Very, very soon...

i will be driving down this amarillo road...

skiing down this mountain...

strolling through this town...

spending my time with these people...

And I can hardly wait. So move outta the way business law final because I have better things to do with my time.

tis the season...

“The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”
- Dr. Seuss

I have a difficult time putting words together of how much I enjoy Justin Timberlake. He is good at everything. Acting? Sure he has some questionable movies in his past (Model Behavior-eek), but he did a lovely job being a brat in Social Network. I didn't even notice he was a jerk, because his attractiveness ruled it out. Dancing? One of the best. Just watch his Summer Love video. Being funny? There are few comparisons. SNL is pretty much his second home. I could go on and on. Here is my latest favorite video of Justin. Also, who knew Jimmy Fallon was so good at stuff? Anyways, lets get back to Justin. Please note the glasses he wears in this video. For any boys who have been sitting at home wondering how to get my attention, get some of these and we'll talk. God bless America. And God bless Justin Timberlake.

P.S. Sorry about Jimmy being cut out for most of this video...who cares though.

"Just don't give up trying to do what you really want to. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong."
-Ella Fitzgerald

twenty one.

Someone near and dear to my heart is 21. That person is Kambly Caldwell. Besides living up to the coolness of her name, she enjoys Coca Cola, going to the lake, rompers, her roommates, Delta Delta Delta (naturally), Glee, speaking in accents, Mumford and Sons, her Mac computer, painting her nails with the colors that OPI provides her, Fred Astaire, the town of Austin, jillian workouts, The Newsies, dance parties, taking/editing photos, her iphone FOUR, sales at Anthropologie, candles, anything that smells yummy, flexting, twittering, creeping on facebook, changing facebook profile pictures, talking about studying, sitting on the porch, blading (roller), hey-telling, finding new music, her family, laying on Lauren's bed, painting, being small, fall parties, creeping on people, being really strange (but still cool as I previously mentioned), and lastly, being called "Miss Caldwell" by small children every morning at school.

Almost two years ago...the beginning of our love triangle. Get it? Like go tri-delt.

And then here is a literal triangle.

Happy Birthday Kambly. I love you forever and ever!

Twelve minutes of pure goodness last Sunday. This video is as close as you can get to the real thing.



P.S. Hi kam.

"Accept each day just as it comes to you. Do not waste your time and energy wishing for a different set of circumstances. Instead trust me enough to yield to my design and purposes."

Glad to be back at Baylor. Glad to be with my friends. Glad to have a God who loves me perfectly.

these are a few of my favorite things...

Our cute new kitchen table. Alex and Kaitlin- you two have outdone yourselves.

John Mayer- always. I can never get enough.

Moving- maybe if I list this as one of my favorite things I will start to think of it as such.

Do you lilac it? This color is genius. Go out and see for yourselves.

Barton Springs- what a lovely afternoon this was with my dear friend Kambly.

Lastly- my sleep sound. What would I do without you to lull me to sleep each and every night?

Hope your summer so far has been full of your very favorite things!

it's my blog and I'll post when I want to.

I know my updates have been far and few between -hence the sassy title of this post. Have no fear though, this summer has been GOOD. And I mean almost as good as the crispy veggie rolls from Thai Cottage II. Well, instead of dishing out juicy dets about my life, I would like to go into something deeper with you. I know, I know, you are SO curious about my life, but dry your tears because this is better.


I know what you are thinking after simply reading the title: She is a horrible blogger who seems kind of uptight OR her title sounds just like the song "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to." Let's hope you are thinking the latter. Well my friends, let us divulge into that old song shall we? If you are like me, the only time you hear this song is...wait when do you hear this song? I for one cannot bring to memory a certain instance when someone busted out into this chorus. Yes, I would say I have heard it quite a few times in these blessed 20 years, but certain times I cannot recall. I am sure little girls sing it at their birthday parties when they do not get the barbie jeep they wanted, or these days, the iphone that they wanted, but how do they even know this song? It seems to have seeped into our lives with such slyness. Well for anyone interested, I have taken the liberty of researching this age old "hymn."

Lesley Gore wrote "It's My Party" in 1963 at the age of 16. Way to really make a name for yourself at such a young age girlfriend. Meet Lesley:


You want to see a music video? Well no worries because I have got that for ya! Please note that she looks like she does not even belong. She is in business casual attire, aging her about 20 years, but I just can't seem to get over the fact that she looks photoshopped into her own music video. Those youngins behind her sure are gettin' it though.


After watching the music video, you realize you have to give her some slack because she was dealing with a lot here people. Johnny was not giving her the time of day, and in turn he was spitting some game to another girl- Judy. Obviously, Lesley was distraught...I mean it was HER party so she COULD cry if she wanted to. Guess what though? In another song off the same album, Johnny comes back to her. YES! I am sure the world was worried about her after listening to "It's my party," but kudos to you Lesley for getting him back in what probably wasn't a hit entitled "Judy's turn to cry."

Well, I hope that I could educate you today on the origin of a song that, well, we do not really know when or why we sing it. So when you bust it out at your own birthday party, your next bar mitzvah or even (hopefully not) all alone in your room, be assured that Lesley was okay and YOU will be too my friend. Until next time...

miss you.

Dear Allyson,
Thank you. Thank you for teaching me what child like faith really means. Matthew 18:3 says, Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven." You showed me the realness of this. You showed me how to live humbly, free from selfish ambtition, hanging wholly and helplessly on the Father. What a blessing that my life collided with you and your seven year old self this summer. You not only affected me, but others who heard your story as I told them with tears in my eyes. Thank you for listening to what the Father said to you. Thank you for showing me what it meant to long after Christ and want more of Him. Though you knew nothing about God when you came to camp, you left having experienced His presence in a way that some people will never experience. Thank you for all the questions you asked. Thank you for asking to hear more bible stories because you did not even know who Adam and Eve were, much less who David and Goliath were. Thank you for waiting your turn and having patience, when most of the other girls thought only of themselves. Do not be discouraged because you have a hard time reading and you cannot always talk right because none of that matters. What you have found is our Father and that is worth more than gold. Remember when we talked about how He knew how many hairs were on your head? While most people shrug that little fact off, you touched your hair and looked at me with amazement. Thank you for showing me what TRUE child like faith is. So pure and so easy. You always wanted to know more, even when you could be playing with your friends or playing with toys your mom and dad sent you. Instead, you sat on the porch with Kelly and I while we got the privilege to tell you more about your Creator. I will never forget the light in your eyes as you learned more about our sweet Jesus. You are cherished. You are different. I love you. But He loves you more.

Your friend,
Anna



"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
-Jesus.

Camp.

Hello to all my faithful reader(s). Sorry for my long leave of absence. I have been at camp for a bundle of weeks now, and this poor bloggy of mine has received the shaft. Anywho, camp is going swimmingly, and I would prefer to never leave, but unfortunately I cannot live here forever. God has taught me so much this summer- some of which will probably make its way onto this blog sometime in the future. It has not always been easy, as it is emotionally and physically draining (I never knew I had this many sweat glands). It has been so awesome though to be serving in community with so many Christ followers, and the Lord has really blessed my time here so far. I was able to see my parents last weekend for a little San Antonio Weekend, and my roomies/besties came in this weekend. They left approximately one hour ago, and I already miss them. Here is a little bit of my fun here so far. Be back sometime soon...pinky promise.

Reppin the spice girls. If you have not ever seen the movie spiceworld I highly recommend it...what a treat.

Can you even see us with all the camo?

My wonderful co-Kelly Travis!

just chillin...obviously

sweet blake...who says I can't play favorites?

College grad.

Though I am sad to see Austin leave me as the only Flagg here at Baylor, I am very excited for him. He has landed an internship this summer with the PGA Tour-I guess they didn't really interview or something? Who knows. If you know Austin at all though, you know he loves golf. This will be perfect for him. I think that whatever happens after the internship, whether he gets a full time job or has to go elsewhere, this experience won't be forgotten. We have been able to spend four days in Florida seeing where he is going to live, work and play. I think this internship is going to help the hard transition from college to the work world because this job is going to be fun for him. Yes it is going to be hard and tedious at times, but I have no doubt he will finish with many new friends and will have changed people for the better. Go get em! Don't mess up, we are all counting on you. Just kidding.

Playing here every week is supposed to be work?

thoughts.

I literally have nothing for you. Not that you usually come to my blog for too much insight. If so, I would stay far away from this post. Just some thoughts for this Tuesday afternoon...

-I wonder if I should take a nap now or just go to bed early tonight
-Why doesn't Glee start right now?
-I should not have eaten a kolache and two donuts today
-I wonder if Kam is home from Dairy Queen yet
-I should organize my iphoto so I do not have to see homecoming 06 every time I open it
-stuffchristianslike.net
-Kam is home
-What am I going to do tonight
-What am I going to do the second half of the summer
-What am I going to do with my life
-cookie dough
-these bullets are obnoxious...remind me not to list anything ever again
-I wish John Mayer would come and play guitar for me while I nap
-Guess that means I have decided to nap
-

pleasant things.

pleasant to sit on.

pleasant to my taste buds.

pleasant to a night's slumber.

pleasant to my ears.

just plain pleasant.

good ole tim.

Isn't it crazy how some people can write SO well? I am not one of them. Fortunately, there is so much out there for me to get a hold of. I love to read. I am amazed at how so many can pour out their words so beautifully and really get their thoughts onto paper. Though I love to journal, and ya know blog, my thoughts just tend to get jumbled in my head and I cannot get a really good grasp on them to write them down. I used to not like fiction books very much because I would finish and remember that none of that really happened. I would get so caught up in the story, just wishing that it had really happened somewhere, sometime. After I read The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, my view changed. I realized that story telling can reveal the truth. His fiction is different in that it is hard to tell when something actually happened in the story, and when he is just making it up. I love so many quotes from this book, and so many of his quotes in general. He is one of those writers...the writers of the books that may be easy to read, but are hard to write. If you have not read this book, you should seriously consider it. His books are unconventional; the best kind of books in my opinion.

Just some of Tim O'Brien's thoughts...I like 'em.

"I want you to feel what I felt. I want you to know why story-truth is truer sometimes than happening-truth. That's what fiction is for. It's for getting at the truth when the truth isn't sufficient for the truth."

"And in the end, of course, a true war story is never about war. It's about sunlight. It's about the special way that dawn spreads out on a river when you know you must cross the river and march into the mountains and do things you are afraid to do. It's about love and memory. It's about sorrow. It's about sisters who never write back and people who never listen."

"Forty-three years old, and the war occurred half a lifetime ago, and yet the remembering makes it now. And sometimes remembering will lead to a story, which makes it forever. That's what stories are for. Stories are for joining the past to the future. Stories are for those late hours in the night when you can't remember how you got from where you were to where you are. Stories are for eternity, when memory is erased, when there is nothing to remember except the story."

"A good piece of fiction, in my view, does not offer solutions. Good stories deal with our moral struggles, our uncertainties, our dreams, our blunders, our contradictions, our endless quest for understanding. Good stories do not resolve the mysteries of the human spirit but rather describe and expand up on those mysteries."

h-town.

I realized that too much has happened lately (GO BEARS) for me not to blog about it. So if you do not want to hear about my life, I would stop reading (all 3 of you) baha. March Madness is a wonderful time. This is the time I can do nothing but watch TV and not get judged for it. The tournament has been crazy this year...Kansas? Anyways, after a win over Sam Houston State (barely) a few of my roomies and me went to houston for the rodeo! Friday afternoon, Kam, Laur, Kath (they sound cooler in abbrevs) and I hit the road! Too bad it ended up with me driving while the rest read their books about fairies...wait excuse me, kath reads normal books. The other two do not; but that's besides the point. When we were almost there, they were asleep. Guess they were not interested in me showing them my dentist office, where I went to middle school and other REALLY important things that I thought they should know. We finally made it home to momma. She had grapes waiting for us...she knows us well! We got ready and ate some yummy tacos then headed to reliant stadium. We looked around at the exhibits, the petting zoo and then got to the actual rodeo in time to see bull riding. We decided that Kathryn needs to marry a cowboy. She thinks she needs a Seth Cohen...we disagree. I am pretty sure we know what we are talking about. Lauren got pumped for the mutton bustin. If you are not familiar with this, you let your 5 year old ride a sheep until they fall off. Having a baby soon? Make sure and get them into this field...because what parent wouldn't want their child to participate in this? Eli Young finally came on. They were wonderfully entertaining! The drummer is one sexy piece. I pretty much spent the entire night trying to get a good photo of him...Kath was more successful than me. Here are some pics from our adventure!

BBFLs duh.

Kam being awk.

chris>eli

regretting our decision to eat fried oreos, fried cookiedough, and more things that become awkward when fried.
We came back saturday in time to see Baylor beat Old Dominion! After this we got ready and headed to pledge dance as the Jetsons. The family took over the dance floor and danced the night away.

Kam's costume was a hit; as well as a good prop for the dance floor. We wont lie that we liked the attention she brought us.

jane...HIS WIFE! (just doing my thing). Only TRUE Jetsons fans would understand this. Well that's all!

c.s. lewis

"Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done..."
-a letter "To Mrs. L."

"God is not proud...He will have us even though we have shown that we prefer everything else to Him."
-The Problem of Pain

"If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world."
-Mere Christianity

"We are born helpless. As soon as we are fully conscious we discover loneliness..."
-Transposition and Other addresses

"It was when I was happiest that I longed most...The sweetest thing in all my life has been the longing...to find the place where all the beauty came from."
-Till We Have Faces

fam.

Here is my family. They are the greatest people on this earth. Let me tell you why.

First there is my mom. Obviously I am going to talk about her first because Laura is the most important. You can call her Laura, Mom, Mommy, hefty (its not as demeaning as it comes off), ect. She will respond to pretty much anything. I have seen her at her best and at her worst-I mean I did live with her for 18 years. The thing is though, her worst is what most people consider average. She is patient with my dad and I when we are difficult. She is gracious and gives so much of herself. She is beautiful. Leave it to her to care about all the little things in my life that no one else cares about. I can call her anytime, in any mood, and I know she will listen to me. She does not need to be the center of attention. She is strong and so wonderfully confident. She loves my dad for exactly who he is. She is slow to anger and forgives like nobody's business. She is a good secret keeper. Gosh, there are just so many things that Laura Leigh is good at. I could go on and on. Okay great I will then. She knows that she wants and likes and she does not care if other people do not agree with her. For instance, she thought this mosquito repellent clip on was really cool. Poor thing.

She is fun to be around, and I love the days that we spend together. They usually consist of mexican food and ice cream and shopping. She does more for Austin and I than I think we can even understand. She is a great example of Paul's kind of contentness (not a word...whatever) no matter the circumstance. The relationship that my parents have is probably one of the coolest marriages I have ever seen. Not that I am a marriage watcher in my spare time. They've shown me what marriage is supposed to look like. Isn't this pic of Mark and Laura just presh? I know it really is. GULF SHORES 2009!! But seriously.

Then theres Markus. He can go by fattie, dad, daddio, laddie, lardo. My personal favorite is father figure...I can be really demanding and say it in a british accent. He is a provider. Northern Trust for LIFE. He is a perfectionist. He is proud of Austin and I, and he is good at encouraging us. He is a sports guru. He listens to Houston's hit radio station on the way home from work and tends to come home singing anything from lady gaga to kayne. He knows more pop culture than I do. Seriously. I swear he knows the most pointless things that no one else knows. He is a hard worker. One of his favorite things is vacations. Not only does he love to go on them with us, but he loves to plan them. On the way home from a vacation, he likes to talk about what we should do next and where we should go next year. He loves my mom more everyday. He is the definition of a people person. He will talk to anyone and he can relate to anyone. For example, this picture below was taken in San Fransisco a few years ago.

People were playing mad gab at Starbucks. I walked out of the bathroom to find my dad had made friends with this random group of teenagers and was playing mad gab with them. I thought to myself...only my dad. Okay at the time I probably thought he was weird and embarrassed of him, but I am sure I kept my cool like usual. When I am with him around people I do not know, I am comfortable because I know he is with me and can make up for my first impression awkwardness that tends to present itself at unwanted times. I realized I have a smile I use when I am not sure if I know the person. It is a mixture between a teeth smile and non teeth smile. Anyways, it is REALLY hideous looking and I probably use it once a day. But this is not about me...gosh I am so selfish. He is not awkward, and he can literally strike up a conversation just like that..."at the top of the hat" some might say. Sometimes it takes people a long time to figure out that he is funny. He is serious when he needs to be, like at work. It is not until outside of work functions that others start to realize how funny he is. He usually gets the line "Mark, be funny." As if he can just be funny right on the spot. I can relate to that. Except, he is funnier than I am. He is my favorite person to be around. He can liven up a party for sure. I cannot imagine life without him.

Welp, that leaves me with brother. He goes by bro, Aussie, queer, homo, and many more I probably shouldn't name on here. Don't worry I really do love him though. I could not ask for a better big brother really. I grew up thinking he was cool until one day I realized he was actually a huge goofball. Its okay though, he is still somewhat cool I guess.

He likes me more than he lets on. We think most of the same things are funny, and we enjoy making fun of people. We are really good at it. It is nice being around him because we watch all the same movies and TV shows mostly, so when we quote things we do not look dumb because the other person understands. I hate it when I quote something and no one gets it. Get with the culture people. Anyways, when he left for college, it was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. While he was living it up at Baylor, I was left at home with the upstairs all to myself. I did not like it. I do not like to be myself that much, so I just missed him simply being there. He could be in his room and I could be in mine and it would be fine. WIthout him just being there, it was different. I got over it eventually, and now we have been able to share Baylor together. OH MY GOSH SO PRESH. When he puts his mind to something, he can accomplish it. He played golf in high school, and continues to play, and he has worked hard at it for so many years. He also taught me how to play golf. I do not practice so I wouldn't say I am good. Okay I am terrible, but not because of the teaching. I remember when he first started waterskiing. He decided he wanted to be good at it, so everytime we were at someone's lakehouse, he would practice. I would sit on the boat and do nothing, while he would be out there for hours. Now, I can say he is almost as good as dad.

He makes me laugh a lot because he is funny. Simple as that. He is smart, and he likes to read. My whole family likes to read. Finally by about the age of 14, I realized I should probably start reading if I want to fit in with the fam. He is usually updated on what is going in the world, while half the time I am oblivious. He is a confident person. He is a boxcar eater (as in he eats one thing at a time until he finishes it), and he pretty much eats his food at hyper speed. Which unfortunately has rubbed off on me. He is able to make me feel special. I have loved watching him and my dad's relationship develop throughout the years. They are golf buddies, basketball watchers, and best friends. They talk on the phone at least once a day, and exchange dumb text messages randomly throughout the day. I love them both. I could not have two better men in my life...If we are calling Austin a man here. I wish that this was not his last semester at Baylor. I have grown accustomed to having him here, and I have a feeling when he leaves I am going to miss him more than I think.


I know this post goes on and on. You really can't put a word limit on family though you know?
That's all.

shark bait ooh ah ah.

Tonight is the start to the first weekend of Sing. It is going to be hard to focus on much else throughout this next week. Thank goodness my accounting teacher realizes that...not. I wish I did not get as into Sing as I do. I try to play it off as no big deal, but here I go dedicating a whole post to it. Well anyways, finally, all the practice is over (well until next week, but let's not think about that right now). We get to perform tonight, and that is by far the best part. Our theme is "Come on and Swim," and we are fish...in case you could not get that from the title. I get so jittery and excited when the curtain comes up, the lights are dimmed, and the music begins. Sounds gay, but seriously...it is the greatest. Though it may seem like a time-wasting, silly Baylor tradition, I love Sing. What can I say? I have been going to this shindig my entire life. I can't help but love it. So, heres to you Sing. I have given you many hours, most of which I did not give very willingly. Now, I'd like to think that it will all be worth it.

We always yell "RIP YOUR PANTS TRI DELT" before we begin our act. I really should figure out what that means...I actually did rip my pants during rush a few weeks ago due to an inappropriate dance move. Right in the middle of my butt...talk about classy. Well, this time, I do not mean it literally. Peace and blessins. That's all.

complacency.

"Humans naturally seek comfort and stability. Without an inciting incident that disrupts their comfort, they won't enter into a story. They have to get fired from their job or be forced to sign up for a marathon. A ring has to be purchased. A home has to be sold. The character has to jump into the story, into the discomfort and the fear, otherwise the story will never happen."
-Donald Miller, A million miles in a thousand years

another big adventure I suppose...

snow in Waco, a win over Missouri, quality time with the family, the start of the olympics...It's a good weekend.

Meet Paul: Though he was created mostly snow off of cars instead of the ground...Kam, Lauren and I are still proud. Too bad he was demolished by a nerf ball yesterday. RIP Paul.

That's all.