell victim to a trout falling into her lap and I had one bounce over my head. So gross, but anything for our dear junior high kids.

Uninvited Squatter

2009-01-05T19:14:00.000-08:00

Over the past 24 hours I've had quite a bit of "excitement" in my world. Most of it falls under the category of "I have to put it in quotes simply because it's not the type of excitement anyone enjoys," but one story is deserving of being shared with anyone who will listen.

Today I decided to come home for lunch in an effort to save money in the eating out department. Whenever I got home it was pouring down rain and as I walked into the living room I noticed the back door was wide open. Now that's odd! Kristie and I haven't been in the backyard in literally months, and we always keep that door locked. So why in the world is it open right now? At this particular moment I decide to call my roommate and just ask if she forgot to shut the door this morning for some reason. Kristie of course says "no crazy, I haven't been in the backyard in months." Hmm. Now what is a girl to do? I think many would agree that running to a neighbor's house and calling 911 would be a viable option. What did I do? Well, I'll let you guess.

A.) Did just that! Ran to the next door neighbor and called 911 just to be safe.
B.) Told Kristie to stay on the phone with me while I walked through the house and checked all the closets. Also telling her that if I scream to hang up and call 911.
C.) Decide to brave it on my own and look through the house...assuming that I could do anything that Jennifer Garner does in Alias just because I've watched it enough over the past week.
D.) Locked the door and went immediately back to the office, leaving any uninvited guests for my roommate when she gets home.

I mean if you know me at all you can probably guess very easily which one I did. But just to give you a hint, it's actually a mixture of two. Oh and in case you're wondering, there's nothing missing and as far as we can tell, no one was in our house.

When in Spain...

2009-01-04T13:27:00.000-08:00

My friend LB sent me this picture telling me I should transfer to Spain. Umm, LOVE TO!

Once a Procrastinator...

2008-12-31T13:27:00.001-08:00

About an hour ago I was reminded why it's not a good idea to procrastinate on important things...and then why it's even worse to be late.

Wait, let me back up.

So about a month ago I found out that I was going to be going on a short term mission trip to Brazil with Watermark. I could not be more excited! I can't wait to get out of the concrete jungle of Dallas and head to the Amazon Jungle to share the love of Christ with the people there. I'm still not fully sure what we're going to be doing while we're there, so details will have to come later. I'm sure my friends who have already been could share more details than I know right now...but that's not the point. At our first meeting we were asked to do two things. One was to start support raising, and the other was to fill out an online application by three days ago. Oops. I started support raising...I just forgot about the application.

Now come back to today, New Years Eve. About an hour ago I got a phone call from one of the people leading the trip asking me if I could do my application asap...you know, end of the tax year for donors and such. Sure! Of course I can do that, since it was supposed to be done 3 days ago. And really, how long can it take? Oh no. It can take a long time when you're missing important information...like your passport...your blood type...what else did I forget? I have to tell you that I haven't seen my passport in three years since I moved to Dallas from College Station. Not to mention that I've also moved since then. After frantic searching and turning my house upside down, I finally found my passport hidden in my Tahoe. Why was it there you might ask? Clearly I might need to skip the country at a moments notice. Of course my options are limited to Canada and Mexico since my planned method of escape was apparently my car.

*Note to self: Important government documents should not be kept in places like your car...you might lose them!

Don't worry, the application has been submitted and I am still allowed on the trip as far as I know. It's just missing small details like my testimony and my blood type. Oh well. I can do that before we leave.

Failed Baking Attempt # What?

2008-12-29T20:43:00.000-08:00

It is with great sadness that my friend Laura and I are mourning what could easily be called a miserable baking failure. Tonight, in an effort to do something creative and memorable, we decided to bake a pie. In our minds this pie was going to be a chocolaty masterpiece that people from far and wide would come to sample in all of its glory. Ahh, the delectable goodness they would call it. It was going to be a pie worthy of praise. Yes, it was going to be that good. But how did it turn out? While I would rather not talk about it, "delectable goodness" isn't quite the right wording to describe these pies...chocolate soup with crust might be more appropriate. A miserable failure. So sad. Actually, I'm not giving us enough credit. To be fair, the pie tasted excellent...the presentation was terrible. I've decided to stick with frozen pies and slice & bake cookies. I don't think Proverbs 31 says anything about having to bake with excellence.

Here are some pictures of the baking fun.

Pie anyone?

Adventures in the Swamplands - Day 5

2008-12-26T20:00:00.000-08:00

Dear Louisiana,

It is with deep regret that we write you this letter. Believe us when we say that this isn't how we wanted it to end. We love you but we aren't in love with you. It's not you, it's us...but we're just not feeling it. You're not the state you used to be and we've found another. We just can't take your 90% humidity or the soft water that makes our hair flat. We can't handle the perpetual feeling of being full...and yet still wanting more. We just don't feel like this is where the Lord wants us and we're going back to Texas. I think we're at a point where you love us more than we love you. Don't take this the wrong way, but I think it's time to move on. Texas has stolen our hearts in a way that we could never explain. We miss the food...the traffic in Dallas and San Antonio. We miss hearing "howdy!" everywhere we go. With much joy in our hearts Louisiana, we're saying goodbye. We know you may never love again, but wait until Mardi Gras, you'll find someone new.

