welcome to the cowboy capital of the world...

if you guessed that i was referring to bandera, texas; you would be correct! and let me tell you, in the land of bandera, boys in chaps, spurs, and pearl snaps flow like milk and honey - so yes, it is an apt title for the little town with a population of 957. not only is this old town home to some of my favorite boys, the robison brothers, but it also lays claim to some of the finest live music venues in texas (my favorites being the bandera cabaret and arkey blue's silver dollar.)

i guess my friend, evea lauren haass, and i have been listening to way too much gary p. nunn lately because we were both dying to get out of the city and take a little hill country road trip. that's where bandera comes into the picture...because we are such wily, adventurous girls, we decided to attend the annual ranch heritage weekend put on by the texas parks & wildlife department. and yes, we had an absolute blast out there!

the weekend included treacherous trail rides, a ranch rodeo - complete with events that i've never seen, live music, a dance under the stars, dutch oven cooking, cowboy poetry, horse clinics, and camping in the great outdoors. although my tail is bruised to the bone from sitting all day long on that dang saddle and i have dirt in places where dirt doesn't belong, it was sure worth it to ride that pretty palomino. hope you enjoy the photos! (also, if you yourself are ever up for touring the texas hill country one weekend, let me know!)



chasing after cuervo & corona in the pasture...



the horse whisperer doing her thing.



wish you could see lauren's land out by canyon lake, it would take your breath away. nice piece of acreage right on the guadalupe river.



an awkward attempt at a pose before getting the horses in the trailer. which, can i please say that for two girls; we can back, hitch, and load a trailer quite well!



lauren chasing cowboys. so typical.



morning trail ride with cuervo. such a good horse!



lauren & i hitting up trail #4.



after our dutch oven cooking seminar.



lauren trying to rope some steer, but unable to concentrate, because some 17-year-old who thought she was part of the NFR was "coaching" her. ha hilarious.



annie oakley next to her truck & trailer.

so yes, we had an excellent time being cowgirls out on the ranch, but now i'm so exhausted that i could sleep standing straight up. living this life is definitely not for the weak...

it's bluebonnet season!!!!

thought i'd post some pictures taken out at ingram hills ranch in kerr county last weekend. hope you enjoy the divine beauty of our state flower as much as i do...

something to chew on

have you ever walked into church on a sunday morning to find that the message being preached was absolutely, positively, unquestionably intended for your own two ears to hear? sure, you probably find yourself sitting in a pew for several good reasons, and any sermon can be deemed advantageous or beneficial to its listener; but what i'm referring to is the all consuming, hit-you-deep-in-the-gut, penetrating sermon that makes you think, "wow. obviously, this is not coincidental."

these were actually my own thoughts this very morning.

the morning didn't start off great, keep in mind. i was running late and story of my life - couldn't find anything to wear since all of my clothes were covering my floor. it had even entered my mind to postpone church, but i had promised my friend that i would go with her to the early service and i didn't want to seem flaky. so as i entered the great doors of community bible church (shameless plug), my expectations were mediocre at best.

after an awesome time of worship, as always, our pastor began asking the congregation questions like, "do you believe in God?, do you believe in your salvation? do you believe that God is in control of your life?, etc." and asked everyone to raise their hands if our answer was yes. well...ummm...yeah, we're all sitting in church so of course we all (or most of us anyway) believe those fundamental things. then he said, "precisely. you believe all of those things, but do you trust them? because folks, you've got to understand the difference between belief and trust."

over the course of the next hour, pastor emmitt began laying out a very simple, yet complex message: faith is nothing without trust.

throughout the message, proverbs 3:5-6 was used and oh how i love that old standby. was anybody else out there forced to participate in the old rite of passage known as "bible drill?" i have no idea if kids even do it anymore, but it was this torturous, anxiety-ridden bible competition where, as an 11-year-old child, you were expected to memorize over 100 verses, locate any book in the bible, and find any key passage under an insane time limit. mamma made me do it year after year (and i detested her for it), but the good news is, i'm able to conjure up bible verses at the drop of a hat! sorry, y'all know i'm prone to getting off topic...

