just a little Tuesday morning ramble...

The other day I had a plan. I was going to fly back to Austin, be at my car by 9 PM,go grocery shopping, and get to bed early just to be ready for a full day of teaching 1st grade.

Well,first off, I almost didn't make the plane. Who knew there would be a wreck on the interstate in Memphis? not us. So, I was literally RUNNING through the airport to make the flight, only to realize it was delayed. Then I landed in Dallas. I saw where my flight to Austin was 'delayed' with no new departure time listed. I was hopeful as I headed over to Chilis to grab a bite to eat. Even after I left and saw where it was still just 'delayed' I was still hopeful that 'delayed' only meant by thirty minutes. Well, 4 whole hours later, we were finally in line to leave for Austin-only to find that there was no plane and no crew to get us there. Long story short, I made it to Austin a mere 5 hours after I was supposed to- in quite a cantankerous mood and in no shape to go to the grocery. Instead I crawled into bed and relished in the luxurious 4 hours of sleep I was given until my alarm went off.

So yes,I hit the day unprepared. Unprepared in the sense that I had nothing to wear for a rainy day,unprepared in the sense that I had no lunch food, unprepared in the sense that I was running on 4 hours of sleep and a nagging feeling that maybe I'd just rather be back in Memphis lazing around my cozy,familiar house.

So my plan, well it didn't quite go according to plan. And as I type this, I realize that things rarely do.

What I do think about and laugh out loud at is a time not too,too long ago when something similar happened to me. It was summer after junior year(high school), I was young and dumb in the way of things not going according to plan. I was headed back from a trip to Destin and leaving for a mission trip the very next day. My plane got delayed in Atlanta. ENTER MELTDOWN. I mean I just melted right on down. I wasn't going to make the mission trip,I probably would never make it home. It was To the point where I was heaving sobs. Some random woman in the airport bathroom had to pull me out of the stall and put a paper bag on me. Okay,maybe NOT REALLY, but I think she would of if she had known me better. You see at that point I didn't realize that life isn't something we control. So when it was not in my control I had an attack of gigantic proportions. Of course I made it back,of course I made the mission trip, but I want to kick the Mary Ennis of that day and introduce her to the Mary Ennis of today. The other night, when I found out my flight may or may not leave until the morning...what do you think I did? I did what any self respecting girl at my age and stage would do-I bought a diet coke,a candy bar and the latest Vanity Fair to hold me over until someone in the airport world decided my fate for the evening. I watched the Colts game and was screaming at the tv right along with all the men(talk about not in the life plane!). I just dealt. I dealt knowing that these things happen and the axis would probably twirl on if I had to catch the morning flight. In other words, I've grown up a little about this plan thing.

It's funny because I was going through old photos at home this weekend(home is and will always be wherever my parents are!). I couldn't help looking at them and remembering the plans I had when I was in 9th grade,in college, 2 years after college. My life looks nothing like the way I had planned. Nothing. And I can honestly say as I sit here in my brightly colored,single girl apartment that I can't imagine loving my life more. No,I didn't run away and marry my 9th grade boyfriend(as was the plan...special thanks to the girl that saved me from that life!),I didn't end up being the head buyer for Neiman Marcus(which was the plan in college),heck, I didn't even end up a flight attendant. I ended up in Austin,TX. Single,with a teaching degree I hadn't 'planned' on and can't seem to find a way to use,confused,excited,yet very hopeful about all things that the future holds.

I didn't plan on being friends with people like the people I am friends with. I didn't plan on liking the 'kinds' of boys I like. But I am,and I do. And so what. These people are my family here. They are the people who buy me toilet paper when my mom isn't here to,pick me up when my car won't start,listen to me have a small meltdown when things aren't going as 'planned',invite me into their homes for dinner,and just are there. For whatever. Whether it's a night out,a night in,a road trip,a pool dip,or an airport ride. These people weren't in my plan, but I can't imagine life without them. So maybe my life didn't go according to plan,but so what? It's better!

So much like I was unprepared for the day,when these big plans change, I tend to just be generally unprepared for them also. But what I've learned is that you just roll with it. You do what you have to do and make the best of every step along the way. I think that's the only way to handle being unprepared...kick into high gear and focus on what you have,what you can do,and the people around that are there to cheer you on,comfort you and love you.


