Thursday, May 28, 2009

MY NEW ERA

I believe it was an episode of Friends that taught me that an era is any significant amount of time. It could be a semester of classes, ten seasons of a great show, Springtime, the time you spend working at a certain job, the years you live at home, or even how long you spend crammed into a car driving with your family around the state. In my life I've had many eras. There were the years I spent in the era of living at home, the three years I spent in the era of high school, the summer eras spent with my best friend, the era of Jr. High, the era of childhood, the era of my Gilmore Girl Obsession, the eras spent with certain boys, the era of growing up and so many more.


The era I've been pondering the most lately though is the one that I feel is currently coming to a close- it is the Era of Great Change...


Because 1 picture tells 1,000 of these words I keep tying I'm going to put my great love of pictures to use and try to remember this Era that is now ending. It was only one year. But I never knew a year could be so long, so hard, contain so much change, hurt so bad, teach so much, hold so many tears, bring so many people into my life, and take me from who I was to who I am.


A year ago....


It was an Era that began with endings, that started with a finish...





It was an era that involved exploring new, exciting things and places, and forced me to make some changes....


That taught me that beauty exists in many different forms, and that real beauty is being able to spot it...




It was an era that forced me to go out into the world as an individual for the first time, and learn who it is I really am...






It was an era where I learned how to face and experience loss and hurt as I've never felt before
Where I learned to put on a smile and more importantly to admit when I couldn't do it alone...
An era where I made plenty of mistakes, but learned from each step I took...



An Era where I said goodbye to so many, but at the same time had new friends settle into my heart...


An era where I was reminded what really matters in this life, and how we achieve that...




An era of moving, settling, and moving again, but through the moving learning to appreciate the place called home...

An era where I came full circle, yet will never made it back to where I started...


The girl I see in the mirror now doesn't recognise the one in pictures staring back. I've gained pounds, and shed tears. I've lost friends, and found ones I feel like I've always known. There were days I couldn't get out of bed and face life, but for every one of those there were seconds of laughter where I remembered why I keep going. There were classes and life experiences where I learned more than I will in any class. It was an era full of dreams in the day and the night that came true, of prayers cried, uttered, whispered, spoken, sung and thought that always were answered and of conversations with those here, and gone that were always heard. It was without a doubt the hardest year of my life, but because I made it through I will never be the same...
And, who knows what the next era will bring, but if it turns out to be twice as hard as the past one, I know that I can make it through...



Sunday, May 17, 2009

A Marathon of Thoughts

My battery is going to die, very soon, like 38 minutes soon! So I can't take time to be a perfectionist or import pictures and if this gets really down to the wire I may have to even cut my dear best friend spell check from the process. So.. here it goes.. Whats been on my mind lately... In less than 37 minutes and using only a words I'm positive I know how to spell. Ok-on your mark, get set, GO: Why is it that shows have to end with cliff hangers? Why can't they all just end with lovely songs about oh I don't know, a kidney? The world would be a much better place, and my sister and I wouldn't be crying on a Thursday night. Don't know what I'm talking about-you are missing out!! (youtube it- 30 rock give a kidney-I would link but due to a much needed text message and a yummy cake I'm down to 34 minutes!) Next, why are there no seasons of Friends at the library except for the one's I already have? Seriously did everyone just go and decide that all of a sudden they wanted to watch the funniest television show ever on the same day? Hello people I'm sick, like lay around all day watching TV sick, and therefore deserve to watch the one show that NEVER fails to get a laugh from me, just ask my roommate Rachelle, lets just say it's no use wearing headphones when you laugh as loud and as often as I do. Don't feel sorry for me though, I put em all on hold! (Are you now craving to watch it? If so thewb.com puts seven new episodes up every Monday. New as in different from the week before, obviously! Check it out!) Next, I'm really loving our new garden! Mom and Dad, you did AMAZING-sorry I wasn't so much help, but really, it looks beautiful! There is something about new flowers planted and blooming that really makes me smile! Something else that makes me smile-random text messages from dear friends telling me what I know and have always known but forgot to remember now that it's applicable and have forgotten to remember for a long time. Thanks for reminding me :) Also on my mind is how much I love these great new kleenexes I bought (there is one of those spell check needed words! Is it kleenexes or kleenex? I just don't know!) They are Puffs with lotion and Vicks and every time I go to blow my nose(which has been like seven million times a day since Wed) I forget about the Vicks and it's like the Hallelujah chorus going on in my head! Seriously one of the most amazing feelings! Love it! Ok, 24 minutes now! Where does the time go? Speaking of time, tomorrow at 9:00 am I become a working woman! Thats right I start my job tomorrow(probably with a box of Puff's with Vicks in my purse) and I can't wait! I have really loved spending my days laying around watching ANTM and doing such things as double-feature-movie-day with my mom, and driving to the ghetto for lunch with my dad but I'm excited to have something to do. Now, ask me how I feel at the end of the day tomorrow and it may be different! As for now-I'm very excited! Also exciting is the book I just read by Kristen Chenoweth. Very interesting life and no matter how much her speaking voice can bug me at times, I really admire her faith. Reading it reminded me of how when opportunities, trials or events impact our life, the Lord always makes up the difference. Her book reminded me of that but where I've really noticed that lately is in my own life, and in the life of my grandparents. Throughout there lives there were losses, but no matter what happened or changed, the difference was made up because of their faith, through our Heavenly Father. He is always there to help us, and really that has been the most important thing on my mind lately. So as I ponder this, and the warning little arrow thing at the bottom of my screen tells me my battery life is waining, I'm off to bed. Excited to see what tomorrow brings, and grateful for the help that I will undoubtedly receive from him.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Dear Mom:

Mom, Mother, Hero, Best Friend, Chauffeur, Chef, Audience, Biggest Fan, Lunch Date, Fashion Consultant, Personal Assistant, Entertainer, Chocolate-sharer.....


No matter what role you play, you do it with all you have. You're always there for me, and I love and appreciate you more than I can say! I hope your Mother's Day and has been memorable and that you feel our love for you in all you do!


PS-Happy Birthday Mom! I hope it's been all you could wish for!

Friday, May 1, 2009

For the Beauty of the Earth


For the beauty of the skies

For the love which from our birth



over and around us lies


For the beauty of each hour


of the day and of the night



hill and vale, and tree and flower
Sun and moon and stars of light

Lord of all to thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise