Robbie's Ramblings

Another one down...

2010-10-11T20:57:00.000-07:00

Ever since that movie The Bucket List, I have heard the term used more and more often. I'm sure I have a bucket list, it's just not written/typed anywhere. Off the top of my head I could list a ton of things I'd like to do before I die that would qualify as "bucket list" material...

See all 50 states.

Comfortably wear a pair of jeans in the single-digits.

Own an brand-spankin' new Mustang.

I could go on forever. Some people's bucket list items are a lot more complicated than others:

"Fly a plane." Yikes.

"Take a trip to Hawaii." Okay...feasible.

Be it small, I crossed one of my own bucket list items off yesterday.

I finally went to the movies by myself.

Maybe not that impressive, but it's something I've always wanted to do but never had the guts.

The opportunity was perfect...

Boyfriend busy with his friends.

Best friend buried in homework.

Sister one million miles away.

And a Robbie, bored and not ready to be in for the night.

So I took myself (and my favorite sweatpants) to see Life As We Know It.

The movie itself was good, probably won't make my Top 5 but I throughly enjoyed it. What I enjoyed even more though was the cleansing feeling of bawling my eyes out with no one to hide it from. The theatre ended up being crowded for a Sunday night so I sat in the middle of complete strangers and cried like a little girl. As I snotted all over my Cowboys t-shirt I couldn't help but think how nice it was to be alone in a moment like that.

Laughing at the funny parts was a different story. It felt weird to not have someone to laugh with, but at the same time was oddly freeing. I am laughing at this only because I think it is funny. There was no pressure to laugh when I wasn't that impressed or to hold back my once titled "crazy guffaw".

I let the theatre almost empty out before I stood out of my seat and followed my fellow movie-goers out of the room. Although being alone in a crowd is not something I'm accustomed to, I have to say that my lone movie experience was a good one and something I am proud to say I did.

One more simple thing crossed off my bucket list.

Hundreds more to go.

P.S. It's October! Eeeek! Love fall, love fall.

Making Choices

2010-09-08T15:15:00.001-07:00

I read an article in Women's Health this morning all about food choices. According to the article, research shows that people are much more likely to be happy with their healthy diets if they get to choose between multiple foods they like, rather than having limited options.
I have by no stretch of the imagination mastered a perfect diet & weight loss is a constant struggle in my life. However, since I have been working, I've found lots of lunch options that work for me. Since I drive 79ish miles to work everyday, it was difficult to remember to pack a lunch, much less one that was healthy AND satisfying. Going through the drive-through every day quickly became expensive & miserably unhealthy. Finally I have figured out a system that works well for me, fills me up, & satisfies me with yummy foods!
Once a month, I go to the store & stock up on my work-lunch staples, as well as breakfast foods for the days I run late & afternoon snacks that won't ruin my whole day. I keep them all in a cabinet in my office, so I never have to leave & waste gas/valuable time. Some of the things I swear by include:
Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers-I have not found one that I wouldn't recommend. Although, the Tuscan Chicken is extra yummy!
Campbell's Soup at Hand-The chicken & mini-noodles is my favorite & it's only 80 calories! Totally filling too...real "stick to your ribs" type stuff.
Frito-Lay's Smart Mix-a ready to go bag of 5 different "better option" chips. It includes all kinds of baked chips, Sun Chips, & pretzels. So there's a chip to fit whatever craving I have!
Nabisco Chocolate Covered Pretzles-these delicious little yums come in a 100 calorie pack & work great for satisfying my dessert craving or as an afternoon snack.

These items are all super easy to find & help keep me on track through out the day. Today's choice:

Plus a GIANT calorie-free energy tea from the local tea bar that lasts me all day...my coffee replacement.

Hope this helps if anyone is looking for easy on-the-go foods to make for a healthy day!

- Posted using BlogPress from Robbie's iPhone 4

A Labor-less Labor Day

2010-09-06T19:07:00.001-07:00

I have never truly appreciated Labor Day until...well...today. The paid holiday is a beautiful, beautiful thing.

I always have Fridays off so I spent this FOUR day weekend catching up on laundry, watching football with my boyfriend, & getting in lots of family time.

John & I have a running joke between the two of us that we tend to air on the easy side when it comes to couple dating. Be it his best friend from high school, a coworker, my girlfriend...we are always down for the double date. We date around so much that in the single world one might label such dating a little bit whore-ish. But this weekend we reached a height that he nor I had ever imagined.

At a surprise family lunch in honor of John's grandpa's birthday his whole family sat at a long table & awaited the arrival of the birthday boy. We had waited as well, just at the front door of the restaurant. When we all got back to the family, there was no room at the big table but a special booth reserved for four people. John's grandma, grandpa, me, & John. As we began to sit down John looked at me & whispered "I think I just found another couple for us to double date with!"
It was a delightful meal, topped off with Grandpa attempting to convince Grandma to put the salt & pepper shakers in their to-go box.

After spending the rest of the day in Amarillo, we had dinner & dessert with my parents, making Sunday a two-date day for us. But believe you me, we ate like kings! Here's a picture taken of my mom & dad at dessert. I won't lie, this was taken for the single purpose of sending to my sister (away at college) to make her jealous.

Aren't they so good looking?

And now it's back on the road for another day in Beautiful Borger, Texas in the morning.
Hope everyone had a great & safe holiday!

Love. Love. Love.

- Posted using BlogPress from Robbie's iPhone 4

Fall Friday

2010-09-04T08:36:00.001-07:00

It officially feels like fall & I'm more excited about that than ever in my life! This weekend football season is in full swing with games to watch three days in a row & last night I slept with my windows open to welcome the crisp morning air that is finally here!

Last night, John & I were having a lazy evening full of Papa Murphy's pizza, football, & hanging out when he decided we would go paint cars at the Cadillac Ranch. I have lived in this area the better half of my life & had never been out to see the Caddies so I was so excited to finally go. After making a stop to buy pink spray paint (per my request) to go with the black we headed West down I-40 for our little adventure. We didn't make it out before dark but with a flashlight in tow, we could still see well enough to make plenty of self-proclaimed masterpieces.

Boo Yankees. Yay Rangers!

Stereotypical love graffiti.

Well...he is!

Oh how I love this boy so much.

Topped off with Starbucks it was a great fall Friday night to kick off "the most wonderful time of the year" -John, referring to football season.

Happy Labor Day weekend everyone!

- Posted using BlogPress from Robbie's iPhone 4

Kissing dirty feet.

2010-06-12T12:27:00.000-07:00

It's official.

I am one of those completely lame bloggers who goes whole months at a time without posting anything. It's not that I don't have anything to share, that's not it at all. It's that most of the stories I have now are a violation of HIPAA due to the nature of my job.

The job is great. I wake up in a totally new world every 45 minutes & I truly feel that I am doing what I was meant to do at this time in my life.

I am hopelessly in love with every single one of my little patients & I pray that I can be a little beacon of light in their lives every time they come to see me. There's one little guy who's almost the preschool age that has stolen my heart with his sweet brown eyes & the wonderment I see on his face as he learns new words. The other day, we were enjoying a session full of playing cars & doing puzzles when I began to read him a story. In the middle of a sentence, he just came over and gave me the biggest hug. Talk about melting a heart.

Last week during his session everything was going like normal until he scraped his toe on the corner of a table leg. Those little brown eyes welled up with tears and he looked at me, asking me to make it better. I gave him a hug but then he lifted up his foot...

**A good majority of the people that come to see me face financial challenges that I have never been through in my life. This little guy's family falls into that category.**

I could see the scratch on his foot but what struck me was how dirty his tiny little toes were. His feet were a reflection of his clothes and probably his living conditions. But then all he wanted, what he really needed was for me to kiss it & make it all better.

So I gave those dirty, grimy, teeny, tiny, feet a kiss and the pain was all gone & we were back to playing with Bob the Builder trucks.

That 20 second interaction made me think about Jesus the rest of the day.

His love, His humility, His servanthood.

If kissing dirty feet is what He has asked me to do to bring glory to His name, then bring 'em on. Especially if they're tiny.

Putting things in a safe place.

2010-05-07T06:47:00.000-07:00

I set things down everywhere. In my world, everything has a place...& that is exactly where I left it. I'm one of those people who says "As soon as I get organized, I can't find anything!" It's just my way. In the last few months I've figured out that if I put...let's say...my keys somewhere that I knew I would forget later, if I repeat "My keys are on the back of the toilet, my keys are on the back of the toilet..." to myself five times, when it's finally time for me to look for my keys, I will remember exactly where I left them.

I should've come up with this system one year ago.

I still haven't done a full post about my new job but now that it's totally official, I promise I'll do one soon. All you need to know right now, I'll tell you play-by-play in this story.

Okay, first of all, we need to set up a timeline of events.

March 2009-Robbie gets rejected by graduate school.

March 2009-Robbie's room gets messssyyyyyy. And stays that way.

March 2009-End of May 2009-Robbie is sad & scared about her future. Robbie leaves ALL her stuff (MESS) at her college apartment, avoids the problem, & sleeps at her parent's house until the lease is up.

End of May 2009-Robbie & Mom clean up & move the stuff (MESS, JUNK) home.

***skip almost one year***

April 2010-Robbie gets awesome new job.

And this is where today's story picks up!

At the beginning of April I was hired as an SLPA at Progressive Step Rehabilitation Services in Amarillo & Borger. Basically, it's the only job I've wanted & dreamed of since graduating. The tricky thing about being a speech therapist though, is that you must be HIRED before you can apply for your license from the state of Texas & you must have that license BEFORE you can practice with patients.

See how that can be frustrating?

Well when ProStep hired me they walked me through all the paperwork that I would send to the state of Texas in order to get my license & get started! We filled out forms & all I lacked was an official transcript from W.T. & a form signed by the head of the communication disorders department at W.T. stating that in my undergraduate program, I had received the required amount of observation hours. Piece of cake.

I rushed from the ProStep clinic in Amarillo to campus.

Down to the registrar's office for my transcript-check.

Now over to the C.D. department for my hours verification paper & I will be good to go!

I explained to the lady in charge what I needed & she said she would be happy to sign my paper.

"Just follow me down to the office & I'll pull your file to verify your hours."

She wasn't at all suspicious of me. She had me in class. Those hours we a requirement to graduate. There's no way to receive a diploma without them. She knew I had done them. She was just doing her job.

She & the secretary found my file, pulled it, & there had been no record of my hours kept. When I was in undergrad, they were under different management & at that time the person in charge did not keep a record of past student's hours logged in undergraduate courses.

50 hours...gone.

You can probably imagine the meltdown that quickly followed before we formulated a plan.

I had the originals.

What I turned in for my file were copies & I kept my originals.

I would go home & look high & low for them.

But then I remembered that messy apartment.

The purging of all things academic I did when I was angry about school.

The huge mess & the different people that helped me clean it up.

The move.

There's no way I still had those papers.

But I looked anyways. I looked through books, my car, boxes & boxes of apartment junk...2.75 hours that happened to be recorded of a separate log is all a came up with.

I just knew that this was the end of my great job before it even started. I knew that when I called ProStep to explain everything to them, they would decide not to waste their time with me but the were the exact opposite. My boss was very gracious & was came up with a plan for me to get all of those hours back with them so I could be learning the ropes of the job at the same time. Truthfully, it was exactly what I needed. I had the time to watch, learn, re familiarize myself with the profession after being away from all things speech for almost a year, & get comfortable with the staff I will be working with.

