He calls me Howdy...

It was a mistake on my part for wearing my Howdy (front), Dammit (back) t-shirt to my 2nd Ralph Hill clinic two weekends ago. So during jump crew on Saturday, Ralph called me Howdy until I was riding in my group then he used my first name. I became one of the jokes of the clinic in the barn with the adults in which one nice lady in particular started calling me Dammit. It was quite amusing to Aubrey, Jenny and I until it was time to get down to business.

This clinic was based on improving our riding skills on our horses through gymnastics on Saturday and cross country on Sunday. I got to do my first (mini) cross country course and boy, was it a large one! I was in the Beginner Novice group which is suppose to jump the maximum of 2'3 jumps. Ralph knew the horses in our group had the talent to jump Training level jumps so we were jumping logs 3 foot high and possibly taller! I was really nervous but I just prayed and put my trust into Strutt (my 21 year-old Quarter horse mount) and my borrowed whip. I have some confidence issues going into bigger jumps, especially X-C jumps ever since Angie threw me off in June. So I wrote some inspiration on my left forearm for reassurance.

"Be strong and courageous!" -Joshua 1:9

...and let me tell you, I'm glad I was put my trust in the Lord and called for my Guardian angel because I got successfully over all of the big jumps then fell at a little 2 footer right before the "ditch." Oh well, the big scary jumps were conquered and my thigh and ankle got a little banged up but life goes on and Mom worries a little bit. Sorry Mom and Dad...it's a part of learning. Thank you so much for letting me be able to do these things that make me fall but I pick myself up, get back on and move right along the course. Hint: This applies to life also but without horses, I wouldn't be sane so I really appreciate my parents for supporting me to do the things that I love to do! I love y'all!

ground poles before small oxer

square oxer

(pretty picture too!)

 awesome 2 foot bounce gymnastic series

(yes, we did 3 in a row!)

hog's back

skinny chevron

...i was really nervous about this jump but we finally conquered it!...

Jenny on Tucker, Me on Strutt and Ralph Hill 

square oxer

wide tire jump 

big LOG jump

(I know you cannot see me because of the tree but i want you to know this is the jump i was getting anxious about...i just gave Strutt a lot of leg, a little whip, and a prayer to get his butt over it!) 

us on our tired ponies...they were so good so good for us!

I'm so ready for December to get her to do my first Eventing show!

Click, Click, BOOM!

That's exactly what my volleyball team did tonight. They rocked it and beat a local team in 4 games to get the W! It was probably the best game they've played all season. I'm hoping they keep going at it and keep up the momentum into next weekend when we go to Dallas to play in a Homeschool tourney. I'm nervous and excited at the same time. I love the girls and they've come a long way but I've heard that the teams that play there are pretty Bad-A. Win or lose, I love that I was able to have this opportunity and hopefully can have another year coaching with the association.

Let me just catch up y'all up with the rest of my life:

School - It's hard. I'm only taking 12 hours but they're tough. Chemistry 2 has a lot of work and the lab sucks. Psychology of Learning is eating my lunch because I have a different professor right now...long story...and my Motor Learning & Control class is interesting but is getting harder every day. I'm hoping to catch up a little bit this weekend.

Health - I've been battling a nasty sick bug for a week and a half. It was weird how I felt it coming on but it hit me hard! I got meds called in and took those but I was still feeling under the weather and coughing horribly. So the doc gave me a steroid shot and cough pearls. I'm on mucinex max strength and nyquil. It's working but my voice is still working on coming back. Hopefully it does since I'm singing at Daily Mass tomorrow.

Horses - My parents were very gracious to pay for the clinic I'm doing this weekend in Bryan. Ralph Hill will be coaching a few people at a time all day Saturday and Sunday in Eventing. My photo on the top of my blog page is actually from the clinic I participated in with Ralph in January. I can't wait to get going with this one. I've come a long way according to Aubrey, my trainer, and hopefully all of the dressage training we worked on this summer helps me out this weekend. Just pray for all our safety and that I have trust in my horse and he has trust in me and COURAGE! I need to grow some balls... haha

Birthday - Yes, I'm 22. It's a weird age but I'm learning to embrace it. Mom and Dad were in town for the football game so they stayed for my birthday on Sunday the 25th. We went to St. Mary's as a family and even though we had to sit upstairs because 10 am Mass is always packed, I still thank them for going with me to worship the Lord and have a new and good start to the week. We then went to brunch where Duane and Jeanne Arbuckle joined us and had a great time with good food. Meemaw gave me a lovely piece of crystal then we all laid down for a quick siesta. It was just what I wanted.

