If I could wish for one thing...

It's so rare to find a friend like you
Somehow when you're around the sky is always blue
The way we talk
The things you say
The way you make it all ok
And how you know
All of my jokes
But you laugh anyway...

If I could wish for one thing
I take the smile that you bring
Wherever you go in this world I'll come along
Together we dream the same dream
Forever I'm here for you, you're here for me
Oh ooh oh
Two voices, one song

And anywhere you are you know I'll be around
And when you call my name I'll listen for the sound
If I could wish for one thing
I take the smile that you bring
Wherever you go in this world I'll come along
Together we dream the same dream
Forever I'm here for you, you're here for me
Oh ooh oh two voices one song

Sisters or Friends?

The Aussie and the Yank spent a day at the amusement park Frontier City in OKC last weekend. In one line we stood for probably 45 minutes making friends with three siblings that seemed to decide we were pretty much the coolest thing ever, just because we listened to them talk about their pets and video games. ;)

After a while one of the boys turned to me and asked: "Are you two sisters or friends?"

I said: "Friends." Then I looked at Rachel and said "Do you think we could be sisters?"

Devon (10): "Yeah I think you could be sisters."

Christian (12) "No they couldn't!"

Devon, looks at me and says, "Well if you werent so tall... and changed your hair... and your eyes... and... (looks me up and down)... everything else."

At one point they were guessing our ages.

Rachel: "How old do you think  I am?"

Katelyn (8):  "16."

Rachel: "Uh, no, I'm 20."

Katelyn: "You should have a kid."

So apparently, she's 16 and needs to have a baby, and I need to have a great deal of surgery to look like her sister. ;)

Never a dull moment. 

Yank

God gave me... Her.

God gave me you for the ups and downs

God gave me you for the days of doubt

For when I think I've lost my way

There are no words here left to say, it's true

God gave me you

In case you hadnt guessed by our lack of blogging on here, it's been a rather crazy year. Intensely crazy. For both of us. I'm beginning to think that life just keeps getting crazier the older you get, and you might as well get a good grip and hang on tight! =P

The thing of it is, life doesnt just get crazier and more intense, it get's richer and fuller and much much more beautiful. But you just have to make yourself stop, and take the time to see it.

There really hasnt been a lot of time for that this year, and I am missing it. But one beautiful thing that God does keep hitting me upside the head with until I cant possibly miss it is the value of people. Specifically the value of friendship. In the hard moments, in the quiet moments, in the joy and sadness, in the epic and the mundane. Friends are just people that share life. And honestly it is one of the most beautiful things ever.

Somedays I just sit there and try to wrap my head around the idea that God loves us enough not just to give us Himself, but to bring people into our lives that will speak truth and encourage and have our backs in the trenches and just share life.

Then I try to wrap my head around the fact that one of them is an amazing girl called Rachel.

Over the last two years Rachel and I have become really close friends. Really close. She means a lot to me, and God has used our friendship in some pretty incredible ways in both of our lives. It's really very cool, actually.

Oh sorry, do you know Rachel? Well, let me introduce you...

She's an incredible giver of herself to everyone around her. She loves God, people, and odd numbers. ;) You'll rarely see her not smiling. She makes people laugh all the time, whether they feel like it or not, they just cant seem to resist her. She has an uncanny ability to make people totally comfortable being themselves. She doesnt back down from anything that she knows to be right. And she's not afraid to speak Truth either. She's fun, passionate, and delightful. Oh, and did I happen to mention that she's my friend?

Mind boggling, eh?

I love this kid, and my life would not be the same without her.

My point is, (other than the fact that Rachel is uber cool,) is that wherever you are in life, if it's a boring moment, or an exciting one, never forget to look around you and remember to notice and appreciate the people that you have the honor to call friend.

I promise it'll make you smile.

Love,

The Yank

It happened one night...

One of the reasons that the Yank should never gchat when she is tired. =P

Rachel: I am watching a movie
Alaina: What movie?
Rachel: SPEAK
Alaina: I DID!
Rachel: with Kristin Stewart
Alaina: oh
Rachel: no no no speak is the title
Alaina: that's the name... I get it
Rachel: HA HA HA that made me laugh

The Shampoo Saga

So the other day the Yank and the Aussie were talking on the phone. Nothing amazing about that, they always talk on the phone. And while they were talking the Aussie was cleaning the bathroom in her house. Nothing amazing about that either, she does that a lot when they talk on the phone. What was slightly unusual, was the following conversation that occurred.

