Shout-Out PART XI

Tracy: Not many people can honestly say they look forward to going to work. I don’t know that I’d go that far either, but I CAN say that I look forward to being around my coworkers. Especially Tracy. We’ve worked together for a year now (she got hired off of Craigslist, of all places), and there hasn’t been a business day that’s gone by since then that I haven’t laughed at least 4 times. She’s not just a coworker, she’s truly the highlight of my day. She comes in all high on Starbucks, having already cleaned her house AND made a Wal-Mart-run AND dropped Bubba off at daycare… and I thought I had stamina. We spend 30-ish hours a week together, and I NEVER get tired of seeing her smile, hearing her stories, hearing her laugh… oh how I wish you could hear her laugh. It’s sort of like Huckleberry Hound. It’s infectious, and I love it. She tells me like it is, and she has the sweetest heart ever. She gives 110% to everyone—her husband, her friends, and to us at work. No one that walks in our office is a stranger to Tracy. She loves people for who they are, no judgment. Which is a good thing, because I’m pretty sure my Type-A/OCD-ness gets old by Tuesday… Tracy, thank you for making every workday a GREAT day!

Last week. Tracy's foot, which she insists is her best asset (she's in the middle of total transformation right now... she's lost 20 lbs. and won't let me take a full-body shot until she hits her goal weight!!! I think she's hot anyway.)

Tracy (on the bottom) and Julisa, my other favorite coworker.

Shout-Out Part X

Abbey: Another serendipitous friend! Abbey also lived in our neighborhood in Jenks, but for some reason, we never really “made time” to get to know one another very well at that point in time. Shortly thereafter, Abbey and her husband moved to Kansas City. 6 months later, Mike took a job there as well. After looking at 137 houses (give or take) ALL OVER KC (both the Kansas AND Missouri sides), we found one… about 4 blocks from Abbey’s new house!!! So once again, we were neighbors, but this time we “bonded” for real.

Abbey is exactly how you would imagine the former president (or some important office like that) of a sorority to be—bubbly, bubbly, bubbly. Only not annoying. Or fake. She is totally a girl’s girl, definitely NOT a “shine-brighter.” Her social calendar makes my head spin, but I envy it. She GETS ME. My favorite thing about Abbey is our conversation—it is constant banter, back and forth, without taking a breath. We never run out of things to talk about! Before I had Brax (at which point the hours in my day were decreased from 24 to somewhere around 16… on a good day) we were regulars at the gym together. Now we have playdates any chance we get! (She has a son that is 6 months younger than Brax.) Every once in awhile I am able to get out for lunch or shopping (Target is dangerous), and these outings are SO precious to me! I know that after just a few hours of chatting with Abbey and any of the I’m-overwhelmed-I-need-a-break stress I may have been feeling will be long gone. We have bonded over baby-boot-camp and breast pumps…. So many of my new-mom memories include Abbey, as we are navigating this maiden voyage of motherhood together! For this, Abbey, I am grateful.

July 2006. Celebrating my move to KC at the Kelly Clarkson concert!

May 2007. At my KC baby shower. Little did I know Abbey was pregnant here too!

Shout-Out PART IX

Kizzy: Serendipity: “The faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for.” My friendship with Kizzy was pure serendipity. When Mike and I were deciding on which lot to build our first home on (in Jenks, OK), the sales rep for the subdivision immediately suggested the lot next door to Kizzy and her husband, Jason. Not only was it at the end of a cul-de-sac and it backed up to a big pond/field (depending on the weather), the rep insisted that we would LOVE Kizzy and Jason. We went with that lot, and sure enough… he was right!

