It's the LITTLE things that make a HUGE difference

It’s 12:12 at night and I am still awake. I’m watching the news, as the weather continues to get worse and the storms get closer to where I live. I do feel scared but not really worried.. I know it’s not my time to die, but that doesn’t mean that things aren’t going to be hard. This is something I’ve never had to deal with; a tornado… The other night the weather was crazy!!! I never once opened my eyes, but my eyes were lit up from the lightening, and my house was shaken by the thunder. With pluses, always must come minuses, and this is a huge one here in Tennessee. As I sit here writing this, watching the weather get worse and worse, all I can think about is my family, and how much I miss each and every one of them. I miss Ladi and her crazy accents, never judging me, only loving me, even knowing my secrets and imperfections. I miss Adam and his bluntness, but only because he loves me and wants what’s best for me. I miss Damien and his humor, making situations lighter, but being an anchor for our family during the hard times. I miss Amee and the way she thinks of others, hoping and wanting to make them happy. I miss Ellie and the way she tries to get people involved in things with her. I miss Brigg and how he cares about other people. I miss Cason and his sweet eyes that are too young to know anything but love. I miss AJ and her determination to make sure everyone else is happy, even if she isn’t . I miss Braun, who is just himself, and allows and loves my sister and our family for who we are. I dearly miss my siblings, and their families, but most of all, I miss my best friends. I miss Mom and Dad. Not for the free food, or free rent, or free couch I slept on. I miss their company. I miss them just loving me!!

I miss Daddy….. I love that I’ve been able to see him more as a person this last year of living with him. Being able to be around him when the stress is gone, or at least he handles it better has been amazing. I’ve learned to not only love him more, but to actually like him, to respect him and see him as a friend, someone I can rely on and tell things to, knowing no matter what he will ALWAYS love me and ALWAYS be proud of me. And when he says it, you know he means it because he wants to make sure you understand he means it. I love you Daddy.

Mommy, I don’t even know what to say about her….. Though she might have opinions about us, she never judges us. My mom is my best friend. She knows more about me than anyone, and she still loves me unconditionally, never judging any of my choices. She realizes that people need support in order to change, and though she might not like or approve some of our choices, all she wants is us to be happy. And she never wants us to be like anyone us. She loves the people her children are and just wants us to be happy, to be us. I miss all of you!! It’s really the little things that make a huge difference, that make us a family. And we may not be perfect, but you’re all perfect for me. J

Love y'all

Lil' Miss Lolo <3

(Livin' life and lovin' it from the South)

“And we all were, for a moment, Southern by the grace of God.”

“Hey ya’ll welcome to Chili’s, my name is Lolo and I’m gonna be takin’ care of ya today.”

That’s right!!!! I’m officially a ChiliHead!

I am so grateful to have been able to get a job... There have been so many tender mercies from the Lord since I've been here, and I thank Him every time I see one.… Obviously it’s a serving job and I’ve served before, but never in a place like this! I’ve been doing my first week of training at Chili’s and it’s quite overwhelming. There’s so much to remember ‘cause the menu is huge!! And I’m use to serving in upscale restaurants, and Chili’s is definitely NOT like that! Haha They literally train you to kneel down at tables, sit town at the tables, pretty much make they feel at home. It’s nice ‘cause I’m able to show my personality, but I haven’t gotten to that point yet where I’m comfortable with doing that because of places I use to serve at. I’m still not a huge fan of their food but they do have some good choices! And each day we’ve been training, they let us try some of the food…. Here’s a sample:




No I didn’t eat that by myself, but I probably could have. And let me remind you that this is my 4th day of training, which means that there are 3 other days of meals that are just like this that I've been eating........





