GO RANGERS!!!!!

american league champions

soon to be world series champions :)

a lifetime of love is worth walking for

[this blog was actually written on Thursday, sorry for posting it a day late! not enough hours in the day]

One week until toni&I drive southbound toward Dallas.

One week until our bags are packed full of clothes decorated with pink ribbons.

One week until we're like little girls at christmas who can't sleep the night before something fantastic happens.

One week until the word ‘hope’ will be the only word that consumes my mind.

One week until every emotion on the spectrum will be racing through my body.

My 5’7 body will be filled to the brim with excitement to see my 3day team, The Hopefuls. As comforting as it is to be welcomed and deeply loved by my 3day team, I will be bursting at the seams to see the thousands of unfamiliar faces. Faces of men bravely & boldly making a statement in honor of their wife, mother, or loved one. Faces of women, around my mother’s age, that have battled breast cancer and won. They are victorious & they will be glowing. Older faces full of wrinkles that have a lifetime of stories that have created those perfectly beautiful wrinkle lines. Faces of children, lining the streets & filling our cheer stations, with stickers & candy. They don’t really understand the depth of breast cancer, they just know that they look good in pink and will bring joy to my life.

With all the excitement aside, my heart will be burdened. It will be heavy knowing that there are thousands of us walking to raise awareness for a disease that has taken so many lives, too many lives. My heart will absolutely plummet to the floor when I see a 65-70 year old man walking, by himself, dressed in a t-shirt that has a lovely photo of his wife, who is no longer with him. I will be struck to the core when I see a group of 20-year-old girls, girls my own age, wearing a shirt in honor of their 20-year-old friend who was ripped away from them because of breast cancer.

For a little bit, I might be angry. I will probably be mad that a disease has this much power over our lives and affects 1 in 8 women. With all the research, technology, and brilliant people in the world – why can’t anyone find a cure? Please, just find a cure!

I will be inspired, beyond inspired. These women, much older than myself, will be trekking 60 miles all around Dallas to make a statement. We will be making a huge statement; this is the boldest breast cancer event in history. I will be inspired when I see women lining the streets with signs saying “I am a survivor. Thank you for walking.” That alone ignites a flame inside of me that inspires me to walk for anyone and everyone, we need a cure. My prayer is that my children will know a world without breast cancer. I want to be inspired every day of my life by women bolder and stronger than myself to never give up hope.

Hopefulness will be my heart’s cry throughout the entire weekend. This event isn’t about me, Toni, or sweet memories we will make together. It’s about us joining forces, knowing the only way we will make it through the 60 miles is our hope for the cure and our hope in Christ. Through Christ we’ve found a deeper love for people & life. We want to live life to the fullest. The 3DAY enables us experience life to the fullest.

The very best part of the walk is that, every step of the 60 miles - I will be humbled and in awe of our mighty Savior. I honestly can say there is no way I would raise $2,300, walk 60 miles, and stand boldly in front of people for breast cancer if I didn’t know that the Lord had a greater, much greater purpose than what our eyes can see. He is good & does good. Our prayers and cries for a world without breast cancer are heard. I give all glory to Christ for allowing me to walk and I pray His light shines through me every step.

Last year I entered the walk after four years of dreaming of participating. I knew that this weekend was going to rock my world, in the best way possible. Little did I know, it was going to be the most life-changing weekend of my life. Every aspect of the 3DAY was simply perfect. I was deeply moved by how many people passionately hope for the cure. My ears heard story after story of breast cancer altering lives forever, my eyes witnessed the most genuine relationships and unconditional love displayed, my arms were hugging strangers, my legs felt the most immense amount of pain, my heart was full – full of hope, love, faith, support and my body was wrapped closely in the arms of Christ.

I cannot wait to see how the Lord moves in my heart this year. 3DAY 2010. I can’t wait to do something out of the ordinary because everyone deserves a lifetime.

“Be strong and take heart, all you who HOPE in the Lord.” – Psalm 31:24

[ war eagle ]

I would not be lying if I said I left a piece of my heart in Auburn, Alabama. Who knew I could fall so deeply in love with that place so quickly?!

The whole preparation of our trip to Auburn was nothing short of exciting. Ali and I had been planning on going to visit Jake for months & were ecstatic that the weekend was FINALLY here!!! Once Ali and I found out that our flight conveniently landed at the same time as Jake's test - we knew the weekend was going to be full of adventures!

Our flight landed at 12:30 in Montgomery & we were greeted by two of Jake's dear friends - Grant & Jase! Ali was slightly nervous about getting in the car with strangers, but we both knew Jake would never send guys to get us that he didn't trust. We spent the hour drive to Auburn playing 21 questions and getting to know one another. The boys were incredibly sweet & welcoming. They accepted us with open arms from the very beginning and I've never felt more loved by a group of strangers.

Jake was waiting for us at his apartment and we were instantly surrounded with lots of Southern boys! :) We met all his friends & went to get some lunch at Mama G's with Jase, Robert, and Jake! After lunch, we dropped Jake back off at class and the boys gave us a tour of the picture perfect campus of Auburn University. Don't get me wrong, I'm a die-hard Sooner, but my heart was immediately captivated by the beauty of Auburn! Dinner for the night was sushi, then we were off to the bowling alley for college night! I spent most of the night embarrassing myself with my poor bowling skills && trying to memorize everyone's names! Unfortunately, while at the bowling alley, I asked Robert to take a photo for me and while he was handing my camera back, his finger got caught on the string and the camera dropped. It broke :( but Robert & Jake were super sweet about it, so I wasn't too concerned.

Jake, Me, Jase, Ali

The next day we woke up, got ready, had lunch with Ali's sweet friend, Christin, from Kanakuk & saw their version of sorority houses! It is this crazy dorm like situation where each floor is a different sorority. Then, we stopped by a camera store & diagnosed my camera's issue - it's staying in Alabama & will be fixed in 2-3 weeks. Jake sure does know how to take care of me, he selflessly gave me his camera to bring back to Oklahoma. He wasn't going to let this be an issue & I love that about him. He is a very, very good friend.

Next, Jake had class from 2-3 so we dropped him off and Jase took us shopping so we could purchase some Auburn attire! :) I had been craving ice cream all day so after we rescued Jake from Friday class, we sat outside for an hour or so eating ice cream & exchanging stories about our lives.

Next on our agenda was: BEN RECTOR // DREW HOLCOMB & THE NEIGHBORS' concert! The concert made my heart so happy. I can't wait for their shown in Norman in a few weeks. Before the show, Ben & Drew were welcoming every car and shaking hands with the drivers as they all pulled in. How humble & thankful are they? Not to mention, they are oh so talented. Once we were all frozen little popsicles, we went back to Jake's and hung out with lots of his friends!

GAME DAY! oh my goodness, there's nothing better than gameday on college campuses across America. Auburn was a sea of orange&navy and campus was full of people tailgating. I was desperately trying to soak it all in. After eating lunch at Lambda Chi, we headed to the stadium. Jake's family was gracious enough to let us use their season tickets for the week so we could avoid the mass chaos of the student section! Jake, his girl: Sarah, Ali, and I all sat together -- free food & drink accompanied these awesome tickets! :) Auburn vs. Arkansas was probably the best football game I've been to all year - WAR EAGLE! There's something indescribable & special about SEC football and I'm deeply grateful for the opportunity to have been at that game. After the victory, we went to Jase's sister's to meet her and her baby, Charlotte. Jase is absolutely in love with his beautiful baby niece and it was so sweet to see them together. The best part was that Jake hadn't held a baby in years and was so nervous to hold her - of course he did fantastic though! :)

Next, all of Jake's friends that we had ever met were all attending this birthday party, so naturally we had to join! It was full of people Ali and I obviously didn't know, but everyone was very sweet & the night was filled with laughter!

At about 12:30, we were all freezing and ready to go back home. There were constantly people coming in and out of their apartment for hours, which meant we didn't get to bed until pretty darn late, but couldn't have asked for a more perfect last night in Auburn.

