Because I have time to do this...

I know you probably don't care about this...but I couldn't resist...I love filling these stupid things out!! And...I love filling out paperwork...weird, i know....but if someone gives me a clipboard with blank papers that I can fill out and actually know the answers to without having to study beforehand...i am happy! 

1. What time did you get up this morning: depends on the day, but usually around 7:30 or 8:00

2. How do you like your steak? Medium...like a little bit of red on my meat!

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? it's been awhile...but I think The Ugly Truth...not worth the $10 I had to pay to see it!!

4. What is your favorite TV show? How I Met Your Mother.

5. What is your favorite time of year? Winter... especially Christmas!

6. Can you be trusted with a secret ? I'm keeping one right now, so we shall see!!! 

7. What is your favorite cuisine? Tex Mex no question!

8. What foods do you dislike? Mayo, bologna,...pretty much everything else I like to eat!

9. Favorite Place to Eat? Chuy's, Mi Cocina, or Potbelly's. 

10. Favorite dressing? Balsamic 

11.What kind of vehicle do you drive? Chevy Trailblazer 

12. What are your favorite clothes? Jeans and polo shirts

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance? Hillsong Church in Australia

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full? hopefully I am a half full kind of person most of the time...I don't enjoy being around half empty people

15. Where would you want to retire? Vail, Colorado

16. Favorite time of day? Early evening

17. Where were you born? Dallas, Texas

18. Any siblings? 3 -  brother, sister and sister in law

19. car stereo , CD’s or XM radio? Radio or  Ipod

20. Are you a morning person or a night person? Night person

21. Do you have any pets? No...have tried to like pets when my roommates have had them, but it hasn't convinced me I want one.

22. Anything odd or different about your life you’d like to share? I am at a strange stage of life right now...starting a new career at almost 30 and living at home with the parents for the time being...so i guess that is kind of odd! 

23. What did you want to be when you were little? A youth pastor or a counselor - all my dreams have come true! 

24. What is your best childhood memory? Being on the lake with my dad waterskiing in the early mornings...when it was pure glass! 

25. Are you a cat or dog person? Definitely not cat (sorry to my friends and brother who have one :)...but i think I would have a dog someday maybe...

26. Are you married? not yet

27. Do you always wear your seat belt? yes

28. Been in a car accident? define accident....a got into an accident with a uhaul trailer driving back from NC...but no injuries or damage to my car...so i guess that is an accident

29. Any pet peeves? Yep....lots! 

30. Favorite pizza topping? canadian bacon and pineapple

31. Favorite Flower? peonies

32. Favorite ice cream? Blue Bell anything!

33. Favorite fast food restaurant? Taco Bueno

34. How many times did you fail your driver’s test? none, not even the NC one! 

35. From whom did you get your last email? Ash

36. What was your favorite concert? Chris Tomlin or Steve Fee

37. Do anything spontaneous lately? sadly, no

38. Like your job? yes

39. Sweet or Salty? usually sweet

40. Kids? Not yet.

41. Last person you went out to dinner with? Marisa, Todd, Matt and Bryce

42. What are you listening to right now? The Cowboys game on TV

43. What is your favorite color car ? Navy

44. How many tattoos do you have? Zero

45. Favorite Holiday? Christmas

46. What time did you finish this quiz? 8:07pm

47. Coffee Drinker? Prefer Chai Tea Lattes

So there you go....all you ever wanted (or didn't want) to know about me! Feel free to copy and paste this onto your own blog...

Happy Birthday Ash!!!

At her wedding May 2009

Today another one of my friends turns the big 2-9...how did I get so lucky to have all these younger friends??? :) 

Ashley was my best friend in Charlotte for the past 4 years! We met the 2nd weekend I was there in a interesting way. I had no friends and no plans, so I decided to go on the High School Beach Trip with their group (I was the middle school girls leader at the time), so I ended up driving my car out to the beach, since I had to drive back to Charlotte for church on Sunday. There wasn't enough room in the vans for all the leaders, so one of them volunteered to ride with me the 5 hour drive to the beach. Her name was Ashley Cannaday...a girl my age from Wichita Falls, Tx who had just started working with the 9th grade girls! (Side Note - Ashley stayed with her girls all the way til their graduation which was this past May, they were my last graduating class at Forest Hill.) So, after 5 hours in the car together, we had become fast friends....I knew then, she was going to be someone I would want to become better friends, especially since she had the same love of Pat Green and his music that I did!!! 

Over the years, we got to go on a lot of trips together, especially after I started working with high school. We went on beach trips, a trip to the "hollers" of West Virginia, and Brazil with students. Not to mention all of our "friend trips" to Atlanta for concerts, Hilton Head, Columbia, SC for USC games, NYC for the US Open, and we are still planning our ski vacation together! 

Brazil 2008

US Open Trip to NYC 2008

In four years, we have been there for all the boy drama in each of our lives, as well as the good times...I was at the Halloween party where Ashley met John Trotter for the first time, as well as the birthday dinner where they first started talking! Getting to watch her fall in love with John and then get married to him was one of the best things about living in Charlotte!

She has been like a sister to me since I have known her and we always called our little group of friends (Texans living in NC) our Charlotte Family, and when I left, it did really feel like I was leaving a family! 

Ashley, I love you and am so thankful that God brought us into each other's lives during this season of our lives! Even though we live far apart now, I know our friendship will continue!!! 

Happy Birthday Ash!!! 

Ode to Sarah Ruth on the day after her birth!

This post is for my sweet friend Sarah whom I have known since sophomore year of high school when she came to Trinity and joined the Drill Team! We have had a whole lifetime of memories together since that time! Not sure if I even know how to write an ode, so i will just be creative with her name in honor of her job as a 1st grade teacher!

Sold out for Jesus Christ
Aunt to precious nieces and nephews - dresses up with them and is always talking about how cute they are and how much she loves them!
Really Compassionate - wanted to use this word, but she doesn't have a C in her name. From her students to little orphans in Africa, Sarah has a servant's heart for the least and the lost of this world.
Addicted to Sonic Happy Hour and Diet Coke with Vanilla
Happy - she can brighten anyone's day with her contagious laugh and jovial spirit!

Relentless - she goes after what she wants...this is a good thing!!
Unashamed - she doesn't embarrass easily and always loves to put on a costume show whether it is grandpa's jeans, boas or a full out Michael Jackson outfit!
Teacher of the year - she loves to teach 1st grade and is really good at it...i have witnessed it! :)
Hilarious - I find myself laughing hard whenever I am with Sarah! She won "Best Sense of Humor" as her senior superlative in High School and got robbed of the "Best Laugh" one!!!

Sarcastic - this is probably why we get along so well...
Mentored - Sarah has been mentored for years by some very Godly women as well as been a mentor herself in the lives of younger girls at church.
Inspiring - whether it is for a child learning to read or a friend who needs encouragement, Sarah can inspire greatness in so many different ways!
The most fun person to be around! We always have a good time together no matter if we are on a great trip or a trip to a ghetto Walmart...we always manage to make some sort of memory, whether we intend to or not!
Hopeful - She isnt content with the status quo and tends to look for ways to become better!

Happy 29th! Hope this is the best year yet for you! :)

Love,
Loreno

Life in Texas these days..

Well, you would think I would have time to update this with all the free time on my hands these days...but sometimes it is intimidating trying to be funny, witty or interesting when talking about the daily things of life. So instead, I'm going to just write about what has been going on the last few weeks...

Took a fun little trip to Port Aransas for our annual weekend with high school and college friends...it was a blast as usual! Here are some highlights...
the whole crew
the famous paddle ball game...note the "professional circle"
Ali and I
Brookie, Sarah and I
the yayas
there's always a dance party
at Sharkey's...these boys love to dance
the girls

ali, sarah and i with the infamous future actor, Andrew

So many memories are always made on these weekends and I am blessed to have such fun, creative and talented friends who know how to have a good time at the beach!!!

Since then, I have just been studying my Encyclopedia of Counseling preparing for my NCE exam which I will take in either September or October. I also started my part time gig at Frisco Bible Church and things are going well there. I will be teaching my group, Evolve (5th and 6th graders), for the first time this Sunday after we have a big Lake Party with all of student ministry on Saturday!

Some of my college friends and I threw a Baby shower for my sweet friend and college roommate, Jen and her soon to be son, Andrew Thomas at my parents house this past Saturday. It was fun to see all those girls again and know that I will be around when little Andrew makes his appearance in a couple weeks!!!
me and the mom-to-be Jen
The 2 Brookes
some of the girls
Jen and the hostesses...minus Allison
Marisa and my beautiful table creation
Kalli and Alyssa
The Aggie KDs
Jen opening gifts

All that to say, my schedule is filling up slowly but surely...it has caused me to slow down and be grateful for this time in my life where I do have some good moments of rest, longer conversations with friends, days with little to no agenda, freedom to be spontaneous and overall a time to trust God fully in this next chapter of my life without having all the answers upfront!

I hope you are encouraged by these verses,

Psalm 62:5-8 "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

My salvation and my honor depend on God;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge."