Everything Really IS Bigger in Texas!

When a close family friend passed away three days ago, my family and our neighbors decided to head down to Dallas for the funeral. We packed our bags, rented a spacious van and head down into uncharted territories as none of us had ever visited Texas before. Our twelve hour roadtrip turned out to be a blast as I took three naps, finished reading a great book (Donald Miller, you are my favorite), and cruised along jamming to Disney music and Elton John. No, you cannot beat listening to Pocahontas' "Just Around the Riverbend" and "Rocketman" five times with close ones. Here are some photos of our adventures:

 A sign we found in a gas station bathroom in Arkansas. Violaters will be fined $2,000--hand washing is serious business kids.

Then we got lost in the Dallas Airport--Whoops! Didn't mean to head there but who knew that the highway just stopped at the tollbooth.

We finally found our hotel around Midnight, glad that we were safe as our hotel was surrounded by the Hurst county police station and the county hospital.

On Wednesday, I woke up after experiencing the most prophetic dream possible. I dreamt that my sister and I were on the Amazing Race, so check us out on CBS soon because we will get on sooner or later. Woo! World watch out here we come!

And on the way back, we discovered a DIAMOND MINE in the great state of Arkansas. Heck yeah, we took an hour and a half detour to find ourselves some diamonds! Driving through the great cities of Nashville, AR and Mufreesboro, AR (pop. 81 respectively), we were totally lost yet managed to finally get there, paid $7 and started hunting for some diamonds in their fields.

 My sister searching for diamonds

 Taking time out of my diamond hunt to take a photo shoot

Buddy's Ranch House Cafe in Murfreesboro, AR: Awesome burgers, and every visitor gets to sign their name on the wall!

2008

Hello friends!

I'm just updating (a little late) about my AMAZING year of 2008. It was a year of growing up, finding my childhood, graduating high school and entering college. I made many new friends and I can't wait for the new adventures to begin!

At the beginning of 2008, I was challenged by a teacher of mine to create a list of 100 resolutions. These were not to be things that were impossible or things to be easily thrown away like the dreaded "lose weight" resolution that everyone tends to forget about when the Superbowl comes around. These 100 resolutions were personal goals that one wishes to do or reach within that year. I figured that reaching 75 of these would make it a good year--and it was!

So I'm passing this on and challenging you to make one too

2008 Resolutions

1. Apply to College [x]
2. Learn to fix a car [x]
3. Graduate high school [x]
4. Go to Holiday World [x]
5. Travel to Graceland 2
6. Hang out on the rocket at the Alabama/Tennessee state border [x]
7. Go to a Chinese buffet all day
8. Contemplate getting a tattoo [x]
9. Steal a shopping cart [x]
10. Go to Waffle House/IHOP at 3 a.m. [x]
11. Make friends at Waffle House/IHOP [x]
12. Be able to go into a restaurant and order the usual [x]
13. Go on a good "date" (be it friend or boy) [x]
14. Change someone's life [x]
15. Save someone's life [x]
16. Go to karoke night [x]
17. Make a funny movie [x]
18. Vote
19. Learn to do a handstand [x]
20. Play an amazing game of Ultimate Frisbee [x]
21. Beat Andrea S. at Apples to Apples 
22. Learn to speak Spanish better
23. Sponsor Christopher (a boy I met on a mission trip to Nicaragua) [x]
24. Do something for Nicaragua [x]
25. Have a scavenger hunt at Wal-mart
26. Spend 24 consecutive hours at Wal-mart
27. Buy dry ice [x]
28. Go on a mission trip [x]
29. Do a random act of kindness [x]
30. Buy something off an infomercial
31. Write in a journal [x]
32. Run and get in better shape [x]
33. Buy a pinata
34. Watch a sunrise by staying up all night [x]
35. Get accepted in college [x]
36. Make some sweet T-shirts [x]
37. Make up a new word/catchphrase [x]
38. See Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian [x]
39. Watch the Indiana Jones movie with my family [x]
40. Watch the 2008 Olympics [x]
41. Stay up all night playing cards [x]
42. Repair a broken friendship [x]
43. Watch the stars/ a meteor shower [x]
44. Get lost in the middle of the woods
45. Get exempt for 2nd semester exams [x]
46. Get on expert in Guitar Hero [x]
47. Make an AMAZING PB&J sandwich [x]
48. Have a game tournament [x]
49. Paint my room [x]
50. Hug myself [x]
51. Have a group hug [x]
52. Bake some cookies [x]
53. Play some craaaaaazy Uno [x]
54. Get an ajimbe drum
55. Drink a 2 liter by myself [x]
56. Make a new friend [x]
57. Try out for the Amazing Race
58. Play Life [x]
59. Dance in the rain [x]
60. Give someone a compliment [x]
61. Buy something from a lemonade stand
62. Try lasagna [x]
63. Drink 64 oz. of water a day [x]
64. Finish Mere Christianity [x]
65. Call more people [x]
66. Laugh [x]
67. Take life less seriously [x]
68. Have fun with my college roommate [x]
69. Make new friends at college [x]
70. Get a job [x]
71. Make some money [x]
72. Have some sweet conversations with God [x]
73. Get to know my neighbors [x]
74. Read some books off my list of amazing books [x]
75. Watch some classic movies [x]
76. Write a song about a moose [x]
77. Get a lottery ticket [x]
78. Challenge someone to a duel [x]
79. Beat said person at duel [x]
80. Order pizza with a ridiculous accent
81. Be British for a day [x]
82. Have a waffle night [x]
83. Make quesadillas [x]
84. Be taller than a 7th grader [x]
85. Learn how to do step [x]
86. Plant a tree [x]
87. Stay alive [x]
88. Play Chinese Fire Drill [x]
89. Watch Space Jam on a bus
90. Go garage-saleing [x]
91. Pick up pennies off the street [x]
92. Save up enough change to pay for a meal at Pancho's [x]
93. Fly a kite [x]
94. Watch Star Wars [x]
95. Win a foosball game [x]
96. Be a secret agent for a day
97. Ride a trolley [x]
98. Go to a free movie thing [x]
99. Do something for a free T-shirt [x]
100. Try not to choke when my sister makes me laugh after I've taken a big gulp of water [x]