Finally Went to Houston!!!

Houston, TX!!!!

Omni Room Service!

Siesta Lunch

Beth Moore at Siesta Scripture Memory Team Celebration 1/22/10

No one I wanted a picture with more than Beth Moore!

My beautiful mom and her delicious birthday cake

I took my Mom to Houston, TX with me for her birthday. I had memorized scriptures and the celebration for Siestas, Beth Moore's bloggers, who memorized their scriptures was the same weekend as my mom's birthday.

Thursday: Dad took Mom and me to the airport and I ran into a friend I've known forever- fun! I had to help my mom figure out how to get through security because she hasn't flown in awhile- shoes, jackets, liquids- go! I've flown 3 times in the past year and a half. All those flights were to see Beth Moore. She is a good reason to go places. I had only flown once before that when I was 10- my parents took me to Sin City :). We ended up being very early so I got Mom to help me practice my scriptures. It was wonderful. I have such a hate relationship with studying because that was all I ever did in school. Studying/learning scripture is a thousand times better. I love it! God's Word is amazing. Memorizing it helped me gain a greater appreciation for it. I told my Siesta friend, Miranda, we were on the plane about to take off and she said she was praying Psalm 91 over us. How sweet is she! Loved it. Unfortunately, we were delayed which made us wonder if we'd miss our connection in Charlotte. Well, the guy behind us was upset and saying words I do not ever like to hear. So I read my scripture, which happened to be Galatians 6:4-5 louder than I normally would have read. Once we were up in the air, I gave my mom an early birthday present I had picked up from my brothers and their families. It was money to spend at the spa. I didn't tell her about the scripture memory team early enough for her to memorize (sorry!) so I thought it'd be nice for her to go to the spa the morning of her birthday while I was at the church. She was a little nervous about going but that changed later. It was a pretty quick flight. The plane was so tiny we had to check our bags. So when we got off there was still a few minutes to catch the next flight. Little did we know it was pretty much the furthest concourse away. So my bag was the next to the last bag off the plane. I looked at the computer screen for the gate and started booking it. Mom was like are you sure that's the right gate- shouldn't it be closer by? Truth be told I wasn't sure but I was thinking I looked for the flight number so it should be. There are definitely not enough computers in that airport. So we checked really quickly again and kept moving. As I was walking quickly on the moving sidewalk I saw my mom's cousins. We shouted "hey! Where are you going?" They were headed home from Jamaica. I feel like we see their family everywhere- that's a good thing. They are wonderful. So we laugh as we finally reach our destination, where as soon as we get there someone is about to close the gate. So I say, wait we're here! Someone else told him it wasn't quite time to close it yet, so it really wasn't that dramatic. We made it! We had to crawl over the nice guy beside us. I let Mom have the window last time so it was my turn. Towards the end of the flight, Mom played with my new iPod touch. We wrote each other stupid notes and laughed. We had really nice flight attendants. I wore my pink Living Proof shirt for the flight and one of them said she liked it. :) One thing that was weird was a girl from baggage claim had on a Gamecock t-shirt- my college! So we made our way to the rental car place around 11pm (would've been 12 at home) and asked for a compact car. When we got up there they were out so we got had the choice between a midsize car and a small speiciality car! Small speciality car won! Light baby blue VW bug! Oh yes. I've always thought bugs were so cute. I was laughing bc at one point I said oooo, a nice new car and then I remembered, oh yeah, I have a new car. Haha. Anyway, it was fun. We were glad there was hardly any traffic on our way to the Omni. We drove up and were impressed. The pools and pond were very pretty. We liked the fire pit in the center of the tables outside, too. When we got to the hotel, Mom immediately gave her her name. I said, wait, it's in my name, which is the same last name anyway. It was funny. I feel like such an adult. I was so happy Mom wanted to come with me- she said if you buy my plane ticket of course I'll go. So I did. :) Going to and from Memphis by myself was lonely... I loved the how the bathroom had two sides of mirrors. And the shower had a line in it, which Mom figured out. I would've never guessed. It reminded me of Final Destination when they kid dies in the shower bc of the clothesline. Don't watch that movie! I had to reevaluate my life! Oh, sleepovers. I was so hungry when we got to the hotel. We didn't see any restaurants nearby- we hadn't really looked so we ordered room service! I'd never had room service. I was supposed to get french fries with my chicken sandwich but she called and asked if I wanted fruit. They had watermelon! So glad the french fries weren't ready yet- that fruit was tasty! It got to be pretty late but I couldn't go to sleep. I was too excited!!

