[ 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

[ make a wish loves the Vikings ]

Helping people is one of my biggest passions. I fully believe that all people deserve the best out of life. I want everyone to experience life to the fullest & enjoy every second of their own, unique journey!

By volunteering for the Make A Wish Foundation, I'm also fulfilling one of my heart's deepest desires: loving on children, especially sick ones.

Throughout my time at The University of Oklahoma, I've dedicated countless hours to my Make A Wish kids. I would definitely say this experience has been a highlight of my college experience! One of my MAW kids that I met last December got his wish granted THIS weekend!!

His wish was to 'coach the Minnesota Vikings for a day & meet Adrian Peterson / Brett Favre!!' When I found out this was his wish, I knew he was the perfect wish kid for me. Since Adrian Peterson is from OU, I've been a fan for many years! I also absolutely adore Brett Favre & his family. His wife, Deanna Favre, battled breast cancer and wrote a beautiful book about their journey together as a couple, called 'Don't Bet Against Me!'

Knowing that Jerod's deepest desire is to coach football. His wish experience has been full of enhancements! What a lucky boy! :)

During finals week before Christmas last year, Katie & I took some OU football players to meet Jerod. Luckily, OU has the most selfless, kind-hearted football players on the face of the earth! :) Landry Jones, Gerald McCoy (now plays for Tampa Bay), & Matt Moreland came with us to visit Jerod while he was in rehab from his back surgery.

Then, about 2 weeks ago, Jerod was able to get VIP treatment at the Union vs. Jenks rivalry game in Tulsa. He was recognized on the field between 1st & 2nd quarter. He received a football signed by the Redskins.

Now, his actual wish has been granted in the most spectacular way possible! Throughout their time in Minnesota, Jerod's mom has been texting me absolutely freaking out about how flawless the weekend was. She said it was beyond words, a once in a lifetime experience! This foundation makes my heart smile.

Click on this link. Read the tiny excerpt & watch the videos!

wishin' you a life full of joy,

Callyn

do not be fearful of what's to come.

“do not be fearful of what’s to come” those words have been Stephanie & her husband’s key phrase throughout the past 8 months. They fully believe the Lord knows the desires of their hearts and as humans; we cannot fully worship Him when we live in fear. Fear robs us of the joy the Lord has for us.

[[ Recap from earlier post…. In February of this year, one of my 3 DAY partners, Stephanie, found out her breast cancer had returned for the third time. She’s a wife, mother, sister, aunt, cousin, & warrior for Jesus Christ who is an inspiration to all who know her. ]]

UPDATES:

February: routine PET scan showed cancerous spot on her chest wall. Surgeon removed it all but was nervous other spots would appear. Soon after, another spot was found just below the one just biopsied.

March: PET scan showed cancer spread to the right side of her chest, lymph node activity is double normal, indicating cancer was there as well & there was small spot on her liver.

“Since the result of my PETscan, we have been on our knees, as always, begging God for His wisdom and discernment and most of all, believing Him for a total healing. We’re not just praying for one, but BELIEVING in His mighty healing power. He is still in the miracle business” – Steph

April: saw an oncologist that supports holistic approach. She decided to take a holistic approach since chemo and radiation certainly haven’t been the answer in the past. She chose to seriously invest in repairing her severely suppressed immune system.

May: She was in & out of the hospital for pain and other issues.

June: chemo.

September 13: PETscan

September 22, 2010: She went to review PETscan with her doctor & SHE’S IN REMISSION!!! The Lord has miraculously healed His faithful daughter, Stephanie!!! She will continue chemo and make some serious transitions in her diet for a long-term healthy living strategy.

“My doctor said I was a walking miracle. I know God has such great plans before me and I can’t wait to see how it all plays out. God’s consistent pursuit of me, mercy, grace, and love is just mind blowing! I’m so grateful to be one of His chosen and I can’t imagine life not living for Him!” – Stephanie

Praise the Lord He cares about His children enough to listen to our prayers, heal people emotionally & physically, & perform miracles. God is mighty, sovereign, & is never to be underestimated. I'm thankful that by His grace & love Stephanie is now a 3 TIME BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR! I pray protection & restoration over her body for many years to come. I could not be more proud to wear the color pink along side Steph! November can't get here fast enough!!!!!!

passing quickly.

21 just happens to be my favorite number so I figured it was about time I updated my blog! :) It’s almost been a complete month since my senior year of college started!! I am absolutely in shock of how quickly time is flying by. The hours, days, weeks, & months just seem to vanish into thin air. Everyone has always told me that time only passes quicker the older you get and I've never wanted to believe that... now I'm being forced to accept that.

Within the past few weeks, a lot has happened. ‘A lot’ might even be an understatement. I feel as though I’m desperately trying to treasure every moment of my senior year, but it’s just all flying through my fingers too quickly. With class, work, Make A Wish, birthday parties, kkg events, OU football games, raising money for the 3DAY, & countless other things -- my days are exhausting, long, & full of trying to be places on time.

One thing that fills up my time during the week is my job. I quite possibly have the most amazing job for a college student in the ENTIRE world – truly. I home school / tutor two girls in the Norman area and they bring so much joy to my life. Their house is located about 20 minutes away from campus and is set on multiple acres of land full of horses! They have an absolutely gorgeous backyard with the prettiest country western house. Sometimes when I’m over there, I have the opportunity to pretend to be a cowgirl & immediately I’m filled with this unexplainable happiness. I am able to help feed the horses, walk them, watch the horses teeth be filed down, wear boots with spurs on them, watch the vet clean out a nasty cut on the horses leg and stitch it up, && numerous other ‘cowgirl’ things. I am constantly asking questions about the horses and how they manage all their land. I am continually humbled when I ask silly questions that a 12-year-old answers for me :) it is never a dull moment at their house and the entire family would all admit that!

