Happy Friday everyone! I am currently sitting at my desk, trying not to be distracted by the stress/excitement that is often referred to as March Madness. I am so thankful that my Bears were able to pull off a win last night, despite a not so stellar performance.
In a few hours, I will be heading up to Dallas for the weekend to celebrate a friends birthday and St. Patrick's Day. It will be a nice, short break from reality. I can't wait to share pictures with you on Sunday (I told you I would get better at this whole blogging thing eventually).
For now, check out these St. Patrick's Day inspired images.
It truly is the most wonderful time of the year!! March Madness is here and I am expecting my Baylor Bears to make a pretty far run in this year's tournament. I have no problem admitting that I have a not so slight obsession with college basketball and I have been beyond giddy all day knowing that the first round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament is now officially underway!
Each year, my Dad and I sit down and spend what seems like hours analyzing the bracket in order to choose as many correct outcomes as we can. I think this year we might be onto something.. check out our bracket below:
I also have my "fantasy bracket" where I have Baylor winning it all. That would be nothing less that awesome! I'll keep you updated on how my bracket is doing throughout the tournament.
I also wanted to share some pictures with you from this past weekend. My friend Ashley and I decided to spontaneously road trip to Kansas City to watch Baylor play in the Big 12 Tournament Championship game on Saturday. Despite the fact that the Bears did not end up victorious and and even though I got lost in downtown Kansas City, I would do it again in a heartbeat.
FYI: I am in the middle of reconstructing my blog, so please excuse the mess :)
I am sure most of you have heard of "30 Before 30" lists. Well why stop at 30? I have so much more that I want to accomplish and to limit myself to a list of 30 is just silly. I would like to introduce you to my "40 Before 30" List (the ones crossed off are the ones I have already completed):
Read the Bible cover to cover
Attend a Duke vs. North Carolina basketball game at Cameron Indoor Stadium
Take a picture at the top of the Swiss Alps (picture below)
Read the entire Harry Potter series
Start a family
Go back to Italy
Attend a Jay Z concert
Go gator hunting in Louisiana
Get my concealed handgun license
Learn to surf
Get my MBA
Complete a triathlon
Learn to snowboard (picture below)
Learn to box
Lead someone to the Lord
skydive
Watch a cirque de solei show in Vegas
Move out of Waco
Go on a mission trip
Complete a half-marathon
Take pole dancing lessons (thanks to Keely Foster's bachellorette party)
Learn to play guitar
Become a graphic design guru
Customize my blog
Make a donation to the Make-a-Wish Foundation
Go to tea at the Ritz (I'm currently trying to find my picture from this moment)
Take an adult ballet class
Pay for someone's meal behind me in the drive thru
Attend Tomorrowland in Belgium
Become a Big Sis in the Big Brother/Big Sister Program
Be in better shape than I was in high school
Own a puppy (King Charles Spaniel to be exact)
Be able to splurge on something nice for my parents
Go skinny dipping
Get a tattoo
Run 1000 miles
Own my own home
Play each golf course on the British Open rotation (I can mark St. Andrews off the list already)
Conquer a fear
Live without regret
John 10:10 says:
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and live it abundantly."
This verse has always been one of my favorites, but has really caught my attention the past few months. There are times where I catch myself becoming idle and complacent with where my life is at the moment. But in reality, I am light years away from fulfilling the dream that the Lord has for me and while I may not know what my final mission is yet, I know that I am called to always live life abundantly.
I do not believe in regrets. Every moment and event in my life has helped shape and mold me into the person I am today. Regret is merely a setback and life is too short for setbacks :)
I am excited to be able to update you on my "40 Before 30" progress! Below are a couple of pictures from a few of the items I have marked off my list already.
During a summer trip to Europe with the Baylor in great Britain program, my family and I were fortunate enough to visit the top of the Swiss Alps!! It was one of the most breathtaking sights I have ever seen. God is so good!!
Alex Benda (who is now a very successful marine) taught me to snowboard over Christmas Break of our senior year! She forced me to face a personal fear and for that I am thankful!
Last spring break I went to Las Vegas with three of my best friends. I don't have a picture of us at the Cirque de Solei show we went to, but I figured I would put up a picture just to prove that we were actually in Vegas.
"Being passionate about something makes people nervous. It means you have something to die for while they are still searching for something to live for." - Unknown
Let's start from the beginning. I was born in Waco, went to college in Waco and am now working in Waco. If you were to have asked me a year ago, I would have told you that I would be moving to Dallas, living with my best friend Emily and working an entry-level PR job that probably wouldn't pay enough for me to afford living in the big city. Once again, the Lord hit me with the reality that the plan I have for myself will never prevail. Instead, I find myself sitting behind my desk in Waco completely humbled and thankful for the opportunity I have been given. And while I am confident that the Lord has greater plans for me outside of Waco, I know that it is vital for me to delve into this new chapter of my life (even if it does begin in good 'ole Waco) with everything that I have.
I will be the first to admit that I spent the first 5-6 months of my post graduate career sulking about being in Waco and not being where it seemed like ALL of my friends were. This attitude that I was portraying negatively impacted everything from my job to my relationships to my health. I vividly remember the morning that I woke up and came to the realization that I had lost the passion that I had once had for life. I was strictly going through the motions. For those of you who know me, you know that I don't just "go through the motions." I spent my college life being involved in anything and everything. I would leave for class at 8 or 9 in the morning and would not get home from meetings until 11 or 12. So it was a reality shock, to say the least, when I would get off work at 5 and have NOTHING to do.
Recently, I have made the commitment to regain the passion I once had. Volunteering has always been a big part of my life. Specifically, inner city organizations really tug at my heart. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is something about seeing the faces of those children light up that brightens my day.
"Portraits" is an organization I have volunteered with since I was a sophomore in high school. It is a performing arts organization for African American youth. I was in charge of the 3-5 year old's and as you can see from the pictures below, they are PRECIOUS!
I also spent a summer working at a Kids Across America (KAA) as a counselor/swim instructor/lifeguard. What a humbling experience that was! I had a couple of campers who had never even seen a pool before.
The following pictures are from a project I did for my Advanced Photography class in college. They were just too cute not to share!
So, now that I have shared all of these pictures and background information, I guess it is time to get to the point of this post. I am in the beginning stages of becoming a mentor in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. I am extremely excited about being able to directly impact the life of a child in the Waco Community. And I also firmly believe that my "little sis" will be able to impact my life as well. Be looking for many many more blog posts about this process :)
Check out this video to see how Big Brothers Big Sisters is impacting families in the community!
