Cheers to 55!

Cheers to the coolest 55-year old I know!

I remember about 20 years ago, when my mom was out for the evening, Dad served us kids up some fried bologna for dinner as we watched America's Funniest Home videos. We sat on the floor, sipped orange juice, and laughed our heads off.

I remember coming home from Awana's at church on Wednesday nights in dad's car, racing against mom to see who could get home first. "Take a shortcut, Dad! Faster!"

I remember Dad coming home late from the office during tax season, with Taco Bueno in his hands. Julie and I would scarf down as much Mucho Nacho as we could before Dad tickled us away.

I remember getting Dunkin Donuts with Dad for the family before bed and having to take a 2 minute shower before I could eat mine.

I remember Dad taking me on early morning breakfast dates at Waffle House before school in highschool. I love those special one-on-one times.

I remember Treasure Hunt at the old house. We would team up and tackle each other over an old dirty sock treasure.

I remember helping Dad pick out a new wedding ring for Mom for their 20th Anniversary in Hawaii.

I remember Dad holding Brett's squirming body down, so Julie and I could give him kisses.

Happy Birthday, Dad! I can't imagine having a more amazing Dad - willing to do anything, anytime, anywhere for his family. Thanks for being an amazing man of God. Loving Him above all helps you love us more!

the big question

So last night, I thought to myself... why don't I wear lipstick? Alot of people wear lipstick. Why don't I wear lipstick? I've kinda always been a more natural girl, the bare minimum when it comes to makeup. But yesterday, I thought I should try lipstick.

This wasn't just at a normal time of day that I had this thought. It seems I always have wacked-out thoughts late at night... see my previous post for evidence of that. But no, I thought I should try on some lipstick at 11:30 last night.

I walk to the bathroom. High up on the shelf is a paper bag of "stuff I don't use very often, but can't seem to throw away." Alot of girls know what I'm talking about. "Hey, I might wear this or use this someday, and it's still perfectly good. I can't find any good reason to throw it away." Deep in the bag was lipstick... a bright red shade. Something to really notice!

I slather it on my lips. Hmmm... kinda bold, but not half bad. Kinda brightens things up a bit. Throws people for a loop. I wonder if anyone will notice. I hop back in bed, try to read a little and zzzzzzzzz.... sleepy time. Off to lala land. Where I always look like a supermodel in my dreams.

This morning I woke up, roll out of bed, and head to the bathroom. Light on and.... "WHAT THE....?" Who died on my lips and bled all over my teeth?!?!?!




Dangit, I'm such a dummy! Never go to bed with lipstick on. Even if you look like a supermodel in your dreams, you won't wake up looking like one. I really LOL'd. Not gonna lie. I hate it when people write or text LOL. I'm like, really? Did you really "laugh out loud" or are you just trying to make yourself look funny? But I really did LOL at myself! Not gonna lie.

So here's the big question... What if I woke up, got dressed and went on with my day, never once looking in the mirror. Are you the kind of person to point out, "Hey, wipe off your nasty lipstick teeth, you little dweeb!" or are you the kinda person to just wish away the embarassing elephant on the face, and hope the next time I take a bite of food or sip my drink that it'll wash away the stain???

For real, though... which are you?

I'm a "crazy"

It's official. Find that straight jacket. Throw me in a padded room. I've lost it. I'm done.

I wake up with a start! Look at the clock; it's 6:19. Oh my gosh, I can't believe I've overslept Whiz Kids! I'm supposed to pick up Nora and meet her for the first time. Apparently she cried because she thought it started last week, and I didn't pick her up. I'm the worst tutor EVER! "Whiz Kids lasts until 7:30," I tell myself, "I'll just call her, apologize, and pick her up for the last part. It'll be okay."

See, I'm a night-shifter. I work at night. And I sleep during the day. But I don't remember Tuesday day. I had plans to hang out with my cousin Ashley and her two boys all day today. I think that's an awefully long time to sleep. Surely Ashley would have called me and called me, saying "Where are you? I thought we had plans!" Surely, I didn't sleep through the whole day! Yah, I went to bed at 2 in the morning, but I wouldn't think I would have slept through the whole day!

I jump out of bed with my phone, turn on the light, look at my crazy hair in the mirror and think, "Okay, I'll just wash my face real fast, throw some clothes on, and I'll be out the door..... I'm the worst tutor ever!"

Walk to the kitchen and notice that it's pretty dark outside. Okay, I didn't think it was daylight savings time yet. It wasn't supposed to get dark this early in the evening already. That's weird. Dialing Nora on the phone. Pretty sure it's Nora's Spanish-speaking mother on the phone. I say, "NORA!" like she's hard of hearing or something. Nora's brother gets on the phone, and I explain my case. "I'm Kaylyn, Nora's new Whiz Kids tutor. I'm so sorry I'm late. I told her yesterday that I would pick her up at 5:30 for Whiz Kids and I'm just a little late. But I can head over there now. Is Nora there?"

I hear some Spanish translation of my message to Nora's mom in the background. Brother gets back on the phone in a super sweet voice. "Well she goes to school at 7 and comes back at 3." I'm thinking, Who goes to school at 7 in the evening? "No, I know she gets home from school around 3, but I told her that I would pick her up at 5:30, and I know I'm a little late, but I can still come pick her up if she's there."

More Spanish translation in the background. "Well... I guess my mom says you can come pick her up, but...."

And then it dawns on me.

I've just called Nora, my precious little Whiz Kid, whom I haven't even officially met yet, at 6:19 IN THE MORNING. OH MY GOSH.
I'VE JUST MADE A COMPLETE FOOL OF MYSELF.

"You know what," I try to cover myself, acting all cool and sly. "You're right. I'll just come pick her up this afternoon, okay? I'm sorry." click.

OH MY GOSH. I just called Nora's phone at 6:19 AM and tried to convince her lovely Spanish-speaking mother to let me come pick up her child RIGHT NOW. Before school. AT 6:19 IN THE MORNING.

Oh, I've done lost it. I've lost my marbles. So many clues I just passed over.
1. It was dark outside.
2. I didn't hang out with Ashley today, like planned.
3. That's an awefully long time to sleep for me.
4. I didn't work last night anyways.

So go ahead and lock me up. I'm a certified "crazy." Let's see if she still wants to go to Whiz Kids in about 12 hours, cause I don't know if I would if I were her.

***I'm posting this now, because if I don't, when I wake up for real, I'll think it was all a bad dream... and it was NOT A DREAM!

whizzzz kids

Meet Desteny. I first met Desteny when she looked like this picture I'm holding up next to her current self. She was a shy quiet 3rd grader. Her English was minimal, her smile hesitant, and her concentration was lacking.

4th grade began a beautiful friendship. I encouraged her with cards each week reminding her of who she is in Christ. A beautiful daughter of the Lord. She laughed alot more. Little changed with her concentration but her smile came easier.

5th grade emerged a girl with a flair for life. I couldn't get her to stop talking long enough to read a sentence in a book. Her reading comprehension level was still slow and choppy. She invited me to her sister's 3rd birthday party (which apparently is a BIG deal), and I started to see her love for her sister outgrow the annoying sister tag-a-long. She invited me to her 5th grade graduation where she wore a beautiful yellow dress. Her parents let me take her out for ice cream.

6th grade popped out a woman! Desteny shared with me her dreams of college, job, owning a house, supporting her sister. Her passion for life astounded me! Who is this young woman? Where did the shy little chica go? Desteny's concentration could still bounce faster than Federer's serve, but she excelled in math and science at her charter school. She called me friend. I actually teared up one time looking at her, thinking of how she's changed over the years. She said, "What's wrong with you? Why are you crying, weirdo?"

This is 7th grade. She said no to Whiz Kids this year, but asked me to tutor her mini-me, Alondra when she's old enough. She's a strong woman with an exciting future and I'm proud to call her friend. I love you Desteny!



Turning a new leaf.... I'm starting back at 2nd grade with a new Whiz Kid next week. Haven't met her yet. Drove past her house and prayed for her, but I haven't met Nora yet. I'm excited and nervous to begin this journey again. Now I know why people do this. I've gained a friend for life, and I'm ready to make some more...

working out

does anybody get bored with working out?
anybody have any fun ideas to spice up your routine?
i used to work out with a guy named roderick and he always had me do something new and different. it was never the same from day to day.
i loved it!
i'm bored with working out.
i wanna get fit but i don't like running on a treadmill.
i don't like "typical gym activities."
throw some ideas my way, or call me up and let's adventure together!

bring back the penguins!

wow, so it's been awhile since i've posted. my mom reminded me today that i have a blog. wow.
so 2 years ago at the oklahoma state fair, there was a penguin show. nothing has ever compared to this show at the fair, and i doubt anything ever will....
cayce can attest to that.... so let's beg the oklahoma state fair...

BRING BACK THE PENGUINS!

watch this video!





sorry it's sideways... if you have a laptop, turn it sideways, it's worth it!!!!!

i need a reminder sometimes...

why is it so easy to forget to pray?

on tuesday at whiz kids, i lost my car keys. i don't know why, but it upset me a little. i don't usually get frantic and emotional about little trivial things, but for some reason, i momentarily freaked out. i asked desteny, "didn't you grab my keys when we were in the gym?" "no, i don't have them, i promise!" so we start retracing our steps. the gym is locked. the library is locked. downstairs, telling my tale, carol suggests, "let's pray about it. Lord, help us find kaylyn's keys."

now, seriously, why is it so hard for me to think to shoot up a prayer to the God who cares about each and every detail of our lives. a simple request in faith. a prayer heard by the LORD God.

"kaylyn, i found your keys inside the game box we played."

thank you, Jesus. may i be quicker to bring my needs to you next time. thanks for the reminder.

25

okay so i'm a quarter...
is this where i thought i'd be at 25?
i don't think we should determine our lives layout by the way others have done it. people progress in so many different ways. i have so much to be thankful for, that it would be an insult to God if i wish my life any other way. i know God's got it under control. i have a great and steady job (which is more than a lot of people can say these days), i have a fun house filled with great girl roommates and friends, i have a fun circle of friends (i have many circles, in fact), and i have great health. i've gotten to see much of this world that God has created. i've been challenged to expand my view of the world and see it the way the LORD does by reading his word and understanding his love for all the nations and all the different cultures of people around the world. i am blessed. I AM BLESSED at 25.

chiiiiicago

so the sis and i did a little vaca in chicago! we had many laughs, many funny circumhappenings and lots of sightseeing! we were blessed with great chicago weather! we did the navy pier, john hancock view of chicago, deep dish chicago pizza, blue man group, shopping on the magnificent mile, dominated the CTA buses and the L routes (or got dominated), shedd aquarium, mary poppins, millenium park with the infamous "bean," and alot more! it was a super duper fun trip! not to mention the looong drive there and back! here's to sister trips!

won't you be my valentine...

valentines day cookie party!
who wants to celebrate a little valentines day love with fun and cookie making? come to my house on friday night at 6 and we can make cookies to give your sweetie or eat for yourself! call if you need directions!

my 100 for 2008

1. ran a mile in under 6 minutes

2. fell asleep in the movie theatre (on new year’s eve)

3. went on a blind date

4. made a homemade pizza

5. limo ride to eischen’s

6. gave my shirt away

7. got my first full time job

8. took an ice bath

9. lived in a beach house for a week

10. went to 11 different countries in one day (epcot J)

11. gave up sweets/desserts for a year

12. ran out of the blocks in 100m/200m at first ever track meet

13. saw preserved human bodies without skin

14. went to the zoo with my 4th grader

15. rode my bike to the farmer’s market

16. stood next to a man as he died

17. made an offer on a house

18. dragged tires

19. signed paperwork for my first house

20. got a tattoo (temporary J)

21. went to a movie by myself

22. got an Indian taco at the okc arts festival

23. made a fruit pizza

24. made the walk from old central

25. walked the stage to get my college diploma

26. helped light up trees for brett’s proposal

27. saw cher perform live

28. got a rose from cirque du soleil boy

29. watched the fountains at the bellagio

30. got my first massage

31. sat in a sauna, herbal steam, and ice room

32. jumped on the hotel bed

33. got sunburned at caesar’s palace

34. painted my kitchen yellow

35. got a roommate and lost the same roommate in the same month

36. spent the night at my first house alone

37. joined church’s missions committee

38. got my first full-time job paycheck

39. failed the NCLEX

40. passed the NCLEX

41. hosted a lingerie party at my house

42. went to the 50cent movies

43. adopted a puppy named rocky

44. bought a $400 couch

45. worked 6 out of 7 days straight

46. balanced my checkbook

47. paid bills

48. coordinated Perspectives

49. made blueberry pancakes

50. drinks on tuesday nites with the girls

51. bought measuring cups for my future sister-in-law

52. got my RN license

53. ate at a sit-down restaurant by myself

54. worked my first night shift

55. did chest compressions on a man

56. painted my nails black

57. sang in a wedding

58. dressed like a Muslim

59. became a landlord

60. did 1000 crunches at one time

61. saw Marc Broussard at the House of Blues in Dallas

62. started my Christmas shopping the week before Christmas

63. slept in a cabin with some junior high girls

64. watched the OKC Thunder win a game

65. painted my nails gray

66. got a new dishwasher

67. fell off my bike and rolled down a hill while taking Rocky for a run

68. got interrupted talking to a cute guy by a dog with 2 legs walking upright between us

69. worked Christmas eve and New Years Eve

70. learned to play a game with no rules

71. up at night, sleep in the day

72. read some books for pleasure

73. enjoyed a glass of wine by the fire

74. shopped at the plaza in Kansas city

75. ate a whole pizza by myself

76. got really sick from eating a whole pizza by myself

77. attempted to learn Arabic

78. made a smoothie with the magic bullet

79. recovered some chairs and made pillows

80. tried to stick my fist in my mouth

81. got my resting heart rate down to 51 bpm

82. drinks in the hot tub

83. tried to teach my dog a few tricks

84. got a 4-pack

85. entered in a contest to win a new car, but didn’t win

86. started the Friends DVD collection

87. got a fish named Willis

88. lunch club with lovely friends

89. bought sushi at an asian market

90. reminisced at the OKC National Memorial

91. ate at Somewhere Else Deli

92. smoked out my living room trying to start a fire

93. played a board game involving balancing your checkbook

94. got Chinese takeaway from a mom and pop place

95. discovered GMail Video chats

96. laughed until my stomach hurt

97. spur of the moment trip to Houston and back in one day

98. barbequed in my backyard

99. made some amazing new friends

100. thanked God for the everyday gift of life!

mele kalikimaka!

so, christmastime. i think of peppermint sticks, pine trees, hot cocoa, dirty santa, scarves, ice skating downtown, besides the obvious. i want to celebrate the season for what it truly means...

one of my favorite christmas songs is "mary, did you know?" mainly because i try to picture a young girl, holding this precious baby, knowing that God favored her and blessed her with a son who would reign over the house of David, his kingdom never ending. 

mary, did you know...

that your baby boy will one day walk on water

that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters

that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man

that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand

that your baby boy has walked where angels trod

that your baby boy is the lord of all creation

that your baby boy will one day rule the nations

that your baby boy is heaven's perfect lamb

when you kiss your baby boy, you've kissed the face of God

mary had great faith, she sang about her joy in the Lord, giving credit to him, acknowledging his mercy extended to those who fear him. the Lord kept his promise to remain faithful to israel, thus preserving the line of christ. 

it's only because of the lord's promise and those faithful to carry on in obedience that we can be adopted into the line of christ! i look forward to that kingdom never ending...

joy the explorer

my mom, the world traveler. she has officially been to 6 of the world's 7 continents. she has seen more of the world than most. i received this text message from my mom on my parent's most recent travel adventure through cairo: "

we just went on a camel ride and saw the sphynx!"

not fair, mom and dad! take me next time!

watch your thoughts; they become words.
  watch your words; they become actions.
watch your actions; they become habits.
  watch your habits; they become character.
            watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
- frank outlaw

jackpot!

so how likely is it to win the lottery? how likely is it to win a contest of any sorts? this is a question i've been asking myself recently. see, there was an advertisement in the newspaper the other day that they are giving away a new vw jetta on november 27th. so i click on the link, enter my information, and "thanks for entering..." so really, come on, what are the chances of me actually winning this stupid car? i've found myself going back to this site and plugging in my info as often as i think about it. so, despite the actual statistical chance of me winning, somebody wins. this somebody that wins is gonna be thinking, "wow, i didn't think i'd actually win this!" so what if that somebody was me? i guess we'll see...

wedding season

well it seems like it's been wedding season for awhile now. i look back as many of my close friends and my brother have gotten married recently, and it's exciting to see how God draws his people together. when two can serve together better than one can serve alone, God is glorified.

at my brother's wedding, the pastor officiating took the time to explain the vows more in depth and the promises you are making when you repeat the vows on your wedding day. "i, _____, take you ______, to be my wedded husband/wife. to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'till death do us part. and hereto i pledge you my faithfulness." these vows are not to be taken lightly or in rash judgment.

the symbolism of christ's love to the church is a model for how a husband and wife should live out their relationship. now we are nowhere near perfect, but when our love gets tired, christ gives us strength. when our love grows impatient, christ gives us understanding. when our love is tested, christ refines us with fire to become pure and holy before him. a new picture of christ's love is evident in marriage, and i pray blessings for my newly married friends. may you see your spouse through the love of christ!

brett and claire, cayce and efren, jill and bj, cory and cole, abby and chase, dacia and toby.

do you ever get jealous...

there's so many things here on this earth that i don't understand. in his creative plan, God brought one of his servants home. a young man was killed earlier this week in india. he had flown there with a group of others from here in america to go to this distant land that is full of a harvest needing workers. this team of believers responded in obedience to the command to go and make disciples of all nations.

so why would God bring him home? it's hard to find reasons why a perfectly healthy young man, in the middle of his work for the Lord would leave this earth. in hebrews 11, it talks about the nation of israel that lived and died before the fulfillment of scripture through Christ's coming to the earth. they acted in faith, "saw it from a distance and welcomed the promises of God." they were obedient because they were looking forward to "a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a heavenly city for them."

justin's life is a challenge to all of us. when we respond in obedience, God is not ashamed to be called our God. when we respond in obedience, he prepares a heavenly homeland for us. do you ever get jealous of those that are already there? i know that this earth is not my home. i want to respond in obedience, so i can join those who have gone before me. i want to sit in the presence of my king. i get a little jealous sometimes...

rocky

"isn't it weird how just a little puppy can add so much pleasure to someone's life?" my dad and i were just watching rocky play around with his new little chew toy, and he topples off the porch and rolls over his big belly, giving us a good laugh. he barks and tries to get back up, but the step is just a little too high for him to jump up.

rocky was "rescued" from under a car by my dad's office. he was just wandering around without his mother's supervision, and at only 6-7 weeks old, we figured he needed a little TLC. he had fleas, worms and this weird parasite that he got a shot for at the vet. but now he's flea-free and ready to cuddle!

i had been wanting a puppy, but just didn't want to shell out the big bucks. you know how when you want something, you start seeing it everywhere? i was thinking about how i wanted a puppy a couple weeks ago as i was sitting on my front porch, and i swear, like 30 people starting walking their dogs right then. haha! it was so funny!

so rocky's a little blue heeler. apparently they are very loyal to their owners. they like to herd things, including people. they're very smart dogs and protective of their owners. they are very active dogs and love to go for long walks on the beach. haha. he's pretty mellow and gets really shy in public places, and when he falls asleep in my lap, he's just the cutest thing ever!

it is weird how just a little puppy can add so much pleasure to my life!

faith

"then i heard the voice of the LORD saying, 'whom shall i send? and who will go for us?' and i said, 'here am i. send me!'"
isaiah 6:8

going green

haha. wow, i don't wanna fall into the popular thing to do these days, which is to go green. but i gotta admit, it's fun to ride my bike! yesterday i decided to ride my bike to work, which is only about 2 miles away. i scouted out my route the day before, taking neighborhood byways as opposed to getting killed on the busy freeways :) one thing to note, when you're in a car, you don't really realize you're going up and down hills, so i was in for a little morning sweat on my way to work the next day! and how's this for perfect timing... the clouds were ominous as i was riding, but my neighbor bill said, "no it won't rain today" and i believed him. i got all the way to work without even a sprinkle and when my friend came in a few minutes later, she was drenched! how's that for good timing! and it was hot and sunny in the afternoon when i left. good for a little afternoon stroll...
and this morning, i realized i didn't have any milk. i'm not gonna drive to the grocery store just to buy milk. so i rode my bike! it was a little harder to navigate with a milk jug on the way back, but i survived!
i might not be saving alot of gas, but every little bit helps... plus i get some exercise, break into a little sweat... it's all good! GO GREEN!