This time tomorrow ...

So this time tomorrow evening, I'll be home celebrating the 4th of July weekend with the family!!! Gosh, can't wait! :) It's gonna be so amazing to finally relax and spend some good quality time with them! Hope everyone else has a fabulous weekend as well! Don't get into too much trouble!

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Spirit Days weekend came and went without a hitch! Pretty amazing for it being the first session! It was so awesome meeting the kids we helped register over the phone! Sometimes it's creepy and they are like "Hey you're the one we talked to on the phone.. " or "Oh we know who you are .." But kids and parents like that just make it so worth it! Some of the kids were so hilarious and being around them almost make you feel great because you know that you had a part in welcoming them to campus. It's even more awesome that they recognize you when Fall semester starts too. This Spirit Days we did get nicknames which totally made the weekend more awesome! Due to the smallness of our backpacks and the bright color shirts [and plus me being Hispanic .. haha!] I am Dora , Michele is Diega, Shahala is Mapy, Fransico is Boots and we just decided that Sue is Backpack. Pretty much amazing and it was even more hilarious that we annoyed the hell out of people when Michele and I would sing the song. Priceless. Oh then there was the tennis ball.. hehe! That kept me sane although it made some others go insane. :) All in all it was a great Spirit Days! Our Real World skit was pretty awesome and I'm glad I was able to be a part of that! :) Can't wait for the other 2 sessions! They are gonna rock just as hard! Here are some memorable quotes from the weekend:

"She does tricks on the East side just to get a quick fix.." -Dustin and AnTuan to our waitress at Golden Corral [talking about Michele]

"Oh bless you.." -AnTuan to our waitress for bringing out more plates

"I love how you act black .." -Michele to AnTuan

Shahala jumping the curb in 'ol Blue ... PRICELESS.

"Where's waldo?" -Shahala and I all weekend about a certain someone

"We are like the country fraternity.." -Us overhearing a certain frat describe themselves

A conversation between Jenn, Shahala and I over Monday breakfast:
J: "You didn't get any of the questionable oatmeal?"
B: "That was oatmeal?! I was wondering what that was."
S: "They look like beans."

"Ahh you bastard." -Shahala talking to her tater tots at breakfast .. one got a way...

"Boys are stupid.." -Michele and I pretty much all weekend ..

Those were just some of them. I am sure there are more but those are the ones that stand out the most in my mind. I really enjoy the counselors this summer. I got to know some of them this weekend and they are HILARIOUS! :) We did discover that Michele, Dustin, AnTuan and I are not allowed to all sit together because we continuously laugh. Our abs really got a work out, let me tell ya! True story. [All you Shahala!]

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Today was a pretty awesome day in the office. I was pretty much there all day and totally didn't mind. It was awesome and I *heart* those ladies so much. They are the ones that make me day sometimes. Just continuous laughing. Which is what life is all about. :) I just can't wait til I hit the road to head home! Although that drive is boring at times, I love it at times. It's a nice drive to do some thinking and listen to some awesome music. [btw, thank you shahala for some new rockin' jams!] It's also time to just reflect about some things. Those are always the best drives! :)

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Well I prolly won't blog til I get back on Sunday! So I hope everyone has a great and safe holiday break! Be safe while blowing stuff up! Much love to you all! :)

Laughter is important in life! :)

Soo.. funniest quote from the past 24 hours -- but first, let me set up the scene. The awesome ladies of the office had a little going away party for Jenn. We are all sitting at the table eating some lovely food and we start talking about alcohol. Haley proceeds to tell us that she has NEVER had a drink! [remind you, she is over 21. So age is not the issue.] Which proceeds to this:

Michele: Wait, so you don't drink? Like at all?

Haley: Nope. Never had the desire to.

Michele: Have you been to a bar or anything? Do you go?

Haley: I've been and go to bars. I just don't drink.

Me, leaning over and whispering to Michele: That's like going to the library and not knowing how to read.

Promise it was as hilarious as it sounds!! :) That lead to Michele telling the whole table and everybody laughing. It was great! :) And now I'm famous and that quote is now on Shahala's facebook profile! SWEET. :)

Well although I'm freakishly tired and it's 1:47am and I have still yet gone to bed, today was a great day. Tomorrow starts the wonderful Spirit Days weekend. Hopefully it will all go well without a hitch. Keep the fingers crossed for us all! :)

7 years ago today ...

I can't believe it's been 7 years since my grandmother's suicide. It seems like only yesterday my mother and I were getting that call at work from my paw telling us that maw-maw was dead. I remember I had just had my surgery that week before so I still wasn't 100% back to my normal self. All I remember hearing at work was the type of scream from my mom that I never want to hear from anyone again. It was the type of scream that you only hear in the horror movies. *sigh* That whole week is just something that I wish I could just forget.