Sure,we make plans. We try and make good decisions and orchestrate things the best we can, but things change,people change,plans change,life changes. And we can either flow with it, or curl up into the fetal position and refuse to go on. Which doesn't sound all that appealing to me. Or you either. That is just not living our best life.


So the one thing I know for sure about plans is that they change. And that's about the only 'plan' you can be sure of!

well,I can't beg you to stay or come back because obviously i've become a post-slacker. what I can tell you is that I have so many blogs in my head that I can't make sense of them, but it's all becoming clearer-so if you want to keep checking back-you might just get something.

most importantly and the reason I am posting BEFORE SCHOOL ON A MONDAY is to tell it to my blog world that I have a new niece Lyla June. She is is almost 7 months and she is just as perfect as she can be. perfect I tell ya. just perfect. did I mention she is precious,sweet,beautiful and my dad has already declared her a 'smart little thing.' She knows how to feed herself-which at the young age of 7 months is quite an accomplishment and all the more proves that she is an Ennis. We figure out eating young and quick. :) So now you'll get to be hearing about her. yay for John,yay for us! yay for new life!!

So that is the exciting news around the Ennis family of late. So glad I got to finally share it with the masses. ha!

On a different note,I almost went to school with that little sticker still on my new teacher khaki pants. Lovely.

I'm going to find some coffee and some third graders.

I'll be back soon!

you're probably not allowed to do this,but...

I am posting the words to one of my very favorite books...'oh,the places you'll go'

as I was reading it the other night with some kiddos- I couldn't help thinking how true it is...he kind of covers everything that happens in life-not specifically- but you know-the basics of life like succeeding, being confused, ending up in a Lurch and then finding your way out or being in that waiting place or being alone. I just think it covers life-and it's quite applicable. and until I have time to ponder the things going on in my life and put them on paper-this is what you get! so, even though my dad would make fun of me for saying this next word...

enjoy!!

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there
in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.

OH!
THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don' t
Because, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.

You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.

And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both you elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...

...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a sting of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO!
That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,
once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you're that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. there are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don't.
Because, sometimes, they won't.

I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you'll be quite a lot.

And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go
though the weather be foul
On you will go
though your enemies prowl
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike
and I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.

You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3 / 4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!

happy birthday dear bubs

it's my bubs birthday!! yay! happy birthday to my favorite bubs! sad I couldn't be with the fam to celebrate(v sad the fam didn't invite me on family vacay!! haha)!

the list of what I love about my bubs is long and detailed, but I did think of a favorite story tonite after I got off the phone with him!!

the summer before I left for college, he took me to see Legally Blonde. Now, if you don't know my bubs or any of my other brothers, this is not a big deal-but if you do-you realize that this is huge. and sweet. so super sweet. and he did it without complaining. which is exactly how he is.

that same summer he also took me to Jims Place for lunch. he is truly wonderful! not just because he takes me to girly movies or to my favorite restaurant because he is THOUGHTFUL about everything.he's just the kind of boy any girl would be very lucky to marry.

so happy birthday my bubs! I LOOOOOOOOOOVE YOU SO!

apologies,apologies

life got a little nuts for a couple of weeks with school starting back and all! but yes,I'm coming back...check back a little later!! I promise there will be something here!!!

part of a day in the life...

Well,I traveled to Memphis this weekend for to co-host with my mom a shower for my best friend,Cassie. It was great to see her and everyone else and it's always great to be home for a bit.(more on that later!) Anyways,once again I chronicled a little bit of the set up and will now share it with you for lack of anything else to say-but want of keeping you reading.

Just to put it in perspective...I worked hard cutting food inside...while dad got to get out his favorite tool, the Husqvarna(sp??) and go to town on some branches or something? I really think that working with that thing is as therapeutic as going for a walk is for me. So I'm glad when he does it, which is not to say that I don't make fun of the look in his eye when he cranks her up!



John worked hard, hard,hard all day and I just caught him wheelbarrowing around...but really folks...he worked hard. real hard. just like always. being a hard worker is a good,good thing.



while Ali kept close tabs on all the goings on...


