Current Obsessions

My life, lately, more-or-less consists of obsessing over the following things:

Maxi skirts, not for the shorties. I like this one because it looks comfortable - top priority for me.



Kate Middleton's ring, but who isn't? I may or may not be planning my evening around Lifetime's Royal Wedding programming.



Peonies, always.



THIS Ann Lander's letter featured on Today's Letters.

Barns, baby! AKA-our chosen wedding venue!



Mismatched china...



Water for Elephants - haven't seen it yet - but I have a good feeling!

And last, fresh-flowered crosses - a beautiful depiction of the life that comes from Jesus' sacrifice!



Happy Good Friday, everyone!

"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." -Phil. 3:10-12 (NIV)

A GRAND China Wedding

Can I just tell you how much time I spend looking at weddings online?

Hours.

Countless, upon countless, hours.

One would assume that it is the newness of the engagement that's caused this absurd time wasting.

Nope. I did this before. But now I can justify it.

Folks, this isn't just a void pastime. I am a self-proclaimed wedding critic!

I'll let you in on my criteria for each and every wedding I peruse...

1) The wedding, in its entirety (pictures, colors, etc.), must be unique to the personality of the bride and groom.
2) The wedding must have a cohesive theme or color scheme.
3) The fun factor - I look at the faces on the attendees, not just the bride and groom - everyone should be having FUN.
4) And last but not least, bonus points are awarded to weddings with killer food.

This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of experiencing such a wedding at my former place of employment - Grand China. The wedding met all of my criteria and then some. The best part of the night happened towards the end - when all inhibitions were gone - and everyone was dancing the night away.

I looked to my right and Lisa was doing the sprinkler-head. I look to my left and Logan was swing-dancing with my former boss, Shirley.

It was classic and certainly one for the books (or blogs!). I can only hope that my wedding will be just as wonderful - congrats Richard and JoJo!




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Our Engagement Story

I'm not having a very busy week so I thought I'd go ahead and post the engagement story.

Friday, March 25th, A told me that he wanted to take me on a surprise date. Honestly, I had no clue that this was about to be the biggest surprise of my life! A picked me up and - now knowing what followed that car ride - he really wasn't acting nervous at all. He claims that he was hiding behind his dark sunglasses, typical.

He takes me to his house in Norman and naturally I ask if he cooked me dinner and he says yes. He then opens the door and I am taken aback because he has blacked out the walls with sheets and there were incredible flowers, candles, and pictures EVERYWHERE. I am an idiot and STILL don't realize what's happening. In my head, it's just an exceptional date.

Then I spot the piano. I know that he doesn't have a piano at his house so I really start to think that he has pulled out all the stops for this date. He leads me over to it and tells me that he wrote a song for me. A is a really wonderful pianist and always makes up catchy little ballads (think Jack Black in The Holiday). I always try to get him to make one up for me, but he never will. Until March 25th. So he plays "my song" and that's when it hit me - UM. I think this might be more than the typical date.

This is where it gets kinda fuzzy in my mind and I don't exactly remember the order of it all but I'll start with the most important - he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Of course I said yes (to him and the most beautiful ring in the world). He then gave me a journal that each day he had written a reason why he loved me, along with 5 cards containing 5 promises that he is making as my future husband. He then led me to the couch, where he read from his Bible the passage where Jesus washes the disciples feet to show them the extent of His love (an ultimate act of humility). He had a basin of water and rags and washed my feet and I, in turn, washed his. We sat for an hour or so, talking and taking in the sweetness of the moment and thennnnn he took me to Nonna's in the City where my family, his family, and both of our friends were there waiting. It was perfect.

I've had at least four million people ask if I cried. For those of you who are thinking about upping that number, I'll fill you in. NO. no tears. What?! You may be thinking..."But Alex, you cry at everything!" That's true. But I have some sort of pathological issue that I cannot cry at real life happy things that happen to me. I cry in Disney channel original movies, I cry at motivational YouTube videos, but I can't cry at the real life stuff. It's really a big problem. I am terrified that I won't cry at my wedding or the birth of a child (which, by the way, is a LONG way off for A and I) and people will think that I am a cold-hearted person who doesn't love my husband or child.

To wrap this up, I thought I'd end with some pictures from the engagement and the festivities following.










Telling the story...


Toast...


A's family...


My family...


Thanks to everyone who's been so supportive and kind to Aaron and I during this precious time in our lives - you've made this experience that much sweeter!

The Past Month (as seen through the lens of my trusty iPhone)

I can confidently say that the past month has been the best of my life. I really wish that the right words would just flow out of me, describing all of the emotions I am feeling right now but I know they won't and really, they can't. No words can do my happiness justice so I'll just leave it at this - I am so blessed.

Since words fail me, I thought I'd use some pictures to show you why my month was so wonderful...

Spring Break was spent at beautiful Newport Beach with A's precious family...





Flowers are a'bloomin' in OKC at Chesapeake (Spring is here!)...



A & I GOT ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just thought I'd casually throw that in ;)





I attended the Medieval Fair and got a new cloak. Juts kidding about the cloak, but not the medieval fair.



Speaking of Medieval, here is just a typical day in my Crusades class...



One of my best friends crying alligator tears upon finding out the date of A and I's wedding...



And last but not least, a 1:24 a.m. Taco Bell run after an awful week of schoolwork...




As you can see, my life is rich, particularly in the relationships God has given me. I have done nothing to deserve them, that's what makes them so precious. "We love because He first loved us." -1 John 4:9

PS: I will post the engagement details at a later time. That deserves a post of its own!

The Upcoming Oscars

I've never watched the Academy Awards.

A has never missed them.

In hopes that my showing interest in his interests will inspire him to show interest in my interests (which are much more sophisticated than the Academy Awards I might add), I will throw in my hat and join the other millions of movie nerds and entertainment buffs for this Sunday's 83rd Annual Oscars.

[I was kidding about the sophisticated interests part, as my interests range from Disney soundtracks to fresh salsa]

Of course, while A is concerned about what movie, actor, or actress is going to win, I have seen to it that more important issues are attended too. Such as FOOD.

Now is the appropriate time to openly distinguish my relationship with food from A's. In short, he eats to live. I live to eat.

Though I certainly claim an unwavering commitment to and obsession with food, quite frankly, I cannot claim to be any sort of a good cook. Heck, I know little to no recipes and I'm too lazy to scour the internet.

So, I need your help bloggies! Do you have any suggestions for our upcoming Oscar party? I am thinking appetizer type foods. My criteria is really simple: easy and good.

If you have ideas, I would sure love some recipe comments!

I'll leave you with the only relevant picture I have to offer...me as the Black Swan and Kara as a Pink Lady. Actually, Kara's pretty irrelevant ;)

The Blizzard of 2011

The Oklahoma Blizzard of 2011 hit early Tuesday morning. School was cancelled all week.

Oh yes, I had ambitious plans of devoting hours upon hours to A). LSAT studying, B). working out, and C). maintaining healthy eating habits.

[Actually, who am I kidding, I've never had healthy eating habits]

Let me just list the 3 things that got right in the way of my previously-stated blizzard goals.

1). An overabundance of sleep.
2). Season 1 of Gossip Girl.
3). A's salsa.

Folks, these three things alone were my downfall.

However, maybeeee we could consider goal B). a success because A. and I played in the snow. Maybe.


I would tell you where this snowball accidently landed but I'll spare the painful details for A's sake. Let's just say it wasn't pretty.


A trip to the pond...


I've always wanted to try this.


Our snowpeople interpretations of one another (please note A's hairy chest).



Regardless of productivity levels (or rather, a lack there of), I am deeming the Oklahoma Blizzard of 2011 a huge success.

Hope everyone's safe and warm!




Oh, and happy birthday to my beloved Toddyboy.

I love you so much, dad!

This Growing Up Business

Forget New Year's Resolutions. I have bigger fish to fry this year.

I'm deeming the year of 2011 as the year of growing up.

I've always wanted to grow up.

As a child, I walked at 9 months, swam as a three year old, and bossed everyone as soon as I could talk. While normal kids were playing with dolls, I opened a library in my walk-in closet, card catalogue and all. I read Little Women in second grade and wanted to be Josephine.

As a teen, I fought with my parents constantly and threatened to "move out!" because I was surely "old enough to take care of myself!" I quickly learned this wasn't the truth at all.

Then I thought, okay, college is when I'll really grow up. I'll move away and somehow find this total independence that I've always desired. False. Though I certainly was forced to make new friends, learn real responsibility, etc., I still whined to my mom when I felt sick. I cried to my dad about how mean mom was. I called both my parents for money. I wasn't grown up.

However, though I still can be a big baby and I definitely still mooch off my parents for money, *dare I say it* those days are winding down. I think...I might be...

A GROWN UP.

I graduate college in less than a year. I have to either find a job or get into a law school in less than a year. My best friend is getting married in less than a year.

When did this happen and why does it sound so much better when you're a kid?

I'm stressed.

Of course I hear my Christian background screaming Jeremiah 29:11 and other frequently-quoted, future-related scripture at me.

But I'm going to be honest-I also hear a lot of doubt. I have overwhelming fear. And anxiety-OH MY.

"Really cool, Alex. You're finally a grown up and you don't have any idea what to do with your life."

"You're a grown up but you still act like a child." (It's true, I often do!)


Craig Groeschel offers a compelling message directed specifically at the emerging generation. He claims that one of the three greatest temptations faced by the emerging generation is (I'm paraphrasing here-click to listen to full message) that we never believe we are "old enough" to take action, and grow up. We "postpone adulthood". That's true. I certainly don't feel "old enough", i.e. my doubts above.

However, he goes on to say that real life starts now. God calls us to grow up and start making a difference today. He also asserts that the emerging generation's biggest strength is that we cause-minded. We literally yearn to personally make a difference in the world. That's also true for me. I have goals and ambitions that will never happen if I don't realize that the time is here to chase them. The time is here for me to stop saying I'm going to do these things...that I want these things...and get off my rear and go get them.

While the fear of the future is, at times, deafening, we cannot let it become stronger than our desire to fulfill our God-given plans. Though we may not know the specifics of our lives, we all have specific desires that we long to be filled. And He promises that if we delight ourselves in Him, He will give them to us (Psalm 37:5).

Am I still scared?

Absolutely.

Is it going to be okay?

Absolutely.