Memory Lane

I'm not sure how to really start this entry except to say that I just have so much to be thankful for. The thought behind this came to me the other day when I was trying to find an old picture. I started scrolling through Facebook and began reminiscing old memories! So, below I have just included a few of my most favorite memories while I was in college. I am beyond blessed to have been a part of so many wonderful things and am even more blessed by the friendships I have made. I hope you find this as wonderful and entertaining as I did. :)

Sara and I participated in a medical study. We were hooked up with wires, we look funny but we made lots of money! :)

Rock Climbing at OKC ROCKS!

Gresh and I at Graduation.

Amazing Friends! Crazy that we graduated

We always participated in activities that included food!

My other family that I care so deeply for!

Mason Clay made his entrance in to this world...I'm one proud Auntie

Allie was the first of us to get married!

I always loved an excuse to dress up and be with friends!

Our Senior trip to Austin was great fun!

Really great Senior girls and so happy to call them friends.

Always up for a picnic or time together!

My Senior Spring Break was spent lounging on the beach with my best friend Lindsey!

We shot guns at clay pigeons.

Dancing parties in the Deuce!!

Making our mark before we headed out.

Always a fan of broomball...even if we didn't win.

SGA retreat and taking random pictures with random objects was a weekend of laughter.

More Random objects! :)

REALLY fun weekend in Hot Springs and Mena.

New Years eve at a restaurant that was WAY out of our price range!

We slept out at Chickfila so many times we even know the President!

Bek, My Australian best friend came to stay for a few weeks!!! :)

I got my first Tattoo with Bek.

I love her SO much!

Many productions and ridiculous costumes!

Party Animals!

Fall fest and fun costumes!

We were miserable and in no way wanted to do this parade!

Kendi and I always loved playing in the fire! We have since high school!

SGA/RA Retreat always brought out ridiculous games and lots of laughs!

Ella was born and I just love her so much!

I got to be a part of multiple events with designer Kayne Gillaspie!

Rachel and I with my grandpa at Sara's Wedding...miss him so much!

Tanning is my favorite summer past time!

Stephanie and I participated in multiple ridiculous photo shoots.

In a game of bigger or better with the freshman class we got a porta-potty....which later fell off the truck! At least we won!

This picture fully explains our Junior Class Council.

A fun spring break to Nashville!! :)

Larissa and I made the boys dinner....and the potatoes were more like soup!

This picture is just so funny!!

Ever seen SNU's dress up closet?....we have! :)

One of my greatest friends....love her so much!

This is just us!! Jessy is one of the most caring and one of the funniest people I know!

Crystal and I acted like celebrities in New York for our 21st birthdays!

Crystal and I played dress up!

10 chopsticks in McNabbs beard at Cafe Oasis!

Pumpkin Carving...it became a tradition for Larissa and I for some time!

Dressing up as princesses for Nela's Sisters princess party!

Iceblocking always produced a good time and lots of bruises.

Awesome teammates and our summer memories and piercings...best summer ever.

I would do it all over again!

We were the fab 5!

All night studying for Clemmer's ridiculous midterm and final!

This is one of my favorite lip syncs decoration wise!

Spring break to Dallas....had to pee SO bad and we were stuck in traffic for miles!

Allie had her very large obsession for Walker Texas Ranger! :)

Pit girls for fight night.

One of the many times I climbed the fountain.

One summer of pure insanity that I would totally do over!

Roller rag....or how we went to class everyday?

Lip Sync Senior year

Greatest group of friends!

I'm not even sure what was happening....but I love this.

Virginia Christmas's are ALWAYS my favorite!

Fun fall break in Amarillo.

A night of playing in the rain.....

and posing in the fountain.....

And jumping in puddles!!

Very Love/Hate Senior Class Council. :)

Sound of Music Lip Sync.

Dobber was in Love with Andrea!

Filling Mike Hartwig's office with Balloons!

We weren't supposed to have paint in Herrick....Bryan Jennings was SO mad at us!

More family to love. :) And I love this picture for so many reasons!

Mud football at BFC

Loved this Junior Class Council.

Anytime I could dress up it was my favorite.

The dungeon became frightening during lip sync and pow wow.

Amazing girl and AMAZING dress! New goal...fit back in to it!

Gotta Love Walker! We took this for Al!

Spring break in Palm Springs, fun adventures in south central LA and Greyhound buses!

Climbing the water tower at Freshman Class retreat!

As you can see the memories are plentiful and could keep going but I've just included some of my favorite ones! Hope you enjoyed memory lane with me! If a picture is worth 1,000 words....I've just spoken millions! :)

Compassion as a Lifestyle

Last night I finally had a chance to sit down and read the latest addition of NCM Magazine. For those of you that don't know what it is, it's a magazine that comes out from Nazarene Compassionate Ministries 4 times a year and has different stories in compassion from all over the world! I love it....the stories, the pictures..I just love it!

This particular addition focused on the Haiti earthquake. I loved reading the stories. Not so much loved in a good way, because they made be sad. But, Loved to see how Nazarenes from all over the world pull together to help! Even if it's $100,000 coming from a church in Richmond, VA or $100 from Children at a Nazarene school is Belize everyone gives to help where they can. I personally have given money to this as well. I've become passionate about giving to the Haiti Water Project. Find them here!

They aim to provide clean, safe water for communities in Haiti. The goal is to create sustainable water resources that empower local churches to meet the needs around them. One well can provide fresh water for around 2,000 people. One well or clean water resource at 500 local churches in Haiti equals one million changed lives.

Since the earthquake clean water has become an even bigger issue and so many people are becoming sick. This is due to many people being crammed together in IDP (Internally Displaced Person) camps.

Below are some pictures I took from the Nazarene Haiti Relief page on facebook.

So why am I writing this? I love missions, and compassionate ministry. But I also grew up in a family where it was important and taught to me at a young age. Really the only far away mission trip I've been to was in Australia....but that's not a third world country, we didn't have to suffer for Jesus while we were there.

Since 2006 I've wanted to do something else. I'd love to go to Africa! I'd also enjoy going to Suriname to work in the orphanage, Thanks to Curt Luthye the Caribbean Missionary! :) If I could just take off for a couple months and leave everything here behind I'd do it in a heartbeat, but there is constantly the looming of a job and bills over my head. Can I ever get away from it?

I currently work at a compassion ministry here. But, I'm stuck. I don't feel lead to work with the people of this neighborhood. I sure do try. I have to try every day to have a positive attitude with the people I come in contact with but it's hard. It's hard to be at a place where I don't feel it's REAL and that we really truly care about the people we're serving. Sure, some of the people here do but I feel like for the most part it's a fake smile, take my picture to make it seem like I'm serving you, I'll shake your hand and offer a warm meal, but I don't even know your name or really care to know much about you unless it's for a good story later on.

This bothers me and I hate being comfortable in a place like this. We should be more excited to serve the people we come in contact with everyday. I used to drive down 10th street and be appauled and shocked at the things I would see driving down the street and now I don't even turn my head to notice a mom of one of our daycare kids walking down the street with a bag of groceries. Maybe it's because I don't like my job but it bothers me that I no longer care about these people. I don't know how to change this perspective other than to just to pray for a change of attitude and to pray for the people I work with to change as well.

I find it interesting the theme that many Haitians have inspired during this time of turmoil, “NOU SOVE N AP SEVI” which means, "We Survive, We Serve". I think that should be a motto for us as well. I survive...I have designer purses, a brand new house with a warm bed, lots of clothes and good food to eat. So why can't I be more serving to the people around me?

Things you Need for Spring!

A short, fun, haircut and dye job to go in to warm weather....so many awesome stylists to mention, pick your favorite!
Your eyebrows waxed....I recommend Kendall McKamie at Salon Envy! She's wonderful!

Get a Pedicure...it's Sandal weather people!!!.....Go to Hawaii Nails on 122nd and Rockwell! They're AWESOME and the best bang for you buck! :)


Buy a fun colored pair of sunglasses.....Forever 21, $5, can't beat it!
Get some flowers for your office, or home, it makes things happier....Wal-mart or Sams...They're in the $10 range and can last 2-3 weeks if you keep them trimmed and with fresh water!


That's all I think you need for now!! Embrace the warm and sunny weather!! Spring is FINALLY arriving!

Adventure Awaits

The last couple of weeks I've just really wanted an adventure to go on. To get away from here and explore and feel free and young (well younger than 24) again; to do something stupid and silly and make memories. I'm not a person that sticks around here long without a trip of some sort and having been here for a couple of months is wearing me down. :) So as I was thinking I was like what can my adventure be? What can I do that is fun and exciting? My first thought was camping. I LOVE camping, I love being outside and since it's been SO cold I haven't been able to be outside and it makes me feel blah. Anyways so back to thinking about what I want to do. I tell Larissa all of my ideas: Horseback riding, camping, pioneer days in Guymon :) weekends at the lake, and floating the river! My goal for the summer is to be outside as much as possible, to enjoy the nature that God has to graciously given to us to enjoy!

Horseback riding in Arkansas


Camping in the Grand Canyon

Floating the Illinois River (Not us falling in)


Lake Tenkiller! :)

So then I started thinking about the Steven Curtis Chapman song The Great Adventure. This is what it says:

Saddle up your horses we've got a trail to blaze Through the wild blue yonder of God's amazing grace Let's follow our leader into the glorious unknown This is a life like no other - this is The Great Adventure

God's grace is my adventure, my life alone is an adventure!!! How perfect to help me realize HELLO, you don't necessarily need to do something crazy to be on an adventure. That's not to say that I still don't want to do fun outdoor things all summer, but I'm going to be more aware of the fact that this life I'm living is my great adventure! :) That's all I really have to say about that! It's just so exciting! Saddle up my horses....LET'S GO!

And my job is what again?

So every Friday I have the Vine, which is our ladies luncheon. Some days they drive me nuts because they're really cranky and complain about everything but today everyone was in a good mood including me!
Everything is going so smoothly, right on time and Mel Kyzer is about to speak.
They start the prayer requests and so I run to the bathroom. I walk in and water is seriously going EVERYWHERE. EVERYWHERE. We have problems with this one middle toilet all the time, but water was coming out and I thought the next flood was coming. Please keep in mind I have my toms on so I'm DEFINITELY NOT stepping in the middle of this small lake. So I turn and open the door and thank goodness Kevin is standing there and he goes in there and shuts it off. So I get the mop and I start to mop it up. Next thing to keep in mind that ROC sucks structurly. Every wall was put up by a volunteer so the floors are uneven and it's just rough. So water starts seeping (at a some what rapid pace) out from under the bathroom walls and in to the hallway. I'm mopping as fast as my little arms can mop. Luckily I have some tennis shoes handy so I put those on.
Now, I don't really mind mopping this up because it obviously has to be done but what made me SO mad was Kevin standing there behind me laughing and telling me this was good for me. He doesn't offer to help even though there is CLEARLY water everywhere and I'm supposed to be running the VINE. I was fuming I was so mad. So after almost an hour of mopping goes by and my bucket is getting fuller, Larry our maintenance man shows up and he's so sweet and was like this is not your job you should not be doing this. DUH! Tell Kevin that. So Larry finishes it all up. It took another little while but we got it all done!
Needless to say I was pretty annoyed with the whole situation and this is just giving me another reason to hate my job more than I already do!
For those of you that were wondering what the water was looking like as I squeezed it from the mop, I've included a picture! :)

Best Weekend!

I had a GREAT weekend with my best friend Crystal!! You can check her out here! We went down to Plano and stay at the NYLO Plano at Legacy. Seriously LOVED it. Below is a picture of how LEGIT our room was!!! It comes HIGHLY recommended by me. The room is kinda small but we didn't need a big room for us. It's super funky and the bed was AMAZINGLY comfy!! AND it's only $79.00 at night....not bad!

Isn't our room SO fun?!?!

We had a crazy night together and of course made some memories for the record books!! We shopped away at IKEA and I surprisingly didn't spend too much money thank goodness!!!

One of the Many Egg shaped chairs they have all over the hotel.

It's always amazing to have such good friends!!! Love you Crystal Rae!Fun Hats at Ikea! :)

Live Your Life

My what a week it has been, or really last few days should I say.

My weekend was really anything but relaxing. Birthday dinners and house cleaning, and errands, and working all night long at American Eagle kept me busy! Saturday night I worked until 5am! I love the mall but I DO NOT love it that much! I usually go to first service with my parents mainly so they feed me lunch after Sunday school! So, I slept about 2 1/2 hours before getting up to get ready for church. I do the whole church, Sunday school, lunch thing and I'm PUMPED for my afternoon nap. I have it all planned out. I'll be in bed by 12:30, sleep until 5:15, wake up for small group, then go back to the mall to work at Victoria's Secret. I'm most pumped for my Nazarene Nap because it's my FAVORITE! I'm not one to ever put my phone on silent. It really only makes sense when you want 5 hours of beautiful, uninterrupted sleep, but I just don't do it.

I kept hearing my text messages go off and just kept ignoring them. About 2:30 I get a call from Jaci Bounds and ignore it. I kinda wake up and realize she's sent me a text asking me to take her small group so I respond and she calls me right back. I was thinking it was just going to be a quick conversation about small groups and I'd be back to sleep in no time. What she had to say would keep me awake the rest of the day and cause me to have a heavy heart.

From the other end I hear Jaci say in the calmest voice, "Laura, Will Bumpus died this morning." All I could say was "What." All she had to give me at the time was that he had been shot in the head and really knew nothing other than that. She didn't know if it had been an accident or what. Emotion seriously OVERWHELMED me. I laid in my bed and just cried and cried. How could life have been taken from this 15 year old boy. A 9th grader that was so funny, his own little unique person, and a friend to many. Needless to say I had to be the one to contact my small group girls with this devastating news and my phone continued to blow up for the next 3 1/2 hours with questions and concerns and heartbreak.

I didn't sleep well on Sunday night. I tossed and turned and thought about the Bumpus family and all of the 9th grade boys that lost a friend.

My heart has been really heavy the last couple of days. I'm interested to know what church is going to be like tomorrow. Wills funeral is Friday at 1:00 so I will be taking the afternoon off for that.

Live Life to the fullest everyday. Love God, and Love people. Do what makes you happy and live with no regrets!

Fat Tuesday

Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday", referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which starts on Ash Wednesday.


So...that's it! Today is my last day to eat fatty for the next 40 days! I've been trying to figure out what to give up for lent. Last year I didn't give anything up and the year before that I wrote notes to different people everyday instead of giving something up.

I've put lots of thought in to it and this year I think I'm not only going to give up coke, but flour products. Now, It may not seem like a huge thing but please realize how big of a sacrifice this is for me. I don't usually drink that much coke, really only one a week or so, but I LOVE FLOUR PRODUCTS, LOVE THEM. Like breads and rice and noodles and cupcakes....yummy yummy yummy!




So today I will be shoving those yummy things in my body, and will probably feel sick tomorrow. "You are today what you ate yesterday!" :)

For breakfast I had a sausage croissant from Sonic! I also plan to get a route44 coke with lime by the end of the day!

I will also spend the rest of my day looking for recipes of things I can make to help me survive the next 40 days. Lots of Salad and grilled chicken that is for sure!

I also promise to do my best to abide by my own guidelines and not cheat! Feel free to check up on me!

I will also be using this as a diet.....swimsuit reason is just around the corner!

So, feel free to help me out and keep me on track! :)

Love My Girls

Last night we had our Senior High sponsor meeting. It's something that I half look forward to. I enjoy seeing everyone but it's also somewhat of a burden that I have to take a couple hours out of my night to be there. I mean...I could be at home watching biggest loser. :)

But as I was sitting there last night Chris just thanked us for everything that we do and went on to talk about how important of an impact we make in our kids lives. It's something I've heard before but something about hearing it last night just clicked with me.

I love my girls SO much. Honestly I feel like there would be a small hole in my life if they were not there. The openness and honesty that we can have with each other warms my heart. Being a part of their lives challenges me to not only live a life of good example for them but to fall more in love with Jesus so that I can share that love with them!

This weekend we're going on Winter Retreat. On Friday afternoon 170 of us will load in to charter buses to make our trek to the cold campground of Sky Ranch. This weekend has been named "The Weekend of Love" one because it's Valentines day weekend, but two because we're going to be talking about love. Not necessarily mushy love, but brotherly love, Agape love. Due to the past situations in my life I feel like this is not only going to be a retreat for them, but it's really going to speak to me and to my heart.

Please pray for all of us this weekend. For safety, for good times, for our hearts.

How Old Are We?

I'd like to put a little warning on this blog before I begin to write it. I'm just so full of frustration right now I feel like cannot even think straight so it might be all over the place.

Please tell me why on EARTH guys think it is okay to have a serious conversation, or a "I don't want to date you" conversation on FACEBOOK?!??!?!

Is it that men, or should I say boys have become such cowards that they can't even get the balls to have a face to face conversation, or even a phone conversation. Instead they have to hide behind the so called social technology in order to avoid embarassment? The awkward situation? The ability to get out of it easier? What?

I for one have become very frustrated today with this lack of maturity and disappointed that someone 22 years old that I thought was better than that turns out to be just like every other boy I've met.

And even though I'd like to say that I am not saddened by the situation to not date someone really awesome I'm more sad and disappointed that it couldn't be handled in a way that was more respectful of my feelings.

That's really all I have to say. Goodnight.