Can I get a nonfat, soy vanilla latte please??

Well hello there!! I have not blogged in forever, I know. A certain room mate and boyfriend have endlessly reminded me of that fact. But you see the reason is quite compelling for I haven't had anything to write about!! It's a sad fact, but my life has been somewhat boring and slow. I have made a note of the past 3/4 weeks to remember them down the road, because my life is usually never boring and definitely never slow!! I'm a busy body and I love it! So this whole 'down time' thing has thrown me off! But never fear, my life is getting busy and therefore I am back to write!!

The most recent reason for my summer picking up speed has to be my new job! I am a coffee barista at Coffee n' Cream and started a week ago! I'm still in training so don't expect too much but I can make all kinds of coffee now and am becoming and expert in certain 'mom trades.' The negative to not having a lot of staffers is that we, the baristas, also take on the role of janitors, secretaries, bakers, etc. I can now clean better than I thought I could, juggle angry customers and kids whining at me, throwing some scones in the oven, and file paper work all at the same time!! I now think I know what it feels like to be a mom. And let me tell you, I don't know that I am ready, or mature enough, to be a mom yet... Moms are power houses of energy and love and I'm still learning how to make a shot of espresso and steam some milk at the same time, let alone run a household! No no...no kids for me just yet!

I really do love my job, I don't mean to complain, its just new to me!! My feet are bruised on the bottom..yeah I know I must have wimpy feet, and my legs are sore!! I'm just not used to standing on my feet all the time. But i love, capital L-O-V-E, the high I get when I make a customer happy with the latte I make, or the peachy blueberry bar I suggest they try. I love that I can brighten someones day by caring more about the customer than how much money I make. People these days are in such a rush-I being the number one suspect-that we don't stop to care about the people we meet throughout the day. You don't see the people at starbucks walking your coffee out to your table and asking how your husband Bob is doing now do you?? It's just a lost art, and by george I wanna bring it back!! I love that small town love!! And I plan to shine a little bit of sunshine on every customer that walks in my door!! I am quite serious i'll have you know..you should stop by and see for yourself : )

Before my job, my summer consisted of reading lots of books, babysitting, and zumba-ing with my best friend laura shaheen! Now I must admit to the world that I am a book-a-holic!!! If I get in a good book, I don't care if you just broke up with your boyfriend and overcharged your credit card, I'm busy!! Haha, that makes me sound quite heartless but I do hope you get the point! I become the main girl character in the book and when left alone, my entire world becomes the characters! So I've traveled the world, in a strange and quirky sense, the past month!! I've finished about 8 books now and loved every one of them!!! Anyone have any good suggestions now??? I might get a library card now...oooohh now wouldn't that just be exciting!! I'll get to know the librarian as a part of my small town love thing : ) yes, good plan.

And zumba...yes I am now an official zumba-er!! Laura and I can shake it and roll it like nobodies business.... well, okay maybe we aren't that good, but we sure have a lot of fun!!! It's this strange mix of different latin dances and its hilarious! It's mostly girls, except for the poor husbands that get dragged in by their wives, and none of us can really dance well. I think if you CAN dance well, you wouldn't show up to the class, you'd be out doing it! Haha...but nonetheless we love it! And the hot tub afterwards feels Oh-So-Good!!!! My next trip to life time is going to include a little rock climbing and racquet ball! I'm just growing up so much : ) I can't wait! Sadly, however laura is back in Waco..sooo...she needs to come back so we can lifetime it more often!!

Well...I think that is the extent to my exciting life right now!! I'm enjoying my day off by writing about work...haha...oh me oh my! (pudding pie..)

Over and Out!

Sunshine of the Day: eating my mom's homemade chicken enchiladas...mmMmMm good : )

Memories of firsts!

The first memory I have of Laura Shaheen: I know that I met her before senior year in high school but my first good 'memory' 'memory' of laura took place in government/economics and photography class! During government/economics we would tune out our professor as we began to draw random tangents of thought. They never quite made sense but we sure had a lot of fun. I remember buying her a cake for her birthday too!! huuzahhh! a sign of true friendship! In photography I specifically remember telling off a younger boy who was trying to get into the National Honor Society. Laura and I were both on the council and we convinced this poor boy that his fate was in our hands and he soon began telling us how pretty we were! It was awesome because even our teacher jumped in with the story!! Between that and baking cinnamon rolls in class, we had some good times man..good times..

The first memory I have of Christine to the Clizark isn't quite as detailed as laura's. I just remember that for dances in high school, people would come over to take pictures on our stairs and one time junior year Christine wore this gorgeous gold dress and I just remember thinking she was the prettiest thing that ever walked the planet! I specifically remember that I hoped nick wouldn't notice...bahaha oh me oh my...but yes..that is my first first memory. Besides that I remember that she was supposed to be in my small group at church but she went to church with her familia instead...I was always sad....I thought she didn't like me...but guess what!?! She does!!!!!

The first memory I have of miss hagans....well I never ever in a million years thought she was as sassy as she turned out to be : ) I remember picking her up at collins ( where all the ever so cool girls lived, i was jealous) and going ....well I cannot remember where we went. But our first meeting was at Brooks and I bet we were super intimidating because we were all silly and jokative!! Then...especially when we all went to Dallas for a concert..we ate at this fun little restaurant and slightly flirted with the waiter and STOLE A FORK!!!! YES....I repeat, we stole a fork!!!! So...I am sure she got a good impression of us....hehe.....

Sooo these are just a few firsts in my life : ) more like the firsts that is now my apartment!!!!

Sunshine of the day: tennis being canceled giving me more time to study, Thank you Jesus for watching out for me : )

About 2000 years ago

"WHO O LORD COULD SAVE THEMSELVES
Their own soul could heal
Our shame was deeper than the sea
Your grace is deeper still"

-"Who alone can rescue" By Matt Redman

Do you realize that about 2000 years ago on this exact weekend, Jesus Christ was betrayed and Crucified? It just now hit me and it's mind boggling to think that right now he could have been praying in the garden asking God for another way out...to think that He was fully human....He was really experiencing all the pain and anguish we would experience. Then to realize that at that same time, He was fully God....He could have backed out or changed things with the blink of an eye.....BUT HE DIDN'T. We deserved hell, we deserved eternal anguish, BUT GOD loved us so much that He sent the ultimate sacrifice. We deserve nothing-in fact we owed our lives, BUT GOD loved us. Thank you Jesus for that "but"...and that is why we are celebrating this Easter season. Because of that 'but' right there.

That is what is going through my head in this Easter season. I am realizing that it isn't about me, it was never about me-but instead it is about how flippin awesome our Jesus is!! I don't want Christ to have died in vain...I want my life to reflect His goodness so that He gets the glory He deserves. That one single act of sacrifice is enough for me to praise Him my entire life...yet He blesses me with more. Jesus Christ is incredible. period. end of story.

Sunshine of the day: Jesus Christ saved my soul!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Room mates and quirks

As I sit here with my laptop open trying to read my neuroscience textbook, my dog-named Sawyer-is running around with boxers on his head and my room mates are chasing him and trying to get pictures all at the same time. A strange scenario one might say....wrong. The craziness that is in that sentence is my apartment; it is my life from August to May and i love it! My room mates are the silliest, most random, awesomest girls I've ever known. Living with them is an adventure every day and I look forward to what each day brings! You see, sometimes its the craziness and unexpected that truly brings us joy. When we're caught off guard we simply must be ourselves as we instantaneously lost all preparation we might have had for that moment. It is in the unexpected and unpredictable ways of life that we truly exist. I have come to decide that I love these moments and I want them in every aspect of my life!