And there's a lot of other little things going on in my life and I'm happy as can be! Just a little stressed every now and then but faith has brought me to be happy, strong, courageous, and grateful for everything I've been doing lately.

Here's some photos from Ring Day! WHOOP!

Finally!

FRIDAY is THE DAY people!!! I am finally getting my Aggie Ring with the most awesome class year on it every - 12! Whoop! How lucky did I get to have the awesome meaning of 12 on my ring?! Of course, other important years in my Aggie family are '78 and '13!

So with all of the school work I must complete, along with the quiz Friday morning, I just cannot contain the excitement of this upcoming date at the Alumni Center! My ring time is at 2:15 and hopefully we get a lot of pictures because I need to frame some things finally. So I feel if I get Ring Day pics developed, I'll start framing other pictures from the past few eventful years. I'm terrible at thinking about picture taking and framing, which is probably part of the reason why I can't remember all of the fun things I do. I definitely won't forget this day though!

 A little history of the Aggie Ring...


1) Shield: The protection of the good reputation of the alma mater.

2) 13 stripes on the shield: Original 13 states



3) Five Stars: Phases of development of the student: mind, body, spiritual attainment, emotional poise, and integrity of character.

4) Eagle: Agility & power & the ability to reach great heights and ambitions

5) Olive wreath encircling the state seal: Achievement of and desire for peace and the strength to fight.

6) Ribbon: Marks the joining of the two traits to accomplish their ambition to serve

7) Cannon: Signifies that the men of Texas fought for their land and are determined to defend it

8) Saber: Stands for valor & confidence

9) Rifle & Cannon: Symbols of preparedness & defense

10) Flags of the US & Texas: Recognize the dual allegiance to nation & state

These things signify why I should be proud and humble to be an Aggie. I may never fight for my country but I know I would like to make a difference in some way with the things that I learned and am still learning here.
I won't be able to attend Midnight Yell this week because Laura is dunking her ring! But next week, I asked Mom if she would attend Yell with me for my birthday! I'm so excited for her! So if y'all are going to be in town for the Oklahoma State game...come into town Friday night and come to Yell Practice with us!!

Gig 'em!

I Love Mondays?!

I am finished with class for the day! Isn't that odd? Well I only have one class on Mondays & Fridays so I'm going to love it. I do have volleyball practice at 12:30 so I took my time this morning. Of course, I left right on time since my class isn't far away from where I park but boy, it was crazy on the road this morning! It's always the first week rush to class to be early that I do not like but what made it worse is that today was also the first day to pull tickets for the football game verses SMU this weekend. So I sat in traffic after hitting the trashcan at the end of the driveway thinking and praying that I am going to make this a great day no matter what! I walked quickly to class and saw there was a free seat next to a girl I met last fall. The prof was a tad late and he did lecture a little but we were out 15 minutes earl. Lucky day, I'm thinking?! I walked around with Hillary finding our classes for later before heading to the computer lab to print out some papers for my yoga class tomorrow.

My Tuesdays & Thursdays are going to be very trying. I have four classes in a row from 9:35 to 3:35 - Chemistry 2, Yoga, Resist/Flex, and Psychology of Learning. Hopefully, I enjoy my P.E. classes because I've heard Resist/Flex can be hard but I've also heard it's worth it. I have great professors for my Chem & Psyc classes and hopefully I can just get my studying done and keep up. It is football season and I'm going to have to NOT be lazy and give the library some love on the weekends. I have a plan in mind how I am going to keep up with school with my busy volleyball, football, and volunteering schedule. My social life is going to have to take a big cut because I need to make good grades from now on to apply for PT school.

RING DAY is September 16th!!! WH12P!!! I cannot wait! I really wish and hope that I could get my grandparents to come up but please just keep them in your prayers because Papaw is having some issues and I'm sure testing Meemaw's patience.

"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." -2 Peter 1:5-8

Trying to Fit Summer into this Nutshell of a Blog

I've gotten tired of the 30 days of pictures...I'll finish it one day. I would love to catch you all up on my life instead! So here goes my summer to current events:

1. I started shadowing a Physical Therapist at the Physician's Center here in B/CS. I have completed roughly 70 hours of volunteer work since May! I also volunteered once a week at another PT place right around the around and will complete my minimum of 40 hours of shadowing this Monday. I'm planning on continuing my volunteer work at the Physician's Center as soon as the volleyball season is over but until then I am volunteering at The Med on Rock Prairie on Monday evenings (5-9 pm). I'm just helping nurse's out since PT only takes place during normal business hours and my schedule was swamped when I found out I got a position there because they have a long wait list of applicants.
2. I joined the morning summer choir at St. Mary's. It was one of the best decisions I've made during my college career. I wish I would've stuck with it my freshman year but things just weren't right back then and now, it was amazing! I sang in 2 morning masses every other Sunday and oh my gosh, it was wonderful to be back on the microphone! I even brought my guitar and started getting the courage to play in public. I played in my 1st mass a few weeks ago and am singing and playing again tomorrow!
3. Middle of the spring semester, I interviewed for a volunteer volleyball coach position with a local home school association. I got it! For those who know me, I have a passion for coaching and after being rejected by different activities with school, I was so blessed to get this position with 2 other girls coaching 14-18 year olds. We have been practicing since late June and started games 2 weeks ago. I have a talented Varsity team that I adore and love! My JV is super rookie but they learn something new every day. We just got back from a tournament in Bellville and didn't do so hot. Oh well, you win some, you lose some. But the most amazing thing is that this association is a Christian group of home schoolers. It has opened my eyes to a whole new world!  These kids are so amazing because they not only come to practice with smiles and the willingness to learn but they teach me so much about the love that Jesus has to offer each of us. That's just what they do. Love me and I love them back!
4. With #2 & 3 combined, it has helped me deepened and strengthen my faith a little more every week this summer. Music is just so powerful. It's a cure for a lot of different things in my life. It's spiritual and emotional for me. Coaching these girls helps me watch what I say, do, think, etc. and I feel different things are changing. I think about praying more and just praising the Lord for different things I never thought about before. I give a lot of kudos to Coach Lynsi Bain too. She's so in love with Jesus, it's crazy but true love. I wish I could be that in love with the Lord but I'm taking baby steps.
5. A few of my girlfriends took a short weekend trip to the Riverwalk in San Antonio to relax and catch up towards the end of July. We had a lot of fun with lots of food and talking! We had hot pink cactus margaritas at a roach infested restaurant and went to Coyote Ugly and had some fun dancing! We did a little bit of shopping and dressing up each other. I love our little group and can't wait for next year's annual trip!
6. I took a 10-week Anatomy 2 course at A&M. It was tough but I made it through with a B!
7. Unfortunately, I might be retaking it...I went to a PT Open House in Galveston @ UTMB last week and learned a lot about applying for PT school. I am applying next summer so I need to get some grades up. I'm terribly scared that it's going difficult for me to get in with a lower than average GPA. I just gotta keep my head on straight and strive for A's from now on and study, study, study and shadow!
8. Our summer family vacation was to L'auberge du Lac in Louisiana. It was my first time to gamble!!! I ended up winning about $1300!!! I played a little bit of blackjack, a lot of slots, and learned 3 card poker (not my favorite). We ate a super nice restaurant with awesome food, got treated to a spa day, floated the lazy river, and just relaxed.
9. I'd like this # to be for those who are needing prayer in my life. Please pray for Mrs. Gail Palone and her family - Her dad passed away last night and he was an amazing man. Please pray for Jace Arbuckle and his family and fiance - he is going in for tests at MD Anderson this coming week for a chronic condition that may need treatment. Please pray for my Pawpaw & Meemaw - He is back in the hospital for pneumonia. I know there are a lot of other prayers that are needed to be said out there but I've gone blank. I'm sure they'll come to me tonight whilst I'm saying my nightly prayers. I appreciate all of yours!
10. I GET MY AGGIE RING IN 27 DAYS!!! WH12P!!! I'm super stoked and can't wait! Shelby & I will be dunking in November, when she gets hers!

Hope everyone is doing well! I miss and love you all!
Coach Alexis Cooper '12

 This is from today - Autumn, Meghan, Coach & Halle (with medals = All Tourney!)

 Scott & I at a Wedding - My shoes were so beautiful, they were blinding everyone haha so I had to toss them!

 Cassey Janak & I at her Sister's Wedding

 Taylor & I at the Merta Wedding

Yes the rumors were true. We Were dating...we had to test out our feelings but I ended up being wrong. And we're still best friends...Thank You Lord!

 Kindergarten Best Friends Forever!

Stacey, Erik & I at Dustin & Lianne Janak's Wedding

Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book.

Yes, I am one of those people. I LOVE THE TWILIGHT SAGA!!! I reread Breaking Dawn this summer because the first part of it is coming out on Shelby's Ring Day, November 18th. I can not wait but I've been told that I am not allowed to buy midnight tickets. Since the 18th will be our Ring Dunk, Stacey tells me I will be at Northgate that night. We'll see about that ;) Aubrey and I have a movie date already set to go see it together. I love imaginative books. The movies just give me better and have handsome characters to put in my mind to imagine whilst reading. Her religious background also inspired her to write about the character's waiting until marriage to have sex. Kudos to Stephanie Meyer! I'll probably become very depressed just like all of the Harry Potter fans when this saga is finished on the big screen. :( Oh well! That's what DVDs are for!

Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at.

I'm a pretty talented young lady. I've accomplished many things and am still adding on to that list. Of course, we all wish we would've done something or more of something when we were younger. My wish would be that...

I could play the piano better. I took about 10 +/- years of lessons but I shouldn't have stopped in high school. I joined the summer choir at St. Mary's in College Station and have been really enjoying it. But last weekend, I almost had to play with my horrible chords and anxious fingers because the music director was not able to be there for the Sunday morning masses. Thank goodness an awesome guy named Lucas came into practice and sat down and could play pretty amazing to help us out and entice our church congregation's ears. There were only 3 singers, a pianist and a guitarist last weekend because the rest of the kids were on Aggie Awakening. No worries, we did an awesome job!

My worries though are that I am not fulfilling my God-given talents by not being able to play the piano as well or helping out in other ways. I've come to the conclusion that no matter what, I am singing for the Lord, through the Lord, and for His people. He made me and gave me amazing talents to share with others. Singing and music makes me happy. Hopefully I will continue singing at St. Mary's this Fall and so on. It's amazing how much a song can reach out to people and put a twinkle in their eye or smile on their face. So by-golly, "how can I keep from singing" if that's what I can help produce every weekend.

I challenge you to challenge yourselves to make a difference with the talents that God gave you!
I'm challenging myself to playing the guitar in church in two Sunday's and get past my stage fright.

Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget.

This is from my freshman year at A&M. I did some stupid things. This is about the time we got the CS house. I decided to have a friend's birthday party here. It got pretty wild but no harm done. I just dislike this night because I drank a little, ate a lot of cupcakes, have lowlights in my hair and is when I topped off my freshman 23 pounds. I know I should laugh now but it's hard to look at these pictures. It's kinda like "what was I thinking?!"...but it's almost a good thing because I grew up and became who I am today. I'm pretty conscious of who I am and what I like and dislike. So it makes me live in the here and now, not in the past.

Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.

This should be Shelby's blog post. She researches places to travel to almost every day. I don't blame her. God created a beautiful world to be seen and I hope she gets to see it all. As for me, I am not necessarily picky about traveling but I don't think a lot about it or as Shelby likes to conclude that "I just don't care." Well I do care. I have a goal of traveling and seeing all 50 states. I would also like to travel Europe and South America and possibly Africa. I just never say it out loud. I just got really burnt out from traveling with the softball team for two years. And I don't necessarily care for the beach. I know. You can think I'm weird and curse my thoughts but I have good reasons not to like the beach. Anyways, I'll just take wherever I can travel to so that I can enjoy that place and the time spent with whoever I go with.