My maw-maw was a one of a kind woman. She was a security guard out at the prison. She was small thing which made that even funnier! She tried to be all bad around us but it never worked! Haha! :) I loved her so much. She would make me laugh like no one could. Her and my paw would fight sometimes but deep down they had the love for one another that I hope I can find one day. They were like a comedy act sometimes. I remember one time they came to visit and my paw was just antagozing the hell of out of maw-maw and finally she was like "Alright, we need to head home Oscar." So paw walks into our kitchen, grabs a broom and hands it to her and says "Alright, here's your ride. I'll follow you in the car." Priceless and so hilarious.

My mother and I had so many regrets and "What Ifs?" after she died. I remember being mad at her a couple of days before hand. I remember being so upset that I didn't answer the phone when she tried calling me. That was the last time she called. It took me FOREVER to let that go and for me to get over that. I always kept telling myself "What if I had just answered that phone and just got over whatever I was so ticked off at?" And I do remember what I was mad at and looking back at it now, it was the DUMBEST thing EVER. It was something that I kicked myself for because it was over something so dumb. My mom had a hard time as well because that same day maw-maw had a doctors appt at the doctor's office mom worked at. Maw-maw then asked mom if she wanted to go to lunch and talk. Mom really wasn't in the mood [they didn't have the best relationship in the world] and so she was like "Well maybe next time." That was the last time they saw each other. Mom went through the same "kicking herself" phase I did. We had the hardest time with that and it took us a long time to stop blaming ourselves for her suicide. I still have a copy of her letter she left. She left a note for me telling me that she was going to miss watching me graduate and miss my puffy checks and smile. Gosh, how I miss that woman.

Ever since then, I remember make a goal to myself that I would never let stupid things come between me and the ones I love. Always letting the people in my life know how much I love them. Sometimes thats always easier said than done. But I do the best I can. Sometimes people may feel like my constant reminder of love is annoying but for me it's the only way it helps me deal with those kinds of things in my life.

On a happier note, today was a great day. It was weird because I saw quite a few blue jays today and to me they look like that have silver wings. That in turned reminded me of the song we played at maw-maw's funeral and it was called "Silver Wings". I like to think that she is always around me, which I like. As I've stated before, I have the most amazing people in my life. I am surrounded by constant laughter and just pure happiness. If you don't have that in your life, then you just aint livin'! :)

So much to comprehend ...

Although death usually brings sadness, I truly believe it should be a celebration of that person's life as well. As hard as it may be for us to realize that person is gone, there are those moments that we begin to think back and remember that it was such a wonderful time while they were here with us. Starting last night, in a matter of a 12-hour span, I found out about 3 deaths. My best friend's frat brother, our Dean's father, and a friend's brother-in-law. WoW. One alone is hard to hear about, much less adding 2 more to that. Any death is hard to hear about but for some reason when I hear about someone that is around my age passing away, it always makes me open my eyes and put a lot of things in perspective. And it's a reminder that life is short. We are only here for a certain amount of time so we might as well make the best of it. Reminds me of a quote that I heard from cowboy Rob Smets while we were at the PBR Finals last November:

"It seems that these days most people spend their time making a living instead of making a life. We are only here for a short while and we should be making the most of it. It doesnt matter whether youre a millionaire or have the fastest car. Sometimes we all need a reality check to bring us back to what is really important"

I think my best friend had one of those reality checks today. While walking and talking with him, he told me that he wants to fix things with his dad and that they are going fishing next time he goes home. That made my heart happy. Some things are just not worth being upset about and it's just better to realize that life moves on and people make mistakes.

Ya know, we all say that we need to live everyday as if it were our last. Always easier said than done but I believe that if we strive to live like that then there is no telling how our lives would be. That's my new goal. :) And to remember that tomorrow is never promised.

Lovin' this feeling!!

So .. I'm lovin' this way that I'm feeling! :) It's like a HUGE weight has been lifted from my shoulder and it feels GREAT! And right now, this quote means so much! I was talking to my daddy earlier today and he asked how everything from the past few weeks have been going [that I have quoted as 'hell week'] and I did notice how everything from the past weeks came together. AMAZING! Even though at the time things are happening, we always think "Why the hell is this happening right now?!", but in the end we begin to think back and notice that if those things wouldn't have happend then they wouldn't be as great as they are now. So many examples alone happend on Thursday and Friday and I'm so glad they did. One of my best friends and I finally talked things out and we are better than EVER! Which totally makes me happy because I hate being on the rocks with any of my friends. I just hate being on the rocks in general with anyone, much less when it involves one of my best guy friends.

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Today in church was awesome. We talked about worship and it really got me thinking about how sometimes I let myself get away from my wonderful relationship with my maker. I still have a great relationship with Him and my Faith has seemed to be tested more than ever these past few weeks. But then I realize that He has a plan for me and I should remember that but at times it's so hard. But leaving church this morning, I just felt so alive and so refreshed. Almost like the same feeling when you leave church camp after a week. That feeling is always great to have and I hope it last for a long time.