Yes, this really happened.

CRASH

Rachel muttering: “Ouch! Length and strength…” slightly louder “I’m being attacked by the conditioner bottle Alaina!”

Alaina (who was still trying to make sure she heard “length and strength” right) asked: “Is your shampoo bottle green?”

A hesitant “Yes.”

Alaina. “Oh my word! Are you serious? We have the same shampoo!”

Rachel. “No way!”

Alaina. “Yeah we do. Green bottle, Garner, length and strength… Dude!”

Rachel. “Well, I just bought mine a couple weeks ago.”

Alaina. “I just bought mine a couple weeks ago!”

Rachel. “And I bought it at…”

Alaina. “Walmart!”

Rachel. “Because it was…”

Unison. “on sale.”

Alaina. “Yeah I wanted to try something new on my hair.”

Rachel. “Me too!”

Rachel. “Okay okay, so what day did you buy yours?”

Alaina. “Um, I’m pretty sure it was a Tuesday. Yeah, pretty sure.”

Silence.

“Rachel? Why? When did you buy yours?”

Rachel. “Tuesday.”

Alaina: “No way!”

Rachel: “Okay so morning or afternoon?”

Alaina: “Morning.”

Rachel: “Oh good! I bought mine after school.”

Alaina: “Well that’s something anyway, we aren’t total copy cats!”

Rachel: “Yeah apparently, just I am.”

Alaina: “Hey it’s only fair! I’m older… remember? The older and wiser woman, that’s what you called me.”

Rachel: “That’s so freaky!”

Alaina: “I know, right? And it’s funny because I thought about you when I bought the shampoo.”

Rachel: “Why?”

Alaina: “Well because it’s for “hard to grow and fragile hair” which you have. And I know you want your hair to be longer, so I thought I would try it and tell you about it if it worked.”

The conversation eventually moved on to other things, like how we were going to go tell Mommy Butler and Mummy Starks about our newfound mental telepathy and all around total unoriginality. Mommy Butler just shook her head (she’s used to us by now.) And Mummy Starks laughed (she’s used to us too.)

And so, the general conclusion is that if we’re already communicating this well without even trying, (seriously, how many people buy the same shampoo, on the same day, for the exact same reasons?) goodness knows what we’ll be like after another 6 weeks in close proximity to each other in a foreign country!

Stay tuned. This could get really interesting. ;)

Happy weekend...

Yank (that's me) had a long, rough week.

Aussie's (that's Rachel) wasn't any better.

So the Yank called up the Aussie and asked if she could come see her.

Aussie said to stay an extra day.

We had fun.

We talked... laughed... poked... tickled... watched movies... stayed up late, and slept in later... played Wii for the first time... Volleyball... went to Wal-Mart (way more interesting than it sounds)... and all in all just relaxed and enjoyed each other's company.

It was a good weekend.

We're going to have to do it again.

Because I forgot to take pictures.

Except this one, which didn't quite turn out, and some cute ones of her little sister, which I'm going to do something with. ;)

Oh and the favorite quote of the weekend?

Gracie Starks (age 5): "I do too have a love language! It's Spanish!"

Haha!

My Aussie's family is great...

{no regrets. no surrender. nothing less than absolute, courageous victory.}

Yank.

Rachel...

Hi there, this is the Yank, and I would like to introduce you to my friend the Aussie.

Meet Rachel Karen Starks:

She’s the Aussie in our duo. She a daughter of the King. She’s an encourager of people. She’s a world-changer. She’s an influencer. She’s a leader worth following because of who she is and how she lives.

She’s loves camo, the country, converse, and cute clothes.

She’s my inspiration, my speed dial, my roomie, my friend.

I’ve seen her go through hard things. Big things. I’ve seen her hurt. And I’ve seen her joy. I’ve seen God ask things of her that she didn’t want to do. And I’ve seen her do them anyway. I’ve seen her sacrifice for others. I’ve seen her lay down her life time and again for the sake of someone else. I’ve seen her trust God in the dark. I’ve seen her stay the course in the storm.

In the eleven months that I’ve gotten to know her I’ve seen her grow like grass grows in the summer.

I watch in awe the amazing, incredible woman of God that she is becoming.

This is my Rachel.

Dearest Rachel, my Rachel, thanks for sharing your life, for sharing your heart, for the privilege of knowing you and the honor of calling you my friend.

I love you like crazy.

"The Yank"

{no regrets. no surrender. nothing less than absolute courageous victory.}