My best friend moved to Australia this past weekend, the land Steve Irwin (RIP), giant spiders, and toilet snakes. It's also the land of sand, surf, and sexy accents, not that she'll be much seduced by them, as she moved there with her sweet husband.
It's a time of transition indeed for so many of my friends and loved ones.
For Kira, it's a time of, "Good Lord, finally!!!" Tyler's job has him on the go and away from her for months at a time. Moving to Australia will enable them to be like a real life married couple.
The next three years are going to bring her so many incredible, life-altering experiences, probably a horrible partial accent, and gobs on gobs of joy.
It'll also be difficult: "How do I make new friends?" "Where do I start looking for a job?"
It'll be wonderful, it'll be lonely, it'll be worth it.
I think that's one thing I'm really starting to learn. Wonderful, lonely, and worth it are kind of integral to "new". It's hard to forge new paths in your life. It's especially hard to do that while forcing yourself to choose against remembering, rehashing, recreating the old paths in your head, wishing old things were back, even if you didn't really like them or benefit from them.
They're familiar.
You know how they work.
If they didn't work, you know how to fix them now.
The choices in front of you are all unknown and scary and different.
Maybe better, maybe worse, but definitely full of maybes.
Showing posts with label Kira. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kira. Show all posts
Monday, April 6, 2015
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Apropos
I believe in you readers. You know that word is "ahpp-roah-proah" and not "a-pro-pros", a kitchy short for "appropriate".
Now that that vocab lesson is covered, onto the real business at hand: the bestie.
Travel season brought me straight into the apartment of my best friend of 7 years: Miss Hannah Lee Kira Kramer. :)
I get to stay with her and Bijou (wee pup) and then drive to Tulsa with her on Thursday.
The last time we had a chance to be with one another truly was on my birthday this past January, which was a miracle in and of itself. The next time I came home from NI for her wedding to Tyler.
Now, 10 months later, we finally get some time to just be with one another.
And, granted, we are exhausted and not very exciting to be around, but that's more than we have gotten in a really long time.
Out of my tight little circle of best friends, K is the one I spend the most time in communication with, whether it be through pins sent to one another on pinterest or texting about our future dream of opening a coffee shop with one another.
The design process is pretty complex; we're pretty dead set on accomplishing this before we die, and also of living together when we're old and our husbands have gone on to the great big coffee shop in the sky.
It's a beautiful thing we've got going.
Now that that vocab lesson is covered, onto the real business at hand: the bestie.
Travel season brought me straight into the apartment of my best friend of 7 years: Miss Hannah Lee Kira Kramer. :)
I get to stay with her and Bijou (wee pup) and then drive to Tulsa with her on Thursday.
The last time we had a chance to be with one another truly was on my birthday this past January, which was a miracle in and of itself. The next time I came home from NI for her wedding to Tyler.
Now, 10 months later, we finally get some time to just be with one another.
And, granted, we are exhausted and not very exciting to be around, but that's more than we have gotten in a really long time.
Out of my tight little circle of best friends, K is the one I spend the most time in communication with, whether it be through pins sent to one another on pinterest or texting about our future dream of opening a coffee shop with one another.
The design process is pretty complex; we're pretty dead set on accomplishing this before we die, and also of living together when we're old and our husbands have gone on to the great big coffee shop in the sky.
It's a beautiful thing we've got going.
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Sunday, March 2, 2014
And Then You
I was an inverted human bell curve the last week my Kanukukers were here. No, that's not an "I've gained the weight of a potato-bred sheep" joke, it's a math metaphor. They're rare. Soak it in.
High: Emily and Eli ditched their plans to spend their final Saturday going ice skating to come along with me instead and meet up with Adam in City Centre.
They didn't know him, and they could have no reason for wanting to meet him, aside from doing so because he is one of my best friends.
We three took the bus and strolled about for a while looking for him, finding on our way an extremely sketchy alley leading to one of my favourite Belfast book stores Chapman & Keats.
We found him at the loopdeydoop (his description) statue and, from there, proceeded to West for lunch.
West is a sandwich shop, so here mentioned because it possessed a very rare quality for a sandwich shop: They ran out of bread. ...what? They literally closed the shop up for the day after we walked in because of this. Only in Belfast...
Then home to play some games and music and back out that evening for Maggie Mays (a local spot for students, complete with delicious milk shakes).
*Local note: Here, a milk shake is exactly what it sounds like. Milk, shaken with a flavour of your choice. Not ice cream.
Maggie Mays was probably the most fun part, as we went about the circle asking each other questions such as, "What colour would you want a cow?" and "If you could name a street, what would it be?"