A Swamp Reunited,

Laura and Michael

Adventures in the Swamplands - Day 4

2008-12-25T18:49:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas dear friends!

As we sit here in the cold of our hotel room and shiver, we can't help but ponder our Christmas day. The day began with my brother and I realizing we hadn't wrapped any Christmas presents yet. Oops. But it's okay, we took it all in stride. My brother went to go get breakfast downstairs and I decided to take a shower and get pretty for the day. Now that's creative problem solving at its best. I mean really CREATIVE problem solving. We realized that our procrastination hadn't worked when our dad knocked on the door to pick us up, and his gift was still sitting on the bed. Panic stricken, I threw my brother's coat over my dad's Christmas present...which ironically was a coat. No, it was not a technicolor dream coat...just plain old ordinary black. I mean electrifying black. Haven't you heard black is the new black? The rouse worked like a charm bracelet (which incidentally is what we got our mom). My dad thought I was out of my mind when I told him to look for his gift under the jacket...oh well, at least he still loves me. Thus began our Christmas morning.

Transition...Segway...Cut to....

The next four hours of the day included a traditional Christmas lunch, soon to be followed by hours of reading "Breaking Dawn" for myself and who knows what my brother was doing. With midafternoon came lots of family we've never actually met before. Single tear. Drip. Two of the newly found family members are psychiatrists from California. Now that adds fun to a semi-dysfunctional family gathering. It's amazing what you can find whenever you look under a rock. The conclusion of the family fun brought a photo session that felt much like the paparazzi were after us. I guess this is what happens when you're the next generation of a family and they haven't seen each other in years. The exciting part was when our younger cousin kept trying to dodge each picture. It was like he was a native american afraid that his soul was going to be captured by the camera.

Fast forward...Move on...Come to the present....

And again here we sit in our hotel room. Fighting over what we're going to write on the blog for tonight. Wondering who left the air on in the room all day to make it so cold (confession: it was me but I still blame my brother).

A Swamp Divided,

Laura and Michael

Adventures in the Swamplands - Day 3

2008-12-24T19:51:00.000-08:00

Well friends, we've made it to Christmas Eve in Louisiana. So far we haven't been eaten by alligators or been swept away by a hurricane. Right now my brother and I are sitting in our hotel room watching a movie from our past...our far past....going back to age 4 would be a more accurate description of how far back. It's definitely a classic and one I'm sure we've all seen and remember with fond memories. That's right kids, we're watching "The Cat in the Hat." Why you might be asking yourself? Well, I'm not really sure why this is our movie of choice for the evening, but I'm sure we'll soon be moving to 24 hours of a Christmas Story soon.

Tonight we've decided to reminisce on the Fitzsimmons Family Christmas traditions...mainly because, with great disappointment, most of them were not fulfilled this evening. Now the traditions we speak of are not ALL normal family traditions. In fact, you might even call them weird...but we'll work up to those. Our first tradition that was broken this year was the lack of gumbo for dinner. Gumbo is like a staple in our family...especially on Christmas Eve in Louisiana. We have also failed to fulfill our tradition of watching 24 hours of a Christmas Story on TBS. Okay, Michael has never seen a Christmas Story, but it's another essential for me and my dad. However, we do have 22 more hours to make this one happen and I'm determined to make Michael watch it even if I have to tape his eyelids open. I'm not even sure why this has become a tradition for my dad and I. We don't really even like the movie...so 24 hours of it, that's just too much!

Now this brings us to our final broken tradition of the year. I feel confident that there will be a hole in my heart because of this one. It is something I have come to depend on over the years. You could almost say we depend on it like we depend on air and water. It's a necessity. And that necessity has fondly become known as frequent trips to Walmart the night of Christmas Eve. Why Walmart and not Target you ask? Welcome to Covington, Louisiana...there is no Target...no mall...nothing. Just Walmart. Ironic isn't it? The only excuse to escape from our family is to hang out with everyone else's family. Of course, if I can't go to Walmart, how am I going to find tape for Michael's eyelids? Oh well, there is always next year.

A Swamp Still Divided,

Laura and Michael

Adventures in the Swamplands - Day 2

2008-12-23T19:56:00.000-08:00

Dear Traveler's Log,

No wait, that's lame. It sounds too much like a diary and diaries are for my seventh grade girls.

Well, here we are in day two of our Louisiana adventure. I think today could be summarized by alligator wrestling and Louisiana cuisine. And by alligator wrestling, I don't actually mean alligator wrestling. That was meant more to draw you into what we actually have to say. Sucker! This morning was game time for Michael and I. It was officially time to see the entire crazy family all in the same moment. Don't underestimate our small family. Families are like scorpions, the smaller ones just have a more concentrated dose of crazy. They can be especially overwhelming when they come at you all at once. It's pure insanity I tell you. Technically our day started around 1:30 today at lunch. There was a lot of sleeping done on our part to say the least....and again, by "our" I mean my part. When you're in Louisiana it's all about the food. I'm not one for loving seafood but I have come to embrace the po-boy. I don't mean to overemphasize the power of the po-boy to tempt one into gluttony, but the family filled up at lunch, ordered one for the road and by dinner time someone had stolen Michael's half eaten sandwich. Yeah, it's that good. So there we are, the family sitting around the table, basking in the cajuny goodness that was about to come when the oddest thing happened. I've spent the last week drooling like one of Pavlov's dogs at the thought of a seafood po-boy, particularly a crawfish po-boy. The waitress came around the corner, asked for my order and I said "I'll have a barbeque sandwich please." WHAT? Who said that? It sounded like me and I felt the words roll off my tongue, but why would I do that? I drive past Railhead BBQ twice a week, but I fly 600+ miles to get BBQ roast beef in New Orleans. That's like my brother, a self proclaimed San Antonian flying to Beijing for traditional Tex-Mex fair. Ludicrous.

