Week 6: Wedding Bells

This weekend was the Dornhorst Wedding! I attended the rehearsal dinner last night at The Swinging Door and babysat the Billedo girls afterwards. Tonight, I went to the wedding with my parents and then played wedding nanny again! Pam's brother Christian married Amanda and the entire Billedo family was in the wedding. Both of the girls were the flower girls and they stole the show! They were adorable and extremely well-behaved. I absolutely love weddings... especially outdoor weddings. The event was held at the Dornhorst home and it was beyond beautiful. Every time I attend a wedding, I am reminded that true love exists and I get so excited to marry that special man one day. From the moment the bride walked down the aisle to the moment the newlyweds shared their first dance, I was smiling ear to ear. Weddings really do get the best of my emotions! We took pictures, ate appetizers, danced a little, and then I took the girls upstairs. We had a pajama party and trust me... all of us were very excited to get out of our dresses and into some comfy clothes! We painted nails, took silly pictures, and completely passed out. It was a busy weekend filled with babysitting wedding craziness, but it was a blast nonetheless!

Week 6: Disney's Prom!

On Thursday night, I went with a group of girls to see the midnight premiere of Disney's newest movie called 'Prom'. Beforehand, we all went to Wal-Mart and bought tiaras, diamond rings, cheesy sunglasses, and even princess wands from the dollar section. I wore a ribbon that said "Party Animal" and we were ready to go! The movie was very predictable and cheesy; however, it did get us very excited about the event that will be taking place one week from today. We took lots of pictures and acted like crazy teenage girls the entire night. My favorite quote from the movie goes like this... "Prom is like the Olympics of high school. You wait four years, three people have a good time, and everybody else gets to live on with shattered dreams." All of the seniors in the movie had different situations for the way they got asked to prom. They had the perfect couple that had been dating since middle school, the dorky boy that asked every single girl in the whole school only to get rejected time after time, and the girl that was asked by her dream boy if she wanted to car pool. It was quite hilarious relating each situation to a couple at our school. When the sophomore boy climbed up the tree and claimed his "love" for this beautiful girl named Simone, you were reminded of the absolute stupidity of the boys in high school. Our actual prom night will be one memorable event. Nobody cares if you can dance well, just get out and dance. Prom will not be the end, but simply the beginning for the best is yet to come.

Week 6: TAKS

This week is TAKS week! Those tests are a drag for every student in the state of Texas... except for seniors! Junior year you take your exit level tests, so if you pass, then you don't have to come to school until 11:30 am every single day during TAKS week. It is a beautiful thing. I have thoroughly enjoyed my morning workouts, plenty of relaxation, and social events during the week! On Wednesday morning, a giant group of us had breakfast at Chick-Fil-A before school. The group consisted mostly of our prom group, plus a few. It was plenty of great food, laughter, and bonding! This morning has been one of the most interesting and memorable days of my life. It all started last night, when Brandon Guillen texted me. He asked if I was still awake, because he needed my help with asking Ariel to prom. Don't ask me why this kid waited so long in the first place. Of course, I said I would help him out. He wanted me to walk down to Ariel's house at 7:30 in the morning and "somehow" get her out of the house for 30 minutes. I laid there brainstorming and brainstorming, and then  it finally came to me. I am not the best actress, so I needed a solid story as to why I was ringing her doorbell so early in the morning. We had been joking all week that I would ask her to prom in a clever way, since Brandon was clearly not taking any initiative. At 7:46 am, I walked down to her house in my pajamas and rang her door bell quite a few times. I knew I woke her up, because no senior in their right mind was awake at this hour. She answered the door, and I escorted her to the surprise awaiting her at my house. It was freshly made waffles and "PROM?" written out in Cool Whip with a few strawberries. It was quite cute, if I do say so myself. We enjoyed a nice breakfast together, and she still had no clue as to what was going on. I got the "GO" memo from Brandon, so we headed back down to her house to look at her senior legacy. Once we arrived at her house, Brandon drove up shortly after. We walked upstairs, and sitting outside of her door was a note that said, "Have Fun" with the sharpest knife laying on top of it. This scene looked like it was straight out of a horror movie. A knife? Really? I started laughing hysterically and Ariel screamed, "WHAT THE..... BRANDON! Get up here and BE A MAN!" I entered the room from her bathroom, and she entered from the main door. In the room, there were balloons covering the entire floor. However, when Ariel entered, her reaction was nothing as Brandon had expected. She asked, "Where is the sign that says 'Prom?'". Brandon stormed off in a hissy fit, because he was overly disappointed and upset by her reaction. Ariel and I sat very confused in her balloon covered room. She was in tears and I was frustrated with Brandon. She picked up a balloon that had a smiley face on it, discovered there was something inside it, and stabbed it with the knife. There was a note that said, "I love you. Sorry for the wait. Prom?" It was cute, but Brandon could have gave us a hint or something. Anything would've worked, except for storming out of the house. When Brandon urgently drove off, his left tire blew out in his car. That was poor timing and very unfortunate for the kid. Ariel felt very bad, even though she did nothing wrong. She wanted to make it up to him and she needed him to chill outa little bit, so she decided to get him a snow cone from "Chill Out". At first, she went to the wrong snow cone place and then once she got to the correct one... it was closed. This morning was not going according to plan by any mean or measure. As she raced around town to get ice and a cake, I made a giant sign that said, "Chill Out... Prom?" Everyone take a deep breath... this all happened BEFORE I went to school today. It was one hectic morning! Finally the prom asking was a success and everyone was at peace. The things I am willing to do for my friends always surprises me. My afternoon consisted of a much needed work out, a trip to Swirl with Shannon celebrating the end of her TAKS tests, and soaking up the sun with a group of  friends!!!