I met Em and Eli one month ago. One month friends don't meet and spend the entire day with home friends, at least not in my experience. And if they do, they're awkward about it in one way or another.
They made it feel so natural and easy, much like they made my own transition. They made an effort to like my friend just because they like me. It was meaningful and yet unconsciously so, I'm sure, to them.
The low followed, maybe because of the deepening in my sentiment and attachment to them through this. It didn't seem fair, getting them then having to let them go again. And, true to form, I started to shove them out, glibly making comments about them leaving forever and giving them "the timeline."
The timeline is a principle I developed last year to try to make my friend Heather cry. I'm not evil, she just cries unnaturally easily and it's funny. It was a bonding thing.
1. Separation.
2. A few skype dates, multiple texts, and a phone call on the occasion.
3. Turns to Facebook messages.
4. Turns to the occasional Facebook message.
5. Turns to writing on their Facebook wall on their birthday.
6. Turns to seeing their name pop up on their birthday, not recognizing their name (maybe they've gotten married), and deleting their friendship.
It's actually a pretty accurate timeline, but it also isn't fair, as pointed out by Eli.
I'd spent the evening in my room by myself and had also decided not to attend the next day's trip to Whitehead Lighthouse, and we got in a fight about it because I was being selfish in distancing myself to deaden the separation pain.
I ended up going, and it was an absolute blast of a day.
The wind was shove-you-into-the-rocks-below insane, so Emily and I tried to fly, naturally. The walk around by the lighthouse was rocky and salty with ocean spray with caves along the path where pirates used to smuggle salt and butter, and a trip to Carrickfergus Castle followed, where the three of us played a friendly game of Dragons and Ladders.
*Local note: Salt used to be placed in the centre of formal rooms at parties as a symbol of wealth. The more salt you had, the more soldiers you would be able to feed during the winter because salt preserves meat. No salt, no wealth, no protection. Thus, pirates.
That night, we walked all around our neighbourhood collecting ingredients then going back home and baking S'Mores cookies and Nutella Peanut Butter cookies. YUM.
I would have missed all of that had he not caught me enacting my normal "kill the relationship before it kills you" plan. I guess I can be pretty cynical (I prefer the term realistic) about that kind of stuff.
But then I think about Kira and Tyler.
We three met the same day seven years ago in June for two weeks of the Nehemiah program at NewLifeRanch.
And now, seven years later, Kira and I are still best friends, and Tyler and Kira are getting married...in June. :)
There's a solid chance Eli, Em, and I could all fall apart soon, but it's not only not fair for me to act out of that mentality, it's not true.
Sometimes, realism just isn't realistic. Humans happen. Freak accident friendship happens. There isn't an airtight timeline. Man, thank God for that. And thank God for people put in my life to remind me of that.
High: Emily and Eli ditched their plans to spend their final Saturday going ice skating to come along with me instead and meet up with Adam in City Centre.
They didn't know him, and they could have no reason for wanting to meet him, aside from doing so because he is one of my best friends.
We three took the bus and strolled about for a while looking for him, finding on our way an extremely sketchy alley leading to one of my favourite Belfast book stores Chapman & Keats.
We found him at the loopdeydoop (his description) statue and, from there, proceeded to West for lunch.
West is a sandwich shop, so here mentioned because it possessed a very rare quality for a sandwich shop: They ran out of bread. ...what? They literally closed the shop up for the day after we walked in because of this. Only in Belfast...
Then home to play some games and music and back out that evening for Maggie Mays (a local spot for students, complete with delicious milk shakes).
*Local note: Here, a milk shake is exactly what it sounds like. Milk, shaken with a flavour of your choice. Not ice cream.
Maggie Mays was probably the most fun part, as we went about the circle asking each other questions such as, "What colour would you want a cow?" and "If you could name a street, what would it be?"
I met Em and Eli one month ago. One month friends don't meet and spend the entire day with home friends, at least not in my experience. And if they do, they're awkward about it in one way or another.
They made it feel so natural and easy, much like they made my own transition. They made an effort to like my friend just because they like me. It was meaningful and yet unconsciously so, I'm sure, to them.
The low followed, maybe because of the deepening in my sentiment and attachment to them through this. It didn't seem fair, getting them then having to let them go again. And, true to form, I started to shove them out, glibly making comments about them leaving forever and giving them "the timeline."
The timeline is a principle I developed last year to try to make my friend Heather cry. I'm not evil, she just cries unnaturally easily and it's funny. It was a bonding thing.
1. Separation.
2. A few skype dates, multiple texts, and a phone call on the occasion.
3. Turns to Facebook messages.
4. Turns to the occasional Facebook message.
5. Turns to writing on their Facebook wall on their birthday.
6. Turns to seeing their name pop up on their birthday, not recognizing their name (maybe they've gotten married), and deleting their friendship.
