Trip Down Memory Lane - Episode 2

The much awaited second episode....

We have a WINNER!!! Way to go, Stacey!  You're right! This picture is taken at the beginning of what would later be referred to as 'The Night of the Persistent Panties'!! I know.... strange... I know.. but we were REALLY REALLY hyper college students!

I. LOVE. THIS. PICTURE. This is by far my favorite memory from that night... we were so hyper and trying to get our game faces on for the 'scrapbook pic' (yes- I'm a scrapbook nerd).  We could NOT stop laughing... every time we would get a serious face down... we would bust out laughing before I got the picture taken! This picture is no 'pretendlikeyourlaughingforthecamera' pose... its ALL na-tur-al. I love these girls.

Here are our game faces.  We were getting in to character to pull off the most amazing night of 'war on the guys' possible! We had some close guy friends that we decided to tag all of their cars.. and no they did not all live in our city.  But, we DID accomplish 'Mission Car Tag'. 

During college I had the awesome opportunities to travel around Missouri (mostly- some in other states around MO) to lead a group of girls during their Disciple Now weekends (DNow).  This was seriously one of the best ministries I have ever gotten to be a part of.  I LOVED every second of it!  This picture is taken of a group here in my home town (not at my church) which I got to lead a group of Jr/Sr high school students.  This whole weekend was about spiritual disciplines.. and I learned a LOT from these girls.  To explain the picture... my partner and I (a fellow SBU student, Monica) decided to blind fold all of the girls (and ourselves) while we listened and sang worship songs together.  It was probably one of my favorite memories from any DNow weekend.

Now.. THIS group of lovely ladies are from my home church!  I was able to come home one weekend to help lead a group of high school girls during their DNow weekend!  We had so much fun building new relationships and strengthening old ones!  I love these girls.

This is me sad.  Why? Well let me just tell you...My family has always had a tradition of going camping for a week (sometimes longer) in Holy Ghost, New Mexico-sounds like a holy place, right? not sure how it got its name... but it is my favorite place away from home.  When I say 'tradition' I mean that through and through... my dad was taken to this very camp site every year growing up, and likewise, his dad was taken there every year growing up... before it ever was an actual camp ground.  Well.. on with the story... this log I am pointing sadly to is the log that my cousin, Hannah, and I would go play on EVERY. YEAR. when we went camping.  We actually carved our names in that log... sever years in a row, to be sure it would stay :)  This log was the perfect height that we could sit on it and barely touch our toes in the freezing cold creek water below... or we could hug the log with our legs and play games all day long.  The last time I went, I was so excited to take a picture on the log... and it was broken.  A part of my heart broke when I saw that. :(   But one of the main reasons I am in love with this place is because.. when you have to get up in the middle of the night to go to the 'bathroom' (which there really wasn't one... just a hole in the ground with a toilet thingy) when you walk out of your tent and notice how bright it was... you look up and see that the entire ski is more white with stars than black from the night.  It is at that very moment that I am thankful for that week of 1-2 showers (down the mountain for $5 each) and no running water or cushy, warm bed.  There really is no place on earth quite like it.

Watch out y'all.  That's all I have to say.  ;)  I have a pretty good shot for a 'city girl' with country roots.  Family gatherings at my grandmother and granddad's often to leads to target practice in the field. 

(My family is from Texas. enough said.)

NEW YEARS EVE.  I love this picture because it was the last new years eve that either of us would have without our hubbies and we didn't even know it! 

Words.... such a lack of words... I have interesting friends... with interesting ideas.  let's leave it at that.

This was so much fun... the girls in my suite (in college) put together a scavenger hunt for my birthday!  I was totally spoiled... I LOVE surprises.  They took me to this amazingly tiny mini golf course that had these huge animals (here I am seen kissing for my prince charming- who had not come into the prince side of the picture yet).  We also went to Bass Pro and Fazoli's in Springfield, MO. 

(reminder: we were poor college students)

These are the two ladies that planned the amazing scavenger hunt above.  The 3 of us were very involved with our dorm... during Homecoming we had different events that we competed with the other dorms.  Me and Jenny (the other one with a hat) made up our own line dance and taught it to our spirit squad for homecoming week and we SO. WON!! We were so proud of ourselves... and the song 'These Boots Are Made For Walkin' reminds me of how much fun we had making that dance up!!

This is the birth of little Blakers! This was possibly one of the craziest 48 hours ever! I was so excited because Whitney asked me to take her to the hospital the night she had planned with the doctors... and I couldn't sleep all night... I still have the coloring book I completed while anxiously watching the heart monitor for contractions! SO. CRAZY! Once the 'party' (if you can call labor a party) got started... we had some crazy fun in the waiting room!  With those 4 guys behind me... there is always bound to be fun.  (side note:  the guy in the middle of the huddle became my hubby) :)

Ok... I get teased about how much I brag about my brother... but seriously... when you have the best brother in the entire world... and he won't tell people... any good sister has to step up and tell the world for him!  That is me.  I love my brother. He is amazing.

On the right is my best friend, April who you heard a lot about in this post.  The other beautiful girl on my left is my amazing cousin, Hannah.  I have not posted about her yet... mostly b/c there would be tears involved for sure... so I have been putting that off.  But it's coming.  We used to attend the Osceola Rodeo every year on Memorial Day weekend!  This is by far one of the funnest things to do!  

PLAZA LIGHTS. Need I say more? If you have never made a trip to the Kansas City Plaza on Thanksgiving Day for the lighting ceremony... you MUST add that to your 'To Do Before I Die List'.  We are the 'City of Fountains' which are amazing... but there is nothing quite like watching all those beautiful Christmas lights come on! 

Ok... I kind of like leaving the cliff hangers... I like to think I'm reeling you in for the next episode. Oh, and there will be several more... I didn't realize how many pictures I have that remind me of good memories!

So I'd love your thoughts on what this picture might be showing... or something you'd like to guess about this picture!

Also.. I'd love to learn more about my readers and where they come from... I'd love to see some 'Trip Down Memory Lane' episodes on your blogs!  If you do post one, please leave me a comment with a link to your post so I can learn more about you!

PS: let me know what you think about the new blog design... any suggestions? I'm still pretty new to this gig!

Have a wonderful night my lovelies!