 I LOVE TAKS WEEK!

Week 6: Majesty.

 Happy Easter!

Here I am humbled by Your Majesty,
Covered by Your grace oh friend.
Here I am knowing I'm a sinful man,
Covered by the blood of the Lamb.
Now I've found the greatest love of all is mine,
Since You laid down Your life,
The greatest sacrifice.

Majesty, Majesty.
Your grace has found me just as I am,
Empty handed but alive in Your hands.

Here I am humbled by the love that You give,
Forgiven so that I can forgive.



Week 7: These Days

Anam's 18th Birthday Dinner!

This week has been exceptionally busy, yet very exciting and blog-worthy! To finish off Week 7, we celebrated Anam's 18th Birthday at Kublai Khan Crazy Mongolian Stir Fry. I had a blast eating dinner with my girlfriends and taking lots of pictures out by the bridge. What can we say.... we love pictures! Between Anam's grand fall, the creeper manager, and "SQUIRT," we had a ton of uncontrollable laughter. Afterwards, we all headed to Anam's house for cake and more celebration with some more people. I love birthdays and celebrating with my closest friends! Anam is one of the sweetest and most genuine girls that I know. I hope her 18th birthday was everything she wanted it to be... and so much more. Overall, this weekend has been very fun and relaxing. These days really are the best!

Week 7: Surfside.

-SURFSIDE 2011-

Today was Good Friday and that meant we had the day off from school! A ton of juniors, seniors, and alumni from Austin High School spent the entire day at Surfside Beach. It was the ultimate day of bonding with people from all different groups of friends. There were almost 30 beautiful girls with our group and somehow we managed to take a picture of all of us! We laid out on the beach, socialized, snapped a ton of pictures, passed the volleyball, and even flew a giant parrot kite. Sun and sand was the perfect combination for a very successful day! I am SO thankful for all of my friends and this much needed day off!

Week 7: Final Game.

