Alli's Getting Hitched

Alli accepted Eric Curtis' proposal of marriage on Tuesday, March 10th. The wedding will take place at the Myhre residence on September 12th.

Meet Patton

Patton is a 7 week old, terrier mix rescue puppy from the Dallas SPCA Shelter. He weighs 8 lbs and has an average temperature of 102 F. Okay, enough with all the superfluous details. Kent adopted Patton on Saturday afternoon after finding him on the shelter's web site. It was love at first sight and the feeling is entirely mutual. Patton is affectionate, playful and surprisingly getting along well with both his crate and potty training. Kent is an attentive master, and the two make quite an adorable pair. With Patton around, I'm now outnumbered, but it's okay, I think they both like me well enough to keep me around another week, ten days (Myhreism). 

Stars v. Ducks (formerly Mighty)

Kent and I enjoyed some weekend hockey action at the American Airlines Center on Saturday. The Dallas Stars faced off against the Anaheim Ducks. I was disappointed to learn that the Star's west coast opponent no longer used their Disney-famous title of The MIGHTY Ducks, but were now simply the Ducks. They also no longer make use of the Flying V nor the triple deke. Oh, the times, they are a changing. 

Despite their abandoned offensive threats, the Ducks still managed to outscore the Stars, entertaining me with 7 total goals and 2 fist fights. I also included pictures of the Stars dancers and the ice girls who periodically scrape the shavings off the ice during time-outs. Yes, they are wearing boob shirts and low rider pants. I guess that is just one more possible meaning for the term "reaching for the stars."

Superman

My disengagement with this blog is due in large part to my relationship with "Superman." My parents, specifically my father; have this cute way of categorizing our boyfriends with special names that relate to a portion of their name, location or hobby. For example, little Kayt's BF is Chris, so when they started dating during the holidays, my dad dubbed him "Chris Kringle," which may or may not have been a step up from his previous title "Missouri" often pronounced "Misery." Many of you may also be familiar with Alli's main man, Eric, affectionately known as "Tractor Boy." Eric is a boy wonder when it comes to fixing anything mechanical and seems to have a special fondness for old tractors, thus the awkward moniker.

So, why did I title this blog, Superman? Well, because I'm dating Kent. Not Clark Kent, but a young man of exceptional taste and fortitude, who goes by Kent, ergo, my dad calls him "Superman."

I know it's really cheese-ball to blog about your boyfriend, but it's really the only way I could figure out how to involve those I love, in the unfolding story of life here in Texas with the man I love. Awh...(just get out all those sappy sighs or reflex gags out now, because it doesn't get any better from here).

Our story began on October 10th, in a goat barn, at the Texas State Fair...

I was going to the fair with Kate on a friday night (reference earlier blog) and Kent was there with his sister Adrianne, brother in law, Travis and two nephews, Logan and Cole. While waltzing through the goat barns, I spotted Adrianne, my co-worker, and we exchanged brief hellos and introductions. All I remember about Kent was that he was semi hiding behind his three year old nephew. The following week I was a bit taken-back when Adrianne asked me if she could give Kent my cell phone number. After asking a few follow up questions about her knowledge of Kent's intentions, I acquiesced, and the following evening received a phone call from a man with the voice of a double bass. I nearly laughed out loud--the voice simply did not match the cute guy I'd seen the previous weekend hiding behind his nephew. I said yes to dinner the following weekend and from there on, started a very slow, cautious friendship.

Those who know more of our story in depth, have already heard of how God used our friendship to bring Kent back into relationship with Christ. Suffice it to say, we both had to give up control and in doing so, I saw God's power and faithfulness and Kent experienced again the peace that honestly, the struggle that comes with being confronted with both God's grace and his holiness. We're still journeying, but it's been fruitful--Praise God!

It's been a blast to share life together. We're a part of a small community within our larger church body that meets nearly every week to be accountable and to grow in knowledge and love of our savior. Most of us are young, some married couples, some singles, it's wonderful. While we're all still working towards being more authentic with each other, it's awesome to just be in community with people who are there with that as their goal. There is also a young couple who just had the most adorable little boy, and Kate and I go over to their place on Thursdays for baby time and to watch The Office :)

Kent has introduced me to his friends. They have a LONG history that is wonderful and a bit intimidating, but it's good for me to be the outsider, being in the "in crowd" so much in my little world back home. Kent has also introduced me to hockey. I honestly had never so much as watched a game on TV, unless Disney's Mighty Ducks counts ("the flying V!"). We've gone to a few Dallas Star's games, and while I've yet to see a fight, I've learned that icing isn't merely for cupcakes and that you can catch and throw the puck with your hands if you're on defense, and that it's not uncommon to see fans place their hands over their hearts and pledge allegiance during both "O Canada" and "The Star Spangled Banner." Really people? Pick a country!