It took me a week & a half to get 70 hours (I'm not sure how I ended up with that many extra, but I did), five days to get in touch with the lady who needed to sign the final paper, one day to mail it to Austin, & nine days to finally hear that I am an officially licensed SLPA (I found out yesterday!).

But something else was also found yesterday...

Think back to the end of May & my little chaotic life that I thought was coming to an end.

There were papers scattered all over my room amongst dirty clothes, shoes, clean clothes, books, & boxes ready to be packed. I just wanted to be out. I wanted to forget about school & be in my old room at my mom & dad's house. I tossed all school papers in the trash but a nagging feeling of responsibility made me take them back out. Having no idea what to do with the papers but knowing I wanted them out of my sight, I stuck them all in a BCBG boot box that was under my bed. I am very particular about shoes & boots & I thought at the time "I'll probably forget they're in here, but at least I know they'll be safe until I stumble upon them again someday."

And they were. All 50 of them. Safe & sound.

Total obligation.

2010-04-25T20:01:00.000-07:00

The entire month of April is almost up & this is only my 2nd blog post. The first one hardly even counts but I guess that's the life of a workin' girl! :)

I don't like to do posts solely about why I haven't been doing posts but I feel in this situation it's called for, necessary even.

The only real thing that's been out of the ordinary is that I have been working on getting my SLPA license so I can do pediatric speech therapy at Progressive Step Rehabilitation Services. Long story short, they have worked with me to set up a program where I have been learning & practicing while we complete all the necessary measures to get my state license. I am so thankful for the opportunity to work for such a wonderful company with unique & amazing patients each day. I can already see how God has been preparing me for this job over the months I went without work & I can't wait to be up to my neck in articulation & language.

Although many of the other areas of my life have remained relatively normal, with a job taking up 8-10 hours 4 days a week & 3-4 hours another day of the week there is just a lot less time for hanging out, laundry, friends, the boyfriend, blogging, reading, napping, watching the View, cooking breakfast, playing Webkinz, & living the life I was so used to before employment. But I am so thankful for the chance to do something I love. Hopefully as I continually fall into a better routine I will figure out a time to do everything :) Keep reading & I'll keep writing every time I get the chance!

It's raining, it's pouring.

2010-04-16T21:35:00.000-07:00

This morning, I saw a boy walking to school in shorts on crutches in the rain.

I thought, "I've been there, man."

It's been raining for two days with no sign of stopping & I'm totally okay with that. I like rain every once in a while. I don't like being soggy but the weather has provided plenty of time for cuddling, watching movies, & lazy "study"nights with friends.

My blog has been severely lacking due to my working but eventually my schedules (sleeping, working, friends, hanging-out) will get all situated & I'll have plenty of great things to write about!

Enjoy the wet weekend everybody!

HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY ABBEY JO!!!

Perspective, much?

2010-03-30T04:33:00.000-07:00

There is no one who truly understands our perspective but our own selves. Perspective can be changed or influenced by an outside source, but I'm the only one who can be inside my little (actually giant) head to know what I see from my point of view.

Yesterday, I found myself amazed and humbled at how little it took for the Lord to remind me how totally off my perspective was.

One phone call (we'll talk more about it later). One phone call spun my whole world around, made me 100% more at peace with my life, a put me in a mood I had been missing for almost a year. That one phone call made me feel accomplished. Free. Proud.

One baby boy. Some very good friends of mine had their first child yesterday. I haven't even met him yet and all it took was the news of his birth to make me feel humbled. I suddenly (because I have been an idiot over the past year) realized how not the center of the universe I am. How life keeps going, even when we stop trusting.

March 29th was a big, exciting day!

But right at the center of it was me realizing how I have let circumstances determine the level of my joy, the depth of my faith, and the amount of my self-worth. I can already look back and see how Jesus was whispering to me the truth the whole time and I chose to ignore it because my situation was not exactly how I had planned for it to be.

I am so humbled to be serving a Jesus so faithful.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the Heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." -James 1:17

One forty eight.

2010-03-10T14:59:00.001-08:00

Back up to ten months ago...

I got a gift card to my favorite local shoe store for my college graduation.

My thought process about most gift cards (and money in general!) is spend them immediately, & I did that with many of my presents. For my shoe gift card, however, I made the decision to save it & buy winter shoes when the time came since I already have more flip-flops & heels than any girl should own.

Fall came & I remembered my gift card!

Yippee!!!

But when I got to the store, their selection was limited & nothing really tickled my fancy.

"I'll just come back in a few weeks." I thought.

And I did.

Many times.

Never anything new that I couldn't live without.

Then this week I had some spare time in Amarillo so I decided I would drop by once again.

I get to the store & see on the outside window HUGE "Going Out of Business" & "Everything 75% Off!" signs.

Yesssssssssssssss.

But the store was cleaned out.

Nothing I wanted (or would ever wear) was left on the shelves.

I asked the clerk at the counter about maybe getting some of the money back & she informed me that they would give no refunds on gift cards.

Bummer.

She said in a last ditch effort to get me to buy something "All flip flops are 55 cents...?"

"Hahaha, okay thank you." I said.

But then I had an idea...

My gift card could still buy shoes there...lots of shoes. None that I would want or need...but I could give them away.

Twenty four hours later as the same clerk helped me buy every last pair of flip flops they had plus two pairs of flats, she asked "Are these all for you?" looking very bewildered that I would buy that many shoes, ranging in sizes 5 to 11. "No," I told her. "I'm just going to donate them." She immediately started telling me story after story of how people had yelled at her, griped her out, & stormed out of the store angry at how their gift cards would go to waste. I felt a little ashamed. My attitude towards her they day before was something I'm less then proud of. We bagged up all the shoes and pack my car full.

This is my back seat. Since I drive a teeny car, the sacks filled the back, front, & trunk.

I'm sure the people watching me carry all these shoes to my car from Great Harvest Bread Company thought I was nuts.