As you can see, this was a pretty big deal to me. After lunch we made our way back to my cousins' house and I somehow got roped into doing manual labor...aka painting. What? Since when does Christmas vacation involve painting a house? It was supposed to be a project for my brother and I, but my brother disappeared right as I started painting and didn't show up back in the house until after my dad dropped me off at the hotel. Nice. Thanks and Gig'em Michael. Love you too bro. And here we are, back at the hotel making pizza rolls in the microwave and eating them straight out of the box. Oh look, we're back to cuisine. See, in Louisiana, it really is all about the food.

A Swamp Divided,

Laura and Michael

Adventures in the Swamplands - Day 1

2008-12-22T21:46:00.000-08:00

Once again it's Christmas, the time of family festivities in Louisiana....oy vay! In honor of the next five days, my brother and I have decided to document our family fun for your reading pleasure. It's sure to be a staggering work of heartbreaking genius. Well, at least it should be mildly entertaining...maybe. No promises. Anyway, our excursion was underway at precisely 20:34 military time when my brother and I were reunited at the Louis Armstrong International Airport. Can't you just hear the saxophone...wait, is that Bill playing? It's good to see he's keeping himself busy during the down economy. Anyway, we're still in the airport and the adventure has already begun. We go to the baggage claim and head to the only conveyor belt with people. Now see if you can follow our logic: a plane lands and five minutes later everyone in sight is gathered around a single luggage return...that must be where the luggage is going, right? Not so my friend. My brother looks around and informs me that NONE of the people were on the flight. That's crazy talk. But I decided to indulge his delusional fantasies of flying with other people. Oy! So, we walk up and down the baggage claim...several times actually. Still no fellow passengers that my apparently Alzheimer's ridden brother recognizes. Without a word, Michael suddenly storms out of the baggage claim area and charges through the rental car kiosks into an undecorated hallway that looks like it should have an "employees only" sign at the entrance. All the while, I'm trailing behind trying to figure out which demon has possessed my brother. We FINALLY reach the light at the end of the tunnel/hallway and emerge in a "secret" baggage claim. AHH Success! I guess my brother isn't delusional, Alzheimer's ridden or demon possessed after all. What a relief, especially on the last one. I left my holy water at the house. I mean we weren't all boy scouts and I needed space for my yachting shoes.

I must confess that the rest of the night was a bit of a let down after that adventure. Although we did have dinner at a Northern Italian restaurant and I swear it was run by the Corleone Family. Anywho, that's all for tonight. But no worries, there's more to come tomorrow!

A Swamp Divided,

Laura and Michael

Adventures of the Traveling Microwave

2008-12-16T15:47:00.000-08:00

So our microwave is dead, but don't worry we got another one. It's very pretty and new. We'll probably show it some love tonight during dinner...and then again tomorrow and the next day. But with this new microwave sitting very nicely in our kitchen, that leaves a melted one sitting on our kitchen table. Now what do you do with a melted microwave? This question has left Kristie and I stumped this evening. You can't just throw it away...it's too big to fit in the trash can. The third week of every month the garbage man comes around and picks up tree branches and leaves from the curb, but a microwave doesn't exactly fall into the category of foliage. This leaves one other, and possibly very entertaining, option. We could leave it on the curb and hope someone comes by to "reuse" it. Maybe they won't notice that it's melted at the bottom and the door won't shut. They'll get the microwave home, notice that said microwave is dead, put it on their curb, and then the cycle continues. Thus we have our traveling microwave making its way around Dallas. We have a dream of it traveling around the world, but I guess we'll never know. Good luck dear microwave.

Signature of Divine

2008-12-15T18:11:00.000-08:00

I believe I have found one of my new favorite songs. New favorite cd might be more accurate. This weekend I downloaded the NeedtoBreathe cd and I'm pretty sure CR would say that I'm addicted to it. I just can't turn it off! There's one song in particular that I love, and I think it's because of something my community group has been doing for the past 30 days. A few weeks ago we decided to start praying through 30 names/characteristics of God. I'm sure by the title of this blog you already figured out the title of the song, but another name for it is "Yahweh." Here are the lyrics, but you should definitely have a listen.

