three cheers for jubee!

you have never sat through a truly entertaining graduation ceremony until you've sat through one with my family. they are so hilarious! us + quiet + a whole bunch of other people (does NOT) = boredom. =D

today, the whole slew of us, all 15 of us, went to see our littlest sister graduate high school--the last of our clan to do so. "27 years!" my mom always hollers. that's how long we watstons have been in the fairfield school system. and we've tortured our fair share of teachers for sure. some of us more than others. [i won't mention names. oh wait, yes i will. JONATHAN!] but all in all, we have all made our mom and dad proud by working hard, studying all hours of the night, never waiting till the last minute... hahahahaha. even i couldn't finish that statement. =D

oh, and you know how in every graduation ceremony they always do that whole "housekeeping" bit where they tell everyone not to applaud until the very end to keep things moving along quickly? well.... we (my family and i) decided to improvise and instead of whooping and hollering for jubee when she walked across the stage to receive her diploma, (which by the way is ALL LIES! there was no paper in it! ...rip off.) we decided to stand, all 9 of us in the bleachers, and cheer her on "silently" by waving our arms and hands wildly in the air. great plan, right? NOT! they ALL chickened out! i felt like a complete idiot. (stupid family) ...awh, but i still love them. =) we all had a good laugh. and get this. to top it all off... jubee didn't even see! (shaking head) it was all in vain. i did however get some good snap shots of our little graduate on her big big day. =)

jubee's graduation

we're so happy and proud of you jubee! =D and while you are starting to grow into a very lovely young lady, you will forever be our baby sister. (smooches)

paradise

...where i will be in three days. =)

memorial day

waking up early to save seats and parking my catukas out in the chilly morning air has been my responsibility for the last two years on memorial day. my peoples and i eat our breakfast of champions--bananas and donuts--while cheering on our veterans during the memorial day parade that passes right in front of my house. sadly though, last monday was my last time as hostess. but don't worry, it didn't keep us from having a blast. =)

we tried to see how many thumbs up and horn honks we could get from each of the floats and with every response, we roared obnoxiously in approval. well... i was obnoxious at least. hahaha. and you wanna hear something sad? there were way too many cars & trucks that didn't have working horns. how much of a rip off is that?! NO horn DURING a parade. its blasphemous i tell you! blasphemous. we still had a great time despite the obvious set back. and the neighbors around us had a good time laughing at us... i mean me. =)

here are some photos taken by adam and i during the morning's festivities:

memorial day parade

after the parade, we all headed to the fort wayne zoo where we got to see some... MONKEYS! i love monkeys. they're the bestest, most amazing animals. so amazing in fact, that i named my cat after one (george). =) we stopped by the mall after the zoo and did some light shopping. we ended the day at fort wayne's rave theater where we watched 'night at the museum-battle for the smithsonian'. it was so-so.. alright, i lied. it was stupid. i may have chuckled here and there but the only part i liked about the movie was... the monkey. hahaha.

fort wayne zoo

quote

"if you want to receive mercy in your life, sew mercy every chance you get. if you want to receive grace in your life, sew grace every chance you get. God will remain faithful, even when we are unfaithful." --joyce meyer

my immortal

today while listening to my ipod, a song came on that i hadn't heard in a couple years--a song that unfortunately enough, still holds truth for me.

'my immortal' by evanescence

"i'm so tired of being here,

suppressed by all my childish fears

and if you have to leave,

i wish that you would just leave

your presence still lingers here

and it won't leave me alone.

these wounds won't seem to heal,

this pain is just too real

there's just too much that time cannot erase

when you cried, i'd wipe away all of your tears

when you'd scream, i'd fight away all of your fears

and i held your hand through all of these years

but you still have all of me..

you used to captivate me by your resonating light

now, i'm bound by the life you left behind

your face it haunts my once pleasant dreams

your voice it chased away all the sanity in me.