Ten minutes later I was dropping off 148 pairs of shoes at the Downtown Women's Center.

I say none of this to toot my own horn, I was just as grumpy about not getting a refund as all those people who yelled & complained. But I do know that when things don't go our way, if we think about people other than ourselves, it may make our situation seem much less unfortunate.

It's very rare that I do things for others, but much more satisfaction comes from paying it forward than from dwelling on the bad.

One gift card from sweet friends.

One store, going out of business.

One hundred and forty eight pairs of shoes.

One hundred and forty eight pairs of feet.

Sheryl Crow was right...

2010-03-09T23:48:00.000-08:00

a change would do you good.

And by "you", I really mean myself.

Driving to work this morning I heard a talk radio bit in which each radio personality listed the top three things they would change about themselves and/or their lives if given the chance. They said a whole range of things from "make my toes less crooked" to "wouldn't have been a dead beat dad for ten years" to "I'd be less stubborn".

Since work is 30 minutes from my house, this gave me lots of time to think about my three things. I normally wouldn't tell just aaaaaanyone something so personal, but I'm under the impression that the only people that read this are the people I would tell anyways.

These are the three things I've come up with so far, but consider them a "rough draft" of sorts and very tentative (and in no particular order).

1. I'd ask for an amazing singing voice.

2. I would've figured out much earlier that my sister could be one of my very best friends, instead of someone who I thought annoyed me.

3. I would/will be the kind of person who works hard for what she wants and never takes short cuts.

Change is good.

Even when it's hard.

Some things we can't change.

Some we can.

It's my prayer that as I walk through this unique season of life that God will direct my steps and guide every change, giving me peace in my spirit.

3D is my drug.

2010-03-05T10:53:00.000-08:00

People do silly things when they're sleepy!

Last night was one that I've been waiting for for months...the midnight premier of Alice in Wonderland: Beyond the Looking Glass in 3D! I normally don't do very well at midnight showings of anything so I had planned my Thursday around work, a dinner, & then a nap before time to head to the theatre. Per usual, my day filled up with other things & no nap took place...before I knew it I was driving us to Amarillo.

The movie was great, I'll admit that I fell asleep during the fighting scene at the end, but altogether magical.

3D is my drug.

The down-side of the whole night being that me (& most of my friends) had to wake up for class, work, etc. early the next morning. Although I no longer have class, I had an important doctor's appointment in Amarillo at 9:30 a.m. My alarm buzzed waaay to early but I made it to the doctor on time & got a great report! Yay! I planned to come home & go right back to sleep, but I made a Pioneer Woman recipe instead.

That's right.

Delicious homemade apple fritters.

Maybe I shouldn't cook.

Or maybe I shouldn't bake.

Or maybe I should only make things that are healthy.

But...I have a zebra apron & I just look so cute wearing it!

And my skills in the kitchen are still quite limited so I must make the recipes that I can easily get my hands on (& that come with pictorial instructions).

See...look...

So cute.

Okay, you can't even see my apron & the excessive squinty-ness of my left eye in this picture makes me want to delete it & pretend this never happened!

But I'm not going to.

Back to the fritters...

We had everything needed to make them so in less than an hour with no trouble (and no mistakes!) I whipped up batter, dropped them in oil, & made roughly 65 delicious homemade treats & the glaze for them to top it all off!

But then it dawned on me mid-cook...I will never eat these. Dough...soaked in oil...covered in sugar...yuck. I mean, yummm...but really...yuck. On top of that, my whole family eats super healthy & will not eat them either.

So now I'm stuck with over five dozen tiny doughnut hole-like fritters.

And I still need a nap.

The End.

Staying the Course

2010-03-04T06:44:00.000-08:00

My daddy found this poem when he was cleaning out his office this week.

It's funny the ways that God chooses to speak to us sometimes.

Staying the Course

By BJ Gallagher

Our journey of life is about progress,

not perfection.

It's not about doing on thing

100% better-

it's a matter of doing 100 things,

1% better each day.

Progress is evolutionary,

not revolutionary,

and most days we measure our progress

in inches,

not miles.

What matters most

is showing up for you life

whether you feel like it

or not.

Ask yourself,

"What two or three little things

can I do today

that would move me forward?"

You'll be amazed

at how much distance

you can cover

by taking it in increments.

The little things add up;

the inches turn to miles;

and we string together our efforts

like so many pearls.

Before long,

look what you have-

a whole strand!

Ah...beautiful

What I read.

2010-02-22T09:51:00.000-08:00

I love to read, I think books were my very first passion.

But because of time & technology, I have gotten so into blogs. All kinds of blogs & web sites. All the time. If you see me sitting at my laptop, it's most likely that I'm NOT on Facebook, but browsing my list of sites that I obsessive-compulsivley check. Here are a few of the things I read every single day.

1. What I Wore Such a cute idea! Jessica, the author, takes a picture of herself (almost) every single day & then blogs about it. She likes to thrift & sew her own clothes, super creative. I'm going to do a WIW inspired post someday...

2. The Pioneer Woman If I could only have one web site to read for the rest of my life, it would be this one. This is where I learn how to cook, I get cute gift ideas, I laugh, I cry, & I drool over her beautiful pictures of the country life. Worth your time. Within the cite I highly highly recommend Black Heels to Tractor Wheels: A Love Story. It took me a week to read, but I couldn't stop!

3. Keep Your Knees Closed My favorite quirky white girls. Maybe I love it so much because she is my best friend, but I think you don't have to know her/us to appreciate Abbey's awesome writing, hilarious antic dotes, & little pieces of advice.

4. Lauren Clark Photography This photographer shot my friend Amanda's wedding last summer & I have been checking her blog daily ever since. I dream of her taking my picture some day. An awesome, inspiring young talent who's Christian perspective will make you want to support her business.

