More Miles To Go

Everyone dreams of meeting a famous movie star or singer, but when you are a sports fan all you dream about is one day meeting your favorite athlete. Girls sit and dream that one day they will meet Prince Charming and live happily ever after. 

Okay, some girls dream that. Ever since I was a kid I've always dreamed about meeting a Dallas Cowboys player. They have been my team since I was in the womb and will forever remain my team even beyond the grave.

I have never once missed a Thanksgiving football game, and nor do I plan to. I actually plan on going to one and hopefully soon, well that is if everything works out with the strike and the unions, that is. 

Okay so I'm a Cowboys fan. Deal with it!

Not only am I a fan, I am a secret undercover SUPER FAN!

I know crazy but it's true. And now that my secret is out, it's not a secret anymore.

So there comes a day in a young girls life when she realizes what "fate" is. And that my friends was May 26, 2011. Not only did I meet Mr. Miles Austin the Third, he sat down an had like a 20 minute conversation with me, okay and this other girl Samantha. 

Talk about wildest dreams come true. To heck with meeting someone like John Travolta or Carrie Underwood, to actually be in the presence of a football genius was indescribable.

I mean every sports fan, girl wise, has that fantasy of meeting the best looking football player on the team and what-not. Then they have those silly dreams of that it will work out and they will get married and live happily ever after. Well, I'm not saying that I haven't dreamed about that BUT I won't say I will either.

Anyways, Miles was just ... I mean wow. Not only is he good looking and has a smile that will literally render you speechless but his personality is beyond words. You can tell he has such a great heart by the way he carries himself.

The fact that he dated Kim Kardashian and then broke up with her because she lives a flashy life was just AWESOME! Not for her, but it really shows you that he doesn't want or need to be in the spotlight every moment of his life. He's a classy, down-to-earth kind of guy and those are really hard to come across not only in athletes these days but in men alone.

I cannot even begin to describe what I felt when I met Miles. I mean this was on Thursday and it's now Monday and I will honestly be gushing about this for probably the rest of my life.

I mean, meeting Miles Austin was like a Bieber fan meeting Justin Bieber.

There are no words... 

Told You

I was a fan :)

That's my blog for tonight

It's always something :)

Dreams CAN come true!

"Keep smiling, because life is a beautiful thing and there's so much to smile about."
— Marilyn Monroe

Okay, so it's been a wee bit of time since my last blog but as always a LOT has happened! Let's catch you, and myself up, shall we:

Saturday:
Drove to Dallas and was there for about 5 days. I actually had a lot of fun! I will take a cue from my dear roommate and show you all the fun I had in pictures...

Mom and I had lunch with my dear, dear friend Sarah and her wonderful son Christian!

Wednesday day night we went to Mackinzie's Varsity Cheer thing and she ROCKED!

AND THURSDAY!!! The absolute BEST DAY of my freaking life! Yvette text me and told me about this shingdig going on with TOMS on Thursday night where you buy a pair of TOMS and there will be a local artist there and they will customize a pair of TOMS just for you. So of course I am going to get Dallas Cowboys customized TOMS! I mean, come on now guys! Okay, well here is the kicker... My FAVORITE player, Miles Austin, was going to be there! I mean seriously, I was NOT going to miss this opportunity! I already missed a chance to meet Brett Favre in 2008 and Miles Austin is my second favorite player in the NFL. Nothing was going to stop me, okay there was a short brief time where I thought about going back to Nac early to settle something with someone BUT I thought and thought about it, and talked to my mom and Yvette, and decided that this was a ONCE IN A LIFETIME chance and I was NOT going to pass this up. I mean, seriously, who would even THINK about passing up an opportunity to meet MILES AUSTIN?! I have no idea, obviously I did for a brief moment in time but later realized how incredibly stupid that would be. 

Okay, okay so this even doesn't start until 4PM. Well, I mean being a dedicated fan I got there at around 3:15PM. I met some really cool girls there! Mercedes and Samantha! Samantha was there at about the same time I was and she was really cool. Well, the whole process was you sign in and then the artists go by the list. So a few people were ahead of me but while the artists were doodling the girls and I were counting down the minutes until Miles got there. Well, they gave us like 10 ETA's. At first it was 4PM, then it was 5PM, then it was 7PM and he FINALLY showed up at 7:41PM (I checked my watch that's how I know). 

I mean, I cannot believe I almost missed this opportunity! I saw him come in and I literally forgot how to breathe. I have been a HUGE fan of his ever since I saw his first game in 2009. Not only does he have great eyes and a gorgeous smile, he has the heart and personality to make him one of the greatest football players and men you will ever meet. He is so humble and unbelievably sweet! I wanted to melt, I mean seriously! So here is my reaction as to when I realized that he ACTUALLY made it!  

There are no words for all the feelings and emotions that ran through me. I have long dreamed about meeting Miles and it was absolutely everything I could have ever imagined. He was truly great and I am still in awe over my experience from 24 hours ago. I just literally have no words. I am speechless. Meeting Miles was, as cheesy as it might sound, a dream come true.

It's always something :)

And this time... it's AWESOME!!

Making up for lost time

So far being home has been fun.
I've caught up with some very important people!

I caught up and visited the girls I used to babysit and MAN have they grown! I first met them when the littlest one, LEEANN, was 3 years-old. She is now nine! I mean talk about time flying!! Oh and I've been at SFA for 5 years so I've missed out on like half of her life, plus I hadn't seen her or her older sister, MICHAL, in like 2 years. Michal is now a JV Cheerleader at her middle school! Very cool! And LeeAnn is going into the 4th grade and she is just hilarious! She is just as witty as can be and she is only nine! Rachel, their mom, was looking good too! She has been running everyday, minimum 3 miles, and wants to run a WHOLE MARATHON by the time she is 45. She's only 42 and seriously looks like she is not a day over 30! I honestly was shocked when she said she only had 2.5 years to train for the marathon. It was nice to catch up with them and I hope I don't lose touch with them cause they are one awesome family and it would be a shame not to be able to stay involved with what's going on with Rachel, Steve and the girls!

Today, I went out to lunch with Kelsey. Man, it's been a long time since I've seen her. It was amazing to finally catch up with her and see how she's doing and see what's she's doing. I also learned so much about people from high school! It's crazy how people change. I've learned that like half of her graduating class has either has babies or is about to have a baby. Half of my graduating class, I feel, is either engaged or already married. Which to me is crazy, because I am NO WHERE near ready for that type of commitment. But hey, at least Kelsey and I are on the same page about how crazy these people are! She is doing very well! She looks good, is still as funny as ever, and I have really missed her! I am super excited about her coming down to see me this summer! I'll be able to give her a little taste of my life and everything I do!

Tomorrow, I get to see Sarah and hopefully baby Christian! I am super excited to see them! I'll let you know how all that goes later!

Right now I am just relaxing typing up this blog while my dad plays catch/ fetch with Dakota, and my mom watches "Ghost Whisperer". I'm still thinking back on the events that took place Friday night and can't help but think this might be the end.

I truly hope not. Maybe I just need to leave well enough alone and stop trying to fix things. But for me it's hard to just let something go, especially if it tugs on my heart strings. I've just got so much happening in my mind and heart it's hard to just let it go. Maybe it's for the best though. I don't know....

I just need answers!

I am seriously going nuts trying to figure out how to fix things. Maybe it's not broken. Maybe I am trying to fix something that doesn't need fixing. I don't know because I am not getting any answers... from any where or anyone!

Okay, I can't sit here and rant about what's going on...

So that's what has been happening so far and I am REALLY looking forward to Thursday!!! Miles Austin and TOMS are going to be UNITED!!! 

Two of my favorite things on Earth are working together and I am sooooo excited! Miles Austin will be signing shoes/ autographs and I will not and CAN. NOT miss this opportunity! So I will be there, first in line if I have to be, dressed up and cute!

OH MILES AUSTIN!!!

It's always something!

Why Worrying Gets Me Nowhere

Worrying Stems from Fear

It’s simple definition, worry is the act of thinking about the unknown in a way that we fear. Regardless of what the situation, if you think about that event in a way that makes you fear the outcome, that thought will stay with you, generate more similar thoughts and create constant worry.

If you hold onto these thoughts, they can quickly become overestimated and exaggerated to the point that what started out as a simple concern, becomes a painful fear. The fear itself can cascade itself by generating worse and worse thoughts that just reinforce the worry and stress associated with it.

Now, its quite natural to have fears about the unknown. There is nothing wrong with fear, in fact, it has a lot of advantages which I’ll outline below. What’s dangerous about these fears though is if you allow yourself to focus on only the results you fear, even when there is no basis or reason to believe that that is the likely outcome.

This is the kind of fear and worry that gets you nowhere! Ignoring every other possible outcome (and generally the most likely and often positive outcomes) to think constantly about the one outcome we fear is a major cause of stress. This often is the worst outcome or the thing we fear the most. The problems this can cause are:

• Detracts your focus on useful activities.
• Worry from fear is hard to forget or unlearn, so it re-occurs easily and becomes habitual.
• Affects your other activities in a negative way (often pessimistically)
  
  
  Avoiding Worry
  So, even once you’ve learned to control and limit your worry, this can be taken even further by avoiding the process of worrying all together. I’m no expert here but I have found and read about several things that can help to free your mind of worry.
• Avoid the source or situation that generates the worry in the first place (after all, its not that easy to eliminate the fear behind a worry)
• Encourage new outcomes and be excited for new experiences. The fear of change usually turns this into worrying about the unknown so developing a sense of adventure for new experiences and outcomes will embrace them without needing to worry about them.
• Keep your results and records and remind yourself of how often things really do go as expected for you and that you have nothing to worry about!
• Don’t reinforce others to worry (make good outcomes welcome, encourage them)
• Whatever happens happens. You probably had no control over it anyway, so just let it go.
• Learn to just be, instead of wanting to control. This takes practice and faith, whether that is in you, others around you or something spiritual, faith is really the opposite of worry.

So, what can you really gain from worrying? Is there anything you can do about it anyway? What can you do next time to avoid worrying about it again? Ask yourself some of these questions next time you find yourself worrying. Use some of these techniques to kill that unnecessary worry time in your life and live a more positive and carefree life!

My Kryptonite

Recently there has been an internal debate going on inside my mind and my heart. For the past couple of months I have been trying to figure out this strange pull inside of me. I have been trying to figure out whether or not I wanted to stay in Nacogdoches or apply for a Disney Intern or possibly another position, maybe out in the "real world". I still battle with myself about this issue but I think I have come to a conclusion:


I think, right now, I am going to stay in Nacogdoches. I can't leave this town. At least not yet. I have so much to tie my heart to and I think if I uprooted myself from where I have planted my roots I would not be ready and would be lost in a place only "natives" know.


I look around this town and see so much to live for. I look around and see everything that I fell in love with from the SFA campus to Main Street and Banita Creek.


Coaching soccer was one of the best things to happen to me. I've coached The CrazyLegs for 3 seasons now and have loved every minute of it. Yes, sometimes it can be frustrating and stressful but at the end of the day watching the kids faces when they get that goal is worth all the frustration and stress.


There is this little girl, Bella, she is the daughter of one of my regulars at Smoothie King. She is also the sister of one of the little girls I sub-coached for. Any time I see her my entire day is made. She is the cutest little kid. Her and I had a dance-off one time in Smoothie King and it was so much fun. Every time she comes in and I am working she gets this HUGE smile on her face and RUNS in to see me!


Bella is my kryptonite. I know it might sound weird that a 3 year-old little girl is my weakness. But any time I see her I realize there is so much more here than where I am at right now. I have so much potential to be great, here in Nacogdoches. 


Bella, reminds me, every time she comes in, that Nacogdoches is the place for me. At least for the next few years Nacogdoches is just perfect. I want to stay and coach The CrazyLegs and maybe even coach an upper level group of kids and see how that goes. I want to see where certain things in my life are going. I want to give my life here more of a chance.


Yes, right now I have to get Smoothie King back up to par and re-train ALL, yes ALL, of my employees. I have to do this to get from the bottom to the top. I need to build Smoothie King up and train someone who can take my place when I leave. I would love to stay here at Smoothie King for a while but I cannot see myself wanting to work there three years from now.


I really thought I wanted to own it, but I've thought very hard about it and I don't want to do that anymore. I can't do it. I want something better for myself, but I want something here.


Bella, yes, is my kryptonite because when I look or interact with her she reminds me of where my heart truly lies...


Thank you Bella.

Couch to 5K

Here's the deal:

-Sharon's wedding is in  25 days which means I have 25 days to whip my butt into shape! If you are thinking that I want or am trying to "outshine" the bride... that's not it at all. I just want to look good in my dress that I paid $101 for. Sharon is going to make a beautiful bride and no one should outshine her in any way shape or form, but that doesn't mean I have to look frumpy up there next to her. So here is my "Couch to 5K" plan.

Now the 5K does happen to fall on June 11, which happens to be the same day as Sharon's wedding. But her wedding is at 2pm and since I can already run 3 miles I know that it will probably take me about 30 minutes, hopefully less than that because that's like 10 minutes a mile and I would really like to improve my time and get it down to 8 or 9 minutes a mile. But it's not like I would leave right after I got done, I would wait around until mostly, if not everyone, was finished and then leave to go get ready for the wedding.

I want to do something that to me marks a challenge. I want to do something that I've never done before and I can loudly exclaim that I did it! I did a 5K!!