Sunday snuck up on me and I woke up in the morning wanting to pretend that if I slept in for a few more minutes, the weekend would never have to end. Ali went to lunch with Christin, Jase & I got coffee and walked around campus, and Jake ate lunch with Grant. I never wanted to step foot off that campus because I knew that meant back to Jake's to pack, say goodbye to our new friends, and head to Montgomery. Then that was it, we got gas and headed to the airport. See ya Auburn, pretty autumn leaves, gorgeous weather, && carefree weekend -- we must get back to reality.

we both love & adore Jake, a lot.

I had no idea I'd fall so hard and so fast in love with a town. Auburn is charming, lovely, full of school spirit, Southern, unique, & inviting. This weekend was exactly what I needed - Ali and I both needed to escape the business of life in Norman and just relish in the richness of college life. it. was. good... very, very good.

I went into this weekend kind of blind - knowing I could trust Jake with my entire life, but also realizing I'd have to trust his roommates & best friends pretty quickly. Each of his friends surpassed all of my expectations. Their friendly smiles, constant concern for our well-being, and selflessness to make our weekend the best possible spoke volumes to my heart. The last thing I expected was to become as close to some of them as I did in just a mere 4 days. Everything in Auburn is on a different level: a mix of more laid back yet more intense. Doesn't make much sense unless you experience it for yourself. Everyone go visit - promise you won't regret it !

As I'm typing this on the plane ride home, the sky is practically glowing. It's a mixture of the prettiest shades of bright orange & pink. Jesus rocks my world; I think He also loves Auburn! Thank you Jesus for protecting us, surrounding us with sweet new friends, providing lots of funny situations, allowing us to have once in a lifetime experiences. I pray these memories are engrained in my mind forever. You are good & through You life is good.

blessed beyond measure,
cal

fall fun.

it's officially fall & i'm lovin' every second.

the temperature has finally dropped below 95 degrees, the trees are changing colors, & october festivities are surrounding me. Some days I'm extremely ready to graduate and move on to the next phase of life & other days I love being the college student I am, because I know I am exactly where the Lord wants me.

Fall is a season that makes my soul ache to be a college graduate, a wife, and a mom. I want my Sunday's to consist of going to church, eating lunch with my family, & spending the entire afternoon together - exploring all the fall festivities possible. Unfortunately as a college student, my 'fall fun' normally doesn't consist of painting pumpkins, being outside in the yard, baking pumpkin seeds, playing in the freshly fallen leaves, or decorating the house with the season's corresponding colors. But this afternoon, was one of those afternoons that sent joy rushing through my veins. It made me feel like a little girl again, free & careless, not concerned about anything, but simply enjoying the moment for what it's worth.

In a previous blog, I wrote about the absolutely wonderful family I work for. They have become my second family and I cherish every single second in their presence. There's something about spending time with them that warms my soul and nourishes my spirit. All semester long, the girls [Mayson & Braxton], have been elated about carving pumpkins, riding horses, and spending time together outside of "school". So today was the day, today was the day my soul was refreshed.

Toni, Ali, and I purchased 5 pumpkins, all the carving tools, & arrived to their house around 4'oclock prepared for an unforgettable afternoon. The girls saddled up 5 of their horses and so graciously taught the 3 of us how to get on the horse, steer the horse, & most importantly, how to slow it down. We spent lots of time on the horses screaming, laughing, & praying we would survive! :) It was definitely a feeling of victory & triumph for us to successfully get off the horses without any mishaps.

Ali & bluejeans. They were quite the pair. Bluejeans truly was rambunctious, quick, & a perfect match for ali. Ali was destined to be a cowgirl, she was a complete natural. I think i was more nervous for ali the whole time than I was for myself!

try 1: fail.

try 2: success! she'd never been more thankful for a step-stool.

Toni & Janie. They made me smile. Janie is Braxton's barrel racing horse, but if she's not near a barrel - she doesn't move too quick.

check out braxy's cute pink saddle.

tone is already lovin' it!

kappa's love horseback riding :)

Braxton & Emmie. Emmie was kind of a brat, but Brax truly has a way with horses and got her under control every time. This previous summer she was in Wyoming with her horses - dedicated hours & hours to practicing and taking care of them. I've seen lots of videos of Braxton riding, but seeing her in her element made me me so happy & proud. She was fierce. She is such a hard-worker & knows how to get stuff done. I can only hope my children are as helpful & sweet spirited as her.

i am obsessed with her broken in boots.

emmie is gorgeous. check out those white lashes.

this is brax completely content & in her element. lovin' life.

Mayson & Sugar. Sugar just had the baby boy this spring so as Mayson would ride the momma around, the baby would follow us. The relationship between a mom & baby horse is priceless.

Mays tied this water canteen on with a festive holiday ribbon! ha.

we're almost all saddled up!!

Callyn & Pokey. this is also one of Braxy's horses that was accompanied with a brand new saddle! Brax had only used it once - way to make me feel like a queen! :) pokey was so good to me. only surprised me once - took off in a dead sprint down a baby hill! whoo!

After riding the horses, Brax & I had to get serious. Unfortunately, we had to do her math homework while the other girls were in the front yard carving pumpkins. Of course we took frequent breaks to go out there & check on their progress. They were quite the little pumpkin carving experts.

Thank You Jesus for a day filled with abundant blessings, love, & laughter.

Thank You for sweet reminders of simplicity & experiencing life to the fullest.

Thank You for unshakeable friendships & unconditional love for one another.

Thank You for the constant reminder of a child like faith through these two sweet girls.

Thank You for a glimpse of life into the future with our own kids to play with on Sunday's.

Thank You for the little things that making life worth living for.

kappa kampfire.

This week has been Initiation week for my sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma! With this being my last year to participate, I have barley had to attend anything. It's definitely very different being a senior, different in a good way though. I am starting to really feel like i'm 21 years old, a senior in college, and possibly a little too old to be super involved in my sorority. I definitely don't like feeling out of the loop though. There are multiple girls younger than me that are wearing our letters, and I haven't a clue who they are! We have one of the largest KKG chapters in the nation, so that helps me justify not knowing who they are :)

Either way, Kappa has been one of the most amazing blessings of my college experience. who knew I would make lifelong friends & incredible memories through something as silly as a sorority?!?!

here are a few photos of kappa kampfire out at the lake last night.

my kappa family! well.. brooke is almost a kappa!

Sarah & Cassie, super sweet girls!

Devin, could she get any cuter?!

My little (Morgan), Me, & Toni!

peace, love, & kkg.

- callyn

happy birthday baby Doke.

This will be a quick little update, just couldn't let one more day pass without blogging about the birth of beautiful Alice Elizabeth Doke.

Welcome to the world angel. You are going to be cherished, loved, and treasured. Your two big sisters are going to teach you silly games, protect you, and make you laugh. Your parents are going to do everything in their power to give you the best life possible, ultimately, they are going to teach you all about Jesus & His sacrifice for us. I cannot wait to watch you grow up, because you are about to be in a house filled with joy, love, and wisdom.

October 5, 2010

7 Lbs 3 oz

19 inches

Megan truly is extremely naturally beautiful, but on this day she was extra beautiful. There's something about Megan being a mom that makes the stars align. She makes everything look effortless & blissful. Although I know having a family isn't always easy, Megan gives me hope that it is! :)

This is Megan's mom, 2nd daughter (Sophie), and baby Alice. Sophie was so sweet to her little sister. My prayer is that Megan's 3 girls will be the very best of friends.

Thanks for letting us share in your special day Megan! Your love for Toni & I had speaks volumes to my heart. We are immensely blessed by your family. Can't wait to come over even more now!!! :)

[ red river rivalry ]

BOOMER SOONER!! There’s only 1 Oklahoma!!!!

I’m so proud of the Sooners! With this being my last OU/TX weekend as a student, I desperately wanted the Sooners to win. My best friends and I typically celebrate our “fall break” with our favorite Pi Phi friends. It’s been a tradition since sophomore year and I’ve loved every year we’ve spent together in Dallas.

Half of our group drove down on Thursday and spent the night in the hotel in Dallas. We figured since it was our senior year we should go big or go home. The remainder of our group met us at Northpark on Friday. We spent the day traversing the mall with basically the rest of my sorority house! I truly believe over half of kappa was at the mall that day. I tried my best to be thrifty with my money & not purchase anything I didn’t absolutely love. I ended up with a dress from Urban Outfitters (literally can’t go in there without getting something), jeans & a top from Gap!

