#Vegas #CollegeNoParents #FUNrunner

                                    The group outside of the Gondala! Ready to hit the slopes!


Hello College Station,Texas!  I'm back from Spring Break, and let me tell you it was the best last spring break that I could have ever asked for. It has been a while since I have written here, I blame the proffessors for trying to kill me the two weeks before spring break. There were nights of no sleep and lots of diet cokes... more importantly there were many memories made. Personally I feel like that is the purpose for senior year... to make memories. If this was a class I definitely would be passing with flying colors unlike this freshman math class that I am enrolled in. The past couple of spring breaks have been great, but I think this one trumps them all.

The week before Spring Break rolled around, I actually couldn't tell if it was spring break or not... I have been treating every week like spring break this year. But on Tuesday I received a phone call from a friend and the only word that came out of his mouth was VEGAS. Now in all fairness mom and dad I I was hesitant about this trip... I was already going to go to STEAMBOAT, CO to go skiing... but when this extra day or two was added... how was I supposed to pass this up? honestly, I know you wouldn't have done it either.. It took some convincing but I was IN. Let's do this. The kicker... I was leaving a day earlier... and skipping class. I can't sit here and act like I am anti-skipping class... in fact I am an advocate of skipping class. Some of my best times in college happened during a class that I was supposed to be in.. (guilty)

The trip got started with a crew of 4 of us heading west and stopping in New Mexico and staying with my family.. It was wonderful, they treated us like Kings and Queens... steaks, drinks, a wonderful breakfast and boys favorites many kodak moments. The stars that fill the sky in New Mexico outside of city limits is truly a site to see. The stars and the moons shine so incredibly bright lights are not needed. You would have to try NOT to see the beauty of God of there, as he painted such incredible sunsets and knows every star by name. The next morning we were on the road again to my future home COLORADO (Rockies are going to the series this year)! Road trips typically are NOT my favorite things for a few reasons: 1) boredom kicks in rather quickly 2)my unusally small bladder, that boys don't understand that YES I have to pull over every hour 3) I can't sleep...

                                              Allie Harrell, Me, and Preston Saur!

But this road trip...when you are in a car with Lance Casey and Rick Bennett... there will never be a dull moment. Lance likes to do this thing that when we were on the highway and on the right lane as a car approaches on the left he would lean his head on the window and pretend to be asleep. I know that I probably didn't paint the best of picture but honestly this was the funniest thing I have ever seen. As the cars would drive by immediately hitting the brakes and looking back to see this guy driving while sleeping... I have to say my reaction would probably be the same. HILARIOUS. Thanks for that lancer.


There is no way that I can tell you all about this trip... but I will try and sum it up with some things that I learned....

1.While in Vegas, you don't sleep.
2.NEVER step over a fenced off area in a casino
3.Rick Bennett does not stop to go to the bathroom every hour
4.We do things like it's our "jabby"
5.Locals don't build snowmen.
6.The one liner #VEGAS applies to all areas of life.
7.Kyle Fackler will be the BEST weatherman.
8.NEVER let the DOUBLE BLACK DIAMOND EXTREME TERRAIN sign stop you from going down the run.
9.The Hoover Dam is HUGE. And with the right people you'll have a "dam" good time.
10.For $3.51 always get the IN & OUT BURGER... animal style!

                                                                The girls at dinner!

Spring Fling'11. Best decision I could have ever made. Including the pit stop to VEGAS. Although this year is coming to an end, I like to think I did SPRING BREAK 2011 right... absolutely RIGHT.

                                               #CollegeNoParents We did it right gang! :)

Choosing Joy & SpringFling'11,
Cal

March 2,1836.

Now for those of you who are not history majors like myself... this date would mean nothing to you unless you lived in Texas at ANY point of your life in the ages K-12.. right? because I think we learned the importance of this day each year and most likely spent a good week on cherishing it...

HAPPY TEXAS INDEPENDENCE DAY...(well technically I guess it was now yesterday..)

And yes it has to be this BIG... because everything is BIGGER in Texas... (yea sometimes not for the better, oh well what can you do) God Bless Texas ;)... ok ok.. PLEASE do not think I am one of those TEXAS PRIDE til I die kind of girls.. no no no. not me, duh.. I'm moving to Colorado!