5. helloamanda.com I've written about this site in a post before. I think I might've grown up to be like this if I wasn't born & raise in nowhere, Texas. But hey, a girl can dream! Cute fashion advice, ideas, celebrity gossip, & fun girly things.

6. Make it & Love it I'm saving this one just incase I ever get to be a mom. So adorable.

7. Girl Talk I just discovered this one, it's a Christian site for women with tidbits about everything. They even do devotional series every day, which is so nice & gives me something to study on the days I feel stumped.

And right now, I'm actually reading an actual book! Everyone's heard of Wild at Heart. Well, I bought it this summer & never got around to reading it so I decided to tackle it this week before (hopefully) things with my job pick up! I hope you check out some of these sites & love them.

A Gentleman's Sport.

2010-02-20T20:35:00.000-08:00

I am a bad sister.

My brother has been on the varsity golf team since fall of his sophomore year and today I went to my very first golf tournament.

He's in the spring season of his senior year.

I know much more about golf now than I did before he ever played, but I'll admit that I'm still mostly in the dark as far as rules, technique, and scoring.

I learned a little bit about all that stuff today, but I also learned a few very important life lessons that I find it necessary to pass on. I shall title this list:

Robbie's Golf Survival Guide for Those Who Don't Know Anything About the Sport and Like to Talk, Pee, and Wear Pink.

1. All golfers look (relatively) totally similar. If you're looking for your brother, don't. Because every golfer wears black pants, a black jacket, white golf shoes, and a white Titleist hat. Let him come to you or you will embarrass yourself by breaking tip number two...

2. Do not chat with strangers. Even if you think you're being nice, you're really just breaking concentration or talking in someone else's back swing. Golfers do not like to chat.

3. Do not talk at all. Voices are to be left at home. Being the talkative human being that I am, this one almost killed me. I found myself humming random melodies in between holes just to make sure I could still turn my voice on.

4. Really do not drop stuff...that's made of metal...on concrete.

5. Pee ahead of time. Don't drink water. Amen.

6. If you feel you must take a picture of your loved one while they tee off, make sure you turn the shutter sound on your phone/camera off first.

This picture almost cost me my life and my relationship with my brother. Luckily (for me), it didn't cost him any strokes.

7. "FOUR!!!" is golf for "DANGER!!!" I feel as though this rule should be written on a sign somewhere when you first enter every golf course. When I heard someone yell this, I got so excited! "Someone here talks?!?" so I looked to see what all the commotion was about. While my mother chose to duck behind me instead of protecting her young, I spotted a golf ball flying directly towards my face. I kid you not, a sapling tree, three inches in diameter, saved my life. The unruly golf ball smacked into the trunk not one foot in front of me right at eye level and fell to the ground.

8. Your biggest opponent in golf is yourself. I started the day wishing that the three other boys with my brother would do bad. I quickly learned that although they were from different schools, they were not who my brother was competing against. By the third hole, I found myself wishing everyone would get a hole-in-one every shot. Trees in golf are the defense, the sand traps and ponds are bad guys. And you are your own harshest critic.

I walked away from this tournament with more knowledge of golf, feeling like a better sister, and pleasantly surprised at how much less boring it was than anticipated.

But I also learned another thing...

Well behaved women (you know, the one's who they say rarely make history)...are probably the ones getting invited to all the golf tournaments.

Lent.

2010-02-17T14:02:00.001-08:00

I've always known about Lent. My mom was raised Catholic & as I watched her side of the family practice Catholicism I knew they did things different than us. I never understood why everyone knew the same prayer except for me, why I couldn't take communion at the Catholic services even after I asked Jesus into my heart, & why all my cousins were so excited to drink Dr. Pepper on Easter Sunday.

Of all the things that eluded me about the Catholic church, Lent was number one.

My cousins, even at a very young age, would ask me what I was "giving up" for Lent & I wouldn't know what to tell them. As I got older, Lent seemed more like a late & more serious New Year's resolution. I asked my mom & dad about Lent & they explained to me the concept of grace. They told me that because Jesus died for us & rose again, all we have to do is trust & love Him, ask Him into our hearts, & live our lives to glorify Him. No practice could change the eternal life of a person. Only faith in Jesus. This took a lot of the confusion out of this 40 day long holiday I had heard about, although I still couldn't understand the point.

In 1999 & 2000 my family lived with my Grandma. It was some time after Ash Wednesday but before Easter Sunday when I asked my Granny a question about Lent.

"What are you giving up for Lent, Grandma?"

Her answer was simple but I'll still remember it.

Being a Christian Catholic, she said she wasn't going to tell me what she gave up for Lent. She said she had chosen to give up something that God had put on her heart. She explained that to her, Lent was a special time to meditate on the saving power of Jesus Christ. She used the forty days to remember how powerful Jesus Christ still is in her life. So she chose to give up something that seemed hard, difficult even without the help of her Savior. She said she wasn't going to tell anyone what that something was, but strive to achieve such a drastic change that people noticed more of the light of Jesus in her.

Every Lent I think about my sweet Godly grandmother & how even in her 70's she strives to become more of the woman that God wants her to be.

I always give up something for Lent. I'm not telling you what it is. It's my prayer that as Jesus uses every opportunity & experience to mold me into the Godly woman he desires me to be that I will be more of a light to those around me.

I'm looking to Easter with great anticipation, but more than that, I anticipate the day I get to meet me & my Granny's sweet Jesus face to face.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.

2010-02-12T15:24:00.000-08:00

Just a little blog about things I love.

Wearing a dress.

The original Parent Trap.

Being taken care of.

My iPhone.

Victoria Secret sweatpants.

My doggie.

Mini Coopers.

Swimming.

Men's ties.

Playing with new make-up.

Morning talk shows.

A crackling fire.

Girl Scout cookies.

Brown hair.

Ladybugs.

Colbie Calliat.