Mom paid great attention to detail...



per usual...

and she was keeping Austin weird. we won't get into how attached she is to that shirt...

and in her spare time, she made this cake and a million other desserts as well as the main dish and cleaned the house and everything else she does. She is supermom,superhost,superwoman,supergrams...



but what did I do you ask? I cut these...



and almost got killed in a loss of power steering incident. But after it happened, I barely mentioned it at all. RIIIIIIIIGHT! Just ask m and D.

All in all it was a great weekend filled with family,laughing,almost meeting my maker,and good friends...



and a weekend like that is a good weekend indeed.

on a side note...I did feel a little bit like my mom the weekend before when I taught Elizabeth how to bake a cake and icing from scratch.



and with that of course I taught her the most important baking rule of all time-test anything yummy before you cook it-strictly to make sure it isn't poisonous...:)

ha to the ha ha ha ha ha

this photo was given to me...PRINTED OUT AT 5x7 size and suggested that my parents might want to frame it in the house.

thanks but no thanks.

no bathing suit photos framed after the age of 5 please.

thanks.

I can just hear my mom now, 'and this is our daughter,Mary...

isn't she cute in an awkward and ill-fitting nanny friendly leisure suit with more sand in the suit than is necessary.'

no.

hello,hello

i've been off the radar.

you know the drill.

had to submit something for school and work on job applications?

apparently, after college AND after grad school you're supposed to get a job?

who knew???

just kidding.

I did.

I'm back on the radar now though.

check back soon!! :)

the beach

So folks, as most of you know I'm at the beach! There are so many things I could write about, but really...I am exhausted. Maybe because of the 4 hours I spent jumping waves with the kids, or the 2 we spent working on a sandcastle(the worlds most amazing ever as Elizabeth called it!), or the 45 minute bike ride we took around the resort-whatever it is...I am worn out!! But it's the best kind of worn out I've been in awhile! I like it-when I'm jumping waves, or building sandcastles, or throwing the football with Jordan...I just don't think of any other trouble in the world...and for a week-is that such a bad thing? I think not. I can't remember the last time I let a kid bury me in the sand or the last time I ran around chasing seagulls... but I do know I love it. So I will soak up these next couple of days -because weeks like this, as we all know-are pretty few and far between!

temporary decisions

a good friend recently told me that there is "nothing as permanent as a temporary decision." I loved this quote, and, at the time, it made all the sense in the world to me. But lately, I've been thinking...is it really all that bad to make day by day decisions. Do things really have to be so decided and final? Should everything in my crazy 26 year old life be so intentional and calculated.

well,yes. I believe that it does. You see I have been talking to a couple of friends lately about this exact thing. Or kind of. You see when I first heard this quote-I took it one way, but after these conversations...I see it very differently.

An example: girl meets boy. girl likes boy, but isn't so sure that she like looooves boy. or vice versa. this is a random example folks. follow along please. anyways,she decides that for now...there is no one else she'd rather be dating so she'll just date him for now until something else, something better, or something more 'firework-sy' comes along. So this is a temporary decision. But let's just say that this relationship becomes comfortable and hard to get out of. Or let's say that another relationship was missed out on just because this temporary 'thing' that really wasn't going anywhere turned into 7 years. And then 7 years later, it's like why don't we just get married because that seems the thing to do after 7 years. And then that decision wasn't so temporary was it? I mean either way...getting married or not-it was still more than just a temporary decision-it kinda affected the whole course of life. Didn't it? :)

And let me pause for a sec to agree with you that THAT is life. I mean it's living,learning,making mistakes,figuring it out,making another mistake,repeat,repeat,repeat. This I know for sure. But something else I know for sure is that there are little things to do,steps to take to ensure that your life doesn't just turn into a merry-go-round of coulda,shoulda,wouldas or I wish I'd-a's!!

Another example, on a different note. Say you're stuck in a job. A job you don't care for at all and dread going to each and every day. (pause for me to note that NO ONE is going to wake up EVERY SINGLE day of their life and bound out of bed singing showtunes about going to work-what I'm talking about is a love and belief that you're work is meaningful.) But the thing is, you know the job. it's comfortable. you know the people. so you'll stay for...oh,let's say...another year. A temporary decision. And then next year comes and it's comfortable and waaaay too much work to look for another job- so you just stay until 5 more years have passed and you still wake up hating your job each and every day. And then 10 more years and you know the drill. it's kind of become a permanent decision.

Now,I could get on a soapbox about all kinds of examples here, but I'm going to refrain. Another good friend recently gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my head every since...'you can always go back and say more, but you can never take back what you already said.' so with that thought in mind, I'll let you conjure up in your own head some more examples...my point is just that life has a way of slipping by on cruise control if you don't make it your business to make sure you make the most of it!

it kind of reminds me of the song "he went to paris." now, this is one of my favorites-so if you've never heard it-stop reading and go listen or google lyrics immediately.

The way the song ends is a man talking about his life saying 'some of it's magic and some of it's tragic, but I had a good life all the way.' And I agree with this, life is good. And if you stay with that person out of comfort or that job out of comfort,or whatever... that doesn't mean your life is a failure. Not at all. It doesn't mean it's bad.

it's just not enough for me. And if you are being honest with yourself-it's probably just not enough for you either.

I think I want more than a good life. I want a great life. Scratch that...I want a phenomenal life. I'm talking one for the record books. To look back and know that I made the most of every opportunity and second that was offered to me. I do wish I had someone reminding me of this when I take 4 hour naps somedays-but as we've previously learned...life happens.

So I do believe that life has to be pretty calculated. Not over-planned , just well thought out. I'm the first to agree and AMEN the fact that life rarely ever goes as planned. But it shouldn't mean that we should settle for anything less than what we want or deserve. I also realize that you can't have everything you want, and sometimes wants change-but I do know that you're never happy until you know you've given it-whatever it may be- your best college try.

Nothing happens until you decide. I heard that somewhere recently and it's stuck with me like the last 10 pounds of my Italian adventure.

So I decide what it is I want and what it is I'm okay with. Life's too short to not be treated the way I deserve and life's too short to settle. For anything. In a marriage, in a job, in a friendship that isn't positive, or in a place that I don't like(not referring to Austin...I do loooooove Austin). And this concept can be applied to so many things. Life really is just too short. Why should I waste a minute of it being unhappy? When I have the ability to change that circumstance? (again,life is real...full of ups,downs,and turn arounds and circumstances you can't change-but I'm speaking of the things in our control).

And it's unfortunate-but it does seem that temporary decisions have an eerie trait of becoming permanent ones. Sometimes that's a good thing, often it's a bad thing.

**I recently visited my brother and his family. We were up late one night talking and I was asking his advice about something and he said, 'it's like I read in a golf book recently..."never go to dinner with bad putters".' People rub off on you. you rub off on people. So take this two ways. Don't hang with people who rub the wrong things off on you and be the person that rubs good things off on people. Does that make sense? I hope so. It's not really applicable to the rest of this-but it's good advice. Why would you ever want to be around someone who 'brings you down' so to speak? That's not part of the phenomenal life you deserve.

My point here is just as simple as this. There are many things in life that are out of our control. There are many however, that we have good control over. Decisions you make today affect things that happen tomorrow. Like it or not. Life is fluid. It's up,down,sideways,backwards and usually surprising. it's just always changing. Deciding something because it seems okay 'today' doesn't mean it's the best thing for 'tomorrow.' And those of you that know me know that I'm a very 'carpe diem' kind of girl. I say order dessert...heck order two(I did tonite!),go skydiving,laugh too much and too loud,dance with reckless abandon,do things like that-heck...get the tattoo. That's permanent-but not the same kind of permanent I'm talking about.(okay,don't get one on your head...). But I also think it's important to be mindful of some decisions. figure out what you don't want,what's not okay-and don't ever get to a place where you decide that it is okay...even just for 'now.' 'now' today turns into 'now' tomorrow turns into the rest of your precious life. figure out what you want. Do everything you can(within reason) to try and get it. Don't settle for a life you don't want. But, if you don't get every little thing you want, learn to be happy anyway. Just don't let life slip away and then wish that you would have waited a little bit longer instead of settling for this or for that. Make sure your temporary turned permanent decisions are ones you are happy with and proud of. neither of us deserve any less.

And trust me ...I need to be reminded of this almost minutely.

praise the Lord and pass the milkshake.