It's all about Shortcake

So I think today has to be one of the craziest and most random days of work I have had in a very long time, and I can’t remember the last time I laughed so much at work – sad I know. Today started off like any other day lately I am running to my desk a few minutes before 8am – granted I am not officially late until 8:30, but I might as well be late when I come in at 8am. So this week has been extremely stressful and busy with everyone on my team running around without our heads attached to the rest of our bodies. There is just a lot going on – reviewing the trans (summer/fall) line with our big boss, finalizing the fall buys, and starting holiday all at the same time. Thanks to Chinese New Year everything has to be pushed up a few weeks, so they can be off for a few weeks. I won’t go into my thoughts about that now; I will save it for another blog. Not to mention we had a day and half this week where our team was not intact thanks to the ice storm that hit Dallas this week. So we were all at our breaking points and tears could come at any time and did for some.

Anyways today our area was having a super bowl lunch – basically just a lunch where we all got together and just were able to be human for an hour – we jokingly call it forced fun around here. JCP calls it Winning Together. Somehow most of my team ended up at one table separated from our boss where we all of the course of lunch went back to high school and high school pranks. One of my team members decided that we needed to take the phone piece of our boss’s phone, so that when people called her she would be able to hear them but they wouldn’t be able to hear her. So a couple of my team members went to place the tape on her phone while the rest of us with the help of some other people on our floor distracted my boss. As soon as the lunch was over our boss was successfully able to talk on the phone so we were all under the impression that our prank had failed us and were disappointed and just decided to give up and go back to work. Minus the fact that one of my team members and I resorted to throwing confetti at each other while we worked, and that lightened our moods a little. About an hour after our boss tried to place the call her computer stopped working, so she called IT only IT informed her that they couldn’t hear her so she talked later and they still weren’t able to completely understand her. None of us thought anything about the tape because it hadn’t worked earlier. Needless to say she started hitting her phone on her desk and then hung up tried again – they still weren’t able to hear her. She then tried crawling under her desk and checking the phone cord and she kind of started to go into freak out mode at this point. So we all knew to keep our mouths shut because she was about to lose it and we knew we were all going to get it if she knew the truth. So she storms off to find our assistant and we all look at each other and say nothing. While she is looking for our assistant someone mentions to her that she should probably check the mouth piece because someone once covered their with tape – we didn’t know this at the time. So we all see her walk back to her desk and starting looking at the mouth piece. She then mentioned something about the tape and we all lose it and burst out laughing very loudly and at this point everyone on the floor is looking at all of us wondering what in the world is going on because my team is never like that at least when our boss is here. Still not sure whether we are all about to get in big trouble we explain to her what we have done and she begins to laugh and explain how she would have never figured it out or thought to do that. Needless to say for a good few minutes we all got a good laugh – then she asks what we did to the computer and we inform the computer was off limits to us. It gave not only my team a much needed laugh, but also the whole floor got a kick out of the fact that we did it and of all people we did it to our boss. It was a good relief for everyone and a good way pass a Friday afternoon.

All that to say I guess even corporate America can be human and have a sense of humor every once and a while. I think my team was, especially my boss was reminded that we aren’t saving lives here by performing brain surgery – we are just picking out clothes and at the end of the day – we all need to just live a little and laugh a lot. So if you ever need a good prank – I recommend the tape on the phone.

Okay so I am little different from most people because icy days like today don't really stress me out, in fact most of the time I actually enjoy them since they are a day that most everyone just has to slow down or come to a complete stop. It is a day that we all don't get near enough especially me. Luckily, I work for a company that entrust it's employees to make their own judgement about whether or not they can make it to the office on icy days. I promise I am not going to take advantage of that little fact - I plan on trying to make it into the office by about lunch time. But it has been really nice just not have to rush and be able to get things down and just enjoy the morning. So while I know a lot of people are stressed out this morning - I figured I would list a couple of the reasons I love icy days.