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I was talking to my parents today and I realized just how lucky I am to have them as my parents. I am VERY lucky! They are such amazing people and they always know when to tell me "Bran - you're being selfish and you need to get your head out of your a$$." They always seem to tell me the right things even at times when I don't want to hear them. They are always looking out for me and they are truly my best friends. LOVE them to pieces. They told me today that I sounded wonderful and that I just sounded so care-free. And I really do feel that way. I can't wait til I get to go home for the weekend and see them! I'm so ready to cook out and spend time with my awesome family.

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One message I shared with most of my gal pals this weekend was: just because you may think you and a certain guy are supposed to be together, doesn't always mean you are MEANT to be together. Something that alot of girls need to think about.

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So as a closing, I really hope this week has the wonderful awesome feeling that I've had since Thursday. I'm sure it will if I just keep a smile on my face and an open mind that everyday is a new day and that God has placed some awesome and amazing people in my life. :)

F.R.I.D.A.Y

This saying could not be more true ... :)

So although this week started out a little rough, it got TONS better. It's like I always say, it's just amazing how things turn out when you least expect them. I still do believe that certain people are put in your life for a reason. And thank the good lord up above that I have some AMAZING people in my life that make me happy! :)

One exciting thing from this weekend is that I'm going up to Connecticut in August to see one of my best friends! OMG. So excited! We are gonna drive over to Boston and see where I would want to live after I graduate [which I feel like won't be for another decade and a half]! Haha! :) But I am very excited to not only see her but just to go back to Boston! *sigh* Can't wait!! :)

Pretty pumped about my mom going to California next week! She's going to have so much fun! I wish her layover was long in Dallas cause I would totally drive over to see her while she waits! But I think she's only going to be there for 30 mins. Not long enough.

So as I was reading the news today, I noticed an interesting article. In Massachusetts, there are 17 high school girls that made a "pregnancy pact" to get pregnant so they all could have their babies together. One girl got pregnant from a 24 year old homeless man. seriously. I understand friends wanting to have babies together so they grow up together and what not but when you are between 13-17.. wow. I know it's not a particular goal that I had in mind when I was that age. I could IMAGINE having a baby then. I can't even imagine having one now. I just feel like it makes you grow up faster than you need to.

I did discover one thing about females this week. We tend to over-react at the smallest things and we tend to make small things seem like an atomic bomb went off when in all reality it was just a little firework. And it's not a good feeling knowing you over-reacted either. But it just reminds yourself that one needs to get all the facts straight before they send their wrath upon someone. Haha!

Oh. Isn't it amazing how ONE text message can change the ENTIRE mood of the day? I had that happen yesterday and let me tell you, it just set the mood for the rest of the afternoon and even transfered my mood to today! Gotta love it.

So this weekend is going to be full of hanging out with friends and just relaxing. I'm really pumped about Spirit Days and all the parents that I have become BFFE with over the phone! :) Haha!

I'm also ready for the weekend that I get to go HOME!!! CAN'T WAIT! I'm just ready for 4th of July and all the festivities that come with that! Fair on the Square, cooking out, watching fireworks ... *sigh* And I can't wait to just hang out with the family! It's going to be soooo nice!

Well, I hope everyone had a fabulous Friday and a wonderful weekend! :)

The Cone...

Oh. the lovely cone. So let me explain the story that has had Katelyn and I laughing constantly, not only at the cone, but people's reaction to the cone. Which BTW, this pic was taken from my window. That hot blue cougar is my baby!

I think it's hilarious how people act sometimes! Ok there is the thing that K and I have been doing for the past week. There was this random traffic cone in the grass area [have no idea why] so the other day while we were on our way to play tennis, I was like "Let's put this is a spot and see how many people don't park there!" So we did and every time we would come back we would move it within that spot. And remind you that it's summer so parking is not that big of an issue. Now if it was Fall semester, that would be even more hilarious!!! :) Well maybe not to some people, but I know we'd get a kick out of it!

But the other night when I got back from K's house, I was sitting in my car listening to my fav song on the radio and then I noticed a car come wheeling in and was thinking "whoo hoo. a close spot!" and then they come wheeling in just to stop suddenly when they see the cone they slam on the brakes and back up! Priceless. So they backed up and parked somewhere else! Ha!

Then earlier today I was chilling at my computer just looking out the window every now and then. Well I noticed that campus cops were parked in our lot so, of course, I look out my window and see what's up. The cop gets out of the truck, walks over to the cone in the "blocked" parking spot, looks at the cone, turns around, gets back in and leaves. RANDOM. But funny at the same time.
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Update time @ 9:59pm: We moved the cone again this afternoon to another spot. Sadly, I think someone ran over the cone because it's no longer there and there is a truck in it's spot. :( Sadness. But it brought a week of laughter into our lives! :) It was that think I talked about earlier.. it's the object God puts in our life to make us laugh. This time it was cone. :)