Eating at sit-down restaurants.

Laughing too loud.

The Halloween costumes my mom always made for us.

Purple.

Hud's cherrylimes.

Giant coffee mugs.

Old hymns.

Curls.

Wrapping presents.

Doodle Jump.

Spending the night with Abbey.

Vanilla skinny lattes.

Watching boys watch sports.

Valentine's decorations.

Summer.

Sneaking snacks into the movies.

Dangly earrings.

Duke basketball.

Driving alone.

Chocolate chip waffles.

What Not to Wear.

Sneezing.

Jet skis.

My granny's fried okra.

Doing Sudoku books in Angel Fire.

Blue Sky burgers.

Everything about the 4th of July.

Doilies, pink, & focus.

2010-02-07T21:08:00.000-08:00

Excluding a few cynical years in jr. high & early high school, I have always loved Valentine's Day. I love the pink & red everywhere. The whole idea of telling people how much you love them just makes my heart smile.

As a little girl, my daddy would always get me a special Valentine. I don't know why, but one sticks out in my memory quite vividly. I couldn't have been more than three & my daddy had to be in Austin for Valentine's Day. (Now that I think about it, this must've been a regular thing because I remember mommy helping us make valentines to sneak into his suitcase for him year after year...he's actually in Austin right now...so I guess that always happens. I digress.) But when he got home, he gave me a tiny Valentine card & a mini Snuffaluffagus holding a heart in it's trunk. I loved that stuffed animal, I have no idea what happened to it but I would give anything to have it back. My sophomore year of college, my daddy got me a pretty colorful striped wallet that I still carry every day. Flowers, candy, stuffed toys, & jewelry have not been lacking in my life thanks to my great dad.

In elementary school, one of my favorite days of the whole year was the day we got to make our Valentine's sacks. I would take forever picking out my doilies, making glitter designs, & writing my name oh-so-carefully. I loved looking at my beautiful sack as it sat at the front of the class for the next week. The anticipation was almost more than I could bear! Finally, the day would come when everyone's sacks would become identically full of cartoon cards with little 2nd grade signatures & individually wrapped candy hearts.

In jr. high my mom would always take me to the mall & let me pick out a Valentine's Day shirt to wear to school. Because of the screen-print tee, this was a very fun little tradition for me. I would always find some girly-colored outfit covered in hearts or sparkles.

In high school, GWOBF Day took the place of Valentine's Day & became one of my favorite traditions with my girls. We always had fun, but we would save our extra-special fun for this night. Dinners at Applebee's, girly movies (especially when Jennifer Garner was involved), nights at the park, & the inevitable slumber party seemed to me the perfect way to spend Valentine's Day. With people I love.

As I went through college, I slowly gained a group of wonderful men who blessed me every day. Last Valentine's Day will go down in the books as one of my favorites. I got so much joy from making a valentine for every single special guy in my life. Getting to spend that day telling each one of them what a profound impact they had had on my life was an absolute blessing in itself. I had no feeling of lack on that day, I felt rich in love & quality relationships. Not to mention, the valentines I made were so cute that I am STILL proud of them!

This year's Valentine's Day will be different than any other for me. It's the first February 14th of my life with one special valentine. As I've prepared for the holiday which is quickly approaching, I've realized there are so many things to think about! Picking a card, deciding on an outfit, looking for the right way to express how you feel...but then God showed me something new, just like He is so faithful to do.

This day isn't so special because of our current circumstance or relationship status, it's special because without our Jesus there would be nothing to celebrate. The love that I have been blessed by & able to bless others with is NOTHING but the direct result of a good Father who gives good gifts. I am so thankful that He put parents in my life to show me what love is. I can't express how continuously grateful I am for the friends He blessed me with. Getting to show them how much I love them is one of my favorite things to do. All the time I become more thankful for the sweet special man He has put in my life who is yet another reflection of Jesus I get to experience every day.

But more & better than all of that, a long long time ago, in the ultimate romantic, passionate, gesture of true, unconditional, unquenchable love, my Father sent His son, my Savior, to show the world what real love is.

Of course, we get it wrong. The media has it all wrong. Candy companies, although clever, don't get it either. But God is bringing my focus back to His love daily & I pray He does the same for you. Where ever you are, whatever your circumstance this Valentine's Day, first think about the Lord & the fact that His is the only unconditional lasting love. Then think about the blessings He has lavished upon your life & show those special people how much you love your Father by loving them like He would this Valentine's Day.

Mommy Coco

2010-01-28T08:19:00.000-08:00

I'm a mommy's girl.

I will be the first to admit it.

This week, because of various doctor's appointments, health procedures, & a snow day I have had the awesome blessing of spending three days in a row with my mom.

Today isn't Mother's Day.

And it isn't my mommy's birthday.

But I think it's the perfect day to tell you about the wonderful lady who is my mother.

Linda "Coco" Jean Ramaekers Byrd

My mom has always done what she knows is right, whether or not it was popular.

My mom married her high school sweetheart & the man who led her to Christ.

Sweet mommy got her degree from Texas State University.

Here's a picture from her college days...that's her daddy in the background.

She was created to be a mommy. When she found out she couldn't do it the natural way, she did it another way, God's way for her first child. That's where I come in!

She has taught Ryan, Tracie, & I about sweetness, her best quality.

Mrs. Byrd is the beloved pre-k teacher to hundreds of 3 & 4 year-olds who have come into her classroom & felt like family year after year.

You should see her teach, it's my favorite thing to watch her do. Besides play with babies. She's good with babies too.

Here's my Coco this Christmas...at age 50. Lookin' good.

Thanks, Coco.

For making even sad scary days at the doctor much more fun.

And for supporting my ladybug obsession.

And for splitting my turkey sandwich with me yesterday.

And for making fajitas every Christmas eve.

And for adopting me, so I could live out a real life example of our adoption into the family of Christ.