Day 19 - A picture of you when you were little.

In this picture:
I am taller than Shelby. I am faster than Shelby. I am a natural blonde! ...yes, i am wearing pink and a bow... The scenery and grass is BEAUTIFUL! Ask Mom & Dad how old we were... Yes, I love Colorado.

Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity.

My body is my biggest insecurity. This picture is from Shelby's volleyball playoffs her senior year. My pants are really tight. You can see my belly rolls and my cheeks are chubby.

When I started high school, I weighed almost 200 pounds. I was a chunky monkey and have printed picture to prove it. When I graduated from high school, I weight 150. It was an up and down four years but I did it. I when down 2 sizes and sometimes could share clothes with Shelby who was a size smaller than I.

Freshman year of college (also pictured above) I gained the freshman 15 plus some. It was difficult but when I moved out of the apartment complex where I was living and started working for the softball team. It pushed me to become more health conscious and in-shape. I dropped most of it by the fall of my sophomore semester. I got close to my weight in high school and the next summer, I bought a bikini. I try to wear it proudly but I'm still very self conscious. I love my arms and legs but my tummy is still a bit jiggly. I hope my yoga and strength training class can help me change that this fall!

These is my friends Laura Reyna and Deanna Bosse at our National 4-H Conference in Atlanta. I've had this dress since high school but it still fits and is a bit loose so even better! It's a size 8 from Talbots so it makes me happy hahaha

I chose this picture because I love it and I love Stacey Gillis. What beautiful women we are! I wanted to point out my face is slender and I have no boobs. I'm ok with that most of the time. This picture also makes me angry because this was in April at Shelby's birthday party. I love my newly colored and LONG hair! I cut it in June. I'm very upset because I didn't realize how much I loved my long hair. My hairdresser talked me into it and agreed to let go of 4+ inches and lots of layers. Oh well...it grows back...slowly

Moral to the story: I know that we are created in God's image but I am very self-conscious about my body image. Yes, I have a sweet tooth. Yes, I love to eat healthy because it makes me feel good. Yes, I am lazy but I have been super busy with summer stuff and have been too tired to work out.

Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.

The power of friends getting together and making something fun and amazing is an awesome thing to encounter. Sometimes we're pessimistic about birthdays because it means we're getting older and time seems it's passing by quicker. I don't think that's the sole reason for Shelby to tell Courtney & I that "we better not be throwing a surprise party for me." That's just what we did and it was a huge success!

Courtney had thought of the idea a few months before Shelby's actual 20th birthday. With some great planning and secrets and help from friends and our parents, we were able to hit it off with only a few bumps in the road the weekend before her real birthday. Our original plan was to have Dad take Shelby to the softball game while Mom stayed home with a migraine and I do not remember what I was suppose to be doing. Well Dad took Shelby and we tried to get her friend, Taylor Hayden, to take her to the movies. Well Dad wanted quality time with her so they drove around for almost 2 hours after the game trying to keep her occupied! All that time, Mom ran to pick up our Mexican food dinner. Courtney rounded up the troops and I got liquor and other stuff of sorts. A lot went on that day and thank goodness, a slew of her friends showed up. As you can see in the picture above, she was crying. Here's the initial reaction...

Everyone had a great time and Shelby was every bit entertained since her real birthday weekend would be celebrated again at Chilifest. She had a good time at that too!

The point is that family is most important. Friends may come and go but the true ones will stick around and bring joy and laughter and awesomeness to your life. I'm very blessed to have the family and friends I have. Without them, we wouldn't have given my amazing sister a great surprise party!

Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you.

This is Aubrey. She is a sweet, compassionate, respectful, knowledgeable, and a talented young woman. She's in her late 20's. She graduated from the University of Florida with an agricultural based degree and masters. She's married to Ben, a vet who is at A&M studying to receive his specialty degree in large animal internal medicine. Ben's acceptance to A&M's prestigious Vet school is what brought them to Texas and to me. I found Aubrey through a horse website trying to find an English riding instructor in the area. She happens to have 20 years of experience under her belt. So I e-mailed her to save myself from the depressing thoughts of a breakup. Hey! It's life and I will speak my mind and the truth! And you know what?! She happens to be an amazing teacher and friend. I have known her for a little over a year and have progressed fairly quickly riding both her horses - a quarter horse and a warmblood (Angie, pictured above).

Let me share with you why she inspires me...

She helped me find myself through a tough time through friendship and horses. I will tell everyone I ever meet that these majestic creatures are a gift from God to heal and make people happy (most of the time, until they pitch you off - hahaha). Aubrey gives lots of examples in her lessons. Some make me laugh and some I completely do not understand. Her latest examples were using "gig 'em" to refer how my hands and forearms should be when riding properly and airplanes when trying to collect the horse to use their rear end for propulsion.

One of her best qualities is that she's a Christian woman. She will admit she's been through troubling times but God always has a plan and things will work out. Who hasn't been through some troubling times? I know I can be selfish, irresponsible, and cry about petty things sometimes. I truly strive to be a stronger and more courageous person like the qualities that Aubrey bestows. And from those qualities and many others, I trust her with all of my heart. This past week, I fell off of Angie attempting a jump in a lesson. I didn't cry until I got scared and nervous about riding such an advanced horse and not understanding some things about what I was doing. Aubrey reassured me. She was there to let me cry but also there to tell me that I was capable of doing anything along with difficulty and bumps in the road.

She can also quote the Bible very well. I always forget the exact verse and chapter but her favorite bible verse comes from Psalms. Who doesn't love Psalms?! So I've been trying to read more of the Bible and connect it with my everyday life. I have slacked lately and anatomy shouldn't be my excuse for taking over my life. Hahaha.

She is also a new mother to a sweet baby girl named Lorelei Grace. She's a little over 2 months old and is pretty in pink. If you know me, I don't necessarily care for the color but Lily is sure darn cute in it! I enjoy spending an evening after riding, talking to Aubrey and Ben and holding Lily. They're a family I look up to and hope the best for them in all that they do. Hopefully one day, I can have a beautiful family and farm as her family does. I love you Aubrey.

Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die.

I have a college bucket list started but this one particular thing sticks out to me the most on my life bucket list. It's visiting all 50 states! They were all created for a reason and I would like to know why and see what each state is all about! I think I've visited 1/3 of the states of what I remember. I don't count the states that we just drove through because I didn't get to experience anything! I've been to New York, Maryland (well, D.C.), Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Hawaii, Washington and California.

I really can't wait to visit Alaska, Kentucky and Tennessee. For some reason, I really am interested in those states. Also, some of the states listed above are from softball trips so I may need to make a trip back ;)
I'm going to try and get a group of friends to go to the o.u. game in November in Norman. It'll be a great college road trip!

I wanted to share something that I "stumbled upon" a few weeks ago. I think it's cute and I wish I had it as a reminder somewhere in my bathroom everyday.

Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.

Wow, this is a hard thing to think about. I have been very close to a few people for a couple of years that I know I couldn't live without. Sometimes, I don't talk to these people for days but eventually, we shoot a text and see how each other is doing. It's great to be in Aggieland with friends that I can count on. It's also great to be only 2 hours away from home so seeing my parents is nice during a busy semester. Especially this summer, they'll have to come up if they would like to see Shelby and I because we're bogged down with school. I'm also very busy with shadowing Physical Therapists, volunteering for various organizations, riding horses, and starting on the 20th, coaching volleyball.

I thought about it and I knew who I wanted to say for this day's topic. But after our spiff at lunch today, it made me think a little more about our relationship. If you haven't guessed who it is, it's Shelby.