After leaving the mall, some of us headed over to Sprinkles Cupcakes because we had heard about their OU/TX cupcakes and could not do without. SJ and I are from Texas so we figured it was most appropriate if we got the Texas cupcake and turned the horns upside down.

After that, we sat in rush hour traffic for a bit getting back to the hotel. We all showered and freshened up before dinner. After eating dinner at this delicious Mexican restaurant, we ventured to the West End for the typical OU/TX madness!

There’s nothing like the crazy, inappropriate, obscene chaos that occurs during this weekend, but our experience truly would not be complete without it. While we were down there, Mitch captured a Longhorn flag from some fans and hid it the remainder of the night. No Texas fan was coherent enough to know what happened to the flag, so Mitch ended up with a souvenir he is pretty proud of!

At about 1:30, we had experienced enough of the madness and decided to head home! We slept much better the second night in those hotel beds than the first.

Saturday morning we all woke up extremely excited and ready for the Texas State Fair. We arrived at the fair about 3 hours before the game so we could enjoy the park before it became too crowded, although we still waited in quite a few lines! We rode the ferris wheel, ate lunch, & chatted with all the sooner friends we ran into! The game started at 2:30 this year, which made the entire day run a lot more smoothly, plus I feel like event staff was on their A-game with helping everyone out!

After our victory over Texas, the weekend was absolutely glorious & relaxing. The other highlight of the weekend was that on Sunday, Toni & I bought worker cowboy boots. We are hoping to wear them 24/7! Woo hoo! We’ll see how that goes. ;)

Blessings & Boomer Sooner,

Callyn

Hope Has A Color: PINK!

IT’S OFFICALLY BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH!!!!!!

I sure hope everyone is just as excited as I am! :) I truly cannot put into words how much I love seeing the world decorated in pink throughout this entire month. It makes my heart so happy to know how many companies have joined forces to support this cause. If this awareness and medical research continues, I whole heartedly believe that one day we will see a world without breast cancer.

Speaking of breast cancer awareness, the 3DAY FOR THE CURE is now exactly one month away!!!! Oh my goodness! Toni and I are definitely more unprepared this year than we were last year. We don’t have shoes, outfits, 100% of our money, and not to the mention… we have not trained – AT ALL!!!! I’m not sure what our deal is this year, but we have got to get super serious these next few weeks!

While in Texas for the big game on Saturday, Toni & I both received an e-mail saying someone had donated $500 each to help us reach my fundraising goal. We were very shocked because we were not expecting that one bit.

We have been blessed beyond measure trying to raise support for this event. I fully understand & feel the weight of trying to raise money, especially during these economic times. Since high school I’ve been collecting donations for mission trips, the Make A Wish foundation, or Susan G. Komen 3DAY for the cure and it is not easy breezy. I truly have been humbled and amazed by the Lord’s provision for the 3DAY. On my birthday, Toni & I both received $1,500 each and Saturday we received $500… we need $2,300 each to walk. Are we lucky girls or what? We have been in awe with each large donation and can simply do nothing but give glory & praise to the Lord.

As a little encouragement for fundraising, one of our team members, Susan, sent us a package last week! It truly was the highlight of our day!!! The package included these super cute 3DAY t-shirts, a little ‘hope’ wall décor, & lots of love!!! She has no idea how immensely thankful we are for her kindness to us!

In effort to help raise money ourselves, we are selling t-shirts we designed. We thought selling t-shirts on campus would be a bit easier than it has been though. We’ve raised some money from this endeavor; it’s just hard because we know how annoying it is to buy t-shirts in college. Your freshman & sophomore year it seems like all fun and games, but by your junior and senior year most students are pretty tired of purchasing t-shirts.

Either way, we’ve got one month to come up with $600! I believe we can do it!!!! We will be walking in November alongside our absolutely magnificent team, The Hopefuls!

Make sure to buy something with a pink ribbon on it this month !!

hopeforthecure,

Callyn