these wounds won't seem to heal,

this pain is just too real

there's just too much that time cannot erase

when you cried, i'd wipe away all of your tears

when you'd scream, i'd fight away all of your fears

and i held your hand through all of these years

but you still have all of me.

i've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone

but though you're still with me,

i've been alone all along.

when you cried, i'd wipe away all of your tears

when you'd scream, i'd fight away all of your fears

and i held your hand through all of these years

but you still have all of me, me, me."

psalm 31:3-5 (NIV)
3 since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name, lead me and guide me. 4 free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. 5 into your hands i commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth.

i will find peace. i will find freedom. i will find my place. i won't waste any more of His time trying to find what i think i need when He's had what i've needed the whole time.

life's a little weird

@r3 `/0u l337 $@v`/?

az if txt lngo wazn't hard enuff 4 sum pple 2 falo... here'z a bit of l33t lingo 4u n00bs 2 try & dcifr:

"1F `/0u C4/\/ R34D 7H15, `/0u 4R3 p3Rh4p5 /\/07 4 /\/00B Bu7 `/0u 53R10u5L`/ /\/33D 70 637 0u7 4/\/D 3xp3R13/\/C3 L1F3 ."

tsst.

MYchipotle.com

today, while ordering my über delicious lunch online, i found a link to MYchipotle.com. of course i was intrigued, so i clicked the link and found this:

"at chipotle, we've got the best customers around. period. (thank you. thank you. [bowing]) and that isn't just because they come into our restaurants all the time. (what can i say. i'm a regular.) we really mean it. and we think it's high time that we start using these wonderful, quirky and passionate folks (hey! that's me!) in our advertising. we already know they've got great taste in food. we think they'll have great taste in ads too. and they better, because we don’t have a backup plan."

you can write it, film it, shoot it. they want you to make a video or record a message telling them about your favorite chipotle meal and why it's so special. you can send them something written, an audio clip, or a video clip. and if you need some music to go along with your creation they have some royalty-free music for you to use. it's sweet!

i'm thinking of doing that and making one of my own. =)

HOLLER!

late night potty break

an 80 year old man went for a checkup, and the doctor said, "for your age, you're in great shape."

the man replied, "yep. it comes from living a good, clean, spiritual life."

the doctor asked, "what makes you think that?"

the man replied, "if i didn't live a good, clean life, the Lord wouldn't turn the bathroom light on for me every time i get up in the middle of the night."

the doctor was concerned, but he didn't press the man.

when the old man's wife came in for her checkup, the doctor said, "your husband's in fine physical shape, but i'm worried about his mental condition. he told me that every night when he gets up to go to the bathroom, the Lord turns the light on for him."

"ah ha!" she exclaimed. "so HE'S the one who's been peeing in the fridge!"

quote

"you may not be her first, her last, or her only. she loved before, she may love again. but if she loves you now, what else matters? she’s not perfect - you aren’t either, and the two of you may never be perfect together but if she can make you laugh, cause you to think twice, and admit to being human and making mistakes, hold onto her and give her the most you can. she may not be thinking about you every second of the day, but she will give you a part of her that she knows you can break - her heart. so don’t hurt her, don’t change her, don’t analyze and don’t expect more than she can give. smile when she makes you happy, let her know when she makes you mad, and miss her when she’s not there. "

--bob marley

trek yourself

yeah... i make vulcan look sexy. if you think you can do better, go to http://www.trekyourself.com/.