Cathedrals have tried in vainTo show the image of your face.But we are, by your design,The signature of divine.We'll always sing your name.Forever and today.Yahweh, Yahweh...Great is your glory when you go before meOh, we sing...Holy, Holy...Your ways are lovely. So high above me.YahwehThe fortunes of kings and queensAre wasted chasing what we've seen.Cause we are, by your reprieve,The beauty framed by your suffering.We'll always sing your name.Forever and today.Yahweh, Yahweh...Great is your glory when you go before meOh, we sing...Holy, Holy...Your ways are lovely. So high above me.YahwehTake me, and pull me through.Cause I can't move without you.I won't leave you alone, you say.It will be okay.Yahweh, Yahweh...Great is your glory when you go before meOh, we sing...Holy, Holy...Your ways are lovely. So high above me.Yahweh.Yahweh, Yahweh...Great is your glory when you go before meOh, we sing...Holy, Holy...Your ways are lovely. So high above me.YahwehAncient of Days...Yahweh!

They Grow Up So Fast

2008-12-14T18:52:00.000-08:00

I think I'm starting to catch a very small glimpse of what parents feel as they see their kids grow up. I know I've mentioned this before, but I have a group of 7th grade girls I've been tracking with since they started the 6th grade and will follow all the way through high school. For the most part I would say the past year and a half has been seeing the girls get to know and trust each other, as well as my co-leader and I. It's definitely a process. Tonight at our Christmas party, I feel like the Lord was doing everything but writing it on the wall as to why these relationships with these girls are so important. It was kind of a fun moment actually, but everything in me was wishing that it wasn't happening the day of our Christmas party. Tonight one of our sweet girls let us know that she currently has her first boyfriend. Aww, so fun but OH DEAR! Being a girl and one of her leaders, I of course had a million questions to ask her about this new boy and what this junior high relationship looks like. Just from what I've seen so far, dating in junior high is FAR different than it was when I was in junior high...much more intense. With this being the first boyfriend experience of the small group, and then also the fact that it was during our Christmas party, I decided to ease my way into the million question interrogation of boy and relationship. I started with the simple fun questions of asking how it happened and then worked my way into the embarrassing questions. I don't think she's happy with me right now for asking all these questions...especially when I quietly asked if they've held hands yet. Let's be honest, this is important stuff to know! Anyway, as I was driving home tonight I was thinking about my past dating experiences. I couldn't help but just thank the Lord for saving me from so much during my junior high and high school years...even college really. Even though during that time frame I would've probably very quickly voiced how frustrated I was by the lack of boyfriend, I can now see how the Lord just saved my heart from so much stuff. That's so much of what I want for my girls! I want for them to be able to look back and see how the Lord protected them and walked them through different life stages like dating. I realized tonight that there's so much that I want to talk to them about and teach them. I know that in the dating and life arena I don't have much wisdom, but I'm so excited about sharing my life with these girls and telling them what the Lord has taught me thus far. I think this small group is in for quite the ride over the next five years and I can't wait!

Casualties of Hostessing

2008-12-10T21:30:00.000-08:00

The idea of hosting large parties can sometimes stress me out. The largest party I've hosted on my own was for probably about 15 people. Not too bad right? Not much cooking was involved and all I had to do was provide the place. Easy right? Tonight I decided to take another step in the world of hostessing. Some might say I jumped in the deep end too quickly, but when I volunteered my home I thought I was up for the task. What was I thinking? Cooking for 30 people scares me more than anything in the world. The thought of needing everything to be prepared on time and hot for when everyone arrives, AND then ready to eat is just impossible to me. Fortunately for me I have some stellar friends who make it all but impossible for me to screw up. Now fast forward to the party. Everything was ready on time and warm. Lots of compliments were given on certain dishes that were served. Recipes were even asked for by many. Tonight my team decided that they wanted breakfast for dinner and to have a pancake bar. Nothing too complicated there. In terms of the pancakes, I had one griddle for the stove and one of my partners brought his griddle that plugs into an outlet. Sadly the first round of pancakes were burned directly ONTO my griddle, and no I didn't do it. So that left just one griddle...placed right in front of my roommate's microwave. Now fast forward again. As we're cleaning the kitchen I noticed there was something a tad bit wrong with Kristie's microwave. OH SHOOT! Apparently griddles can melt microwaves. Who knew? While Kristie and I have had a good laugh about it, what are we going to do in terms of cooking food? I guess we'll go microwave shopping this weekend...or tomorrow so we don't starve.

Here are some pictures of the damage.

Some Perspective...

2008-12-10T14:45:00.000-08:00

Over the past five days I've been a bit surprised by how affected I've been by Displace Me this past weekend. I can't get the stories of the children in Uganda out of my mind...and I don't really want to. In spite of everything I saw in the videos, the one thing that seems to ring true for each of those kids is the joy that they have in spite of everything they're going through. I can't even begin to imagine what life is like in Uganda, but I'm confident I wouldn't make it a week there. Not to mention that I would probably spend every night in tears.

I'm sure the videos I keep posting are getting a little old, but I'm starting to see how important it is for people to be aware of the world around us...not just sweet home United States of America. This is a trailer for one of the stories we watched. It's about a boy named Sunday. I'm pretty sure I cried during the entire video...well, all of the videos actually. I just can't fathom what these kids go through. If I could, I think I would pack up tomorrow and move to Africa to just love on these kids. Maybe one day the Lord will send me there, but for now my part is to help share their stories...and I'm glad to do it.

Retooning the Nativity

2008-12-09T14:19:00.000-08:00

We watched this video on Sunday during Wake and I love it! Enjoy!

I think my two favorite parts are when Mary's stomach goes poof and Jesus comes out, and then when the narrator calls the magi a passe.

TOMS Holiday Project...

2008-12-09T10:31:00.000-08:00

Blades of Glory

2008-12-09T10:11:00.000-08:00

As usual I was running late for work this morning, and while I was getting ready I had Good Morning America on tv. This morning they were doing something in Central Park, but when I walked in my room they were teaching Diane Sawyer how to ice skate. I have to tell you that one of the things I've always wanted to do is go ice skating in Central Park...but then I remembered WAIT, I can't ice skate! How is it that I made it through my entire childhood without learning how to ice skate? My parents took my brother and I to Dallas all the time...mainly to go shopping at the Galleria. Hello! Prime location to learn how to skate! Even my senior year at A&M my discipleship group decided to go ice skating at the rink where the hockey team would practice. That was my first time to go and my skills were less than desirable of course. One of my friends who played hockey ended up pulling me around the rink the entire time. I may have cried a little bit because we were going so fast. Anyway, I've decided to make that my goal for this Christmas season...to learn how to skate! Now I just need volunteers to come with me!

Good Golly, Let's Get Jolly!

2008-12-08T18:38:00.001-08:00

Yes, it's true. I took the title from the Pier One commercials. I have to tell you that every time I see it I can't help but laugh out loud. I love it!

As you can probably tell from the picture, Christmas has arrived at what my roommate and I lovingly call our little corner of the institution. Oh yes it's true, Christmas is here on Vistadale! Actually, by looking at the picture you probably can't tell that Christmas has arrived, but I promise that there are cute little wreaths on the windows. I would say that's very Pottery Barn of me. If you drive down the street you'll see that all of my neighbors are starting to follow my lead. Of course they've probably all been doing this for years, but since mine were out first I like to say it was my idea.

I've decided that it's not officially Christmas until three things happen. First, you have to start off the season by watching an American Christmas classic, "Elf." Secondly, the Point of Grace Christmas cd has to be playing in my car at all times. And then last, but certainly not least, the house has to be decked out for Christmas. From the outside I think you would be fooled by how much Kristie and I have decorated this year. When you walk inside we only have two nativity scenes out...which our moms sent home with us and we've decided makes us look really holy...and then a poinsettia that my mom bought while she was in town this weekend and told me to keep alive until my work Christmas party on Wednesday. All that to say, it's Christmas and I love it! I must be honest though...the only point to this particular blog posting is to show you how cute my house looks with little wreaths on the windows. So feel free to drive by and admire.

Blinking Orange Lights

2008-12-08T08:52:00.000-08:00

Confession. I'm probably not the best in the world at keeping up with when my tahoe needs some type of maintenance done. In college I always depended on my dad to tell when to get my oil changed or to have my tires rotated or whatever else you do with a car to keep it running and in good shape. Well, guess what I discovered today! Under the notecard on my dashboard (I emphasize UNDER so you don't judge me) there's a little box that lights up whenever the gas gets too low and, well currently when I'm out of washer fluid. Normally whenever it lights up with one of those things it usually goes away after I start driving. The past few days the light has stayed on quite a bit longer and today on my way to Hurst I decided to move my notecard. Apparently it also lights up with "Check Engine." Now is that something I should be concerned with or does it just mean that it's time to change my oil? And if it is a big deal, how long can I go with the light flashing without my tahoe exploding or dying on 635? Just curious. I think I'm going to have to agree with one of my old roommates in saying that it's time to get married so my husband can take care of my car for me.

We are Displaced...

2008-12-07T13:56:00.000-08:00

This weekend the junior high portion of student ministries at Watermark held what was probably one of the coolest and one of the most stretching events ever. Our event was Displace Me. The purpose was to show the kids just a small glimpse of what children in Uganda go through on a daily basis. If you're not familiar with what's going on in places like Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, check out the Invisible Children website (http://www.invisiblechildren.com/). Basically the goal was to take the kids through some of the things children in Africa and all over the world go through every day.

Throughout the 24 hours we watched videos from Invisible Children showing what the families go through in the displacement camps. The kids also learned about the Lord's Resistance Army and why the families needed to escape in Uganda. The night began with each group or "family" building shacks out of cardboard boxes to represent the huts that people in Africa live in with as many as 16 people needing to sleep in one "hut." I wish I had pictures to show you, but living as one of the displaced means no camera. It also meant no shoes or socks, no pillows or beds, no running water, no bathrooms, and only beans and rice to eat for meals that had to be cooked outside with camping equipment. Of course in the grand scheme of things we had it FAR better than any of the families in Africa do. I must confess that in midst of our 24 hours of being displaced, I found myself complaining that I had to walk down four flights of steps in the cold to use a porta potty outside or having to walk to the end of the Watermark parking lot to get water with the kids in a jug...but in reality, it was nothing in comparison.