We moved in on Friday, September 4, 2004. The next evening there was a block party in our cul-de-sac. It was here that I had the chance to really visit with our new next-door neighbors (who had been so thoughtful as to bring us Hideaway pizza as we were moving in!) Kizzy and I got to talking about how we both enjoyed running, and we were both doing 3-4 miles a few times a week. The following Monday, we became “running buddies.” It started out just for exercise, but by October we decided we should have a goal—we should run a RACE. Not a 5k, or even a half… We were going to do the whole shebang—26.2 miles. We chose the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, which was set for April 25, 2005. Over the next 7 months, our endurance grew stronger, as did our friendship. I was the training planner (how far to run each time, what pace, etc.) and Kizzy was the motivator. It was because of her that I got my lazy tush out of bed, sometimes at 4:30 am, to run in stupid-cold weather. We were a sight for sore eyes—each of us with 2 pair of socks, cold-weather running tights under long johns under sweat pants, cold-weather running shirt under long johns under a sweat shirt, gloves, head wraps, and stocking caps… And a fanny-pack (yes, a FANNY PACK) full of Kleenex, gum, and chapstick for me.
We came back with some funny stories after some of these early-morning runs. For example, one time we [I] thought our neighbor’s garage was on fire. Turned out it was their Christmas lights reflecting in the window in the garage! Or the time we high-tailed it down the street to avoid being attacked by a dog we [I] spotted up the road. Turned out it was a gas meter.
Then there was the time our husbands were supposed to pick us up after 7 miles out, but instead drove for hours up and down Riverside looking for us, worried that we were dead on the riverbank. Turned out they are just BLIND and never saw us on the trail, so we had to run all the way back into Jenks (so our 7 miles turned into 14) and call their cell phones from the Taco Bell. Then there was the time we were being followed by a weirdo in a pick-up truck through the “bad side” of Jenks. He initially stopped and asked us (this is at 5am, mind you) where we got our reflectors, then continued to circle the block we were on. We solicited a ride back to our neighborhood from two scrawny college guys smoking on their apartment patio. We figured we’d take our chances on them versus the crazy redneck. We made it back alive…

But my all-time FAVORITE running story was the time there was a man lurking in the darkness as we started our morning jog (again, it’s 5am, remember). We had just met in the driveway when I heard a man’s voice holler “Hey there!” from the darkness on the side of Kizzy’s house. I repeatedly screamed for Mike as loud as I could, scrambling to punch in my garage code. We narrowly escaped certain death as we rolled under the door, James Bond-style. The whole time, the scary man was yelling “Trust me! Trust me!” Dude, do we have FOOL written across our foreheads?
Mike sleepily emerged from the bedroom and grabbed a baseball bat as I called 911. The police said that they would send someone to patrol the area. Kizzy then called Jason, who promptly arrived with his hammer and their dog, Jack to hunt down the perp. No luck. All day long we [I] worried about the man lurking around our houses. Had he been stalking us? Was he peeping in our windows at night? This was NOT in my training schedule.
As Mike left the house later on that day, he saw one of our neighbors outside. He felt like he should warn her about the suspect as well. As he began to tell the story (about his crazy wife hollering thru the cul-de-sac at 5am, claiming to have seen [heard] a strange man in between the houses), she began to laugh. Hysterically. Turns out, it was her son Rusty, taking something to the garbage can on the side of his house (which is right next to Kizzy’s.) Turns out, he wasn’t saying “Trust me! Trust me!” He was saying “It’s Rusty, It’s Rusty!” Needless to say, we were an on-going joke around the cul-de-sac for awhile…

Aaahhh. Good times.

We miss them (and Jack) dearly. Jason and Kizzy are the prime example of what it means to have God at the center of your marriage. They laugh together (or at each other, which is very funny to witness), they pray together, and they are raising two of the cutest little boys I’ve ever seen. No other neighbors will ever compare! We’ve lived in KC almost twice as long as we lived in that house, and I still don’t know the majority of my “new” neighbors’ first names. It’s just not the same. Kizzy, thank you for moving into your house, for logging SO MANY hours running with me (and not being scared off the first time I was a little gassy—running does that to you, people!), for being there for us when Mike had his brain surgery, for sharing mom/PA advice, for always making us laugh… and for introducing us to Hideaway Pizza and sweet cream+raspberries+oreos at Coldstone!!!!

March 2005. Kizzy and I after our last long run-22 miles-before the race.

April 25, 2005. Mile 13!

I should conclude by adding that Kizzy BEAT ME by like 6 seconds.

Who knew those little legs had so much kick in them at the end!!!

Shout-Out PART VIII

Jen: Jen claims to have been a "nerd" in high school... she says she wasn't "the cheerleader type." But she has been my favorite cheerleader for years! Jen and I met in Business Law in the fall of 2003, in Tulsa. (I briefly thought I should continue my education and get a business degree... A few thousand dollars later, I realized that nothing could beat the pay and hours that dental hygiene offers... so I never finished that one. But I did get a best friend out of the deal!)

