Congratulations c/o 2010!

This past weekend was pretty awesome. My younger sister graduated from high school as a cheerleader, track runner, multi-club participant, skating-rink master, and only 2 classes shy of her AA degree. She is 7 times the senior I was and 7 years younger. I couldn't be more proud! Not only that but she had some ballin shoes to wear with her dress. They are Steve Madden Leopard round toe sling backs! Beautiful...but this is where our craziness begins:

3:47 - Me, Mom, Carissa & Britt try to find parking near the Ocean Center...there are 650 graduates...it starts at 4. :/
3:58 - Court calls mom. "Mom, I need black shoes. They won't let me walk the stage unless my shoes are black."

4:00 - The 4 of us in the car cruise the Daytona Beach strip looking for a place to buy black shoes. The only one in the car who is wearing black shoes is Carissa...size 9. Courtney wears a size 7 1/2.

4:02 - Court calls back "what am I going to do?" Mom says "we're bringing you Carissa's shoes."

4:07 - Through CRAZY traffic we circle behind the ocean center. Carissa & Tiffane jump out of the car. Brittany takes the driver's seat. They leave to park, we leave to find Courtney.
4:09 - MOVE people can't you see we're running down the street with 4 inch, size 9 stilettos?
4:13 - Carissa: "excuse me sir I know you work here. We need to get these shoes to one of the graduates, do you know how we can do that?"

4:13:30 - Man: "you can try but they're not going to let you in there"
4:13:40 - Tiffane(in thought): "say I won't...that's my sister!"
4:15 - Carissa suggests that I ask a different staff person while she tries to spot court on the ground floor and get her attention.
4:17 - The second (more optimistic) staff person tells us to go to the ground floor and ask to speak with a faculty member.
4:18 - Tiffane (crying): "Hi I'm Courtney Raulerson's sister and we were told that if she doesn't change into these black shoes she can't walk the stage. Is there anyway you can get them to her"

4:19 - DHS Faculty Member: "Let me see if I can locate her, hand me the shoes". The faculty member walks amongst 600+ students, and finds my sister on the end...Praise Jesus. She comes back with the Steve Maddens in hand.

4:21 - Carissa & I hustle back to our spots just in time to hear the Obama wanna-be

valedictorian talk about Lady Gaga...not joking!

4:22 - Deep Sigh of relief.

It was crazy but so awesome. Thank you Carissa for lending your heels and wearing flip flops with that amazing dress you had on. Thank you unidentified faculty member. Thank you Jesus for working things out!

Courtney and Carissa at the house before the craziness started...

Courtney & Wendell at the house

Courtney & Daniel outside at graduation

The cousins! :)

Court, Mom & Me

The whole family...talking to 50 different people as we often do! :)

7 years and counting

So my little sister graduates from High School tomorrow and I am excited and proud and freaked out. I am old. She and I are 7 years apart so that means it has been 7 years since I graduated from High School. Whew! Where does the time go?

It made me think though...I'm really proud of what I've done since then. The Mentalist was on last night (the rerun not the season finale) and it was about a 15 year class reunion. Patrick Jane (who is hot and intuitive soooo...super hot!)made the observation that the majority of people were trying to be someone they weren't. Fake hair, boobs, stories, etc. But I don't think I would feel compelled to be that way. I have stayed close to my family, my good friends, I have a wonderful job, an amazing boyfriend, my relationship with Jesus is better than ever, I have a car that has a working glove box (woop woop, Kristen), I've done mission work every summer since graduation. I finally got out of GCCCCCC lol. My life isn't perfect and I've also done some things that I am NOT PROUD of, but overall I am proud of who I am now. I must say that it is 100% because I've tried to follow God's plan for my life and not my own. My plan didn't involve Chipley or leaving Musical Theatre or living apart from my family - it involved a priest, a soldier and musician. And no that's not a joke setup, it was a VERY flawed plan. But I've gotten so much more and so much better than my plan. That is the awesomeness of Jesus.

So no matter how long it's been, what is something you've done since High School graduation that you're most proud of?

Happy Mother's Day

It's old, but still hillarious. :)