It's actually a pretty accurate timeline, but it also isn't fair, as pointed out by Eli.
I'd spent the evening in my room by myself and had also decided not to attend the next day's trip to Whitehead Lighthouse, and we got in a fight about it because I was being selfish in distancing myself to deaden the separation pain.
I ended up going, and it was an absolute blast of a day.
The wind was shove-you-into-the-rocks-below insane, so Emily and I tried to fly, naturally. The walk around by the lighthouse was rocky and salty with ocean spray with caves along the path where pirates used to smuggle salt and butter, and a trip to Carrickfergus Castle followed, where the three of us played a friendly game of Dragons and Ladders.
*Local note: Salt used to be placed in the centre of formal rooms at parties as a symbol of wealth. The more salt you had, the more soldiers you would be able to feed during the winter because salt preserves meat. No salt, no wealth, no protection. Thus, pirates.
That night, we walked all around our neighbourhood collecting ingredients then going back home and baking S'Mores cookies and Nutella Peanut Butter cookies. YUM.
I would have missed all of that had he not caught me enacting my normal "kill the relationship before it kills you" plan. I guess I can be pretty cynical (I prefer the term realistic) about that kind of stuff.
But then I think about Kira and Tyler.
We three met the same day seven years ago in June for two weeks of the Nehemiah program at NewLifeRanch.
And now, seven years later, Kira and I are still best friends, and Tyler and Kira are getting married...in June. :)
There's a solid chance Eli, Em, and I could all fall apart soon, but it's not only not fair for me to act out of that mentality, it's not true.
Sometimes, realism just isn't realistic. Humans happen. Freak accident friendship happens. There isn't an airtight timeline. Man, thank God for that. And thank God for people put in my life to remind me of that.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Snapshots Sans Snapshots
Family Christmas:
Joey, Cristin, and their two
not-so-wee ones Harrison and Gianna finally, finally made it back to Tulsa from
their new home in Georgia to spend a few days.
Therefore, family Christmas!! That
means, tons of children (and Jacob) running about crazy, just so excited to
have some cousin time. We ex-kid table-ers were pretty excited about it, too.
:)
I've never been a huge fan of
children. They're loud, they have altogether too much energy, they're easy to
step on, and they're sticky. HOWEVER, nieces and nephews seem to slip right on
past that rule.
There are few sounds more precious
than hearing my nieces or nephew (Sam can't talk yet) yell "Aunt
Jamie!", or any form of that.
And I get the great honor and
privilege of filling their heads with complete nonsense. I love them. Even if I
don't necessarily spend tons of time with them in town, just knowing that they
are near is comforting. When I leave, I always hurt to know that there are
whole tracts of their lives I will miss. Shoot, Harrison and Gianna are giants
compared to when I saw them last.
But then we're all back together,
and all is well.
Trifecta Christmas:
I guess we're officially adults now
because no selfies were taken whatsoever.
On the other hand, we did put together
a puzzle made from one of our particularly favorite selfies thanks to Hayhay.
The evening was spent as it darn
well should. Food, friendship, and ice cream on the kitchen floor.
We're rather simple in our
fun-having with one another, but I think that's how it should be. We don't
require diversion to be totally satisfied in the presence of each other. We may
require Rocky Road and the occasional cocktail, but those are just perks.
I'm always pleasantly surprised and
thankful at the way our friendship has flexed, adjusted, and grown over the
past five years. We've made it through breakdowns, boyfriends, cross-country
and cross-cultural moves, and all sorts of in-betweens.
None of us really understand how or
why we work together, but we appreciate the fact that we do. We make for a good
team, the three of us (and occasionally the lovely Kira).
I personally struggle with
boundaries. I say yes to just about everything, so long as it isn't destructive
or dangerous. Or a practical joke, because those suckers just escalate, and
ain't no way I want to be in that cross-fire. You're on your own.
If I don't have a really, really
good reason (or a superior good reason to their good reason) I can't help but
say yes because I know if I were in the other person's position, I would want
them to say yes to me.
That's how I ended up judging a
high school debate tournament yesterday, yet again.
Don't get me wrong at all! I love
debate. It’s like fencing: calculated, classy, and intelligent.
I've judged tournaments every year
since I graduated, upon request. It's interesting, I learn things, and it gives
me an opportunity to provide constructive feedback.
However, with only a few days left
in the country, I wasn't exactly thrilled to be asked.
Nevertheless, I came.