I describe Jen as a "cheerleader" because of the never-ending and enthusiastic support she offers the people around her--to complete strangers, to her husband, her sweet step-daughter, and to her genious-of-a-two-year-old little girl. And oh yeah, to ME!!! The girl MADE A T-SHIRT to wear and drove like 4 hours round trip to watch me run a painfully long 26.2 miles! Who does that??!!! NO ONE has ever worn a t-shirt in my honor!! At mile 20 of the Oklahoma City Marathon, I look over and see this girl with a giant smile on her face, doing high-kicks on the side of the road, cheering wildly. I think to myself, "Awww, someone has a REALLY good friend... That's so awesome!" As I get closer, I squint through my sweat and see her shirt--it says "We Love Val." I realize, OHMYGOSH it's MY really GREAT friend!!!!" Talk about feelin' the love.

Jen is joyful. I mean genuinely, truly, to-the-core--JOYFUL. Happy. All the time. I'm confident she would tell you it's a God thing. And she's not one of those people whose life has just been all peaches and cream; one of those people who has no reason NOT to be happy. She has been handed lemons in her life, and let me just tell you, the girl makes the best lemonade EVER. Her joy is contagious. She's always up for a girl's nite, or even a weekend. She throws the best parties EVER. She's a prayer warrior. Whenever she calls me or leaves a message, it always starts with "Hi Friend!!" and ends with "I love you, Friend." She signs her text messages and emails “Jammin’ Jen.” I love that! Jen, for all this--for filling my world with your joy--thank you!

April 2005. My #1 fan.

January 2007, right after I told Jen I was prego!

Shout-Out PART VII

Crystal: There's not a memory I have from 2001-2004 that doesn't include Crystal. We were virtually siamese twins, but I wouldn't have expected that on the first day I met her. It was at our Dental Hygiene program orientation--she was standing off to the side of the room, with her arms crossed--I thought she looked like a snob. I could not have been MORE wrong!!! Come to find out, she already knew some of the girls in our class, and I would later discover why she was standoffish that day!!

Shortly after the program began, we found ourselves attached at the hip. It started with hanging out in between classes, riding to Head/Neck Anatomy/Cadaver Lab together, and me going to her house after class before I went in to work (waiting tables at Barkley's, which was up the street from her place). It quickly evolved into Crystal&Val Ladies' Nite every Thursday night. Without fail, the festivities would begin immediately after class on Thursday. We would start out by going to the mall (Charlotte Russe, specifically) where I would inevitably get turned around, EVERY TIME, and she would make fun of me. We would buy a new outfit, EVERY Thursday (at least a new shirt, anyway) to wear out that night. (Mom, Dad, isn't it good to know your money was going to a good cause??) We'd go back to my place, have a snack, maybe take a nap, practice our line dances... then we'd get all gussied up and head down to Brookside... Make an appearance at Barkley's, The Brook, or In the Raw... Oh but ladies' nite wasn't ladies' nite until we got to THE CARAVAN... If you're ever in Tulsa, PLEASE go to Caravan on a Thursday nite and give Jimmy a hug for us. He swing-danced us to the moon and back, every Thursday. He's the 60-something, clean-shaven man in the cowboy hat, t-shirt, jeans and boots that NEVER leaves the middle of the floor (yes he was old, but OH could he dance!!). Girls were literally waiting in line to dance with him (but we were his favorites of course.)

Where was I... Oh yeah, Crystal. She inspired this post, by the way. You have her to thank for my ramblings.

Before I knew it, we were each other's shadows. Besides Mike, I think she's the ONLY person on earth that I can be around 24/7 and still like one another! We were in school all day together, and she also joined me in the cocktail waitressing fun at Barkley's. Eventually we got an apartment together. Again... too many memories to recount... and I love every one of them. If you were at Mike and I's wedding, you know that Crystal has the voice of an angel. I get goosebumps every time I hear her sing. She would SO win American Idol. She is my snow-boarding, braided-pigtail-wearing, world-traveling, free-spirited, fellow teeth-cleaning friend. So many things--songs, foods, places, smells (she always smells really good)--take me back to memories I share with Crystal. She was my siamese twin sister, and she still loves me. Crystal, I am thankful for all of this!

