Pictures

Here are some pictures from my vacation to New Mexico.

New Mexican landscape....the only good part is in the mountains

Pretty storm

My Papa telling my brother how to pay golf on a downhill course.

The golf course in Cloudcroft, NM

This is me sliding down the dunes at White Sands and that is my mom taking the picture

taking a break from walking up the dune

My brother and I

I know these aren't a lot but I wanted to share. The rest of the pictures are on my moms camera. I hope y'all had a fabulous weekend. Tomorrow is my first day of coaching. It should be interesting. I moved this weekend too. I didn't get any unpacking done because the air conditioner went out. Texas is miserably hot right now so unpacking was out of the question. I will post pictures of my room when I finish it some time this week. :-)

Updating my fairytale

I went with my old roomate to see Friends with Benefits last night. I loved the movie it was halarious. The movie also had some point that I need to remember. Not that I am in a friends with benefits situation but more about life and love. At one point in the movie the mother is telling her daughter she needs to update her fairytale. She goes on to stay that getting swept off her feet isn't going to work for her because she simply isn't that girl. She needs a partner in life, one she can look towards the future together with.

I completely agree with that assessment. I am the same way. I am terrified of getting into a marriage that I think I want at the time and then slowly watching it fall apart. I am super independent and strong willed. I think, I also need to update my fairytale. I don't need to be sweep off my feet. Just the analogy makes me feel sick. Being out of control is not something I deal well with. If there is a hint of clingy or controlling tendencies, I run. Finding a partner to share my life with sounds so much better. I need someone who does not try to dictate my life but lets me chose my life and supports me in it. I would do the same for them. Maybe I have this all wrong since I am still so very single but I think this is what I am looking for in a man. Not Prince Charming but a Partner! 

Tarleton State University

I will be moving this weekend out of the town I have lived in for 5 years. It is a little scary. I am excited about the move but gosh this town is my home. I went to college here, became myself, found my friends, and learned how to stand on my own two feet.

I love my college. Tarleton State University is home!!!! One of the reasons I love this place is its random traditions. We are rather unique. Homecoming is the best example of this:

Monday Night: Silver Bugle Hunt....teams search the campus for a silver bugle. It was reportedly lost sometime in the 1950's. In order to find it you have to answer questions correctly concerning Tarleton traditions. My brother's fraternity has won for the past couple of years. Their streak is getting a tad bit ridiculous.

Tuesday Night: is a picnic with all the Tarleton students

Wednesday Night: YELL CONTEST. Groups and greek organizations use songs and replace the words with Tarleton Traditions....sounds ridiculous...I know. My sorority won 2 years in a row, and it was the best feeling in the world. The winner gets to start the beating of the drum. The drum is a metal trashcan looking thing that students beat until the game on Saturday. It is supposed to ward off those who would attack the bonfire.

Thursday Night: Midnight Breakfast- or otherwise known as purple pancakes. A part of the Student Government Association makes purple pancakes in honor of homecoming and serves the whole school at midnight

Friday Night: the bonfire...an organization called the Plowboys builds the huge structure in three weeks. Then burns it to the ground on Friday night


I know I just went on a rant about my college but that is just a tiny bit of why I love Tarleton. I am excited to leave but sad at the same time. The place has become a part of me that I just cannot put into words. Y'all totally wanted to hear me rave about a small college in TX but its on my mind. Blogging is supposed to be whats on your mind!!!! Have a fabulous day :-)

Winners of the Silver Bugle Hunt---that thing in the mask is a purple poo (mascot-sort of) 

YELL CONTEST!!!!!!!!!!!I am the one on this <---- end.Yell Contest Winners

I am somewhere in this mess doing our chant. I can honestly say one of the best moments in college.

Midnight Breakfast.

Purple Pancakes at Midnight Breakfast

The Plowboys, who build the bonfire. 

 

 

 

The Bonfire (obviously,ha)

My best friends and I watching it burn down

Katie, my best friend, and I before it was burned down!!

1st Paycheck

I will be living with my dad a couple of months to save some money. What I am about to say totally contradicts my saving goal.....I already have a list of things to buy ha. BADDDDDDDD........

My First Paycheck List:
1. New Camera - mine has been through 5 years of college...this includes but not limited to, being dropped, having things spilit on it, hanging out in my back pocket, and many other things have happened to my poor camera. I love taking pictures but without a camera my picture chances are limited. I just need a simple point and click camera. I have a Cannon Powershot right now and I still love it. Does anyone have any ideas for cameras?

2. New Clothes- The past 5 years, I have gone to college in a small town. This small town is about an hour and a half from decent shopping. Therefore, my clothes are old and outdated. Don't get me wrong, when I go home, I shop but that can only do so much for my wardrobe. I, also, need teaching attire. I will be teaching high school, the less tight or revealing the outfit the better. This knocks out a lot of my clothes. Not that I am a hoochie, I just have normal college girl clothes. I need adult ones now.

3. A Car!!!- I know your thinking, "wow, that is stupid", but give me a chance to explain. I have been saving for this car for a while. It has been hard because, I have been paying for my graduate school myself. Due to a scholarship and other great financial things, I now have around $3,500 in savings. I do not want to spend it all in case something happens but a good chunk is going to my new car. My grandparents also saved money for me as a child, instead of getting me toys every holiday. I have 2,500 in that savings account, THANK YOU, Mimi and Papa. I won't be using any of my first paycheck. I just want to wait till I get it so I know money is in the bank. So, I think I am prepared enough for a new car. Give my mom money for insurance for a year, put a good down payment down, and sell my car that I drive now. Let's hope this goes the way I am planning.

