We Won Most of It

As you may already know, December 29, 2010, was a historic day for the Baylor faithful as we returned from a brief (like, 16 years) hiatus from the bowl scene. Most who read here are aware that I'm a bit of a football fan(atic) and that Taylor thinks she and RG3 have a lot in common due to their injuries and rehab following basically the same timeline in 2009/2010 so it goes to reason that we would gift each other with tickets to said bowl for Christmas, right? :-)

Our destination was the Texas Bowl and the venue was Reliant Stadium, where Baylor Nation made a giant statement last March when supporting our men's basketball team as they were denied the opportunity to advance to the Final Four by an official who was momentarily struck blind and called Quincy Acy for a bogus charge. Or something like that...

It was humid, gloomy and rainy when we arrived in Houston but that's exactly the same weather we faced when becoming bowl eligible against Kansas so I took it as a good sign.

My girl donned her new Baylor shoes and pink RG3 jersey - also Christmas gifts, of course - and we tailgated in our hotel room as anyone with hair like mine would do...

My parents joined us a bit later and we made the trek across the street to the stadium...along with 60,000 other Baylor fans. It was a sight to behold, friends!

These two fellas were a wee bit excited...

I need to let you know here - because Dave will if I don't - that he had planned to wear his snazzy green and gold polo shirt but I forgot it at home. Why? Because it was on a hanger on top of the suitcase instead of inside of it where, in my opinion, it belonged...but I digress... :-)

My hair was OUT OF CONTROL, y'all, but I wasn't letting it get me down. Obviously.

Our band performed and our crew definitely thought won the pre-game performance...

Our fans clearly outnumbered and out cheered that other team's...

The Fighting Illini (what is that anyway?) learned that everything truly is bigger in Texas...

Our colors looked better on the program...

Our team ran out as the fireworks were going off (unlike another team I witnessed)...

...and it appeared all was off to a roaring start.

But the first half didn't shape up like we'd planned so my man turned his hat around to "rally the team."

They finally got close enough for me to take a picture...

...and then we missed a field goal right before the half...

But, again, the band rose to the occasion and won the halftime performance...

...while my girl decided I had truly (and finally) lost my ever lovin' mind...it was stressful, y'all!

...and our band joined the enemy to pay tribute to the good ol' USA, which was FABULOUS...

...and then the second half began. I'd like to not discuss it too thoroughly as my spirits were buoyed only to be dashed. But here's the thing, I firmly believe we won every single aspect of this game except the one involving a ball.

Before the season began, our goal was clearly stated: To return to a bowl game.

We did.

Now here's to being more specific (and including the word WINNING) in 2011!

Please know that while this post is tongue in cheek, I am incredibly proud of this team and our coaches. I have no doubt Phil Bennett will be a valuable addition as we head into next season and, quite frankly, I'm ready to play for himself if a need arises. My man and I firmly believe this program is on the rise and that the best is yet to come. Whether that comes to pass or not, know that we will be sitting in the stands and cheering for our team for as many years to come as the good Lord allows. Period. End of story.

Sic 'em, Bears!

Christmas Program

Let's rewind a bit, shall we?

Due to my untimely illness (that I'm apparently going to use as an excuse for everything) I failed to post about my daughter's theatrical debut. I know, I know, it's almost unforgivable but - again - the FEVER was in CHARGE!

Anyway, she played the part of Nurse Philpot in our church musical and, honestly, I had absolutely no idea what to expect because apparently a 'tween doesn't need or want her mother's interference when preparing for such an event. At least mine didn't.

So, I was a wee bit nervous BUT was absolutely amazed with the performance, y'all. She began with a snarky attitude (it was scripted, not just the 'tween thang) and for a minute we thought she had been purely type cast. :-)

But, in the end, she and her character came around to celebrating the real meaning of Christmas and it was - from start to finish - delightful.

She was so excited to have her very own headset, y'all. She sang and remembered her lines and I was one proud mama. All of the kids did an incredible job and I was again so thankful for our church.  

There was also a cameo by the Pink Ladies and, friends, I promise it was one of the most entertaining scenes of myself. They were hysterical and truly brought the house down.

At the end of the day (or life), it's really all about living for Him and it is our opinion that Taylor will be much better equipped for navigating the treacherous paths of junior high and high school (not to mention college because I'm just NOT ready to go there) if she's surrounded by friends who hold the same beliefs and value with a safe place to learn more about Jesus each week. Brazos Meadows is that and we could not be more thrilled that she wants to be there every single time the doors are open.

I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13 (NIV)

The Man

He inspires me every day,

makes my heart go pitter pat,

challenges me to be a better person,

doesn't accept my excuses when I'm trying to weasel my way out of a situation,

loves me unconditionally,

astounds me with his professional abilities,

humbly helps to save lives each day,

makes me laugh on an hourly basis,

loves the Puppy Posse without abandon,

looks out for the girl at each turn,

has some astronomical shoulders due to many hours spent in the gym over the last year,

has the ability to make it all make sense,

and makes me a better person.

Not bad for a 4-month-old puppy, huh?

Oh, I'm totally kidding! I'm totally talking about Tonto.

My rock. My love. My man.

Christmas as Remembered Through My Haze of Medication

In moving through the pictures from the holiday, it would appear we had a nice time on Christmas Day though I can't say my medication haze allowed me to actually be "in the moment." In fact, I felt a LOT like this...

So I do have some photos from the day and if you think you'll find any of me, let me just share with you that my mom took one look and me and banished me to the couch. When I inquired, "Do I look THAT bad?" she said, "Yes."

There you have it...

We did remember the reason for the season through the advent wreath...

...which the girl lit for herself with a great deal of assistance from Boppy :-)

She was looking mighty cute in her "Jingle All the Way" shirt and leggings, which is apparently the style these days. Who knew?

My mom's tree was rockin' as well...

...and the gumbo she made was so hot I could actually taste it. Clearly moms still know what you need even when you're 32 years old. :-)

After lunch, I dropped Tay off in Lorena to celebrate Christmas with her dad and his family. The pups and I then passed out after taking some sleepy sinus medicine and dreamed the afternoon away. 

And that was that...

Don't worry, though, I perked up a few days after these photos were taken so I do have much more to say about the Texas Bowl and some other holiday festivities. Due to what has turned into a super busy week at work, those photos will have to wait, though.

Praying you are enjoying an absolutely phenomenal first week of 2011, friends!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was the only day in a one week period that I actually felt decent. Unfortunately, that caused me to celebrate like it was 1999 and I felt like a semi had run over me for a few days after but, hey, it's only Christmas Eve once a year, right?

There was a tree...

...stockings were hung by the fire...

...someone guarded his squeaky chicken like a hawk...

...Nana and Boppy brought presents for the posse...

...we all brought presents for the girl...

...a Christmas miracle happened and she posed for a couple of good pictures...

...I wondered when and how she grew up so fast...

...she opened more presents...

...we ate a lot and then went to Christmas Eve service at church...

...then we made reindeer food and I used the wrong setting on my camera to take a picture of her sprinkling it around the yard...

...and we set out cookies, milk and carrots for the reindeer along with Santa's new to-go bag...

It was a Merry Christmas for all and all had a good night!

Candlelight Christmas

Hello, friends!

Why, yes, I am still alive. Thankyouverymuch for asking because, at this time last week, I wasn't so certain about my survival prospects for the new year. You know it's not a good thing when you go to the doctor for one illness and catch another while you're there. Nope, not good at all. 

Needless to say, I was DOWN FOR THE COUNT from the Tuesday before Christmas until the Sunday after the holiday. It was rough but forced me to slow down, not care so much about a "perfect holiday" and I was able to focus on what really mattered. I'm sure that's a whole other post in itself, though, so I'll save further reflection about last year and this until all of the medication wears off. Quite frankly, that could be another week or so...

Back tracking a bit (it seems we do that a lot at this here blog, doesn't it?), I had the privilege of hosting a table at our women's Candlelight Christmas this year. It was so much fun and I cannot wait to do it again next year. In a nutshell, you invite seven friends to sit at a table that you decorate however you want, serve dessert, and enjoy some girl talk and fellowship while remembering the real reason for the season.

In a word: delightful.

I'm sure it comes as no surprise to those who know me well that I had about 72 different design options/color combinations throughout this planning process but eventually landed here...

It will also come as no surprise that my mom (aka garnish extraordinaire) was in charge of plating the chosen dessert selection. She rocks, y'all!

There were so many absolutely beautiful tables that I walked around and snapped a picture of every single one of them. Oh, yes, I most certainly did. They're phenomenal, aren't they?

There were also sauce options for our cheesecake because, really, anything would taste good with strawberry puree, caramel or chocolate on top. :-)

Also, I bought all kinds of things with which to make a centerpiece but ended up deconstructing my Christmas tree because what was on it just worked better. And, no, I still have not gotten all of the fake snow out of that vase. I'm absolutely open to suggestions, though!

More pretty tables...

Here are my beautiful friends and my rockin' mama. Love all of them so much. Why? Because these girls will laugh with you and show up in a heartbeat if needed. We feel very blessed to have friends that love Jesus and genuinely care about what's going in or lives. The feeling is absolutely mutual and, having done life a vastly different way for many years, I can promise you fellowshipping with the Lord's people is where it's at - bar none.

The weekend this soiree was held, my girl was nursing a case of pharyngitis (infected throat tissue, basically) and that's actually what had to begin with but then got a sinus component thrown in for free. Aren't I lucky? Thankfully she recovered much faster than I did (apparently youth DOES make a difference) and was able to fully enjoy her Christmas break that's still ongoing for another week.

Praying all of you had a very special Christmas and will be blessed abundantly in the New Year.

You crown the year with Your good blessings, and You leave abundance in Your wake. 

Psalm 65:11 (NET)