1. When the alarm clock goes off at 5am to go to the gym - I just get to turn it off and go back to sleep.
2. I get to sleep in on a work day.
3. I get to enjoy the morning and actually eat breakfast - my favorite meal of the day.
4. Even though it is super slippery outside it is actually really pretty.
5. I am force to slow down, which I need to do more often.
6. I had time to have a really good quiet time without having to watch the clock.

Even though I know the ice can be an inconvenience most of the time - hopefully everyone will just take time to slow down and just enjoy the down time. Stay safe and keep warm.

So today it became official that I will not be staying in my apartment 1424 where I have lived for almost three years - I think I honestly knew that I wouldn't be able to stay the day that SarahBeth said yes to Jeremy, but just didn't want to admit it to myself or anyone else for that matter. It has nothing to do with SarahBeth getting married, it's just that I don't know anyone that can move in and take her spot. Everyone that I know is in a lease with other people and their lease it's up anywhere close to mine, that is if they would even consider living me in the first place. The bright side of it is that I do possibly have two new roommates, but I can't live with them until July when their lease is up and my lease is up at the end of March. Yes, I am fully aware that the calendar goes March April not March July - so I realize it is not an ideal situation, but it is all I have at this point. Needless to say this has been a huge stress point in my life the past several weeks as I have tried to figure out what I am suppose to do.

Today after a day of phone calls and driving around Dallas with mom and talking to people - I still don't have a place to live for the 3 months difference in leases or a more permanent place. My mom was really quick to remind me that three years ago after a day of searching for a place to live and someone to live with I had nothing and was in this exact spot, but it worked out then and she knows it will work out now. Part of me knows she is probably right, but there is a part of me that thinks I got lucky then and my luck is probably up.

It is kind of weird that after three years I am moving again, you would think that for someone who has moved more times than I can count it wouldn't be a big deal and I would be a pro at moving or that I wouldn't even think twice about it. However, this time is different because it is a big deal. May-be it is because I realize that while I am moving I am still staying in the same life phase, while some many of my friends have moved on to a new phase. May-be it is because I don't like change and have gotten use to my life. I think those two things might be apart of it, but it is probably more because of the uncertainty of this change. I don't know where I am going, how I am going to get there, where I will end up, or who is coming along with me - and that is just a little to much uncertainty for me. Okay so I will admit it I am a little bit of a planner and control freak when it comes to my life. Part of my knows that even though I am completely clueless when it comes to how my living situation will end up - I know God has a plan for me and my living situation even if it means I get to be homeless for 3 months. I am just trying to let go of the control and trust that it will all work out in the end.

So even though I don't know where I am going, when I am going, or how I am getting there I do know that I will be leaving 1424 at the end of March. Right now the whole situation is a little more bitter than sweet, but I do know that God is good and He has it under control - even if I don't.

Okay so don't let the title confuse you, Winter Chill is anything but chill. In fact Winter Chill would be better described as mass chaos on lots of sugar and caffeine. Winter Chill in fact is a overnight sleep over for the junior high girls and their leaders up on the 4th floor of the tower. Even though as a leader you usually don't get hardly any sleep on the hard floor or air mattress if your lucky it is still one of the most talked about event of the whole year by the girls and that is why we do it. I must admit I owe my co-leader Stacy in a big way because I actually didn't spend the night (sad times for me since I missed out on a fun time with my girls) this year since my mom was in town. I did however get a chance to hang out with some of my girls for several hours, and that was lots of fun. I must admit I am amazed at the amount of candy, cheese puff balls, and cokes my girls can consume in such a short period of time - I think they might hold a new record for it. Even in spite of all the caffeine and sugar my girls were some how able to all calm down long enough to plot how to surprise me and sing Happy Birthday several times - it was really sweet that they even remembered my birthday. Even though I was only with my girls for a few hours of Winter Chill it was really fun and memorable night.