Yes. The 18-month younger sister who lives with me but bosses me around is the person I couldn't live without. We interact with each other every day whether we talk or not. She does NOT like to talk to anyone in the morning. She's my best friend and enemy sometimes. I love her very much but....ooh, she can make me very angry. We go to lunch and dinner together. Sometimes she is bad about leaving her food out at night. Never takes out the garage to the street. She never wants to go work out with me but she does go on her own. She's intellectual in her specific areas of expertise and so am I. She's just like my parents - anal about cleaning and organization. I've come to terms with it and I have been doing better this summer. She motivates me to increase my lexicon = vocabulary, which I need to start working on for the GRE next summer. She doesn't necessarily care for my cooking. When I state that I want to make cookies, she gets mad and says, "I WAS going to make cookies!" So I give in and let her do it because I'm a people pleaser. That is why I have a hard time not raising my voice or arguing with her because she is very independent and hard-headed. I can't disagree with her about that because I can be the same way but I just gotta love her.

I'm not trying to harp on my sister. We have good and bad days. We can't help that we fight because we live together. At some point this summer, we will need a break from each other. But I can say that one day, it's going to be hard if we live more than 2 hours apart.

Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.

This has taken me forever to finish and post because school started and I have relinquished most of my computer time to putting my nose in the books or chores around the house. So here's my music post...

 I don't have a favorite band. I love music in general. I do have favorite genres of music = Texas Country and different varieties of Rock and Christian. I listen to music because I have a passion for music. An underlying dream of mine has always been to be able to perform my own music. It's not very good but I try to write some songs. The music I listen to ties into my emotions and life. If I'm really happy, I like to listen to up beat stuff. If I'm in defeated mood and need to let some steam off, I listen to some heavy rock music and end it with some Christian songs.

Please don't be "Disturbed" but these guys are amazing musicians. It's some heavy listening but Scott Niemeier and I have come to really enjoy the instruments in this band. I have 3 albums worth of their music but I can say I only know about 3 song's lyrics.  

 I LOVE JASON ALDEAN! He wrote one of my first love song's and continues to steal my heart with his music. He's easy-going, down-to-earth, and smokin' hot! Who cares if he has his ears pierced because his music comes from the heart.

Lady Gaga is an entertainer. I don't necessarily like all of her songs but she is a unique person. I respect her for being who she is and trying to make a difference for those in the world who are bullied for being different, people who are suffering through disasters, and trying to make an overall difference in the world. I chose this picture because it's one of my favorites. Shelby made a smaller version of her "hair bow" in my hair once and I swore I would be Lady Gaga for Halloween. I ended up being Dolly Parton sans the overflowing cleavage. I love Gaga's blonde hair. She has a new song called "Hair" and it's about how she changes her wigs a lot because her hair represents her freedom. I love her sunglasses too. Mom says I look like Great Grandma Wilson when I wear big glasses but do I mind...no.

 My generation grew up with the Spice Girls. I swear I could listen to their music every day because it makes me feel giddy and happy inside. They sing some great songs about everything. I'm glad Shelby downloaded all of their music the other day for us to jam in her vehicle when we travel around!

 So here's some of my favorite Texas Country artists. They are all unique in their music but overall, this is most appealing music to my ears. This is the music scene I'd love to be apart of if I was ever a singer. I feel these people are humble to where they've gotten and that's why they keep making great music.

Randy Rogers Band

 Stoney LaRue (with his signature red headband)

I actually met him at Greek's during Spring Break. It was awesome but I totally had a blonde moment. After the show, I was rounding up my friends for my sister to drive us home. I was waiting for Emily to close her tab at the bar when this guy sitting at a table asked me, "How was the show?" I said, "Oh my gosh, I love Stoney and he never fails at putting on a great show!" The guys around him kind of giggled and he said, "That's great. I'm Stoney." I was totally starstruck!

 Wade Bowen

Josh Abbott Band

Casey Donahew Band

My favorite Christian band is Casting Crowns. They are very inspiring and always have good music and put on good shows. I went to their Christmas concert with a church group and we all cried at was their new single at the time.

Nickelback is awesome. I love all of their music (new & old) and Scott & I like to jam to some of their good tunes especially when we used to ride around town and bump the bass up. Even my mom, Kimbo Slice, listens to these guys. So check them out, they're legit.

This woman is very special. She's raw, real & empowering to young ladies like me. Although she didn't go to college, she's made something of herself. She's a musician, an entertainer, business woman, philanthropist, rides horses, and shoots guns. What else could be more amazing about Miranda Lambert? Oh yeah, she's blonde! :)