I got to enjoy a little Houston rodeo last night and see Clay Walker with some of my girl friends... and let me tell you... He is definitely still SMOKIN' HOT! We also found out that we are going to go into runoffs for the campaigns that are going on. This truly is my favorite week of the year... minus rush week of course:) Some other good things that are going on here in College Station... the weather finally has warmed up and it has been BEAUTIFUL outside these past couple of days.. this is the time of year where it really becomes dangerous for me... the prettier the weather, literally the most physically harder it is for me to sit though class and to be honest a lot of the times I don't... also, HELLO MARCH, my favorite month of the year, HELLO MARCH MADNESS bring on the basketball... this is also dangerous because a lot of homework and reading also does not get done... Maybe this is why 2nd semester my grades are always worse?? Just a thought.

Most of my friends know that I have a favorite song.. this song however was not an instant hit in my book... I know that I've been listening to this song since around the age of 10..  I can remember my dad taking me to school(and at the time I went to a private elementary school) and he LOVES to embarrass me.. even to this day.. although now it is much harder for him to do... but he would take me to school and right as we would pull up to the drop off area he would roll down every window in the car and start BLARING what I thought out the time was the worst music that I could have ever heard. I was so embarrassed by this... it was music like: John Cougar Mellancamp, Boston, Journey and Eddie Money.

Yes, Eddie Money.. I said it. He is now my FAVORITE singer of all times and my friends know that solely because I have made them listen to him enough to where they have also given in and LOVE him too... with that being said this weekend a movie is coming out based on MY FAVORITE SONG OF ALL TIMES.. "Take me Home Tonight" by the one and only Eddie Money! You better believe I will be there to see it! I'm sorry dad for ever thinking you had the "gayest" music... you don't I was just naive to what was oh so good!

 

I suppose this would be a good time for me to get back to my readings on the civil rights movements.. oh the life of a history major :) May 13th is coming quickly! 

ChoosingJOY & RocknRoll,
Cal

Today I feel like I'm 80

There are currently two things in my life that I feel like I am in denial of:
1) Getting older
2)I am about to graduate college

I can think of only a few times in my life where I actually can feel like I am getting older... and today is one of them. I actually hate these days, I hate that I can feel my muscles aching, and hear my bones cracking after each step that I take... quite frankly... it sucks. Last night my a few friends and I had the brilliant ida of participating in a 5k... (who wouldn't want to spend their friday night doing this?) but of course we were not going to RUN this thing.. but blade it baby And now as it is nearing the end of the day I have been for the most part non mobile due to the shock and soreness that my body has not felt in months. I guess this is a good thing though... way to rock it GLOW 5k!!!

The weather today has put me in a mood where all I really want is the SUN and SUMMER. I just need it to be ohhh a good 70 degrees with the sun out.. and you better believe the skipping of classes to lay out will begin (sorry dad). A motto for mine in college has been:

"You can always retake a class...but you can never relive a party" 

I hold pretty true to this statement because, yes I may have retaken a class here or there.. do I regret it? Absolutely not. Although graduation is coming just around the corner... like really though, we are about to have spring break and then it will be April.. and then May.. AH! Yes, I'm nervous.. I have to admit I think I have come to a peace where I am just more excited than anything. I am pumped for the next chapter of my life. I truly have NO clue what that is going to look like at the moment, but that is the beauty of it. I know come May I will be moving back to Spicewood,TX for another summer at Camp Travis.. and I couldn't be more thrilled about that one... and when August comes.. WHO KNOWS what is next! and that just gets me so EXCITED! Leaving on such a fun note I will leave you with one of my favorite songs right now!