We can also often be found in a tiny rubber composite floor gymnasium in Mansfield on Saturday mornings watching the Dragons take on whomever dares to stand in their way of running down the half court while attempting one, or at best two dribbles. Kent's oldest nephew Logan is on a bitty ball team through UpWard, a Christian basketball league. It's like Parks and Rec meets Royal Rangers (Christian Boy Scouts). During half time they hear a devotional and then watch the kindergarten cheerleaders do a little cheer (in uniform). Logan never misses the cheerleaders :) After the game they give out iron on stars for "best offense" or "most Christian like." Too cute. I kind of want to coach next year.

We're both pretty much home bodies, so going out usually means to eat at a local restaurant or going shopping at Wal-Mart. Here are a few recent pics of us, really entertained while cruising the aisles of Ross...

These shoes were awesome. They were bright pink and said "Kool-Aid" on the heels. I didn't buy them.

One of our new favorite local restaurants is Twisted Root Burger Company. They make everything from scratch, including their buffalo burgers and homemade rootbeer. When you order your meal at the counter they give you a slip with a famous name and then call it out over the mic when it's ready. Last time I was "Your Fairy Godmother" and Kent was "Harry Potter."

So much for "Superman." :)

Overdue

You know the cliche, life gets busy? Well, life has been just that the last two, brimming months. Tonight I'm up way past my bed time, which is a relative statement when you work full time, take six hours of grad school and try to balance it all while pursuing Christ and managing a engaging social calendar ;) That said, I'm up late catching up on blogs of my friends who have been on dissimilar adventures this past year. One friend has gone through severe health trauma, long, painful treatments and extended seclusion from family, while another pair of pals have set off to travel the world with their dry fit undies and telephoto lens. Readings their stories puts my simple stress and small adventures in a pale light, but nevertheless, their stories and mine, paint vividly beautiful stokes of color on a canvas tribute to the glorious faithfulness of the Father.

So, just what have I been up to this past 8 weeks? Well...

I took a nerdy Discovery Channel audio tour of The Alamo, on a recruiting trip to San Antonio. I learned many historical facts central to the culture of the lone star state, none so irrelevant as that Davy Crocket died during the short battle we now remember so fervently as gallant patriots.

My favorite site in San Anton were the River Walk and the beautiful old cathedral on the plaza that I can no longer remember the name of...my memory banks must have been already maxed out by The Alamo...

While down south, I also joined my co-workers for a conference in Corpus Christi. We took an evening cruise to the Texas State Aquarium on a boat (not the replica of the Nina or the battle ship---just a regular people barge)

Thanksgiving found me grateful to have a few days with my family, celebrating in traditional fashion, shooting Auntie Karen's 44 and if I might mention, doing it better than the boys, thank you very much. AND, I got to see Joann! She took me to my first ever CYT (Christian Youth Theatre) production, which just happened to be my favorite musical, "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers." We also frolicked in the park, sang carols, drank coffee and watched a really anti-climatic Christmas tree lighting ceremony.

Back home (in Texas) Kate and I had a fun "date night" at the American Airlines Center watching the Stars beat the Avalanche in an over time shoot out. I'm not sure if I am now a hockey fan, but it was super fun (minus the scantilly clad ice girls whose sole purpose in life it seems at least in terms of their employment is to remove ice shavings during time outs while looking good in a mid drift) There was a picture of the arena, but it didn't load. Dang, no ice girls for ya'll.

These are just a few cute additions that have found their way into my heart and home, mostly seasonal, as you can see, but I might "keep 'em around another week, ten days."

The Last Cowboy's Win of the Season?

Kate scored Cowboy's seats for the Tampa Bay game a few weekends back. We sat only eleven rows from the end zone! 


Not only did the Cowboys win, by the skin of their scrappy, cow poke teeth, but they also brought in Country Western singer/song writer legend, Randy Travis, who sang the national anthem and then greeted fans during the first quarter. 

Chicken Fried Piglet

What's better than a fistful of skillet fried bacon? I have the answer for you friends--bacon that is skillet fried, rolled in seasoned flour, fried again and then served up in a red and white checkered paper bowl at the Texas State Fair! Just ask my gal-pal Kate and I. We're so excited about it that we're blurry. Bacon, bacon, bacon!

Despite this artery clogging, heart stopping, once-in-a-lifetime fair food experience the real highlight at the Texas State Fair this year was by far the petting zoo (that, and the taco stand guy who hit on Kate, and the gang police out in unprecedented numbers due to it being High School Day). Those little baby critters with their outside the fryer, inedible charm, stole the show. I took enough photos of the exotic animal display to stamp the seal on my out-of-state status, but only one of them turned out. Go figure.

No, just kidding, a couple others did too. There was a girafe, several zebras, various bovine creatures of indo-african origins, four horned sheep of the Acopolypse, and my personal favorites, a mama piggy, PC term for Sow, and her little suckling piglets. 

Which reminds me of a joke I once made up at the age of 5 (I have witnesses). Why did the pig light a match? No, no, he didn't have gastrointestinal issues....I was FIVE. Answer: Because he wanted to be a pig-lit. Pig-lit, piglet, get it? Did I mention I was five? Ah, genius is never recognized it its own time.