December 2001. Crystal and I at Sullivan's annual Christmas party... in the bathroom!

I stole these two pics of CK1 off her Myspace...

I haven't seen her smiling face in person since August of last year,

so I don't have recent shots of her!

Shout-Out PART VI

Angie: Another friendship that was forged as a result of my move to Tulsa. Angie (and her husband, Matt) lived in the same neighborhood Mr. Wrong and I moved into in January 2000. We would occasionally hang out, play board games together... We weren't super-close at first, which was probably due to my preoccupation with forcing the joke of a relationship I was in to "work." After I came to my senses, left Mr. Wrong, moved away, then came BACK to Tulsa AGAIN (this time on my own terms... by myself, to start DH school), Angie and I rekindled our friendship. She became my OTHER big sister.

I would describe Angie as "cool." She is a tennis pro; I always thought that was so cool! She's a successful working mom. She lets me borrow her husband to do the handywork mine can't (won't?). My most favorite thing ever to do with Angie is TALK. Man, can we talk. Well mostly I like to listen, for two reasons: One, she's freaking hilarious--she tells the best stories. Two, she is so WISE! I am always asking her for advice. I don't think her words of wisdom have failed me even once, whether it's about careers, kids, husbands... Talking to Angie is great therapy. Even with her own two kids, she still makes time to talk with her "little sister" (albeit after a fun game of phone tag.) Angie, thank you for always being there.

July 2006. Angie and I at my moving-to-KC party.

Shout-Out PART V

Jamie: I officially declared myself part of Jamie's family shortly after we met in Anatomy and Physiology, in Tulsa, in 2000. I had followed Aaron (again) to Tulsa, and had begun the prerequisites for Dental Hygiene school. Jamie was studying to be a Radiology Tech. She had two young children, a husband that was still living/working in Oklahoma City, and the sweetest grandma ("Grams") helping her out during this crazy-busy time in her life. I immediately nominated myself as Aunt Val. Since Jamie and Jeff both had only brothers, I thought the kids needed an aunt! Really I just loved them to pieces... Jamie and Jeff make great babies (5 of them to date!)

At that time, she and the kids (Jace-3 and Kenzie-2) were living at Grams' house, and for the duration of my first stint in Tulsa, I spent EVERY Thursday evening over there. It was an unspoken ritual... Grams would make us a yummy home-cooked grandma-style meal, complete with nice dishes, linens, and dessert, or we would order pizza and make chocolate chip cookies from the log o' dough you can buy at the store. We would play with the kids, chitty chat, give the kids a bath (my favorite part; I have always loved the smell of clean, snuggly babies) then put them to bed. I was always in awe of how efficient Jamie was with this night time routine. After that, we would grab some blankets and settle in on the couch to watch "Thursday night TV" (you remember, the good ol' days BEFORE reality TV... Friends, ER...)

Among numerous mommy-related lessons, Jamie has taught me something pivotal---She shows me on a daily basis what it means to "live by faith." Being married for like 11 years, going to school, then working full-time, AND raising 5 unbelievably amazing children is NO EASY TASK. Jamie makes it look easy. Never once have I ever her gotten one of those crying-so-hard-you-can-barely-speak "I'm-losing-my-mind-I-can't-do-this!!" phone calls from her. Never have I heard her doubt God's will for her and her family... that it would all work out, that it would all be okay. She takes everything in stride, carried by her faith in God. She is truly my home away from home, and has been since day one. Jamie--thank you thank you thank you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18:

"Give thanks in all circumstances,

for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

August 2001. Kenzie, Jace, and Jamie outside Grams' house.

January 2007. Jamie and Grams.

May 2007. My baby shower in Tulsa.

We were both 7 1/2 months pregnant--our boys were born within one week of each other!

Shout-Out PART IV

Stacy: Stacy was the first friend I made after I entered The Bachelor Era. We met in 1999 when I moved to Joplin, MO. I had gotten a job as a dental assistant (which was the beginning of my "career" in dentistry) at the office where she was working. We immediately clicked. One word to describe Stacy---FUN. In every sense of the word, in every role she fills (friend, wife, mom of 2)--Stacy is FUN. And that is hard to be ALL THREE in unison! She picked me up when my heart was down; she showed me that I could still have a good time! She even made Joplin fun...

