5.28.2009

Where Amazing Happens

Over the last few weeks I have watched a lot of basketball.  A WHOLE lot.  My favorite team is the Lakers and Gigi and I somehow got put in charge of whether they win or not depending on if we have pizza during the game.  I don't know how it happened, but I am not complaining since I want the Lakers to win and I love pizza.  It's really a win win for me.  Anyway, the slogan for the NBA this year is, "Where Amazing Happens."  Have you seen the shots that Kobe and King James have been making?!?! Truly amazing.   It got me thinking the other day; Amazing happens all over the place, not just in the NBA.  It happens every day, everywhere and we experience amazing with the people we share life with.

It was about the same time that thought ran through my head that I got an email from a friend of mine.  He just started blogging for a website called ConversantLife.com and wanted me to check it out.  The closest computer I had was my phone, but I jumped on the web and read his first post.  My first thought was "Amazing just happened." 

I've known this person for a number of years now; Too many to remember how many.  I knew him as a high school kid my little sister hung out with.  I knew him as a guy who could get me into Disneyland on occasion.  I knew him as a spiritual leader for others.  I knew him as a son that would make any parent proud, and most of all, I knew him as my own friend.  

I watched my friend take on many things as a young adult and handle them all with great skill.  He had dreams and aspirations and wasn't going to let anything stand in his way.  I stood by him when he got married as his best man and knew he would do his very best in that relationship as well.  

The picture frame and drawing shown below have sat in various places around my house, currently in our home office, right next to a picture of Gigi and I at a basketball game.  About a year into his marriage various disagreements and personal issues prevented the two us from being as close of friends as we had once been.  The frame below was the groomsman gift from him and the drawing was something he drew one day shortly after our friendship began fading.  That's me on the left and he on the right. The plaque reads, "Thanks Best Man! Proverbs 27:17" For those who don't have that verse memorized, it says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."  


About three years ago, I ran into my friend again at my sisters birthday party and over the course of our conversation that night he filled me in on the last few years of his life.  His story had a few chapters in it that I didn't expect, but I will leave it up to him to tell that story.  The conversation also began to rekindle our friendship.  It was also another moment amazing happened.  

I say it that way because our friendship is stronger and better now than it has ever been.  Even though the time we actually spend hanging out is far less than it used to be, the level of respect we have for each other is far beyond where it ever was.  It is now that the verse on the plaque is most appropriate.  I have learned volumes from my friend over the last couple of years and absolutely love watching all the things he does in life with such purpose.  

As I said earlier, my friend has just started blogging at ConversantLife.com.  It is just one thing in a long list of things that I admire about my friend.  Ladies and Gentleman, let me introduce you to my friend, Jim Farmer, and let him tell you his story of how amazing happened in his life.  

5.27.2009

Look who's tying the knot!!!

Congratulations Jamie and Dani!
We love you guys so much, and are SO excited for your upcoming wedding!
AWWWW, SO CUTE!
Visit http://danimccarthy.blogspot.com/ for the details on the SPECTACULAR proposal in Cancun, Mexico!

5.15.2009

This is how you do it...

Goin' to the Angels' Game: "Josh n Gigi Style"
1) arrive late:
bottom of the 2nd. less traffic, fewer lines.


2) wear maroons and grays
...just in case the guys in bright red don't do so hot...


3) walk in and go straight to your seats
it helps if your tickets are in the diamond club. no stairs, no crowds.



4) order from the waiter
beer brought to you is much tastier than beer you went and stood in line for... (TIP: don't order "non ballpark food" from a ballpark. stick strictly to nachos, hot dogs, and beer.)
5) watch the Laker game
access to a restaurant with a TV showing other (action-filled) games is a must!
6) leave early
sometime before the top of the seventh is a safe time to go. the goal is to make it out sometime before they make you stand up and sing...
______________
don't get me wrong... the game wasn't AWFUL by any means. we had a good time for the few hours we were there. josh and i have been enthralled by the action found in the NBA playoffs lately, so we did feel a bit out of place watching such a slow-paced game. we got these ticket "spur of the moment", so i don't think we were really prepared for the relaxed nature of the evening. next time!

June is TWO!

Most people drink beer and speak Spanish on Cinco de Mayo. Not us. We celebrate our puppy's birthday and take her to the dog park as a treat!! These two had a really rough weekend playing and celebrating together...


In all seriousness, though, we are so thankful to have June around! She is loving and cuddly, and loves to just "be with us". Two years of training, and she's finally learned how to stay on her bed and not bark when company comes over. She sheds less, pulls on the leash less, and chews less. But, when she hit dog puberty (remember, she's really 14 in dog years...), she realized she LOVES to chase bunnies while simultaneously ignoring our calls to get her back.

The fun never ends!

5.05.2009

the future mrs. conners

in only ONE MONTH, one of my good friends, kym, will find her last name has changed...!! this girl gets to marry her perfect match, andrew in just a few short weeks. but before those festivities find their way into her life...it's PARTY TIME! this past weekend, kym and 6 of her close girlfriends made the 4-hour trek (well, 5 hours, really, when you consider we had 7 thirsty girls drinking too much water, soda, starbucks on the drive...) up to vegas for what most of us recall as a good time! ;-)
going to vegas with a group of girls is a great, but throw some matching outfits and one glowing bride in the mix, and you've got yourself a whole different experience! kym was adored the whole weekend, not only by her gal pals, but also by MOST EVERYONE that walked by!!! :-) but don't worry, we kept the whole weekend under control--well, minus those few moments during an unmentionable vegas show.
the festivities included an early morning stop at bagels and brew, the pool at the mirage, lunch in the shady pool restaurant, great gifts for the bride and bridesmaids, dinner at an amazing & classy burger joint, chip & someone... (okay, okay, chippenDALE...crap.), dancing to DJ AM at "rain", painful feet, more pooltime, more food, and more dancing. tryst and XS at the wynn and encore filled our saturday evening, but i'm sad to report i had to bail early that evening with the pregnant lady, as i'm starting to feel my age... tired & wanting to hit the sack by midnight, especially when thoughts of my feet falling off kept crossing my mind. here are some photos of the beautiful bride-to-be and her gals!












stay tuned for the upcoming wedding--6/6/09! so close, kym, so close!