Even when I'm hanging out with Jesus, I like to be willing to take any moment as it comes. For instance, sometimes I think I should have been black, especially when I'm singing to worship songs. I bounce my knees an abnormal amount, jump up and down when I really agree with the lyrics, and even ad lib my own words into the silence!!! You think I'm kidding and you've just never been to a worship service with me or you've just never gotten close enough to hear me! Although hearing me isn't usually an issue because the more excited I get the louder I get. I get that from my mom....thanks mom. So of course that translates to the church and my worship as well!! However I do try and ad lib quieter than I sing! I wish what I ad libed made sense or sounded pretty but most often it doesn't. I try new harmonies or poetic sounding phrases and usually it's an epic fail. But that is besides the point-the point is that I'm quirky and I even want Jesus to know those quirks!!!

Well while we're on the subject lets just get things out in the open real quick! Facts about Alison, you may or may not be aware of:

Fact #1: When I'm listening to a song, even if I don't know the words-I still sing along. I can't help it, I like to be a part of the music!

Fact #2: I think I like McDonalds...I think i've just been scared to admit that all of my life..

Fact #3: I must be wearing my rings, watch, and ear rings at all or times or I feel naked...like seriously, as bad as not having pants on.

Fact #4: I don't like my neck being exposed to the public, I can't explain why it just feels so vulnerable!

Fact #5: I prefer to eat my cake all smushed up. I like the icing to cake ratio to be even.

Fact #6: I really don't like ice cream all that much....unless it's on cobbler.

Fact #7: I wear socks to bed.

Fact #8: I really don't like sitting on the floor...at all...it makes my butt fall asleep wayy too fast!

Fact #9: I hate putting the sheets on my bed-I will sleep without sheets for days, even weeks, before giving in and putting them on properly.

Fact #10 (And i believe 10 is enough for one night!): I love going to the dentist! A clean mouth is my favorite thing EVERRRRRR.

So I'm super sleepy and I could barely think of 10 things about myself which is kind of alarming considering this is myself talking....anywho-be like a hoo in hooville!!! Even if the grinch takes all your toys, walk outta your house happy and keep on singing!!!

Good night to all, and all a good night!!!

Sunshine of the Day: Buying the kind of coffee we have at Highland and making it and drinking it out of my new favorite mug!!!! the best coffee ever : )

Adventures galore

Wow! What a weekend! I traveled out to Fredericksburg this weekend to help out with IMPACT weekend. I led a group of middle school girls and boy oh boy were they crazy!! ( in a good way of course!) They were quite pranksters and over the course of the weekend saran wrapped cars, toilet papered cars, stuck gummie worms in peoples noses while they slept, and devised various plans to scare people! These girls were an ultimate blast and I learned more middle school hand jives that i've ever known before! But the best part was that inside all that craziness were some really sweet girls. They had a genuine interest in understanding more about Jesus and weren't afraid to ask questions. I must admit, that is a very refreshing quality! So many people today are afraid of religion, afraid of discussing it or of asking questions, but what better way to find answers than to ask questions!?! Annnnddd who better to ask questions to, than the One who knows the answers!?! ( which of course is God, not me!!!)

The drive up to Fredericksburg, which I now know is in the hill country, was absolutely gorgeous!! Now, I must admit that I am a bit partial to the south east mountains and trees but the hill country sure put up a good fight. The scenery was simply breath taking this time of year and there were many times I wanted to pull over and just wonder around and enjoy nature! I really wish i would have looking back on it!! I arrived 30 minutes early, that could have been 30 minutes wondering in the wilderness!!! I have discovered that I have a scardy cat inquisitive nature! I have all these adventurous thoughts in my head but I am a chicken and never do them unless someone makes me do them...and usually no one knows my weird thoughts unless I share them...which is rare... Anways!! I have a fascination for road side stores with fruit and small town cafes. There were so many on the way down, I almost stopped many times! But..as we have already discussed, my scardy cat nature gave in and therefore I am fruitless, cafeless, and still natureless : ( Since then I have decided a good spontaneous, plan free road trip is in order!! Someday....someday oh adventurous alison...you will get to explore..

In memory of my almost adventurous weekend, I have decided to be cRaAazZZy this week ( well crazy for me...). So Christine and I began with none other than: golden corral for dinner!! I haven't been there since I first moved to Texas in 6th grade. I remember my mom and I had never heard of a golden corral so we tried it and ended up eating there about once a week. Then my dad finally moved out and joined us in our house and told us we couldn't eat there anymore...something about sketchy company?? I was quite disappointed because I could get just as much dinner there as dessert and mom never seemed to notice!! *score!* So that is my past history of the great GC ( golden corral for you newbies), and tonight Christine and I began a new future of GCing. We paid 10 dollars for unlimited plates of every kind of food imaginable! I mean where else can you eat steak, a fajita, fried catfish, and borbourn chicken all in the same place!?!? So after three plates of food and plenty of dessert we bounced! Although I must say, there was a large amount of sweet old black ladies there who were headed to church afterwards, and I just loved them! I love how excited they get for church and how they would worship all day if they could!!! Christine and I have decided to visit one Sunday night soon....I can't wait! In addition to our snazzy dinner, we have decided to go on a luxurious run through the cemetery this wednesday afternoon with Sawyer! Apparently it's pretty, according to the all knowing source caitlin, and I am looking forward to it!! Soo I just can't wait to see what this week has in store with a start like this!!

Well I have procrastinated enough...but I must admit life is just too good not to blog about : ) Therefore I have two sunshine's of the day:

Sunshine of the Day (1): Seeing Jesus work in the kiddos at IMPACT was just stinking incredible!!! Our God is SOOOOOOO totally my sunshine : )

Sunshine of the Day (2): Getting to talk with my best friend and boyfriend for hours in the car today on the drive back!!! I am so blessed with such great people in my life!!! God is the best provider ever!!!

In the beginning...

So, I feel slightly pressured to say something interesting or funny on my first official blog. But I must warn you, I am neither exceedingly interesting or funny, I just love life and am here to tell you about it!

If i may make one recommendation, my dear room mate, laura, is a hilarious writer so you should check out her blog!! (http://stardusttoremember.blogspot.com) She'll love me for that : )

Brown Eyed Sunshine...what a strange name for a blog you say. Well let me explain how this name came to be. All of my life, I have had these plain boring brown eyes and I have been quite disappointed with them. Of all the beautiful colors out there-blue, green, hazel-I got stuck with brown. I've been really quite bitter about it until recently. You see, my brown eyes, are quite different than the next person's brown eyes. If our eyes are the window to our soul-the very most individualized intimate part of us-then my perspective is vastly different than anyone elses! So in fact my brown eyes are a totally different brown eyes than yours! The fact that I deeply delight in the sunshine, enjoy a cinnabon over any other dessert, and love to laugh out loud when I talk to Jesus just implies that my unique person is different than yours. There is nothing worse or better about this fact, its just a fact about what makes me tick! So all that to say, I now love my brown eyes, plain as they may be-they are my eyes and my perspective!

The Sunshine aspect of this blog refers to many things. I love the literal sunshine and how it warms my skin and there is a guaranteed smile to follow. I love getting all my vitamins soaked up from mr. sun because I'm all about the vitamins! I love the psychological benefit of increased happiness. I love the atmosphere it creates-perfect date weather : ) And most importantly it reminds me of my Savior, Jesus Christ. C.S. Lewis so beautifully quotes " I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen. Not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. " That is Jesus to me. He shines light, understanding, and hope on my world and brings a smile to my face every single time : )

So now that you understand the strange thought process that became my blog name, I feel that I must do something productive before the day ends. You see, creating this blog name took approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. A bit much I know but I am a picky woman! Nonetheless, my neuroscience homework calls!

Sunshine of the day: Eating trifle with my roomies : ) what an ultimate blessing!