Tradition Continues...

Roommate number nine just got engaged! So excited for her. What  I have heard....

"Seriously?"


"Oh my gosh you are living that movie!"


"Joyful, you are kidding me!" 


And these are just a few of the comments I've gotten! Looking for roommate number 10! :)

xoxo

Choices....

Recently I have been in a place of making a major decision that could have a huge impact on my life. The choice to move to St. Andrews for four months to work for my Dad. I realize this is an amazing opportunity, and that I do have the freedom to just pick up and leave in this stage of my life. However, I have a few concerns. Maybe it is just fear I don't know....I'm just trying to look at it from every angle. I think the transition of going there would be easy, but then I think about coming home to Houston. Would that be easy? I do think short term it is the best choice for me but in the long term I'm just not sure. 

I do however feel as if The Lord is preparing me for a huge change in my life. If that be to move cities or not I am still seeking. I do know I have lived in Houston ever since moving back from Scotland & even though I am not a real fan of change I don't think it would necessarily be a bad thing. (I can hear the gasps or the "told you so" from the people who know me best) I know that The Lord is faithful, but I just can't help but think there is a reason He is closing all these doors in Houston. Maybe, just maybe it is to move me. After talking to my Dad I know that I have to make this choice quickly because he wants me there in two weeks. Two weeks....yikes! I will keep y'all posted but would so appreciate your prayers in the decision making process. I will see my Dad one more time before he goes back to St. Andrews to talk it out but maybe, just maybe I'm supposed to step through the open door in faith and see what The Lord does in me through this change. 

My Favorite Place!

Or at least one of them is St. Andrews, Scotland. My Dad owns a place there called The Dunvegan Hotel so it is very special to my heart. This summer I had the opportunity to visit during The 2010 Open (British Open) and let me tell y'all it was so much fun! I had the time of my life and met tons of amazing people that I will never forget for the rest of my life! Plus for a single girl it's not so bad of a place to be! If I had to guess I would say the ratio of guys to girls was around 20:1....and even that friends may be a little low! One night a guy tapped me on the shoulder and said "Do you realize your the only girl in the pub?" See what i mean by a great place for the single gals? My favorite memory from The Open would have to be the night my crush walked through the doors...

Be still my beating heart! The town had not picked up yet because it was still a few days before practice rounds were scheduled to start so it was a slower night at The Dunvegan when Dustin walked in with this caddie. Once again I was the only girl in the pub that night (oh darn) and after a quick introduction from my Dad they invited me to join them. Excuse me did I hear you correctly? Did you just ask me to sit down at your table? Oh yes, he did! This is not a dream Joy, this is for real! (AHHHHH!)  As I answered "yes" I could feel my face turning about 10 shades of red I was forced to give myself a little pep talk. "Get it together Joy, he's a normal person who just happens to swing the golf club really, really well. He's just like anybody else." So I did. I sat down in the corner booth and enjoyed an evening with the guy I had watched on TV and dreamed about meeting on my trip! See--St. Andrews is the perfect place for a single girl during The Open! So great that you might even get to hang out with your celebrity crush for a couple of hours. 

That's what's so great about St. Andrews. The golfers just blend in. They are "normal people" I met so many other famous golfers that week and made tons more memories but this one by far took the cake! I can't wait to go back to my favorite place really, really soon to make many more memories. The home of golf is a place that is undesirable. You'll have to experience it yourself just to get a feel of just how special it is!

On The Swilcan Bridge

First and 18th hole with the R&A in the background

My Daddy & I

Midnight Tour of Old Tom's Grave with Jim Nantz 

"The King" Arnold Palmer

These two couples adopted me as their "daughter the week and half they were there

Dustin and my Stepmom...I was trying to play it "cool" so I didn't' ask for a picture....epic fail!

Bye, Bye Scotland...sad the tournament was over

Bieber Fever!!

After this weekend I get it. I do. I get Bieber Fever! I went to see Never Say Never and it was so good. I  Y'all I'm not even kidding--I loved it! He seems like such a humble kid who does so much for his fans that are devoted to him! I was a HUGE NSYNC fan back in the day but not anything close to Justin's fans. They. Are. Crazy.  I loved how the movie depicted his journey to where he is today--it didn't come easy and proves that if you work hard to achieve it your dreams they can come true! Go see this movie you will not be disappointed!! The first words out of my mouth were "I love him!" I do. I want to be his Big Sister and take him under my wing. (not that he needs it!) Oh, and one more thing... if you are wondering to yourself "Am I too old?" The answer is No! You will love it and not loose any cool points in the process--promise!

My Crush!

And people think I'm weird for liking the sport of golf! Um hello this guy is reason enough for me! Friends let me introduce you to Dustin Johnson. The newly single 26 year old PGA Tour professional from South Carolina! Isn't he just dreamy?  Believe me when I say that when he walked into The Dunvegan Hotel a few days before The Open started I was beyond thrilled! Not only is he tall, dark, & handsome but a complete southern gentleman as well!  So if anyone is up for attending a golf tournament with me this season just let me know. And oh, if you have his phone number that could help to-hey, a girl can dream can't she? 

The Inspiration!

 Tonight I went on a date. A blind date. I've never done one of those before so to say it was interesting is an understatement.

Here is a list of my Top 10 awkward moments from the phone call leading up to tonight & the date!

We'll start with the phone call....
1. "I want to date your Dad" Seriously? Don't worry folks that was just five minutes into the conversation!
2. "The fact that you like golf makes up for many of the strikes you've gotten against you tonight" Was that supposed to be funny because it wasn't.
3. "You haven't been playing golf since you were little? Then I would crush you." How sweet.  

I thought first impressions were important however in this case apparently not! But don't worry folks it just gets better....

The Date....
4. "So what's wrong with you?" Wow. I'm 29 years old and single. There is nothing wrong with me.
5. "I'm a runner. I run because I want to keep myself from getting fat & from getting man boobs." Yes, he said man boobs.
6. "Nerd Alert!" His response to me telling him I was in choir growing up.
7. " Can our second date be in St. Andrews, Scotland? No? So how about the third? Still no? Well, you never know how far you can get unless you ask!"  Sorry there isn't going to be a second date.
8. "I think I found your name tag..." As he's dropping a packet of sugar in front of me.
9. "So, you're a typical girl..." And that's a bad thing because....
10. The best moment had to be when we said goodbye. I went in for the side hug. He went for the full frontal. It was awkward and we definitely did some side to side dodging for a good minute or so.

Don't get me wrong. He was a really nice guy there was zero chemistry. This date definitely will go in the books and be laughed about for a long time....thanks for laughing with me!

Here we go...

So I was talking to my good friend Brittany about a date that I went on tonight and she encouraged me to blog about it! I mean we laughed. We laughed really, really hard. So why not write about it to so you can laugh right along with me!

 Going to a Baptist University where the phrase "Ring by Spring" is a reality me being 29 and gasp single can be quiet strange to some people. I mean the guy I went out with tonight had the audacity to ask "What's wrong with you?" Um really? Really guy? Did you seriously just ask me that? Strike one. My next blog will be about that-the date that inspired this blog! Here are some facts about me....

• The title is almost a reality-I've been in 14 weddings. A family that I'm close with calls me 27 Dresses just for fun!
• I've gone through 6 roommates in the past few years. The majority of them have been single when they move in.  I guess I'm a "lucky charm"
• I'm not old!
• There is nothing wrong with me-I just don't believe in settling!

So here we go. I hope you guys enjoy my stories and laugh along this twenty something Texas girls journey to find love!