I really need to join a freaking gym ‘cause I will get fat because of this place!! I’ve been running outside, but the weather is getting WAYYYY too cold for my little Arizona self can deal with!! But I’m resourceful, so I’ll figure it out... But back to my heifer self and work. It’s been good so far.. Anyone who has worked in a restaurant knows the atmosphere that is there, not always the best language and conversations. Today I was trained by a girl name Faith. She’s 24 and she has a 4 year and a 10 month old, two different fathers. And then I worked with another girl, almost 30, divorced with 2 kids, who moved here from Texas because her ex moved here after the divorce. So needless to say, the morning shift has mothers. No matter their circumstances, they all are mothers, which means, for the most part, they are mature, understand the meaning of hard work and being able to provide for their families. They know how to work together in order for everyone to succeed. I really like working with them.
So these Southerners are something different. They are constantly calling you babe, sweetie, hunny, miss (insert name here), mam, sir, fixin’,bless yer heart, and so on. They also have weird tastes like fried bolongia, ranch with their chips, and I’ll keep you updated on the food. One thing that is so true is that Southern hospitality with those accents. It doesn’t matter who they’re talking about, what they’re saying, you can’t help but think they are just the “sweetest people.” (in that accent you all know and love) I swear on my life that they can literally get away with ANYTHING because of that accent!!! It’s insane!! But they do say “gurl” a lot and ya’ll know how much I love that word!! Who knows, maybe I will have a lil’ accent when I return home :) ha ha probably not… but I do have a friend Tamie, who lived in Arizona for the last 5 years, then moved here in June and has an accent.



Speaking of Tamie, that’s me and her! ----->>>




She’s awesome! 31 and lives in Murfreesboro. I met her through my roommate and I’m so glad I did! We have a lot of fun together, and she loves when I sing, “Red Solo Cup.” She says it just warms her heart! We very much enjoy just going out and not worrying about anything but being ourselves and enjoying our life! We have a lot of great conversations and she’s someone that I am truly grateful for here in Tennessee. And she’s also down for going to concerts w/ me!!!! She spent $200 to go see the best cellist in the world!! So she’s my kinda girl! :)

And speaking of concerts, I just bought myself a ticket to go see 2 of my FAVORITE artists who are touring together, ERIC CHURCH AND BRANTLEY GILBERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

don't judge, just love :)

You better believe I’m excited, but it was short lived because I then watched the last episode of “Extreme Home Make Over” and they went to Joplin, Missouri and I felt so selfish for spending money and being ungrateful and wanting to much, that I didn’t need, when people that needed so much, wanted so little…. That’s for another day, but I realized that sometimes you have to forget about the troubles of the world and of your life, and just live. Do something for others, but don’t ever forget to do something for yourself :)

Love y’all

Lil’ Miss Lolo <3

(livin' life and lovin' it!! from the South)

“Every new day is another chance to change your life”

Oh Nashville!!!! How I have enjoyed just my short time here so far!! My roommate Heather and I just recently got jobs at Chili’s, and knowing that we might not have a weekend off again, we decided to go celebrate our last night in Nashville with our friend Tamie with us! The greatest thing about Nashville is that you don’t have to pay for a lot of the entertainment, except to tip them since this is how they make their living. So we decided to go to the Cadillac Ranch for dinner, hoping that there would be a live band playing, and alas there was!! And they were awesome! They are called “The Springs,” and have opened for a lot of big name bands, such as ERIC CHURCH!!! Toby Keith, blah blah blah.... People I LOVE!!!! So you better believe we rocked it while we were there. Knowing every word to pretty much all the songs they sang definitely makes for a great time.. They played some great covers and were really good at what they did! The guys in the band were fun, and all under 23!!!! I couldn’t even believe it! But the band was quite fun! They sang to us, definitely personable, and the guitarist even sat down at our table and just chilled and played. Thus the picture you see to the right --->

Ha ha I guess the flash from my Blackberry like blinded him, made it hard for him to play haha it rocked though! It’s been nice to really be myself, loud and crazy, and it’s no big deal! Their manager was trying to like sell them, saying they were single and the oldest is 23..... we talked to them a little bit after the show and they were definitely chill, a band I'm for sure gonna go see again!

We then went to see another guy play, Lewis Copeland, pretty rockin'. He has this 50's feel to his look, but him and his band are awesome! They played some covers of songs that weren't recent so it was definitely a nice change. But let's just talk about the guys in this place..... especially the older ones.... they have no shame and are quite forward. And by that I mean they will stare, and say comments as you walk by.... And that is definitely something I am not use to. Not sure if I like it either though. What is great is that people are really friendly, so when you're standing in a crowd, if you're around the right people, it's fun to chat and get to know those around you. So this part of my life in Tennessee has been great!! I just went on a drive around by myself and the scenery is gorgeous! i need to take more pics but I love it! I'll keep everyone updated!!! Not sure how much of a social life I'm gonna have with the start of my job, but we'll see!!

“In the pursuit of happiness, one should stop, and just be happy”

And that’s what this adventure is all about. I’ve been raised in a culture that teaches you that getting married, having a family, and raising them is all that matters in life, and if you don’t do it by the age of 25, then there’s something wrong with you. And that it’s what will really make you happy. So that’s what I’ve been trying to do for the last 4 years of my life. Once I got off my mission, I figured that I would date and get married soon after. Well, like I said, 4 years later here I am, still as single as ever. Let me just tell you how bad I have felt about myself because of this fact. But why?!?! Of course I want to be married, have a family, and raise them to live productive and happy filled lives.. But how am I suppose to do that if I’m not doing it right now?! So I’m 26 and single… Why do people have to feel sorry for me! Don’t!!!! I’m becoming happy!!!! Marriage is still a goal in my life, but I can’t have it be the central goal because it does nothing but make me feel bad that I’m not. So in my pursuit for this one happiness, I’ve decided to find other things that will make me happy! And it all started with the drive to Tennessee.
A good friend came with me on this, oh forever drive!! We left Tuesday morning at about 2:00 AM, and drove, and drove, and drove. We got through Arizona pretty quickly, as well as New Mexico. Luckily there was just a tiny bit of snow on the side of the freeway through New Mexico, so no big delays. And then we got to Texas……. WOW is all I have to say about that drive!! Because we were driving in the middle of winter, we went through the middle of Texas in order to avoid the mountains in Arkansas. And we literally went through the longest part of Texas! It definitely was amazing because if you know me, you know I AM OBSESSED WITH COUNTRY!!!!!! Especially the music… and I loved pumping gas, and peeing to country music! It was the best!! And all the billboards were about country wear and such. Thought maybe I should just stop there and live, but I had to keep going.. and after 12 hours, we freaking got out of Texas!! And the rest of the trip was a breeze, or so it seemed. Louisiana, and Mississippi were driven through at night, but I could tell it was pretty!! The stars were gorgeous and it made me wish I could just pull over, bust out my portable hammock, which I am super stoked about, and just look up at them. Anyways, we stopped in Mississippi for about a 3 hour nap and just parked outside a hotel.. Not too bad, but it was definitely cold!! We woke up, and made the trek through Alabama, which sad to say, is a very dirty state, and finally into the blessed Tennessee!!! Southern Tennessee is gorgeous!! Very green, with many trees!! I was smiling the whole time driving through it because I just couldn’t believe that I had moved there. I couldn’t believe that I had finally made a decision and gone through with it. 28 hours, and 7 states later, I had finally made a change in my life. And quite a drastic one too!! We were so blessed the whole time driving because nothing happened to us or the car. The Lord was definitely watching over us.
So we got to Tennessee just vegged the first day. Thursday we unpacked all my stuff and I got my room all ready. I am now sleeping on an air mattress but that’s ok! I’m happy! J Thursday night, we went to this club where girls got in for free so that was awesome!! But what was even better was that it was country music all night and only line dancing! And let me tell you how intense these people are about their line dancing!! They do it to everything! Hip hop, slow songs, anything with a beat, they will line dance to it. So I’m very excited about how good I’m gonna get…. Hopefully :P Then Friday was our real day out.. in NASHVILLE!!!!! And let me tell you it was nothing like I expected…. It definitely did reaffirm that I’m not a city girl and do not ever want to live in a city…. One way streets, having to wait for pedestrians, bars everywhere, busy traffic…. Yah definitely not my cup of tea. We went to eat at a placed called “Cadillac Ranch,” and just ordered some appetizers. The best part was that there was a live band, who was playing almost all country, so you can only imagine how happy I was!! It was awesome! We hung out there for about 2 hours or so. We then just walked around some shops and I was trying to absorb the city. We ended up in a karaoke bar, and guess who got up and sang…. That’s right, me! I actually sang like 4 songs!! Crazy huh!!! The one song that I felt the most impowered singing was “Settlin’” by Sugarland. I decided that this is like my theme for life right now! I’ll talk about that later for sure! There were some older people there, probably in their 40s, a couple cowboys with them and they rocked!! They were so fun and definitely made the night great! We ate at a place called “Dick’s” where the servers were meant to be rude. It was really weird ‘cause our guy was like, vulgar to us, and I definitely didn’t expect that from the sweet South! And then we went to the infamous Coyote Ugly Bar…. Let me just say, I have never felt so dirty before in my life… Nor have I ever been so embarrassed to be a woman as I did there. These girls have like no respect for themselves or dignity. I honestly was disgusted. So we weren’t there for very long and then we headed to the White Horse Saloon and that was fun!! We just did a bunch of line dancing there, while a live band was playing. So all and all, it was a great day!!