THIS TIME, though, I set
boundaries! I said I'd stay till 8. I did. Then, when they handed me new
judging ballots (for a round to which I had not agreed), I said no politely and
went on my merry way to watch Snow
White with my niece and
nephew.
Then, (I was on a roll, I tell ya),
I said no to suggested Saturday social plans. I didn't have alternative plans,
I just didn't want to go. And that is what I said, nicely.
Saturday, January 4, 2014
The Makings Of
Today is my twenty-second birthday.
Old, but I'm not that old.
This is also the first birthday that I've actually truly felt ready to be the age I'm turning. I remember driving around Tulsa on the eve of my twentieth in an absolute panic, not ready to leave my teenage years.
For this birthday post, I'm going to drive you on a brief tour through the past six birthdays. Each section heading is the name of a mix CD my best friend Caity made for me on every birthday. Also, it should be noted that since I'm a student, the years are counted by grade.
Dance Like You're 18
It's senior year of high school, characterized by determination.
I was out to stick it to the world. Who I was was what I was involved in or achieved:
-Student Council Chaplain
-Worship team leader
-Debate team
-Winter Guard captain
-Swim team member
-Bowling team captain
-National Honor Society
-National French Honor Society
-French Club vice president
-Salutatorian (co-salutatorian with Fran Brower. Our speech at graduation was absolutely so fun).
Traveled to:
-Colorado with the senior class
-Chicago with AP Biology and AP Art
Notables:
-Acquired the friendship of a Miss Caity Kullen (Roberts) and, with Haley Vogt, formed the Trifecta.
-Gained an entire friend group due to a popular girl deciding I was "hott" one day.
-Niece Gianna Aloisio born to brother Joey and wife Cristin
-Brother Jacob married to now wife Allison
"My People":
Haley Vogt
Caity Kullen
Dehra McGuire
John Brothers
Taylor Pride
Will Watkins
That Summer, I lifeguarded and taught the Naval Art of War (canoeing) at New Life Ranch and got my nose pierced.
19: Eat your feelings. Boyfriend forgot the birthday.
Welcome to my Freshman year of college!
The first semester was an absolute dream. Everybody's first semester of college should be like mine.
Timeline:
-Tried out for a play for a joke. Scored one of six parts. Annelle in Steel Magnolias.
-Had a super tight friend group of artsy type folks. Spontaneous dancing, singing in trees, and group adventuring was a must.
-First boyfriend. Fell in love--hard.
-Spontaneously traveled to Chicago with a carfull of friends.
-Eating disorder hit highest point of unhealthy.
-Best friend literally lost her mind. Was thousands of miles separated from her.
-Boyfriend shattered my heart.
-Lost entire friend group. The ex got custody, apparently.
-Fell in love with Jesus--hard--in an absolute, final way.
-Delivered completely and instantly from eating disorder.
-Joined a band with friend Jordan Weeks.
-Presented a paper at a regional academic conference.
-Reconnected with camp best friend Kira.
-Restoration of best friend's sanity. Thank you, Jesus.
Spent the summer in Tulsa with Kira and Haley. Lifeguarded at the Jewish Community Center. Together, we created Monday Game Night. Everybody the three of us collectively knew in Tulsa came. It was a blast.
My People:
Matt Tintera
Abby Fennema
Allison Harper (roommate)
Peter Myers
Adam Howard
[the mass rest of the "granola poser" friendgroup]
Trifecta & Kira
20 Years Young
Made it! Helloooooo junemore year! (I combined sophomore and junior year)
This was a year characterized by dryness and slow growth. Not a good year, not a bad year. Just kind of...existent.
I was an orientation leader with Drew Duffy and also an Honors Orientation Leader of six blonde girls.
That, actually, was truly significant. I continued to mentor one of those girls throughout the remainder of my time at JBU.
Got a job working as a content developer for Creative Content Experts.
During Spring Break, I went to Jackson, Mississippi for a week long missions team thing and dug a trench.
Gained niece Libby Rose, born to brother Jon and wife Emily.
I presented my favorite college paper at a regional academic conference (the sacramental theology of spit)
This was also the year of my...boycott. It's exactly what it sounds like. I didn't do it legalistically or as a rule, there were just a lot of instances which occurred the second half of my Freshman year/summer that really put me off to any form of interaction with guys.
That summer I traveled to Northern Ireland with the Family and Human Services team. Fell in love with the country and culture. The rest of the summer, I interned for Tate Publishing. Among other things, I actually got to be both the ghost editor and "back matter" writer for a whole book.
My people:
Lauren Ware (roommate)
Laura Parker (first semester)
Abby Chestnut (second semester transfer)
Anna Jackson (a reconnection from camp years)
Tracy Balzer (mentor)
Trifecta and Kira
Young and Wild and 21
Senior year was characterized by deep satisfaction and fountains of happiness and joy.