I know to some people a 5K isn't that big of a deal but to someone who had never tried running 3 miles up until May 1, a 5K is a challenge.

I don't ask for much, but I do ask for support. So when you see those little Nike Run icons pop up in your news feed, cheer me on and let me know your routing for me!

Here's to the next 25 days!!!

Disney

Hey everyone, I know it's been a while but here are the things that have been going on.
I think the last time I blogged I was trying to figure out if I wanted to stay here in Nac or apply for a "real job". Well, I went to one of my professor's kids birthday parties yesterday afternoon and we got to talking. She said, "I only regret two things in my college career: not taking the photography tour of Italy and doing the advanced internship with Disney."

I have been toying with the thought of going back pretty much since I left. It was so hard for me to leave Florida. I remember there was an option to give up your seat on the plane in order to take a later flight and the airline would give you roundtrip tickets to a destination of your choice. I sat there in the airport lobby or waiting room and seriously thought about giving up my ticket. But I knew my family was waiting for me back in Texas so I got on that plane with my heart still in Florida.

Back then I had no ties here in Nacogdoches. I wasn't the manager of Smoothie King, heck I wasn't even working for Smoothie King yet, I wasn't coaching youth soccer, I wasn't on a bowling league, I only had one friend that I still talk to today (Robin Laclede), I didn't have a guy worth giving my heart to, and I didn't have much here at all in Nacogdoches.

But now, I have all those things. I've made a "name" for myself here and I think packing up and leaving would be harder than ever now. Back then, it was hard but it wasn't as hard as it will be if I apply and get the internship.

I made a promise to myself that before I returned to Disney I would get my degree. Well, I have three more months until I fulfill my promise to myself. I think about going back almost every day. Not a week goes by that I haven't thought about what I am going to do once I cross that stage.

I don't want to regret anything but I think I would regret at least not applying. Even if I don't get it, I at least applied and gave it a try. Right now I've got to at least give it a try and see what happens.

Axe'em Jacks

Today was a really big day for me.

Today... I got my SFA class ring :)

I am so excited but scared at the same time.

I'm excited because it signifies all the hard work and stress I've put in during the past 5 years.

I'm excited because it means I'm almost done... 6 more hours and then poof, no more college.

But I am terrified because it's the end.

Everything is coming to a screeching halt and I don't know if I am quite prepared.

Yes, I understand I have goals in my life but I really have no idea exactly what I want to do.

I don't know if I want to own Smoothie King anymore.

I don't know if I want to stay in Nacogdoches.

I love Nacogdoches with all my heart and could not have picked a better place to live, mature and attend college.

I've become part of the community and I love being a part of something so wholesome and heartfelt.

But there comes a time when it's just time to pack up and go.

I'm not saying I'm going to start packing my bags and walk out the door right now, but the more and more I think about it I am worth so much more than any amount an employer could give me here in Nacogdoches.

I know that sounds conceded and arrogant but I have done more in the past 5 years that most people will never accomplish in their lifetime.

I am not oblivious to the fact that there are those people who are my age that are being drafted into the NFL or are already doing something crazy awesome with their life.

But I have done some really amazing stuff with my life and I think limiting myself to Nacogdoches county or any county close by would be restricting myself to really achieving my potential.

There are so many options out there for me and as much as I would love to stay in Texas, I just feel like Disney is where I am meant to be.

I loved it when I was there for 8 months in 2008, and I have always wanted to return, but I told myself I would finish school first.

I miss it almost every day.

But now with the end of my college career nearing my options are opening up and I want to take chances and see if I even have a chance of making it in the "real world".

Come August, I am a free agent.

I am fair game to anyone and I already have several options here in town but I think I was meant for something bigger.

Something to make not only myself proud but one day my future husband and kids proud, and something to make my mom and dad proud.

I know they are proud of me right now and will be no matter what I do, but sometimes I feel as if they see bigger and brighter things for my future.

They know I have to see it for myself so they don't really tell me out loud but they drop little hints so if my parents believe that I am destined for something bigger and better than Nacogdoches, maybe I am.

I need to start putting together, or finishing, my resume before I can even think about where to apply.

And what happens if someone in Florida or California are interested and want to interview me?

What happens when whomever likes me and offers me a job?

Will I be ready to leave it all behind?

Yvette, Robin, Sharon, Jacob, Abby, my family.

And what about Rodney.

What happens when my heart is here but my instincts tell me to take the job?

I know I would take the job but taking the job would mean I would have to leave those who mean the most to me behind.

I am a very needy person.

I need people to be around me, I need people to be there for me, and I need people I can count on.

I love these people a lot and to leave them behind to make my dreams come true would be severely hard.

Unless of course they want to come with me, then that would make the move so much easier!

Life requires sacrifices and if that means leaving the people I love most behind to follow my dreams, then that's the way it has to be and they have to understand.

I know this seems like random and out of no where but with the end nearing these are the thoughts that are continuing to run through my head.

Hopefully I'll follow my heart and do what's best for me :)

Weekend Past

Lots of things have happened recently :)
And I don't think any of them are bad!

Thursday, I went to Lufkin to Envy Salon and got my hair dyed and highlighted.
I absolutely love my hair!
I was so sick of being blond.
I know I usually only go darker if I am depressed or something like that, but this time it's completely different!
I was looking at pictures and was noticing that the color of my hair was washing me out and I looked bald in some of my pictures because of how light my hair was.
So I wanted to dye it back to my "original" color, which is a dark blonde-ish color.
Well, I went to the store and bought a box of "ash blond" hair dye.
It turns out it was a little bit darker than "ash blond" and more of a brunette color.
Which is okay, but wasn't what I was looking for but hey, I can rock it!
About 5 days later it started to fade and become a weird brown color.
So I called up Frances, my hair-dresser, and told her I needed her help!!
It took 3.5 hours to fix my hair.
I think that's the longest it has ever taken to fix my hair lol
But it was so worth it!!
I love the color, I love how it looks and I love that it's not grungy anymore!
If I had a picture I would post it but all I have are pictures from Springfest and my hair is pulled back so it's kind of hard to tell.

Speaking of Springfest...
I had SO MUCH FUN!
Mud volleyball was messy and gross but worth getting dirty!
Mud was all over me and it was squishy and pleck!
But I had one of the best times playing in the mud!
We went 3-1 in our games and were 3 games away from winning the WHOLE THING!
But sadly we lost one of our last games.
It was a lot of fun and I am so glad I did it!
Here are a few pictures from Springfest:

This is us, "Your Worst Nightmare", before the games!

And this is us after the FIRST game...

Victory is ours!!!

Also on Saturday was Tate's 4th birthday party.
It was so good to see my family again!
I love going out there and seeing them and just having a good 'ol time!
They are the kindest people I have ever met!
Such big hearts with so much love for life and people!
There was family, friends and presents.
Tate is such a cutie!
He saw me walking up and got really excited and said, "MISS JORDAN IS HERE"
That made me smile from ear-to-ear!
And Cole saw me and ran up and gave me a BIG hug and kiss!
I just LOVE them!!
Sad I don't get to see them more often :-/
But hopefully that will change!

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday.
Nothing big happened on Sunday.
Well, okay not a whole lot happened on Sunday.
I got up early and mowed the front and the back yard, have not mowed the side plot yet, I got sick of getting hit with rocks and everything else so I stopped.
Went back inside and then Yvette and I went to LOWE'S and got some weather stripping for our doors so no more bugs will get in!
It was fun roaming around LOWE'S and looking at things.
So got our weather stripping and came home and tried it out.
It works but it's hard to open and close our doors now, but I guess if the bugs are not coming in anymore then that's fine by me.
Although, I don't really mind the bugs, don't take that like I love to just sit around and watch the bugs come in.
No that's not what I meant.
I meant it like bugs don't really bother me.
I can kill them with the sole of my shoe.
I'm a brave kid and they don't scare me!
After the weather stripping I took a nap before I had to head to work.
Work was work, nothing really exciting there. 
It wasn't too busy and it wasn't too slow so no complaints!
Cleaned the prep-table like it's never been cleaned before!
After work I went running.
Get this...
I ran for 35 minutes STRAIGHT!
I ran 3 MILES!!!
WITHOUT STOPPING!
I am so proud and impressed with myself that I was able to do that.
I have never run that far ever!
It is such a feeling of accomplishment that I cannot even begin to describe what it felt like!
Now I know that I can do a 5K in about 40 minutes!!
I told everyone what I did!
Got a lot of good responses but the one that meant the most was this one...

  It put a smile on my face :)
It may not seem like much but I can tell he is proud and impressed.
Do i feel like I need to impress him?
No.
But it makes me feel good to know that he was impressed and was encouraging.




School ends in two weeks and I am SUPER EXCITED!!
Maybe now I can actually acquire some hours!
Well now, it's off to tennis.
Then running, then aerobics, then KTRE in Lufkin, and then most likely off to work since I have to step up when no one else can.
Sometimes being manager is hard, but I hope it's all worth it in the end.