http://www.trekyourself.com/?mId=30149533.3

how to tick people off

1. insist on keeping your car windshield wipers running in all weather conditions "to keep them seasoned."
2. reply to everything someone says with "that's what you think."
3. practice making fax and modem noises.
4. finish all your sentences with the words "in accordance with prophesy."
5. signal that a conversation is over by clamping your hands over your ears and grimacing.
6. holler random numbers while someone is counting.
7. staple pages in the middle of the page.
8. decline to be seated at a restaurant, and simply eat their complimentary mints at the cash register.
9. TYPE IN ALL UPPERCASE.
10. dont use any punctuation
11. buy a large quantity of orange traffic cones and re-route whole streets.
12. repeat the following conversation a dozen times. "DO YOU HEAR THAT?", "what?", "never mind, it's gone now."
13. try playing the william tell overture by tapping on the bottom of your chin. when nearly done, announce "no, wait, i messed it up," and repeat.
14. ask people what gender they are.
15. sit in your front yard pointing a hair dryer at passing cars to see if they slow down.
16. sing along at the opera.
17. go to a poetry recital and ask why each poem doesn't rhyme.
18. ask your co-workers mysterious questions and then scribble their answers in a notebook. mutter something about "psychological profiles."
19. leave the copy machine set to reduce 200%, extra dark, 17 inch paper, and 99 copies.
20. specify that your drive-thru order is "to-go."

holy ears!

i got my ears pierced again. i already have two on the bottom and three on the top buuuut... i wanted one more set. so while down in nashville this past weekend, we passed claire's boutique at the mall and i did it--i got them pierced. i really didn't need to, but i wanted to. so i did. =)

sitting in the chair made me feel like i was 12 yrs old again. i of course got scared when the needle gun was brought into view. (rolling eyes) i'm such a pansy. but i was good and didn't flinch. thank goodness!

i promised my mother a long time ago that i wasn't going to pierce any body part other than my ears. seven holes later, my word is still good--i'm just runnin' out of room. =)

roadtrip

my sister-in-law jonna graduated this past weekend from mtsu with her master’s in psychology. (congratulations jonna!) my mom, dad, and i drove down to join in the festivities and to visit with family there.

friday--the trip down:
i65 was obnoxiously bumpy all through louisville and most of kentucky. it was so bumpy that if i had known, i would have planned ahead and worn a sports bra. whoever was given the responsibility of road repair must’ve used paroled convicts who were fulfilling their community service, as cheap labor--either that or it was done by a bunch of hillbillies. thankfully it didn’t last forever and the road soon evened out and we were able to thoroughly enjoy the hills of kentucky--in all their limestoney splendor.

we stopped at a kfc to grab a quick bite to eat and to relieve ourselves from the excessive strain on our bowels. i hurried into the tiny restroom just as a lady was leaving the only available stall--score! i went in and crouched down to do my business only to realize after it was too late that there wasn’t any toilet paper left. just great--thanks a lot lady… and then it occurred to me. either she was just plain rude in not telling me that there wasn’t any toilet paper left or she didn’t use any herself! ew. thankfully my mom ended up in the stall next to me and saved the day. [thanks mom. =)]

saturday--graduation day:
we woke up early--too early--and drove an hour over to murphysboro to mtsu where we spent three hours people-watching. there were A LOT of people there. it was pretty neat though, watching jonna walk up to get her master’s diploma. =)

[jonna is riiiiight... there.]

after the ceremony, we headed to the mellow mushroom to celebrate. [every time i visit nashville, i have to eat there. they’ve got the best toppings in the whole wide world.]

later that night, we all went to the music strip in downtown nashville. it was pretty sweet. we saw some very colorful people. =) and i got to see my best friend stacy! she lives near there and was able to stop by and visit for a bit.

[a band my sister galilee knows.]

sunday--leaving for home:
jordan, jonna, the ‘rents, and i went to the opry mills mall before heading for home. we ate at the rainforest café--its a pretty neat place. you walk in and it looks and feels like you’re in the jungle. they have all sorts of trees, vines, and plants everywhere, jungle sounds coming from all over, and there are even gorillas and elephants that move to music. every 20 minutes, you “experience” a thunderstorm--lightening flashes, thunder roars, and water falls from the ceiling (from designated areas of course). its all quite exciting. mom had never been there before and she absolutely loved it.

back home:
it's good to be back home again. i get to sleep in my own bed, i can pee with the door open, and no more 8 hour car trips for a while. =)

oh wait....

happy mama's day

happy mama’s day to the bestest mother i could have ever asked for. =) [i don’t know what i would have done these past couple of years without all her love and encouragement.]

i remember:
…my mom going around the house cleaning up and putting every rubber band, bobby pin, and hair clip in her hair. and then she’d ask if she had too many in her hair to go to the store!