ChoosingJOY, and lovin' FIREWORKS!
Cal

Purple velour skirts are not for me

This semester I have the blessing of being enrolled in a "Women's Writers" class..... any by blessing... I mean complete torture. Due to a little scheduling mishap in the beginning of the semester I had to be forced into this class.... For those of you who know me, know that I would NEVER in a million years actually CHOOSE to be in this class... Luckily, one of my rho's is in the class with me and she is my saving grace (what's up HANNAH BIRES!) The whole time her and I can't help but make jokes about the situation that we are both it... Hannah I don't mean to call you out by any means... but did you actually CHOOSE to be in that class? I will have to admit it has been good for me to be surrounded by people that I would never have though I would be surrounded by. Women that clearly have VERY differnet view points on life, and the female role. I am not one to say that women can't do things, but I am not one who would be caught at a womens rights rally... and I feel like, oh more than half of my class would be the leaders of the protest! But I suppose with this being said it is an opportunity for me to ChooseJOY.. I do actually think I am making another friend in the class, her name is Emily (she would have NO idea what my name is... I'm ok with that) and she bites off the skin around all of her fingers... I've watcher her since day one... but I am making process... I made her laugh the other day when I was attempting to take a picture of my proffesor's outfit with my phone... how do I pass up a full length purple VELVET skirt with matching shirt...yea you CAN'T.. totally worth the chance of being caught! Like I said.. making process.

There is something that is truly special when you can look up into the sky at night and having it be a clear night and all you can see are the millions of stars out in the air.... I have a few places in town where I will go sometimes to get alone..The world that we live in is SO fast paced and it is NOT slowing down...I will be the first to admit that I am extremely guilty of being busy all the time.. and going going going and not taking time to do something that we are called to do "Be still.."(Psalm 46:10). What does it feel like to be still? Personally for me it takes me to be completely alone with no distractions... and have something that will focus my attention solely on our Creator... most of the time I will put on a play list that just sings about how Great our God is. It is SO awesome to have the Lord meet you in those times.. if you haven't had the chance to do this lately... try it. Go be alone with our Wonderful Maker tonight, sit and be still..

ChoosingJOY & Being Still,
Cal

And then the beat comes, and then she's moving on the dance floor..

Well ready or not it's back! The time of year that holds a special place in my heart and also at the same time that everyone loves/dreads all in the same.... CAMPAIGN SEASON! So tomorrow morning at 7:30 when all you unlucky people are driving to your 8AM classes(Rookie mistake) do not be caught off guard when you see people standing on the corners of campus holding their signs(most likely the sweet little fish in the corps, my brother for example holding signs for 5fortyell). Here is the thing about campaigning, I love it. I love it because it is competition and what better of competition that involves the bettering of our beloved school! Best of luck to all the candidates!


I LOVE the show the bachelor! I think it is because I live vicariously through each one of them... and NO not is in a sense that I am in love with brad.. because  I'M NOT. I just get hooked, emotions are high, roses are being handed out, girls are being catty... ha I feel like that may be every guys nightmare but for me I LOVE that I can watch it and laugh.... and then be able to turn it off and not think any more about it. For the most part I like to think I am a drama free person, I have told many people that I would not be very good on this show. I would be the girl that no one would know because I would just sit back and laugh at all of the others... But I truly have fallen in love with Emily this season... she's precious!

Something that I have been learning is that... our God can be and actually DESIRES to be what ever you allow Him to be in your life.. and the best part about it is that he is the perfect in ALL areas.. I know it blow my mind daily too. It is usual for me to ask the Lord to be my provider, and comforter... but even in the lonely times the Lord desires to romance us... and I know it was weird for me at first too... but as a girl, believe me there are times that you want to be loved and how beautiful to know that my God thinks the WORLD of me and that I am perfect the way that I am and DESIRES to provide a sensitive and romantic relationship with me... The Lord has just been blowing me away recently with all of His perfect attributes. I encourage you to think about the areas in your like that the Lord desires to fill your life... and LET HIM!

Beware tomorrow of the overwhelming campaigns going on... and freshman welcome to your first campaign season! Enjoy it, it makes our campus so uniquely beautiful (right britt.. ha)

Keep dancing & ChoosingJOY my friends,
Cal

Hangin' With Hezekiah..

Hezekiah.. who the heck is that? Why am I hanging out with him? And why do I have a friend named that.... all 3 VERY valid questions. Let me see if I can help.

This morning I at church we studied Isaiah ch. 36-39 and these few chapters are over the life of my close friend here Hezekiah. So, let me tell you a little bit about him. He was the son of Ahaz and the King of Judah around the time of 700BC (yes, a stinking LONG time ago). Now, no I'm sorry I am not going to give you a Bible lesson, because many others could do a MUCH better job than I- so ask them. So why am I hangin' out with this guy... well hanging out, not so much. But can I relate to him? Absolutely.

So many times I feel that I am so good about going to the Lord in the tough times and being obedient to fall to my knees with a humble heart when things are not going smoothly. (Lots of us can relate to that) but it is truly when things are going great I quickly forget that the Lord is still the orchestrator of that and my pride quickly (just like my man Hezekiah's) once did too. We forget that everything good comes from the Lord and just as quickly we humble ourselves to fall on out knees when things are tough, we just be doing the exact same when things are cruisin'. Pouring one out for the King of Judah today.

God is not looking for a moment of TRUST, but a lifetime of TRUST. Every time that we are faced with a fearful situation, when we are anxious, worried, it is an opportunity for sure to show the world that HE is worthy of our TRUST! (how COOL is this!) Hoping that we can both follow and learn from your friend and mine Hezekiah!

On this beautiful day things that I remembered I LOVE:
1)Sunshine - I need the SUN to be back not so I can have warm weather but so I can lay out.. duh
2) Chipotle Salads- (right KFK)?
3) honesty
4)Spontaneous road trips to Austin with Brittany
5)The movie "Coyote Ugly"

This semester is quickly coming to an end, so crazy how fast things are going! So many things I want/need to do as a student at Texas A&M... although I must say, one by one things on my bucket list are being crossed off...

PS WAY TO GO RED HOTS WINNING THE DODGEBBALL TOURNAMENT.. I would expect nothing less.

 Enjoy your night, in honor of the movie "Coyote Ugly" go take a look at the moon. And OH BABY... I have the FEVER!    

ChoosingJOY & trusting,
Cal

Late Night Drama Queen

Here are few things that one should know:

1) Getting Steamy in STEAMBOAT: 23 days!
2)Graduation: 85 days!
3)CAMP: 84 days!

With just listing those three things, I can't help but get SO excited! This semester is FLYING by, but I am loving every minute.. and I feel just about the time I begin to love the moment it is here and gone! I feel as if I need to let you in on a little secret.. There is ONE thing (yes, just one) that I feel I have ALWAYS been good at. In fact, I think I would even go as far to say that I believe it is a God given talent of mine... now that I have you on the edge of your seat.... procrastination. This is one thing that I have consistently been GREAT at my whole life, and it has yet to let me down in my last semester of college. I will confess that I am the person that every semester for well.... now 8 semesters that has started each one in the same way... I will fill my planner with due dates, highlights, reminders.. in hope that I would some how be encouraged to start early. As much as I have learned this about myself, I have also seen how well I can work under pressure. Now, is the pressure fun? NO. easy? NO. at any point is there any enjoyment? absolutely NO. I think it is safe to say I have lost every time to school, when it comes to "starting early".... so yet again at the age of 22, I pulled my first all night last night (hence the NO blog... even though at times I was EXTREMELY tempted to work on that instead of a paper) but with the little self-control in that area... I held it together... looking back on last night.. do I regret not blogging..YES. So what have we learned here....blogging > school and yes that looks about right. I will be the first to tell you that pulling an all-nighter is NEVER worth it.. I am writing this and I absolutely feel like I was hit by a stampede of stinking buffalo.... a feeling that I hate. So if you are thinking, all nighter  tonight?? Let me help you out... not worth it. Hence where my title comes in again, "Late Night Drama Queen" by: Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors- I think my favorite line in this song has to be, "she just wants someone who can understand she's crazy and loves caffeine" but when listening to the song last night, I don't really know if it was because I was completely exhausted and it was about 5:30 in the morning but that song rocks. Yea- that's all I can say about it. But if I'm going to be choosingJOY is staying up all night, and reading a book that was literally a battle to stay awake while reading, and THEN having to write a paper over a theme in the book that I didn't even understand... you better believe there will be an AWESOME soundtrack playing in the background... to mostly drown out my reading and encourage me to sing more.

The last thing is, I am going through this book that is a daily devotional titled, "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young... it is my favorite daily devotional that I have ever read through... I just want to end with some encouragement and then it's back to the books... (man, school is getting in the way)

"Your relationship with me is meant to be vibrant and challenging, as I invade more and more areas of your life. Do not fear change, for I am making you anew creation, with old things passing away and new things continually on the horizon. I want you to embrace all that I am doing in your life, finding your security in Me alone."-Jesus Calling.

Oh baby! I get pumped! It is so good to be reminded of the truth that the God of the universe is at work in my life and the old is GONE and the new has COME!

ChoosingJOY & Running with the Shadows of the Night,
Cal