Hello World.

"All the empty disappears, I remember why I'm here, just surrender and believe, I fall down on my knees...hello world."

Thank you, Jesus. I had a nice long conversation with my husband after praying about all of this unnecessary school stress and anxiety, and God sure answers prayers fast. Bobby reassured me that all would be well, and that he'd love to help me with my research paper tomorrow, especially since he has the day off. Gosh, what an amazing husband I have...he wants to spend his day off helping me with my work. I immediately thought of this song. I need to stop and pay attention to all that God has blessed me with whenever I feel overwhelmed and unsure--I have to remember that He is always in control, and He is always there. God is so good, all the time.

I'm overwhelmed.

I don't know where to begin. I'm completely done with 2 of the 4 classes I have left, but I sure did save the 'best' for last (sarcastic tone). I'm having writer's block or an anxiety attack, you take your pick. I have 3 huge assignments coming up. First, I have to complete a research proposal by Wednesday night (technically it's due by midnight Thursday, but she'd like us to bring it for peer review on Wednesday just to get feedback), second I have a test in that same class, and third I have a 12-15 page research paper due by 6pm on Thursday. Nothing can be done quickly, nothing is easy, and I don't know what to do first. The proposal I've made progress on, but it's so hard. Just for the introduction I've had to research my butt off, and cite EVERYTHING. It's very time consuming. There's a specific format to it, and it's all very technical and annoying. I have to then write up a Method section describing what test I'll be using in my Independent Research next semester, and then I have to discuss my predicted results. It sounds easier than it really is. I hate it with every fiber in my being. I should have stayed an English major. Right now I'd just be writing a lovely book report. Why did I pick this horrible major? It stopped being interesting last semester. Now it's just a pain in my butt. OMG--I wish my fairy godmother would appear and tell me, "Oh no dear child, this is all a bad dream, you're actually already graduating!" Wouldn't that be lovely? I think so. I deleted my facebook to remain focused, I've been a hermit for days now, I'm glued to my research articles and computer and am developing a hunched back!! I want this week to end already. I just want it over. The hard part is that I actually care--a lot. And because I care, it's hard for me to just spit out whatever. I wish I didn't care. I wish right now that I was the old Claudia at ACC who was happy with a passing grade. Now I'm neurotic Claudia who must graduate with Honors. Ahhhh!!!! Someone help me. :(

Thanksgiving 'Break'.

Although, it's not much of a 'break' for me seeing that all I can think about is the amount of work that still needs to get done. I have a huge 12-15 page paper due in one class, and a paper due in each of my 3 other classes. I can't even enjoy this mini-vacation from school because I'm stressing over these assignments. I won't fully relax until the second week of December when I am officially done with this semester. Then I'll just have one more semester to go! It won't be easy, though. I'm taking a lot of classes--and two are very hard. Independent Research, Learning and Cognition, Capstone (senior thesis), Women Writers (an elective), and Drawing 1 (another elective). My electives should be a walk in the park--I'm hoping. The other three won't be. I'm hearing that Capstone won't be too bad, but Independent Research is brutal. I'm not looking forward to it. This is why I am not motivated to go straight to grad school. I need to take a breather. I just hate the way there's always something else; this degree isn't good enough in some peoples' eyes. Let's face it, I won't be getting my PhD most likely. I seriously doubt after having children and teaching full time that I'll even have the energy to pursue that. I have no desire to. I don't need it. I don't want to be a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist. I don't want to open up my own practice. I don't want to be a professor (trust me I see the workload my professors are consumed with and it doesn't look appealing). I'm not interested in being better than everyone. I have a goal which is to graduate with my bachelor's degree first, finish the program with Texas Teachers, and teach for a few years. After that I'll pursue grad school (when my children are in school), and counseling. I think some people think there's a time limit to accomplish their goals, or they're in competition with others. If you're constantly living your life to outdo everyone else, that's not the recipe for a happy life, and you're living according to others' successes. I'm allowing God to guide me, and I'm not trusting in my own strength and wisdom, but His. He is the reason I have gotten this far and I will continue to trust in Him. Nothing can be done without Him.

I'm on my way.

Here's yet another gem from Boyce Avenue. I know every cheesy song that I hear automatically turns into a song for Clobby, but this one was definitely written with us in mind. All of the horrible ex boyfriends, all of the horrible decisions, were worth it because my love was on his way to me.