And now it’s just on the hunt for a job. I have another interview at Chili’s tomorrow, but it’s only a weekend job, but hey it’s something right!? I’m gonna be grateful for whatever I get! I’m excited to do things that I want to do and live my life to the fullest! I’m doing my best to move forward but sometimes it’s hard for me to be positive all the time. I’m definitely doing my best and it’s a day to day choice. I heard it said that attitude is like choosing what you’re going to wear everyday. It’s a choice. Sometimes I get down thinking about how things could be, but I have to remember that everything happens for a reason. And that those things that seem like they’re the end, might actually be a new beginning. So here’s to a bunch of new beginnings… hope you enjoy the ride!

Love Y'all

Lil' Miss Lolo <3

(Livin' Life and Lovin' it from the South)

There's a lot to think about, but nothing to worry about

The start of a new year has brought many changes in my life! First, I never thought I would ever start a blog! Haha anyone that knows me realizes that I can chat it up with the best of them, but when it comes to writing it down, that’s gonna be a negatory for me. So this is definitely a change for me and we’ll see how it goes. Another big change with this new year is my zipcode!! 37129, I think.. haha I keep on forgetting! Yes I finally moved out of that great state of Arizona to……….TENNESSEE!!!! Crazy I know, but I figured why not! I’m 26, single, and have nothing holding me to any specific place in this world. Yes, I love my family and I will miss them, but I’m pretty sure they’re just as happy as me getting out of there as I am! Why Tennesse you ask, it’s real simple: I love country. Anything country…music, lifestyle, accents, outdoors, anything that makes you think of country, I love…. So somewhere in the south only seemed right. I don’t know anyone here, nor do I have a job. And that’s where my title for this blog comes in, “there’s a lot to think about, but nothing to worry about.” This has been my motto since I saw it about 4 months ago on a rerun of “extreme home makeover.” Those that know me well, know how much of a worrier I am. I like to plan ahead, which is good so I’m prepared, but it’s not easy for me to let go of things. And this is what this year is all about, letting go. Life is constantly changing, which means that we, as people, are constantly changing and becoming better and better. But the only way to do that is to move forward, and not dwell on the past. Our choices in the past, whether good ones of mistakes, are there to help refine us. They don’t define who we are as people, unless we continue to allow them to worry us. Yes it’s good to think about where we’ve been and where we’re going, but it’s more important to be in the moment and be the best person you can right then… That’s what this move is about for me. I’m continually changing and growing into a new person everyday! I have found out so much about myself within the last couple of years. Some things I wish I didn’t know, but that’s what life is about: becoming, not being.. And the only way I am able to do this is because of the Gospel. There are many people in this life that will never allow others to change. Unfortunately I was one of them. I remember holding such harsh feelings against my siblings with the mistakes they made. But who the hell am I to do that?! And they were very honest and open and choices that they made, but I’m afraid to let them down. But I need compassion and an opportunity to change just as much as everyone else. The Gospel teaches me that this life is all about change, about being better then we were the day before!! I can’t even describe how greatful I am for that!! If it wasn’t for the Gospel, I would be at a low that I’m not sure I would ever be able to get out of. The Gospel allows us to take our lows and use them as springboards to get up and go again. Forever I will be grateful for that!