The athletic genes clearly went to...

Brett.  I've known this simple fact all my life, but it is weeks like this past one that make it so evident.  While it might have bothered me when we were five years old, I have come to accept it now.  It has actually become something that I cherish.  

I loved being the coach's daughter growing up, thinking that my simple task of carrying the bucket of baseballs was so important.

I loved being the excuse for my grandfather to buy french fries at the ballpark, both knowing that my grandmother did not approve of him eating them.

I loved getting to cheer "against" Brett in middle school and again senior year when TCA played JCS in basketball. Wanna know a secret? I always hoped he would make impressive three pointers and all of his free-throws during the games because I liked being able to say, "Yes, that's my twin."

If you haven't counted, that is two sports I've mentioned so far.  The guy has also been known to kick a mean soccer ball and wield a tennis racket when needed.  Oh, and there's also the one that he currently has a college scholarship for: GOLF.

The cheerleaders.

My parents and I just spent the past week in Silvis, Illinois cheering on the Union University Golf Team in the NAIA National Golf Tournament.  It was about a nine-hour drive, the same drive that we made a year ago when they competed for the first time in twelve years.  So, the course was a little more familiar....but that did not make it any less impressive.

It's a TPC course, meaning that it is certified for PGA tournaments. At least I think that's what it means.  If not, oh well...I tried :).  Full of hills, expertly placed sand traps and lakes, perfectly manicured fairways and greens, and two holes that overlook the river, it is a beautiful place to play or watch a round of golf.  Although for us, make that three rounds.

Day one, the guys were just getting their feet wet.  While three of the five had played the course before, two had not, so they needed a little refreshing.  While the weather was beautiful, Union finished the day just shy of the top twenty (I think).

Day two was a little crazy. Due to weather delays, all teams had a shot gun start at two in the afternoon.  That placed eight players on each of the eighteen holes, all golfing at the same time.  After completing seven and a half holes, the round was paused because inclement weather was approaching.  Despite the craziness, Union was playing magnificently, and was in good spirits to go and celebrate Matt Kelley's birthday.  A caravan of the team and some of us families traveled to Incredible Pizza.  It's basically a Chuck E Cheese on steroids.  We ate pizza, Matt spun the birthday wheel originally intended for small children, and Katie, Christin, and I attempted to beat the guys at putt-putt.  Needless to say that didn't work out :).

Teeing off in style.

Day three started out early, but not so bright.  It was windy, cloudy, and cold. Not just chilly...cold. At least too cold for my Chaco-wearing comfort.  But, I put on my sweatshirt and braved it.  I mean, it's not everyday that your brother is playing in a national golf tournament right?  They spent the morning finishing up the round from the day before, ate lunch, and then played round three.  It was a long day at the course that unfortunately ended with the guys not advancing to the final round.

However, the team played the round of their lives.  Unless I'm mistaken, four of the five finished with a 75 or below...par is 71.  And, freshman Steven Coffelt eagled his final hole. Eagled. On a TPC course.

So, the team might not have made it to the finals.  But, they worked hard and accomplished some personal goals, all while having fun as a team.

I will never get tired answering questions about Brett's sports career.  He graces the pages of the local newspaper faster than my mom can cut out the articles, and his face has popped up on WBBJ Sports more times than I can count.  Some people might get annoyed to constantly hear, "I saw your brother on the news last night!" or, "Your twin is the sports star right?", but I love it.  This is one situation where I don't mind just being known as the sister.

From a little five year old carrying a bucket of baseballs, to a twenty year old cheering on a college golf team, I will always be one of Brett Barry's biggest fans.

Becca

Sophomore year, where did you go?

Well, I've been done with school for about two weeks now, and it's starting to become real that I an actually half-way finished with college.  While the thought of getting closer to reaching such a huge milestone in life is exciting, I'm going to be honest and say that I do wish it would slow down a little.  Part of that is being thankful for what I have been able to experience at State, and I wanted to reflect upon the joys of sophomore year.  Warning: this is an extremely long blog post. I will not be offended if you give up reading halfway through :). But, it just goes to show how much I love my school and the opportunities I have been blessed with. Alrighty...buckle up and enjoy the ride of my sophomore year wrap-up!

Chi Omega Rush 2010

Roomies!

This was my first Rush to participate in as an active member. How exciting! Some girls like rush, others dread it. I happen to love it :).  I was blessed to have been chosen to be a performer for theme night, so pre-rush for me started on August 2nd, and Rush Week was completed on August 16....BID DAY!!! It was a day full of cowboy-themed fun, and a day to celebrate the awesome pledge class that we received.

My First Apartment 

For sophomore year, my parents granted me the privilege of moving in to my own apartment!  I lived with three amazing girls from my pledge class, and I'm so blessed to have gotten to do live life with them.  Chi Omega bid day was the 16th, move in day was the 17th, and classes started the 18th!  So we had to get adjusted quickly, but we (mainly Emily's mom and interior-decorating sister) tried to make our apartment a home.

Cabin Trips

Our form of a facial.

Emily, one of my roommates, has a lovely Mississippi hunting camp, complete with an awesome cabin.  We took a few trips there this year, the first one had me shooting a gun for the first time, the second resulted in a friendly mud-fight. Let's just say it was a nice escape to really make a girl feel country :).

I wasn't kidding about the gun thing. This was mid-shot, mid-kick.

A Week Full of Fun

Throw what you know!

The first week of September was one for the record books.  Started off with Boys Bid Day, then a Rave-themed Super Swap with Chi Omega, Sigma Chi, Kappa Delta, and Phi Delt. Next, Mississippi State defeated Memphis in football 49-7, and finally we finished off the week with a spontaneous trip to the beach. Does college have to end in 2 years? Because I prefer to stay a while.

Fashion Board Interviews

During the middle of September, an organization that I'm involved in called Fashion Board held it's annual try-outs. As a veteran member and the Hair and Makeup co-chairman, I got to conduct interviews! This was the first time I ever got to do something like this, and I appreciated the opportunity so much. It made me feel old!

Chi Omega Wish Week and Limelight

Us and our Motown Men :)

The last week in September, Chi Omega put on our first ever Wish Week on the campus of Mississippi State.  Due to the amazing hard work of our Philanthropy chair and her team, we were able to raise over $37,000 for Make a Wish!! We started the week off with our Kickoff event at the house, then had a kickball tournament, a 5K that Saturday, and Limelight the night before that. Limelight was a singing and dancing competition between other sororities and fraternities. It. Was. Amazing. Emily and I got to be Sig Ep's coaches, and those guys worked so hard. I can't wait for this coming semester!

Right after the reveal..so blessed!

Big Sis/Lil Sis

Even though I was in denial about being old enough to receive one, I FINALLY got my little sis in Chi Omega.  However, I feel like the term "big and little" does not even begin to describe our relationship anymore.  She has truly become one of my best friends, and I am so thankful to the Lord for bringing her into my life.  She was the first girl I talked to EVER during rush, my first owl pal on bid day, and then my little sis.  I prayed so hard for a close relationship with my little, and I got that and even more. I love you Christina!

 

Owl-O-Ween and Semi Formal

Two awesome date parties, with two awesome dates! Every other Halloween, Chi Omega has our Owl-O-Ween date party.  You and your date dress up as whatever you want. So naturally I was a cupcake and he was a baker...what else would we be? :)  A few weeks later in November, Chi O also put on the best semi formal EVER. The band was U.S. and the venue was State Theater, which proved to be an awesome combination. We had a blast!

 

Hull Hall Christmas Reunion

Right before Christmas Break and in the middle of finals, those of us girls that lived on the third floor of Hull Hall freshman year that remain close had a fun little reunion at my apartment. We cooked and ate dinner, baked and decorated Christmas cookies, and watched Elf. Very chill, very yummy, very much needed. 

Snow Days

We're pros.

This winter season in Starkville brought with it odds amount of the white fluffy stuff.  It's odd enough to see it home in Jackson, but having a lot of it 3 hours south is even more weird. All that to say, we weren't complaining a bit :). The best snow day memory was playing until 4 in the morning after finding out class was canceled the next day....huge trucks, sleds, and laundry baskets included.

 

Pinelake Starkville

After church-hopping my entire freshman year, I have finally found a home at Pinelake Starkville.  It is a satellite church, with the main campus in the Reservoir.  The best part is that I have been given the opportunity to serve in the Children's Ministry.  I am a large group leader for first-fifth grade, meaning I get to be an energetic face for the kids in the morning, lead some worship, and banter back and forth with my friend Hayley to create a a fun learning experience for the kids.  Pinelake launched on January 9th, and it has been such a blessing to me ever since! 

 

Chi Omega Public Relations

Our Derby Days banner!

In high school, I used to paint banners for cheerleading.  In college, sororities take sign-making and give it steroids.  I was overjoyed when I got the phone call that I was to be the Chi O Public Relations Chair for 2011.  Simply put, I'm the girl in charge of the signs.  To be honest, it has been more of a time commitment than I ever expected.  With that said. it had been so much more of an immense BLESSING than I ever expected.  I look forward to the late night hours in the basement that I spend painting and listening to K-Love.  I have an awesome committee, and I get to build relationships with amazing girls.  Random PR relationships can't be beat.  Here's an example of something that gets created in the Chi Omega PR world:

Chi Omega Cupcakes

On February 23, Chi Omega held Chi O Cupcakes, our fundraiser benefiting Make A Wish and the Palmer Home for Children.  Ruth, our newly slated Philanthropy Chair and great friend of mine worked really hard to put on a great event. It was very successful!  It kept my PR Committee very busy, and the whole night was very rewarding.

Roadrunner

At the beginning of March, I was blessed to be chosen to become an MSU Roadrunner.  Roadrunners are volunteer student recruiters.  We give tours, work preview days, orientations, and write postcards and make phone calls weekly.  I personally do not give tours yet, but I will be certified after my Roadrunner class this semester. The best part is the group of people that I get to work with.  They are leaders on campus and role models to me. I cannot wait to serve these next two years with them! 

Spring Break

For spring break this year, I got to go to the beach with my little sis Christina, and our friends Lura and Becca! We went to Destin, and stayed in the most amazing condo.  We enjoyed laying out on the beach, shopping, eating awesome food, and connecting with great friends that were also in Florida. It was an amazing trip!

Derby Days

After our performance!

Each year, Sigma Chi Fraternity puts on a dance/lip sync competition between sororities to raise money for their philanthropy, the Catch A Dream Foundation.  Also part of the week is the Derby Darlin, a basketball tournament, and the banner competition.  I got to perform in the routine, and as the PR Chair I was in charge of all of the props and the banner.  I can honestly say that the two weeks prior to April 2nd were the busiest of my life, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.  Chi Omega placed second in Derby Darlin, the basketball tournament, and lip sync, and we won banner :). It was such an amazing experience.

75th Anniversary

Before our rush skit!

On April 2nd, the same day as Derby Days, we had our banquet to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Phi Delta Chapter of Chi Omega at Mississippi State University.  That sounded really long and official, but basically the night was full of actives and alumni, even an 89 yr old, all coming together to celebrate the sorority that we love.  The National President of Chi O came to Starkville for the occasion, and we did rush skits through the ages to entertain the alumni.  Meg, our Alumni Relations Chair, and Mrs. Paige worked so hard on the night, and by the end of the banquet there was not a dry eye in the house. 

Lambda Sigma

Lambda Sigma Exec 2010-2011!

At the end of freshman year, I was excited to be chosen to be a member of Lambda Sigma, a sophomore honor society.  Then, while a member this past year, I was again excited to be elected Ritualist. Basically, I was in charge of the selection process for this coming year.  After months of preparation and weeks of going through applications and conducting interviews, we finally chose the impeccable new class, and they were initiated on April 7th.  And, I made such strong friendships along the way. 

Zac Brown Band

On April 14th, Zac Brown Band came to the amphitheater at MSU! The weather was perfect for an outdoor concert, and it was so awesome to have such great musicians on campus.

Chi Omega Formal

Not only was April 21st the last of day of classes at MSU, but it was also the night of our formal!  We celebrated the end of the year with a beautiful event in Tuscaloosa, complete with amazing food and a fun band.  Miller and I had a blast, and afterwards I got to travel home to spend the weekend in Jackson for Easter. Oh, and start studying for finals.  But those are long over now :).

If you're still reading at this point, congrats! You have much more stamina that I anticipated.  Thank you for reading about my past year, and sharing with me the excitement of having a summer to recharge and get ready for an even better junior year!

Becca

I got inspired.

Hey friends and family!

It's true, I have decided to start a blog!  I had always made excuses for not creating one, all while greatly admiring those that had.  I have numerous blogs that are bookmarked on my computer, ranging from sorority sisters to mentors from home.  Their blogs collectively make me laugh, encourage me, convict me, and make me feel connected while miles away at school.  While I don't expect my blog to do half of these things for anyone, I do hope that it allows people that I do not see everyday to still feel like they know what is going on in my life.  Specifically, neither of my parents have a Facebook (not sure if that is a good thing or bad thing), so they do not get to see pictures that I post throughout the semester or hear about everything that I am involved in as much as I know they would like to.  I figured that this is a fun way to fix that problem!  Plus, I have fun designing it too :)

After much brainstorming while at the beach (Shannon Stewart can take some credit!), I chose to name this blog "my blank canvas".   As you may or may not know, I am very passionate about art.  I hope to be able to help students discover the beauty of God's creation through art one day....or I guess in about two years...weird!  Anyway, as hectic as my life is during the school year, each day/week/month can be viewed as a work of art.  Some are perfect depictions of a beautiful flower, others may turn out to be one of those dark abstract paintings that honestly make no sense to me.  Either way, each time starts out as a blank canvas and gradually gets painted.  I want to let this blog be a way to share with you the painting process.  

I have just completed my sophomore year at Mississippi State University, and I am now home in Jackson, Tennessee for the summer.  So that is where my blog with begin!  (I'm also considering a "sophomore year in a nutshell" post, but we'll see). I have been blessed with the opportunity to be the youth intern at Fellowship Bible Church for the second summer in a row, so expect exciting news from that.  I will also be helping my mom with preparations to move into our new house, so there might be some home-improvement related posts.  And, those who know me well know that I can have some incredibly random thoughts, so those may jump in here too!  It should be a blast.

Under the title of my blog I have written Psalm 118:24.  While this verse is a very common one, I feel like it is such a beautiful way to look at our lives.  Each day we are given is a blessing.  Whether the schedule involves a fun road trip or a ridiculously hard history exam, we need to rejoice in the fact that we have just one more day to make a difference. To smile. To laugh. To encourage. To live.  Now, my closest friends know that I do not always have this all-star attitude that I'm writing about, but I'm trying.  But if everyone on earth at least tried, we would have a pretty cool place to call home.

I know that I am no pro when it comes to expressing myself with words.  I can't promise it will be eloquent or inspiring, but it will be me.  Me and my crazy, comical, joyful, colorful life.

Becca