Tonight was our last home baseball game and it was against Dulles! They have one game remaining in their season next Friday; however, I can't make it that one due to babysitting! So for me.... tonight was my last baseball game as one of the managers. It was definitely a bittersweet feeling. I was very new to the sport of baseball at the start of the season, but I have learned more over the past few months than I ever thought I would know. I have truly found an enormous appreciation for this sport and all of the knowledge that is required to be a great player. I have enjoyed every last second socializing and keeping track of the book with Savannah. We were the ultimate manager tag team- switching off innings and keeping each other entertained! I have become friends with many of the guys and I have gotten to know a few of them so much better. I'll never forget my experience as the baseball manager. It was different, time consuming, and sometimes frustrating... but it was worth every last bit of energy that I exerted. Even though our team didn't always get along and we were hardly ever the winners, it was a once in a lifetime experience. I am thankful for all of the players, parents, fellow managers, and fans! <3

Week 7: Signing Day!

This morning during 1st period all of the baseball boys had their college signing party! Taylor signed with Blinn for baseball, Anthony signed with the University of Arizona for baseball, Tyler signed with the University of Louisiana- Lafayette for football, and James signed for baseball as well. Savannah and I served cake to all of the students and I took a ton of pictures! What an exciting day for all of these boys! I am very proud of each of them and I know they will do great things in the future.

Week 7: The Legacy Begins

Senior Legacy Page:

The Singleton's

Almost four years ago, I received a call from a sweet lady named Maggie Singleton. She explained to me how her and her family recently moved to Texas from Arkansas and how they were on the search for a new babysitter. That week I came over to their house that was covered in boxes and met the Singleton's. Grayson was a timid 3 year old boy and Caroline was a precious new born. That day I was introduced to a blonde hair-blue eyed family that would forever change my life. I was the Singleton's newest babysitter and I couldn't have been more excited. They made me feel very comfortable from the very beginning and I knew I was always meant to be a part of their life! I have watched these babies grow up throughout my high school years. I have seen them progress through the potty training stages. I have watched them develop their individual and unique personalities. I have witnessed many giggles and heard very few tears. In the beginning, the Singleton parents would pick me up and drive me home. That was way back before I had a license! I'll never forget the car ride when Maggie told me she was pregnant with baby number 3. That was an extremely exciting and memorable moment! In August of 2009, Miss Ellie Singleton was the newest addition to this sweet family. Her big baby rolls and crystal blue eyes could easily capture any audience. She was born my junior year of high school and it was a sincere joy to juggle these three children around! Ellie is now two years old and always cracks me up! Every time "Miss Kaitlyn" comes over we have a handful of classic traditions; ice cream parties, fly on the bed, play dough, coloring signs, and much more. I have been a part of their family's life every step of the way. I have participated in birthday parties, attended family weddings, watched little league games, took care of their house while they traveled, slept over for slumber parties, and much more. All of the kids are very different and add a special element to the Singleton family. Grayson is a brave young man. I have seen him transfer from his fanatic "Wiggles" phase all the way to his tough Indiana Jones stage. He is smart, witty, and quite the charmer! Caroline is my sassy little sweetheart. She is beyond beautiful with her long blonde hair and is truly a princess at heart. Some days she might have a slight attitude or a tiny meltdown, but Caroline has always been my baby girl. In July of 2009, I nominated Caroline into Sugar Land Magazine's "Sugar Land Sweetie" contest and she WON! Ellie is an absolute doll. She is always chattering and making jokes. She has grown out of her cute chunky baby roll phase, and became a slim and adorable two year old. She can always brighten my day and constantly brings me hours of entertainment. Their mother, Maggie Singleton, is the best person I've ever met. She is the ultimate 'Super Mom' and I want to be exactly like her when I grow up. She is a talented photographer, baker, seamstress, boo-boo fixer, cook, and mother. Maggie can do anything she sets her mind to... and she does it perfectly. She attended Texas A&M, where she met her hilarious husband, Alan. Maggie Singleton is a remarkable woman and I am beyond blessed to have met her. It is not by chance that Maggie called me on that hot summer day four years ago... I was always meant to be their family's babysitter! As I reflect back on our many days and nights spent together, I am reminded of the enormous impact they have made on my life. I know I will continue to be a part of their children's lives as they grow up. I have babysat for mutliple families throughout the past few years, but they are and will always be my #1 family. I love them more than words can say and I know I will shed multiple tears as I head off to college. Singleton family, thank you for all of the joy and sweet memories that you have added to my life.