Another thing about this family is that they LOVE the Lord. I have had multiple conversations with the parents about my relationship with Christ & they continually encourage me in my walk. Through their love for the Lord, they’ve shown immense love to me. A few weeks ago, during a crazy wind / rainstorm in Norman, they had me put my car in the garage to protect it from the unpredictable Oklahoma weather. If I’m ever at their house during dinnertime, the momma always offers to make me dinner, even if I want something different than what she is cooking. I am continually shocked at how well the parents have done at raising their girls. The girls are very, very hard working and will do most anything their parents ask of them without complaining. I always find myself praying that my kids behave like them. Since the first time I met the girls last August, they’ve offered me anything and everything I could ever want. The always make a point to offer me medicine when I don’t feel well, a bite of their food, sip of their drink, or piece of dessert (they make the best sweets!!). I could not feel more at home in their house & am blessed to the core every time I’m over there. There’s something so pure and innocent about those girls and their outlook on life. They love me deeply, love life for what it’s worth, and constantly remind me of God’s greatness. They are still at the age where everything is an ‘awe factor’ and have not become immune to the simple joys of life. Most of the time, I find myself never wanting to leave because there is something very beautiful and refreshing about being tucked away at their gorgeous home separated from the busyness of campus.

note: i don't have any pictures with Braxton (the older girl), those will be coming soon!

[this is what i'm greeted with every time i walk up to their front door! :) ]

[Mayson & Barkley (dog) about to go find the horses! ]

[ their baby horse ]

[ Blue Jean & Sugar ]

[ Emmy ]

[mays & the cattle.]

Thank you, Jesus, for allowing this family to empower me, do life with me, take care of me, & ultimately teach me new things about Your Kingdom.

boomer sooner!

"IT'S FOOTBALL TIME IN OKLAHOMA!!!!!!!!!!!" were the most popular words on campus last week. Everyone was super pumped that GAME DAY was finally here. I absolutely love OU football & the immense excitement it brings. There is nothing like seeing crimson & creme covering the town of Norman on Saturday's in the fall.

After selling parking at our house for over three hours, we headed to campus corner to visit Toni's parents and see some friends. Might possibly have been the highlight of the day! They were hysterical... haven't laughed that hard in a very long time!! I hope I still love game day as much as them in 30 years.

After our adventures at 747, we headed to the stadium. Even though the game started at 6 o'clock - it was still super roasty outside.

our precious little pi phi friends :)

beautiful girls.

love you both very much.

luckily we've had labor day weekend to relax and give us a short week before the next game! boomer sooner!

21.

I’M FINALLY LEGAL!!!!! Yippee!!!! I finally turned 21 years old on August 1^st and was lucky enough to celebrate my birthday for about two weeks!! I had five birthday dinners, two birthday lunches, 3 birthday cakes, && an absolutely amazing swim birthday party at Dakotah’s house!! I started off my celebrations on July 18^th in Walt Disney World & the party continued until August 2^nd! Phew! I truly could not have asked for a better birthday party or more thoughtful friends to celebrate it with. One of the best parts about my birthday being at the beginning of August gives everyone a great excuse to get together before we departed ways and headed back to school. It made my heart so happy being able to spend time with some of my favorite people in the whole entire universe.

Laura & I at Fuzzy's with my gift (yay italian vino). blessed by a wonderful summer with you!

Dakotah created the most magical, delicious candy bar - ever! I even had personalized m&m's that read 'happy 21st callyn' !!! how stinkin' cute!

Jesus shines brightly through these girl's lives.

this was basically what i looked like my entire party; a happy girl who appears to have not showered in years!!! luckily my friends love me despite my looks.

my trueeee friend: holly ann penn! best friends for 7 years & counting.

Toni Tone, thank you for stopping your life in Oklahoma to celebrate mine in Texas! :) You are the greatest best friend I could ask for. I'm ashamed that this is the ONLY picture we took in our 5 day weekend together, but at least we've got the memories of a lifetime! couldn't have celebrated without you.

ahhh! this pictures makes me so happy. these girls made high school a trillion times better & continue to brighten my life! Thank You Jesus for their lives!

I really, honestly cannot tell you how EXCITED I am to be 21!!!! It’s kind of been a tease the past two months because I spent 4 months in Europe being legal, only to come home and be left out of everything all over again! I continually ruined plans this summer because of my age & I hate that feeling of being a burden - although all my friends were SO great about it! :) I do not care about the drinking aspect of being 21 -- The best part is the fact that I’m able to step foot inside of places I haven’t been able to!!!!

I just want to thank everyone for making my birthday so special. I felt overwhelmingly loved & treasured. My birthday would not be near as amazing if I didn’t have absolutely precious friends to share it with. Thank you all for doing life with me, speaking truth into my life, & loving me purely. I can’t wait to see where the Lord takes us over the next 21 years. Thank you for investing in me & making my life better. I love that birthdays are a celebration of life & I'm thankful that through Jesus we are able to live life to the fullest!

love&blessings.

oh. p.s. i did celebrate at midnight! :)

pre-21.

post-21.