Effects of Candy & Cokes
Poker Face
Eating Candy
Cheese Ball Puffs The Girls :)

Yes today is my 26th birthday! Kind of crazy that it is here because life is has been so crazy the past week or so that I think I knew the actual date was approaching but kind of just didn't have time to think about it. I am still so thankful for all my friends who surprised me and helped me celebrate last Friday night - I am still in shock honestly. Because if they hadn't planned a celebration for me I probably wouldn't have taken time to celebrate it myself - sad but true. Needless to say my hopes/expectations of the day weren't to high since I knew the day was jam packed with meetings. Work held a day full of big really important and long meetings, and my evening was full of meetings for Brazil and church stuff. So as today comes to a close and I officially turn another year older - I have to admit that I am surprised and it was a great birthday even if it was a different birthday.

In spite of all the meetings my team at work managed to make me feel incredibly special by decorating my desk. Decorating my desk doesn't do it justice - I couldn't even get to my computer because of all the balloons and streamers. Once I made it to my desk I had beautiful flowers and yummy brownies. That was about all I had time to notice because it was off to the first meeting of the day before 8am. In between my meetings I ran back to my desk to exchange binders and I noticed a little jar next to Berkley's (my old fish) old bowl and then I noticed something moving the in jar. My team had gotten my a new Beta to replace Berkley since I hadn't replaced him myself. Needless to say I was speechless - it was such a simple little gift, but to me the fact that they thought to get me a new Beta speaks volumes about my team. I love my new Beta - his name is Bailey. Part of me thinks my team missed having a pod pet as much as I did, either way we have a new pod pet. In between a couple of the other meetings they managed to put candles in the brownies and sing happy birthday - candles in the building not allowed. Even though work was full of meetings it was a good special day. I am so thankful to be apart of my team - even if they make me crazy at times.

My birthday was great not just because of my work team, but my friends and family too - all the Facebook wall post, emails, phone calls, text messages, and songs. I loved every minute of it, and was made to feel so special. Thank you doesn't cover it, but I am very grateful for all the birthday wishes and love you have all shown me today.

I am not sure what 26 holds for me, but if it is anything like my birthday I know it will be great.

Over the past week or so I have often thought and talked about when I was going to move my birthday to because this year having my birthday on January 22nd just wasn't going to work for me or any of my friends. But I couldn't find a time that would work so I half jokingly started telling people we were just going to celebrate my birthday on my half birthday this year. Even though the thought of having to wait that long actually made me sad not because of the gifts or anything it just didn't seem right - so somewhere along the way I realized I was people pleasing everyone even for my birthday celebration. Little did I know that my friends already had it all taken care of and they had out smarted me - I didn't even consider moving my birthday up by a weekend, but they did. So last night when Sarah Jordan asked me to go to dinner with her - I didn't think anything of it other then we were just going to dinner, which we actually had been trying to do for two weeks. Sarah came and picked me up and off to Manny's we went - the whole way there we just had normal conversation nothing out of the ordinary. It was only when we got to Manny's did she act a little strange, but even that she played off cool by just saying her roommate Jessica was here and we needed to find her. So when I walked into the back room and everyone yelled surprise I was really surprised - at first I thought they were yelling surprise for someone else and then I realized it was all of my friends and they were surprising me. It definitely took me a minute to process the whole thing. I will say I am very impressed with all of them for pulling it off and actually being able to surprise me because not that I try and ruin surprises I just figure stuff out and this I had no clue. Not to mention so many of my friends had lied to me for the past few days but they didn't seem like lies at the time so that didn't even throw me off. Needless to say my friends are amazing and I am so blessed to have them and I appreciate them for taking time out of their busy lives to celebrate my birthday. They made me feel so special and realize how loved I really am by all of them. Thank you all!

Lesson # 2 of 2009 - Don't put God in a box.