…my mom being pregnant, literally, all through the 80’s.

…her sitting us all down before bed and reading bible stories to us.

…her ALWAYS saying “truth in the inward parts!”

…coming up to her after every big meal and making her feel my tummy so she would know just how full i was.

…sitting on the floor and copying everything she’d say while she was on the phone with her best friend barbara.

…stealing football mints from her bicycling pouch.

…the first perm she gave me. i was four and it stunk SO bad.

…how it was a treat any time i was picked to go to the grocery store with her--we didn't have a lot of money growing up but every once in (very long) while, she would take us to mcdonalds for an ice cream cone.

some photos of my mama through the years:

STAR TREK the movie

"captain's log--star date 050509."

"these are the voyages of the starship enterprise. its continuing mission--to explore strange new worlds. to seek out new life and new civilizations. to boldly go where no one has gone before."

yeah... growing up, i was definitely into star trek--the next generation, voyager, and deep space nine. (its all my brother's fault. he's the one who had contests with me to see who could name the most species. he always won. nerd.) while i don't watch it as often anymore, i simply can't turn on my heritage and NOT go to the new movie coming out on may 7th: STAR TREK.

ruth and i already have our tickets. (what?! we don't want to risk not having a seat opening night. hahaha.) a bunch of us are going. i can't wait. now i've got an excuse to break out my tricorder. i'm just kidding... i wouldn't want to risk damaging it at the theater. hahaha.

will you be there?

update (05/12/09): two thumbs and two big toes up. LOVED the movie--the energy, the humor, the thrills--all of it. my favorite characters were spock, mccoy, and scotty. they did an excellent job with their roles. and there were so many moments that totally took me back to my childhood. like spock with his "live long and prosper" and scotty's "i'm giv'n yer all she's got!". so great. you've got to see it.

busy day

today has been a VERY busy day.

so far i have
conversed,
organized,
delegated,
scribbled,
stamped,
watched,
cleaned,
shared,
logged,
solved,
typed,
eaten,
read,
filed,
and yes, even flushed.

i'm pooped! (no pun intended.) =)

but i still have lots more to accomplish. i LOVE busy days.

jubee's senior showcase

my little sister, my sweet sweet jubers, is finally graduating high school--the last of our clan to do so. she had her senior art showcase this past friday. my mom, my dad, and i went to support her and we're so proud of her. she's done some pretty amazing pieces. the first photo is a project she did where the entire piece is made up of a bunch of teeny tiny sharpie dots. very tedious, very time consuming. and incredible! i personally have never had patience for stipple work, but kudos to her!

her portrait--my favorite piece:

her booth:

and of course, we had to stay for dessert. =)

an african photographer

i absolutely love photography. there's just something about being able to capture that perfect moment that is so thrilling to me--and probably about the only thing in this world that i have the patience for. i don't have any fancy cameras, just my little canon powershot. and even though its not the most expensive camera out there, i still love trying to get that one snapshot where a picture is truly worth a thousand words.

i found this guy, nick brandt, from london, who takes incredible photos of wildlife in east africa. he doesn't use telephoto lenses. instead, he gets extemely close in order to capture as much of the sky and landscape as possible--"to see the animals within the context of their environment".

truly amazing.
it makes me want to go on safari. =)

girls are like apples on trees

girls are like

apples on trees. the best

ones are at the top of the tree.

the boys don't want to reach for

the good ones because they are afraid

of falling and getting hurt. instead, they

just get the rotten apples from the ground

that aren't as good, but easy. so the apples

at the top think something is wrong with

them, when in reality, they're amazing.

they just have to wait for the right

boy to come along, the one

who's brave enough

to climb

all the way

to the top

of the tree.