Friday: Miranda wakes me up with a text at 10am. Thanks! It was time to get up. I slept in bc I could. Mom heats instant oatmeal using the coffee maker and coffee cups. We were glad we kept the room service forks. We later hide them in our stuff so we could use them all weekend (made sure to leave them before we checked out). Thursday night, I had been looking for pink boas (our way to identify each other), but I guess since we got there so late I didn't see any. So I was excited when we saw ladies with boas on the elevator! I saw Siestas, Patty and Georgia, in the lobby! I definitely wanted to have lunch with Miranda because I knew she wouldn't be able to stay long in Houston. Also wanted to meet Yolanda because I knew Miranda thinks so much of her. So Mom and I head over to Red Robin and get lost in the park on the way. What a loooong one way park. We were like, gee, it is Friday and a ton of people are at this park. Doesn't anyone have to work today? Haha... So we made it to the restaurant and I couldn't wait to get inside! I wanted to give Miranda, we met looking for roommates for this weekend and were able to hang out at Passion, a huge hug and meet Yolanda who I credit for helping me meet Miranda. Yolanda posted a comment with Miranda's email and so it all began. I immediately noticed Yolanda's bright pink rubberbands on her braces... I'm sure bc I'd been looking for pink so much! I don't think I ever had pretty rubberbands... So lunch was great. Yolanda's friend Beth is cool too! She made these really awesome laminated scripture cards- so pretty. We all ended up having burgers. I had a natural burger... aka plain burger. :) We talked about braces, how Miranda travels so much and promised to follow God, our states, the back of my South Carolina shirt, and all kinds of things. We go back to the Omni to get ready and saw Lichelle, Melana, and Tiffany in the lobby! Then I see Amanda Jones and am like oh wow- it's Amanda! I see her and immediately feel nervous bc she's pretty much a celebrity but better. She's so pretty and sweet. I had the privilege of meeting her and taking a picture in San Antonio. Then we go upstairs and Miranda, Yolanda, and Beth join us and I sign Miranda Brown's Fan Club poster... we had a thread on facebook started by Miranda, which led to the fan club... you may have had to be there. So then the 4 of us start practicing our verses. It was so much fun to hear them! I have read them but it is so much different to hear the inflection and power in voices. So amazing! Loved it. Then we packed in Miranda's car. My leg sat very close to the cooler. :) The girl was very prepared. Then we went up to Yolanda and Beth's hotel and met Valerie and Sherry and took pictures!

SSMTC: We headed to the church. Ever since I knew Beth Moore was Baptist, like me, I've wanted to visit her church. So excited to have actually gone. Anyway, I took some pictures for people outside of the church. We went inside and I was excited to see the pretty LPM ladies from the pictures I've seen. We saw the fabulous SSMT sign and loved how the flower was full of verses. I'm sad I didn't know to get a t-shirt. They were super cute- I love how there was more than one cluster of flowers. For some reason I got very shy and didn't talk to the Siestas like I should've. I knew some people but I felt like most of the people I met at Siesta Fiesta weren't there. I don't know why I was shy... sometimes it just happens. I ended up sitting by sweet two ladies from South Carolina- fun! They were sweet. When Beth Moore and everybody came out all the Siestas were so excited, of course! She, Amanda, and Melissa went up on stage. They told us they were excited for our arrival. Yay! We were excited! Beth taught on Psalm 119. She joked we're going to memorize the whole Psalm! Which is super long. What? We just memorized. Haha. She told us she was looking forward to this event more than she's probably ever looked forward to one. Yay! It was so small and fun. About 500 people were there. I'm used to being among thousands! Near the end of her speaking, Miranda grabbed my notes paper and wrote me a note. I was scared she was going to say she had to leave- so stinkin' sad. But she wrote me this super sweet note. Love her! Thanks, Miranda! Afterwards, we went out to the foyer (I guess) where there was cake and coffee. Well, I was too busy stalking Miranda to notice that people were forming a line to talk to Beth. I finally got in line but didn't get a chance to meet her. I caught a ride with some fun Siestas back to the Omni. I chatted with Miranda on the phone as she drove to another town in Texas. So proud of her for going to speak even though she had planned to stay in Houston for the weekend. I enjoyed our phone conversation. At midnight, I yelled Happy Birthday to my mom! Then I tried to sleep. I was too excited so I called Miranda again bc I knew she wouldn't be there yet. I found out later that she got to meet Beth Friday night but never told me during the phone conversations. What? Haha. The next morning, I caught a ride with the same people I had the night before (what luck!). We had a delicious breakfast at the church- loved my crossiant. I missed Miranda, but I made friends with the people I sat near. It made me laugh so hard that morning when they told us Melissa said Beth looked like a nugget in her outfit. I also loved how Beth said she apologized for being so chatty that morning. Sounds like fun to me! I so enjoy our lesson. We finished our run on sentence we were learning. Here it is:

I am a resident alien... seeking direction (Luke 24:45)... in deep want of wonder (God!- Verse 18)... in peril and need (v.28, 107)...troubled by humanity (v. 84)... especially my own (Psalm 19:13)... knowing that, to follow, is the only free road... for a straying sheep longing to be found.

We said our memorized verses to each other on Saturday. It was amazing to see/hear all those ladies saying scripture! Super powerful! I hung out for awhile afterwards. I bought the Revelation study and one of Beth's recorded Sunday School lessons. I had to wait for my mom to pick me up. Then suddenly Beth appeared and me and some other lucky ladies got to take a picture with her! I was so excited! I told her I was proud of her for using her incentive spirometer- a surgical nurse thing. And I hit her! I can't believe I did that! But don't worry, it was only a slight little love punch. She didn't seem to mind. And now I don't feel bad bc I saw her hit a lady on her book tour video. It was a cool little hit! Haha. I was excited. I still want to get a hug, though. But I have a picture! A hug should be easier. She is just such an amazing lady! I love how she is such an amazing champion for God! I was the last to leave and Sabrina, the director of Living Proof Ministries said "Is someone picking you up, love?" How much fun is it that she said love instead of honey. She is so cool. To which I responded, my mom. How little kid is that?! Haha. So Mom picked me up and off we went.

Hanging with Mom on her bday: We just drove around Houston looking for somewhere to eat. We end up at Smith and Wollensky. Smith and Wollensky is a fancy restaurant! Whoops. We didn't know that. :) The waiter asked me which water I wanted. He gave me three choices. I was like where am I? I am not fancy. We got the sparkling from this pretty glass bottle. The food was ok, but I'm not fancy. Mom did receive a free birthday cake slice! It was delicious! We talked about her spa experience that morning. She said it was great! After lunch, we went to Pottery Barn and she got my nephew, Eli, the cutest little puppet book. Then we searched for the Galleria. We couldn't find it. I don't really remember what else we did except we had dinner at McDonalds. It was angel themed. How appropriate since I came to go to church!

Sunday: We went to Houston's First Baptist Church. I decided I wanted to go to The Summit, which is Sunday School for singles in their 20s. Well, it was fantastic. The guy who taught was my age and an excellent teacher. I loved his analogy (I hope I explain this right) of Lebron James. He said you can get Lebron James to teach you to play basketball for weeks but you still wouldn't be as great a player as he is. So if Lebron James could get inside you- then he could play. Like Jesus! You can know all these things about Him but can't do anything well until He's inside of you! And He is inside of Christians. I thought that was a cool story. He had other great points too. Then I went to the service. Mom just went to the other service while I was at Sunday School. So she sat through two! I enjoyed it. It was so much fun to be at a church I had heard so much about on the blog. We finally found our way to the Galleria on Sunday. It was so big we couldn't find it! Mom wanted to go to the Cheesecake Factory so we did. It was super yummy and our waiter was cool. We didn't have a reservation for the Omni Sunday night so we made one on hotwire at this place called Hotel Derek. It was really comtemporary. But it had free wireless and even an iPod alarm clock! I wanted to do something else while we were still in Houston. So I convinced Mom to drive me to see where Living Proof Ministries is. We had the hardest time finding it! But we did! So that was definitely an adventure. It involved stopping at a Burger King with wireless to help us figure out where we were going. The street wasn't marked on the side we were looking but when we turned around we saw it. It was so hard to find that it was super exciting when we did!

Monday: We got up pretty early to make sure we made it to the airport- which is a city within itself. Wow that place was huge. We ended riding with this one guy around my age from the rental car place all the way to Charleston. We had no idea he was going to the same place. So it was funny when he ended up on both of our planes. Ha! We even had a bird sitting behind on us our flight to Charlotte. It was sad going back but I felt like we were there for awhile. It was a fun trip. I have to say my favorite thing about the entire Houston trip and all that was it helped me get to know Miranda Brown. She's so cool. And of course I loved getting my picture taken with Beth and attending her church. I'd love to go back!