Sure, there were struggles and anxieties and I was really busy most of the time, but it was very near perfect.
-Orientation leader with Steve Sullivant.
-Class mentor for a Freshman Orientation Harry Potter course
-Spoke in chapel.
-Fell in love again, different than the first time.
-Began mentoring another girl in addition to my H/O blonde.
-Taught Sunday School
-Played a pink panther and an assassin in another JBU production
-Wrote for the Threefold Advocate student newspaper
-Traveled to Chicago again for a weekend "immersion" trip.
-Lived in an intercultural townhouse. Abby and I found them on the eaglenet classifieds. It was amazing. A vanilla latte dream of latina/gringa goodness.
-Best friend Kira engaged to Tyler, best friend Caity engaged to Greg, niece Ella born to brother Jacob and wife Allison.
-Was accepted to Denver Seminary and Queen's University, Belfast.
-Spring Break Missions in New Orleans. Learned how to insulate a house.
-Wrote two books: WaterWorks and Woodsy
-Presented work at a national academic conference in Wisconsin.
-Placed 4th in a national writing contest for a paper on homelessness.
-Graduated John Brown University
-Cut off 9 inches of my hair.
The summer was spent in two parts. The first, I waitressed at Ted's Cafe Escondido. It was great learning experience, but I was unable to continue. The second, I worked with my father at Iron Cross Automotive. Loved it. On the weekends, though, I trekked up to Siloam Springs and got loved on by my best friends. It was perfect. The best year of my life. No regrets.
My people:
Noah Baslé
Abby Chestnut (roommate)
The Perch (housemates)
Madison Stewart
Becca Ridings (Irish studies roommate)
Leslie Lancaster (Irish studies roommate)
Kristina Grimes Pugatch (cousin)
Steve Sullivant
Daniel Williams
Andrew Layden
Peter Myers
Adam Howard
Trifecta and Kira
Anna
Tracy Balzer (mentor)
I Guess We Made It, or At Least We Made it this far. 22.
Results inconclusive.
Old, but I'm not that old.
This is also the first birthday that I've actually truly felt ready to be the age I'm turning. I remember driving around Tulsa on the eve of my twentieth in an absolute panic, not ready to leave my teenage years.
For this birthday post, I'm going to drive you on a brief tour through the past six birthdays. Each section heading is the name of a mix CD my best friend Caity made for me on every birthday. Also, it should be noted that since I'm a student, the years are counted by grade.
Dance Like You're 18
It's senior year of high school, characterized by determination.
I was out to stick it to the world. Who I was was what I was involved in or achieved:
-Student Council Chaplain
-Worship team leader
-Debate team
-Winter Guard captain
-Swim team member
-Bowling team captain
-National Honor Society
-National French Honor Society
-French Club vice president
-Salutatorian (co-salutatorian with Fran Brower. Our speech at graduation was absolutely so fun).
Traveled to:
-Colorado with the senior class
-Chicago with AP Biology and AP Art
Notables:
-Acquired the friendship of a Miss Caity Kullen (Roberts) and, with Haley Vogt, formed the Trifecta.
-Gained an entire friend group due to a popular girl deciding I was "hott" one day.
-Niece Gianna Aloisio born to brother Joey and wife Cristin
-Brother Jacob married to now wife Allison
"My People":
Haley Vogt
Caity Kullen
Dehra McGuire
John Brothers
Taylor Pride
Will Watkins
That Summer, I lifeguarded and taught the Naval Art of War (canoeing) at New Life Ranch and got my nose pierced.
19: Eat your feelings. Boyfriend forgot the birthday.
The first semester was an absolute dream. Everybody's first semester of college should be like mine.
Timeline:
-Tried out for a play for a joke. Scored one of six parts. Annelle in Steel Magnolias. -Had a super tight friend group of artsy type folks. Spontaneous dancing, singing in trees, and group adventuring was a must.
-First boyfriend. Fell in love--hard.
-Spontaneously traveled to Chicago with a carfull of friends.
-Eating disorder hit highest point of unhealthy.
-Best friend literally lost her mind. Was thousands of miles separated from her.
-Boyfriend shattered my heart.
-Fell in love with Jesus--hard--in an absolute, final way.
-Delivered completely and instantly from eating disorder.
-Joined a band with friend Jordan Weeks.
-Presented a paper at a regional academic conference.
-Reconnected with camp best friend Kira.
-Restoration of best friend's sanity. Thank you, Jesus.
Spent the summer in Tulsa with Kira and Haley. Lifeguarded at the Jewish Community Center. Together, we created Monday Game Night. Everybody the three of us collectively knew in Tulsa came. It was a blast.