No matter how much time passes between our visits or phone calls, the minute we get going, we don't miss a beat. She makes me want to be a sexy wife like she is. She makes me want to play with my kid instead of clean the house. She makes me smile. For all that and more, Stacy, I thank you!

December 2001. Scott is a lucky man.

Shout-Out PART III

Erin and my G-Phi's: This is a tough one. The best way I can think of to describe this friendship is "frozen in time." Let me explain.

I met Erin, Heather, Emily, Christy and Liz my freshman year of college, 1998. I only spent one year at MU before making a decision that would change the entire course of my life. In that short year, I bonded with these girls in a way that I can't illustrate with words. We were strangers thrown into a new environment with one common denomitator-Gamma Phi Beta. But of all the girls in our pledge class, in our house, on that campus... we "chose" each other. We were next door neighbors in Jones Hall, we did EVERYTHING together. We ate our meals, walked to class, went to Wal-Mart, napped, watched 90210, studied, got ready, celebrated many birthdays at El Maguey's, and watched out for each other at the bars and frat parties. EVERYTHING. And then The Bachelor came along and I let him ruin a very good thing. I left MU to follow the guy I thought I would marry. WRONG. That's a whole other post, one that's not worth its weight in bandwidth it would require to explain.

Fall 1998. G-Phi birthday party at El Maguey's.

So Erin and I have a mutual friend, Ryan, that we met at MU as well. He's the brother I never had (can you tell I wish that I had like 10 siblings??), and he was responsible for "reuniting" Erin and I. BTW, anyone 20-ish and single--he is a catch! Let me know if you're interested, we're always on the lookout for him.

June 2008. That's Ryan. Someone should really snag him!

Focus Val, where were you going with this? Oh yeah...

After college, Erin and the rest of the crew moved to Chicago, and of course were still like sisters. She was always saying I should come visit, but to be honest, I was scared. I left them for such a STUPID reason... And I was SO wrong about "him"... And they had stayed so CLOSE all these years and had all these inside jokes I didn't get... How would I "fit back in??" But after much encouragement from Erin, I booked my ticket to O'Hare.

I'll try to keep this short...

The first thing Emily said to me when she saw me was something along the lines of "Wow... You are ballsy, coming back after all this time!" And then she gave me a huge hug. My sweet Heather announced, "The Locust has returned!" It was a fabulous visit to say the least, and my heart was broken to leave them again. I knew things would never be like they used to be; I went one way while they had gone another. I knew I would never be part of what they had now; too much time had passed. But that's okay with me. It just felt really good to be back, if only for 3 days... For those 3 days, and for the year I spent with you girls--thank you. Those were some of the best times of my life, frozen in time. And thank you, Erin, for continuing to stay touch. It means the world to me!

October 2006. The Locust Returns-and goes to a Caddyshack Party!

{Emily, Christy, me, Erin, and Heather}

Shout-Out PART II

Jolene. We met in 1994 when I started modeling. I was 14, she was 18. She is seriously a real-live Barbie--6' tall, blond hair, blue eyes, perfect tatas... I was SO intimidated! But instead of turning her nose up at me, she took me under her wing. Where Leslie is the twin sister I never had, Jo is the big sister I never had. I won't publicize the crazy things we did together after our modeling gigs back then... I don't think my parents know to this day what I was out doing, so maybe we better leave it that way.

Jo taught me how to work a room, how to be a CONFIDENT. She is one of the most secure, assertive, and strongest women I have ever known. She is also one of the most beautiful; yet she's incredibly humble, genuine, down-to-earth, NOT cocky, and NOT stuck-up. She's the girl you WANT to hate because she's so hot (even AFTER 3 kids) but you just can't because she's so dang REAL. Even after our wild younger days, we stayed in touch. Ironically, we both ended up marrying baseball guys. Instead of "working the room" together, we now share mommy stories together. We go crazy together trying to be the perfect wives and mothers. We cry and laugh together when we realize what an impossible feat that is! We remind each other that it's okay when everything's NOT perfect. And for this, Jo--I thank you.

August 2000. Painting Westport red, or pink it seems.

(Yep, do the math, Mom and Dad. I wasn't 21 yet. Oops.)