This weekend was quite the reality check for many of the kids...and myself included. It's so easy to feel as though the things that are going on are a world away and to have the mentality that there's nothing that I can do...but that's so far from the truth. As we learned this weekend, there are many things that we can do. One being to write our congressmen expressing our concern over what's going on in Uganda. Another thing being to simply donate money. Did you know that with $10 you can buy a net for a child in Africa that will help prevent them from getting malaria? Ten dollars! That's it! Or for $32 per month you can adopt a child through Compassion International and help pay for their schooling, food and clothes. It's amazing how much there is that we can do to get involved and still be in the comfort of our homes.

Here's a video from Advent Conspiracy that you should check out. I tried to make the video pop up on my blog, but I'm just not sure how to do that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVqqj1v-ZBU&eurl=http://www.adventconspiracy.org/&feature=player_embedded

Thanksgiving Boredom

2008-12-03T16:50:00.000-08:00

In between the eating of lots of turkey and pumpkin pie, playing games with the family, and watching the Aggies, believe it or not there's still time to get bored. Here's a glimpse of what my brother Michael and I do when we get bored.

I love my brother!

26 Baby!

2008-11-28T11:10:00.000-08:00

In honor of my 26th birthday I've decided to either bless or bore you with 26 random facts about me. I'm actually stealing this idea from Kristie. I loved it when she did it for her 25th birthday...so entertaining! Now don't expect anything life changing or super deep...so just have fun and enjoy!

1. To this day, the happiest place on earth is Aggieland on Ring Day. While Disney World does come in close second, it's just not the same.

2. Speedos....eew, gross!

3. The red gummy bears will now and forevermore be my favorite...and the white ones still don't get a second look from me.

4. I have a better group of friends than I could have ever dreamed of. They continue to love me in spite of the ridiculous things I do.

5. I'm extremely obsessive compulsive about brushing my teeth and checking my alarm clock every night.

6. My biggest pet peeve is when people leave their shopping carts in the middle of the parking lot. The tahoe has received a few too many dings because of people who do that.

7. I think I could live off of Dulce de Leche cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory for the rest of my life.

8. I became a believer when I was 11 years old. Yay Jesus!

9. The one place I want to visit more than anyplace in the entire world is New York City.

10. Thus far there is a tie for my two favorite birthdays. As of right now they would be my 18th birthday and my 25th birthday....both for very different reasons of course.

11. Road trips with friends are probably the greatest thing in the world. Especially driving to Austin and Corpus Christi to gamble with Stephanie...oh the trouble we got in that trip!

12. Mowing the lawn is the bain of my existence. That is the one thing about being a homeowner that can bring me to my knees in the front yard...or maybe it was the fetal position (I'll have to ask my neighbors who stand as witnesses).

13. I was named after a cow. Well technically I was named after my aunt, but there really is a cow in our name lineage.

14. Jury is still out, but I think Alias is still better than 24. We'll see if Jack Bauer can change my mind.

15. My ipod is currently playing Donna Stuart's new cd. Download it! You won't regret it. Oh and in light of the pending Christmas season, I think I could listen to Christmas music year round and never get tired of it

16. My favorite nickname ever given to me is definitely Fitzy, and my favorite thing to say is "Hi Sunshine!"

17. I think I'm starting to live vicariously through my junior high girls. They're so fun!

18. I LOVE hugs.

19. I never would've guessed this but my love language is definitely physical touch and quality time. Who knew!

20. I'm currently addicted to the Twilight series. I don't remember the last time I read a book that I just couldn't put down.

21. Accountability really is sweet.

22. Dublin Dr. Pepper is the best drink on the planet.

23. I do not now, nor do I ever think that I will like coffee. I just don't understand how people can drink that stuff and be so addicted.

24. I have a dream of being able to play the guitar well. Not just knowing a few chords.

25. I have had some of the best roommates, but oh was the first one a doozie! (Fun story by the way)

26. Each year just keeps getting better in spite of the trials and struggles, but what the Lord teaches me through it is so sweet.

Wow, thinking of 26 things was much easier than I thought it would be. Anyways, Here's to 26!

Change of Pace

2008-11-24T18:17:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Sharon and I decided to shake things up a little bit in our 7th grade girls small group. On any given Sunday night we'll have about 7 or 8 girls who will show up regularly for Bible study, but there are a few nights during the year when only two or three will grace us with their presence. Last night was one of those nights. Earlier in the year we decided to institute a "roll for cream" rule whenever we have a very small group of girls show up. Basically we let the girls decide if they want to go get ice cream or starbucks or some other special treat during small group. Since our sweet Mary and Elaine were the only two to show up last night, we decided to treat ourselves with Cheesecake Factory. So fun! We also invited their moms to join us for this special field trip. I have to say we probably have some of the greatest parents and some of the cutest girls ever! Here are some pictures from last night and some of the highlights from our Cheesecake Factory experience.

Highlights:

Mary and Elaine teaching our waitress David Penuel's "OH MY GOSH" from Pine Cove.

The girls asking random people if they wanted hugs and yelling that their arms are wide open.

Elaine screaming at the top of her lungs when a balloon popped at the table next to us.

And then of course the girls having an in depth conversation deciding which one is loved most by Sharon and I (we love them both equally of course).

Time to Getaway!

2008-11-23T13:11:00.000-08:00

This weekend was probably one of the most relaxing weekends I've had in a long time! It was so good. Every year the girl leaders in student ministries take a weekend to go to the lake and just spend time together building community and spending time with the Lord. This year we went to Lake Cypress Springs and stayed in Davis Family's lakehouse. So nice!

Friday night we spent some time evaluating and being honest about what our relationship with the Lord looks like right now. I love that we have that time each year to hear each other's hearts and to know what everyone is going through. Saturday morning was a continuation of that time, but it was time to get alone with the Lord around the lake and the house. All I can say is that it was probably one of the sweetest times I've had with the Lord in a long time. Melissa Miller had given us several things to read through during that time and to just reflect on. The two things that had the biggest impact on me this weekend were reading through the PAPA prayer and then a long list of God's promises to me. I think this was probably one of the first times I was real and authentic before the Lord in so many different ways...too many to list. I do however think that you can get a good idea of what the Lord taught me during this time by this paragraph.

"God never meant for our security or value to be defined horizontally (by achievement, appearance, relationships, a man's love, success/performance, being well thought of by others, wealth/financial security, etc.) but vertically by Him and our identity in Christ. These horizontal sources of our worth and value are shaky and unstable, and can lead to insecurity when we trust in them rather than in Christ's love."

After our morning with the Lord, we just spent time hanging out getting to know everyone better. It was so good! We played so many random games...it was great. And then of course we watched the Tech/OU game. I would've preferred it if it were the Aggies who were playing...but no such luck for me. It was still fun though. Anyways, that was my weekend. So much fun! I just love the girls I serve with at Watermark. They're all wonderful!

Road Trip

2008-11-12T19:58:00.000-08:00

Have you ever felt like you're sitting in a season of your life where all you do is wrestle with the Lord? In Genesis it talks about how Jacob wrestled with the Lord and He finally touched his hip, and I can't help but say that I feel like that's a place where I'm sitting now. There are so many things the Lord and I are wrestling through and I'm just waiting. Yesterday I spent quite a bit of time in the car driving back and forth to Longview with a lot of time in between meetings...meaning lots of windshield time and time with the Lord. I love that time but when I finally got home I felt refreshed and frustrated all at the same time. Why is that?

The past eight months I've been going to CR (Celebrate Recovery) at Watermark and I've been going through the process of creating a spiritual inventory. Basically I'm looking at all of the people/events in my life that have had some sort of an impact on who I am today...both good and bad. I must confess that as I've gone through this process I've spent quite a bit more time focusing on the bad things, thereby believing the lie that God doesn't want good things for me. Not good and so not true! In James it talks about how the Lord is the giver of every good and perfect gift, and how He wants good things for us. Why in the world is this so hard for me to believe? This is where the windshield time with the Lord began for me yesterday and as I was driving "Blessed Be Your Name" came on the radio. Of course this is a song that I've been singing at church and at Breakaway for years now, and is so familiar to me that unfortunately I've become numb to the words and what they're talking about. As I was driving, two of lines stuck out to me in a very big way.

Blessed Be Your Name on the road's marked with suffering,

though there's pain in the offering

Blessed Be Your Name.

When the darkness closes in Lord, still I will say

Blessed be the Name of the Lord.

Umm, guilty! In that moment, as I was singing along to the radio, I realized that that's not very true for this season of my life. I've been so guilty of saying "Lord, why did you make me go through that?" instead of saying "Lord, look at what You did through that!" It's unbelievable how quickly I can forget what the Lord has done in my life and forget all the good things, but spend so much time focusing on the parts I don't like and don't understand.

Lord, thank you that You are sovereign and that You have a purpose for me!

26 Things....26 Years (almost)

2008-11-04T19:50:00.000-08:00

So in an effort to waste a little bit of time the past two days at work, I've decided to join Sarah Welch in creating a "life list." Well, technically we took the idea from Jen Lewis. Anyways, it's a little bit harder than you would think. I decided to stop at 26 things in honor of my almost 26 years of life, but mainly because I'm at a standstill.

So here's my list thus far! Enjoy!

http://www.43things.com/person/lfitzsimmons05

Oh you should also read Jen and Sarah's life lists as well! They're super good :)

HomeEconomics 101

2008-10-29T19:44:00.000-07:00

I've decided that there's a gene that some have and some don't. I think I'm going to call this gene the Martha Stewart gene. Some are gifted in the decorating department. Some can sew with ease and create anything (aka Sarah Welch). And then others can walk into their pantry, pull random things together, and then create what I would call a feast. I have none of the above gifts. I can decorate well enough to make a room look decent. I tried sewing a pillow in my home ec. class in high school, but one side came out crooked. Very crooked actually and my teacher gave me a B- on that project. And then I can cook if I'm given a very simple recipe, but I will wreak havoc on my kitchen.

Tonight I decided to make "puppy chow" for my girls for Pine Cove this weekend. In my mind puppy chow is the epitome of all that is Pine Cove and the ultimate camp food. Therefore my 7th grade girls have to experience this in all of its glory. Now, I'm going to stick with the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words and let you see what was supposed to take 15 minutes to create (try 45 minutes with the help of Kristie).

Shake your money maker!

The Havoc.

Ah, success!

What Could Be Better?

2008-10-25T17:07:00.000-07:00

I have a small confession to make. Now don't judge me. Remember that you still love me.