My People:
Matt Tintera
Abby Fennema
Allison Harper (roommate)
Peter Myers
Adam Howard
[the mass rest of the "granola poser" friendgroup]
Trifecta & Kira
20 Years Young
Made it! Helloooooo junemore year! (I combined sophomore and junior year)
This was a year characterized by dryness and slow growth. Not a good year, not a bad year. Just kind of...existent.
I was an orientation leader with Drew Duffy and also an Honors Orientation Leader of six blonde girls.
That, actually, was truly significant. I continued to mentor one of those girls throughout the remainder of my time at JBU.
Got a job working as a content developer for Creative Content Experts.
During Spring Break, I went to Jackson, Mississippi for a week long missions team thing and dug a trench.
Gained niece Libby Rose, born to brother Jon and wife Emily.
I presented my favorite college paper at a regional academic conference (the sacramental theology of spit)
This was also the year of my...boycott. It's exactly what it sounds like. I didn't do it legalistically or as a rule, there were just a lot of instances which occurred the second half of my Freshman year/summer that really put me off to any form of interaction with guys.
That summer I traveled to Northern Ireland with the Family and Human Services team. Fell in love with the country and culture. The rest of the summer, I interned for Tate Publishing. Among other things, I actually got to be both the ghost editor and "back matter" writer for a whole book.
My people:
Lauren Ware (roommate)
Laura Parker (first semester)
Abby Chestnut (second semester transfer)
Anna Jackson (a reconnection from camp years)
Tracy Balzer (mentor)
Trifecta and Kira
Young and Wild and 21
Senior year was characterized by deep satisfaction and fountains of happiness and joy.
Sure, there were struggles and anxieties and I was really busy most of the time, but it was very near perfect.
-Orientation leader with Steve Sullivant.
-Class mentor for a Freshman Orientation Harry Potter course
-Spoke in chapel.
-Fell in love again, different than the first time.
-Began mentoring another girl in addition to my H/O blonde.
-Taught Sunday School
-Played a pink panther and an assassin in another JBU production
-Wrote for the Threefold Advocate student newspaper
-Traveled to Chicago again for a weekend "immersion" trip.
-Lived in an intercultural townhouse. Abby and I found them on the eaglenet classifieds. It was amazing. A vanilla latte dream of latina/gringa goodness.
-Best friend Kira engaged to Tyler, best friend Caity engaged to Greg, niece Ella born to brother Jacob and wife Allison.
-Was accepted to Denver Seminary and Queen's University, Belfast.
-Spring Break Missions in New Orleans. Learned how to insulate a house.
-Wrote two books: WaterWorks and Woodsy
-Presented work at a national academic conference in Wisconsin.-Placed 4th in a national writing contest for a paper on homelessness.
-Graduated John Brown University
-Cut off 9 inches of my hair.
The summer was spent in two parts. The first, I waitressed at Ted's Cafe Escondido. It was great learning experience, but I was unable to continue. The second, I worked with my father at Iron Cross Automotive. Loved it. On the weekends, though, I trekked up to Siloam Springs and got loved on by my best friends. It was perfect. The best year of my life. No regrets.
My people:
Noah Baslé
Abby Chestnut (roommate)
The Perch (housemates)
Madison Stewart
Becca Ridings (Irish studies roommate)
Leslie Lancaster (Irish studies roommate)
Kristina Grimes Pugatch (cousin)
Steve Sullivant
Daniel Williams
Andrew Layden
Peter Myers
Adam Howard
Trifecta and Kira
Anna
Tracy Balzer (mentor)
I Guess We Made It, or At Least We Made it this far. 22.
Friday, January 3, 2014
Forget and Not Slow Down
Relient K really does have a song for every life experience.
I don't care what you say, they're lyric geniuses and I have no intention of growing out of them.
New Years Eve.
Even though the conference still had a full day left, I had a tradition to uphold in Tulsa. And, because I am all about traditions and following-through, I came home to the arms of my beautiful best friend.
Now, we thought that no New Years party could top last year, but we were wrong.
Last year, Kira and I kicked off the night in our Forever Lazies, watching Pitch Perfect with champagne in hand. Then, after 45 minutes of desperate texts, heytells, and phone calls from Haley, we finally took pity on her, got off the couch, prettied up, picked her up, and headed over to Caity's.
There, pie.
Next stop, our buddy Lauren's for bunko and silly string. Finally, we packed back into Bess (RIP, car) and took the party to my house. We blasted Ke$ha all the way there (making sure Hayhay kept all body parts in the car. Challenge) and howled at the moon in the street after I parked. More Pitch Perfect, some Barbie Sparkle Kingdom, and champagne, then sleep. Great night.