The SUV I want. It is in my price range too!!

  I plan on doing just that. :-)

Family Adventure

I mentioned that we were going to New Mexico to visit my grandparents this past weekend. It was a lot of fun and it was good to just hang out with my family. This weekend we were supporters of the National Parks. We went to 3 different ones in New Mexico.


We left home a little late and ended up not getting there until after 10. On the way there my brother and I decided New Mexico should be called the shrubbery state, because they are EVERYWHERE. We had to stop in Roswell to take a pictures with some aliens lo.

We woke up early and went to White Sands National Monument. It is a place where sand dunes have formed. They are huge. It is a dessert in the middle of the dessert. We did the natural thing and slid down them. :-) My mom, brother, and I took turns sliding down the dunes in the sled we bought in the gift shop. It was a lot of fun but those dunes are hard to walk up.

After that we went to Cloudcroft, a town in the mountains. We shopped, then went to one of my new favorite places, The Lodge. It is an old hotel that was originally built by railroad executives as a summer retreat. It is a gorgeous old building with beautiful grounds and golf course. I would love to spend a night there sometime.

The Lodge

Saturday, we went to Captain. The original location of Smoky the Bear. Did you know he was an actual bear? During a forest fire, firefighters found him badly burned and clinging to a tree. The park ranger took him and nursed him back to health. It was decided that he would be the living symbol of fire prevention and he was moved to the National Zoo in D.C.. Pretty cool!!

Smoky

After that we went to Lincoln, or otherwise known as the most dangerous street in America. It was known for its violence and outlaw hideout during the settling of the West. The whole town it seems like is a museum.

It was fun to get away for a weekend and see my family. I know that starting my new job this next week, will leave limited time for my family. I will upload some pictures sometime in the next few days.

Road Trippin' Adventures

Yesterday, after I created my blog, I started looking around blogs. I found a tremendous amount of blogs that were perfect for me! Most are concerning fashion, decorating, and cooking; which I love all three. I am excited to get into the grove of blogging. 

I am headed to New Mexico with my momma and brother. We are going to see my grandparents, who have recently bought a house in the mountains. I bet it is just beautiful. I am missing my grandparents. I am used to seeing them every other week. I haven't seen them for a month, it is a long time. Knowing my family there will be some funny pictures and stories from our adventure. I will be sure to post them. My brother and I have intentions to go hiking in the mountains. It should be relaxing but a good workout. Have a fabulous weekend!

Love,
Lauren

New Start

I am starting this new chapter in my life by starting a blog. I am still playing with the features and the colors. I am not quite sure I like the back ground or the color yet. This should be an interesting project. I am awful with grammar, so please excuse my mistakes. I often type faster than I think, which leads to many mistakes.

For starters, I received my start date for teaching. I will be at New Teacher Orientation, August 4th. I will then proceed to sit in workshops for the next two weeks. I am totally okay with this because after a year of having my head in history books; I need to get back into the education world. If it makes me a better teacher that is a plus. One thing I am worried about is coaching. I have no idea what I am doing so this should be interesting. I will be coaching volleyball and soccer. I know a little bit about soccer but volleyball is a different story. In middle school I had an incident with a volleyball net and feared them ever since. I am now coaching the sport. I am ready to learn but the lack of knowledge on my behalf is a scary concept.

Moving, or otherwise known as a giant pain in the rear. I am excited to be out of Stephenville but the process is painful. I wish I could just blink and all my stuff would be in Fort Worth. It is not likely that I will develop this talent in the next few weeks so packing it is.

My momma bought me Toms for a random present. I am now in love. I, of course, found the most expensive Toms I could find. Momma was not thrilled but Colton needs a new pair for school this fall. I get one pair and Colton gets two. Speaking of that my mom has always been good about being equal with my brother and I. I know I am 22 and should be buying these shoes with my own money but sometimes its nice to let people take care of you. :-) See they are super cute. Problem: I want the purple ones now. I blame my growing shoe addiction on my mother.

The ones I want.

The ones I have and love.

I have nothing to do at work so I will keep rambling.

Travel. It is taking a considerable amount of my will power not to blow my saving and jet off somewhere. I know that would not be the responsible thing to do since I want a new car. The problem is that I have this ridiculous need to be in a different location in the world every few months. I have the travel bug bad. I have no idea where this addiction came from. Both of my parents are content in Texas. My mother has thought about moving to a different country for a few years and teaching English. She will always end up back here though. My father is content never leaving his couch, the back porch, or his comfortable bed. Even my brother is perfectly okay with staying on this continent for the rest of his life. I, on the other hand, cannot get the constant desire to run out of my head. I have seriously researched moving to New York, Washington D.C., and my favorite place in the world London. I would miss my family and friends, but think of all the adventures that I could have.

New York

London

One of the reasons I want to move to New York is the old tv show Sex and the City. I know my life would be no where close to the lives of the main characters. If my life was half as interesting or exciting as theirs I would be happy. London is a whole different story. After spending a little over a month in London; I am now hooked. I love the simple lifestyle that comes with London. There is hustle and bustle too. One of my favorite places to do was to go to one of the many parks and read, people watch, then nap. That just doesn't happen in the U.S.. People use their parks and espcially if it is sunny because it rarely is. And come on, its Europe.

Okay, those are the thoughts that are bouncing around in my head.

Love,
Lauren