AWKWARD & AWESOME

Ok, so I was feeling a little blog-friendly and decided to do two posts in one day. I haven't done this in a while so felt the need to update you on my life.

AWKWARD:

• If you go to eat with me more than three times, you start to pick up on my tendency to spill/drop/knock over food/drink on myself and my clothes. This held very true in Houston. As I was eating at Brennan's (nicer restaurant that I mentioned a few posts ago), our waiter was approaching our table as I picked up my glass of water, and you betcha, water came over the brim like a volcano and all into my lap as the waiter took my order. I think I made a great impression.
• In continuation of my dinner, SHRIMP. I have a definite love-hate relationship with this food. I love eating it but HATE peeling it. I should have taken this into consideration when I ordered Shrimp Chippewa at the restaurant, but of course, I didn't. So here I am after the waiter saw my cup turn into Mt. Helena, trying to politely peel my shrimp that are already submerged in grease, butter, and grits. Needless to say, a few shrimp tails were flying around my plate and table, and I had quite the look of flustered determination on my face for a good five minutes. 
• For Spring Break, I went with four of my friends to Santa Rosa Beach in Florida. I had just bought a new swim suit and was excited about wearing. So excited that, as I am laying out (it's halfway through the day to add to the kicks and giggles), Samantha says, "Shelby, you are wearing your top upside-down." I tried to argue with her, but sure enough, I had worn the swim suit upside down for approximately four and a half hours. If that doesn't take some awkward talent, I don't know what does.
• Also, on Spring Break, our cab driver one night told us scary/creepy stories and made himself out to sound like a possible serial killer. He then stops at a gas station...... and buys us all Krispy Kreme doughnuts...yep.
• Last week, I walked to my first class with a cloudless blue-sky day. A mere hour later when I walked out of class, it was torrential downpours. I had no umbrella, no rain jacket, and ten minutes to get to my next class where I was being evaluated on my story. So, with all my graceless poise, I sprinted in the rain, through a  silent building, laughing so hard that I was snorting (a-w-k-w-a-r-d), to finally reach my class looking like a deranged, wet zoo animal...I love the weather.

 AWESOME:

• Easter Break and getting to see family and my friends from home
• SNICKER EGGS. There is just something better about snickers when they are in holiday/abnormal shapes.
• Brennan's in Houston and Fish out of Water in Watercolor.
• The fact that I am almost a Senior in college and the Easter Bunny still comes to visit me.
• Same Kind of Different As Me- please do yourself a favor and read this book
• Spring scarves- I am slightly in love.
•  Houston weekend trip coming up next weekend!!

March Madness

I know, I know- it's April now, but I was absent so much last month due to the crazy rush of things and Spring that I had to make up for it and what better name to call it than- March Madness. Here's a flashback to the past month and all of its glory.

Trip to Houston

Chapter Retreat in Jackson

Spring Formal

Spring Formal

Day Trip to Kemah

Spring Break in Santa Rosa

The Good Life!

Happy Monday!!

Stormchasers

Once again, I have fallen off the radar for over a month after I pinky-promised not to, and once again, I have surrendered to my fickle ways and changed my blog name yet again. Yet, I think this one is here to stay. Because I honestly couldn't picture a better way to describe my life. Don't get me wrong- I am your typical imperfect human who makes countless mistakes on a daily basis. I am a college student who really has no clue what I am going to do with the so-called "real world" and future. I am your stereotypical girl who can be overdramatic, worry endlessly, and ride the roller coaster called Emotions. I have days where when it rains, it pours. HOWEVER, at the end of the day, when all of the chaos settles, I could not be more blessed. I have the most wonderful family in the world- still trying to figure out what I did to deserve them. I have the greatest friends I could ask for and who each make life all the more beautiful. Most importantly, I have a God who promises to hold my hand as I walk out onto the waves of life. At the end of the day, that is all that matters, and at the end of the day, I could not ask for more. THAT, my friends, is the abundant life, and oh, how sweet it really is.

So, now an update on my life would be good. School is kicking back in full swing, and over the past month, I have moved back to Oxford, traveled to Tuscaloosa, gave a speech, and helped with Alabama's recruitment, back to Oxford, transformed into a "big girl" with suit and all to attend my first "Meet the Firms," flown for the first time by myself, and biggest shock of all- actually woke up to eat breakfast one morning at the House.

Now back to the core of my post. This past weekend (Labor Day weekend) I flew out to Houston to see the boyfriend, and long story short, I had an absolutely wonderful weekend. Three highlights of the weekend 1) I found SMORES in a restaurant. S-M-O-R-E-S. (If you know me, you understand). 2). I struck a gold-mine of a negotiation with the boyfriend and told him that if he took me to a Forever 21 that I would watch the Arkansas football game that night (if that's not the real "Great Compromise," I'm not sure what is) and...

3).Let's just say I was one happy girl :)

Now after my continuous ramble, let's try once again to get to the point. So Saturday night, we were going to Vic and Anthony's in Houston, and when we pulled into the parking spot, it randomly starts raining. Being the girl, I wanted to wait it out, and being the boy, he just wanted to get out before it "got worse." So, in DRESS AND HEELS (new shoes at that), I start running in the rain towards this very nice restaurant. Right as I am passing the HUGE window display of the restaurant I am about to walk into, I trip and fall flat on my hands and knees, in a dress and heels, in the middle of the streets of Houston, in the middle of a rainstorm. Classic, right? Since this is my everyday life, I have learned to laugh, which is what I did on my hands and knees in the midst of a puddle in this street of Houston as a stranger offered me a helmet (no lie), Andrew grabbed my hand, pulled me to my feet, and we kept running yet again in the rain. To add to the comedy show, as we finally reach the restaurant door, it magically stops raining. Great, great timing. So needless to say with my wet-dog hairstyle and scraped knees and his shirt completely soaked to his body, we were a sight to see walking in for our reservation. (We literally laughed out loud about this at least five different times during the course of the dinner.)

So what's my point? My point is that in life, you need Stormchasers. You need people who are going to "run in the rain" with you and aren't detered by the thunder. You need people who are going to lift you to your feet during the storms of life and hold your hand through it all. You need people who are going to stay with you until the rain magically stops. You need to know that no storm is too large. Most importantly, you need to know that there is a Stormchaser who can calm every storm.
"And He awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be Still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm." Mark 4:39.

Milestone Home

It has almost been a MONTH since I have blogged last. Where has the time gone? My summer is now over, and I am back in Oxford for the August intersession. Yes, that's right, three and a half hours of MATH Monday-Friday. Lovely right? Ok, there is my pessimistic spill. No more.

So, during my long absence, I have gone from Texas, back to Brandon, and now to Oxford. I am currently sitting in High Point Coffee because Tara's internet is down right now, and I must say, sitting in a coffee shop with your computer in your lap and the perfect mocha to your right adds a whole new feeling of intelligence to your daily routine. Spoiler alert (my new term that I have received from all of the magazine articles and websites I visited trying to find out who Ali picked- I am a dork I know) this will be a longer blog since I have been gone so long.

So, I guess the most interesting thing to write about would be my trip to Texas. For those of you who don't know me that well, I guess I should say my place of birth was Houston, Texas, but Brandon will always be my hometown. So in July, my parents and I voyaged to Texas for a few days of catching up with old friends and oh yes, SHOPPING. The Galleria was so amazing- and I successfully entered a Coach store without going into cardiac arrest, drooling, and without buying anything. For those of you who know me well, you realize the magnitude behind this past sentence. HUGE deal. So on the last day of the trip as we were leaving Houston, my mom thought I should see my "first house." I sighed and began my whining tangent about how that was so cheesy, didn't understand the significance seeing that I did not remember a thing about the house, we had a seven hour drive and didn't need any other detour (throw in 23832 other complaints and you have my futile argument). Then my mother said something that I later would ponder over. She said, "But it is important. That is where you learned to walk. That is where you learned to talk. That was the house you were brought back to- it's where the milestones happened."


Where the milestones happened.


Now, when you're in a car for seven hours, you have a LOT of thinking time, and I began to think about what my mom said. Where the milestones happened. How many times in life are WE others' "first homes." We, ourselves, are where others' milestones happened. It could be as simple as one word of encouragement, one smile, or one conversation that transformed someone else's life completely. A milestone happened. Or it could be a lifelong influence and example that someone else observes and chases after. Yet again, another milestone. We might not remember the small-talk conversations, brief interactions, and the thousand hellos that we distribute throughout our daily lives, but one day, we might just be the "first home" for someone else. They might not remember it then, but one day they'll look back and say, "That's where the milestones happened." Therefore, I think in life, that is one of our purposes. We were designed to be the "first homes" for others. We were designed to make milestones happen.


I wish I had a beautiful picture to show you of my "first home," but unfortunately, I do not. However, here are 1,000 words of my trip in Houston.