So last night Kristie and I decided to brave North Park and go see High School Musical 3. That's right, I went to see HSM3 in all its glory on its first day in theaters. I have to tell you that it turned out to be quite the eventful evening. First of all, I'm pretty confident that Kristie and I could entertain ourselves for days just by people watching and having what some would call ridiculous conversations. (With that I pose the question, what's the past tense of "man up?" Is it man'd up or man up'd?) Anyways, back to the story at hand. Being in a theater of mainly all teenage girls counting down the minutes until they see Zac Efron is probably never a good idea. That's just too many raging hormones in once place. Now let's fast forward to the beginning of the movie. The super cheesy moments were definitely enhanced and made OH SO GOOD by the girls sitting in front of us who would freak out every time good ole' Zac took off his shirt for no apparent reason, and then also with the five guys sitting behind us making similar comments just dripping with sarcasm. I think mine and Kristie's personal favorite was when one of the guys sarcastically referred to one of girls in a not so G-rated version of what I call my Tahoe...but I digress. So fun!

Now let's move forward to my next story. Other than seeing George and Barbara Bush at A&M, I've never really had a celebrity siting. Or at least not one that I can think of. Well, this still remains true but I did have a semi-celebrity siting this afternoon at the mall. So I was standing in Anthropologie looking at this really cute shirt and looked up at this guy standing across from me. I of course did a double take, but only because I couldn't stop wondering why someone would want to put their hair in dreads. With the double take I realized that he looked very familiar but I just couldn't place him. My first thought was that maybe he went to Watermark...but let's be honest, no one at Watermark has dreads. Then I went back to A&M. Did he go to A&M with me? With that it hit me...he did go to A&M but he was also on American Idol last season. That's right. I essentially just shopped with Jason Castro. It was funny walking back to the dressing room and hearing girls freaking out over the fact that he was in the store. I think I actually laughed out loud. Okay well now you know why I said semi-celebrity...but there you have it...my eventful weekend thus far! Tomorrow however does bring costume creating with several of the other junior high leaders for Pine Cove. Now that's bound to be tons of fun!

Where in the world is Graham?

2008-10-16T10:37:00.000-07:00

So most days I have this love/hate relationship with my job. Most days it's all love, but there are definitely those days where the hate rears its ugly head. Don't worry, today isn't one of those days, but today does fall under the category of "I'll travel anywhere to make money." It's just now noon and my day has taken me to Graham, Wichita Falls and Bowie is yet to come. So fun. Don't get me wrong, I kind of enjoy coming to Wichita Falls...I know I know, it's Wichita Falls...but it's home. Now places like Graham I could do without. But, in an effort to make the most of my mini road trip, I decided to pull out the old Breakaway and Pine Cove cds. Oh how I miss life in Aggieland! There's something comforting about listening to the Smith Band and hearing Gregg Matte's voice talking about Departure 12:01 (see Genesis 12:1). I think the only thing that would've made my road trip a little bit better would have been if I were driving down highway 6 to sweet home College Station. Oh well, beggars can't be choosers....and with that, it's time for my next meeting.

Have a good one!

Quote of the Day

2008-10-12T19:46:00.000-07:00

This is my adorable small group...or most of it. They're cute aren't they? This year they are officially in junior high and in the 7th grade. They're pretty good at keeping my life interesting. One of my favorite things about serving these girls is the funny things that they'll say during small group. Today the funny quote comes from our sweet Elaine, who in the middle of small group asks another girl if she "had sniffed a sharpee before coming to small group." It was all downhill from there. I couldn't keep a straight face and the laughter didn't stop until I left small group this evening.

I love these girls!

Fitzshady....always and forever.

2008-10-08T12:21:00.000-07:00

So I've got a little story for ya Ags. During my time at Texas A&M, I happened to have a few awkward moments with some of my closest friends which landed me the nickname "Fitzshady." Of course after I left College Station I thought for sure the nickname would quickly be forgotten by all....not so my dear friends. The unfortunate nickname followed me not only to Dallas, but to Watermark Community Church as well. Now I will admit that it was partially my fault for it coming to Watermark (you really have to be careful who you share stories with).

Alright, now fast forward to today. Two days into having my very own blog. I was so proud of myself for actually sitting down and writing something, but guess what. Blogger has dubbed my blog as "shady" and now has placed a warning on my blog to anyone who might want to proceed with the reading of its contents. Really? I've only written one thing! I haven't had time to write anything shady!

Apparently the nickname is here to stay and one day my grandchildren will be calling me Fitzshady. Oh joy.

Mark the Time

2008-10-06T19:49:00.000-07:00

That's right kids, I finally did it! I've decided to create my very own blog. You might be thinking to yourself, "self, why in the world did Laura cave so quickly?" Honestly, I have no idea. I think it has something to do with my wanting to contribute to the delinquency of all of my blog stalking friends while at work. I know we all need one more thing to help contribute when the all day long emails aren't cutting it.

So with that I say WELCOME! I'm glad to have you visit what my roommate would probably call "my little corner of the institution." I look forward to you being a part of the inner ramblings of my mind and the ridiculously awkward moments that come my way almost daily.

I love you guys! Sweet dreams!