back to that verse(s), it goes something like this, "TRUST in the lord with all your HEART, and lean not on your OWN understanding; in ALL your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

there's that "trust" word again. what does it mean and why is it so freakin' hard for me?

answer to question 1: trust [truhst] -noun 1. reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety of a person or thing. 2. confident expectation of something.

answer to question 2: a little bit more difficult to assess. barring myself from intensive therapy or psychoanalysis, i'm going to go out on a limb and say that it's pretty much the same for all of us across the board. at one time in our lives we trusted in something (or someone) and we got burned. badly. irrevocably. painfully burned. therefore, you harden yourself and you fortify your walls like ft. knox because no one is ever going to make you feel like that again. one of several problems that comes from banishing vulnerability and denying child-like innocence?

...eventually, you can become so world-weary and jaded that even trusting the Lord Almighty seems like an impossible task.

now, i haven't personally gone to that level yet, but i do experience doubt, fear, and insecurity; therefore, those things create a breeding ground for mistrust. the cool thing that i learned today was that, unlike people of this world - and myself, God is described as "one with whom there is never the slightest variation or shadow of inconsistency." (james 1:17) steadfast reliability and loyal fidelity? sign me up...

also, we are promised that "SURELY, goodness and mercy shall follow me ALL the days of my LIFE; and I will DWELL in the house of the LORD FOREVER." (psalms 23:6) i just love this, because a) the word surely connotes 100%; not maybe, not possibly, not somehow. SURELY. b) all the days of my life? that means forever. that means you will never go one day of your life without God pursuing you. c) dwell in the house of the lord? i'd say that's a good place to be.

so again, i ask myself, what would it look like in my life to not just believe, but to all-out trust? to put that truth into practice so that every event, every tragedy, every prayer that came my way would be faced with an unshakeable conviction that God is in control and completely trustworthy?

i'll let you know, because i intend to find out.

*if you have any helpful tips, life experiences, recommended reading on this topic - please feel free to share. i'd love to know your thoughts.

doesn't get much better than this.

here it is, friday night, and i'm absolutely, positively thrilled about the possibility of staying in tonight!! this week at work was pretty grueling, by far the toughest week i've had on the job; therefore i am treating myself to a night of indulgences. hey, i'm a simple girl, that doesn't require too terribly much!

for starters, i'm going to crack open the new cookbook that i just received in the mail from my dear friend, miss callie montgomery - all the way from charleston, south carolina! callie sent me paula deen's new cookbook the deen family cookbook. i'm already head-over-heels for this brand new release from the paula franchise and i think i'm going to have a lot of fun doing some serious cooking. tonight i'm going to attempt "michael's crab cakes" and "aunt peggy's bourbon-bathed brown sugar pound cake." wish me luck and come on over if you want a bite to eat!



along with dinner, i'm going to have a glass of chianti and then i'm going to settle on the couch with my brand new book, american wife by curtis sittenfeld. i really like curtis' writing style (sharp, witty, culturally observant) and i've heard so much about this best-selling book. been dying to read it for a long time now, but just now got around to buying it this afternoon. read it along with me and we can converse...



last, but definitely not least, i shall slip into a steaming hot bubble bath and let the problems of the world melt away.



happy friday! hope you're able to enjoy the weekend and relax...

nice rick...

lake getaway

just walked in the door from a most enjoyable, most perfect weekend at the lakehouse. i just love coming out to that sacred place; to me, there's nothing like it.

of course, this past weekend did not disappoint in the least. perhaps it comes with getting older, but at this point in my life I'm just so content to spend time with my family and soak in the splendor of doing absolutely nothing. we don't have to entertain each other, we don't have to dress up, we don't have to go anywhere...instead, we play board games, watch old movies, cook and eat amazing food, sit out on the porch and talk about the good times.

often times, i really can't wrap it around my head how stinkin' lucky i am to have the family that i do. i'm so lucky, so thankful, and so grateful. the Lord has just tremendously blessed me and it's something i cannot and will not take for granted. i can't help but think that if everybody had a family like mine, all would be right in the world. bold statement, i realize.

BELIEVE ME, we're not perfect. we get on each other's last nerve. we fight. we argue. we loathe. we get angsty and restless. but that's the beauty of it - somehow - the imperfect, embarrassing, suffocating mess that we are always sticks together.

we love each other despite it all...and my point is, perhaps if every person knew a love like that, then things could be different.

okay, moving on from my come-out-of-nowhere melodrama...we also managed to have a lot of fun this weekend and we got in so much fishing time! (you'll have to check facebook for additional pics.) we mostly caught catfish, carp, and perch with a few exceptions. though the weather wasn't great yesterday, almost every family member participated in our little fishing tournament!

the following photo was taken on our way back from the bait shop. yes, jessica, i know you're horrified that i own a bass pro shop camo bikini.

my thoughts on pigskin (spring edition)

yay! though the season of autumn is nowhere in sight, football madness has officially ensued!

yes, i realize that i am indeed a female, but trust me - if you grew up in my west texas household, football was a religion. you probably thought varsity blues and friday night lights were just screenplay fodder, hyperbolic exaggerations of a small town tale.

WRONG. football is, was, and always will be a way of life for us.

first things first - let's talk NFL.

right now, all i seem to be hearing about is this jay cutler controversy. my affinity for jay cutler goes back to a crisp, cool day in the fall of 2003. i was a vanderbilt-bound, wide-eyed little girl who thought being a vandy commodore was the secret to happiness. the commodores at that time were a historically basement-dwelling SEC team, but on that one day - that one day that i happened to be in nashville, they beat the university of kentucky! a momentous occasion of course, and i'll never forget seeing all the boys in their sports coats and ties grab the hand of their girlfriends in their tweed suits, pearls, and heels to storm the field. and who did we have to thank for this victory? that's right, jay cutler.

i say, let him be. i'm happy he's with the bears...who wants to play for a team that doesn't stand by you? jay, wishing you the best in chicago!



also...the draft is soon approaching - three weeks to be exact. i think this year's draft will definitely be interesting, i plan to keep my eye on three individuals in particular.

a) jason smith. obviously, i didn't end up at vandy, because instead, i spent an incredible 4 years at baylor! and that's where jason played for the last 4 years as an offensive tackle. jason's been getting a lot of buzz lately and with a scouting score of 97% it's easy to see why he's predicted to go 1 or 2. wanna know something really cool? we saw him at george's last week!



b) i'll definitely be looking to see where michael crabtree falls. he's done some amazing things at texas tech and he really energized that fan base and program. his stats and awards speak for themselves, and if things go according to plan, he's definitely top 5.



c) i'm extremely intrigued by what will happen with matthew stafford. matt's always been a fun one to watch, considering that he's from texas and he played for the georgia bulldogs. fortunately, i got to see him play in sanford stadium right there in athens a few times, so unbelievably awesome. i think it's pretty strange/confusing all the things that are being said about him and his "therapy" session with the '49ers psychologist. i don't think anyone should be determined by something like that, but who knows? guess we'll have to wait until april 25 to find out....



now, i haven't done that much research on the prospective status of college football teams yet (don't worry, that will come!), but i did attend baylor's spring game last week, which marks the beginning of their season.

from what i saw, the bears have a promising future for the first time in a long time. i know, i know. how many times have we said this? year after year after year. and always, our hearts are broken and we straggle out of the stadium as 3rd quarter winds down.

however, this team is different. you can just feel it. for one, i think art briles is directly responsible for this breath of fresh air, but i also have to give credit where credit is due and say that it's been an eternity since we've had a player like robert griffin. this guy's the real deal. he really performed at the spring scrimmage: 76% completion rate and 310 yards.

i also have to include the receiving yardage, since my little bro was mentioned...

Kendall Wright, 5-68-0; Justin Akers, 4-61-1; Terrance Williams, 4-41-0; Kyle Mitchell, 4-28-0; Justin Fenty, 4-20-0; Ernest Smith, 3-30-0; Michael Valdez, 2-24-0; Travis McClain, 2-24-0; Jared Salubi, 2-2-0; Jay Finley, 1-60-1; Brad Taylor, 1-43-1; Krys Buerck, 1-15-0; Stacy Williams, 1-17-0; Andrew Sowder, 1-11-0; Lanear Sampson, 1-9-0; Bryan Swindoll, 1-5-0; Matt Singletary, 1-4-0

we're proud of you bubba.







andy & rob



jackie, robert III, robert II



and that concludes my report, live from baylor university's campus in waco, texas! y'all have a good night!

life would be perfect...

if i could only be in augusta...







GO LEFTY!!!! wishing you the best of luck!

ACMA roundup

since i have unabashedly, shamelessly loved country music my entire life, it should come as no surprise that i was parked in front of my tv last night to take in the 44th annual academy of country music awards. though i don't claim to be an authority, here are my own thoughts and opinions on last night's telecast.

first of all, i loved the fact the despite being the individual with the most nominations and nabbing a victory for top male vocalist, BRAD PAISLEY chose to stay at home with his wife kimberly since she's about to give birth to their second child. but he did appear via satellite, that little jimmie dickens thing was great! i will admit that i've never been a die-hard fan of brad, but from a lyrically driven perspective, i don't think anyone in country music (or any genre for that matter) gets into the mind of women like he does. seriously. have you heard his new single, "then?" WOW - kim, you're one lucky girl. *had to include this picture of him since he wasn't at the awards show. can my family please! look like this someday?



i thought TRACE ADKINS was really great last night. once again, never really jumped on his bandwagon, but i thought his tribute to our military was pretty incredible. there was something about it that literally gave me chills. so many people in country music try to propagate patriotism, but there was something about this performance that was somber, profound, and moving. also, i thought his acceptance speech was awesome! he was so belittling of himself and the single of the year "you're gonna miss this," but it came off as utterly sincere. he really exceeded my expectations.



anything i have to say about GEORGE STRAIT, really can't do it justice, but i'll try. his performance of "troubadour" last night proved why i, and millions of other people, have such a love affair with the man. he's timeless, effortless, classic, and most of all - consistent. did i mention that at age 56, he's freakin' hot!?! but i won't go on any further, because i respect norma too much. by the way - norma, you're lookin' good yourself. what can i say, george harvey, thank you for being you. oh yeah, loved the jamie foxx introduction as well...i love that he's a "good 'ol boy from terrell, texas."



i must give props to BLAKE SHELTON for stepping in to save tim mcgraw's hide at the last minute. apparently, tim stormed off like a little baby and quit the show because he didn't agree with a producer during dress rehearsals. way to be a man blake shelton!



not to be a downer, but i absolutely hated HEIDI NEWFIELD and MILEY CYRUS'S performances. heidi looked drunk or high as a kite the whole time and while i'm not a singer, i thought she sounded incredibly off key. maybe an off night, but wasn't impressed. i wondered why miley cyrus was even performing in the first place...can we say overexposed? what was worse than her horrible rendition of "the climb????" the actual, literal climb that she took on a special effects escalator! wow. all i can say is, you made LEE ANN WOMACK and MIRANDA LAMBERT look realllllll good.



really, really proud of JAMEY JOHNSON. i've followed his career from its inception and i'm so excited that he's receiving accolades! he's just such a talented songwriter and he really deserves credit for penning song of the year. i think it's incredibly difficult to be successful both critically and commercially and he's one of the lucky few who can manage to do both. congratulations jamey! p.s. who knew that james otto was such a giant????



sorry, sorry, sorry - don't wanna be a SUGARLAND hater, but jennifer nettles grates on my nerves a little bit. totally glad they knocked out brooks 'n dunn for best duo, but that accent! i know i don't talk right, but my goodness...it's insufferable as all get out. plus, has anyone wondered why she just doesn't go solo? what purpose does her little backup man serve?



moving right along, i'm really happy that CARRIE UNDERWOOD won entertainer of the year. first off, she beat all the boys and that's just cool, but more importantly - she dethroned kenny chesney!!!!!! sorry if you're in the kenny chesney fan club, but it was really time for a change. way to kick some tail carrie and look gorgeous doing it!



and yes, i saved the best for last. ironic that my favorite moment of the night had absolutely nothing to do with a country singer? if you really know me, you know that i'm flat out obsessed with MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY and it's easy to see why. dashing, debonaire looks? check. million dollar smile, accompanied by that infamous leering grin? check. laid back, cool-as-hell countenance and demeanor? check. flirtatious voice that turns every female in the room into a screaming, foolish little school girl? check check. aw, the virtues of a boy made in texas...



okay, bout time i wrap this up, just though i'd put my two cents in...

thanks koontzybear.

so, i'm sitting here waiting on my freshly-painted-opi affair in red square toenails to dry and i just noticed that my dear, dear friend megs tagged me in some fill-in-blank fun.

though i should probably get some sleep, i'm much too concerned about keeping my new sheets in pristine condition and listening in on tonight's previously aired episode of DWTS. so here it goes, all the useful facts you never wanted to know about yours truly...

Initials:
SDS!

Name someone with the same birthday as you:
jack osborne. we're the exact same age...don't know why i know this :/

Favorite fruit?
i loooove pineapple.

For or against same sex marriage?
i'm still thinking about this one. i thought i had my mind made up, but recently, i had a conversation with a good friend of mine about this issue and he really opened me up to some new insights. i'll let you know when i figure it out.

Are you bisexual?
no way. i have some extraordinarily beautiful women in my life, but i'm much too crazy about young, strapping gentlemen.

Have you ever slept in someone elses clothes?
affirmative.

How many U.S states have you been to?
TX, AZ, NV, CO, NM, TX, OK, LA, AR, IL, IN, MS, AL, TN, GA, FL, NC, VA, MD, NY = 20, geez i have a lot to go! but, only one state has my heart ;)

How many of the U.S states have you lived in?
only the lonestar. but if i wasn't living in texas, i've always imagined that you would find me in tennessee.

Have you ever lived outside the U.S?
yes. madrid, spain. mendoza, argentina. hermosillo, mexico.

Name something physical you like about yourself?
my hands and my collarbones.

Something non-physical you like about yourself?
my ability to not take myself/life too seriously, my extroverted tendency of making friends anywhere i go, my unflappable sense of adventure (or reckless illogical thinking?...)

Do you have any pets?
no, i'm dying to have a chocolate lab and a palomino though! someday...

What is your dream car?
1967 red mustang convertible (accompanied by some good music and my hair blowing in the wind of course.)

If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go?
gotta see egypt and greece. but here in the u.s., i've been wanting to visit savannah, georgia for the looooongest time.

Are you bipolar?
eccentric and a bit dramatic at times? yes. but not bipolar.

Where would you want to go on a first date?
i like doing activities. playing golf. going to the park. going to a concert. i really prefer when someone teaches me something.

Has anyone ever sang or played for you personally?
hahaha yes...quite possibly one of the most awkward/most embarrassing/hysterical moments of my life. people love to hear this story.

Ever been kissed under fireworks?
no! felt fireworks, but never actually been kissed under them...that does sound lovely though...

Have you ever bungee jumped?
no, and i probably won't even though i would love to be that bad a adrenaline junkie.

Have you ever white water rafted?
yep sure have...estes park, co.

Has anyone ten years older than you ever hit on you?
ohhhhhh yeah, afraid so. anyone who went on 'vegas sb '08' knows exactly what i'm talking about.

Are you racist?
absolutely not.

What song are you listening to right now?
"the dock of the bay" - otis redding.

What is your favorite song at the moment?
"free" - zac brown band.

What was the last movie you watched?
just rented twilight with lauren, MUCH better than i expected...was starting to wonder what all the robert pattinson hype was all about. i get it.

Where was the last place you went besides your house?
spent some hard-earned dollars at target! who can resist new sunglasses and swimsuits?

Have you ever seriously vandalized someone else's property?
no, but i do, in fact, have a friend who literally took the song "before he cheats" and applied it to her own bf's truck. always thought that was a little crazy...

Have you ever hit someone of the opposite sex?
playfully yeah, but never for real. but don't think i won't if need be!

What's the first thing you notice about the opposite sex?
eyes. smile. height. (agreed w/ you megs)

What do you usually order from Starbucks?
not a coffee girl. shocking i know.

Say something totally random about yourself:
i'm about to get my concealed handgun license.

Do you have an iPod?
oh yeah...strangely pathetic that it might be my best friend?

Has anyone ever said you looked like a celebrity?
not really, but people at work really believe that i resemble jennifer aniston. i don't really think so at all though.

Do you have freckles?
nope, a few on my nose and that's it.

Are you comfortable with your height?
yes, but it's taken me a long time...i use to long for being a little bitty petite thing...but now i own my height.

Do you love someone right now?
i'm always loving someone.

How tall are you?
5'8''

Do you speak any other language other than english?
por supuesto, me encanta hablar espanol!

Have you ever ridden in a limo?
sure have, but it's not something i do on a regular basis.

Do you watch MTV?
no, i'm over it. i used to really love indulging in it though. we weren't allowed to watch it at my house growing up, so i had to sneak out and watch it at friends' houses. it was this very mysterious, rebellious vice for me.

What's something that really annoys you?
traffic. when someone's texting/talking on the phone when you're trying to spend quality time with them. people's lack of gratitude/sense of entitlement.

Do you like Michael Jackson?
who didn't like him back in the day? that thriller record's great.

Have you ever surfed?
no, but i'd love to try it though.

Do you know how to pump gas?
now i do, but do you want me to tell you a funny story about the first time i tried? i was a brand spankin' new 16-year-old and i went to go fill up for the first time at the circle s gas station (hottest spot in my little town). i didn't know at this time that you could not pick up the handle and press on the trigger before you inserted it into your tank. my gosh y'all, i sprayed gasoline everywhere...my clothes and my hair was soppin' wet with gasoline! took me 2 weeks to get that smell to go away...and many of our finest citizens in town saw the whole thing go down. so young (and so incredibly stupid...)

Have you ever thought that you were honestly going to die?
yes. many times actually. i remember a time when i never thought i'd make it past the age of 19. look at me now, going strong on 23 years!

Were you ever rushed by an ambulance into the emergency room?
uh huh. motorcycle accident of '06.

What's your favorite state to live in?
don't think i even need to answer this...

What color is your hair?
blonde.

What color are your eyes?
green! yes my daddy always insists on singing "brown eyed girl" to me. he's colorblind. this drives me crazy.

Do you have any special talents?
you better believe it!

Favorite non-alcoholic drink?
cherry limeades.

Favorite city?
buenos aires.

Have you ever ridden a mechanical bull?
absolutely. not bad either...8 seconds is totally doable.

If you were working on a pirate ship, what would you most likely be?
don't really understand this question? captain?

Who do you live with?
my really hilarious, sassy, wise room mate wendi todd.

Last thing you watched on TV?
dancing with the stars! i'm a huge fan of the show...

Do you wear glasses or contacts?
nope, 20/20.

Have you ever taken a road trip?
ummmm....yeah. road trip is my middle name!


okay, so i feel exhausted mentally and emotionally...can't believe i expounded on this much information about myself. hope you have a good night! happy april fool's day!