This year, Haley is in China and Caity is married, leaving Kira and I to our own devices.
Our group involved Kira's parents, her aunt and uncle, her brother and his three friends, her, me, and two other girls. And the dog. Can't forget the dog. Petunia hounded me all night. (HA).
I guess there wasn't anything super dynamic "do" wise, but it was, I think, the best New Years ever.
Her family is loud and brash and really loving and wonderful. We danced in the kitchen, laughed, played Uno, yelled (a lot), ate a lot of food, enjoyed contextual beverages, silly stringed one another, tried to watch a movie (asleep before a quarter over. all of us), got perpetually attacked by Petunia the dog, and ended up asleep, piled on the couch together. The next morning, we slept in till past noon and started the year off right with cookies and coffee.
Like I said, simple.
I've never liked parties. I always feel like I'm supposed to be doing or saying something and not doing it right. Not comfortable and more than usually have somewhere specific I'd really rather be.
I think that's why I liked it so much. Yeah, I kinda wished I could still be with my OneThing group (they actually missed me and FaceTimed me at midnight. So sweet), but where I was where exactly where I wanted to be. And Kira was exactly the person I wanted to be with.
Two Christmas breaks ago, I crawled into bed with my mom (yes, at 19) and cried, with just this weird gut feeling that by the next year, everything was going to be different. It was.
By the end of last Christmas break, Caity was engaged (Craig actually joined us for New Years last year). And Kira, too, was engaged by then.
Caity got married this summer. Kira gets married in six months. Haley is in a serious relationship and living in China.
So, this New Years wasn't like it it, necessarily, but in a way, it kinda was. Technically, last year was our final group of singleness and freedom, but I'm digressing from the point.
Things are changing.
We're like, to that point where people are expecting us to do things like grow up and get married...or a dog. (Ten points, Cubby!). This time next year, Kira will join Caity's wife club. For that matter, so will Haley probably. And me? Who knows where I'll be or what I'll be up to.
But for one night, none of that stuff mattered. We just let ourselves forget about all it all and everything that's staring us in the face, and we were back to being silly teenage best friends. That made it the very best.
I don't care what you say, they're lyric geniuses and I have no intention of growing out of them.
New Years Eve.
Even though the conference still had a full day left, I had a tradition to uphold in Tulsa. And, because I am all about traditions and following-through, I came home to the arms of my beautiful best friend.
Now, we thought that no New Years party could top last year, but we were wrong.
Last year, Kira and I kicked off the night in our Forever Lazies, watching Pitch Perfect with champagne in hand. Then, after 45 minutes of desperate texts, heytells, and phone calls from Haley, we finally took pity on her, got off the couch, prettied up, picked her up, and headed over to Caity's.
 |
| Meant to be super creepy of us. This is just to give you a visual idea of the magic that is the Forever Lazy |
 |
| Craig loves us. |
This year, Haley is in China and Caity is married, leaving Kira and I to our own devices.
Our group involved Kira's parents, her aunt and uncle, her brother and his three friends, her, me, and two other girls. And the dog. Can't forget the dog. Petunia hounded me all night. (HA).
I guess there wasn't anything super dynamic "do" wise, but it was, I think, the best New Years ever.
Her family is loud and brash and really loving and wonderful. We danced in the kitchen, laughed, played Uno, yelled (a lot), ate a lot of food, enjoyed contextual beverages, silly stringed one another, tried to watch a movie (asleep before a quarter over. all of us), got perpetually attacked by Petunia the dog, and ended up asleep, piled on the couch together. The next morning, we slept in till past noon and started the year off right with cookies and coffee.Like I said, simple.
I've never liked parties. I always feel like I'm supposed to be doing or saying something and not doing it right. Not comfortable and more than usually have somewhere specific I'd really rather be.
I think that's why I liked it so much. Yeah, I kinda wished I could still be with my OneThing group (they actually missed me and FaceTimed me at midnight. So sweet), but where I was where exactly where I wanted to be. And Kira was exactly the person I wanted to be with.
Two Christmas breaks ago, I crawled into bed with my mom (yes, at 19) and cried, with just this weird gut feeling that by the next year, everything was going to be different. It was.
By the end of last Christmas break, Caity was engaged (Craig actually joined us for New Years last year). And Kira, too, was engaged by then.
Caity got married this summer. Kira gets married in six months. Haley is in a serious relationship and living in China.
So, this New Years wasn't like it it, necessarily, but in a way, it kinda was. Technically, last year was our final group of singleness and freedom, but I'm digressing from the point.Things are changing.