Counting My Blessings... A Shout-Out to My Homegirls, PART I

Oh how my husband is going to make fun of me for that one....

***DISCLAIMER*** This particular series of posts will be of little or no interest to anyone except those who are mentioned in it. If you don't see your name, feel free to ignore me!

My friend Crystal called me last week, a few times. We have a game we like to play ALOT, it's called phone tag. This round was initiated by me, calling her on my drive home from work. My car is my mobile phone booth; it's the ONLY time I that I have to chit chat without distractions, disruptions, or guilt that I should be doing something more productive (like blogging, or spending time with my family). Thanks to the time difference (she lives in Colorado), Crystal is usually still working, or showing off her SICK snow-boarding skills on the mountain. Let the games begin… She calls me back, I'm playing with Brax. I call her back, she's having a drink with her hot young boyfriend. She calls me back, I'm cleaning up dinner. I call her back, she's out galavanting around her quaint little ski town. And it goes on. We'll get back to her in a minute.

She called (at just the right time) to tell me that she read the blog, she enjoyed it, and that she thinks I might be a little OCD about it. (Can you believe that?? ME? OCD??) She said "No wonder you never answer your phone, you're always BLOGGING you freakin' nerd!" She may have a point...

BUT, in my defense, if I tried to call each and every one of my beloved girlfriends as often as I blog, my husband might have to get a second job to pay for my cell phone bill. I see this as a mode of mass communication; it's the only way I can consistently keep in touch with everyone. Now don't get me wrong, the internet is NOT a replacement for a good ol' fashioned phone call, lunch date, or nite out with the girls every now and then, but let's face it--living in different cities, having husbands and kids to raise, a job to show up for, and a house to keep up, I know I would fail miserably at maintaining my treasured friendships if we didn't have our blogs/Myspace/Facebook to keep everyone posted! (And yes, Crystal has a Facebook AND a Myspace, but she also has this thing called free time to talk on the phone. Oh, how I miss free time.)

Am I rambling yet?? I'm not done. I told you to stop reading a long time ago... Unless, of course, you're just waiting to see if you get a shout out-here. Then keep reading...

So in the spirit of showing my BFF's some blog-love, I'd like to tell each and every one of you how much you really mean to me. Now this is also a test of how many of my BFF's actually read this diarrhea of my mouth... If I don't hear back from you I'll know my efforts are futile. And FYI, this will be done in installments... I tried finishing this post all at once before I published it, but after a week of trying (I'm still not finished) I figured I'd just do one homegirl at a time...

Where do I start... I guess from "oldest" to "newest"...

Leslie. I'll have to short-hand this one or I'll never finish. We met in Mrs. Gilliam's 7th grade social studies class, 1992. In highschool, Les was always my homecoming princess or prom queen or something RAD like that; at least if I wasn't picked I could say I did the most popular girl's hair and make-up... she was voted "Best Smile" our senior year. The girl EVERY guy fell in love with, and the girls too--not one person has ever NOT loved Leslie. The twin sister I never had. Comes from the most perfect, strongest parents ever. Classy. Genuine. Lights up a room just by being there. Life of the party. The best step-mommy ever. No drama.

We have too many inside jokes and stories to mention. She remained friends with me even after I was mad at her for tearing up HER knee on MY spring break!!!!!! (Les, I am still very sorry about that, BTW. But it WAS fun pushing you through the airport in a wheelchair and holding the barf bag for you on the airplane while you vomited your pain meds up.) She's the person I can walk miles down memory lane with. High school was one long double date (BK/ZC, MB/random soccer buddies, DB/hearing impaired buddy... hey, he could read lips. At least there was no uncomfortable silence on HIS end.)

She tried to tell me The Bachelor was NOT THE ONE. She didn't say "I told you so" when I realized how right she was. She drove me to Austin the first time I went to visit Mike, to make sure he took care of me. She was my maid of honor, I was hers. She married a genius, whom Mike and I both love. She missed me so much she got Mike and I back to KC. She stayed up ALL NIGHT with us to watch Brax come into this world (and took pictures! Now THAT'S a true friend!) And she will make me an "Aunt" when she joins the mommy-club in December!!

Leslie, for all this, I thank you. We have truly grown up together. The journey continues...

October 2005. Leslie's wedding day.

August 2006. We have too many pictures to pick from.