You have made me understand Jesus better.

I love you.

Success.

2010-01-25T13:10:00.000-08:00

Success is defined differently to everyone.

Making your first million.

Being your own boss.

Achieving your greatest goals.

Here's how I'm defining it in my life.

-My Jesus has already won the ultimate battle for me. He successfully defeated sin & death so I can live forever with Him. Bottom line.

-I have strong, loving relationships with my family. I am close to parents who will always love & support me & I believe I have set a Godly example for two younger siblings who are both an absolute joy to me.

-I have earned the love & respect of people who I love & respect.

-I have earned a Bachelor's Degree in Communication Disorders in 9 semesters with an above average g.p.a.

-I have made valuable contributions in the lives of children by introducing them to the Father & encouraging them to live a life that glorifies Him.

-I have worked very hard. I have gained a better work ethic throughout the course of my life.

-I live by example & because of this, people trust me, value my opinion, & ask for my advice.

I say none of this to toot my own horn, but because I am in a place where I have begun to question my successfulness & value as a human being on this earth.

But I know for certain that God has ordained every one of my days for me before a single one of them came to be.

I know that even when the timing seems bad or off, it's about God's timing, not mine.

I know that God will not withhold His wisdom from His children to seek to glorify Him.

And I am so thankful that the Lord sweetly reminds me of the ways He has allowed me to be used as a part of His plan.

A life truly lived for the Lord is always a success.

Here's another success...the first camping trip of 2010.

Pizza Love.

2010-01-17T23:35:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post, on the 5th of January my mom & I began a 28 day body cleanse. I am so thankful for the encouragement my mom has been in this these past few weeks...I wouldn't have been able to be near as successful was it not for her. We have discovered some awesome recipes that fit our diet perfectly & tried lots of healthy options that we actually love.

I'm not exactly sure if I've lost anything but I know it's getting harder to keep my jeans on & I feel fantastic on the inside, which is the most important part. It's been 13 full days & I can already tell that my body is functioning better than it was before.

All this being said, there is one very important thing I've learned the past two weeks that I feel like sharing...

Positive self-talk doesn't make pizza look any less delicious.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, & self control. Against such things there is no law." ~ Galatians 5:22-23

Thank you, Jesus. Thank you for always teaching me old lessons in new & different ways.

Endings and Beginnings.

2010-01-11T09:14:00.000-08:00

Our lives are defined by a series of endings & beginnings.

It seems right now I am being overwhelmed with both every day.

I'm constantly conflicted with feelings of excitement, then nostalgia, then expectation, then grief.

One minute I feel proud, then next, I feel so lost.

I feel like with every turning of a page I have to figure out who I am & what I am looking for once again.

This came in the mail yesterday.

An ending.

A beginning.

What's the opposite of a New Year's Resolution?

2010-01-05T10:38:00.000-08:00

Today is the first day of a 28 day long hell.

My mom & I are doing a full body cleanse, made specially for us by her trainer, who Coco refers to as "the mean lady".

This month includes a specially formulated strict diet full of protein & lacking in...most things. We have also been given a very specific work-out regimen that changes daily.

To be very clear, this has nothing to do with a New Year's resolution.

It has everything to do with feeling the best we can about our inside selves & our outside selves.

As I was thinking about this dietary experiment my thoughts pondered on to other things that I want to try this year. I want to take on challenges that make me a better person. I want to attempt things that I might fail at, but that I will learn something from. I want to always be a person who isn't afraid to stretch herself just a little bit further. So because it's January 5th & because I let my hair air dry today & because I'm anti-New Year's resolutions these are some of the things I want to take on in 2010...

*A new job. A job that I am proud of & that makes me feel like I am contributing time, talents, & heart to society.

*A new home. Stepping back out on my own two feet is going to be difficult, scary even. But I know that a home of my own is an important thing that will contribute to my self worth...not because my self worth has anything to do with worldly possessions (in theory) but because I want to go to sleep every night knowing that I have reached my full potential.

*An improved lifestyle. How amazing is it that our bodies are temples for a sovereign holy God? Because I know this to be true, I want to treat my mind & physical body as such. I pray that this will be a year a purification of my whole lifestyle.

*A ministry. I am praying for my niche. For the place I know I am called to serve & to pour out.

So there you have it.

Not New Year's Resolutions.

Just things that are going to be important to me in 2010.

Okay, I have officially met my "Stereotypical New Year" blog posts for this one. Thanks for bearing with me while I use this blog to mentally prepare for the exciting things ahead!!

Top 9 of 2009.

2010-01-01T08:15:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!

Just like everyone else, I can't believe it's already 2010! Time flies, as we often wish it to. I get this idea from my friend Tab, who did a top ten memories of 2009 list...so in celebration of a wonderful, full life & in expectation of a year that only gets better I bring you...

Robbie Lyn's Top 9 Memories of 2009!

Number 9...

Monday nights with Jarad. It is because of my boy best friend that I was able to stay encouraged when life sucked. There was nothing more comforting than forgetting my phone and going to his house on Monday nights to drink hot chocolate and talk about the Word and watch bad t.v. movies. Those night kept me sane.

Number 8...

Birds & Bees softball. We stunk. But I guarantee that we had the most fun of any other intramural team, laughed the most, loved each other the best, and have awesome team pictures to prove it. I absolutely loved being on that silly team with all my best friends and going to Sonic after games and getting yelled at by Jarad like he was my dad when I did something bad.

Number 7...

Sunday, November 8th. A special conversation on a couch at the house I was house sitting that would encourage my heart, edify my spirit, and lead to so much more.

Number 6...

Amanda's wedding weekend. I am one of the lucky ones. I have an incredible group of high school friends who I still love and who still love me. We keep in touch, we click, and we will always be there for each other. Getting to stand by my sister of the heart Amanda while she married Tyler was a great honor and blessing. The weekend of preparation was just as fun as the actual event and getting to spend those days with my Canyon family made memories that I will always cherish.

Number 5...

Mother/Daughter Sleepover at F.B.C. Amarillo. I have never been more tired in my life. My boss, Cliff, allowed me much responsibility and creative freedom...so much that this 12 hour event became my baby. I had worked countless hours, spent days brainstorming, made a zillion trips to Wal*Mart, and planned planned planned for months. The even was one of my proudest moments. This may sound silly, but knowing that my ideas, work, and planning was allowing mothers to spend quality time with their daughters and create memories for them was an incredible feeling. Having my own mom there behind the scenes helping me pull it off was the icing on the cake.

Number 4...

Blink-182 with Abbey and the following weekend. The band that defined the latter half of my "becoming a woman" stage was back together and there I was, in the flesh with my best friend. So much happened that night that still pops into my head every time I hear Tom DeLong's voice and I can't help but laugh out loud. There is no one I would've rather experienced that with and it was truly one of the funnest nights I have ever had. And then Tab coming down and getting to spend a whole weekend of city bliss with two girls who mean the world to me.

Number 3...

Graduation. Although knowing now what was to come the event seems a little bittersweet, it was an incredible day for me. I remember fighting with the thought of going to college. I can still feel the dread I had for school and the great desire I had to just get a job out of high school and make due. And then...all the sudden...to be totally done it was an awesome sense of accomplishment and relief. Not to mention I felt really really great about my shoes.

Number 2...

The opportunity to bring 16 international children to their first ever camp. Getting to love them, share Jesus with them, and play with them for a whole week was a bigger blessing for me than it was for them, I think. In that short time they taught me so much and I am so thankful that God provided the resources needed to give them that week.

AND NUMBER 1...

Hugging my sister, praying for the souls of spring breakers at South Padre Island on Beach Reach 2009. The night before we started van rides, all the college student who would be participating in the week stood in a parking lot and prayed in groups and pairs randomly. After praying with a few new friends and a few old friends, my sister found me and together we stood praying and fighting off the enemy for His name and His glory. Being able to serve so actively right next to the person I love most in the world was definitely the biggest blessing of my entire year.

So there you have it.

As I tried to think of these memories and reflected on 2009 I realized I could've written 2009 memories...Monday breakfast, Thursday nights with Abbey, breaking in to the Canyon City Pool, an amazing 3rd of July, going to Dounut Stop at 5 a.m. with Brian, Garrett, & Kindell, getting kidnapped by Alli and Lindsey to go to the W.T. volleyball game and having one of the best conversations of my entire life, so many times in The Buff with Angelo that I miss now way more than I ever thought I would, the list could go on forever.

Thank you, Lord.

For providing me with everything that I have ever needed.

For blessing me with a whole year in 2009.

For continually giving me opportunities to serve you and glorify you.

For forgiving me because most of the time I don't.

For giving me a family that loves me.

For providing me with more amazing friends than I deserve.

For giving me this day to live for you.

Being a person in much need of closure, I know feel ready to move into the new year.

Bring it on, 2010.

My Beef with New Year's Eve.

2009-12-30T10:41:00.000-08:00

I am weird about holidays. My favorites are a little different.

1. Fourth of July

2. Memorial Day

3. My birthday

4. Thanksgiving

5. Valentine's Day

6. St. Patrick's Day (only when it falls on Spring Break)

7. Christmas

8. New Year's Eve/Day

9. SuperBowl

10. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President's Day, Labor Day, Groundhog Day etc. etc. etc.

First, I am no Scrooge. I can find great joy & magic in every holiday. There are [almost] no holidays I dread & just because Christmas falls at #7 doesn't mean I love Jesus less than myself...I just love June more than December.

With every holiday, there's the possibility of a let down. If you set expectations too high this paves the way for holiday heartache of may kinds...

Valentine's Day is approaching..."This will be the year." you think, "This will be the year that my co-worker/friend/mail man declares his love for me with a romantic gesture including roses & stuffed animals!" & then it really ends up being the year that you get sucked into a lame date auction at the BSM where some guy buys you for $155.00. But it was all for missions...wait...what?

Another example...it's Thanksgiving & you've been dreaming about the food for 364 days. You arrive at your usual place of celebration & your great aunt (who makes the most wonderful Thanksgiving dinner) has decided to order out from Bourbon Street. Cajun. You don't touch spicy foods with a ten foot pole.

And just for kicks...It's Fourth of July morning...& it rains. On your wonderful, magical Norman Rockwellesque, Canyon parade.

You see, every holiday brings the possibility of disappointment just as surely as it brings joy. But I choose to ignore this. I'm never one to carry a pessimistic point of view, a glass half-full kind of girl if you will, & I look forward to each one of these special days with a child-like anticipation.

Except one.

New Year's Eve.

Here's my beef with you, December 31st p.m.

You are huge.

You are important.

You mark the entrance of a new year.

And you stink.

It's not enough that you are the holiday when we must look back on the last year, reflect on what we should've done differently, & feel a tiny twinge of time passing much too quickly...you ask that we make promises to ourselves for the next year that are rarely fun or attainable.

You seem all gilttery & glam...Express makes whole wardrobes devoted to you, covered in sequins. When in reality you come while I sit in my pajama's & listen to Adult Top 40 while drinking Patron out of a Buns Over Texas cup.

You are the only night of the year when every single human on earth feels the pressure of kissing someone at the exact same time. Back off, will ya'!

So what am I going to do with you? I think of you as the red-headed stepchild holiday. You are nothing to me. I plan to make no plan. To treat you as any normal night. Because maybe, just maybe, you will one day prove me wrong.

But until then, I will over-shadow you with my now traditional New Year's Day trip to my best friend's house in Dallas where there will be black eyed peas & ham & love at then end of my journey.