I know this is something I am guilty of time and time again. I learn the lesson and actually don't put God in a box for a period of time and then something creeps up that is either huge or a lot of little things happen and I tend to get overwhelmed by them so I go back to thinking in my simple human mind that if I can't handle, fix or solve it then God can't either - wrong! I knew I was once again putting God in a box and a small box at that, but I just couldn't seem to allow my mind to take God out of the box because honestly my plate is pretty full right now (as are most people's plates I know). From needing a new roommate by the end of the month or deciding to live alone - probably not a good idea right now. Three huge meetings at work that all just happen to fall on the same day and that day is my birthday. Support raising for my upcoming Brazil trip in May but yet I need a good portion of the money by the end of the month. Trying to get back into the swing of life after the holidays. I could keep going on but you get the picture life is crazy busy with lots of upcoming big changes.

The past couple of days I have found my mind going a million miles an hour all the time and I can't shut it off. Because I am trying to take care of the things that are God's to take care of, but He can't take care of them because I wont let him out of His little box. As I got home today I went to check the mail because I am one of those people that hopes to actually get real snail mail and it makes my day when I do. In my mailbox today there was the usual junk/clutter and then there were two envelops - one to SarahBeth and one to me. I immediately recognized the letter that was addressed to me because it was in my own hand writing which told me that it was someone responding to my Brazil support letter. When I opened the envelop I was shocked as to the amount on the check (I am always shocked every time I open a letter and find a support check no matter what the amount) but I was also super shocked by the note in the envelop as it was from someone who I almost did not send a letter to this year just because this friend has recently gotten married and now has a new baby so I am not as close to them as I once was. However, I did know that this friend would be a huge prayer warrior for me and that is honestly more important to me than the financial support. As I read the note from this friend I was completely convicted that I had not only put God in a box when it comes to my support raising for Brazil, but I had put Him in a box for most area's of my life recently.

So once again I learned the hard way - maybe not the hard way but I was humbled about how quickly I can put God in a box. Even though I don't currently have God in a box anymore, I know that it is very easy for my simple mind to put Him right back in the box where He doesn't belong.

Do you have God in a box?

Happy 2009!

So I realize we are now a week into 2009, and I am just finding time to write but the first week of ’09 has been busy I have been in three cities (St. Louis, Wichita Falls, and finally back home to Dallas). It is really good to be back in Dallas, don’t get me wrong I had a great time on my trips, but it is always nice to come back home – yes that means Dallas is my home! That kind of brings me to the point of this post and the first lesson of ’09. I realized somewhere in the first couple of days while in St. Louis that Dallas has officially become my home, and while I might not like it at times or desire to be somewhere else it is home and when I am honest with myself it is where I am suppose to be right now. I think it is the first time in my life that I only have one home, and I really like it. I am not saying I haven’t had a home, in fact I am saying the quite opposite I have had multiple homes – my mom’s, my dad’s, my grandparents, and where ever I was actually living at the time.

When I looked up the actual meaning of the word home, Webster’s told me: one’s place of residence, the social unit formed by people living together, a familiar or usual setting, and a place or origin. And for me Dallas is all those things and more. I came to this realization while I was in St. Louis and not that I didn’t enjoy my trip and enjoy spending time with Kate & Shawn because I did. It was very clear to me that I have a good group of friends here; I actually really like the city, I have a job here, and as much as I say I don’t like being known by people and I like to do it on my own – I actually do like being known by people, even though I fight it. But I only came to this realization after a conversation with Kate & Shawn and just listening to them talk about their life and friends in St. Louis that I realized how good I have it in Dallas. Not that Kate & Shawn don’t have friends and they honestly love their life in St. Louis, but it is not a life I could live. It was only after this conversation that I realized not only how good I have it, but that I don’t want to leave a good thing. All that to say for those of you who have heard me talk about wanting to move out of Dallas, that bug is gone for now. I might travel out of Dallas for a while may-be even a few weeks, but I will always come home.