We're like, to that point where people are expecting us to do things like grow up and get married...or a dog. (Ten points, Cubby!). This time next year, Kira will join Caity's wife club. For that matter, so will Haley probably. And me? Who knows where I'll be or what I'll be up to.But for one night, none of that stuff mattered. We just let ourselves forget about all it all and everything that's staring us in the face, and we were back to being silly teenage best friends. That made it the very best.
Monday, December 23, 2013
Highlights Reel
There needs to be some temperance here. I'm not all doom and gloom.
Lovely moments since I've been home (old pictures):
*the reunion between Jamie and Kraft Mac and Cheese (one of those odd cultural cravings)
*My best friend coming over the evening I got home. She was very kind about the fact that I was practically asleep in front of her.
*Coffee with my friend Anna. We have the most consistent friendship of all my acquaintances. Once a month, without fail, we spend time together.
*Drinks with Maddie Stewart. I don't know how to describe her. The perfect combination of sass, spiritual, and snuggles.
*Sleepover with Heather, Becca, and Allison.
*Getting to see the happy shock of several of my friends to see me in the country.
*meeting my nephew, Superfly. Or Sam. I prefer the former, though the latter is pretty good. :) Baby snuggles cannot be topped, really. And he makes the sweetest wee grunts when he's asleep. They're so contented.
*More bonding time. This time with my dear friend, Sadie. She's one of those friends with which humor and spirituality are always pretty tightly knit.
*lots and lots of this handsome guy.
*driving. There have only been two incidents of "what's this guy doing in my freakin'...NOT MY LANE! NOT MY LANE! NI's got me all mixed around.
*yesterday, I was shopping and got caught waiting in line between four sassy black ladies. We had a great talk. I've missed black people. There are three in Belfast. Really. Like there actually are just three.
*Today I went out with one of my mentors. She was my high school AP Biology and Anatomy/Physiology teacher turned friend/mentor. Giant. More giant than I am, bigger boned, louder, and always wears big ole heels (a trait I have recently embraced for myself). All that, and she can work a sex talk into any conversation topic. It's like a spiritual gift. She used to do it on purpose during class to watch me about crawl under my desk embarrassed.
*my ma drawing tattoos and facial hair on lingerie models in a magazine
I have no idea how or why this picture is snowing. That didn't happen, and I'm not smart enough with technology to make that. But the picture and the ice behind the fake snow is real! aha! "google + 'auto awesome'" did this.
This is so fun!
My beautiful Oklahoma.
Tulsa from the plane. :)
Lovely moments since I've been home (old pictures):
*the reunion between Jamie and Kraft Mac and Cheese (one of those odd cultural cravings)
*My best friend coming over the evening I got home. She was very kind about the fact that I was practically asleep in front of her.
*Coffee with my friend Anna. We have the most consistent friendship of all my acquaintances. Once a month, without fail, we spend time together.
*Drinks with Maddie Stewart. I don't know how to describe her. The perfect combination of sass, spiritual, and snuggles.
*Sleepover with Heather, Becca, and Allison.
*Getting to see the happy shock of several of my friends to see me in the country.
*meeting my nephew, Superfly. Or Sam. I prefer the former, though the latter is pretty good. :) Baby snuggles cannot be topped, really. And he makes the sweetest wee grunts when he's asleep. They're so contented.
*More bonding time. This time with my dear friend, Sadie. She's one of those friends with which humor and spirituality are always pretty tightly knit.
*lots and lots of this handsome guy.
*driving. There have only been two incidents of "what's this guy doing in my freakin'...NOT MY LANE! NOT MY LANE! NI's got me all mixed around.
*yesterday, I was shopping and got caught waiting in line between four sassy black ladies. We had a great talk. I've missed black people. There are three in Belfast. Really. Like there actually are just three.
*Today I went out with one of my mentors. She was my high school AP Biology and Anatomy/Physiology teacher turned friend/mentor. Giant. More giant than I am, bigger boned, louder, and always wears big ole heels (a trait I have recently embraced for myself). All that, and she can work a sex talk into any conversation topic. It's like a spiritual gift. She used to do it on purpose during class to watch me about crawl under my desk embarrassed.
I have no idea how or why this picture is snowing. That didn't happen, and I'm not smart enough with technology to make that. But the picture and the ice behind the fake snow is real! aha! "google + 'auto awesome'" did this.
and this:
This is so fun!
And this is the United Airways Dublin way of saying, "You're about to be in the USA! Get pumped!"
Tulsa from the plane. :)
*and last but very much not least (and I'm sure I'm forgetting several), I finished two of my three papers.
24 hours, 19 sources, and 6400 words.
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