Teenage Dream.

I like this version A LOT better than Katy Perry's. It's cleaner and more romantic. Of course I love Boyce Avenue as well. Gotta support my boys and Alejandro--my hubby's twin! :)

Mama's Song.

This song makes me think of my beautiful mama, and my wonderful hubby that the good Lord blessed me with. It's a tear jerker, ladies.

Katy Perry shows her cleavage. This is news?

So, the above video has been causing a lot of controversy lately among mothers of young children who watch Sesame Street. Apparently they are outraged that Katy is wearing such a revealing outfit on an episode that was only released on youtube. While I don't agree that Katy dressed inappropriately, even if she had, um...what else is new? Sesame Street decided not to air the episode on tv due to all of the comments on the youtube vid from angry mothers. I just don't get why Sesame Street and all of these moms are surprised. I mean, hello, the woman is on the cover of her latest album like this:



She's also released songs about kissing girls and who knows what else. My question for Sesame Street is...why on earth did you pick Katy Perry of all people to appear on your show?! That's like picking Courtney Love or Heidi Montag. The blame is entirely on Sesame Street. They can't play innocent here. It's been fairly obvious that Katy likes to wear skimpy outfits and probably always will. That was never a secret. Sesame Street should be more concerned about the fact that they're promoting gay marriage with Bert and Ernie!

Tell Him.

Last night I was beaming with pride because I received two more As on papers that I had been stressing about. I was telling Bobby that I was amazed at how well I'm doing in school, and was pretty much giving myself all the credit. Then this morning, I decided to read Day by Day Grace on blueletterbible.org and it was the story about Nebuchadnezzar and how God humbled him. It was talking about pride, and how we are nothing without God. He gives us strength and wisdom. We are capable of nothing without his grace and guidance. That truly touched me. While I normally do give God the credit for my accomplishments, last night it was all about me and what I had done. I should always have my focus on Him. He gives me motivation. He is the reason I've completely turned my life around and am succeeding. It had nothing to do with me, and everything to do with Him. My sweet Jesus, I can do nothing without You. Here's a song that I like to sing about my Lord and Savior. It's called "Tell Him" by Lauryn Hill and I hope you enjoy it. The lyrics are below.


Let me be patient, let me be kind
Make me unselfish without bein' blind
Though I may suffer, I'll envy it not
And endure what comes, 'cause He's all that I got and tell Him

Tell Him I need Him
Tell Him I love Him
And it'll be alright

And tell Him
Tell Him I need Him
Tell Him I love Him
It'll be alright

Now I may have faith, to make mountains fall
But if I lack Love, then I am nothin' at all
I can give away, everything I possess
But I'm without Love then I have no happiness
I know I'm imperfect and not without sin
But now that I'm older all childish things end and tell Him

Tell Him I need Him
Tell Him I love Him
It'll be alright

Tell Him
Tell Him I need Him
Tell Him I love Him
It'll be alright

I'll never be jealous
And I won't be too proud
'Cause love is not boastful
Ooh and love is not loud

Tell Him I need Him
Tell Him I love Him
Everything is gonna, is gonna be alright
Ooh, ooh, yeah yeah, oh yeah

Now I may have wisdom and knowledge on earth
But if I speak wrong, ooh, then what is it worth?
See what we now know is nothing compared
To the love that was shown when our lives were spared and tell Him

Tell Him I need Him
Tell Him I love Him
It'll be alright

Tell Him
Tell Him I need Him
Tell Him I love Him
It'll be alright

It's the little things.

"And so today my world it smiles; your hand in mine, we walk the miles. Thanks to you it will be done, for you to me are the only one."

I sure do love this life that I've been blessed with. I've been getting my first few grades for this semester, and so far I'm doing well. My anxiety has worn off a bit now that I know what I'm doing and I see a light at the end of the tunnel. Spending time with my family and my husband has really helped me not to worry about school so much. I know God has given me the wisdom and knowledge, all I have to do is keep pushing through. So, we renewed our lease yesterday and it's set for 7 months. At first I was kind of bummed that we'd be here at the apartment versus house hunting, but I'm glad we made that decision. This way we're able to save every month and we don't have the added stress of making a house payment or looking for a house. Our lease is up in May, so we'll have to start looking in March. Honestly, I'm in no hurry. I know I always get on my poor man's case about being so frugal, but I'm so grateful that he is. I've learned that because he's frugal that lets me know how much he cares about taking care of me and our future family. That's his number one priority. He is so selfless. He works long hours, sometimes pulls double shifts, just to be able to put away money in savings or pay off our credit card bill. He always makes sure we're taken care of. In my eyes, that's what makes a 'man'. It's amazing, his dad may not have been in his life, but he's more of a man than his dad will ever be. His dad did him a favor, and me a favor. It's just such a good feeling knowing that my husband is so responsible and focused. Just to have that security feels really good. Thank you, Jesus. Knowing this, I know that we'll be in a home that we love soon. He's so cute, my sister had ordered one of those old school construction worker-type lunchboxes for him (he's been wanting one for the longest time)for his birthday and he was so excited that he got to take it to work today. I put milk in his thermos and packed his sandwiches and an apple. He said he's always wanted one ever since he saw his grandpa taking one to work when he was a kid. It's those little things that make him happy. He doesn't need fancy cars or clothes. We're the same in that sense. As long as we're together, everything else is small potatoes. I just had to get that off my chest because this morning I woke up with so much love in my heart and I had to share! I hope everyone is having a blessed week. ¡Hasta luego!

It has returned!

I'm taking a study break (because my brain hurts) to tell y'all about my favorite thing on tv. Those are my two favorite characters from Gossip Girl; Dan (Penn Badgely--so cute) and Serena (Blake Lively). They're together in real life, too! I've loved this show for years. I guess you could say it's my novela (soap opera). I also discovered this song from one of the episodes and liked it immediately. It's an acquired taste for most of you I'm sure, but I've had it on repeat for about a week now and can't stop listening to it. I have no idea what the lyrics mean, but I think it's pretty. So whatever this guy's talking about is music to my ears! Lol. PS: Gossip Girl has just started Season 4 and the second episode will be this coming Monday at 8pm CST if anyone would like to join in on my current addiction. I, unfortunately, missed the season premiere (yeah...I shed a tear...literally) and have been trying to hunt that episode down online this entire week but no such luck. If anyone discovers it please let me know!

****UPDATE**** I found the episode! It was finally uploaded this afternoon! I'm watching it right now actually. Yay!

"I finally found you, my missing puzzle piece; I'm complete."

Those are lyrics from my favorite song at the moment, "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry. I listen to it at least once a day. This morning alone I've watched the music video about 3 times. So, Bobby is working the day shift for the next couple of weeks which is great for me because it gives me all sorts of time alone to get homework done and make our apartment look somewhat presentable. He hates waking up early, but he does like having a 'normal' work schedule. The only downside to him working until 3 pm is that I won't have him there to drive me to class from the parking garage :( . I guess I'll just have to trek to class like everyone else. Boo. I didn't get my morning workout in because I haven't been feeling well this morning, so I'll count my walk to class as part of my cardio :) . School is becoming a bit overwhelming, but if I just focus on one task at a time instead of thinking about all that's due within a short period of time, I'll be alright. I only think about what's due 'this week' as opposed to what massive assignments will be due at the end of the semester. It's been working so far. My classes are a tad bit intimidating, but I know I can do this and hopefully come out with an A. Next semester really scares me, though. I'll be doing Independent Research, Capstone (a 30 page paper that must be completed before graduating) and 3 other classes; 2 of which are senior Psychology classes. Sounds like fun, huh? Yeah...I'm excited :/ . But I know that with God, ALL things are possible. I truly believe that if it weren't for His guidance I would be having a nervous breakdown right about now just thinking about these crazy classes I'm taking. He has given me peace and a sense of calm, and the confidence to be successful. Thank you, Jesus, for bringing me this far. I see that beautiful light at the end of the tunnel, and walking across that stage seeing my proud family's faces will be worth all of the hard work and dedication. I had better have some tissues on hand because I'm pretty sure there will be waterworks; I want to cry just picturing it! Knowing how close it is...wow. It's taken me awhile, but to know that I actually am going to finish something that I started, something this important...it just makes me so happy and fills me with pride. Bobby plays a big part in all of this. He truly makes me a better person. Ever since we met, I've wanted to do great things, and be better for him. He's inspired me so much and has been a driving force in my life. If it weren't for him, I probably wouldn't be where I am today. He's my angel. He saved me from so much hopelessness, despair, and pain. He brought me back to life. I was so lost and didn't know where to go, and then he came into my life and took hold of my hand. He took me out of the darkness and into the light. He reminded me just who God wanted me to be. My sweet man. I just can't express to y'all how blessed I am to have him in my life. I know this is corny, but I mean every word. He takes such good care of us and I am truly grateful for that. I tell him all the time, and still don't feel like it's enough. Love like this is rare I think, and a man like this is DEFINITELY rare. I'm just so glad that God is letting me experience it. I must have done something right.

Shamu!

Bobby's birthday was yesterday and instead of a big birthday party he said he wanted to go to Sea World (my hubby is a big kid and I love it), so off to Sea World we went! His folks drove and we really had a great day. I gave him my gift and the surprise gift from my parents the night before. I had given him a nice Cowboys shirt and a couple of Dallas Cowboys knick knacks, but nothing too exciting...until he unfolded his shirt to find a hidden confirmation letter stating that we'd be going to see the Cowboys play the Titans on October 10th! My parents are so awesome for helping me with that one. They wanted to get him something special and he sure was happy and speechless. He kept asking, "We're really going to a game?!" It was adorable. He hasn't been to the new stadium and has been dying to go, so when my mom asked what he wanted, I told her and she right away looked for tickets. She's truly heaven sent. I have amazing parents, and an amazing family that God has blessed me with. Sea World was really fun. I LOVE Orca whales! The Shamu show, Azul (a new show they just added), and the penguin exhibit were my favorite parts. Sea animals are the most beautiful and adorable animals in the world, especially whales and penguins. Those are my favorites. I want a penguin of my own. I kept telling Bobby I wish I could keep one in the freezer, lol. The only thing that makes me sad is that they aren't free to swim in the ocean and hunt for food. I feel like they get sad and lonely in captivity, but then I remember how much those trainers love their jobs and love animals. I'm sure they're well taken care of...at least I hope they are. I'm not a tree hugger, but I do love animals...well, most of them...sea animals mainly. After a long day at SW, we went to Pico De Gallo and had a couple margaritas with dinner (yum!) and shopped at the market square for a couple hours. It was jam packed I guess because of it being a holiday weekend. When we got home we watched a movie (Why Did I Get Married, Too---which was awful! The first one's way better) and then called it a night. I'm glad Bobby had a great birthday, he deserved it. I'm so glad God brought him into this world.

And it starts.

I am officially a SENIOR at St. Eds. This is my second to last semester my friends. Thank you, Jesus! My first week back was a bit overwhelming but exciting at the same time. I'm blessed to have had the majority of my professors before this semester so I know what to expect. I have 3 Psych classes with the same professor, and she is fabulous. She makes each set of students feel like they are her only students, even though she teaches too many classes to count. I love teachers that are passionate like that, it's inspiring and makes learning fun. I don't know how she does all that she does with a smile on her face. That's someone who was born to be an instructor. So 5 classes--whew. I can do it, though. I just have to constantly stay on top of assignments and try my hardest not to procrastinate; that's what always gets me stressed. I probably won't be able to sub as much as I would've liked to this semester due to having classes Monday thru Thursday but I'll try to squeeze it in when I can. We definitely could use the extra cash flow. If subbing has taught me anything, it's that I most definitely do NOT want to be a teacher. That is one tough job. It may seem like all fun and games, but there is so much that goes into it, and so much that you're not getting paid for. Between dealing with ignorant and negligent parents to lesson planning during your free time after work taking away from time with your family--it's too much for me. Just seeing how hard my mom worked for so many years and how much of her time and energy she gave to those kids, exhausts me. I hope and pray that God helps me find a full time position at St. Ed's so that I'll be able to work on my master's degree for free. This is all in the future, however, and I can't stress or be anxious about it now. I'm trying to enjoy this moment! Our future is in God's hands, so why worry? He's got it under control. Well, wish me luck with classes this semester. I hope I end it with straight A's yet again!

Smarty pants.

I'm sorry, but I have to brag. I finally got my grades for the summer semester and...drumroll please...I made straight A's! Sweet Jesus I am so happy! This was by far the most difficult semester for me. 6 classes was no easy feat, and to have kept my 4.0 GPA perfectly in tact has me beaming. I can't believe I did it. Finding out the good news while surrounded by my family in Hawaii made it even better. The past few days have been so awesome. We stayed at a gorgeous beach house right by the water for 2 nights and had a blast enjoying our own secluded part of the beach. Life is definitely good. I just have two more semesters to go and then it's on to grad school, God willing. Perfect grades, in Hawaii with the people I love, revisiting my wedding site tomorrow morning,...it's hard to top. It's going to be hard going back home to our super quiet apartment just the two of us. I'm going to miss my babies running around a mile a minute, laughing and dancing around. I'm going to miss movie nights with my sissy and her hubby. I'm going to miss this WEATHER! Omg...this weather is gorgeous. I'm definitely not looking forward to 100+ heat. Good thing is, December isn't too far away, and they'll be in Austin before I know it. I've got plenty of schoolwork to keep me busy until then. I can't believe when they arrive I'll only have one more semester left of my undergrad career. Wow. I actually am doing this. All the credit goes to my sweet Jesus Christ. He is my light and strength. Thank you, Lord. Thank you for my life.

Aloha!

I just wanted to stop by and update my peeps on how we're doing over here in the beautiful Honolulu, Hawaii with my family. So far our vacation has been perfect. My sister has been cooking for us non stop (purely by choice, she insists!) and everything of course is deeeeelicious. She's actually whipping up some good ol' southern food for us as I type this. She's awesome. Bobby and I got to revisit our reception spot today and as we were walking up the same stairway in the Moli'i Gardens where we made our grand entrance as husband and wife exactly one year ago, we couldn't help but get emotional. We just held each other and savored the moment while taking in the breathtaking scenery. How incredibly blessed we are to have had my sister arrange that completely perfect day from start to finish for us. I think we got misty eyed because of that and because we said that when we're older and married 20 years, we will still make it a tradition to visit this spot, but our children will be able to see it, and see where our lives began. We thought about our grandchildren also coming to that exact spot. How incredible. I can't wait to show my babies where we became one, where our family began. It is just such a blessing and I thank our Lord and Savior for making it all possible. Bobby and I are just loving being here with my family and have the opportunity to swim in the perfectly blue water while seeing all of God's creation in front of us. You can't help but be in awe, and be thankful. Well, I better get back to visiting and enjoying the time we have together. Mahalo and Aloha!

I am woman hear me roar!

Well today marked the last day of RAD class. Today we went through different scenarios with the 3 guys suited up ready to taunt and provoke us and get their butts whooped, including poor Bobby. Wow, I am A LOT stronger than I give myself credit for. I was kneeing those guys in the groin, punching them in the face, elbowing them in the stomach, and was screaming "No!" as loud as I could. It felt great. Don't worry, the guys looked like the Michelin Man they were that padded. There's no way they could get hurt really. The only thing they suffered from was the intense heat of the padding pretty much suffocating them, but they took breaks every so often. We were padded on our knees, elbows, hands, and were wearing padded helmets as well. One of the scenarios really had my heart racing and at one point I wanted to cry because it seemed so real with all 3 of them ready to attack me and push me around, but I just kicked as hard as I could and ran away. I was proud of how courageous I could be. I strongly encourage all the women in my life to take this class. It's awesome and so worth the measley 20 bucks. I'm also so proud of Bobby for volunteering to play the role of the aggressor. He's pretty much getting beaten up all because he cares that much about women learning how to defend themselves. My hubby is awesome and I'm so glad he introduced me to this program. Go sign up! :)

"No!"

Last night was the first meeting for the self defense R.A.D. (Rape Aggression Defense) class I'm taking with Lyndsey. I LOVE this class, y'all. It is so empowering. For the first half of the night we went over all sorts of stuff from common misconceptions about rape to different personal stories about rape. I was truly amazed, and saddened, to hear so many women in my class of only 15 girls tell their tragic and traumatizing stories; some were really bad. 1 in 3 women are raped or have been raped. Someone is raped every 21 hours. That just proved to me how important it is to educate young girls (and boys) with this information on red flags to look for and how to defend yourself should you not be able to get away or prevent the situation from taking place. It was definitely eye opening and made me so glad to be there. I just wish middle schools required girls to take these classes the same way they require sex ed to be taught. If I would've known all of these signs and defense mechanisms I could have prevented a lot of things. It's never too late to learn, though. There were women ranging from 14 years old to 60 years old in my class. Of course I think Lyndsey and I were the best...tee hee. We got to learn different stances, different ways to attack with our hands, and how to strike. I loved punching the padded hand thingies...that was my favorite. Just that alone was a workout, I mean we were already sweating. That was nothing compared to what we'll be doing in class today. Today class is from 10 to 6pm so we'll be learning kicks combined with punches, we'll be on the floor, and who knows what else but I'm so ready and excited! Bobby had to take the course in order to become an instructor and even he said today's class would definitely be a workout. One of the things I really liked, and already had an idea about from watching other self defense classes, was how we say "No!" every time we punch or block. I felt like a little warrior yelling "No!" and punching as hard as I could. It got me thinking that I need to take kickboxing again because this reminds me of how much I truly enjoy it. It's rare to find a workout that you actually enjoy and helps you forget that you're "working out" in the first place. For me kicking and punching is so much fun. It's also a great way to release tension and stress. So, that's something I'll definitely be looking into. I'm pretty anxious to get started today, hence me waking up at 6:45 this morning. I'll be back to report on the last two days of RAD and what I've learned. Tomorrow I get to punch Bobby! LOL :)

Greek Salads!

I love Greek salads. Especially the ones at Red Brick Pizza. Those are some darn good salads, y'all. The second I got out of class tonight at 8:45 I called ahead knowing RBP would be closing at 9 and asked them to hold 2 slices of pizza and a medium Greek salad for me por favor. They were so nice and said it was no problem if I got there after closing. It's the little things that truly make my day. With so many people working in customer service that are rude and most definitely NOT there to serve the customer what so ever, it's such a pleasant surprise to find someone like the nice kid at RBP happy to stay after closing just to give me my beloved Greek salad. Good karma for that guy! Aside from my fabulous dinner I wanted to say that I'm over the moon with excitement because our trip to Hawaii is officially less than 2 weeks away! 13 days to be exact! Ohhh I cannot wait to hug and kiss my little niece and nephew. I can't wait to see my sister and spend as much time as possible with my whole family together in such a beautiful place. Ahhh I can't wait!!! I just had to get that out there. Aside from that, school has got me busier than ever. Right now I'm actually working on a presentation for tomorrow night's class. Once that's done, I'll have two research papers to write and one more presentation to give. The next couple of weeks shall be interesting and crazy. I'm also taking a self-defense class at St. Eds this weekend with Lyndsey and I'm stoked! Bobby is a trained instructor but his female coworker will be instructing this time around. He'll get to dress up in the padded suit and get beat up, though! LOL! That should be hilarious. Good times ahead. Thank you, Jesus, for blessing me with this wonderful life and the amazing people in it. I'll be back to tell y'all all about my experience this weekend kicking bootay!

You know how I know?

You know how I know I love him?

1. Just seeing his smile turns my day around and makes me forget what I was so upset about to begin with. Whatever was bringing me down no longer matters; he's with me.

2. I could breathe him in for days. I love his smell. He says, "It's just soap, babe" but it's a distinct smell that only belongs to him, and it's intoxicating. It smells like nothing I've ever smelled before. It's perfect.

3. His hugs bring me so much comfort and peace. I could stay in those arms forever. I feel so loved and safe. Nothing can hurt me in those arms.

4. When it's time for him to come home from work, I get butterflies in my tummy. I anxiously wait to hear his keys turning in the door. The second the door opens, my heart skips a beat.

5. Seeing him with my family warms my heart. He loves them as I love them. He is so good to my family and that in itself is so precious to me.

6. When I wake up in the morning, and see him sleeping peacefully, I just want to hold him close and take a picture of how perfect and angelic he looks. He's so beautiful to me.

7. I am not complete unless he is with me. My life is complete and whole with him by my side.

8. Seeing how hard he works to build a life for us brings tears to my eyes. He is such a blessing. He's my everything.

9. Seeing how hard he tries to make me happy, how he strives for only my happiness, brings me to my knees and has me thank God for blessing me so much with such an amazing man. He's my best friend.

10. Each day I get with him is a gift. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you for giving me what makes me whole, what makes me sing. He is the reason I sing.

I have a great idea. Let's take our infant to see a horror film!

How often do you see this? I guarantee you'd run out of fingers and toes to count. It's ridiculous...for several reasons. First and foremost, you're ruining my cinematic experience! I paid nearly 9 dollars a ticket, and throughout a slasher flick, I have to hear your 4 month old baby crying hysterically? Really?! Why?! Are you even watching it? I seriously doubt you're able to pay attention while shushing your kid, bouncing them up and down, getting their bottle ready, arguing with your significant other about where the baby's toy/bottle/spit rag is or who should be the one to take them outside. I've got a solution for you...both of you inconsiderate jerks should take your kid and bounce! And why are you bringing a baby to see Nightmare on Elm Street at midnight?! Shouldn't they be in bed? Two words for you: Red and Box! This not only saves you money, that you most likely need for your kid, but keeps you away from my peaceful theater. And if you're saying, "But Claudia, I NEED a movie date to live! I can't rent a movie! I just can't!" then here's my solution...you ready for it...it's good...wait for it...wait for it...GET A BABYSITTER!!! Groundbreaking, huh? And if you're going to tell me you just can't find a sitter, or can't afford one, then why are you spending your money at the movies to begin with? That stuff ain't cheap. I'm truly sorry if you're in a bind and simply can't find anyone to watch your kid, but have mercy on the rest of us who paid entirely too much to see this movie. Again, it ain't cheap. Lastly, I feel sorry for your kid. I see one year olds and two year olds being forced to sit there and watch gory horror films and that is just not right. If I'm scared, and I'm a grown woman who knows the difference between reality and a movie, how do you think your child is processing all of that? Then you wonder why your children are incredibly disturbed and/or scared of their own shadow, full of anxiety, and paranoid. I guarantee the same parents that take their kids to these movies when they're entirely too young to see them, are the same parents that tell their kids to stop being so scared of everything, and mock them for it later. Frustrates me to no end, I tell ya. Here's my bottom line: To ensure that you'll enjoy the movie, a long with the rest of us, keep your kid at home. If you MUST bring your kid to the movies, take them to see something intended for small children for sobbing out loud! Toy Story, The Princess and the Frog, Shrek, etc. I felt the need to give you ideas because I figure you're confused as to what a 'small children type movie' is. There you go. If your movie of choice is in no way shape or form similar in any way to the above mentioned, keep out.

"I wanna be a billionaire..."

Disclaimer: Excuse the profane language in the chorus of this song. I didn't write it! :)



Oh, how nice it would be to be filthy stinkin' rich! I'd get pedicures and manicures regularly, facials, massages, the works. I am currently in desperate need of a pedicure and because I've led a pampered life, I don't even know how to pedicure my own toes. I've never had to before. I've never had to tweez my own eyebrows, someone waxes them for me. Currently the Bobster and I are trying to save as much as possible for our upcoming trip to Hawaii and for a down-payment on a house. Great things to save $ for, but I am not the frugal type. I need summer clothes! I need new jeans, shorts, capris, flip flops, cute tops, accessories, summer dresses, etc. I know what you're thinking, "Claudia, get a job then girl!" Well, I would, but I'm going to school full time (18 hrs this semester) and if I were working while taking on that amount of schoolwork, I wouldn't be on the Dean's List anymore. I wouldn't be making the fabulous grades I'm proud to say I'm currently making. It's nice to be able to solely concentrate on school. It's my only stress. Well that and the damn scorpions that sneak into our apartment (that's a whole separate rant). I suppose I live a pretty spiffy life. I shouldn't be complaining about having to tweez my own brows. And the Bobster is paying for my monthly pedis regardless he says. I need them to live! I guess I've got it good. No, I don't guess, I do. I'm blessed. But...I'd still love to be a billionaire! ;)

What is this world coming to?

I made the mistake of getting sucked into reality TV on MTV tonight. I was watching this show called "True Life" which is basically documenting people's lives and each episode varies depending on a certain subject. For example, they've followed people who have had a lap band or people who have Tourette's syndrome...generally fairly normal topics. This show is usually, at the very least, entertaining but most of the time it's pretty educational and emotional. However, MTV is getting out of hand trying to get higher ratings I'm assuming. Tonight's topic was "I'm Polyamorous". Claudia's translation: "I'm a big slut". They were following two people. One was a 22 year old girl who had a girlfriend, and the girlfriend had a boyfriend, and they all went on dates as a group. One big dysfunctional and disgusting, happy, family. Then the girl decided she wanted a boyfriend as well for herself. They all decided to go to some therapist and meditate as a group. It was incredibly weird and uncomfortable to watch. But of course, I couldn't look away because curiosity got the best of me, unfortunately. Then they introduced the other person they were following. This 20-something year old boy who had two boyfriends and then added ANOTHER boy into the mix. They were all dating each other. 4 boys. At this point, my stomach started hurting. It just amazes and scares me that things like this exist and are considered normal to some people. This is the world I will one day bring my children into?
If anything, this just made me so thankful that I have God to fall back on when I'm faced with things like this. The fact that I can pray and keep my faith in Him and give all of my worries and concerns to Him puts me at ease. He will protect my future babies from all the evil in this world, I truly believe that. I need to start praying for that now, before they even come into this world. God is bigger than anything. I recognize that there is evil out there, but I also recognize that my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is greater than 'he who is in the world'. That being said, I think I'm getting too old for MTV...TV in general is just heading south. Now I know why my parents watch nothing but Fox News. I may just stick to my Golden Girls reruns.

Blessed.

This morning as I was making breakfast for Bobby and myself, I looked at my sweet husband sitting there and smiled. I am so blessed. Every morning that I wake up, he rolls over and asks, "Are you ok, baby?" He's always making sure I'm happy, even while he's half asleep. He's my protector. I never imagined loving someone this much, and feeling that love in return unconditionally. It's so nice to feel that security and peace. I always tell Bobby that he's my angel, that God sent him to me when I needed him the most. I've dated some doozies in the past, most of which didn't have my best interest at heart. I always devoted all of my time and energy to these guys, expecting nothing in return but their companionship. I hardly got that either. Bobby is selfless all the time with me, and with everyone really. He strives to make me happy in everything he does. He told me the cutest thing today. We were talking about tv shows that he's introduced me to that he really likes. I told him, "It's funny, every time you introduce me to a show that you originally LOVED, I end up getting hooked and love it more than you do, and then you only watch it because I like it." He said, "It's because I love you more than I love myself. You are me now." It sounds silly, and probably doesn't make that much sense now that I'm reading it back to myself, lol, but at the time it made perfect sense. Forget the show, what he said really touched me. "I love you more than myself," isn't that beautiful? Simple, but so sweet. I don't need extravagant gifts, grand gestures, or shopping sprees, I just need my husband to continue loving me and to continue to be the amazing, strong, God fearing man he is. We're coming up on a year of marriage, and it's been wonderful. I am so excited and anxious to see what each new year will hold for us. With Bobby by my side, I have all the confidence in the world. Anything is possible and the sky is the limit. Thank you, Jesus, for blessing me this much and for allowing me to experience what true love really is.
This is a song that means a lot to me and symbolizes what an impact Bobby made on my life when we met. It's about how lost I felt before him, and how he restored my faith in love.

Miss Molly.

I've been reading Molly Ringwald's book called 'Getting the Pretty Back' and I'm currently on Chapter 3. I just started it today and it's not too shabby. I have to admit, I didn't really have the highest expectations for this book being that it's another 'celebrity autobiography', but I do love Molly Ringwald...well, at least Molly Ringwald 20 years ago. Being that I'm obsessed with any and all movies she's ever starred in, I decided to give it a shot. I think it's cute and clever, not brilliant, but she makes some good points. For example, she's inspired me to get rid of my plethora of t-shirts. Honestly, no one wants to see me in t-shirts, they are in no way shape or form flattering. I always use the excuse that I need them for sleepwear or for workout wear but let's face it, Bobby does not want to see his lovely bride in an ugly t-shirt from 5 years ago that has holes in it. C'mon. I can at least wear a cute tank to bed, anything but a t-shirt from a taco shack. As far as workout gear, I don't need 30 t-shirts. A week's worth will do, that's why the washer/dryer were invented. Honestly, if I rid myself of the majority of these unfashionable articles I'll be more likely to take time to carefully pick out a flattering outfit that will not only please the public eye, but will make me feel better about myself. We all know that when we wear make-up, have our hair done, and wear an outfit that shows off our assets we not only look great but FEEL great. Confidence never goes out of style. So, a big thanks to Ms. Ringwald for opening my eyes and making me face my stash of tees.