e.m.c.

got my emc card in the mail!  my roomie kristin took a picture of me signing it...

for those of you who might not know "emc" stands for "equity member candidate".  i now have half the points i need to get my equity card.  

"i can do this, i can do anything!"

benji came down to visit me this past weekend and it was EPIC.  we had so much fun.  sunday afternoon we headed to vegas.  we spent some time walking around some of the hotels... including my favorite; the venetian...

we went window shopping for clothes that were way too expensive for our pocketbooks... like this HOT $1500 D&G jacket

that night we went to BRITNEY!!  she pretty much lip-synched the whole concert, but you can't help but worship her.  the concert was amazing!

as we were walking out of the concert we accidentally met these three fellas, who offered us a limo ride to a club where some britney peeps were partying after the concert.

coolest brother/sister combo. ever.

we met some new friends at the club... including lance bass from n'sync (don't judge, emily!)

...and a drag queen named syren or "scott", who is originally from SL

that night we slept in our FREE hotel room in mesquite (thank you tuacahn and "dixie direct") and woke up early the next morning to go jump out of a plane...

that's right... we went SKYDIVING!!!!!  we're pretty hardcore. coolest life experience EVER. i was the first out of our group of four to make the jump.  that meant that i was the one that hung off the side of the plane, for at least a minute before jumping, while the plane circled into position.  i was actually surprised by how calm i was.  so. much. fun!

 benji and i made a skydiving pact.  right before we jumped out of the plane, we both looked over our shoulders at the camera and yelled, "i can do this, i can do ANYTHING!" ...and we can.  and we will!

  we owe these guys our lives...

on the way back to st. george we got pulled over going 15 over on the freeway and the cop let us off!!!  i love us.  

everything's a little more fun when benji's around.  i can't wait 'till i visit benji in LA and he visits me in NY.  so many fun life adventures still to be had!!

...and it's all going to begin in the caribbean.  becca/benji life adventures to be continued...

coming up!

everyone keeps asking what my plans are after tuacahn.  things are still in the works, so i don't want to make an official announcement just yet.  it'll be coming soon!  but, here's a little hint:  it's going to take me around this...

i remember...

8 years ago today i was living in pennsylvania.  we walked from class period to class period in disbelief- eyes glued to the tv screens.  a few of my friends had fathers who were fire fighters.  they were sent immediately to ny to assist.  

i'll never forget the candle- light vigils in which i participated.  never forget the love i felt for my country.  never forget the tears i shed for the families and friends who lost loved ones.  today, i'm remembering...

my favorite little brother...

19 years ago today, a little guy was born and it changed my world.

his name is patrick james. pj... or, as i like to call him, squeege.

you've probably already heard of him.  he is, after all, a rock star.

seriously.  you're gonna wanna lick his vocal chords.  they're stupid.

squeege, it's your birthday!! 

 do you love it?....

here are a few simple reasons why i love pj:

1. he makes me laugh more than anyone else i know.  and he's constantly taking pictures that crack me up.  like this one taken on the top level of a double decker tour bus in nyc...

2. wherever pj goes, he always makes friends with the classiest people...

3. no matter where we go or what we end up doing, we always end up taking crazy pictures...

4. pj helps me reach higher heights than i ever thought possible...

5.  we're both destined to take this place by storm...

can't you tell?

squeege, i think i've told you before but i don't think you'll ever understand that you're one of my favorite people on this planet!  

i still remember how excited i was for you to be born.  mom was HUGE when she was pregnant with you.  she used to write checks on her beach ball-sized belly.  

you were the cutest little boy.  you had so much energy.  you used to run into walls, i could see you processing how much it hurt, and then you'd surprise me by laughing instead of crying!

i used to look at you when you were little and wonder what you were going to be like when you grew up.  i wondered what you would look like and what kind of things you'd enjoy doing.

i can't believe that you're already 19 and more talented and handsome than i ever imagined.  (wow, handsome?  am i your g-ma?  lets just admit it in 2009 laman's terms... you're a little hottie!)

pj, i'm so proud of you.  i'm proud to be your big sister.  i'm proud of your talents.  i'm proud of the way that you use them to inspire people. 

 but most of all, i'm proud of who you are as a person.  when you came out of the womb, 11lbs 11oz. with full-on muscles and went around running into walls as a toddler, i knew you were going to be a strong boy.  but i never realized you'd grow up to be one of the strongest, most courageous people i know.  i love that about you.

one of my favorite things about you is that you have a HUGE heart.  you're always the one to snuggle up to the brother/sister/friend who you know is hurting.  you'll risk getting in trouble with mom and dad for spending too much on their credit card just to treat your friends to dinner.  or spend an entire paycheck on me or gretchen to buy us something you know we'll love.  and our nieces can't get enough of or say enough about their uncle pj.  they love you because they can feel how much you love them.

you will always be my favorite little brother.  and that has nothing to do with the fact that you're my ONLY little brother. :)

i love you, squeege!!

HAPPY 19th BIRTHDAY!

you're going to do amazing things.  that's just who you are.  and i can't wait to be there to see all of them.  

dream big!

and "stare at the blank page before you... the rest is still unwritten..."

rock stars

i'm friends with a whole bunch of rock stars.  here's a shout-out to just a few of my musical theatre rock-star friends:

tay tay is about to open the broadway revival of finnian's rainbow (http://www.playbill.com/news/article/131796-Complete_Casting_Announced_for_Broadway%27s_Finian%27s_Rainbow_Revival)

kevin is about to be part of one of one show in the 1st national tour of wicked

the brilliance that is presty sadlier is a part of mrs. sharp (http://www.playbill.com/news/article/131556-Krakowski_Is_Mrs._Sharp_in_Musical_Torn_from_Headlines)

and this beautiful human being... cy bird... is about to go out on the national tour of annie

i'm so proud of and excited for you all.  loves!!!!  

dream big!

biker gang...

i've always thought motorcycle gangs were pretty lame.  or maybe just a little intimidating.  i guess i've always been confused  by their lifestyle on the road and why it is they ride so dang close to each other cross country.

tonight james and tyrell (two of the crew boys) left the theatre on their motorcycles at the same time as me.  we rode most of the way home all together.  it was so fun.  exhilarating, even.  and then i realized... i am totally a proud member of the tuacahn biker gang. 

i love being a biker chick... even if i only ride a scoot scoot.